I'm joining Sandra today for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.
The Weather:::
It's overcast and cloudy, 70º with 1-2 mph winds. 55% humidity.
As I look outside my window:::
Most
everything is lush and green from recent cool rainy weather. Lots of wildflowers and weeds are blooming, in addition to our two patches of iris which are magnificent this year.
Right now I am:::
Working on a blog post.
Thinking and pondering:::
On what I'm reading in Holy Hygge. One quote that spoke deeply to my heart: "Encouragement is not a luxury to the Christian life; it is a necessity. We're often tempted to lump encouragement in with things like a pat on the back or an 'Attagirl'. But encouragement is more than just giving a compliment. It is the passing on of courage. To encourage someone is to give them the courage to face an unknown future, the courage to trust an unseen God, the courage to stand firm in a turbulent culture. Encouragement is no trivial thing. It is a weapon we wield against the enemy on behalf of those we love. Who is receiving courage from you today?"
On my bedside table::: A lamp, three books, a pen and a jar of lavender-infused oil for helping with insect bites.
On my tv this week:::
Nothing this week.
Listening to:::
A small plane overhead. Unidentifiable birds calling sporadically. The hum of the woodsplitter. Someone mowing a lawn across the street.
On the Breakfast plate:::
I
do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast. Lunch was a
salad with cubes of turkey, cheese, and banana pepper rings in addition to butter lettuce.
On the dinner plate:::
Loaded cheeseburger pie ... a new recipe I'm trying that includes ground meat, green peppers, onions, bacon, cheddar cheese, eggs and more. No crust.
On the menu for this week::: I usually plan my menus from Thursday to Thursday, and grocery shop on Friday morning. A few meals on my menu plan:
Loaded cheeseburger pie
Egg bake
Roast turkey
Salade Hachee*
* This salad is one that I clipped from a newspaper years ago and had never
tried until 2006. It’s definitely a keeper. It came from a feature called
“Express Lane Cooking” by Bonnie Tandy Leblang that used to run in our
daily newspaper. I made a few changes, but Bonnie still gets the credit
for a great recipe.
SALADE HACHEE (which I think translates to
"Chopped Salad" -- it may have a French name, but this salad has a
definite Greek accent)
1 lemon
4 Tblsp. olive oil
2 tsp. dried oregano (or use 2 Tblsp. fresh, chopped)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 small head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
3 green onions, sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
Cooked chicken breasts (approx. 3/4 of a pound), cubed
Into
a large bowl, squeeze all of the juice from the lemon. (Remove any
seeds.) Stir in olive oil and seasonings. Add remaining ingredients;
toss to combine. Serve.
Yield: 4 servings.
On my reading pile:::
Holy Hygge by Jamie Erickson
Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor by Donna Otto
We Travel an Appointed Way by A.W. Tozer
On my to do list today::: Work on blog posts
Go for walk √
Do Bible study assignment √
Work on felt food.
Bible study this evening
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The study we are working on
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Plans for this week:::
Plan menus and make grocery list
List some notions, patterns, cards, and kids' books on Etsy
Declutter a closet
Take a box to the thrift store
Write blog posts, especially some for Christmas in July
Work on my Sunday School lesson
Attend a funeral for our elderly neighbor
Dental appointment
Possibly go out for lunch with a friend
What I am creating:::
January cross-stitch sampler
Felt food for some toddler birthday gifts
A couple Shutterfly freebies -- a canvas tote bag and a mouse pad √
Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::
This quote from
Better Together, the study on discipleship we're doing in a ladies' Bible study I'm part of:
"The gospel changes everything. It is not just a heartwarming message that leads to our conversion. It is an enduring message of truth that radically changes our lives. For followers of Christ, it is a precious message of hope that sustains, comforts, and encourages. While our conversion is an instantaneous work of the Spirit where we are legally declared righteous in Christ, the result is a new life that involves a slow transformation into Christlikeness. Our salvation in many ways is past, present, and future. We are justified, our future glorification is secured, but our sanctification is progressive and occurs over a lifetime here on earth. But the truth remains ... our lives ought to be different because we are different. We are united to Christ."
It took me awhile to get into this study. But these chapters on the gospel, which we are studying for tonight, have been amazing. The particular chapter where I found this quote is titled Life Worthy of the Gospel, and is just so good. As I read, though, my heart hurt quite a bit when I thought of so many believers I know who just don't seem to grasp this truth.
On my prayer list:::
Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country
And there's the Happy Homemaker Monday for this week!
Sara,
ReplyDeleteI loved your words about encouragement! So true and it encouraged me to keep up the ministry of encouragement.
I loved those words too, Deanna! So much so that I quoted them again this week. When we look at encouragement in this light it truly is something very important and necessary.
DeleteYes, do keep on keeping on in your ministry of encouragement! You are a blessing!!
Heck yes for intermitten fasting! Love the words on encouragement and will write them in my notes! God Bless!
ReplyDeleteI loved those words on encouragement too and I actually shared them again this Monday. So important! Glad they were a blessing to you.
DeleteThis was a wonderful post. The words on encouragement really "encouraged" me! Thank you for sharing them. I need to put those words in front of me to remind me to make more of an effort to encourage others more often. I know how much it means to me when others go out of their way to encourage me, so I need to pass it on to others who come into my path in one way or another. Thank you for this post today. I love the irises! Another beautiful flower we can't grow down here in Florida! Have a blessed and beautiful week.
ReplyDeleteYes, as mentioned above, those words were such a blessing to me that I actually shared them again this week.
DeleteYou have a blessed week too, Pam!
Thanks for the salad recipe. looks good. Looking forward to your CIJ posts
ReplyDeleteWill you be doing CIJ again too, Lucie? It's so much fun I just have to try no matter how busy I am.
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