Blooming

This morning’s walk with Espn was beautiful. I took these with my cell phone, so ignore the poor quality, but imagine it about 5 times prettier. At least I can show you my wondrous thing{s} for today.



Busy day. Mind’s flying. Wound tight. But…it’s Friday, and a nice breeze is coming through my living room.
 

We were rich!

How funny is this? Last night we were given free box seat tickets to the Cedarville Baseball game at the Dayton Dragon’s Stadium…and free vouchers for food. Lol. Now, keep in mind it was for a little hot dog, chips, and a drink, but nonetheless, we at dinner at the ballpark! Not quite what I had in mind – I was thinking soft pretzel, lemon chill, sausage, etc – but hey, next time I’ll be more specific! God’s so cool.

 

We enjoyed the game and beautiful weather. We seriously thought Eugene might have to be the ump, but luckily they were able to get two guys to hustle over to the field last minute. I really enjoyed cheering the guys. The team’s made up of some really great guys – their momma’s should be proud!

We had some quality time in the car, riding to Dayton, to talk about possible questions that Eugene might face in his upcoming interview. {Lord, please let him get that job! } We also were able to talk more about our pending decision. I’m thankful for his calmness and clear thinking despite the stress. I have a tendency to get a bit emotional when I mix stress with decisions. ;)

 

I wasn’t able to sleep at all last night. Too much on my mind, but it’s okay. I was given great advice this morning from my sister – definitely worth posting so I remember it later:

“   there comes a time
when you have to trust
rather than fear   ”

Just a few sermons ago, I distinctly remember Pastor Mounts saying, trust takes the plunge  and destroys fear. Good reminder for this week. Thanks, Casey.

Wondrous thing yesterday = a text from my good friend Melissa saying she’s praying for me. Loveit. {so much.}

Oh, and the strawberry update {as if you were waiting on the edge of your seat for it}, delicious smoothies.

 

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

4-5 {more or less} fresh strawberries, washed
1 banana
1/2 c. vanilla yogurt {or another flavor}
3 Tbs milk {just a splash}
3-4 ice cubes

Throw it all in the magic bullet cup, no need to cut anything. Blend it, shaking the magic bullet to chop the ice easier. Add a straw and slurp it up.

 

Trust & lean

It’s probably not a good time for me to write a blog entry. The only word I can think of is “OVERWHELMED.” That dumb word, that feeling, keeps circling me and hitting me like an annoying pestering fly today. I’m utterly confused and yeah, overwhelmed. That pretty much sums it up for today! But, I’m reminded of Proverbs 3.
Proverbs 3:5-18
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
       and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him,
       and he will make your paths straight.
⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes;
       fear the LORD and shun evil.
⁸ This will bring health to your body
       and nourishment to your bones.
⁹ Honor the LORD with your wealth,
       with the first fruits of all your crops;
¹⁰ then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
       and your vats will brim over with new wine.
¹¹ My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
       and do not resent his rebuke,
¹² because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
       as a father ^[b] the son he delights in.
¹³ Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
       the man who gains understanding,
¹⁴ for she is more profitable than silver
       and yields better returns than gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies;
       nothing you desire can compare with her.
¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand;
       in her left hand are riches and honor.
¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways,
       and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
       those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
I just keep begging God for his wisdom and direction for our lives. I’m pleading that he slams a door shut if we’re not supposed to go that direction. Or makes it obvious that we’re supposed to proceed. I desperately need clarity, and pray for His grace in this situation. And He is faithful, so I will keep believing.
On a lighter not {well, not lighter as in less calories!} I made nacho dip last night and we basically devoured it.
The thing about nacho dip is that it must be eaten right out of the dish. No plates, no silverware accepted. I promise, it tastes better this way {so much!}, and I’ve even converted Eugene to this style of feasting…just for this meal. He’s not going to be happy when he sees this picture! :)

He really likes this meal, most likely because it has bacon. He’ll eat anything with bacon.

Nacho Dip {recipe from my mom!}
*you can use as much of each ingredient as you want…adjust it to your tastes – Eugene would use 2 packages of bacon if he made it!
1 can of refried beans {I used fat free}
3/4 jar of salsa
1 cup of sour cream {or so…I didn’t measure}
1/2 cup {or so} of mayonnaise
1/2 head of lettuce
1 package of shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 package of bacon, cooked {I used turkey bacon)

Simple directions. Just spread you refried beans in a 9x13 dish, layer the salsa on top. Then mix together the sour cream and mayo, and layer it on top of the salsa – the salsa and sour cream will mix together some, but that’s fine. Then chop up your lettuce in bite-sized pieces and layer that on. Then your cheese, and finally your crumbled bacon. Devour with nachos using NO plates or silverware! ;)

 Yum, so delish and it’s definitely that dish that I get a craving for come Summer time.

Pray as life speeds by.

I have a vague prayer request. Please pray that Eugene & I make wise & God-honoring decisions, and for God to make his path for our lives super obvious in the next few days. We’re {possibly} facing  a very big life decision {yet again…story of the 9 months of marriage we’ve had!}, and while I don’t want to share details right now, I would covet prayers for us.

He coached in Mechanicsburg yesterday, so it was just me at our small group meeting. We carefully discussed the topic of intimacy in marriage using a chapter in John Piper’s book This Momentary Marriage. Two things were mentioned that I think have good application to life in general:

• Contentment is the antidote to the love of money and the antidote for all sexual sin. And I would even venture to take it further, saying that contentment is a great cure for many more issues and areas of sin in life.
• “The goal is to outdo one another in giving what the other wants” {Romans 12:10 “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”}

I bought the ingredients to make my mom’s nacho layered dip, and I’m really craving it. So expect the recipe soon! {Although, it’s a pretty common recipe.} Also, the Magic bullet’s back in action. Meijer had strawberries for $1 a carton! So, smoothies here I come!

P.S. I’m really thankful for all the hard work and time Eugene’s putting in to supporting our family. Between teaching, coaching, mentoring players, and helping with keeping our living going, he has had zero time for himself. And I appreciate it. I’m so thankful for him and what he gives to and for our family. {Hopefully he’s rewarded with a much-deserved job offer soon!}

Someday when we’re rich.

Eugene and I had a nice time at the Dayton Dragons game. We joked that someday when we’re rich, we’re going to actually have dinner at the ballpark – soft pretzels, lemon chills, nachos, you name it! Ha, our big plans for when we’re rich!

I took a picture of Eugene & I, but we looked pretty rough, and this mascot looks much better!

This is Eugene’s favorite player’s father. ;)

Sunday, we taught our kindergarten class that God made plants, and that “Everything God created is good” 1 Timothy 4:4. Oh, I can do hand motions for you to help you memorize it if you’d like. ;) And we went to a bunch more open houses again. It was perfect weather to drive around town.

I’m all packed for whenever Casey decides to go into labor. I’ve read over her {very educated} birth plan, and I’ve made the “baby’s comin” playlist. I’m excited to meet my new niece and give my sister a long-overdue hug!

Oh, and on a completely random note, I have a shortcut/tip for making muffins. I whipped up a batch of muffins just using a grocery store mix {mine were apple cinnamon"}, but they didn’t have a topping, and I love toppings on muffins. So I just poured a little granola raisin bran crunch cereal on top of the batter, and wallah! Perfect! {And so stinkin easy!}

Missed a Friday!

Yesterday was busy, and I missed my usual weekday post, so I’m making it up to you by posting a special Saturday story. Ok, so the story’s not special, just the fact that it’s on Saturday makes it special! ;)

I worked a memorial service in Urbana yesterday, which included a meal cooked by little old church ladies. Seriously, no one can compete with the cooking talents of church ladies. A.mazing. Then I booked it back to Springfield for a meeting with a bride and her family, and then drove out to my parents to ride with them to West Jeff to go out to dinner.

We met these three beautiful women at Anne & Tony’s restaurant for conversations, updates, and laughs. It was just what I needed – to get away from responsibility, ride in the back seat, not reach for my wallet {thanks, Dad!}, and walk away full and not stressed! I love my Grandma Goldie {far right} and it was wonderful to visit with her sister, Aunt Bert {middle} and Aunt Bert’s daughter, Marsha {far left.} Last time I saw Marsha was at my wedding. {Another great evening!} :)

I had angel hair pasta with shrimp and sundried tomato alfredo sauce. It was so delicious! Oh, and my mom bought me an early birthday present: Lemon Lavender scented candle. OH it smells SO good! {Which I really appreciate since our condo neighbors smoke and stink up our place. UGH!} But I’m loving this candle – burning it right now!

Today’s been nice. And tonight’s Eugene and I are going on a date to the Dayton’s Dragon baseball game. Should be fun!

I think I spoke too soon.

What was I thinking? Never say things are settling down! Maybe they will stay constant and calm, but a few discussions with Eugene last night makes me think otherwise. I can’t go into much detail, but we may be making yet another life-changing decision sometime soon…we’ll see. Lovely time in our lives where all the big decisions are bunched together in a matter of months. Oh well. I saw a quote today that was perfect for how I feel right now:

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God,” Corrie Ten Boom

Perfect. I also read in 2 Peter, that “God has given us everything we need for life and godliness.” Hear that? Everything. Rest on that!

Last night I tried the Pioneer Woman’s recipe Individual Scalloped Potatoes with Ham, and I think it’s a keeper. It was a lot more manageable and better portion control for just the two of us, than my usual crock pot edition. I didn’t work from the recipe, but I just read it the day before and did what I thought would work. So my attempt ended up something like:

Individual Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

3 potatoes, sliced
2-3 slices of ham, diced
6 tablespoons of 2% milk
butter {I used a lot less than she did in her recipe}
handful of cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Add a little bit {maybe 1/3 pat} of butter to the bottom of sprayed muffin cups. Layer each cup with potatoes, ham, cheese, potatoes, ham, and cheese. Add about 1/4 pat of butter on top. Salt & pepper, and them pour on a tablespoon or so of milk to each cup. Bake until they are tender by sticking a fork in to test them. Ours took a little over 30 minutes, I think. {Mine actually got a bit crunchy b/c I turned up the temp. after 20 minutes to 400 because we were starving!}

Eugene ate his with sour cream, but I enjoyed mine plain. :) I think it would be good varied with bacon instead of ham, or with an egg broken in the cup for breakfast or brinner.