Celegrieving: A Luchty Update

Oh my goodness! It's been a while; I've been MIA on this blog ever since I started working again. The last blog before this one was a reflection after my first day of class.  Today was the last day of our session (four weeks have FLOWN by); brownies were given, and hugs and goodbyes were exchanged. It was after today's class that I came up with a new word: celegrieving. I'm celebrating a good first run at the ELC, but I'm also grieving the leaving of my first batch of students (I've also been celebrating the fact that I've gotten to teach again and grieving my lack of sleep throughout the last four weeks.)

Here's a brief pictorial synoptic highlight of what we've been up to in the last few weeks:


What Dave did when I was on Amber's bachelorette weekend--he went on a solo wilderness trip in Ojai:

 

Dave's been itching to take me on a backpacking trip of sorts, so I'm sure there will be pictures of the both of us doing something like this in the near future.

Some shots from an AMAZING trip to San Luis Opisbo with some of Amber's fave gals for her bachelorette trip:

 A seriously good looking bunch, right? Amber's well loved :)

 The bride-to-be and I:

Some of the dishes we've been eating:

green smoothies:

tofu tacos:

 

stuffed shells:

 

charbroiled oysters to celebrate our 4th month being married:) :

 

banh mi: 

 

so-not-healthy-but-so-good banana chocolate chip walnut bread:

 

spaghetti squash with homemade sauce:

My students:

 
The classroom after I got my goodbye hugs:

Some funny/unfortunate classroom blunders:

-I baked brownies for my students. I miscounted, so I didn't realize that when Dave and I ate one, I'd be one short the next day for my students. Luckily, two were willing to share. Whoops.

- Because they were my first bunch, I wanted to write them each a little note of encouragement as a little goodbye memento. I somehow dropped one of my notes at home, so one of my students was left cardless--looks like snail mail is my best bet.

- I left class one day to realize only afterward that the side zipper on my shirt was only half-zipped.

The not-so-fun, but definitely character-growing aspects of my job:

- I had to teach 4 different levels of students in one class, so sometimes I felt like I was losing my marbles. I'm not even sure how I kept my grammar straight while managing all of my students'.

-I look young (and am younger than some teachers and sometimes even younger than some of my students), so my students sometimes see me as a buddy and not an authoritative figure. That can be taxing, but I've learned that communicating honestly with my students helps with that a bit. Building rapport with my students, especially with the demographic I work with, is HUGE.

-I'm learning what it means to be stern...graciously. 

The blessing:

-I have a husband that is so supportive and proud of me, who will sometimes make breakfast for me before work or get up just so I can get a hug before I leave.

-I have to commute quite a ways every day, but at least it's a pretty drive from Camarillo to Santa Barbara.

- A few new students have enrolled for the next session, so I still have a job :)

-The job I've been given is a constant reminder of how our Papa--our Father always wants us to be in a posture of learning. I want to model life-long learning to my students by living that out.

Wow. So thankful.

"This soup makes me want to dance and giggle.": The Super Soup

A few days ago, Dave and I had some friends over from the worship band we're in to have a meeting and a quick jam sesh.

Being the awesome wife that I am :p, I wanted to make them something yummy, so I decided to go with the Chicken Butternut Squash soup that my friend Kelly (from kellymakesthings.com) included as a part of our wedding gift.

It.was.a.hit!!!! Seriously, it's very easy to make (minus the peeling of the squash, but if you peel extra ahead of time, you can freeze it and use it for another batch later). The undertones of the curry powder, the texture of the walnuts, the aroma and lightness of the cilantro mixed in with the sweetness of the butternut squash and the savory of the chicken made for a delicious experience. Dave's friend said, "This soup makes me want to dance and giggle," and he's a manly father of two--it's THAT good.

You have got to give this recipe a try. Then, you must share the recipe because it's the gift that keeps on giving. Plus, it's perfect for the Fall. Enjoy!

Lovely webs.

I got up this morning--cheery and bright. The airy, somewhat fog-infused light of morning was dancing through the blinds, and I found myself ready for today. 6:30 AM. A little unheard of for me? A bit. I don't mind being up that early, but I don't know if i'd use the word cheery to describe my innermost feelings.

Whatever the case may be, the cheer and delight continued throughout my day: there was a consistent feeling of peace, of steady-pacedness (yes, it's made up), and the sense of being in a relaxed but intentional dance. It felt very natural to rest, to breathe, and to enjoy being present. A very common thread for all of the days activities and encounters could be summed up in one word: connectedness.

This word is loaded, and I experienced multiple of its facets today. Where I found it most was in the lovely webs that I have found and continue to find myself in--the web of individuals and community. The webs that He's so carefully weaves as He continues to leave me dumbfounded.

I visited my old occupational stomping grounds today at the Learning Assistance Center at CSULB. It feels like home there; I loved/love the people I worked with, and the environment is one of encouragement and warmth. There's a project I have coming up for one of my classes and it required some information from second language learners. What better place to go, right?

Even before I got inside, I caught the eye of one of my old bosses and flashed the biggest smile ever. Immediately, I was flooded with hugs and "How are you's" and was incredibly blessed by the love. My former boss, Erik, then proceeded to clear his desk as he offered it to me while I worked on some of my research. Every five minutes or so, an old co-worker would come by and say hi. In some special instances, we'd catch up on life. Each story was like a hug to my heart, and each interaction reminded me of what amazing relationships i've been given in the last few years of my life. I hadn't seen any of these friends since graduating in June, but the joy in reuniting was incredibly sweet.

Opportunities came up for me to share of God's faithfulness in how he trained me at the LAC, through very specific people and situations for what I was going to experience in grad school/life.  I realized that He has shown me great favor in my relationships with others--bosses, co-workers, friends, those I tutored, etc... This is completely His doing, and it is altogether humbling. It's  undeserved, and I know that it is out of His love and mercy that He's allowing me to go through life seeing this gift from Him so clearly. I left the LAC with more research than I came with, a heart full of love and with a refreshed spirit.

(Sidenote: As I'm writing this, my Melatonin is kicking in big time; what you read in this post may be interesting =p)

Becks picked me up, and we closed the night with some more connectedness: to each other, to our home, to my schooling, to God, etc...

This post doesn't do what I experienced of connectedness justice; it's but a mere glimpse of His always masterful orchestration of our lives.

I'll leave you with these (pictures from 1st dinner w/ Becks back as a roomie!):

Goodnight!

Swimming in a Sea of Pattern & Texture

Today breathes an air of levity. I decided to stay home and work on some big things due tomorrow and the rest of this week at school. Usually, I end up distracted and not getting any work done. Today I decided to integrate a creative release into my day while being at home, so that I could function appropriately :). Oh, and the creativity also entailed me getting around to organizing some things which have been set on the back burner for a while now.

There are patterns and textures everywhere!
  A visual trip to some of the "places" my eyes have been today:

Hooks for some of my decorative strands :)

Necessary points and flats.

First one up.

I finally brought out the crock pot last night: White Chicken Chili.

I'd be more than happy to pass along the recipe! 

(Enjoyed some for a mid-morning brunch)

These necklaces have been sadly resting on a hanger in my closet for months. I loved organizing them onto their new hook homes; I was reminded of the stories behind some of them 

(some date back to high school). 

Since I already had the hammer out, I decided to work some more on the frame wall (Each piece of art bears unique meaning, and each frame was a thrifty find :D). Excuse that gaping hole; I'm still waiting for something just right to put up. 

 

I love the creases that add character on this bit of fridge art. It reminds me of how beautifully made we are--creases, "flaws," and all. 

These three just served as a reminder to me that I'm immersed in pattern, in colors, in textures all the time. My hope is that in being sensitive to my surroundings, my "mundane" never becomes dull.

To end on a good note, here's my coffee for the day. I forgot (don't ask me how) to make coffee this morning and thought it'd behoove me to do so before I kept working on my school work. I really enjoy the varying textures in this shot, even that somewhat annoying, unidentifiable crumb.

The song lyrics for the day:

Your love is like the ocean; 

I'm drowning in Your presence.

("Your Love is Like" by Rick Pino)

Where All the Good Happens.

This past weekend was an obvious reminder of where most good things happen :)

In Community!

Friends gathered to worship and pray on Friday night, and there God met with us and we saw various expressions of freedom, love and healing.

On Saturday, a group of ten friends came along with me to visit my parents in Santa Clarita. There, we enjoyed food, conversations, and the highlight for me was probably all of us around the piano--singing Blessed Assurance in 3 or 4 different languages. There must have been at least 7-8 countries represented!

Finally, Sunday came around--and again, I was reminded of the beauty found in Community. I shared my testimony at my Uganda trip meeting and it was received with nothing but love. I could say so many things, but ultimately, there is just great freedom in Love. There was no judgment--rather, only an environment where there was a deep understanding that we are all His children made right through His death and resurrection.

There is a constant theme that God's been trying to teach me more about-the unity of the Body. It's simple in many ways, yet the implications of being in intentional community run so deep. What a gift it is! We need each other.

I wish I had pictures from all of these community experiences, but I only have some from Saturday:

If you'd like to see more, you can go here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alittlebet/sets/72157622532307031/