with Words and Lattes

A Quiet Heart

2011-12-13T15:29:00.000-06:00

Here I am, returning for yet another attempt at keeping this blog. I have realized that in order for me to keep up with this blog, I'm going to need to be intentional with it. No need to go into a long, dramatic, monologue of "I promise to do this, and I'm going to try to do this, and I will do this and this and this and it's going to stick this time", because knowing myself, there's a good chance it won't stick. However, I would love to be intentional with it and see how it goes. So I'm going to leave it at that!

One of my favorite theologians is Charles Spurgeon. And a dear friend of mine sent me a link to a daily little devotional called Faith's Check Book. Spurgeon had an amazing way with words...and spoke the truth and grace of God so beautifully. I love yesterday's entry on having a quiet heart. I struggle with fear, which encompasses anxiety, worry, control, and other things. In a world full of distraction, especially with technology, I find that it's difficult for me to just be still....be quiet...to listen. I love this verse & Spurgeon's words of truth:

"In quietness and in trust shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15 ESV)

"It is always weakness to be fretting and worrying, questioning and mis-trusting. What can we do if we wear ourselves to skin and bone? Can we gain anything by fearing and fuming? Do we not unfit ourselves for action and unhinge our minds for wise decision? We are sinking by our struggles when we might float by faith.

Oh, for grace to be quiet! Why run from house to house to repeat the weary story which makes us more and more heart-sick as we tell it? Why even stay at home to cry out in agony because of wretched forebodings which may never be fulfilled? It would be well to keep a quiet tongue, but it would be far better if we had a quiet heart. Oh, to be still and know that Jehovah is God!

Oh, for grace to be confident in God! The holy One of Israel must defend and deliver His own. He cannot run back from His solemn declarations. We may make sure that every word of His will stand though the mountains should depart. He deserves to be confided in; and if we would display confidence and consequent quietness, we might be as happy as the spirits before the throne.

Come, my soul, return unto thy rest, and lean thy head upon the bosom of the Lord Jesus."

I recently came across old journals from when I was in college. At the time, I was taking classes full-time, working part-time, and newly married. I was young and was so weary in my walk with Christ. I felt as if every entry was the same thing. The same worries. The same anxieties over things I could not control. Depression. I was fearing and fuming over and over and over again. I did not know what it meant to rest. To be still. To rest in the Lord's goodness. To rest in His abounding grace and mercy that He richly bestows up on me daily and freely gives to me by nothing I've done. I was faithless and sinking by my struggles. Over the last several years through different seasons of life, the Lord has graciously revealed to me my lack of faith. He has shown me that through the good times, and the not so good times, all is grace. There is hope in Christ. Through the struggles, I can know in my heart, that the Lord is working for my good. And it's all for His glory. I still struggle, because my flesh still wants that control. I am quick to forget all that I am and all that I have in Christ. I must pick up my cross daily. I pray for the grace to be quiet. To be still. To trust. To rest.

{All is Grace}

Re-decorating

2010-07-24T14:47:00.002-05:00

And a happy Saturday to you!

So, my background image disappeared (sad.) So I'm in the middle of getting a new look. So if you see funky colors and stuff that just doesn't look quite right, that's because I'm playing around :)

Hope you're having a fabtastic weekend!

*love*

Treasuring Time

2010-07-16T15:39:00.004-05:00

hello world!

I don't like being away from blogging for so long. It's almost been a year for this blog, and over a year for my card design blog!

Sad times indeed.

I have difficulty prioritizing my time. When life feels hectic and overwhelming, often times the first things to go out the window for me are my creative outlets: blogging, crafting, photography, etc. I find so much joy in those things because those are things that I am passionate about. They are gifts that God has blessed me with. I desire to grow in those areas and not let them go to waste.

I am an avid blog reader, and a lot of the women behind the blogs I read are busy moms, many stay-at-home moms. I always wonder, "How in the world do they find the time to blog (multiple times a week, I might add!), do crafts, etc??". Sure, I work full time, but my goodness if these women can find the time to blog and do crafty things, surely I can find time in my week to do the things that I love. I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

If I were to write down each day of the past week, and were to document what I did during the course of the day and evening, I bet you anything that there would be a lot of wasted time spent.

Honesty time: when feeling tired or exhausted, it is all too easy for me to just veg on the couch and catch up on shows or watch movies. My mind is able to just escape from everything for a couple hours (or more). And for what? I missed out on doing so many things that I often complain about not having enough time to do them in. This would include things like: quiet time with the Lord, exercise, card making, blogging, reading (don't even get me started on the long list of books I want to read....), baking, etc. Don't get me wrong, I think watching TV and movies is OK, but I think it needs to be done in moderation. There are way too many other things to do in life than to sit and watch the tube.

I want to live life.

My plan is to blog at least once a week (to start). I still haven't figured out my vision or purpose for this blog, but I will be thinking and praying about how the Lord wants me to use it.

"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you." Psalm 37:5

*love*

A few thoughts (my daybook)

2009-09-28T22:49:00.004-05:00

photo courtesy of basykes

Outside my window...a beautiful fall evening…oh how I’m loving the cooler and dryer weather.

I am thinking...how much I miss card making…it’s been a little too long of a hiatus. I think I shall start on Christmas cards soon! :)

I am thankful for...the nice walk/run that I had this evening, soaking in the autumn air.

I am wearing...black (of course) comfy pants, a tank top, and comfy slippers!

I am remembering...that I need to ship something to my mom tomorrow…hmm…

I am going...to go do my quiet time in a bit…it’s been awhile

I am reading...Tim Keller’s Prodigal God – excellent and eye opening for sure – I’ll have to write about that one at a later time…

I am hoping...to package the batch of black beans I soaked and cooked so that I can freeze it before I get to bed tonight

On my mind...I really need to go to bed earlier

Noticing that...there’s a lot I have to be thankful for in my life

Pondering these words...allow me to do my quiet time, and I’ll get back with you :)

From the kitchen...thinking about making taco salad for dinner tomorrow night with the grass fed beef I bought on sale and the organic black beans that I soaked and cooked last night!

Around the house...I’m enjoying the fall décor that I have put out and arranged. I’m resisting the temptation to run out to Hobby Lobby or Joann’s for a couple more fall items…I just love how homey and tranquil my house feels…makes me want to make pumpkin cookies!

One of my favorite things today…having a few accomplishments at work during this hectic time of the year.

*love*

....and where did the Springtime go??

2009-07-02T11:20:00.007-05:00

Photo courtesy of lepiaf.geo

It's summer time and it is way too hot! I was born and raised in Texas and I still can't get used to the summers here. I was in Hobby Lobby the other day and walked by their seasonal items, and they already have fall and christmas stuff out! I guess I shouldn't be surprised by that anymore. Even though I think retail stores could wait just a TAD bit longer to put all the fall stuff out, not to mention CHRISTMAS stuff, it just reminded me of the season I get to look forward to. Fall is probably my favorite time of year, so looking at all the wall decor and pumpkins, etc...I could just taste it! But alas, we must get through summer first...

This summer has been great so far. First off, I got a full time position in the same department I've been working in for 5+ years, which I'm very happy and thankful for. I started that June 1. It is helping us out financially, and I'm so thankful for God's goodness and faithfulness throughout all of this. So, I've been adjusting to working full-time and re-prioritizing things at home. Things are getting better though :)

June 12 - 20 was a VERY busy time because all of my family was in town. We had a Noack (my dad's side) family reunion the 14-15 and it was a blast. We had it at Lynn Creek Park over at Joe Pool Lake. It was warm (and crazy crowded!) the first evening, but on 15th there wern't many people there, and it was crazy windy! It made the outdoors bearable but made eating a little bit of a challenge :P It was a fun day of catching up with family, launching balloons all day long with an awesome water balloon launcher my bro-in-law made, and playing games like aggravation (a family favorite!). The rest of the week was a lot of fun hanging out with all my siblings and their families. It's a blast when all 5 of us siblings are toghether and I always cherish those times because it doesn't happen often. Usually only once a year! The next that we'll all be together (hopefully!) will be next summer out in Estes Park, CO!! We're getting a huge cabin and I am very excited about that :)

The rest of June was busy in general -- working, trying to get my work outs in (eek..), and just spending time with the hubs! And here were are and it's July already! I can't believe we're half way through 2009 already. I guess it is true that time goes by faster as you get older...
This week our friends Kendra and Isaac are in town from Estes Park, CO so we're going to get together with them, and then my friend Lauryn is in town from Georgia and I'll be hanging with her this weekend! Then Tim's folks will be in town next week. In a few weeks Tim and I will be heading out on a road trip to Estes Park to visit Kendra and Isaac for a few days. I can not wait to be up there in the mountains!! It's gonna be a blast. Then less than a month after that I'll be flying up to visit my best friend April in North Dakota! She'll have just had her 4th boy and so I'll be helping her out since her husband is deployed with the Air Force. That's going to be really fun as well :)

I'm thankful that I'm having the opportunities this year to visit friends and family across the country. I love to travel and I don't usually get to do it much, and this year alone I've been able to go to Wisconsin to visit my sister, and then go to Colorado and North Dakota! I told Lauryn I need to save money to fly out to Georgia, so I'll have all my close girlfriends covered for the year :) haha...not sure if that'll happen, but one can always hope right?

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July weekend! I'm happy to have tomorrow off and catch up on things at home. Maybe I'll even get a little card making in this weekend... :)

*love*

Under the weather

2009-02-17T10:59:00.008-06:00

Photo courtesy of SubZeroConsciousness

Lemon-Honey Tea
(courtesy of my wonderful mom)

6-8 oz. boiling hot water
1 Tea Bag (flavor of your choice)
Lemon Juice (start with 1-2 tsp, and add more to taste)
Honey (to taste)

1. Boil water in teapot
2. Pour hot water in your favorite mug and steep your tea bag
3. Add honey and lemon juice, take tea bag out, stir
4. Relax, breathe in the steam, drink, enjoy, repeat as needed

Boy have I been sick. Tim and I have both had colds the past week or two, and it has not been fun. I was out of commission most of last week and spent a lot of time in bed or laying down on the couch watching too many movies and T.V. shows. Needless to say, my brain turned to mush. It was actually nice to be at work yesterday and I enjoyed working through some of the financial reconciliations I needed to do (amazingly enough). I think my mind needed to be stimulated.

During all of this I found out last Monday that my Aunt in New York (my mom's sister-in-law) passed away suddenly due to a heart attack. It was a total shock to us all since it happened so quickly. I was unable to fly out there, but thankfully my mom and dad were able to fly out on Tuesday, my sister, Holly, drove from Wisconsin with her 4 children and my sister, Beth, flew out as well. So at least we had a good representation there. I'm glad they were able to stay with my Uncle and keep him company as he is now adjusting to living life without his wife. I was able to speak with him on the phone and he was in good spirits and was so thankful for the hope that he has that she is in heaven with the Lord. Praise the Lord for that hope and the comfort that He is able to give us through these tough times.

So back here at home, I missed out on our typical Valentine's day festivities. I was at my worst on Saturday, so I was laying on the couch all day long. Tim was very busy delivering fruit bouquets, so it was just me and the kitties all day. Tim came home and surprised me with a pretty bouquet of flowers, some dayquil, and went out and got chick-fil-a for dinner :) We're going to have our Valentine's Day date sometime this week yet, which actually will be better since we won't have to wait in line at the resturaunt and deal with crowds of people. I am a little bummed that we couldn't go out on the day of because it is me and Tim's first date anniversary. 7 years ago, we went on a double date with my best friend, April and her (now) husband, Adam. We went to P.F. Chang's and I can still remember our conversation (mostly) and the excitement of getting to know this guy. Oh and I was nervous...I think we both were...but I knew there was something special about him. After dinner we went to Cafe Brazil in Deep Ellum for coffee and stayed there for awhile, then we dropped off Adam and April and he took me home. We sat in his car and talked and talked and talked until about 2am. To this day, Tim and I can still sit and talk for hours about anything and everything. OH, I love this man :)

Well, I could could go on and on, but I must stop here for now. I'm embarrased to say that it is 11:50 am and I am still in my pajamas. That's the dangerous thing about not going to work till 1:00! So, I am off to get ready for the day, grab some lunch, feed the kitties, and then off to work.

*love*

Where did the weekend go?

2009-02-02T16:36:00.003-06:00

It's Monday again! How did that happen? The weekend went by way too quickly for me. I had an amazing quiet time this morning though, and I feel very encouraged and I'm ready to tackle this week :)

Here's my verse from last week, by memory:

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened by faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Colossians 2:6,7)

I messed up one word. 'by' should be 'in the', which if I would've been thinking makes a lot more sense.

This weeks verse is:

"For in Christ all the fullness of the Diety lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority."
(Colossians 2:9-10)

Happy Monday everyone!
*love*

25 Random Things About Me

2009-01-29T22:23:00.003-06:00

Photo courtesy of butler.corey

I wasn't sure what to blog about today, and really I'm not in too much of a writing mood. I'm recovering from a migraine that I had today. It was SO not fun. So I'm going to post 25 random things about me! This type of thing has been circling around facebook the past week or so, I already had it typed up and posted there and I figure I'd post it here as well!

1. I am working for the same non-profit organization that I got my first job at when I was 14. I work for SIL International (associated with Wycliffe Bible Translator's) and ever since I was 14 I have worked as a Switchboard Operator, a kitchen helper at the Dining Hall, a Cashier for Books n' More, Janitorial (for 3 whole days!), and a Data Entry Clerk/Office Assistant for the International Academic Bookstore (5 years and counting).

2. I've been married to Tim for almost 4 years now and we live across the street from my work in a little place called Sunset Acres, which is the neighborhood (primarily for missionaries/students) that I used to romp around with all my MK friends back in junior high. I never thought in a million years I would actually live there.

3. We have a cat named Maya (one of a million other names -- Tim and I can't agree on one) that we picked up off the street, and a couple months after that she had 4 kittens. They are 12 weeks old and very cute. And yes, we still have them. If you want one, let me know!

4. I went to 4 different colleges. As a pre-nursing major I spent one year at Texas Tech, then one year at UTA. During all this I took ssome classes at Mountain View/Cedar Valley college. Then one day a lightbulb came on and I realized I was terrible at science and that Nursing really wasn't my calling. So I went to Dallas Baptist University, majored in Christian Studies/Educational Ministry, and minored in Psychology and loved it.

5. I want to go back to graduate school to get my masters in counseling. (you can send donations to........)

6. I have 14 nieces and nephews and another one on the way!

7. I have a gluten/wheat intolerance (aka Celiac disease). I've had it since I was 19 and I am unable to eat wheat, rye, barley, and several other things.

8. Due to my gluten intolerance, I've gotten very fast at scanning food labels and determing whether I can eat it or not.

9. No, I do not have a "glucose-intolerance".

10. I make homemade cards and love it! I have a blog where I post pictures of them: http://sarahcarpenterdesigns.blogspot.com
I hope to start selling them one day.

11. If I drink bottled water, I am never able to finish it. But if the bottle of water was poured into a glass, I will drink it all.

12. I've lived in Dallas, TX my whole life, with the exception of the one year in Lubbock.

13. I really want the experience of living outside of the rat race that is Dallas, preferably in another state such as Nebraska or Colorado.

14. I've decided I'm not much of a phone person anymore. I enjoy face-to-face communication a lot more :)

15. I am a coffee snob. I try to only buy organic, fair trade coffee, and it must be medium or bold. I'm lucky to work with a bunch of coffee snobs as well!

16. My favorite weeknight meal is seasoned black beans and rice. Sometimes with meat, most of the time without but always with some shredded cheese and crushed tortillas chips.

17. I do not separate my laundry (with the exception of towels....most of the time). I wash with cold water.

18. I'm terrible at remembering birthdays and even worse at keeping up with anniversaries. I do try though!

19. When I was in high school I went on a 2 week mission trip to Guatemala which was an amazing experience!

20. I know God has called me to be a part of ministry of some form, but I'm still seeking Him as to what the specifics are on that :)

21. When I get in the car, the first thing I do is lock the doors. I can't help it.

22. I really want to go on a mission trip again, and I look forward to the opportunity because it's something Tim and I can share together. He hasn't been on one yet.

23. In high school, I was in a girl band called 'Pierced Forgiveness'. We broke up after about 2 weeks.

24. Tim and I enjoy walks at the Joe Pool Lake dam, except I kind of get a little freaked out because I saw a rattle snake there this past summer....I hate snakes.

25. God has blessed me with a super amazing family and awesome friends. I am incredibly thankful!

So, now you know a little more about me. If anyone follows this blog, or just has hopped on over, I encourage you to fill out 25 random things about you, post your link in my comments, and see what you can come up with! It's fun to read other peoples randomness :)

Only one more day till the weekend and that makes me happy. Tim has band practice tomorrow night, so I'm going to take the opportunity to grab some take out and rent a movie. A little alone time is a necessity I think. Just me, Maya, Brother, Sister, Super Sad Eyes, and the One We Don't Speak Of (those would be all the kitties).

*love*

Memory Monday: Colossians 2:6-7

2009-01-26T10:09:00.007-06:00

I have been following a wonderful blog called The Simple Wife, and Joanne does a post each Monday called 'Memory Monday'. I've decided to start doing this on Monday's as well, which will help keep me accountable to memorizing scripture.

I feel that memorizing scripture is incredibly important as a Christian, as I feel that we need to hold the word of God in our hearts. This is what Chuck Swindoll says about memorizing scripture:

“I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. . . . No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified” (Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994], p. 61).

I couldn't agree more, and I am incredibly excited to start making this journey in my Christian walk. I remember as a child, being in sunday school we were required to memorize scripture each week. Somewhere down the line I stopped doing that, and I'm ready to pick that part back up.

I need to remember that memorizing scripture takes time. I am the type of person that wants to know everything right now! So when I try to get ahead of myself and consume too much information, I end up getting overwhelmed, thus quitting. The best thing to do is to take a verse or two each week, and reflect on it each day. One thing that helps is writing the verse down. I have a journal that I write in daily, and I will be writing them in there along with reflecting thoughts. Tim pointed out that it is one thing to memorize scripture, but another piece to that puzzle is studying the verses around it and the context of which the verse is in. This then helps with a fuller understanding of the bible and Christ's message which will lead to more effective ministry.

So, today I will pick one or two verses to memorize this week, and next monday I will attempt to write them on my blog, by memory, noting the mistakes as I go along (if need be).
I'm using a resource from GodSquad (which is a ministry equipping tool of Campus Crusades for Christ) and it has a list of verses to memorize with the topics the verse goes under. Like this week, the topic is Christ-Centered: New Creation.

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2:6-7 (I added verse 7 because it felt more complete to me)

Those who follow my blog, or just happen to come across it as you blog hop, I invite you to do this each week, and leave me a comment if you do!

I'm going to enjoy the rest of my morning before I have to go to work, and enjoy the wonderfulness that is Mocha coffee. My dear husband came up with a wonderful idea. We have this coffee that I must say is not very good. It does not fit within the 'Carpenter Standards of Coffee'. Tim and I are coffee snobs. We're ok with it. So, Tim had the brilliant idea of putting a packet of Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate Sensations in the carafe, and then brewed the coffee as normal.

Oh. My. Word.

It is so delicious and divine. I am a chocoholic, so this makes me do the happy dance.

Have a blessed Monday!
*love*

mmm...wraps!

2009-01-24T15:18:00.004-06:00

I just had a really yummy lunch and I just had to share it's wonderful goodness with you. Just a little tidbit about me, I have a wheat/gluten intolerance, in that I am unable to eat foods with wheat, rye, or barley (there's a number of other items, but those are the main ones). At some point I will write a post about all that, but not today. Anyways, usually for lunch I will have a sandwich using millet bread with dijon/mayo mix, cheddar, and smoked turkey. I have that A LOT! It's not that I'm sick of it, but I need more variety. I always see these ads for wraps and they look so delicious! Usually they're made with whole wheat tortillas or regular flour tortillas. As I was browsing blogs, I came across this recipe over at Gluten Free Mommy for a Turkey Pesto Wrap. The tortilla used is from Food for Life (LOVE this brand!) and it's a Brown Rice Tortilla. This thing has cream cheese (I used light), it has pesto (best thing ever!), it has turkey, it has AVOCADO. Oh avocado, how I love thee. And I added sprouts which are incredibly good for you. I had no idea how good they were until I read this article, plus they're really cheap, only $1! This wrap is incredibly tasty and I will be making it often! I can't wait to experiment with other fillings....hooray for more gluten free options!! I should've taken a pic for those who love to look at food pics, I know I do! I'll take one next time I make it (which will probably be tomorrow!) and post it on here :)

I'm so glad it's the weekend. It has been super cleaning Saturday today! Between Tim and I we've been able to pretty much clean (and I mean REALLY clean) the house in about 3 hours. There are still a couple more projects we need to do such as clean the tub, clean the coffee maker, and go through the house with a black light and clean kitten 'oopsies' in our house. I don't think there are that many because they're pretty much litter trained, but kittens will be kittens after all.

After all that, I think I will make some Taco Salad or Winter Soup for dinner, and then Tim and I can relax and watch a movie or something :)

*love*

Things to work on in the New Year

2009-01-07T13:15:00.010-06:00

I love new years. It's fresh and it's new. It's the ability to reflect on the past year and see the things that were wonderful, and the things that were not so wonderful. The not so wonderful things are what drives me to want to do better the next year with the help of God. I really don't like the whole 'resolution' thing because it never lasts. I don't know if it's psychological or what, but I find the word 'goal' to be a better term. Setting goals for myself just seems to work out better in my mind. So without further ado, here are some goals I would like to accomplish in 2009: (most of these are things I will work on for the rest of my life, but ya gotta start somewhere :)

Be consistent with my quiet time/prayer time/bible reading. I know that God deserves my attention way more than I give Him and I honestly crave and desire that time as well! This also includes praying for people when I have said that I will pray for them.
Be submissive and obedient to the Lord and listen to Him above all else each and every day.
Be a better helper and wife to Tim -- there is ALWAYS room for improvement!
Be more proactive! This includes church, small group, volunteering my time, duties within my home, keeping up with birthdays, etc.
Keep my house clean and presentable -- you just never know when someone will drop by, plus I enjoy my home much more when it's clean. I also think it's important to have a tranquil environment when Tim comes home from work each day. It keeps me sane, thus keeping him sane :)
Exercise 4-5 days per week, not just to lose weight, but for my health. I am 24 years old, and I lack energy a lot of times which I'm sure is due to inactivity. I want to be strong and feel alive!! For the other 2-3 days, I still want to be fairly active.
No credit cards! About a week ago I took them out of my wallet so that I wouldn't be tempted to use them. We're currently going through difficult times, financially, like many others we know, and I do not want to be reliant on credit cards. In a lot of ways I feel that takes away trusting in God to provide for us in all circumstances, even the ones that seem impossible and nothing is impossible with God!
Be debt free. This probably will not happen this year, unless things drastically change with both of our job situations (which is always possible, who knows!) but I would like to make a huge dent in that debt.
Live a more simplistic lifestyle and learn to live with what we have.
Tithe and give to a ministry that that the Lord places on our hearts. We have never been very consistent with tithing, but I know the Lord is working on me and Tim's hearts in this area and we want to be obedient and better stewards with our money.
Limit my time on the computer and the TV -- these are very easily time wasters, and I have better things to do with my time
I enjoy reading and want to read several books this year. The ones I am starting and hoping to finish in the next couple of weeks are: The Reason for God: Belief in the age of skepticism by Tim Keller and Love and Respect: The love she most desires; The respect he desperately needs by Emerson Eggerichs. I started Love and Respect awhile back, but never finished it, so I think I'm going to start it over and actually finish it this time! I'm terrible when it comes to sticking with one book and finishing it. I start reading about 2 or 3 different books at once and never finish any of them. Anyone else do this? I hope to stop doing that and actually complete what I've started.

I could go on and on I'm sure, but these are the main things I would like to work on this year and for the rest of my life! I have to remember that through all of this I cannot do any of it on my own. I must continue to lean and rely on my Lord and savior for all things and look to him for guidance in all that I do.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

*love*

Season's Greetings!

2008-12-17T15:44:00.006-06:00

I really haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Tim and I have been quite preoccupied with getting ready for the holidays, various projects, including our biggest project: 4 kittens. They take up quite a bit of our time, and they are currently residing in the office, thus I am not in there as often on the computer. It used to be my place of creativity and serenity, but when you have kittens running up your leg all the time, it makes it kind of difficult! I probably won't be updating my blog(s) much until after the first of the year.

Until the next time I get a chance to blog, I hope everyone is having fun getting ready for Christmas! Christmas is probably my favorite holiday. I love the lights, the music, giving gifts, sharing time with family and friends, the yummy holiday foods, the Church services, etc. It is all too easy to get overwhelmed with all the duties and craziness that comes along with it though. I pray that through all the hustle and bustle of this season, that we are all able to sit back and reflect on what this season is all about. The birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the greatest gift of all!

Luke 2:9-12
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Peace & Joy to you all
*love*

Thanksgiving

2008-12-03T19:13:00.018-06:00

We had a really good Thanksgiving this year. Lots of fun with family, devouring way too much turkey and stuffing, and loving every minute of it. On Thanksgiving day, we had dinner up in McKinney at Tim's sister's (Amy) house. Tim's folks came into town from Kansas City, so it was great to see them and catch up on life. I love it when they are able to come down :) Amy has a wheat intolerance just like I do, so it's nice eating over there because she always has things prepared so that we can eat them! Except for the fact that she forgot to tell me the gravy had flour in it...oops! And within about 10 minutes of eating it, I knew I had been 'glutened'. That part wasn't so fun, but I didn't let it ruin my evening. All of us girls had fun chatting away all evening while the guys did their guy things and the kids played. My sister in law, Robin, went with her sister at midnight to head over to outlet mall to start Black Friday shopping, and Amy and my mother in law were going to get up at 4 to head out! Tim and I decided not to do that this year, which was good because we were so unbelievably tired, especially since Garbanzo has been waking us up every few hours to eat! She's nursing 4 kittens, so she's hungry all the time. We decided after that night that when we got home from Friday thanksgiving at my parents house, we were going to move them into the office so we could shut our bedroom door!

So back to Thanksgiving! Friday morning, I woke up and started preparing the gluten free apple tart I was so excited to make! I ran into a few issues...as in the dough kind of fell apart on me (the hazards of baking gluten free sometimes...), but I ended up piecing it back together, and it turned out AMAZINGLY good. Oh my word, I am in love with this dessert.

We went to my folks house around 1:00, and played a game of ladder golf, or whatever it's called. I forgot what it's called! But it's a fun game, even though my brother Mike beat me...oh well. And here's Peter giving a demonstration, and the lovely Beth showing her stuff.

We had a wonderful dinner that my mom and dad put together, and I ate way too much as usual. We got to video chat with my sister and brother and their families who couldn't be with us. At least they got to all be together up in Wisconsin for Thanksgiving :) We also celebrated Tim's birthday as a family (even though his birthday was on November 2) I still can't believe he's 30!!

It was a very relaxing, low-key Thanksgiving, both days. I am so thankful it has worked out the past few years to have thanksgiving with one family on Thanksgiving, and one family the next day. We don't have to rush through lunch with the first family, only to be so full and not be able to eat much at the second!

So we went home Friday evening, and had to get the kitties moved into the office. That was the best idea, ever. Mama took to the move quite well, even though she looked quite concerned at first, and so did the kittens. They love their new dwelling place -- more room to play! So they're happy, and we're happy that we can finally have a full nights sleep again.

Aren't they sweet?

*love*

Blessings

2008-11-27T00:00:00.002-06:00

I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving spent with family and/or friends and are able to spend time reflecting on what it is you are thankful for this year. I am thankful for the amazing family the Lord has so richly blessed me with as well as my awesome and supportive group of friends (I love you all!) I am also thankful for a very loving (very patient!) husband who never ceases to amaze me. The Lord has blessed me abundantly, and I do not want to take that for granted.

So enjoy time spent with loved ones, enjoy all the yummy food (I know I will!), and make new memories.

*love*

Consistency

2008-11-18T14:21:00.003-06:00

I wish, above all wishes, that I could be consistent with my cleaning. Why is it so difficult? It's not like it takes that long to clean a bathroom, or to wash down counters, or to pick up little things here and there. Part of the issue is that we don't have enough storage for all the vending machines/parts for the business, so some of the machines are in my kitchen and hallway. We don't have a huge place to begin with, and that just makes the house look small and unorganized/clean. We're trying to remedy that by cleaning out the storage shed that's in our back yard. We didn't have the key to the shed because our landlord didn't have it nor did the previous tenants, so we didn't bother with it. Well, we're desperate. So Tim drilled out the current door knob, and thankfully we had an extra door knob with lock in storage, so he replaced it. The shed has a lot of junk it, and no one to claim it. So we have to clean it out and bomb the place since there are hornets nests in there and God knows what else. Once that's all done, then we can start moving some of the machines and parts in there, thus freeing up space in our home! I...can't...wait! I want to have a clean, inviting, tranquil atmosphere when I am at home, and I believe that it should be that way for Tim as well.

Another thing that would help significantly is to get rid of stuff. We have too much stuff. Tim and I have talked about what kind of life we want to live, and we both really desire to live the simple, frugal lifestyle. There's something about simplicity that I believe our society has completely forgot about (as if that's not obvious!) I'm trying to follow this concept (I don't remember where I saw this...)

"Fix it up, Wear it Out, Make Do, Do Without"

I love this. And I'm challenging myself every day to follow this. It makes it difficult when I'm at the store and I see a really cute top or some nice pair of jeans on sale, but then I have to think, "Do I really need to spend $25 on this when I could be spending that on groceries, or catching up on bills, or put it towards our debt?" Anyways, I'll let you know how it goes.

Another thing I need to be more consistent on is managing my time. OH my word...I'm terrible at this. I'll do really well with it one day, like say on a Monday, and then the rest of the week goes out the window. At the moment, I don't go to work till usually 1:00, so that gives me all morning to get things done, such as: my quiet times/prayer, working out, cleaning around the house, making a card or two, etc. The problem is that I get lazy and don't get up till 9:00 or later, and then I take my sweet precious time getting my coffee/breakfast, and I get hooked on morning TV, such as the Rachael Ray show, among other time wasting activities. My goal for my morning is this:

Wake up no later than 7:00
Feed the cat, eat breakfast, drink my coffee, do my quiet/prayer time
Clean up around the house a little bit
Workout for about 45 minutes, either in home workout or going for a walk in the neighborhood
Shower/Get ready for the day
Check email, do other things such as pay bills or whatever
Work on making card(s) or other project
Lunch and then off to Work!

I believe that is all attainable in a 6 hour time period. Don't you? Another goal is to actually go to bed around 11:00 or soon after. I've gotten really bad about going to bed after midnight, which is another reason I can't seem to get up! I'll update you on my progress with this as well.

It's all about being disciplined...I am a procrastinator by nature, so this'll be tough, but I can do it!

*love*

Good Weekends

2008-11-17T20:27:00.005-06:00

Isn't it the best when you can look back on a weekend and it was just a really good weekend? I wouldn't say I have terrible weekends usually, but a lot of times they're fairly uneventful, which is fine too. Tim had a gig with his band on Saturday at the Bone in Deep Ellum. So Mark and Esther picked us up at 11 and headed on down to Deep Ellum. We were all starving, so thankfully Cafe Brazil was just across the street. ah....Cafe Brazil. Now, I usually love Cafe Brazil, but I got their blackened chicken nachos. Sounds good right? Well, not when they put shredded cheese as well as liquid, cheeze-whiz, type of stuff over top. *shudders* I ate it, but man, it was kind of nasty. So, back to the Bone, their band ended up playing last. They did really good! Not too bad for their first 'club/bar' premiere. Check em' out! They'll be playing some gigs coming up here in the future, so stay tuned.
Afterwards we went out with friends, and some new friends, to the White Rhino Coffeehouse in Cedar Hill for some java and hot chocolate. This place is so cool! It's in a bungalow type house (which is my fav!!) and of course the whole time I'm thinking "ooo...I want a house like this....and hey, it wouldn't hurt to have a coffee bar in my house either...." ok...back to reality. So we sat, drank, had good conversation, and then it was time for Tim and I to head out to Beth and Peters for soup night. I am totally loving the fall weather that we are finally having. It was in the 40's - 50's that evening, and it was a perfect night for some taco soup and wine. Beth and I played a very competetive game of Candyland with Jessica (I lost) while Peter and Tim played Sorry with Jonathan. The kids went to bed, and Beth and I decided to go rent Kung Fu Panda. Tim and I had just watched it last weekend for the first time, but we can't help but share this one with others. If you haven't seen it yet, go out right now and rent it. It's freakin hilarious! I haven't laughed that hard at an animated movie in a really long time. Anyways, we all had a blast and it was just an all around, great day. Sunday was a little more uneventful, but that was ok, we probably needed it.

So here we are at Monday, and the week has definitely kicked into full gear. Today I spent the afternoon trying to teach myself a new responsibility at work. It's fun when you have hardly any training and then you need to some how know what you're doing :) Ah well...keeps work interesting. Tim had an interview today, which he said he felt pretty good about. We should know by Wednesday whether he got the job or not. It would be a huge answer to prayer, especially during these difficult economic times, but I know that if he doesn't get it, God has other plans in store for Tim/us and we'll be taken care of! We always are :) I'll keep ya posted!

*love*

Change

2008-11-14T00:39:00.000-06:00

I decided to start a personal blog, aside from my creative blog. I want Sarah Carpenter Designs to focus in on my card/project designs...not that those arn't personal, but you know what I mean. So that's why I created 'with Words and Lattes'. Why the name you ask? Every time I sit down and have a good, deep conversation with a friend, it usually involves coffee or a latte. There's just something about having a hot cup o' joe in hand while sharing your life and catching up with friends. This blog is about having a conversation with you....sharing my life with you. Thank you for stopping by, and please feel free to comment at any time. Let me know your thoughts...I'd love to hear from you.

*love*