Happy December 7th!
It's cold today.
And it was cold yesterday.
And it's going to be cold for the rest of the week! YEEEESSSSS!!! Ok, I know. We're in the 40's in FL while the rest of the US is already in the midst of sleet, and snow flurries. But I'm not complaining, I have very much enjoyed wearing my J Crew pea coat and boots. It feels like Christmas, and I am going to embrace every bit of it.
In honor of Christmas, and this amazing winter weather, I want to share with you my prized "Spiced Tea" recipe. It will warm you all over, and bring a sweet smile to your face. Now, this by no means is healthy, or all that good for you. Um, hello? 'Tis the season to throw all of that out the window. So drink up, and be merry.
Holiday Spiced Tea
1 C. Tang powdered drink mix
1 C. Lemonade powdered drink mix
1/2 C. Instant unsweetened tea
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Cloves (ground)
1 handful of red hots
Feel free to tweak the recipe to your liking. Mix in a airtight container. Scoop 2 spoonfull's in a mug, and fill with boiling water. Stir and enjoy!
What's your favorite holiday treat?
KD
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
give thanks
HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!
So tomorrow is the big day! The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, the picture perfect ham & turkey, the endless sides, (laden with 1000's of calories) Grandma's homemade rolls, the pies, the laughter, friends and family gathering around a table to give thanks for the many blessings we are given. Just gives me chills.
My Mom always made Thanksgiving an "event" in our home. The table was beautifully set with her special china, and each setting had a little name tag. Each year, she would extend a invitation to anyone that didn't have a family, or place to spend Thanksgiving. We would then all take turns going around the table, and sharing what we were thankful for. It is one of my most treasured memories, and I will greatly miss that this year.
2010 has been a hard year for me. It's been a struggle to maintain a thankful heart in the midst of loss and pain. I got a healthy reminder of that last Sunday. I attended service at Grace Family Church with my Aunt Pat. Pastor Craig Altman delivered a great sermon titled "If Only I Had." "...Many times in our lives, we fail to see God's blessings. We say, 'If only I had...' and focus on what we want or think we need. Our happiness is completely based on our circumstances. By examining what causes our ungratefulness, and remembering what God has done for us, we can develop a grateful heart once again and rest in His perfect provision."
HELLO!
So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving. I shall count my blessings, name them one by one:
1.) I am thankful for my salvation. I am thankful that I have a God that loves me with a passionate, endless love. I am accepted in His eyes! PRAISES!
2.) I am thankful for my family, oh how I love and miss their faces!!
3.) I am thankful for my "extended family" in FL. That I have a place to spend Thanksgiving this year.
4.) I am thankful for awesome friendships. They love, encourage, strengthen and grow me! My girls rock!
5.) I am thankful for my job, that I am capable of working and supporting myself.
6.) I am thankful for my health, and that I have been spared so far from all this sickness mess floating around. Take your vitamins kids!
7.) I am thankful for my home. It's kind of a "war-zone" right now, but it holds a lot of sweet memories, and I treasure those.
8.) I am thankful for my bed. It's a cloud of comfort...nuff said!
9.) I am thankful for my rat terrier, Cowboy. He just makes me smile, and I can do no wrong in his eyes :)
10.) I am thankful for my french press. Makes me a sweet, alive person every morning.
What are your blessings Bloggies?
- KD
So tomorrow is the big day! The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, the picture perfect ham & turkey, the endless sides, (laden with 1000's of calories) Grandma's homemade rolls, the pies, the laughter, friends and family gathering around a table to give thanks for the many blessings we are given. Just gives me chills.
My Mom always made Thanksgiving an "event" in our home. The table was beautifully set with her special china, and each setting had a little name tag. Each year, she would extend a invitation to anyone that didn't have a family, or place to spend Thanksgiving. We would then all take turns going around the table, and sharing what we were thankful for. It is one of my most treasured memories, and I will greatly miss that this year.
2010 has been a hard year for me. It's been a struggle to maintain a thankful heart in the midst of loss and pain. I got a healthy reminder of that last Sunday. I attended service at Grace Family Church with my Aunt Pat. Pastor Craig Altman delivered a great sermon titled "If Only I Had." "...Many times in our lives, we fail to see God's blessings. We say, 'If only I had...' and focus on what we want or think we need. Our happiness is completely based on our circumstances. By examining what causes our ungratefulness, and remembering what God has done for us, we can develop a grateful heart once again and rest in His perfect provision."
HELLO!
So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving. I shall count my blessings, name them one by one:
1.) I am thankful for my salvation. I am thankful that I have a God that loves me with a passionate, endless love. I am accepted in His eyes! PRAISES!
2.) I am thankful for my family, oh how I love and miss their faces!!
3.) I am thankful for my "extended family" in FL. That I have a place to spend Thanksgiving this year.
4.) I am thankful for awesome friendships. They love, encourage, strengthen and grow me! My girls rock!
5.) I am thankful for my job, that I am capable of working and supporting myself.
6.) I am thankful for my health, and that I have been spared so far from all this sickness mess floating around. Take your vitamins kids!
7.) I am thankful for my home. It's kind of a "war-zone" right now, but it holds a lot of sweet memories, and I treasure those.
8.) I am thankful for my bed. It's a cloud of comfort...nuff said!
9.) I am thankful for my rat terrier, Cowboy. He just makes me smile, and I can do no wrong in his eyes :)
10.) I am thankful for my french press. Makes me a sweet, alive person every morning.
What are your blessings Bloggies?
- KD
Friday, June 11, 2010
wounded
I love to read! LOVE IT! I recently read "Captivating" again by John and Stasi Eldredge. Dang, just amazing! Almost better the second time :)
I really love when someone shares something great with me, so today, I shall share a tid-bit with you. I pray it blesses you.
We also developed ways of trying to get something of the love our hearts cried out for. The ache is there. Our desperate need for love and affirmation, our thirst for some taste of romance and adventure and beauty is there. So, we turned to boys, to food, to romance novels; we lost ourselves in our work, at church, or in some sort od a service. All this adds up to the women we are today. Much of what we call our "personalities" is actually the mosaic of our choices for self-protection plus our plan to get something of the love we were created for. The problem is our plan has nothing to do with God.
The wounds we recieved and the messages they brought formed a sort of unholy alliance with our fallen nature as women. From Eve we recieved a deep mistrust in the heart of God toward us. Clearly, he is holding out on us. We'll just have to arrange for the life we want. We will control our world. But there is also an ache deep within, an ache for intimacy and for life. We will have to find a way to fill it. A way that does not require us to trust anyone, especially God. A way that will not require vulnerability.
In some ways, this is every little girl's story, here in this world east of Eden.
But the wounds don't stop once we're grown up. Some of the most crippling and destructive wounds we recieve come much later in our lives. The wounds we have recieved over our lifetimes have not come to us in a vaccuum. There is, in fact, a theme to them, a pattern. The wounds you have recieved have come to you for a purpose from one who knows all you are meant to be and fears you".
I really love when someone shares something great with me, so today, I shall share a tid-bit with you. I pray it blesses you.
"Over the years we've come to see that the only thing more tragic than the things that have happened to us is what we have done with them.
Words were said, painful words. Things were done, awful things. And they shapped us. Something inside of us shifted. We embraced the messages of our wounds. We accepted a twisted view of ourselves. And from that we chose a way of relating to our world. We made a vow never to be in that place again. We adopted startegies to protect ourselves from being hurt again. A woman who is living out of a broken, wounded heart is a woman who is living a self protective life. She may not be aware of it, but it's true. It's our way of trying to "save ourselves."We also developed ways of trying to get something of the love our hearts cried out for. The ache is there. Our desperate need for love and affirmation, our thirst for some taste of romance and adventure and beauty is there. So, we turned to boys, to food, to romance novels; we lost ourselves in our work, at church, or in some sort od a service. All this adds up to the women we are today. Much of what we call our "personalities" is actually the mosaic of our choices for self-protection plus our plan to get something of the love we were created for. The problem is our plan has nothing to do with God.
The wounds we recieved and the messages they brought formed a sort of unholy alliance with our fallen nature as women. From Eve we recieved a deep mistrust in the heart of God toward us. Clearly, he is holding out on us. We'll just have to arrange for the life we want. We will control our world. But there is also an ache deep within, an ache for intimacy and for life. We will have to find a way to fill it. A way that does not require us to trust anyone, especially God. A way that will not require vulnerability.
In some ways, this is every little girl's story, here in this world east of Eden.
But the wounds don't stop once we're grown up. Some of the most crippling and destructive wounds we recieve come much later in our lives. The wounds we have recieved over our lifetimes have not come to us in a vaccuum. There is, in fact, a theme to them, a pattern. The wounds you have recieved have come to you for a purpose from one who knows all you are meant to be and fears you".
Friday, May 7, 2010
some happy's
My Mother started a "new thing" a few years back. I came home after a terrible day, and she said "I have something that will make you smile," What is this you might ask? It's a "happy".
happy- anything unexpectedly bought/made/baked/cooked that brings "happiness" to another person; a way of saying "i thought of you today"
"Happy's" have become a regular thing in our home. So regular, that it's expected, which proabably defeats the purpose, but whatever.
Here are a few of my "happy's"
1.) French Press- My parents introduced this AMAZING happy to me. Truly the BEST coffee you will ever have. You will never want another cup of regular jo again! Just go buy one, ok?
2.) Sanuk (pronounced; SA NOOK) shoes-Simply the best shoes ever created. You can do pretty much anything in them, and they are unbelievably comfy. The best part, Sanuk means "happiness" in Thai :) Thanks Mom!
3.) Jumpers- just fell in love w/them this spring. Wear flats or wedges w/them!
4.) Spiced tea- Ok, so this is probably more of a winter deal, but it's a hot cup of deliciousness. Love me a mug before bed...ahhh
5.) Wall Flowers (Bath & Body Works)- LOVE these little wonders! There are about a million different fragrances, what's a girl to do? I am partial to "Twilight Woods" my house smells just plain pretty!
happy- anything unexpectedly bought/made/baked/cooked that brings "happiness" to another person; a way of saying "i thought of you today"
"Happy's" have become a regular thing in our home. So regular, that it's expected, which proabably defeats the purpose, but whatever.
Here are a few of my "happy's"
1.) French Press- My parents introduced this AMAZING happy to me. Truly the BEST coffee you will ever have. You will never want another cup of regular jo again! Just go buy one, ok?
2.) Sanuk (pronounced; SA NOOK) shoes-Simply the best shoes ever created. You can do pretty much anything in them, and they are unbelievably comfy. The best part, Sanuk means "happiness" in Thai :) Thanks Mom!
3.) Jumpers- just fell in love w/them this spring. Wear flats or wedges w/them!
4.) Spiced tea- Ok, so this is probably more of a winter deal, but it's a hot cup of deliciousness. Love me a mug before bed...ahhh
5.) Wall Flowers (Bath & Body Works)- LOVE these little wonders! There are about a million different fragrances, what's a girl to do? I am partial to "Twilight Woods" my house smells just plain pretty!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Isaiah 54:4-8
A precious friend of mine shared this verse with me last night. It's still amazing to see how the Word of God can truly minister to you in your time of need, no matter how many times you have read it before. It takes on new meaning. How great is our God?
Isaiah 54:4-8
"Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband- the LORD Almighty is His name-the Holy One of Israel is your Reedeemer. He is called the God of all the earth. The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit-a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God. "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer.
Isaiah 54:4-8
"Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband- the LORD Almighty is His name-the Holy One of Israel is your Reedeemer. He is called the God of all the earth. The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit-a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God. "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer.
Monday, April 5, 2010
A beautiful Monday
Today was a beautiful day! I had lunch with two of my precious childhood friends, and one super-cute and flirty 18 month old :) I realized today, that true friendships are so very important in a woman's life. They nuture, strengthen, encourage, and grow you, in way's you may not even realize. For that, I am thankful! And real friends, you can pick right up with where you last left off...no matter how much time has passed. How sweet :)
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