Uncategorized

A Car Picnic

RefreshHerLeave a comment

While we’re waiting for spring to come, there are adventures to take that are “semi-outdoor” activities that can help refresh you and brighten your winter doldrums.

Yesterday for my husband’s birthday, we had a Car Picnic!  A car picnic is one way to enjoy the beauty of a country road or a mountain view even in cooler temperatures.

Pack up some chili or homemade soup into mason jars.  If you fill the jars with water and then  warm them in the microwave, it will help keep the soup hot.  I also put one of those oven bricks in the microwave and warmed it up, then wrapped it in a kitchen towel.  I then wrapped a towel around the jars and the brick and packed it all into a picnic basket.  I also took cloth napkins, plastic spoons, crackers, some fruit and homemade cookies.

Drive to a beautiful spot and open up the basket in the car and enjoy your lunch from the warmth of your car!

Our meal was simple, but tasted wonderful out there on that mountain road.  It was quiet, beautiful, and romantic.  We came home so refreshed.  I bet you will too!

What adventures do you embark on when you’re ready for winter to be over?

I hope you’re making plans to be in a Bible-preaching church Sunday!  Don’t miss out on what God wants to do in and through you in your local church!

Stay refreshed,
While we’re waiting for spring to come, there are adventures to take that are “semi-outdoor” activities that can help refresh you and brighten your winter doldrums.

Yesterday for my husband’s birthday, we had a Car Picnic!  A car picnic is one way to enjoy the beauty of a country road or a mountain view even in cooler temperatures.

Pack up some chili or homemade soup into mason jars.  If you fill the jars with water and then  warm them in the microwave, it will help keep the soup hot.  I also put one of those oven bricks in the microwave and warmed it up, then wrapped it in a kitchen towel.  I then wrapped a towel around the jars and the brick and packed it all into a picnic basket.  I also took cloth napkins, plastic spoons, crackers, some fruit and homemade cookies.

Drive to a beautiful spot and open up the basket in the car and enjoy your lunch from the warmth of your car!

Our meal was simple, but tasted wonderful out there on that mountain road.  It was quiet, beautiful, and romantic.  We came home so refreshed.  I bet you will too!

What adventures do you embark on when you’re ready for winter to be over?

I hope you’re making plans to be in a Bible-preaching church Sunday!  Don’t miss out on what God wants to do in and through you in your local church!

Stay refreshed,

Uncategorized

Making Marriage Last

RefreshHerLeave a comment

This is a week for a couple of birthdays in my family – my husband’s is tomorrow and my mom’s was yesterday.  Since I couldn’t be with her, I called her last night on Skype.  I’m so thankful for the Internet options like that!  What a blessing!

My sweet parents

As we were chatting, the subject of my parent’s  upcoming 60th anniversary came up. My mom said,

“When I think of 60 years together I think, ‘Wow!’  We sure have had our ups and downs and ins and outs, but we decided at the beginning that we would stick together forever.  When couples go into marriage thinking they’ll divorce if things don’t go well, they’re bound for divorce.  When the hard times come, and they will, they bail out  instead of toughing it out.”

Her statement reminded me of a book I read last year where the author said, “Staying together until death means choosing that some days you will be unhappy.” That’s so true.  Let’s face it, every day of marriage isn’t bliss.  Misunderstandings happen, words are spoken out of turn, feelings are hurt, etc.  Those hard days aren’t the ones we paste into our scrapbooks, but they are a part of the journey of our marriages.  They are a part of life, because we live in a fallen, imperfect world.  Those are the days that run us to our Savior and make us dependent  on Him for help to love our spouse.

And He does.

And the next day is better and we survived, and so did our marriage.

And soon we’re looking at another anniversary because we made a promise to one another and to our God.

It’s worth it to be unhappy every now and then.

With love and a prayer for your 60th anniversary,

Uncategorized

RefreshHer

RefreshHer2 Comments

I am definitely a visual learner. The lesson I’m learning right now with the help of a visual aid is HUGE.  What is it?

I gripe too often.

A friend and I took a 21-Day challenge not to gripe.  Here’s the deal – we had to put on a bracelet and any time we gripe or complain, we move the bracelet to the other arm.

I’ve worn different bracelets each day.  The point is to wear one!

When you have to move that bracelet from one arm to the other, it truly makes you more aware of what you are saying!  There have been many times in the past week since I took the challenge that I started to say gripe about something, and I’ve stopped short, simply by seeing my bracelet.

We were also encouraged to take notes about what we’re learning while wearing our bracelet.  So far my lessons have been:

  • I get frustrated when little things don’t go right. A project I’m working on gives me trouble, a tool doesn’t work properly, my watch decides to stop working all brought words of complaint.  Yeah, real important stuff like that.
  • Technology brings out my griping.  The slow Internet, the link on my blog that doesn’t want to work, the picture that won’t upload correctly all bring out complaining words.
  • People that I don’t think are doing what is right also irritate me.  When believers don’t listen to counsel given, or obey God’s commands, I speak my frustration about them, rather than just taking their name to the Lord in prayer.

That little bracelet is teaching me much about my tongue and my heart.  It’s kind of ugly, but it’s a necessary lesson. We’re reminded in Matthew 15:18, 19

 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
 Ouch.  Do you think you are grumble-free?  Maybe you could join us and take the challenge and find out.  Slip on a bracelet and move it any time you complain or gripe about anything that day.  Oh, and just a heads-up – if you tell your husband or children what you’re doing, you can be sure they’ll “police” your words!  Ask me how I know! =)

With love (and my bracelet on the other wrist),

Uncategorized

What’s Cookin’ in the Country?

RefreshHer1 Comment

With all the great recipes out there on the Internet web sites and  on Pinterest, I still love looking through cookbooks to find new recipes.  I recently purchased a Gooseberry Cookbook on sale for $5. It has 101 Entertaining recipes and every single recipe looks so tempting!  I’ve made several recipes so far and each one has been a home run.

 


With my affinity for popcorn, I was so excited to find a recipe in my new book for  Almond Toffee Popcorn.  I’ve made it three times since New Year’s Eve.  I made it the first time for a church New Year’s Eve party and it was pretty good!  The second time I made it for a meeting my husband was having and didn’t even send it because it was chewy.  The third time I made it it was for a Sunday school class party, and it was perfection!  I wrote the adjustments in my book so hopefully it won’t be a flop ever again.  Third time was indeed the charm!

I just have to share this recipe with all my popcorn-loving readers.  Seriously, I have to lock this stuff away, or else I keep nibbling at it.  It is WONDERFUL!

Almond Toffee Popcorn
12 C popped popcorn
1 C sugar
1/2 C butter
1/2 C light corn syrup
1/4 C water
1 C copped almonds,toasted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

I found the best way to get all the popcorn covered with the toffee mixture was to place popcorn in a brown grocery bag.  Remove any unpopped kernels and set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine remaining ingredients except vanilla.  Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches the soft-crack stage – 289 degrees on a candy
thermometer.  Note: The second time I made it and it turned out chewy, I took the temperature to 270 degrees; 289 degrees was perfect.

Remove from heat, add vanilla and stir well.  Pour over popcorn.  Fold bag down and shake to cover popcorn with sugar mixture.

Pour popcorn onto waxed paper to dry.

Taste to see how wonderful it really is.  Taste again, and again, and again.  You won’t be able to stop.  You have been warned.

Enjoy!

With love from my country kitchen,

Marriage

Taking a Wardrobe Challenge

RefreshHer1 Comment

There are tons of fashion blogs out there, and this isn’t one of them.  =)  I’ve never promoted myself as a fashion-ista, because I’m not one.  But I’m posting here today to tell you that I’ve taken a wardrobe challenge.  Why?  Because part of the mission of my blog is to refresh you in your marriage.  Dressing in a way that is pleasing to our husband can refresh your marriage.  It tells your husband that you want to look good in his eyes.

A wardrobe challenge bumps us into the realm of putting a little more effort into what we wear.  It causes us to put an outfit together, and in so doing, put ourselves together.  That’s in opposition of throwing something on, which is easy and most times pretty boring and, dare I say it…unattractive.

Is it wrong for a Christian woman to put effort and thought into her wardrobe?  Um, no.  As a matter of fact, it’s wise.  Let’s give the right opinion of our God.  He was the Creator of the first official clothing, was He not?  He is a God of order and beauty.  That being said, our dress should be lovely, appropriate, and put together.

Sooo, this week I took a challenge.  It’s a wardrobe challenge. There’s a fashion blog named, interestingly enough, Putting me together.  It takes time to be put together, doesn’t it?  But it is a necessary part of our day. The author of the blog gave a challenge this week to style a dress.  I decided to join the challenge and wear a dress on these cold winter days that I bought when it was summertime.  You don’t have to spend lots of money to dress nicely.  Just remixing some pieces you already have can double your wardrobe!

So here’s how I styled a summer dress to wear this week during some pretty cold weather:

I found this short-sleeved dress at Charming Charlie’s this summer and wore it then withno jacket, a simple, thin scarf, bare legs and red flats.

Here I styled it with a red belt, warm scarf, denim jacket, tights and brown boots.

I wore this on a busy Tuesday when I made hospital visits with my husband, ran errands and then had my Bible Club for my neighbor kids.  I was comfortable and warm all day!  Wearing a dress in winter is very doable!  It was also noticed by my husband, which was part of my motivation!

If you don’t stop to really consider what you wear each day, can I challenge you to take a little time to do just that?  Run over to the link to the fashion blog and get a few ideas.  She’s got some creative suggestions.  Let your husband know you care, simply by “putting yourself together.”

Would you ever consider a wardrobe challenge?  

With love,