Day 121 - My help comes from the Lord

I'm clinging to the words of Psalm 121 right now. The Lord guards my going out and coming in. He knows what the days ahead of us hold. We are in His hands. He is where my help comes from. He never sleeps. He protects me. He will not allow me to slip.

So grateful.

And no, I didn't plan for Psalm 121 to be my picture on Day 121. Just happened :)

Day 120 - Rosebushes

Beautiful. So grateful for such amazing beauty growing just across the street!

Day 119 - My SWING Group

Today we had a picnic with my SWING Group (Seminary Wives in Nurturing Groups). Our husbands came too, which is always fun! I've been in this group for a year and a half, and it has been one of the biggest blessings in my time here in Dallas. This picture is the gift they gave to me and the other girl leaving - a picture of our group with everyone's signature. It is a treasured gift!

There is something special about being with a group of people who completely understand what your life is like right now - seminary, papers and homework, Greek and Hebrew, internships, financial struggles, being the main provider for you and your husband. These are not the normal dealings of life! But these girls all are facing the same things as me. And it's such a great support.

Jess, Breanna, Becky, Kim, Kristine, Libby, Ressie, Lindsday, Amy, Mysti -  What a joy it has been to get to know you all. Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. I've LOVED spending this time in Dallas with you, and I will miss you all so much!

Day 118 - Fun Dip!

Today I received a box in the mail from my best friend back home. What did it contain???

Oh yes it did. Fun Dip! And not just one. Not just two. A whole box.

Forty-eight Fun Dips.

All mine.

I love you, Stephanie!!! :)

BONUS POST - FEATURED!

Today, my blog is featured on Make Something 365 & Get Unstuck! Check it out here!

Day 117 - Pool (or Billiards, if you prefer!)

And I actually won! When I play Roy, that's not the normal outcome :) So thankful for fun games to just relax!

Day 116 - Baby Birds

Roy and I took a walk this evening at dusk. We were coming around one of the buildings on campus when a bird seemed to fall out of the sky! This baby bird was testing out his wings and trying to fly! We watched him for a little while as he wobbled around on unsteady feet and attempted to fly up into the trees. I love his speckled breast!

Day 115 - Fresh Pineapple

LOVE.

Day 114 - Roy's Finished!

 

This afternoon, Roy finished his school work. He is DONE! No more seminary work!!! We figured we had to celebrate, so we used a BOGO coupon and went to Piggie Pies Pizza. Roy got his classic cheese-no-sauce, which you can see he was enjoying! My favorite is their Milano pizza - artichokes, black olives, tomatoes, feta... yum.

 

After driving home, we walked over to McDonald's for BOGO snack size McFlurries of the M&M variety. It was a great evening to celebrate Roy completing all of his work!
 

I'm so proud of you Roy! You've worked so hard!

Day 113 - Cakeballs

I had the privilege of making cakeballs for my friend Tiffany's baby shower today. They are one of my favorite treats to make for parties! This time I made vanilla almond and devil's food flavors.

I think my all-time favorite is still red velvet! Although lemon is yummy too!

Next, I think I'm gonna try strawberry with fresh strawberries mixed in the cake batter...YUM!

Day 112 - Fairytales

What is it about a fairytale that captures the heart? Last night, I watched Enchanted. Giselle, a princess-to-be in a cartoon fairytale is sent to the real world by her evil stepmother-to-be. She's naive, innocent, and thinks the most powerful thing in the world is "true love's kiss." She's brought to tears when she hears that a husband and wife are separating... forever and ever. Her naivety is almost refreshing, even though most would just play it off as unrealistic Hollywood.

But as I watched this movie, I realized something. This type of story stirs something within me, a longing and a desire. A desire for a world where true love lasts forever. Where joy fills our hearts every day. Where we are innocent and in love with life. Where people are kind.

That longing isn't something I've construed or some hopeless dream. It's a longing put there by God Himself. Because that is how this world was meant to be before sin. And that is how our world will be again one day after Christ returns. Joy. Innocence. Life. Kindness. Love.

A fairytale come true.

Day 111 - Pineapple Salsa and Quesadillas

This has become one of our favorite meals! It's super tasty!


Pineapple Salsa
1 cup pineapple, chopped
1/2 cup mango, chopped
2 Tbsp red onion, chopped
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

Mix it all together. Refrigerate. Serve with chips or over chicken tacos.

Chicken Quesadillas
1 large chicken breast or several chicken tenderloin strips, cubed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 Tbsp Chipotle Mrs. Dash seasoning
1 Tbsp oil
1/8-1/4 cup lime juice
4 Flour tortillas
Butter
Shredded cheese
 
 Sprinkle Mrs. Dash on cubed chicken. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken, garlic, and red onion in oil until chicken no longer pink. Add in lime juice. Let cook for several minutes. Meanwhile, heat griddle to medium heat. Lightly butter one side of each tortilla. Once chicken is done, put two tortillas butter side down on griddle. Top with chicken mixture and desired amount of shredded cheese. Top with other tortilla. Let cook for several minutes. Flip. Cook on other side for several minutes.

YUM!

Day 110 - Frosting!

Steps to Make a Cake:
1. Bake a cake (read the box)
2. Frost the cake being sure to not use up all the frosting
3. Scrape the frosting from inside the can onto your knife
4. Lick off frosting
5. Repeat until frosting is gone

Day 109 - Unexpected Provision

When I checked the mail today, there was only one envelope. It was addressed to both Roy and me, was typed, and didn't have a return address. Slightly sketchy!

I opened it up to find a note (pictured above) saying "REST. You are LOVED." Included was a generous cash gift! You can bet I knew what my picture was going to be for today!

When I went to take the picture, I immediately was drawn to the words "IN GOD WE TRUST" on the bill. Roy and I have been diligently attempting to rely on the Lord and trust in His timing and provision. Yet I'm always surprised and ecstatic when He provides! You'd think I'd get used to it, but I suppose it's better to be excited :)

So to whomever sent us this amazingly kind and generous gift, thank you. Honestly, I would have felt loved even without the money just to know that someone took the time to send me a note and tell me that I'm loved. But I humbly and gratefully accept your gift as well. God has used you to provide for a real need in our lives, as money is quite tight and financial provision seems shaky. You've reminded me yet again that God holds everything in His hands, including our finances.

I can rest in Him, knowing I'm His beloved child. And for that, I'm truly thankful.

Day 108 - Dr. Pepper

I try not to drink much soda, but when I do, I'm thankful for a delicious Dr. Pepper! So yummy!

Day 107 - Zoos

Today we visited the Dallas Zoo. My favorite was the giraffe exhibit. This guy was only a few feet in front of my face with no glass in between us - so cool! See more here.

Day 106 - Free Food...

and making a few bucks by eating it!

I am a mystery shopper. That means I get to choose shops to complete, usually at restaurants, and get paid to do them. I provide feedback on a variety of things from the visit, and the company reimburses me for the food I bought as well as giving me a bit of extra money. It makes for great meals out when I don't have to pay for it!

And yes, I'm one of those weird people that LOVES pineapple on my pizza :) Just pineapple - no ham!

Day 105 - Good Quotes

I love good quotes. Like this one hanging on the wall in Chick-fil-a.

So true!

Day 104 - Yahtzee!

Roy and I really enjoy playing games together, but we don't do it often enough! Tonight we pulled out the Yahtzee (which is great when we're exhausted cuz it's takes next to no thought!). Free, easy fun :)

Day 103 - Setting New High Scores

That's me!!!

Day 102 - Braum's

Our favorite place for a sweet treat in Dallas - Braum's! Their ice cream is so tasty and so cheap! Most of the time, Roy and I split a large vanilla mix with Reese's cups. And it's only $2.59! All their ice cream comes in waffle cones for no extra charge, too. A single scoop in a waffle cone is only $1.39, and a double is only $1.99! I'm telling you, the prices can't be beat. If I don't share a mix with Roy, I get a scoop of strawberry chocolate chip frozen yogurt. Sooo yummy!

We're definitely thankful for Braum's, and we're really going to miss it when we move in a few weeks!

Day 101 - Rejoicing with those who rejoice

Rejoice with those who rejoice...

Romans 12.15

Today was the DTS Student Awards Chapel. Roy was one of eleven students to win an award! He received the North American Professors of Christian Education Award, which is given for outstanding scholarship and commitment to the field of education. It also included $100! Much needed! I also got to attend his chapel, which I was quite excited about! It is fun to rejoice with others in their successes, especially when it's my husband!

Roy wasn't super excited about me taking his picture with his certificate, but I coaxed a good smile out of him anyway :) 

Day 100 - My Camera

 If it weren't for my camera, I wouldn't have this blog! While it isn't anything fancy, it's mine. And I like it :)

Day 99 - Easter Sunday

 

 Our service this morning was entitled "A Skeptic's Easter." We looked at the passage about Thomas, who doubted the Lord's resurrection until he saw Jesus' scars. Our scars breed skepticism in our lives. The pain and hurt we've been through cause us to question and doubt. But Jesus' scars foster faith in our lives. 

Look at Jesus' scars. 

I'm so thankful for His resurrection that gives me life and hope in the life to come. It is what I live for. Without it, my life would be meaningless. 

And just as Jesus' resurrection took darkness and death and brought forth something glorious, so did our rainy and cloud-filled sky end the day with something glorious!

 

Beautiful.

Day 98 - Bluebonnets

Today we took a trip to Ennis to enjoy the bluebonnets. See more here.

Day 97 - The Cross

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
   he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
   and by his wounds we are healed. 

Isaiah 53.5

 

Today is Good Friday. It is the day that we reflect and remember what Christ did for us almost 2000 years ago. Creator God was tried by His sinful creation, beaten beyond recognition, and hung naked on a cross to bear the sin of the world. He took upon Himself every sin I have ever committed and will commit in the future, paying the penalty that was mine - death. He was mocked. Beaten. Scorned. Ridiculed.

For me.

And for you.

Today I am thankful for the cross. It almost seems silly to write in comparison to many of the other things I post here daily. The magnitude and weight of my gratitude for what Jesus did for me on the cross far outweighs any other post in the last 96 days. And while tonight I am grateful, my heart is heavy as I dwell on the sacrifice and the suffering that Jesus faced that day. Praise the Lord that Easter is on the way...

Day 96 - Cincinnati Reds

Anybody know what today is???

Opening Day!!! The Cincinnati Reds played their home opener today against the Miami Marlins (which still sounds so weird!). They won 4-0! I'm thankful that baseball season is here, and I'm excited to see what the Reds have in store for this year!

Day 95 - My Fan

This little fan is one of my best friends. It helps me sleep at night. I can't sleep well in silence. Even when I was a little baby, my parents would play a sound machine or even the vacuum cleaner outside of my bedroom to help me sleep! I think that I got used to that, and now I all but NEED that noise to sleep! So I'm thankful for this little fan that helps me get sleep each night. Speaking of... time for bed!

Day 94 - A Refuge in the Storm

"For You have been a defense for the helpless,
A defense for the needy in his distress,
A refuge from the storm..." 

Isaiah 25.4

 

Today was a bit crazy to say the least. Working at a nursing home in the midst of multiple tornado warnings takes a lot out of you! Praise God that we were not hit or damaged in any way. Many people in the DFW area without homes tonight, but as far as I've heard, no lives taken from all the storms today. 

We may hunker down in our bathrooms and hallways, toting along our pillows and blankets for protection, but there is only one true refuge from the storm. I'm so thankful for God's protection both in the physical storms of rain and tornadoes and in the storms of life that threaten to uproot me and tear me apart.

Day 93 - Seminary Wives

This picture wasn't taken today, but I wanted to include one more from the retreat. I'm a person who desperately needs friends. Leaving college and all of the friendships that came so easily there was so difficult for me. It was much more difficult to quickly make friends once I was married, which makes sense as I spend a lot of time with Roy!

But about a year and a half ago, God provided my seminary wives group. His timing and sovereignty make me laugh sometimes! Roy came to DTS a year before we married, and he was in a spiritual formation group. The group's leader, David, got married during that first year, and Roy got to meet David's wife, Lindsay. He mentioned that I might like to get to know her once I got married. We hung out as a couple every now and then, and Lindsay and I would occasionally share conversations over our favorites teas. She became a leader for a seminary wives group and encouraged me to join. And I did! And they've all become some of my best friends down here!

It is wonderful to be with a group of women who totally understand the stage of life you're going through. The struggles, the finances, the papers and tests, the pressure of being the main provider, etc. It's a unique time, and we're there for one another.

So I'm grateful for the seminary wives who have become my friends. Even though I haven't known some of them very long, they have quickly found a special place in my heart, and I will never forget them.

And lest you think our time is all too serious, may the below picture of some more of my friends forever remove all doubt...

Day 92 - Homemade Pizza

Tonight we made homemade pizza. The crust was perfect - just the right level of crispiness! And we get to use our pizza stone, which is always fun!

Day 91 - Campfires

Saturday night at the retreat, we took a hayride and then had a campfire. It was a blessed time of sharing stories, singing songs, and watching the stars come out.

Day 90 - SWIM Retreat

Friday afternoon, I headed out with some friends for the SWIM (Seminary Wives in Ministry) Retreat. I felt like a kid back at camp! So thankful for a weekend away. What fun!