God's Everlasting Love Filled a Humble Manger~

"I have loved you with an everlasting love;  therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."  

Jerermiah 31: 3

God has really been using this verse to speak to me recently.  First, it showed up in my devotional by Spurgeon last week.  I couldn't get it out of my mind...God's everlasting love.  He has loved me and you with an everlasting love.  Then, when the girls and I were out over the weekend, I saw it on a plaque.  God's continued faithfulness.

I love it when God kindly chooses to remind me of His truth...of His love...of His continued faithfulness.

I have especially loved reflecting on this verse as we are full in the Christmas season and the day itself is nearly upon us.

What does God's everlasting love look like? 

It looks like a young girl who believed God even though she probably had to endure a blow to her reputation.  A virgin pregnancy?  It sounds absurd.  It looks like her betrothed husband who cared for her even though it meant risking his reputation as well.

This is not the story of a highly anticipated royal birth...of adoring fans waiting for the blessed news.

This display of God's everlasting love is a very different kind of story. 

This is the story of Jesus, who chose to step from glory and confine himself to the womb of a young woman.  This is the story of that young couple who traveled to Bethlehem to take part in the required government census.  This couple who arrived in town and could find no suitable place to stay...I've always wondered how Joseph and Mary felt as they realized labor was beginning and the baby would be born in a stable. 

This is the story of God's everlasting love.  This is the story of a sweet babe who was born to die...of Jesus, who is the King of Kings.

God's everlasting love filled a humble manger.

God's everlasting love sent His son to earth as Redeemer and Savior.  God's everlasting love made a way, the way, to be reconciled with God.

God's love is everlasting...may you know His love and truth this blessed Christmas~

Rach

Making it Ours...A Wall of Windows

If you peeked at my post about our drop cloth curtains,  then you know I like using antique elements in decorating and design.

What you might not know is that I love antique windows. 

I love antique windows...oh, I said that already.  I guess you could say I collect them.  I especially love when they still have old hardware on them.

This window is from my friend's old farmhouse in Colorado~

Living in PA turned my window interest into an obsession...lots of old houses, people doing lots of updating and renovating...antique windows everywhere :)  I would find one (or two or three), bring them home, and then they would sit in the garage...waiting.  I had some ideas of how to use them, but we also had lots of other stuff going on in PA, so the windows just stayed in storage.  Plus our home in PA was much smaller and it was harder to figure out where to put them.

By now you probably know that I really enjoy a bargain.  Out of all the windows I have, I've only paid for two...$2 for a 12 pane antique window at a garage sale in our little town of Media in PA...I bought the two they had :)  Some of my windows are from my friend's old farmhouse in Colorado...she replaced some windows and I happily took 4 of her old ones.  

I acquired all the others by "dumpster diving"...well, I didn't actually go into any dumpsters, but I did take them out of folks garbage.  Seriously, people just put these beauties out on the curb to be picked up with their garbage.  It got to the point that if the girls noticed a window (or something else they thought I might be interested in) they would make sure to point it out...I'm training them well ;)

We packed up those windows and moved them to Texas with us.  Houses here in Frisco are generally newer (and larger, for that matter) and with that comes taller ceilings and more wall space.  We have a large, tall wall in the family room and every picture I put on it looked like a postage stamp on an envelope because of it's dimensions.  I tried a bookcase and it looked miniature.  What to do, what to do?

And then I realized I had a place to display at least some of my windows!

I would love to paint the wall, but getting up on ladders or scaffolding is not an option and hiring a painter is not in the budget right now.  I needed to bring in some color, so I decided to paint the windows turquoise...a favorite color of mine.  I considered using that awesome chalk paint, but decided it was too expensive for the amount of paint I actually needed for this project.

So, once again, I turned to good old craft paint.  I bought a bunch of different shades of blue, green, and turquoise...and some gray to add to the mix.  I squirted the colors onto a paper plate and, with my help, I let the big girls mix colors and paint the windows.  I followed behind them with a cheap craft sponge "brush" to spread and rub off the paint.  

Just the beginning~

I loved how they turned out, but they were a bit brighter than I had intended...plus, I wanted more of the antiqued paint look...what to do?

I love turquoise!!!

I simply painted brown over the turquoise and wiped it off with a craft sponge.  Voila...this is more what I had in mind :)

The hardest part was determining how to arrange them and then getting them up on the wall.  I made a diagram of the wall and little moveable paper windows and the girls and I moved them around until we found a layout we liked.  Once again, my hot handyman worked hard getting those windows up on the wall.  Those nice little air ducts made for some spacing challenges.  

Here's a huge shout out to Steve for very patiently working hard to get our beautiful windows hung.
 

My hot handyman~

And here's the final look.  I also put one on the mantel :)

Wall of windows~

I LOVE this big brick fireplace!

So thankful for this home~
Rach

Super Healthy Peanut Butter Treats!

Just thought I'd share a recipe that has been well received in our house.  These peanut butter balls are healthy and full of yumminess :)

 

Peanut Butter Yummies~

I was inspired by a recipe I saw (a long time ago) on another blog...MckMama (back when she blogged) and then I found that there are a million different variations on Pinterest.  I knew I wanted a snack that was healthy, full of protein, low in carbs, a good source of healthy fats, and gluten free or very low in gluten...and it needed to taste great too.  I also needed it to be "low texture" because Gracia didn't care for the nutty texture of my first couple of batches.

Here's what I came up with.

Ingredients:  One 26 ounce jar of creamy natural peanut butter.
1/2 cup of raw cashews, chopped or ground
1/2 cup of raw sunflower seeds, whole or ground
1/2 cup of pistachios, chopped or ground
8 Tablespoons of flax meal
4 scoops of chocolate whey protein (I use a gluten free brand)
6 ounces of bitter-sweet chocolate chips
4 Tablespoons of hemp hearts
4 Tablespoons of PB2...a peanut butter powder you can find at more health conscience or natural grocers.

To make:
I heat the peanut butter in my microwave for 1 minute to make it more mixable.  I use a coffee grinder to grind my nuts and seeds into a flour...remember, I needed mine to be "low texture".  Add all the ingredients together and mix well.  The heat from the warm peanut butter usually melts my chocolate chips...perfect!

Sunflower seed "flour"~

Ready to mix, mix, mix~

Roll into round balls and then roll in hemp hearts.*  Mine are probably about an inch and the batch made 83.  I have also rolled them in coconut, flax seeds, and chia seeds.  I personally prefer the hemp hearts and coconut...the flax and chia seeds seem to get stuck in my teeth and mouth.  I want to try cocoa powder sometime.  Store in the fridge.

*You don't have to roll them in anything.  I left some plain for Gray because she has some "texture challenges".  But if you don't coat them with something, make sure they are not touching when you first put them in the fridge...otherwise they'll stick together.  Now that I'm writing and thinking and since I've done some "plain" ones for her, I'm considering just smoothing out a whole batch using parchment paper and a cookie sheet...then I could cut it like fudge after it chills...because I will admit all that rolling is a bit labor intensive.

As I'm sure you can tell, you can add just about anything to these to modify them to your taste and preferences...not a fan of raw cashews, use almonds instead...not a fan of raw nuts, use roasted if you prefer...sunflower seeds not your favorite, maybe walnuts or pecans would be perfect for you...never even heard of hemp hearts, you should remedy that...you get the idea ;)  I added natural coconut flakes to a batch once and they were awesome...but somehow Gray managed to spit out each.little.bit.of.flake...that was messy :)

I did a nutritional breakdown of my last batch...they are not for the low cal, low fat crowd...but that whole low fat, low calorie nutritional "advice" is proving to be not-so-good-for-you after all...remember, these are full of monounsaturated fats and that kind of fat is good for you.

Anyway, here's the scoop.  I measured as well as I could and tried hard to be accurate, but these numbers could always be off by a bit.  The breakdown per peanut butter ball is...

Calories: 88  
Fat: 6.5 grams  
Protein: 3.25 grams 
Carbs:  4 grams

We eat them as a snack and even enjoy them as part of our breakfast.   

Just another shot of the peanut butter yummies~

Hope you try them...let me know what you think or what you variation you come up with :)

Blessings...here's to happy, healthy snacking~

Rach

Making it Ours...Drop Cloth Curtains

We are slowly getting settled into our new home and slowly adding the touches that make a house feel like home.  

I would say that I like decorating, but I'm not able to put a lot of time or money into doing it all up.  Way back when we used to have satellite TV, I enjoyed HGTV and all their decorating shows.  I really liked the ones that turned junk and discards into decorating ideas and I always enjoy a bargain :)

I haven't watched a decorating show in years...our family's split from TV programming is fodder for another blog.

Anyway, back to making this house our home.  

Steve and I generally have similar decorating tastes and lucky for me, I married a Gonzales.  I LOVE bright and warm colors and design with Spanish and Southwestern influence.  I also love antiques and really enjoy using antique elements in decorating.  Throw in a little shabby chic and sometimes a bit of bohemian and eclectic design...that's what you'll find in our home. 

So, when I turned to Pinterest and saw folks making curtains out of drop cloths, I knew I had found how I wanted to make our new curtains...light and airy, casual, easy, and very affordable.  

So far, I've only made curtains for the dining room...here's the finished product.

Drop cloth turned curtains~

I'm not a great seamstress...if I can make these, so can you~

Here's how we did it.  I was in charge of design, Steve handled all the assembly :)

For this window, I used a 9' by 6' canvas dropcloth I bought at Lowes.

First, I washed it and then I cut it in half.  Word of warning, these dropcloths shrink and don't stay all nice and square.  If your design requires more precision, this might not be the best way for you to go.

I measured the best I could knowing I had enough fabric to make an extra layer at the top.  Then I sewed a hem and a space for the rod to slide through.  

And now on to the rod...which I'm super pleased with :)  The rod is a piece of electrical conduit...seriously, electrical conduit I bought at Home Depot.  And as an added bonus, it was already the length I needed...although this stuff is easy to cut if you need to.  I painted it black with some craft paint.  

Then Steve added the antique doorknobs as the curtain rod finials!  I bought a bunch of these doorknobs off Ebay for less than $10 a set (that includes the shipping too)...I can't remember my exact price.  

Steve cut the metal bar that holds the knobs together and fit them into a  square wooden dowel he drilled out.  Then he shaved the corners off the dowel and fit them into the ends of the electrical conduit.

The rod in progress~

And, voila...a curtain rod with real glass antique doorknob finials and "linen" curtains on the cheap!!!

I also bought some super affordable molding to cover the front of our wooden blinds because for some reason the person who owned the house before us took them off and left us with this ugliness.  We cut it to length and attached with velcro...problem fixed :)

Thanks for taking all the blind facings and wands...tacky~

The not-quite-exact cost breakdown of our project...our actual cost is probably less than these estimated numbers:

Dropcloth...$11 
Electrical Conduit...$1.75
Craft Paint...I already had a bottle, but you can get it at a craft store for a dollar or two
Glass Antique Doorknobs...lets just say $10 a set even though my cost was less
Curtain Hardware for hanging the rod...$4
Wooden Dowel...I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure it was less than $2 and Steve only  used a little bit, so we have plenty for more curtain projects.
Molding...I bought the super cheap stuff for this "cover up"...it cost less than $2

So, for less than $30, I was able to get this look...not bad :) 

The finished product...streamers courtesy of Bella's birthday :)

I'm excited to begin on the family room curtains :)


Blessings~
Rach

   

What a CHORE...

I have not done a good job of training my kids to be helpers with chores around the house.  

There it is...the confession...

I don't really know why.  Probably because it was usually just easier to do it myself...especially when they were younger and 'helping' Mommy often created even more mess for me to deal with.  And I'm sure some of it was simply because I didn't appreciate their desire to be my helpers the way I wish I had.  And because I just got into the habit of doing most of it myself...a bad habit.  

Don't misunderstand, they do have some chores, but I just haven't done a good job of continuing to teach and train them.  

We've done sticker charts and other types of supposed-to-be-motivational charts, but nothing has seemed to work for the long term.  Honestly, a lot of the problem has been my follow through and keeping up with the stickers and/or rewards.

But moving made me realize it was time to get a handle on this and so we began working on more chores and training for the girls.  And they have been doing a great job and, even though they sometimes grumble about chores, they are great helpers.  

We began a "chore chart" of sorts when we were in the rental.  It worked for a while, but fell to the wayside when we packed up to move again.  

But now that we are in our (hopefully) permanent home, I decided it was time to get serious about a chore chart and the girls earning some commission.  

I turned to friends, Pinterest, and the internet for ideas.  I knew I wanted something that would satisfy their desire to see a job finished.  I knew I wanted something we could add to (or take away from) if necessary.  And I knew I was done with sticker charts or check marks and a list on the wall.  I wanted something that would inspire them and inspire me to keep up with it.  I pieced together bits of this and that to come up with this.  

Chore chart in action~

Here's how it works.  The girls have cards that hang on two hooks...one for daily tasks and one for weekly/monthly tasks.  When they complete a task they move the card to the far right hook.  At the end of the day, Steve or I review their cards and they get chips added to their jar and the cards get put back on their starting hook.  We hung each "chart" by their bedroom doors so we can remember to do the chips daily...usually right before we tuck them in at night.  

Some tasks (like Morning Routine and Bedtime Routine) don't earn very much...you have to do both to get just one chip.  I made those cards mostly as reminders so I could stop reminding them all the time of what exactly we expect when we ask them to get ready for the day or to get ready for bed.  Other cards (like caring for the cats) earn one chip and others (like Cleaning Baseboards) get two or maybe even more chips.  And I have a few for me to add if I want to give extra notice or encouragement to them...like Thanks for Being Kind.  The chips add up and at the end of the month it's payday.  

I'm cheap...our chips are only worth a nickel each.  I don't want my girls to "expect" to be paid for being part of our family and helping out, but I also totally recognize that sometimes it's really great to have some extra motivation and to earn a bit of money.   Even nickels add up :)

The girls really get a kick out of moving their cards from one hook to the other.  Isabella asked me if she could dust the other day...she asked to dust...so blessed!

Here's how we made them.

Steve cut the wood from old bed slats we have in the garage.  I let the girls paint them a color of their choice and decorate them with stickers.  Steve added the hooks and an electrical clamp to hold the jar.  Old bed slats and baby food jars...how's that for recycling/upcycling? :)  

And can I just say that I think these cards are cute!  They are my favorite part of the upcycleness of this project.  Upcycleness?  Upcycletivity?  

Anyhoo...

She's crafty~

Do you remember that movie, "Akeelah and the Bee"?  Whoa, where's this going, you may be wondering.  Well, Starbucks did a promotion along with that movie and had coasters and table top vocabulary flash cards in their stores.  

When the promo was over, I asked my local Starbucks if I could have their leftover cards...I got a shoebox full of these little chipboard gems.  To make our chore cards, I simply added a cutely decorated chore to one side and left the vocabulary card on the back!  So, our girls are also learning vocabulary words...I'm a dork about stuff like this, but I am seriously giddy over this added little chore chart bonus ;)  

I guess you could say that these charts are proving to be eudaemonic in our home :)

Here's your vocabulary word for the day~

Many blessings~
Rach

David Sacks: A Warrior 1968-2013

Our friend, David Sacks, died of cancer earlier this month.  It is a great loss to so many who have been beautifully affected by a life well lived.  

I shared this memory with him and a special group of his friends via Facebook a few days before he died.

It was Christmas time of 07 when I met David Sacks. I had met Angie (his beautiful wife) a few weeks or months earlier at our community group (at our church in PA) and had barely started getting to know her. David's reputation as a world class photographer was talked about here and there...just enough for Steve and I to kinda realize that he was really good (really, really good) at what he did. We had not actually met him yet b/c he was often away at shoots (sometimes in exotic places). So, it was as we were walking up to our friend's home for a Christmas party that a man we did not recognize also came walking up. He kindly introduced himself and I suddenly realized that here, standing at the door with us, was THE David Sacks. I said something brilliant like, "I like photography" and I remember mentally smacking myself upside the head :) 

But David and Angie were always completely approachable...they are so warm and genuine. We got to know them more as our community group met in their home...again, always warm and genuine. David and Angie...we are so thankful to call you friends. We have both been affected by your kindnesses. David, I especially want to thank you for the times you have helped and counseled Steve. There were a few times that school was really a struggle for Steve and you spoke words of wisdom and truth to him. Angie, I am so thankful for the few times we were able to get together and enjoy coffee and for the times God used you to encourage me. To both of you, our time in Philly with Steve in grad school was the most stressful we have ever experienced. We both look back and wish had been able to pursue deeper friendship and connections with so many. We look back and feel like you two always gave more than you received in return from us...we know that God used you very purposefully to minister to us and we are thankful to our Lord. We know that God will heal you completely, although we understand it may a healing in heaven instead of here on earth. We are balancing the truth that our Lord can heal you here on earth and praying for that miracle while understanding the medical situation and praying for your rest and peace. Some of our prayers have changed, but not the LOVE that we pray them with. We love you Sacks Family!

I confess that David's struggle with cancer and his death make no earthly sense to me.  God's ways are mysterious and sometimes (often?) I simply cannot understand them.  David touched many, many lives and pointed so many to the Lord.  His photography is amazing, celebrated, and literally has saved lives.  Here's a blog post by one of our pastors at Covenant Fellowship in PA who is the director of Covenant Mercies, a non-profit dedicated to orphan care.  Please read it.  And consider purchasing David's book, True Africa.  All proceeds benefit Covenant Mercies.

David leaves behind Angie, his precious wife, and their four young children.  Again, I do not understand, but ask you to join us in covering them in prayer.  Angie is simply amazing...she is passionate about our Lord.  She is fun and elegant, generous and kind...and she shouldered David's care with incredible strength and courage.  I know the Lord is supplying her with grace to walk this heartbreaking road...many prayers for the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

I desperately wanted to attend David's memorial service, but we weren't able to make a trip to PA at that time.  I have longed to be with our friends...to grieve together and remember together.  I have felt very far away...painfully far away.  

The death of friends at too early an age has long been part of how God has drawn me to him.  Yes, death is something we will all experience...the death of family and friends, and one day, our own.  But it feels very wrong when death occurs "out of order"...young families should not have to bury their husband and father...parents should not have to plan a service for their children.  It does not seem right.

But I turn to a God who has walked me through my own grief in losing an infant son.  I turn to a God who promises that physical death is not the end.  I turn to a God who cares for our hurts and counts our tears.  I turn to Jesus who conquered death when he rose from the grave...and I turn to His promises.

"For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere."  Psalm 84: 10

"He will swallow up death forever; the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces."  Isaiah 25: 8

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."  Psalm 147: 3

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall their be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."  Revelation 21: 4

Rachel~

   

  

The Post that's long overdue~

I've started and stopped this post at least a dozen times over as many months...

...I can't get the words right...I'm afraid I'll leave someone out...I don't have all the pictures I wish I had...I'm worried I'll offend new friends here in Texas...I could never say Thank You enough.

I've started and stopped this post...

...because sometimes I cry when I think too much about Pennsylvania and the amazing and wonderful friends and church we left behind.

So I've mostly avoided writing about how I'm feeling and instead have simply blogged about a few things we've done here and there...but it seems that now is the time.

Maybe it's because it's been a bit over a year now...maybe it's because we're getting settled into our new home here...which makes living in Texas seem pretty official.

...maybe it's because my heart is ready.

...and maybe it's because I just got home from a blessed retreat with the ladies at Grace Church, our church home here in Frisco.  We ended our retreat by thanking God for friendships old and new...and I found myself so thankful as I reflected on the friends God has given us.

So, here goes...

I miss Pennsylvania and I miss Covenant Fellowship Church and I really, really, really miss our friends who shared life with us...I deeply, sometimes desperately, miss home.  I miss friends who know me well and loved me anyway.

I miss the ladies who laughed with me, cried with me, celebrated with me, and encouraged me.  I miss the men who poured into Steve's life and prayed for him and encouraged him.  I miss my kids' friends.  I miss our Community Group.  I miss our home school co-op.  I miss being surrounded by history and weekend afternoons spent at Valley Forge.  I miss the beauty of the state and the beautiful forests.  I miss the colors in the fall.  I miss knowing there is an ocean an hour away (even though we never actually went to the Jersey shore).  I miss summer concerts at the Community Arts Center in Wallingford and Rose Tree Park in Media.  I miss July 4th in Philadelphia...they really know how to celebrate our nation's birthday :)  I miss Fairmount Park in the city and walks along the Schuylkill River.  I miss the changing of the seasons and watching my girls sled with their friends.  

I've been a bit caught off guard by how deeply I miss "home"...considering that I very much disliked it the first year...but after that, well, God changed everything.  He really took us to a low place and then began "rebuilding" Steve and I...growing us, changing us.  It was very hard and, somehow, it was wonderful too...does that even make sense? 

I think that I've been afraid that expressing the sadness I have over leaving PA meant I was ungrateful for where God has brought us.  Instead, I've come to understand that the missing is really because of His care for us and the beautiful connections He made for us while we were there.  Sometimes my heart hurts because of His kindness and grace, because of the special people He brought into our lives...does that make sense?

And missing one place does not mean that I dislike another...I mean, I still miss Colorado :) 

Things are good here in Texas, very good, and I praise our Lord for His goodness.  Seriously friends, missing PA has nothing to do with anything bad here in Texas...by God's grace we are really enjoying the blessing of God allowing us to get "rooted and planted" here in the Lone Star State :) 


One of our last nights in PA was spent with friends at a Christmas party.  At one point they gathered around us, laid hands on us, and prayed for us.  One prayer was for quick connections and friendships here in Texas...that prayer was answered quickly and continues to be answered!  We love Grace Church here in Frisco...they have welcomed us with open arms and we love worshiping here and are very thankful for how God is knitting us into this body of believers.  We have friends who don't feel all that "new"...they are a blessing and I praise God for them :) 

And while the scenery here in this part of Texas is a bit lacking, we sure do enjoy lots of sunshine :)

Steve's job is going very well and some exciting things are happening with his research.  We get to spend lots more time together as a family...Steve no longer works on Saturdays and is usually home by late afternoon.  In general, we are much less stressed.  The girls and I have connected with a local home school co-op that is wonderful.  We get to (or maybe it's have to) swim...a lot...to survive the heat.  We even have an awesome kid sitter...no worries though, Jaclyn, you will always be special to all of us :)  And we are thankful for our new home too.  Yes, we know our Lord led us here and we are thankful for His kindness.

I guess it just takes time...takes time for the tearing to mend.  It takes time to get to know people and places.  It just takes time...

And I don't miss everything in PA...I sure don't miss Steve being in graduate school...that's for sure!  And car horns...they don't use them much in these parts :)

Here are some pics of PA friends I am so thankful for...and for every picture I do have, there are many (many, many, many, many) more I wish I had taken.  I am also aware that Steve and I and our family may be personally responsible for many, many, many of the jewels God will place in our friends' crowns...they really loved us well and God used us to give them many opportunities for selfless serving...I can never say Thank You enough :)

 

Steve and Bill teaching the kids in Promise Kingdom!

Kim and Paula and me~

The POD Squad~

Christmas 2011, a few days before we left PA...such dear friends!

Gray and Whitney~

Hanging out~

Friends!!!

Our community group's worship team~

Kevin and Whit~

Our Community Group!!!!!!

Our fearless leaders...Bill and Ramona~  When you see Ramona in heaven and her crown is too heavy for her to wear, it's because of my very dirty refrigerator...she cleaned it to a spotless shine before we moved!

Whitney and me~

Steve and Todd~

Windsor and me~

The Elias Family...Bella still talks about Maureen's lemon meringue pie!

Kathy and me~

The Whitfields~

Susan and me!  I also helped Susan add jewels to her crown...she helped paint, clean, organize, and pack...along with everything else she helped me through in our years of friendship~

Cathy and me~

Steve, Rick, and Jesse

Good friends~

Stevie, Christina, and me...and babies!

The Marones...Donna made the blanket Gray can't live without :)

Roth and Gonz kids~

Tom and Gray~

Metzger and Gonz kids~

Donna and me~

My friend Michelle...we met in NC when we were 24 years old...we're a bit older now :)

Friends!

awww!

Miss you, Colleen~

The Senyo Family~

Gray was comfy with Trish~

Gray playing with Kathy's cool beads!

Worship~

Miss Jaclyn and the girls :)

Friends...Fisher and Gonz kids at Linvilla Orchard!

Funny friends at the Franklin Institute!

The Kalvelages!  Love you!

If you hung in long enough to get to the end, thanks!  To our dear friends here and there and everywhere else, know that we thank our Lord for you!

Let a friend know how much you love them!

Blessings!
Rach~