Before I Get Too Far Ahead

I have decided to move my URL to http://delightinginthemoment.blogspot.com/
You can click here to get there.  Sorry for the inconvenience...

Bringing Her Food From Afar...Mexico

When my husband and I first got married, I was enthusiastic to be the kind of wife that would make some healthy and delicious meals.  My first endeavor was to remove all signs of refined foods and replace them with hardier ones.  I was fully committed, I bought a 25 pound bag of brown rice.  With one taste of that rice, he made me give it away to all of our friends.  Failure!

With nearly 7 years under my belt, I now know what it takes to sneak healthy food into my husband's belly.  I can't skimp on the flavor.  And now, with two little ones, I have even more of a motivation to eat well.  My family often asks for seconds. 


This is my recipe for Spanish Brown Rice:

2 C       Brown rice
3 C       Chicken broth
1/4 C    Chopped onion
1 clove Garlic minced
1 Tbsp  Butter
1/2 C    Tomato sauce
            Salt to taste

Lightly brown the rice in a frying pan with vegetable oil on medium heat with onion and garlic, add butter, chicken broth, and tomato sauce.  Add salt until the broth is just a little too salty.  Bring to a boil then cover and reduce to low heat.  Simmer for 20 minutes or until fully cooked.

Delighting in His Thoughts Towards Us

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!  How great is the sum of them!  If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand...Psalm 139:17-18

If you have ever taken the time to sit and ponder this scripture, you would marvel at the thought that such a high and lofty God cares about us and we are constantly on His mind.  And if His thoughts are on us more in number than the sand, then it means that He is concerned even when it comes to the little things in life.  This is how I feel about my living room redo.  I feel as though the Lord is right here, discussing and interchanging ideas with me.

This week, this thought was affirmed when I found this chair on my way home from a preschool meeting.  My initial thought was that it was going to be a reupholstery project.  When I go it home however, it was in such great condition.  From underneath, the chair looked very clean and the fabric was intact.  When I put it next to my window, it was the ideal size for that corner and the perfect color to go with the color scheme that I have chosen for the living room.  As I got a closer look, I was delighted at the detail of the tufted buttons.  I am happy to accept this chair as His special gift to me.

Have you considered the thoughts that the Lord thinks towards you?  He cares for every little detail in your life.  Even the ones you would consider to be trivial.  When we come to the point where we begin to see how much He loves us, it becomes that much easier to surrender to His will for our lives.  It also becomes much easier to trust in Him.  How much more must His thoughts be upon us when we are struggling through weighty matters. 

 

Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you...1 Peter 5:7

A Shocker

We have a very friendly mailman.  Very jovial and inquisitive, he loves to start a conversation and ask questions about various topics.  I do not mind whatsoever because I believe that it gives me license to ask whatever questions that I want.  Of course the topic about God came up, and I was very surprised to find that he is an atheist. 

Now Jorge is someone that I will be seeing on an ongoing basis, so I am going to take this one slow.  Our first topic of conversation in regards to God was whether or not we believe that man is innately good or evil.  I told him that we are evil and he believes that man is good.  

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?      Jeremiah 17:9

I think my next question will be about whether or not he has peace.  I have not run into many atheists when I am out there sharing, so I think that is why it was such a shock to me.  Please leave me a comment if you have any suggestions you can give me.

Lord, I pray for Jorge, that You will begin to reveal Yourself to him.  Surround him with others who can share with him and may he even have a personal encounter with You.  Give me wisdom as I interact with him.

The Shoemaker and the Elves

Do you remember the story of the Elves and the Shoemaker by the Grimm Brothers?  The Shoemaker would leave some leather out overnight and would wake up the next morning to a very well made pair of shoes that little elves had made through the night.  I feel like the those little elves sometimes as I am taking advantage of the late night hours to finish my projects without interruptions.  In the morning I am too tired to get up with my husband but there is something new to admire in the living room.  Last night it was throw pillows.

Throw pillows in my home go through so much.  If you look close enough, you could see stains on these dark pillows from my children drooling on them during their naps.  My solution for this: slipcovers!

I started by measuring out enough fabric to have a 1/4 inch seam allowance on each side but leaving enough fabric on the top end to overlap about 10 inches over.   

Then I brought the first side of my fabric to the middle of the pillow and pinned the ends.  That is the point at which I would close the sides. 

I sewed the left side and the right side up to each pin.  Then I folded it again, allowing some fabric to overlap again and closed the right side and the left side. 

When I was done sewing, there was an opening in the middle which is where I would slip the pillow into.

Then I slipped the pillow inside the cover.  Here it is hugging the

pillow nicely.

And when they get dirty, which I already noticed some pencil marks after putting them out last night, I just take the covers off and throw them in the wash.

Delighting in our Trials

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which have happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard,and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear...Phil 1:12-14

We had the second meeting of an 8 week series of our women's study tonight.  We are going through a study written by Kay Smith through the book of Philippians.  In tonight's study we learned that Paul, the author of the letter to the Philippian church, found joy in his circumstances and actually allowed the Lord to use him in two very specific ways.  One was to spread the message of the good news of Christ's sacrifice for our salvation to the prison guard and to the members of Caesar's court.  The second was to encourage believers to boldly share the message even in the midst of persecution. 

The women in my group all agreed that we were all inspired to share boldly with those within our sphere of influence.  Our family members, co-workers, even those that we come into contact with throughout our day. 

Lord Jesus, cause Your Holy Spirit to come upon us in power to share your good news with those around us.

Delighting in Preschool

For the last three years, my children have belonged to a preschool that is connected to our homeschool group at church.  We are so blessed to be connected to such a wonderful group of people.  We operate as a co-op, meaning that each family participates to keep the classes running and to organize field trips, our newsletter, a Mom's Night Out fellowship, and other fun activities throughout the year. 

Today we had the privilege of going to the California Science Center.  One of the families arranged for us to get there on a school bus.  I couldn't help but marvel at how generous the Lord is to us to give us such a wonderful experience!  And my kids being of preschool age!  Our favorite part was probably the marine aquarium where we had a chance to see a scuba diver give us a presentation about his gear and the fish he had in the aquarium. 

There were also three rooms that were perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.  I was very impressed by the fact that they supervised the rooms with plenty of help.  One room even had three helpers that were there to guide us through the rooms and play with our kids.  At one point is was just my children and I in the rooms so we had their undivided attention.  I was able to share my testimony with them about what the Lord did in my life when I was their age.  I shared with them about the love of Christ, His desire for us to know Him on a personal basis, and the plans that He will reveal about our lives as we draw nearer to Him.  One of the girls was very open to hear my message.  She admitted that this was something that she knew she needed in her life.  We prayed and I could see that there was an instant change in her countenance. 

Lord, I pray that you will continue to draw her closer into a relationship with you.  Draw them into a church where they can be led to You dear Jesus Christ. 

A Little Extra Fabric



At the end of a bolt of fabric the sales associate will always ask you if you would like to buy the rest of it at a discounted price.  It's usually less than a yard.  With this particular fabric, the woman told me that I had enough to make a pillow to coordinate with the curtains that I was planning to make.  At the time, I couldn't think past the curtains, but I ended up buying it anyways. 

Now that I had completed my curtains, I was itching to do something else.  Lately, I have been sitting in the middle of my living room thinking about what project I am going to do next.  That's when that little ottoman caught my attention.  I have always wanted to reupholster something, so I starting taking it apart.  What I discovered was that there is not much to it.  I removed all the hardware, pulled out the legs and matched up my decor fabric to the fabric that was on there. 

I pulled the fabric tightly over the top part of the ottoman and stapled the center first and then worked to the corners.  It was much like wrapping a gift.  This ottoman had buttons on the top, which I recovered and then put them back into place with a curved needle.  Once the buttons were in place, I pulled them underneath tightly and secured them with the staple gun.  This is what creates the tufted look.  Next, I stapled down all the black lining and replaced the legs and hardware. 

Not as Hard as I Thought

I have very little experience with the sewing machine.  I once took a class where I learned how to make a standard pillowcase.  I enjoyed the pleasure of creating something, but never thought I would go any further.  Until I started looking for curtains for my living room.  There was nothing that appealed to my taste as I searched the stores.  So I opted for Jo-Ann's and was pleasantly surprised to find some fabric that caught my eye. 



I knew I wanted my panels to be about 84 inches long, so I bought three yards for each panel.  I  hemmed the sides of the curtain by folding ever each raw edge a 1/4 of an inch, then about a half inch.  Then I folded the top edge with enough fabric to put the curtain rod through, ironed it flat and sewed it in place.  The bottom I folded leaving a little extra fabric to create some weight, ironed and sewed in place. 

Very simple and perfect for a beginner.  We'll see how ambitious I will get in the future.

Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

One of the most common rationalizations for not getting things accomplished in my living room is just plain fear.  A girlfriend and I were just talking about how we allow ourselves to become paralyzed in our tasks because of fear.  She made a reference to a man name John Fischer who writes a daily devotional and had just posted about fear.  You can read his blog here:  http://catchjohnfischer.wordpress.com/  But John says, "Fear rules where inactivity festers. Fear dissipates where activity flourishes."  He illustrates his point using Peter coming out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water. 

So I am going to take his advice, I am going to take the sewing machine out, research a couple of tutorials online, and I'm going to make some curtains.  Above is the fabric that I am going to make them out of.

Here goes nothing...

Delighting in My Living Room

The thought of decorating any of the rooms in my house seems so overwhelming.  Even the very thought of hammering a nail into the wall immobilized me.  I have been married nearly seven years now, have two children, and have never completed my bedroom, a nursery...anything!  I figured that one day when I got some friends over to help me, it will happen.  Or one day when we have a little extra money, I could start decorating.  Or one day when we move into a house.  Or even just move into a place where they would let me paint the walls for crying out loud!

This January, I have decided that I am going to do it.  I am setting small deadlines to keep me on track and to give me a starting point since I am a hopeless procrastinator.  I desperately need a deadline so that I can wait to the last moment.  I am no longer going to let these moments of enjoying my home slip me by. 

So here we go....

Although you cannot tell from looking at it, the living room has a couple of updates that have already been implemented.  But yes, it still has a long way to go.  We replaced a very small bookcase that was about 3 feet tall with the one you see there.  We also had a tan, microfiber sectional, which has since been replaced with the white.  I always said that one day when my kids grow up, I will have a white sofa, but we are going with the theme and living in the moment.  Who knows what sofa color will be popular when they become of white sofa dwelling age. 

Changes I would like to see:

• Curtains
• Throw pillows (currently they are red)
• Some kind of organization in the bookcase and with my kids books to the left of the armoire
• Rug
• Coffee table
• Additional seating...chairs, ottoman, etc. 
• Artwork on the walls
• Family photos
• Paint the armoire

Delight in the joy of redecorating my living room with me, and join me if this is something that has been on your heart to do.

Delighting in Interruptions

I have to say that I do not do well with interruptions...especially when those interruptions immobilize you from the errands you have to do to keep your household running.  Grocery shopping, post office, bank, Target, etc...  Our car battery died and my husband had to take my car to work.  So I called AAA to ensure that the problem would be solved, and I would be back in business. 

A tired alternater was the culprit, and the man from AAA said that he knew a good mechanic that he could refer us to.  I thanked him and said that my brother is a Black hawk helicopter mechanic and does all of our repairs.  He said that his brother was an Apache crew chief before he retired from the military.  He mentioned that he was in the military as well and that he retired when he was injured after having been shot off of a Hummer in Iraq. 

Instantly, I had a platform to ask him about his thoughts on God.  He said that God would not be interested in someone like him and went back to talking about my car.  "David was a man after God's own heart, and was a soldier who was praised for killing his thousands,"  I said to him.  I told him it would be easy to receive Christ into his heart.  And with conviction in his voice he said that God would not accept someone like him.  I continued to press him, and he finally told me that in Iraq, he was forced to kill an 8 year old girl who was heavily armed with ammunition. 

"Only Christ could remove the guilt that you feel," I told him, and reassured him of Christ's love for him.  I gave him the address of our church and let him know that he could always find an open door and a listening ear.  I said goodbye to him and with a heavy heart, went back to my day.  Having a car that wouldn't start was not much of an interruption after all. 

I pray for Chris that he will seek you Lord, and receive the forgiveness of sin and a relief from a heaviness that he feels for guilt he is not called to carry. 

Holiday Shopping - Part 2

I did it again!  I shared at the cash register, but this experience was completely different than the previous.  I was in Office Depot buying paper and I was in line with one person ahead and two people behind.  The man at the register casually joked with the man ahead of me about being careful with the product he was buying or he could end up electrocuted.  I made a comment about not fearing death because I am pretty confident about where I am going.  The cashier chimed in with a scripture, the man ahead of me agreed and the woman behind me also made a comment indicating that she was a believer. 

On the way out of the store, the gentleman who was ahead of me admitted to having a desire to know Christ deeper.  I encouraged him to take the time to spend reading the bible more regularly and assured him that the Lord will surely give him more of a passion.  Then we prayed and parted ways.

The Dreaded News

I have often wondered what this day would be like.  I've feared and I've fretted and could never predict the painful ache that would resonate in my heart.  My father's doctor emailed me.  He is on vacation and will not be in the office until the 27th.  Judging from the results of the blood tests that were taken today, he suspects that my father's leukemia is back. 

It is perplexing, but the feeling that I am exhibiting is not fear, like I have felt since learning about his diagnosis,  but peace...

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus...Philippians 4:6-7

This peace in my heart is evidence of a God that loves me and is concerned with the details of my life.  It is evidence that there is a God and His word is true.
I know this means that my time with my father is short.  We have had a year since he first went to the doctor and received the diagnosis, and it has been such a blessed time spent with him. 
Pray for me, that I will continue to have this peace, and that I will be able to delight in these moments that I have with my Daddy. 

Holiday Shopping

In my effort to bring up the topic of Jesus Christ with those that I interact with on my shopping excursions, I tend to feel that my conversation gets a little forced.  After all, the entire transaction does not take more than 5 minutes.  An extremely service-oriented, Leonard, helped me in the express checkout this evening.  We started talking about the extended holiday hours, which led to what his holiday traditions are, which led to me asking him if he will be going to church this year.  He quickly answered that he was agnostic.  He also told me that as a child he attended Christian church with his aunt.  And just before I could ask the next question, another customer came behind me and it was time for me to take my bag and head out to my car. 

Oh, but I would have loved to ask him about his experience as a child and what may have led to his discontinuance of seeking the Lord.  I would have loved to tell him that Jesus loves him, even though he is not searching and remind him of those everlasting arms that he could always run into.  Lord, I pray that Leonard would think deep into his past and remember those times of church.  I pray that those seeds planted by his aunt may continue to be tended by others.   

Oversized Glasses, Outlandish Hairstyles and Back-up Dancers

I put so much garlic in my dinner last night that it is oozing from my body this morning.  I guess I was trying a little too hard while making dinner for my friend who I have know since the eighth grade.  We were laughing so hard as we recounted memories of ourselves with over sized glasses and outlandish hairstyles.  We caught up on all our friends and family.  Who she still sees, who I still see, what our siblings are up to... 


Ever since I could remember, her brother and sister were constantly being whisked away to dance class.  It paid off for her brother, as he has gone on tour after tour as a back-up dancer.  He has danced with Brittany Spears, Aaron Carter, and several other popstars.  His latest tour is with a Latin pop artist who has been touring all over the United States. 



Stacey's brother is on the far left.



Over the last few months, Stacey has felt the Lord prompting her to have a talk with her brother about his lifestyle and his need for Jesus.  After waking from a terrible dream about him, she wrote him a heartfelt letter that was definitely guided by the Lord.  To her surprise, he was responsive and will be coming to church with her this Wednesday night. 

After hearing Stacey's story, it made me think that the Lord wants to use us in the lives of those we know and love in a mighty way.  If we are open and receptive to his prompting, He could be moving us that way as well.  My prayer for him is that he would see something that attracts him to seek Christ and that it would leave him unsettled as he returns to finish out the tour.

Thank You Kind Stranger

I was in a bind tonight as I was out running errands and am humbled to say that I had to ask a favor of a stranger.  My gas light was on and I was mortified to find that I had left my purse at my previous destination.  No wallet, no cell phone, there was no way I was going to make it anywhere to get help from someone I knew.  I was going to have to ask for help. 

Pulling into the station, there was no one around.  I reluctantly went to the man behind that counter and told him my dilemma.  Without hesitation, he grabbed his wallet and instantly punched in $5 into the credit card machine.  There are still kind people in this world that often seems cold and scary and uncaring.

I wanted to give him something back for his kindness...some token of my appreciation...and all I could think about was Peter when he spoke to the man that was crippled.  "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you:  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."  And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength...Acts 3:6-7. 

I had no money that night, but I wanted to give him Jesus.  And that's what I did, I took that moment and shared with him the love of Christ and how he wants to take us from our crippled state (emotional, physical, financial...) and give us strength.

Thanksgiving Outreach

There is nothing like going out to bless others and being more blessed in return.  Our church held it's second annual Thanksgiving outreach to the community on Thursday.  Turkeys, sides and love were all donated to the church and served to our neighbors from 9am-1pm.  My husband and I were privileged to have had the opportunity to be part of this event. 

The best part was not the feelings we received from being able to extend generosity to those less fortunate, but looking forward to meeting those in the future who will become part of our fellowship because they were touched by events such a these. 

Pray for those who came out to the event, that they will not be able to forget the love they felt from so many who gave from their time and resources to reach out to others.

Something Different About You

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.  2 Corinthians 2:15

My husband is a salesperson by trade but a baker at heart.  He has been often asked to make cakes for baby showers and birthdays.  On Sunday, he was asked to make 200 cupcakes for the wedding of some good friends of ours.  We arrived at the hall three hours ahead of time to set up the table and were welcomed by the owners of the Crystal Marque Ballroom, a family owned establishment.  And when I say "family owned", I mean it, as family members were all around us setting up for the evenings events. 

As we began setting up the table, the owner's mother, came up and asked us what company we were from.  Piedad was surprised when she heard that we were not from a business at all and that we were friends of the bride and groom.  As the day progressed, she continued to make several excuses to come and speak with us.  Finally, she said, "I see something different in you.  What is it about you?"

Now, honestly speaking, there is really no difference between me and anyone else.  I often fall short of the things I need to do in the daily occurrences of life and am constantly struggling through relationships with those I love the most.  The difference that Piedad saw in me, was Jesus.  The attraction she saw in me was the fragrance that Christ was diffusing in that place.  She listened to my testimony and marveled at the transforming power of Christ in my life.

Pray for Piedad to seek Christ for herself and to become that difference she saw in me.

Busting at the Seams

Have you ever planned an event and had it go even better than what you had ever hoped for?  As I reflect upon the events of this evening, my heart is just filled with thankfulness to God.  More than filled, I think my heart is busting at the seams!  We celebrated my father's birthday with an intimate group of family and friends.  I wanted my father to be showered with love, so I had a couple of ideas up my sleeve.  I asked my nieces, nephews and my kids, who range from ages 2-14, to write a little something about why they love their Papa.  Also, with the help of a wonderful friend, I put together a slide show of pictures ranging from his teenager years to the present. 

The kids were nervous, not quite understanding what I was asking them to do.  They panicked when they finally gathered that they were going to be speaking in front of all the adults at the party.  I pulled them all together and had them practice what they were going to say out loud.  I then reminded them about what the bible says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  We prayed together and then went back out to the party. 

The kids did really great.  It was so touching to hear each of them talk about their love for their Papa.  It was also fun to look at all the memories of our time together over the last several years with my family.  Then a good friend of my parents went up and shared a scripture with my father that the Lord had put on her heart.  It was precious to hear the encouragement that came from one who loves my family and loves the Lord.  Best of all, was that we were able to recognize someone that means so much to us on this special occasion.  Too often I am deluged with my own cares and concerns, and I don't take the time to look around at those around me that do so much for me.  This is a memory that I will treasure in my heart.

Some of the friends and family that were in attendance do not know the Lord.  My prayer is that through the love showered upon my father, they would see Christ for themselves.