Conquering Dinner!

You must see what I made for dinner last night.  Yeah, I know you're probably wondering, What's the big deal about dinner?, but that's probably because you're new around here. 

Everyone knows that Liz does not like cooking meals from scratch, but rather from a box or a bag with all ingredients included.  But things are a-changin' around here.  Remember the vegetable soup?  Well, the cooking continues.

Okay, so back to what I made for dinner last night.  It was pizza.  From scratch.  Made my own sauce with my own spices.  Spread the dough into a circle with my bare hands.    Applied cheese and toppings.  The only thing I didn't do was make the dough myself, although it was made from scratch, too.

Check this out!

It was delicious! 

(We'll have to work on the quality of pepperoni I use in the future.  I'm not happy with the way it discolors the cheese.)

Troubled

Life doesn't feel normal right now.  And I won't cover it up... I'm worrying.  A little.  I like routine... and well... normalness.

The only thing that really feels normal to me is work and my coffee.  Isn't that sad? 

My sleep patterns are off.  My food cravings are all over the place, and I'm entirely undisciplined.  I've been feeling troubled over some personal things. My husband has pneumonia.  I have felt headachey and blah off and on all week.  And one of our good friends was hospitalized yesterday because they discovered he had suffered a mini stroke.  Being in his early 40's, that was just a shocker.

It's really natural to look at the circumstances and feel discouraged.  I'm trying to remember that God loves me, so much that Christ laid down His life for me.  Why do I doubt that He knows what I need?

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.  John 10:14-15 (ESV)

It's Such a "Man Thing"

My husband has been living on Nyquil for the last month or so.  I hadn't realized it until he ran out two nights ago.  That's his way of medicating himself when he has sinus trouble.  It helps him sleep when he feels... uh... let's just say "ucky poo".

As I always do, I suggested he go see a doctor.  But I'm pretty sure it's a "man thing" to be stubborn about toughing it out and expecting the illness to pass any day.

I didn't realize how bad he was actually feeling until he started up with a dry cough that wracked his chest a couple days ago, and then he mentioned yesterday that he had been running a fever off and on.  Alright, that's it!  Get yourself to the doctor, Mister.   I pretty much ordered him.

He called the doctor this morning and was told they couldn't get him in until Thursday.  Uh yeah, that's a big help.  So off to the urgent care he went.

It's a good thing he went.  He has a mild case of pneumonia - packed sinuses, packed ears and packed lungs.  He can't return to work until next week.  Hopefully, they caught it in time for this not to get too serious.

If there are any men reading my blog, I plead with you on behalf of all wives out there.  Go to the doctor when your wife lovingly suggests it. She knows what she's talking about.  There are reasons why God created wives to be helpmeets, for occasions such as this.

(Alright... I'm off my soapbox now.  By the way, I had permission from my husband to blog this.)

In His Eyes, I'm Perfect

In my commitment to be a more avid reader of theological books this year, I have been engrossed in some pretty good books since January.  Currently, I'm in the middle of Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick, and it is yet another excellent recommendation, which will be appearing over in my sidebar list of completed books in a few days.

Somehow my passion for what I read gets a bit lost in the translation, though, so I rarely write a book review.  It seems I lack brevity and conciseness, which is really the point of a book review.

So for now I'd just like to share with you my favorite part of the book, the part I keep going back to over and over again.  Mrs. Fitzpatrick blew me away with the truth she shared, and I can hardly believe that it's true. 

In chapter 4 she talks about our justification in Christ and proceeds to explain what that means.  She says that our sin slate has been wiped clean.  Now quoting from the book:

...Jesus' perfect record has become ours.  Because God has accredited or imputed Jesus' perfect obedience to you, when God looks upon you, he sees you as a  person who

• always does the things that are pleasing to him;
• is so focused on accomplishing his will and work that doing so is your daily food;
• doesn't seek your own will but seeks his will instead;
• doesn't seek to receive glory (praise, respect, worship) from others;
• has always kept all his commandments;
• lives in such a way that your life brings holiness to others;
• loves others and lays down your life on a consistent basis;
• lives in such a way that the people around you know that you love your heavenly Father more than anything else;
• seeks to obey every command so that righteousness will be fulfilled.

In God's opinion (the only one that matters!) that's your record today. 

(Elyse Fitzpatrick, Because He Loves Me, "The Verdict" pg. 72-73)

Is that not the most incredible thing a Christian can hear?  Are you as blown away by these statements as I am?  I'm nothing like this list describes, but God looks at me and sees Jesus instead.  I'm no longer under condemnation.  I'm justified.  And knowing that's how He sees me somehow makes me want to live like that even more.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  (2 Corinthians 5:21 - NKJV)

Why I Love My Husband

I'm not one to get all mushy on Valentine's Day or any day, for that matter.  But I always see other bloggers bragging on their men, so this seems like an appropriate time for me to do that too.

Ten (Random) Reasons Why I Love My Husband:

1. He isn't afraid of housework.
2. He takes my dog out at night, so I don't have to go outside in my jammies.
3. He always knows when I'm too pooped to cook and orders a pizza instead.
4. He knows how to research and shop around for the best deal when making a new purchase.
5. He works hard at his job and does it well.
6. He reads my blog regularly.
7. He has always taken an interest in my hobbies and collections.
8. The guy brushes my hair!  (So relaxing)
9. He lets me be me.
10. After 13 3/4 years of marriage, he still loves me.  That's what you call longsuffering.