Walkin' in Memphis

Recently, I got to take a trip to Memphis, Tennessee for work! Although I really did not have that much time to get to know the city, I loved what I got to see.

My co-worker and I got to take a tour of Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley and it was a blast! When I was little I used to LOVE Elvis. I used to dance around the room singing "In the Ghetto" and pretending like I as being stabbed. (Oops?) I also loved the classics "Ain't Nothin But a Hound Dog", "Jailhouse Rock", and "All Shook Up." 

Being at Graceland brought back those memories and how much I loved the King of Rock and Roll.

I thought I would re-create my small time in Memphis for you and give a glimpse inside the tour of Graceland. Spare yourself the $30 admission ticket and see for yourself! :)

My hotel- La Quinta treated me well!

Let's start the Graceland tour!! :)

His mansion!! :) (It's not exactly as big as I expected... but he's the King...)

The foyer

Dining Room

Kitchen

"Jungle Room" Translation: Getting High Room...

The Bar 

Elvis's Room/ Entertainment Room

Elvis got three TV's because the president had three TV's too during this time (Tour Guide Info!)

Pool Room

More "Jungle Room"

Backyard

The Office

There was a room completely dedicated to his awards: best singles, gold and platinum records, etc. 

Priscilla and Elvis's Wedding Exhibit!!

More Awards!

The Presley's Gravesite is at Graceland.

RIP Elvis...

Overall, an amazing tour! Memphis, thank you for my short time spent with you.

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Gone Fishin'

 Seward, Alaska :)

 Caught my first fish- a silver salmon!

 What the docks are like!

 Tony drivin the boat!

 If you live in Alaska, know this rule: you must own a pair of these "Extra Tuffs". Still on my list of to- dos!

 Our bed in the camper!! This is what I call camping!!

The RV! Amazing- a mini hotel! :)

"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created BY Him and FOR Him." Colossians 1:16

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Sweet Summertime

My first summer in Alaska has been incredible. Each weekend we can't wait to go exploring Alaska- camping, hiking, fishing, and just being with family and friends.

Some highlights include:

-Hiking with our bible study married couple friends

-Taking a trip to Texas to see my sister and my momma

-My best friend Stephanie King coming to visit!

-Campfires and good food :)

The Luikens at Eklutna Lake for a camping trip! From left: Jessie, Holly, Abbi, Tony and I, Drew, Marc, Suzanne, and Courtney Kaspar who came to visit! 

The more, the merrier on camping trips I believe!

My best friend Stephers came to visit- it was such a sweet and refreshing time to catch up with her and hear how the Lord is moving and using her at Teach For America. I love you, Steph!

Steph got to meet my friend Corrie! We kayaked around Eklutna and made a fire.

If you have never been kayaking, try it today! Steph and I took it slow and enjoyed the gorgeous view.

I got to go down to Texas to see my family! I miss them so much and it was OH SO GOOD to see both of them. I got to see Em's new house and say hi to everyone in Wichita and Dallas. 

One thing I miss in Alaska that I got to have in Texas: Blue Bell Homemade Ice Cream. YUM.

I got to take a bike ride around Wichita Lake with my momma!

Our married couples group from church met together to hike Powerline Trail. It took us about 5 hours and I was sore for the next two days, but it was worth it! My next goal: backpacking!

This is Rudder, the cutest dog ever. His owners are Corrie and Jake, our friends from church. Tony and I are starting to think about looking for a doggy. Rudder is half retriever/ half husky and seriously the most adorable dog!

A girls group pic, from left: Cara, Catherine, Corrie, and me!

So proud of our men, mapping the way for us, from left: Jake, Ian, and Tony

It was Suzanne's birthday last Sunday and we came to celebrate with her! She is an amazing mother in law and has welcomed me with open arms.

One of my highlights of the summer so far: hiking up this mountain near Eklutna Lake. It was so beautiful.

The summers in Alaska are stunning, and make the cold winters worth it!

Nehemiah 9:6 You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

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Mozzarella- Stuffed Pesto Turkey Meatballs

These meatballs are absolutely amazing, melt-in-your-mouth, make over and over again!! Tony and I love using ground turkey for many of our meals for 2 reasons: 1) It's healthy 2) It's delicious! Trust me, you won't taste a huge difference between turkey and beef if you just give it a try in some of your favorite recipes. We use it to make enchiladas, burgers, meatballs, sausage, everything.

This recipe is super easy and fills you up fast! You can eat it just plain, you could add it to a pasta, or you could even make it into a meatball sub sandwich. But, it can definitely stand alone! So good.

Mozzarella- Stuffed Pesto Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

3 pounds ground turkey

1 cup finely chopped onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 egg

1 cup Italian- style breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup pesto (either homemade -see below- or storebought)

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons pepper

1 pound fresh mozzarella (either buy a big block that you can cut into cubes or buy it already grated)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 (24 oz) jars marinara sauce

This recipe serves 36 meatballs, so if you would like to make less than that, than you can cut the ingredients in half or thirds.

**Note** A great homemade pesto recipe can be found here:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/basil-pesto-recipe2/index.html

Thanks to my seester, Emily, for that great recipe!

 Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place ground turkey, onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, pesto, milk, salt, and pepper in a bowl. 

3. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1.5 inch balls.

4. Make a hole in the meatball with your finger and place the mozzarella cheese cube or grated mozzarella into the hole. Seal the meatball around the hole.

5. Place on a nonstick baking sheet.

6. Drizzle olive oil over the meatballs.

7. Bake until no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes. 

 8. Heat the marinara sauce in a saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer, and place the baked meatballs in the marinara sauce for about 2 minutes. 

Enjoy! :)

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Free From Bondage

A new title for me: social worker.

I get to work with:

(what the world would call):

child abusers

sex offenders

criminals

drug addicts

alcoholics

crazies

As a sinner myself, and one who knows the power Satan has and the victory that can be found in Jesus, I know that one day, these hopeless can be called:

(what Christ calls them):

free

forgiven

pure

transformed

more than a conqueror

made new

Satan is powerful. He uses whatever he can to deceive us. He convinces us that we are worthless, beaten down, and without hope. He is the father of lies. 

"The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

Every day at my work, I see the power Satan has. But the truth, the truth that can pierce Satan and beat him, is that Christ is Lord. Christ is victorious. He has and always will have the upper hand. All He asks is that we call out for him, that we need him as we need breath, as we need water. 

TRUTH is what wins out. TRUTH is how we beat our addiction. All of us are addicted to something. Some days we may think we are better than the drug addicts, the criminals, but the resounding truth is that we are not. We are all addicted to something- vanity, weight loss, porn, alcohol, being loved, being wanted, being perfect. Every day we walk in chains and our ONLY hope is Jesus.

We must seek truth to be the most desperate desire of our heart. Truth is found in the Word of God. Not just the pages of your bible, but its words, its meaning, the grace that whispers through it. 

"So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you FREE.'" John 8:31-32

If you have not ever heard of the book Praying God's Word, by Beth Moore, you should get it! It been a tool for freedom for me. In the book, you can read scriptures written as prayer. You can choose topics that may be on your heart and that TRUTH helps you to overcome such as: Overcoming Idolatry, Unbelief, Pride, Feelings of Rejection, Addiction, or Food-Related Strongholds. 

I wanted to share a few verses, written in prayer form, that I think speak directly to us addicts, the sinner in all of us who so desperately needs truth.

"Father of mercies, no mater what I've done or how long I've done it, there is therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2) Hallelujah! Help me to fully accept this truth."

"Father, as a believer in Your Son, Jesus Christ, I am under grace, not under law. (Romans 6:14); therefore, sin does not have permission to be my master."

"Because of Your great love for me, You, God, who are rich in mercy, made me alive with Christ even when I was dead in transgressions. It is by grace I have been saved. (Eph. 2:4-5)

"Lord, according to Your Word, I was once in darkness, but now I am light in the Lord. Help me to live as a child of light. (Eph 5:8)

"Father, help me to be confident of this, that He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:6)"

"Father, Your Word instructs me to put on the full armor of God so that I can take my stand against the devil's schemes. For my struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, help me to put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, I will be able to stand my ground. (Eph 6:10-13) Don't ever let me forget that I have a very real enemy who wants me in bondage. Help me to discern his schemes and take my stand against him in the power of Your Spirit."

May you be encouraged to fight for freedom, my fellow addicts, and know Christ our Lord as your savior and redeemer.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

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Here Comes The Sun...

The Luiken Lowdown

Let me take some time to tell you what Tony and I have been up to, and what's going on up here in Anchorage!

1) The Sun is out and shining! Everything is pretty much melted and "spring" is finally here! It has been warming up and Tony and I can't wait for the summer months.

This week, the weather is sunny and nice all week long- take a look at our Anchorage forecast:

A much needed break after the coldest, snowiest winter ever in Anchorage.

2) Tony bought me a car this week! A yellow Xterra. I love it! We are excited to use its 4 wheel capabilities to find some nice places to go camping this summer. And I feel safe driving it in the ice and snow which is super important to me. I was never sure if I would ever get used to the driving conditions here but I'm excited to drive this car! :)

3) Tony and I decided to do a marathon in August! My mom is coming up to run it with us and we are currently on our 3rd week of training. We will be running the Moose's Tooth Marathon.

Check out our plan for running this summer:

I can't wait to wear out these shoes and get them pounding some pavement!

4) Tony and I seriously cannot wait for this summer! We are so excited we even set up our tent in the tiny living room of our apartment!

One night, we took the hammock out to Kincaid Park. It was the perfect time to have a quiet time, rest, and relax in the peace that is the smell of spring and the beginning of summer.

This weekend, we are going to go camping in Soldotna, Alaska.

"'Remember, what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."'

J.R.R. Tolkein

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