The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies. . .Ever!

(3-30-2012)

After a week of wishing I had some chocolate chip cookies, (and knowing that our dear friends will be here in a few hours) I finally decided to whip up a batch of these amazing cookies! They were a much needed pick-me up after a disappointing day. I'm thankful for little pieces of heaven like these.

A Girl and Her Chocolate

(3-29-2012)

I absolutely LOVE chocolate chip cookies and thanks to my friend Michelle, I have (in my opinion) the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. The only problem is. . . sometimes I don't have time or feel like baking cookies if I've had a busy day. SO, my solution, just eat the chocolate chips! What can I say? Nothing should come between a girl and her chocolate, right? :-)

The Word

(3-28-2012)

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." ~ John 1:1

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people" ~ Ephesians 6: 10-18

Matt, Madelyn, and I attend Grace Pointe Church in Naperville, IL. This past Sunday,  Pastor Dan preached a sermon entitled, "The Importance of God's Word." (To listen to this message, click on the following link The Importance of God's Word ) Essentially, he talked about how God's Word should permeate our entire lives, yet most of us struggle to be in His Word daily. The directive is clear, yet as I have been reflecting on this message this week, I realize that this is true in my life as well. I believe in God, trust that His Word is the absolute truth, and even try to spread His Word to others, yet I struggle to be IN the Word every day.


I am grateful that, despite my shortcomings, God accepts me as I am and calls me His own. I am also thankful for forgiveness, which comes through Jesus Christ alone. I look forward to the 40 Days in the Word journey that our church is about to embark upon and hope and pray that I will come out of it with a renewed passion and thirst for the true food of the soul.

Baking with Boog

(3-27-2012)

I love baking and I love spending time with my little girl. SO, when I get to do both, it's a lot of fun! By the way, I'm pretty sure many of you are wondering what a "Boog" is. Well, if you want to know, watch "Open Season!" In all seriousness though, it's Madelyn's nickname, which did come from the movie.

Splish Splash

(3-26-2012)

Madelyn LOVES taking bathes and I love watching her. She has always hated it when we have to rinse her hair, but lately she has taken to trying to rinse her own hair. I love that she is growing, learning, and trying to become more independent.

"Grandma" Kay Came to Play!

 

(3-25-2012)

(Photo courtesy of Matt)

Madelyn seems to have captured the hearts of many people, one of those being "Grandma" Kay Reusser. Matt and I both worked with John and Kay Reusser at Taylor University Fort Wayne and even after the University shut down, we have kept in touch. This weekend, "Grandma" Kay and "Grandpa" Johnny came to visit us. Madelyn had such a good time going for a walk and playing with "Grandma" and "Grandpa" while they were here. We are so thankful to have such good friends who have become like family to us!

Who Doesn't Love a Good Deal??

(3-24-2012)

All I have to say is that I love good deals! Today we went to Goodwill and I got this diaper and wipes caddy for a friend for $2.99, the purple Gymboree sandals for Madelyn for $3.99, and this heart-shaped stool/mini table for $1.99.

Calmer of the Storm

(3-23-2012)

"He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed." ~ Psalm 107:29

One of my favorite Downhere songs is called "Calmer of the Storm." The chorus goes as follows: 

Teach me, Lord to have faith
In what you're bringing me will
Change my life and bring you glory &

There on the storm I am learning to let go
Of the will that I so long to control
There may I be in your arms eternally
I thank you, Lord, you are the calmer of the storm.

Seeing this storm front move in reminds me that God is our Calmer of the Storm. He is there when things get rough and if we trust in Him, he will hush the waves.

Roots

(3-22-2012)

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." ~ Jeremiah 17:7-8

While Matt was gone for the truck show, Madelyn, my mom, and I made a trip to Fort Wayne to do some shopping. While there we stopped by Foster Park. Foster Park is one of our favorite places. When Matt and I first started dating, we spent many days walking, rollerblading, running, and looking at the flowers here. Coming back to this place reminded me of the verse above.

I am SO thankful for the time that we had in Fort Wayne and I hope and pray that one day we will be able to return. However, no matter where we end up, Fort Wayne will always be home to our family. Matt and I met in Fort Wayne. We were married in Fort Wayne. Madelyn was born in Fort Wayne. Our family's roots are in Fort Wayne .

HOME SWEET HOME!

(3-21-2012)

Matt decided to go the the truck show in Kentucky with some of the guys from work and as a result, he had to make a trip back to Fort Wayne. This meant that he could drop Madelyn and me off at my parents house in Rochester. Ah, it is good to be home!

I Love My Family!

(3-20-2012)

". . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”~ Joshua 24:15

I am thankful for my family!

Down by the River

(3-19-2012)

". . . He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them." ~ Mark 10:13-16

We walked the Naperville Riverwalk today and one of Madelyn's favorite things to do is stop for a swing at the park. The swings have always been her favorite. Watching her enjoy something so simple such as swinging reminds me how much God loves His children and that we are called to have faith like a child.

Zzzzz

(3-18-2012)

"Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done" ~ Genesis 2:3 

In our house, Sunday is a day of rest. We refrain from unnecessary work and have a lazy, laid back day. It is such a blessing to be able to slow down from life for a little bit so we can face the upcoming week feeling refreshed. Thank you, Lord, for rest! 

Pine Cones and Squirrels

(3-17-2012)

(Photo courtesy of Matt)

One of our favorite places to go in the Naperville area is the Morton Arboretum. Since we have had 70-80 degree weather most of the week, we decided to make a trip there today. The Norway Spruces are my absolute favorite and I couldn't wait until we made it to that part of the woods. As we were making our way to the back of the Arboretum, I was in awe of how amazing and beautiful God's creation is. I was also thinking about how much I love staying home with my daughter but how things can seem so mundane at times. Aside from taking care of and playing with Madelyn, my days are typically filled with lots of dishes, laundry, cleaning, preparing meals, etc. All of these tasks are never truly "finished." You do the dishes only to make another meal to have to do the dishes again and so on. But then I began to think about the trees that surrounded us and how many years it has taken them to get this big and majestic and a thought occurred to me. What if my "reward" isn't instant, like those who go to work and get a paycheck. Perhaps all of the years I put into teaching, loving, disciplining, and enjoying Madelyn and taking care of the household chores will eventually lead to the fruit of my labor, just like these trees. For this revelation, I am thankful!

All Grown Up

(3-16-2012)

Today I moved Maddie's car seat from the middle to the side. Although it makes me sad, milestones like these remind me how thankful I am to have had the pleasure of being her Mommy for the last 2 years. . . and I look forward to the many years to come!

Choo-Choo!

(3-15-2012)

I just love it when I come across something that Maddie has created on her own. Here she had gotten a cereal box to help build a bridge; something she learned from Matt. While she doesn't have the concept down, it is neat to see her mimicking and using her imagination.