"In the spacious love of God, our souls can lie down and rest. This love from him is not something we must struggle for, earn, or fear to lose. It is bestowed. He has bestowed it upon us. He has chosen us. And nothing can separate us from his love. Not even ourselves. We are made for such a love. Our hearts yearn to be loved intimately, personally, and yes, romantically. We are created to be the object of desire and affection of One who is totally and completely in love with us." -John & Stasi Eldredge, Captivating (p. 124)

Harper Grace

I am pleased to announce that I have a new niece! Emily & Ben have been blessed with a gorgeous baby girl. She arrived just yesterday...Happy Valentines Day. We are so excited for their new joy in becoming parents. And we are thrilled with the miracle of God bringing baby Harper into their lives.

a strange tradition

Charlotte has decided it is fun to bring the snowman into the house.

We informed her it would melt, but that sounded especially

brilliant to her. Now, each time we're out in the snow, even

if we don't build a snowman, she requests to bring some in

and put it on a plate. Three cheers for cheap entertainment!

mmmm, more coconut please

Recently learning about the health benefits of eating certain kinds of fat and having decided to take a next step to prove it, today I purchased my very first jar of 100% pure organic coconut oil. The recommendation was to put 1 to 2 tablespoons (I just did 1, since it isn't cheap--ha, ha, I was almost going to say, 'since it doesn't grow on trees') into hot herbal tea and to drink it twenty minutes before each meal. I tried it in my peach green tea & was surprised to find that it was quite tasty.

Off the top of my head, some of the known benefits include:

Increased energy

Better digestion

Weight loss (yes, people, I'm not kidding!)

Healthy skin & hair

After only one day & two servings of my special tea, I am feeling very nice in my tummy. For long term results, time will tell. Cooking with other parts of the coconut will be the next small step to creating a healthier lifestyle.

Coconut oil has not been the only implementation in my Eat Fat Lose Fat experiment, three other notable changes have occurred. One, I have been adding more vegetables to my diet. Two, I am now on a very nice exercise regimen. Finally, three, I have eliminated the words 'low-fat/non-fat' completely from my diet and have been eating fattier cuts of meat & even butter. You would think I'd be gaining weight by the barrelful--not so! I have not gained a pound! On top of which, I am losing inches. The whole endeavor has been actually quite fun. I feel more satisfied after each meal and am finding myself eating smaller amounts without trying! And get this, NO CRAVINGS! In light of such favorable findings, I am excitedly awaiting future results. Meanwhile, I am loving how I feel. Smile.

water the plants please

via flickr

perfectly pressed

...this makes me want to do a little ironing.

via papertissue

I like...

via papertissue

food for thought

"The body can use coconut oil for energy more rapidly and efficiently than any other fat source. Special fats in coconut (called medium-chain fatty acids, MCFAs) are not normally stored in your body as fat. Instead, they're quickly converted to energy, making coconut ideal for weight loss." (EAT FAT LOSE FAT)

photo via julianbakery