“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” Romans 12:10
even the ordinary, every day, common tasks of life can be apart of displaying the love and glory of our great God. {photograph from mommycoddle.com}
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one of my goals this autumn is to redeem the time. i want to steward my time well to glorify the Lord and love others well.
steward my time well -my primary goal in this is to “redeem the time.” times is a precious commodity from the Lord and i desire to glorify Him in it. this means scheduling my week, scheduling my day, scheduling meals and grocery shopping, scheduling time with friends, holding huge chunks of time for tyler, for my walk with the Lord, for managing my home.
to accomplish this all-pervasive goal i must pursue it with diligence.
Good Morning!! {painting my delilah smith at dailypainters.com}
and it all starts one day at a time. even hour by hour – my morning schedule looks something like this :
quiet time with the Lord
workout – post blog – protein shake for breakfast
shower – make up bed – ready self – clean home
this takes time.
quiet time with the Lord is ESSENTIAL. Scripture says so and my life is one big living testimony reflecting the truth of the Scripture in the NEED for time with the Lord to start my day.
i must be the early bird that catches the worm. already this has been so rewarding! i have been waking up with my husband, having time with him, making him breakfast, and sending him on his way. what a sweet time!
also i know it’s important for tyler and me to start our day with a good breakfast – which we have decided is a protein packed shake.
having a healthy meal lets us be able more readily to take on whatever the Lord puts before us.
to clean my home, i chose one or two chores per day – like vacuuming and a load of laundry for Monday. i like to do this in the morning so it’s out of the way for the rest of the day and so that i can enjoy the small work of my hands (my clean home!!) all day!!
a happy home {painting by Deborah Bertola for fineartamerica.com}
** tomorrow we will look at what it looks like to plan daily, weekly and monthly.
** friday’s post will talk about how to implement the plan and make it work!
]]>here are some few simple tips from our home to yours to host an overnight guest.
1. no matter what accommodations you offer, whether sleeping bag on the floor or california king size bed and jacuzzi tub, offer a warm smile, open arms, and big hug!
2. tyler and i like to keep a made bed in our guest room / office. we have dressed the bed with a medium weight down comforter, white linens – and surprise! it’s a trundle bed! which is great for a couple or someone who just likes to stretch out!
3. the bathroom guests use is complete with two sets of towels, toiletries like toothpaste and shampoo, and even a “welcome” sign. ;)
4. when we have a guest come, i like to put a tray with their towels, a scented candle, and a sweet treat at the end of the bed to let our guest know that we are ready and happy that they are in our home.
5. i like to keep whatever food and drinks our guest would like ready for them.
6. whatever the circumstances, tyler and i like to make our guest feel at home while they stay with us.
hebrews 13:1-2 “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
tyler and i have made it our goal to have room for guests, no matter if it is a separate room or a pull out couch or giving up our bedroom for a few nights - we want our home to be warm and welcome!
welcome tray * white towels and chocolates!
this bed is SO comfortable!
tiny toiletries * just in case
lilly's pizza - my favorite is the hawaiian with real (not canadian...) bacon and pineapple!
lilly’s pizza, located in five points, is a long time local staple of downtown raleigh.
lunch, dinner, or take out, lilly’s offers the BEST pizza in raleigh – local, fresh meats and produce, homemade pizza dough, and even {yummy} gluten free options.
lilly’s provides an eccentric, eclectic atmosphere – and everyone loves it!
lilly's logo
lilly's eccentricities
on the new raleigh blog “Lilly’s is a great example. Their unique identity strengthens the collective sense of place of Five Points, as well as that of Raleigh as a whole. The fact that Lilly’s is a small company affords it the opportunity to be more environmentally conscious: most all of the ingredients are fresh and supplied by other independently owned businesses in the area. This alone creates a significantly greater local multiplier effect in the regional economy.”
on the IndieNC blog “Lilly’s Pizza is a Raleigh institution, a place where loud rock music, yuppies, hipsters, and great pizza converge in a tiny restaurant in the city’s five points neighborhood. Everything about the place is loud, from the conversation-limiting rock and roll, to the outlandish décor (including mannequins, wild paint, and backgammon-style table tops), to the waiters forced to yell your name when your pizza is ready, to the full-flavored pies that the scruffy-looking staff turns out.”
(see why i love this place!?)
lilly's * my point of view
lilly's * great pizza & great from the fountain diet coke
this sandra lee semi homemade recipe is actually really good. the cream soda makes the cupcakes sweet, smooth, and fluffy and real cookie dough center is ooh la la!
i recommend this delish dessert for family night in or a sunday lunch at a friend’s home – which is where tyler and i shared them with some of our favorites!
the recipe
1 pk butter recipe yellow cake mix
1 1/4 c cream soda
1 stick butter, softened
3 eggs
1 pk (16 oz) refrigerated mini chocolate chip cookie dough, like Nestle
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch salt
1 12 oz can whipped buttercream icing
1/3 c plus 2 Tbs mini chocolate chips
1. preheat oven 350 degrees F. line 22 2 1/2 in muffin cups with paper baking cups. set aside. in lg bowl, combine first four ingredients and beat with electric mixer on low for 30 sec. use a rubber spatula to scrape sides of bowl and beat on medium for 2 min more. scoop two Tbs of batter into one of the prepared baking cups. place one cookie dough break off portion into cup on top of batter and cover with another Tbs of batter. Repeat process to make 22 cupcakes total.
2. bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes (i think i only did 20 min and they were perfect!) or until wooden pick inserted in centers of cupcakes comes out clean. remove muffin cups; cool on wire racks. stir vanilla and salt into frosting. frost cooled cupcakes with buttercream frosting; sprinkle each cupcake with mini chocolate chips.
ENJOY!
getting started :: pour a little batter into tin - add cookie dough - pour more batter on top
warm out of the oven and golden brown
delish!!
date night with tyler at morning times
hanging wall paper :: getting goals accomplished
ponytails + icecream = summertime
moving grandmom :: saving memories & packing boxes
happy {surprise} birthday!! :: amy's 50th birthday party
feminine flowers to complete amy's party decor
What You See is What You Get
Oh let me count the ways I love Morning Times ::
(www.morningtimes-raleigh.com)
1. it is located in the heart of downtown Raleigh
2. the In and Out doors
3. It’s size. It appears tiny – only a couple of tables – but – there is an entire second floor with tables, couches, and a the latest local artist’s gallery. And there is outside – where everyone sits and watches the world go by.
4. They serve great!! coffee and lattes and mochas. from a great looking espresso machine.
5. They serve breakfast, lunch, and a little bit of dinner. and DESSERT! The tiny coffee shop partners with Twisted Fork to bring fresh cakes of all kinds to Morning Times each day.
6. The people that work there! everyone’s so kind and helpful in a nice, nonchalant sort of way. They don’t hold a grudge if you are caught up in your own thoughts, but if you want to chat and talk, they will gladly engage you.
7. They serve the coffee in traditional diner mugs. (how do you like your coffee?)
8. It’s the perfect place for Saturday mornings with your paper; Sunday afternoon with a friend, and Monday through Friday all day long.
9. I like the colors on the wall. And the floor to ceiling windows. And the staircase.
10. I like that it really is a little hole in the wall, hidden, tucked away, but welcoming to everybody, right in the middle of town.
Next time you are headed downtown, stop by Morning Times. Next time you need a place to get away, sink into Morning Times’ couches and enjoy the artwork and the view from the window. Next time you are getting together with a friend and want a great, new place, meet at Morning Times. If you are thinking about taking that girl on a first date, and you want it to be sincere but not too serious, definitely Morning Times.
Let me know what you think of Morning Times – morning, noon, or evening.
morning times * sit back, relax, and watch
essie * love
{you may also enjoy Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, and Recession Proof Trends}
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let the word of God fill your heart and grow you in His grace and knowledge as you seek Christ who is the Savior and Lord.
{scripture graphic design from desiringgod.org}
]]>when i cook special date night meals at home for just the two of us to enjoy, i like to light tea light candles and put them in small glass dishes. you can buy tea lights by the hundreds (think your closest Target) and use whatever glass dishes or glasses you may have around your home. Small bulb vases filled with fresh cut flowers is also a simply romantic way to decorate the table.
simple & romantic
for a decadent dessert on a dime, tyler and i share a cupcake from the Harris Teeter Bakery. I love the chocolate ganache topped chocolate cupcake – we slice it in half, add a scoop of vanilla icecream, and finish it off with a big glass of milk. We love to pick up a redbox movie for a buck – date night for under five dollars!
decadent on a dime
{to save on redbox, download the redbox app OR sign up for redbox emails for coupons and codes}
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