Things I Love

I am working on an alphabet book for my two year old niece to give her as a Christmas present.  The plan is to make a book with a letter on one page, and with a Bible verse that corresponds with each letter on each adjacent page.  I am VERY excited about it.  The biggest problem I have run into so far is deciding which verses to put with each letter... There are so many good ones to pick from!  The second biggest problem is pesky old "X."  Don't even get me started...

Anyway, that little project has had my wheels turning about what other things I can put with letters of the alphabet.  All sorts of things came to mind, but "26 Things I Love" was the easiest.  And since it's late, and I have been on my feet and working all day, I thought this would be a fun, simple way to unwind!!!

So, these are 26 things I love (with a few extras sprinkled in here and there): 

Andrew!!!! That was an easy one...
Baking... in moderation.
Crafting... painting, paper-crafting, decorating, wreath-making... the list goes on. There are more ideas in my head than I know what to do with!
Drinking coffee in the morning, in the peaceful quiet, and topping it off with a nice walk, before the noise of the day begins.
Eating healthily.  I should do this more often, because I always feel so good when I do.
Finding spare change in my car... or in the couch... or anywhere... and then using it on a Sonic drink!
Going to bed early.  This is pathetic, but it is true!
Having a productive day at work... the kind that make getting out of bed at 5am seem well-worth it.
Ice cold Diet Coke!  It is almost always my drink of choice!
Journaling... something I have not done nearly as much as I should lately...
Keeping the bed made.  Somehow, it makes the whole house seem cleaner. 
Learning!  We should all learn something every day!  And I love lists!  (: 
My dad.  He will always be the greatest man I know.
Nail polish... So many colors, so few fingers!
Opening presents... slowly... I love the sense of anticipation!
People.  I love them and I love helping them.  And I love having a job that lets me watch people begin to help themselves.... I also love "PLANNING...." Planning anything!
Quiet evenings with a good book.  Or a Real Simple magazine.  Or quiet evenings with nothing.  I just love quiet every now and then!
Re-watching old home videos.  I love feeling nostalgic.   And as much as I love them, they always make me want to cry!
Spending time with my husband.  It doesn't usually matter what we do... it is always fun!
Talking to my mom... on the phone or in person!
Unexpected gifts... given or received.
Very love baths after very long days...
Writing.  I have always loved writing... pretty much anything.  I even liked writing research papers in school. Strange...
X-tracts... Okay, EXTRACTS... vanilla, almond... those are my favorites for baking with.
Yellow!!! I also love yoga... Cannot decide which I like better!
Zoos.  Yes, it was the first word that came to mind that starts with "z," but I truly do love going to the zoo.  Honest.

What are 26 things YOU love?!

Dance Like Ya Mean It

 

 "...Then maidens will dance and be glad, 

young men and old as well.

I will turn their mourning into gladness;

I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow...

I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint."

-Jeremiah 31:13, 25

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast Spirit within me...

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

-Psalm 51:10, 12

Love is a Shelter

Inspired by Lyndsay, in this video, I prayed for my clients on my way to work today.  The drive from our house to the office is a solid half hour at best, so I have plenty of quiet time before the noise of the day begins.  I prayed today specifically for the people I knew I would interact with, either by phone or in person, I prayed for co-workers I knew I would see, and I prayed for clients who I knew I wouldn't see, but who were on my heart.  The difference it made was unbelievable!!! My attitude toward my clients was different, my feelings toward them were different.  My heart was softer toward those certain few who always seem to know how to rub me the wrong way or drain me. My words and actions were probably even different.  And as a result, they probably reacted to me differently as well.  When I began my job almost a year and a half ago, I was diligent in praying for the people I met and worked with each day.  I guess as I have become comfortable. I have become TOO comfortable and passive.  Or some days, I am just overwhelmed, and feel as though the LAST thing I want to do is even think about work... let alone set aside enough time and energy to pray about it!
Like me, Lyndsay has a fairly "common" job.  She is a teacher; there are lots of those out there.  And there are both good and bad ones.  I am a social worker. There are lots of us floating about also, and some are great while others are not so great.  Lyndsay is exceptional at what she does.  Because she loves in an exceptional way... in a way that is foreign to this world. 
If we all could, and would, love like this... day in and day out... through the stressful  through the mundane... We will make an extraordinary difference.  That is what Christ's extraordinary love does.  It changes us, and it changes those with whom we come in contact.  If we pour His love onto others, we will be blessed beyond what we can imagine.  And they will see love, possibly in a way they have never seen it before.  "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." - Ephesians 3:20. 
Maybe it is kind of like a flow chart:  When we pray, God's love is activated in us.  It is moved to action, and through our actions of displaying God's love to those around us, He will, through His power, do more than we can ask with the love that we share... "according to His power!" And I learned this morning that prayer is the key to accessing and activating that power.  Prayer opens the door for Christ to move on in!



Warren Barfield sings, "Love is not a place where we can come and go as we please.  It is a house that we go in and never leave."  As Christians, every moment of our lives should be lived in love.  His life in us should be undeniable. 
And then, we would be extraordinary teachers, social workers, mothers, fathers, doctors... Our love, displayed through word and deed, is Christ to those who may never see Him anywhere else in their worlds.  Love may be the only shelter some people ever know; the only constant in a world of change, trials, hunger, relentless sunshine, or bitter cold, soup kitchens and welfare lines, street ditches, or highway bridges.  The love of Christ reaches through all these things, all these places.  It changes and heals.  And we have it in us.  It is our calling to give it away.

So Much for NOT Blogging

I worked really hard today.  I was out most of the week last week... thanks to a horrific migraine.  So today was my "catch up" day.  And it was Friday!  (: 

In working so hard today (making up for lost time), I learned something.  There are lots of things that I can do as a social worker.  I even posted several months ago about what a social worker makes in a day's work.  In that post, I said this:

Social workers bring to light possibilities that people did not know existed. They make referrals. They make connections. They make changes. They make time. They make room. They make allowances. They make notes. They make phone calls. They make a difference.

And today I was reminded there are many things social workers do not, and cannot make.

• Social workers cannot make miracles.  We can only fight for change on the behalf of others.
• Social workers cannot make people change.  We can only help bring to light the need for change.  
• We cannot make people work hard.  We can only point them toward the proper tools, and maybe show them how to use them.  
• We cannot make everyone happy, nor can we make everyone like us.  We can only do the best jobs that we can, and be the best social workers we can be... day in and day out. But not necessarily on Sunday, because...
• We cannot make more days in a week.  There is a reason God came up with the seven day week, and there is a reason He inserted a Day of Rest into that week.  We can take a day just to chill... and "chilling" not only means being physically away from the workplace, but mentally and emotionally away as well...

Until Monday, that is.  (:

So... until Monday, let us all be the best PEOPLE we can be.  And then on Monday, we can resume being the best SOCIAL WORKERS (or receptionists, or teachers, or baby-sitters, or dentists, or doctors, or stay-at-home moms, or housewives, or lawyers, or grocery clerks, or crossing guards, or whatevers.) that we can be!

HAPPY WEEKEND!!!!

Paradox

I came across this poem recently and thought it too beautiful, and too profound, not to keep record of:

The Paradoxical Commandments

Mother Teresa
by Kent M. Keith

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, people could destroy overnight;

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; 

Give the world the best you've got anyway.  

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;

It was never between you and them anyway."

To me, this poem was a good reminder that I live according to a standard that is not of this world.  In fact, I live according to a standard that is quite opposite of the standards of this world.  And I do not live for this world.  I do not live to please those around me, though I am always happy when I am able to please some.  I give the world the best I have for the sake of my King, for the sake of the Creator of this world.  The reactions that my actions emit from others are insignificant compared to the Glory of my King that I will one day see.  (: 

Another Keeper

If there is one thing I cannot stand it is buying food, and then watching it go to waste as no one in your house ever seems to want to eat it.  I love veggies, and I love fruit, but it is so hard to buy them because I never know for certain how much will get eaten and how much will get thrown out.  Menu planning is great, and helps avoid a lot of potential waste, but as we know, sometimes life gets in the way of our plans.  If someone ends up working late, or if we get stuck in traffic, or if friends call us last minute asking us to dinner... you know the excuses!!!!

One fruit that I know will never truly go to waste is the good ole' banana.  Even if they start to go bad, I can always find a way to put bananas to good use.  Heck, there are so many banana recipes out there it is almost impossible to choose one. 

We had three bad bananas in our kitchen, and I decided it was high time to make something of them.  After deliberating between banana bread, banana cake, cupcakes, muffins, the options seemed endless... I went with muffins.  Automatic portion control.  Easy to grab-and-go with in the morning.  Practical.  Muffins seemed the obvious choice. 

The original recipe for these banana muffins actually refers to them as "Oatmeal Banana Cupcakes."  But they are definitely muffins.  And anything with the words "oatmeal," and "banana" has me hooked. 

I got the original recipe here, and made a few changes based on the comments of others who tried the recipe.  Here is what I did: 

Oatmeal Banana Cupcakes (That are actually muffins)

• 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 4 egg whites
• 3 medium sized ripe, mashed bananas
• 1/2 Cup honey
• 2 Tbsp applesauce
• 1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 pinch of salt
• Cinnamon sugar

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together the EVOO and sugar.  Add egg whites, bananas, honey, and applesauce.  Mix well.  
• In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture just until moistened.
• Fill paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 of the way full. 
• At this point, I chose to sprinkle (or douse) each muffin with cinnamon sugar before baking.
• I baked my muffins for 17 minutes, although the original recipe called for 18-20 minutes of baking.  

*This recipe yields 18 muffins. 

Best Ever

Andrew's summer has come to an end, and he went back to school about two weeks ago.  Kids started last week.... Summer just flew by!!!!  Andrew is teaching 9th and 11th graders this year. 
Because of my school and work schedule, I am going to be able to meet Andrew for lunch on Thursday.  Lunch starts right after second block, which just so happens to be 9th graders!  So, I asked Andrew if it would be okay for me to go inside on Thursday, meet the kids, and most importantly, bring them cookies. 

I found this chocolate chip cookie recipe that I have been dying to try (think I have even written a post about it before).  And this occasion seemed like the perfect excuse.  Not only were these the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made, but they were also the easiest.  The reasons I was originally drawn to them were #1) the lovely pictures posted on Sugar and Charm, and #2) the fact that they are BUTTER-LESS!!! I HATE making chocolate chip cookies with butter... the butter part always seems to get me. 

But these are perfection.  The texture is perfect, and the cookies turned out beautifully... just like the picture.  Which is something I am RARELY able to claim!  (: 

You can click here for the original recipe, which I followed exactly. 

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt and set aside
In a mixing bowl cream together oil, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add in the vanilla and almond extract.
Blend in dry ingredients and fold in the chocolate chips.
Bake for 8 to 9 minutes and then let them cool on the pan before moving them to a wire rack.

Had to Preserve this Somehow!

Okay... I have definitely cut down on the time I spend online each evening. 

BUT... I had to catalog this somehow.  It is too precious!  Hop on over to Kevin & Amanda's blog for more tidbits of their lives.   In the meantime, enjoy the adorable-ness that is Howie: