I came across this little list of Outdoor Living Tips from one my favorite local design stores – Gracious Designs.  Here are ten ideas to freshen up your outdoor space and make it inviting this summer:

Refresh your outdoor space into a place you love to live in and entertain in; it can literally double your living space!

See you in church!

Be refreshed,

Aside from your personal Bible study, what do you do for maximum spiritual growth?

With love,

I love it when I’m out shopping and I see something and say, “That is exactly what I’m looking for!” I’m not always smart enough to go ahead and buy it on the spot. Sometimes the price may hold me back, which is a good reason to wait. But sometimes I question the color or size of a household item, and then often when I get home, I realize it would have been perfect.  ~Sigh~

I did that a couple weeks ago. I’d found a picture that I thought would be really nice in my guest/craft room, but I was afraid it might be too big, so…I hesitated. I went back and looked at it several times before I left the store…without it. Then when I got home, I peeked into the guest room and realized that it was clearly the perfect size, color and style for what I needed on that wall! It was at a Hobby Lobby, about thirty minutes from our house, so I couldn’t justify just popping back over there to get it the next day. However, the next week when we were in the area for something else, I asked my husband to drop me off at the door so I could run in and see if it was still there. Guess what? It was!!!!!!!!!  Yippee!  I snatched it and got it home and hung it, pronto!  ~Happy sigh~  I’m in love!

Have you ever found something and not gotten it, then regretted it? Did you go back and score like I did? Whew!

From my parsonage windows,

In the 70’s there was a character called Edith Ann, played by Lily Tomlin. I remember enough about it to know that she acted very much like the 5 1/2 year old that she portrayed. As she was seated in a huge rocking chair, she would recount her childish antics, like making a sandwich for her dog, Buster, or playing connect the dots with permanent marker on her brother’s chicken pox. It was very funny, but the thing I remember is that she always ended her “talks” by saying, “And that’s the truth!”

Let’s think about what the truth is for a minute. Do you ever find yourself thinking about tomorrow or next week, or next month and being anxious? Do you imagine things that have yet to happen, and you think of all that could take place, might take place, and undoubtedly will take place!

There’s a song that says, “I don’t know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day; I don’t borrow from its sunshine, for its skies may turn to gray…” I have to smile when I sing it, because most of us don’t do that all the time. Whether it’s a scheduled doctor’s appointment, a financial crunch, a decision someone else is going to make that could effect us, an event going on in a loved one’s life, or even what the weather is going to do to our picnic (!) we, all too often, have each detail ironed out and the the trouble it’s going to bring long before the day ever happens!

“What’s wrong with that? You may ask.  “I have to be prepared, just in case!” The problem is that when we think into the future, we’re not thinking on the Philippians 4:8 things – the things that are true. It’s not true because it hasn’t happened yet. We waste so much of today by running ahead to tomorrow. The truth is – God is on the Throne today! He loves me. His grace is sufficient. Nothing that touches my life today is a surprise to Him. This is what is going on right now, this is the truth, and this is what we need to think about!

When your mind wants to run ahead to tomorrow, jump into “the rocking chair” of the present and only think and talk about what is happening right now – because that’s the truth!

With love,

I spray the bun and the pan with cooking spray and toast it in a skillet, then put the meatballs and sauce on the crispy browned bread. This takes it from being good to being great!

Turkey Meatballs with Honey Chipotle Sauce
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
For sauteing ~ 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Preheat oven to 375˚F

Mix all ingredients, except oil, until combined, don’t overmix. Form into 16 meatballs, (for mini-meatballs form into 1-inch balls)
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large ovenproof skillet; add meatballs and cook until nicely browned on all sides (about 10-12 minutes–reduce time by a few minutes for mini-meatballs.) When cooked transfer skillet to oven and bake 5 minutes.

Glaze: Again, I like to double this.
1 to 2 Tablespoons chopped chipotle in adobo sauce This will make it hot, so use sparingly if you don’t like it too spicy
2 Tablespoons honey
While meatballs are in oven mix both ingredients together in a small bowl.
Remove skillet from oven and pour honey mix over meatballs; swirl pan to coat meatballs and cook briefly over medium heat to slightly reduce glaze, swirl pan again to coat each meatball.

Serve  warm.

I hope you’ll give these a try!  This is a great 30 minute meal for a weeknight!

With love from my parsonage kitchen,