Snow Weeks = Not My Best

Snow has hit the Nashville area and in standard Tennessee fashion the state is in full on panic and run-to-your-local-grocery-store-stat-and-buy-up-everything-they-have mode.  It’s just what we do.  The kids have gone to school once this week and doom is impending.  I love my children…fiercely…heck I even like them sometimes 🙂 but an unforeseen week at home together when orders need to be completed, our taxes are in complete disarray and I have a class to teach this weekend is stressing me out.  And so I have been taking lots of deep breaths and yesterday, true story, I ate lunch in my closet on the floor.  But we press on.

**If you ever got the impression that Solomon is the ham of our family you are obviously mistaken :)**

Josh Kelley and I are sugar detoxing again, but I feel I must make cookies today.  Not sure if I can hold out any longer.  Hands down my favorite part of a chocolate chip cookie is the batter.  I can’t even talk about it anymore.  These chocolate chip cookies are my favorite.  And I’m not typically a coconut kind of gal, but I really want to try THESE out.  The picture alone is killing my sweet tooth.

I made THIS soup this week and realized I’d never shared it on here.  It’s crazy yummy and there’s always zero leftover.  A crowd pleaser.  I cut the recipe in half, sub in plain greek yogurt for sour cream, ditch the cheese, boil on high while stirring every now and then for 30 minutes instead of simmering for two hours and serve with sweet potato chips.  Super good.

I’m not a coffee drinker at all.  I’ve never even had a cup of coffee.  I have tried sips of other people’s coffees, but that is the extent of my relationship with coffee.  I really want to like it, but just can’t.  My taste buds refuse to get on board.  Recently I told Josh Kelley I wanted to enjoy hot drinks and then the next time he went grocery shopping he came home with fruity earthy hot teas.  I tried one out yesterday.  Not bad at all.  I’m going to try and new one each day.  It makes me weirdly excited to use our coffee mugs for more than just Josh’s black coffee and my ice-cream consumption.

I’ve moved into 1 Peter.  The other day I read this portion from The Message:

18-21 Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.

It killed me…in the best way.  We were no afterthought.  There was never any doubt in God’s mind if we were worth it.  He didn’t question His decision to offer up His only Son as a sacrifice for us…a bunch of sinners.  Holy cow.  Our future lies in Him and only in Him.  I love how part of this reads in the ESV translation, “…for the sake of you.”  It blows me away.

And I meant to blog yesterday and again, snow day sabotage, but I’m excited to start sharing with you about some precious kiddos who are waiting for forever families each Wednesday.  Can you even handle this precious face?!?!?!  He’s ridiculously gorgeous!

*Meet Lucas. He is a 3 year old boy waiting for a family who has a dossier logged in with China. The agency will waive all transfer fees to accommodate any family who is interested. His file mentions a developmental delay, but later notes that he has good intellectual development.  Lucas loves to play with colorful toys that make sounds and he is particularly fond of watching cartoons and listening to music. His caretakers note that he is quiet, but is quick to laugh. Contact China@awaa.org for more information.*

Hope everyone is staying warm and safe.  I hope to be back tomorrow.

Happy Thursday!