Memorial Weekend Memories
The Blessing of a Sister Retreat
Sisters, sisters
There were never such devoted sisters…
I had the joy of going on a four-day Sister Retreat last week! This is the third time my two sisters and I have had the chance to get away together. We started these “retreats” eleven years ago and have had three totally different kinds of events each time.
The first retreat was a trip to New York City! We made a long weekend of it and did all the highlights of the city! The next time we retreated, we went to a special place – Fairhaven Ministries, near my home and stayed in a little chalet. We walked the trails, we cooked, we prayed.
This year’s retreat was also fairly near my home. My sisters traveled from Kentucky to Tennessee and we drove less than an hour to go to a lovely cottage on a lake. The setting Continue reading “The Blessing of a Sister Retreat”
Friday Favorites
During the Coronavirus, I began keeping a daily log of blessings. It’s so easy to focus on the negatives and forget the joys of each day, isn’t it?! Looking back in my pictures on my phone is a good way to make my list. Here are some of this week’s favorites.
A Saturday bread delivery. I’ve continued to bake Sour Dough each week and then my husband and I go out together to drop off a little loaf to folks in our church family. What a joy to see our friends and give them something to enjoy.
I have permission to share photos of my sweet grandsons, so I get to tell you about our Jeep picnic to Chick-Fil-A! We pulled into a parking lot, opened the back door and I sat between them and we ate our lunch while Pappa stood in front of us. They LOVED that! It was a good thing just to get out and do something outside of the house! Of course these two make it even more fun!
Another day, I got to stay with one of the boys while the other had an appointment. I pray about being intentional in my time with them, and decided to teach him a Bible lesson about Peter preaching to the people and telling them Jesus loved them. After our lesson, we used this “phone” to tell each other, “Jesus loves you!” He was so surprised that he could hear me whisper when he was all the way on the other side of the room! It was some old fashioned fun and a sweet reminder that we need to share the Gospel message with others!
I found this black frame in a closet and decided to make a “wreath out of it. Crafting is always a bright spot in my day!
I was so happy to have some warm temperatures this week! I got to sit on the porch and eat my lunch. What a special blessing…especially because we have more rain in the forecast!
Next week I’m going to have a little get-away with my sisters! We’re so excited about the chance to be together and also have a change of scenery! You won’t see me here on the blog, but I’ll be back the next week!
What was the highlight of your week?
Refresh yourself with some things that make you smile!
Don’t Let the (Marriage) Well Go Dry, Part 2
I watched the sweetest couple get married last weekend. It was precious to observe. I saw heads bowed together, hands clasped, endearing looks and tears at the vows shared. One word you couldn’t use to describe the wedding would be dry. No way! It was flowing with love!
No one gets engaged with the thought, “I wonder if my wedding day will be dry and boring?” But how many couples end up eventually looking at one another and sensing a dryness? Too many. Sometimes it comes in spells. Sadly Continue reading “Don’t Let the (Marriage) Well Go Dry, Part 2”
Three-Ingredient Donuts
Maybe you don’t need another donut after all these weeks of being home and baking, but you do need this recipe for the days when you open your front door to usher in guests once again.
Often we feel money is too tight to have guests over. We may also be too busy to think ahead to make a dessert. This recipe takes care of both of those issues! Ten donuts costs the amount of a can of biscuits and they’re finished in under 15 minutes! All you need is some oil and then some sugar to coat them in after frying!
Here’s what you need:
Canned biscuits
Granulated Sugar – Place about 1/2 cup sugar into a shallow bowl
Oil for frying – I like Coconut oil, Crisco works well, too
You need about 1 inch of oil in your pan. Bring the oil to 350 – 375 degrees.
Meanwhile, prep your biscuits. I use a melon baller to make holes in the middle of the donuts. If you want to fill them with jam, just leave them whole.
Once the oil is hot enough, place the biscuits into the hot oil and cook until the donuts are light brown. It only takes a minute or so! Brown on one side, flip over and brown the other side.
Place browned donuts on paper towel to drain. Then quickly toss them in granulated sugar. Place on platter.
If you want to fill the donuts with jam, cut a small slit in the side and spoon in a tablespoon or so inside.
I love that idea that if I have a can of biscuits in my fridge, I can make a batch of donuts in minutes, if company were to drop in, or we would invite someone over last minute! I hope you’ll soon open your door to guests and pop open a can of biscuits so you can enjoy these hot donuts!
Four Areas Of My House I Clean, Tidy or Straighten Every Day
This spring I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to do some deep cleaning. That means that I got out the hand-held vacuum and cleaned behind furniture, I dusted the walls, I straightened out closets. All that feels good, but it’s important to me to be able to walk into any room in my home on any given day and see that it looks presentable. To accomplish that I take care of four major cleaning spots every single day, and they take very little time!
- The Bed. I make the bed every day within 15 minutes after I get up. It’s the major portion of the room, so it makes sense that if it’s all tidied, the room feels cleaner, even if there’s dust on the dresser!
- The Bathrooms. After we’re done showering and such in the morning, I clean the sinks, the tub, shower and toilet. I change out the hand towels and clean off the mirror. In literally ten minutes our bathroom is done. (I do give it a deeper clean regularly, but this is the daily routine.)
- The laundry and laundry room. I do a load of laundry every day except Sunday. That way I can do one load, and it’s done first thing in the morning. The baskets don’t pile up and it doesn’t take long to do one load! I also clean the laundry room because that’s where my kitty’s litter box and food dishes are. It’s also done first thing in the morning.
- The kitchen. After every meal I wipe down the counters, the stove and the appliances. A quick going over whenever it’s used keeps the clean up an easy job! The dishes are always either loaded into the dishwasher or are hand washed.
By doing these four areas, I always feel like the majority of the house is in order and clean. Once a routine is established, you never really feel like you’re working, but are just doing the daily schedule. I listen to podcasts or my Bible app while I do each task and it makes it go even faster!
What areas of your home do you feel daily need attention to make your home inviting?
Refresh your home by creating quick, tidying tactics!
Don’t Let the (Marriage) Well Go Dry
I’m no farmer, but I do know that a dry well is not a happy thing.
I”m no marriage expert, but I do know that a “dry” marriage is also not a happy thing.
Let’s get the picture of that dry well in our head. You go to the facet to get a drink and you notice some problems –
- The taste of the water has changed.
- The water is murky instead of clear.
- The pump on the well is turning on and off more frequently.
- The faucet is sputtering.
These are all signs that the well is going dry!
Now let’s get the picture of that dry marriage in our head ~
- Marriage isn’t as sweet as it used to be!
- Spouses hearts (one or both) are working out of the flesh instead of the Spirit)
- There isn’t a steady outpouring of love and commitment – it’s on and off.
- Communication is lacking.
These are all signs that the marriage well is going dry!
Wells are not meant to go dry and neither is marriage! Continue reading “Don’t Let the (Marriage) Well Go Dry”
