Living as a Victorious Christian Woman

As summer winds down but the heat and humidity ramp up, this is the perfect week for a Summer Vibes planner layout! Pull out everything you can find in your collection that's made for the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer and we'll get to work. Turn on your summer playlist, crank the volume, and get ready for a very special craft session today.  These large vinyl stickers came from a set made for many different craft uses, and the large spaces on my planner pages made them the perfect size. I also used my favorite summer sunglasses washi tape, some phrase stickers, and tiny circle stickers to make six groupings across the spread. Can we just talk for a minute about how two tiny dots made each of these clusters pop? Loving it!  My prayer this week is that we'll each find something absolutely fun and unexpected that makes us smile. It's gotten pretty serious in the world around us, but that doesn't mean we have to fall into the negativity trap. Dig out some outrageous ...

Continuing with our tradition of monthly fudge recipes for the year, let's bring out the oranges and get a little tropical! This beautiful swirled fudge gets a kick with orange extract and spicy gumdrops for garnish. Think orange creamsicle, but way better. You'll be able to cut 36 pieces from one 8x8 pan of fudge, and each piece gets half a gumdrop. The flavor combination is out of this world, and the swirls make it look so sophisticated. This is the perfect summer treat, it only needs six ingredients, and it's so simple to put together. Enjoy! Ingredients: 1 12-oz bag white baking chips 2 Tbsp butter, sliced 1 16-oz can vanilla frosting 2 tsp orange extract Orange gel food coloring 18 gumdrops (9 orange and 9 white) 1. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. 2. Combine white baking chips and sliced butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring until combined and smooth. 3. Remove the lid and liner from the frosting. Hea...

It's totally ok to have a favorite washi tape, right? People of all different kinds of crafts have their favorite mediums, tools, and color pallets, so I can have a washi that I love more than anything. It's that metallic paper clip washi at the top and bottom of this week's planner layout. It's shiny and random and perfect and I love it. That's why it's the anchor design for this spread all about ... planning! The other washi tapes are from the same collection as the paper clips, so they're the perfect color combination. And there in my planner sticker pile was a set of office-themed stickers in the same pallet, so they are all combined on these pages. I laid them out in a right-to-left line down the page, then offset the upper left and bottom right corners with two more clusters of phrases and images. The result is colorful, balanced layout across both pages. My prayer for this week is that my heart and mind will be as colorful and balanced as this calenda...

Whether they're nine years old or 14 months old, dogs all have different levels of patience. (But open a chip bag, and all bets are off...) Our Diesel dog has the patience of Job. He will stay by our side no matter how long the wait might be, regardless of what we're actually waiting for. He's just steady like that. The tiny dog, on the other hand, has the attention span of a flea. Cooper is just over a year old - still a puppy - and wants to know absolutely everything about everything. He's still working on his sit-stay commands, and he'd much rather have whatever his brother has than what is right in front of him. With one exception. We go out to open Danny's garage door when he texts that he's on his way, and the boys know exactly what that means: door up ... Daddy home. And then we wait. They will stand here for what seems like hours but is only a few minutes, looking down the driveway, waiting for him to turn the corner through the trees.  And when he d...

Beautiful new month, beautiful new planner pages! I absolutely love the greens of summer, and I can't think of a better way to capture them than on my calendar. These August pages are ones go back to all month long, so they'll capture the summer season for 31 whole days! The random-stamp pattern of this layout took an entire page of stickers from one summer set - I think I picked it up at Walmart on clearance. This page is phenomenal because each leaf and branch is a different shade of green, and they all go together to make a lovely forest on paper. This kind of thinking may sound silly, but it can help you turn a blank piece of paper into a tiny work of art. The monthly layouts are the pages I use to keep track of my blog posts, so having enough space to write a few words is plenty. That's why the random-stamp effect works so well - I can use a ton of smaller images and phrases, and in this case make it look like growing and thriving trees. What can you use to personalize...

It is now three days after my 49th birthday, and I feel like I'm 90 years old for some reason. Maybe it's because I was so busy in July that I only read six books all the way through. Oh, I have several started with a couple pulled for the TBR pile, but only finished six. And one of those was a birthday present! Here are the books I read in July: Dave Barry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States by Dave Barry. In honor of the 250th anniversary of our nation, it felt right to bring out this favorite. If you've ever read one of his books or newspaper columns over the years, our senses of humor match perfectly. Knowing more about (actual) history than the last time I read this classic, it's funnier than ever! Hidden In Time by Michael Phillips. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a novel about discovering the ark of the covenant, a work of fiction, because it was so well written. It is full of Bible truth, along with several very clear and well-written ...

What measurements do you use for your personal ministries? How do you judge if you're successful in what you do? How many people show up?  The number of unbelievers who get saved? The comments you receive after you do something? If you're congratulated, promoted, or awarded for what you've accomplished? Whether your name is in the bulletin or program or announced for everyone to hear? If the numbers are high and the "standards" are met, we're on top of the world. God's been good, He's blessing, He's smiling and proud of us, right? But if there's no one there or we don't get any recognition, then we must be doing something wrong. It seems like we're the ones lacking and less than based on the actions and reactions of those we're supposed to be ministering to. There have probably been times when we've all done one or some of these measurements, trying to see if we're living up to the "standards" we think have been pu...

Have you ever found something in the refrigerator or pantry that you forgot you had and it was a little like Christmas? You immediately pulled it out, found some other ingredients, and enjoyed it right then and there?  If the answer was no, what are you waiting for? Go see what's in the back there that you could use tonight? If the answer was yes ... isn't it the most wonderful feeling? Sometimes it's all the creative spark you need to come up with a whole new meal or recreate a favorite. For me this week, it was these big, fat, lovely chicken tenders. With just four more ingredients that I already had on hand, and you probably do too, these lemon butter bites came together in a matter of minutes.  Ingredients: Olive oil Chicken tenders Chicken seasoning (I used Blues Hog's Rodeo Rub) Lemon juice 1/4 cup butter 1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry.  2. Shake chicken seasoning over one side of the chicken tenders an...

Literally - hooray, it's my birthday! I have loved my birthday week ever since I was a little girl, and even at this last milestone year before I turn 50, it's still really special. It will be the third one without my mom, and that hasn't gotten any easier, but I know she would be celebrating right along with me. And don't forget that the number isn't important - I'm just happy to be here! There is very little rhyme or reason to my planner layout this week, except that it's full of every lovely birthday-themed sticker set I could find in my collection. My birthday is on Wednesday, so that box is especially stacked. And I filled up the to-do list section as a reminder that it doesn't have to be a run-til-ya-get-stuff-done kind of day. My basic plan was to make little clusters of words and images and sprinkle them across the layout, and I think I accomplished that beautifully. There will be something to make me happy on every day, even after the party is t...

There is very little better in the kitchen than a well-prepared chicken thigh. Whenever we get them in our Butcher Box, which means it's free-range and pasture-raised, they're always the first package that we thaw.  Why are chicken thighs so amazing? They have more fat in them so they are naturally juicer and have much more flavor. They soak up marinades and seasonings, and they're incredibly versatile through many different cooking methods. And, bonus points, they're often a less expensive cut when you're browsing the meat counter. What I love most about this brown sugar/apple cider chicken thigh recipe is that you make everything in one skillet - from the meat to the pan sauce, it's so quick and easy. A simple sear, a 6-ingredient sauce, and less than 30 minutes from skillet to table, and all you have to add are a couple of side dishes to this fabulous main dish. Ingredients: 6 chicken thighs Salt and pepper, to taste Olive oil 3 Tbsp garlic, minced 1/2 cup br...

I am what is affectionately called a free and flowing crier. Whether it's happy, sad, scared, or angry, the emotion is probably going to turn into tears. Perhaps my tear duct valve needs to be adjusted, I'm not sure, but I can always tell when it's coming. I'm sure other people can, too. At the end of every movie, you can bet I'm going to cry - rom-com, action, cartoon - it doesn't matter. If I see someone hurting in real life, I'm definitely crying and praying over them. And don't get me started on book endings. Even if everything is wrapped  with a bow like Hallmark, I'm grabbing Kleenex. I used to think that tears were a problem. Like I couldn't control my own emotions so I must be less-than somehow. But once I got saved and dug into Scripture, I realized that being made in God's image, tears of all kinds are beautiful and special. That's why this necklace is one of the most precious pieces of jewelry I own, next to my wedding ring. It...

Let's keep the puppy theme going this weekend! It's been all about our dogs for the past few days - getting their promotional pictures taken and handling a few health issues - so it seems right to keep the love coming for the next week in my planner. They're always on my mind in some way or another, and I love the idea of showcasing them where I can see them for the next few days. For this planner spread, I combined two sets of stickers and some of my favorite washi tape. I wanted it to look like each dog has a loving home, so I used both puppy stickers and a home interior set to make little vignettes back and forth across the page. Each puppy gets something to pose with and a paw print to commemorate that they were here. It is very possibly the cutest thing ever. With all the negativity and ugliness in the world right now, my prayer is that we'll keep the little things that bring us joy in the forefront of our minds this week. if there's something that you love and...

Our upcoming blog and email at work are about how dog-friendly our community is, so I absolutely jumped at the chance to bring our two dogs in to get their video and photos taken. The boys had never been to my office before, so it was definitely an adventure kind of day. Our in-house photographer and digital specialist is absolutely amazing, and he captured our little group in such a sweet way. It was about 90 degrees outside that day, so we worked fast to get them in and out of the heat. Not having been downtown before, they were easily distracted by all the new things, but they were on their best behavior, too. Diesel is forever my soul dog, and he loved being out and about, even in the heat. He stayed right beside me, did whatever was asked of him, and smiled pretty for the camera. He enjoys wherever he is at the moment, and he took full advantage of checking out the sights of downtown. Cooper, on the other hand, was a handful. Our puppy was just that, and he had the attention span ...

Ever have one of those days (weeks, months...) when you know your attitude is less than perfect? Everyone rubs you the wrong way, you're overwhelmed, you're crankier more often than not, and you'd love to just crawl back into bed and try again tomorrow. Maybe. On Wednesday night last week, we talked about valleys and how everyone is either going into a valley, in one right now, or coming out of one. The valleys in our lives all look different, from physical to spiritual to emotional to mental. Those low times can affect every part of us if we're not careful. Says the voice of experience. But the little mini Jesus I saw at the local coffee shop pointed to the truth. Depending on your attitude - the way you choose to look at life and the world happening around you - the day can be good. And that attitude doesn't come because we're strong or smart or super spiritual. The right attitude develops because we put our time and energy into praising the Lord for everythin...

I've been going through my mom's boxes over the past couple of weeks, and in one of them was her favorite television character's collector's piece. The Six Million Dollar Man's boss, Oscar Goldman, had his own office playset that came out in the late 1970s, and hers is still in incredible condition. Mostly because I wasn't allowed to play too roughly with it! The only problem with it was that the buzzer and light mechanism wasn't working. When you open the desk top, it reveals the undercover and Top Secret office equipment that helps him run the department's missions. But even when the alarm button was flipped on, it didn't buzz. And do I ever remember that buzz! The issue was battery corrosion on the metal piece that held them to one side of the desk. I knew the problem, but I definitely didn't know how to fix it. With two questions to our town's resident toy expert and a little online research, the answer was simple: vinegar. Yep, ordinary ...

After our Saturday trip out of town, we were full of local meals and had absolutely no interest in more real food. Instead, I pulled out some frozen fruit, a little fruit juice, and milk and made a literally-in-minutes sorbet that rocked our world. Added bonus: I learned how to use the "crush" setting on our blender to cream frozen fruit chunks. I was getting a little frustrated on the other settings, and then Danny showed me that trick. The result was a beautiful, smooth sorbet with a lovely consistency.  Start with two cups of frozen mango chunks in the blender. Pour in a cup of milk to start, along with about a tablespoon of lime juice. Pulse the three ingredients on "crush" to pulverize the frozen, mix in the milk, and get the juice through the whole sorbet. Then pick a pretty bowl to pour it into and garnish with a small piece of frozen mango. By the time you're done with the sorbet, the mango has softened enough to eat. The cool part is that this works wit...