Hearts in Service

I was busily running around the church this morning, vacuuming, straightening, getting bulletins ready and figuring out a children's church lesson. I have company coming on Sunday and still need to get the house ready for that as well as prep. I'm going to have to drive and pick up my in-laws before church (a little over an hour each way) and get them into the building, settled, and then do children's church, etc. I could feel my attitude disintegrating very quickly and was kind of feeling sorry for myself. (Just being honest). I started feeling a bit resentful that I never get to enjoy the celebration because I'm working to make it nice for everyone else.  Then I heard a still quiet voice say, "Who are you doing it for?" "Isn't the sacrifice I gave worth more than of all your minor inconveniences?" Ouch. That brought me up short, caused me to ask for forgiveness and shifted my attitude. How can I complain over petty stuff when I reflect on the m

I've spent the past 4 days staring at a computer screen for hours each day, feeling like I wanted to rip my hair out and yes, crying a few tears. However, I am happy to say that my new cookbook has been published. You can click on the picture above to take you to the page on Amazon where it is listed. It is available as a paperback, hardcover and Kindle e-book. I'm so happy with how it turned out and yet, never thought writing a cookbook would be that difficult. I would think I was finished and then find something else I needed to tweak. I also included a bit of my weight loss journey in it as well.  I have also created a new website for all things frugal called The Frugal Connection . The link for that is at the top of this blog. I also started a Facebook page for that with the desire to build a community around inspiring each other with ideas to save money in this crazy economy. I'm excited about this new book but had to laugh at the irony of how expensive it is to print

  I had such a weird dream last night. In my dream I knew my time was coming to an end and I had different friends, family and acquaintances come where I was and  I read a blessing over them. The weird part was that it was a spoken word poem that I had written. 😀 But as I lay in bed this morning reflecting on the dream, it brought a smile to my face. A wonderful way to go is being able to leave a word of encouragement to those in your life. To let them know how much you love them and speak a word of blessing over them. I've tried to live my life that way though I know I'm not always success at it. But that is my goal; to connect with people and speak blessing over them. I want to encourage them with my words and with my life and leave their lives better because it intersected with mine. I think that is a worthwhile goal we all should strive to achieve. As I think about the past week I feel thankful for the following things. 💓 My middle son is in between jobs and doing deliver

We are entering into Holy Week and the events that lead up to the death of Christ. One of my favorite celebrations is the celebration of Palm Sunday.  I love the symbolism of this event and enjoy celebrating it with the children at church. But as I was reading this morning and looking at this passage of Scripture again, something new struck me. Mark 11:7-11 ~  The disciples brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and he sat on it. Many people spread their clothes on the road, and others spread leafy branches cut from the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven! He went into Jerusalem and into the temple. After looking around at everything, since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. Jesus enters into Jerusalem on a young and borrowed donkey that no one had ever ridden. It was untamed and y

I'd love to sit on this bench and contemplate about the grander things in life. However, after looking at my calendar and realizing that we have a major life event happening in our family in less than 5 months, I've had a couple of panicked days. Weddings are no small things to pull off and I guess I've been in my own little world as time has sped by until we are at this point. And not only is there so much to do, but the expense of things is crazy. I have a number of items in my online shopping cart, but am waiting to see if they go on sale or if I can find them cheaper elsewhere. My frugal nature plus the reality of our finances is kicking in so I'm excited to see how this can be done in a way that is beautiful, elegant and yet, doesn't break our bank nor the bride and groom's bank! Event planning is my thing so I'm excited for this, but there definitely are so many details to look after.  I told a friend that a wedding is event planning on steroids. Add t

It's been a busy week and I've had a lot to get done. It's easy to start to feel overwhelmed, but I find that my new mantra is "just keep swimming" or "put one foot in front of the other or "do the next thing." Any of those work. 😉 In the past, when I would have a long list, I used to procrastinate which then just added to the overwhelmed feeling. However, over time I've learned to just keep doing the next task on my list until it is done and then I can cross it off and relieve that overwhelmed feeling.  This year I've been sitting down each Sunday evening and looking at the week ahead and writing down each thing I want to get done, including adding any meetings or appointments to my list and days I plan on walking or exercising. Those things that don't happen get moved to the next week's list. And then I kick up my heels and get moving on them. I find making the list has really helped me to accomplish more. The past few weeks have

I've spent a large chunk of of my life trying to figure out what purpose I was supposed to serve. Was it writing to encourage others? Was it speaking to do the same? Was it to continue in my role in our district? Was it church ministry? Or was I just supposed to be a good wife and a support to our children?  What is the overarching purpose in my life? And often, when I went down that path of introspection I would start to feel that no matter what I chose it was the wrong decision.  At times I thought that perhaps I misunderstood what God had said to me so I would change my mind about a decision I had made. It is exhausting going through life feeling as if I somehow missed the mark God had for me. I would end up second-guessing each decision and feeling as if I made a mistake and wasted my life. I have discovered that being on that merry-go-round is pointless and serves no good purpose. I've learned, and to be honest, am still learning, to have a shift of perspective.  Whatever

Spring is definitely in the air and has come a bit early this year. I've been getting outside and enjoying it as much as I can because it definitely lifts my spirits. The past few days have felt like a game of peek-a-boo! I walk along, lost in thoughts, when out of nowhere a head appears.  This doe was skittish, but curious about me. She stood there while I took pictures and talked to her, but definitely was ready to take off at the first wrong move from me.  There are always chipmunks scurrying through the dead leaves, but every now and then one will sit still long enough for me to snap a picture.  Tiny buds are poking their heads out as well. The birds are out and singing loudly. They seem to be happy spring is on the way as well! This little guy even seems so happy to see spring arrive that it decided to climb a tree which I had no idea they could do! We are supposed to get snow this weekend, but that won't dampen my spirits. Spring has sprung!  

Ecclesiastes 3:11 ~ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. There is so much in this world and in my life that I don't understand. There seems to be no purpose to pain and suffering and struggle. And I sometimes question, "Why would God allow this?" It's hard to reconcile what I know of God's goodness and mercy with the hard things that people walk through.  And yet, according to chapter 3 in Ecclesiastes there is a time and purpose for all things. The circumstances that we face, both good and bad, have a broader purpose that we may never know until we stand face to face with the Lord. In the grand scheme of eternity, what I struggle with here on earth may be part of a larger picture that I can't see.  God's mysterious will shall be revealed one day and my piece of the puzzle will fit into the grander picture.  For now, I am learning to be cont

Those of you who are methodical and think things through before acting or responding probably don't have to reflect on the saying, "haste makes waste" too much. But for some it's a hard lesson to learn, especially if you are a quick decision maker. I did look up where the saying came from and it was first recorded in the  apocryphal Book of Wisdom around 190 BCE. It says, “There is one that toileth and laboureth, and maketh haste, and is so much the more behind.” Over time it was shortened to the quip we know today. For myself, it's a lesson I've had to learn. I've spent countless hours throughout the years having to go back and redo something or find solutions to problems brought about by being too hasty in my actions or response in agreeing to  do something another wants me to do.  To be honest, that later problem is more of what I have struggled with in my life. I have difficulty saying no to people so tend to get caught up in their enthusiasm and agree