"kindred spirits"

{I've dreamt of meeting her all my life. -Anne of Green Gables}

I have a dear, sweet friend who really is a kindred spirit. She and I met in the lobby of the old education building on UCF's campus. I was reading at one of the tables before class and noticed she was seated at the next table reading my favorite book. I waited for her to close the book and then I said, "I noticed you're reading Redeeming Love and that is my favorite book in the world and I just have this feeling we should be friends." We chatted it up for a little while and then discovered we would share a class that semester. We hit it off quite nicely and started talking and hanging out quite a bit. In no time at all, I knew that she and I would be friends forever.


She is just as lovely and beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She is a naturally positive and joyful person and it comes from a deep faith in Christ. She prays often and it shows in her calm, peaceful approach to life. She is an incredible encourager and challenger in my walk of faith and I value her words more than she knows. 

We relate extremely well in our views on life, love, family, and faith. She is a fellow teacher and we could talk for hours about our passion for our calling and our students. That's why we get on so easily. We also really like to cut up, joke around, dance our fanny's off, and {window}shop til we drop.

{But I have a feeling we're going to get along really well. -Anne of Green Gables} 

 

The bottom picture above is Cynthia and I hanging out in the education lobby where we first met.

Another really fun tidbit about our friendship is that our Misters get along famously and if we were to live in the same city the four of us could hang out all the time and be really happy about it. I got to be there with her and for her when she fell in love with her husband and I will never forget the  first dates, listening to voice mails over and over from him, interpreting e-mails, and all of the giddy excitement that goes with falling in love. She and I both sang the same song at the other's wedding and I cherish the memories of both of our wedding days.

As of now we are a few states apart, but we talk about living in the same city one of these days. Whether that be when we are young and raising kids together or old and gray and rocking on the porch talking about the good ol' days, I'll take it and I'll never stop hoping and praying for it!

Happy Birthday, Cynthia! I love you, my friend and kindred spirit. May this day and this year be filled with blessing.

P.S. If you click on the picture collage it will open in a new window much bigger.

{True friends are always together in spirit. -Anne of Green Gables}

the beginning of a book study

I just started reading the book One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp with some friends and friends of friends through a facebook group/community. We just started yesterday and I am pumped about the study and the concept of the book. I am really looking forward to having dialogue with these ladies about the importance of thankfulness and how the regular practice of gratitude plays out in our every day lives. I think this is going to be powerful stuff and I can't wait to feel the impact. The author, Ann Voskamp, has an inspiring blog that I like to read. She has given us a great resource to use while we read the book and make gratitude more of a natural response than something we have to do after a birthday, shower, or Christmas when we sit down to write our thank-you cards. Go here and after you read her blog post you will see the link for the handy dandy printable.

I had trouble printing it. If you have trouble like I did try this:

Go to the File drop menu and click on Print Setup. Then choose landscape for the paper orientation.

Stay in Page Setup and select Paper quality. Click on the little box that says Borderless Printing. Then click okay and print and you should be good to go.

I've got a journal to write down the gifts that I am grateful for each day, but I thought this little booklet would be fun to have in my purse to jot down whatever comes to me wherever I'm at. Plus, it's so darn cute. And I don't mind transferring my gifts from the booklet to my journal. There certainly can't be any harm in a review!

I am joining Ann and many other bloggers in Multitudes on Mondays, in which we share the many blessings God has gifted us with throughout the week. I only have one day of this practice under my belt, but I just can't wait to get started; I am so excited about it! I don't know how I will normaly post this, but for today I will include what I recorded yesterday.

1.Good morning kisses
2. Conversation as we get ready for church
3. Spending time in worship with a great church community
4. Watching my very favorite movie with Andrew (he's so sweet to endure it)
5. A tidy house
6. The facebook study group for One Thousand Gifts
7. Having my family over for dessert and the latest Disney movie

 



she did what?

 

I do not possess one single athletic bone in my body and not once when I was growing up did I take part in any sporting event, whether it be a little league or P.E., with any kind of enthusiasm. I also have never been one to spend time in a gym. Just never have. However, now that I am getting older, my metabolism is slowing down, and I want to be a healthy mom who sets a good example for her kid's one day I have decided it is high time to get my butt in the gym.

Jessi over at Naptime Diaries has started this movement and I'd really like to get in on the action. It's called 1% change and the idea is to improve your life by taking one little step at a time. I like that. 

So this week my 1% change had to do with a huge fear. The gym. It scares me. I don't know what it is about that place, but I am so incredibly intimidated by it. I feel like the minute I walk in everyone in there is going to know that I'm a newbie and that if I were to get on the treadmill I could very well pass out from my lack of "being in shape" and all. 

So I didn't go near the treadmill. 

I got on the elliptical and I liked it. So my goal for the week was 3 trips to the gym to get on the elliptical for 45 minutes and I. Did. It!

I think this is a great idea/movement. Won't you join us in making a little 1% change to change your life for the better?

you're welcome

A few weeks ago I hosted my sister's bridal shower. I made these delicious chocolate covered peanut butter truffles and it would be rude of me not to share the recipe because they.were.incredible.

Here's what you'll need:

1 cup creamy peanut butter {I used Jif.}
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
6 ounces semisweet chocolate {word to the wise -- get a whole lot more than that.}

Mix the peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar well...it needs to be really creamy. Try not to make as much of a mess as my friend and I did when we made them; insert Ethel and Lucy moment here.





Line a baking pan with wax paper.

Do yourself a favor and get a melon scooper. It's perfect for portion size

 and it's makes the balling go a whole lot smoother and quicker.

We had to get a bit creative here because the baking pan wouldn't fit in my freezer. I ran to the garage to get some cardboard boxes and we cut them to fit the freezer shelves to give our wax paper support. The peanut butter balls need a good 30 minutes to freeze well. When it comes time to dip the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate you are only going to want to take a few out of the freezer at a time because they get gooey fast. Once they are gooey there is no easy way of giving them a proper chocolate dipping.  

Once they have been dipped into melted chocolate place them back onto wax paper on a baking pan and place them in the fridge. These do not have to stay refrigerated, but they tasted better and lasted longer if they did.

I put the truffles in these cute little boxes that I found on clearance at Michael's, spruced them up with a bit of ribbon, and placed them in the entryway/exit for people to enjoy as a thank you gift for coming to the shower.  

Evidence as to why I received many a phone call after the shower to a.) find out if they were homemade and to b.) find out if I'd be willing to share the recipe.

FYI in order to fill all of those favor boxes I had to triple the recipe. And to be completely honest I have no idea how much chocolate we went through, but it was a lot more then what the recipe called for for sure.

These were so delicious! I am happy to do a taste test when you whip up your own batch.

pretty please

I got the Anthro catalogue today.

I only need these 4 items to help me kick off the summer.

And a winning lottery ticket.

1.Natalie One Piece

2. Heroine's Homecoming Top

3. Laguito Blouse

4. Walled City Blouse

any day...

that I get to talk to these two

 

and visit with these two

circa 2007, but it's my favorite

is a fantastic day!

my worth

This year I have been doing an in depth study of the book of Isaiah. It's been challenging! I have learned so much and there are weeks when I can hardly process all that's coming at me through God's Word because it's so deep and so rich.

Last week's lesson has just really stuck with me this week.

I grew up going to Sunday school. As a little girl I hung on every word the church ladies spoke on Jesus. I had a serious fascination with Him and I knew that He had done something huge to prove He loved me. I remember going up to the front of the church when I was 8 years old to declare my association with Him. I couldn't get there fast enough; I was so excited.

But with time came new priorities and a busy schedule. Despite His love for me, my love for Him dimmed and became less apparent. Less exciting. 

This week I can't stop thinking about and reading through Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

Jesus is Amazing.

At BSF, the lecturer put it this way..."He accomplished redemption and He is satisfied in His success. He is satisfied because we are justified before the Father. Jesus, satisfied Servant and exalted King, considered justifying sinners worth the suffering He endured on the cross."

The word "worth" has been emblazoned at the forefront of my thoughts all week. Worth.

The horrors He went through were worth it because it meant He could save me. He could keep me.

How often do I thank Him for enduring so much because He valued me more?

Try this out: Read Isaiah 53:4-6 and insert your name in the blanks like this...

Surely He took up Shannon's pain

and bore her suffering,

yet she considered Him punished by God,

stricken by Him, and afflicted.

 But He was pierced for Shannon's transgressions,

He was crushed for Shannon's iniquities;

the punishment that brought her peace was on Him,

and by His wounds Shannon is healed.

 Shannon, like a lamb, has gone astray,

she has turned to her own way;

and the LORD has laid on Him

the iniquity of Shannon.

This is an important passage. There is more in that paragraph than there is in any book on this green earth. And unpacking it, applying it, and appreciating it will take a lifetime. A lifetime well spent.