2011

2011 was a year full of miracles...

 

Miracle:  a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of divine agency

We had lots of works of divine agency this year:

• Andrew's job... Last year he was teaching as an interim, but was hired OFFICIALLY effective January 2011.
• My NEW job... I had been working as a social worker at a non-profit for a year and a half, but thanks to GOD, and to my parents, I now work at their office.  AND I LOVE IT!!!
• Our house... It feels so good to come home to a HOME each day.  It is a great home in a wonderful location.  In a way, I feel like God gave us this house.
• Andrew's medical discharge from the Army.  We are sooooooo thankful for that!
• Our new church.  Wow.
• And... Andrew FINALLY shot a deer on the very last day of hunting season.  He went all season without seeing a thing!  Normally, my heart would break for the deer, but my heart broke much more for my hubby who sat in the cold, in the wee hours of the morning, in a tree, alone, weekend after weekend. 

And now we are looking forward to 2012 in anticipation of NEW miracles.

As 2012 approaches, these are the miracles we are praying for.  These are the miracles we are expecting:

• Andrew to get successfully enrolled in each and every class that he needs to take at MTSU... 
• Us to be able to pay for those classes and the books up front.
• For him to PASS THOSE CLASSES,
• And then for him to get into the graduate program that he is hoping for. 

It is gonna be a good year, folks.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares to LORD. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Plans to give you hope and a future."  

-Jeremiah 29:11 

The Dawn Has Broken

"By the tender mercy of our God,

the dawn from on high will break upon us,

to give light to those who sit in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace."

-Luke 1:78-79

Winter Snow Song - Audrey Assad with Chris Tomlin from Eric Rutgrink on Vimeo.

Happy Monday!

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."- 2 Corinthians 8:9 

Photo from here

And that is Christmas.  Now we know the grace of our Christ, who left His glorious riches in heaven and became a humble commoner.  He lived and breathed among us, suffered with us (Matthew 9:36 describes His "suffering with," His compassion, for His creation).

When we give up our lives, and our rags that we THINK are our riches, we become rich in Him... in our revolutionary Lord. 

7 Days and Counting

It seems like each year I pick one Christmas song that I absolutely wear out.  Last year it was this one, which will remain one of my FAVORITES. 

Here is my new favorite for this year: 

Joyful

 "His life is our light-- our purpose and meaning and reason for living." -Anne Graham Lotz

During the season of Advent, we light five different candles.  Yesterday, the third Sunday of Advent, we lit the candle of joy.

Photo from here

 I am a pretty serious person, very introverted and reflective in nature, and also mellow.  But I am also happy most of the time.  And, I am a Christian whose life God has blessed IMMEASURABLY MORE than I ever could have imagined.  Thus, I have joy in my heart.  And I want this joy to overflow onto others.  I want it to radiate so that others see it immediately.  I want them to see the joy of Christ when they look at my.  Because, in my own nature, I am quiet and not typically bouncy or giddy, expressing my joy as my witness is something I have had to commit to prayer and to God.

As Christians, we are called to joy.  And we have SO MANY REASONS to be joyful!!!

The light of Christ in our hearts manifests expressions of joy in our lives.

Photo from here... And it is worth taking a few minutes to check out the rest of her house too!!!

 "Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth;

burst into song, O mountains! 

For the Lord comforts His people

and will have compassion on his afflicted ones." 

-Isaiah 48:13

This photo also from here

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests." 

-Luke 2:8-14

One Day Closer

Today was the first truly COLD, WINTRY day we have had this year.  It was the kind of day when the sun never seemed to actually come out.  It was dark and overcast all day, and this weird not-quite-rain was in the air all day long.

It would have been a perfect day for cuddling in front of the fire with a good book... or just for sleeping in!  Except that it is a Tuesday... when people go to work.  And I am SO THANKFUL to have work to go to!!!  But I did miss that fireplace and book periodically throughout the day.

Aside from the weather, it was an absolutely crazy day at work.  There is no way that I could fully describe some of the things that happened or the people we saw today.  I do not even want to try because I could not do it justice.  All day I just wondered where the candid camera was.  It is like something you would watch on a sitcom... But it isn't quite so funny in the heat of the moment and in real life.

So, in the midst of the craziness, I longed for a little corner of the world that was my peaceful and quiet place.  And that is Jesus.  The peaceful and calm in the midst of a crazy world.

"In peace I will lie down and sleep; for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety."

-Psalm 4:8

Image from here

“The LORD bless you
   and keep you;
the LORD make his face shine on you
   and be gracious to you;
 the LORD turn his face toward you
   and give you PEACE.”
-Numbers 6:24-26 

Image from here

^"Rejoice always,  pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it."
-Thelssalonians 5:19,23

One Day Closer

Yesterday was a lazy Saturday, and it is looking like today is going to be a lazy Sunday... and those are often the best kind!  Andrew has drill this weekend so I have the house to myself today.  And other than a few loads of laundry, I have not done much of anything!  (:

The first thing I did after waking up this morning (AFTER having my first cup of coffee) was flip the page on our new advent calender.  I made this Christmas Countdown last week, and am very pleased with the result!

We started, obviously, with 25 days, and now we are working our way down to 1!  And then to CHRISTMAS!!!

Each day has a little snippet of the Christmas story on it.... The versions from the books of Luke and Matthew, and some of the prophesies from Isaiah.

I painted a wooden clipboard, and hot glued the big bow to the front to disguise the ugly clip. I had the Christmas-themed scrapbook paper left over from last year.  The bow was also a left over scrap.  I cut the numbers out with a Cricut.  The clipboard cost only a dollar.  The whole project was very easy and cheap, and hopefully we will get a few years out of it! 

For our coffee table, I set out both last year's and this year's December editions of REAL SIMPLE magazine.  And then I filled a glass vase (originally used for our wedding) with plastic, gold ornaments and pine cones.  I snagged the pine cones from our neighbor's yard and then sprayed some canned snow on them. 

For practicality and pizazz, I made some Christmas-themed coasters, which I also put on the coffee table.

I did not invest much into our tree this year, since I have just a hodge-podge of ornaments that do not really go together.  We put black and white photos on the tree to spice it up some... some of Andrew and me, some of my family, some of his, etc.  I would love to perfect this idea, and start putting pictures of Christmases past on it each year.

This is the message of Christmas:  We are never alone.  ~Taylor Caldwell

3rd Day of Christmas Countdown

I am a sucker for pretty home decor... plain and simple. 

And that's just my style... plain and simple.

And cheap.

Or better yet... free!!!

Here is a great idea (via Martha Stewart) for using what you already have to Christmas-ify your space:

All you would need to buy is garland, but you could also use twine or ribbon if you have either of those on hand already.  It is also a great way to display Christmas cards. 

I absolutely LOVE the idea of hanging pine cones on the front door.  It would also be pretty to spray some canned snow (HA!) on the cones:

This photo came from here.

There is so much I like about this tree. The whole set-up is so homey and cozy looking. I love that the tree is sitting in the big tin.  That is a great way to hide the legs of an artificial tree.  And I LOVE the pictures hanging on the tree.  We kind of used a spin-off of this idea on our tree, which I will show you tomorrow!  

Countdown to Christmas

Okay.... let the countdown begin!  (: 

24 days. 

I love this time of year:  The anticipation, the preparation, the excitement, the hubbub, the lights, the wrapping paper, and what ALL of it represents.... the glorious arrival of the Savior of our World!  

 

 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

-John 1:14

Meanwhile...

Yes, I realize that tomorrow will be ONE WHOLE MONTH since my last blog post.  So, since then, LOTS of crafts have been made, and LOTS of goodies have been baked.  I don't have many pictures, but here are the few I did remember to take:

 We sold coasters (made by me), and crocheted flowers (made by my mom) at the adoption craft fair in November to benefit the Chalos Adoption effort. 

 The church plans on making the craft fair an annual event, and each year's proceeds will go toward a new family's adoption fund. 

The craft fair left me itching for a new craft to work on. 

Hence, these flower headbands. 

  I have made SEVERAL versions since these three early attempts, and have made improvements each time. 

 I will post new pictures of my improved products as soon as I can.  These were my guinea pigs!  (:

In the spirit of Christmas, I also made a few greeting cards.  

And in the spirit of Hanukkah (which I am totally unfamiliar with), I made these coasters... per request of a friend.

And learned a lot about this Jewish tradition that I probably never would have learned had it not been for these coasters. 

Update!!!

Here is an update on my last post:

Lily (the blind dog), and Maddison (her guide dog) have been adopted!!! YAY!!!  The Williams family has adopted the puppies... but over 2,000 people expressed interested in adopting the pair after the release of the news article.

Blind Spot

I stumbled upon such a sad and touching story that I can't help but share it. 

Meet Lily and Maddison.

Lily is a six year old Great Dane whose eyes had to be removed five years ago due to a condition that caused her eyelashes to grow into her eyes.  Maddison, Lily's seeing eye dog, and Lily have been best pals ever since.  The two are inseparable, and now in need of a new home. 



Click here to read the entire story and to see more pictures of the pair.

Pinspiration

Thanks to Pinterest, I have managed to get LOTS of Fall baking and crafting done these past few weeks.  And thanks to my NEW JOB I have had lovely people to share my treats with!!! 

My mom recently decided to put a hot bar up at the office for patients to enjoy while they are waiting in the waiting room... And what goes better with a cup of coffee or tea than sweets?!  And who doesn't want to eat a frosting-laden cupcake right before or after getting their teeth cleaned!? (: 

So, in the spirit of Fall, and thanks to the creative people who made Pinterest possible, here are some more of the treats I have come up with for Fall so far:

 These little guys are my favorite.  They were super easy and turned out just as I hoped... they have found a special place in my heart! 

All you need to make these are:

Marshmallows

Sucker or cookie sticks

White chocolate coating

Black icing (I used royal icing so it would harden nicely)

Orange food coloring

Ribbon

For a step-by-step tutorial, hop on over here. 

Another easy, Halloween-themed treat were these candy corn cupcakes:

These things are pretty self-explanatory as far as how-to is concerned.  Since I was short on time, I made the process even easier by using a glorious thing called... BOXED CAKE MIX! 

All you need is:

Boxed cake mix (I used Devil's Food because that is what I had in the pantry)

Homemade frosting (I used Wilton's buttercream because it's easy.  And doubling the recipe made almost the perfect amount)

Yellow food coloring

Orange food coloring

Candy corns (optional) 

For a step-by-step, totally homemade version of these cupcakes, click here.  Her pictures are also much better than mine!!!

This cinnamon pumpkin bread (original recipe from Cheeky Kitchen) turned out wonderfully.  The only modification I made to the original recipe was replacing cinnamon chips with chocolate chips.  I actually wanted to use cinnamon chips, but didn't have any on hand.  And sometimes, you just have to work with what you've got!  

My favorite part about this recipe?  The cream cheese surprise in the center!!!

My next project is something non-baking related.  My mom and I found a great mirror/ coat hanger at Goodwill last weekend for ten dollars.  Even though it was in need of a little TLC, we snagged the thing, and with a quick paint job, transformed it into this: 

 It is the perfect addition to our little entryway. 

And the idea for handmade leaf garland came from here.  I only wish I could claim it as my own!

Today brings to an end the first week of my new job.  And this week has been the best I have had in a long time.  I absolutely love the job, and being at the office.  It is so fulfilling to go to a job that I feel truly and wholly invested in.  This week was the first I can remember that I have not gone to bed dreading waking up to go to work in the morning.  Quite the opposite actually... I have gone to sleep excited about the following days!  

And I will be going to sleep tonight EXCITED about our upcoming Saturday!  (:  

Table of Delight

" When the present is difficult, we too easily forget past experience of God's bounty, the tables spread with blessing when we were most conscious of our poverty and need.  If we choose to remember the grace of God toward us in the past, the present is transformed by hope, and dry placed become rich with the soul food for which we long.  The gift of memory keeps us on the path.  The wilderness of silence and solitude beckons us to discover once again that God loves and yearns for us.  We are lured again and again by the Lover of our souls, whose unconditional love always waits to take us back, to forgive all our unfaithfulness."  - Elizabeth Canham,  Feasting with God in the Wilderness p. 17-18

Keep Going

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don’t much care where--" said Alice.
"Then it doesn’t matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"--so long as I get SOMEWHERE," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you’re sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

~ "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", Lewis Carroll

Something I hear so often from friends in this stage of life (young adulthood) is that they are looking for their purpose... that they do not know what they are meant to do or where they are meant to go in life.  

I understand feeling like we are made for something great, and feeling like we have unreached potential inside of us... But, more than that, I agree that we just have to move SOMEWHERE.  The same principle applies spiritually... If we do not move forward, we fall backward and become stale.  Our spiritual life, and our physical life, is a process... a journey... not an isolated incident or happening. 

Sometimes life, and faith, requires that we "walk long enough," even without having a clue where we are going! 

Cookies and Cakes

Well, LOTS has happened since my last blog post, so I am not exactly sure where to start. 

Let's start with the good news...

I quit my job!!!  I gave my two week's notice last Monday, so Friday is my last day.  And I probably should have prefaced that by saying that I do have a new job lined up.  And this is where the news gets even better.

I am going to be working part-time at my parents' office!  Now, I realize that for many people this may not be good new; however, I get along WONDERFULLY with my parents!  And I CANNOT wait to start my new job. 

A big part of me really did love my job.  I love the little victories that come with it, and I love becoming involved in other people's lives, but coupled with other things going on in my life right now, it has just become so draining.  I come home and by the time I unwind and then start my schoolwork, I am just exhausted.  I feel like I have not been myself for months.  And that just isn't fair.  It is not fair to Andrew, and it isn't fair to my family, and isn't fair to myself.  I want to be invested in the rest of my life:  my family, my education, and even hobbies. 

Since my parents mentioned their job to me, I have felt like a thousand pound weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  And Andrew will tell you that I have been back to my "normal, happy" self!  I feel such a peace about the whole situation.  Next week cannot get here soon enough! 

In honor of my new-found LIFE.... Cupcakes seemed appropriate.  

And after much debate, Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream seemed the PERFECT celebration treat. 

I used the original recipe from here, but halved it.  It ended up making 48 mini cupcakes.  Here are the only changes I made to the recipe, and I only made them based upon what I had and what I did not have on hand:

• Used heavy whipping cream instead of half-n-half
• Used only all-purpose flour rather than both all-purpose and cake flour
• Used 2% milk rather than whole milk
• I garnished with white, pearly sprinkles instead of cinnamon sticks!

 On a less happy note, I apparently have a staph infection in my leg.  On Friday at about 1am it started making me physically sick.  And apart from that, it looks totally disgusting.  So I went to a walk-in clinic on Saturday, where they put me on a few different meds.  I still seem to be running a fever off and on, but overall, I feel MUCH better today than I did over the weekend. 

My adoring husband (who has really proven his love by sticking by me and my disgusting leg... and my disgusting mood...) called in sick at work for me today.  The result? 

Lazy Maple Sugar Cookies

I REALLY wanted to bake, but did NOT really feel up to it.

So, with the help of Betty Crocker, I cheated.  This is so easy that even someone running a fever can handle it!!!!

Need:

• 1 pouch of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
• 1 egg
• 1/3 C butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• Maple syrup
• Sprinkles galore!!!! 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and while it is heating up, mix the cookie mix, egg, butter and flour until it forms a dough.  On a floured surface, flatten the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick and, using leaf shaped cookie cutters, cut out as many cookies as your dough will make.  Mine made a dozen.

Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Let the cookies cool. 

Then, spread a thin layer of maple syrup over one cookie, and then cover with sprinkles.  Repeat this with each cookie until all of them are syrup-ed and sprinkled!!!

Voila!!!! 

Does it get any easier than that?  I think not. 

But, if you are in the mood to really bake, here is the recipe I would have used had I been in the mood to really bake. 

Moral of today's post? 

FALL is HERE, and GOD IS GOOD!!!!

A Bushel and a Peck

For the past few months, it seems like Andrew or I have had something going on every second of every weekend.  We haven't had much down time.  I have been longing for a weekend to spend time with him and with the rest of the family, to relax, to not do much of anything.  We FINALLY got that this weekend!  I could not have hoped for a better weekend!  Everything was perfect... right down to the weather.  

On Saturday, we went to a local apple orchard and picked apples straight from the trees.  My parents went with us and we all had a ball!  Along with ten pounds of apples, we also bought Pecan Sweet Potato Butter (and yes, it is dairy free), which I sampled immediately... so good! 

The men graciously offered to be the basket carriers during our apple picking adventure, and they were so cute that I could not resist a few snapshots.

I find these pictures hilarious... Both Andrew and my dad are such "men's men" that seeing them swinging these baskets while walking through rows of apple trees is absolutely heartwarming and hysterical at the same time.

Here is a shot of the men handling the apples that they worked so hard to pick!  (: 

After all our manual labor at the apple orchard, we all had healthy appetites, so we all returned home where Andrew made a WONDERFUL chicken salad using some of our new apples!  It was a great day! 

Source: tatteredandinked.blogspot.com via Logan on Pinterest

Two Down

Well, I successfully completed two of my five fall recipes over the past week.  And both were delicious.  Both were also incredibly easy. 

I made the baked oatmeal from Brown Eyed Baker, and halved the recipe exactly.  It was a little too much for me to eat all alone and all at once, so next time I make it I will half it once more.  Not to worry though... Lady helped me with the leftovers this time!  The only changes I made were in order to make it gluten and dairy free.  I replaced real milk with almond milk, and butter with a substitute. 

And also from Brown Eyed Baker, I made her sweet potato fries.  These were so good the first time that I actually made them for a second time yesterday!  They are simple, filling, healthy, and tasty.  The first time I made them I went a little nuts with the seasoning.  I added salt, pepper, and garlic salt.  It was a little overkill.  But the second time, I just salted and peppered them lightly.  They turned out perfectly.  I had them with veggies and was full and satisfied afterward! 

Not on the list, and not part of my celiac diet, are these cupcakes I made for a dear friend's birthday.  I cannot speak from firsthand experience, because I did not try them, but from what I hear, these were pretty darn tasty!  They are chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes with peanut butter cream cheese frosting. 

I got the idea for these from here, but changed them a little according to what I thought the birthday girl would like!  Instead of using white cake mix, I used devil's food.  And for the icing, I went with peanut butter cream cheese as opposed to buttercream. 

Here is what I did for the icing:  

1, 8oz. pkg cream cheese

2tbsp milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 C powdered sugar.  

Blend the cream cheese and vanilla together.  Gradually add the powdered sugar and milk until completely smooth.  

I kept the cupcakes refrigerated until a few hours before everyone was ready to eat them.