Living as a Victorious Christian Woman

And somehow we're writing about the month of June. They say time flies faster as you get older, but this is getting ridiculous. At least it means I get to pull out my summer sticker stash and get a whole new month of planner layouts created. The month spread in my planner is where I keep track of my blog posts, so I'm able to fill most of each square with phrases and images and still have room to write. I love combining washi tape and stickers on these pages - they blend really well together, especially with a theme like summer celebration. This random stamp-style design technique is perfect for using up the smaller stickers in your sets, saving the larger ones for the bigger weekly pages. And if you use a July-to-June planner, this is your final hurrah for this planner! I love the colors of this boho chic sticker set, so I created some box layers and used a whole sheet from the book decorating this one spread. The Grateful Heart sticker at the top also touched my heart - I...

You never know exactly what weather you'll have at the end of May in Iowa, but this past week has been hot and humid. That's why I took the dogs for an off-leash walk first thing in the morning - I could wear long pants, spray for bigs, and get pictures with sun and shadows in places I normally don't.  Ok, that's part of the reason we went early that morning. The other part was that we went outside and the boys decided they wanted to take off to the other side of the small pond and chase things. They decided on the timing of the event, not me. Cooper has been over here before, but not off leash. He was stretching his big-boy freedom by chasing frogs and squashing crawfish mud towers. The reflections on the still water that morning distracted me numerous times, but not enough that he actually made it all the way into the water. The Diesel dog, on the other hand, has no such reservations. He's mostly black lab, so when the water calls, he must go. But also being a lab...

Just a five-minute walk from our back door, Danny built a prayer bench. It overlooks the big pond from the middle of the woods, in a spot where the sun rises behind you and sets in front of you across the water. When the dogs and I went for a romp past it a few days ago, I sat down for a moment to rest and regroup while they ran circles around me. In taking just a few minutes to look around, I was immediately grateful for all the blessings we've been given - blessings I haven't prayed about or thanked God for in a long time. Being sick and then busy with life, I regret that my prayer life has been rather stagnant. Speaking with God, whether in-depth or just in passing, has dwindled. But sitting there on that prayer bench and praying for just that short period of time refreshed my soul. I was surprised at how much lighter I felt and how the peace of God covered me. Have you been in this heart condition before? Have you pushed your prayer life to the back burner while other thing...

One of the best parts of being the convention and visitors bureau is being able to support our local businesses and organizations throughout the year. We're often asked for donations and gift baskets that can be used for fundraisers and silent auctions, and we made an amazing one last week: The Ottumwa YES Day! The gala organizers were looking for experiences that they could auction off, and what better experience than a Be a Tourist in Your Own Town day? We explained that they'd get to sit back, relax, and simply follow our instructions for a 12-hour day right here in their own community. The Emcee gets to explain how it all works, and they get to bid and raise money for a great cause. The basket started with etched glassware by a local artist the bidders will know well. There are also two Ottumwa-themed t-shirts that they have to wear to start the day and guides to spark some new ideas. They're all tucked into the back of a sturdy basket with reusable paper shreds. Then t...

Since I've been sick, I definitely didn't feel like eating bananas. But now that I'm better and have more energy, and the bananas are officially overripe, it's time to make banana bread! Everything I needed to turn my bananas into peanut butter cup bread was already in the pantry ... so go look in yours! You might be able to make this lovely recipe without buying a single ingredient. I decided to use a shaped loaf pan this time, one that looks braided when you take it out. Since I'd never made this version before and never used this pan before, I lined it with parchment paper. It changed the shape of the baked bread a little, so I probably will just spray it with nonstick spray next time. I've written the recipe so you can choose which way you'd like to prepare it.  Ingredients:  1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, melted 1 cup sugar 4 overripe bananas 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup baking cocoa 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup flour 1. Pre...

Memorial Day is a beautiful time to think back to the beginning of our country and all the men and women who have given their lives for our freedoms and beliefs.  It's also the perfect time to think about an even more important sacrifice: Jesus Christ willingly giving His own life for ours so we can live eternally with God. As we look through Scripture, we see verse after verse that speak of the ultimate sacrifice, honoring the fallen, and finding comfort in moments of tremendous grief. I pray that one, or several, of these will touch your heart in a special way today and we look back to Jesus' life on earth and forward to His coming again. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot. Proverbs 10:7 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Psalm 116:15 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom cust...

Memorial Day is one of the most solemn, most important holidays we can observe during the year. The day was established to remember those who gave their lives serving our country in the Armed Forces, those who made the ultimate sacrifice over the past 250 years for you and me. At 3 p.m. in our local time, Americans are encouraged to stop and think about the importance of that sacrifice for us to have the freedoms and liberties we have today. My intention is to keep that spirit of remembrance all week in my planner. Because most patriotic sticker and stamp sets focus on the 4th of July, I had to pick and choose appropriate phrases and images for Memorial Day. (No fireworks or mentions of July, for example.) My washi tapes were the same way - only these two were red, white, and blue without being Independence Day-themed. I love the subtle glitter on the stars and the shine and holographic look of many of them. My prayer for this week, which is going to be incredibly busy after starting w...

It's good to be a puppy. Especially when you're finally one year old and you've gotten permission to be off leash during the day. Somehow Cooper has gotten big enough and old enough to be free to run just like his big brother. Not quite sure when that happened. Both boys have to be on leash when it's dark and first thing in the morning, but the rest of the day they're able to go all over the 10 acres of land around the house that Danny mows. It's so much fun to watch them finally run together, explore together, and sniff absolutely everything together. And Cooper doesn't dislocate my shoulder pulling on the leash. Added bonus. Diesel has always been the best eater, not a bit of hesitation ever. When Parker was very sick, we started mixing his kibble with canned food so the gravy would soften it for him. And, of course, Diesel got the same treatment. He and Cooper still do, and it's fun to watch them sit and drool while we fix their meals that way. When w...

Our house has been overrun with sheep. We've got stuffed sheep, sheep games, bracelets with sheep, articulated sheep, sheep puzzles, sheep shirts, we even found sheep crafts! And why, you might be asking yourself, are we overrun with sheep? This year's Vacation Bible School in the teen room is Psalm 23: The Lord is My Shepherd. It's all about resting in Jesus and letting Him have control of our lives. Oh, but we're not calling it Vacation Bible School! Oh, no. VBS is for the littles. We're having Summer Celebration and it's going to be amazing! Each night we'll deep-dive into a verse in Psalm 23, breaking it down and looking at definitions and applications. I'm studying tons of books and commentaries to see how many nuggets we can glean to share with the teens, and it's been absolutely fascinating. We'll also be mixing in games, prizes, crafts, activities, and snacks every night, mixing up the combinations so they never know what they'll get ...

There’s something deeply satisfying about a roast that doesn’t try too hard. No complicated marinades. No ingredient list that sends you hunting through the spice aisle. Just a beautiful top sirloin roast, a fat cap that does most of the work for you, and a handful of seasonings that know when to stay quiet. When my husband took his first bite, he immediately said, “Cooking it fat-up and with simple seasonings gave it the right amount of richness without overpowering the flavor of the meat.” Honestly, that pretty much sums up this recipe better than I ever could. The roast stays juicy, the edges get perfectly seasoned, and every slice tastes like beef should taste. This is the kind of recipe that makes people think you spent all day in the kitchen when you really only needed a few ingredients and a little patience. Flake salt, black pepper, oregano, and a good roast are enough to create something hearty, rustic, and incredibly flavorful. Sometimes simple cooking really is the best cook...

When your pastor begins a Sunday message with "I don't know who needs here to hear this, but..." then you listen. It's probably for you. When he opened with Proverbs 3, I almost cried. I've struggled lately with control and pride, and while I was down and out for almost six weeks with a sinus infection, I finally let go and let God have His way in some very serious situations. It felt like affirmation that I couldn't deny after seeing Him work in five very clear ways in just the past few days.  Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 After some delays and a discontinuance for severe weather, Danny got his pilot's license on Thursday. I couldn't be more proud of how he has studied, been patient, asked God for wisdom, and worked harder than I've ever seen so he could make this dream a reality. When I let go of my frustrations and ...

This week's planner layout is one of my favorite that I've ever created. I love everything about it - the layers of washi, the metallic summer stickers, the Scripture on each day. The long to-do list for my work week is going to look amazing on these beautiful pages, making something busy and challenging and making it a joy to look at. Each day block starts with two layers of washi tape, cut on one end and torn on the other. The busier pattern is on top, but you could easily flip them for a completely different look. Then I clustered a large image, an animal, and something that flies on each washi tape. The remaining white space is broken up with large Scripture or faith quote stickers. A final washi tape across the top completes the page. As of right this minute, we have a minimum of meetings scheduled for the week, so our office will be knocking as many to-do's off our list as possible. That means this planner layout will be full of projects that will bring visitors into ...

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...