I have strange habits: When I miss my Mom I bleach the kitchen sink and bathroom. The smell reminds me of my mom. As much as I hate the smell. My mom has this thing for bleach so every time I smell it I think of being at home and her cleaning. It is interesting the amount of things I do just like her. We are quite different personality wise but the nurture part still imparted quite a few traits and ways of doing things. Tonight Andrew is out helping someone and I have a cold so I am staying in cleaning. What a way to pass an evening. I am starting to sound like my Mom and act like her. I also keep on sneaking peaks at the wedding pictures! Ahhh goood memories. It was an AMAZING day. I am so thankful for all the people who came and showed their love and support. I am so thankful for the gift of marriage. It is truly amazing. I am getting to know my husband's heart better. It is interesting how marriage changes things. Subtly in some ways and drastically in others. I admire him very much and he is such an encouragement to me in the Lord. He is a blessing. He has strengths where I have weaknesses and that is in itself is a help in growing. One of my favorite things about being married is the companionship aspect--being best friends and being able to give grace and encouragement to each other. We laugh a lot. Maybe it is our personalities or maybe it is just my silliness coming out but I am so thankful we don't take ourselves too seriously. Although I must say when I am sick...I don't take jokes quite as well. For some reason I keep on getting sick over and over again. I haven't been on this many antibiotics and pain killers the past few months ever before. I don't know if maybe I am just getting adjusted to Kansas germs or what. But it is wonderful to have Andrew to make me rest...even when I do not want to. God must have known we needed each other.    

And so it comes...the last Saturday before the wedding. This afternoon Andrew packs his bags. Right now he's changing the oil on my car.  Symbolic of the transfer coming soon: what use to be my Dad's domain is now becoming Andrew's.

We've been reading through the Psalms we're on Psalm 32. Over and over again I keep seeing the theme of dependance upon God. I am learning this afresh in the new roles I am falling into. Devoting my time and energy to priorities and learning what those are as a homemaker is a new undertaking. One that hopefully I am somewhat prepared to undertake due to the mentoring God has granted me the past few years from wise women. Now if I can apply those things! I am seeing how dependant I really am on God's grace to do things in His power and His way.

When we are abandoned to God, He works through us all the time. 

The thing that tells in the long run for God and for men is the steady persevering work in the unseen, and the only way to keep the life uncrushed is to live looking to God.

Our Lord's words come home most when He talks in the most simple way. . .Many today are spending and being spent in work for Jesus Christ, but they do not walk with Him. . .Live a natural life of absolute dependence on Jesus Christ. 

-Oswald Chambers

Workers, here is your first lesson, study only one thing to become nothing, learn to be helpless. We must be absolutely dependant. Absolute dependance upon God is the secret to all power in work. The branch has nothing but what it gets from the vine, and you and I can have nothing except what we get from Jesus. We need to have absolute dependance on Him in every moment of every day.

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I made 2 of my favorite recipes yesterday. Pumpkin muffins and poppyseed bread I also made a complete mess and decorated myself with batter and oatmeal. But it was a lot of fun and occupied my afternoon quite happily. Here is the recipe for anyone who is a fan of moist chocolaty pumkin muffins! Oh and they are wheat free...But you could make them with wheat if you preferred but you would lose some of the moistness and nutty flavor the oats offer.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

3C. oat flour {grind oatmeal in a food processor or coffee grinder}

1 t. salt

1-1/2 C. raw sugar or brown sugar

2 t. baking soda

2-1/2 C. canned pumpkin

1/2 cup olive oil

4 eggs beaten

3 t. pumpkin pie spice

2 t. cinnamon

1 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 and bake for about an hour, sprinkle with toasted coconut [adds crunch and a nice color contrast.]

Notice the dancing squirrel. :)

is it thursday already?

 I am hoping to bake today. I am wheat intolerant and so I am hoping to try some of the recipes from Gluten Free Girl. Her blog is fascinating.

{{ http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/ }}

I like her recipes...I want to try the Lemon Olive Oil Cookies...Sound so unique. I am hoping to also make a millet-rice chocolate coconut muffin. I love baking for my fiance.

8 days and he will be my husband! Crazy! 

[[I am getting excited about going to Sanibel Island soon...a warm gulf coast island sounds amazing...I am ready for some warm weather!]]

 Oh and I MISS Rascal...