For my senior writing project in college all of the writing majors were assigned small groups that would meet every other week for intensive peer critiques of our final project. We would meet at a local coffee and bagel shop by school, only critique with pens that were in "non-threatening" colors, and pour over the work our fellow students presented us.
Chick-Flicks and a Dissatisfied Heart
Friday is for Food: Grilled Baby Back Ribs
I've never made ribs before, so I was really nervous to try them. But my husband loves ribs. So when I found them on sale at the store I snatched them up and decided to put my fears to rest. How hard can it be? Well, not too hard at all actually. We are house/dog sitting this week and the house we are staying in has a grill. This is a very welcome treat for little apartment dwellers like us. So I saved the ribs for this week. I looked around on the internet and in my cookbooks for the different ways ribs can be made. After gathering some information I decided to be brave and create my own recipe taking a little bit from each recipe I read. And much to my surprise it actually turned out pretty well. So for all you ribs lovers out there, this one's for you.
Psalm 1 and the Righteous One
Daniel and I have been traveling for the last few days, so that is why there has been so much silence on the blog. July has turned into a crazy month for us, which has been good but not allowed as much time to write for the blog. But Psalm 1 has been lingering in my mind over the last few days. The first time I ever heard D.A. Carson preach was in chapel at college. I didn't know that much about him, but everyone said it was a big deal that he was there to preach so I listened a little more intently that day.
Friday is for Fotos: Our Humble Abode
We have now been living in Little Rock for almost 2 months. It's hard to believe that two months have passed since we made the trek south. It's the middle of summer here and every day is at least 95 degrees. The humidity rises significantly by evening, so if you step outside for anything you are covered with a blanket of oppressive heat. It's the summer and it's glorious. I've never been more thankful for air conditioning and fans than I have been in recent days.
I Don't Belong at Walmart: Thoughts on the Baby Aisle
Nearly every week I make a trip to Walmart. While I’m usually there to buy food to feed my little family of two, as my husband can attest, I often find myself meandering about the store. Sure I only need some bread, but a detour through the home goods section never hurt anyone, right? Every once in a while I find myself wandering through a more painful section of Walmart. The baby aisle. Call it wishful thinking, but I sometimes feel drawn to all the little outfits, furniture, and products that are designed for that little bundle of joy.
Friday is for Food: Chicken and Tomato Alfredo
Word of caution: if you are looking for a meal that is low fat/low calorie, this is not the meal for you. But if you want a little guilty pleasure of yummy goodness, this is definitely the meal for you! Anyway, I made this meal for dinner on Wednesday and we loved it. The meal comes from the Better Homes & Gardens Bridal Edition Cookbook. I made some variations and I'm glad I did.
The Wise and the Fool
Most of my life I would have been characterized as the fool in Proverbs. Some people are naturally more quiet and reserved. That is not me by any stretch of the imagination. I have been known to give full vent to my anger on a number of occasions. I can be harsh. I can be mean. And I can destroy with my words. My tongue has been my downfall and is still a constant struggle. I would imagine that many probably see themselves in this passage.
Missions Wednesday: Argentina
I have a horrible confession to make. Growing up I thought that all countries south of the United States were the same. So if someone said that people were Mexican I assumed that meant South Americans too. By God's grace I have since realized the error of my ignorant ways. So doing these missions focused posts is as much an exercise in my own understanding of other cultures as it is for my greater blog audience.
Sproul on God's Justice and Mercy
I just started reading The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul and it has been changing my life. Once I finish I will write more about all that I've learned, but for this Monday I want to leave you with a section that really convicted me this morning. Sproul is talking about how we grow familiar with God's mercy and therefore are surprised by his justice. When we get mercy from God we, in our sinfulness, grow to expect it. When he gives justice we cry "this is not fair," when in fact we deserve much worse. I've had to wrestle through my own sinful feelings of unfairness and thinking I deserve more than what I'm getting this past year. God has really had to purge me of a lot of wrong thinking about God's mercy towards sinners like me. This book has helped in that regard and for that I'm so thankful.