This is just a little insert - but have y'all seen these?! So CUTE!

Happy February

Scripture commands believers – God gives His children instruction to follow – to love Him with your all & to love others well. And with new year’s resolutions still sticking out like a sore thumb, I think I’ll start here.

I understand that loving the Lord & loving others is the lifetime pursuit and practice. And I appreciate that His mercies are new every morning; that we can make a start. Again.

There’s a couple at our church who needs a little love right now – they’re going through some hard times. We’ve all been there – in tough spots, hard times,various trials – and know what an encouragement others’ simple acts of love can be.

One way that we are loving on this couple is by providing them with a homecooked meal this week. I remember not long ago when our son was born how wonderful it was for family and friends to provide hot meals with love.

We joyfully return the favor. Here’s the dinner menu that I’m planning to deliver to our sweet friends.

The Menu:

Rotisserie Chicken – which I will pick up at the grocery store

Homemade Mac & Cheese – I plan to use one of my southern cookbooks for this recipe

Black eyed Peas – and the recipe to doctor up these, too

Strawberry Pudding Cake – again, a recipe from my southern cook book collection

Loving others is the way we put feet to our faith – the way that we can simply show we believe the Lord. Here we go! Starting our new year’s resolutions now, with loving the Lord, with loving others.

purpose.

plan.

prepare.

now we are at the final aspect of a life that is lived intentionally, for the Lord. and that is “pray.”

Prayer is a believer’s conversation with the one true God. If you are a believer, you aren’t praying. It either makes no sense to you or you are talking to yourself. If you are to the one true God, then again, you are talking to yourself, to the air.

Prayer is a privilege. A necessity. A duty. A lifestyle. Scripture instructs believers to pray unceasingly, about everything, with thanksgiving. What an intimate relationship with the Lord we are privy to have through prayer.

Let’s start here – start with praying to the Lord today. Talk to Him. With Him. Tell Him how wonderful He is; how wonderful you are because you are made in His image. Because He has saved you. Unload before Him all that burdens you. Exude happiness over all that elates you.

Here’s some scripture to encourage you in your relationship, in your conversation, in your prayer life with the Lord.

2 Chronicles 7: 14 – If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Matthew 5:44 - But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Matthew 6 – The Lord’s Prayer

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

James 5:13-17 - Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 - Pray without ceasing.

After getting sick to my stomach when I was pregnant over the smell of our laundry detergent, I switched to a free & clear brand. Sensory relief! Then, on Pinterest – where I learn a lot of little tips for around my home – I discovered it is EASY to make your own laundry detergent. And cheaper. Well, I already knew that – but I thought it would be weird and messy and I’d have to have a Sam’s Club size bucket of laundry detergent that I made it my back yard while wearing a bonnet and apron. Stereotypical, I know, but that’s what I thought.

Thankfully, I made this powdered detergent in my kitchen with the supplies that I ordered from Harris Teeter and picked up (for free with a promo code) in the Express Lane.

Here’s how to make your own laundry detergent ::

1 cup Borax – which I subsequently learned from its box is a clean all, cure all

This is what you are looking for

1 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda

Did you know that Arm and Hammer makes more than baking soda?

1 bar of Ivory soap, grated – with my hand held cheese grater into a bowl

Buy a pack of four, you will have the ingredients on hand for the year!

Mix these three ingredients however you’d like – I shake them all together in the canister from the dollar store I bought to store the detergent in. It’s simple and fun – shake! shake! shake!

Then, you need only a tablespoon per load. If it’s an especially dirty load, dump in another tablespoon.

I went through one recipe of this simple detergent on loads and loads and loads of clothes – baby clothes, big people clothes, towels, sheets, blankets – you name it, I washed it. The one recipe lasted four months. And MANY, FULL loads.

So go for it – get your supplies and make your own laundry detergent. Save a little money using a healthier for you, healthier for the environment, simple cleaning solution.

Remember the post a little while ago about the  variety of southern cookbooks I purchased with birthday money? Well, I am enjoying them, to say the very least. I love cooking through the recipes and sharing them with my husband, family, and friends.

This recipe – the one for the Apple Dapple Cake – is a must try, must make again recipe.

My mom came over and I said, no matter what crazy diet you are on – really, y’all, she’s done a tremendous job of diligently taking care of her body through good eating and exercise and as a reward to herself, she’s lost weight – you MUST try this cake! Thankfully, she thought the cake was worth straying from her healthy eating regime.

I told her I practically licked the batter bowl clean after pouring the majority of it into the Bundt pan. Delish!

This is the one! From A-Z (apples to zucchini!), this cookbook is a collection of southern recipes

Here’s the Apple Dapple Cake recipe :

yields 12 servings (that’s what the book says but the writer must be giving generous pieces!)

3 eggs – room temp

1 1/4 c vegetable oil

3 tsp pure vanilla extract, divided

2 c granulated sugar

3 c all purpose flour, divided

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

3 cups chopped Golden Delicious apples – do not peel them! though it’s tempting, the recipe says not to, and I promise that when you bake this cake, you will not notice the peel and it helps to keep the apple pieces in good form

1 c chopped pecans (per the recipe, but I did not include these because we don’t like nuts!)

1 c shredded coconut (again, I did not include this)

6 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

1 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a Bundt pan and set aside.

As wedding present, I received this Williams-Sonoma Anniversary Bundt Pan and I do love it! I recommend this one to everyone. And I love how a Bundt pan can turn a simple recipe into a beautiful, social gathering worthy cake!

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beath together the eggs, oil, 2 tsp of the extract, and the granulated sugar. Mix well.

I used my pink Kitchenaid stand mixer to mix well these ingredients. My pink mixer was also a wedding present from my grandmother, a woman who loves chocolate and knows how to bake!

In a separate bowl, stir together 2 3/4 c of the flour, the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to the egg mixture, beating well.

Combine the remaining flour with the apples, (pecans, and coconut.) Fold into the batter and pour into the prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, and then cool completely on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter (I just melted the butter in the pan first and then added the rest of the ingredients since the recipe called for melted butter), brown sugar, milk, and the remaining extract. Boil 3 minutes and set aside to cool 10 minutes. Place the cake on a serving platter. Slowly pour the warm syrup over the cake.

I love my Pottery Barn Emma Cake Stand!

Tyler brought me the thermometer and I checked my temperature. Sure enough, I had a low-grade fever. With Tylenol in me, I fell asleep.

In the morning I let my sweet friend, Lauren, know I had a fever. She has been nursing everyone under her roof back to health. Even her parents and the in-laws came into town, promptly fell ill, and she became nurse to them, too.

She immediately offered all of her loving care and help. Yesterday afternoon, she brought over a cleansing bath potion. It wasn’t hard to follow her advice : Take a hot bath in a calming, cleansing solution. No problem!

And really, we could all use a bath.

it’s true. every now and then, it’s wonderful – wonderful wonderful wonderful!!!! – to enjoy a good ole bath. Hot water, maybe a lit candle. a simple, indulgent pleasure.

This is the recipe for the cleansing bath potion :

2 cups Epsom Salt

1 cup baking soda

1 cup borax (which by the way, you will soon learn, has many useful qualities!)

Take a hot bath for only twenty – 20 – full minutes with no soap or shampoo. You simply sit and bathe.

This potion draws the toxins from inside your body out into the bath water. You may be left with a dark ring around your tub after the shower. Thankfully, I was not. I probably had sweat most of my body’s toxins out the night before as my fever broke. (Don’t worry, I have clean sheets now!)

No matter if you are sick or well, you can enjoy a cleansing bath, too. And who wouldn’t enjoy a nice, hot bath?

a lovely, silvered antiqued clawfoot tub

a modern look, this clawfoot tub and its bathroom look like a serene day spa

With all of that in mind, enjoy some of my favorite pieces this spring!

yes, please. i think these hot pink pants with the white tank and gold detail is wonderful. - michael kors

just in case the previous outfit wasn't enough pink, i think this will do it. shirt dress is HOT pink. spring to summer wonderfulness. - michael kors

And for all of the options, from pants to dress and now shorts, this really is perfect. very wearable. very PINK, which i do love. - michael kors

a bit more dimuitive (because we cannot always wear bright pink) J. Crew's t-strap ballet flat is a beautiful choice. From what I can tell, the t-strap flat is making a new grand appearance. - J. Crew

I love this satiny silver pop-over and I think you could wear it all four seasons, especially in North Carolina! - J. Crew

Again, the silver popover. This time, paired with high-waisted, lady like shorts. Too bad girlfriend's shirt isn't buttoned or this would be a very proper look. - J. Crew

Preparation – the physical conditioning of life – provides you with the flexibility and freedom to love and to help others around you well.

When you are prepared you can open your arms, your home, your lives, to those around you – family, friends, neighbors, strangers.

If you are not prepared – if you are not ready – if you do not have any of it all together, then you cannot easily help anyone else. You are the one who needs help.

And we all have been that way before. I know I have. But I do not think this is a place we should stay. I am not saying that I think you should be completely self-sufficient, every man for himself sort of thing.

Obviously not. And I am not saying your type of helping others should be the “pity the fool” type either.

What I am saying is that as we are prepared we can seek to love and to help others in tangible ways. We also know when we need to ask for help. In the manner, we can live in one accord, in harmony, in a complementary way with one another.

Let me flesh this out for you in a real life example. So far, I may not be making any sense. Hopefully this will clear it up.

Throughout my years in college, I was a nanny. It really was a perfect job for me. I was able to be flexible with the families that I worked for and I made (almost) enough money to pay for school and other basic life costs. A few of the families would have me come one day a week. The mom would make her appointments during this window of time; she would run errands, she would meet a friend for lunch. The mom knew that in this time I would come to take care of her children and tidy her home while she accomplished other life to-do’s. These relationships were very complementary. I helped the mom with her child and home and to manage her time; the mom helped me pay for college.

Money does not always have to be involved, of course.

Perhaps you know your friend is short on time and energy so you offer to make dinner for both of your families that night; you make an extra-big pot of spaghetti and take it over to her.

In both examples, everyone involved was prepared, knew when to ask for help, and everyone worked together to accomplish life well.

Does this make it a little clearer now?

When we are prepared, we are able to help others around us. When everyone works together – when we are all sure of our purpose, have a good plan, and prepare well – we can freely enjoy life together.

Think of the opposite : When you are not purposeful, you have not a clue what you are doing, and you are not equipped to do it, life is chaotic. If everyone around you is like that, chaos and discord ensues. Quarreling and screaming can get involved. Everything sort of self destructs.

Wow! Isn’t the Lord, who is the God of order, so good to give us a purpose, help to establish our plan, path, and footsteps, and prepare us for life through the day to day?

A ready pitcher of sweet tea prepares you to freely enjoy good conversation with anyone who stops by.

here we are at the prepare part of life.

we’ve stated our purpose.

purpose – to glorify the Lord and to enjoy Him forever. to love Him most and to love others well.

plan – JOY – Jesus, Others, You.

prepare.

When I think of preparing, I think of packing for a trip. We know why and where we are going, what we are going to do. With packing, you are getting ready what you want to talk along for the ride. When you pack, you have your essentials. You take a few what-ifs. You fold your clothes well, you remember your toothbrush. I pack all of my books on top.

Preparation is packing for life. I think that sounds funny – like you are carrying a gun.

You need your essentials. You may carry a few what-ifs. This is new to me; I usually try to have my essentials and if I forget something figure a Target or a friend will be nearby. With a new baby in tow these days, I have come to terms with the reality that it’s best to have on my some stuff for the might-happens of life.

My essentials for preparation do include my bible, my planner, a pencil. A journal. my phone.

But even more importantly  - regardless of whether or not you like a planner, you prefer a pen, or you think it’s silly to journal on real paper – preparation includes a good heart check. A get your head in the game mentality. and a good night’s sleep. (we will talk about this a little bit more tomorrow)

If you want to enter into life well, you have to prepare with

a. clean hands and a pure heart – the Lord does this for you through His Son Jesus Christ – so that you can worship Him rightly and well

b. a mind that is fixed on Christ, not on earthly things

c. a heart that seeks hard after Him, to love Him with your all

d. a mind that is made up. period.

e. an attitude that you will behave your way into a feeling, not feel your way into a behavior.

If I’m thinking through this like a football player – I was a cheerleader (written with a sideways grin) – then the purpose is to win the game; the plan is the plays from the play book, and the preparation is all of the drills and physical conditioning.

So my list A-E is like the drills and physical conditioning of life.

one of my favorite movies - when i left the theater after seeing this for the first time right after thanksgiving with my family, i told tyler i wanted to be an interior decorator and adopt a big black kid - and really, i mean it.

when you are prepared, this is the truth, you are available to help and to love others around you

Italian Chicken

4 chicken breasts, 1 packet Zesty Italian dressing seasoning, 1 8 oz. cream cheese (softened), 2 cans cream of chicken soup; Cook on low for 4 hours. If sauce is too thick, add a little milk. Serve over pasta.

This photograph is from a blog, Homemade by Holman, but the recipe does not match the photo - The recipe above is easier and yummy. My husband loved it!

This is what my plan for Monday (today) looked like :

6am time in the Word

6:30 workout

7 Leland wakes up

7-11 laundry, housework, prep dinner

11 Leland naps

11-3 prep for bible study

3 Leland

Perhaps get together with a friend of mine

6 Dinner

7 Leland to bed

8-11 time with Tyler

11 Leland and Bed

What a wonderful day, right? No rush – just simple, get everything accomplished in an enjoy the Lord and my family kind of a way

Well, then Monday rolled around. A little too early. A little too dark outside.

And  I didn’t wake up until Leland did, at 7AM. You may be thinking at this point, it’s just an hour! You can make it up! And while that’s what I was thinking too this morning at 6AM when I did not get out of bed – I now realize with the sun up and a clear mind – I cannot get that hour back. And it’s an important hour.

I can do those things today – that’s true. But  I will be bumping into other time.

So far it’s only 9AM right now – my day has looked like this :

7 Leland

change our sheets because he spit up all over them

fold the laundry in the dryer – move the wet clothes to the dryer – and fill the washing machine with sheets and anything else that will make it a FULL load

bath Leland and take a shower because at this point, why not?

enjoyed a latte, cheerios, and quiet time in the Word

and now it’s 9AM and I am writing this post.

I wanted to share with you what the Lord is teaching me. That as we purpose ourselves in the Lord, as we plan and prepare, He will many times have to come along side us, behind us, and hurry ahead and around of us, and fill our little plans with His patchwork of grace.

After all, He does say in His word, that He goes before us. And hems us in. and leads us in the way we should go. And covers it all with His grace as we work out in our lives what He has called us to.

I mean y’all, I KNOW – my PASSION – is being Tyler’s wife and Leland’s mommy. This is my CALLING. I LOVE it. And here I am, on Monday morning, can’t barely get out of bed. Seriously.

The Lord has been teaching me this morning His patchwork of grace. And I cannot wait to see all that He does – and I’m sure that there will even be aspects that He does not reveal to me on this side of heaven. At the same time, I do not want to take advantage of His grace.

The Lord has been teaching me this morning that He sustains throughout every minute detail of my life. One of the seemingly justifiable reasons I was so super slow to get out of bed this morning is because a. I did not sleep super well last night. And with that being said, we can all laugh at one another with knowing glances. We sleep in safety, temperature controlled environments, in beds with bedding and comfy pj’s. Come come. We ALL had good nights of sleep last night. Barely no matter how many hours – and I did say HOURS – of sleep we got. So, in the middle of the dark of the morning, all I can think is how much I wish I had slept more and better and I thought, I’ll just take this hour to get some more sleep. Because Lord knows I need it. This morning the Lord said, girl, you know I’m your sustainer. I’ve got you. I know how much sleep I’m giving you and what your day holds. (It may just hold a nap, for all I know!) And when I call you to get up in the morning – at 6AM – I want to see your pretty face. Can’t you just hear the Lord saying that to me? Well, He did.

In the most gracious of ways. He is so faithful. and so true. and so good. and loving and pure and wonderful. And righteous in all His ways.

So now, with this Monday morning’s pot holes all filled up with God’s patchwork – I resolve humbly before the cross of Christ, where we are all equal – equally needy, equally special in His sight, to redeem the time today. To walk in love. As His child of light, in His wisdom.

Blessed be the name of the LORD.

Isaiah 26:7-9 The path of the righteous is level; you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth. Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you.