words are the wheels to take you anywhere you feel

One of My 2010 Goals

2010-01-01T09:24:00.003-07:00

I have so many goals for 2010: financial, personal, spiritual. You name it, I have a goal for it. I already talked about our goal for January, the Eat From the Pantry Challenge. Now, I have some goals for my reading. I really love to read, I just haven't done it much lately. Seems something else always gets in my way. As a motivator to get back to one of my first loves, I am joining up with a few reading challenges.

The first is the What's in a name? challenge. The second is 100 + reading challenge, where I will work at reading 100 books in 2010. Doable?? I am going to try. I'm not sure what books I am going to read first. I will be sure to post as soon as I do.

Check in the rest of the week as I list more goals and challenges I will face this coming year!

Basic Herbs to Keep on Hand

2009-12-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my parents I got the most wonderful spice rack this year for Christmas. I think I have any spice I will ever need and I was stoked when I went to make Lynn's taco sauce and found all of my spices quick and easy in my new rack. Yesterday, I posted the necessities for a stocked basic pantry. Today, I am going to list for you some basic herbs to keep on hand:

Basic Herbs

Basil
Bay leaves
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Onion powder or flakes
Oregano
Paprika
Pepper (coarse ground and/or whole)
Sage
Salt (iodized and sea salt)
Rosemary
Thyme

I have heard it's best to only keep herbs for a year, but on the other hand my mom has had some herbs in her pantry from when I was little. Anyone know what is best?? Also, what are your herbs in your spice rack you can't live without??

photo from spice place

Well Stocked Pantry

2009-12-29T12:46:00.005-07:00

I was going through one of my Mom's old calendars and came across a check list for a well stocked pantry. I thought I would share that list with you before I go make sure my pantry is well stocked.

Basic Pantry

Baking mix or pancake mix
Baking powder
Baking soda
Brownie mix
Canned beef broth or consomme
Canned chicken
Canned chicken broth
Canned corn
Canned fruits
Canned soups
Canned tomatoes
Canned tuna
Canned or dried beans
Chocolate chips
Cocoa
Coffee
Condensed milk
Hot cereals
Cornstarch
Crackers
Dry cereals
Evaporated milk
Flour (all-purpose and self rising)
Jelly
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Nonstick cooking spray
Olives
Pasta
Peanut butter
Pickles
Popcorn
Red wine vinegar
Rice and rice mixes
Salad dressing
Spaghetti sauce
Sugar (granulated, confectioners', and brown)
Syrup
Tea bags
Vanilla extract
Vegetable oil
White vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
Yeast

Wow, after looking through the list, I'm only lacking a few items from having the perfect basic pantry necessities. Some of my ingredients are in the fridge or freezer (spaghetti sauce), but I think I'm doing pretty good on keeping a stocked basic pantry.

photo by country living

Eat From the Pantry

2009-12-28T15:44:00.007-07:00

We have so much to be thankful for this past year and we are looking forward to many more blessings in 2010. One thing, however, that we weren't blessed with this past year: a teaching job for me. With the hiring freeze and a sure shot job that didn't pan out, we have been living on one income. Although it has been "do-able" it's just gotten a lot harder lately and we are having to cut back, A LOT. I'm sure our story isn't much unlike many families out there.

In an attempt to save money, stick to a budget and start out on the right foot this coming year, we are joining up with FishMama and Money Saving Mom as we embark on a month of eating from the pantry. I have never done anything like this, and to be quite honest, it seems like an exciting challenge to me. For one whole month, we are going to use what we have stored up in our pantry and freezer for our meals.

In order to do this, I have a lot of work ahead of me. I need to take inventory and do some meal planning (which is something I'm going to start to do more of...sure is a life saver to know what we are going to eat when, and saves those wasteful eating out nights)

We will have a few rules and regulations in our house:

We will still eat out on our bible study nights, Monday's with young adults and Tuesday's with the High School kiddos. (This will come out of our Entertainment budget)
We will still have dinner at the Porter's on Thursday nights.
We will have $15 a week to get eggs, milk, bread...you know, those sort of things.

Like I said, I'm excited and am totally up for the challenge. If you have any help or suggestions for a newly married bride (I know its been a year and a half, but I'm still getting used to this whole married thing, I'M A NEWBIE...so I'm still newly married) feel free to help. I would also love suggestions on how to make this living on one income thing work, too!!

Be sure to link up, if you would like to join. You could also check out the facebook page and connect with others.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-12-27T20:52:00.005-07:00

Gosh, its been SO long since I have posted, guess life got in the way as always. Hopefully I'll have more posts in the New Year. To kick it off, I am starting to post my menu plans, in hopes this will cut down, once again, on our frivolous eating out.

Breakfasts

Cinnamon Rolls - Yummy Gooseberry patch recipe

Turkey and Green Chile freezer burritos

Cereal

Lunches

Santa Fe Turkey Stew

Sandwiches

Quesadillas

Dinners

Monday - Corned Beef and Cabbage, Irish Soda Bread

Tuesday - Kraut Bierock (recipe to come)

Wednesday - Mexican Pizzas

Thursday - Dinner at the Porter's

Friday - New Years Dinner with family

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - Football Dinner

For more menu ideas head over to OrgJunkie.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

LCMC Gathering 2009

2009-10-09T09:12:00.003-06:00

I just got back on Wednesday from the Annual LCMC Gathering in Fargo, North Dakota. I was a bit apprehensive to attend this gathering. First, I was going to be away from Jeremy for 3 days (that is the longest we have been apart since we got married). Second, I wasn't too familiar with what the LCMC believed and why we left the ELCA. Third, well it was Fargo...I didn't want to come back with an accent!!

What I came home with wasn't an accent, but has been an understanding of what LCMC is, where the ELCA is biblically mistaken and a passion for the Lord. To all of those visitors at the conference and those who were not at the conference but are looking at what they should do now, my prayer is that God would guide you to truth.

Extraordinary Blog Tour

2009-10-09T08:09:00.006-06:00

Growing up, I always wanted to just be normal. For some reason, though, I was mixing up "being normal" with "being like my friends". I wasn't, however, I was different. I was short, I was light skinned, I had freckles, my parents were still together, I loved my family, I had a white picket fence around my house. Growing up, I wasn't what I thought was "normal" and I longed for that. Now that I am older, and a bit wiser, I realize how skewed my thinking was.

In Extraordinary, John Bevere reveals to us how God hasn't called us to just be normal. Rather, He has called us to be extraordinary. Bevere reminds us who God is to us -- Daddy -- and what He wants from us -- to be pleased. But can we really please someone as big as God? After all, we are broken people who make mistakes. Bevere shows us how we can lead a God fearing, honoring and pleasing life, and how to do it in all aspects of our life with the help of Christ who is the giver of all life.

I found this book to be a great look into what God calls us to be for those who are new to the faith, and a great reminder of what we are called to be for those who have been walking with Christ for a month, a year or a lifetime. Extraordinary calls out to all of us and really gives us a reminded hope of who we are and how God calls us to live our lives.

If you would like to find out more details on purchasing Extraordinary, please visit the Random House website.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

A Fighting Spirit

2009-09-15T17:51:00.003-06:00

I posted this back in January, but after the passing of Patrick Swayze, I felt it a good time to repost about this man and his courageous fighting spirit.

This week I was finally able to watch the Barbara Walters interview with Patrick Swazye. I sat down with my mom for what I thought would be an interesting interview with a man who is dying. When I finally wipped my eyes for the last time, as the interview came to an end, I thought to myself that this man has great courage, great faith and a great drive to live.

Instead of giving in to this disease that takes most sufferers within a few months, he is determined to LIVE. He is not sitting in a dark room waiting to die, he is out shooting a television show and taking care of his many horses. I found his drive and determination something to be thankful for. I'm glad there are people like Patrick in this world to show us what a fighting spirit looks like, and to give us hope that no matter how bad things may look to us, there is always a reason to LIVE your life to its fullest. For that, I am thankful!

Extraordinary

2009-09-14T12:30:00.002-06:00

Hey, are you looking to live "The Life You're Meant to Live"?? I know I am. I am lucky enough to be participating in a blog tour featuring John Bevere's book, "Extraordinary". Join me the week of October 5-9 as I review his book. There might be a little something in it for you (hint: a copy of the book). For more information, check out the Random House website.

Ready for Halloween

2009-08-26T15:59:00.002-06:00

I saw this the other day at Favecrafts and I am bound and determined to make it for Halloween!

Tired of It

2009-08-24T12:17:00.002-06:00

Do you ever have those days where you are just tired of it. Seems like it's the same old crap over and over. It never gets better. It is never noticed. It's always defenses, never seeing Truth. It's always an excuse. Always being blind. Never seeing what's missing? Ever experience those days when the promises of acting different are never followed through with? Ever wonder why you still endure it? Aren't you tired of it? I know I am!!

Kneeling to Pray

2009-08-23T09:07:00.001-06:00

Fat Burning Thursday

2009-08-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

It's official....I no longer fit into my clothes. It's true. Somewhere between the time I said 'I do' and now, I became a chunky monkey. Fall is coming our way, and with that jeans and sweaters will become the staples in my wardrobe. Problem is, if you can't fit into them, they can't become staples.

I feel I have two options here: 1) buy new clothes that do fit with money we don't have, or, 2) get my booty in shape to wear the totally cute clothes I already have in my closet. I think I'll choose option 2!!

How will I get this done, though?? Well,...I'm still working on that. Do I do pilates? Hit the treadmill? Do some weight lifting (other than my bod off the couch to get some more cookie dough out of the fridge)? Do I cut back on what I'm eating? Eat more healthy? No more cherry coke? No more Starbucks?

I'm still in the process of working out my exact plan, and I hope to announce it to you all next Thursday, because I am deeming Thursdays FBT, aka, Fat Burning Thursday. I'm not planning on only burning my fat on Thursday, rather, I will be posting my updates to you all on Thursdays. And, if you want to join me, you can post your progress with a comment as well.

Let's do this together. Let's get healthy and in shape for the winter months together. Let's go against tradition and not pack on the pounds to hibernate for winter, but rather get a really, REALLY big start on next years bikini season. Next Thursday, lets post our plans and short term goals and go from there!! What do you say?

Photo Credit

101 in 1001 Update

2009-08-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

It seems as though my short term goals are helping out a bit this month with my 101 list. I'll be sure to update you at the end of the month as to how I did with those short term goals. Until then, here is how my 101 list is going.

Completed:

6. Get in a good nightly routine with face washing and lotion application - I think I'm on a roll with this good habit.

67. Have a girls night - We all went out to The Melting Pot for some yummy food, good laughs and great conversation.

In Progress:

1. Lose 20 Pounds (-2/20)

4. Read 101 new books (7/101)

9. Complete a Sudoku book

16. Swim 30,000 yards (500/30,000)

17. Don’t watch TV for at least one day each week (1/143)
18. Stay off the computer for at least one day each week (23/143)

20. Paint the house (2/9 rooms)
39. Save $2,000 using coupons ($201.60/$2,000)
42. Plant a vegetable garden
43. Get reusable bags for shopping trips
45. Complete the husband challenge
46. Go on a picnic date at least 3 times (2/3)
51. Read 6 Books with Jeremy (1/6)
52. Read the whole Bible with Jeremy
66. Send a thank you note from every gift received
68. Write and mail at least one handwritten letter per month (5/33)
71. Write 101 comments on other peoples blogs (43/101)
88. Complete a puzzle a year (1/3)
89. Watch AFI’s best 100 movies (1/100)

Be sure to check out my full 101 in 1001 list!

I'm Kneeling to Pray

2009-08-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

I Have a Confession

2009-08-14T10:58:00.005-06:00

So, the other night, I did it. I don't know how proud I should be, though. I mean, it was quite a feat since I was sick and it was 8:30 PM (which is late for me), but I don't think that was the conquering moment. I always wanted to do this growing up, but my Mom would have never gone for it. So, after posing the question on facebook and getting overwhelming approval from my friends, I decided it was about time I take the leap and go for it....

Two nights ago, for dessert, I made chocolate chip cookie dough....and....ATE IT!! There, I said it, I ate the dough and it was AMAZING!!! Next time, maybe I'll try brownie batter!!

Short Term Goals

2009-08-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

As some of you may or may not know, I am currently working on completing 101 goals in 1001 days. I started at the begining of the year and have been working hard at accomplishing my goals. I find it a bit overwhelming sometimes, however, to look at 101 goals and wonder where to start.

After much thought, I have decided to break my goals and time frame into mini goal lines. So, for the next month, here is what I hope to accomplish with regards to my 101 list:

Lost 3 pounds. It's a month, I can do it...right??
Read/finish 2 books
Find a good make-up remover
Do 30 straight days of push-ups and sit-ups (and if I'm up to it...start to catch up on the days I have missed)
Swim 1,000 yards
Find my latch hook yarn...I don't know where we put it after the wedding.
Finish the husband challenge
Try 3 new recipes
Get caught up on my handwritten notes
Leave 5 comments on other's blogs

There, that sounds do-able, don't you think?? Hopefully this will give me more motivation to start to complete my list. What goes do you have this month?? What is on your to-do list that you just can't cross off?? Let's work together this month to accomplish those goals we have been putting off!!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-08-03T09:20:00.005-06:00

I'm so excited for this week and the fun that August brings. We have a busy August ahead of us with parties and the start of programming and lots and lots of fun!!

Monday - Dinner out with Bible Study Group

Tuesday - Oven Baked Pineapple Porkchops :: on the Grill, potatoes and onions, veggies, bread

Wednesday - Girls Night Out at the Melting Pot :: guys on their own!

Thursday - Dinner at the Porter's

Friday - Beer-Butt Chicken, potatoes, veggies, bread

Saturday - Isotopes game and yummy bad-for-you food at the stadium

Sunday - Sunday dinner and brunch with Church friends

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by orgjunkie.com

101 in 1001 Update

2009-08-03T08:34:00.010-06:00

It's Monday and time for me to update you all on my progress (or lack there of) on my 101 list. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I saw some unattainable goals on my list, and I have since replaced just a few of them with what I would consider more attainable. Below you will find my COMPLETE list with any updates. Be sure to check back weekly (or maybe every other week) as I update you on my progress.

Just a reminder:

~~Strike through~~ = complete

Italics = in progress

Bettering Myself
1. Lose 20 pounds (-2/20)
2. Learn American Sign Language
3. Learn to play the guitar
4. Read 101 new books (7/101)
5. Make a complete and utter fool of myself
6. Get in a good nightly routine with face washing and lotion application*
7. Read a Shakespeare play and find somewhere to see it
8. Do 25 push-ups and 50 sit-ups every day (1/1001)
9. Complete a Sudoku book
10. Own a little black dress
11. Complete the couch to 5k run plan
12. Run in a 5k
13. Read 10 books from the banned book list (0/10)
14. Learn to tie a tie
15. Read at least 3 classic novels (0/3)
16. Swim 30,000 yards (500/30,000)
17. Don’t watch TV for at least one day each week (1/143)
18. Stay off the computer for at least one day each week (23/143)

Being Crafty
19. Finish my latch hook
20. Paint the house (2/9 rooms)
21. Start scrapbooking again
22. Finish the Christmas Tree skirt*
23. Give only homemade gifts for one Christmas
24. Take a quilting class
25. Make a gingerbread house from scratch

Exploring and Experiencing the World
26. Visit 5 new states (0/5)
27. Go on another cruise
28. See the pyramids in Egypt
29. Climb at least one 14er
30. Go to Washington DC and immerse myself in American History
31. Go to the Reagan library in California
32. Road trip to the Grand Canyon
33. Road trip to Mt. Rushmore
34. Spend a weekend in Niagara Falls
35. Travel first class
36. Go to the North Pole

Being Money Smart
37. Pay off our debt
~~38. Create a budget with Jeremy~~
39. Save $2,000 using coupons ($201.60/$2,000)

Being Green
~~40. Plant a tree~~
41. Plant an herb garden
42. Plant a vegetable garden
43. Get reusable bags for shopping trips

Being a Good Wife
44. Attend a lock in with Jeremy
45. Complete the husband challenge
46. Go on a picnic date at least 3 times (1/3)
47. Kiss Jeremy under mistletoe
48. Go skinny dipping with Jeremy
49. Complete the 30 Day Prayer Challenge*
50. Complete the Song of Solomon Series three times (0/3)
51. Read 6 Books with Jeremy (1/6)
52. Read the whole Bible with Jeremy

All About Food
53. Bake a real cheesecake
54. Attend a wine tasting
55. Find my favorite red and white wine
56. Try 101 new recipes (0/101)*

Being a Good Citizen
57. Pay it forward at Starbucks
58. Spend under $10 for a meal and give a $10 tip
59. Donate blood
60. Do a charity walk/run
61. Go Christmas caroling

Being a Good Friend and Family Member
~~62. Reconnect with old friends~~
~~63. Get to know our neighbors~~
64. Host a holiday cookie exchange
65. Host a New Year’s party
66. Send a thank you note from every gift received
~~67. Have a girl’s night~~
68. Write and mail at least one handwritten letter per month (5/33)

Bloggy World
69. Blog my progress
~~70. Post this list online~~
71. Write 101 comments on other peoples blogs (43/101)

Life Decisions
72. Become a Mom
73. Get a job teaching
~~74. Get a puppy~~
75. Have Jimmy build us a house
76. Start the graduate program

Being more Christ-like
77. Learn to love my enemies
78. Read every book of the bible (1/66 books or 53/1189 chapters)
~~79. Serve food at a homeless shelter when it’s not the busy/holiday time~~
80. Do a thorough study of Proverbs 31
81. Adopt a Compassion Child*

For Fun
82. Use my new snowboard that has been sitting in the closet
~~83. Stay in bed all day when I’m not sick~~
84. Send a message in a bottle
85. Fly a kite
86. Watch the complete series of “West Wing” from beginning to end (0/seasons)
87. Have a garage sale
88. Complete a puzzle a year (1/3)
89. Watch AFI’s best 100 movies (1/100)
90. Play in the rain
91. Build a snowman
92. Build a sand castle
93. Upload a video to YouTube
94. Make a snow angel
95. Attend a Murder Mystery Dinner
96. Milk a cow
97. Go to a Jazz club
98. Buy something from Williams & Sonoma for our house
99. Ride the Rail Runner
100. Donate $5 for each item not completed
101. Save $1 for each item completed and spend it on myself

* New Goal

Fruit of the Spirit :: Self-Control

2009-07-14T11:09:00.007-06:00

What a ride it has been looking into the Fruits of the Spirit these past few months. I have taken each fruit and really looked at what it means to me. Looking back, I can see where I have learned and where I have grown. I can also see where I am still falling short, but, with the help of God, I hope to be able to bear fruit the glorifies Him.

This last week, I am taking a look at the fruit -- self-control. Self-control, as according to dear Wikipedia, can be seen as the ability to control ones emotions and desires, is the capacity of efficient management to the future. In psychology it is sometimes called self-regulation. So, in other words, when we act out on our desires, when we act out on our emotions, we are not in self-control.

According to Proverbs, a lack of self control can be detrimental:

"A man without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls" (Proverbs 25:28)

To me, this is very powerful. Can you believe that when we are not in control of our emotions and desires we are defenseless, we are vulnerable to attack? What a great time for the enemy to enter and deflate who we are.

So what can we do?? How can we work to possess self-control?? How do we maintain our own city with strong walls??

First, we need to rely on God for His help in our self-control.

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philipians 4:13)

Second, we need to learn to control our words and how we lash out at one another, we need to listen to one another before we overreact and judge, and we should be slow at becoming angry.

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (James 1:19-20)

Third, we need to realize that we have a choice in how we react. We have a choice in our actions. God has promised He will never give us more than we can handle, and even when we think we have reached the point of no return, He will give us a way out...a way to regain self-control:

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Remember self-control is a choice. We can choose to react in a way that is not glorifying to God by giving into temptation and sin, by using our words incorrectly. Or, we can glorify Him in all we say and do. The choice is yours, and with His help, I believe we can glorify Him and bare the Fruit of our Spirit.

Remember to check out what Carrie has to say about Self-Control. And, if you missed any of the other fruits, be sure to check them out.

101 in 1001 Update

2009-07-13T11:09:00.003-06:00

I wish I could say I have accomplished many items on my list since the last time I updated you, but I haven't. What I have come to understand is there are unattainable goals on this list that I need to change. So, next week you will see that I have added and deleted some items. Others, like the getting in shape part, I am going to work hard to catch up on, rather than giving up. So, be sure to look for that next week.

Until then here's what I have been accomplishing:

13. Stay off the computer for at least one day each week (23/143) - Y'all I'm catching up on this. Thanks to some busy house cleaning days, and trips to the mountains, I am almost caught up to the 28 weeks this year we are at. It is my hope that by the end of the summer, I will be caught up. Now, if I could just get to working that darn TV watching!!

41. Plant a tree -- I completed this. Actually, Jeremy and I did. Back in the spring, our city was giving out free tree seedlings. We went and picked up our limit (3) and came back to plant them in pots. We weren't sure where we would want them so we just put them in pots for the time being. Well, this weekend, the time came around and we planted our two surviving seedlings. They are much bigger now, and oh so cute. When we planted them, I made sure to talk sweet to them and encourage them to grow into the big shade trees we know they can be. I know...I'm a bit of a nerd, but it never hurts, right??

88. Complete a puzzle a year (1/3) - Jeremy and I put together our United States License Plate puzzle. Be sure to check back to see what we are going to do with it. I think you might be impressed!!

Until next week, be sure to check out my FULL LIST complete with what I have accomplished and what I am lacking.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-07-12T21:00:00.005-06:00

This weeks menu plan Monday is extra special. First, it is the start of the All You Grocery Challenge. I think it's going to be great fun to see how creative and frugal Jeremy and I can be so as to stay in our $50 a week budget. I'm really hoping this is going to be easy for us since our usual monthly budget for groceries is $175. The plan now, how creative and healthy can we be?? Second, it's the first real time that I have cooked since the food poisoning incident. We'll see how it goes!

Breakfasts

Cereal

Oatmeal

Banana Nut Bread

Yogurt Smoothie

Biscuits, Bacon and Eggs

Waffles, Bacon and Eggs

Lunches

Ham Sandwiches

Hot Dogs

Leftovers

Crackers and Soup

*lunches usually with fruit, chips and pudding

Dinners

Buffalo Wild Wings

Tacos

Chicken and Salmon

Dinner at Porter's

Date Night Out

Homemade Pizza

Church Dinner

*Dinners with some sort of potato, vegetable and bread

For more ideas on meal planning, check out Orgjunkie.com

Fruit of the Spirit :: Gentleness

2009-07-07T13:19:00.006-06:00

I grew up on the baseball fields. Not because I was in baseball, or softball, but because my brother was. My brother played baseball from the time I can remember, my dad always coached his teams, and my mom and I were always the best fans. I loved going to the practices and hanging out with the guys.

One skill they always worked on during practice was to have "soft hands". You see, they guys would get in two lines facing one another (much like you would if you were to play Red Rover) and they would toss eggs back and forth to one another. They would have to catch the eggs very gently as to not break it. They were learning how to have these "soft hands" when catching a baseball on the field so as not to drop the ball and to have better control.

I remember a scene in the movie "The Mighty Ducks" in which the kids did the same sort of drill. Instead of throwing and catching eggs, they used their hockey sticks to softly pass the eggs and catch them with their sticks.

When I think of gentleness, this is what first comes to my mind -- tossing and catching eggs. We are to be gentle with our words and our deeds. We are to treat one another like eggs. We are to have soft hands. We aren't to be harsh, we aren't to throw these "eggs" hard. We are to be welcoming with love to one another as we catch one another with soft hands.

How are you when you deal with others? Do you throw or catch one another hard where each others shell breaks, or do you use loving, soft hands?

Be sure to check out Carrie's blog as she talks about gentleness and be sure to check with us next week as we tackle the final fruit -- self-control.

Fruit of the Spirit :: Faithfulness

2009-06-30T14:00:00.005-06:00

I feel, outside of love, the most important factor in any relationship is faithfulness. If I have any inclination that my husband wasn't a man who was of faithful character, you better believe we would never have said "I do". At the same time, my closest friends are those who are faithful to our friendship. They are the ones who are always there without an agenda. They take our friendship serious, and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it.

For me, I am the same way. I feel that my faithfulness in my marriage is a part of the glue that holds us together. Also, my faithfulness in my friendships also keeps them blooming. But what about my relationship with God?? How faithful am I to Him??

I pray....most of the time. I study the word...when I don't get to busy. I worship Him....on Sundays. Outside of that, how truly faithful am I to following the Lord? I would say I lack so much. I let my busy life and unprioritized priorities get in the way. I am faithful with my worldly relationships, but the one that I should be the most faithful with, I fall short.

How many of you are like me? How many of you will put your relationship with your husband and kids before your relationship with your Savior? I am really excited for this summer. A group of great ladies and I have started a bible study that takes a look at our thoughts and how we perceive ourselves. I'm super excited for this study, as I hope it will get me into the Word on a daily basis and really help me to be faithful to God.

Where do you need to work on faithfulness? What do you need to take up, or let go of this summer to be more faithful to God, your family or your friends? Faithfulness is a part of the glue that bonds our relationships, is yours watered down or super in strength??

Be sure to check out Carrie's blog and see what she has to say about Faithfulness. Until next week when we take a look at gentleness.

Worship Time

2009-06-28T00:01:00.000-06:00

Fruit of the Spirit :: Goodness

2009-06-23T10:50:00.004-06:00

8. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
9. (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
10. and find out what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-10

As a follower of Christ, I strive to live in the light and allow the light to live in me. In Ephesians 5, that light is to be made up of all goodness, but what does that mean? What is goodness, and what does it mean to me?

God old Websters defines goodness as follows:

the state or quality of being good; moral excellence; the best part of anything

I don't know about you, but I feel these are all qualities Jesus possessed, and which he commands us to possess. When I look at this definition, I see a clear correlation between possessing goodness and being holy, or set apart.

But what does that mean? How do I go about having this goodness? For me, I think it's looking at it as being set apart. We are to be different. We are to act in a more Christlike manner. We are to help those who need it. Pray for those who need it. Be a shoulder for a friend, an encouraging word for a loved one, and an example for those who may not know Him yet. Isn't that what God did for us?

Be sure to check back next time as we take a look at Faithfulness. Until then, be sure to check out Carrie's blog My World and see what she has to say about Goodness.

What Trip Are You Taking Today?

2009-06-21T00:01:00.000-06:00

Fruit of the Spirit :: Kindness

2009-06-16T09:59:00.005-06:00

I was worried about posting this week, as I was sure I was going to get kindness and goodness confused and intertwined (even though they are) and really miss what God was wanting me to learn about being kind. So, I turned to my trusty dictionary/concordance in the back of my nifty NLT Study Bible and found this:

Kindness - the quality or state of being kind...

Ugh, I loathe when they do that, so, I flipped back a few pages and found this:

Kind - affectionate, loving; of a sympathetic or helping nature

Bingo!! I have used the adjective kind to describe myself on numerous occasions, but I don't think I ever looked to see what it really means.

In looking through the bible on passages that reference kindness, I was struck and convicted by Romans 2:4

Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

No, I guess not. I don't know. I do now. That was all I could answer to those questions.

I am not a perfect person. I have my flaws, I have my faults, I have my sins. But to think God is kind to someone like me, God is patient with me and my shortcomings. God shows such kindness to me that even in my wrongdoings, he is tolerant and shows me His kindness to turn me from my sin really shows to me just who He is.

Am I really like that? As someone who prides myself in being kind and showing kindness, do I really show kindness as God would? It's a hard pill to swallow, but I would say no. I would say that according to the definition of kind, I am affectionate, loving and helpful. But, when I look to God and see how I am truly supposed to be kind, I fall way short. I am not as tolerant as I should be, I often judge. I am not as helpful about turning others to sin, I often gossip about it. So, in all reality, am I kind?

It is my prayer this week that God would convict me of where I fall short of being kind to others. He would show me ways I can be kind and continue to remind me of His kindness and mercy.

Be sure to check out what Carrie has to say about kindness, and be sure to join us next week as we discuss goodness.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-06-15T00:01:00.000-06:00

Wow, another week has come and gone. Time does fly when you're having fun. Here's what we're having this week:

Monday - Buffalo Wild Wings - dinner out after our bible study

Tuesday - Porkchops in foil, veggies - *carry over from last week

Wednesday - Steaks, mushroom and veggies on the grill

Thursday - Dinner at the Porters - our weekly dinner with the family

Friday & Saturday - Date night for one night, Chicken and Fish on Grill, veggies for the other night.

Sunday - Father's Day dinner, but I am going to try to make these for dessert.

Menu Plan Monday is put on by orgjunkie.com

Happy Flag Day

2009-06-14T08:10:00.004-06:00

I love the American Flag!! I love the bright blue, red and white of its stars and stripes. I love what those colors stand for, I love what the stars and stripes stand for, I love what our flag stands for. Our country has changed in many ways from its founding, and so has our flag. However, what our flag means to our country has remained the same.

I pray on this Flag Day, you would reflect on what our country has stood for for hundreds of years. I pray you would reflect on what our flag means to us.

It's Sunday and That Means...

2009-06-14T00:01:00.001-06:00

Our Baby Girl -- Zoey

2009-06-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

About a month ago, Jeremy and I became the proud parents of a little girl named Zoey. She is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who is full of love and energy. It has been adjustment getting used to puppy parenthood, but her kisses at the end of the day make it all worth it.

Fruit of the Spirit :: Patience

2009-06-09T07:08:00.000-06:00

I haven't always had trouble being a patient person, but it seems the older I get -- the less patient I am. I can remember being a wee little red headed girl out with my Mom when she would run into someone she knew at the grocery store. They would stop and talk for what seemed like forever to me. When the conversation ended, whoever she was jabbering with would always say, "what a patient girl you are!" I never knew it then, but that was a good thing.

Fast forward 18 years or so to the time leading up to my husband proposing to me. I was the most impatient person in the world during that time. I remember him and I talking early on in our relationship about marriage, so when I had to wait over 16 months from the first time we talked about marriage for him to propose I grew VERY impatient.

These past six weeks, I have impatiently been waiting to hear about a job interview I had. As the days passed by, I grew more and more impatient. I couldn't understand why it had to take so long to let me know. (PS I didn't get the job, but I'm being patient with God's plans for me ;o) ) Waiting during that time was torture for me.

As impatient as I can be with people, it's weird, but I have patience with the Lord. I don't always get his timing, but through these two examples the one thing that got me through the waiting and impatient waiting was trusting in God's timing and being patient with what he has in store for me.

Why do I do this? Why am I so impatient with people of this Earth, but I can be pretty patient with the Lord? I know it is Him that I should have patience with, but what about the worrying and waiting and knots in my stomach I get from being impatient with people?

When I start to grow impatient worry takes over. My dear husband told me once during a fit of worry to check out Matthew 6:25-34. I encourage you to take a look at it and see how silly we are to worry. I just love verse 34:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

It's not a perfect cure to my impatience, but it helps me to deal with the worry that comes from my impatience. Why should I worry about what is going on, may go on or after being somewhat patient didn't go on? I shouldn't!! I should just focus on what is in front of me, trust in God's timing and let what will be....be!!

How do you handle patience? Are you patient, or like me, do you have to work hard at it?

Be sure to check out Carrie over at My World to see what she has to say about patience. Also, check back next Tuesday as we take a look at kindness.

If you have missed any of the Fruit of the Spirit, you can check them out here:

Love

Joy

Peace

101 in 1001 Update

2009-06-08T06:18:00.000-06:00

It's Monday, and that means it's time to update you all on the progress of my 101 list. I wish I could say I have done more in the last few weeks to accomplish my goals, but for some reason its just been crazy time and I'm still just getting back into it. Be sure to check out my full list and see all I have done, but this is what I have accomplished the past few weeks:

Completed

75. Get a puppy - Jeremy and I now have a new little girl, Zoey. She is a 3 and a half month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and we love her. I will be sure to post pictures soon.

In Progress

1. Lose 20 pounds (-2/20) - Unfortunately, my lack of motivation has actually caused me to gain 2 pounds, so now I'm up to having to lose 22.

40. Save $2,000 using coupons ($150.60/$2,000)

69. Write and mail at least one hand written letter per month (5/33)

72. Write 101 comments on other peoples blogs (40/101)

74. Get a teaching job - I'll hopefully have more to update you all on this soon

Hopefully this week will provide more progress. Until then, be sure to check out my complete list.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-06-07T22:00:00.000-06:00

As part of getting back to the loves in my life, I am setting out to be more organized and bring blessings to my home with the yummy smells of home cooking. Hopefully I can post the recipes as I try them out.

Monday - Hamburgers, homemade french fries, fresh veggies

Tuesday - Beef Stroganoff, peas, green beans crescent rolls

Wednesday - Crunchy No-Fry Chicken, Mashed Taters, salad, crescent rolls

Thursday - Dinner at the Porter's

Friday - Pork chops in Foil, Spaghetti Squash, Peas, Salad, Dinner Rolls

Saturday - Leftovers (if there is any, otherwise homemade pizza)

Sunday - Church brunch and popcorn for dinner (healthy, I know!!)

Menu Plan Monday is put on by Orgjunkie.com, check out what others are having to eat this week.

Kneeling to Pray

2009-06-07T00:01:00.000-06:00

Getting Back to My Loves

2009-06-06T09:22:00.006-06:00

This is a photo of many of my loves combined into one: photography, the outdoors, enjoying God's beauty, hiking and my husband.

I was looking back on my blog for the past few weeks and realized I have been neglecting everything I set out to do with it this year. In fact, it seems life is passing me by so fast that I am neglecting so many things. I haven't been doing any of my loves I used to always enjoy doing. I haven't been:

Deepening my relationship with the Lord
Reading
Cooking
Blogging
Scrapbooking
Crafting
Working Out
Organizing
Keeping the House

Goodness, I just haven't been doing much of anything expect worrying what I am going to do about a teaching job come August. So, I am setting out to keep up with my loves. I'm not going to make any promises about what I will keep you updated on, but it is my hope I can AT LEAST set aside one day a month to update you on my loves. In return, I would love to know what your loves are!! What passions do you have that you have been neglecting and need to return to??

Join me the last day of each month to talk about your loves and how you have been getting back to them. I'm excited to enjoy my passions again and get back to what I love to do. What about you?

Fruit of the Spirit :: Peace

2009-06-03T07:30:00.000-06:00

The past two weeks, my gal pal, Carrie, and I have been taking a look at Galatians 5:22 -- The Fruit of the Spirit. We discussed love and joy with regards to what they mean in our own lives and our relationship with God. This week, we are looking at Peace.

Since it seems as though I have been starting with definitions, I will continue to do so. Peace is defined in good old Websters as:

freedom from disturbance: quiet and tranquility: mental calm: serenity.

Wow!!! I WANT THAT!!! I want to be free from disturbance, I want to be quiet and tranquil, I want to be calm and have serenity. But, why don't I?? What is preventing me from this?? I feel there are times in my life when I do have this peace. There are even times during each day that I can look back on and see peace as defined by Webster. But, why don't I have it ALL the time??

I was looking through various verses throughout the Bible and I found so many times when individuals were told to "Go in Peace". Obviously this is either just a way to say good-bye, or, there is more to this peace thing than we often think of. I feel there is way more to it, and it is over-looked. Peace is important, if it isn't, why is Jesus called "Prince of Peace"? Clearly Peace is something we are called to have and be at.

Jeremy and I are going through the Bible in a year with the chronological Bible. Wouldn't you know, early on in our reading, we came across my good friend Job. Don't get me wrong, Job has great things to teach us, but it was hard to get past that whining. (Come to think of it, maybe I should stop my whining, too....anyways, that's a whole other post) Even after all he went through, he never gave up on the Lord and even declared:

Submit to God and be at peace with Him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Job 22:21

How amazing is that? We as followers will be prosperous if only we would submit to God and be at peace with Him. Why don't we do this? Why is it so hard, especially during times of trial, to be at peace with God?

I know for me, I struggle with being at peace. I am a worrier, I am a stewer, I am one who constantly thinks about upcoming conversations, past deeds and have trouble being okay, or at peace, with my life in that moment. Today, I am going to make a conscious effort to be at peace. I am going to strive to stop and take some "Katie-time" each day to recount my thoughts, my day and become at peace with what is going on around me. I am going to make a pledge to myself to get back to the loves in my life which always bring me peace while I'm doing them: scrapbooking, sewing, photography and reading. Hopefully with finding peace in my own life, it will be easier to be at peace with God.

What will you do to find peace in your life? What will you revisit? What will you give up?

Come check us out next week as we take a look at patience. Until then...

Kneeling to Pray

2009-05-31T00:01:00.000-06:00

Top Ten Reasons I'm Excited for This Weekend

2009-05-19T12:40:00.007-06:00

Google reader is the best! In my google reader this morning was a fun carnival about Top Tens put on at OhAmanda. So...since I'm just sitting here while my little girly dries off (she fell in the pond this morning, what a traumatic experience for a three month old puppy!!) I thought I would give you my Top Ten Reasons I'm super excited for this weekend:

We finally get to get out of Dodge. We are headed to Colorado.
Getting to spend time with my Grandma in Colorado, and doing our traditional Memorial Day trek with dinner at Zack's.
Yellowstone here we come!! After a couple days in Colorado, we are driving further north to Yellowstone for a week. You see, it's our...
1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!! I'm so excited to celebrate one year with my wonderful bestfriend, my husband!

Over 30 hours in a car: Laughing, reading, talking, sleeping. I'm super excited for our first long road trip together.

Geysers, hot springs, hikes, picnics, enjoying nature. I'm super excited to see EVERYTHING we can in our 4 short days there.

Eating the topper to our Wedding Cake. I hear it's usually pretty nasty after being frozen for a year, but I'm a traditionalist and I'm SUPER excited to eat it!

Getting away just the two of us. With the new puppy keeping us up at night and having us clean up little pee-pee, it's going to be nice to be just us!

Eating at Chipotle and Cheesecake Factory in Denver on the way home, hopefully!!

Creating new memories!

You can check out OhAmanda to find other Top Tens for this Tuesday!

Kneeling to Pray

2009-05-17T00:01:00.000-06:00

Fruit of the Spirit :: Joy

2009-05-12T13:06:00.003-06:00

The Newsboys have a song, "Joy" in which they talk about God providing a joy which is unspeakable, but what is that?? What does that look like? Joy is defined as:

The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; pleasurable feelings or emotions caused by success, good fortune, and the like, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire.

I don't know about you, but the promises of God and the expectation of good which will come to all believers is great JOY. But what about the times when we are struggling?? What about the times when things just aren't going our way, and we feel the whole world is against us. To me, these are the times that I find the least amount of joy in my heart. The bible tells us in Romans 5:3:

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance

It is through the times when we struggle and fall down that we are to cling to the Joy that is Jesus, knowing that God will not give us more than we can handle, but in fact is right there with us, guiding the way.

During times of struggle aren't the only places we are to have joy. Psalms 19:8 says:

The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

For me, I find joy in so many day to day experiences:

Seeing my husband after a long day of work

The smell of fresh cut grass

A worship song that I needed to hear at just the right time

Huge orange-yellow harvest moons

Fresh fallen snow

Finally learning from my mistakes

Rain on a tin roof

Little Miss Zoey sleeping

Hearing "I Love You"

The smell of the charcoal grill just fired up

My hope in Jesus and promises from God

What brings you joy? What gives light to your eyes?

Join us next week as we take a look at Peace. We will be posting on Thursday instead of Tuesday. Also, be sure to see what Carrie has to say about the Fruit of the Spirit - Joy.

Until next time...

Kneeling to Pray

2009-05-10T00:01:00.000-06:00

Fruit of the Spirit :: Love

2009-05-05T12:26:00.004-06:00

As I mentioned last week, I am going through the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) with an amazing gal Carrie. With this, our first week, we are looking at love.

Love is defined in the dictionary as an intense feeling of deep affection. But how does the Bible define love? We can see many examples of love in the bible, but what do they really mean? For this study, I am going to focus on love in my life especially relating to God.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

When I look at this verse, I am struck by the simplicity of it. But, I am also struck by how complex it is. All things work together for the good, not the bad but for the good. But, there's a kicker. All things work together for the good for those who LOVE God. Ah ha, the kicker. This verse really makes me take a step back when things aren't going well in my life. I'm so quick to blame others when things don't go my way. I am even quick to blame God, but the one I really need to look at is myself and how I am loving God.

I can often tell when I am not loving God with all of who I am. I can tell this because things just seem off. My health suffers, my relationships suffer and my life just seems to turn upside-down. It isn't because I caught a cold at school from that freckled face boy ( I can't blame him), nor is it because my husband does something to make me mad ( I can't blame him). It is because I'm not right with God. I am not showing Him love by trusting in Him, by leaning on Him, or by relying on Him. Our love for God is such an important part of our relationship with Him, that without that love we are lacking so much.

When my love for God has faded, I see my love for others have faded. This is often hard to deal with. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 16:14 "Let all you do be done in love" Really?? All I do?? I don't know about you, but I have trouble with this. I find it so easy to love those who love me back, but what about those who don't?? I don't know about you, but I find it hard to suck up my pride and show someone respect or serve them with a kind heart when they have wronged me somehow. But God has called us to do EVERYTHING we do, not just the stuff to those who love us, but EVERYTHING we do, we should do it in love.

My prayer for this week, is that you and I will really check our pride and make sure our intentions when we serve others. If something is being done for the wrong purpose, take a step back and ask God for help to show others His love. Because without His love, we are dead, and without showing His love to others, we are killing His light.

Check back next week as we take a look at Joy. Until then, check out what Carrie has to say about Love.

About Me

2009-05-04T07:55:00.000-06:00

In an attempt to share with the ladies At the Well a little about myself, and, without sounding like a newspaper want ad, here is Katie in a nut shell (why does this third person talk come out sometimes??):

I am a twenty-something wife who aims to love God, her husband and anyone else who gets in my path. Like I said, I aim to do this, I don't always get it perfect. I just completed my studies to become a teacher and am now searching for a teaching job in a hiring freezed (or would it be frozen??) city. I think God is really teaching me about patience and relying on Him....it's working.

I married the love of my life close to one year ago. Yes, we are still newlyweds trying to learn the ins and outs of marriage. There sure are a LOT of ins and outs, but this journey has been one I would do over in a heartbeat. I love what my husband teaches me and the person I have grown into. If you want to learn more about Our Story (it's still a work in progress) check it out. It's kind of fun (at least I think so, and NO I'm not biased).

I love the outdoors, I love pets, and I love New Mexico. It really is The Land of Enchantment. I love sunsets, long walks on the beach....oh sorry I got on my want ad tirade. I love adventures but I also love to be at home. I have a passion for reading and scrapbooking. I have lofty goals which you can check out at my 101 in 1001 list.

Other than that, I am a child of Christ trying to find out what that means to me in a world of busy lives and chaos. I would love for you to look around my blog and check out the many ramblings that go on daily in my head and heart.

Happy Monday!!

To check out other Ladies from the Well visit At the Well...in Pursuit of Titus 2

Kneeling to Pray

2009-05-03T00:01:00.000-06:00

Our Story - Part Three

2009-04-30T07:22:00.003-06:00

If you haven't checked out Our Story Part 1 or 2 do so now, otherwise I don't know how much fun this will be for you. In fact, I think it might be nails on the chalkboard screechy and boring. Trust me, just do it!

Maybe Jeremy liked the idea of rejection. After all, he was a bit insecure in the fact that he was five years older than Katie, and there was probably no way that she'd want to date a guy that much older than her. Little did he know that Katie already had the BIGGEST crush on him, despite the fact that he was a little bit older.

They bumped into each other a third time at church, at which point Katie couldn't wait any longer for him to initiate something, so she decided to take action on her own. After church that Sunday, she went straight home and sent him a message on MySpace, and requested to be his MySpace friend. That first message to him was somewhat of a flirty email, she was just throwin' the line out there hoping he would bite. Sure enough, he did.

The two started sending messages back and forth to each other, and at one point, Katie once again took action and told Jeremy, "If you would like to hand out sometime, just give me a call. In fact, here's my number." He didn't even have to ask for it. =o)

Jeremy immediately responded with, "Uh, duh! Let's hang out!!" Of course sticking to the unspoken dating rules and etiquette, Jeremy waited a few days to actually tell her that, but he did call Katie to go out on their first date.

The two started dating one another exclusively shortly thereafter, and actually started talking about the possibility of marriage fairly early on in their relationship. They both became believers in the old saying -- "when you know, you know." However, Jeremy didn't always know. He wanted to be positive. Maybe after being a bachelor for so long, a guy want to be absolutely sure that he's making the right decision.

To help in his decision, Jeremy insisted that the two go through pre-engagement meetings with their church's pastor to make sure they were thinking about everything that would go into their commitment. While the meetings turned out to be beneficial, Katie was still growing more and more impatient, hoping that Jeremy would soon pop the question. By June of 2007, Katie was fed up with the wait, and decided to pop her own question to Jeremy and asked him, "What are you waiting for?!" Jeremy assured her that the time would come when it would be right. So, she waited, and waited, and waited some more.

Tune in next time to find out exactly how much waiting was involved. Until then...

Fruit of the Spirit

2009-04-30T07:01:00.005-06:00

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Galatians 5:22-26

I know this amazing gal, Carrie, who is going to start looking into the Fruit of the Spirit, and I'm going to join her. Each week, we will take one of the fruits and check out how we are living that out in our relationship with God and in our lives. I'm super excited to see what this study of the Fruit of the Sprit has to teach me and challenge me with. We are going to start out next Tuesday posting about love.

This should be work. Until next time...

To check out more:

Introduction - You are here

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-Control

The Sense of Smell

2009-04-28T11:23:00.002-06:00

Of all the five senses we have; taste, sight, hearing, smell and touch, I feel the sense of smell is often one that gets put off as not that great. Sight and hearing I would say would have to be at the top of peoples list for the senses we think of and say to ourselves "I don't know what I would do if I lost my sight." Or, "I don't know what I would do if I lost my hearing." But, have you ever thought of losing your sense of smell??

I know a great gal, Amber, who can't smell. I know you might think, well...that's not bad. I wouldn't smell the stinky trash. Or, I wouldn't smell the plugged up toilet. Or, I wouldn't smell the dog after he ate fish and eggs. But, when you think about it, you also wouldn't smell chocolate chip cookies in the oven, the lilac bush blooming outside, or a fresh New Mexico rain.

What do you think?? What sense would you hate to lose?

Until next time...

Kneeling to Pray

2009-04-26T00:01:00.002-06:00

Life...

2009-04-21T09:25:00.002-06:00

...has been so so busy lately that I haven't had time to think. I have something big coming up this Thursday, and once it's over I would love to blog about it. Until then, prayer for opportunity would be great.

Just a little something I was thinking about the other day....I LOVE Starbucks. I have been an addict for about...well...for some time now. The other day I happened to have You've Got Mail on and I realized why I started drinking what I'm drinking now. It's all because of Meg Ryan's character.

I love, love, LOVED the movie You've Got Mail. I always wanted to work in "The Little Shop Around the Corner" and talk about bouquets of sharpened pencils with Kathleen Kelly. Instead, I guess I turned into her, because she loved her grande Caramel Macchiato, and SO DO I!!! I almost feel like a fraud and a wanna be. Oh well...now you know where my drink of choice came from.

Kneeling to Pray

2009-04-19T06:18:00.000-06:00

Is It Really Snowing??

2009-04-17T10:15:00.003-06:00

Here it is, the middle of April, and it's snowing in New Mexico. Seriously?? Tomorrow it's supposed to be 70-ish, and today it's a blizzard. I can't believe this!

For more randomness visit Andrea @ Under Grace & Over Coffee.

Our Story - Part 2

2009-04-15T09:54:00.006-06:00

If you didn't check out Our Story - Part One...STOP READING!!! Once you have read it, you may continue here.

Momma Porter had all kinds of questions about the upcoming Casas por Cristo mission trip that Jeremy was leading for the church. As it turned out, Momma Porter was very interested in going on the trip, not to mention, she was planning on bringing her daughter with her as well.

After Jeremy had answered all of her questions regarding the trip, he and Momma Porter chatted a little while longer, long enough for Jeremy to learn that the Porters owned a CPA firm!! Booya!! Just when he needed an accountant, God arranged for CPA Momma Porter to call him on his direct line!

Momma Porter told Jeremy that she would indeed help him out with his taxes, and that all he had to do was bring all of his financials and tax information to the 9:30 church service the following Sunday. The next Sunday arrived, and Jeremy was scheduled to teach Sunday School during the 9:30 hour, so he had to hurry up and meet with Momma Porter as quickly as he could before his class began.

Having never met Momma Porter before, Jeremy hoped that she would know who he was. Sure enough, Momma Porter was on top of things and walked right up to Jeremy already knowing exactly who he was.

Jeremy doesn't remember much of what was said when he first met Momma Porter. In fact, he doesn't remember much of anything from that first time he met her, maybe because he was far more captivated and hooked by the girl who had walked up to Jeremy with Momma Porter. Momma Porter introduced this girl to Jeremy as her daughter, Katie. The thought that immediately crossed Jeremy's mind -- "What...a...hottie!"

Katie had already taken notice to Jeremy prior to this introduction. In fact, Katie remembers seeing Jeremy for the first time when he came to interview at the church in the first place. At the 50th Anniversary for Faith, she saw him for the second time. Although he was all the way across the room, she was determined to build up the courage to talk to him.

She did eventually talk to him, but not that night as she had hoped. It was four months later that she stood in front of him as she was introduced by her mother.

Nothing much was said between Katie and Jeremy during their introduction, but both of them seemed a bit interested in each other right off the bat.

The two got a second chance to chit chat a bit after Momma Porter finished Jeremy's taxes a little while later. Still mesmerized by Katie's enchanting eyes, Jeremy asked Katie if she wanted to join the new College & Young Adults Ministry that Jeremy was starting. Katie's response: "Yeah, sure, I'll think about it."

Jeremy figured that was girl code for, "Thanks for the invite, but NO WAY!" Essentially, Jeremy assumed he had just been blown off. But despite having just been "stealth rejected", it was at this moment that Jeremy, for some odd reason, decided that he wanted to ask out Katie.

To be continued...

Part Three

Our Story is part of Katylin's My Husband Rocks Friday over at The Great Adventure.

Our Story - Part One

2009-04-14T10:19:00.005-06:00

As part of My Husband Rocks Friday, I thought it would be perfect to recount the story we had told at our wedding. It is a great reminder of why we fell in love! I know it's not Friday, but that doesn't mean my husband rocks any less. Plus, I'm trying to catch up on all the Fridays I missed (if that still counts...and I think it does). Thanks so much to our amazing DJ, Matt Mizell from Lighthouse Music, for taking our account of Our Story and creating this fun and whimsical story of us!

Katie & Jeremy Rodriguez's

Love Story as presented on Sunday, May 25, 2008

If you have had the chance to go onto Katie & Jeremy's wedding website, you may have already read the story as to how the couple met, and how we arrived at this celebration here today. Considering that many of you have not yet had the opportunity to read their story, we wanted to provide you with a glimpse of how God brought these two together.

I have gone through both versions of the online stories -- Katie's version of what allegedly happened, and the TRUE version of what happened according to Jeremy, and I have combined both versions into one overall story, the Love Story of Katie & Jeremy Rodriguez.

This story starts back in the tax season of 2006. Jeremy had just moved to New Mexico and had recently started working at Faith Lutheran as the new Youth Pastor. He was sitting in his office one day wondering what he would do about his taxes, considering he had just moved to a new state and was unfamiliar with New Mexico's tax laws. Jeremy, of course, wanted to make sure he did all of his taxes legally -- after all, he was now on staff at a church!

As he sat in his office wondering how God would bail him out of his tax predicament, his phone rang. He answered the phone, and it was Susan Porter, the Mother of the Bride to be.

To be continued...

Since our story is full of lots of fun twists and turns, it is rather lengthy. So, I will be breaking it into parts. Stay tuned for part two.

You can also check out Part three.

My Husband Rocks Friday is a weekly meme put on by KatyLynn over at The Great Adventure.

My Week of Internet Fast

2009-04-14T08:35:00.003-06:00

This past week, Holy Week, Jeremy and I decided to fast from Internet and T.V. Just a little word of caution to anyone who is addicted to these and wants to do it...don't. Fasting from both of these two addictions at the same time proved to be too much. So, our fast turned into just an Internet fast.

During this time I learned many things:

I spend WAY too much time glued to my computer screen. It was amazing how much I was able to get caught up on without worrying what was going on on Twitter, Facebook or in the blogging world.
There isn't much that goes on in the blogging world. I was able to catch up on the weeks happenings in about an hour. And I spend many hours a day checking and re-checking to see any new updates....CRAZY!!!
Life is so much simpler when you're serving your Maker rather than your Mac. I don't know how often I just feel a slave to my Internet. It's what passes the time when I need it passed. It's what keeps me company when I need company kept. But, turning it off for a week was extremely liberating.

So, if you feel you are a slave to your Mac rather than your Maker, I highly recommend an Internet fast. If I can do it, so can you. You'll be amazed!!

Kneeling to Pray

2009-04-12T00:01:00.000-06:00

Caffeinated Randomness -- New Car?

2009-03-27T07:53:00.003-06:00

I always thought I was the random one in our family. I have had some crazy ideas in the past 5 years of things I wanted to do or accomplish. Here are just a few:

Try out for a professional football cheerleading team
Train for a marathon
Make my own Christmas tree skirt
Make a quilt for our bed ( I don't know how or where to start with quilting)
Mill my own grain
Raise chickens
Try out for the Amazing Race
Go to Egypt
Go on an Archeological dig for Sodom and Gomorrah
Be a wedding planner
Build a barn

Unfortunately, my big dreams and crazy plans never fully developed even though I got close to most of these, and there are a few I'm still working on. But 2 days ago, my sweet husband chimed up with a statement that would have been normally random for me, but for him was just shockingly random: "Let's go see about buying a new truck Friday." So, today, we are going on a random car shopping trip. I'll be sure to keep you posted on how it turns out.

What randomness do you have going on today? Check out Andrea @ Under Grace & Over Coffee for more Caffeinated Randomness.

BBB -- Week One

2009-03-26T07:37:00.002-06:00

Kristen and Andrea have officially kicked off their virtual book club, Books Blogs and Brownies, and I couldn't be more excited. Not only to participate with these amazing ladies, but the book we are reading, The Passion of Mary-Margaret, has been powerful from the very first paragraph.

Let me just give you a taste, and see if you are not hooked on the beautiful, powerful words like I am:

My sisters, if I began the tale at the end, you would know my heart is full of love even though nothing were as planned. I could tell you God's ways are not ours, but you probably know that already. And I could tell you that his mercy takes shape in forms we cannot begin to imagine, but unless you walking in my shoes for the past seventy years, you could not feel the mercy I have been given. The mercy God gives us is our own to receive, and while sometimes it overlaps with others' like the gentle waves of the bay on the banks of which I now sit, for the most part, the sum and substance of it, the combination of graces, is as unique as we are.

I just LOVED that first paragraph!!

As part of our online book discussion, the girls posted the following questions for us to consider this week while reading.

In what ways might the conception and birth of Mary-Margaret, in all of its violence and pain, be something the Lord is going to use for His glory? Is it possible for someone to come from such traumatic beginnings and live a life that shines for Him?
On page 9, Mary-Margaret describes the scene of her Mother's death, writing "The blood she gave for me. Yes, I'm painfully aware of the symbolism." In what ways could this statement foreshadow events to come? Do you see a story of redemption on the horizon?

As I have learned, God uses everything for His glory. But, I feel that He uses pain and sorrow, especially for His glory. I agree with Andrea, that it is during times of tragedy that I cling to God more. Although I do wish that I could do this all times, I feel God not only uses tragedy in our lives to help us to grow closer to Him, but also to develop our character even more. I'm really excited to read and learn more about Mary-Margaret and the woman she was, but I feel had she not come from tragedy her life would not be as glorifying as I am predicting it will be.

I feel because Mary-Margaret did point out the symbolism of her mother giving up her life for Mary-Margaret, this will be a theme for the book. The way I see her talking, in my head, gives me a sense that Mary-Margaret is a woman that did make sacrifices for others, and often times more than she realized. I am not a mother, but lately I have been reading and watching TV shows that have been focusing on mothers dying during childbirth. For me, this is a scary thought, but it also shows the sacrifices that mothers are willing to make, and further illustrates the sacrifice Jesus made. It leads me to wonder, would I be willing to make this sacrifice not only for an unborn child of mine someday, but for others as well? And to take that even further, would I be willing to make that sacrifice for God? I don't know, but I think Mary-Margaret could be a great example through her story of redemption.

I'm so excited to see Mary-Margaret's character develop, and I'm really curious about this Jude she keeps referencing. And why can't we know what happened in Aruba....curiosity is sure killing this cat!! =o)

If you would like to join us, check out Andrea @ Under Grace & Over Coffee or Kristen @ Dancing in the Margins.

Word Filled Wednesday - The Pursuit

2009-03-25T00:01:00.002-06:00

This is one of my husbands favorite verses along with a photo I took of a beautiful building while we were in San Diego. How amazing to know what we are to pursue!!

Visit 160 Acre Woods for more Word Filled Wednesdays pictures.

What's on Your Nightstand?

2009-03-24T09:04:00.004-06:00

Last month, I had so much fun linking up to What's On Your Nightstand, that I thought I would participate again this month. (I can't believe a month has gone by already). I would love to say that I got through most of my books on my nightstand, but somewhere between last month and this month I got sucked into the drama known as the Twilight series.

Yes, it's true, I finally jumped on the Twilight bandwagon and haven't been able to get off since I started it three weeks ago. I am about to finish the 3rd book and can't believe the number of pages I have read in the last 24 days. I don't think I have done this much reading....well...ever. And to tell you the truth, I LOVE IT!!! I don't know what it is, but those vampires can sure suck you in.

I promise to have a picture of my millions of books on my nightstand, but until then, here is the list (the ever growing list) of books on my nightstand:

Victory Over the Darkness

The Power of a Praying Wife

Baby Proof

From Blushing Bride to Wedded Wife

Eclipse

Breaking Dawn

Rachel's Tears

The Passion of Mary Margaret

These are books that will be on my nightstand all year as I go through them daily/weekly:

365 Daily Devotions for Women

The Power of a Positive Wife - Devotion and Journal

Chronological Bible in a Year

Yes, I know that's A LOT of books. Now that I am almost done with the Twilight trance, hopefully I can get to some of my other books.

If you want to check out other lists, visit 5 minutes for books. And, HAPPY READING!!!

I Am Thankful for My Husband

2009-03-23T08:59:00.005-06:00

This week At the Well, the discussion revolves around our husbands and why we are thankful for them. There are many ways I am thankful for Jeremy, but here are just a few:

His love for the Lord
He is patient with the most impatient woman
He is willing to try, even when it's hard
He is eager to learn
He is always seeking to grow and learn what it means to be a husband and a man of God
He will sit and watch a chick flick with me even when Transformers is new in the theatre
He opens all doors for me, even the car door
He loves me, even when I am hard to love

Lord, I thank you so much for Jeremy and the man you have made him. From the moment you brought him into my life, I have seen who I can be in You and for You. He is not only my lover, but my best friend and for that I can thank no one but You who brought him to me.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-22T19:53:00.003-06:00

Last week was a crazy week and I didn't have any sort of plan or menu, and poor Jeremy kept checking to see when the week's plan was going up and it just never did. But, this is what we're having this week:

Monday - Grilled Salmon and Chicken, potatoes and veggie

Tuesday - Dinner at the Porter's

Wednesday - Hamburger Pie (I'll try and post the recipe)

Thursday - Chicken Caesar Salad Squares

Friday - Orange Apricot Pork Chops

Saturday - BINGO night

Sunday - leftovers

For more menu ideas visit OrgJunkie

Kneeling to Pray

2009-03-22T00:01:00.002-06:00

Caffeinated Randomness ~ The Annoying Thing

2009-03-20T09:20:00.004-06:00

Just a little randomness about myself -- I am OBSESSED with March Madness!!! I am in 3 pools and am checking hourly to see what male booty I am kicking. Yes, I'm a bit competitive. Okay, now that I have that off my chest...

Last week, I posted my favorite video of all time. If you missed it, check it out here. (I dare you not to giggle!)

This week, I have another video. He's not as adorably cute, but this dude cracks me up and has me saying " a ding ding ding ding ding" all day long!

Enjoy!

For more randomness, check out Under Grace & Over Coffee.

Mary Margaret

2009-03-20T09:13:00.002-06:00

I got my copy, did you??

To see just what I'm talking about visit Kristen or Andrea.

Spring Reading Thing

2009-03-20T08:36:00.005-06:00

Happy 1st day of Spring!!! I know I am so excited for the weather to get warmer, the flowers to start blooming and....I'm excited to do some reading!! Reading?? Yes, you read that right, READING!!!

I ran across the Spring Reading Thing 2009 and couldn't wait for March 20 to come around so I could join. So, the gist of what we do is create a list of books and/or a goal for reading this Spring. Then, come the first of summer (June 20) and share about our goal and reading experience. For me, what I want to read changes monthly, no....weekly, no....daily, yup daily. So, I will be updating you every once in awhile as to the changes or additions or completions in my list. I think this would be so much easier for me and my randomness.

So, my goals for this Spring Reading Thing (as of this week) is:

Finish the Twilight Series - I still have book 3 and 4 to go
Participate in Books Blogs Brownies
Finish Reading What's on my Nightstand
Read and do a review for Rachel's Tears
Get caught up on daily Bible readings
Finish 1 more book with Jeremy
Read 2 classics (part of my 101 challenge) For this, I'm thinking Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Read 2 banned books (part of my 101 challenge) For this, I'm thinking Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Read my past National Geographic and Time

I think that's a pretty good start for a list for now, I don't want to overwhelm myself. Check back with me weekly (for now, I think it might be on Monday's) to see how I'm doing. If you want to join Katrina and her Spring Reading Thing 2009 check out Callapidder Days ( I love that blog name!!)

Happy Reading!!

My Husband is my Friend

2009-03-16T08:54:00.003-06:00

Over At the Well, Amy is talking about the importance of our husband as our friend, and I couldn't agree more. Now, for those of you who don't know, I am new to this whole husband and wife thing. My husband and I just got married less than 10 months ago, but in these short 10 months A LOT has been revealed to me. Outside of communication and prayer, the greatest of what I have learned is the importance of being friends with Jeremy.

For me, it's great to hear that we should be friends, but as a friend, what should we do?? That's why I just love Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

In marriage, being a friend is essential. We help each other succeed, we help each other when we're in trouble, we sharpen each others countenance. And, when we bring God in, our triple braided cord is a match to be reckoned with.

As a newlywed, I am still learning what it means to always be there for one another when we need help or are alone. We have found that communication is essential in building up this relationship, along with prayer. It's really hard to run to help someone when you feel they are being selfish, but then again, what does that make you? Likewise, why would Jeremy want to be around me to help me when I am grouchy and moody and anything he does just isn't suiting me? I find it hard, sometimes, to put his needs above mine, but, I have also found the more I do it, the easier it is.

There have been a few resources we have found helpful in helping us understand each other, relate to one another and build a more holy marriage and a deeper friendship.

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman really allowed us to see what each others love language is. So, instead of working hard and doing acts of service to show Jeremy I love him, he really needs words of affirmation. Text messages, or notes left to him, as well as affirming him daily on the great husband and friend he is, is essential.
Creating an Intimate Marriage by Jim Burns has really been our go to book. Although Jim and Cathy talk a great deal in the book about being a youth minister (which my dear Jeremy is) and the struggles that entails while being married, I find these principles can be applied to anyone and everyone.
Lastly, Tommy Nelson does an amazing series on the Song of Solomon where he breaks down and dissects the book and gives great advice on being a better friend and lover.

Marriage is hard, I have learned. And being a friend to a man who leaves the toilet seat up, clothes on the floor next to the hamper and loves to sit and play NBA Live for hours can be exhausting, but we have a great teacher in Jesus. If we work and use Him as an example, how amazing could our marriage with our BFF be?

101 in 1001 Update

2009-03-16T07:00:00.002-06:00

Hey gang!!! It's Monday, and you know what that means....a 101 in 1001 update. For this weeks update, I decided to post my whole list with any updates so you could see the WHOLE process. Just as a reminder, ~~strike through~~ is a completed task and italics is a task in progress. How do you think I'm doing??

Bettering Myself
1. Lose 20 pounds (4/20)
2. Learn American Sign Language
3. Learn to play the guitar
4. Read 101 new books (4/101)
5. Make a complete and utter fool of myself
6. Write a letter to my idol teacher
7. Read a Shakespeare play and find somewhere to see it
8. Do 25 push-ups and 50 sit-ups every day (1/1001)
9. Complete a Sudoku book
10. Own a little black dress
11. Complete the couch to 5k run plan
12. Run in a 5k
13. Read 10 books from the banned book list (0/10)
14. Learn to tie a tie
15. Read at least 3 classic novels (0/3)
16. Swim 30,000 yards (0/30,000)
17. Don’t watch TV for at least one day each week (1/143)
18. Stay off the Computer for at least one day each week (6/143)

Being Crafty
19. Finish my latch hook
20. Paint the house (2/9 rooms)
21. Start scrapbooking again
22. Take a picture a day and post on blog weekly (0/143)
23. Give only homemade gifts for one Christmas
24. Take a quilting class
25. Make a gingerbread house from scratch

Exploring and Experiencing the World
26. Visit 5 new states (0/5)
27. Go on another cruise
28. See the pyramids in Egypt
29. Climb at least one 14er
30. Go to Washington DC and immerse myself in American History
31. Go to the Reagan library in California
32. Road trip to the Grand Canyon
33. Road trip to Mt. Rushmore
34. Spend a weekend in Niagara Falls
35. Travel first class
36. Go to the North Pole

Being Money Smart
37. Pay off our debt
~~38. Create a budget with Jeremy~~
39. Stick to the budget each month once we create it
40. Save $2,000 using coupons ($79.40/$2,000)

Being Green
41. Plant a tree
42. Plant an herb garden
43. Plant a vegetable garden
44. Get reusable bags for shopping trips
45. Use only reusable bags for shopping trips

Being a Good Wife
46. Attend a lock in with Jeremy
47. Complete the husband challenge
48. Go on a picnic date at least 3 times (0/3)
49. Kiss Jeremy under mistletoe
50. Go skinny dipping with Jeremy
51. Write why my husband rocks every Friday (2/143)
52. Complete the Song of Solomon Series three times (0/3)
53. Read 6 Books with Jeremy (1/6)
54. Read the whole Bible with Jeremy

All About Food
55. Bake a real cheesecake
56. Attend a wine tasting
57. Find my favorite red and white wine

Being a Good Citizen
58. Pay it forward at Starbucks
59. Spend under $10 for a meal and give a $10 tip
60. Donate blood
61. Do a charity walk/run
62. Go Christmas caroling

Being a Good Friend and Family Member
63. Reconnect with old friends
~~64. Get to know our neighbors~~
65. Host a holiday cookie exchange
66. Host a New Year’s party
67. Send a thank you note from every gift received
68. Have a girl’s night
69. Write and mail at least one handwritten letter per month (2/33)

Bloggy World
70. Blog my progress
~~71. Post this list online~~
72. Write 101 comments on other peoples blogs (31/101)

Life Decisions
73. Become a Mom
74. Get a job teaching
75. Get a puppy
76. Have Jimmy build us a house
77. Start the graduate program

Being more Christ-like
78. Learn to love my enemies
79. Read every book of the bible (1/66 books or 53/1189 chapters)
80. Serve food at a homeless shelter when it’s not the busy/holiday time
81. Do a thorough study of Proverbs 31

For Fun
82. Use my new snowboard that has been sitting in the closet
~~83. Stay in bed all day when I’m not sick~~
84. Send a message in a bottle
85. Fly a kite
86. Watch the complete series of “West Wing” from beginning to end (0/7 seasons)
87. Have a garage sale
88. Complete a puzzle a year (0/3)
89. Watch AFI’s best 100 movies (0/100)
90. Play in the rain
91. Build a snowman
92. Build a sand castle
93. Upload a video to YouTube
94. Make a snow angel
95. Attend a Murder Mystery Dinner
96. Milk a cow
97. Go to a Jazz club
98. Buy something from Williams & Sonoma for our house
99. Ride the Rail Runner
100. Donate $5 for each item not completed
101. Save $1 for each item completed and spend it on myself

Kneeling to Pray

2009-03-15T00:01:00.002-06:00

What I Wouldn't Give for One of These Right Now!!

2009-03-14T17:05:00.001-06:00

You Are a Frappuccino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern

At your worst, you are: childish and too indulgent

You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet

Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

We Are No Longer Rotten Bananas

2009-03-14T07:00:00.003-06:00

I truly love banana nut bread. From the time I was little, I always remember my Mom fixing a batch of banana nut bread, and, when I got older, it was one of my favorite things to bake. I think because it is so easy....and it's yummy!! What I find amazing about banana nut bread, however, is what you make it out of. It's not like we take fresh bananas that we just bought at the store specifically for the purpose of baking bread. Instead, we take the ones that have been sitting on the counter for way too long, because no one wanted to eat them anymore and they turned black and appeared ruined.

This reminds me so much of what our Heavenly Father does. He takes us who are bruised and broken, who are weak and weary, who are ungodly and sinful, and He doesn't throw us out with next weeks garbage. Not even close. Rather, because we are in Him, we are made new.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17

How amazing is that??

Just a thought for this great Saturday, until next time....

I Love This Kid

2009-03-13T13:27:00.004-06:00

Yay, for Friday!!! I love Fridays for many reasons: it's the end of the week and the begining of relaxation. Also, Friday is Jeremy's Saturday, meaning since he works on Sundays (duh, he's a youth minister) he has Friday off. Since I am currently just a housewife (well, not just, but you get it) we get to have Friday's off together.

Andrea over at Under Grace and Over Coffee hosts a great Friday Meme entitled Caffeinated Randomness. I love this for my Friday on so many levels. First, I love, love, love my cup o' Joe. Second, since Jeremy and I have Friday off, we head over to our local coffee shop, Satellite, and hang out for the day. We read, do our bible study homework and just chill out as we sip our caffeinated goodness. So, for me, this Friday Caffeinated Randomness is just perfect.

With that said, for today's Friday Randomness, I am sharing with you the cutest little dude that makes me laugh SO HARD every time I watch his video. Check it out!

Books, Blogs and Brownies

2009-03-12T13:42:00.005-06:00

Oh, my!! I just read over at Exemplify Online that Kristen and Andrea are starting a virtual book club that I can't wait to be a part of. The first book they have chosen to read is The Passion of Mary Margaret by Lisa Samson. I haven't read any of her books, but I hear she is great. Here is a synopsis of the book from Amazon:

Mary-Margaret yearned to dedicate her life to the Lord. Jesus had another idea.

When Mary-Margaret Fischer met Jude Keller, the lighthouse keeper's son, she was studying at a convent school on a small island off Chesapeake Bay. Destined for a life as a religious sister, she nevertheless felt a pull toward Jude--gorgeous, rebellious, promiscuous Jude. But Jude, driven by demons no one really understood, disappeared into Baltimore's seamy red-light district. Mary-Margaret moved on with her life, preparing to serve God with her sisters as a teacher and artist.

Then Jude comes home--but now he's bitter, dissolute, and diseased. And Mary-Margaret receives a divine call that shakes her to the core, a call to give up her dreams for the troubled man who befriended her so long ago. For Jesus' sake, can she forsake the only life she ever wanted for a love that could literally cost her life?

Each week, these wonderful ladies will host a book club that we can all participate in. So, check them out, and join. I know I can't wait...not to mention, I LOVE the name: Blooks, Blogs and Brownies, my three favorite B's!!

Wednesday Ramblings

2009-03-11T14:15:00.004-06:00

Today I totally went back to my childhood. I decided to see if I could find the recipe for Friendship Bread starter. Friendship bread is a sweet cinnamon type bread that is almost like cake instead of bread. I don't know what got me thinking about it, but I have searched all morning and found a recipe for the starter. It's kind of like sourdough bread, in that you create a starter that you feed and keep alive which can then be used to pass along to others, or, freeze to create your own bread in the future. I'll post the recipe soon, as well as the recipe for the bread I decide to make.

I also went back to my childhood with lunch. I decided to fix beans and wieners. I don't know about you, but there are just some meals that say CHILDHOOD on them, and for me, this is one of them. This is a different kind of beans and wieners, I think, because it isn't made with hot dogs. Instead, we use Vienna Sausages. You know, that squatty little blue can of...well whatever they are, that's what we use. It's really quite simple:

Beans and Wieners

1 can pork and beans ( I drain the juice so it's not so runny)

1 can vienna sausages, sliced

Brown sugar to taste

I mix all together in a sauce pan over medium heat until warm.

It's amazing how this simple high protein meal can take me back to the days of riding my bike around our old neighborhood.

Those are just my few ramblings for this Wednesday. Oh, yeah, one more...I'm so hooked on the Twilight books, so don't count on seeing much of me.

Word Filled Wednesday - Psalm 119:105

2009-03-11T09:41:00.002-06:00

I recently stumbled across this verse in my studies and I fell in love with it. I think it's so great that as we struggle, in what we feel like is the dark, we can use God's magnificent word to light our path. For a girl who is terrified of the dark, I find much needed hope in this verse.

Visit 160acrewoods for more Word Filled Wednesdays!

A Plate of Cookies - At The Well

2009-03-09T13:04:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up, my mom could always calm me down with a plate of chocolate chip cookies. If I was having a bad day, if my life was a mess, if my latest boyfriend decided I was boring, chocolate chip cookies could always calm my stormy life. As I have grown, I have discovered it takes a little more than a plate of chocolate chip cookies to calm chaos...or does it?

It seems like my first 9 months or marriage have been nothing less than chaotic. Everything from a ER visit until 2 AM the night before our honeymoon, to a less than stellar student teaching experience, to in-law problems, to a struggle with forgiveness and grace, our marriage has been a bit chaotic. Add all of that to the "normal" first year experiences of adjusting to being husband and wife has left us both a bit frazzled. But, the chaos seems to get worse when we are both crazy busy -- running here and there with teaching and ministry.

One great lesson we learned early on in our marriage to calm the chaos is to slow down. For us, that meant a few things. First, we limited the nights we were out and set boundaries. The life of a youth ministers wife can be stressful. Bible study here, lock-in there, kids texting at 11 PM with their own struggles and the never ending drama of high school life. I felt we were never at home. We weren't able to share our days happenings around the dinner table. Instead we were constantly checking our schedules to see what day it was and where we were supposed to be. Now, we are only gone 3 nights a week and are able to share with each other around the dinner table the rest of the nights. On top of that, we have boundaries. Unless there is an emergency, Jeremy is great about talking to kids the next day, rather than at 11 PM.

Second, we made it a point to have a weekly marriage "meeting" where we discussed our schedules and issues. Although this didn't quite work out as we had hoped, it made us realize the importance of talking on a continuing basis about our marriage, our needs and our dreams. It was through this we started to feel less chaotic, especially with regards to talking and planning out our weekly schedules together. We now knew just what each other was doing, and there weren't as many surprises.

Lastly, and what I think has really calmed the chaos in our home and marriage, is praying together. It's amazing to me how many Christian couples don't do this. For the first few months of our marriage we didn't. We had our own prayer life and we thought that was good enough for us. Once we started to pray together, a new found security and respect was revealed. Not to mention, a less chaotic life.

In order to ease the sense of chaos in our home, I don't constantly bake cookies and have them sitting out for us. Instead, our plate of cookies is different than that of my childhood. My plate is now full of communication, boundaries and prayer. I find we still struggle with many unexpected bouts of chaos, but we have a better since of control over it, we have our "plate of cookies" to get us through chaotic times. What does your plate of cookies consist of??

Join the ladies over At The Well as they talk of storms in life and how to overcome the chaos these storms bring.

101 in 1001 Update

2009-03-09T12:54:00.004-06:00

What a great week last week was. I feel like I accomplished a few of my goals, better some than none, right??

Here is how my goals are going so far, if you want to check out my complete list you can go here:

4. Read 101 new books (2/101) - I started the Stephanie Meyer Twilight series and completed the first book. I'm halfway through book two and can't wait to get to book 3. They are addicting.

18. Stay off the computer for at least one day each week (6/143) I'm still playing catch up here, but I took the whole weekend off from the internet. It's amazing how freeing that makes me feel!

~~83. Stay in bed all day when I'm not sick~~ - I completed this on Saturday with Jeremy. We decided we needed a break, so we were in bed all day. It was wonderful!! We watched movies, TV and read. We had breakfast, lunch and dinner in bed. I was so rested Sunday!!

I'm still working on many other goals. You can go here to check out what I'm still in progress of doing. I have a feeling there will be a lot of completed goals soon.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-09T11:18:00.001-06:00

It's Monday, and that means my second chance at menu planning for the week. Last week, I didn't quite stick to the plan, we had a lot of unexpected plans. However, we didn't run to the usual fast food restaurant when our plans were changed, so for that I am happy for the meal planning.

Here is our meal plans for this week:

Monday - Buffalo Wild Wings - usual Monday bible study choice of restaurant

Tuesday - Dinner with my parents

Wednesday - Baked Chicken (rolled over from last week)

Thursday - Hamburger Helper and Salad ( I have a lot of these to use up from when we stocked up when we first got married)

Friday - Roast, potatoes and carrots (rolled over from last week)

Saturday - Italian Crescent

Sunday - Left overs

It is my hope to have a few recipes up this week, especially from our yummy Taco Melt we had last week!!

Kneeling to Pray

2009-03-08T00:01:00.002-07:00

I'm a Housewife Nerd

2009-03-04T17:11:00.004-07:00

Wanna know what I look forward to most on Wednesdays?? No, that's not it. Not that either. Give up?? Okay, I'll tell ya. It's going to the mailbox and finding the weekly Supermarket ads. I don't know what it is, but seeing what great specials there are out there for me to grab...just gets me every time. I know, I'm a nerd!

Word Filled Wednesday

2009-03-04T12:11:00.005-07:00

I stumbled across Word Filled Wednesday over at The 160 Acre Woods last week. I was really excited for two reasons. 1. Often times when I'm in the Word, I'm not really "in the word". With Word Filled Wednesday, I am encouraged to really look into what I'm reading to better share with you. 2. I have a passion for photography. I'm excited to use this photography to glorify God and His Word.

I was somewhat reluctant to share this verse, it seems so gloomy. But, I have been learning a LOT lately about debt, and how God feels about this. I find this verse VERY fitting during this time in our nation. We are going though some shaky times right now, especially when it comes to debt, so I find it IMPORTANT for us to really look at and remember what God tells us about debt.

For more Word Filled Wednesday visit Amydeanne at The 160 Acre Woods.

The Kettle Club

2009-03-04T11:24:00.006-07:00

The Kettle Club was started over at Exemplify Online's Blog as a way for us women to remember, through our busy world of blogging, the importance of getting into God's word BEFORE we start blogging. I have found this extremely important to keep God first and in turn it makes my day a WHOLE lot better.

Kristen, the wonderful leader of The Kettle Club, posted numerous questions for us to consider and the one I will be tackling is:

What is a stand out lesson you learned this month? What has the Lord been steadily teaching you?

As I have talked about previously, I have really been struggling with God's will and what He has called me to be as a new wife and woman of God, and the needs my husband has. I have focused on making our house a home and brining a heart into it, but those things weren't on the top of my husbands list as "needs". Since writing about that, I have really been working on seeking what Jeremy needs as well as continuing to seek out what God has called me to be.

The other thing I am really learning this month is about Goals. In our small group, we are reading through a book, Victory Over the Darkness by Neil Anderson and as soon as we are done I am excited to share with you what the book has taught me and how I will apply what I have leaned to my walk with God. One of the key themes the past few weeks, however, has been Goals.

We all have goals for our lives. Me, I want to eventually pursue my dream of being a teacher, Mom and owner of a border collie (to be named later). These are my "within 5 years" goals, but are they what God has planned for me? Are they His goals? This, I find, is one of the hardest things to see. I struggle with hearing God voice and discerning what and where He wants me to be and do.

I'm so excited about The Kettle Club. I'm excited to be kept accountable for putting God before my blogging, and I'm excited to meet amazing Godly woman. I hope you check it out!!

Obama Meter

2009-03-03T18:06:00.003-07:00

I'm doing my best to stay off my soapbox when it comes to politics. After studying political science for many years, I can surly rant a bit (or a LOT). But, I came across this link, to an Obameter that monitors what B.O. campaigned on and how he's doing on these promises. Check it out, and let me know what you think.

Attention All Newlyweds

2009-03-03T15:27:00.004-07:00

A few weeks back, Jeremy and I were hanging out at the Christian book store just killing some time before a movie. We really love to do this every once in awhile. It's cheaper to browse than buy, but for some reason I can't walk out of there without a book that caught me eye.

This trip, however, was a more frugal one (thank me, honey) and I found a book on the clearance shelf. I thought the title was fitting, and the cover cute. After picking it up and reading this on the back cover,

"For years, you dreamed about meeting Mr. RIght, and finally you found him. Next came romantic dates, then a beautiful wedding, and now...reality.

Is married life different than you thought it would be - or maybe a lot different? Do you wonder if something is wrong, if other people feel the same way about their new marriages? Are you sometimes intimidated by wives who seem to have it all together?

Marla Taviano has been there. Marries only seven years, she knows what it's like to adjust from unrealistic expectations to real life.

Relax. You're not alone. You too can experience God's best for your marriage and made a successful transition from blushing bride to wedded wife."

I knew I had to get this book. Yesterday, I finally picked it up, after I have seen it sitting on my nightstand for weeks. I didn't know why I didn't do this sooner. Marla must have been looking into my future when she wrote this book. I am only through the first couple chapters, but I can't put it down. It is so funny and informative and encouraging that I can't get enough.

As soon as I finish "From Blushing Bride to Wedded Wife" by Marla Taviano I will be sure to write a review, but as far as I can see now, this is a MUST READ for newlyweds!

A Little Blog Crazy

2009-03-02T09:28:00.002-07:00

I just noticed I have been a bit blog crazy. At least that's what my dear Beloved tells me. So, I'm going to take the next couple of weeks and see what works for me and what I need to cut back on. I have had so much fun connecting with amazing ladies and joining in their fun that I just want to be a part of everything, but I know I can't do that. So, for now I'm going to go crazy...then, I'll see what I need to cut back on so I can just be ME!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-02T09:17:00.006-07:00

As part of learning what it means to be a housewife, I have been struggling with cooking dinner at home, rather than going out to eat. I find it so much easier to go to a local restaurant because I don't have something planned, or I'm too tired, or I don't have all of my ingredients to fix what I thought we were having for dinner.

So, I have been planning my meals out. I actually have the whole month planned, but I have learned sometimes things come up and we don't stick to that. I am going to join up with I'm an Organinzing Junkie to work on planning and posting my meals for the week. I hope this will help me stick to my goal of not eating out, as well as connect with other women who may be in my same shoes.

Our meals for this week:

Monday - Bible Study dinner out.

Tuesday - Dinner at the Porter's - Dinner with my family

Wednesday - Taco Melt

Thursday - Sweet and Sour Chicken

Friday - Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - Baked Chicken

I'm just going to start out posting dinner. Baby steps, right??

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-03-02T08:17:00.005-07:00

FOR TODAY...

Outside my window... the sky is blue and birds are chirping. Spring is on its way!

I am thinking... I am blessed to have this great day ahead of me. Now, I need to get to cleaning the house before bible study here tonight.

I am thankful for...learning. Learning about God, my husband and the world around me. I have sure been doing a LOT of this lately.

From the kitchen... I will finally fix the homemade Taco Hotpockets, Jeremy. I promise!

I am wearing... my comfy sweat pants with my Lobos T-Shirt.

I am creating... a scrapbook in my head.

I am going... above and beyond today in my blogging. This will be post #3!

I am reading... the Twilight series. Lord, help me to remember my priorities in my duties as I do this.

I am hoping... the weather continues to get more and more beautiful. And, that we would get our patio done so we can enjoy it!

I am hearing... the encouraging word of Denzyl Washington in "Remember the Titans"

Around the house... the smell of new furniture is pleasure-ful.

One of my favorite things... is checking my e mail in the morning to see the comments others have left me.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Work, work, work. It is tax season after all!

Here is picture thought I am sharing... I'm truly ready to welcome Spring!

To see what other Simple Women have going on today, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook.

101 in 1001 Update

2009-03-02T07:50:00.003-07:00

What a great a wonderful week this past week was. I felt so accomplished in all I was doing. Here are my 101 in 1001 updates:

43. Plant a vegetable garden - A few weeks back I got the seeds for our garden. It's so hard to find them when it's actually planting season, so this year, I stocked up early. Yesterday, I started our tomato plants inside. I find that planting tomato seeds is much harder than an actual tomato plant. We usually just buy one, but I thought I would give my hand and starting my own inside.

72. Write 101 comments on others blogs (9/101) - Lately I have been getting into blogging more through carnivals or memes. I have loved meeting other great women this way. In doing so, I have been learning to encourage others more, and the best way to do that in the blogging world is to leave comments. I have loved this goal.

Other goals I am continually working on:

1. Lose 20 pounds (4/20)

4. Read 101 new books (1/1001)

8. Do 25 push-ups and sit ups every day (1/1001)

17. Don't watch TV for at least one day each week (1/143)

18. Stay off the computer for at least one day each week (4/143)

20. Paint the house (2/9 rooms)

37. Pay off our debt

39. Stick to our monthly budget (0/33 months)

40. Save $2,000 using coupons ($79.40/$2,000)

41. Write why my husband rocks each Friday (2/143)

64. Get to know our neighbors

67. Send a thank you note for every gift received

69. Write and mail at least one handwritten letter each month (2/33)

70. Blog my progress

79. Read every book of the bible (1/66 books or 53/1189 chapters)

If you want to check out my complete list, click here.

Check back next week for more updates, and, remember to keep me accountable!

Perseverance

2009-03-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

Over at “At The Well” the ladies are talking about persisting through the times when we are knocked down and reflecting on how these circumstances have brought glory to the Father. It didn’t take me long to see where I am struggling right now. Because I am still struggling through this, I am continually working on how I am persisting through it, and have yet to see just how this will bring glory to the Father.

When I got married, I knew life was going to be hard. I had been told that marriage is the best thing, but takes a great deal of work. I thought everyone was out of their mind. My husband and I had a great courtship and dating relationship, how hard could it be, right??

We quickly found out how hard marriage was. Not only is it tough getting used to living with someone, but it has also been rough getting used to each others little quirks. Not to mention, when you have two sinful personalities coming together, there is bound to be some clashing at least every day. I'm not saying we haven't had any good, or GREAT, times in our short (9 month) marriage, because we have! I'm just saying that marriage has been a bit more challenging than I first thought.

One of the things we have been struggling through lately is finding out each others needs. I feel there are three types of categories here: 1.) The "wifely duties" I feel God is calling me to do 2.) The needs I think my husband has and 3.) The actual needs he has. It was my belief that what God has called me to do went hand and hand with what I felt my husband’s need were. I thought he needed me to provide dinner, laundry, a clean house, etc., but when we talked about all I had been doing, I felt defeated when he told me those weren't that important.

I felt lost. I felt I was striving to be the wife God had called me to be by taking care of these household things, but my husband felt differently. All I had been doing wasn't anything he needed, instead, he needed more. Not that I didn't want to give him what he needed, that's not what I have been struggling with. I'm struggling with the line between what God expects from me and what my sweet hubby expects from me. I felt I was trying so hard to listen to what God was telling me, I was seeking other Godly women and using them as examples, and diving into what the Word calls women to be and do, but that wasn't what was needed and in essence it went unnoticed.

Trying to persevere through this struggle has been confusing for me. I have learned that I was trying to put my priorities in the right order by seeking God’s will first, but I wasn’t seeking what was needed from me from both God and my husband, and in turn wasn’t honoring either. It’s tough when you finally wake up, dust your bottom off from being knocked down and realize you need to do something about your situation.

I realize I need to examine my relationship with my Father and really seek out what he has truly called me to be. I need to talk with my husband and see what his needs are and ask him to come on board and support me as I grow into a Godly woman. It is my hope that pursuing these changes in my life, I will bring glory to the Father and create harmony within my marriage.

Kneeling to Pray

2009-03-01T00:01:00.002-07:00

It's a Weird Joy

2009-02-28T10:01:00.003-07:00

I have a confession to make. I love hearing the little pops of dirt being sucked up the inside chambers and on into the bag when I vacuum. I think it's because I know I'm getting the floor clean, but, anyways, it gets me everytime!! Happy Cleaning Saturday!!

What I Learned This Week

2009-02-27T13:22:00.003-07:00

It's usually a good idea to keep the furniture delivery appointment and cancel a coffee date, rather than the other way around.

According to the post office, the official height a mailbox should be installed is the height the mailman's hand is when he sticks his arm out the window.

The Magic Eraser is great at getting scuff marks off doors, door jambs and walls. However, scrubbing them for an hour will really make your wrist sore.

There is nothing like an end to a busy day with a wonderful bubble bath.

To check out what others learned this week, check out Musings of a Housewife.

WFMW - Bounce Dryer Sheets to Clean

2009-02-25T15:17:00.004-07:00

Every Wednesday, over at We Are That Family, helpful hints and tips are posted in what they call "Works for me Wednesday". I am new to posting to this carnival, but have loved reading the helpful tips for many weeks now. I figured it was time for me to finally get my foot in the door and share what has been helpful for me.

Being a newlywed, I am learning many things. I have learned how to do the laundry without taking 3 days. I have learned how to boil potatoes while my meat browns (seriously, I couldn't do this when we first got married), as well as scrub a toilet (again, something it took me many months to get into). Despite all of this learning, one thing I can't seem to help is burning anything and everything on my pots and pans.

I find it very frustrating to be standing over the kitchen sink scrubbing and scrubbing to no avail. That was, until I heard a helpful tip. I'm not sure where I heard this (probably one of the many many forwarded e mails from my Papaw), but to clean your scorched and nasty pans, you can put a bounce sheet in your pan, cover it with water and let it sit. So, I did this. I took my scorched and dirty pan, put a bounce sheet in it, covered it with water and let it sit overnight.

I wasn't sure if it would work or not, but sure enough, the next morning I dumped the water and bounce sheet and rinsed my pan. It was as clean as the day I bought it. It amazed me so much that I decided I would do this every month or so to all of my pans so they would always be as shiny clean as the day I bought them. And, for me on this Wednesday, this worked for me!

An Update on my Coke Fast

2009-02-24T22:18:00.002-07:00

I am currently on a coke fast, you can check out my original rantings about it here. Anyways, as promised, an update...I am 1 whole week without a coke and I'm feeling okay. I have been a bit sluggish and tired, but I think it's because I replaced coke with Starbucks. That was a bad idea, so the past few days I have been without both (hence the tiredness -- lack of caffeine) But, the scale has made me happy. I have lost 4 pounds. So, yay to the weightloss, but I am in dire need of a coke. The cravings are so so bad. I'll continue to keep you posted!!

Blocked Goals

2009-02-24T21:42:00.004-07:00

As part of our small group, we are going through the book "Victory Over the Darkness" by Dr. Neil Anderson. This book has been amazing at discovering who I am in Christ and what that means. On our small group blog, Faith CYA, the questions were asked:

When has one of your goals been blocked?

How did you respond emotionally to your foiled plans and blocked goals? What thoughts went through your mind?

One of my goals has always to be a teacher. I remember when I was a wee little one I would teach my stuffed animals from my Monster Math book (I actually think I still have that fun workbook, anyways, I digress). So when I FINALLY completed my student teaching and worked toward getting my license I was completely frustrated by the hiring freeze that is in place now. My goal of pursuing my dream has been put on hold, and I have no clue for how long.

The thoughts that have gone through my head because of that have been riding on a rollercoaster. At first, I was frustrated and upset. What I had worked so hard at achieving now had to be put on the back burner. But, now, I have become okay with it. I had a horrible student teaching experience, and I honestly lost my passion to teach. I knew it was still my goal and what I felt God was calling me to do, but my drive to pursue that goal had diminished. I now see this hiring freeze as Gods way of letting me take a break so my passion could build back up in my heart. The past few days I have had the itch to teach again, and honestly, I don't think that would have happened had I not had this break.

I have never posted the questions and my answers here, but I felt this was extremely important for you all to think about as well. As Jeremy would say, "until next time..."

What's on Your Nightstand?

2009-02-24T08:08:00.004-07:00

As part of my 101 in 1001 goals, I plan on reading A LOT!!! To help me keep accountable, and also to let you all know what I am reading, I am joining up with the What's on Your Nightstand meme. The 4th Tuesday of every month I will record what I have on my nightstand to read along with what I have read throughout the month. I hope I can give you some good recommendations of books that I loved as well as books that I don't think I would read again.

I am one of those people who reads 10 books at once (maybe not 10, but too many) and takes a long time to finish all of them. I have been like this since I was in elementary school. I even remember my 3rd grade teacher commenting to my parents that she saw this and thought I should try to change my habits. Well, 18 years later, I am still into that habit. Call it what you want, but I think I just get bored with one book all the time...come on, a girl needs a little variety every once in awhile.

Since this is my first post, I do not have any books to review currently. And, hopefully next month I will have a picture of my nightstand. Right now, I don't even have a nightstand set up (my nightstand books are piled in our guest room where we have been sleeping for the past few days), since Jeremy and I just had our new bedroom furniture delivered yesterday. WOHOO!!

But, here is what is in my pile, and hopefully I can get through most of them this next month:

Victory Over the Darkness

The Power of a Praying Wife

The Tale of Despereaux

Baby Proof

From Blushing Bride to Wedded Wife

These are books that will be on my nightstand all year as I go through them daily/weekly:

365 Daily Devotions for Women

The Power of a Positive Wife - Devotion and Journal

Chronological Bible in a Year

What did I tell you?? I read a million books at once. I hope you check back with me next month to see what I thought of these books, and, be sure to keep me accountable and reading!!

101 in 1001 Update

2009-02-23T14:34:00.003-07:00

This past week was full of steps to start to get caught up on my 101 list. You can check out my full list here, but I will tell you about the few goals I am on the path to accomplishing.

18. Stay off the computer for at least one day each week (4/143) - I had tried to start this goal before, but could not stick to it. The past 4 days, I have taken a computer fast. Although by my count, I should be at 7, hopefully this past weekend taught me how to fast each week to get to my goal.

20. Paint the house (2/9 rooms) - Jeremy and I bought new bedroom furniture. We are having it delivered today, but in an effort to prepare for this furniture, we painted two of our rooms. We painted our guest room and our bedroom. I will post pictures soon.

Outside of these two major steps, not much has been done on my list. I recently took a stand to lay off carbonated beverages as I prepare to lose my 15 pounds. Unfortunately, I added more weight over the holidays than I hoped and my 15 pounds went to 20 pounds. In the 4 days since I have laid off the cokes, I have lost 4 pounds. So, I will fix my #1 goal to be 20 pounds, but happily I am going to add that I am 4 pounds closer to that goal.

I hope you all are having a great week, and that I have inspired you to create your own list of goals to stick to!!

Memorize What??

2009-02-18T14:09:00.005-07:00

Jeremy and I have decided to get involved with the Crown Financial small group bible study through our church. We were planning on taking it before we got married, but, after talking it over, decided to wait until we were married. I have to be honest, I'm not looking forward to it (sorry Jeremy). Not that I don't want to grow closer to God and get out of debt, but we have to memorize bible verses.

I know part of growing spiritually is becoming closely twined with God's word, and I'm down with that. My problem...I have a horrible memory. Give me a song, I can memorize it. Give me a number, I can memorize it. Give me a piece of text, and I can't remember ANYTHING in it. I don't know why this is. I remember struggling through high school when we had to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution, Juliet's soliloquy in Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet's "To be or not to be" in Shakespeare's Hamlet. I did finally get them memorized after spending hours and hours saying those silly things over and over.

Now, I understand, if I can do that in high school, I can surely get through a few verses. WRONG. Do you want to know what this week's verse is?? Well, even if you don't here it is:

"Everything in the Heavens and earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your Kingdom. We adore you as being in control of everything. Riches and honor come from you alone, and you are the Ruler of all mankind; Your hand controls power and might and it is at your discretion that men are made great and given strength" 1 Chronicles 29:11-12

I have been saying this over and over all day long, and you want to know what I remember: 1 Chronicles 29:11-12, I think because it has numbers in it. I just pray that God will get me through this week as I have not only this weeks scripture to memorize, but last weeks as well (no, I didn't flunk and have to repeat last weeks because I couldn't remember it, we were out of town.) I'll let you know how it goes.

Going on a coke Fast...help me Lord!

2009-02-18T14:03:00.003-07:00

I don't know when I became such a coke lover. I love all things soda, or pop or whatever you call it. Me, I call it coke. My favorite is Cherry Coke, followed by Mountain Dew and then everything else runs up behind that. As Jeremy and I work to slim our waist lines, I am going to try to give up cokes....t least for a little bit. Yesterday, we went and bought some Pomegranate Green Tea mix that has 0 sugar 0 fat and 0 calories. I made it today and am drinking on it in place of my daily coke. And you know what?? It's mighty tasty. I think I could use this as a great substitute until I get back to loving good ol' H20 like I used to. Be sure to check in to see how I'm doing with this huge coke fast.