The picture above is from a Mission Trip that Tom and I went on to Honduras in 2008. The picture is of teenagers at an "orphanage". I put it in quotes because it is nothing like what comes to mind when I think of the word "orphanage". It was a dorm-style home built by one woman -- I believe a former nurse from overseas -- for those without families or with families unable to care for them. But it's not a sad place. It is a place of hope. In fact, the orphanage is called "Renacer" -- which means "rebirth". It was a new beginning for the kids there and when I asked one of the teenagers how he liked living there, he replied "me encanta" -- "I love it."  This orphanage is a very large undertaking, but is a huge example of providing good from those who are deserving and those who are most on the heart of God: orphans.  The whole trip served to remind me of how I should be. I hope I was able to help the people in the communities we served in some small way, but I feel like I had some big missed opportunities even on this trip.

Remember that clothing brand that was popular in the '90s: No Fear. That's what came to mind as I read through this proverb -- and I think it works as a slogan or mantra for life in Christ. It's easier said than done, though, isn't it? How easy is it for us to fixate on the bad and worry about the maybes of life? But before going further, let's take a step back.

What is fear? Is fear a bad thing? When we are afraid of something, there's often a good reason for it. I'm afraid to touch a fire, because it will burn me and hurt. I'm afraid to get too near to the edge of a cliff lest I lose my footing and plummet to my death. I think fear in instances like that is a helpful and healthy emotional response that we feel in order to maintain our own well being. But, like anything else, the good can be twisted very easily into something bad. What happens when we obsess over a fear? A legitimate fear of touching fire is different than an irrational fear of anything that has a flame. It's the irrational fears or even legitimate fears that we become fixated on -- and the anxiety and paralysis that often come with it -- that I think we are to get rid of.

I just tried out this Tip n Toss Pizza Cutter (and beyond!) for the first time tonight, and it works like a charm! For those who know me, you know I make homemade pizza all the time. For years, I had this old jenky pizza cutter I had gotten from a garage sale for about $.50 just prior to getting my first apartment. Needless to say, it never worked great. Years later, I decided to "upgrade" to a newer pizza wheel, only to discover that it really didn't work that great, either. It was sharper and cut better, but not great. Plus, with my Rheumatoid Disease and LAWs (little arthritic wrists), I always had a hard time cutting through the pizza crust. Not to mention that the toppings would slide everywhere and I'd be left with a mess of cheese and whatnot that I had to try to place back on the proper piece. None of those things are problems with the TipNToss Pizza Cutter! I am happy to report that this pizza cutter actually works - just a few times rocking it back and forth (making sure to press down on the edge of the crust -- my thin crust tends to get pretty crispy) and it cuts all the way through without messing up the toppings. And, it was easy on my wrists! Bonus! It's nice to find a rheum-friendly kitchen utensil. The handle is easy to grasp, and being a two-handed device makes it that much simpler for the fragile-jointed. This thing will definitely be getting a lot of use, and I'll be trying it out to chop veggies and herbs, as well.

*Note: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a honest review with my own personal opinions.

For my 31st birthday, I decided to write down 31 of my favorite proverbs, or wise sayings from the Bible that I had been studying.  This year, I am hoping to take a deeper dive into each of them and share some thoughts on them with you here.

The first proverb I listed was this:

"Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it. (Proverbs 1:19)"

When re-reading this, the first thing I thought of was the creature Gollum from J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings stories. Gollum was once a small man or Hobbit, I think one of the river folk, and he went by the name of Smeagol. However, a fierce and consuming jealousy took hold of him when his friend found and beheld the Ring of power -- to the point that Smeagol committed murder so that the Ring could be his -- his "Precious", as he called it. Ill-gotten gain, to be sure. And what was the result? He had the Ring, yet it whittled away at his life, while still keeping him alive, until he was nothing more than a miserable creature, tormented by his own self and his desire for the Ring.

*Note: I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review with my own personal opinions.



I jumped at the chance to review this product because it's something I've been wanting to try for a long time. The PhatMat is a food-grade silicone baking mat made to replace parchment paper or to use in place of oils and sprays on baking sheets. It retails for $39.99 on Amazon (currently on sale for $24.99) and comes in a nice storage tube with two silicone baking mats and one grill mat -- perfect for grilling smaller items that you don't want falling through the crack or just as a barrier between your food and the grill grate. It cleans up easily with water and soap. It says that you can put it in the dishwasher, but you have to be careful about it. Probably best to quickly hand wash.

I tried out the baking mats tonight while I made these (amazing) Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies from Sally's Baking Addiction.  I must say, I am truly impressed with these baking mats. They are about the size of a half sheet pan, but worked okay on my slightly smaller cookie sheet, too. It truly is a no-mess way to bake.



When I took the cookies out of the oven, I tried lifting up one of the cookies right away, and it just slid off the bottom with zero stick. And, yes, the cookies are delicious! Thanks, PhatMat, for encouraging me to bake!
I'm really excited to give these mats a try with some other baked goods and to get the grill mat going. If only it weren't the middle of winter... oh well, there's always pulling the grill right against the slider door!

The other thing I like about the PhatMat is that it  helps keep your cooking sheets from getting gross. You know what I mean? Eventually, mine always tarnish or get something baked on that just will not come off -- to the point that they look nasty and I have to kind of wonder about baking on them.

Plus, stuff does still stick to a plain baking sheet sometimes, even when greased. Parchment paper I tend to use most for bread or pizza, but this could even replace that, I think -- it's at least big enough for my thin crust pizzas when I make two smaller ones. And, the grill mat would work for grilled pizza and might not require the oil I normally use (which tends to flare up the fire below...).

I may have more PhatMat adventures soon and more feedback to share, but from my first experience, I am giving this product two thumbs up! Who knows, perhaps I'll start baking more now!

*Note: I was provided with this product for free in exchange for an honest, unbiased review with my own personal opinions.



The "Butterfly Dream" necklace from Brilla Jewelry is a beautiful teardrop shaped pendant made with Swarovski crystal and featuring a butterfly design over the top.  It has an adjustable length chain -- which I actually really appreciate! Being smaller in stature, I find that many of the standard length chains are too long and end up hitting right at the neckline of my shirt. Not a problem with this necklace, although I did adjust it to the shortest setting.

I was really excited about this review, because the necklace is really beautiful with some bling and sparkle -- and it will complement a variety of clothes from casual to dressy. The butterfly design is simple and adds a little character to the piece.  It's large enough to make a statement and add some pizzazz to an otherwise simple outfit. I don't have a lot of larger/chunky jewelry, so I was happy to add this to my collection.  It's not overly large and so still works well with my small frame (some of the larger chunkier jewelry, I just can't pull off!).


The pendant arrived in a nice jewelry box and had a protective backing on it. When I opened the box, it was just as sparkly and lovely as the pictures! I tried it on with a more casual outfit first -- it actually went really well with the the spangly jeans I have.