Crafts, Cooking from Scratch & Getting Outdoors: An Update on My 27 Goals for this Year


When I turned 27, back in April, I made a list of goals to accomplish this year: 27 things to do while I'm 27. Since then, I've been keeping track of my progress of the items featured on that list. Some of them are easy, some are meant to help me spread my wings in this new-ish city of mine, some are nigh-on impossible that I'll be chasing after for years to come. But they're all worthy goals to guide this glorious year of 27.

Here's a look back at how I did on whittling down this list during the months of September and October:

Goal #3: Continue trying new recipes and learning to make things from scratch.
This one is a definite success! Over the past couple of months I have attempted to make, among other things, my own bread, pita, hummus, bagels, pizza dough, tortillas, bread sticks, hamburger buns, chicken pot pie, corn dogs, fudgecicles, chicken stock, tomato soup, ranch dressing, granola bars, carrot-cake cupcakes (from Michael's birthday!) and of course even my shampoo from scratch.

There are still quite a few items on my to-make-from-scratch list (including sloppy joe sauce, salsa, ravioli, salad dressing, and cheesy broccoli soup), but I'm quite pleased with the progress I've made so far! It's started to become natural for me to attempt to make things from scratch myself, rather than just pick up a can or box at the grocery store.

Goal #13: Undertake a new craft.
Another success story! First I made the artwork for our living room wall. Then I started watercolor painting. Then, I crafted a travel map to showcase all the different places Michael and I have traveled together.  Then, I kicked off a monthly craft night with some girlfriends that inspired me to fix up a variety of clothing items from my closet. This has turned out to be quite a crafty year...And I've still got more projects in-waiting!

Goal #27: Go to a ballgame or other outdoorsy event this summer.
Well, kinda. Even though we live in the home of the Braves, I have yet to make it to any Atlanta-area sports game. Which doesn't really bother me; I don't care for the sports experience itself, but more for trying something new. And when you look at this goal that way, there have definitely been "outdoorsy events" that fall into the "trying something new" category.

For example:
 •  We've attended two local bird-watching excursion that gets us up early in the morning to explore a nearby park and its avian inhabitants.
 •  We've gone hiking with my in-laws at Kennesaw Mountain.
 •  The park near our house hosts concerts every week, and we gather with friends to sit on a hillside and listen to the music while winding down from the weekend or playing a game of bocce ball while the sun sets.

So headway is being made on my list of 27 Things To Do While I'm 27. I'm now over the halfway point, with just five more months to go!

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Upcoming Review of Immersion Blender from CSN Stores

Last winter, I was able to offer a giveaway on Life Blessons for CSN Stores. Now, in the coming weeks, I'll be working with CSN Stores again, this time providing a product review from one of their 200+ stores. Whatever you're looking for, they're apt to have a store catering to that, with niche-specific shops for everything, including even one dedicated to finding a new dining room table.

When I was notified of the opportunity to review an item from any of their stores, I went straight to the CSN shop dedicated to household appliances, where I found the Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender that I'll be reviewing. I've never owned an immersion blender, but I'm looking forward to taking this one for a test-run. Especially as winter creeps in and soups promise to crop up on my menus, I think this will be a great tool to have handy. Plus, Michael is always whipping up smoothies, so I'll be curious to what he thinks of this immersion blender, too.

Look for this review in the coming weeks, and in the meantime, take a moment to check out all the variety that CSN Stores has to offer!
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Ask Me Anything! Submit Your Questions


UPDATE: I've started responding to some of your questions in a new Q&A series.
If you'd like to keep up with the latest of the Q&As I've posted, click here.

One of the things I like best about blogging is the back-and-forth that happens between me and those who read this little blog of mine. Occasionally I've received a few comments and emails asking more about a specific topic I've blogged on, my experience regarding different situations, or blogging advice.

Normally, I just write back directly, answering these questions as best I can. But I thought that perhaps more people could benefit from the questions asked and my attempts to answer them.

So I wanted to officially invite any questions you might have—whether it's follow-up regarding anything I've written about in the past, situations or advice, or your general blogging questions. Then, in the coming weeks, I'll start to answer them in regular blog posts.

Feel free to ask your questions anonymously if you like; there's an option in the comments below to post anonymously or you can privately send me a question anonymously via my email form (just type "anonymous" and "anonymous@anonymous.com" into the name and email fields). If you'd like your name/blog associated with your questions, that's fine, too! Just let me know and I'll happily include that attribution.

I'm looking forward to the questions you all have up your sleeves and appreciate you taking the time to send them my way!

Click here to view the latest questions readers have asked me, and my responses.
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Lessons from Nehemiah: More Than a Man Who Rebuilt a Wall



I recently finished reading my way through the book of Nehemiah in my daily Bible reading plan.

It was the first time I'd read Nehemiah's full story, beyond just rebuilding the wall but also rebuilding the people of Israel back into a God-glorifying nation. He saw the need of his people, left a life of luxury and prestige, and took up the hard task to restore his people.

As I've been reading through the Bible, I've noticed how few real "heroes" there are, despite the conventional ones we look to. Abraham was a liar. David was an adulterer. Noah got drunk and angry. Yet these are the heroes we hold up, being the first Jew, a man after God's own heart, the only righteous person on earth.

But when I read Nehemiah's story, it's almost refreshing to read a story of someone who really was able to live out their faith in a God-honoring way. It offers a glimpse that this way of life we're racing after is possible, by the grace of God.

I was also struck by his faith and the way he continually turned to God throughout the book: Throughout his story it tells how he continually prayed to God for strength and wisdom and blessing when he was about to embark on a difficult or life-threatening task. Later he tells of how "my God gave me the idea" to register all the people of Israel, making it obvious of how in tune he was with his God and able to recognize his voice. And when they find the Book of Law of Moses and everyone weeps because they realize all the evil they've been committing unknowingly, he tells them to stop crying and start celebrating, because he recognized that it is a day of joy when the Law has been rediscovered and reestablished.

And so, in this man who isn't one of the usual Sunday School superstars or Bible "heroes" everyone names their children after, I found a new appreciation and example to be commended.

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Call for Guest Bloggers: Share Your Testimonies



I believe in the power of testimony.

When we share our testimony—putting to words the things that God hath done—it increases our faith. Both for the one sharing, who is reminded of how God has moved in their life, and for those listening, who are encouraged from this story to trust that God indeed hears our prayers and is at work today. These stories help us all as we look to the great unknown of the future and trust that the God who was—who touched and mended and saved lives yesterday—is the same God who is today and who is to come tomorrow. We can trust him with all that is yet to be.

But even more than that, sharing our testimonies gives God the glory, glory. We praise him when we recall these stories of deliverance and provision and perfect timing. It says in Revelation 12:11 that Satan is overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Something spiritual happens when we share these stories with one another.

Which is why I'd love to open this little spot up to you and invite you to share your stories, as a guest blogger for Life Blessons.  It doesn't have to be the typical "testimony" about how you became a Christian, but just specific times in your life that God has really made his presence known to you or how you've learned more about him through a specific experience. Stories about how God has encouraged you that you can then pass on to encourage us. (Want some personal examples from my life? Here's my story about God guiding to my move to Grand Rapids and some of our answered prayers.)

If you're interested in submitting a testimony or two from your own walk with Christ, please email me at lifeblessons [at] gmail.com. Include your story as well as a little bit about what you learned through this experience. Feel free to pull from old blog posts or journal entries. (Try to keep it between 400 and 700 words, please). Also, if you have a blog, I'm happy to link back, so make sure you also include that information, too.

I'm looking forward to reading your testimonies and making this blog a place where we can all grow from one another's experiences!

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Shopping My Closet for Crafts

I mentioned awhile ago that I would share some of the crafts I've been working on to update some pieces I no longer wear from my closet. Most of the changes are very minor, but have helped give each piece the extra dose of personality it needed.

I still have a couple more fashion-related projects on my craft to-do list, but for now, here's some of the progress I've made with four recent crafts from my closet:









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Asking for My Daily Bread: God’s Provision



Sometimes I feel guilty about how the fact that my husband and I both are still searching for full-time jobs always seems to creep into conversations. And that it's been creeping into conversations for over a year now. It must get awfully boring to hear me say, yet again, "I don't know where we'll be," or updates about how the latest job news is going.

But honestly that is what is at the forefront of our reality right now. And I think we all have those things; for me (and too many others) it's employment, perhaps for someone else it's relationships or infertility or moving or health. It seems that we're never given much of a reprieve before something "else" crops up to captivate our attention.

For now, in my life, it's a job, my daily bread.

But, surprisingly, I'm not discouraged by that, though. For some beautiful, merciful reason, the Lord has given me an incredible sense of peace regarding this season of our life when everything seems up in the air and we still seem to be fumbling through the fog. As each month passes, I continue (for the most part) to grow in my confidence that the Lord is at work here. I have a comforting sense of peace about the fact that he does indeed go before us and prepare the way for us. So, rather than worry, I continue to wait on him to answer.

It's an interesting thing that even though God tells us that he knows all our needs and will deliver us, he also commands us to ask him—persistently: "God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them. I tell you, God will help his people quickly." (Luke 18:7)

In The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis, Digory has to go on a mission and finds that he needs food and complains about it, noting that Aslan must have known that he’d need to eat and get hungry on the trip. His companion speaks words of wisdom as he responds to the ilk of, “Yes, I’m sure he did know you'd get hungry and need food. But you didn’t ask. I have the feeling that sometimes he just likes to be asked, even if he knows you need it anyway.”

So, my prayers right now are for provision.

As the time ticks and my job draws closer to a close (nothing set in stone just yet) and no opportunities  arise, I wonder, "What will happen next?" for us. All I know to do is pray. Keep praying. Keep asking. Keep trusting.

But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength.
They will fly high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

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Recipes Ready for Fall



With autumn upon us, I thought it was time to dig back through my archives here and share some of my favorite oldies but goodies fit for the fall. I'll also share some new ones in the coming weeks, but for now, enjoy!

Recipes Ready for Fall

 •  Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili
 •  Maple-Walnut Chicken
 •  Black Bean Burgers
 •  Chicken Burgers
 •  No-Fail Brown Rice

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Seeking Simplicity: Cutting Back Time Wasted Online



In this burgeoning journey toward learning simplicity, one of the first fruits is that I've started to discover the areas that sap and steal simplicity from my routine.

Would you like to know what is #1 on my list? 

Friends, it is time spent online. 

Between going through emails (and four email accounts, no less), getting rid of spam and junk emails, trolling blogs and reading posts that do absolutely nothing for me or my time invested, as well as all my job-related tasks that take place online, a significant amount of my time is spent here...but not very wisely, I've realized. (Fortunately, though, I spend very little time on Facebook as it is, and don't tweet, stumble, tumble or any of those other online time sucks.)

For instance, the other morning, I sat down at my computer around 8am. By 11am, I looked up and when asked what I accomplished, and could hardly tell you anything of worth. I learned what some lady is making for dinner tonight, what a girl with cute outfits did over the weekend, how to make some recipes that I know I'll never make, and what products people are wanting to sell me. But of worth? Extremely little. 

It was obvious that this arena needed more simplicity, to be more stream-lined, but how? At first I thought about limiting the time I spent online, only checking emails once or twice a day. But legalism can only take you so far and is not likely to make an enduring habit or lifestyle.

Instead I decided to bring my recent decluttering spree to the online nooks and crannies I frequent. I started off by unsubscribing from the dozens of newsletters that show up in my inbox that I never, ever read. The problem was that even though I wasn't spending time reading the, I was still spending time to click and send them to the trash or weed through my spam inbox to make sure nothing fell through the cracks. On a daily basis, these clicks add up. Plus they junk up my inbox.

So, I have spent about 15 to 30 minutes for the past couple of days unsubscribing from the various emails that would pop into my inbox and spam folder. Some of the unsubscribing was easier than others. (Do you know how psyched I get now when I come across "one-click unsubscribe" options?!) Still others said I was unsubscribed, even though I continue to receive their emails. (Which earned them a distinction flagged as spam.) Tedious, but at least some progress is being made!

Then, I decided the same needed to be made regarding my blog reading. I realized that when I have a blog reading list that is long and unwieldy, I spend half the time just trying to stay caught up, which then leaves me unable to really appreciate the worthwhile posts that do relate to my life. So I went through and whittled my reading down to about 20 tried-and-true blogs that I constantly find myself commenting on, saving or recalling later. With this smaller, more manageable list (of which you can find many of my blog recommendations on my blog roll), I now feel like I have the time to actually sit down and read each of them for all their worth, rather than just scrolling through them like a hitchhiker on the way to other destinations.

Currently, that's as far as the progress I've made to cut back time spent online, but I know that this process is incremental, finding one small way to make an improvement followed by another small way. Slowly, ever slowly, it all adds up and progress is made.

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Giveaway for 250 Business Cards!


UPDATE: The winner of the 250 die-cut business cards is commenter #14, SEJ, selected by Random.org:
In my job search efforts, one thing I've decided to do is create some snazzy-looking business cards to help catch (and keep) people's attentions. Which is why I'm pleased to be able to host a giveaway for 250 die-cut business cards, courtesy of UPrinting.com, to one lucky winner. 

The winner will be able to create their own custom design or choose from one UPrinting.com's many business-card templates. The winner will have their choice of die-cut shapes, including a variety of rounded-corners, leaf-shaped corners and even a circular card (see photo above for some examples and details below for complete prize description and options).

Enter to win 250 die-cut business cards

Each person can enter up to three times for this giveaway, by fulfilling any of the options below. Please leave separate comments for each entry, along with some way to get in touch with you in case you're the winner (write your email out or make sure it's visible in your profile).

  • Leave me a comment telling me what you'd use your business cards for 
  • Join my site through Google Friend Connect {found on right-hand side of my blog}
  • Follow Life Blessons posts through Facebook's NetworkedBlogs {click for link}
The giveaway will last through Tuesday, October 19, after which I'll choose a winner via Random.org. Limited to US residents only, 18 years old and above.


Additional Giveaway Prize Details
•  250 Die-Cut Business Cards for One (1) Winner
•  Card dimensions available: 2 x 3.5” (standard), 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.75 x 3.5” (slim card)  
•  Die cutting options: Rounded Corners, Leaf, Rounded One-Corner, Half-Circle Side, Circle  
•  Paper Type: 14pt Cardstock Gloss, Matte, or High Gloss; 13pt Cardstock Uncoated
•  Color: 4Color Front, Blank Back; 4Color Front, Black Back; 4Color Both Sides

Disclosure: In exchange for hosting this giveaway, I’ll receive 250 die-cut business cards from UPrinting.com for my own personal use.
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The Call to Simplicity



There seem to be times when one thing after another happens that all seem to point toward the same idea, same need, same change. One or two of these instances and we might shrug it off. But when you start noticing them all around you, they morph into one big sign that begs you to listen up.

In a Bible study I took a couple of years ago, this sort of chain of events was called "the mercy of confirmation." It was that when God really wants us to do something, he is merciful and will often tell us over and over again to get our attention. Of course we ought to respond and obey the first time, but it usually takes us a little while to catch on...

Such has been the case lately, for me where God has gently been placing circumstances in my path that have all been pointing, like a giant, glowing arrow, toward the call to slow down.

It started off innocently enough, when Michael and I decided to check out a local bird-watching walk. Yes, bird-watching. It was nothing neither of us had ever had much interest in, but it would be educational, outdoors and free. Why not? And after our first excursion—where the other "birders" heaped years' worth of insights and knowledge upon us—we were in awe of how peaceful the whole event had been, where we'd stand beneath a knotted, hundred-year-old tree and scan its branches for minutes on end, looking for a fluttering of wings or pecking of beaks.

Little did I know that my soul was thirsting for more of this.

A couple of weeks later, Michael suggested we begin a weekly routine of observing our own Sabbath. (A few months ago, we did enjoy one day of intentional rest, but that was as far as it went that time.) And the first week we tried it, I could barely sit still, as I stared at the dishes stacked in the sink, made mental notes of emails to type, or recipes to look up. I even kept a to-do list for the next day, when I could start tackling productivity with abandon. A sad reality that I hardly even knew how to appreciate rest.

Multiple sermons, readings and Scripture verses later, one thing started to pop up and then another. They strung together like beads, each building off the other until I got a Bible study in the mail that made the string complete. It was a study titled, "Becoming a Woman of Simplicity."

As I started moving through the pages (and a full review will come later), I started to see how everything I'd been reading—about abiding in Jesus, about our need for the Holy Spirit, about Jerusalem being rebuilt—fit together like a masterpiece: "She is a woman of profound simplicity because she has only one focus: being simply and purely devoted to Christ," the introduction read.

That's when I understood that the Holy Spirit was calling me into an exploration of simplifying, of uncluttering for the sake of putting Christ first. I'm still at the very beginning of this journey and not sure the specifics it entails just yet. Except that I know I'm going to take a little break from the weekly to-do list posts (motivating though they are; perhaps too much so!) and try to keep my ears perked and eyes widened as I wait for more "mercies" to come my way...

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Homemade Chewy Granola Bar Recipe


In my pursuit to make more of our food from scratch, granola bars were one of the first foodstuffs on my list to try. I diligently clipped a few recipes, but all turned out hard, crunchy bars that couldn't compete with the store-bought chewy kind.

I had lamented this fact to my mother-in-law, and within a month or two, told me about a recipe that she thought would fit the bill we were looking for. And when we went home to Ohio, she whipped up a batch that convinced me that this was the granola bar recipe I'd been searching for.

It tastes just as good and gooey as your favorite storebought kind. Plus, you can customize the granola filler ingredients to your tastebuds's desires, mixing and matching a variety of nuts, dried fruits, even different kinds of chocolate chips (think butterscotch, white chocolate, etc) for whatever sort of bar you're hankering after.

The filler combination I used that turned out beautifully was 1/2 cup of each: dried cranberries, coconut flakes, wheat germ, walnut pieces, and mini chocolate chips.


Homemade Chewy Granola Bar Recipe
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup oats, processed until finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts (see above for recommended combinations or make up your own!)
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon water
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ pan in one direction with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposing sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan, or coat with a non-stick spray.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter or oil, honey, maple syrup, peanut butter and water.
  4. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly.
  5. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan.
  6. Bake the bars for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges. (See second photo above for what mine looked like out of the oven, before I cut them.) 
  7. Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack.
  8. Before slicing, put pan in the fridge for 10 or 20 minutes, which will help them stick together and avoid crumbling when cutting. 
  9. Then slice as large or as small as you like, however I'd recommend cutting into 16 equal-sized squares (as shown in the photo above). They're smaller than your store-bought bar, but just as filling. And then maybe you can justify eating two!
  10. To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic or stack them in an airtight container. The recipe also notes that they freeze well, although I personally haven't tried freezing them yet.
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    Making Artwork: My Travel Map Craft Project


    My husband and I love a good adventure. Especially one that takes us away to a new town that we get to explore together, even if it's just for a day or two.

    A couple months ago, we got a big fold-out map in the mail, which my husband promptly pinned to our wall as a way to track all the cities we've been to as a married couple. As any good wife would be, I was thrilled with the sentimental idea.

    The only problem? The freebie map was a bit of an eyesore (scroll down to the "before" photo). So I decided to do what any good crafter would: Dream up with a more aesthetic solution using my own two hands and a whole lotta resourcefulness. (You can also check out the bird-inspired artwork I created for our living room, too.)

    Rummaging through my recent reorganizing spree, I came up with enough supplies that the only thing I had to purchase for the craft was a roll of corkboard, which you can order for cheap here. Everything else was pulled from my crafting supplies, reinvented from old, thrifted artwork or even from my make-up cabinet, as you'll see...

    A Tutorial: How I Created My Travel Corkboard Map
    I've loved owls for awhile (what 20-something girl hasn't?), but I don't foresee incorporating this creepy owl painting anytime in the future. I'd put it in a pile to donate to the thrift store (of course, I'd originally purchased it at a thrift store), but I figured it could be useful in this project of mine, and at least if I ruined it, it wasn't a loss.


    I taped the edges and then, using a template I found online, sketched the U.S. template onto the picture. I picked a dusty robin's egg blue I already had in my craft closet and painted the background, forgoing the area in the middle that would soon be covered. (And as for my paintbrush, I ended up using some old make-up brushes that I was going to throw out. I just washed them and went to work!)


    Using the same template from tracing the map onto the artwork, I cut a map from a roll of corkboard. Then, I glued it onto the painting (which I then held into place with some of my empty glass jar collection, and a bottle of my favorite Aleene's craft glue).


    Meanwhile, I printed out some tags for marking the cities we've been to and some banners (inspired by my blog design!) to title the piece.


    Once everything was dried, I used some straight pins (which I snipped to size with wire cutters) to keep the markers and title in place.


    Alongside the travel map, I hung another collection of travel-related prints I already had on-hand that harken back to other cities meaningful to our relationship (Cincinnati, where we met, and Grand Rapids, where we lived our first month as a married couple). I used another piece of thrifted artwork from my stash to frame them, and voila...


    P.S. If you are new to this blog, thank you so much for stopping by! You can feel free to browse all my other posts about my journey toward a lifestyle of simplicity and DIY, as well as some of the ways my husband and I are learning to save money. I also write about my faith, my marriage and everything in between, which you can explore in the archives.

    Plus, if you like this craft tutorial, click here to pin it to Pinterest. You can also follow me on Pinterest here.

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    Psalms Bible Study Review

    I am thrilled to share with you another book review from my husband, Michael. He is reviewing a Bible study on the Psalms that can be done individually or in small-group settings. Enjoy!

    Psalms is a part of the LifeChange Series of Bible studies that explores different books of the Bible. The Bible study divides the Psalms into ten different topics or categories, such as prayers of worship and praise, prayers of confession and acknowledgment, and so forth. Each section explores one of these themes and chooses a single Psalm from it to look at for study. 

    As readers are walked through these individual Psalms, the study provides 12 to 20 questions to help them reflect on the Psalm and apply it to their own lives. Though each section only looks at a single Psalm (and the study itself explores only ten of the 150 total Psalms), this set-up provides readers with an understanding of how to study each Psalm, although, admittedly there is little depth to the questions and are likely geared toward those who are new to Bible study.

    The study also includes a listing all of the Psalms that fall into each specific category, which could be the most helpful part of the study guide: a way to divide up and read the Psalms on one’s own, based on category.

    While the study has its merits, particularly for those who are new to Bible study, I felt that it failed to deliver the promise of, “A life-changing encounter with God’s Word…,” as the subtitle reads. Because it is very brief and, to use the cliché “an inch deep and mile wide,” I think it’s probably “a pass” for the more seasoned Bible readers who are looking for an in-depth study of the Psalms.


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    This Week's To-Do List


    Every Sunday I share what's on my to-do list for the week ahead, and mark the items off as I go. See all my past to-do lists here. Read my list below, and then link up your own!

    • Keep finding jobs and sending applications. Also continue praying for Michael's full-time job applications that we're hopeful about!

    • Continue reading in Experiencing the Holy Spirit (which I shared about here) and a new non-fiction (of course) book I got from the library that I'm loving, Escaping the Endless Adolescence.

    • I'd like to find some faith-based podcasts geared specifically toward women to listen to on my beloved iPod during housework. Last week I listened to Passionate Homemaking's recent presentation on Missional Homemaking and loved it. Any suggestions?

    • Memorize Scripture: But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31 (I read this verse the other day, and it seemed especially applicable to this time of waiting that I feel the Lord has called us to of late.)

    • Keep reading through my daily Bible reading plan (currently in Nehemiah) and finish up Hosea with Michael.

    • Paint my watercolor for the week!

    • I'd like to start compiling some simple recipes that are good for baking in larger batches for hospitality and for taking to folks in need, which our church is active about. I'm very used to cooking for two, but don't feel like I'm confident when it comes to cooking for other folks, especially those with families! This week I'm trying out a new pasta dish to take to friends who just brought their baby home from the hospital, so hopefully that will be a success.

    • Photograph some of the crafts I've been doing lately on outcasts from my closet to share on here in a future post!
    What's on your to-do list for the week? Feel free to link up in the comments!

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