quote to ponder

I finished reading A Life That Says Welcome yesterday, just in time to return it to the library. :) It has been a good book, encouraging and thought provoking.

A Life That Says Welcome, by Karen Ehman

As she wrapped up the book Karen Ehman said,
"I need to keep a quiet heart. To trust that if God has allowed an interruption in my day, it serves a purpose. To believe that the time to finish what work I thought needed to be done will be given. To accept that He is diverting me from my "plan A" to His greater plan." -chp. 10

That can be so true of me, too. I may not have the "drop-in" visitors to show hospitality to that she was talking about, but I do have a little one and a husband who need me to show them love by serving them. Even when I just want some time to myself.

little thoughts this afternoon

John, Emma and I are heading up to Dayton (about an hour drive) this afternoon to help his brother Brian and his wife Leah move over from Kokomo, IN (about 2 1/2 hours away). I am so excited to have her within a visiting distance!

I enjoy having sisters-in-law. So far I have been blessed with two and they are just so wonderful. Each unique with her own particular style and strengths.

Sarah, John's sister, and I have gotten to know each other over the past 2+ years. She graciously welcomed me into the family as her first sister (John has 6 brothers and 1 sister) and our friendship has been growing ever since.

Leah married into the family on August 1 last year and I have been delighted to be able to claim her as a sister now, not just as a friend! She gave me this coffee cup last Christmas, and each time I use it it is a reminder of just how blessed I have been.

My sisters-in-law are truly my friends. One of the special things about them is that, even though friends can come and go, they will always be my sisters. I am looking forward to the years to come. :)

Do you remember this post from last fall? A very kind friend from California read it and sent us the pattern. It was so sweet of her! I found an extremely good deal deal on the material the day after Thanksgiving ($1.49 a yard! so amazing!) and made up the jammies for Emma a week or two later.

The pattern arrived with a paper doll that I'm going to hold on to for Emma to play with in a few years. It is also made of thicker tissue than your usual pattern, sturdy enough to be used over and over as she grows from one size to the next. The instructions are incredibly clear, and I even learned a new technique for making narrow ties (no more turning to the "right" side. it saves so much time). I am now a huge fan of Oliver + S!

Emma loves her new jammies, and looks just adorable wearing them. It has taken me a while to get some good photos of her actually in them, though, since the lighting is pretty bad in our apartment in the morning when she is at her most photogenic. This morning, however, we have a ton of snow which brightens everything.

Thank you, Tammi, for the pattern. It really was so sweet of you!!!

wedding road trip

A close friend got married in Michigan last weekend, and, since John was unable to go to the wedding, his mom (VERY graciously - thank you!!!!) offered to drive with me and Emma.
So, here are a few pictures from the weekend:

must start with these. of course. because there is an adorable baby in them. and a handsome brother-in-law. and it was the start of the trip.

John drove halfway to Indianapolis and Evan drove halfway to Cincinnati. We met at McD's (which happens to sell a fair iced mocha).

bonding time with Grandpa S.


more brothers-in-law, making sure the van was ready (i.e. pretending to drive)

the bride's family hosted a picnic for all the out of town friends and family on Friday night

a few extra hands on deck never hurts when it comes to getting ready for a wedding! Bobbie Sue had just finished curling and pinning up 12 other heads, and was running low on time ...

all those years of arranging flowers from the yard came in to play here (I stole the pic off of Facebook)

Alanna and her dad

exchanging rings

the ring bearer and flower girls stole the show at the end

so precociously cute

catching up, so much to say and yet so little time

announcing Mr. and Mrs. Jim Soderna

Becca meeting Emma (Emma likes her)

various Romania alumni

the lovely and much adored Stefana "Mama" Copu finally got to meet our Em

mother's day 2009

family of three, originally uploaded by Lizi Beth.

'Twas a lovely day. I felt so loved and honored all day long.

John made me breakfast in bed and entertained Emma so that I could sleep another hour (not sure which gift I appreciated more!). They gave me a bouquet of roses, a gift certificate for a pedicure and a frame for a picture of Emma.

Emma had "encouraged" us to start our day a few hours earlier than planned, so we had time to leisurely enjoy our coffee together before heading off to church.

Afterwards we hurried home to make put the furniture back in place (John cleaned the carpet yesterday - thank you Darling!) and make lunch for family who had phoned to let us know that they would be arriving slightly ahead of schedule - by two hours!

Lunch turned out great, and we had a wonderful afternoon visiting with them all - John's mom Teri, sister Sarah and brother Brian, brother's fiancee Leah and her sister Esther. They were returning from a road trip for Brian's graduation from Liberty University with a master's degree in (international?) business.
John and I finished the evening by reading together as the light was fading ... and finishing off the rest of the cheesecake. :)

Here's a sweet tribute - of sorts - to motherhood that I heard on NPR: At My Place, Every Day Is Mother's Day

I hope you all had a beautiful day celebrating your own mothers - or being celebrated!

first field trip

We went to the Cincinnati Zoo with some friends today - Emma must have loved it, because she was content in her stroller except for when she was hungry. Such beaming bright eyes! I'm planning on posting a few more pictures later so you all can enjoy them too.

quote to ponder today

"God began to teach me that there is a huge difference between "entertaining" and offering hospitality. Entertaining puts the emphasis on you and how you can impress others. Offering hospitality puts the emphasis on others and strives to meet their physical and spiritual needs so that they feel refreshed, not impressed, when they leave your home.

"...like so much of life, it all comes down to the motives of your heart. Are you trying to impress others, ... [o]r are you trying to refresh them and point them toward the Lord?"

-Karen Ehman, A Life That Says Welcome

This quote thoroughly resonated with me, and I practically stumbled upon it!

It happened as I was moseying my way through Amazon, clicking on the "if you liked this you might like this" links, found this book (which had a "search this book" option, so I thought I would electronically thumb through it). Wow. It looks really good, well written and scriptural, her writing style is conversational yet concise, and inspiring. But our library doesn't have it, so I'm putting it on my wish list. Of course, I could also pull out a few of the other books discussing hospitality that I have around someplace...

Saturday's shopping trip with Leah

Saturday's shopping trip with Leah, originally uploaded by Lizi Beth.

Brian's fiancee - my future sister-in-law, how great is that! - and her mom and sisters, as well as Teri and Sarah, came over on Saturday. We all went dress shopping together ......... and had a wonderful time.
Thank you all for coming! It was so good to see you and spend the day together. (heart)

giving thanks

this year we have much to be grateful for, because as the psalmist said,

"...the LORD has dealt bountifully with you."

-psalm 116:7

dinner guests

Evan, Sarah, Leah, Elizabeth and Esther stopped by for the evening yesterday. It was awesome to have people over!

We took them to church with us (we went last night because John had to work today) and stopped to pick up groceries on the way home. John BBQed some burgers and hot dogs (he is really starting to enjoy the charcoal grill!), and I made up some guacamole. John and I decided that we really enjoy having our family over. Mhmm.

The girls gave us a housewarming gift!

Oh, as they were about to leave I remembered that I had a cheesecake in the refrigerator that I had made up the day before (just because I felt like it). So they decided to stay a moment longer to partake. The recipe looked rather mundane, and the cheesecake itself rather resembled a wheel of Brie cheese, but once you bit into it (with some blueberry coulis on top), it was heavenly!

Sour Cream Cheesecake

Joy of Cooking

Crush or grind fine:

1 1/2 cups graham crackers

Stir into the crumbs until well blended:

1/4 to 1/2 cups powdered sugar (if substituting granulated, use 1/4 cup)

6 tbsp melted butter

1 tsp cinnamon

Pat into a 9" springform pan. Chill.

Mix well, then pour into the crust:

2 well beaten eggs

3/4 lb. soft cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp lemon juice or 1/2 tsp vanilla (I used vanilla)

1/2 tsp salt

Bake about 20 minutes in a preheated 375 oven. Remove from oven and dust the top with cinnamon.

Let cool to room temperature.

Mix well and pour over the cake:

1 1/2 cups thick cultured sour cream

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

Bake about 5 minutes in a 425 oven to glaze the cheesecake. Let it cool, then refrigerate from 6 to 12 hours before serving.

Blueberry Coulis

Cook's Illustrated, May/June 2003

12 oz fresh or frozen thawed blueberries

5 (scant) tbsp sugar

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp lemon juice

In a medium saucepan, bring berries, 1/4 cup water, sugar, cinnamon and salt to bare simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally; cook until sugar has dissolved and berries are heated through, about 1 minute longer.

(I skipped this next step) Transfer mixture to blender or food prcessor; puree until smooth, about 20 seconds. Strain through a very fine-mesh strainer , pressing and stirring to extract as mush seedless puree as possible.

Stir in lemon juice.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, as least 1 hour.

Bella

"If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans."
-Jose in the movie Bella

Anna, Mom, some friends and I went to go see Bella on Monday night. It's a good movie, a very good movie. It is a movie about despair about hope, about joy, love, about life. It is about grace. It is a movie that you should definitely consider seeing.


What plans have you made? Has God laughed?

"..you say, 'Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, ... yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. ... You ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.'"
-James 4:13-15

What plans have I made? Have I considered that the result of "my" plans is ultimately in the Lord's hands? The movie gave me things to ponder, to think about. For example, the idea that a tragedy doesn't have to end as a tragedy, but can become a source of beauty. It can become bella.

Sisters and Friends

Anna, Lizzie, and Leitha

A Bit Of Time Together (away from home)

Lake Tahoe Vacation

Daniel, Anna, Leitha (a friend), and I went up to Lake Tahoe on Friday. We met the rest of the family at a friend's cabin, and spent two very wonderful days with them. It was a short break from the normal routine of work, school, ministry, work, school, ..................
I only wish it had been longer!

"the happiest place on earth"

Daniel, Anna, and I - along with some of the people in our college group at church - went to Disneyland on Friday. It is billed as the happiest place on earth. I came to the conclusion that even if Disneyland is not the happiest place, it is one of the happiest places!

We left our house at 4:30 AM! It made for a long, but very fun, day.

my lovely sister

* some of the images pictured above were taken on the camera of Miss Sandy Shabram.

Sisters

"best-est" friends


There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
-Proverbs 18:24

Mmhmm. (a.k.a. "sister")

A Wedding

Today was a big day.
A wonderful day, full of joy, and yet bittersweet.
Eric married my neighbor Deann.

Her mom, Eric's parents, two other very dedicated and loving relatives and I, decorated the hall and yard this morning. We arrived at 7 am, and were finished by 10:30 (no, we weren't experienced, just frantic).

Gayle (the bride's mom) was a little stressed, but enjoying every minute. Gayle loves stress, thrives on it. Deann, on the other hand, does not! But it was okay. She made it until 5:30, when her dad walked his daughter down the aisle and gave her away.

The afternoon was hot, but it made the bride and groom even more radiant. The officiating minister challenged Eric and Deann to put Christ at the center of their marriage. He challenged them to love sacrificially, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her. They promised to be true to each other until death. God, grant that this may be so! May God bless them with a knowledge of His love, His love for them and for each other.


"A man should leave his father and mother, and be forever united to his wife. The two shall become one - no longer two, but one! And no man may divorce what God has joined together."
- Matthew 19:5-6 (Living Translation)

A Party For Julia - and Grandpa's birthday

Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!

Today was Grandpa's birthday! He turned 81, a very young 81.

Julia had a birthday party this afternoon, and Grandpa and Grandma came over as well.

There is a verse in Proverbs somewhere says that something to the effect that "children glory in their fathers".
I was thinking about this verse in respect to Grandpa. His children and grandchildren do "glory" in him. He has lived a life of that we desire to emulate, and he continues to do so.
Grandpa taught his sons to be men of God, and now we, his grandchildren, can "glory" in our fathers. None of them are perfect, nor will they ever be, but they serve a mighty God and desire to bring Him glory and praise.
God has indeed blessed our family.

Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!