Sunday Morning, Swing Dance and Stir Fry

As I write this post on a Sunday morning, reflecting back at my first week in my new home in the Flathead I can't help but be amazed at the gifts God has blessed me with. From my seemingly made for me house to my new job located in a gorgeous valley complete with views of towering mountains and lush farm lands, to the new friends I have already connected with...it all feels a bit overwhelming actually. For once I have finally seen the goodness of God in the darkness and the love of Jesus when everything else seems to have faded away. While I was meditating upon these blessings, a verse from Jeremiah struck me. It is in fact the same verse that I helped children at my church's summer camp memorize, but it is fitting for everyone, at every stage of their life.

Jeremiah 29:11-"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 

I have to say this new chapter has brought me more hope and faith than I have ever known before, and I am reminded of something my pastor at my Missoula church said a few months ago:

  I am always going into a situation where God is already at work, and God is always doing more than I can imagine. 

One of God's works that I have already witnessed in my new life is the opportunity I had to go swing dancing on Friday night with North End Swing. The teachers and other dancers were so warm and inviting and just down right fun! It was so inspiring to watch them, their bodies seeming to move without a thought, just stepping in time with the music and beat of their hearts. 

This night brought me the same joy that music and dancing always do, alongside new friendships and the rhythm of the footwork, "rock step, triple step, triple step, rock step." I went to bed with the moves still in my body, eager to learn more and expand my dancing horizons. 

With this change in scenery has also come an inspiration to experiment in my very own kitchen filled with new porcelain pots and pans and storage galore for all my allergy free foods! This week I made a rice, bean and vegetable stir fry. 

My ingredients included: 

1 cup Jasmine rice

1 can garbanzo beans

Fresh broccoli stalks

Chopped carrots

Sliced red onion

Chopped scallions

1 can water chestnuts

Olive Oil

Sea Salt 

Garlic and herb seasoning 

To make this stir fry I first cooked the rice, letting it simmer on the stove for about 25 minutes, placing the beans in the pot in the last 5-10 minutes. While the rice was cooking I chopped my veggies and sauteed them in a pan with olive oil and the garlic/herb seasoning. Once the onions became clarified, I removed the vegetables from the heat and spooned my portion onto my plate with some rice and beans. 

On a final note, yesterday I explored the Kalispell Farmer's Market! While nothing will compare to the Missoula markets, I did pick up a beautiful sweet white onion, a bag of bright red grape tomatoes, 1 pound of sweet, tart Bing cherries, and a juicy cucumber with a flavor that can not be matched by any cucumber bought in the grocery store. With summer in full swing and fall just around the corner, I look forward to even more Saturdays at the market as the crops begin to bring in squash, apples, pumpkins and more seasonal produce. 

I finish today with a quote from Henry David Thoreau that hangs on my refrigerator: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams." 

Well said Mr. Thoreau, and with patience and faith, dreams can become reality. It just takes time and a few road blocks along the way.