Banana Bread

 

 

A basic recipe from a friend. I wanted to share Banana bread with you all. I did alter the measurements slightly.

Ingredients

• 285g plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 110g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 225g caster sugar
• 2 free range eggs
• 3 overripe bananas, mashed
• 85ml buttermilk (or normal milk mixed with 1½ tsp lemon juice or vinegar)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
2. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well. Fold in the flour mixture. Grease a 20cm x 12.5cm/8in x 5in loaf tin and pour the cake mixture into the tin.
5. Transfer to the oven and bake for about an hour, or until well-risen and golden-brown.
6. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving

love & light...♥

Top Records of 2013

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From vinyl to CD.
EPs and downloads.
Here are my top favourites from this year (in no particular order):

"HEATWAVE" by Matt Wertz

"Endless Ocean / Bottomless Sea Extended Versions" by Jonathan David and Melissa Helser

"Jack Williams EP" by Jack Williams

"ANTHEM" by Hanson

"Let It Be Known" by Worship Central

"Back To Forever" by Lissie

"Days Are Gone" by HAIM

"Nothing Is Wasted" by Elevation Worship

"We Are Young & Free" by Hillsong

"United Tenors" by Hammnd, Hollister, Roberson, Wilson

"Fading West" by Switchfoot

"Fortunate Fall" by Audrey Assad

I know this album came out last year but "Battle Born" by The Killers is killer (LOL)! Heard it this year!

love & light...♥

On Journaling.

Such a beautiful post by Audrey Assad.
I couldn't encourage this form of expression any more than I could ever try.

 "It’s almost a sacred thing in some ways, journaling—it’s quite vulnerable, leaving your thoughts and emotions on a piece of paper where anyone might ravage them, thus knowing you in a way you never intended. Perhaps this is part of the magic of it: as long as my thoughts, feelings, and deeply personal perspectives remain completely private, I am not confronted with exactly how much they mean to me. This is the threshing floor aspect of journaling for me: I write things down, and some of them leave my mind entirely, having been dumped in a place where they can no longer take up valuable space: but some of them grow and shiver with life, rising in front of me like new trees, and I must give them my time and attention, my love and my care."

Read the full blog post HERE

love & light... ♥

We ebb and we flow, so

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Wandering through the unknown.
We ebb and we flow, so.
Day by day.
Excited. Expectant.

Change is inevitable. 

Autumn reminds me of that.

Through the push and pull of this life, I feel like I have experienced a lot of this recently.
Whether it be close friends moving away, change in family life/new relationships to my walk with the Lord; simply seeing a shift in my heart and mind.
Still there is beauty in this season, such beauty in change whilst God makes room for something new, all within His perfect will (Romans 8v27-28; Ecclesiastes 3v11).

Yet, fear creeps up inside of us as we approach what is not known. We worry, we panic.
We become anxious.

In Matthew 6v34 it says:
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Further on Philippians 4v6 says:
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

We do not know what tomorrow holds so rather than being anxious, the word commands us to let our requests be made known to God, casting our cares to our Lord (Psalm 55v22), bringing everything under the authority of Jesus Christ.
 
I will never cease to be amazed by how God holds us in these situations, as we stand before the bridges we are to cross not knowing what lies before us and on the other side.

Trust.
Honestly, something I am constantly learning to do. Daily choosing to trust Him over my circumstances as He is greater than them! A God s worthy of trust and who is NOT a God of confusion.
Learning to trust and learning to let go of what was once known, moving into the unknown without fear or anxiety. Therefore realising the essence of change; understanding the newness in life it cultivates.
Such freedom!


Be encouraged:
Change will always come. Remember that God is holding you, He neither sleeps nor slumbers (Psalm 121) Always proceed with a humble heart, trusting and being expectant.
The moments I have finally trusted God with all my heart and wait expectantly for Him, sharing my hopes with Him he moves in amazing ways. We really do serve an amazing God!

love & light...♥

"I'm drifting, closer toward the skyline, looking down on my life, trying to get just one thing right,

The second I stop second guessing, let go like a confession, seeing what I was born to find,

Flying for the first time." 

Miriam Designs | Handmade & Hope-Filled Goods

"Little did I know how much I would learn from working alongside them... like how to laugh until it hurts, to allow hope to conquer my fear, and to experience the healing that comes through a community that loves unconditionally." - Gracie Moakler

Miriam Designs. What a beautiful find.

Honestly, I cannot even remember how I came across this, but I am sure it was somewhere along the lines of Steve Moakler, and learning about this organisation his wife was a part of.

As a lover of all things handmade/homemade with a defining purpose, I was immediately drawn to Miriam Designs and it's ethos... and of course, all the beautiful jewellery!

Here's a little bit about Miriam Designs:

"Miriam Designs is a group of women in Nashville, Tennessee who have incredible stories of survival, restoration, and hope. They help to train and employ women who have survived years on the streets and are working their way to a better life.

Our goal is to help provide work for women here in Nashville who have survived lives of prostitution, drug abuse, trafficking, or homelessness. We teach them a new skill and create a fun community for them to thrive in. I LOVE spending time with them- so it just feels like a WIN-WIN every time we get together. The current goal is to get enough work coming in that we can bring at least 1-2 women full time and hire others with steady part time work! (we have 3-4 women who work part time as of now).."

Read the full article HERE

I recently bought the 'Kyle' necklace from their store, made of five African turquoise beads, and I absolutely love it. I have my eye on a few more!
I hope you take time to look into this organisation and are blessed and inspired by their faith and encouraging hearts to serve others.

Website: Miriam-Designs.com
Instagram: @MiriamDesigns

Me with my 'Kyle' necklace!

"And Miriam the prophetess, sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dances." 

- Exodus 15v20

love & light...♥

Amanda Cook | Paper Planes to Foreign Skies

"From paper planes to foreign skies, You sustain my wings in flight..."

I will be honest, I thought no-one could come close to lyrical genius and music composition (in Christian music) like Audrey Assad, but hearing Amanda Falk's record 'In Between the Now & Then', I stand corrected.

Here is her song Paper planes. Enjoy.

Buy here album here: In Between The Now & Then 

love & light...♥

Link Love / 4. Autumn Love, Winter Wanderlust

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Autumn is not long round the corner, so through this season of change both in nature and in our own life's realities, I wanted to share some of my favourite links and loves I'll be enjoying these next few months!

1) Current reads:

1. 'Home' and 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison; if you're a lover of the Southern States, captivated by good writing with a sense of mystery and hope, you'll love these two books (Still reading 'Home' at the moment and cannot let go). 
2. 'Afterwards' by Rosamund Lupton. After reading 'Sister', Rosamund fast became one of my favourite writers. Not only for the way she captures suspense, but the way she portrays the extent of how far the love you have for a friend or relative can take you if you allow it.

2) Awesome post on 'The Titus 2 Woman' by Whole Magazine. Food for thought: Are we as 'Godly Women' living this out? Reaching to our younger sisters in Christ and helping them along their walk?

3) Music! Here's what I'll be listening to:
    My Autumn/Winter ("Extremely Mini Sample") playlist

love & light...♥

An Adventure in Worship

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(N.B. To be read whilst Jonathan & Melissa Helser's 'Endless Ocean' plays in the background)

"In that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this." 

- Amos 9 v 11-12

Worship.
The state of my heart.
A deep movement within my spirit, from the belly of my soul,
That pours out of me for the love of who God is;
For what Christ has done.

The lightness of my soul, set free!
How I live and love to worship You.

So, I am back from the beauty that was David's Tent. What an amazing experience but certainly not the end of what happened throughout those 72 hours of non-stop worship.
The moment Beth and I stepped on the train heading towards Wiston Estate, every moment was God appointed. From the lovely lady (a gracious stranger), her daughter and their excitable dog Maise giving us a lift in their car (though we could barely fit) all the way to David's Tent, to us riding back in a flower printed van with seats parallel to the side of the road (thank you Jim and Natalie).

The in-between was the most beautiful bit. There has been such a shift in my spirit.
With or without intention, we as worshipers tend to limit ourselves in worshiping God. The creator of the universe. A God who humbled Himself so that Time itself and Eternity could hold Him. A God who surpasses eternity.
Why?
Have we become fearful?
Have we become too comfortable?
Have we forgotten who our God truly is, our first love?

Freedom.
The words 'when the minority becomes the majority' became so real during those 72 hours of worship and it is my heart to see this throughout God's church. To see people worship; breaking off the chains of fear, restraint and hindrance therefore truly worshiping God in such freedom. Freedom to express themselves and the love they have for God pour out of them. Constantly giving and giving to the Father while He sings so sweetly over us.
What a beautiful picture!
To know and be known by God in such intimacy and beauty. To stand with our brothers and sisters united in our love for God.

Every once in a while you come across those beautiful children of God, where the fragrance of Christ is so evident upon their lives and I found that with Jonathan and Melissa Helser. Such beautiful people. How they strive for their lives, their marriage, their family and community to be a reflection of who Christ is - without chains or restriction; just freedom.
Make me more like You Jesus.

I can't even express everything that happened during the event because of how it affected me as it was so spiritually moving. Sometimes, the things of the Spirit can't always be expressed in words. All I know is something has definitely shifted and change is here. No turning back.
I am so excited for what is to come and what the future holds for worshiping Abba! May we not be afraid to worship Him with EVERYTHING we have - our minds, our bodies...our spirit. Worshiping Him in spirit and in truth; after all it is these people that the Father seeks to worship Him.

love & light...♥

Visit: JonathanHelser.com
Visit: DavidsTent.net

Change Your Mind

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Yesterday I had the amazing opportunity to minister to the youth at my church... Aaaah! LOL! Needless to say, I'm so grateful that I had this opportunity and I wanted to share what I spoke on yesterday.

As a youth group, we had been looking at 'The Battlefield of the Mind'. We looked at how the mind and the heart are the same, how the things that surround us can influence our thoughts whether it is friends or music or TV shows, films etc. We also looked at how our thoughts can, and oftentimes do, turn into our actions. What myself and Josh (fellow youth leader) covered this session was how to change your mind from a mind that focuses in the internal, (the self, what you can gain personally) to a mind that focuses on the external (being in service to God and building His kingdom). 

Being a Christian is not easy. In fact, living life isn't easy. Daily, life throws us curve balls, puts obstacles in our way, which can cause us to be discouraged.
But to "make a decisive dedication of our bodies as a living sacrifice to God" (Romans 12 v 1) is to wake up every morning saying ‘I choose God’. I choose God in the midst of ALL that is going on around you; from the pain the heartache, the difficulties, not just on a good day – this being an act of sacrifice; saying I choose to walk in His will in a way that is PURE, that is your BEST (the best you have to give to God) and thirdly that is GOD-PLEASING. What we need to understand is that not everything we do pleases God, not matter how good our intentions are...


Verse 2 of Romans 12 goes on to say“be transformed by the entire renewal of your mind" – In order for your mind to completely transformed with the help of the Holy Spirit, your mindset needs a complete overturn. Changing your mindset towards things of God changes your outward look and view on life. So you begin to move away ideas and actions that are beneficial to you, and begin to lean towards things that will help build God’s Kingdom. So your view on life no longer becomes internal thinking but external thinking. It all comes down to the fact that we are here to build God’s kingdom.
Matthew 6 v 33 says "but seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." – Setting your mind on Christ and seeking God’s Kingdom above all things. Looking outwards towards Him and his kingdom, not inwards towards us and what we can reap or gain in this situation.

"A transformed mind subdues negative thoughts neither allowing them to be turned into actions." - Josh White

I was about 14-16 yrs old around the time my parents were splitting up and during this time time I had a very low and negative image of myself. I didn't view myself as beautiful or didn't see my worth/value and felt I wasn't worthy of anything, especially love. So with these thoughts I tried to seek these things in guys, in things of the flesh.
I soon came to realise that those guys I sought so hard to find my worth in, they come and go. No matter what they said about me, it wasn't solid. But God is ever constant. His words are built in solid truth, words you can stand secure in as they are a firm foundation. So all the thoughts I had about myself I learnt to lead them away captive into the obedience of Christ. It wasn't a transformation that happened overnight. It took me a couple of years before I got to a place where I completely depended on God. I learnt to trust Him and everything He had said over my life at the time.

In 2 Corinthians 10 v 3-5 it says:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical, but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds. In as much as we refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ.”

Prayer, worship, reading and keeping God's word are just a few weapons of our warfare that are mighty before God. What Paul is saying here in Corinthians is that you need to captivate thoughts into Christ’s obedience; whether it is thoughts of low self esteem, lust, or critical thinking of yourself and others all into Christ's obedience. Living a life like that is exhausting – it takes a lot out of you and it is spiritually draining.
What we also need to understand is not just bad thoughts that we captivate but good thoughts too. As I briefly mentioned before not all thoughts and actions are God pleasing no matter how good your intentions are.
That is why in Romans 12 v 2 it says ‘so that you may PROVE FOR YOURSELVES what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’ This means to also prove for yourselves what God has already deemed good and acceptable and perfect so you know FOR SURE that the thought or idea you have is in line with God’s will. Having the mind of Christ as it says in 1 Corinthians 2 v 16 to guide and instruct us when proving for ourselves what is in God’s will.

It is very important that we are mindful of the things we dwell on and what we feed our minds on. As it says in Philippians 4 v 8 it says we need to meditate on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report and are of virtue. Throughout scripture it says we need to guard our heart.
In Proverbs 4 v 23 it says ‘guard your heart for out of it are the issues of life’; the wellspring of life, the products (actions) of your thoughts. You guard your heart by knowing and keeping God’s word close, through prayer, through worshiping God. Not just memorising verses but actually allowing them to sit and stay in your heart so that you might not sin against God or allow the enemy to attack you. The enemy knows the bible. If you don't know the word of God, the enemy will twist it and use it against you. By knowing and keeping God’s word in your heart, you stand strong because His word is truth, it is PURE and GOOD and it will start to show in your daily life and actions.

In 1 Corinthians 2 v 16  it says

“For who has known or understood the mind of the Lord as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ and do hold the thoughts of His heart.”

Thanks to the Christ and thanks to the Holy Spirit we know what is in Christ’s heart and what His thoughts are in terms of our walk with Him. It goes back to looking outwards not inwards; back to building God’s kingdom. Putting God at the centre of every thought – allowing Him to be at the forefront of our minds and in everything we do.

*NB: Scripture taken from both King James Version and The Amplified Bible.

love & light... ♥

Outward Bound...

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"Oh God why You been, hanging round in that old violin? While I've been waiting for You pull me through..."

'Poetry in motion', 'lyrics' or simply 'words strung together in a beautiful fashion'. Call it what you will, but my God there is a deep longing, a cry unto God from this beautiful song by Amos Lee.

Truthfully, a cry I have heard from my own heart.
Day by day I am learning what it means to live a full life, especially one that bears testimony to God. Though in my field of work I learn this in abundance, at times situations in life become overwhelming, thus draining me not only physically, but both spiritually and emotionally. Causing me to realise the need for renewal; a time to rest and step back from what is.

Today, I was outward bound. Out of Southampton to a different city. It was the journey I craved the most rather than the destination. I find when I am journeying spiritually, it is always accompanied by a physical journey, an open road as such; enabling me to put my thoughts together - one of my favourite ways to connect to God.

For some, it is being the company of friends, writing, or another favourite of mine, reveling in in the presence of my family. Whatever situation you are facing and however you take time to disconnect from the daily burdens this world so freely offers, make sure you step out into a personal retreat allowing yourself to be renewed and restored by God.

love & light...♥