Today's Coffee: Wake Up Joe

So much has happened in the past few days! So much exciting news!

#1: 

We got a new dryer! For those of you who didn't know, our dryer died on Christmas Eve. We hung ropes through our upstairs and dried our clothes like that for awhile. And our dear friend, JB, let us use her dryer. And thankfully, through another good friend, LA, we were able to secure one. It was given to us. Sigh. Having soft clothes and towels is really a great feeling.

#2:

Thomas and I are hoping and practicing hard so that we can go to Oberlin's Baroque Performance Institute. I've been taking lessons for awhile now and we are looking forward to getting serious about this passion of ours! After getting involved in Music City Baroque and being able to perform Bach's Mass in B Minor, I finally felt that I was pursuing a dream. You know, those dreams that don't make a lot of fiscal sense but you know you were wired to do... that's what baroque violin is to me. If you or someone you know is going, please let me know! I don't like going to things and not knowing anyone. This is something that is hard for me: to not know my way around or where to buy groceries... so any advice??

#3:

 Thomas is now Full-Time Organist and Music Associate at Covenant Presbyterian! We are so excited that the Lord has blessed us in this way. We will continue our ministry at this precious-to-us church as we endeavor to build and strengthen the music ministry program there. 

And now, some pictures:

Beautiful amaryllis flower given to me by a student.

Sweet Potato Soup

Wilson is helping me vacuum! 

He put this little guy in his wagon and pulled him all around the church as we were preparing for Room in the Inn. 

Today I made applesauce. So good!

So, please follow the blog either by becoming a follower on the right side or by signing up via email on the left side. I also will write you letters if I have your address. We can skype too! Please let me know if you want to swap info. Getting away from fb is something I've wanted to do for awhile... so, you've been warned. :)

In Christ,
Julie

Today's Coffee: Wake up Joe

So, as I mentioned in the last post, I am slowly getting off facebook. I want to be a better friend, and be surrounded by good friends, not hundreds of acquaintances  So, I am going to be posting more to the blog - I encourage you to follow it and read it often if you are interested in the 'going-ons' in the Russell house. 

Facebook has been a great way to communicate, but I feel that it has hindered some of my relationships. I hope to write more letters, have more phone conversations and more face-to-face (either through skype or real).  

So, back to Frugal Momma:

Sweet Potato Sausage Spinach Quiche-ish Meal

Credit: Pinterest and This Blog

This was a fabulous crock-pot meal, the leftovers are great, and it's paleo! :)

Line crock-pot with parchment paper, then thinly slice  your sweet potatoes and line the bottom and sides with them. Mine could have been thinner.

Brown up about a pound of sausage and pour over sweet potatoes.

Cover with about 2 cups of spinach.

Whisk up a dozen eggs, and pour over.

Chop up about a cup/cup and a half of mushrooms. Then, set on low for 2 hours.
(The smell will keep you checking it!)

The finished product! So good!

And, in other news, I'm back watching the X-Files. So, that is good. Maybe I'll get past season 6 this time. 

In Christ,

Julie

Today's Coffee: Regular

In an effort to stay in touch better with those I love (and as I slowly get off facebook), I am going to be posting more to this blog. It won't always be frugal momma post; this one certainly isn't. 

I'm excited about going to see Les Mis again tonight with some very good friends. To prepare, I've got the soundtrack playing today. Wilson likes it, but likes it way more when he gets to listen to it through headphones:

I'm also excited because of dinner tonight: 

It doesn't have a name, but it is sliced sweet potatoes lining the crockpot, filled with spinach, sausage, eggs and fresh mushrooms. It sounds great! And, it is paleo. (We are changing our general eating habits, and so far, we love eating paleo). 

Anyways, I just wanted to share this video with you all. 

In Christ,

Julie

Today's Coffee: Regular

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! 

And just like that - we are in 2013. 

It seems like we've done it all! Lessons and Carols, Christmas at Covenant, 2 Christmas Eve services, 2 weddings, South Carolina for 6 days and then boom! Monday, January 14. Back to regular work schedule. Back to trying to get back on a gym schedule and a regular Bible reading schedule. It's tough. And on top of that... resolutions. It's always been a strange thing to me. We want and desire to be better, and yet, come mid-March it's a miracle if we remember all the resolutions we made. We make them public and tell everyone about them, hoping that they can keep us motivated... because when Moose Tracks goes on sale, I'm going to buy it. (Probably 2 of them). (And we can't even start with when Ben and Jerry's go on sale). 

So, I'm doing something a little different this year. I'm not telling anyone (except Thomas). They are between my family, God and I. They bring me too much temptation... judging others for not keeping theirs, justifying my own laziness when I stumble, coveting for self-motivation that everyone speaks of (to hide the truth). Too often do I become self-righteous with my high thoughts of myself when I see others failing. I've found this to be too true in my life: seeing that others are failing while I am not. What a backwards and untrue thought. I need grace and mercy just as much as you if not more. I was convicted recently during a sermon. Once the pastor started speaking of 'being born again' and asking the congregation to dwell on whether they had... I zoned out. I thought 'this is not for me... I'm saved.... ' but then, I was smacked with conviction. If all that is true, why do I not live life as a slave to righteousness, as one who 'hungers and thirsts for righteousness' , who is poor in spirit and so on? 

Because I've gotten lazy. It's tough, being a Christian, and a wife, and a mom, and a violin teacher, and a violinist, and the Children's Choir Coordinator... and I've let certain aspects of my relationship with the King of Kings suffer. 

So, while I won't spell out for you my resolutions, you can probably see that I going to be, Lord willing, undergoing some changes. I'm praying hard that I can begin to understand God's steadfast love and to take refuge in Him. It will be hard, and I will back slide, but it's worth it. 

And, because you've read this whole post, I'll tell you one resolution:

-To read Les Miserables

I've seen the movie, the 10th and 25th anniversary concerts, and listened to the sound track. To say I'm hooked is an understatement. Thank you AB and ME! :)

And, here's a picture of Wilson on a motorcycle:

Don't worry, I was holding him from behind the bike. 

This is our backyard - totally full of about 4 inches of water from the rain yesterday.

The water in the front yard.

In Christ's Love,

Julie