His mercies are new every morning!

Dew on the squash leaves.
The first bloom on one of my tomato plants. 
And those petunias just make me happy.

{Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you?} Matthew 6:28-30

First Crop!

Picked my first strawberries this week! perfectly ripe and sweet!

And I've got more on the way...

It doesn't really hurt my feelings too much that Paul won't eat strawberries...more for me! :)

In other news...here's my little garden--that was planted extremely late and may be a bust...though I'm really hoping for better luck!

{sweet potatoes, squash, and tomatoes}

Thanks to my hubs for digging up all the grass, tilling, and making the box!

Squash is blooming. That's a good sign, right?!

 

I realllly want some tomatoes! Please, grow!

{My granddaddy would be proud, I think. He always had the biggest and best garden. We think he even invented the tiller--at least he built one before you could buy one. You can see a picture of it here. Pardon my bragging. One more example of why my brother told his kindergarten teacher that his granddaddy was "a genius"! :)}

I guess, I've taken a break from the mounds of homework for long enough...back to it! Happy weekending to you!

For Us Girls...

My mom has just recently moved and taken lots of stuff out of storage, so when I saw her last night she gave me a bag of some of my old stuff that she came across while unpacking. One of the things in the bag was a frame with a beautiful reminder that my sweet friend Roya gave me several years ago at Christmas. 

{Interject a little background...}
Roya is one of a special group of friends from Briarcrest--we go way back to 5th grade! Although I don't get to see these precious girls very often (just once or twice a year because we are all running in different directions), they are a blessing in my life, and we have the best time at our Christmas get-together every year. Roya is now in Texas working on her Master's in Genetic Counseling--we always knew she was going to do great things! Love you, Roar!

After re-reading the words in the frame, I thought I would share them here because they speak great truth and encouragement to all ladies.

I Made Her

I made her...she is different. She's unique. WIth love I formed her in her mother's womb. I fashioned her with great joy. I remember, with great pleasure, the day I created her.

Psalm 139:13-16

I love her smile, I love her ways. I love to hear her laugh, and the silly things she says and does. She brings me great pleasure. This is how I made her: I made her pretty and not beautiful, because I knew her heart, and knew she would be vain...I wanted her to search out my heart, and to learn that it would be Me in her that would make her beautiful. And it would be Me in her that would draw friends to her.

Psalm 139:17 & 1 Peter 3:3-5

I made her in such a way that she would need Me. I made her a little more lonesome than she would like to be... Only because I need for her to learn to depend on Me. I know her heart, I know if I had not made her like this she would go her own chosen way and forget Me...her Creator.

Psalm 62:5-8

I have given her many good and happy things...because I love her.

Psalm 84:11 & Romans 8:28

I love her broken heart...and the tears she cried alone. I have cried with her and had a broken heart too. Many times she has stumbled and fallen alone because she would not listen to my voice. Isaiah 52:6

So many times I have sadly watched her go her merry way alone, only to have to return to my arms sad and broken. Isaiah 62:2

And now she is mine again...I made her, and then I bought her.

Romans 5:8

I have to reshape and remold her...to renew what I had planned for her to be.

Jeremiah 29:11

I want her to be conformed to My image...

This high goal I have set for her because I love her.

2 Corinthians 2:14

I hope these words remind you that you are a beloved daughter of the King, and He desires only the best for you! It's true. Do you believe it? Do I believe it? 

So if you're searching, you can find fulfillment and purpose in Him--and Him alone.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Philippians 3:8a

Turning My Eyes

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

- Helen H. Lemmel, 1922

These words say it all for me right now. For the past couple of weeks I have felt like I've been suffocating in the busyness of life--just going through the motions--trying to keep my head above water. I decided at the last minute this morning to go to church with my dad since it is Father's day and it's not often that I get the chance to visit my old "home church", and as we sang this hymn, I was reminded that all I have to do is turn my eyes on Jesus. His eyes are already on me. I just must choose to "look full" in His face rather than at the spinning-dizzy world around me. Losing Granddaddy, work, the stack of books to read, the projects and papers to complete, the mountain of laundry and dishes to be done, etc., etc., etc.--all of that nagging stuff that makes me almost lose my breath when I let my mind dwell on it--"the things of this earth" will dim--will be covered up by the light, unending light, of His {glory} and {grace} IF ONLY I will choose single-minded focus. Choose to turn my eyes to the One who always has his eyes on me. 

Why is it that I run away from Him when I need His strength the most? Why do I refuse to spend time with Him when it's only Him that can make me stand? Why do I reject the Good Shepherd's always open arms?

Are you maybe feeling a bit weary or overwhelmed, too? Be encouraged, because HE is enough. 

This upcoming week, I'm praying for the strength and discipline to turn my eyes--to look full--in His wonderful, glorious, and grace-filled face. He outshines everything else.

[Ignoring the cheesy graphics on this video, I love this a cappella rendition by Selah.]

        

What's for Dinner?

That infamous question shouldn't be quite so ominous...at least for a few weeks! 

$150 worth of groceries + 8 hours of cooking = 1 upside-down kitchen & 14+ meals in the freezer! 

I've been needing/wanting to do this for a while and Tuesday was finally the day! Getting dinner on the table every night or even just 3-4 nights a week is a big challenge for me with trying to balance work and school and everything in between. And I know it's going to be an even bigger hurdle come August when I add grading papers, etc. to the mix. 

So enter Once-a-Month Cooking. I found this little gem of a book hiding in the cabinet at my Dad's house, and his wife said I could borrow it.  It lays out everything you need--from shopping lists to the preparation order--to cook & freeze meals for either two weeks or a month at a time.  The book gives you three two-week plans and two one-month plans to choose from, along with side dish options. 

I chose one of the two-week plans...a) because this was my first time to try it and b) because I have limited freezer space.  I'm so glad I only did the two-week plan because it took me all day and I ended up with just enough freezer room!

So the freezer is stocked with:

Baked Jambalaya

Stuffed Pork Chops

Beef Goulash

Caraway Pot Roast (we already had this and I liked it, but Paul not so much.)

Spaghetti

Taco Soup (we had this last night and both loved it--delish!)

Marinated Flank Steak

Cranberry Chicken

Twelve-Boy Curry

Sweet Soy Marinated Chicken

Chili Hamburgers

Karen's Barbecued Chicken

Fiesta Shrimp Dinner

(There was one recipe that didn't sound too good to me, Baked Tilapia in Spaghetti Sauce, so I didn't buy the fish and we just have extra spaghetti sauce. The recipe made a gallon!) 

Technically this meal plan should feed a family for two weeks, but it is definitely going to last longer for us since it's just the two of us. When you factor in that all of the dishes serve at least four people (many of them serve 8-12), we'll have leftovers, and I divided a few of the larger dishes before freezing them.

It's so convenient to have meals in the freezer to pull out when you have a hectic day. The hard work is already done--all you have left to do is toss a salad or whip up an easy side dish.  And not only will this make dinner time less stressful, it is definitely going to help us manage our grocery budget better! No more last minute trips to Kroger where I end up spending more than necessary because I don't have a plan. When I did all the shopping for these meals, I scanned sales ads, compared prices, and used coupons--took some time for sure, but definitely worth it and I won't have to do it again for a while. Bottom line: $150 groceries/14 meals = $10.67/meal (but its really less than that since I know we'll probably stretch it to about 20 meals).

It was a long day in the kitchen, but at dinner time on hectic days or when I have night class, I know I'll be glad I did it!

{If you're interested in trying this cooking-for-two-weeks deal, but want to see what it's really all about before you buy the book, (you can snag it on amazon for about 10 bucks), I'll be glad to email you a scanned copy of the plan I used. Just leave a comment :)} 

Looking for Rest?

"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, 
and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

-St. Augustine

Fixing Up the Place...

Ah, the joys of home ownership. And really, no sarcasm intended here. We spent most of last weekend doing some much need repairs and sprucing up around our house and yard. (Thanks to Paul's step-dad for coming over and helping us out for a couple of hours--Paul needed a little more muscle than I could offer for a few of the tasks!)  Took lots of elbow grease, but I really had fun working with the hubs and by the end of Saturday night, we were pretty proud of what we had accomplished.  (Even though we still have much to do!)

I attempted to document our progress...

Friday night we began pulling up every one of these pesky weeds...there is some real grass under there, I just know it.  I continued this drive-you-crazy task off & on all day Saturday. We finally got the whole front and side yards knocked out. And many thanks to our neighbors for loaning us this little contraption! I was definitely sore and sun-burned by about 8pm. Let's hope those little devils, er I mean weeds, find a new home.  Fat chance.

{rotten trim boards from the front corner of the house}

 {new boards up!}

 {I like a workin' man :)}

Our fence has been leaning (severely!) for a while...

maybe this post had something to do with it?

{new post set}

 {$2 find at hobby lobby! now i just need to dab a little brown paint on the screws}

{no "before shot" of this, but a friend's bulldog got a little bored one night and decided to have a little siding snack :) so we had to replace that board. now just need to paint it}

 

{picked up a hydrangea plant--my very favorite flower...}

{and a strawberry plant}

 {now I just need to re-pot them! can't wait for some sweet, homegrown strawberries!!}

Lots of projects still to go, but that's ok...what would be the fun in having everything done?! Enjoyed this weekend of work with my Paul and looking forward to this Memorial Day weekend with some good friends at the lake!