Brown Sugar Toast adding sweetness to the mundane

Time 2020-10-08 23:09:48

Web Name: Brown Sugar Toast adding sweetness to the mundane

WebSite: http://brownsugartoast.com

ID:75210

Keywords:

Toast,adding,Brown,

Description:

Oh fall, beautiful fall! I have held off on calling you my favorite season, because I don t want to make summer feel left out, and I truly do love you both. But since summer is gone and out of earshot, I ll just come out and say it:fall, you truly are my favorite season.Here in New Hampshire, the leaves are beginning to burst with color, the temperature is dropping, and the smell of fall is in the air. I love to help my home reflect the changing seasons in small ways. Here are 5 things I m doing to help my home reflect the fall loveliness outside 5 Easy Ways to Make Your Home Feel Like Fall:1. Put Coziness on DisplayLast Christmas, my husband bought me the most deliciously soft blanket and it has been in high demand ever since. Since nights and mornings have been quite chilly and there s nothing quite like wrapping yourself up in a thick, soft blanket to up the cozy factor, I love to put my cozy things on display. A throw at the end of the couch, blankets piled in a basket, and my faux sheepskin draped on the back of a chair. You probably already have a lot of cozy things around, and it would make it even easier to cuddle in that blanket if it s in a nearby basket instead of the linen closet. (Bonus: no folding required. Call it casual coziness and we all win.)2. Bring the Outside InsideRight now, the leaves are lovely outside, so I could bring a branch and put it on display. However, one of my favorite things to clip and bring inside is goldenrod. At this very moment, I have a sprig of goldenrod in a jar of water on my desk. (The jar happens to be recycled from this cocoa almond spread from Trader Joe s, but that s really beside the point.) The point is that it s a fall plant I brought inside. And to the tune of zero dollars, I now have fresh fall nature in my home. This fall, Nester has been encouraging me to get out and bring the outside in, and I have been obeying her with fantastic results.3. Bake Something ScrumptiousRaise your hand if you ve already baked something pumpkin-y. My hand is raised. This is an easy way to make your home feel like fall, and it s a double winner. Your home will smell amazing, the baked goods will look lovely, and you get to feed your family! I recently discovered Pumpkin Bread Mix from Trader Joe s and now I m wondering why I was such a snob about making bread from scratch? I still plan to make some things from scratch because hello pumpkin cream cheese muffins and pumpkin dinner rolls. (Find more of my favorite fall recipes here.)4. Light a Candle (or 3)I tend to be a candle saver. As in, I save the candles forever and never light them. But this fall, I ve been lighting my candles (imagine the thought!) and I cannot tell you how much instant coziness they add to a room! The flickering light of a candle is an easy way to add warmth to a room. I have quite a few unscented candles, which is nice because they look lovely without competing for which scent can be the strongest and simultaneously giving me a headache.5. Make the Normal Things LovelyWhat are the normal things , you ask? The things you use in the normalcy of life. Things like hand soap or dish towels. You can even draw small orange pumpkins on your toilet paper, just to add a touch of fall in the bathroom. Teehee. Kidding, totally kidding.For real, though, a favorite way to bring fall to my home is to use a fall kitchen towel and lovely scented soaps. A friend gave me a kitchen towel with leaves and pumpkins on it that I use with delight every fall. And there s just something nice about washing your hands and dishes with something that smells of cider and spice. These soaps from Grove have the most delightful names: Pumpkin Spice, Apple Cider, and Acorn Spice. And bonus: using yummy scented soaps will make you feel like baking, which will only serve to make your home feel even more like fall.If you like to stay in your cozy home and have lovely things delivered to your door, right now you can get a free Mrs. Meyer s gift set from Grove when you make your first order! (This is the #1 way I have acquired so many yummy smelling soaps and sprays.)There you have it. 5 easy ways to make your home feel like fall.Maybe you re already doing these? What would you add? Every year, I like to pick out my favorite reads from the past 365 days. Some years yield pretty slim pickings (8 favorites in 2018; 5 favorites in 2017). Other years (like this one), I look back through my list of books read and keep thinking, Oh, I loved that one! I m not sure how many books I read this year as I (once again, surprise, surprise!) didn t keep track of them very well. I had high hopes of using Goodreads to track them, but I kept forgetting to put my books in there. I ll try again in 2020.Because I like to keep you in suspense, I m saving my favorite for last. Of course, you could always just scroll down.My 12 Favorite Books from 2019Tony Reinke does it again and makes my technological-loving mind take a second look at how technology is affecting my heart. Competing Spectacles is a good read for anyone who uses computers, phones, or televisions. Okay, that s everyone.Educated is a hard book to read. And I don t think everyone should read it. I discussed this book with my local book club and the themes we talked about ranged from physical and emotional abuse to homeschooling to how much the government should get involved in dysfunctional families. A difficult read, but a fascinating one to discuss with people in your city.Quiet was another book club read. I struggled with it at first because I kept trying to figure out the author s agenda and I wasn t sure if I agreed with it. But in the end, I found it a helpful read, especially the last part which talks about children s different needs based on their varying personalities. That chapter has been helpful in my parenting journey. I also appreciated reading that other people sometimes hide in the bathroom to avoid socializing. I thought I was the only one. Hashtag solidarity.I read Decision Points because my husband told me I would like it. It was fascinating to read some of the behind-the-scenes details from different decisions (9/11, Hurricane Katrina, re-election, etc.) and really opened my eyes to media bias.I fully realize that many people who read Decision Points by Bush would never read Becoming by Obama (and vice versa). But I contend that they re perfect to read together. Both books will help you think about the agendas behind the news sources. Also, if you think your spouse has a difficult job, read Becoming and you will find yourself re-thinking that theory. I ended this book feeling grateful that my husband has no desire to be the president.This book! Definitely on my top 5 from 2019! Thought-provoking, Biblical, and convicting. This book will make you re-think whether your treasure is in heaven or on earth. I listened to it last month, but I just ordered a print version so that Jonathan and I can read it together this year.Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy takes a realistic look at the painfulness in life and a faith-filled view of the goodness and mercy of God. If you find yourself questioning God s goodness because of a difficult season in your life, read this book and learn how to lament in a way that will bring you closer to Jesus. I ve gifted this book several times since reading it, so I think my money speaks louder than my words.Oh, A Wrinkle in Time was such a gripping read for me! A juvenile fiction book, this was one I looked forward to diving into before I drifted off to sleep each night. As my reading typically tends to fall in the non-fiction genre, this was a pleasant change.Gay Girl, Good God is the testimony of a lesbian who was brought to life by the grace and power of Jesus Christ. An encouraging read and one that will prod you to think and act with love to those around you who look or act differently than you. IThe ladies at my church read and discussed Side by Side together this year and it was such a fruitful time. How can you exercise humility, openness, and wisdom in relationships with people at your church? This book will walk you through both how and why we should walk with others in wisdom and love. Sweep is a juvenile fiction read that I just really enjoyed. Weighty themes of loss, love, and justice. I felt slightly silly when I cried through parts of this book that has the word monster in the subtitle, but I think you ll understand why if you read it.MY FAVORITE. I have recommended Conscience so many times to my real-life friends over the past 12 months. It s come up as we ve talked about different standards and how to deny ourselves, live for Christ, and respond in love to those around us. If you struggle to reconcile different things Christians do, this book will help you understand the matter of conscience and what you should do about it.As you consider your book list for 2020, might I encourage you to add this one to the list? I kinda think you ll love it.Related:8 Favorite Books of 20185 Favorite Books of 2017Just wait—it only gets worse.It s a statement I ve heard many times. I first remember hearing it when I became engaged. Always spoken by an unhappily married person, the comment usually went something like this: You re happy now, but give it a year or two. It only gets worse. The comment became much more frequent, however, when I became pregnant with my first child (then my second, third, and fourth). People from church and my community all shared this statement with me. Most recently, my family and I were out in our community when an older couple asked me if all those kids were mine. I replied that yes, they were, and they were a blessing. She shot back, Call me when they re teenagers and then see how much of a blessing they ll be! I suppose an optimistic person might counter this statement with a positive thought, something along the lines of every cloud has a silver lining or there s always a rainbow in every storm. But what about when things do actually get worse? How do you have hope in hopeless times?Hope for Hopeless TimesThe Biblical definition of hope blows the it only gets worse perspective out of the water. Here s the secret:For the Christian, things will ultimately only get better.The word ultimately is important here, because the Bible doesn t promise that once you become a Christian, your life becomes easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. Instead, it promises suffering for every child of God. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him (Romans 8:16-17).But suffering isn t the end of the story.It s true that your parenting journey might get worse.Your marriage may turn sour or dissolve.And you will most certainly have health struggles as you age.But that s not the end of the story. For every believer in Jesus Christ, God has written a story that contains suffering but doesn t culminate in suffering. Rather, it ends in glory! The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18).The end of the story is not what we write, but what God has written. As a result, we can have hope now. We do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). The hope that God gives believers is a hope that will most assuredly be fulfilled, never disappointed.How can I have hope today?Let s make this practical. How can you have hope in your life today?Hope in ParentingBecause Jesus is alive, I have hope in my parenting today. My hope is not that my children will grow up to love and live for Christ; although I desperately pray to that end. Rather, my hope is that God is able to work through me to accomplish his work in my children.Hope in MarriageBecause Jesus is alive, I have hope as I relate to my spouse today. My hope is not that he will love me like I want to be loved or lead me like I want to be led. Instead, I hope in God who is able to work in and through my marriage to make me more like Jesus and lead me to closer fellowship with him.Hope in RelationshipsBecause Jesus is alive, I have hope in my relationships today. My hope is not that my friends and acquaintances will serve me and meet my relational needs. Instead, it s anchored in the truth that God uses all disappointments and hurts to remind me that there is only one friend who has given his life for mine. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers (1 John 3:16). Only this perfect friend can meet the needs of my heart.Hope in SufferingsAnd perhaps my favorite one of all: Because Jesus is alive, I have hope in my sufferings today. My hope is not that God will remove my sufferings, although he may choose to do that. My hope is not even that he will use them for some great worldwide evangelism project, although he could choose to do that too.My hope is that he never lets any part of my suffering go to waste. (Related: Nothing is Wasted) Instead, he works through my suffering to produce endurance, character, and hope in my life. We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:3-5).Remind your soul of the truthWhen you are tempted to believe the lie that it will only get worse, remind your soul of the truth of God s Word: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).May we fix our eyes on this God who gives us a hope that cannot be shaken. I don t need to know theology because I’m just a stay-at-home Mom. I used to think theology was just for pastors or wannabe pastors. Only boring people who take delight in ridiculously thick and heavy books study theology.Me? Well sure, I read the Bible. But I m not a seminarian or theologian, so I don t need to concern myself with understanding difficult doctrines or nitty-gritty aspects of Christianity.What is theology?Before we conclude we don t need to know theology, let s make sure we have a correct understanding of the word.Merriam-Webster defines theology as the study of religious faith, practice, and experience. especially: the study of God and of God s relation to the world. Simply put, theology is the study of God. And your theology is what you think about God. Why does it matter?What you think about God matters because it influences your every thought, word, and action. Your theology determines the way you talk with your kids, respond to your husband, and spend your time.In short, your theology determines the way you process and respond to everything in life. Whether you ‘think’ theologically or not, you are ‘doing’ theology every dayin the decisions you make, the words you speak, the feelings you have, and the attitudes you nurture in your heart. All of these responses are rooted in your perspective on the nature of God, yourself, your relationships, and the world around you. [ ]The question is not whether you are a theologian, but what kind of theologian you are! —Relationships by Timothy Lane and Paul TrippWhy Should a Mom Study Theology?As a Mom, you have the opportunity and responsibility to be an influence in your child s life. Some of you are the primary influence in your child s life. You teach him what to believe about God by your words, emotions, and actions. And his belief about God affects the way he views himself, thinks about the world, and interacts with others.So, what do you believe about God? And how is your theology (whether right or wrong) influencing your children? If we don t care about the doctrines that make Jesus Christ different from any other god, why should our children? If we dismiss theology and other Christian doctrines as irrelevant, why would we expect our children s attitude to be any better?As believing Moms, we are training up the next generation of Christians. Our children may never attend seminary, but by God s grace, they can learn all about God and his Word when we take time to learn it ourselves and diligently, carefully teach them.So How Can I Learn Theology?If you re anything like me, you may not gravitate towards the large tomes sitting in the library. My husband enjoys those, and I love him for it. But—as juvenile as it sounds—I like pictures in my books. Yes, I do read a hefty amount of books every year (Related: My 8 favorite books of 2018), but it s not out of the sheer enjoyment of reading but because I know there are things I need to learn.So how does someone like me learn theology? How does someone who has the desire (but maybe not a ton of time, brain space, or training) learn theology?1. Read your Bible.Does that sound small? It s really not.The purpose of learning more about the Christian faith is so we as believers can become more like Jesus. You can t do that unless you have God s Word dwelling richly in your heart and mind, permeating your thoughts until it overflows into your words and actions. So read God s Word. Study it. Come with a curious mind and ask questions of the text instead of assuming you know what it means because maybe you ve heard that passage since you were a child (#guilty). I regularly use this study Bible and the free Blue Letter Bible app (commentaries! definitions of Greek words! cross-references!) to enrich and deepen my study of the Word.If you want more guidance in Bible study, check out this book and the Dwelling Richly series for practical encouragement!2. Ask God for help.If you want to know more about God, you can ask him to teach you! It s a prayer that can be as simple as, God, I want to know you better. Please give me a diligent spirit, an understanding mind, and a heart of faith as I try to learn more about you, your ways, and your Word. God wants us to know him even more than we want it.3. Fire up that mind and start studying.You could enroll in a seminary class to learn theology, and if you do, I cheer you on! But don t discount the immense benefit of small daily study that happens over the period of weeks and months. This sort of regular study has been extremely beneficial in my personal life and my role as a parent.Here are three ways non-seminarians can study theology:Memorize CatechismsI started working with my kids on memorizing catechisms when they entered kindergarten and I promise you, I needed to learn it as much as (or maybe more than) they did! We have used this book, but I ve heard amazing things about this one (it even has a devotional book and songs to make learning easier!)ListenTwo weeks ago, I started listening to a series on systematic theology by Wayne Grudem. He teaches in a lecture setting, so you can sometimes hear back and forth between the students and the teacher. I enjoy hearing people interact with him because it makes the lessons even more practical for me. I encourage you to start with this one entitled Introduction to Systematic Theology. You can access all of the lessons here.Here are two books I ve been dabbling in lately:Christian Beliefs is a fairly short book (160 pages) that is easy to read and understand. I even brought it out and read a chapter to my kids during a fairly heated discussion among them about what exactly heaven was like. I m not going to say it was extremely riveting to them (keep in mind their ages: 2, 5, 7, 9), but it was helpful and instructional. If this is your first foray into theological reading, this book is a good option for you.Systematic Theology is like the big daddy version of Christian Beliefs. It clocks in at 1,264 pages and is so heavy it could double as an excellent doorstopper when you aren t reading it. No disrespect meant there, as this is the book my husband and I have read out loud to each other during some of our date nights. It is more intense than the one above, but still understandable for a non-seminarian like myself. So if you finish Christian Beliefs and are looking for a more intense, detailed book, then check it out here.I haven t read Wendy Alsup s book, Practical Theology for Women, but I loved her interview here and have heard fabulous reviews of her book, so I m sure that would be an excellent resource too!How is your theology evidencing itself in front of your children?May God give us a desire to diligently study his Word so that we will be equipped as we train up the next generation for his glory.This post is part of the Lies Moms Believe series.To read all the posts in this series, click here! I Can t Be Honest about My Faults. written by Abbey Wedgeworth You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;a broken and contrite heartyou, God, will not despise. —Psalm 51:16-17 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?Or am I trying to please people?If I were still trying to please people,I would not be a servant of Christ. —Galatians 1:10“If you mess up, play it off. These kids can sniff out weakness with the best of them, and they’ll eat you alive. They’ll never respect you.”With that, my new boss at the afterschool program for under-resourced families turned the handle to enter the pre-teen room. I stepped in and lifted my eyes to meet the stares of a group of 11 and 12 year olds, dressed in pimples, school uniforms, and ear-muff style headphones. They were clustered in corners and lounging on bean bags. But the statement ringing in my ears made them seem more like lions ready to pounce on wounded prey.Her counsel resonated with me. My experience growing up conditioned me to think of exposing weakness sort of like handing someone the blunt end of a dagger, leaving myself vulnerable to the blade of my confession. To admit fault was to hand over a weapon to fight your credibility—to wound or dismiss you. And so I concealed my faults with an air of pride and competence. This attitude followed me into motherhood.I want my children to think that I’m perfect. I don’t want them to see my faults. I fear that they’ll think of me as unreliable or untrustworthy because of my many failings. I want them to respect me. I want them to one day say “My mom was the strongest, most capable person I’ve ever known. She raised us with consistency and an even temper. She walked what she talked.”But I worry that one day they ll be sitting on a therapist s couch, tracing all their problems back to me saying, “My mother had no idea what she was doing. She was a complete hypocrite. Weak and inconsistent.” I am weak and often have no idea what I’m doing. I am dreadfully inconsistent and the hormonal surges and lack of sleep that accompany the little years have exposed an aptitude for moodiness in me I didn’t know I possessed. I want to be able to say with Paul, “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” But so often I feel as if more appropriate words to say to my kids would be “Do as I say, not as I do.” And I hate that.  Read more Built with Make. Your friendly WordPress page builder theme.

TAGS:Toast adding Brown 

<<< Thank you for your visit >>>

Hot Websites