Eucharisteo

35. A discipline that is working on my heart! --finding beauty everywhere and feeling thankfulness grow
36. A job.
37. That I generally love.
38. my Mom
39. a whole-long-nearly-eleven-hour-day with her on Saturday
40. celebrating my birthday with the one who gave it to me
41. new clothes!
42. mom's generosity
43. neverending things to talk about with her
44. understanding --getting-- each other
45. remembering difficult years and reveling in grace!
46. a tremendously authentic, difficult, and piercing sermon this weekend
47. B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l (this is why I live in FL) weather!
48. Tim Keller in Orlando
49. fellowship with family in Christ -grateful for joy that I feel anticipating it!
50. organization, yes, it makes me so happy

Four Years

I sat on the couch, all comfy in PJs and enjoying the company of old friends and new, and stared at my phone.

The text read, "Can we meet somewhere and talk?"

I looked up, caught the eyes of my roommate, and, well, I may have let out a little scream. I showed her the phone screen. She screamed.

We both knew what this meant.

I had spent the last week on board a cruise ship, aptly named by fellow cruisers the Love Boat, with around 100 of my fellow ministry partners; one of which, in particular, held nearly all of my attention.

I had spent the last month on the phone with this fella nearly everyday, sharing our lives and getting to know each other.

I had spent the last several months emailing him jokes, comments, and interruptions to his day.

I had spent the last twenty-five years praying for him.

So, when the text rang from my phone, my roommate and I knew: now, my prince had come!

He came over to my house around 10pm, all snuffly and sick, and we walked around the neighborhood putting words to feelings and throwing around questions like "what about Japan?" and "what about my timeline?" and " what could this mean?" The answer to all of that was "I just don't know." We walked in silence.

The only answer I could find was: "I do know I don't want to walk away from you." We held hands and prayed and asked God for direction.

And God blessed! What followed was the most incredible year of adventures and memories and hard discussions and growth. What delight we had in being together! Neither of us could believe the joy God gave in our relationship.

Four years later... what a sweet Valentine I have! He is a treasure. He is grace - the loving gift of God for my good, a daily reminder of God's tender care for me, and a place of safety for my heart. Love grows more, richer and deeper. We're still learning each other - what he/she likes, how he/she gets irritated, and (the hard one) how to bless in the midst of irritation. I'm learning how to really pray for someone and how to trust God with someone.

An adventure, to be sure, and one I'm most grateful for. What could He have for us? We're not sure, but definitely praying and dreaming and holding fast together.

I'm so glad that dashing young fella called and asked to talk!

One Thousand Gifts = Eucharisteo

Let me just start this post by saying that I am really being blessed by reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts! It's such a good read packed with descriptive examples and piercing summaries of what's really happening in our hearts. It's scrumptious. Read it.

The premise is that our lives are so busily focused on earthly things that we fail to see the great gifts of Love showered upon us all day everyday by our Heavenly Father. To combat this ungrateful symptom of the imperfect life, the author welcomes us into her daily habit of recording moments of joy on a list that she calls One Thousand Gifts. She is well past one thousand...and I am well on my way! She keeps a journal with her at all times (and often a camera, too) to never miss a moment to record. The physical habit has transformed her spiritual habits to reflect a heart of worship.

The word Eucharisteo is the greek word that led her through Scripture to embrace a life of gratefulness, a life that says thanks at every moment. (Read more in chapter two!) So I will retitle my posts Eucharisteo and you may just see them a little more often.

18. Flowers. Delivered. Shock and awe! Feeling loved.
19. Valentines Day dinner with friends!
20. A reason to decorate the table all pink and red, light candles, welcome friends, and dine together.
21. Dan & Tawnny Kramer
22. Ken & Crystal Mauger
23. Making Valentine cards
24. Sending Valentine cards and boxes with joy, imagining my loved one receiving it!
25. Sleeping in
26. Naps
27. the Bahamas :)
28. Tour guides happy to tell me about their home
29. the 24-hour buffet
30. boats on clear, turquoise seas
31. Quiet moments reading with a cup of tea overlooking calm, dark waters
32. HOME! So grateful for the home I have with my husband.
33. Teaching at VCC - love my students, love my time with them, loving helping them grow
34. sunshine

One Thousand Gifts

7. Sickness last week that brought a forced slowdown
8. St. Paul's Mission Conference - so very blessed! Thank you, Dr. Oh!
9. Barbie & Sarah who worked so hard and did such a tremendous job with the organization of the conference
10. a whole day with Amy on Saturday, serving together
11. fresh fruit and vegetables at our table after a weekend of busyness/eating out
12. shopping my closet and finding new combos
13. anticipation for blessings ahead
14. Sunday afternoon naps with Husband
15. A husband who serves joyfully
16. A treasured book arrived - my copy of One Thousand Gifts!
17. Newfound hours of pleasure reading - no longer required to give a reading report :)

Investing in your Marriage

Me again with a hearty recommendation for you to take your spouse to Family Life's Weekend to Remember conference this year and make a very big, very worthy, very important investment in your marriage.

It doesn't matter if ya'll are swinging at a perfect 10 or struggling to find kind words for one another, --if you're like us, you're probably somewhere in the middle of that assessment, and may fluctuate greatly between the two all in one day!-- but the point on this conference is to realign your marriage to God's principles and plan for the gift He's given you in each other.

Take a weekend to get away, just the two of you - it's hard, but very, very fun. Did I mention there's a planned date night on Saturday night?

If you're in Orlando, the dates are March 18-20 and April 1-3, both in Lake Mary. Right now, you can score a BOGO registration offer by entering the keycode BOB at checkout.

Do it! It's so very, very worth it! I promise you won't regret it.

Another idea? Bless a newly married couple with this precious time. Thank you Danny & Suzanne for doing that for us!

Here's to a long, healthy marriage for the sake of His Kingdom! ~~~

One Thousand Gifts

Well, my friends, it's 2011!

I'm excited and ready to....
--Get my book in the mail and start reading!
--Join the Bloom Book Club with my sister-in-law!
--Start recording my one thousand gifts+!

Happy Monday! ....Here we go:

1. A job. Hard days remind me I need to be thankful for work, as God created.
2. A very great treasure of a husband with endless grace.
3. Fun friends visiting our house this week! Close friends who 'get' you are hard to find.
4. A toddler to play with 24-7. We love you, Elias!
5. My nephew, Jacob. Happy Birthday big boy! Love hearing you say you're two. :)
6. My niece, Katie-girl, who was dedicated to the Lord yesterday by her parents.
7. My SIL, Ashlee, celebrating her birthday this week. You are an answer to many, many prayers, the sister I never had, and one of my best friends!
8. A very heart-full day with my family yesterday celebrating God's gifts to us.
6. The love of the Father - a love I don't know I'll ever fully understand. It amazes me everyday.

It's here!

"It's here," said my Joe, as he leaned back in his chair, let out a heavy sigh, and closed his eyes to relish in the thought.

What long-awaited and dreamed about event could he be referring to?

Why, the arrival of FALL, of course! We've finally experienced some cooler temperatures this week, and it looks like they're here to stay.

The man has been known to sing the diddy "It' the most wonderful time of the year" ....in October. He loves fall!

Certainly fall in Orlando is a far cry from fall in Baltimore, but the reprieve from the heat is exciting nonetheless.

Hope you are enjoying your fall as much as we are! It's time for some camping.

Welcome Katherine Ann Rich Hansen!

Welcome, baby girl! The Lord has given you a great family, so eager to get to know you! And your brother and sisters will be so good to you! May you know and serve our King all your days.

I guess we're big now.

I was reading the July 2010 issue of Christianity Today last night and found a little blurb about some latest Pioneers news. I looked up, glanced across the outdoor tables of the restaurant where I was resting, and thought very matter-of-factly to myself, "I guess we're big now."

I mean, I knew we passed the "large missions agency" mark several years ago. Internationally, Pioneers now supports over 1,900 missionaries around the world in some of the least-reached and least-served places. When compared to just over 500 in 2003, it's obvious that we have grown tremendously at an incomparable rate. The numbers are big.

In 2004, mentioning the name of Pioneers usually required a heavy dose of explaining; most had never heard of it. (Either that, or, truthfully, we were confused with Pioneers girls clubs or Pioneer Bible Translators, or even Frontiers. If I had only thought to count the phone conversations centered around these!) Today, Pioneers is at every major missions conference across the US. While visiting churches, I'm no longer surprised to run into a Pioneers missionary on home assignment. Little explaining is required. The reputation is big.

And now, our little announcement has become major news in the evangelical world. Well, it's clearly not a little announcement. (We merged with AWM.) But Christianity Today thought it worth including. Our news is big.

You see, my five years with Pioneers was during the "breaking out of the shell" period. During my time in the US recruitment office (with 5 particular heros: Alan Chantelau, John Downer, James Kim, Steve Ludwig, and Lauri Nevius), our team witnessed and participated in an explosion of growth that wielded tidal waves of effect on teams and ministries around the world. We didn't really know it then. We just had loads of fun working and praying together, traveling together (playing poker and singing karaoke together). We rode the wave with hearts and hands open to where God was leading us. It was an absolutely exciting time to be a part of what God was doing through Pioneers.

Now we look back - 3.5 out of 5 now serving the Lord in other capacities - with joy at the privilege of being a great team with a great goal. (Like that .5? That's you, Steve, working with Pioneers in England.)

But I wonder if others, like me, still think of Pioneers as the little guy. The little booth (awesome as it looked) next to the "big guns" of mission conferences. The young, smiling rep willing to listen to whatever hair-crazed mission idea the next generation dreamed about, praying with and encouraging him or her that the Holy Spirit's leading is worth following. The org whose name was not always known, but whose globe was.

Very good memories, indeed.

Very worthy work, indeed.

Very great King, whose Kingdom will never end - Indeed!

The purpose remains: Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church-planting movements in partnership with local churches.

Since 1979, so many others have joined this vision for the sake of the King and His Kingdom. So many have been willing to go, with Pioneers willing to send.

And so....we're big now.

PS...Love you, heros!

Holy Week

This is the holiest, most special, most glorious week of our year!

Oh, how much my heart needs to be turned toward these Sacred days, and away from the sin, the worldly worries and troubles, that so easily entangles.

Here are a few of the ways the Yoons hope to celebrate, meditate, and worship this week...

• Easter Decor - Joe laughs at my seasonal decor, but it brings delight to me! This year I'm embracing the egg motif because of the symbolism of new life. Other than that, the stores are not offering me much help keeping the true symbolism of the season. I finally found a cute little lamb to put as my table centerpiece - Behold, the Lamb of God! Next to the lamb, and throughout the house, I've added a lot of Scripture to memoralize the events of this week. Also, I'm a fan of the Easter Garland (an easy project for your kiddos!).
• Easter Tree - Better late than never...I'm working on an Easter Tree. That, and more great ideas, here.
• Passover Seder - some choose to always celebrate this the week of Easter, but the holiday actually falls within Holy Week this year (though not always). We're enjoying an evening of fellowship at our house with a few friends.
• Devotionals - I love the simple dinner devotionals here. This is designed for young kids, but we'll adapt it for us in this and other ways, too.
• Services - Our church offers several great services that minister to my soul.
• Family - Finally, we'll cap off the week with a backporch picnic at my parents' house. I like doing the picnic thing; it feels like spring and it's a restful way to spend the Lord's Day with great company.

Don't let the week pass without letting your soul soak in the rich Grace and Love we receive through Christ our Lord! I have found that if I don't consciously expect and plan for heart-enriching times like these, the days and celebrations pass by without even a memory of the Spirit's gentle touch.

In God's great, great Love and Providence, I have been made a part of His family. I am His. How could this be? I ask myself everyday. The answer is in Christ Himself, the humble sacrifice He offered in my rightly-deserved place. The judgment has been fully satisfied! It is finished!

May my heart and yours be warmed to exuberent joy over such glory this week!

Happy Birthday Sister!

Happy 30th Ashlee! Love you very much!

May the Lord bless you immensely in this next year, and the next decade!

From what I know, this year is gonna be a great one. ;)

Happy Birthday Jakey Boy!

Jacob Nels Hansen is a year old today! He has brought so much joy to the whole family and we just love him to pieces! He's such a happy boy. Here he is wearing his gift from his papa. :)

We're headed to Jax this weekend to help throw a party for both Jacob AND my SIL Ashlee who is turning the BIG 3-0!! Yes, I just announced that on my blog.

Love ya'll!

Free admission to Leu Gardens this Sat-Sun

Leu Gardens Camellia Show this weekend, Jan 16, 17 Sat/Sun -- FREE.

This is one of the main highlights of the year, with three miles of walkways, gardens, and fully mature trees full of different colors and flavors of camellias, and plant sale, food, music.

And what beautiful weather we've been given!

Click here for more info!

Weekend To Remember Conference BOGOF Through 1/18/10!!

I'm stealing this post from another website, but know that the Yoons HIGHLY RECOMMEND this too! We were so blessed by attending a conference last year and look forward to volunteering at the two Orlando conferences this year.

Seriously....think about it! Well worth every single penny.

I want you to take a look at: Weekend To Remember Conference BOGOF Through 1/18/10!!

Sidenote: I regularly visit this website and love the heart and message of it. Take a look around while you're there!

Goodbye, old friend

The end of 2009 brings to another end my well-worn friendship with one particular saucepan, namely a Wolfgang Puck 5-quart nonstick saucepan with a glass top.

To the saucepan: You have served me/us faithfully and tirelessly to the end! You represent a myriad of blessings in my life, and I shall never forget you!

(But, alas, your end has come as we suspect you may secretly be poisoning us as your "nonstick-ness" is shaving off into our food.)

Before the rest of you think I'm being absolutely ridiculous, let me explain:

The story begins in the summer of 2005, when I found myself suddenly in need of a new place to live. I spent considerable time in prayer over this decision, talked with many possible roommates, and searched the city for houses for rent. Would you believe that God led me to the house directly next door to the current one I was renting? That was the first blessing, and one of many during this time that comforted me with God's love and provision.

In addition to the all-important decisions of finding a roof to put over my head and a roommate (or two) with which to share it, there was another small matter that echoed throughout my prayers. "Lord, will you really provide all I need? What about the many additional expenditures that come with getting my own place? ....like pots and pans, for example? I don't currently own any....and I'd have to buy them in order to eat...really, can I do this? Is this move the best decision for me?" At 23 years old, these were big issues!...rooted in fear, doubt, lack of courage over promises, etc. And so, I prayed. Over all of it.

What does this have to do with the precious, treasured Wolfgang Puck 5-quart nonstick saucepan with a glass top? I found this little guy waiting in my new house for me! Before starting to cart my few belongings across the lawn on the night of the move, I was poking my nose around my beautiful, new kitchen and gasped when I opened a cupboard absolutely full of shiny pots and pans in every shape and size!!

I'm sure I cried, actually. I melted onto the tile floor and praised the Lord for so generously and graciously caring for my every need.

This pan is the only one still in my possession. I blessed friends and family with the others in the cupboard that night, but have been unable to part with this one until now.

Who could believe one little pan could bring so much joy? It did bring a lot of joy! A thousand meals have been cooked in that pan over the past four years - for girlfriends catching up, for neighbors stopping by, for missionaries seeking respite, for new friends and old friends, for family and "like-family", for friends who just had babies....the list continues. And of greatest joy, this pan even traveled with me into marriage, with which I have cooked at least 80% of my husband's dinners!

Now...am I being ridiculous? You could never convince me so. It's not the pan, per say, that I love, but all that it represents!

And so I say....goodbye, old friend. You represent a beautiful time of blessing and growth in my life, and I thank God for it.

A casual stroll through Macys the other night happened upon the finding of a new 5 (and a half!) quart saucepan just in our price range. We proudly brought it home and eagerly look forward to the thousands of meals it will serve many more wonderful friends and family around our table. (maybe the extra half quart we gained in this pan is a foreshadowing of future needs! ;)

$5 Magazine Alert!!

I know I need to update you on the final numbers of November's grocery budget....but this is TOO GOOD to pass up today!

Check out the $5 magazine subscriptions at Amazon! Good through today, December 1st.

I'm getting a few as Christmas gifts!

$30 Challenge: Week 2

Week 2 Meal Plan:

Sunday - out at Mom & Dad's
Monday - Beef Stroganoff
Tuesday - leftovers (Bec out)
Wednesday - London Broil with broccoli & mashed potatoes
Thursday - Grilled chicken over salad
Friday - Pork tenderloin with grilled veggies and rice
Saturday - Spaghetti


Shopping:
Publix $ 28.86

Overall, I'm still under budget, but with a mere $3 in my cushion fund :), how exactly will T-giving fit into my budget?? Still working a few angles on that challenge.

WA-HOO!! So excited to have actually met my challenge this week...$29 and holding. :) As long as I can stay away from the grocery store for the rest of this week, I'm good. My basket was surprisingly full for such a small bill. I bought a lot of fruits and veggies (Publix had some good vegetables on sale this week), eggs, sour cream, and just two of the B1G1 deals that were good items for my pantry.

One tip that I want to note for my future reference: the "stock-up" list this month included meat, bread, sandwich meat, and pasta. (The bread and pasta only made that list because they were B1G1.) Some other items would be good to include on that list, like a few back-up cans of veggies, dairy products, sauces, baking supplies. I'm going to consider a standard list, and leave out a few of the meat items that I might find later on sale.

Ideas? Opinions?

$30 Challenge: Week 1

Week 1 Meal Plan:

Sunday - leftovers
Monday - Pot Roast
Tuesday - out for Korean food! Yum! Dad's Bday
Wednesday - Chicken Cacciatore
Thursday - Baked Potato Soup & Salad
Friday - Italian Beef Sandwiches
Saturday - leftovers (after a long day at Kennedy Space Center)


Stock-up:
Sams Club $75
Publix $36
over-budget by $11

Shopping:
Sams $21
Publix $25
over-budget by $16

At this point, the "over-budget" amounts have eaten into my cushion fund, but I'm technically still under my monthy budget. I'll be mentioning this overall update weekly.

NOT a good start! HA! (At least you know I'll be honest.) Hoping this will even out as the month goes along... But here's to show that we're not planning on eating beans and rice every night. I love cooking yummyness.

New Month, New Challenge

This post is an update to my earlier promise to let you know how our financial class is going. Well...we're not so crazy about it, actually. The principles are excellent, but we're finding that the underlying values of this particular program do not exactly match our own. Nevertheless, we're learning and implementing a lot.

An obvious part of the monthly budget that I have the most control over is the food budget. What's the best way to manage this money? I've been reading blogs, talking with others, and trying a few different grocery-budget-strategies. (oh, and we've added another mouth to feed this month; now i'm cooking for 3.)

If I have any readers that might, in the least, be interested :), I've decided to share this month's experiment with you! We're trying to keep the grocery bill at $250 a month (doesn't include eating out), so here's the lowdown:

Stock-up. As much as I love shopping weekly sales, I really don't think Sams Club meat prices can be beat. So, I started the month there and gave myself $100 to "stock-up." With my leftover money, I grabbed a few of the B1G1 items at Publix this week like bread and pasta.
Weekly. Here comes the challenge: now I'm allowing myself $30 a week for the remaining items I need. Eeek! This money is primarily for buying fresh fruits and veggies. Other items on the list might include what I need for a specific recipe or great sales. :) I love the unexpected sales!
Cushion. If you've done the math, that only leaves me a $30 cushion. It's nice to have a cushion, but a mere $30 won't go far. I'll need to choose wisely and be willing to pass up on a good sale if my meal plan doesn't necessitate it.

This is IMPOSSIBLE without a meal plan! Call me crazy, but I currently have our meals planned for the next 3 weeks! Yep, there's a calendar on our fridge all penciled in. I started by looking at the meat I bought and the items already in my pantry, and then started filling in the boxes.

Don't ask me why I'm doing this now, the month of Thanksgiving, the year of which I'm hosting. Won't that be a budget-breaker?! We'll see!

For any PI readers, you should know the Yoons are gearing up for the Turkey Shoot with intensity. I told Joe we have to win the turkey if we're going to stay under budget. :) (ok, so my strategy is not to practice, but to bring more people to raise our chances! ha)

I'll keep you updated!

PS: This is actually fun for me. Of all the domestic duties, cooking for my family is on the top of my list! And shopping for said cooking is also part of the delight. I could go on and on about that....

Christmas....it's not too early

Yes, I've already started thinking about Christmas. Christmas is expensive, lets be honest. I'm determined this year to not let it get ridiculously out of hand, financially speaking. SO...I've set a budget for each person, I've started scouring the clearance racks, and I'm probably at least 1/3 done by now! It's been fun.

Here are a few ideas - please share yours!

1.) Both Joe and I thoroughly enjoy gift-giving and have dreams of giving extravagantly. But as we've talked about it, we've had to convince ourselves that it's not about 'the gift' or the amount of money that we spend. The meaning lies behind the gesture of giving, which we would rather focus on. Practically, that means we've lowered the amount we normally spend on family members this year.
2.) I set an individual budget for each man, woman, and child. This has helped me both cap my overall budget and set a shopping limit for each gift.
3.) Within this budget, I still cut corners! For example, if I find something on sale, I count a reasonable amount for the item toward the overall person's $ limit, even if I spent less. Does that make sense? Like, I might choose an item that at full price was out-of-the-question. Whatever I spent on it (30, 50, or 75% off), I choose a reasonable price for it in my head and count that toward their budget. Translation: I end up spending less than my set budget in the end.
4.) I'm considering doing joint gifts for the married folks in the family. This would slightly lower the overall budget and give more money to spend on a bigger gift. Another idea is to combine $ with siblings to get a specific gift someone requests.
5.) Even though we've lowered the amount of money we're spending, it's important to me that I still give something useful and enjoyable. I don't just want to give everyone a new T-shirt because it's cheap...you know what I'm saying?
6.) Starting early gives me more time to scour the sales and spread out the bills. (One person's gift was bought in July...at 80% off with a gift card! super duper score!)
7.) Is this getting boring? Okay, I'll keep going...at least for my sake.
8.) Our financial class says 'make gifts'. I am totally for this, but totally out of ideas this year! Feel free to share if you've got any!
9.) I want to send Christmas cards this year. Don't forget to include the price of stamps into your Christmas budget! Those babies can a-d-d up!
10.) Joe and I will probably do our one-year-old traditions this year (ornament, stockings) and probably not much more. We're toying with the idea of planning a cheap vacay for Jan.-Feb. as a gift to each other instead. Otherwise, we're saving money!!

We hope that early shopping and a decreased focus on how much money we spend will simply serve as tools to prepare our hearts for the celebration of the Advent season! So many distractions slave for our attention during this holy, peaceful time of year. Let us truly worship!