Turkey Day 2010

I am sitting in the airport waiting for my delayed plane to take me home to NorCal. I am so excited to see my little niece, spend time playing with Addison and Finn, cooking with my momma and spending time with my dad, siblings and Fiance. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful family. My life couldn't get any better.

I look forward to all the food that Thursday brings. Smothered Green Beans (my new recipe to test out), butternut squash Suffle, Mashed Potatoes, Turkey, Grandpa's Apple Pecan Pie, Pumpkin pie.... oh my mouth is watering as I write this.

Festivities of the Week:
Wednesday: Food preparation and family dinner.
Turkey Day: Wii Couple's Tournament: Winner takes Restaurant Gift Card
Friday: Gingerbread houses with Addison and Finn.
Saturday: San Francisco for Wedding Dress Fitting.
Sunday: Back to reality in Nevada!

Happy Feasting!

Music

I think that God created us to be moved by music for a reason. I am in a Revelations Bible Study on Monday nights and the question was asked in my weekly homework: What sounds do you think are present in Heaven? Well My answer was: singing, trumpets, musical instruments, Praising through words, sounds of feet as they dance in joy, and many other sounds that just dont come to mind. As I sit here I am listening to music, music even though not exactly worship music or christian labeled, I am fill with joy as I listen to the instruments, voices and rhythms play. I know that God intended music to bring joy, to bring an expression of our emotions, and comfort when we are physically alone.
In response to my Bible Study, I am amazed by the new things I am learning. I am amazed by the wonderful and breath taking unknown things that are within our souls future life. With all this new knowledge I am amazed by God. I want to be filled with Joy daily and I desire to be a brighter light in those lives I am in. I want to be filled with music as I go about my day. I want to walk to a tempo, I want to rest in a calm pause. So as we listen to music, i hope we are grateful for the ability to hear, the ability to tap along, and the ability to experience such beautiful joy.

None but Jesus!

Here I am sitting on an airplane thinking about how amazing God is and what He means to me. I am amazed by the strong emotions that are stirred up in me while I listen to worship music. I am filled with all this joy, hope, comfort and peace to know that my life is in amazing hands. Yes I love my family, I love my fiancé, I love my friends but there is only one person, being- that will be there for me forever. He will never leave me. He will meet with me daily if I just choose to set aside the time. So I pray for the focus of no one else will provide me happiness like that of which Jesus offers! I am not worthy of the love and grace that is given. I see so much change in my life and I want it to continue to be centered on what God has for me. I have only 6 weeks left of my third semester of nursing school and only one left to go. I remember when I was first applying to nursing school, stressed because I doubted Gods hand, His way for my life. I felt like I was applying and applying and nothing was returning into my life. I then decided that God put the desire to be a nurse on my hear so therefore He must have a plan some how to get me there. So I have learned from this experience. Now I am here almost done with school and continually realizing God did all the work. He gave me the strength to study. The finances to go. He gave me the supportive relationships to help me get through and the heart to endure it. 
To move onto another beautiful blessing: i was wondering why I wasn't getting into school? Well Gods plan was never for me to go to nursing school in Chico. It was to meet such An amazing man and to build the best relationship anyone could ask for. I was blessed with the man of my Dreams. He loves the Lord and is intentional about living the life. I respect him so much and he doesn't know how much he encourages me in my faith just by him living his life. I have been praying for a man like this all my life. I can't wait to marry him either. To see how my life grows and my love grows for my earthly man and for my heavenly man! 

So I guess the whole purpose or theme of this blog is to reflect on your prayers and see how amazing God is for answering them in better ways then we could have ever imagined. Getting my education, got my godly man, got a joyful life, what more could we ask for! 

Made Beautiful

Sitting here on my kitchen table looking at the beautiful creation of roses. I am amazed by what God does and how He creates such beautiful things. I in the mean time am also listening to a message about Fear of Man from the village church. Whats awesome is that as I am listening to these words spoken by the speaker I am feeling guilt. For we as humans are drawn to seek the approval of man. We have the Fear of being less or of being inadequate. But the truth sets us free when we find out that we are accepted by God, we are a daughter of Christ, God wants us to be who He has created us to be not what we can create ourselves to look like. The struggle is when I feel like God has brought me to Nursing School, it is His Hand that got me here- NOT me. Why do I let my school grades, or my feelings rule or even give them power when the greatest power brought me here. The Power that does all things for my good. (Of course, my good meaning what God desires in my life.)This to me is what god has been working on in my life as well as others. Are you truly living for Christ completely? Without any personal gain or praise? God is good. He reigns over all our lives but only some actually let Him reign their life. Grateful for His Grace. Grateful for His Love.

Hard to Follow....

Well my last post is hard to follow. Furthermore, I must say that there is beauty within what God is speaking to my heart. I have been so overwhelmed with how amazing God is. I see Him everywhere. I have been amazed to see Him more in my relationship with Graham more than ever before. I know that the commitment that I have made with gray has brought me closer to the Lord and closer to Gray as well. I am amazed of how a man can love and show a woman such love without being in person. I guess I am bragging about what God is doing in my mans life and I getting to see the beauty in it. I see gray grow everyday; in the way he speaks to me, the way he flirts with me, the way he looks at me. It makes me fall deeper in love with him but also with God cause I know that deep down I wouldn't have a single piece of this life that i am living without God giving it to me. This is a short one but I know that deep down my heart is beyond happy, over flowing with love and happiness. So Praise the Lord for it is he who gives us the ability to produce wealth (and have such amazing things- like love).

Our Engagement!

On Grays Birthday we started off with coffee and breakfast. We drove towards Mt. Lassen to Mineral where the Maxwell's Cabin resides to check on a few things. Then headed to Battle Creek, where Graham asked me to be 'his lady' about year ago. We had brought lunch and hiked to our beautiful spot just around this little bend on the creek.






As we walked up to it there was this perfect log for two to sit on. We ate lunch and then enjoyed how beautiful the scenery is. We were enjoying the scenery and I had noticed this parachute rope behind us. I jumped up and was wondering what it was. I said quote "I am following this." Graham got up and followed the other side of the rope which led to the stream. He pulled out this container and said "This is a wildlife surveying device." I had know idea and said "Awesome, let's open it!" So he opened it and pulled out my favorite bottle of wine. I said "That's my wine!" I started crying and he said "too bad we don't have glasses to drink it with." Then he reached around the tree and pulled out this bag with two Mikasa Wine glasses that match my set. We sat and drank a glass and enjoyed the time together. I couldn't believe that he had planned that- so romantic! Then he took my camera to put it away while I held his glass and my own. He placed this bandana on my lap and said "Hey what's in that?" I said "I don't know I don't have any hands free." So he took the glasses from me and placed them in a safe place. Mean while I unwrapped it I realized that it was a ring box. Graham said "Open it", I said "No, you open it." He got close to me and whispered all of these amazing things in my ear and asked me "Will you marry me?" I said "Yes!!!!!", we kissed then I said "Let's open the box."


He opened he box and I started crying- it is so beautiful and it fits me perfectly. Platinum-classic brilliant cut and setting-and sparkles so beautifully. I am so happy!!! We had been talking about what to do for the Saturday to come and Graham said "Well......we have an appointment at Bear Flag Farm on Thursday." (This is where i have been dreaming to be married for years.) I started to cry again in amazement and in love! My mom had arranged us to have the appointment since we are living in different states. We enjoyed our afternoon by the stream and then hiked back to the car. I called my family on the way home and couldn't wait to show someone!

Since it was Graham's birthday we had planned on going out to a nice dinner that night. We drove back to his parents house and got ready for dinner in a dress and collared shirt. We enjoyed a beautiful dinner at The Rivers in Redding, Ca, located on the Sacramento River. We got our first congratulations dessert and then met his family for coffee to celebrate. It was a perfect day and a perfect engagement!

Proud to be the future Mrs. Graham Maxwell! JUNE 18th, 2011!!!!!!! Can't Wait!

(I love you Gray)

A Beautiful Life

When I was sitting on the plane today and listening to James Taylor, I was reminded of such a beautiful memory of when gray and I first got together. James Taylor was the first artist that we listen to on the way down from camping. Every time I hear J.T. I can hardly keep my mind from wandering into the emotions I felt as Gray held my hand that day. What's the best is that He still makes me feel that way... every time he smells my hair at the airport when we first see each other after being away, when he grabs my hand and kisses it, when he just looks at me with eyes of amazement. I love being with Him. He is more than a blessing in my life and in my heart. He makes a difference in the way that we are as a couple. He makes me want to love Jesus more. He makes me happy from the inside out especially when I am laughing till my stomach hurts. I got the chance to go see him this last week for a school break. Allegiant Air is my friend right now, God knew that where He placed us both is exactly where we need to be and also it is a blessing that there are cheap flights going from Las vegas to Fort Collins. Hiking, coffee drinking, eating, mini golfing, being, and enjoying life was what was on the agenda. We had such a nice time.
I Cant let this romantic thing go.... so Today, Sunday, we went to the Wild Boar Coffee House to grab coffee and a breakfast treat. We were sitting at this table in the front because all the other tables were taken in the area. After a little while the table behind us was vacated (note this is one of Graham's studying tables), so he casually says oh we should move. So we did. Well to my surprise Gray opened this little drawer that was on the lamp stand near the table and was looking through all these little notes. Well He came about a note in which He placed, FOR ME! It said "I Love You Brittney". Well Lets just say that I was being so strong up to this point(not my normal self for the dreaded day i am leaving him, normally I am really emotional), then I lost it. I was so overwhelmed with the love that I felt for him that tears of joy and love ran down my face. Romantic- Yes. I love when gray thinks ahead and does sweet things such as these, for it is not his first. They make me feel loved, desired, thought about. I am living in such a Beautiful Life, with a handsome man, a loving and gracious God, and a grateful heart.

Lemon Chiffon Cake... Yum Yum

I made a Lemon Chiffon Cake for Easter for my family get together for dessert. I always love to tackle a challenge around holiday times. Always nice to try something new also. The recipe is below.


TRIPLE LEMON CHIFFON CAKE
adapted from: SKY HIGH - IRRESISTIBLE TRIPLE LAYER CAKES by Brittney Gilfillan
makes a 9 inch triple layer cake

For the Cake

8 eggs, separated
1/4 cup walnut oil**
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon of lemon zest
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1 and 1/2 cups of sugar
1 ans 3/4 cups of cake flour*
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
[*1 cup of cake flour is equal to 3/4 cup of AP flour plus 2 tablespoons of corn starch]
[**equal amount of either almond oil, hazelnut oil, or canola oil]
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line the bottoms of three 9-inch pans with parchment paper but do not butter or grease the pans.

In a med-large bowl whisk together the egg yolks, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and water.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium speed until light and frothy. Slowly add 1/2 cup of sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.

Sift the flour, remaining sugar, baking soda , and salt into a large bowl. Whisk gently to combine.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the egg yolk mixture and mix to create
a smooth paste. Add one-fourth of the egg whites and fold in to lighten the batter. Fold in the remaining egg whites and divide the batter among the three pans.
Bake for about 16 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks to cool in the pans. Once cool run a knife around the cake to in order to un-mold the cakes. Carefully pull off the parchment paper from the bottoms of the cakes.
To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand. Top with a heaping 1/4 cup of lemon curd and spread it evenly. Repeat with the remaining layers. Frost the top of the cake and the sides with the lemon cream frosting.

Rich Lemon Curd
makes 1 cup

3 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
grated zest of three lemons
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temp.
Whisk together the whole eggs, yolks, sugar, lemon juice , and lemon zest together in a medium bowl. Transfer to a small non-reactive saucepan. Gently heat the mixture, whisking until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. make sure not to boil the mixture. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the butter and cover the curd with plastic making sure the plastic touches the curd. This should prevent a skin from forming on the curd. Refrigerate until cold. Then remove 3 tablespoons of curd and set it aside for the icing.

Lemon Cream Frosting
makes 3 1/4 cups

1 and 1/2 cups of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoon of lemon curd
Whip the cream and sugar in a large chilled bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in the lemon curd, forming a stiff frosting.

Who do you run to?

“When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me. Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path” (Psalm 27:10-11, KJV). Why is it that when life happens to confront us with a challenge we turn to those around us, facebook, twitter, and myspace to express our feelings, to comfort us to make us feel better? Why is it that our hearts want the physical comfort, or the immediate answer rather than the answer that actually would fill the void or bond the hardship. Is God not the healer, the comforter, our blanket of comfort, the peace and protector? Is He not in control of all things and all things at the disgrace of His name?
I am not saying that we should not turn to our family and those who love us to comfort us or to encourage us but rather... We should want to turn to Christ first knowing full well that He is waiting for us. That He is patiently yearning for us to have Him be the center of our focus. I mean doesn't it feel good to know that your best friend comes to you first to talk about what he/she is going through... Don't you think that God feels the same way about us coming to him? James 4:8 encourages, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (NKJV).
So draw near to God in times of need, rejoice, turmoil, celebration,. etc... He wants to be your one and only. He is our portion, and I am His.

Humbled By Grace

Reading Romans 9: 14-18, 21 and I am once again humbled by grace. "What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' It does not therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's Mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that i might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." (vs 21) "Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?"
So we are once again a clump of clay. It is Gods choice to have mercy on us... we are in His hands. He chooses us and chooses to give us mercy and grace. We have been given the beautiful gift of forgiveness with the decision to follow Christ. There is no better gift than that. Giving Christ our lives is putting them in the best potters hands there is. No love is greater, no joy is better, no mercy can be given apart from that Of Jesus Christ. The world lies to us every day. No item, no job, no amount of money, no letter behind our name makes your life full of happiness and satisfaction. God has chosen us to follow him. I have been chosen!
But the question still lies out there... the world continues to ask- even Christians continue to ask- Is our God unjust? Yes we struggle with what God has for us... trials and tribulations- but is that awful to have? No! Don't challenges make us better people? Yes! Does God leave you during a trial? NO! God never will leave us nor forsake us. So from my minds perspective I see God picking up the chunk of clay (to us a trial begins), and He starts to mold out the imperfections that we obtain. The length of time we fight and pull back from what God has for us the longer it takes to be smoothed out. SO God is not unjust but Just! God is full of compassion! God is giving love unconditionally!

God's Sovereignty

Listening To Reg Grant this morning during the Spiritual Life Conference at Dallas Theological Seminary on a podcast... and was truly encouraged. It is such a blessing to know and see how sovereign our God is. The lesson was from the book of Ruth. Reg had pointed out how amazing God truly is through the story of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. Nothing occurs without God knowing it through and through. God intended Ruth to wander over to Boaz' fields. God intended Boaz to visit the fields that exact day. God intended Boaz to have such a kind heart towards her. God intended all of these things to happen. It wasn't a coincidence. God doesn't have coincidences. He has intention. God has intended you to be where you are. God has intended you to be surrounded by those around you to grow in your faith... whether people who believe the same as you or differently. God intended to have you where you are at. So the question is are you doubting God today? Are you making a head choice and not a heart choice to know and understand the sovereignty of God? I am sure that it means something to mentally understand but do you believe with your whole heart the God will provide, that God will protect you, that God's will is the best for your life? A mental choice isn't enough... He wants us to follow Him with our hearts. Are you believing it with your whole heart?!? I will be examining my heart for this... I will be praying that I have that belief. But most importantly that my life and actions resemble that of believing with my whole heart that God is Sovereign over my life and that I can trust in Him through everything.

The Feeling of Being Loved

Breath taking, heart racing, crazy amount of adrenaline running through your veins, squeals coming out of my mouth and my feet a dancing to my own little tune... Ok maybe this is just what happens to me. But is it not the best thing that happens to someone? I am so in love. I am amazed by what God has provided. I am head over heels, falling, love struck as i can be in love with Graham Lane. I love him. There is no other word that even comes close to the way I feel either. Songs make me realize how much i enjoy the moment of being with him. Songs make me dream of the day that I will get to be with him more than I do now. Its not like a dream come true, he is a dream come true. I have been praying for my future husband since I was in high school. Although I thought I had found some nice guys in the past, they are nothing like the man I love today. Graham is such an amazing leader, such a wonderful man, he's attentive, full of love and fear for God, he shows through his actions that he loves me beyond description. I want to do all that I can to draw him closer to the Lord, to make his dreams come true and create new ones together. I look forward to the day that I get to say Yes! and I DO! I love you Graham Lane Maxwell with all that's within me I love you.

Like a Tornado

Life sometimes feel like a tornado. Like you cant get your foot hold. Like the things all around you are being discombobulated for no reason. No matter how much you prepare for difficult or challenging times it seems as though you never prepared for the right type of tornado that is coming through.If you think about the progress of a tornado- the news notifies the residence, the media continues to update the exact timing of when this tornado would be hitting your life and then all of a sudden you can see the weather change. You can see the beginning of the tornado that seems unbearable. Seems like you cant avoid it. You are in the path of this tornado and this disaster. So you start to get out all the things that you have prepared. You think that you have done enough. Then the tornado gets closer and closer. You start feeling the destruction and you begin to question if you have prepared enough. You then realize it is out of your reach out of your control. So you panic. Isn't our world like this sometimes. Even as a christian we begin to get so comfortable and we are doing so well on our own and then something bigger than ourselves approaches. Something out of our control comes and we panic. We realize how we have been living a life on our own and then we expect God to save us when we call on Him in the time of need. Can you imagine how if must feel to only be wanted, to only be talked to when someone wants help from you. I would feel used, I would be filled with anger... well thank God that He is not that way. He give us grace every time. He doesn't turn His back, He doesn't say we don't deserve it even though in truth we don't deserve it. So when a tornado does head our way we can trust that God's will and purpose is going to take place. But I am challenged to trust, to pray, to depend during the easy times, to plant our roots in God, during the preparation of the tornado times. Because if we aren't always prepared we will be destroyed. So Trust, Persevere after God's heart. Become like His character. Have love for those around you, even when you don't feel like they are loving you. Give them grace for God is giving us grace every moment of the day. Every tornado is different. Every preparation is different and only God knows how to prepare to be able to overcome the tornado in your life.

Jeremiah 17:5-10 reads "This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. he will dwell in the parched places of the desert. In a salt land where no one lives. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. it does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

So are you going to Trust in yourself or trust and depend on the living God who can help you in times of need and during the tornado?

Grace is Beyond Beautiful

Grace... is it not the reason that we have life? God chose to give us grace, He didn't have to give it. I am amazed by His love for us. I was reading today in I Corinthians 15:10 "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." Its that spectacular to know that even though we don't deserve grace God gives us total forgiveness, total unconditional love. We can try our very best to get somewhere- Nursing school for me- but it is by the grace of God that he gets you there- or that I got in this Nursing school. I did what I thought I had to do and God met me within my effort. Another verse came to mind after I had read I Cor. 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." This verse always strikes me with God's sovereignty through our time of need. And Ephesians 2:8-10, " For it is by the grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God- not by works, so that one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." So we are not worth grace but it is because of God's ultimate love for us, that He came to save us and give us the gift of grace. Do you find evidence of God's Grace for you in your daily life? I am surrounded by it. Every breath that inflates my lungs is taken for granted but not any longer... I pray that I may be more grateful for life... more grateful for His grace.