Wouldn’t it be nice to have personal stylist come in and choose your outfits for you?  Well, maybe you do have a stylist at your fingertips!  Enter Pinterest!

Often when I’m getting dressed, I’ll have a basic idea of what I want to wear, but can’t decide how to wear it, or what to wear with it.  Yesterday I wanted to wear my black pants.  Hmmm, what will I wear with them?  I went on Pinterest and searched “Black pants Outfit.”  I came up with many choices, then I found this one…  Bingo!

Black pants, chambray blouse under tan/brownish sweater, leopard flats, sparkly necklace

I liked it, AND I had similar components in my closet!  I wore it like this…

click on picture to see details of outfit

Though it wasn’t exactly like the Pinterest picture, it gave me enough inspiration to come up with something close, and something I hadn’t put together before.

Using Pinterest to help in planning outfits is a great way to refresh your wardrobe!  I also snap a picture and save it, so if I’m in a rush, I can find something I’ve worn and liked, and just grab all the elements and dress in a hurry.  Thanks, personal stylist Pinterest!

Speaking of Pinterest, Boones Creek is hosting another Pinterest Party tomorrow at our church starting at 10 a.m.!  The cost is $10 for a day full of fun.  We’ll have lunch, have a short devotional and craft the day away!  Come and bring a friend!

Oh, and if you can’t find anything to wear, don’t forget to refresh your wardrobe ideas using PINTEREST!

Stay refreshed,

During the first year of living in our new home, we were to take note of any fixes the contractors needed to take care of.  After several months, we noticed a loose piece of wood floor in the kitchen. Then upstairs in the main bathroom,  something caused a fine line crack to appear.  Perhaps a settling of the house?  At any rate, both needs were duly reported.  Yesterday was the day for the repairs.

Drilling, grinding, dust particles flying.  Loose Wood flooring lifted out. A new piece of wood flooring is set in place.  Then pounding, sanding, hammering upstairs making it sound like  they’re tearing the ceiling off, not just replacing a cracked tile in the bathroom floor.  Are they planning to bring in their lame friend through the roof, like the four men who brought their friend to Jesus for healing?! One of the men, on his way up the stairs, said, “It’s going to sound like we’re tearing your house apart, but it’ll be okay!”  I smiled, grateful for the assurance!

Can’t these repairs be done another way? I can hear the ceramic tile being smashed into little pieces, like peanut brittle on the candy makers table.   But, no, glue sticks and scotch tape might be gentler, but they won’t fix the repairs that are needed for a long-term hold.  The dust will soon settle, the new floor will be solid and secure, and I’ll be thankful for the horrific tearing apart so that the fix will be lasting.

For ten weeks many ladies in my church have been looking and searching at their own lives.  We have seen some loose floor boards, some serious cracks, if you will.  Perhaps you, too, have been studying and desiring to grow.  To be made aware of our needs is not repair.  How will the  improvements happen?

It happens now – in the daily applying the truths that we have learned.  We lean in each day into God’s Word and allow Him to chisel and change, to hammer and help.  It’s painful, but it’s necessary.  The “now’s” turn into a year, then into ten years.  We’ll see that the improvements and changes are good, and that the painful processes were necessary.

All the lessons about loving our husband and our children, making a Christ-like atmosphere in our homes, studying and preparing for a ministry –  it’s all hammered out in the hard trials.  Be ready for it.  Don’t be surprised by it.  Even greater than the kind men who have been in my home, Christ is there all along, whispering assurances to us.

“It will be worth it.  I have a plan.  I know the finished product.  It’s going to be completed.  It’s going to be beautiful.  It’s going to be eternal.”

One day we can be presented before the Lord ~ “Here she is ~ a Woman After God’s Own Heart!”

Stay faithful.  It will be worth it all!

With love,

A Peek Into My Week

Like many, we had a snowy surprise last weekend.  We woke up to a lovely covering on the ground.  I don’t know when I’ve ever seen the fall foliage with snow around it.  It was pretty amazing!

The picture above looks like a black and white photo with a wash of color added, but of course it’s just the gray day with the fall colors on the tree!  God is an amazing Artist!

The cold temps made it the perfect morning for a comforting breakfast right in front of the fireplace.  We love pulling the table up close so we can have the ambiance and the warmth while we eat.  So romantic!

Yesterday I’d heard that Office Max was having 70% off lots of their merchandise due to a moving sale, so I headed over to look at office supplies.  Then I spotted office chairs – there were four of them – marked to half price.  When I paid for it it rang up at $20!  WooHoo!

It’s pinkish red (or redish pink), which is perfect for me.  I wondered how it would do in the living room, but my sofa has enough pink in it that it is fine.

The pink in the foreground is the chair.

I love the chevron rug under it.  I think it sets the chair and desk off nicely.  I love getting that corner decorated – and I love it even more that I did it at such a great price!!!!

My husband is healing nicely from his surgery and gaining strength every day.  We thank the Lord and don’t take for granted the energy and the joy of just feeling better!  Each day is a gift!

What’s new with you this week?

With love from my country porch,

Imagine being invited to a wonderful meal – it’s a banquet and the best foods will be served.  You excitedly pick out your favorite dress-up outfit and get all ready for this special event.  When you arrive, you’re directed to your seat.  The table is lovely.  There are plates before you – one with salad, one with bread, and the main plate placed in front of you is filled with a scrumptious steak and fluffy baked potato brimming with butter and sour cream.

However, you look and there’s something critical missing…the silverware!  It’s not on the sides of the plate nor is it rolled up in the napkin.  There’s none anywhere on the table, and you’ve come hungry, ready to eat!  You summons the waiter and explain to him that you have no silverware and are unable to eat your meal.

“You didn’t bring your own silverware?”  he asks.  “You knew you were going to be eating when you arrived.  Why didn’t you come prepared?”

“No one told me I should bring my own!” you explain.

“Ma’am, I’m sorry.  You’ll just have to remember what this food looked and smelled like when you go home.  Maybe that will be enough to sustain you,” laments the waiter.

You leave, still hungry, muttering under your breath about how ridiculous it is to think a person can be fed just by remembering what food was served at the banquet!

Now, think back to church last Sunday.  When you sat to listen to the preaching, did you come prepared for the banquet of God’s Word that was going to be fed to you?  Did you pull out your “utensils” – a notebook and a pen, so you could digest and eat heartily of the spiritual food?  Or did you fold your arms and listen,  thinking you could pull up to the table and be fed simply by remembering it later on?

It’s really no easier to be fed spiritually without being prepared as it is physically.  Why would we even think about attending church, a Bible study, Sunday school or our own Quiet Time without a pen and notebook ready so that we can eat heartily?    Do we really believe we’re going to hear from the Lord when His Word is opened?  If we do, we’ll be ready to “dig in” by coming fully ready to hear and record what God has said.

We can’t trust our memory to something so important!  Let’s make sure we come prepared whenever we sit at the Banquet Table of God’s Word – our spiritual nourishment depends on it!

Do you regularly make notes?  What is your method of recording what God says to you?

With love,

About once a week I make us an egg-y breakfast.  I love a yolk that is runny – you know so you can dip your sour dough toast into that puddle of deliciousness.   I’ve struggled, though, with boiling the egg and the white still being a little too soft, then boiling it longer for the white and the yolk getting too hard.  Grrr.

That’s also one of my homemade cinnamon rolls on the plate. You can find the recipe here.

However, I recently found the  best way to have a perfectly soft yolk without having to fry it or boil it too long and ruining the results!  The method is basically steaming the eggs.  Here’s the method:

Put about a half inch of water (yes, that’s all!)  in the pan and let it come to a boil.

Add your eggs, straight from the fridge.  Return to a boil and cover with a lid.  Set the timer for 6 1/2 minutes for large or extra large eggs – 6 minutes for medium eggs.

After the timer goes off, run cold water into pan for 30 seconds to stop the cooking process.

You will then be able to peel the eggs and they will be ready to eat with a soft, runny yolk!

Perfection!

What’s your favorite way to eat an egg?  I hope you’ll try this method if you enjoy a soft yolk.  I’ve done them several times now and they’ve turned out perfect each time!

With love from my country kitchen,