Living as a Victorious Christian Woman

I can’t begin to tell you how much money I’ve spent at the dollar store buying packages of bulletin board letters, or how much time I’ve put in printing letters from my computer and cutting them by hand. I love doing it, but sometimes I want something a little quicker and specific all wrapped up into one. And this little cutter/punch/tool of joy is just that! We R Memory Keepers has created the alphabet punch board, of which I have two sizes, that let you cut and punch letters using your own paper. In just a few steps I can cut a 3x5-inch letter with whatever paper I want. The bulletin board possibilities are endless, and the tiny one will make perfect little letters for Bible journaling and paper crafts. Each board has a book that shows you step by step how to construct your letter. There’s a punch for inside parts.   And a cutter for straight lines. You can even trim down your paper here if you need to. And there’s a corner rounder to finish them off. You can even make wide lette...

I’m not a big fan of recipes with 100 ingredients and 27 steps, but I am a big fan of flavor and healthy ingredients that make me feel good. Meal planning helps make this possible, and I love grocery shopping,  something that makes me extraordinarily happy. I used a fresh pico de gallo from the produce section of our grocery store, but you could absolutely make it yourself if you wanted to.  It is traditionally made from chopped tomato, onion and serrano peppers, with salt, lime juice and cilantro. With those few basic ideas in mind, let’s put together this beautiful salad with all-natural, unprocessed ingredients and enjoy every last bite of it! Ingredients:  2 Tbsp olive oil 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2-3 Tbs taco seasoning 2 cups pico de gallo Spinach Romaine lettuce Avocado 1. Heat olive oil in your largest cast iron skillet. 2. Dice chicken into 1-inch cubes. Add to hot oil and brown with the seasoning. 3. When chicken is cooked completely, stir in pi...

If you read my post yesterday about creating planner pages you absolutely love, you figured out that I adore reading. I’ve been reading since I was just 3 years old, and it’s always been an obsession for me to read and learn and relax. When I got saved, this love of reading naturally turned into a love of Scripture. The first Scripture I read in the morning is the three or four chapters that go with my reading the Bible through in a year plan. I highlight each section or topic or list in a different color, so you’ll find six different highlighter colors throughout my journaling Bible. It’s an easy way for me to focus on the verses I’m reading and not just skim and skip around. I also write things I notice or phrases I love in the large margins as I read. I don’t use any other books or commentaries at this point because I’m just reading and praying that God will open my eyes to His word. In my study Bible, I also try to read five Psalms and the Proverb that coordinates with the day of t...

It was a good day for reading books, dreamy and cold. My planner pages matched, combining some beautiful colors and patterns with the truth about book lovers - we have no shelf control! The entire layout began with my favorite washi tape in the entire world. This tassel garland makes me happy, and that’s the best embellishment for a layout, covering it with things you love. Using it like a garland in real life, it’s draped across the top of pages and blocks to give it a realistic, drapped look. Then I went back through and added books and quotes about books and more books. And then some books. My word of the day Friday was “read” and my Today I Need To: was “read more books.” It’s always fun to make the chores of the day something so enjoyable. When you’re putting together your own planner pages this week, choose patterns and colors and themes that will make you exceptionally happy. Look through your papers and embellishments to find a combination you’ve never tried before, or use your...

It is a rare day indeed when I know what the schedule for the day is going to look like. In our office, we can either have a productive day and check everything off our to-do list, or a day that looks nothing like what we’d planned. This is why I write the work side of my planner pages in pencil. It’s just easier that way. But what never changes are the words of faith I include on every planner spread. Some days, like this day last week, the whole layout is about faith and rejoicing in the Lord. Other times, I just embellish the spiritual growth page with a few words or images. I have a set of faith planner stickers that I love because they have praying hands and Bibles and other beautiful little accents that catch my attention in the middle of a busy day. It doesn’t matter what’s planned for the day, if my planner is full of cute stickers or if I’ve colored coordinated all my plans - if I’m not grounded in God’s word every single hour of week after week, I might as well not even do th...

There’s something about that one shade of green that screams “Spring has arrived!” You know the color I’m talking about - that beautiful shade of light green that looks like it would glow in the dark if you turned the lights out. It’s that green that comes out first and then spreads all over the ground to help it wake up. Yesterday was the first time I’d been down to my prayer bench since before winter. It’s been such a wet, soggy mess all over the property that I honestly didn’t want to sink knee-deep into the mud. But early yesterday morning I put on my muck boots and made the hike. And I’m so glad I did. I even took my favorite cappuccino in my favorite mug with me! I stirred up every single front in the little pond as I went past, which was kind of fun. That special green goes all the way around, and there are tons of animal tracks in the mud along its banks. When you go to the far side, in the middle of this photo, and hang a right, that trail leads down to the big pond and my pra...

Sometimes the old ways are great ways, we’ve just deviated from them a bit. So for this fun birthday card, I went back to my scrapbooking roots and random-stamped my own background paper. If you’ve never tried this technique before, or it’s been decades since you did, let’s review. I wanted to use my large stamp from the latest Illustrated Faith kit, a very detailed flower arrangement, for this background. So I pulled out a couple of pastel-colored decorator papers, mostly because I despise coloring large, detailed images. I don’t have the patience for that in any shape or form. Using one paper as my test sheet, I stamped the flowers in the corner using navy blue ink first. It was a pretty look, very subtle on the darker colors. Then I switched to black ink, which was very dark - a little too dark for my taste. Turning the paper again, I stamped one in bright pink, which was my favorite so far. Then I couldn’t resist one in purple. But that’s just me. I decided I liked the pink flowers...

For foodies, warm temperatures mean one thing: it’s grilling season! At our house, we have the grill out as much as we can, and we always have a freezer full of Butcher Box meats to play around with. These flat iron steaks were absolutely perfect with just some seasoning and a little time. Did that get your stomach growling? Hopefully you’re ready to put together your own spring grilling meal plan. But where do you start? Use these three tips to spark some creativity: 1. Choose your meat carefully. Certain cuts are better than others for grilling, and some will take much longer than others. Skirt and flank steaks are perfect for trying some adventurous dry rubs. Larger pieces need to be smoked for a few hours, while cubes on a skewer can be done in a few minutes. 2. Do a little research. Once you have your meat, read up on that cut and some ways other trillers have prepared them. Do an Internet search, watch a fun video or flip through some old cookbooks for flashes of brilliance. 3. E...

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18 On this Resurrection Sunday, and in all the days to come, may your heart be filled with awe and wonder at the sacrifice Jesus made for you.

Honestly, I feel like I’ve failed somehow. After more than a year, we had to pull Callie and Diesel’s crate back out. It seems like all their dog training has gone out the window, and I know I’ve let them get away with a lot. But this is what sealed the deal. All four chair and sofa cushions now have some form of destruction done to them. I’m so embarrassed to show you this, but it’s also a little liberating. I’m so very far from perfect, but I’m learning something new every day. And in this case, that means we go back to crating the babies while we’re gone. Yes, I know they’re the culprits ... trust me. What I hadn’t counted on was how much being crated means to them. Whenever I leave, I pull out four treats and give the first two to Molly and Parker. As soon as I turn to the other two, they hightail it around the corner, down the hall and into their crate. They don’t whine or bark or even give me puppy-dog eyes, even though they do all of those things very well. They just take their ...

One of the things I’ve given up in the past year was reading books just for the fun of reading books. For some reason I’ve felt like everything I read should be a Bible study book or some deep writings that would change my life completely. I’m not sure where these ideas came from, but I evicted them from my brain in March and read some amazing books. * The Powerful Purpose of Introverts by Holley Gerth. I am the perfect example of an introvert - I’m happy interacting one-on-one, I get overstimulated very easily and time by myself is the best way to recharge my batteries. This book let me know that I’m not the only one who feels this way and that I have so many gifts to offer. Love it! * Living True by Christy Wright. This 40-day devotional is sweet and serious and challenging all at the same time. It’s a reminder of who God is, who we were created to be, how to accept where we are right now and how to trust God with where we’re going in life from here. I think I highlighted half the bo...

Whenever I try a new recipe, I’m totally guilty of never following the recipe word for word. I change some ingredients, use what I have on hand or just substitute something I like better. This meatball recipe was no different. When it called for two pounds of ground beef, I decided to use a pound of beef and a pound of ground pork, mixing them together to make a tastier combination. This is the best recipe for freezing meals for later. Let the meatballs cool to room temperature, then fill up a freezer bag or container. When you need them, just thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef 1 lb ground pork 2 eggs 2 cups (1 bag) shredded mozzarella 1/2 cup heavy cream 2-3 Tbsp Italian seasoning (to taste) 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray. 2. Using your hands, thoroughly mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  3. Roll mixture into balls about the size of golf balls and line up in baking dish. 4. Bake at 40...