A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - Post-run Chat

Wise Words

Consider Jesus' words in Luke 9:23: "Anyone who would come after me must deny himself and up his cross."  Jesus here asserts that self-denial is an essential part of discipleship. Now ask yourself these questions:

"How in the last week have I voluntarily denied myself something I really wanted?"

"What is one thing I have deprived myself of recently?"

If you cannot think of an example and you don't make it a practice to deny yourself, then in what sense to you qualify as a disciple of Christ.

- James Spiegel

How to Be Good in a World Gone Bad

(a quote my husband keeps taped in the front of his Bible)

Silence is Golden

DO YOU EVER SIT ALONE IN SILENCE? 
IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO LATELY, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO FIND A MOMENT.  SIT DOWN.  JUST BE.

IN THE QUIET I FIND...

PEACE

REST

CLARITY

SECURITY

CALM

SATISFACTION

ENCOURAGEMENT

REPLENISHMENT

and

TIME TO THINK.

I THINK ABOUT...

MY LORD

ABUNDANT BLESSINGS

THE LITTLE LADY AND MAN

MY MARRIAGE

OUR LOVE

LOVED ONES

FRIENDSHIPS

SCRIPTURE

HOME LIFE

DUTIES

GOALS

PRIORITIES

THE SILENCE

I READ...

SCRIPTURE

WHAT a HUSBAND NEEDS from  HIS WIFE

PRAYERS of and EXCELLENT WIFE

GIRLTALK BLOG and OTHER LINKS

EMAILS

I LISTEN TO...

THE GENTLE HUM OF THE REFRIGERATOR

THE TICKING OF THE CLOCK

THE GARAGE DOOR OPEN AND CLOSE FOR THOSE ON THEIR WAY TO WORK

THE CLICKING OF THE LAP TOP'S KEYBOARD

MY "PERFECT" MECHANICAL PENCIL AS IS SCRIBBLES SCRIPTURE, PRAYERS AND MY LATEST CARES

THE TURNING OF MY BIBLE'S THIN AND DELICATE PAGES

THE SWEET BIRD'S SINGING (A WARM WELCOME ANNOUNCING THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING)

I WAIT FOR...

MY COFFEE TO BREW

THE HOLY SPIRIT TO MOVE, GUIDE and PROMPT

THE VOICE OF THE LORD

The voice of the Lord  is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.

Psalm 29:4

THE SIGHS AND SONGS OF MY DAUGHTER AS SHE RISES TO MEET THE DAY

THE SOUNDS OF THE SHOWER INDICATING MY HUSBAND HAS HIT HIS FINAL SNOOZE BUTTON

MY SOUL TO BE REVIVED, MY SPIRITS LIFTED, AND FOR MY HEART TO BE STEADIED, SO THAT I MAY FACE ANOTHER DAY

"Be still, and know that I am God."

Psalm 46: 10a



March Babies

THREE YEARS AGO MY DEAR FRIEND, ASHLEY, AND I WERE AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF OUR FIRSTBORNS.  WHEN MY DUE DATE ARRIVED (MARCH 15TH) AND HER BABY BOY ARRIVED INSTEAD OF MY BABY GIRL, I KNEW THAT THESE TWO CHILDREN WOULD ALWAYS HAVE A SPECIAL BOND.  SO, IT WAS WITH GREAT JOY AND ENTHUSIASM THAT WE MADE THE TREK TO WHEATON, IL TO CELEBRATE A DEAR BOY WHO HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR HEART, ROBBIE LIVINGSTON.

ONE COOL KID TRAVELS TO CELEBRATE ANOTHER.

ROBBIE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO SHARE HIS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION WITH OUR LITTLE LADY.

"FOR ME?!"

SHARING A THREE-YEAR-OLD MOMENT ON THE STAIRS.

IT'S NOT EVERY DAY THAT A GUEST IS TREATED TO HER VERY OWN BIRTHDAY CAKE AT A FRIEND'S PARTY. 

I LOVE HOW THE BIRTHDAY BOY (POSITIONED BY THE MAC N' CHEESE) IS WAITING PATIENTLY FOR HIS CELEBRATION TO BEGIN.  WHAT A GENTLEMAN!

FEELING THE LOVE.

WE ARE SO BLESSED TO HAVE SUCH FAITHFUL, THOUGHTFUL, AND LOVING FRIENDS WHO HAVE TRULY BECOME FAMILY TO US.  IT IS A JOY TO RAISE OUR CHILDREN TOGETHER, SHARING IT BOTH THE PRECIOUS MILESTONES AND MORE CHALLENGING ASPECTS OF PARENTHOOD.  WE PRAISE THE LORD FOR OUR MARCH BABIES, OUR FIRSTBORNS, WHO FOREVER CHANGED OUR LIVES MY MAKING US PARENTS. 

So the Little Lady Says...

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE PHRASE - A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS?

THESE DAYS WE NEEDN'T OFFER ANY PENNY AS THE LITTLE LADY'S THOUGHTS ARE IN ABUNDANCE AND RAPIDLY SPEWING FORTH FROM HER BEAUTIFUL LITTLE MOUTH.

A FEW FAVORITES:

- "I NEED A MINUTE."

 (IN AN EFFORT TO PROLONG THE INEVITABLE SUGGESTION OF SITTING ON THE TOILET)

- "MY BELLY IS GETTING STRONGER, AND WHEN IT COMES OUT IT WILL BE A BABY GIRL."

(AFTER SPENDING TIME OBSERVING HER AUNTIE ASHLEY'S 9 MOS PREGNANT BELLY SHE DECIDED THE PHRASE "GETTING STRONGER" WAS A BETTER FIT THAN "GETTING BIGGER" WHEN REFERRING TO A GROWING BABY BUMP.  AFTER SAID VISIT, SHE INFORMED US THAT SHE TOO WAS "EXPECTING" IN HER OWN WORDS, OF COURSE.)

- "Ooooo...MY BEAUTIFUL NAILS ARE THE SAME COLOR AS THE BEAUTIFUL STRAWBERRIES!"

(WHILE WASHING THE RUBY RED FRUIT)

- "GOOD MORNING, MAMA!  HOW WAS YOUR LONG NAP?"

(EACH MORNING OUR LITTLE SONG BIRD SINGS AN ORIGINAL SONG AT HER GATED DOOR UNTIL I COME TO GET HER.  ONCE I REACH HER DOOR THIS IS HER STANDARD GREETING.)

- "ARE YOU MAKING A NEW RECIPE?"

(EACH TIME SHE HEARS ME TINKERING IN THE KITCHEN.  THIS QUESTION IS FOLLOWED BY AN IMMEDIATE HAULING OF A KITCHEN CHAIR ACROSS THE FLOOR TO ASSUME HER SOUS CHEF POSITION BY MY SIDE.)

- "YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND."

(WHILE GAZING AFFECTIONATELY INTO MY EYES BEFORE BED)

- "WHEN I'M NOT CHARLOTTE, I WILL..."

(WHAT SHE SAYS WHEN PONDERING WHAT SHE WILL DO WHEN SHE'S OLDER)

- "Joe-AH!"

(HER LOVING NICKNAME FOR THE LITTLE MAN.)

- "DEAR JESUS, PLEASE HELP ME SO I DON'T PUKE.  AMEN."

(HER PRAYER WHEN ASKED TO PRAY BEFORE DINNER.  DEBATING AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I SHOULD TAKE THIS PERSONALLY.)

THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OF MANY.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - The Key

(image taken by the little lady)

Meatless Meal - Ricotta Bruschetta

TONIGHT WE DINED ON BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S HERBED RICOTTA BRUSCHETTA

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/herbed-ricotta-bruschettas-recipe/index.html

(THE RECIPE CALLS FOR DILL, WHICH I ELIMINATED AS I'M NOT A FAN.) 

THIS WAS A LIGHT AND EASY MEAL, PERFECT FOR A SUNDAY EVENING WHEN MY ENERGY IS LOW BUT MY HUNGER LEVEL IS HIGH.  ANY RECIPE THAT CALLS FOR WARM SOURDOUGH BREAD DRIZZLED IN OLIVE OIL WILL ALWAYS SATISFY MY SOUL.  CAESAR SALAD WITH TANGY BFC DRESSING, AND SWEET ORANGES FROM BRENNAN'S COMPLIMENTED OUR MEAL.