Wonder Gadget Wednesday - Meat thermometer

When I first got married, I wasn't a very good cook. I overcooked things. A lot. My poor husband  patiently and very sweetly ate a lot of rubbery chicken and pork chops back in those days! Poor guy! You see, I had this fear of undercooking things. Salmonella, trichinosis, and e.coli, oh my! I figured that I would rather serve my husband rubber chicken than give him salmonella poisoning so I always cooked things a little bit longer than necessary if I wasn't sure it was completely done. Enter the meat thermometer.

 Umm, how did I ever do without this little guy?! Now, I know that dinner is done and it's tender and juicy! They make a lot of fancy schmancy versions of this, but mine is just a simple one and it works great! It has been especially stress relieving to have this little gadget when I am cooking pork tenderloin for company!! Have you ever eaten an overcooked pork tenderloin? It does not taste good.

This is so helpful if you are on a diet and need to bake and grill a lot of your meats!

 If you're not sure what temperature you need to cook your meat to, check the back of one of your cookbooks, many of them will have a reference guide there. (and of course, there's always the world wide web! ;-)

Simple Acts of Love - Table for two

When I was growing up, my family ate dinner at the table together. Every. single. night. No exceptions.  My Mom would fix dinner and my little sister and I would have to set the table every evening. I can remember fighting with her over who had to fix the drinks and who got to set out the plates and silverware! haha For some reason we never wanted to fix the drinks? I have no idea why! haha I come from a fairly large family of six and though, I'm sure I never appreciated it at the time, this evening ritual was such an important time for our family. We may have been scattered throughout the day, especially as we got older, but at dinnertime, I knew everyone would be there. We would pause, reflect on the day and just talk.

Now that I have a husband and a home of my own, this is a tradition that we have embraced as our own. It may be just the two of us for now, but I feel this time is just as important for two as it is for a large family! Putting in a little extra effort at dinnertime can make a big difference in our day!
Every evening I try to:

• Prepare a home cooked meal (But even if it's just a simple sandwhich night, I still do all the other things!)
• Set the table with napkins, silverware, and placemats or a tablecloth, It doesn't have to be anything fancy! ( I try really hard to have the table set before my husband walks in the door. Dinner is usually still cooking on the stove, but I like him to come in and see a hint of what awaits!)
• Say grace together.

Also, I never start eating until my husband is home and eating with me, unless he has called and let me know that he will be very late and asks me to go ahead without him. This is something I remember my mom always doing. Many times, dinner would be ready and my dad would not be in from the barn yet, but even with four hungry children asking her if we could eat yet, my mom always made us wait until my dad came in to eat.

We live in a fast paced society and my husband are apart from each other for at least 9-10 hours during the day for work. Coming together in the evening to share our dinner together is usually the first time we have to really talk all day! I want to make it special. I want it to say, You are the most important person in my life! You are worth setting the table for! You are worth stopping in the midst of the hurry of other things! 

If you and your husband don't have eat dinner at the table together, why not give this simple act of love a try?

Today, I am linking up to Marriage Mondays over at Come Have a Peace!

Streams in the Desert

The following is an excerpt from "Streams in the Desert" by L.B. Cowman, a daily devotional given to me a few years ago by a friend I had just met that same day. I've always enjoyed it, but have found it especially helpful during the last few months. The following encouraged me today.

..............

After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’s aide: “Moses my servant is dead.  Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River.” (Joshua 1:1-2)

Yesterday you experienced a great sorrow, and now your home seems empty. Your first impulse is to give up and to sit down in despair amid you dashed hopes.  Yet you must defy that temptation, for you are at the front line of the battle, and the crisis is at hand. Faltering even one moment would put God’s interest at risk.  Other lives will be harmed by your hesitation, and His work will suffer if you simply fold your hands.  You must not linger at this point; even to indulge your grief.

A famous general once related this sorrowful story from his own wartime experience.  His son was the lieutenant of an artillery unit, and an assault was in progress.  As the father led his division in a charge, pressing on across the battlefield, suddenly his eye caught sight of a dead artillery officer lying right before him.  Just a glance told him it was his son.  The general’s fatherly impulse was to kneel by the body of his beloved son and express his grief, but the duty of the moment demanded he press on with his charge.  So after quickly kissing his dead son, he hurried away, leading his command in the assault.

Weeping inconsolably beside a grave will never bring back the treasure of a lost love, nor can any blessing come from such great sadness.  Sorrow causes deep scars, and indelibly writes its story on the suffering heart.  We never completely recover from our greatest griefs and are never exactly the same after having passed through them.  Yet sorrow that is endured in the right spirit impacts our growth favorably and brings us a greater sense of compassion for others.  Indeed, those who have no scars of sorrow or suffering upon them are poor.  “The joy set before” (Heb 12:2) us should shine on our griefs just as the sun shines through the clouds making them radiant.  God has ordained our truest and richest comfort to be found by pressing on toward the goal.  Sitting down and brooding over our sorrow deepens the darkness surrounding us, allowing it to creep into our heart.  And soon our strength has changed to weakness.  But if we will turn form the gloom and remain faithful to the calling of God, the light will shine again and we will grow stronger. 

J.R. Miller

.......................

You mattered. You still do.

I have cried every day since we lost our baby. I don’t think most people understand and in my case, I don’t think anyone even knows. I’m the strong one. The one putting on a brave face as I helped with a coworkers baby shower. Oh, I’ve become an expert at hiding the pain. But, I still miss my baby every day.

Some people said to me after my loss, “There will be other babies.” They didn’t mean any harm and I know that they were trying to help, but please never say this to someone who has just lost a baby. I know there will be other babies. Or at least I hope and pray that there will be. But I can never replace that baby. He was a uniquely created by God individual. Irreplaceable. And I miss him. When I cry, I’m crying because I long for that baby. Not just a baby.

Yet the world goes on as though I’ve not really lost as though he never really was. But I know that’s not true. God assures me through His Word that that just isn’t so. But it does hurt sometimes to think that we are the only ones on earth that remember our sweet baby. There is no memorial, no headstone that bears his name. There is only the memory that I have of our time together and the promise that we will be together again one day.

My dearest little one, you mattered on earth. You still do.

I'm a sucker for good marketing

I'm a sucker for a great marketing campaign. Need proof?

I recently laid down $14 smackers a bottle (nope, not a typo) for these two little gems.

First up, Butter London's Limited Edition nail polish in "No more waity, Katie"

(I tried to find this on Butter London's website, but it looks like it's already gone. You might be able to find it in stock somewhere that sells the brand though.)

This is not a color I would usually choose, I'm not a huge purple person, but I just couldn't resist having my own little comemorative piece of the upcoming royal wedding! I wore this one the other day, (sorry I don't have any swatches of it on) and it made me smile every time I looked down at it. I'm totally into this wedding. I just can't help myself. He's a handsome prince, she's a beautiful commoner and they really seem to be in love. I hope they can break the ugly streak of divorce that the royal family's been on for a while. Come on guys, we're all cheering for you!

Next up, "British Racing Green"

I totally bought this just because it was called "British Racing Green." British Racing Green is maybe my favorite car color of all time and since I can't have it on one of these right now,

photo credit

I figure this nail polish will have to do! This color does have a little bit of a metallic sparkle to it, which makes it a little more like Chevrolet's Dark Bowling Green Metallic than true British Racing Green, but hey, I'm not one to split hairs. ;-)

Simple acts of Love - Meeting my husband at the door



For the last year and a half or so, I have been meeting my husband at the door every day when he gets home from work.

A little backstory: About a year and a half ago, I came across a 14 day Love and Respect marriage challenge and one of the challenges was to start meeting your husband at the door. I was a little, okay a lot skeptical of the whole thing, but God was doing a big work in my heart and I decided to give it a try. At first, my husband seemed a little baffled as he would open the door and find me and our dog waiting there for him, huge smile plastered on my face. I think he even made a little joke about it after a couple of days! But I kept on and I could definitely tell that it was something he enjoyed and so did I.

It’s now been over a year and half of meeting him at the door every day and I honestly can’t imagine it any other way! It’s one way I show my husband every day that I love and respect him.

Don’t we all want to feel special, loved, missed, and important? I know I do! And I want my husband to feel all of these things! It’s such a small gesture that makes such a big impact!

I challenge all the wives out there to give this simple act of love a try tonight! When your man gets home meet him at the door with a smile that says, “Welcome Home! I missed you and I am so happy to see you!” Then hug him. Really hug him. Like it’s urgent. Like it’s all you’ve been able to think about since you last saw him. I promise you will both love it! Then make it a habit!

(If you don’t get home before your husband is home, you can still do this! Just make greeting your husband your first priority when you walk in the door!)

The 14 day marriage challenge is also near and dear to my heart, because it is one of the things God used to open my eyes and my heart to biblical womanhood and I am so thankful! Check it out!

Today, I'm linking up to Marriage Mondays over at Come Have a Peace!

Miscarriage - Our Story - Part 2

When I first thought we were having a miscarriage, I was afraid. Afraid of losing our baby, afraid of what that was going to involve, afraid of what would happen next. Afraid of the unknown.

Then, the unthinkable became my reality, and the sadness swept in. The horrible, crushing, painful kind of sadness that threatens to sweep you up and not let you go. For the first few days, I cried. I cried more than I’ve ever cried in my life. Sometimes in silent tears that streamed down my cheeks and sometimes in body shaking sobs. I missed my baby. The baby I had carried for 6 and half weeks, the one I had prayed over faithfully every day, the one I had already loved. I did find comfort in knowing that my baby was in heaven, in the sweet arms of my Savior. Happy and whole. But that did not take away the sadness, because I’m only human and however selfish it may be I wanted my baby in my arms. Because a lifetime is a long time to wait to meet your baby.

I think back to the time before our TTC journey and before the loss and I remember hearing about so and so having a miscarriage and I would think, “Oh that’s sad.” But I really honestly had no idea of that person’s pain. NO IDEA.

In the days following our loss, I prayed and begged God for strength.

 Lord, I am not sure I am strong enough to endure this. Please help me. I know I cannot do this alone.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.”

-          Luke 4:18

Jesus. He heals the brokenhearted. That’s what I’ve got. A broken heart.

Lord, please heal this broken heart of mine.

Here’s the thing about grief. Just when you think you’ve turned a corner, something happens to pull you back. It’s like a sore that keeps getting knocked open. I never know what will trigger it. A song. An off-handed comment. A baby smiling at me in the checkout line at the grocery store. I know I shouldn’t but I can’t help but think about my baby and what he looks like. Would he have had my brown eyes and his Daddy’s dimples? I can’t help but remember those dreams that we had for our baby. And then it comes, a wave of sadness that is so powerful I have to blink back the tears and say a silent prayer for strength.

Please Lord, give me the strength to have joy.

I take a deep breath and smile at the baby’s mother as I bend down to pick up her keys dropped by her baby.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers they shall not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire you shall not be burned,

Nor shall the flame scorch you.

For I am the Lord your God.

-          Isaiah 43:2-3

This is a hard road to walk, but I am thankful that I do not have to travel it alone. There has not been one single day that has passed by that I haven’t thought about my baby. Even though losing him has been the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through, I’m still thankful that I am his mother. And yes, even if I knew that this is the way it would turn out, I would do it again. For someday, some sweet sweet day I know we will be reunited on the other side of Heaven.

An angel in the book of Life, wrote down my baby’s birth.

Then whispered softly as she closed the page, “Too beautiful for earth.”

Others stories that have helped me in my journey:

http://time-warp-wife.blogspot.com/2010/10/sacred-sorrow.html

http://www.beautifulcalling.ca/2009/06/death-before-birth-miscarriage-basics-1.html