Getting out of the boat...

As I was reminded tonight, we have to get out of the boat to be able to walk on water. I'm hoping these next few months will help me break out of some of my comfort zones!

For those who don't know, I have felt God calling me to church plant with my friends Bobby and Rachel. In May, we will be officially "launching" (for lack of a better word) Missio Dei Community. It's not the typical church plant, and I am SO excited about it! I am excited to do something new that matches with my missional views.

It is a huge step of faith, that I am more than ready for! And I am so blessed to be doing it with fun people that I love.

I would write everything out here, but I think you should just go check out the Missio Dei Community website.

We would love any prayer during this transition time as Bobby and Rachel raise support and we all prepare our hearts and lives for this exciting change. I'm sure I'll be blogging lots about it over the next few months!

Update

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for Sanu. God has proven himself faithful, yet again. Sanu is recovering and doing well, even after the doctors said she would never wake up. Julia, one of the older girls, has been emailing me updates everyday. She says Sanu is improving, everyday. I am so thankful and excited that she gets a second chance at life.

I pray that God will protect her from her parents and family who have disowned her and are really angry. Thanks for continuing to pray with me!

Everyday God has been reminding me of His faithfulness. Last night we read from Psalm 145, yet another reminder. :)

The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. -Psalm 145

A Heavy Heart

My heart is incredibly heavy as I write today. God is in control, and strengthens our faith as we go through trials. I'm thankful for that, but it doesn't make these 2 things any easier.

• Yesterday, I received my 2nd pink slip in 2 years. This one was a little more shocking, as I am in my 2nd year of tenure. They have never gone in this deep with pink slips, so it shocked us all. We have 18 teachers on staff, 10 received pink slips...and that doesn't include non classroom staff. We are hopeful that we will get our jobs back, but at this point we just have to wait. Please pray for all educators, as all of CA is going through this. I pray that it will be a priority one day.

• And more importantly, I received some heartbreaking news from India this morning. In this post, I was blogging from India about a girl named Sanu. Her and I became very close during the 2 weeks I was there. She was very funny and asked me lots of questions about American boys..ha. When I left India, I wasn't sure if she knew Jesus, but Chandon,a christian boy, was in love with her. I don't know all of the details, but at some point in the last few weeks they got married. I was happy to hear about that because of the affect he'll have on her, but I also know that her family is Muslim. She expressed a lot of fear about her father and his threats against Christianity. Apparently the problems with her family got bad enough that she felt like she couldn't handle it anymore. Sometime in the last few days, Sanu drank some type of poison, to try and end her life. She is currently in a hospital in Kolkata. She is non responsive and they know that only a miracle from God can save her. It doesn't look good. Even though I only spent 2 weeks with her, I felt like my heart was ripped in two when I heard. Please be praying for everyone there, they are all heart broken.

" Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

Mini-Vacation

This weekend, I got to go visit some of my closest friends, Missy, Matt, Tricia and Travis in Boise, Idaho. I had never been to Idaho, so I was super excited. I was able to go Thurs-Sun. I really needed a break from life, it was perfect timing.

It was also Missy's birthday this weekend...I made plans for us to go to Mexican food and Fondue at the Melting Pot(sooooo good). On Friday we ran on the Oregon Trail and had birthday festivities. On Saturday we wondered around downtown Boise and Boise St and hiked to Tablerock...my favorite part! I am so blessed to have friends that I can have fun doing anything with and who I can be myself with. In fact, one of my favorite moments was a spontaneous dance party with a strobe light and fog machine, which ended up setting off the smoke alarm. :) It was an awesome time away, and I came back feeling refreshed!

The capital buidling, downtown Boise

Birthday dessert at The Melting Pot

The Blue field where the Boise St. Broncos play...it's famous, had to get a picture.

The top of Tablerock, the view of Boise.

Love the cross at the top of Tablerock :)

Birthday dinner!

Recipe of the week #11

I'm behind on my recipe posting! I made this tonight for my roommates...it was yummy. I'm still not eating bread, and it was just as good without it!

Biggest Loser Pizza Burgers

Ingredients:

1 lb. 96% lean ground beef
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 to 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 tsp. salt
3 oz. thinly sliced, low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup low-fat, low-sodium, low-sugar marinara sauce
4 whole grain or whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

Preheat a grill to high heat. In a large bowl, mix the beef, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt until well combined. Divide the mixture into fourths and shape each into a ball, packing them tightly. Press each into a patty about half an inch larger than the buns. Grill them about 2 minutes per side, for medium rare, or until desired doneness is reached. About 1 minute before they’re cooked, add the cheese slices to the tops of the patties evenly to melt them. Meanwhile, spoon the sauce into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat it on low until hot, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Toast the bun halves, with the cut sides down, on an upper grill rack or away from direct flame, approximately 20 seconds. Place each bun bottom on a serving plate, toasted side up. Put each burger patty, cheese side up, on top of the bun bottoms. Add 2 tablespoons of sauce to each, then add the bun tops. Makes 4 burgers.

I *heart* Winter Camp

This weekend, I got to head up to the Oakhurst area with a couple of our youth group kids for Winter/Snow Camp. We had an awesome time on the way up, but we were a little concerned when most of the mountain didn't have much snow...kind of like this picture...

But...halfway through the day Saturday and all of Sunday there was TONS of snow! Anyways, the theme this year was I *heart* winter camp. (what is with my blog not letting me make a heart?"The theme was love, God's love for us, our love for Him, our love for others. I know these camps are all about the kids, but I love that we get to learn, too. :) Here are a few things that stuck with me:

"God assesses our lives by how we love." That was huge for me. What do you think about that statement? Do you think it's true? I took a step back and thought...if that's true, then I have some work to do. I think I'm a pretty loving person by nature, but I'm also a people pleaser. Sometimes I don't do things out of love, I just do it to please someone or make them happy. The important thing is that there are too many "I"s in the last few sentences. Loving people in a Christ like way can only be done through Him.

"If you can't show your love and excitement for Jesus in a place with other Christians, who are your family, how are you going to be able to show it to the world?" This hit close to home for our group and for me. I'm not afraid to show how much I love Him when I'm in a safe place, but kick me out of there, and it's definitely harder for me. I pray that I keep having those opportunites!

It was great to see so many students who are on fire for the Lord. We were there with 5 other youth groups. I was so blessed to get to hang out with some awesome Pastors and leaders. I love junior high and high school kids. They're tons of fun to be around. I really, really want my middle school credential...maybe some day.

Snow!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Contrary to most single people my age, I love Valentine's Day! I love celebrating with my students and just having an extra reason to celebrate the people I love.

This year, I got to show my love for people in a different way. I got to run in a 5k for the Monterey Rape Crisis Center. I pray that the money raised today will make a huge difference in the lives of some young women!

This was my first race, and it was a super cool experience! Rachel and I ran the 5k. A couple of friends from work came, and they ran the 10k. I have been having problems with my right foot going numb about halfway into the race. It happened again today, so I definitely ran slower than I would have liked to.(I'm going to see a doctor this week.)

BUT we accomplished our goal! We ran 3.1 miles in 41 minutes, without stopping. This is the longest distance we've ever ran, and we are pretty proud of it! I'm thankful for encouraging friends who came along to support and encourage me to push through the pain and the urge to stop. :) 4 months ago I laughed at the thought of even running a mile...

After the race, we had breakfast and relaxed a little before heading back to Santa Cruz. It was such an awesome day and a great way to start Valentine's Day! I am looking forward to a movie with a friend tonight, but before that...a nap! My body may need a few days to recover!

Bring on the 5K!

It's crazy to think that in November, I could barely run for 2 minutes. And on Sunday, Rachel and I, and a few friends from work, are running a 5K! I am sooo excited! I feel like even being able to think about doing this is an achievement. Now if only I can get my lower back and left leg to stop hurting...I have been doing upper body workouts at home every night, and somehow I hurt myself. Should be ok.

Not only is this 5K going on, but the AT & T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is this weekend. Saturday night I'm staying in Pebble Beach with a friend. We're going to go down to Spanish Bay and check out the fun! I'm not going to pretend like I enjoy watching golf, but Josh Duhamel is going to be there. Enough said.

So between the 5K and the celebrity sightings, this could be an awesome Valentine's Day weekend! Check back Monday to find out if I survived the 5K. :)

Another year of this...

March is a month away...for teachers this is a horrible month. Pink slips go out and final cuts are made. Our district voted to increase class size to 28 for K-3 and 35 for upper grades.(I currently have 34). They are saying that even tenured teachers aren't safe this year. This is such a frustrating job. You pour your life into it, and at the end of the year, you're never sure if you have a job or not.

The worst part is that so many teachers are notified that they will lose their jobs, but they still have to teach for 3 more months. It's rough. I was there my 2nd year of teaching and it was not fun. The kids are the ones who suffer.

I will be interested to see the scores in our district over the next few years. Maybe those will show what happens when a kindergartener is put in a class with 29 others. On a positive note, our school is SO close to being out of program improvement. We just have to meet our goal this year. We have everything going against us, but I hope we can do it.

I hope you'll be praying for the thousands of teachers and educational faculty that will be affected this year. You can include my sister, Cassie, in that. She just found out last week that they will most likely not have a job for her next year. I'm thankful that we both have an amazing God we can trust in.

PVUSD Makes more cuts

Recipe of the week #9 and #10

I'm updating with couple recipes...and then maybe I'll do a non food blog post, haha. This past monday I got to have the Kertsons over for dinner! I made this..it was super, super yummy.

Enchilada Chicken

• 4 (4-ounce) trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons salt-free Mexican or Southwestern seasoning (like Mrs. Dash)
• Olive oil spray
• 4 tablespoons enchilada sauce
• 2 ounces (1 cup) finely shredded Cabot 75 Percent Light Cheddar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Season each chicken breast evenly on all sides with the seasoning. Place a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot, lightly mist with the olive oil spray and add the chicken. Cook, turning once, for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or just until the chicken is golden brown on the outside.

Remove the pan from the heat and top each chicken breast with 1 tablespoon of the enchilada sauce, followed by one-fourth of the cheese and one-fourth of the cilantro. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the cheese is melted.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
1 Pound Trimmed Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, Cut Into Bite-sized Cubes
1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Cup 1/2" Wide Strips Onion (about 1" long)
1 Cup 1/2" Wide Strips Green Bell Pepper (about 1" long)
2 Tablespoons Freshly Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Bottled Sweet & Sour Stir-fry Sauce (I used La Choy)

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated.

Place a large nonstick skillet or nonstick wok over high heat. When hot, add 1 teaspoon sesame oil, onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic softens and the vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the garlic may burn. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.

Return the pan to high heat and add another teaspoon oil and half the chicken in a single layer. Cook until the pieces are lightly brown on the bottom. Flip the pieces and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the cooked chicken the the bowl with the vegetables. Return the pan to high heat, add the remaining oil and cook the remaining chicken.

Return the vegetables and chicken to the pan to reheat if needed. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the sauce, and mix until well combined. Divide the stir-fry among 4 bowls, and serve.

Have fun!

Recipe of the Week #8

I have been cooking so much at home the last few weeks, I can't even keep up with the recipes! But for now, I'll share the Biggest Loser recipe that has been the most fun and the biggest hit. That cookbook may be the best thing I've ever bought I made these for life group, and they're already asking me to make them again! I gave up sweets, starting this week...I wonder if these count... :) Enjoy!Chocolate–Peanut Butter Grahamwiches
4 whole chocolate graham cracker sheets
4 tsp. reduced-fat peanut butter
1/2 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping , thawed

Directions:

• Break each graham cracker in half (so each half is 1 square).


• Spread 1 teaspoon of peanut butter evenly over the inside of each of 4 halves. Spread 2 tablespoons whipped topping each evenly among the insides of the 4 remaining halves.


• Sandwich the crackers together to form 4 sandwiches, each with a layer of peanut butter and a layer of whipped topping.
  

• Transfer to an airtight plastic container and place in freezer. Freeze for about 2 hours or up to 1 month. Serve frozen.

Other recipes to come....Sweet and Sour Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, Enchilada Chicken, Swedish Meatballs...I know you're excited! :)

Life is Good

Life is so good right now...thanks to an amazingly faithful God, awesome friends and family and a good training schedule!

I can't believe I ran for 30 minutes today. I remember back when I ran for 3 minutes straight and I thought, "I wonder if Rachel will still love me if I quit?" For the last few weeks I've been running and biking 6 days a week. I never thought I'd say this but, I look forward to it everyday(except maybe Saturday mornings). Tomorrow is the big day...swimming starts! I have a double day, swimming in the morning and biking after work. This is just crazy talk! I am really, really worried about the swimming and I am wishing I could afford a swimming coach. I'm sure it will come together, just like everything else has.

I have a 5k coming up on Valentine's Day, it'll be good practice...my goal is to run the whole thing, without stopping. I'm not going to worry about time yet! I'm feeling good and my body has never felt this good. I think I have lost somewhere between 20 and 30 pounds. I'm in that stage where people are noticing, which gives me even more motivation. I am so thankful to Him for the strength to keep going. The dieting is the worst part, but it's working! Can't wait to go shopping for new clothes. :)

The craziest thing that's happened through all this is tons of people have been motivated to join in the "fun!" A few people from work are training for the Tri and are running the 5k with me. This is so exciting. It's just another way I get to connect with them, and I am SO excited about it! And best of all, I get to spend more and more time with Rachel, who has been pushing me and encouraging me like only a friend can! She has been gone for two weeks...can't wait for her to be back!

God is blessing me greatly, even if it's in ways I wasn't expecting. He knows what I need at this time in my life, especially when I think I know what I "need."

I'm swimming at 6 tomorrow morning and it's midnight. I'm going to wish I had saved blogging for tomorrow...Thanks for reading my random triathlon post and thanks to everyone for the encouragement!

Heaven

On Saturday, Mel and I saw the movie, The Lovely Bones. If you don't know the premise, it's about a teenage girl who is murdered and is stuck in the "inbetween." She helps her family to figure out who killed her. Although it is a well made movie, we went to see it because we had read the book awhile ago. It is a hard movie to watch, so I don't recommend seeing it unless you read the book first.

The reason I'm blogging about this, is it really got me thinking about Heaven. Heaven is portrayed as a cornfield and other never ending fields with green hills, etc. Everyone just runs around, free as can be. Plus, they go back and forth between Heaven and the "inbetween." They get to go to Heaven whenever they are "ready."

It looks like an interesting place, but it is NOTHING like the Heaven I picture. But after I started thinking about it...even after reading this book, it is so hard to even begin to comprehend what Heaven will be like. Will we sleep or eat? Will we recognize anyone? Will Heaven be the same for everyone? I don't think it's that important for me to really be able to visualize Heaven. What is important is that I remember that Heaven is a place of neverending joy! Who cares what it looks like? I will forever get to be with my Saviour who loves me. What an awesome thing to look forward to! But...until then...I can't help but think about how I can serve Him on Earth to make sure as many people as possible will be able to experience Heaven!

"Heaven is too great, hell is too horrible, eternity is too long that we should putter around on the porch of eternity." ~ John Piper

"Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither. "
C. S. Lewis

What do you picture when you think of Heaven?

Recipe of the Week #7

Last week, I found this cookbook at Borders. My roomies and I have been having tons of fun trying new recipes! Here's the first one I tried. Lots more to come!

Chicken Salad Dijon with Grapes and Apple

1 lb chicken breasts

3 teaspoons olive oil

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons fat free plain yogurt

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/3 c chopped celery

1/3 c grapes, cut in half

1/3 c chopped red apple

Rub the chicken all over with 1 tsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is no longer pink. Cut into bit sized pieces. (I cut it into pieces first, and then cooked it)

In a large bowl whisk together the remaining olive oil, yogurt and mustard. Add the chicken, grapes, celery and apple. Gently toss. Season with salt and pepper.

I ate it in a lettuce wrap, everyone else had a pita. Sooo yummy! Enjoy. :)

Recipe of the Week #6

Greek Chicken and Penne

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts in water
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook penne pasta until al dente. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat melt butter, add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add chopped chicken and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium- low. Drain and chop artichoke hearts and add them, chopped tomato, feta cheese, fresh parsley, lemon juice, dried oregano, and drained penne pasta to the large skillet. Cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Serve warm.

Got Sleep?

Tonight I had an awesome time of worship and prayer with some friends. We are excited/scared about the adventure that is the next few months! (more on that later). One of my favorite parts of the night was just sharing about the things that have been keeping us up at night, and praying for them. We all have those things that are on our hearts and minds. The question is, are we just worrying? Or are these things that break God's heart, too? I felt like blogging about this because I love sharing my heart with you all. And this way, you can be praying for all these things! Here are just a few of the things that have been keeping me up lately...

Haiti

Dakshin Barasat and the 30 amazing girls that changed my life(I know, I am behind on India posts)

Money and the lack of it

Will my students catch up enough to make it through high school successfully?

Am I a good teacher? How can I be better?

Nate Kaeding and the Chargers(haha)

Am I following God's will or just doing whatever I want?

Worrying about the triathalon and whether or not I can actually do it

Relationships and patience while waiting for whoever God has for me

Ways I can be more Christ like at work(this one is huge for me)

If I will ever figure out how to change gears on my new, fancy bike (I'm not even kidding...)

Some of these things are good things keeping me up and others I worry about. Worrying does nothing for us, as I continually remind myself. Making this list has really encouraged me to give those things to the Lord. Generally, things that keep me up at night are things I can't control. I want to be kept up at night because I want to pray for things that break God's heart, like an unsaved friend or those in need. Later on, we learned a song called Yielding. I loved it, and it was exactly what I needed to remind me of who is in charge.

I am letting go
Of all I am that keeps me far from You
I am not my own
For all I hold, I'm yielding now to You

I yield my plans, I yield my dreams
I yield my life to You my King

All I have been, all I could be
I place it in Your hands
I'm yielding all I am to You
To You

What has been keeping you up at night?

Video

The dance in the first video was my favorite. I wish I had gotten the whole thing on video. I had the chorus of that song stuck in my head for the whole 2 weeks I was there. The girls would always laugh and dance with me, whenever I attempted to put the words and the dancing together. :)

India: Part 3

Yesterday at church I was given the chance to share about my time in India. I got to show some pictures and just share about my life changing experience. I had a fun time dressing up in my Indian clothes and remembering everything great about India. A lot of people came up to talk to me after, it was fun to answer questions and encourage people to pray. God is good! It also reminded me how behind I am in blogging my trip...so here I am...a short post, so I can be rested for work tomorrow!

These girls are practicing for the Christmas program I'm about to tell you all about....
This is the village where the school is. These are just a few shots, and they don't even come close to describing what it is really like. It is a place with character, but a lot of poverty. The train comes through on the hour(that's another story). On my second day in India, Julia took Jen and I shopping for Punjabis to wear to the Christmas program that night. These are a few of the pictures we took, as I walked around Dakshin Barasat for the first time.



Jen and I became close to these two girls while we were in India. On the left is Noringina(Esther) and on the right is Shannarah(Julia). These two girls are the leaders of the two hostels. They are so on fire for the Lord, I looked up to them!

My second night in India, the high school girls put on a Christmas program. The girls sang and danced, there was a speaker and they showed the Jesus film. It was an awesome celebration of Jesus' birth! There were thousands of people from the village that came and were able to hear the gospel. It was such a fun thing to be a part of. Much of the money I raised for this trip went to pay for this program. They almost cancelled it, when they heard we were coming. So awesome how things work out!! I have some video from this night. I'll have to upload it on the next post.


Jen and I all dressed up in our fancy Indian clothes and crazy amount of bling. Thanks for reading! Lots more to come...sorry it is taking so long.

Praying in the closet and in the spirit

I'm not big on new year's resolutions, but I have recently been feeling like I am not very faithful in my private prayer life. I feel like I pray a lot, but usually with other people. I have not been good about the type of prayer described in Matthew 6:1-5.

I subscribe to John Piper's podcasts. This sermon could not have come at a better time. He describes the difference between disciplined and spontaneous prayer. He proposes that most of our generation has been falling away from disciplined, private prayer. Piper believes both types of prayer are important, and that there is a place for both. One interesting point he brought up was that he hears people say "Spontaneous prayer is more aligned with what the gospel teaches." And the Gospel does teach about this type of prayer. But it also leads us to disciplined prayer. By doing it, we are obeying Him, we are desiring to receive more, and we are acknowledging that we know that all of our NEEDS are met. He said, "Jesus didn't come as the basis for some things we need, he came because he is all we need."

I have to know that when I give everything to God in prayer, I have to believe and trust in Him, to do whatever is best for me. It was such a great reminder of the fact that God is 100% on my side. He wants me to learn through trials and things, but he is always for me. Lately, I've been wondering why I feel like I don't know what God wants me to do in some situations. It is obvious now that maybe I haven't really been praying like I should. I yearn for that type of connection with God, and I am excited to try to be more disciplined in my life. At the end, Piper encourages everyone to incorporate some type of "closet prayer" in your life. The amount of time is up to you and God.

After the podcast, this song by David Crowder came on my ipod. God is there, and isn't letting go, ever. Because of this, I am excited to be more disciplined in my prayer life in 2010!

I wasn't planning on actually posting this, but I'm hoping you'll check out the podcast, too. It's a good one. :)

Recipe of the Week #5

Taking a little break from my stories about India to bring you my next recipe. I am at least 3 weeks behind on my weekly recipe plan, but that's ok. Here's the cookie recipe I made for our Christmas Cookie exchange...they were yummy!

Cream Cheese Cookie Cups

• 1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated chocolate chip cooke dough
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Cut cookie dough in half (save one portion for another use). With floured hands, press about 1 tablespoon of dough onto the bottom and up the sides of 12 ungreased miniature muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
2. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, reshape the puffed cookie cups. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spoon into cookie cups. Store in the refrigerator.