Fill 'Er Up and Check It Out!

On this Thankful Thursday,

I am reminded of two things.

First I am thankful for the lowering gas prices.

I was thrilled to fill the little Focus for $20 yesterday.

The price on the sign was $1.99/gal.,

but with a gas discount ... I paid $1.89/gal.

Loving this little blessing.

I am also thankful for those who are observant.

I started Spring Cleaning on Monday.

I only accomplished the "Master Suite" on Monday,

but the first thing hubby said was, "Everything is so tidy."

Then yesterday I cleaned out the refrigerator.

Hubby could not stop commenting on it last night and again this morning.

I am thankful for the appreciation of my hubby.

I don't know how many husbands read this "girly" blog,

but can I encourage you to appreciate the mundane tasks that your wife does?

Force yourself to look for things to praise.

If she is a SAHW, she doesn't get the praise at work like you do - it must come from YOU!

SAHW: Reason 4

Titus 2:3-5
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers,
not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

 That they may teach the young women to be sober,
to love their husbands, to love their children,

 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

The primary reason that I am a stay at home wife -

and the one that makes me stay there when I waver -

is that I believe that it is God's plan for the home.

I will not come to blows with anyone who sees it differently,

but to my understanding, it is God's plan.

There are many other verses, but I will stick with this verse in Titus.

"Keepers at Home"

-literally a guard

A guard does not leave his post for long periods of time.

A guard understands the seriousness of his work and sticks to it.

I am a guard - 

I seek to protect my home from false teaching,

from chaos,

from unhealthy habits,

from budget strain,

from moral temptation.

Why?

It is a testimony to God -

"that the word of God be not blasphemed."

Many people do not understand the decision,

but many times hubby has told me of husbands he works with who just long to have a SAHW.

Many times I have seen torn wives who just want to care for their home and family.

I believe that in order to properly help my husband (I am his helpmeet),

I need to be available.

What better way is there to be available than to be at home.

Just a quick note:

What about Priscilla and Aquilla?

I love the idea of working side by side with my husband.

What a perfect opportunity to be a helpmeet.

If hubby worked in an environment that allowed us to work together,

I would jump at the opportunity.

Maybe one day he will be self employed and we can work together :)

Almost Done ... Again

The computer file has been proofed,

the cover has been made,

the physical copy has been ordered.

We are almost done with book #2 - 

an expository study of the book of Romans.

The covers will all be the same ...

just blue for Old Testament

and red for New Testament.

Start It Early

There is nothing like the feeling of Spring Cleaning.

I know ... I know ...

many of you are in the throws of winter,

but before too long (February 14) the garden will call me and the inside work will have to wait.

So I started some spring cleaning today.

I worked in the Master bed/bath today:

Pitched some clothes, some shoes, some old linens.

Cleaned away the dust bunnies.

Wiped down the walls.

Cleaned in cupboards and drawers.

I still need to wash the curtains and windows,

but I am excited that I tried a new recipe last week for cleaning mildew around the windows.

The recipe: tea tree oil and water

It worked really well and is supposed to kill the stuff.

I only did a little cleaning last week with the oil,

but I will be back to it this week.

Just for Fun

While walking the beach in Oregon,

we stumbled upon this writing in the sand.

Was it left specifically for us?

Not sure, but it sure was cute.

Hubby's sister snapped a picture of it for us.

C + S = Love

West

I am thankful this week for the time and resources to make a trip out west last week.

I am thankful for the opportunity to see family that we hadn't seen in 6 years.

I am thankful for safety in travel ... for smooth connections.

I am thankful for a week of travel free of food allergy reactions (a rare occurrence).

I am thankful for the opportunity to see the Coast and the Mountains again.

I am thankful for a clear day on the day that we planned to see the coast.

I am thankful for God's orchestration of conversations that needed to be had.

I am thankful for a home to return to.

SAHW: Reason 3

"But what do you do all day?

I cannot imagine being home all day every day."

Early in my marriage I asked this question and gave this answer often.

How would I ever go from the teaching profession to a homemaker?

With every move or change in church, the question returns,

but God is faithful.

I am not home all day every day.

There are so many ministries in a small church that working men and busy moms just don't have time for.

There is office work, cleaning opportunities, music ministry, meals, visiting, driving, website upkeep ...

I have a home, yard, and garden to take care of.

I love having the time to create a peaceful space and then to enjoy that space in the evening with hubby.

I have unique ministries to my hubby - 

I never would have imagined that I would be editing and helping to publish books.

So on those days when I feel "bored,"

I have only to pray - to ask God to help me see the needs - 

to ask Him to help me to be willing and able to meet those needs - 

Needs and opportunities that I might be too tired to meet if I was devoting 8 hours to a job outside the home.

Post-Vacation Blahs

Does anyone else experience a let down after a vacation?

The return to routine is good,

but it takes a bit to adjust to the quiet house again.

The house is tidied again.

I even started some spring-cleaning today.

I was hitting the mold in the window sills ... with tea tree oil.

Back to normal eating again.  That feels good.

Challenging myself to take off 5 lbs of winter weight.

Tomorrow I hit the deck again (the back porch).

The weather is a little more conducive this week - 

it is like spring!

Home Again, Home Again - Jiggety, Jig!

Any guesses where I was last week?

Hubby and I were "home."

We took a trip to the west coast to visit family.

It is funny that I should feel a draw to the west coast - 

I only lived there for four years.

But the coast ... mesmerizing ... the power, the beauty, the peace.

We had a great week - 

time with family

seeing the coast and the mountains again

a whole week with hubby

The pictures are of Depoe Bay in OR.

I didn't take them, but I saw it look just like this.

I feared the weather - the Pacific NW is known for rain between November and April.

We had fog and some rain,

but our day at the coast was just BEAUTIFUL!

And of course,

it is good to be back to our home in NC.

Back to our diet, our schedule, ...

Pleasant Memories and Provoking Thoughts

This week, I am thankful for pleasant memories.

I am thankful for so many experiences that I have had the privilege to enjoy.

I am thankful for all that God has allowed me to see and do.

I am thankful to have been able to live in 3 corners of the US.

(NY, FL, and WA)

I am thankful to have gone to college.

I am thankful to understand the life of a military family.

I am thankful that I only had to experience military life for 6 years.

I am thankful for friends and family sprinkled all over America.

I am thankful for all the folks who have adopted me and all those who have allowed me to adopt them.

I am thankful for little apartments and big trailers.

I am thankful for ministry opportunities of all shapes and sizes.

I am also thankful for a thought that hubby mentioned Sunday night as he preached.

He is preaching through the book of Daniel.

He mentioned that Daniel trials were a result of  the sins of his forefathers.

His life, what he was experiencing, was due to the decisions of those years before him.

His life was "unfair."

Taken captive, removed from his home, made a eunuch - no wife or children

His life was not one we would want to choose.

But he served as God would have him serve.

He trusted God's plan.

 Jeremiah 29:11 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, 

thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

SAHW: Reason Two

I love being a SAHW.

I love being a full time help to my husband.

I love that my job gives me flexibility.

I am a SAHW because it gives me the freedom and time to help others.

I love to help others.

I love to do jobs that others don't have time for.

I love to free up SAHMs (stay-at-home-moms) to do their most important jobs.

I love to be able to serve at my church.

I love to have the time to minister to any child or student who allow me to adopt him/her.

Helping my husband ... helping others.

I LOVE MY JOB!

Tuesday Transformation with a Twist

Discipline is a constant struggle for me.

Figuring out a workable schedule in order to prioritize my responsibilities

is a constant battle.

I think that I have landed on a good schedule.

I want to put Bible reading first.

I want to prioritize my health and exercise.

I want to make sure that hubby gets a good breakfast and a satisfying lunch box each day.

The new schedule:

Hubby rises at 4:30 to exercise.

I get out of bed and make his smoothie minus the frozen pumpkin.

I hope back in bed to do my Bible reading and prayer.

Then when I hear the blender, I wrap up my time and head to my exercise from 5:30-6:30.

Then make lunch ...

then make breakfast and enjoy with hubby.

When hubby heads out the door,

my day is started right.

The Bible has not been crowded out.

My exercise is not interrupted.

On to the rest of the day.

I am sure I will still have my struggles with the schedule and discipline,

but for now ... it is working,

and I like it.

The transformation is in my day and my outlook.

I start right and it sets the tone for the day.

Vegetti Spaghetti

Found a new and exciting toy last week.

Enter - the Vegetti.

I had seen a lot of recipes for spiralized vegetables recently.

I would make the recipes with julienned veggies instead,

but to tell you the truth - I am just not that patient when it comes to this style of food prep.

When our menu called for Alfredo last week,

I broke down and bought the Vegetti.

In went the Summer Squash - 

Out came beautiful ribbons perfect for my Alfredo sauce.

Yes, the noodles passed the hubby test,

 and he even commented that he may look forward to zucchini season this year.
I think he has a lot of stir fries and other Asian dishes in mind.

Knowledge

Knowledge is Power.

You have heard it, right?

I love knowledge.

I would still be in college today if time and income permitted.

I just love to learn things.

I am friends with my dictionary.

I use google regularly.

I am thankful for knowledge.

I was so excited when one of my survey companies offered me a product trial.

I love free paper towls, free tp, free shampoo ...

but this was even better.

A fitness tracker.

For one week I got to wear the Metria IH1.

It was a patch worn on the back of my arm.

At the end of the week,

I mailed the device back.

About a month later, I got to read my results online.

I learned how many calories I burn on a normal day.

I learned which of my exercises gave me the best bang for my effort.

I learned how well or how poorly I slept nightly.

The knowledge has helped me immensely.

I have calculated my daily calorie needs many times using online BMR calculators.

The calculations usually equal 1400 calories.

When trying to lose weight, I would just cut from that each day.

My Metria results showed me that my BMR (I looked at my Sunday reading)

is more like 2200 calories.

When I cut calories from 1400 I was actually losing weight, 

but also slowing my metabolism by cutting too many calories.

I can now "diet" with knowledge.

I LOVE IT!

Do you have a fitness tracker?

Which one?  Fit Bit, Polar, Garmin?

Does it help you?

SAHW: Reason One

The Stay-at-home wife ...

a lost breed for many years,

but it appears to be making a comeback.

Why would someone choose to be a stay-at home wife?

Don't I get bored?

Perhaps you have never thought of it,

but some of my readers are my young nieces and nephews

as well as some of the college students in the area who are nearing the point of making such decisions.

I have to say,

that the decision seemed easy when I first made it.

I wanted to take Titus 2:5 literally to be a "keeper at home."

I also figured that within a year my family would grow.

I knew that I wanted to care for my own children.

But 12 years later, why?

One reason:

I want to be a full time helpmeet.

My hubby works very hard.

He fixes tractors.

He fixes our home.

He writes.

He preaches.

I stay at home to make his life easier.

His home can be calm and clean.

I have the energy to make breakfast, pack lunches, and cook dinner each night.

I am available when he needs me to run errands.

I am able to work with him on house and church projects.

I can research healthy living foods and exercises.

I have the energy to get up with him in the morning.
I can do many house projects and the yard work to free up more time for him.

There are many reasons why I take my job seriously.

I will share them with you over the next week.

I share for many reasons.

I want to encourage girls to make the decision to care for their homes.

I want to remind myself of the value of my work.

Thanks for letting me share with you.

Step by Step

Step by Step and Board by Board ...

I plan to start my next house project today.

It may not be quick, but my goal is to do a little at a time.

The project:

the back porch.

Right now it is all white - and peeling.

The plan is the strip the white paint off the steps and floor and possibly top railing

and stain it brown - like the front porch.
Then we will freshen up what is left with white.

The baby steps include stripping one step or board each day.

I meant to start yesterday, and didn't, so I am going to do two steps today.

Some of the paint has already peeled,

but the rest needs some encouragement.

I found a homemade paint remover recipe online and I am going to give it a try.

Hopefully I can update positively later tonight.
If it works well, maybe I can up my daily goals.

Paint Remover

1 c water

4 Spoonfuls of Washing soda

enough flour to make a paste

Brush on - let sit 30 minutes - rinse and scrape as necessary.


**UPDATE**

I finished a little more than one stair.

I think the remover worked well - except for the temperatures here.
I combined the paint remover with a heat gun.
I had a little less time today than planned, so I will hit it more tomorrow.

Little Power Bites

I have long desired to make mini cupcakes, or mini muffins, or mini quiche - 

but did not have a tin to go with the desire.

Recently I found one for $1 and went for it.

I am glad I did because this recipe is so good!

Gluten free - dairy free - sugar free - and packed with protein.

It does have some odd ingredients,

but if you happen to have them on hand - give it a try.

They aren't sugar free with the chocolate pieces of course - 

but I make my 6  first and then add chocolate for the man of the house.

Banana Chia Bites

3/4 c almond meal

2 Tbsp coconut flour

2 Tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 large ripe banana, mashed

1 egg

1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

2 Tbsp unsweetend almond milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup chopped pecans (or mini chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a mini-muffin pan.

Combine dry ingredients.

Combine wet ingredients.

Add wet to dry - stir to combine.

Fold nuts or mini chips into the batter.

Spoon into pan and bake about 15 minutes until tops start to turn brown.

Remove and cool before transferring to a cooling rack.

This weeks menu:

Sunday:  Italian Pork

Monday: Grilled chicken; roasted sweet potatoes

Tuesday: Summer Squash Noodles with Tomato Alfredo Sauce

Wednesday:  Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken

Thursday:  Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Friday:  Tilapia

Saturday:  Pizza

Welcome 2015!

u

2015!

Excited about a trip back out west ...

plans to publish 2 more books ...

celebrating my 40th birthday ...

getting stronger and healthier each day ...

enjoying each moment given ...

I don't think that you should wait for the New Year to make resolutions,

but it does give pause to think about making necessary changes.

There is always something that I can do better.