A Breakfast of Champions

Here is a start to the pictures:

a view of the eat-in kitchen.

I think that I am most excited at the big pantry all the way to the right.

The decoration was a gift from our realtor - a barrel top with our name and initial on it.

The wall that you do not see is actually a large sliding door out to the patio.

I am contemplating where everything will go and where things will land.

I do know that I will need a step stool at the ready because the cabinets are very tall

and I wouldn't want to waste any space.

I also am going to use a gas stove for the first time since I was babysitting as a teenager.

Hubby says I will just love it ... and the internet agrees.

The dishwasher is actually going to be a glorified dish drainer.

The sink is one large, undivided basin and I don't really want a dish drainer on the counter,

so why not use the dishwasher - it even has unique spots to dry everything.

As to the breakfast of champions ...

How about some chia pudding?

I have discovered that I do a great job making meals for others in my home,

but I hate to cook for myself,

so meals already made are a blessing.

This makes a great breakfast or even an evening treat.

Periodically, I make up about 4 breakfasts and throw them in the fridge for hubby and me.

It's an easily adaptable recipe.

And as I type this,

I realize that I forgot the maple syrup in this morning's batch - 

better add that before tomorrow morning.

Chia Pudding

3 TBS chia seeds

5 oz milk

1 TBS maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

for variety:

add 1 TBSP cocoa powder and then a TBSP of peanut butter at breakfast

or

add 1 TBSP lemon juice and then a half cup of blueberries or strawberries at breakfast

or

use half milk and half orange juice for the liquid to create a creamsicle pudding

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in bowl.

Leave sit 5 minutes (or until you remember that you are making pudding)

Stir again and leave sit 5 minutes.

Stir again and put in fridge.

Stir again before eating.

Chia seeds are a complete plant-based protein

and while they are expensive

a little goes a long way and actually is cheaper (and more filling)

than a serving of Cheerios.

 The fabric for my curtains arrived today,

so I will be busy working on them tomorrow and through next week.

Done!

 The house passed its reinspection

and we have signed all the paperwork.

We are homeowners.

We could just stand outside, look at the home,

and thank God for His provision.

So many years of wandering through developments looking at similar houses.

We never thought it possible.

But here we are and it had nothing to do with us.

It is still probably not a "forever home,"

but it is now ours and we are thankful.

We hope to empty the storage unit this weekend

and fix some closets and an accent wall.

And then we will move in the following weekend.

I promise,

something better than a notebook and a key picture to follow soon.

Did I Mention Patience?

Can you tell by the title what did not happen today?

I visited my beautiful new home this morning.

I collected the keys to my beautiful new home this morning. 

I went to closing with money and pen in hand.

And I left closing needing to return my keys.

It appears that my builder approved the final appraiser,

but some carpet had been removed in order to replace it (I imagine a paint spill),

the gas hadn't been turned on,

some faucets still needed to be installed,

and my new house failed.

While these things were in tip-top shape this morning,

without another appraisal, the mortgage cannot go through.

So we are a little disappointed

and we are waiting for a new closing date,

but we will be homeowners soon enough.

Now off to Walmart for a little stock-up before the weekend.

*** Afternoon Edit ***

We received a nice call from the owner of the company that built our home.

He genuinely apologized and mentioned that he was actually at the house this morning (though unseen).

He saw that things were not done properly and even found some other small details that needed to be fixed.

Oh - and he said we could keep a key and spend all the time we wanted to there or move in

(though I am not really comfortable with that).

Where is the Challenge?

 I am not a competitive person.

I avoid stress if possible.

I am happy to cheer for other people.

But there have to be some challenges in life.

Hubby and I are currently working on memorizing Psalm 119.

What?

We have been challenged to memorize as far as we can through the summer with our church.

I may only get through verse 8.

Maybe I will make it through 16.

I want to learn 8 verses each month which would get me through verse 24,

but whatever I learn, the challenge has been helpful.

It has lit a fire.

It has given hubby and I another something to do together.

It has focused our minds on good things.

We have also set another challenge.

We are about to do something we thought we would never do.

We are about to sign a mortgage.

Debt is not something we see as good.

And so we take another challenge.

Can we pay off the house in 5 years or less?

That is the challenge.

And as inflation continues, the challenge gets harder.

I have read many a blog where that same challenge led to boxed macaroni and cheese weekly.

How about packages of Bar S hotdogs marked down to 88 cents a pack?

Unfortunately, my body could not handle that,

but it can handle more simplicity.

As I write, there is a big pot of beans on the stove.

As a matter of fact, the rice just finished as well.

We might get more of our favorite "breakfast for dinner" nights.

In fact, tonight we are enjoying chia pancakes - a brand new favorite.

Have you challenged yourself to something?

Is there something that helps you better yourself?

Is there something that sharpens you?

Don't be afraid of the challenge!

Let it strengthen you!

Reliance and Faith

 I often think that I have to go through this test so frequently.

Is waiting really necessary?

Haven't I practiced patience enough?

There has been a lot of waiting in my life:

Waiting for the "right one" until I was 26,

waiting for children,

waiting for the next move,

waiting for a house.

But it always comes back to God reminding me that

"We walk by faith and not by sight."

It is ok to not know the future.

It is ok to wait - because it always yields God's best.

It is ok if His ways are not my ways.

Right now it seems that we wait on the house.

The "new" government holiday prevented some things from being done,

so it looks like closing will be moved a little.

But even in the waiting ... I still have an apartment until the first week in August.

And I am paid up on storage through the end of July.

It is no surprise to God!

Just Overwhelmed

 No, I am not overwhelmed by activity.

I am not overwhelmed by stress.

I am not overwhelmed even by the chaos of the world (though the devil does tempt).

I am overwhelmed by how God is working.

(and I might be a little overwhelmed by the heat this week 😀)

Just 2 1/2 months since the cross-country move

and God continues to show himself strong

(as if He wouldn't).

I have mentioned in the blog from the very beginning nearly 14 years ago that there are seasons.

Seasons of feast,

seasons of wilderness,

seasons of joy,

seasons of discouragement.

Our days in Oregon were not the easiest of our lives for sure.

The Pacific Northwest is a dark place,

it was lonely because of Covid restrictions,

and it was a hard "temporary duty station."

God provided friends and "family" but it never became "home."

Of course, a move to KY cannot solve it all.

Really, the whole nation is dark.

The nation as a whole needs strong churches, strong leaders, and strong believers - 

it needs a strength that knows what it believes based on Bible truth and holds to it.

There have been days of discouragement in the past months as well,

but they have been hard days because it takes time to feel "at home."

It takes a while to feel a sense of "belonging."

But there have been far more days of encouragement.

Encouragement and challenge to grow.

Encouragement and challenge to serve better.

Encouragement and challenge to look around.

Encouragement and challenge to live a more holy life.

And those days of encouragement to grow are worth all the hard days.

And in the midst of the spiritual encouragement,

there is also the encouragement of God's provision.

We are getting close.

Thursday, we are supposed to see the finished product.

Our home is almost complete.

When we stopped last Thursday - there sure were a lot of little things left

(backsplash, counters, kitchen sink, appliances, finish outlets, driveway and patio)

Hubby saw concrete today and workers buzzing around - 

there is definitely excitement from this homemaker.

Mostly, I am overwhelmed by how God orchestrates.

Moves, places, jobs, homes, ...

I am overwhelmed at how He blesses and continues to bless when I don't deserve it.

I am overwhelmed at all that I continue to learn and be challenged by.