Belated Take 5 Tuesday

The question I meant to post yesterday was...

What are 5 smells that send you reeling?

(My keen sense of smell leaves me with plenty of ideas. Anyone out there identify with me?)

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1. the fish market (just the thought of it turns me green)

2. dog (especially a wet dog, even if he just received a bath--that's even worse)

3. chicken poo (and any other kind of "fowl" poo--no pun intended. Believe me, cow and pig manure are much better than these!)

4. urine

5. the smell of earthworms after a warm weather rain

***I also really mind the smell of cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke, though it doesn't make me ill--just gives me an instant headache.

Weekend Report

Well, I'm happy to report some progress once again. Two pounds is better than nothing...or gaining.




On another note, (no pun intended), the musical on Friday was wonderful! My mom, sister-in-law, and I had such a fun time. It's rare that the three of us are together without the kids--okay it's next to never really.

We had plenty of time to sit and chat over a leisurely meal at the Coffee Company before the show. There were two people in the musical that were acquaintances of ours and we were thrilled to see they had lead parts.

First of all, Les Miserables has got to be one of the most difficult musical pieces to take on, so kudos to the Drama department for not shying away from it! I had seen a high school community theatre group in the area do this particular show three years ago and I thought they had done a great job. The male parts have to hit some ridiculously high notes and go back and forth into falsetto. You've got to give props to anyone who attempts them.

I was amazed by how well the LMHS group did. Those that played the parts of Fantine, Cosette, and Eponine--beautiful!!! And of course the guys who played Jean Valjean, Marius, Javert, and the bishop of Digne were really good too. The kids, Young Cosette and Gavroche, were so adorable--to hear them singing brought tears to my eyes. They were so good! Okay, so I cried at a few parts (especially during my favorite songs by Eponine, "On My Own", and her duet with Marius, "A Little Fall Of Rain".) I'm such a crybaby! :-)

I can't forget to say that I completely enjoyed the cleaned-up version, having seen the original. Monsieur and Madame Thenardier were absolutely hilarious and remained true to their depraved selves--just without the "in your face" vulgarity. Still, the utter poverty of society, the desperate plights of the lower classes, the issues of prostitution and crime were not downplayed or overlooked...a hard balance to find to be sure.

What a fun night! I've been singing the songs over and over ever since!

Girls' Night

I am so excited!

Tonight my mom, sister-in-law and I are getting some girl-time! Whoo Hoo!

First we're grabbing a bite to eat. Just this simple activity with the promise of at least an hour of uninterrupted conversation nearly has me giddy! (Oh my.)

Then we're off to enjoy an evening of cultural diversion--a local school is putting on, none other than MY FAVORITE musical, "Les Miserables"! Even though this will be my second high school rendition and I have seen the Broadway production, it never gets old.

"So long as there shall exist, by reason of law and custom, a social condemnation which, in the midst of civilization, artificially creates a hell on earth, and complicates with human fatality a destiny that is divine; so long as the three problems of the century - the degradation of man by the exploitation of his labor, the ruin of women by starvation, and the atrophy of childhood by physical and spiritual night - are not solved; so long as, in certain regions, social asphyxia shall be possible; in other words, and from a still broader point of view, so long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, there should be a need for books such as this."

I've Been Tagged

Lynn at rohalcall tagged me for this meme.

What was I doing 10 years ago…
In the spring of 1998, I was working as a full-time volunteer “hostess” at the Millersville International House. This meant I mopped floors, helped in the kitchen, cleaned the common areas of the massive 3 story house, and organized events for the residents. (About 30+ international college students with a few “locals” thrown in the mix.) I also was forming a friendship with my future husband who lived next door. :-)

5 things on my to-do list today…
~Finish meal planning and grocery list.
~Walk to the playground with my neighbor and the kiddos.
~Grocery shop.
~Wash whites.
I~ron Pete’s school clothes.
***(I LOVE lists!)

5 snacks I enjoy…
~Any kind of fruit (Especially watermelon, grapes, kiwi, strawberries)
~Cheese Puffs (My favorite of late is SNYDER’s Multigrain White Cheddar Puffs)
~Crackers (I am such a carb-girl! Wheatables Hearty Multigrain, and Triscuit Whole Grain Thin Crisps are oh so yummy!)
~Cheese (Definately Muenster & Farmer’s)
~Carrots & celery with dip or PB.

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire…
I’m not holding my breath, but...
~I’d choose some charities to support with a good bit of it, internationally and stateside.
~Pay off the rest of our school & mortgage debt.
~Save for the future, kids, schooling
~Visit Europe with my hubby
~Invest some: I have no idea in what though

5 bad habits…
~Procrastinating
~Speaking without thinking
~Comparing myself to others
~Letting the gas gauge get too low
~Slouching—I’ve got horrible posture.

5 places I’ve lived…
~Pennsylvania (growing up and during college)
~GUATEMALA (1 month)
~HONDURAS (3 months)
~Maryland (since being married)
~Pennsylvania (since last summer!)

5 jobs I’ve had…
~prepared and served breakfast, changed linens and cleaned rooms at a B&B
~sewing factory: made womens nightwear and robes
~bending and spot-welding metal
~making pastries and decorating cakes
~teaching high schoolers

Take 5 Tuesday

This week's Take 5 question is...

What 5 places would you like to visit someday? (They can be revisits!)

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My 5 are:
1. Italy (Rome, Venice, Florence)
2. France (Paris and wine country)
3. Poland (where Pete grew up)
4. England (London and the countryside)
5. the Caribbean (probably Mexico, just not a real touristy spot)

Warm Weekend

On Friday night Pete dug our bikes out of the basement so we could ride the 5-mile railroad bed trail closeby. So, we headed over there after dinner and had a great time getting some exercise together and enjoying the beautiful spring weather.

Natalia was SOOOO excited, she barely ate her dinner. As soon as that pink helmet appeared she wanted to wear it (though it came off for dinner!) and she was like a little puppy following her daddy around as he got everything ready.

While on our ride we passed all kinds of animals: goats, cows, horses, even white-tailed deer. She loved it!

Here she is, checking her gear.




I've been trying to take some pictures of her in her church outfits, but she hasn't been very obliging. I finally snapped this one while she was watching the neighbor's dog.

Onward

Well, last Monday I felt great--7 lbs. was more than what I expected.

I ate no differently this week, exercised a bit more, and...I gained a pound. ??????

(Grrrrr)

Don't know what happened. Still, I am determined to keep going. Onward.

Promises

I love Spurgeon! A good friend from our previous church/caregroup gave me Spurgeon's Morning and Evening as a going away gift last August. She knew I had been wanting a copy and I was so blessed by her thoughtfulness.

This morning, I was encouraged to hold God to His word.

"God doesn't give His words merely to quiet us, and to keep us hopeful for awhile with the intention of putting us off at last; but when He speaks, it is because He means to do as He has said."

Thank you Lord...
that your mercies are new every morning,
that you are faithful, though I am faithless,
that you will quiet my anxious heart as I
surrender my plans/desires and trust in You,
that you ALWAYS have my best in mind,
that You've given me EVERYTHING I need for life and godliness,
that you will use my trials and tests of faith to produce
perseverance...


What promises are you holding God to lately?

Lemon Sponge Pie

***This is a family favorite and comes from my Mom’s friend, Margaret Nauman.

1 lemon
¾ s. sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
3 eggs, separated
¾ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 1/3c. milk
1 unbaked 9” pie crust

Beat egg whites until stiff. Put in separate bowl.
Use grated rind & juice from lemon to mix with sugar, flour, yolks, salt, butter and milk.
Carefully fold in eggs whites.
Bake for 40 minutes at 325 degrees.
(My oven is really hot, so I bake it for 55 minutes at 300 degrees.)

Yummy Homemade Chinese

A friend of mine just introduced me to a great new source of recipes = http://www.kraftfoods.com/

Now, I love trying new recipes, but I also have a few rules. Not only does it need to sound yummy, but it's got to be at least partly healthy, and I don't want to buy more than 2 "out of the ordinary" ingredients.

Well, Pete and I enjoy the standard Asian food--nothing too crazy. So when I saw an easy recipe for Chicken Lo Mein, I immediately wanted to try it. It didn't sound intimidating at all!

I made some changes though. I used half the bottle of Ken's Steakhouse LITE Asian Sesame with Ginger & Soy dressing instead of 1/4 c., ( I couldn't find the Kraft brand and we like alot of sauce), fresh peppers (1 red and 1 green), a sprinkling of dried minced onion, (Pete's stomach is sensitive to raw and partially cooked onion), and doubled the PB and broth. I also omitted the cilantro--not a big fan!

We all loved it! It's definately going into the rotation! I couldn't believe how easy it came together. I also plan to try their Saucy Pepper Steak recipe next week.

Recommended Reading

I've been really enjoying some posts this week on the Metro Moms blog, which you can find on my side bar. (This group is a ministry of Metro Life Church in Casselberry, Florida.)

Since Monday they've been talking about evaluating our speech as mothers. Are we speaking redemptively, lovingly, defining our emotions biblically, and intentionally using our speech for biblical fellowship, etc. If you want to hop on over there and check them out, you can do so here. (I like that they're relatively short posts and only take a few minutes to read.

So often I find myself opening my mouth without thinking first. And I'm becoming ever-so-aware that I need to be more purposeful when I speak, especially when I'm disciplining Natalia.

Thank you Lord for your grace!

Our Sweet Girl

Thought these pictures were precious (of course I'm her momma and a bit biased, but hey...) and you all may enjoy them.

Hmmm, maybe she'll follow in my footsteps and be an artist, except that left-handed part.


Those bright blue eyes continue to level me. (And make me think of my Grandpa and Grandma Lentz--she must have gotten her eyes from them.)

One of my favorite parts to nibble, squeeze, and kiss--those cheeks!!! (Pete would say, "but those ears! Sorry kiddo, you got those from me. Good thing you can grow long hair and cover em up.") I think they're adorable. :-P


And of course, the mimicking continues--this time it's Tata's turn. Ya like Old Spice kiddo?

Update

Well, it's taken awhile, but finally it seems we are getting to know and see familiar faces within our new church family. Crossway Church of Lancaster is a body of about 400 (about what we were used to in MD), that meets in a high school auditorium in the Millersville area. It's about a 25 minute drive for us. Not bad.

We didn't visit any other churches after our move because we knew that our last "Sovereign Grace" church's doctrine and practices were such a good fit. With emphases on teaching the Word and being rooted in sound doctrine, passionate worship, and gospel-centered EVERYTHING...we have found this sister church to be what we hoped it would be. A local body, like the one we left behind, that desires to live life together, sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron, and make much of Christ--and little of ourselves. We are confident that this is the place where God will most certainly grow us.

We've already completed the 10 wk. membership class, and though we had taken one similar when joining the church in MD in 2001, God brought much refreshment to us through it. (Now some of you may be thinking, 10 weeks!!! But we so appreciate the serious approach these leaders take towards membership. They want there to be no surprises years later when a person discovers, "You belief this about __________." They take seriously the fact that they will give an account to God one day as to how they cared for those under their authority. So, though it is a time-consuming process, we agree that it is a wise one.

About a month ago we were invited to start attending a care group that meets less than 10 minutes away. The groups are made up of members only and are regionally organized. We are excited to be developing new relationships. We love the small group dynamic, and have found it to be a means of God's grace in growing us over the last few years. How powerful it can be to belong to a group that is devoted to practicing true biblical fellowship--not getting together to merely socialize, but to freely confess our sin, hold one another accountable, to ask the hard questions, to point us back to the cross...

And then, at the beginning of April, we started another required class, devoted to what it means to be a part of a Care Group. (Because we had been members at a sister church previously, they made an exception that we didn't have to wait to go to Care Group until after completing it--which we were so thankful for.) The meal we share together, the teaching, the "practicing" each Tuesday night--all have been such a blessing.

Here are a few of my notes from last week's topic--SOUND DOCTRINE FUELS BIBLICAL FELLOWSHIP:

"Doctrine" and "theology" can be terms people tend to avoid because they find them intimidating, they are sometimes associated with condescending people, or they are thought to be the subject of irrelevant documents. However, in reality, we are all theologians. We all have a body of beliefs we hold to be true, a set of rules and principles. The important thing is that we have clarity as to what we believe and why.

Why does doctrine matter? We all are giving worship to something or someone at all times. Sound doctrine keeps us safe from the falsehoods that constantly surround us. The knowledge and adherance or the ignorance of sound doctrine has an enormous effect on us and is directly proportionate to our lives.

A robust doctrine of grace means that confession of sin is no big deal, because God has already given the harshest critique of me--"I am a sinner, that apart from grace, deserves hell!"

Two key doctrines that underpin biblical fellowship are justification and sanctification. Justification means: an instantaneous, legal, act of God, that forgives our sin, credits us with Christ's righteousness, and declares us as such! (We will never be more justified than we are right now!) Sanctification is a progressive work of God AND man, that makes us more and more like Christ, and more and more free from sin. This process will only be complete when we are glorified with Christ in heaven.

"The only thing we ever contributed to our justification was our sin!" ~C. J. Mahaney

Progressive sanctification is the fruit that gives evidence of our justification, not the means of it. AND, without a proper definition of justification, we can easily fall into thinking of our santification in self-righteous terms.

Out, Out Blind Spot

I've been an emotional eater for most of my life and have experienced BOTH ends of the spectrum.

From 8th grade until shortly after graduating from high school I starved my body, occasionally binged--and pretty much allowed my emotions to dictate my actions and sense of self-worth. I felt "in control" of this one area of my life...and yet out of control. Without going into a lot of detail about how askew my thinking was, I am so thankful that God softened my heart, allowed me to see my sin, and make a turn in the right direction.

Years later though, I was still stuggling with emotional eating--this time my laziness and desire for gratification were the driving forces. I no longer feared food, I liked it too much. As the pounds grew from a few to more than a few, I would become depressed. I desperately wanted to change, and yet wasn't willing to make the sacrifices. I became an apathetic, mindless eater, yet the disquiet continued in my heart.

I read a book recently that I believe God used to create an "Ah ha" moment in my life. It's called, "For Women Only: What You Need To Know About The Inner Lives Of Men" by Shaunti Feldhahn. I had heard snippets from my mom a few years earlier, and those same things were good to read for myself. My "Ah ha" however came from chapter 8. It certainly helped to jar me out of a pattern of dangerous complacency.

Many men, for example, feel that they "shouldn't" care about appearance, but they do. Many women feel that true love should come with no strings attached, but still, [we] want to be attractive. And while [we as women] were delighted that he liked our looks during courtship, we can find ourselves feeling outright resentful that our appearance still matters so much to him now. [It's a complicated and hypersensitive issue for both partners!]

She goes on to emphasize that,

this subject isn't about being tiny. It is about showing our man that we're willing to make the effort to address something that is very important to him.

I'd like to recommend this book to the ladies out there. I has been a grace-filled eye opener for me, especially in this area of my life. (Obviously, these two quotes cannot FULLY capture the message of her book, just a small part.)

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I mentioned last week that I started counting my daily calorie intake. While it has been a real re-orientation for me, I am THRILLED to share the progress God has helped me make. I decided I would only step on the scales once a week, and since I know I need accountability, I'm going to post my results each Monday. (I must be CRAZY!!!)

Ahhh, Spring Is Here...Until Tomorrow.

We have thoroughly enjoyed the last 3 days of GORGEOUS 70 degree weather! Tomorrow it's to be once again in the high 40's!

I feel like I've been cramming all the warm weather essentials into a few days. Working on a painting project outside, potting flowers and buying shrubs for the front flowerbed. Eating all our meals on the deck, barbequed chicken, macaroni salad, lemonade, burgers and sausage...we haven't wasted an ounce of sunshine!

Can you say CABIN FEVER?!?

Yesterday, Natalia and I met our friend Lisa and her two kids (one only 3 weeks old!) at Long's Park for lunch and some playtime. Natalia and Kaleb could barely sit still to eat their lunch--the playground was calling to them! I just had to laugh at Natalia because she was going 110 miles an hour. Hmmm...that doesn't remind me of anyone at all! :-P I have no problem envisioning Pete as a child from the stories his mother tells me. I have the female version right in front of me!

The kiddos had so much fun, and Lisa and I had a great time catching up. I'm sure Kaleb took a long nap like Natalia did--I almost felt like I needed one!

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Late this morning we headed into town to pick up our chicken barbeque. My childhood home church's ball team was having a fundraiser and there is nothing like Ken Stoner's BBQ! It was scrumptious as always. Ever since I was pregnant with Natalia I have craved this--and it has never diminished. Guess there are worse things I could crave.

Tonight we met another neighborhood family. Never fails--warm weather arrives and people start appearing!

Here are some pics of Natalia taking a turn on their spin-around toy. (The best part was when she'd hop out and swagger before falling sideways!)

And squinting into the sunlight...I just love her little belly sticking out!

Nana Ruth’s Beef Barley Soup—Modified

These two recipes (separate posts) are so yummy together.

This soup is especially nice to have in the freezer for a busy day. I like to start my bread immediately in the morning so it has time to cool. It's much easier to slice this way...and I'm more likely to remember to do it! We prefer it toasted with butter, but piping hot from the "oven" is good too! :-)

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1 lb. ground beef
1 med. onion, diced (or 2 Tbsp. dry minced onion)
½ c. pearled barley
3 carrots, peeled, sliced, and diced
3 stalks celery, sliced, and diced
1 small can diced tomatoes
1-11.5 oz. can of V8 juice
5 c. water
3 beef bouillon cubes
¼ tsp. oregano
8 drops Tabasco sauce
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

1. Brown the beef with the onion (with 1-2 Tbsp. butter if using organic beef) in a soup pot.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot.
3. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for an hour.
4. Add more water before serving.
(Makes 6 or more servings)

Garlic Herb Bread--Breadmachine

1 ¼ c. water
1 Tbsp. softened butter
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 ¼ c. flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. rosemary
¼ tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. basil
1 ½ tsp. yeast

Add ingredients in this order to the bread machine pan.
Select the BASIC setting, and Light crust color option.
(3 hour cycle produces a 1.5 lb. loaf)***Recipe taken from the Oster Breadmachine Manual

Simple Harvest

My neighbor told me about this great product and it's been a household favorite ever since. Simple Harvest is a new Quaker Multigrain Hot Cereal that is made from only the good stuff: whole oats, whole wheat, and barley. It carries the Smart Spot symbol because the cereal is low in saturated fat, has 0 grams of trans fat, is a good source of fiber and does not exceed the Smart Spot limits for added sugar. It doesn't have any artificial preservatives or flavors and comes in 3 yummy varieties--Vanilla, Almond & Honey, Apples with Cinnamon, and Maple Brown Sugar with Pecans.

They also have a line of granola bars, though we haven't tried any of those. (My mom gave me a great homemade granola bar recipe--it's less expensive! Maybe I'll post that eventually.)


The only drawback is that these Simple Harvest products are not cheap! I have, on occasion, found a coupon in the weekend flyers. AND, there is a coupon on their website to print.


I've started counting my calorie intake again this week--Ugh! BUT, I know that while the number is important, the quality is as crucial to my belly feeling satisfied as it is to my overall health.


That leads to my Take 5 Tuesday question. See next post.

Take 5 Tuesday

Today's question:

What are 5 of your favorite HEALTHY snacks?

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My 5 in random order:

1. Snyder's of Hanover MULTIGRAIN White Cheddar Cheese Puffs
2. Seedless watermelon (I can hardly wait till it's in season!)
3. Red seedless grapes, great when frozen too!
4. Baby carrots and celery with peanut butter
5. Vanilla yogurt with slivered almonds or fruit mixed in

Belated Easter

Due to the combination of many schedules, we celebrated our traditional Easter get-together with my family yesterday. It was so good to be with everyone again! We don't get to see my youngest brother as often, but that makes it even more special when we do. It's a full house with my parents, our family, Joe's family, Ryan and his girlfriend--and a lot of fun.



As always we enjoyed a delicious homemade meal. This year we had Chicken Cordon Bleu, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, Succatash (limas and corn), Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad, Rolls, Fruit Salad, Coconut Cream and Lemon Sponge Pie...and of course Easter candy!

The kids hunted for their little baskets from Grandma & Grandpa, then for the eggs I had hidden in the basement. I personally think hiding them is the most fun! :-) The guys got involved in a few enthusiastic games of foosball and ping pong while the gals played with the kids and chatted. After that we walked next door to see the neighbor's 6 wk. old American Bulldog pups. Sooooo cute! The fresh air and sunshine felt wonderful, though it was still on the chilly side.




We spent most of the day together before heading our separate ways. The kids never really nap well, if at all, at these types of get-togethers. So we just power through it and make it an early evening.


As we were winding down from our busy day, I enjoyed watching the second half of the new Sense & Sensibility on PBS. I was the only one who stayed up to watch it, but it got me thinking that I'd like to add it to my Austen collection. I really liked it, though the Emma Thompson version is still a favorite.

This newer rendition stayed truer to the book and was a very realistic, dreary (in a good way), portrayal of the Dashwood's sudden removal from fortune to poverty. And as much as I adore the actors in the earlier version, I found the new character interpretations were so engaging! If you're interested you can check it out here.

Saturday Excursion

Well, it didn't rain, at least not once we were awake and moving around, so we decided to partake of Central Market--we hadn't been there in awhile. Natalia loved walking around--so much to see! I got a few things for my living room planter: lavendar, spearmint, and parsley. We made the customary stop at the Mediterranean stand, this time for a cheese boat and to try a falafel ball. (There is a Greek stand we enjoy too.) One fruit smoothie later, we headed outside, only to run into a college friend. :-) Another thing that's fun about market--you usually see someone you know.

We weren't ready to head home just yet, so we decided to walk north on Queen St. a few blocks to check out Rachel's Cafe & Creperie. We had heard so many things about this place, mostly positive, and wanted to see for ourselves.

Let me just say for starters that we've made our own crepes before--the Polish version called nalesniki. Most European countries have their own version, so we know there is no RIGHT way to make them. Though perhaps our preference did play a bigger part today than we anticipated.

Positives:
1. We left FULL! In fact, neither of us completely finished it!
2. We didn't have to wait to be seated (at 11 am). This was not true for those who came shortly after us.
3. Great Edith Piaf background music, decor, and service.
4. Prices were reasonable.
5. Great location, close enough to the square and market to walk.

Not so great:
1. Portions were too big for our taste.
2. We prefer the rolled, "burrito-style" kind where you can really tell when you hit the inside, rather than the many folded layers. Too much crepe, not enough filling in our opinion.
3. We waited awhile for our food (though we had a fidgety toddler). I imagine Saturday's are a bit overwhelming for them.
4. The plates were hard to eat off of! We like to eat with a fork and knife, and because the plastic plate was a bit warped, it spun as you used your utensils. A bit frustrating!
5. Plastic plates?? I'll say no more.

Overall, we enjoyed ourselves and would recommend Rachel's to you all. Lancaster's downtown has much to offer. Hope you have the chance to see for yourself sometime!

By The Way...

Sorry for the confusion if you read Tuesday's post entitled, "Shopping for Time--Part II", and didn't know there was a Part I! (I went back and changed my earlier title, so now you can easily recognize it.)

Growin' Up!

Thought you'd all enjoy her smiles as much as I did today.

Hearty Meatloaf

This is my version of Mrs. Kostyra's Meatloaf recipe (Martha Stewart's mother.) If you want to check out the original, go here.

I like that this recipe makes enough for 2 meals. If you don't like to reheat in the microwave, add enough water to cover a large shallow pan, a Tbsp. of oil or butter, and cover. (Use medium heat.) When liquid is hot, add slices of meatloaf and replace cover.

I like to make another of Martha's recipes with this meatloaf. This is her easy, never fail, Scalloped Potatoes recipe. You can substitute whole milk for the cream if you'd like.
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1 3/4 c. plain bread crumbs
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 med. onion, finely diced (or 1 Tbsp. dry minced onion +/-)
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 egg
1 c. ketchup, plus 1/4 c. for on top
3 tsp. dry mustard
1 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients, except for 1/4 c. ketchup for on top, mixing well.
3. Put in lightly greased loaf pans, gently score (opt.) and spread ketchup on top (not too close to the sides b/c it may burn).
4. Bake for at least 1 hour.

Makes 2 loaves.

Take 5 Tuesday

I didn't forget it was Tuesday! :-)
Here's this week's question:

What 5 things do you often put off until the last minute?

My 5 would have to be:

1. Brushing my teeth (If I'm leaving the house right after breakfast anyway, I'd rather my coffee taste normal and my post-breakfast breath be fresh.)
2. Putting on the shirt I plan to wear that day (Notice my emphasis! I know this sounds wierd, but when you get hot as quickly as I do, and there's a lot of activity to get out the door, you postpone these things!)
3. Buying greeting cards for people (I'm definately a "gotta' pick the perfect card" kind of gal. Now, this excludes general notes, or thank you's. I always have a couple kinds of stationary on hand.)
4. Putting on shoes (Don't like to wear shoes--would rather go barefoot, or wear slippers inside)
5. Taking my contact lenses out (Let's face the facts people: I'm as blind as a bat!)

Shopping for Time--Part II

My previous post dedicated to the helpful little book, "Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed" by Caroyln Mahaney and her 3 girls, was more-or-less focused on making time with God our first priority. This one will summarize some of the parts I was most affected by from the second half. I hope you are encouraged and challenged as I have been.
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They suggest having a daily planning system in place--one that best suits you and your style. The important thing is that you plan. Consider the 15:4 rule: take 15 minutes before you start to think through your tasks and their importance, and you will make much better use of the next 4 hours than if you went in without a plan. How true!

I have found this to especially be helpful in the area of food purchasing and preparation. There is nothing I despise more than having to go to the grocery store more than necessary--especially on the weekend! UGH. What's been working the best for me in this season is planning a week's worth of dinners and making my grocery list from it on Monday, cleaning out my refrigerator on Tuesday, and grocery shopping on Wednesday.

I also try to follow a general housekeeping schedule each week. Breaking the list down into manageable segments and being purposeful about what my load is on certain days of the week has really helped. Some chores I can easily do when Natalia is awake--others, not so much. Some need to happen early in the week; others towards the end when we may have guests visit. Also, scheduling 1 or 2 chores during her naptime, and doing them before the things I'd rather do, has kept me more accountable. Now, do I do all of this faithfully? No. But it's a start.


Another thing this book encouraged me to consider was how I perceive the daily interruptions to My Plan. Don't we tend to view them as unpleasant disruptions to our "real life", when in fact, the concept of our "real life" is a figment of our imagination? "All the interruptions--they aren't interruptions after all. They are sovereign deliveries. The unpleasant things are God's perfect plan for our day...even when our schedule has gone off track and our to-do list remains unfinished...This is the day that the Lord has made. And he's orchestrated every unpleasant interruption--um, sovereign delivery--for our good."


They also go on to say that in the midst of busy seasons, when the interruptions seem to flow at a constant rate, three simple principles can help us navigate the choppy waters:

1. 'Separate the really-do-matter items from the really-don't-matter items. For example, consider these three priorities before anything else: (A) Our husband: "What one thing would please him the most?" (B) Our children: "What one issue in my child's life needs consistent attention?" (C) Our food and laundry: "Regardless of how dirty my house is, or how many piles of clutter have accumulated, or whether or not the beds are made--as long as my family has nourishing food to eat and clean clothes to wear, their basic needs will be taken care of."

2. Simplify the really-do-matter items where possible.

3. Size up our limitations. "Only God gets his to-do list done each day. We are not God. We are finite creatures with serious limitations." [Quote by C.J. Mahaney] Only God accomplishes everything he needs to do, in exactly the way he intends, in precisely the right amount of time. Only God! This truth helps us see the arrogant absurdity of expecting to complete our own to-do list. It frees us to humble ourselves and draw upon God's strength to simply do what we can in busy seasons.'


Finally, plan to depend on God. Here is a quote they included from Charles Bridges that explains how this works out in everyday life:

"Take one step at a time, every step under Divine warrant and direction. Ever plan for yourself in simple dependence on God. It is nothing less than self-idolatry to conceive that we can carry on even the ordinary matters of the day without his counsel. He loves to be consulted."

Scripture tells me that I am dependent on God to draw my very breath! Lord, help me to mortify the thought that I am sufficient to go about even the elementary tasks of my day on my own strength and wisdom. Help me to abandon self-effort. You alone are my strength and my sufficiency!