etsy faves

I stumbled upon this etsy shop.

I especially like these items. 

These stickers would be perfect for sending cards! 

source

And these next 2 for Addie's room?  [happy sigh]  Maybe for Christmas! 

source

source

I also like those giant rulers for family growth charts. They're perfect for if you're moving a lot. I asked Ben to make me one, but he said, "Let's just buy it... my time is worth more than that."  LOL we say that a lot :) It's an inside family joke... for another day. 

source

I am seriously considering purchasing one of her changing table covers. So many fun colors to choose from! Which would you pick? 

Do you browse etsy? Link to your favorites in the comment section! 

more shower pictures :)

i posted about a baby shower a little while ago and i forgot to include these pictures! :) 

 cousins

love these beautiful friends!!

and these ones!

trying to take a picture

having more success

let's take one where we're all touching the bump...

I babysat this sweet girl from the time she was about 1 or 2 and she was the flower girl in our wedding a couple years ago.  can't believe how grown up she is!

so so so blessed :)

Come back wanderer

This past Tuesday marked the last teaching from Beth Moore on the book of James.  It's hard for me to articulate in words all that I've learned.  Today, I'll just try to articulate one thing (because if I tried for ALL, this post would be at least 12 pages long, and none of us wants that... especially you, i'm sure).

Have you ever read the book of James straight through?  or at least the ending?  it seems to have an atypical, abrupt ending.  These are the last 7 verses:

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. 

The end.

Keep in mind, it's a letter.  So, no goodbye, no peace out, no farewell, no see ya on the flipside.  Just "whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins." 

Beth suggested that perhaps this ending was intentional and personal for the letter's author.  

James was Jesus' brother (well, half brother...)  Can you imagine being the sibling of Jesus? Talk about the "seemingly" perfect oldest child.  Scriptures tell us that Jesus siblings thought he was crazy.  More specifically, "OUT OF HIS MIND" (Mark 3:21).  Fast forward to the crucifixion.  No doubt the siblings would have known He was being crucified, and although they may have thought He was nutso, they likely were still disturbed and devastated.  I wonder if there was any regret... like, you think someone is going to live until they're old and gray and your personal issues with them will go away and then before you know it, they die a terrible death at age 33 and you wish you would have said something.

But then, check out 1 Corinthians 15: 4-7 

[Christ] was buried, he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James...  

Beth (Moore) taught me that perhaps this might have been the turning point for James.  Here he thought Jesus was dead and gone.  He would have heard people claim Jesus was God but he also thought his brother was crazy.  And he didn't have the scriptural accounts we have today, so he didn't know the end of the story.  So, Jesus, (dead and gone in James' mind) APPEARS TO JAMES.

Do you think that maybe James was walking along, going to the market or something when he heard someone call out "James" from behind him?  And you know how you can recognize familiar voices even though you can't see the person... well imagine if you heard the voice of someone who was supposed to be dead.  That'd sure as heck stop me in my tracks.  Then James would have turned around, seen his dear brother who he thought he had heard, and probably have been speechless.

I wonder if that was it.  That was James' moment and everything suddenly made sense, and he knew in fact, that Jesus was not a lunatic, but rather, He was who He said He was - the Messiah.     

AND furthermore, this Messiah did not condemn James or give him an "I told you so."  He didn't spit in James' face or act superior or... all the other things James would have deserved.  Rather, He graciously appeared to James and James' eyes were opened.  

When you think about it that way, the seemingly abrupt ending of James' letter makes more sense.  Read it again:

My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

James was a wanderer. and his BROTHER brought him back to the truth.  Jesus graciously and lovingly turned James from the error of his way, saved him from death, and covered over his multitude of sins in the ultimate way. 

This ending isn't abrupt or weird.  It is personal.  It's real.  It's the most important moment of James' life, and he shares it with his original audience and with us today.  As if to say, don't forget you were wandering and someone turned you from the error of your way, saving you from death.  Now, do the same for a brother or sister- point them back in the right direction that they may run back home to the sweet embrace of Jesus who is always full of mercy.

Wow. I am in awe.

Grateful, 
Renee   

Kisses from Katie

That is the title of the book I just read.  Just read in a total of 4 hours.  Just read in 3 hours last night and 1 hour this morning. 

Just read, as in, finished 10 minutes ago. in tears. happy and sad tears.
Tears for the brokenness of this world.
Tears of repentance for my materialistic dreams, self-reliance, selfishness, desire to live in safety.
Tears of rejoicing in the truth that Jesus has come to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free.
Tears of rejoicing that Jesus will return again to take his children home to an eternity where we are restored.

Long story short, a young woman from a wealthy neighborhood in Tennessee was obedient to God's call on her life - she moved to Uganda and he is using her miraculously to accomplish his purposes there.  He is using her story to convict my heart (and probably many others).

This book is not a guilt trip.  It's a testimony of God's greatness.  Of the truth of the gospel.

I am still processing it and don't have anything more insightful to say, except that I will be sharing it with everyone I know.

Go get it.  Immediately :)


If you can't stop what you're doing right now and go get it, here's the link to her blog... a good place to start.
And THIS is the website for her ministry.  Perhaps all the women in your family should get a necklace from this ministry for Christmas this year?!?!? 

friends

Here's a scene from last week's recess on the playground while I was subbing

Melanie (1st grader) is sitting alone, building mountains with the rock/sand/dirt.
Anna approaches Melanie, skipping.
Anna: "Can I play with you?"
Melanie: "Sure. you can build another mountain."
Anna: "ok."
1 minute later
Anna: "do you want to be my friend?"
Melanie (smiling): "yea. sure."

Pumpkin Goodness

Fall is here.  Woohoo!! My favorite.  Actually summer and fall are tied.  But, there is something refreshing about the first day that the morning air is chilly and smells like fall after a hot humid midwestern summer.  (no complaints)

Obviously with fall come pumpkins.  Pumpkins & Fall.  Fall & Pumpkins.

[insert Greece finale: they go together like rama lama lama
ke ding a de dinga a dong
remembered for ever like
shoo bop shoo wadda wadda
yipitty boom de boom
Chang chang chang-it-ty chang shoo-bop
That's the way it should be
Wha oooh yeah!]

Well you get the picture.

Anyway, I like pumpkins.  I like that you can get them in all shapes and sizes. I like that it's acceptable to decorate them. I like that there is squirrel repellent for them.  I like that you can make tasty things like pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread and pumpkin cookies and pumpkin cupcakes and pumpkin chicken.  Oh wait.  too far.  pumpkin chicken would be gross.

Now that we've established pumpkins are great... and now that you're craving something that tastes of pumpkin-y goodness, let me share a GREAT recipe for pumpkin bread.  Seriously, this one is really good. Like everyone at small group loved it  AND I had it for breakfast. and lunch. AND it makes 2 loaves.  More for everybody :)

It's from my all-time favorite cookbook

They have a lot of editions of this good old "Red Plaid Cook Book" and I don't really use all the bridal-y things out of here.  But if this cookbook isn't in your kitchen, stop reading and go get it.  Then come back and read about this pumpkin bread.  No recipe I have ever tried from here went wrong.  And they have EVERY normal, basic recipe you'll ever want to try.

To the point. to the point.

Pumpkin Bread
prep: 20 minutes     bake: 55 minutes     oven: 350    Makes: 2 loaves

3 c. sugar
1 c. cooking oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2/3 c. water
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
[I add 1 11-ounce bag of chocolate chips.  DELICIOUS. Seriously, you should too.]

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease the bottom and 1/2 in. up the sides of two 9x5x3-inch, OR three 8x4x2-inch, OR four 7.5x3.5x2-inch loaf pans. Set aside. [I only have one pan.  So I just did one at a time.  time consuming and inconvenient but not a big deal.  note to self - get 2nd loaf pan.]

2. In an extra-large mixing bowl, beat sugar and oil with electric mixer on medium speed.  Add eggs and beat well; set sugar mixture aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Alternately add flour mixture, and the water to the sugar mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.  Beat in pumpkin.  Spoon batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean.  [I did like 45-50 but I have an electric oven... I always fear overcooking baked goods.  No one likes overcooked bread.  Too dry.  They may pretend so they don't hurt your feelings. But they don't.  And we know it.]  Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans.  Cool completely on wire racks.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.  [not sure why it says that?  I served it 2 hours later...]

mmmm. mmm. chocolate chip pumpkin bread.
Not sure why it has a weird dip in the middle... the other loaf didn't do that.
oh, and that fun red serving plate came from the Crate & Barrel outlet on North Ave. in Chicago... $7.99.  [sigh]  I miss that outlet.  But my wallet is glad I moved far away from it.  

Happy pumpkin season!!!

God at Work

Our culture today is seemingly a disaster.  It seems messy.  And it is.  And it would be easy, in the midst of the real problems we are experiencing today, to think that Christianity is dying.  That secular lifestyles or radical Islam is winning.  But the t.r.u.t.h. is, well, we know the ending.  

"God exalted him [Jesus] to the highest place, and gave him the name that is above every name.  That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."  (Phil. 2:9-10)  

That's the end.  Everyone will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord.  Whether we want to or not.

BUT... sometimes, we look around and feel discouraged.  A sickness in the family, a relational problem, a job we don't like, lonliness, hurt, on and on.  And those things are real.  And then, there are the hot-button social issues: gay rights, abortion, religious freedom, on and on and on.

And, so here we are.  Wondering if, in fact, Christianity is dying, because sometimes we don't see the results.   

I would argue that Christianity is spreading like never before.  

Real Christianity where Jesus is Savior and He changes lives.
When we who were once lost, become found. 
And we can see it if we choose to. 
Or we can jump on the woe-to-this-generation-it-all-sucks train. 
We can choose to get involved and be part of the spreading. 

Or we can hide inside our basements and hope that we make it to the end.  

God is at work.  Like never before. Can you see it...


...In Anaheim, California (and around the U.S.)

...In India

...In the son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, one of the founding members of Hamas.  (You should read this book.  No, seriously.)

In the Middle East.

  

...in Suburban Chicago  (gotta click for that one)

and in my new home, Lincoln, Nebraska

Find ways God is at work in your community and around the world.  Then, join.  Jump in.  Find a way to be a part of His Work.  Right where you are.  That has been God's challenge to me lately.  So, here we go....

Recent Random Stuff

We have had all sorts of random fun lately.  Here's some snapshots of our recent activities. 

Before we moved to Lincoln, we had a fun "goodbye" dinner with my uncle and my brother.  We went to Ruth's Chris for the best steak in the world.  It was delicious.  

And then we went to Chicago Cut for a fun dessert - a chocolate bag.  It was all it was cracked up to be and more.  VERY tasty.

We had a delicious pancake breakfast for Ben's first day of school. :)  [We're currently eating on a card table.  And it's classy.]

And I didn't put non-stick spray on the pan for the bacon.  Woops...!

We made signs advertising piano lessons.  We put the first one in our yard.  Wouldn't you want to come take piano lessons from me!?!?

Ben reading studiously.  Me playing old school nintendo.  Perhaps what many of our nights this fall will look like?

I went to Hobby Lobby today.  :)

Craigslist

Lately, I have been browsing craigslist for some furniture items and rental houses.  Craigslist can be really great.  When we moved into a rental home in college, we furnished nearly the entire house (all except beds) off craigslist.  We got an especially great dining table set (that i still wish i had)!  Recently, Ben and I purchased a brand new chair for $100.  The guy had ordered it separately from his living room furniture and then realized it didn't match.  I looked up the place he said he got it from and sure enough - there it was - our chair on SALE for $600 at this upscale furniture store.  (Rich people!)  Anyway.... point being, craigslist can be great for a good furniture find - especially if you're moving around and don't want to spend tons of money of nice new furniture that will only get banged up in the rental-moving stage of life. 

Craigslist can also be entertaining, which is more the point of this morning's post.  Here are a couple ads I've stumbled across in the "free" section.  This is for real, people...

Rooster - Plush (wheaton/carol stream)

Cute, clean, plush rooster from smoke free home. Squeeze it and it crows! About 8 inches tall. Let me know when you want to pick it up and i can have it in a bag for you on my front stoop. I will respond back via emails only, so please do not give me your phone number. Near Gary ave and Geneva rd.

Shopping cart full of several hundred pounds of broken tombstones (Albany Park)

I have several hundred pounds of broken tombstones in an old plastic shopping cart. Do you want it? The broken tombstones were buried in my front yard for several decades. None of them says anything, and they don't even really look that much like tombstones. But they are.

The shopping cart says "Thank You!" on the handle. Includes safety guide (don't stand in it, etc.) I found it in the alley.

I have some other broken tombstone pieces I was too drunk to lift into the cart. You can have those, too.

Poetry Discovery

Ben and I were doing some organizing/ file-purging this afternoon and Ben stumbled upon a collection of his Great Grandpa's favorite poems and stories.  Ben's Great Grandpa John was, from everything I've heard, a wonderful man of God.  He passed away in 2006, at age 94.  Some of the poetry and stories are his own, and some are written by others.  We paused organizing and began reading through it - wow!  I'm not one to sit around and read books of poetry (although I admire people who do), but this stuff is good.  Very good.  I'll be reading this collection for sure!  Perhaps I'll share some :)

Since I never knew Grandpa John personally, I'll share a poem written in remembrance of him by a lady named Lorene Hoover.

How tall he stood
as husband, father, counselor, friend,
how upright
as leader, pastor, administrator.

How strong his voice - 
poet, storyteller, preacher -
in capturing the rhythms of life,
from promoting Lions' Club turkey dinners
to inviting us to join him on a CROP walk
to invoking God's blessing.

How large he was
in his desire to serve,
in his belief of nature's promise.
Large enough to be humble
as he bent to his wheelbarrow
took up his garden hoe
knelt in the dirt.

Large enough to kneel
at God's altar
sure of His promise.


 Included in the collection ("John Anderson's Favorite Poems and Stories") is this excerpt of a poem by Ralph Cushman:
I met God in the morning 
when the day was at its best.
And His presence seemed like sunrise -
like a glory filled my breast.

All day long the presence lingered - 
all day long he stayed with me.
And we sailed in perfect harmony
o'er a very troubled sea. 


So I think I know the secret
learned from many a troubled day.
I must meet God in the morning 
If I want Him through the day. 

Fun New Finds

If you know me well, you know I love a good deal :) Since I've been married and Ben and I have stuck to a budget (which, by the way, is amazingly freeing... but that's for another post) I haven't done nearly as much shopping as I used to.  This is probably better, and although shopping in and of itself isn't bad, shopping less has taught me some good lessons.  I.e. proper differentiation between necessity and luxury; saving to shop makes it more fun than splurging most of the time; it will always go on sale and i don't need it now; etc...  There is still a shopping-lover inside me though, and I wanted to share some fun finds with you!

way more chic than I usually go for, but also way more fun than your typical kitchen canister

gotta love some DSW clearance!!

As a teacher, I love finding comfy heels that I can stand in all day long :)

Much better looking on the person than the hanger, but you get the idea!

Favorites

A friend of mine made a list of some of her favorite things and I'm stealing that idea :) You can check her favorites out here!  But, "these are a few of my favorite things"  [side note - name that musical!]

Disclaimer: some of these are actually things and they are definitely luxuries.  No necessities listed (except number 8).

1.  www.memverse.com  My husband's dad introduced us to this website for memorizing scripture.  You can add verses as you please, or use their list of commonly memorized verses.  You can test your verse memory, practice memorizing verses, or quiz your reference recall.  The website has a system for tracking how long it takes you to memorize a verse and continues to "quiz" you on it and gives you new verses according to your pace.  Not very high tech, but pretty great for an alternative to flash cards (which I still love!)

2. I love browsing this website for decorating ideas.  Although not the easiest to navigate, its fun design ideas for small spaces make up for its inefficient website layout. 

3. We live in a typical, old Chicago apartment.  Detailed window trimmings, high ceilings, arched doorways, open kitchen/ dining/ living layout, no closets, radiators, window air conditioner, kick-butt fire place... with grimy walls, cracked ceiling paint, and floors that would be dusty even if I scrubbed them daily.  The sweep, dry swiffer, wet swiffer routine got old very fast and we invested in a vacuum.  I LOVE having a vacuum.  We have the shark navigator, which I'd highly recommend for both wood floors and carpet.  

4. Sally Hansen Maximum Growth plus quick dry top coat.  What a name! (You'd think they could come up with something easier.)  I put this on top of every self-given manicure and pedicure.  Dries fast and keeps the color looking good for at least week.  (It also makes it difficult for me to pick off the nail polish... a habit I'm trying to kick!)  It also prevents my nails from breaking so easily.  A small and unnecessary thing, but hey... it's something I love to have around. 

5. Mary Kay face wash and moisturizer.  I am not one to spend a ton of money on cosmetics, hair product, etc...  But, I recently was hooked on to using Mary Kay Time Wise facial cleanser and moisturizer.  Background - I attempted selling Mary Kay in high school (big mistake for a high school student) and loved using velocity.  But, I was poor and it's not cheap so when I ran out, I just started buying stuff at Walmart.  No shame in that.  Recently, I've been so irritated by the dry skin on my forehead and around my nose.  A friend's sister gave me a great deal to just try Mary Kay and I LOVE it.  Clearly, I'm a walking advertisement.  Worth the investment, especially if you have sensitive skin.  The girl I bought mine from is sweet, accomodating, and flexible.  She gave me a great price and delivered the stuff to my house before I even wrote her a check :)  She has also shipped things to me in the mail, for those of you who are not in the Chicago area.  E-mail me [reneecook3@gmail.com] for her contact info.

6. Affordable, yet amazing camera.  My dad works for Canon, so the brand was a no-brainer (although, I have to say, Nikon makes a great camera).  This camera was a Christmas gift for my sweet husband and I, and my parents got a great deal on the price at Best Buy (it was even cheaper than the Canon company discount).  Mom and Dad have the digital EOS rebel (one of the professional line cameras) and the picture quality on ours is comparable... of course, I am no professional photographer.  The reaction time is quick.  It has all sorts of different settings (with explanations for newbies) and it has a 12x regular zoom!  (The digital zoom goes even farther, although it tends to get blurry at that point.)  Most small digital cameras have only a 4x or 5x zoom.  I highly recommend this camera to anyone in the market :)

7.  This recipes website is a great source for new recipes of any kind.  Everything I've tried from here is tasty.  Plus, you can keep your recipes in a digital file on their website (a pretty common feature on recipe websites) and use a menu planner to help consolidate ingredients you buy at the grocery store.  Handy if you're on a budget!

8. Speaking of budget, everyone in the world should read Financial Peace and follow Dave Ramsey's plan for getting out of debt (including student loans and mortgages), staying out of debt, purchasing items with cash, and sticking to a budget.  If you take only his budget advance, you will be a happy camper :)  Check out his website!  The website has lots of free articles, tools for budgeting, and more...  enjoy! 

9.  Universal remote.  Ours was $10 at target.  Why have separate remotes for the tv, dvd, wii, stereo, and cable when you could just have 1?  I was at my parents' house this weekend and my mom and I were trying to watch a movie.  They have multiple remotes (tsk tsk tsk) and the dvd remote is so small, she was operating it upside down and had no idea.  Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why anyone has more than 1 remote control...

10.  Standing kitchenaid mixer.  Mine is 5-quart and light yellow! They have a large variety of sizes and colors... the bottom line is I have a coffee cake recipe that calls for you to mix the batter for 25-30 minutes.  With a standing mixer, I could go for a run while it's mixing.  (Haha that was a ridiculous example - I have never gone for a run while the batter was mixing, but you get the point...)  My college roommate snagged hers at a garage sale for less than $50.00.  Keep your eye out for one this summer, otherwise, make the investment - totally worth it!

Do I have more favorites? Yep!  but this list is long enough.... what are some of your favorites?