He is all around

I believe in what I call "little miracles" or signs. Maybe a lot of it is just a good gut instinct sometimes but then other times, God's hand is just so blatantly there guiding and stirring the pot of my life that there is no way I can miss seeing it. Whether it be the those times where I knew I was living on my own,  barely holding on by pennies, struggling, praying checks would come in before payments went out and God would go and make a way every time. Or just running into someone who knew just what to say even if they didn't know it was what you needed to hear. Again I'm going to draw from Jessi's blog. I don't think this girl knows what a blessing and inspiration she is! She can always say it so much better than I.

 I've experienced so many of these blessings in my lifetime. I am floored and astonished every time. God always is there, all around. I know it. I can see it. I see it in the beautiful sunsets. I hear it in a newborn's cry. I  can feel His love in my husband's patience and graciousness. Lately, I have been struggling with some issues. I have been just very depressed and torn. I know that I am blessed beyond measure but when something like this is causing me so much pain and sorrow its hard to remember that. I  have literally felt in the last week and a half like just throwing in the towel.
         
Monday I received this in my change at the store.



I could have cried right there.



Then tonight I was in Walmart, I happened to look down and see this.

Among my prayers have been these words, in my pleading to the Lord for someone I care about. 

I am amazed by the things all around that may just seem like coincidence but I know they are so much more than that. They are mini miracles. 

Psalm 139

God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;

You understand my thought afar off.

3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,

And are acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word on my tongue,

But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

5 You have hedged me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is high, I cannot attain it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,

And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall[a] on me,”

Even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,

But the night shines as the day;

The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;

When I awake, I am still with You.

19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!

Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.

20 For they speak against You wickedly;

Your enemies take Your name in vain.[c]

21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?

And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred;

I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.

the merry married life.

                                                          

      

"They are kind to each other's hopes. They cherish one another's dreams." 

Henry David Thoreau

If anyone had ever told me the first year of marriage would be hard I wouldn't have believed them. 11 months in, I'd be inclined to agree with them now. It hasn't been easy adjusting to being married at times, I'm not sure why, with every day that goes by though, it gets easier and I find myself thanking God over and over again for my sweet husband.
    Even when I can be mad at my husband and just not liking him at all!.. I still have to melt a little inside when he walks through that door at the end of the day and think to myself how much I do love him. He always draws me in with a hug and a kiss as soon as he can, everything that has happened during the day falls away and all the long lines in the grocery store or fighting with the washing machine, all those "troubles" suddenly are worth it because I was doing them all for his benefit and comfort. He's my best friend and I am his.  Its funny to think that just a year ago he wasn't my husband, I wasn't his wife, our relationship wasn't as deep or strong or as wonderful as it is now. Now we have the same last name, a real solid future to build together, the hope of little babies someday to raise together, the knowledge of having each other to hold our whole lives through, all of our late night pillow talks and dreams are coming true, everything is more wonderful simply because we're married. Sometimes I just look at this man with his green hazel kaleidoscope eyes and quick easy smile, the way he stands when he's talking to me, I'll see the glint of his wedding band on his hand and I have to blurt out to him " You're my husband!" simply because I love him so and the realization that this wonderful guy wanted me to love and to grow old with makes so much joy bubble up in my heart that I don't know what to do.

When I was a little girl, I had a long checklist of what I wanted in the "perfect" husband and I would pray every night that God would give me a man like that and I was smart enough to realize that  my future  husband was a little boy growing up too, he wasn't all grown up suspended in time waiting for me somewhere, so I would pray for this little boy that wherever he was in the world that he would grow up to be a wonderful man and that he would listen to his parents and do well in school and who would love me for me. God answered every single one of those prayers in my Jamie, he provided me with  all I asked for and so much more. That's how I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was meant to be with him and that's how I know that my Lord answers prayers.

 Now I pray for my husband all day long. I saw this list recently and I thought it was a nice little reminder.

Jamie sweetheart, I love you more than you will ever know. Thank you for being such a good man and husband. <3

A Joyful Heart

" A joyful heart is good medicine , but a broken spirit saps a person's strength." Proverbs 17:22

I've finally started my New Year's resolution...to eat healthier and work out more. Its now the end of May...I've been keeping myself on a pretty awesome routine for about a month and already I'm seeing results in areas I didn't even realize. Like, my heart. Not my physical heart, but the one that Jesus is supposed to live in. I try to walk several miles every day and that usually takes a good hour or so, with all that time to myself  there is a lot of reflection going on, the perfect time to lift up my burdens in prayer and even more recently in the past week I've been sending much rejoicing and thanks up to heaven just because being out in God's great world breathing in the sweet smell of honeysuckle, hearing little children laughing as they play outside and just all of the  amazing things happening in my life are just soooo overwhelming I have to give thanks right then and there.

I have more peace about things since I've been spending more time in prayer. Peace about things that have been really bringing me down. I've seen the blessings that a closer relationship with Christ brings just pour down in the past few weeks. I have so much to be thankful for right now.

  Physically, I originally wanted to be skinnier or more fit or what have you ( which my dear husband said he has already noticed a difference in my body!) , but now my focus is on eating as healthfully as possible in preparation for pregnancy. NO! I am not pregnant yet, no we're aren't trying yet but when we do start trying I want to be as physically ready as possible. I am loving...ABSOLUTELY loving eating great food. Tons of smoothies, gallons of water ( okay just lots of water) salads with lots of spinach, fresh berries, delicious stir fries, ohh, its so yummy!  And I feel amazing, no bloating, my skin is improving,  There are just so many side benefits. Speaking of benefits, I just started my new job today and I'm so thankful to say that after my probationary period is up, I'm allowed to use the gym on campus. HOW WONDERFUL IS THAT! I was wondering what I was going to do in the winter  when its too cold to be walking for a long time. Another blessing. Because there was no way I was going to pay a ridiculous amount of money every month for a gym and then drive a ridiculous amount of miles to get there.

Life is good. God is good.
Amen?


Here is arecipe I'm dying to try from a blog I sometimes read.( minus the fetaI just don't know how I feel about that yet.) Doesn't it look scrumptious?

Fresh spinach
Fruit-blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and mangoes
Sliced almonds
Feta Cheese
Raspberry Vinaigrette

directions:

In a bowl or on a plate add the fresh spinach. Top spinach with fruit, sliced almonds, and feta cheese. Drizzle with raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

Lovely Summer Ramblings

 I don't care if its still May, to me its SUMMER! Yesterday was Memorial Day and I know its not National BBQ day especially having a brother in the military but being surrounded by family, delicious food and an all encompassing hot, hot, dry heat of almost 90 degrees how can it not be Summer?
My mom made homemade strawberry ice cream which in a word was oh-mazing! We all felt sad because my brother (the one in the military) always requested strawberry treats and this year he wasn't home to eat with us but we sucked up and tried to enjoy it anyways ;)

My in-laws had a cookout too and there was corn on the cob which made us  crave vine-ripened tomatoes,watermelon and more corn on the cob. The kids were all running around outside, slapping at mosquitoes, baseball was at a dull roar in the corner of the living room, the smokey smell of the grill wafted in every time someone  opened up the deck doors.
 
  AHH, I love these days. The days of sunburn, watering cans, fresh cut grass, bluest blue skies, early evening thunderstorms,local carnivals, road side stands, flip flops,the easy laziness of the warm mornings, hair whipping in the  wind when the windows are down....I just love this time of year. Summer brings with its arrival Optimism, a hope eternal that "this summer is going to be even better than last year's"... Summer weekends come and even adults feel like school's let out again on Friday night.

This summer I hope to accomplish:

 1.) AN ACTUAL TAN ( not just a burn-fade-pale)
2.) a beautiful garden ( half way there. check.)
3.) Finish decorating our bedroom ( hopefully I'll get to use some of the great ideas I've seen on pinterest.)
4.) This is supposed to be the summer of the well-dressed me. A more modest, tastefully, thriftily clothed me. i.e tons of beautiful, cheap, sundresses!
5.) Try my hand at canning and preserving summer in a jar. I live surrounded by orchards and farms there is no reason to not bottle some of that goodness up for the middle of February when I can't take the gray coldness anymore.

Here's a few pictures from yesterday of the littlest ones:

What is your Design style?

What is your style???


I'd like to think of my home as fun, fresh, cozy, eclectic, welcoming, a delight to visit..I could go on forever. I love bright colors, bold patterns, traditional touches like braided rugs, same tone woods, little odds and ends ( I am not "knick-knacky" as my mother would say but I like clever little things that speak to me, like in the Pier 1 commercials), lots and lots and lots of PHOTOS, I guess I want my to reflect my husband and I's personality. I want our guests to instantly feel comfortable and welcome. Here are a few of my favorite things...please pardon the dated wallpaper and such, we are renting, someday I'll be able to make our own house exactly as we'd like it. :) I took the Better Homes and Garden Quiz and I got Traditional style, which is true I suppose. We both love old things and classic styling so it makes sense. Here are a few of my favorite personalized things:

 amish letter blocks, a wedding gift

 cigar box

 spaghetti sauce vase with fresh tulips, my favorite

 fun pillows and picture, probably the most expensive things I've bought for our home 

 my favorite spot. its just cute to me.

 i like little touches of france 

 jamie adores old lamps. 

 i love the old suitcase, and the bright colors.

Truth.

Free Flowerpots!

If you're anything like me, you hate to spend a ridiculous amount of money on little things. Especially if you know there is way to get them much cheaper! For example, flowerpots. I refuse to pay $5+ PER pot, and I need a lot of pots. So I got my gears to turning and I came up with a simple solution. Cans!
  I work in a kitchen and there are always tons of #10 cans just being thrown away every  day, why not salvage them and give them a makeover. Its pretty simple actually, Step 1: obtain can(s) You can use whatever size your plants need.
 Step 2: Peel away paper. Sand or scrub off any glue. Make sure the cans are dry or you'll have an uneven finish. Punch drain holes in the top with a hammer and nail. Be careful!

Step 3: Choose your paint. I  used bright summery colors, you could also use chalkboard paint, stone finish, or whatever your scheme is.

Step 4:

Paint away! I used 2+ coats. Remember these are going to being sitting outside...

Step 5:

Let dry. This is the hardest part for me, the waiting part. I hate waiting.

Step 6:

Fill with potting soil and plant to your little heart's desire.

You could also paint a base coat with one color and then section off lines with masking tape for a striped effect or come up with your own ideas!

That's it! I told you it was easy! And you'll be recycling! 

Happiness is all around

Its been a while since I've posted  here, but I'm quite inspired by a few blogs I've been reading (especially hers!) so here goes take two!

 We've recently moved from a great big house (big to us) farmhouse that we were renting to a very small apartment  in order to start saving money for a house of our very own. Saving money = happy husband. Losing space especially gardening space = sad wife. I constantly have to remind myself  "Eyes on the prize!"
 Its funny, because right before we moved we had gotten Chinese takeout and in my fortune cookie there was this sage advice:

                                                 

Of course I had to frame it! It now sits in my favorite little nook of our new home, a big window with a deep set shelf. I've been trying to make little space as cozy and as homey as I can. I've found a few good deals on thrift store furniture, I try to always keep a vase of fresh flowers on the table, I've nagged and nagged and nagged some more until my sweet Jamie finally hung up a few pictures and mirrors. Its amazing how much warmth is instantly achieved by simply decorating the walls in a space!

I've spent all of today outdoors, digging and playing in the dirt right outside of our door creating a little garden no more than a few feet wide but I'm determined to make it as welcoming and lush as possible over this summer. I have big dreams of making a patio out the door to extend the small concrete slab that is now there. I can just see us eating delicious seasonal  food right off the grill sitting on a sweet bistro set (that I'll get for  a steal at a yard sale!) enjoying the summer breezes. Never mind we live in a region that is heavily populated by gnats! This girl can dream. :)

I truly believe home is where the heart is and I'm so looking forward to turning this new little house into a home, no matter how small it is!