Waiting

Waiting is hard.

(You came early.  You were such a wonderful interruption to our crazy-young-married-finishing-up-college-part-time-working kind of life.  We didn't have to wait for you.)

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV)

(God, please help me to wait, please remind me that You are in control, please remind me that in my agenda-planning-little-margin life to wait for Your timing.)

Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100:3-5 ESV)

(God, please help me rest while I wait, please help me to not lose hope, to not be disappointed, to be content.)

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:7 ESV)

(God, please help me to understand Your love for me.  Please help me to love.)

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:9 ESV)

(And so now I wait to meet your new little one.  In all my planning and re-planning I've learned somewhere along the journey of my life that sometimes I just need to wait.  It doesn't always make it easier to come to the place of surrender to waiting...but I am confident that it will be worth the wait.)

¹wait

 verb \ˈwāt\

: to stay in a place until an expected event happens, until someone arrives, until it is your turn to do something, etc.

: to not do something until something else happens

: to remain in a state in which you expect or hope that something will happen soon

from www.Merriam-Webster.com

to David with Love, mom

Letting God Change me from the Inside Out

I love how God shows His love to me.  He knows just where I am and gently calls me to Himself.  He heals my heart and that overflows to my life and my actions. 

Spring Cleaning in February + 2 recipes for what you have on hand

 

It was such great weather here since Friday that I decided to start my Spring Cleaning.  I know it's crazy, but I still have a few days until my peeps come home and when they get here I just really want to hang out with them eating ice cream and listening to them tell me about their grand adventure.

This is them on their way to their destination.  I bet that they will be a little more tired looking on their way home.  They started the journey home this afternoon for me, but around 4am for them.  I'm glad that they are on their way home.  They are going to stop in Manila for a day or so then hop on their plane.  Then it's just a hop, skip and a jump to HOME.

I got to the kitchen cabinets Sunday afternoon.  While wiping them down I also wiped the kitchen hood and came across this guy.  Kirsten gave it to me.  She gave it to me one time when she went around and got orders from our family for either tacos or burritos or both.  She put the paper on the hood with this guy. Since then it has stayed up there as a cook order holder.  I love it.

At the top of this picture you'll see that my husband graciously put my old nameplate on the top of my kitchen hood.  When he did this I asked him about it.  He said the kitchen was where we all gathered and that I made it home.  He melts my heart.  It's true though.  When everyone is home and I'm cooking that's where everyone ends up.  It's kind of lonely these past few days.  That's probably why I haven't cooked a lot while everyone was gone. 

From our house to you...2 recipes from what I got at Bountiful Baskets.  Please note that I cook a lot of the time by what it looks like so I'll try to remember the amounts, but these won't go wrong if your measurements aren't exact as these recipes are also to the taste of the one who will be eating it.  ENJOY!
  

Skillet potatoes adapted from a recipe that I got from a farmer at the Meridian Farmer's Market when we first got to Idaho. serves 1

2 small potatoes diced, 1/8 head of cauliflower, 1 branch of broccoli (or 1/8 head), 1/2 small onion (or equivalent)
salt & pepper to taste
couple of dashes of smoked paprika 
coconut oil (I used 1 teaspoon)

Dice the veggies while oil is heating in a medium skillet.  Sauté veggies until lightly browned.  Salt and pepper to taste (I use freshly ground black pepper).  Cover skillet and reduce heat to low.  Cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes.  Check about 15 minutes.  You are waiting for the veggies to be thoroughly cooked.  If you want the veggies a little crisp, take off the lid and crisp up the veggies for another 5 or so minutes. 

Chunky Guacamole

1 avocado, diced
1 large tomato (or equivalent of the smaller tomatoes), diced
1 small bulb onion (looks like a large green onion), sliced
splash of lemon or lime juice
small handful of cilantro.  Chop as fine as you prefer.
salt to taste

Mix all together and enjoy.  

I made it for me and ended up sharing it with Dave. 

"Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.  Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers." Hebrews 13:1-2a NLT

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.  Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise."  Proverbs 31:30-31 NLT