miniBOOK

This week was the first issue of Ali Edwards' ezine and she threw out a challenge for a miniBOOK. Coincidentally, it just so happens that I've been wanting to put one together of a few favorites. Here are a few of my pages that I've made ... she limited her to five, but I think I'm going to keep adding to mine. :) The album which isn't shown is one that I found in Target's fabulous $1 section. I want to go back and embellish the cover, but that's not going to happen this week.

Slow Cooker Thursday

I love collecting recipes and especially crockpot ones. As this pregnancy progress through the winter seasons, I envision using my crockpot quite a bit the next several months so that I'm not on my feet late in the day trying to whip supper together. That said, I will eager looking through this week's offerings!

Mine this week is one that I made weekly our first year of marriage ... I always had the ingredients and it is EASY!

Cheesy Crockpot Chicken

6 chicken breast halves, throw them in the crockpot frozen rock solid
garlic powder, to taste
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup

Rinse chicken and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix undiluted soup and pour over chicken in a crockpot. Cook on LOW all day.

Serve over rice or noodles or baked potatoes.

This is wonderful ... it's great for kids because of the cheesy sauce. They love it! My personal favorite is serving it over baked potatoes or rice as opposed to the noodles, but it's all good. You could even add a handful or two or frozen mixed veggies the last hour or so. Enjoy! :)

Who are these people??

Menu Plan Monday and a few other things

So, last week's menu was just a farce ... due to an unexpected vet visit and a few other expenses, there was no grocery shopping done last week. (Very. Sad.) So I ended up making due with what we had in the cabinets ... always a few interesting meals there. And since it was the end of the month we were out of tons of stuff ... milk, cereal, even my back-up cans of soup! :) But God provided, and we were even blessed with dinner with friends on Friday night. Still drooling about the roast and gravy she made ... I was mopping it up with my roll. Yum. So, that said, this is my tentative menu plan for this week:

Monday: Chicken and wild rice in the crockpot
Tuesday: Lentils and rice taco bake (from the kitchen of Leann)
Wednesday: chicken nuggets and fries for N1 before Awana, leftovers for the adults afterwards
Thursday: chicken ceasar salads
Friday: pizza night ... might go a little wild this week and make a HAWAIIAN pizza, yum!
Saturday: birthday party for the adults so no cooking
Sunday: up in the air

It's just been busy lately. Fall activites have started back ... my baby is a Cubbie at Awanas this year. It's hard to believe that she will be 3 years old next week! And, that I'm going to the Dr. tomorrow for my first OB appointment for our 3rd baby! All I can say is WoW. I'm 8 weeks along now, and this pregnancy has already been so different than both of the girls'. I have been nauseous quite a bit and very tired, but that's it compared to the continual throwing up with the girls. I'm NOT saying that means this is a boy ... I'm just enjoying not spending most of my day in the bathroom this time around. :)

I finished my first book for the Fall in to Reading Challenge this weekend ... The Hiding Place. So wonderful. Just an amazing picture of one normal woman who consistently hid God's Word in her heart and that's what carried her through hiding Jews in her home and Nazi concentration camps. I'm just a few chapters away from finishing Ambassador Families so I want to wrap that up this week. That's a book that has made me think ... but more on that later. I'm really wanting to read a fiction book, but I have only to make it until Sunday so I'm hanging in there. :)

Kickin' it Off!

I'm playing along with Katrina's Fall into Reading Challenge which is from September 21 - December 21. I want to try and focus my reading energy a bit more ... I'm bad about being a rereader of some of my favorite fiction, and I'm trying to push out of that a bit. Not eliminating my fiction entirely, but more new stuff. (And for those that knew I was trying to go fiction-free in September, I have succumbed to one book thus far ... my bad. But, I'm back on the band wagon and none of the fiction books listed below will be read until October). I'm also throwing in some other genres that I rarely touch (bios and autobios). So, without further ado ... the list!

Fiction
1. Summer of the Midnight Sun, Alaskan Quest series, book 1, Traci Peterson
2. Under the Northern Lights, Alaskan Quest series, book 2, Traci Peterson
3. Emma, Jane Austen
4. @Home for the Holidays, Meredith Efken
5. Before I Wake, Dee Henderson

Non-Fiction
1. Ambassador Families: Equipping Your Kids to Engage Popular Culture, Mitali Perkins (my current read)
2. Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
3. Small Beginnings, Barbara Curtis
4. Christ in Christmas: A Family Advent Celebration
5. Me, Obey Him?, Elizabeth Rice Handford

Biography/Autobiography
1. Shadow of the Almighty, Elisabeth Elliot
2. The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom (a re-read from loooooooong ago)

Bible Study
We are doing an inductive study of the book of Exodus this year with the women at church so that's where I'll be focused primarily. However, I do want to review Fresh Brewed Life on my own and maybe do some journalling along with that. :)

Reading with the Girls
I'm going to commit to reading 3 books aloud per day to my girls. My almost-3 year old is JUST now getting to the point where she will sit for a story, so my goal is to work up to her sitting for all three (maybe even longer!), and starting the habit of reading to the baby again. I got out of the habit of reading to N1 because she was soooo busy and one of my fall "preschool" goals for the two of us is to do more read-aloud. No specific books in mind, but I am starting to acquire some of the books that go along with our Before Five in a Row materials such as:

1. Caps for Sale
2. Courderoy
3. The Runaway Bunny

as well as other classics like:

4. Madeline
5. Curious George

As I finish, I'll try and put up a short review and my thoughts on each book. Thanks Katrina for kicking this off! (Click the picture to visit Katrina at Calapidder Days and check out the other participants' reading lists.)

Coming October 1st

Chicken and Wild Rice Recipe

6 chicken breasts (whole or cut up into bite sized pieces) or
1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast tenders
2 packages of Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice prepared according to package directions
1 can cream of chicken soup
8-12 oz. of sour cream
1/2 can chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
1 stick margarine or butter

Saute the onion in the stick of butter until clear. Set aside.
Mix soup, broth and sour cream until smooth. Add onions/butter and mix well.
Layer in at least a 4-quart crockpot as follows:

sauce mixture

rice

more sauce

chicken

sauce
Cook on low for 8-9 hours.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - chicken parmesan, green beans
Tuesday - spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread
Wednesday - chicken ceasar salads
Thursday - BBQ pork chop supper (from Laura @ Org Junkie!)
Friday - pizza night
Saturday - maybe chicken and wild rice in the crockpot depending on the day's plans!
Sunday - lunch at the grandparents

Click the picture at the top for more great menu plans for this week. :-)

Bluebird Blogs Contest

As seen on Bluebird Blog Design:

Autumn is my favorite time of the year, and it's just right around the corner. To celebrate the beginning of the season, I'm having a contest for 2 lucky people to win a totally free, completely customized blog design from Bluebird Blogs.

Information on how to enter:
- Send an email with your name and blog address to bluebirdblogs@gmail.com.
- Entries will be accepted from 7:00pm EST on Thursday 9/14/06 until 11:59pm EST on Friday 9/22/06.

The winner will be announced here on Saturday, September 23rd, 2006. Good luck to everyone!

I've entered my name! :)

The Soveriegnty of God

For who has known the mind of the LORD, or who became His counselor?
Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever, Amen.
Romans11:34-36

Gabriel Paul Godfrey
born to Marty and Susan Godfrey
September 12, 2006
3 lbs., 10 oz and 16 inches long
At home with the Lord

Josiah David
born to Jonathan & Debby
September 13, 2006
3 lbs., 4 oz and 16 1/2 inches long
Born 5 weeks early and breathing on his own

Slow Cooker Thursday

A staple around here ... I always have the ingredients for this on hand during the Fall/Winter.

1 lb. ground beef (I usually use ground turkey)
1 lg. Onion chopped
1 can refried beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can chili beef soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
2 cans Rotel tomatoes

Brown ground meat and onion. Add soups, refried beans and tomatoes. Simmer for 1 hour. This is best cooked in a slow cooker as it is easy to scorch. You may adjust the soup to your liking, adding only 1 can of tomatoes if you like it spicy or just 1 can or Rotel tomatoes if you like it mild. You may need to add a little water if it becomes to thick.

This recipe can easily be made vegetarian by substituting veggie meat for the beef, and vegetarian refried beans and chili. Serve with tortilla chips, fritos, sprinkle cheese over it, etc.

Hop on over to Diary of a S@HM for more recipes!

Crazy Days

No other way to describe it right now. There is so much going on that I am having a hard time keeping up with all of it. I was going to make a giant list of the insanity that has comprised this week, but I'm not going to now. (I mean, I still might at some point, so you still may get to look forward to that.) :)

There is a dear, wonderful friend of our family that is dying of gall bladder cancer. One of those stories where they gave her a few months left about a year and a half ago. She's on borrowed time, and it is apparently that it is really near the end. As my sister said yesterday, when we get the email updates on how she's doing, you now kinda close your eyes as you open the email because you don't know if this is the one where she has gone to be with the Lord. I want to share with you some quotes from her emails that she sends (or lately has had to dictate because she can no longer type or write):

She was thinking on the fact that Jesus was a carpenter and right now he is heaven finishing her "room." She says, "it's almost ready for her."

The other day I was sitting in the recliner just as the sun was setting and even with my eyes closed the stream of light that hit my face was so piercingly bright. It made me think of God's glory and how bright heaven will be with just that, no sun is needed Scripture says for the glory of the Lord is light enough. I should say so, if the sun is this bright. Anyways, then I thought about Moses asking to see God's glory and He in His mercy only tucked him in the cleft of the rock and showed him His back. Who can look on God and live? The redeemed when we shall see Him face to face. O that will be glory for me...sing it everyone...

Note, this next might be TMI, but it's a beautiful word picture:

This may sound gross to some of you, but we really are fearfully and wonderfully made. To watch the color of urine is quite fascinating. I always know when I haven't drank enough water, as it goes really dark, and if I drink coffee, watch out. You have no idea what you are doing to your kidneys with that stuff. Other fluids are also indicative of color changes, and it can go from pale, pale, almost clear, to dark sunset amber depending on the time of day, how much activitiy I've been doing and what I've been drinking. There are days when I should have been a scientist or a detective or something. I find the cause and effect part of this whole routine fun and informative. Even Josh noticed the color change. Kind of like having our sins washed whiter than snow. Now there is a color change. :)

And another:

Here's something that encouraged my heart this morning. Remember when Jesus is celebrating the passover supper with His disciples and He tells them that one of them will betray Him? They were also arguing about who would be the greatest in His kingdom. So like us isn't it to be concerned about some silly little thing when we are being told something momentous was coming up. Anyways, that's not the point I'm making, just a sideline. :) So, Luke 22:31 says "Simon, Simon! Indeed Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat." It made me wonder if that is what has happened to me. It's so like Job isn't it, when Satan went before the Lord and boasted that Job served the Lord because of all the blessing He has bestowed on him. (Job 1:9-10) Anyways, has Satan desired to sift me like wheat, to see if I would remain faithful???? What if he has done this to you? in some way or another through a trial of some sort? Hmmmm. Here's the part that blessed me so much. v. 32 says, "But I have prayed for you" Isn't that wonderful. To think that the Lord of all creation, Who is now seated at the right hand of the Father, in the position of power and authority, is praying for me. Wow. And what did He pray for Peter? V. 32 says "that your faith should not fail;" that is one of my biggest fears...that I would not remain faithful right to the end, and bring Him glory, and point others to Him along the way. And perhaps, as the end of the verse says, "strengthen your brethren", that is what I am doing through these emails. This ministry of sharing my life openly with your faithful one, that it is strengthening you my brethren and "sistern". Doesn't that all bless your heart? God's Word is life to my soul and I hate it when I put other stuff before it, because I am the one who looses out. So, yea, just had to share that little bit with you. (Hey Lynn and Linda, hope you didn't mind the repeat :).

And lastly,

One of the hurdles I was facing was that last time I went in for day surgery I came out with cancer, so I think I am gun shy, but after a good cry this morning I was able to recite to Darc one of my favourite hymns from Bible School days, and throughout my life since then.

He Giveth More Grace

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater;
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied tirals, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

His love has no limit; His grace has no measure;
His pow'r has no boundary known unto me.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth,and giveth again!

Isn't that wonderful! Oh, how I love Jesus, because He first loved me. And the peace He gave after that...yup, I'm good to go, and I'm soldiering on. So Thank You everyone for praying. Will let you know the results asap. Oh yea, the nurse we had yesterday loves the Lord too so that was a blessing.
Signing off and putting on the Armor, Lee

Puts my crazy days into perspective and shows me once again what my focus needs to be on.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - easy chicken fajita skillet (didn't end up making this last week due to an overabundance of leftovers)
Tuesday - breakfast dinner, eggs & potatoes in tortillas, fruit
Wednesday - boca burgers, fries (for N1), green beans
Thursday - szechuan chicken and rice (a repeat from last week also due to leftovers)
Friday - pizza night
Saturday - either Crockpot or grill

In Memory

Babita Guman was the type who "doesn't back down," said her husband, Deodat Guman. When a fellow shopper at a market once told her to go back to her country, Mrs. Guman, 33, threw the question back at her. "Why don't you go back to your country?" she asked.

A native of Guyana who moved to the United States as a teenager, Mrs. Guman was a smart, aggressive and flag-waving American who also took charge at home in the Bronx, said her husband and father of her two daughters, ages 6 and 7. "Most guys would say they're the men of the house, but my wife did everything," said Mr. Guman, a bus driver for New York City Transit. "She cooked, she cleaned, she paid the bills. I just went to work and came back."

Mrs. Guman was a computer specialist at Fiduciary Trust Company International on the 97th floor of 2 World Trade Center, but she was about to take a test to become a schoolteacher, Mr. Guman said. Two weeks before the attacks, Mr. Guman took his wife and the girls fishing for the first time. Mrs. Guman, of course, caught a fish. It took Mr. Guman a little longer to catch his, but as he noted to his daughters, "I ended up catching the big one."

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on October 13, 2001.

Babita's spirit will always live through her daughters. This I know because she raised them to be exactly like her. Her husband will never forget the face that he fell in love with some 16 years ago. Her daughters will never forget their mother that loved them with all her heart. Her mother will never forget the intelligent daughter that she raised. Her sisters will never forget her always being there for them. The entire family and friends of Babita will never forget her, for she was a soft, gentle, warm-hearted intellectual who was always willing to help others, and she did this just by her sweet smile.

From CNN Tribute

Take Your Kid to Blog Day

I get to participate today because N1 actually sat and drew a picture this week ... normally we just like to color body parts which would not be acceptable posting material. Okay, okay, I know I said how behind on stuff I was and that I didn't have time to post, but I'm the Mama ... I have to brag on my big girl. :) Click the pic for some notes and to see it bigger in Flickr.



Pop on over to Blest with Sons to see more!

Missing in Action

I'm swamped with work, the house needs put back together somewhat, and I've been hit with the debilitation exhaustion that is one of the hallmarks of the first trimester. I'm still doing my 30 days of marriage (prayer) focus and haven't read a bit of fiction yet this month.

More soon ... it's all good ... just need to regroup for a few days. :)

Because I should be getting dressed...

I'm going to work on this meme that I found at Sarah's:

1. If you make sweet tea, do you use Luzianne, Lipton or _______ whatever your brand is?

In the cabinet right now, I have Lipton's (caffinated) and Luzianne's (decaf). Why those two brands? Because that is what Sam's sells in bulk. :) And, rarely do I ever make true sweet tea ... I usually make unsweetened and then add my choice of sweetener to it. I've drunk that for so long that when I drink the real sweet stuff, I go into an immediate sugar stupor. :)

2. What brand of toilet paper do you buy, and is it the larger rolls or regular?

Charmin in the giant rolls. I'm not picky about toilet paper other than it has to be soft ... I do not buy institutional TP. The stuff that is practically a paper towel in smaller squares. Ick.

3. Which brand of bath soap do you use? Is it body wash or bar style?

I usually buy Suave, cheap and they have a lot of variety in scents. However, Travis recently requested Dial and that's what is currently in the bathroom. It kills me to pay $4 for a bottle of bath soap.

4. Which cereal do you buy for yourself?

I don't. I'm not really a cereal person ... I had milk allergies as a kid and so my options 30 years ago were to have water or naaaaaaasty whey-free milk on my cereal. Blech. However, when I am in the mood, I go for Cocoa Puffs. Oh, yes. I went through bags of these when I was pregnant with Natalie.

5. What brand of dishwasher detergent do you use and is it liquid or tablets?

We don't have a dishwasher. I use Dawn for washing all my dishes by hand and it is hands-down the BEST. Trust me, I've tried lots. It gets everything off.

6. What is your favorite fruit to eat?

Ummm, I don't know that I have a favorite. I LOVE fruit salad ... my favorite combination is bananas, tropical fruit (the can that has pineapple, mango, papaya) and mandarin oranges.

7. Which brand of clothes detergent do you use?

We go for the good stuff here. Because we have the front loading washer, we use Tide High Efficiency detergent. It really has made a difference in how much I need per load. Yes, it's pricey, but it lasts a LOOOOOOOOONG time.

8. Do you like chocolate?

Yes. I'm not fanatical about it, but there are times that my need for it overtakes all sense of reason and sanity.

9. Are you right-handed or left-handed?

Oh so very left handed. I can't do much of anything properly with the right.

10. Do you still write checks or use a debit card?

I rarely write checks. Travis keeps the checkbook and does all the bill paying. (Although at the moment it's in my purse because I had to go take care of the tags for the van last week ... must remember to put back in his drawer). Right now, I'm using a cash system, but debit card is the backup for that. We have a credit card with my name on it, but I don't carry it. I'm not trustable with it!

Wasn't that fascinating? Okay, now I REALLY have to go and get dress and get moving.

Works for Me Wednesday, 9/6

This is a tip that I picked up when my first was just a few months old. (I believe credit originally goes to Kim at Large Family Logistics.) I keep a basket on our dinner table with cloth napkins and washcloths in it, and that's what we use during meals for spills and wipes. When N1 was a baby, I was going through paper towels by the hundreds (or so it seemed) for each meal, everytime there was a spill or mess. Napkins and washcloths are way more absorbant, especially for those liquid spills, and when the meal is over, I just throw then in the washing machine and run them with the next load. (I mean, if they are gross, then I rinse them out in the sink first, but that's pretty rare). It's worked for me for a couple years now. :)

For more tips, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer!

Szechuan Chicken by Request

This is a Weight Watcher recipe that I make all the time. :)

1 lb. skinnless boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
3 T. hoisin sauce
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. sugar
2 t. chili-garlic sauce
1 T. canola oil
1 T. minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced on a diagonal
1/4 cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Combine the chicken, 1 T. of the hoisin sauce, and 1 T. of the cornstarch in a medium bowl; toss well to coat and set aside. Combine the remaining 2 T. of hoisin sauce, 1 T. cornstarch, the broth, vinegar, sugar and chili-garlic sauce in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat a nonstick wok or a large deep skillet over medium high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Swirl in the oil, then add the chicken. Stir fry until almost cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic; stir-fry until fragrant; about 15 seconds. Add the bell pepper, carrots and peanuts; stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, and the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute.

It makes up quickly if you have all your ingredients chopped and ready to go. If you are into counting WW points, it's 6 per 1 cup serving (rice underneath would be extra).

Recipe Requested!

To those who asked (and thank you for asking!) here are the recipes that I'm using this week ... on planning on using ... for our menus.

Chunky Chicken Soup, from Taste of Home website

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch strips
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup half-and-half cream

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown chicken in oil. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the onion, carrots, celery and corn. In a small bowl, whisk the soup, broth and dill until blended; stir into slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until vegetables are tender. Stir in peas and cream. Cover and cook 30 minutes longer or until heated through. Yield: 7 servings.

***********************************

Easy Chicken Fajita Skillet
(I think this came from a Menus for Moms email)

2 cans chicken broth
1 lb. boneless chicken, cut into 1" cubes
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups elbow macaroni (preferably whole wheat), uncooked
2 cups red or green bell peppers, chopped and sauteed, from last night
1 onion, chopped and sauteed, from last night
1 lb. Velveeta prepared cheese spread, cut into 1-1/2" cubes

Cook chicken with chili powder and salt in a fry pan until cooked through. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in macaroni and cover, reducing heat to medium-low. Simmer 5 minutes and add peppers and onions and Velveeta cubes. Cook until cheese is melted, stirring frequently.

**********************************

And the red beans and rice recipe I'm using is one that I found on Michele's - This One's for the Girls. It's sounds delicious (and EASY!)

Did I leave anything out? :) Off to run a few errands with the girls this morning!

A-hem

Um, yep. Baby #3 is due around May 5, 2007.

Um, yep. We're soooo excited.

Um, yep. I'm freaking out.

Um, yep. Natalie and this baby are going to be 15 months apart.

God is so good.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Up in the air because of the holiday!
Tuesday - Chunky Chicken Soup in the Crockpot
Wednesday - Red Beans and Rice with cornbread (crockpot)
Thursday - Szechuan Chicken with Peanuts, served over rice (stirfry)
Friday - Pizza Night
Saturday - Easy Chicken Fajita Skillet

I'm jumping on board Menu Plan Monday over at Organizing Junkie ... I'm a menu planner at heart, but I've been lax about it the last few weeks and since we're tighting the grocery budget, I need to get my routine back in shape. :)

30 Days of Marriage, Day 3

Pray that your husband will be humble and quick to agree with God about his sin. Pray that his heart will be tender toward the voice of the Lord.

Ps. 51:2-4:
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, and done what is evil in Thy sight, so that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, and blameless when Thou dost judge.

Micah 6:8:
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

30 Days of Marriage, Day 2

Pray that your husband’s relationship with God and His Word will bear fruit in his life. Pray that he will be a man of wisdom and understanding, fearing the Lord.

Lord, thank you for the fruit of Travis' relationship with you. I see that in how he parents his girls, how he treats me, how he serves the youth at our church. Give him wisdom as he walks in a difficult situation with one of our youth ... let Your wisdom be what is heard and not fleshly desires and choices.

Prov. 3:7:
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Prov. 9:10:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Ps. 112:1:
Praise the Lord! How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments.

30 Days of Marriage, Day 1

Pray that your husband will grow spiritually and consider his accountability before the Lord. Pray that he will guard his heart by developing spiritual disciplines—Bible reading and study, prayer, meditation, scripture memorization, etc.

This is something that I am extremely grateful for in Travis, but I defintely don't think about it or pray about it enough. God has truly blessed me with a husband that loves to study and search out the Scriptures.

I remember when we were first married, Travis was reading through the minor prophets in the evenings. Sometimes he would fall asleep with his Bible open across his chest while he lay on the couch, having read so long that I went to bed and left him in our living room to fend for himself. :) That amazed me. I honestly have longed for that hunger of the Word but it has always seemed just outside of my grasp. Where you forsake all other entertainment, whether it be TV or books, and just spend time in the Word because of the immense draw of God's truth. Thank you Lord that you have keps his first love of You strong in His heart and that He continues to pursue You daily.

Tonight took this love of the Word and being a student of the Lord to the next level. I proofread (for typos only!) his first assignment for a class he is currently taking with Dallas Theological Seminary ... the first in a new journey and step for our lives together.

2 Peter 3:18:
...but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Proverbs 4:23
Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

And, in my fiction sabbatical, I've made it one day so far. I feel sure the tremors and shakes won't start until next week sometime. :)