Carded

Friends! I'm going to ignore the fact that I haven't blogged in a while and just tell you how excited I am for the holiday season! :)

We just got back from a Thanksgiving trip to Maryland to visit my family for the week. It was so nice to see everyone again for the first time since we moved to Nebraska. :) It was fabulous and we enjoyed the time with family. Thanksgiving was so yummy and we enjoyed leftovers for days afterwards. 

Now that we're back home though we are getting ready for the countdown to Christmas! Gifts have been ordered and even started to arrive already! Handmade ones are being finished as fast as I can make them. And last night I got the chance to work on one of my favorite things this time of year: I ordered our Christmas photo cards! I can't wait to share these this Christmas when we send out our letters! Here's a sneak peek!

Guess this means I should finish the Christmas letter so we can start stuffing envelopes soon!

Hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

More USPS Fail

Some of you will remember this post from two years ago about a pretty amusing FAIL on the part of the postal service. More recently, you might recall my post about our mail situation here. Well, needless to say, they've done it again :)

The day after I posted about picking up our mail at the post office, I went in and was told they had started delivering mail to our new mailbox down the street. I was then given a letter telling me how to get my keys...

Anyone know where I can find the "reality" company? ;)

Meghan

P.S. 200th post!! :D Yay!! :D

This is the Stuff

I think it was my mom that first mentioned this song to me...

The day I actually heard it in the car I think I called her (or texted) to tell her how awesome I thought it was. It's a great song, catchy melody, and meaningful lyrics. But sometimes it goes deeper...

Last night, God brought to my mind some of the lyrics that were all too appropriate for what I've been going through lately:

"In the middle of my little mess, I forget how big I'm blessed."

And that is so true. I've realized it especially lately as we settle into life in Nebraska.

Now that we've made our big move, I'm starting to think about the next steps and the next phases in life. And sometimes, I get a little ahead of myself and find myself missing out on what's happening now because of desiring things that are yet to be.

I find it's especially hard to reign this in when the things I'm desiring are called "blessings" by God in Scripture. What I'm beginning to realize and trying to internalize is that, while these things may be blessings, they are most blessed when they come in God's timing.

So while I desire what is good, I will continue to wait for God's perfect timing in choosing to bring such blessings into my life. Because "this is the stuff" He will use to continue to grow me and draw me closer to Him and I trust that He knows exactly what He's doing even if it's not what I would choose. :)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

Going Postal

I have really enjoyed settling into life here in Nebraska. So far, besides being in a new town, not much has been different. We still go to the grocery store on Mondays, church on Sunday, and date nights on Fridays. Saturday still usually involves one football game or another for either Purdue or Maryland. Laundry and dishes are still getting done and we are still renting our place.

But there was one thing I wasn't prepared for...

Rural mail delivery

I'm trying Mr. Mailman! I promise!

I knew we were moving into a new development but mail delivery never crossed my mind until the day we signed the lease and moved in. Turns out the builder hadn't installed the mailbox for the street yet...and the mailman had no idea when they will.

So for now, we trek down to the local post office carrier annex and wait at the service window while they retrieve our mail. It's even gotten to the point where I know the gentleman's name who is usually there and he recognizes me to the point where he no longer has to ask for my ID each time.

It looks like this will change soon since the boxes seem to have been installed at the end of the street a couple days ago. It's been quite the adventure though and has given me a glimpse into some of the differences I will continue to find as we settle into life in Nebraska! :)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

Book Review: Share the Bounty

My latest book to review from BookSneeze.com was "Share the Bounty: Finding God's Grace through the Spirit of Hospitality". I love hosting people and hope to do it more frequently once we're settled in our new Nebraska home. There's just something about fellowshipping with friends and family in a warm home setting with some good food. So I wanted to see what this book might have to offer.

What it did offer was some yummy looking recipes and lots of inspiration for hosting others in our home. Looking at all the beautiful pictures and reading the chapter openings, it made me want to be a better hostess and start opening up my home again. This is a beautiful coffee-table book that doubles as a cookbook and a wealth of hosting encouragement. There were some interesting tidbits at the start of each section, though it is mostly meant to be inspiration for offering hospitality and not a how-to guide. The recipes were simply and clearly written and several will definitely be going on my "to try" list including such tasty morsels as coffee mousse, heirloom tomato soup, strawberry fluff, walnut cheese wafer, chocolate coffee pie, cheddar pecan scones, among others. :)

Overall, I was pleased with this gorgeous coffee table-style book. I wouldn't have minded a little more written content about being a hostess but that wasn't the goal of this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."