Happy Trails

Here are a few fun videos of the awesome date night my super sweet husband planned with some beautiful horses last week!  What a joyful experience for us both.  As he puts it, I am now in the presence of a "real cowboy!"  Thanks K-Love - Yee haw! :)

To Live is to Give

This past Sunday we went up to my brother Darin's church to hear him preach.  He is by far my favorite preacher to listen to, (obviously I'm partial!), and I respect him more than words can say.  Every time I talk to him or am with him I feel honored and privileged to experience the depth of his wisdom and heart.  He has taught me so much, and does an amazing job of leading and loving on the people God has placed in his life and ministry.  I still treasure the awesome conversations we used to have late into the night for the 5 years that Chai and I lived with him before I was married.

While I was going to post the video of the sermon we heard on Sunday, it is not yet online, although the audio version can be found here, entitled "Saul/Jealousy" as part of a series they are doing called "Frayed."  It was an awesome lesson on jealousy in our own lives and how our actions and posture towards Jesus has been affected by its influence and poison.

Fortunately for me, (and now you!), I did finally watch a past sermon he preached called, "Show Me My Life's End," as part of a series called, "Dangerous Prayers, "  in which he talks about what it means to truly live.  Wow.  What a ridiculously powerful message loaded with truth that brought me to tears.  What's awesome too is that I know the speaker of the message...and he practices what he preaches.  One of my favorite quotes from it was this: 

"God's glory is on display when we are gracious beyond words and generous beyond measure."

I am posting the video of this message, and I pray you'll watch it to be encouraged and challenged as well.  I am so thankful to get to know and love Darin and call him my brother; I'm even more grateful that he has surrendered his life in such a way that God has chosen to powerfully speak through him.  You have a gift my brother.  And God has definitely used it to influence your sister's heart.

(Seriously listen to this.  It's really good.)

July 11 2010 from First Church of Christ on Vimeo.

Miscellany and Meet Me Monday

I am linking up to two blog parties this week - Carissa Graham's "Miscellany Monday" and Inspiring You to Save's  "Meet Me Monday":
If you're here from either "linky party," thanks so much for visiting!!
1.  You will never believe what I did for the first time on Friday, due to a surprise date planned by my husband!!  Some wonderfully generous friends from church allowed us to come over and ride their horses!  Well, I think I've just met my new dream in life. :)  I truly loved it and hope to do it again in the near future!  Check back this week for more photos and a couple fun videos Kevin took of our adventure.

2.  I tried to teach myself to sew this weekend using YouTube videos.  Ha!  Roll your eyes, laugh, whatever you need to do.  Currently I have a piece of fabric stuck in the machine because I don't know how to get it undone!  If any of you taught yourself how to sew, please do share your wisdom...and don't worry, I am going to sign up for a class very soon!  I also picked up this book at the library today, for what it's worth.

3.  Kevin and I were invited over to our friend Jan's house for dinner Saturday night, and one of the other couples brought Mississippi Mud Cake, which was insanely delicious!  The funny thing about me and chocolate is that I really don't care for it unless it is extremely dark or unbearably rich!  Like this cake!  I will work on getting the recipe my friend Angela used, but in the meantime I found one by Paula Dean, and another on Epicurious.  Surely you can't go wrong with either!

4.  God is doing a powerful work in my heart lately, especially concerning orphans in our nation and worldwide.  Last night I spent some time researching adoption (mostly here), and the many children in need.  I wept and prayed over so many children, wishing in an instant I could bring them home or go to them and love them.  It is overwhelming to me how deeply God loves, cherishes, and delights in these children that he created.  I love how others such as my blog friend Venessa, have already or are in the process of loving and delighting in one or more of these precious children as well.  I have big dreams for how all this will play out for our family in the future, but in the meantime, I will pray for them.  I ask and encourage you to join in prayer for them with me.  As my husband said yesterday, "We cannot save everyone...but we can certainly pray for everyone."  As for one thing we can all tangibly do now, check out Compassion's website.  You can even sign up to regularly partner with them in ministry as a "Compassion blogger."  Kevin and I have just decided to sponsor a child, and I am planning to also do this soon with my homeschool student.



Sponsor a Child

Hope you've had a happy Monday!

Song for the Sabbath

"Take My Life" by Chris Tomlin

Fabulous Friday Finds

Today I'm linking up for the first time with Frou Frou Decor's "Fabulous Friday Finds!"

While I'm super bummed I completely forgot to take photos, I did make some yummy 'fabulous finds' for company we had over last night!  One I adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe, and two I found online this week.  I was very happy with how they turned out, so today I'm sharing their fabulousness with you!

Honey Lime Chicken

(from Rachael Ray

via

Mix together olive oil, honey, cumin, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, salt and pepper. (Obviously to taste!)  Marinate for about 30 minutes, or as long as you like, then cook on the grill or bake for 20-30 min. at 400 degrees.

(This would also be good in some sort of southwest soup, salad or quesadillas - yum!)

Roasted Asparagus

(found at Simply Recipes)

Rinse one bunch of asparagus, then snap off the thick ends.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spread them out on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then roll to coat.  Mince 4 or so cloves of garlic, and sprinkle that along with salt and pepper over the asparagus.  Cook for 10 minutes or until desired tenderness.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

(From a Kraft Cooking School video)

via

Peel and quarter 1 - 2 lbs. of potatoes and mince 4 or more cloves of garlic.  (Kevin said he could have handled more.  I was cautious.)  Boil the potatoes and garlic for 20 minutes, then drain.  Add 1 Tbsp. of butter and an 8 oz. container of cream cheese, and beat with a mixer on medium until smooth or desired consistency.  Salt and pepper to desired taste.  I followed the video for the most part, but I used 8 yukon gold potatoes for 4 people. (with plenty left over)  I also chopped up some chives to add in, but at the last second forgot them!  I loved this recipe - they were a success! Being from a small country town in Indiana and a mother who makes delicious Sunday and Thanksgiving dinners, I hate to admit this was the first (maybe the second??) time I've made mashed potatoes.  Definitely not the last! :)

We served chips and salsa (Private Selection medium - my favorite!!) for an appetizer, Tastefully Simple's Beer Bread, (we made this one with Mountain Dew and it was good!  thank you mom, this was our last pack from the box you gave us!), our company brought dessert, and we had a lovely night of laughter and conversation!

Have a fabulous Friday and weekend!

A Spoonful of Sugar and a Giveaway!

Well, the highlight of my day was rather unusual, but quite joyful as well.  Recently I discovered that the little boy I teach has not heard very many of the fairy tales or stories that I would consider "classics" from my childhood.  Stories like The Little Red Hen, Hansel and Gretel, The Gingerbread Man, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Ugly Duckling, etc.  So we check them out at the library and he loves to listen to them online.  Today we watched a 10 minute version of The Velveteen Rabbit online and it was so sweet.  I love that story!  It was fun to watch it with him.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams



Later in the day we were discussing poetry and how many syllables are in different words.  To practice, he wanted to play a game to see who could think of the word with the most syllables while we clapped out the beat.  Please tell me you know what I pulled out of my pocket!  Yes, the classic, "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"  And he had never heard of it!!  Well say no more.  It took me two seconds to pull up a few YouTube clips of Mary Poppins and we just had ourselves a delightful time singing along, smiling from ear to ear.  So I thought I'd take this opportunity to remind you to make sure your children, students, nieces or nephews get to experience some of the simple joys of our childhoods.  Move over Toy Story!  Today "A Spoonful of Sugar" definitely helped the homeschooling go down!  Here are a few clips to accompany you and your family's sing-a-long at home tonight:

Also, check out the giveaway being hosted over at Party Box Design for a blog design package by the adorable and brand new, 3 Cupcakes Blog Design!  I am definitely in the market for a super cute new and personalized blog design.  Even if you don't need one, you can gift the free blog design to someone else up to a year after!  Sweet!  Thanks PBD.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Today I'm linking up to Jamie's "What I'm Loving Wednesday" for the first time!  So here's what I'm loving today...

Encouraging Blog Comments and New Followers.

I have loved the sweet comments on my blog the last couple days...an encouragement to my heart!  Thank you for reading and for your kindness!

Homeschooling.

My little student and I had a great day today.  We do face our challenges, which is perfectly normal, but today I felt more confident and began the day by reading the story of Creation and praying with him...which was awesome.  Definitely not something that happens in public school.  It was also wonderful to spend some time outside, get to be creative, and teach him about life and kindness in addition to the regular school subjects.  I feel extremely thankful for this new job and season of my life.  I will be doing a much more detailed post about this soon!

The Taga Bike

Have you seen this??  Peter Piper Picked blogged about this awhile back and I just had to share it with you.  Let me just say, if I was having a baby and had an extra $1500 lying around, I'd be the first in line for one of these sweet little rides.  Watch the video - what a fascinating concept!  Love it!



Bolthouse Chai Tea

My grandma has been loving on me that last couple times I've been to her house by having this delicious drink on hand.  It's a special treat because of the price, but I love it!  It's great alone or awesome when added to coffee...(especially Pumpkin Spice coffee!)



The Etsy Shop "caitiedidesign"

I used to teach with my friend Cait from The Blessed Life last year, and she would always wear these awesome earrings that she knit out of wire.  Just recently she opened her etsy shop, caitiedidesign, and I am dying to purchase these blue beauties!  (I quite possibly just did...;)  What fun jewelry that makes such a beautiful statement!  Check her shop out here!

Gentleness.

Last night Kevin rubbed my feet and it was awesome. I am always asking him to do this, and last night I had a glimpse of why this might be. The word that came to mind was "gentleness." Immediately I started thinking about the fruit of the Spirit that the Bible talks about, and how we don't frequently focus on the fruit of gentleness. Yet isn't that one just so life giving? You know what I mean... pedicures, getting your hair washed at the salon, a gentle answer when you deserve one more harsh, an act of sweet tenderness...a gentle touch just feels so loving. It motivated me to focus on walking with the Spirit this week especially so I could work on cultivating gentleness in my own heart and actions. I believe it is life giving, much like the way that we so lovingly and instinctively know how to nurture and be gentle with a baby. So today, I am loving gentleness!

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, and self-control...since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

Galatians 5:22-23; 25

 

Hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday!

A Couple of Crafts and my new friend, "Singer"

Now for the big reveal -

Let me introduce you to the new joy in my life...

(Grandma, I know you resisted this photo, but I think it's sweet and you look lovely!!!)

My grandma gave me my very first sewing machine!!!  Even more special, it is the one she has used for years.  I know, I know, in the blog world I am lagging way behind in the dust of some savvy seamstresses.  Not any longer!  Look out you creative crafters - I'm bound and determined to learn how to use this thing!    Here are a few on my list that I am most motivated to try:

Rag Quilt Letters from Happy Together

I have been aching to make these ever since I saw them!  What great gifts for little ones from a teacher.  Please note:  I will NOT be attempting to quilt them!  Let's not get ahead of ourselves here!  My Little Gems is also a great source for this.

Buttercup Bag

LOVE this...so cute.  I know this would be quite an endeavor, and obviously way over my head right now, but I'm one determined girl...and definitely a dreamer! :)

Sock Monkey

This might be funny, but it's certainly no joke. :)  For whatever reason, I would just love to make one of these cute little monkeys!

Even more exciting for my grandma is why she gave me her old machine in the first place.  Look at this beauty that she recently received from a friend:

Now that is an authentic antique.  I am looking forward to some fun times ahead with my grandma's help on some projects.  She has been sewing since she was 7 years old!!  Which is why she said she didn't even know where to start with teaching me.  She suggested I take a beginning class somewhere.  Any suggestions??  I am thinking JoAnn's might be a good option, or I might try a small local fabric store.

Thank you for your generosity and for bringing joy to my day Grandma!!!

Although I didn't have my handy dandy new sewing machine last week, I was still busy working on some cute crafts.  One was the princess wand I said I was planning to make for my niece.  It worked out quite well, and was really fun to make!  I was so excited to give it to her.  I ended up pairing it with a cute book called, "Gigi: God's Little Princess" by Sheila Walsh, which I thought was very fitting, especially since she's holding a wand like mine on the front!  Come to find out there is even a cute DVD with the same name as the book.

I wish I had a wonderful tutorial for you, but being my first try, I was so focused on getting it right that I wasn't thinking of taking any photos.  Basically I drew and cut out a bunch of free-hand stars, which was the most frustrating part.  I used it as a pattern for my felt, (the dark pink was glitter felt!), and cut out two different sizes.  Then I used a regular needle and thread, sewed them together, and stuffed it gently with filling.  I painted the handle with silver glitter paint, then wrapped it in ribbon, after hot-glueing the end of one ribbon to the bottom, and one to the top.  I also used a little hot glue to secure the dowel rod into the star.  Then I finished sewing it up.  I'm not sure how long it will last, but it seemed pretty secure for playing with when I gave it to her!  Braelyn had a very fun birthday party and she is a super sweet little princess!

And finally, a little beauty for myself:

  It's only natural that a teacher who lost her job last year would have to find something to do with the yards of fabric she had on her bulletin boards!  So this is what I'm doing with it.  I have honestly been wanting to make one of these headbands forever, so finally I did.  I wore it all weekend too!  I was just so excited to finally join the fabric flower making family!  Basic steps: 1. Start with a strip of fabric.  2.Tie a knot at one end.  3.Twist  4.Glue (I used hot glue)  5.Roll  6.Repeat.  I am excited to try many more projects like this in the near future.  There are some great tutorials out there, and I particularly like the inspiration from these posts at Little Birdie Secrets and The Mama Monster.  Here are some other ones I have made but have yet to do anything with yet.

So there is my craft joy for the day!  Hopefully this means much more to come, and a whole new side of me in the blog world.  I might be slow to catch on, but eventually I come around.  :)

And because she says, "If you made it, post it," I'm linking to "Get Your Craft On!" at Today's Creative Blog!

I'm also linking to "Fabulous Friday Finds" on Frou Frou Decor!

Miscellany Monday

Hello there.  Thanks for visiting.  Here's to another lovely week of "miscellany!" (And trust me, this is as random as it gets! :)

1.  First things first...today is International Chocolate Day!  So significant, I know.  But I'm always up for something to celebrate!  Sounds like a good night for chocolate chip pancakes, chocolate covered strawberries, hot chocolate, and s'mores for dinner!

2.  On Friday I met a friend at a local Christian bookstore, and we spent about an hour checking out Bibles and looking at books that I enthusiastically recommended to her.  We had such a fun time, and it convicted about how much my reading has slowed down in the last couple years.  It is amazing how so many of the choices I have made and who I am today is largely due to how God has taught me and spoken to me through some of the books I have read.  How about you?  Any recent literary loves?  Please share!  Here is the Bible she chose and some of my suggestions for her:

The Case for Christ Study Bible

(Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith are powerful classics written by a former Atheist.  He infiltrates his research and findings throughout this NIV Bible.)

Lady in Waiting

(This is a great book for any lovely single lady who longs to trust God while she prays and wonders about her future spouse.)

Experiencing God

(This is a life changer concerning how you view and know God!)

Cold Tangerines

(My brother introduced me to this book because he was a big fan.  The author has a hilarious point of view, and beautiful perspective on life.  Her latest is called Bittersweet and it's next on my list to read!)

Radical

(This book is shaking the church in America as we know it...if you desire to follow Jesus hard core, and live with a faith that is undeniably real, read this...and buckle up {as my brother would say}. )

Mark of the Lion Series

(It is ridiculously wonderful how powerful and faith-changing these 3 fiction books are.  The series includes A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, and As Sure as the Dawn.  If you were only going to read fiction once in your life, I'd recommend these!!!)

My Utmost for His Highest

(An absolute classic!  The poignant depth of this book is convicting and encouraging on every page.)

3.  The next part of my weekend was a sort of seminar/conference at church called "Ministry is Relationships."  The speaker passed out a little devotional on the 25 life-changing "one anothers" we are called to live out in scripture.  He challenged us to read a verse a day, and respond with a plan of action to carry out that one another in the way of the love language of someone in our lives and communities.  My husband and the staff on his team at church have been very passionately sharing the vision for more fully serving and living this way, as we are called by Jesus to do.  If you want to check out more about his ministry and this "One Another Living Guide," go to cadreministries.com

4.  I am more than ready and needing to be in shape.  Unfortunately, my current plan of "a latte-a-day" just isn't working for me.  Alas, I know I must get back up on the workout bandwagon.  I too, like many women before me, have struggled with maintaing any sort of routine since I got married.  I'm not sure if you need reminding, but I will be turning 30 (and celebrating one year of my blog) in 3 and 1/2 months!!!  It is high time to get it together.  I have many workouts to choose from here at home, my favorites being Turbo Jam and Urban Rebounding.  So obviously I don't need to even think about spending my tightly budgeted money elsewhere.  But there's just one problem....this little thing called Zumba is quite the craze all around me.  And let me tell you, this girl loves to dance!  I tried it once with some girls on my floor in a college dorm room...and all I can remember is laughing my head off!  So who of you have tried this?  Any thoughts or opinions??

5. Did you know yesterday was Grandparent's Day?  If not, don't hesitate to celebrate the rest of the week!  Kevin and I headed up to my grandma's house to celebrate with her and her husband Don, who turned 91 yesterday!  They live in the Indiana Masonic Home, and yesterday was a celebration of the many years the home has been there.  Both she and Don grew up there as children, so they were honored in a parade!  It was adorable, and my grandma was a huge success...especially with her perfected wave, thanks to my husband's encouragement!  We ended the day with a delicious dinner at Indiana's own Pizza King, my favorite pizza place.  The drinks are delivered on a train...fun!!!

6.  Speaking of my grandma, I cannot wait to show you what she generously passed on to me yesterday!!!  A treasured possession.  I can hardly contain myself.  Let me just say it is closely related to the crazy crafting I've been getting myself into lately.  Here's a sneak peak at one of my creations...and an even cuter peak at one of my nephews, Jax!

Come back and read about it tomorrow!

In the meantime...

Have a sweet chocolate day!