Living as a Victorious Christian Woman

As I continue my monthly quest to find the greatest fudge recipes in the history of the world, I have found a contender. Let it be known that I love rocky road anything. One of my favorite memories of all time is making rocky road ice cream with my husband. So putting it in fudge may be one of the greatest ideas of all time.  So with just four ingredients, you can have chewy, crunchy, sweet, salty fudge in just about an hour. It doesn't get much better than that! Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups chocolate chips 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk 3 cups mini marshmallows 1 cup salted peanuts 1. Line an 8-inch-square baking dish with foil and spray with nonstick spray. 2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Heat in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until combined and smooth. 3. Stir in the marshmallows and peanuts. (If the chocolate is too hot, the marshmallows will melt so give it a few seconds.) 4. Pour fudge into the prepared di...

One of my biggest fears in life is losing my memory. Dementia runs through much of my family tree, and I've watched how cruel a disease it can be. I pray every Sunday afternoon when we host nursing home church services that I will never have to be taken care of in a facility because my memory is gone. And at the same time I praise God for people willing and gifted to work with people who need them at that time in their life. Part of that fear stems from a mild inability to memorize Scripture. I've tried numerous times to memorize the Proverbs 31 Woman (I can do the first half!) and Psalm 143 (I've got the first half of that one, too.) but I struggle to get them to click completely. I'd love to be able to match up Scripture references like Ephesians 6:10-18 with the whole armor of God. But the numbers throw me off - I know the verses and what they mean, but I can't always remember where they are. My brain just needs a little help rewiring that way. The verses that ar...

After a week of vacation/getting over a sinus infection time, I'm headed back to the office tomorrow. I'm still exhausted from being sick and I've got a nagging little bit of a cough, so my planner layout for the week is full of motivation to do my absolutely best work. Sometimes you just need some strategically placed motivation, right? For this planner spread I combined three of my favorite washi tapes - the boss, thumbtacks, and binder clips - with a cool work day planner sticker set. The stickers are clustered in opposite corners with alternating phrases to fill in some of the white space. I love the bold, bright colors, too. They'll keep me going all week! Before I left work for vacation, I wrote out my to-do list so I'll be able to walk in tomorrow and get started. The first thing I'll do is transfer 5-6 of those priorities to my planner and add in the appointments and meetings I already have. Because I refuse to open my email before then. My prayer is tha...

I'm starting the month of May with a week-long vacation to get over a sinus infection and get my strength back. The weather has been beautiful, so it's been very therapeutic to just sit in the sunshine, breathe the fresh air, and rest my weary bones. I'm praising God today for paid vacation days! This time of year in Iowa comes with a variety of shades of green. Each tree is a slightly different hue, and they darken to a beautiful deep green as the summer progresses. Right now it looks like Bob Ross dapped his paintbrush in about a dozen different greens from his palette and dotted our forrest with them. The puppies have been cooped up with me for the past four weeks while I've been sick, so they're more than happy to get out in the fresh air, too. Cooper has to stay on leash for a while yet, until his recall is significantly better, but Diesel gets free run of his space. We have lots of wildlife right now, so he's been investigating everything for the past coup...

From the very beginning, Danny and I have always said we study our Sunday school and youth group lessons for ourselves - the teens just get to listen in on what we've learned. Whatever God is speaking to us, we know it will be useful for them as well, so we're happy to share the lessons He's teaching us as we teach them.  This week I was studying through the last chapters of 2 Chronicles in my yearly Bible reading plan, and King Uzziah pretty much jumped off the page at me. I've read his story numerous times, but it really resonated this time. Our teens are all making some very difficult choices in their lives right now, and this example of what to do - and what not to do - really hit the spot. Below is our lesson for you to read along with us, including some thought-provoking questions we asked them. How would you answer them? Question: If you were elected president tomorrow, what’s the first thing you would do with your new position? This is where a young Uzziah foun...

I have never been a tea drinker. While several in my family drank tea daily, I always thought of it as colored hot water. When I started college I started drinking coffee and never looked back. When I hit the second week of my now four-week sinus infection, Danny brought in reinforcements - three teas (plus a coffee) to soothe my throat and fight the good fight from the inside out. Here are the basics: Chamomile  &  Orange Blossoms :  Known for their calming, anti-anxiety properties, these flowers help improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and support immune health. Hibiscus  & Rose Blossoms:  Packed with antioxidants, this combination helps flush out toxins, supports heart health by managing blood pressure, and promotes skin health to reduce puffiness and create a "glowing" effect. Peppermint  &  Spearmint :  These provide a cooling, refreshing effect that helps soothe digestive discomfort, reduce gas, and relieve headaches. Ginger ...

There are always a few pounds of ground beef in our freezer. Always. The adventure is finding new ways to enjoy them without getting bored, so I'm always on the lookout for a cool new recipe. While I've never been a fan of cauliflower, this Spanish  skillet made from frozen riced cauliflower is very much the exception. I would eat bowls-full of this cheesy, meaty loveliness every day. And using the Spanish-style version of the rice cauliflower is a MUST. Ingredients:  Olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1lb ground beef 1 packet taco seasoning 1/2 cup water 2 10-oz bags frozen Spanish Style Riced Cauliflower 1 10-oz can diced tomatoes with green chilis Shredded cheddar cheese 1. In a large skillet, add onion and green pepper to 2-3 tablespoons  of olive oil. Sauté  3-4 minutes, until soft.  2. Add the ground beef and another tablespoon of oil, browning it completely. Stir in the taco seasoning and the water. 3. Stir in the riced cauliflower and...

Twice a month, five of us from our church go to the nursing homes and hold worship services. As much as I love teaching the youth, these nursing home services are one of the absolute highlights of my ministry. They are the sweetest people ever, and they're so appreciative that we're there to spend time with them. One of them is the building my mom lived in when she died, so that makes it even more important and special to my heart. One of the most powerful things we see every service in a nursing home is the transformation that happens when the music starts playing. People who are quiet, unresponsive, agitated, or even asleep change dramatically when you play and sing God's music. They may not remember their families, where they are, or what day it is, but they remember the words to the hymns that impacted them. Why are these hymns so powerful? Part of it is repetition - we love them, we listen to them, we grew up with them, we play them every week - so they're written ...

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