High Five For Friday!

Well, I spent the first half of this week spending quality time with friends from home who were here for a visit, and the second half teaching music lessons and subbing 4th and 5th grade.  Throw in Jimmy's birthday and some loving Pastor Appreciation Month celebrations and it has been an incredibly full week.

Tonight was supposed to be date night to celebrate Jimmy but when Madi came into my classroom at the end of the day with a fever, I ended up going to the grocery store, making homemade vegetable beef soup, and cleaning the kitchen instead.

The good news is she is sleeping peacefully at the moment and that underneath those dishes there was actually a kitchen sink.  It was reassuring to see it again.

Did I mention this has been a crazy week?

Lots and lots of highlights, though!  Here are five of them...

1) Worship, laughter, tender moments, time with friends.  Renewal.  Inspiration.  Thankful I was able to go to Women of Faith.

2) Buffalo Wing Pretzel Crisps.  Where have these been all my life?

3) Time with my friend Laurie.  She blesses my heart and makes me laugh.  Always great when she is in town!  

4) New earrings that Laurie helped me pick out from Stein Mart.  She was right, these were better than the hoops.

5) Seeing my husband honored, loved, and appreciated at youth group for Pastor Appreciation Month and his birthday!  

Hope we get to catch up more this weekend!  For now I have to go to sleep so I can wake up in the morning and have coffee...I am already looking forward to it!

Linking up at High Five For Friday.

High Five For Friday!

At the end of a full week that went by like a blur, here are a five snapshots of life in October...

1) Defying the Florida heat and wearing tights.  I will suffer for fall fashion!

2)  Worship.  Lord, I'm amazed by You.

3)  Surprise treat from my husband.  Fun to know how far a morning walk can take you.

4) Baked another Pumpkin Coffee Cake, this one to share with my friend Laurie.  So thankful she is in town!

5) A cooler (yay!), beautiful day outside accessorized by curls and lipgloss.

And now I am thankfully, gratefully, and expectantly heading off to the Women of Faith conference which is always an incredibly uplifting part of my year.  Praying and hoping for an amazing weekend!

Linking up to High Five For Friday....

Pumpkin Coffee Cake With Streusel Topping And Brown Butter Glaze

Last Sunday it was my turn to bring breakfast to Sunday School.  The week prior the class had been teasing me, saying if it was Jennifer's turn to bring breakfast it was sure to be something pumpkin.  Well, of course!  Fall has been my favorite season since I was a child and I have always, always loved anything pumpkin and spice!  I did bring in some plain old biscuits and butter for the "pumpkin haters" (haters gonna hate, right?!) but my fellow pumpkin lovers got a treat deluxe!  My mom had seen the recipe right here and I'm sure glad she told me about it.  I've had several requests for the recipe so I thought I'd pass it on.  This was pure decadence.

Here was my coffee cake, warm out of the oven and freshly glazed...

And here it is again, the perfect pairing with a hot cup of coffee. Oh my goodness.

If you ever bring breakfast to places such as work, church, or Bible study, or if you are looking for a new holiday brunch recipe, this is a great one to try!  It's too good not to share!

One Necklace, Five Ways...

This summer I was at Versona and this great necklace caught my eye.  I spent around $12 on it and have accessorized everything from maxi dresses to white t's and cutoffs with it since.  Here are five of the ways I have worn this one fabulous and affordable necklace...

Life is busy, wear something fun that makes you feel energized!

High Five For Friday!

This has been a full week from start to finish!  I spent a lot of time in the classroom - one afternoon volunteering and two days subbing - as well as teaching music lessons, filling in for my sick husband at youth group, exercising, paying bills, filling out paperwork, helping my kids with reading, and a hundred other things that women do. Five beautifully simple pleasure during this busy week included...

 1)  Home baked pumpkin coffee cake that was simply decadent.

 2)  This bouquet and its blooms that opened wide all week.

3) Autumn's harvest for ready snacking.

4) Tea and lunch to celebrate my mom's birthday.

5) Homemade pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for a special Friday after school snack.

And now to sit for a moment in my green chair!  I just put a pan of Baked Ravioli in the oven for dinner, and if the weather holds we are hoping to go to a Homecoming football game tonight.  The winds are picking up out there, we'll see what happens...

Happy Friday!

Linking to High Five For Friday.

When Toilet Paper Rolls And Cupcake Liners Become Adorable Little Owls

When my most recent issue of Family Fun magazine came in the mail, I was immediately drawn to one of the projects.  For one, it was kid friendly.  Two, it involved owls.  Three, it was made from cupcake liners which we have tons of around here! Four, I could make it with everything we already had around the house.  Here is what these little owls looked like when completed...

I mean, how cute are those?!  My friend and her daughter made them with Madi and me this past Friday evening.  We had the best time crafting together!  You have got to sit down with the girls (or little guys) in your life and make some!

The base of this owl is simply a toilet paper roll (talk about upcycling)!  Just fold in the center of the roll and adhere it with a little glue to keep it in place.

Then cut a cupcake liner into fourths to make feathers, or use quarters of different cupcake liners if you want to mix it up.  We used fun, girly patterns I had left over from Madi's cupcake birthday party.  Fall colors and patterns would be perfect too!

Starting at the bottom, glue four quarters on the roll to make feathers.

Then cut another liner in half and trim it slightly to make the wings.  Just glue them on the back of the roll.

Cut circles out of white cardstock for the eyes, and use markers to draw details.

Then use a triangle of orange paper for a nose, or do what we did and use a snip of an orange pipe cleaner.

Done!  So cute, so easy, so much fun!!

If you have a spare miniature Christmas tree around, you could make several of these and put them in the branches for an adorable autumn tree!  Again, fall themed cupcake liners would be great.  You could even make them with Halloween cupcake liners to make a Halloween tree!  Oooh, now that's an idea I may have to steal from myself....  ;)

On Kings, Kingdoms, And Holding On To Grace

My husband and I experience something we call "Wednesday Night Syndrome." We've had this condition for years.  Historically, Wednesdays are very long days for us.  For him, he is preparing all day for his busiest night of the week in student ministry.  For many of our students, this is the only time of the week they will hear about Jesus and be part of any type of Christian community.  He puts a lot of effort, planning, and prayer into Wednesday nights.  Once he leaves Wednesday morning, I know he won't be home until about 9:00 or so that night.

For many years, Wednesdays have also been a high volume music lesson day for me.  Most years I have taught right up until we leave for church, the past several years even taking my last student with me.  I also teach collegiate/virtual school/home school students during the day on Wednesdays, and have to have my own kids fed and ready for AWANA somewhere in there too.

Once youth group begins, both Jimmy and I pour every ounce of physical, emotional, and spiritual energy we have into the students that come through the doors.  We absolutely love these students, and want to give them the very best we can as we share the love of Jesus with them.

By the time we get home it is already past the kids' bedtimes, and we have to get them wound down and into bed as quickly as we can because they still have two more days of school left.  By the time we get them down we have been drained of nearly everything we have and are exhausted.

But we are also wired.  Our souls are stirred, our minds are racing.  We have tons to think and talk about. We are often starving.  We are tired, but we can't sleep and often stay up later than any other night of the week.  Sometimes we do our own thing, but often we talk and talk to each other late into the night.

This is the condition we call Wednesday Night Syndrome!

This past Wednesday was no exception.  With much on our hearts, we shared of this and that.  Deep matters.  Concerns for students, concerns for families, concerns for this crazy world and self-centered culture.

I'll admit, these are scary times we are living in.  If my hope wasn't in Christ I think I could be a fretful mess.  His peace overrides the chaos, but the condition of our world, state of our culture, and lack of integrity among our leadership is downright disturbing. My mind often recalls the book of Judges, how everyone "did was right in his own eyes." The result, of course, was disastrous for that generation...disaster is always around the corner when we choose to serve sin and self instead of a righteous and holy God.

That night after we talked and shared I went to bed in serious prayer for students and generations and our country and for people to humble themselves and pray and seek God's face and turn from their wicked ways so God would heal this land, this land I love.  2 Chronicles 7:14 was heavy on my heart.

The next morning I was doing my Bible study and was struck by this passage.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that 

cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace.  

By it, we may serve God acceptably with reverence and awe; 

for our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:28-29

Believers, we are receiving a kingdom.  Christ's kingdom.  And unlike earthly kingdoms, His kingdom cannot and will not be shaken.  Even if everything around us is ripping apart at the seams, His kingdom is firmly established.

We can hold on to grace, hold on when everything else is falling out from under us. We live each day held tightly in the grip of grace.

We can serve God reverently.  In a world that has little or no reverence for Him, we can stand in awe.  We can serve and worship Him.

We can trust that in the end, God will right the wrongs and injustices.  He is a consuming fire.  His Word has already predicted what is happening now, and His Word tells the whole story.  God wins.  Love prevails.  Heaven awaits.

And one day, one sweet day, we will live in complete and total peace and perfection with Him.  We will rest in the very presence and glorious light of almighty God.

I needed those reminders.  I needed those reminders.

Times are difficult.  God is in control.  His kingdom cannot be shaken.  His kingdom will reign.  Hold on to grace.

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were 

loud voices in heaven, saying, 

"The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"

Revelation 11:15

Amen.