that one time i wrote something completely inappropriate on my blog without knowing it..

with a title like that, i think we both know that the first thing i have to do in this post is apologize. i am so very sorry. here's the story: early last week i had written a serious post about how busy husband and i have been lately because we are actively pursuing his film career. to balance out the seriousness i thought to myself i need a witty / funny title to lighten the mood and so, as i usually do, i went for a quote from the office.. enter "bushiest beaver." it is from an episode in the first season. michael scott is hosting the dundies at chili's and is handing out awards. he announces the award for busiest beaver, which goes to phyllis but when phyllis comes up to accept the award, she looks down at it as says, "it says bushiest beaver." i always thought that line was so funny because, to me, it sounded as silly as fluffy bunny, or something of that nature. i thought the words were nonsense, which a lot of the office is, and that is why i used it for my title. yesterday, it was brought to my attention that the phrase i used actually refers to something completely different and incredibly inappropriate. and if you know me you know that, yes, i can be that naive. awkward. anyway, i am sorry for all of that, the title has been updated to "busiest beaver", and now i am going to go hide in a dark corner somewhere for a few days.   but before i go, here are some snaps from this weekend.  

the body: a quest post

my dear friend naomi wrote such a wonderful post on her blog yesterday, i just had to share it with you. oh, and the picture below, her daughter. how beautiful are those precious eyes! enjoy.  

"The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”  In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it."  - 1 Corinthians 12:21-27

Have you heard teaching on this scripture before? I have. Numerous times. And each time, I'm encouraged - and convicted. It reminds us to cherish others and value their differences. To embrace the uniqueness of those around us and realize that while we may be opposites, we're each intricately designed as a member of the body of Christ to accomplish His will and emanate His love. It illuminates our need to appreciate 'sand paper people'  - you know, those people who sand out every ounce of flesh you possess and leave you with nothing but the grace of God to respond!

But have you ever taken a careful look at the verses preceding this section of scripture? Take a moment and read them. Twice, if you need to. Let the words soak in....

^"Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?  But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body." - 1 Corinthians 12:14-20

Did you catch it? You... yes YOU... are a part of the body. You are included. In those moments when you feel terribly alone... when you wonder if anyone, anywhere feels the same way... or values the same things... or has the same convictions... in those moments, you are an intricately designed member of the body of Christ - beautifully made in the image of God to accomplish His good, pleasing, and perfect will!

Comparison is the arch nemesis of joy. It can be inexpressibly difficult to be a foot surrounded by hands. Or an ear surrounded by eyes. Maybe you're in a place where you're the only one who resembles the member of the body you're created to be. Fear not! Do not lose heart! And do not run away! Remember Paul's word: "How strange a body would be if it had only one part!" - strange, indeed! But also ineffective.

When you're tempted to conform to the image or interests of those around you, purpose to be transformed, instead, by the renewing of your mind by the Word of God. (Romans 12:1) The body of Christ needs you to be who God created YOU to be. I need you - your family needs you - your church family needs you - people who are looking for Jesus need you - God needs YOU. If you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus or if this is the first you've read about being a part of the body of Christ, know that God is longing to have an intimate relationship with YOU. He loves you so much that He gave His Son, Jesus - that if you would believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that He is your Lord and Savior you can spend eternity with Him! If you would like more information about being a part of the body of Christ or need prayer for any reason, please e-mail me!: 127living@gmail.com  

the matchstick house: a synopsis

the matchstick house is an upcoming short film that our production team is currently working on. it is a film about moments that are lost. moments that we can only try to remember, but cannot get back. in this film, you will see a newly married couple, david and jennifer, looking forward to their new lives together. when faced with his biggest fear david breaks down and a fight between him and jennifer leaves their marriage broken in a sense. he must then choose which path to take.

like i mentioned yesterday, i am incredibly excited about this film! if you would like to follow along with our progress, you can like our facebook page here. as always, thank you for your support! i really enjoy having this little blogging community to share all of the exciting moments of life with. you guys rock.

busiest beaver

 

i had a very long, very personal post all written out for today but found that it was incomplete, so it will have to wait a little while longer. there are many things i wish i could tell you, and in the perfect time i will. for today i would like to wish you a very happy monday, dear friends, and tell you how glad i am that it is monday. this weekend was a whirlwind of busy and i am grateful for the silence of my office cubicle. everyone needs a little predictability in this spontaneous life to keep them sane. this weekend, my husband and i met again with our team to talk about an upcoming short film that we will be filming here in a few short weeks. i could not be more excited about this journey that we are on. guys, you should see my husband in action. he is one of the most creative and talented visionaries that i've met. if anyone can make this lofty dream of making feature films a reality, it is him. our director of music had us listen to a sample of what he has composed for the film thus far... absolutely breathtaking. our casting director and i will be holding auditions in a couple weeks for the lead and supporting roles... busy, busy beavers.   the above pictures of berkley have absolutely nothing to do with this post, but i had to share. i mean, come on, does she have the life or does she have the life? rest and relaxation a plenty.

time to make the doughnuts || baked, vegan and gluten free... oh my!

this past saturday morning, husband and i had planned a 6:30am creative meeting with some friends. since 6:30 is pretty darn early on a saturday morning, i decided to make some doughnuts as a sort of "thank you".

one of our guests is vegan, so i scoured the internet for vegan doughnut recipes and came across this little gem on peta's website.

since i do not eat gluten, i had to tweak their recipe just a little bit by substituting all purpose flour with bob's gf all purpose flour. just a side note, the recipe calls for 1 cup of flour, but since the gf flour does not thicken up quite as much as standard flour, i had to add about a 1/2 cup more. just play with it until you get a thicker, more doughy consistency. you can also add xanthan gum.

since i was in a bit of a hurry to finish the doughnuts before our meeting, i wasn't able to get a picture of each step, but you'll get the gist of it!

what you'll need:

doughnut pan

dry ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. (scant) nutmeg

1 dash cinnamon

wet ingredients:
1/2 cup almond milk {soy works, too}
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
egg replacer for 1 egg {i used 2 tbsp. cinnamon apple sauce}

¼ cup vegan margarine

1.preheat the oven to 350ºF.

2. in a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a whisk to mix thoroughly. combine the wet ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat and mix until the margarine is just melted. this mixture should be just slightly warm to the touch.

3. add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until just combined. it should form a very soft dough. this is where i had to add additional flour until my mixture thickened up a bit.

4. the recipe i followed recommends using a tablespoon to scoop dough into an ungreased nonstick doughnut pan. my mixture was still a little runny, so i decided to put in inside a ziplock bag, cut off the tip and pipe it out. if you are using regular flour, then your dough will likely be thicker so you will need to pat the dough down to make it even. bake for 12 minutes. they should not be browned on top, but a toothpick will come out clean. allow time for the pan to cool. once cooled, flip the pan over atop a cooling rack and your doughnuts should pop right out.

5. top with whatever glaze your heart desires! i topped ours with homemade maple glaze{my favorite!}, lemon glaze, strawberry {not pictured} and cinnamon sugar!

these little babies were a hit! fortunately they turned out on the first try, but if yours doesn't, don't give up! keep playing with it!

oh, and here are some sillies of me and the lovely kerrin {you can find her blog here}. there are about 182 more pictures of us, but i will spare you.