30 Things To Do Before You're 30

I recently clicked on a link that was shared by 4 of my Facebook friends thinking, "this should be a great article!"  It was entitled "23 Things To Do Instead of Getting Engaged Before You're 23".

As you probably know, I got married at 30 and though being single in my 20's was hard at times, especially when Facebook constantly reminded me that I was not married and didn't have children, I don't regret it.  In fact, I am very grateful for it.  I loved my 20's!  The Lord is perfect in His timing and I couldn't imagine my life without my amazing husband now.  I am so blessed.

I believe that God has a different story for each and every person.  For some, that's getting married at 19.  For some, that's getting married at 45.  For some, that's never getting married.  It doesn't matter.  I believe that getting married is NOT our goal in life...loving God and loving others is.  But whatever God's story is for you, you are called to do it the best that you can.

Ok, back to this blog about not getting engaged before you're 23...  I think the idea of the post is great!  The actual 23 things, I don't quite agree with.  I have a bone to pick with one (well, many but I'll just mention this one) - "#7 Get a tattoo.  It's more permanent than a marriage"....Not that I'm against tattoos at all, it's the second part.  It's sad that our society views marriage as being not permanent.  Say what you want...I know I've only been married for 2.5 months, but I do know what the Bible says.  If we go into marriage with that mindset, we're doomed to fail.

If God has called you to be single for longer than you thought you would be, why not enjoy it?!  Why not make the most of it?!  I decided to make my own list since I didn't agree with the other one.  I can't say that I achieved all of these in my 20's, but I'm so glad that I did achieve the ones that I did!

So here you go...30 things to do before you're 30 (especially if you're not married):

1) Figure out who you are - this is your transition from childhood to adulthood.  Figure out what you believe in, what you like, what you want out of life before you bring others into the mix.

2) Think about your future - Do you want to go to school? Do you want to work your way up in a company?  Do you want to start your own business? Do you want to be a stay-at-home-mom/dad? Do you want to travel?

3) Start saving money!  Figure out how you're NOT going to be in debt the rest of your life like the rest of America.  And I'll tack this one on - start saving for your retirement.

4) Pick a state in the US you've never been to and GO!  This may require saving up some money, but do it while you're healthy and don't have children depending on you.  You can totally do this once you have kids, but from what I hear, it's a heck of a lot harder.  I plan to do it more when I do have kids!

5) If you can save up a little more money, visit a country that is out of your comfort-zone.  The USA is a wonderful country and I'm so grateful to have been raised here, but going to another country opens your eyes like nothing else can.  No matter where you live, you start to subconsciously think that the world revolves around you.  That is wrong.  Way wrong.  God has created SO many cultures, SO many people groups, SO many different environments.  I can't explain how it opens your eyes, but it really does.  I wish everyone could do this before they die.  It gives you perspective on the world and God's immense love.

6) Date around.  Date different types of people.  Find out what you like, what kinds of personalities you work with and clash with.  Honestly, this will get you hurt at times.  But getting hurt is what makes you stronger and helps you to figure out what you will work with successfully.  It can help you be wiser in your choice of a mate.

7) Go to a counselor.  I can't tell you how much counseling has done for me.  I don't care who you are, where you come from, how healthy you think you are.  You can benefit from counseling.  We all have stuff that we need to talk through.  NOTE: There are good and bad counselors.  Do your research.  Ask your friends.  Find a good one!!!

8) Be artistic -  Paint a painting.  Copy something on Pinterest.  Bake a cake.  Make a wallet out of duct tape (wink, wink Penny).  No, we're not all artsy people...myself included.  But there's something therapeutic about being creative.

9) Figure out who your true friends are.  A wedding most certainly shows you this, but if you keep your eyes open and observe who cares about your friendships as much as you do, you'll save yourself a lot of time.

10) Try all types of foods - perhaps you'll like something you didn't think you'd like.  Try Thai, Greek, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Ethiopian, Vietnamese, American, German, Chinese, Cambodian, Korean, Belgian, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Brazilian, etc.

11) Learn how to do something new - Maybe you were never taught how to swim...why not learn how to as an adult? Learn how to sew.  Learn how to fix a car.  Learn how to invest.

12) Make at least one big decision on your own that most people do as a married couple - You will learn how to be independent and strong on your own.  Making these decisions as a couple is huge, but if you're one that defers to another person most of the time, it will help you to be more decisive and independent.  Purchasing my condo as a single woman definitely shaped who I am today.

13) Visit your family often - I hope you're from a family that is loving, because I know that not all are.  But if you are, spend time with them.  They are some of the only people that will still be there for you years down the line.  And remember...family isn't always the one that you were born into.

14) Learn some jokes from your grandpa.

15) Put up a Christmas tree in your home at Christmas, even if you live alone and think that no one will ever see it.  Do it for yourself.

16) Join a social group - through a church, through your apartment complex, on Meetup.com, with some common goal like rock climbing or running.

17) Become friends with many different types of people - get to know your neighbors, invite new friends to coffee just to learn from them, listen to views that are different from your own.

18) Scan your Facebook newsfeed less often - it leads to comparing our own lives to others and jealousy often stems from it.

19) Brush your teeth every night - I know it's basic, but I know most people don't.  That's a lot of money you'll be spending down the line on dental work so why not prevent it starting now?

20) Get a pet (or at least "pet-sit" for a friend) - animals have a way of showing love that most humans cannot.

21) Learn to be content with your present circumstances -  "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." - Paul in Philippians 4:11

22) Volunteer your time - "An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs - how he can please the Lord." -1 Corinthians 7:32  Don't worry...I'm not saying that as a single person, you have all the time in the world.  I know that's not true!  It used to frustrate me when people acted like I had all the time in the world because I wasn't married and wasn't a mother.  No matter if you're married or single, I believe that we're called to help others in need.  Use your time to give to others while receiving nothing in return.

23) Go to New Zealand - I know this is expensive and doesn't quite jive with #3, but don't miss out on this beautiful country.  You will experience the most majestic mountains, huge glaciers, stunning wine country, massive whales, safest hostels, adrenaline-pumping adventure activities, intriguing history, and Frodo-spotting tours...not really.  Seriously, words cannot explain how amazing this country is.

24) Exercise - Don't let the people who are obsessed with it intimidate you.  Do it for you.  Do it to keep your heart healthy.  You don't want to be the person at 65 saying "I wish I had...."

25) Pay off debt - Work as hard as you can to obtain financial freedom from debt.  Live minimally so you can pay off your student loans, credit cards, car loans.  You can even work aggressively to pay off your mortgage at a young age.

26) Get checked out by a dermatologist.  Remember all that time you spent in the sun in college?  Skin cancer doesn't only choose those over 40.  Start wearing sunblock regularly.

27) Find a mentor.  Everyone can benefit from learning from someone who is older and wiser than he or she is.  They may help you avoid some major pain and provide insight you never would have fathomed.

28) Move out of your parents house at some point.  Be independent.  Learn how to navigate on your own.

29) Take at least one year to be single.  Some people come out of one relationship and dive right into another.  #6 is still true - date around.  But commit at least one full year to being single.  It'll help you accomplish #1!

30) Open your heart to seeing God's love for you.  Whether you believe in God or not, give Him a chance, just to see if He does it.  Let Him reveal Himself to you.  Put your faith in Him.  It's the most important decision you'll make in your entire life.


You don't have to be unmarried or under 30 to do these things.  I'm still working on some!  But I would encourage you to take advantage of them if you are.  You only live once...as much as I make fun of people who say YOLO, there's some truth to it.  But do it wisely.  For our true rewards are in Heaven for eternity.

Holiday recipes!

You know what?!  I totally forgot about some recipes that I used since I last posted!  I apologize!

I made two pies for Thanksgiving: Chocolate Chip Pie and a traditional Pumpkin Pie.

 

Chocolate Chip Pie

 

This pie was definitely a hit!  Everyone loved it.  I will say...I had some trouble with it.  It took waaaaaayyyyyy longer to bake than what the recipe says.  It may have been my fault though.  I ended up with 20 sticks of margarine after my wedding because of an error on my part so I used that instead of butter.  I think that was the mistake.  My pie was a bit more doughy than this picture looks but it still tasted great!

 

 

Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie

 

I made this traditional pumpkin pie and my husband and I loved it.  I just added a little nutmeg and the egg white of one more egg.  It baked perfectly!

 

 

Gingerbread Pancakes

 

A week after Thanksgiving, we had an ice storm and were stuck in our house for days.  I had a box of spice cake mix so I made these pancakes!  I didn't make gingerbread ones though...Kevin doesn't love gingerbread so I left the ginger out which made spice cake pancakes!  They were actually amazing!!  I also added some chocolate chips into them which was extra amazing!  I think I'll add the ginger in next time to see how it is!

 

This Thursday evening, we'll be hosting Kevin's work Christmas party so I plan to make a few desserts and dips then.  I'll let you know how they are!  More holiday recipes to come!





 



Christmas is here!!!

Hey readers!  I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while.  Honestly, I haven't had time to cook a lot so I didn't know what to post about.  I do want to share this though - I love to read this blog: Mix and Match Mama!  I've mentioned it before.  I love making Shay's recipes and looking at photos of her adorable children.  I've also bought a few clothing items she's suggested before.  She's doing a Christmas giveaway that you can see here!  I get extra entries for posting this! :-)

Update on Thanksgiving: The meal was great!  Like I said, I was doing pretty traditional, not-healthy plates so I don't have a lot to share.  But I did get to use my new Temptations ovenware - an awesome wedding gift from my aunt and uncle!  And we used the mason jars from our wedding for drinks!

 

 

And here's a glimpse into our home.  Our fireplace is decorated for Christmas.  We have a tiny tree and it leans a little, but we love it! :-)  And this year, we all get tiny stockings...even the doggies!

 

 

 

Merry Christmas everyone!!!





Thanksgiving and Money!

Happy Thanksgiving week!!!!

This will be my first Thanksgiving to ever host and I'm excited!  We're having my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and super cute nephew over on Thursday and I'm cooking us a delicious meal!

But first things first...the only recipe I have to share with you this week is this awesome pasta bake from Mix and Match Mama Blog.

Spinach Pesto Pasta Bake

 

Kevin and I really enjoyed it!  The recipe made a large amount so with just two people to feed, we ended up with a lot of leftovers!  So needless to say, we've been eating leftovers since then.  I prepared it exactly like she says.  The only things I'd do differently next time is maybe add some more cooking liquid and mix mozzarella into the pasta to make it a bit more moist.

 

I have a few recipes I plan on trying this week so check back later for the results.  For Thanksgiving, I'm going to keep it simple for my first one and make the traditional dishes...turkey, ham, greenbean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes and crescent rolls...oh and a chocolate chip pie from Mix and Match Mama again.  My sister-in-law is bringing the mac n cheese!  I'll be honest, I normally like to cook with fresh ingredients, cut out the unhealthy stuff and put my own twist to it, but I'm not doing that this year.  I know my audience and I know they want the traditional stuff.  And it's once a year, so why not?!  I'll get more healthy at future Thanksgivings!

 

 

Money!!!!

 

On a different note, I want to share about something non-food related!  Something I'm passionate about (hold on...don't get too excited) is budgeting money.  I know...make fun of me...I'm an accountant!  But I don't think it matters if you're an accountant or not.  Money is something EVERY person handles and depends on to live in this economy.  It can make or break you.  The love of it can hurt you, the lack of it can stress you out.  It can be used as a blessing, it can be used as a weapon.  Whether you're single, married, white, black, young, old, tall or short, this topic affects YOU!  Financial freedom is so important and in fact, it's Biblical.  We are to be good stewards of our money (1 Peter 5:2-3), be cheerful givers (2 Corinthians 9:7), honor the Lord with it (Proverbs 3:9), work hard for it (Proverbs 10:4), but not put our hope in it (1 Timothy 6:17).

 

For the past 5.5 years, I have volunteered as a budget counselor for New Friends New Life, a non-profit organization that helps women leave the sex industry and lead them to a life of self-sufficiency.

 



 

In our budget counseling program, we teach women how to track their expenses, budget their money, and about spending tips that can help them be able to become financial independent.  My main goal in this program has been to teach others how important tracking your expenses is.  Before I did this myself, I never knew where my money went.  I didn't know if I was overspending on food or entertainment.  I believe that you have to know where your money is going or you won't be wise with it.

 

I used an Excel spreadsheet to do this for years and it worked very well for me.  And then I got married.  I've only been married for 5.5 weeks and I can already see how hard dealing with finances can be.  I have always heard that the majority of marital arguments involve money and I believe it.  My husband and I have been trying to figure out the expense tracking part first...baby steps!  We have both been using Excel as single people, but that doesn't work very well for us together.  So here's what we're trying...

 



 

Goodbudget is a smartphone app where we can each enter our daily expenses/bills/income in one place.  I know there are many out there such as YNAB and Mint.  In fact, one of my friend's husbands (computer guy) has created his own app for them to use.  We're not "techies" so we're using one that the Apple Store has to offer.  We're liking this one so far!  We don't like how it allocates income to certain categories so we just leave it uncategorized, but that doesn't matter.  It's just nice to see how much we spend, as a couple, on a monthly basis.  We know when we're getting close to the monthly budgeted amount for a category and can appropriately plan how much to put in savings or pay extra on the mortgage each month.  Our goal is to be debt-free (including the mortgage) in just a few years.  We'll have a better timeline once we get the hang of this...again, it's only been 5.5 weeks.

 

I encourage you to start tracking your expenses if you don't already.  Download an app or sign up with a website like mint.com.  I'm also happy to send you my Excel spreadsheets if you'd like to try one of those.  If you already do track expenses, I'd love to hear what you are using and how you like it! 

 

There are so many budget-related topics that I'd love to write about (saving, investing, how it affects your marriage, debt, spending tips, etc), but I'll save those for another post so this one doesn't get too long! 

 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!  Be safe, have fun with your friends and family, Sic 'em Bears and most of all, remember...

 

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for those who belong to Christ Jesus."

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

most amazing chicken corn chowder?

Hey folks!  I'm back with a report on the lentil soup!

Crockpot Lentil Soup

 

My husband and I liked the lentil soup, but didn't love it.  I probably liked it more than him.  My only variations: I didn't include the tomatoes (I have bad acid reflux...boo) and I used normal green chard instead of swiss chard.  I had to add a little water since it didn't have the juice from the tomatoes.  I thought it tasted great!  It's pretty hearty...I told my husband it tasted earthy though I'm not really sure what that means.  The chard has a pretty strong flavor.  I'd recommend it if you're looking to cook something vegetarian that's healthy and pretty filling.

 

 

 

Chicken Corn Chowder

OMG!  This is one of my favorite soups I've ever made!  My husband loved it too!  I got it from the Six Sisters Stuff blog.  My variations: since both of us are lactose-intolerant, I used Lactaid milk instead of regular milk and I used leftover chicken breasts from another meal.  I would suggest using actual shredded chicken cooked for this purpose.  The broth is delicious!  I don't know what it is but with all of these flavors coming together, it makes the best chowder I've ever had!


I'm just going simple tonight!  I'm making a shrimp stir-fry with items I already have in my fridge/freezer.  We'll be eating out for most dinners this week so I'm not sure what else I'll be cooking, but these tacos from Mix and Match Mama sure sound good!

BBQ Baked Chicken Tacos

 

 

If you ever try any of these recipes, let me know!  I'd love to know what you thought!!

 



what's for dinner?

So...

I've obviously not been a good blogger.  I recently got married, was SUPER crazy busy and honestly thought "do I really have anything to say that's that interesting??"

Well...I LOVE reading random blogs.  I thought "what do I love to read?" I am not a super domestic woman, however, I love to cook.  I see each meal as a project and hope those that consume the meal are pleased (eek...see previous post about my approval addiction..workin' on it!).  I love finding recipes on random blogs.  I also love DIY projects and learning a little more about fashion...that's definitely not my forte.

So when I'm not blogging about something profound that the Lord has told me, I'm going to share recipes and DIY projects I found on other blogs/pinterest/etc and tried.  I'll say what I did wrong/right and what I'd do differently next time.  Pinterest never gives you that much info ;-)  How do you think your grandma got to be such a good cook?!  Trial and error starting in her 20's/30's!

I'll start out by sharing with you the blogs that I love to read lately (just to name a few):

Mix and Match Family Blog
Pinterest Told Me To
Six Sisters Stuff
I Hate Green Beans
Joyful Homemaking
The Larson Lingo

Here are some recipes that I tried recently and I've included the outcome as well!

Strawberry Green Smoothie

If you know me, you know I love smoothies for breakfast!  I always love a new healthy smoothie recipe.  I got this one from Pinterest and it turned out GREAT!  It tastes just like strawberries.  Don't let the spinach freak you out.  My husband hates (or thinks he hates) anything with greens in it, like this.  But he tasted this one and actually liked it, because he couldn't taste the spinach.  My variations:

1) I added about a tablespoon of agave nectar to make it sweeter.

2) I used a whole banana and didn't freeze it.

3) I added a few cubes of ice.

4) I added about 1/2 cup of water. (Mine wasn't blending well without it)

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

This recipe had so much potential to be amazing!  BUT wow...it calls for WAY too much lemon.  The green beans and potatoes were so tart that my husband and I couldn't finish them.  I'm going to make it again sometime and either use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and not put the lemons on the bottom OR substitute the lemon juice for white cooking wine, tarragon vinegar, or just plain olive oil.  I think it'll be amazing next time!

Chili Pot Roast

This chili pot roast was a success!  My only variation was using a 3 lb roast instead of a 2 lb one, but it turned out the same.  I'd probably add some salt next time, but I tend to like saltier food.  My husband prefers it the way it was and it's probably better for you that way.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Holy moley, this dessert is awesome!  My husband and I loved it!  I love pumpkin recipes, but he doesn't and we BOTH loved it.  I prepared it exactly the way she says to.  I'd like to try spice cake instead of yellow cake next time though.

This lentil soup is in the Crockpot right now!  Assuming it's not destroyed and we eat it for dinner tonight, I'll let you know how it is!

Crockpot Lentil Soup









why do i care what you think?

I have been humbled lately.  The biggest thing that I struggle with has reared it's ugly head and made itself quite known in my life.  It's something I've struggled with since I was a child and has only gotten worse as an adult and is affecting the good relationships in my life.  Due to this, God has been screaming at me lately!  Screaming at me to wake up and trust Him with it.

I share this so that you can pray for me and perhaps some of the words will encourage you.

I am addicted to approval from others.

I want to share with you how God has spoken to me about it, but first, I want to discuss why we struggle with this.  I know I'm not the only one as there are many books written on it.  I plan to read one soon!

A couple weeks ago, I attended my church's women's retreat and Nicole Unice was the speaker (side note: ladies, read her book "She's Got Issues").  Her lesson on Saturday morning (not to mention, the whole weekend) was exactly what I needed to hear.....not a coincidence (wink, wink...God).  She said this:

Our human nature always presents the temptation to live for:
1) Acceptance from others
2) Approval from authority
These temptations reveal our deepest longing for worth and approval.

I believe this can be a product of so many things in our childhood....perhaps it was a parent that pushed you to be perfect and never accepted anything less, perhaps your parents always affirmed you and never corrected you, leading you to believe that you could do no wrong, perhaps nothing was ever good enough for your parents and you spent every day trying to receive their approval, perhaps you had pressure from your peers to be a certain way and that need for approval stuck with you.  There are so many possibilities, but I'm pretty sure that if you inspect your past, you'll find some answers.  I think we are all tempted at some point to desire the approval of others, because you want to know that you're worth it.  The problem lies here...we seek it from humans aka our peers aka our parents aka our coworkers aka our significant other aka anyone with an opinion.  The answer: we can only find our worth and identity in Jesus Christ...but I'll expand on that later.

I want to share some Biblical examples of this:

David
Nicole shared this story from 2 Samuel 6:12-22 about David dancing in the streets, sacrificing burnt offerings and handing out a lot of gifts as the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem.  Saul's daughter, Michal, thought it was quite ridiculous and ridiculed him for it.  She even called him vulgar.  I'll be honest...I would have started questioning my actions and started apologizing so that she would like me again.  But David doesn't.  He stands up for himself and says "I will celebrate before the Lord.  I will become even more undignified than this and will be humiliated in my own eyes."  I respect him for not caring what she thought.  He knew that what he was doing was right in the eyes of the Lord and he didn't let it phase him.  Note taken.  Thank you, David.

Pilate
So I'm reading the Via Crucis by Shawn Small during Lent this year.  I have also been reading The Cross-centered Life by C.J. Mahaney (thank you, Megan!) and in this, my eyes keep coming back to the Cross.  This is how it should be...I pray that I continue to do so even past Lent.  All things come down to the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sacrificed because our Father loves us unconditionally...that's it...it's offered to you and you can do nothing to deserve it, just accept it.  But back to my point...Jesus was brought before Pilate during this "trial" process after being arrested.  In Luke 23, Pilate tells the people that he has found no basis for the charges against Jesus.  He knows that Jesus has done nothing wrong, nothing worthy of being executed.  But to please the people, he says he will punish him and then have him released.  So they beat him.  They tortured him to the point that he no longer looked like himself.  But that wasn't enough for the people.  They keep yelling, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"  But it says in verse 20 that he wanted to appeal to them (the people).  In verse 24 he decided to grant their demand.  He let a guilty man (Barabbas) go and killed an innocent man....all because he didn't want the people to hate him...or even kill him.  You see, Pilate cared too much about what other people thought about him.  He crucified our Savior in order to keep his name clear with society.  Every time that give in just to appease other people, am I not also crucifying my Lord?

Over the past 2.5 years, I've realized my need to look good in others' eyes.  Around that time, through some specific events, I finally broke down, talked to a counselor about it and started my healing.  It was great for a while, but then I've let it slide back in and take over my heart.  I've found myself crying and wanting to prove to someone that I'm worthy of being his or her friend and that they should like me when I did nothing wrong.  Even when I was wrong, I found myself caring more about what the person thought than asking forgiveness for what I did.  I've found myself worrying like crazy in my head and heart, thinking that someone doesn't like me when in reality, they probably don't think that at all, yet I stress, give myself ulcers and cry because I'm so worried about it.  It's exhausting!

So the weekend of the retreat, I finally broke down and said, "God!  What am I doing wrong?!  I thought I was done with this!"  And he told me this (through a perfectly timed text sent from my friend, Jennifer), "[Kelli], I (the Lord) will fight for you!  You need only BE STILL!" (Exodus 14:14)  Ok, ummmm, God, how am I supposed to do that??  But throughout the next two days, talking to a few people and praying with them, I realized that it meant that I will never be able to get over this approval addiction on my own.  All I can do is surrender it to God.  That's it.  He is the only One with the power to truly set me free.

Nicole shared these verses with us which have become a staple in my every morning since that weekend:

"In my anguish I cried to the Lord, 
and he answered by setting me free.
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I will look in triumph on my enemies.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.

The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.

I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.

This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

~Psalm 118:5-9,14,21,24

I know this will be an ongoing battle throughout my life.  But if I take refuge in the Lord, it will not cripple me, it will not damage good relationships.  If I look for my worth in the Lord and not in other people, I can live with confidence that I am His beautiful creation...as are you...this is not just reserved for me, you know. ;-)

So please pray for me in this.  Please pray that I would stop caring so much about what others think.  Pray that I would find my identity in Christ, not in mere humans, as some translations say.

As Psalm 118:28 says, "You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you."

(so much for my posts not being long...ha!)

can accountants write?!

I am Kelli.  I am NOT a writer...in fact, I am an accountant. 

Accountant's aren't expected to be eloquent.  People just expect us to be good at math and blogging doesn't require math....thank God!  So here I am - to write with no expectations and no judgement.  If you would like me to do a math problem for you or answer your tax questions, too bad...ask someone else.  Haha!

I've always wanted to create a blog, because I read so many others, but always wondered "what would I blog about?"  People don't get excited about what new IRS regulations there are this year or how to calculate a partner's basis in his/her partnership interest (have I lost you yet?!) :-)  And to be honest, I don't want to talk about those things!  I get sick of talking about them at work!

What I DO want to share and what makes me so excited is what God is doing in my life...both personally and professionally.  Sometimes I want to share those "enlightenments" because other people can benefit from what God showed me recently.  Isn't that what the body of Christ should be doing through community and fellowship anyway??  Praise God for technology...a new way to share with each other!  Of course one-on-one interaction is preferable AND essential but come on, how many of you surf the internet while you're at work, trying to find something more interesting than what you are doing?!

Maybe I'll just share stuff for fun too!  Or post a fun picture!  I do love finding recipes on blogs, but I only have one unique one and I got it from another family.  Perhaps I'll give you links to one from other sites.

And I know that once you see a long post, you click on something else...so I vow to keep my posts a manageable length!  I don't want to bore you!  I just want to share Scripture, insights, and ask you probing questions.  Perhaps the Lord wanted you to hear something that I post that day.  Perhaps you are supposed to share something with me!  I will always be honest.  I can't stand it when blogs are always butterflies and roses.  Sometimes life is hard and reality is not fun.  But God is good.  Let's be real with each other.  Let's encourage each other.  Let's pray for each other.

Let's start with this: the two most precious "beings" (haha!) in my life...my boyfriend, Kevin (yes, he was broken in that picture...shoulder surgery) and my sweet puppy, Luci.