Smell of Home

I have been on a baking spree.  Yesterday, I worked on some homemade hot pockets at hubby's request.  Today, I have 18 apple fritters rising and ready to go in the oven shortly.  There is dough raising for English Muffins and then I will make 2 loaves of wheat bread.  I LOVE the smell of fresh baked goods!  Add to that 3 loads of laundry with the pleasant smell of laundry soap and the house smells oh so homey today.

It seems that this will be my semester for working on time management.  It is not that I have more going on, but I just have a lot more "immovable" responsibilities.  I can see that I am being pushed to make the most of each moment, to think about how to accomplish things in a time-saving order ...  Perhaps it is just this week with the start of a new semester and nightly services at the college, or perhaps I am just needing to become more efficient.

With that said, I must get back to work.  The English Muffins will need to be shaped, the fritters popped into the oven, and the last batch of dough mixed!  Then it is on to the homework.  BTW - I aced my first Hebrew quiz (OK it was just the alphabet - but at least it was a good start.)

Keep thy Tongue

And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness

and of thy praise all the day long. 

Psalm 35:28

Is that as much of a challenge to you as it is to me?

Shameless Promotion

While his blog is listed on the side bar of Simply Keeping the Home, I have not officially promoted hubby's new blog.  Hubby loves Greek.  Though the King James Version is clear and sufficient in all areas, he loves the additional light that the original languages shed.  The Greek language is very clear in SO many areas.  Hubby is blogging (as his schedule allows) at Search the Scriptures.  Follow the link and check it out - he is doing a verse by verse exposition through John 1 right now!

Crunch and Munch

Some churches have "fellowships", some have "SNACs" (Sunday Night After Church), our church has a "Crunch and Munch" periodically.  We had one on Sunday because our friend Sam was home before heading to the Ukraine for a little over a month.  While I love the fellowship, I hate coming up with what to make and this week it was compounded be an inability to make it to a store.  We had just been apple picking (we found Ruby Jons instead of Macs - still very good), so I made some apple raspberry streusel bars using the fresh apples and raspberry jam.  For the "healthier" contribution, I made some Cheese 'n Ham Spirals.  I must have found the recipe in a Kraft magazine.  I think I would tweak the cheese next time, but I was pleased with the outcome (and hubby must have enjoyed them because I had to limit hubby's consumption before the Crunch and Munch so that I would still have something to take.)

Ham and Cheese Spirals

1 egg

1 sheet from frozen puff pastry (1/2 of 17 1/4 oz pack) thawed

1/4 c Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp ground pepper

8 slices ham lunch meat

• Beat egg and 1 T water; set aside
• Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface.  Roll into 14 x 10 " rectangle, Cut in 1/2 lengthwise.  Brush with egg mix.
• Sprinkle 3 T cheese and pepper over 1 pastry; cover with ham slices.  Place remaining pastry egg side down over ham.  Roll gently with rolling pin.  Brush with additional egg mixture.
• Roll to make 14" log.  Cut into 24 slices.  Place on parchment covered bake sheet.  Brush with egg mix.  Sprinkle with 1 T cheese.
• Bake at 400* for 12-14 min.

Reading Backwards

Well, one day of classes is down.  I spent last night organizing the syllabuses (or is it syllabi?) so that hubby can attack things in an orderly manner.  This morning I am heading to school with him so that I can sit in on Hebrew class - I am just hoping that I can keep up!  After class, I will stay for chapel and then hurry home to tend my household chores.

This afternoon, we are hoping to go find some Macs at a U-Pick Orchard in Hendersonville, NC. 

Schedules

As hubby starts back for his final semester of Bible College (if the Lord wills), I am thankful to be back on a schedule.  I am thankful for the work that hubby has had all summer, but the scheduling has been CRAZY, absolutely no consistency from week to week!  Some folks despise routine and schedules, but I thrive on plans and order.  My life is looking a little more predictable today and I look forward to getting a lot more accomplished on a schedule. 

We Survived!

We survived the East Coast earthquake.  I am still laughing because my brother had to call from IN to tell me that I had been through one.  Yes, I felt it ... that is why I laugh.  My trailer has so many quirks that I thought that the AC or refrigerator was just acting up and shaking the place ... HA, HA!

I also survived the Sunday School Party.  5 1/2 hours was not quite long enough to accomplish everything, but we made a valiant effort! 

Girl Party Today

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.

Did you have a "teacher" or mentor growing up who was an outside support to your parents and your church?  I did.  In fact, she will read this blog post.  While we have not really spent long times together since 1993 when I graduated from high school, she still prays for me and sends the most fun encouragements my way.  While teens and preteens are not the group that I would classify as my "niche,"  God has given me many opportunities to work in this area since arriving in NC.  The preschool ministry which would be my favorite group to work with has always had plenty of workers.  Chris and I took the teen ministry about 9 months into our time here.  Recently the class has become a class of girls, so I now work it alone.  I am thankful for an organized way to fulfill the command in Titus 2.  The girls learned Romans 12:9-22 with the church during the past months and their reward is a party ... and the day is TODAY!  While hubby is hard at work this afternoon, we will bake and decorate cupcakes, make pizza, craft, do nails, and play games.  There will also be a time of devotions where we will continue to focus on being a Titus 2 and a Proverbs 31 girl.  I was thrilled when I asked the group about what they would like to do at their party and they responded with "home-y" type answers such as crafts, sewing, baking.  I have not hosted a party in awhile, but I know this party won't be near as hard as my former preschool parties :) 

Grace

Do you ever look around a wonder "why"?

Not why me?  Not even, why them?

Rather a - why not me.

All around families crumble,

people drown in debt,

struggles abound.

It is God's grace that upholds and sustains.

It is not earned or deserved.  It is unmerited.

Today, I am thankful for that grace.

Still knotted!

08~17~2002

Celebrating an anniverary today!

Seems like only yesterday ...

yet, 3 states, 3 deployments, and 3 years of school later

we celebrate NINE years of marriage.

May God's grace keep us for another 9 ...

and another 9 ... and another 9 ...

and another 9 ...

I want to be a newlywed FOREVER!