Mrs. Rogers Neighborhood

I haven't gushed about Bill in awhile, so pardon me while I dote on him :)  This man… God sent him straight to me.  This past Valentine's day marked 4 years as a couple, and I genuinely feel like I can't imagine life without him.  He really loves me the way I need to be loved and shows me every day that he will always be by my side.   He has healed a lot of wounds of rejection from my past, but not just because he married me, but also because he continues to pursue and surprise me in the little ways that show that he truly understands me deeply.  I do not need or appreciate big, fancy or expensive gestures, jewelry and gifts are not my thing.  I feel loved when he spends time thinking of me in small personal ways.   A homemade meal, flowers for no reason, cards and just taking time to genuinely sit, turn off the tv and want to hear about my day - those are things that speak to me heart.  When I go to a girl's night and he cleans the bathroom while I am

For something to qualify as a good memoir for me, it needs to be vulnerable.  I need to feel the person's pain and happiness and every emotion in between.  I genuinely felt like I was on a roller coaster with the woman who wrote this book, and that made me feel like I was reading a wonderful story, because life is a lot of ups and downs, so it felt true. This woman and her husband move their family to New York City, as they are feeling led to do by the Lord, and soon learn that not all adventure is easy.  They face extreme loneliness, depression, frustration and exhaustion… and it lasts awhile.  While there are moments of hope, and ultimately the story ends in grace, she really wrestles with trusting the Lord in the midst of free falling, and anxiety prevails time and time again. Being no stranger to anxiety, this part resonated with me.   Although, I have never had full blown attacks like she has, I do relate to the feeling that anxiety overcomes your thoughts and you

I've been missing my "C'est La Vie" posts lately!   By way of reminder, awhile back I wrote my goal for this series of posts:  I want to make this section of my blog relaxing images. When I hear this phrase, I feel tension release. I imagine a hundred different scenes that all transport me into a place that would make me rest easy. Isn't it amazing that we each have different places and things that speak to our hearts? Lately, I have had lavender on the brain.  I want to bake with it, I want my clothes to smell like it, I want to soak in a tub with a lavender essence and I have been using lavender lotion like it is going out of style. When I look at these images, I can almost smell the fresh scent :) I can only hope they relax you as much as they relax me.

Ingredients 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced 4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (also known as pork butt), twine or netting removed 2 cups barbecue sauce (optional) Directions 1. Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour in the stock or broth. Combine the sugar, chili powder, measured salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low. 2. Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a m

This series.  It's beautiful. The main character leaves you speechless.  She is the least selfish person imagineable, but also manages to embody humbleness.  Honestly, it is such a realistic example of living a life for the Lord.  She will leave you evaluating if you would do the same things given the circumstances. I think I avoided reading these books for awhile because often times with "Christian" literature comes extreme cheesiness, however, this series manages to avoid that and shows a very real element of the Christian struggle in relation to love, life and persecution.  I did not find myself rolling my eyes, but rather strongly relating to her plight despite the fact that we are of two different worlds. I cannot even begin to relate to the characters socio-economic situation, as they are set across an ancient backdrop in Rome and its surrounding cities where Christianity was illegal and people were slaves and servants in wealthy homes.  The sto