Jen Russum

Sovereignty, Headaches, and Bruschetta

June 6, 2011

I have learned in recent years that God puts exactly the right people in the right place at the right time... A few weeks ago I went out to dinner with a couple girlfriends. And by a couple, I mean exactly that. Two other girls. And it was a fabulous night. However, five years ago I might not have considered this a fabulous night because it didn’t go according to plan. The plan was to go to dinner with five or six of us. E-mails were sent. Dates were established. Times were set. We were having a Thursday night girls’ night to celebrate the start of summer. However, plans changed. Alexis was completely drained from work and too tired to go out to dinner. Lisa needed to stay home with her husband for some quality time that they had been lacking lately (something I am waaaay more understanding of now that I am married), and Anne got a migraine (poor girl!). She fought it off all day and took every medication under the sun to try to get rid of it (probably too many!), but it just wouldn’t go away. She regretfully had to back out of dinner like an hour before and she was really sad about it. So it was just three of us. And it was perfect. Now this would have bothered me a few years ago, because my understanding and trust of God’s sovereignty was so limited back then. I would have been annoyed that we planned a big girls night and only three people showed up, even though I completely understood why some people couldn't make it. My love of being social, hanging out with other women, and making plans would have left me disappointed. But God has taught me many things over the past 3-5 years of my life, and one is to trust Him in the small things. He ordains who shows up to dinner. He guides conversations. He brings new people to church. He chooses that the one $10 TV that you decide to buy on Craigslist happens to be owned by mortgage banker who is now helping you buy a home (true story). God is sovereign over the big and small. And while I appreciate God’s mighty acts and have been surprised by the miracles He has revealed to me in my lifetime, I am learning more and more to notice and trust the small ways He works in the day to day. And our girls' dinner was just one example of this. Although I missed having Alexis, Lisa, and Anne there that night (and would never wish a migraine on anyone!), I refused to be disappointed and went into the evening with a quiet eagerness to see what God had planned. And what great things He had in store. First, Shalyn and I got there early to wait for a table and we got to have a great talk about exercise and discipline and fighting pride in working out and body image. Good stuff. Well not the pride, but talking about it, revealing it, fighting it. Blessed by that conversation. Then we got a table and Jenney arrived. Jenney is a newer friend. She and her husband started going to our church a couple months before Micah and I did, and we have been wanting to connect with them. Shalyn, Jenney, and I had a delicious dinner of FREE bruschetta (thank you coupon!) and a great conversation. Shalyn had to take off a little early to go to the gym with her husband (go Bakers!), so Jenney and I continued to chat. And chat. And chat. When we decided we had been hogging our table too long, Jenney asked if I would like to head next door to LGO to grab some coffee. Jenney ordered a cappuccino, I opted for pineapple gelato, and we sat on the patio until late into the evening. Okay, it was like 10pm, but we are both students and this was our first real night of summer after finals week, so we felt like party animals, drinking coffee and eating ice cream and NOT writing papers or studying for tests at 10pm. Our conversation was such a blessing. Just getting to know each other better. Talking about marriage. About being a student at an age when no one else is a student anymore. The challenges of balancing the wife and student role. Talking about church and God and all that good stuff. Basically, the whole night was a huge blessing. And one that probably wouldn’t have turned out the same way if six of us had shown up to dinner. I look forward to dinner with all six of us someday, but it will definitely have a different dynamic and probably won’t end with a long, sincere conversation with one friend on the LGO patio. I like both nights. Coffee and talking with a friend. And laughter with lots of women. I’m just thankful that God plans both. ... Read more

Flowers Fade Friday: The Fruit of the Spirit

June 3, 2011

I recently finished reading Galatians, and I was so struck by the commentator's notes on the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) that I thought I would share them with you. I take no credit for the next passage. The following is the wisdom of Dr. Simon J. Gathercole, the Galatians editor for the ESV Study Bible. "The Spirit fights against sin not merely in defense but also in attack by producing in Christians the positive attributes of godly character, all of which are evident in Jesus in the Gospels. Love appears first because it is the greatest quality in that it most clearly reflects the character of God. Joy comes in at a close second, for in rejoicing in God's salvation Christians show that their affections are rightly placed in God's will and his purpose. Peace is the product of God having reconciled sinners to himself, so that they are no longer his enemies, which should result in confidence and freedom in approaching God. Patience shows that Christians are following God's plan and timetable rather than their own and that they have abandoned their own ideas about how the world should work. Kindness means showing goodness, generosity, and sympathy toward others, which likewise is an attribute of God.Goodness means working for the benefit of others, not oneself; Paul mentions it again in Gal. 6:10.Faithfulness is another divine characteristic; it means consistently doing what one says one will do. Gentleness is a quality Jesus attributes to himself in Matt. 11:29; it enables people to find rest in him and to encourage and strengthen others. Self-control is the discipline given by the Holy Spirit that allows Christians to resist the power of the flesh." I just love this list. It's so encouraging. Love - the greatest quality. Joy reveals to ourselves and others that we are truly saved. Peace is confidence in approaching God. Patience - trusting God's timetable (what a great reminder when you are in the process of trying to buy a house). Kindness - being nice to others. Goodness means following Paul's other words to "count others more significant than yourselves" (Phil. 2:4). Ugh. Why is this so difficult for me? Faithfulness - being true to your word. Gentleness - my very presence could encourage and strengthen others? Whaaaat? And good ol' self-control which gives me the power to not do what is wrong AND the power to do what is right. The most amazing thing about this list though is not the traits listed on it. Okay, they are pretty spectacular. I mean, they are the very traits of God. But the most awesome thing about them, as in downright awe-inspiring, is that God gives US these traits. In Jesus Christ , we are able to live in the Spirit, which means the very Spirit of God, with all His perfect and holy characteristics, dwells in us and through us. We are able to be loving and patient and kind and self-controlled, because Jesus was this way, and Jesus came to give Himself to us. ... Read more

Donut Muffins

June 2, 2011

Here is the perfect fall treat! This nutmeg-y, cinnamon-y goodness goes perfectly with a cold glass of milk, a mug of hot chocolate, or a nice, hot coffee... {and they are SUPER easy to make - bonus!} First of all, it's not really fair of me to post this recipe, because it's not my own recipe. You can also find it here. I didn't tweak or modify it in anyway (which is unusual for me), and, oh wait, I didn't even make these muffins. These muffins have been in my "recipes to try" folder FOREVER, but it's hard for me to take the time to bake in the middle of the school year, so my sweet sister made them for me when she came to visit while I was busy grading papers. I just got to eat them! What a lovely sister I have! Ingredients 1/2 cup white sugar 1/4 cup margarine, melted 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup all-purpose flour (For the topping) 1/4 cup margarine, melted 1/2 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 24 mini-muffin cups. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup margarine, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir in the milk, then mix in the baking powder and flour until just combined. Fill the prepared mini muffin cups about half full. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes. While muffins are baking, place 1/4 cup of melted margarine in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of sugar with the cinnamon. Remove muffins from their cups, dip each muffin in the melted margarine, and roll in the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Let cool and serve. As I said, I am only the taste-tester for this recipe, not the creator of the recipe or even the baker, but I must say these donut muffins were pretty amazing, and the batch definitely didn't last more than 24 hours at our house. If you have a big family or want to use them for a brunch or something, I would definitely double the recipe above. And from what I could tell from my view on the couch, they were definitely easy to make! Thanks sis! ... Read more