For 9 years I’ve been blogging. So, this year I think it is time to regroup and rethink and re:purpose. While in seminary I took a class on mission and vision and purpose statements. So, I thought I would share my “mission” statement in blog format today for yall. Having a blogging mission statement helps you limit what you blog about – and limit is a good thing. The blogosphere is full of all types of blogs – and you could spend your time trying to blog about everything. That wouldn’t work.
First – so much has changed in these 9 years.
I was still in my 20s when I started blogging.
I had just finished seminary and was working odd jobs just so I could hang out and love on college girls at UNC (mostly), some State and Duke students mixed in. Some of these girls are some of my dearest friends now. I started two blogs: a devotional one and a cooking one.
I then moved home to my parents house in Florida to pay off debt.
Then I moved to Louisville, KY to work for the then president of one of my favorite religious organizations. I love everything they stand for and love their ministry.
Then I got my dream ministry job of writing curriculum for a church in Raleigh, so I moved back to my favorite state in the country.
Then I met my husband, got married, had a sweet little boy, moved to Little Rock, AR, had another sweet boy, and that brings us to today: the ATL metro area.
Here’s what you will find at this blog site.
Food: I love to cook. I love to savor food and wine and times with friends and family. I am a foodie at heart and love to share that heart with others.
Photography: I love to capture sweet moments – both in the lives of our family and for other people. A smile, the shade of light blue of my littles eyes or the perfect colors of a sunset. Or what about maternity shoots or faces or portraits, or families. Anything – capturing life’s moments.
Family: I love family ministry. Helping families be the family that God created them to be. That was my heart and passion at Providence when I was writing curriculum. Being a family in today’s world is so difficult – but with a lot of help and grace we can do it!
Faith: Everything I do, with God’s help, is looked at through the lens of faith. I’m thankful for God’s grace in my life. And I like to share that with others. Whether that is through books I read, devotionals I write, links I circle back to.
Maybe you’ll find some other topics every now and then, but mostly that’s what this blog is about. Enjoy reading.
Bring on October. These last two weeks of September through October are my favorite of the year.
The weather in ATL has been kind of rainy – but definitely cooler. Thanks to the gym my jeans and other clothes are fitting better. And I’m getting to wear lightweight scarves. Both of my boys were born within 4 weeks of each other (different years of course) and my mister and I celebrate our anniversary in between their birthdays. It is full and packed with love and fun celebrations and highlights of the year for sure.
This week here is what’s going down in the kitchen. Right now it is a total mess because we’ve had my parents here as a vacation follow-up so we’ve done more and I’ve not felt like cooking. Hello Monday. Time to declutter.
I have been so encouraged lately from my pastor, from blogs, from fellow IGers, and from sweet friends – that being in the Word daily is a NEEDED discipline (or grace). I thought I would post some of my readings here, throw it back to when I first started this blog (9 years ago) and set some Bible readings in place. I hope they are an encouragement to you – and I know they will be to me.
Psalm 1:2-3, 6 – The Message
“Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.
God charts the road you take.”
Even in seasons when we don’t feel like we are getting anything done, or that what we are doing doesn’t matter, or that we are just sitting waiting for something great to happen or a set goal to take place – if we are in the Word, obeying the Word, loving and walking with Christ, than His faithful word says that we will always be in blossom.
And isn’t it grand to know that when we don’t know the way, when our way seems dark and dreary, when our days seem unknowing – God, the God who made everything, the God who sees everything, and the God who has been the only one who has ever been alone in all of eternity, He is the one who charts our course.
Fall equals apples to me. And I had a reason to make a cake today: because I had a bag full of apples. And I had a spice cake mix so all I had to do was run to my neighborhood Publix and get some cream cheese. Because we all need some good creamy rich cream cheese frosting every now and then right?
This is simple and moist and definitely a winner. Enjoy tonight!
Spiced Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe Type: Cake
Cuisine: Dessert
Author: kd316
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Moist, perfect fall cake with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting
Ingredients
1 boxed spice cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 cups chopped, peeled gala apples
1 8oz package of cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 1/2 T unsalted butter
Instructions
Mix cake according to box instructions.
Add in apples before baking.
Spray pan and cook according to box instructions.
Let cool.
Mix cream cheese and butter.
Add in vanilla
Add powdered sugar until frosting is smooth.
Frost cake.
Eat.
I cut circles out of the cake and just set a double layer and made naked cakes with just layers of cream cheese frosting. Sprinkled some cinnamon on top.
This week is vacation week mostly – for our little family (and my parents, otherwise known as Mimi and Pops). We are heading about 90 minutes north of us and retreating to a place we went to while we were growing up (yes, my Mister went too though we didn’t know each other). It will be great to go as a new family!
So, while I won’t be cooking in the Charming South Kitchen, we will still be cooking because the cabins have full kitchens.
Mom is bringing taco soup
I’m making this cake to celebrate both of the boys’ birthdays with Mimi and Pops.
One of the pleasures of getting married is the chance to automatically have a larger family. Before the mister and I tied the knot, we had the chance to go visit his aunt and uncle who live in Colonial Williamsburg. We had a blast. We both love to travel, eat, and admire history, and his aunt and uncle were gracious hosts and very hospitable.
Almost three years later, here we are in the Atlanta area, and that same aunt and uncle – their son, daughter-in-law, and grandson and daughter live in the same city we do. They’ve been a gracious welcome wagon for us and we look forward to more time spent with them.
The boys and I had the pleasure of hanging out in the Marietta Square with them this past week. E is about to lose her first teeth, so we had to capture that pretty smile beforehand. These pictures were fun, followed by a chaotic lunch at Taqueria Tsunami (for an amazing Korean BBQ quesadilla and their stellar made-to-order guacamole). I hope you enjoy some of the moments I was able to capture.
I missed last’s week’s Sundays in the South installment. For the first time in over a month my mister had a Sunday afternoon off – so we enjoyed that time together. I usually don’t get on the computer when he is home – because I want to be about doing life with him, not blogging. So, what I need to get better at is writing blogs and posting them to be live on those days that he is off – that way I would still be posting regularly.
The Fall is always a time of celebration for our family and this time we are including a family vacation and the boys and I are taking a trip to Little Rock. With celebrations comes food.
And today, Sundays in the South is brought to you by a new food for me: I just finished reading my latest edition of Southern Living, and I saw a Dutch Baby (which is an oven pancakes). I have everything – so I am going to head on into the kitchen to make it. We will see how it turns out!
The internet is full of interesting things – and (hopefully) each week I try to share with you new posts I’m reading or pages that inspire me. Enjoy! Send some new links my way!
Spring cleaning – how about Fall Cleaning. I love waking up after a big event in our home: because most likely its cleaner than its been in days and its just sort of FRESH. My husband loves decluttered looks and it seems like our older boy is going to be like him.
I’m considering a spring 10 miler with a friend so I’ll have to start running again in January. Here’s a great post about fitting in running when you are busy.
These look amazing – even before girl scout cookie season gets here. Another reason to take up running.
I may just be picking up edamame when I go this afternoon to pick up diapers and wipes. I think this might be a good dinner when all my Mister wants is soup (to help him feel better)
Failure. Usually a bad word in our family. My husband has often told me to remove it from my vocabulary. But, I think even my husband would agree with this.
I often find myself reading “mommy” blogs or parenting blogs or asking friends how to discipline or instruct their toddlers. I know families that have all boys in them (or mostly boys) and I would love to go on vacation with them just to see their family in action for a week or so. I know every family is different and every parents parents differently.
But, there is one area that I am a complete failure in – and I thought I’d be open and honest and share it with you.
I can’t turn my child’s heart toward God. There. I said it.
And you know what…neither can you.
Now, please hear me out.
I can teach my boys Bible verses, read them Bible stories, tell them about the gospel and how Jesus wants us to obey him and make wise decisions. I can hug on my boys and give them lots of kisses and show them affection: before, during, and after they need to be disciplined. I can love my husband and help them to have see a marriage that is striving to have the Gospel at the center.
I can put people in their lives that will help influence them to be more like God. I can tell them how to share and be kind and not push and shove and don’t through your cereal on the floor and don’t kick your brother and don’t bite. I can tell them not to run in the parking lot and hold my hand and all of it.
But, what I can’t do is change their heart. I can’t make them love Jesus.
Only the Holy Spirit at the will of the Father through the sacrifice of Jesus can do that.
The Bible is clear that God is the Master of Salvation. The Bible is clear that Jesus died on the cross to save sinners. It is clear that the Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers. It is clear that everyone is a sinner (even cute little blond hair boys).
Ephesians 1:3-14:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insightmaking known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,to the praise of his glory.
It is also clear that we as parents have responsibilities to lead them to Jesus. To show them the gospel (by word and deed). To pray for them. To discipline them. To be Jesus with skin on to them.
Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child. It doesn’t say change their hearts for them. It says POINT THEM TO JESUS
And oh, how I need the help of the Holy Spirit to pour life into me, to help it flow out of me – so that my children will be pointed to God. And we will pray that God has saved them by His wonderful, amazing grace.
This post is to encourage you. You can’t change your child’s heart – but you can pray and show them a God who loves!
Weeks ago when I was starting to plan for Elijah’s second birthday party – I knew school buses had to be involved. He knows how to say the word school and says it to everything from the city buses, school buses, SUVs, semis, etc. We got him a school bus at Old Navy a few months ago and that’s all he talks about now.
I just wanted to do cupcakes because I figured a school bus cake would be too difficult. And we didn’t want to spend the money on one. And this is one of the reasons I love my Mister: he wanted to do it.
I baked two yellow cake mixes, cut them in the shape of a bus, put the crumb coating on using canned frosting, and made yellow buttercream for it, then he took it from there. It was so fun to watch him tediously pour over the cake to make it right for his son. That is one of the ways he loves his son.
My Mister is multi-talented, now I can add cake decorating to the list. We are thinking of ideas for Sebastian’s first cake in a few weeks.
Thanks to my former co-worker (and friend and running buddy) for her expertise on cake decorating. And truth be told – the cake was delicious and all but a piece of it was gone!
