transparency and blessings

Dear readers, can I be really honest and transparent with you?
I'm kind of overwhelmed right now, thinking about my life at the moment. I don't need to give you my detailed schedule, but suffice it to say I am at school/work for an average of 9 1/2 hours ever day Monday-Friday. A lot of that time is in the evenings (for example, Wednesdays I don't get home till 10, and Thursdays my hubby doesn't get home till 9.) Meals have been sporadic, housecleaning even more so, and I constantly miss my husband because we don't see each other nearly enough.

Now, I know a LOT of people have schedules like this or busier, but it's a little more crazy than we've had in previous semesters. And I'm definitely not looking for sympathy; I know I've gotten myself into this! But I like being open with you. As cheery and upbeat as I seem on here and on Facebook etc., I don't always feel that way. Sometimes I'm snippy with my husband. I'm very often not understanding. Some days I'm so tired I feel like I don't do anything well because I can't focus. We've eaten convenience food way more times in the last two and a half weeks than I care to admit. And I definitely don't want you to see what my house looks like right now (although at the moment it's not bad in comparison with last week).

On the other hand...
I have been so blessed in the last three weeks it would take a long time to tell you about it all. And I'm really, really happy with my life.

I've gotten to start a little tiny ministry in our home once a week, by inviting girls from school over for tea, coffee, something homemade and baked, and visiting. I want to incorporate some Bible study into these get-togethers soon, too. This has been on my heart for months and I'm so excited to finally be able to do it. Joshua is incredibly supportive and has made this a high priority for me/us.

I absolutely LOVE my classes (all of them, which isn't always the case), and two of them in particular are going to be incredibly helpful with advancing my blogging and writing careers. I have big dreams for this blog, and I can't even tell you how excited I am at the prospect of some major projects this semester.

In less than three weeks of classes I've already made a new friend and strengthened old friendships. I'm excited to connect with people this year that I haven't connected with much.

Despite not spending tons of time together like we did over the summer, the time Joshua and I have had together has been quality. He brought me lunch today (frozen pizza is sometimes such a blessing), and we had a great talk for more than half an hour about something other than classes, work, and scheduling. I can't tell you how much we needed that or how refreshing it was.

There's so much more that I am so incredibly thankful for. God has been showing himself to me in new ways thanks to a class that requires we do Bible study and spend time praying and meditating. I've been able to worship in chapel at least twice a week. And boy, I love theology classes, and getting to talk faith-stuff with dear friends and classmates.

So as crazy life is... it is so, so good right now. As always, of course. I have a job I love...classes I love...friends I love...and of course a husband I am absolutely crazy for. And God amazes and awes me with how he heaps his love on us till I just overflow.

When life feels rough, I just look at the good things and thank God for them... and then a messy kitchen and sleep deprivation really don't look so big after all.

Linking with black tag diaries, The Fontenot Four

thankful thursday--blessed by those around me

Every day is a day full of blessings, but I am in awe of the new ways God constantly finds to heap his gifts on me. This week has been no different.

I am so incredibly thankful that I and my wonderful co-authors were able to release this book-- a labor of love, the physical representation of what we have learned so far in our marriages about cooking and feeding our families, the book that enables us to call ourselves authors.

Becoming a published author has been a dream of mine for years, and it is absolutely surreal that I can say that dream has come true, much sooner than I would have expected. God is so good. I am also SO thankful for the wonderful people who have already bought this book!

I'm also incredibly thankful for my two cookbook co-writers, including this beautiful woman, who you might recognize as Elsie from Richly Rooted. Yes, we got to meet in person! I'll tell you more about that soon, but I am so blessed to have been able to meet her face-to-face. Without Jami and Elsie, this book never would have happened. I am so grateful to be able to call them friends!

Words do not express how grateful I am for this man-- my best friend, my partner and teammate, my husband. He has supported me though every step of this writing process and I know he'll be by my side for whatever comes next. He has put up with me being on the computer for hours, trying out recipes on him, geeking out over food, and bombarding him with confusing chatter about book- and blog-related things. This man is my greatest gift.

None of these blessings are things I deserve, but thanks to the loving kindness of my heavenly Father, they are gifts he has delighted to give me. He is so very good.


What people have been a blessing to you this week? What ways has he provided for you to be a blessing to those around you?
Also, is it just me, or do other people geek out over food, too?!?

Company, Chicken Pot Pie, and a Cookbook

So last night we had some very special houseguests.

I'll tell you more about that soon! We love having company, and I love cooking for them. I didn't even do it intentionally, but everything I made for our friends were dishes that are included in Real Food for the Real Homemaker.

That's how great this cookbook is--- it's full of recipes and techniques you will use daily.

For example, last night I made Chicken Pot Pie, and for breakfast this morning we had Banana Bread and Homemade Yogurt. All three of these recipes are in Real Food for the Real Homemaker! Every day I make at least one thing that's included in the cookbook. The recipes I've written are the best, the basics, backbone of my recipe repertoire.

This is a cookbook that you will use daily, too. Here's what a day's worth of meals might look like--

• Breakfast-- Best-Ever Scrambled Eggs, Granola, Yogurt
• Lunch-- Tomato-Cheese Sandwiches, Cucumber Salad
• Supper--Slow-Cooked Pork Chops with Gravy, Salad with Italian Vinaigrette, Strawberry Pie

Not only does the cookbook include recipes that you'll use every day, but it has all sorts of other resources that aren't recipes. Have an abundance of lettuce and veggies from your garden? There's a section with suggestions for making a variety of salads. If you're like me and have twelve pints of cooked beans in your freezer, there's a list of suggestions for meals based on beans.

If you're looking to stock your freezer and pantry with homemade baked goods, we include recipes for tortillas, pancakes, biscuits, and more, that you can bake in large batches and freeze for the convenience of store-bought, prepackaged food.

Plus, you can easily create menu plans like the sample one above, and use the included Excel spreadsheet to automatically create a shopping list from the recipes you plan to make! I am SO excited about this new tool--I'm going to use it constantly!

Because we're fellow homemakers and know that budgets can be tight, we're excited to offer Real Food for the Real Homemaker ON SALE this first week!

After this week the price will return to $12.95, but for this week you can get the book (both PDF AND Kindle versions!), the printable recipe cards, and the Excel meal planner for just $9.99.

If you wanted to get the book on Amazon, it would cost the same for JUST the Kindle version!

Our dream and goal is for this cookbook to be a resource you can use and consult on a regular basis. Don't miss out on the chance to add this to your cookbook collection, especially for such a great deal!

Alone but Not Lonely

I'm linking up today at The Gypsy Mama for 5-minute Friday. It's been a while since I did this, and I like having the writing prompt--saves me having to decide what to write on! And it's lovely to visit the others in the link-up and see how they interpret the prompt.

Hop over and visit others' blogs, and maybe write a five-minute post of your own?

What to do:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word. 2. Link back and invite others to join in. 3. Go and comment on the post of the person who linked up before you. This is the one rule of this community.





Today's prompt: lonely.

I could be lonely right now.
I'm home alone, in a house that's quiet except for the ticking clock and the sound of cars going by outside.
But I'm not really "lonely". I think of lonely as a negative thing--alone, and not wanting to be. Sometimes we want to be alone. Even I like being alone sometimes, and I'm an extravert.

But I'm not lonely.
Sometimes I kind of feel lonely, even when I'm not by myself--missing my mom and dad and siblings (I still haven't fully gotten used to living eleven hours away from them). Missing my friends--all my closest friends live far away from me now, and I hardly ever see them.

Missing family and friends or not, I always have the comfort of my husband. With him, I'm never lonely. He's the best of both worlds: my closest family, and my dearest friend.

And more than that, I have Jesus. I know, there's no physical presence there--I can't reach out and touch him. But I know that the Holy Spirit lives in my heart, and I know that God is everywhere, all the time, so I'm never, ever truly lonely.

But there are so many people who don't know the amazing presence of a God who loves them, who desires to be always near them. I think it's those people who are truly lonely. And what's sad is, they don't even know what they're missing. That "God-shaped vacuum" C.S. Lewis talked about--they have it, and don't necessarily even know it.

I'm thankful that, although I may be alone, I'm not ever truly lonely.

unexpected blessings

The title of this post has two meanings.

1. blessings that were unexpected because they were things that didn't originally look like blessings
2. blessings that are good things but that I didn't expect to be given to me

Our God is one who takes joy in seeing his children joyful. He delights in us (see Psalm 147:11, Isaiah 65:19, Zephaniah 3:17).

I think he likes giving us blessings that we don't see coming (unlike clothes and daily food, which most people in the US can expect every day), because just think how excited you are when you get a gift you didn't ask for, for no particular reason except that the person wanted to make you happy. For example:

Last night our best friends (Ruth and Joe) called; they're going to be in town this weekend and asked if they could stay with us Friday night! What an amazing surprise. We're so excited to see them.!

Today I came home for lunch to see my husband doing dishes for me, plus he'd brought home milk and bread without being asked. what a man I've got.

This jury duty, as long and tiring as it's been, has been a blessing as well--I've gotten to meet and interact with people I probably never would have otherwise, I've learned more about our judicial system than I ever thought I would, and I'm fulfilling my civic responsibility in a way not everyone gets to do. Plus I'm getting paid just as much as if I were working at the library part-time!

Oh, and another unexpected blessing from jury duty was that one of my fellow jurors has chickens and brought me three dozen eggs for just $1.50 each. I ended up with over five dozen eggs in my fridge at once because they were on sale at the store at the same time!

In two days I had two people ask me to look after their gardens while they're on vacation in exchange for whatever produce ripened while they are gone. I spend a little time watering for free produce--definitely a win, and an unexpected blessing, in my book!

What blessings has God given you lately that you didn't see coming at all??

Paying it sweetly forward

I'm so terrible with these things.  Lindsey Brackett gave me this award two weeks ago and I'm finally doing a post myself.

I have to be honest with you: I don't always pass these on.  Sometimes they feel like those emails that guilt-trip you into forwarding them to 10 friends.  But this one was different.  Lindsey described me as "the sweetest girl I don't know in real life."  Awwww.  That made me feel special. :)  And Lindsey, it would be lovely to actually get to know you in real life!  Someday. :)

Anyway, there are a few rules that I'm passing on from Lindsey's blog:

• Thank the Super Sweet blogger who nominated you
• Answer 5 super sweet questions
• Include the Super Sweet Blogging award image in your blog post
• Nominate 12 other bloggers

Thanks again to Lindsey for her thoughtfulness!  It's lovely to be recognized. :)

Super Sweet Questions:

1. Cookies or cake?  Honestly... it depends on the cookies and cake!  Generally, though, I'll go for the cake if I'm given a choice.  I like both, but I LOVE cake.  Of pretty much any kind.

2. Chocolate or vanilla?  Chocolate.  90% of the time, anyway!

3. Favorite sweet treat?  Just one?!?  This is going to require some thought... I'm very, very fond of cheesecake.  Especially if it contains chocolate.  And caramel.  And toasted pecans.  So... I guess, turtle cheesecake would be way at the top of my list of favorite sweet things. :)  Then there's Cinnabon cinnamon rolls.  I love cinnamon.  And my mom's frosted cutout cookies... and homemade brownies... see, I told you I can't just pick one!

4. When do you crave sweet things the most?  Usually in the evening, when I'm hanging out with my hubby.  If there are no sweets in the house we usually whip up a batch of homemade brownies!

5. Sweet nickname?  My brother's godmother--a dear friend of our family--started calling me "Jaimiekins" when I was little.  Twenty-plus years later...she still does!

Now for a shout-out to the sweetest bloggers I know!  These are all wonderful ladies who are such a blessing to me, whether I know them in person or not.  Stop by their blogs and leave them some sweet comments!  (Also, ladies, don't feel obligated to continue the Super-Sweet award... but just know I think you're awesome!)  P.S.  These are in no particular order. :)

Jami from Young Wife's Guide--a good friend who I've never met.  Her blog is inspiring and encouraging!
Amy from A Contented, Common Life--I love her encouraging posts and meal plans!
Jamie from See Jamie Blog--I enjoy reading about her family and homeschooling (what is it with all these Ja(i)m(i)(e)'s?)
Julia from black tag diaries--I know Lindsey already nominated her but this is another of my best blogging buddies who I've never met!  Love doing Thankful Thursdays with her!
L from All Glorious Within--a beautiful sister in Christ whose love and passion for Him is in every post she writes
Lora at eager hands--an artist who makes beautiful things and gives her Creator the glory
Cari at Life as We Know It--a new wife and mommy-to-be who I met in college, loving following her pregnancy journey
Shaye at The Elliot Homestead--a hilarious writer, whole-living inspiration, and dear sister in Christ
Elsie at Back to the Source--another dear blogging friend and sister in Christ (who I get to meet in person this summer!) whose recipes inspire me in my cooking
Ashley at Stay-at-Home Daughter--a beautiful woman who encourages me in my faith and is on an amazing missionary journey right now
Elisabeth at a blissful simplicitea--a real-life friend who shares my passions for tea, Jane Austen, and Jesus
Nikki at Kindred Spirits--another dear real-life friend who inspires me in so many areas of life: marriage, homemaking, cooking, and living for Jesus

So many amazing bloggers.  Go visit them now! :)

Intentionally strengthening friendships

A friend loves at all times... (Proverbs 17:17)

Yesterday I talked about connecting with your spouse, and being intentional about it.  Today I've been pondering what that would look like with my friendships.

Many of my friends live too far away to see regularly.  But I try to make it a habit to call them, or at least send a quick email or Facebook message, once every couple weeks or so--just to let them know I'm thinking about them.

Even more meaningful would be a handwritten note dropped in the mail.  A few cents for a stamp is worth it to brighten a friend's day.  I know how much I love getting mail (that's not a bill)!

Those friends who live nearby I try to at least chat with once a week or so.  Sometimes it's hard with busy schedules to coordinate a get-together, but it's important to make those visits work on a semi-regular basis.  Maybe if your evenings are full, you could meet a friend for breakfast, or just a cup of coffee.  Busy weekdays?  Invite another couple over for brunch after church.

This summer I not only want to intentionally nurture my relationship with my husband, but I want to be intentional about strengthening my friendships as well.

What are some ways you connect with friends, near or far?  What is your favorite way to keep in touch?

Top X (10) reasons I'm excited for summer

This was my husband's idea.  X is the Roman numeral for ten.  Bingo!  A "top-ten" post!  Next week I'll do a top-ten things I've learned during the A-Z Challenge.  It's been quite a month!

Presenting-- the top X reasons I'm looking forward to this summer:

X: No homework.  I don't mind working during the day as long as I can come home and relax and not have homework hanging over my head!

IX: Summer clothes.  Hello, skirts, sundresses, tank tops and shorts!  I'm especially excited to be wearing my sundresses again.  Just pulled one out today for the first time this year!

VIII: Time to get the house clean.  No, seriously.  I was thinking up a list this morning of everything I want to get done around the house as soon as school lets out.

VII:  Summer work.  I have a JOB this summer!  Working at the campus library!  With some of the loveliest ladies ever!  Can you tell I'm a little excited about this one?

VI: Weddings.  FOUR of them, to be exact, and three of the four within eight days of each other!  In two of those three I'm a bridesmaid, and in one of those two my husband is a groomsman (we get to walk down the aisle together again)!  I can hardly wait to celebrate the marriages of some very, very dear friends--and especially my brother-in-law and future sister-in-law!

V: The farmers' market.  And the garden of one of my teacher-friends.  I am looking forward SO much to fresh produce, artisan breads, and fresh flowers.

IV: Time with family and friends.  My sister's confirmation is in just a couple weeks, we'll be in WI again at my parents' for one of the weddings, and they're coming in July (over my birthday week!).  Plus in August we're going to visit some dear friends after they move, and I get to meet one of my dear blogging friends when she and her husband visit us!  AND several of my closest girlfriends from school will be staying in town this summer to work, so I am anticipating some amazing girls' nights and thrift-shopping days!

III: Blogging projects. In addition to the eBook sale (going on next week!  don't miss this!), I have a few other plans up my sleeve for this summer.  I'll let you know more as I know more, myself!  I'm also excited to have more time for blogging in general.

II: Time to do more projects around the house and in the kitchen.  I'm hoping to find some nightstands and furniture for kitchen storage at garage sales this summer.  I also want to start making sourdough, do a better job keeping up with my kombucha, and develop a really healthy (but really yummy!) brownie recipe. :)

I: The number-one reason I'm excited for this summer?  More time with my husband!!  Life can get so crazy during the school year... I'm looking forward to quiet, restful evenings together, fun weekends, and trips to see family and friends together.  This is definitely the best thing about summers: I get to hang out with my best friend!

What are the top reasons you're looking forward to this summer?

Married Couples with Married Friends

Two of our dearest friends are visiting this week.  I've talked about them before--we've been friends for nearly three years now, and they are an incredible blessing in our lives.  The four of us have been able to give each other advice, help encourage each other in our marriages, and cheer each other on.  We pray with and for each other, laugh together, and share our struggles with each other.

Joshua and I also have other married friends.  They're people who are able to help strengthen us in our marriage, and who we have been able to encourage in theirs.  We're also very good friends with all of our parents, and they are an amazing blessing to us as well.

It's since we've started making friends with other married couples that I have come to realize how incredibly important it is to have friends who are married.

Photo credit:  photostock via www.freedigitalphotos.net

Finding married friends is easier for some people than others.  Since we're so young, many of our peers are getting engaged but most of them aren't married yet.  But if you're a stay-at-home mom with a busy working husband, the two of you might not have time to spend with other married couples.  It might be a struggle to find time to get away without your kids.

Can I encourage you to try?  And if you don't currently have any married friends, seek them out?

It's a blessing for married couples to have married friends for several reasons:

1) You can encourage each other, in so many ways.  Each couple can encourage each other in their faith, in their parenting, in their romantic life, and in various aspects of their marriage.

2) Women need female friends and men need male friends.  If you're friends with another married couple, it's a blessing for both you and your husband individually.  Your spouse should be your best friend, but women understand each other in ways that men don't, and the same is true for men.

3) You can provide childcare for each other.  If you struggle with finding time for a date night, you can exchange childcare with another couple.  One night a week, you can take care of their children, and another night, they can watch yours.  This way each couple gets some time alone, and it will save you money on babysitters!

4) You can be accountable to each other.  If you and your spouse are struggling in an area of your marriage, ask trusted friends to hold you accountable to working on the problem.

5) Have fun together!  When our friends still lived nearby, we had dinner with them almost every week, played games together, went on double-dates together, and spent a lot of time laughing together.  We still do. :)


Having friends who you can go to with anything is a huge stress reliever.  It's a spiritual lift--you can  pray for each other and encourage each other in your faith.  And it will add joy and peace to your life, when you can laugh together and enjoy being together.

If you have married friends, thank God for them!  Tell them you're thankful for them.  And enjoy the blessing of their friendship.

If you don't have any friends who are married, seek them out.  Are their parents of your children's classmates with whom you have things in common?  Are there other couples at your church around your age?  Is there anyone at your workplace with whom you could begin a friendship?  Ask God's guidance, and ask him to bring some friends in your life.  God can bless you through your friends--and through you, he can bless them.

Today, I'm thanking God for my friends.


What about you?  If you're married, do you have friends who are?  What are you thankful for about them?

Linking today with: A Proverbs 31 Wife, Countrified Hicks (I'm featured here this week!!), The Alabaster Jar,  What Joy is Mine, Raising Arrows, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom

Thankfulness in all things

It's been a few weeks since I wrote a "Thankful Thursday" post.  These last several days have kept me quite busy--but you know, I'm thankful for the busyness too, because it's a result of having fantastic college classes, a home to care for, friends with whom to spend time, responsibilities to fulfill.

I'm thankful for the opportunity I had last week to be on the hair and makeup crew for our school's production of "Arsenic and Old Lace."  The cast and crew were such a fun group of people to work with, and despite being gone every evening for a week, I'm so glad I was a part of it!

I am SO thankful for the amazing professors we have here.  They're always open to talking about anything, class-related or not.  They're fantastic teachers.  They encourage me in my faith.  They help me stretch myself, learn and grow.

I am thankful for the creative ways we've been making food stretch the last couple days--payday is tomorrow!  This girl is excited for grocery shopping! :D

I'm constantly thankful for my sweet husband, who makes me laugh, who helps me around the house without being asked, who encourages me and helps me think straight.  I'm thankful for the time we've spent together just talking and having fun.

I am so thankful for our dear friends who are coming to visit us next week!  We're so excited to spend time with them--it's been since last summer since both of us couples were together.  They are such a blessing.

I'm thankful for the sunshine, and the slightly warmer temperatures this week, and the green things starting to come up from the ground.  Spring is coming soon!

I am eternally grateful for the love of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who did everything necessary for my salvation from sin.  It is because of him and his great love for me that I am able to live joyfully and freely, not bogged down by sin, because from it Christ has set me free.


What gifts has God given you this week?  How has he blessed you?  Please share in the comments!

Linking with: The Fontenot Four, black tag diaries, There's Just One Mommy

What True Friendship Is

We all need friends.  I suppose there are those rare people who are content to live a completely solitary life, but I think it's safe to say that's not true for most people.

What does friendship--true friendship--look like?

Let's see what the Bible has to say.

Proverbs 17:17: "A friend loves at all times..."
Proverbs 18:24: "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business.  Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you..." -Jesus, John 15:12-16b

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we ought to love one another...We love because he first loved us."  1 John 4:7-11, 19

Friendship is all about love--selfless love, agape love.  Real friendship, the kind Christ has shown us in choosing us, living for us, dying for us, is this kind of love.  We also show our friends the kind of love the Greeks called "Philia," a deep, friendly affection.

What does this mean?  How do we show this kind of friend-love?

"Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

That's what love is.  That's what it does, and what it doesn't do.
This is how God loves us, and how he has taught us to love one another.

Friendship love isn't mushy love.  The word "love" tends to be associated with romance.  But friendship love isn't like that.  It's steadfast, trusting, and unchanging.  It's the kind of love between people that lets them say, "I'm going to stick with you no matter what, I'll always have your back, and when you're being an idiot, I'll let you know."

I should point out that there are different kinds of friends.  There are kindred spirits, or friends of the heart--friends with whom you seem to have everything in common, friends who share your heart on all the most important things, friends you will have for all your life.  These are the rarer kind of friends.  Only a few of them may come into your life, but only a few are really needed.  These are the people you will always be able to count on, and even if you don't see them in person for a long time, you'll never lose touch.

Then there are those friends who we talk to at school, work, and church, people who we'll happily visit with over coffee, but people to whom we don't tell all our secrets.  These are great people to have in your life, and they can be a great blessing.

As a woman, I know how women think.  We make lots of connections, we like having a network of people we know.  (I'm also an extrovert, so I can't speak for introverts here.  Please give me some input in the comments!)  I used to have the habit of trying to cultivate a large group of close friends.  It's only been recently that I realized the value of just a few close friends, and remaining friendly with other people I know.

Perhaps you don't have any very close friends.  Maybe there isn't someone in your life who you can open your heart to.  Even if you're married, there are emotional needs that women have that can't be met by even the dearest man in our lives.  Girl friends are necessary whether you're young or middle-aged, married or single.  If you struggle with making friends, my heart aches for you.  I will be praying for you, that the Lord will bring a person in your life to meet those friendship needs!

I can suggest to you that to gain friends, you can work on being the kind of friend you'd like to have.
-Be intentional about getting together with people you know.  Make that phone call.  Set up a coffee date.
-Keep in touch with people you value.  Send an email or even a text or Facebook message.  If writing notes is your thing, drop a card in the mail.
-Frequent places where you can find like-minded people.  Join a Bible study for people in your demographic (if you're a mom, find a moms' Bible study at your church), volunteer at a place you really support, help out at your kids' school.  Do you like to work out?  Find a Curves or a Zumba class in your area.  Do you like to knit?  See if there is a knitting group that meets at a church or community center near you.
-Pray about it!  Even Jesus needed friends--although his friends weren't the kind of people his criticizers thought he would choose.  Jesus hung out with tax collectors, prostitutes and beggars (but I'm not suggesting that's exactly what you should do!).  God sees the desires of your heart, and he will answer your prayers (although he might not do it in the way you expect).

The bottom line is this: Our greatest and truest Friend is Jesus Christ.  He might not be physically present in a way that you can see and touch and hear him, but God is present in your life.  The Holy Spirit is everywhere, and if you are a baptized child of God, the Holy Spirit lives in your heart--closer than any person can get.  He knows your joys and sorrows, he understands your questions and fears.  He is there to give you peace and comfort and still your anxieties.  Never forget this, dear one.

"What a friend we have in Jesus,

all our sins and griefs to bear.

What a privilege to carry

everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

all because we do not carry

everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged--

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness--

take it to the Lord in prayer."

Text, Joseph M. Scriven

source

Linking up, with thanks, to: Time-Warp Wife, Growing Home, Fancy Little Things

It's still Thursday, and I'm still thankful

Oh, so thankful, for so many things!

(This is my four hundredth post!!)

My beloved friend Ruth spent the last five days with us.  We ate good food, worshiped together, laughed together, spent lots of time talking (and staying up late) and reconnected like it had been six days instead of six months since we'd been together.  She is an incredible gift from God.

Lord willing, we'll visit Ruth and her husband over spring break.  I am so thankful for friends like them (and Sara, who has also been such a blessing to me lately--as always)!!

I am thankful for the ways God makes His word and will abundantly clear to me.  Like this week, I heard Romans 8 three days in a row.  And I heard this message, over and over, just in slightly different words--God using His people to speak to me:

"Life won't always be easy.  Just because you believe in Me doesn't mean things will always work out the way you want them to.  But My will will always be done, and I always have your best interests in mind.  I love you, and you have a lot of friends and family who love you, too.  I will bless you in ways you would never have imagined.  I will always take care of and provide for you.  Simply trust Me in all things--you have nothing to worry about or fear.  You are My child, little one, and that means you are always in My care."

My darling husband--who has such a servant's heart--cleaned out the massive (and disgusting) clog in our kitchen sink this past week, and fixed the drippy pipe.  I never realized how much I generally take my kitchen sink for granted, of all things, but I learned how much I should appreciate it when I had to do dishes in the bathroom!

Every semester I have classes that get me so excited to learn.  This semester, I'm excited about all of them!  I have English, theology, history and science classes, and (as mentioned in a previous post) I'm taking volleyball and soccer.  By the end of this semester I'll be done with my general education (yes, after four years).  I like and greatly respect all of my professors, and I know this is going to be a great semester.

I am so thankful for our home, and even the never-ending responsibility of keeping it clean and in order.  We have such a lovely place to live, which I appreciate all the more since Joshua rearranged last weekend--it's fun to have a "new" space in which to live.

This week has been so bitterly cold, which has made me all the more thankful for our car!  Especially with having Ruth here, it has been wonderful to have our own transportation.  I am, however, looking forward to warmer temperatures and walking/biking weather again!

I'm also thankful for new followers here and new friends on Facebook!  If you're new here, please comment and introduce yourself--I can't wait to get to know you!

"Be joyful always," Paul wrote, "pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)  This is my prayer for me, and for you, today and always.


Linking up with:
black tag diaries, The Fontenot Four, There's Just One Mommy, Lovely Little Whimsy, Loved and Lovely

"Fab Five" Friday (and GIVEAWAY announcement!)

Laura and Falen at Upward Not Inward are hosting a Friday "Fab Five" linkup, and I'm happy to be joining them today!

This week I am grateful for:
Employment, and time with one of my best friends (which we've worked into our schedules, so we'll be intentional about getting together every week!).  I am also thankful for the time Joshua and I have had to spend together this week, despite busy work schedules.

This week I enjoyed:
Driving to and from work and school!  Thanks to God's goodness and the generosity of my parents and aunt and uncle, Joshua and I now have a car!!  Also, I am loving all my new classes--it's going to be a fantastic semester.

This week I learned:
That getting up early is one of the best things I can do for myself in a day, because it gives me time to do things like reading my Bible (did that every day this week!), blogging (almost every day!), and eating a good breakfast without being rushed to get out the door.  I also learned that I cannot serve in volleyball--need to work on that!

This week I accomplished:
I kept (mostly) on track with the dishes this whole week.  I have a bad habit of leaving dirty supper dishes till the next day and letting them pile up.  I've been pretty good this week at not doing that.  By tomorrow night, I will have accomplished all my housecleaning for this week! :)

I am looking forward to:
Going to see The Hobbit again tonight with my hubby, and the arrival of one of our dearest friends for a five-day visit!  She's staying with us while in town for, technically, a business reunion, but I'm SO excited to see her (it's been over six months)!!!


Finally, I'm really looking forward to hosting my first-ever GIVEAWAY, beginning on Monday!  I'll be giving away THREE copies of the Rekindling Romance eBooklet and eKit from Jason and Jami, the couple behind A Biblical Marriage.  If you're married, this will make a fantastic addition to your Valentine's Day celebrations--get excited!! :)

Linking up with Upward Not Inward, Black Tag Diaries, Lovely Little Whimsy, Loved and Lovely

Blogging and real-life friendships!

One thing I really, really love about blogging is the community that develops among bloggers and readers.  I've gotten to "know" several fellow bloggers via Facebook, and I am so thankful for the blessing they are to me.  It's wonderful to have friends who have had similar life experiences as me, and who are just a little ahead of me in life, to learn from and be encouraged by.  I have gotten to know a few bloggers with whom I have real-life connections.  One, Kayla, is married to a former fellow camp counselor, and another, Beth, goes to my parents' church and became friends with my mom before Beth and I ever "met" via blogging.

I am absolutely thrilled that I get to meet both these amazing women during Joshua's and my visit to my parents' this week!  I met Beth this morning at church and Kayla and her family are coming over tomorrow.  Neither of them is blogging regularly at the moment, but Kayla has a website for her photography business, and I'm linking to Beth's post full of her wedding pictures.  It is a delight to get to know both these beautiful women, and I hope to meet more of my "blogging friends" in real life someday!

apparently I'm growing up...

So I discovered proof of something recently: I'm growing up.

How do I know?  Several things:

Joshua and I spent over an hour working on our budget this evening.  It was fun.

My goals for this weekend are: get the kitchen clean, and get the bathroom clean.

I'm looking forward to composing a grocery list and a detailed, two-week meal plan tomorrow.

I'd rather watch The Dick van Dyke show than any TV show made in the last 40 years.

A clean kitchen is a joy to my heart.

I would rather sleep than do a lot of other things.  (Although I realize this is also true for infants and the elderly, so maybe this isn't so much a sign of growing up as it is of simply being human.)

My bedtime is 10 pm.  Even on weekends.

On a similar note, sleeping in means sleeping till 9 am at the latest.  Bliss!

Junk food equals homemade pizza and brownies.  (Thank goodness.)

I would rather eat oatmeal with flax seed for breakfast than sugary cold cereal (yuck).


And yet, I'm still a 21-year-old college student.
But I'm also married, so maybe that's an explanation for why I feel so weirdly adult.

I realize, of course, that I still have a lot of growing up to do.  I haven't had much life experience in comparison to my grandparents, or even my parents.  There are so many things left for me to learn and experience.

But let me tell you, for someone whose peers are all still living on a college campus and whose biggest worries are test scores and what mystery food will be served in the cafeteria, it is weird to state all those truths I listed above.  I feel... unusual.  Isolated.  Often misunderstood.

That's why I'm so thankful for the few married, close-to-my-age friends that I do have.  Because they understand, and it's so good to have friends who understand.  Who get me, who can sympathize, and who know how exciting it is to have a grocery budget over $50 a week.  (Not kidding.  That's about what I feed us on, and I am so proud of myself.)

This Thursday, and every day, I am thankful for the life God has given me: the good and the bad, because I learn more from mistakes than I do from successes, and I trust God more in hard times than in easy.  I'm so very thankful for a husband who loves me even when I'm an idiot, for friends who accept me exactly as I am, for family who are always there when I need them.

Because there's one more reason I've realized that I'm growing up:

I have come to learn that the greatest blessings in life are those that can't be assigned a monetary value.  Not things that can be purchased.  Blessings that are tangible, but absolutely priceless: family.  Friends.  Faith.  Forgiveness.

No matter how grown-up I get, I hope to always remember that.

Linking up today (for the first time in so long...so grateful!):
black tag diaries, Jenni Mullinix, lovely little whimsy, kate says stuff, First Day of My Life, Passionate and Creative Homemaking

the reason for friendship. And my Best Friend.

I realized yesterday why God gives us friends.

It's so that he can love us through other people.  Friends are one of God's means of blessing us.

And, he gives us friends so that he can bless them through us.  It's a two-way street.

I mean, even Jesus surrounded himself with just twelve men--his closest friends--and even had three very best friends out of those twelve (Peter, James and John).  If God himself needed friends while he lived on this earth, then we certainly do.

It's so important to have someone in your life who you can trust completely.  Who can trust you.  Someone who will love you for exactly who you are, but still let you know when you're being an idiot.  Someone who helps you to grow, and become the person God is shaping you to be.

It's even more of a blessing when you have several someones like that.  I'm more thankful than words can express to say that I do.  Besides just my husband, who is my very best friend, there is more than one other person who I consider a true friend.

Not all of them are people I talk to all the time.  Some of them I haven't seen in months, or even in over a year.  But when we do get together, we pick up right where we left off.

Some of them are so much like me it's scary.  Some of them are very different from me.  But they are all in my life for good reason--even if God's the only one who knows what those reasons are.

I have to be careful to remember, though, that these human relationships aren't the most important relationship in my life.  There is Someone who wants to be my Best Friend, even better than my husband.  He wants me to come to talk to him about everything.  He knows me exactly as I am, all my best and worst qualities, and he loves me anyway.

His name is Jesus.

And if he isn't your Best Friend, too, I know he wants to be.  You can just ask him to come into your life.  He'll come.  He loves you more than you can imagine.  He's better than any human friend--because he's God.  He made you.  He saved you from all the evil in the world, and in your own life, and in yourself.  He died so that you could be forgiven of every bad thing you've ever done or will do.  He rose again so that he could, someday, bring you to live with him in heaven forever.

This friend gave his life so that he could spend eternity with you.

That's a real friend.

Of school and cooler weather...blessings abound

The seasons are changing...schedules are changing...routines will change.  It's that time of year, and it gives me so much to thank and praise God for!  It's good to be thankful...but it's essential to know to Who those thanks and praises go.  I am thankful to God my Father, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for all the blessings He gives me every day, and in this new season of school and cooler weather.

Today's post is really late...but I am so thankful for that because it means that today is the first day of our four-day weekend. :)  Joshua has two extra days off between his summer job, and school starting on Monday.

I am thankful for cooler weather!  We've had the windows open every night.  It's so wonderful.  I'm very ready for fall!

I am thankful that my friends are coming back to campus this weekend!  It's been a quiet summer...I'm so excited to see some very special people.

I'm so thankful for work.  I LOVE the people whose houses I clean.  I enjoy working catering at school.  And I'm so excited to get back to working at the library on Monday!!!

I'm thankful for financial blessings.  The bill for our schoolbooks this year was terrifying, but thanks to financial aid it's all covered!  We were even able to help out my brother-in-law with buying books for his freshman year.

I'm thankful for family!  In the last week my parents have celebrated their anniversary and both their birthdays, and my brother's birthday is tomorrow.  Plus we spent last weekend at Joshua's parents.  Our family is amazing.  I love them so much. <3

I am so thankful for the school we go to.  We have amazing professors, and it's such a blessing to be on a Christian campus.  I get to go to chapel every day this semester, and I am looking forward to that so much.  I'm also in three classes with Joshua and three with my best girlfriend, and that is an incredible blessing!

I am thankful that I get to be in "advance" hand bells, and choir, this semester.  I love music, I love the directors, and I can't wait to be involved in our annual Christmas concert in December.  It's also one of my favorite ways to praise Jesus--through music!

I love all the new things that come with this new season.  It's a reminder of how good and great our God really is!!


Linking up to these lovely ladies:
black tag diaries; The Fontenot Four; Kate Says Stuff; First Day of My Life; Lovely Little Whimsy; Passionate and Creative Homemaking

Blogging, Bragging and Baking: Why God is Amazing

God has been working in some pretty cool ways this week.  As always, he gives us so much to be thankful for, but this week he reminded us how awesome he really is!

A young married lady, E, started reading my blog several months ago because she saw a comment I made on a blog that I visit on occasion.  A few months later, she started going to my parents' church and met my mom and dad.  Recently, my mom had this lady and another young married lady over for tea.  My mom was telling them about my blog, which is when E realized that she read it already.  This past Tuesday, E and I commented on each other's blogs, which was when I figured out she was from near my hometown.  Long story short...we have an insane amount of things in common, and we spent two and a half hours facebook chatting and getting to know each other.
Yeah, told you God is awesome. :)  E and I are hoping to meet in person when Joshua and I visit my parents over Christmas break.  It is a very small Lutheran world!  I'm excited to see what plans God has for this budding friendship...because he obviously orchestrated its beginning!

My husband is awesome, and other people are well aware of this fact, too!  Very good things are happening with his job.  We are blessed, and I'm so proud of him I could bust.  God is amazing; that's all there is to it.

I got to take a nap this morning (which is why this post is two hours late...oh well).  But I woke up to cloudy skies and the gentle rolling of a little thunder...I sure hope we get more rain!!  It sprinkled a little bit!

We had dinner with some new-ish friends last night at their home.  It was sooo yummy.  Also, I made dessert, which you should all try... chocolate chip cookie dough in the bottom of a paper-lined muffin tin, a mini Reese's cup on that, and then brownie batter on top.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Oh my goodness, SO delicious.  And if you wanted to make it really easy you could buy store-bought cookie dough and use a good brownie mix...but I didn't feel like doing that so I made a quarter batch of cookie dough (had some left over) and half a batch of brownie batter (which was exactly enough).  YUM.

I'm thankful this week, also, for new blogging friends, and bloggers I'm getting to know better.  Blogging is a big world, and yet we still manage to find people like us--for me, that means a heart crazy in love with Jesus, almost as crazy in love with my husband, and with a passion for homemaking.  It has been so encouraging to find others who are doing and loving the same things I am, and who have been able to encourage me in my faith and in life.

This is a ridiculously long Thankful Thursday post...I apologize.  But what's a girl to do when her Jesus is so wonderful? :) :)

Linking up with some other thankful (and thriving :) ) ladies this week:
black tag diaries; The Fontenot Four; Passionate and Creative Homemaking; Live Called; a punk, a pumpkin and a peanut; Kate Says Stuff; First Day of My Life

God Gets Me {and speaks to my heart in so many ways}

"I get you," my husband told me last night.  "I understand how you're feeling."

This was after I'd started crying again, that time because of the wise and grace-filled words of a friend (the first time yesterday was in the car listening to Laura Story's Blessings).

It was one of those days.  Those days when worry and doubt seemed to overwhelm me.  When I felt full of guilt for not being in the Word or in prayer nearly as much as I know I should be.

So, knowing my heart, and my doubts, God spoke to me in a few ways.  Convicted my heart...and then encouraged and comforted it.

"We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
as if every promise from Your Word is not enough..."

Those were the words from Blessings that convicted me.  Yep.  That's exactly what I was doing...forgetting all of God's promises from his Word, that he would provide, that he would bless me beyond anything I deserve, that he would not forsake me.

Then, my friend wrote these words to me on Facebook:
"I've noticed that when I run into some funks [I had said that I felt like I was in a "spiritual funk"] I tend to feel guilty for not feeling repentant or loving or whatever the case may be.  But I don't want to force the feeling either.  I mean, God knows as well as I that it wouldn't be genuine.  And I'm coming to realize more what Jesus meant when he said that where a man's treasure is, there his heart will be also.  Like, my heart may not be feeling those things, but I can't change my heart's mind by willpower.  Instead, I think feelings follow actions in most cases, and that where I invest my "treasure" - time, effort, energy, talents, materials - that then my heart is going to be invested over time as well...and the more I practice that, the more I am certain it is true.
And so when it comes to those funks, all I can do is be intentional about investment in the Word, etc...and then everything falls into place.
Of course, the lovely Holy Spirit is behind all of that."

"Lead your heart," Joshua told me after I read the above message from my friend.

Then later, when I was sitting on his lap and trying to explain why I'd been feeling the way I had all day, he said to me, "I get you."  I realized that I hadn't been giving him enough credit...of course my husband understands me.  He might not all the time, but he knows me better than anyone.  I was glad to be woken up to the fact that he really did understand how I was feeling...and then it hit me.

I had, perhaps unintentionally, been assuming the same things of God--that he didn't understand what I was going through, that I had to try to carry the burden by myself, that worrying and fretting was the only way to accomplish anything... that talking to him wouldn't do any good.

It was as if God, in his immeasurable grace, said to me, "I get you.  Do you think I don't understand, child?  I understand exactly what you're feeling in your heart...I know what you're doing and why.  And I'm still in control.  You don't have to worry.  You don't have to do it on your own.  That's why you have friends, family and a husband who all love you.  That's what I'm for.  I'm taking care of you.  That's not your job."
That's the message I got from everything yesterday.

And God has the same message for you.  Even when it might not feel like it, God understands you.  He gets you.  He knows your heart even better than you know yourself!

Our Father is just wonderful.  When we sin, he not only helps us realize what we're doing wrong, but he immediately reminds us that we're forgiven, and he's taking care of everything.  He speaks to us through music, through the words of others, through the love of those around us.  His words to us might even be audible, a "little voice" in our heads (although that's not how it was for me yesterday).  But God still speaks to us.  He knows what we need to hear.

He gets us.

(and just as a little reminder and encouragement for you today...the song that spoke to me yesterday and many times before...)

Linking up today:
The Better Mom; What Joy is Mine; lowercase letters; Raising Arrows; The Alabaster Jar; To Love, Honor and Vacuum

family, friends, faith--so many blessings

I love Thankful Thursdays.
They're a rock in a sea of change.
They ground me.
They re-focus me.

OK, maybe that's a little dramatic, but I still love having a day every week that reminds me to focus on all the amazing blessings God has given me.  I mean, I know God is awesome, but really!!  He is so incredibly gracious all the time.  (For more on that, see yesterday's post.)

Today, I am thankful (as always!) for my amazing husband.  I can't put into words the blessing he is to me every day.  He is my reality check, my self-esteem-booster, my source of romance, my personal comedian, my best friend and my favorite person.  And just this morning he told me that the homemade cinnamon rolls I made for breakfast were the best he's ever had.  Bar none.  Including Cinnabon.  If he hadn't already endeared himself to me, that would have done it right there.

I am thankful that in TEN DAYS not only will my parents and sister be here, but so will my best friend and her family...and the two families will get to meet for the first time!!  I last saw my family in May and I last saw my friend...well, about two weeks after that, so it is high time for a visit.  And THEN the first week of August we're going to a family reunion with my parents, siblings, and, well, the whole family on my grandma's side.  (This happens about once every two years, so we are tight. :) )  And Joshua gets to meet most of them for the first time...which will be a little overwhelming, but I'm so excited!

I am thankful for good food.  Beef, cream-of-mushroom soup, and red wine in a slowcooker for six hours on high results in some of the most yumminess I've put in my mouth for a while.  And, as I mentioned, killer cinnamon rolls.  YUM.

I am thankful for friends with whom we can talk about our faith, and who challenge, inspire and encourage us.  We and another couple decided to start meeting on Saturday nights for dinner and a Bible study for the rest of the summer (and maybe into the school year) and I'm so thankful for them and our time together.  And we get to hang out again the day after tomorrow!

I am thankful that God continually speaks to and encourages me, and the many creative ways he chooses to do so...books, blogs, friends, family.  I have felt his presence more clearly the last week or so than I have before.  I want nothing more to be in intimate fellowship with my heavenly Father...may he grant me the grace to be open to that and to be in communication with him.

I'm also so very thankful for the new, wonderful people I am getting to know through blogging.  I wish I had more hours in a day to keep in better touch with everyone!  It's amazing to realize how many other people are so much like me...and how far the Body of Christ really reaches.  Heaven is going to be incredible (we'll have to have a big bloggers' get-together once we're all there! :D ).

Share in the comments, if you would like, all the ways God has blessed you in the last few days.  I love to hear how he is working!


Linking today with:
black tag diaries; The Fontenot Four; First Day of My Life; Kate Says Stuff; A Punk, a Pumpkin and a Peanut; Live Called