Saturday, February 11, 2017
New Platform for The Faithful Nomad
Hi! I'm currently upgrading The Faithful Nomad. To continue following and reading on our new and improved platform, go to thefaithfulnomad.wordpress.com and make sure to follow by email to continue to follow this nomad's journey. Thanks.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Mondays Can be More.
We've all heard of it. And felt it.
"Monday blues."
When did it become normal to expect this day of the week to be dark and crabby and horrid? Why do we feel as though going back to work and school should be the pits?
Let's give "Monday blues" the boot! Mondays can be more.
They can be an exciting start to a fresh week. Whether you are back to your desk, or class, or taking care of your home, this is a day that the LORD has made. Let's be glad in it!
Need some ideas to push the rain clouds away? I've got a few below. Use hashtag #mondayscanbemore when you do one of these uplifting things, or if you think of something else. Share how your Monday is more with us!
#1 - Try out a new gym class.
I joined a gym near my home recently, because the weather is too cold and rainy to run outside very comfortably. Gym classes are fun because you just show up and follow along! Plus, on a cold winter day, they really get your blood pumping and will make you feel warmer for the rest of your Monday.
#2 - Send a faraway friend a card to say "hi."
Sometimes it is really easy to forget to stay in contact with friends. And, let's be honest, everyone likes snail mail. So, choose today to be intentional. Send a cute card, or write a letter about how much you appreciate their friendship. Let them know how you've been, and show that you wish to stay in-touch. Don't know their address? Facebook, DM, or text them and ask! I do this all the time, no one ever thinks it's weird, they are just excited at the prospect of a handwritten note showing up in their mailbox.
Don't have a faraway friend? Sign up to send a postcard to someone around the world at postcrossing.com. An added benefit is that for each card you send, you will receive one back! Yay for mail!
(Want to get a postcard from me? Check out this post and follow the instructions).
#3 - Check out a new book from your local library.
Sometimes, it can become draining to just watch TV or scroll Instagram before bed. A good book can make your evening more relaxing, while expanding your mind and imagination. Pick up a new book, put it by your bed, and choose to read it a bit each night and finish it by the end of this month. If you aren't sure where to start, ask the first librarian you see. That's what they are there for.
Share your favorite reads with #mondayscanbemore to give us ideas!
My favorites (click images to take a peek on Amazon).
#4 - Take 30 minutes to soak up nature.
Walk outside or to a local park, and sit down with a piece of paper and a pen. Give yourself some minutes in silence. Then, completely fill the paper with observations of the sounds, smells, and feeling of the world around you. Every tiny detail. Use all the descriptive words you can think of to capture the moment. Many times, we forget to actually experience the world around us. Let this Monday be the day you start off the week seeing God's Creation with open eyes.
#5 - Choose a day this week to meet a friend for coffee.
Often, we wait for our friends to keep our relationships afloat. Be the one to be intentional today. Text and schedule a coffee date. Put it on your calendar, and look forward to that quality time together.
Meeting at Starbucks? Check out how to drink vegan there.
#6 - Memorize a verse of encouragement.
This past week I read Psalm 34 with a friend. It is chock-full of verses confirming that GOD is there for us in all our times of need as well as times of plenty. Finding a verse to use as you praise GOD and give HIM glory this week will not only bring you closer to HIM, but will also give you HIS eyes on the situations and challenges you face this week.
Use #mondayscanbemore to encourage your friends and family to turn around the bad rap of Mondays and instead let them be more. Share in the comments below, or on Instagram (@faithful_nomad) what you are choosing today.
"How we spend our days is how we spend our lives."
"Monday blues."
When did it become normal to expect this day of the week to be dark and crabby and horrid? Why do we feel as though going back to work and school should be the pits?
Let's give "Monday blues" the boot! Mondays can be more.
They can be an exciting start to a fresh week. Whether you are back to your desk, or class, or taking care of your home, this is a day that the LORD has made. Let's be glad in it!
 |
| Love this encouraging verse? Send notecards with this image at this link. |
Need some ideas to push the rain clouds away? I've got a few below. Use hashtag #mondayscanbemore when you do one of these uplifting things, or if you think of something else. Share how your Monday is more with us!
#1 - Try out a new gym class.
I joined a gym near my home recently, because the weather is too cold and rainy to run outside very comfortably. Gym classes are fun because you just show up and follow along! Plus, on a cold winter day, they really get your blood pumping and will make you feel warmer for the rest of your Monday.
#2 - Send a faraway friend a card to say "hi."
Sometimes it is really easy to forget to stay in contact with friends. And, let's be honest, everyone likes snail mail. So, choose today to be intentional. Send a cute card, or write a letter about how much you appreciate their friendship. Let them know how you've been, and show that you wish to stay in-touch. Don't know their address? Facebook, DM, or text them and ask! I do this all the time, no one ever thinks it's weird, they are just excited at the prospect of a handwritten note showing up in their mailbox.
Don't have a faraway friend? Sign up to send a postcard to someone around the world at postcrossing.com. An added benefit is that for each card you send, you will receive one back! Yay for mail!
(Want to get a postcard from me? Check out this post and follow the instructions).
#3 - Check out a new book from your local library.
Sometimes, it can become draining to just watch TV or scroll Instagram before bed. A good book can make your evening more relaxing, while expanding your mind and imagination. Pick up a new book, put it by your bed, and choose to read it a bit each night and finish it by the end of this month. If you aren't sure where to start, ask the first librarian you see. That's what they are there for.
Share your favorite reads with #mondayscanbemore to give us ideas!
My favorites (click images to take a peek on Amazon).
#4 - Take 30 minutes to soak up nature.
Walk outside or to a local park, and sit down with a piece of paper and a pen. Give yourself some minutes in silence. Then, completely fill the paper with observations of the sounds, smells, and feeling of the world around you. Every tiny detail. Use all the descriptive words you can think of to capture the moment. Many times, we forget to actually experience the world around us. Let this Monday be the day you start off the week seeing God's Creation with open eyes.
#5 - Choose a day this week to meet a friend for coffee.
Often, we wait for our friends to keep our relationships afloat. Be the one to be intentional today. Text and schedule a coffee date. Put it on your calendar, and look forward to that quality time together.
Meeting at Starbucks? Check out how to drink vegan there.
#6 - Memorize a verse of encouragement.
This past week I read Psalm 34 with a friend. It is chock-full of verses confirming that GOD is there for us in all our times of need as well as times of plenty. Finding a verse to use as you praise GOD and give HIM glory this week will not only bring you closer to HIM, but will also give you HIS eyes on the situations and challenges you face this week.
Use #mondayscanbemore to encourage your friends and family to turn around the bad rap of Mondays and instead let them be more. Share in the comments below, or on Instagram (@faithful_nomad) what you are choosing today.
"How we spend our days is how we spend our lives."
Friday, January 27, 2017
We Welcome Them With Love
You've heard of the refugee crisis. It may seem very far away. It may be something that you notice every day, as you see new people join your community.
Watch this video to see what being a refugee might be like.
Providing refuge and love to others is definitely something that God has a lot to say about.
Isaiah 1:17 - Learn to do good. Seek justice.
Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans.
Fight for the rights of widows.
Psalm 34:14 - Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
Hosea 6:6 - I don't want your sacrifices - I want your love.
I don't want your offerings - I want you to know me.
Watch this video to see what being a refugee might be like.
Providing refuge and love to others is definitely something that God has a lot to say about.
Isaiah 1:17 - Learn to do good. Seek justice.
Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans.
Fight for the rights of widows.
Psalm 34:14 - Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
Hosea 6:6 - I don't want your sacrifices - I want your love.
I don't want your offerings - I want you to know me.
As we end a crucial week in American history, you are needed. You need to stand up for love. You need to stand up to help the oppressed. You need to stand up to maintain peace.
Here's a message from World Relief. They are an organization who works to welcome refugees into our country. Please take 1 or all 3 steps to let our elected officials know what God has to say about refugees, and how we wish to welcome them with love.
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Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Make Your Veggie Broth, and Eat It Too
Today I have the most wonderful smell in my house.
Carrots and garlic,
tomatoes and thyme,
all dancing together
to make something fine!
(like my little attempt at kitchen poetry?)
I used to just leave vegetable broth out of recipes for the sake of time (and in my thinking, sanity). Instead, I would use plain water. I didn't know what I was missing until I finally worked up the courage to try to make some from-scratch vegetable broth.
It is so worth it. And it actually doesn't take as much work as I thought it would!
I do sometimes opt for a low-sodium vegetable bouillon cube (found at the Dekalb Farmer's Market) in some dishes, or when I'm in a huge hurry, but with the Lentil Bolognese recipe (below), the ingredients for vegetable broth are already on your counter. This makes a great opportunity to go for the real thing, and make this dish extra delicious.
Ingredients for Homemade Veggie Broth:
Carrot ends
Celery chunks (can be bits of stem, leaves and root)
Onion ends and skins
Tomato ends
Some salt, and a bit of the herbs you will be using in the dish
Because I usually just cook for myself, I often don't have enough scraps for making a pint or two of veggie broth. So, I keep collecting my scraps in a plastic bag in my freezer, and then use them all when I make a dish that calls for vegetable broth. The three main vegetables that you need for veggie broth are carrots, onions, and celery. Other veggies can be added in, but the majority should be the Big 3.
Use your Homemade Veggie Broth to make the following recipe from BBC's Eat Well for Less.
Puy Lentil Bolognese
This sauce is great over pasta or with mashed potatoes
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 stems celery, chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
500 g/1 lb 2 oz Puy lentils (or any brownish-green lentils), rinsed and drained
1 x 400g tin tomatoes (or about 3-4 diced tomatoes)
2.5 pints Homemade Veggie Broth
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
Pasta or mashed potatoes to top the sauce or add as a side
Heat a large pot until hot. Add the olive oil, onions, carrots and celery and cook them over medium heat for 5 minutes. You can put a lid on to keep the moisture in so that they just soften.
Add the thyme and garlic and cook for another minute, then add the tomato puree and turn the heat up. Stir well so that the tomato puree goes all through the vegetables and then add the lentils and mix once more.
Stir in the tomatoes (tinned or fresh diced) and the vegetable stock, stir well, and bring to a boil. Then, turn the heat down and simmer until the lentils are tender and the sauce has slightly reduced. Add the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Enjoy!
This is what was on my table tonight, and it was delicious and super warming on such a cold night. Let me know in the comments if you have other vegan recipes that you enjoy.
Remember, the best way to keep up-to-date on my adventures (in both the kitchen and abroad) is to follow by email (on the right side column of this blog).
Want a great book to read on a cold winter night? Here's my number one choice.
Click the book to view on Amazon (my favorite place to order inexpensive books). Using my Amazon links doesn't cost you any extra, but it does help fund my adventures a tiny bit.
Carrots and garlic,
tomatoes and thyme,
all dancing together
to make something fine!
(like my little attempt at kitchen poetry?)
I used to just leave vegetable broth out of recipes for the sake of time (and in my thinking, sanity). Instead, I would use plain water. I didn't know what I was missing until I finally worked up the courage to try to make some from-scratch vegetable broth.
It is so worth it. And it actually doesn't take as much work as I thought it would!
I do sometimes opt for a low-sodium vegetable bouillon cube (found at the Dekalb Farmer's Market) in some dishes, or when I'm in a huge hurry, but with the Lentil Bolognese recipe (below), the ingredients for vegetable broth are already on your counter. This makes a great opportunity to go for the real thing, and make this dish extra delicious.
Ingredients for Homemade Veggie Broth:
Carrot ends
Celery chunks (can be bits of stem, leaves and root)
Onion ends and skins
Tomato ends
Some salt, and a bit of the herbs you will be using in the dish
Because I usually just cook for myself, I often don't have enough scraps for making a pint or two of veggie broth. So, I keep collecting my scraps in a plastic bag in my freezer, and then use them all when I make a dish that calls for vegetable broth. The three main vegetables that you need for veggie broth are carrots, onions, and celery. Other veggies can be added in, but the majority should be the Big 3.
Use your Homemade Veggie Broth to make the following recipe from BBC's Eat Well for Less.
Puy Lentil Bolognese
This sauce is great over pasta or with mashed potatoes
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 stems celery, chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
500 g/1 lb 2 oz Puy lentils (or any brownish-green lentils), rinsed and drained
1 x 400g tin tomatoes (or about 3-4 diced tomatoes)
2.5 pints Homemade Veggie Broth
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
Pasta or mashed potatoes to top the sauce or add as a side
Heat a large pot until hot. Add the olive oil, onions, carrots and celery and cook them over medium heat for 5 minutes. You can put a lid on to keep the moisture in so that they just soften.
Add the thyme and garlic and cook for another minute, then add the tomato puree and turn the heat up. Stir well so that the tomato puree goes all through the vegetables and then add the lentils and mix once more.
Stir in the tomatoes (tinned or fresh diced) and the vegetable stock, stir well, and bring to a boil. Then, turn the heat down and simmer until the lentils are tender and the sauce has slightly reduced. Add the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Enjoy!
This is what was on my table tonight, and it was delicious and super warming on such a cold night. Let me know in the comments if you have other vegan recipes that you enjoy.
Remember, the best way to keep up-to-date on my adventures (in both the kitchen and abroad) is to follow by email (on the right side column of this blog).
Want a great book to read on a cold winter night? Here's my number one choice.
Click the book to view on Amazon (my favorite place to order inexpensive books). Using my Amazon links doesn't cost you any extra, but it does help fund my adventures a tiny bit.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Vegan Flies {Air France}
Did you know that Air France offers amazing vegan meals??!!
I flew with Air France over Christmas this year, and on my long-haul flights (~ 8 hours), I was given the option under my reservation to choose a "special meal" for free.
This ranged from vegetarian (ovo-lacto) to gluten-free, and then there was the one I wanted: Vegetarian (egg and dairy free).
Unfortunately, I had to pick through the short-flight breakfasts to make a vegan meal, but the dinners were superb. They even gave me vegan butter! I slathered that stuff alllllll over my bread in happiness.
One snack I received was a vegetable pizza pocket, and another dinner even had a quinoa salad. Talk about an amazing experience with airplane food!
Other bonus - I got my meal before everyone else on the flight!
The stewards confirmed my meal choice with me when I got onto the plane, and they brought me my special meal before serving other guests. So, if you want to eat early, choosing a vegetarian meal is the way to go.
Have you flown other airlines and received great vegan food? Let me know in the comments.
I flew with Air France over Christmas this year, and on my long-haul flights (~ 8 hours), I was given the option under my reservation to choose a "special meal" for free.
This ranged from vegetarian (ovo-lacto) to gluten-free, and then there was the one I wanted: Vegetarian (egg and dairy free).
Unfortunately, I had to pick through the short-flight breakfasts to make a vegan meal, but the dinners were superb. They even gave me vegan butter! I slathered that stuff alllllll over my bread in happiness.
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| One of my dinners, featuring a couscous salad, lentil salad, a BROWNIE, applesauce, bread and vegan butter, and water. I ate absolutely every bite of this meal. |
Other bonus - I got my meal before everyone else on the flight!
The stewards confirmed my meal choice with me when I got onto the plane, and they brought me my special meal before serving other guests. So, if you want to eat early, choosing a vegetarian meal is the way to go.
Have you flown other airlines and received great vegan food? Let me know in the comments.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Free Learning. Say What?
Have you ever stopped and thought, "Man, I wish I was back at school."
Or maybe you haven't gone that extreme yet (and you are thinking that I'm crazy). But you probably have thought at some point of time, "I wish I could learn more about (this) or (that)."
I loved the environment of learning at school and being able to spend so much time filling my brain with knowledge. That's something I do miss (although I usually just have to recall back memories of finals weeks of the past, and that longing disintegrates into piles of gold and white confetti).
However, I've found a way that I can keep learning in my life, and it doesn't even involve the finals week madness! I can learn more about energy and sustainability (some of my favorite topics), or I can practice a new language. And for free.
Free is a beautiful word.
Here are two sites that I use for learning that are extremely value-filled, but don't cost me a penny.
#1 - Coursera
Coursera is a site where MOOCs (Mass Open Online Courses) are offered from top universities around the globe. You can take the course for free, and if you would like to get a verified certificate to show a future employer, it is $50. I have currently finished two courses: Fundamentals of Global Energy Business from the University of Colorado, and Energy 101: The Big Picture from Georgia Tech, and both of them have taught me so much about energy technology and economy. It felt so great to get university-level content about a topic that I'm passionate about, and I could even do my work in my pajamas at home. In one course, I had to write and pass both quizzes and two papers, and in the other there were simply quizzes after each lecture. Coursera is very valuable to me because it helps me grow without any financial commitment. I'm simply learning.
#2 - Mango Languages
When browsing my public library website last year, I found that they have a free language learning program that offers great online instruction in just about any language you could want to learn. For my public library, it is Mango Languages, and I've heard that other counties offer it and other programs as well. I took some of the first lessons of French before a trip to France and found that it gave me a new-found confidence in my baby-language-speak before traveling to this new place. I'm looking forward to using it to advance my language learning, as traveling abroad has shown me just how valuable this is. Language learning is one thing that I don't believe can ever be a waste of time. Try it out and see your world open up!
Do you have other sites that you use to continue learning? Have you taken a course on Coursera, or learned a language through Mango? Comment and let us know!
Read any good books recently? Here are a few that I have been learning from (click on them to view on Amazon).
*All Amazon links allow you to buy items at no extra charge, but using those links does help fund my adventures just a bit through commission.
Or maybe you haven't gone that extreme yet (and you are thinking that I'm crazy). But you probably have thought at some point of time, "I wish I could learn more about (this) or (that)."
I loved the environment of learning at school and being able to spend so much time filling my brain with knowledge. That's something I do miss (although I usually just have to recall back memories of finals weeks of the past, and that longing disintegrates into piles of gold and white confetti).
However, I've found a way that I can keep learning in my life, and it doesn't even involve the finals week madness! I can learn more about energy and sustainability (some of my favorite topics), or I can practice a new language. And for free.
Free is a beautiful word.
Here are two sites that I use for learning that are extremely value-filled, but don't cost me a penny.
#1 - Coursera
Coursera is a site where MOOCs (Mass Open Online Courses) are offered from top universities around the globe. You can take the course for free, and if you would like to get a verified certificate to show a future employer, it is $50. I have currently finished two courses: Fundamentals of Global Energy Business from the University of Colorado, and Energy 101: The Big Picture from Georgia Tech, and both of them have taught me so much about energy technology and economy. It felt so great to get university-level content about a topic that I'm passionate about, and I could even do my work in my pajamas at home. In one course, I had to write and pass both quizzes and two papers, and in the other there were simply quizzes after each lecture. Coursera is very valuable to me because it helps me grow without any financial commitment. I'm simply learning.
#2 - Mango Languages
When browsing my public library website last year, I found that they have a free language learning program that offers great online instruction in just about any language you could want to learn. For my public library, it is Mango Languages, and I've heard that other counties offer it and other programs as well. I took some of the first lessons of French before a trip to France and found that it gave me a new-found confidence in my baby-language-speak before traveling to this new place. I'm looking forward to using it to advance my language learning, as traveling abroad has shown me just how valuable this is. Language learning is one thing that I don't believe can ever be a waste of time. Try it out and see your world open up!
Do you have other sites that you use to continue learning? Have you taken a course on Coursera, or learned a language through Mango? Comment and let us know!
Read any good books recently? Here are a few that I have been learning from (click on them to view on Amazon).
*All Amazon links allow you to buy items at no extra charge, but using those links does help fund my adventures just a bit through commission.
Monday, January 2, 2017
2017. You Will Be Hopeful.
Hope.
John 16:33 ~ "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I (Jesus) have overcome the world."
2017 started out with both joy and grief.
Grief. As the new year dawned in Istanbul and I got dressed for a New Year's party in the States, I got news of the shooting in Turkey that took 39 lives.
Joy. That evening, I celebrated the turning of 2016 to 2017 with my family and close friends. We danced. We ate. We were joyful.
At New Year's, I love the freshness of starting over and looking forward to doing things that are new. Of re-focusing on what is really important to me, and setting my sights on God as the focal point of my life.
I started last year with choosing a word for my year. Last year, my word was joy.
This year, I am focusing on hope.
In this world where we are faced with both times of intense grief and times of extreme joy, it is important to remember where our hope lies. It doesn't lie in our money or material possessions. It doesn't lie in our security. It lies in Christ.
"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; HIS mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is YOUR faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23 (ESV)
I want to focus on spreading this hope in 2017. Hope of love from GOD. Hope for a future with HIM.
As I organize and record my life this year, I am using some tools to help me. In the past, I have shared about how much I love K&CompanySmash Folio
for recording my adventures, both big and everyday. This year, I am adding a new tool: a Passion Planner 
. I am very excited to use my planner to be intentional about living out my focus points/goals, and my Smashbook to record all the amazing things GOD writes into my story.
What are you focusing on this year?
John 16:33 ~ "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I (Jesus) have overcome the world."
2017 started out with both joy and grief.
Grief. As the new year dawned in Istanbul and I got dressed for a New Year's party in the States, I got news of the shooting in Turkey that took 39 lives.
Joy. That evening, I celebrated the turning of 2016 to 2017 with my family and close friends. We danced. We ate. We were joyful.
At New Year's, I love the freshness of starting over and looking forward to doing things that are new. Of re-focusing on what is really important to me, and setting my sights on God as the focal point of my life.
I started last year with choosing a word for my year. Last year, my word was joy.
This year, I am focusing on hope.
In this world where we are faced with both times of intense grief and times of extreme joy, it is important to remember where our hope lies. It doesn't lie in our money or material possessions. It doesn't lie in our security. It lies in Christ.
"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; HIS mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is YOUR faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23 (ESV)
I want to focus on spreading this hope in 2017. Hope of love from GOD. Hope for a future with HIM.
As I organize and record my life this year, I am using some tools to help me. In the past, I have shared about how much I love K&CompanySmash Folio
for recording my adventures, both big and everyday. This year, I am adding a new tool: a Passion Planner 
. I am very excited to use my planner to be intentional about living out my focus points/goals, and my Smashbook to record all the amazing things GOD writes into my story. What are you focusing on this year?
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