Living as a Victorious Christian Woman

The last two weeks in my planner are blank. No colors, no stickers, no patterns - nothing. That's what happens when you're camped out on the couch being sick. But that changed this weekend as I prepared my month of May and National Travel and Tourism Week planner layouts. All the color shows up now! My monthly planner spreads are where I keep track of my blog posts, so the random scattering of flowers and butterflies for May gives me plenty of room to write on each day. And I adore the bright colors and variety of sizes that break up all that white space. They're all from one set, so they coordinate easily and perfectly. It feels like this beautiful new month is a reset after being sick for three whole weeks. I've honestly felt useless just medicated and sleeping, but these pages make me smile as I'm starting to feel better and stronger. I'm so glad that April showers bring May flowers! Tomorrow is the start of National Travel and Tourism Week, an opportunity fo...

It's been very quiet around our house for the past three weeks while I've been fighting a sinus infection. The boys have gotten fat and sassy while I've been camped out on the couch with hot tea and antibiotics. But at least they're all rested up, too! Diesel is a nappy snuggle bug, so he was happy to camp out with me. Cooper, on the other hand, is an 11-month-old Dachshund puppy, so he had energy enough for all of us. The classic distraction technique for him is toys he can destroy. So we provided a bunch ... and he did. I'm still cleaning up shredded rope. His new favorite is the long boi that looks just like him. We're not letting him disassemble this one, but he enjoys chewing on his face and dragging him around the room. Better the stuffed one than picking on his big brother, right? Another revelation in April was Cooper realizing he's big enough to see out the dining room window. We've always had big dogs who could just look out, but he's not s...

As I fight through the third week of a sinus infection, I know exactly how sick I've been. I read exactly four books last month.  Yep, I definitely wasn't feeling well if I didn't even want to pick up a book.  And it didn't help that my mind was pretty fuzzy and medicated. It was really hard to hold thoughts of any kind, let alone try to focus and concentrate on a plot. But the four books that I did read were wonderful! The Secret Life of Introverts by Jenn Granneman. I am the epitome of an introvert, and this book made me feel heard and seen. But in a good way. I've always been drained by social situations and recharged by time alone, and it was amazing to know that there are so many people who feel the same way. There's nothing wrong with being quiet, listening when people talk, analyzing situations, processing information before speaking, and live a life full of creativity while thriving on solitude. Easter Unwrapped by John W. Telman. Right before Easter wee...

There's no better way to start a new week and a new month than with a planner page full of your favorite things. That's why if you peek in mine this week you'll find tons of tiny puppies. And paw prints. And bones and toys. Everywhere! I'm going to be smiling all week. I started this spread with two patterns of washi tape for my little floor boards. Then I created little clusters that alternate across each page, each with puppies, paw prints, a bone, and a flower. The sticker set I used had about 50 puppies and lots of accessories to choose from, so no two days will look alike. The large paw prints in the corners are 3D, so they stand out a little and make this week super easy to find. I don't know what this week has in store for you, or me for that matter, but I do know how simple it is to create a little place that makes you happy in the midst of it. Whether it's your planner, the kitchen table, your reading nook, or the front seat of your car, create one litt...

And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.  And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. Matthew 28:5-8

And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day. Amos 8:9 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matthew 27:45-46 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Luke 23:44-46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre, which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.  Mark 15:46 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light:...

I had the best month reading in March. Some of these books were ones I'd had forever, some I just picked up over the past few weeks. Some are by my favorite authors, others I'd never heard of before.  Reading is both an adventure and a comfort zone, and this collection of books made me happy beyond words. Unlike some months where I don't even share some of the books I didn't particularly like, I would recommend every single one of these 13 books. Bible study books: Renovate: Building A Life With God by Jacob Armstrong. I adore the book of Nehemiah, and this Bible study compares rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem with rebuilding the spiritual house of your own life. Such a good book! Living in Love with Jesus by Dee Brestin and Kathy Troccoli. A study in 1 John and Esther, put together with classic art from the masters, these two lovely ladies share stories and lessons to make you think. I highlighted half the book as I noticed and understood things I'd never thought ...

When I saw these beautiful traffic light peppers packaged all lovely at the grocery store, there was no way I could say no. All I could think about was whacking the tops off, packing them with delicious Tex-Mex filling, and roasting them to melty perfection. So I did. The end. No, that's not the end! I'm going to tell you exactly how I did it so you can have the same Tex-Mex happiness we did. For two meals! Ingredients: 4 traffic light peppers 1lb ground beef 1 cup black beans 1/2 cup tomato sauce 1 cup shredded Chihuahua cheese Tex-Mex seasoning (garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper) Optional: Salsa Sour cream Greek yogurt 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Cut the tops off the four peppers, then remove seeds and membranes. 3. Stand peppers up in a small baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes to soften. 4. While the peppers bake, brown the ground beef in a skillet with the seasoning mix. Stir in beans and  tomato sauce. Heat through, then ...

Do you still remember the Sunday School and Vacation Bible School lessons you had as a kid? Do you remember walls falling down, giants being knocked over, whales vomiting people up, friends breaking through roofs, and boys in fiery furnaces? We've been studying through the book of Acts with our Sunday school class. They range in age from sixth grade to seniors in high school, so there's quite a span. It's a challenge every week to find just the right mix of Scripture, questions, activities, getting out of our chairs, and listening intently. It's hard to keep brains active without filling them to overflowing. We are blessed that by the time the youth are old enough for our room, their children's class teachers have given them an amazing foundation. For the most part, they know where books of the Bible are, who the main characters are throughout, have some favorite verses memorized, and can tell you some basic timelines and themes. Not every youth group has that prep ...

Praise the Lord that April and Easter are almost here! I've been doing Bible study on the resurrection and hope, and I definitely needed it. The season of life I'm in right now is difficult from every angle, but the clean, beautiful hope of spring and Easter helps change that perspective a little. And what better place to highlight that than in the planner I have open all day? The monthly spread for April, where I keep track of my blog posts, uses all one set of stickers. They're thrown random, confetti-style all over the pages in a mix of colors and shapes. Think of it like cutting them out, throwing them up in the air, and sticking them down wherever they land - how fun is that? This style works great with a large space and small stickers, and even with different images from a variety of sets. Combining multiple sets to make them eye-pleasing is simple if your layout has a solid theme and structure, which in this case was alternating small images across the page. This wou...

When I had my spring cleaning list all ready to go, I was full of hope and confidence. There was a plan on paper and it actually seemed pretty manageable...let's get started! And then I realized there was a task before the first task. Book reclamation. Every room in our house has bookshelves. There are more than 1,000 books on the first floor alone. As I did a quick walk-through of the house, I realized that after many book sales and trips to the thrift store, there were TBR piles everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. And unfortunately, none of the piles contained only one genre. No, I couldn't have separated them as I went. That would be too easy. So now I'm sorting each room, taking other genres to their rooms, and bringing back this room's genre from those rooms.  So now I'm prepping for the spring cleaning. Books are flying everywhere like confetti, then finding their new permanent homes on the shelves they were meant to live on. And I can relax and clean.  Book...

It's been a difficult few weeks at work, but God's been faithful. To celebrate how He's helped me through some serious challenges through music, I created a planner spread of some of my favorite hymn lyrics. The black and white theme goes perfectly with the music notes and beautiful script writing, and it adds an elegant touch to an otherwise stressful week. The washi tape is black crosses on a white background, a design I've had in my collection for ages that I love. It's cut in chunks and alternated across both pages, as are the notes and lyrics. Think of them as clusters of images and words, little vignettes of music spread around the spread. As you look through the pictures of my planner layout, I hope you'll recognize all the great hymns and songs they come from. And, as is the case with wonderful music, I pray the words of God's goodness and faithfulness will stay in your heart all week. Perhaps they'll bless you the way they have blessed me, and w...

Last week I made a stop at my favorite Dutch bakery and picked up their signature danishes. The day-old section always has some tasty treats at great prices, so I grabbed several and feasted in the car on the way home.  But I couldn't feast on all of them (well, I probably COULD have) at once, so I had quite a few left. Instead of nursing them along, I threw them in the oven with some cinnamon and sugar and made sweet danish dessert croutons. They went straight from the baking sheet to our ice cream bowls, and some may have gone straight from the baking sheet to our mouths. We will neither confirm nor deny... And they don't have to be served just with ice cream. Think a side dish for fruit, served with melted chocolate or caramel for dipping, or with yogurt for some lovely crunch. What creative ways can you think of to serve these beautiful little crunchy bites? Ingredients: 4-5 danish pastries Cinnamon (3-4 Tbsp) Sugar (3-4 Tbsp) 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking ...

Oh my goodness, did I ever pray for wisdom last week! We had a work situation last week that could have spelled disaster for not just my job and my organization, but several city proxy groups throughout the community. That's one of the looming dangers of relying on entities outside your own organization - it's never 100% secure. When the situation arose, I went into battle mode. Not against people or organizations, but against whatever the enemy thought he was going to accomplish. Warrior Me gets pretty locked in when it comes to spiritual warfare. On Sunday, Pastor preached from the first 11 verses of James, how trials and testing show that we're doing the right thing, while at the same time God is ready to teach us and grow us. Growing hurts, but it's part of the natural process of maturing as a Christian. Stagnant Christians stink. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  Knowing  this,  that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  ...

My planner spread for this week is full of cheerful St. Patrick’s Day charm with rainbows, lucky gold accents, and sweet little sentiments sprinkled across the pages. I used a mix of mint, gold, and bright rainbow stickers to keep the layout festive while still leaving plenty of room to write. The stickers help mark the holiday and bring a little fun to the week without crowding the page. The left side of the spread highlights the beginning of the week with a playful “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” theme leading into St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday. I added a “Kiss Me, I’m Irish!” sticker (even though I'm not!) and a little rainbow accent to give the holiday its moment, along with a cute girl in green to keep the theme going into Wednesday. Even with those decorative touches, I kept the layout simple so the boxes stay mostly open. Since we don’t have any meetings scheduled at work right now, I’m embracing the extra white space—it makes the planner feel calm and gives me lots of room for ...

It's been quite a while since I created something that wasn't just a greeting card. Maybe that's why my heart hurt...creativity is as necessary as breathing to some of us! This Easter bag topper is hopefully the start of a crafty trend in my life again. The bag topper inspiration came from the tiny bag of tiny sheep with the tiny little ears. I already had all the paper and the bags, so this is definitely a scrap project. I started by cutting the topper itself out of white card stock. I marked it just wider than the bag and tall enough to fold in half and have plenty of space for decorating. At that size and shape, I can get two toppers from each sheet of card stock, with some left over for bookmarks.  The secret to a perfect mat is to flip the patterned paper over, line up two sides the thickness you want them, and then mark the other two sides with a pencil. Two cuts with a paper trimmer, and you have a beautiful mat. I was going to stamp an Easter phrase in the middle of...