Hearts @ Home And Milestones

I am blessed to be a part of what I believe has to be the best chapter of PWOC in the entire organization. There is a sub-ministry at our PWOC called Hearts@Home. It was piloted by an awesome lady several years ago for the purpose of supporting and encouraging PWOC sisters whose husbands are deployed or geographically separated for extended periods, and has blessed over a hundred women since its inception. I have been one of those women, and am currently again. It takes different paths depending on who is in charge that year and how God is leading them. Can I just tell you that this is an amazing ministry?! Today I went to PWOC and was handed THIS!


Isn't that cute?? Well WAIT! There's more! Our lovely H@H Ministry Team Leader said, "This is dinner for you!" "It's WHAT??" That's right. Dinner. I hugged it. I would hug her, but seriously. This was dinner. Already planned and made. Right in my hands. And I had to do none of the thought or preparation. Let me unwrap it for you so you can see inside...




Underneath the bag of rolls? A giant container of home-made corn chowder.



But WAIT! The wrapping was a table cloth! So, we set the table up RIGHT. Scarecrow and scripture note became the center piece, and we busted out the fauxfiestware dishes.



The scripture the scarecrow is holding is Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you..






We added butter for the bread, milk to drink and green salad. The plates were empty at the end. There was also just enough left that will serve us another meal!

Do you know those days where you dread the dinner hour? The ones where you haven't planned for anything, don't know what you're going to do, and then you get to the dinner hour and have to face the music? Have you ever been able to apply Jeremiah 29:11 to that?? "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord.

I did! And let me just tell you people, this was NOT one of those days for me! I spent almost the entire day knowing that dinner was planned AND made ~ and not by me ~ and that caused me glee every time I thought of it!

But, S4J - "What's the milestone you speak of??"
I'll tell you!

None of us have EVER eaten ANY manner of chowder in our lives. Let's face it; the word 'chowder' itself is gross. It gives a yucky connotation and does not make one want to eat it. Nevermind the fact that it is often preceded by the word 'clam'. EW. Just EW. And if I am being perfectly honest, when I saw it, I was a little bit afraid that we would be starving that night because none of us would actually eat. But we all braved up and tried it. Which is pretty amazing AND we liked it too! How about that?

PS - although I am speaking about H@H specifically here, I want to also let you know that I have been blessed by friends who have brought us a meal (or me a pleasant treat in a cute little bag) - and mind you we do not live on post or even close to post - or prepared us a meal in their home. For some people, this is a nice blessing. For me it is a MAJOR blessing. I feel incredibly cared for and loved over by the people in my life and wish that I could truly describe to them what they are doing for me. It's a way that they have come alongside me and "helped me carry my books" if you will. I'm not talking about the spelling workbook either. I am talking about the American History textbook. It's not the whole backpack, but that's a big chunk of my load.

To S4J, Dinner meal = American History textbook

I am so relieved and thankful to have it carried for me once in a while.


blessings,

Is This Weird?

Walking through Walmart with the twins and my new fly glasses on and walked through the Men's section. I walked up to a coat and hugged it and asked, "Do you think it's weird that I am hugging this and thinking of Daddy?" Girl twin nearly melted right into the floor of embarrassment. That had me laughing all the way home.

Still laughing actually.


Blessings on your day.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm trying to work into a healthier lifestyle. Practically speaking, it's not realistic for me to think that I am going to be able to maintain a diet free of sweets and fats, sooooo I am working toward healthier alternatives that will actually satisfy and not just annoy me for having wasted my time on something I didn't like and did not take away my craving. Today I baked these cookies and I find them to be a good alternative to my favorite fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookies. I actually feel full after having had 3.




WHAT? I had to taste-test them.

According to the recipe they are 80 calories each and have protein AND dietary fiber in them.

You can get the recipe here www.delish.com

My substitutions:
Light Brown Sugar instead of Brown Sugar (cause that's what I had on hand)
Diabeti Sweet instead of Granulated Sugar
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light (I like it, but it's only 37%) instead of Trans Fatfree vegetable oil spread (60% to 70% oil)
Whole Grain Wheat Flour instead of All-purpose Flour
Milk Chocolate Chips instead of Bittersweet (62% cacao) or semisweet chocolate chips (because I like them better and they are the same value)

Epiphone

Beautiful lines of a beautiful instrument.

And So It Begins

Hello friends!

We have officially entered a new phase in our lives: We are in the first week of what we believe to be the last deployment we will ever have to endure. It's so cool to be able to look back over the last fourteen years of our marriage and the separations that we have made it through and know (barring an act of God or stop-loss) that this will be the last. It's also a new experience for us. Every separation before this one, we knew there would be more. If my calculations are correct, by the end of this deployment we will have spent the equivalent of four years of our marriage geographically separated due to my husband's job. I am so proud of the man that I have married and the way that he has unselfishly and unfailingly served his country and provided for his family.
Blessings on your day,

Kimpo Revisited

I have been given the amazing privilege of writing for the international level of the Christian women's organization I am a part of, Protestant Women Of the Chapel and today they posted a blog that I wrote a while back. A very timely reminder. Go have a look, and stay a while. It's a great place to be....

PWOC International Blog

Clouds

I pulled off the Highway to take this picture today.