list

Things we are thankful for...

-salvation
-marriage
-church (covlife and covfel)
-care group
-the bible
-family (all of them)
-friends (all)
-apartment
-jeep
-job, overtime
-new table
-sleep, food (jer's addition)
-internet(keep in touch)
-friendly neighborhood library
-redbox
-contacts
-the local giant
-fossil purse
-coupons
-living across from:the mall, the movies, chick-fil-a, 5 guys, arby's, cheesecake factory, pfchangs, starbucks, etc.
-new babies! (mj cohee, no-name loftness, and soon to be mason davis)
-good books
-road trips
-weddings! (parris & moraga)
-texting and facebook and blogs
-yummy food on thanksgiving day, we are eagerly anticipating this
-having a gym to become buff in
-little cousin football games
-good magazines
-itunes and ipods
-dr.pepper
-coffee (jer says dunkin donuts coffee)
-memories
-new soup pot and hand blender
-good parking spots
-puma socks
-vest buddies
-free christmas cards
-old fashioned mail
-parties

Post a list on your blog, we all have much to be thankful for.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift if from above, comind down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:17

J.C.Ryle Quote

Our Care Group went through J.C.Ryle's Urgent Appeal to Search the Scriptures "How Readest Thou?", which I would highly recommend. It was a great tool for examining our view of God's word and helping us to see areas we need to grow. Often I feel with my quiet times as if I am on a roller coaster. There will be days and weeks of rich times with the Lord, and then times where I feel as if I am just going through the motions. This quote really encouraged me to just be faithful. "The greatest effects are by no means those which make the most noise, and are most easily observed. The greatest affects are often silent, quiet, and hard to detect at the time they are being produced...There may be far more doing than you think in your soul by your Bible reading".

Soup

It is starting to get a little colder each day, which means it is time for soup! I have warned husband that this season I am going to adventure to make lots of different types of soups and hopefully freeze some to keep on hand. I think it is much more fun to make soups that are old family recipes or at least ones people have tried before. I am planning on trying to invent my own soup...we shall see how that works out. But I figure most soups have similar basis ingredients, so how hard could it be?! Below are my list of soups I would like to try, comment or email me your recipe so I can get cooking. :)

Ideas: potato, chicken noodle, cauliflower, broccoli and cheddar, chili, tortellini, italian wedding,french onion, corn chowder, egg drop, tomato, tortilla, wonton, etc.

Here is one I found online that I think sounds yummy.

Loaded Potato Soup
4 slices bacon, cooked til crisp reserving 1 Tbsp fat
1 small onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves (adjust to your taste-I love garlic!), minced
6 large potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon basil
salt & pepper to taste
green onion, sliced thinly (I didn't have green onion so for some green color I used some fresh parsley)
shredded cheese (I used Colby)
2 cups half and half
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3 Tablespoons flour

In large saucepan saute onion and garlic in reserved bacon fat. Add potatoes, chicken broth and basil to pan and simmer until potatoes are tender. Using potato masher, slightly mash potatoes.

Mix flour with half and half and hot sauce, then stir into potato mixture. Cook until slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve soup topped with crumbled bacon pieces, shredded cheese and green onion.

free chili

I think the California Tortilla people should get a shout out today. I am pretty sure that they might be my most favorite newsletter I have ever signed up for. They make me laugh every time. Here is a portion of todays email.

That's right - on Thursday, November 19th, every California Tortilla in the land will be giving you a 4 oz. sample of free darn tasty turkey chili with any purchase. And not only that, we're also giving you a coupon for a FREE 8 oz. bowl of chili that's good for 2 weeks. (The coupon, not the chili. Do not eat 2 week old chili.) And if it's anything like our chili promotions in the past, 8 bazillion people will write to say it's so delicious we should consider putting it on our menu. It's been on our menu for 14 years. How bad is our chili signage?

So come on in on the 19th for some of the best chili you've ever had. It's free and it's fabulous. What's not to love about this promotion? (Other than the fact that we're not making you gobble to get it like we usually do.)

Fee Concert

Covlife is having a concert. Below is the link for the info. You should all come so I can hang out with you.

http://www.covlife.org/fee2/11449/

giver of every breath I breathe
author of all eternity
giver of every perfect thing
to you be the glory
(All Because of Jesus by Fee)

hello people.

We are in our new apartment, and loving it! It is just such a favorite of mine to now have four burners, an oven and a dishwasher!! We are still settling in, everything doesn't have a place yet, but it is getting there. We heart our green wall, it is not neon green like our old kitchen, but it isn't a sage green either, more like a guacamole green. On the day we moved in there were little presents left for us by the Buzzuto company that owns the apartments, and I love little presents. There was basic stuff like a new sponge, dish soap, toilet paper, paper towels and snacks. But the best one of all was this handy little hammer. Now to the untrained eye it was just a hammer, but to our friend Ed it was a multi-use tool, that opened up into like 6 different tools. Good thing he was there that day, we would have just thought it an ordinary hammer.

Jeremy can now bring his cruiser home the nights he is working, which is just amazing. Last night he was even able to stop home to have "dinner" (if you would call it that at 10pm). At one point I was even able to see him run lights and sirens from my living room window. I was thanking the Lord the other day while driving that his plan is always perfect, and he has us just where he designed us to be.

And in other news, I just received a call that our table and chairs are being delivered today!!!

Jer and I went to check out the library down the street yesterday and were very impressed. It is like getting a whole new movie collection. The nice library lady told us they were known for their dvd collection, boy was she right. Then we found out I didn't even need to get a new card, they now have the library cards that work for all of Maryland. Pretty sweet. Jer and I decided to each pick a book off of the "classics" shelves. He is going to reread Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett and I will be reading The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers.

Our first night we went to one Giant, and Jer became friends with the deli boy. Who after chatting with us a while, printed out the receipt and then added two more ounces of cheese on. Which of course Jer missed and I took note of, because those are the things I heart in life. Though don't tell because we don't want to get coughalonzocough in trouble. The best part is Jer called him by his first name and he was a little startled that Jer knew it, but then Jer graciously reminded the guy that he was wearing a name tag. :) But the next night I checked out a different Giant, and decided it was much nicer and will be my grocery store. Sorry Alonzo.

I will do a photo update soon, but for now I have to go wake up husband so we can go to his cousins' football game.

contentment

I am currently reading The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs. In it is one of the best definitions I have found of christian contentment.

Christian Contentment: is the inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, freely submitting to and taking pleasure in God's disposal in every condition. (p.40)

Praying that this year I would grow in this area and have a steadfast, quiet, submission to the Lord. Not just verbally, but in my heart and thoughts.