It's Time...

...and now is as good of a time as any...
to introduce my new and shiny blog. 


I've been anticipating the switch for quite some time,
especially with the changes that will ensue of possibly
moving to France, applying to grad school, graduating from
college, etc.

Since I've started this blog, I've got countless encouragement
and feedback, with over 400+ views per month and subscribers
from all over the world. I am truly humbled. Thank you.

So naturally, that means that this site will no longer be updated....

I'm pretty sure that you already figured that one out...
And because I love my followers and because I don't
want to lose a single one of you, please update your
google readers or whatever to:

www.lesmesaventures.com

And be sure to come visit me, leave comments or just say hello!
It's just the same stuff, just a different/better/awesome-er platform.

So-Cal Steak

So I thought that I'd share with you guys a little recipe that I've been a wee bit obsessed with. And honestly... what's not to like? It has beef, cilantro, onions, fajita spices... yum. And I'm not over-emphasizing that I truly love it... because I've prepared this dish at least three times in the past three weeks. And I've been on a bit of a protein kick lately because I've been amping up my workouts at the gym, taking an intensive spin class that totally wipes me out. Needless to say, my usual diet of 85% vegetables wasn't making the cut. I needed meat. Red meat. Steak.

Yeah. Obsessed.

So... I was going to call this recipe "Mexican Steak" but that's a little misleading because there's nothing inherently Mexican about it. So... I'm calling it So-Cal Steak because it's a little bit of the LA foodie style, heavily influenced by all the Latino/a residents. Sound fair? Thought so.

The Ingredients:
1/2 lb - 1 lb Steak. Sliced thin and without the fat.
Fresh chopped cilantro (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
Fajita seasoning (I got it in a packet in the soup aisle at Ralphs)
2-3 tbsp oil (to mix with the seasoning

Instructions:
Mix the steak, cilantro, and onions in a bowl. Make sure it's evenly distributed.
In a separate small bowl, mix the fajita seasonings with the oil. It should be a bit thicker, but not like a stiff paste. Once the dressing is to your desired consistency, mix it with the meat mix. The reason that you want the marinade to be a bit thicker is because you want it to coat the meat, not just "sit there".  Make sure to mix well and get all the meat coated. Cover the bowl and let it sit in the fridge for 2-24 hours, depending on the time. The longer the better, the marinade can get in and really saturate it.

Once you're finished marinating it, pre-heat a skillet on the stovetop for a few minutes. Drop the meat in and cook on medium heat until done. Easy.

And if you're serious about this recipe, there's a bonus step. After all the meat is cooked, remove it from the pan, leaving the juices behind. (Yes, there will be liquid left in the pan). At this point, don't take the pan off the heat, instead add a few slices of raw onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onions are slightly cooked and the liquid has begun to thicken. Add to the cooked meat. Double yum.

But if you're especially protein starved, like I was today, you can chop up about a tbsp of fresh cilantro, add it to the bottom of a clean bowl. Then, poach two eggs and add on top of the fresh cilantro. It'll weaken the "attack" of the herb, without losing potency. Top with some salt and pepper. Serve alongside the steak. Voila. Steak and eggs, California style. And if this is a dinner entrée, add a glass of red wine and you're good to go.

Yum. Dig in! (I have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. Score!)

But in other news, my teeth are free from their wire-y cages. Meaning, my braces are gone! Hooray!
Wanna see a picture? I'll assume that the answer is "yes"....

So there you have it. Steak and pearly whites. Perfect evening, if I do say so myself. 

Tomorrow

So tomorrow marks a big day for me. Really. It's been something that I've
been longing for during practically my whole academic career at UCLA.

I'm getting my braces off tomorrow.


Ohhhh, I am excited. I even promised my orthodontist that I'd bake him
brownies as a "reward" for letting me take my braces off before June. I
think my bribery worked. And true to my word, he's getting a pan of
double chocolate caramel brownies.

For some reason, I feel almost like I have stockholm syndrome or
something. The braces are coming off but I have the suspicion that
tomorrow will bring a touch of nostalgia, a little bit of emotion. It's been
over a year and a half since they were put on. And, as odd as it sounds, we've
been through a lot together. Walking into that office tomorrow, I'm a whole
other person. I've grown up in so many different ways, it's really amazing.

So before I try to make these braces into an allegorical allusion for my life,
I'll just end with this: I am so excited.

The Spoken Word

This is amazing. Not only is she an excellent poetic artist, but an incredible public speaker. It's a wee bit long but really inspiring! I've always loved SLAM poetry and spoken word poetry, so it is a special treat to see the backstory and how Kay gets her inspiration.

(p.s. you might not be able to see the video on Google Reader or whatever. If not, just click through to the actual blog site! Thanks!)

Public Service Announcement

MY BRACES COME OFF IN TEN DAYS.
THAT'S TEN FINGERS. TWO HANDS.
THIS IS A BIG DEAL.


That is all. Carry on.

All I Have

You know, it's funny how God has a sense of timing. It's pretty darn perfect. As I wrote yesterday, I had been waitlisted for the French program and was feeling really bummed and a bit frustrated about it. I wasn't distraught or upset, just that the "wind" had been taken out of my sails.

As it turned out, I had music team practice that evening. And for those of you who don't know, I usually sing for UCLA GOC in our times of worship, which is a huge blessing. I love serving them! And God, in his great providence, has us singing this song for Friday night. It just flattened me as I looked over the lyrics and sang them through with the team. I've heard it before, but the lyrics took on a new dimension as I pondered the state of my life right now, facing the end of undergrad with the unknown prospects of being an "adult". It's a bit scary, right?


"All I Have Is Christ" - Sovereign Grace Music

Now I'm not the most "emotional" person, meaning that I don't cry on cue, but this song definitely makes me tear up. The reason? All I have is Christ. He's my sole possession, the ultimate prize. Everything else just pales in comparison to him. Nothing really matters. Not grades, not GRE's, not grad schools, not moving overseas, nothing. Now, that's not to say that I don't put my best effort out. I do! But my focus needs to be a little more eternally focused.

So this goes above and beyond me, if my God has the ability to provide for my salvation, He can surely provide for me right now. Like the song says, "All I know is grace". Indeed!

France

So... I've gotten some sort of a response from the program that I applied to.

Waitlisted.

That word hit me like a bullet in the chest as I sat in Jimmy's Coffee Shop with my friends. I was expecting either a "yes" or a "no". Not a "maybe". That was exactly the response that I was hoping to avoid. But I'm learning that my expectations and the Lord's plans aren't always on the same plane. That is, my hopes and dreams are drastically different than what is good for me.

So what do I do? I wait some more. I put my trust that the Lord will give me an answer in his timing. All good and perfect things come from His hands, so that's where my faith is and that's where my hope lies.

And yet...

Yup. Charter member right here. Sometimes, being a Godly lady isn't easy. Lemme tell ya. 

Spring Break Recap

Sooo... I've been a little MIA for a few days. Blame finals, spring break, whatever. But I'm back now. And I know that a few of you are curious as to how my time in sunny Florida went. The short story is that it was so great. The weather was a perfect 80ish degrees and we couldn't have asked for a better time. However, I somehow managed to get a head cold and sore throat. But that didn't stop me from fully enjoying my time in DISNEY. 

Okay, this isn't Disney... Hogwarts, actually...

My accomplice, the lovely Emily.

Returning to LA LA Land

So after a relaxing and beautiful week, I'm feeling slightly more ready to return back to UCLA. Spring quarter is going to be tough, no lies. It's the final push before graduation. ALSO, I find out about the French program some time in April, hopefully earlier rather than later. So I'll keep all of you guys posted! 

Nerds

...in the nerdery, with our calculators. Erm. Books. I definitely mean books. 

Unfortunately, this also means business. Okay. I probably should clarify what

I'm trying to say to you guys. As it turns out, I'll probably be reading a 

1,500 page biography for my thesis. 

Yes. I'll repeat that. One thousand and five hundred pages. Helloooo

spring break. The good news? I'll be in sunny Florida with my friend Emily,

away from school and chaos. So, hopefully I'll get some serious reading done and

perhaps work on a tan. 

Oh. You want to know what I'll be reading... 

This. James Boswell's Life of Johnson. And this isn't my first time reading it either. Well, I already read the abridged version for a class (taught by the professor overseeing my thesis now) but for the academic sake of my thesis, I really need to read the original. The unabridged version. The monster. Well... I can't say that I'm not a little bit excited. I mean, I'm doing serious academic work, the kind that I really enjoy and get all rah-rah about. 

And I've just about finished a paper for my 19th-20th century British Poetry class, so... that's a big relief. I've also got a pretty decent handle on my thesis abstract (a.k.a. what I'll be writing about). It's not set in stone or really established, but I'll share more on the blog as I write and discuss my topic more with my advisor. Suffice it to say, I'm pretty excited. Scratch that, I'm totally stoked. I feel that the Lord has put this opportunity in my life and I'm in the right place, with the right people. I'm milking my UCLA experience for all its got. At the end of my last quarter, I'll be exhausted and academically spent. But I really think that I need to grab ahold of all the gifts that I have and use them to the best of my ability. 

What can you guys do? Please be praying for me. Spring 2011 will be a really chaotic time for me, academically. This is my final push before graduation. And I firmly believe that if the Lord chooses to send me to grad school, this quarter will decide a lot of things for my academic future. But in any case, I'm just doing the best work that I can and trusting in the Lord the best way I know how. I do know that my time at UCLA is limited and that I need to soak it all up. No matter what happens to me next year, I know that I'll miss being a student and taking a bajillion English classes. For real you guys, that's what hurts the most about graduating. All the new English newbies will be taking amazing classes that the department hasn't offered before. No fair. 

And as an aside, I have something totally random and off-the-cuff to share with you guys. (But let's be honest... isn't that the whole point of a blog? Sorry. That's a topic for another post.) This will totally and forever peg me as a grammar/syntax nerd but I'm really enjoying the fact that I can write in passive voice on my blog. Too much formal writing, not enough fragments and dangling modifiers. 

Okay. I'm pretty much done with blogging for the evening. My brain is fried. I'm pretty sure that you guys can tell. Oops. 

Also, has anybody caught on to the fact that since I posted that I was in finals, I've been posting rather regularly...? I'll blame the stress. It drives a girl to blog and to make an excessive amount of fruit smoothies. Just sayin'. 

Blast From The Past

So, my Dad just sent me an email with something that I wrote on the computer when I was about 8 years old. Apparently, it was for some sort of class assignment. I had to interview someone and I chose my Dad. But I couldn't resist sharing it with you guys. 

And to be honest, not much has changed. Well, except for the whole "I want to be an artist" and "I have Guinea Pigs" deal. Cute, huh? And I still love my dad just like this. He's great. And he recently celebrated a birthday. So this post is in honor of him. Dad, you're one of my most precious blessings.                                      
                                                                

My Father
My dad was born in Allentown Hospital. He was special, yes sirree! When he was one he fell down the stairs alot but he never got hurt. Once he call "Mommy!" then fell down the stairs. He was so dizzy!
He had three brothers, Lee, Ray and Jimmy. He was the third child. It was fun! He lived in the city. They played ball in the alley. He had to walk one mile to his bus stop. He loved his second grade teacher. He wanted to marry her!
He loved science and music. Science was his favorite subject. He did not like art. It didn't suit him. His favorite game was marbles. GI Joe was his favorite toy. He had chores to do, like brush his teeth, make his bed, set the table and mow the lawn. 
Once he visited Mount Rushmore and the Grand Canyon. He caught his first trout when he went fishing and once his dog at his friend's ice cream right off the cone!
When he was a teenager he moved around alot. It was scary moving to new schools. When he was in High School he was the photographer for the town newspaper. His first job was cleaning floors in a nursing home.
He met his wife (mommy) in church when he was praying for a good wife and the Lord did give him a good wife. She is from Easton, Pennsylvania. He has four children, Jessica, John, Ann and Rachel. They are very special to him. Jessica is eight and loves art and is a good speller. John is seven and loves sports and skateboards. Ann is five and likes the Magic School bus. Rachel is four and loves to talk. Daddy prays all of the children will love Jesus.
He now helps people put new computers in their companies. He likes to read his Bible, look at the stars and go fishing. His favorite Bible verse is Galatians 6:14. His favorite song is "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." His favorite color is blue. His favorite food is pork and sauerkraut. His favorite candy is Zero bars. His favorite pet is a German Shepherd dog.  His favorite sport is baseball. His favorite flower is a white carnation. 
He would give kids my age advice to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and your neighbor as yourself, ad to listen to your Mom and Dad. 
Daddy takes us to the park sometimes if it is not wet. Sometimes we go swimming in the summer. It is fun being with Daddy. Sometimes we go to the museum. We go to the beach and look for crabs with Dad and Mom. We love them very much.
My Daddy loves Jesus very much. I will never forget that. I love him so much and he loves me. My Daddy calls me Jess Lynn and the Sweet Bear.
We all live in a cozy blue house near woods and near adventures. Sometimes we go in the woods when we have the chance. Our Daddy loves the outdoors. He loves to look at the stars and moon. In fact, he loves the solar system.
You know why I love my Dad? Because he loves me and that is all that matters to me. He always will and I always will.

Jessica Lynn Haldeman was born August 18, 1987 in Abington, Pennsylvania. She is the oldest of three sisters and one brother in her family. Her hobbies are art and reading. She loves Jesus and she might want to be an artist when she grows up. She now lives in a light blue house in Sellersville, Pa. She is now the happy owner of an albino guinea pig who just delivered  two albino babies, named Snowball and Vanilla.

Privilege

The Privilege of Trust. This concept seems almost antithetical, paradoxical. Often, the notion of the believer's trust adheres to something negative. For example, "I'm trusting for God to provide me with a job" or "I'm trusting in the Lord through this trial". Basically, the concept of trust gets a bad rap.

But when you think about it, as I have been lately, the ability to put my hope and trust in the Lord is an absolute blessing. And the fact that my trust rests on an everlasting and reliable God draws my heart near with thanksgiving. Trust is a multifaceted thing. It acts as a way to weather the storms of life in a Godly and healthy way. It provides me with a way to find real, solid joy. Trust also manifests through the happier seasons in my life. This concept reminds me of some verses from the hymn "My Hope is Built":

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.


His oath, his covenant, his blood
support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay. 


And I'm going to take this golden opportunity to be really transparent with you guys. It's really hard to trust in the Lord sometimes, especially in terms of providing a spouse/family/future. And it's something that I really really want. But it is a gift that only the Lord can give to me. Obviously none of my striving is going to do anything. I have to learn to be content and to be patient as the will of the Lord unfolds day by day.

Some people may think that age 23 is too young to be considering these things. Really? Frankly, I don't see why not. I'm at the age when this really is a question and something to be prayerfully considering. I'm just trying to honor my Savior with my live, just trying to do the best with what I've been given. And that's all we can really do, right?

So that's where the gift of trust comes in. As I move through life's inevitable seasons, some happier than others, I need to remember that my trust in the Lord doesn't act as an obstacle in the pursuit of "happiness" or "fulfillment". It isn't a temporary band-aid or spiritual trite-ism. Trust is real, tangible, and acts as a way to put the faith that I possess into action. And in this way, it's almost a miracle.

Busy Season

At UCLA, I'm entering 9th week. For anyone who is familiar with the quarter system, that means that it's getting down to the last 3ish weeks of classes/finals. And it is at this point where I traditionally take a technology hiatus (read: Facebook) until all of my finals are over. I ask a roomie or close friend to change my Facebook passwords until the last day of finals. After I'm all done, I get access to my account.

Tell me to use self control? This is what it looks like, people. I don't think of Facebook as a problem, but rather a distraction. And if I can rid of distractions... you know the drill.

Anyway, this post is just to explain my upcoming radio silence. I may/may not update as I see fit. But don't leave me if I'm not frequently posting. Deal? Okay.

And just to prove that I'm not completely heartless, I thought I'd give you guys a little video to take the edge off this post. This is currently what's stuck in my head. And honestly, it's a beautiful song. I consider it a good thing. Take a listen:



Bon Iver - Blindsided

Evernote

If you have an Apple computer, (and I suspect that many of you do)
there is a free software program that is ama-za-zing. I couldn't help but
post a review/recommendation. It's made my life so much easier. For
reals.

Evernote.

It's basically a note-taking and organizing program. As in, I
create text/video/photo/audio notes and it organizes it for me.
The big deal? It's free and I'm categorizing my plethora of
recipes on it. I can create notes from web clips, drag & drop
photos, and even sync from my iPhone. Another really
cool fact about this program is that it's all backed up online.
So if my hard drive ever decides to head south like it did at
the beginning of the year, I can re-download the program
and all my notes are 100% intact. Pretty awesome, right?

Unfortunately, the program isn't for PC's. But if you
have an Apple platform, it definitely is worth a look.

Check it out! Evernote.com

Food Poisoning

Yup. I got it. Not fun. Spent the day up in bed, with only some flat 7Up as my companion. I cancelled all my appointments and meetings, much to my chagrin. It's just not the most ideal situation, but I'm thanking the Lord in all circumstances.

You want the latest? This is it. Buh-mmer.
Hopefully, I'll be shipshape by Friday.
Join me in prayer, won't ya?

Waiting Game

These days, I feel like I'm caught in some sort of a holding pattern. Some decisions, big ones about my future, are coming up in April. In case you're new to my blog or don't know what I'm talking about, I applied to a job over in France for next year. It's a one year to two year teaching contract within the French school system. Basically, I'll be teaching English.

That being said, I find out if I am accepted into the program/job in April. I know that's around 8+ weeks until I get any sort of answer, but I'm still a little bit on edge. Once I know where I'll be next year, I can make some major decisions about next year, like if I remain in LA or plan a temporary move back home and then overseas. And I'll be really really honest, this decision has been the source of anxiety as I face the end of my time here at UCLA. I feel like there's so many loose ends that I have to tie up here, like leaving my church and friends.

The thought of not being at my church or with my friends out here does make me a little bit sad, but I know that if I'm relocated to France, that the Lord will provide bountifully for me. It's always an issue of faith, I think for me. At this point in my life, I have no control over what happens, as far as this program is concerned. This is a great opportunity for me to trust in the Lord and to lean on His sovereignty in my life. I mean, all that I really can do is live my life to please my Savior.

So please join me in prayer as I look for the future, that I will be wise and will not fall to anxiety or fear. Because fear takes from you, it steals your joy in Christ and makes the blessing of trust feel like a punishment.

Kindle

As some of you guys know, I got a Kindle for Christmas. And I really love it. It's portable, light, sleek, and has the capacity to carry over three thousand books. It looks so cute in its apple green leather case (another generous gift from my parents) and I like to carry it with me on campus or to the coffee shop. I've read a few books on it with no problem. In fact, I kinda forget that I'm reading it on an electronic screen.

But I've had a nagging issue with it. Just one. 
It doesn't display real-time page numbers. For example, if I had an actual book and compared it to the same text on a Kindle, the actual page numbers would be different. You see, the Kindle has its own page numbering system. Rather than marking actual pages, it gives the reader the page location relative to the book. Obviously, this is a problem if I'm trying to cite any sort of information in an academic context. I mean, I can't just write on my works cited page that it's "Location 5.482". That's a little ridiculous.
So instead of using my Kindle for any sort of academic reading, I've been just using it for fun. There's some great theology books and other poetical readings that I've been "leafing" through. But I've always wanted the opportunity to read for class via Kindle. I actually read faster and in a less distracted way with the device.

It's a rather strange thing, considering the reaction from the English major community. I was previously riding the fence about the Kindle, wondering if I would actually enjoy it. I've heard that the Kindle was "killing" books and the printed word. I've also heard that it was the "next step" in publication. But to be honest, the form of the book doesn't really matter. And if you think about it, the "book" has evolved so much, from manuscripts and papyrus to stitched together novels. What really should count is the content. Think about it, Chaucer never published in a book form. In fact, he never "published" at all. So why should I look down on books in an electronic form? It's not about the form. It's about the content.

But the main point of this post, the real reason, is that I just got a software upgrade for my Kindle that assigns real-time page numbers to all of the books. That means that I can actually cite pages, saving me money, time, and weight for my books. Imagine. Instead of being weighed down with physical books, I can just carry a Kindle that weighs less than a pound! Basically, it's a huge, awesome and amazing thing. So my qualms with my Kindle have been resolved and I am one happy camper. 

The Kosher Market

For all of you Angeleno's out there (you know, residents of Los Angeles...) I have found something truly remarkable. Glatt Kosher Market. Situated on Santa Monica and Colby St, it definitely has plenty of character and spunk. At any given time, it is crowded, full of middle aged Jewish and Persian ladies, their carts full and overflowing. The aisles are cramped and the store is small but it has the best prices for produce that I've ever seen. For example, a large bundle of dill only costs me 65 cents, and most of their vegetable run at under $2 per lb. Basically, it's a GREAT deal for GOOD produce. 

The discount doesn't stop there. It extends to the meat too. I get high quality kosher chicken/beef/turkey for ama-za-zing prices. So much better than Ralphs. And because it's kosher meat, it's very very high quality. But those prices don't seem to get in the way of some funny cultural "translations" that I find, especially in the meat section. Take a look! 

Shnitzel? What is this? Doesn't matter... I bought it anyway. YUM.

This definitely re-defines "cutlets" into "chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs and stars".
I literally laughed out loud.

So... if you ever make your way to Glatt Kosher Market, which is NOT open on Saturdays for obvious reasons, prepare for some cheap produce and a smile on your face.

Brace Face

Oh yes... this is really really excellent and happy news, at least for me.
I had a routine orthodontist's appointment today, something that I always
dread because it means that my mouth will be in pain for 48+ hours.
But besides that, I received really really good news. Ready?

I could be braces free in 1-2 months!!! 


This is huge news for someone like me, someone who has
had braces for around a year and a half. I'm so so excited
at the thought of getting rid of them! They're clumsy,
awkward, unattractive, and painful.

So, I'm definitely rejoicing... it's making all the discomfort
totally worth it. HOORAY!

A Breath

Oh hello, my little blog...
Since Reverb10 is over, (along with 2010) It's been a little bit odd thinking of "what" to say. It's those times of my year/life that I don't really have many words. I guess because nothing has happened that should/can be put out on the internets. So... you're going to deal with some radio static from time to time.

In lieu of ama-za-zing news etc, I've decided to share some prayer requests with all of you.

- Wisdom. A little bit vague, right? Well, it's sort of a blanket prayer request. I need heavenly wisdom in a variety of situations with which I find myself. I know that all good things come from God, if I ask. And right now? I'm asking for some clarity. 'Nuf said.

- Plans. I officially applied for the French Teaching program. I'll find out in April. Okay. Here's the specific part of my prayer request. I'm praying to be located in/extremely near the city of Aix-en-Provence. The Lord can move mountains and I'm trusting him, ultimately, to put me where He wants me. The reason for this specific city? This is the location of the only reformed French speaking seminary in the world. And amazingly, I have a contact there via my father's church. So... I'm praying that I can do some serious ministry with the French speaking church while I'm there. And if I'm not placed specifically there, pray that I'll be put somewhere that I can be plugged into a gospel preaching church.

So... that's all for now. Thanks, friends!