Destroying your critical eye-Psalm 103

Psalm 103
1Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

We see imperfection after imperfection when we look in the mirror or go to a doctors appointment.

The Lord only sees perfection when He looks at us, He crafted us.

Over the past year I have struggled with some of the things the Lord has placed in my life. I have questioned God wrestled with hate towards my own body and the way that it functions. I was failing the Lord daily in this matter.  It wasn't until recently that the passage in Psalms grabbed ahold of my heart.

I fully surrendered these damaging thoughts over to the Lord and every time I began thinking such things I simply prayed and asked the Lord to remove them from my thoughts.

I am just as susceptible to cancer or some other disease as you are. So whatever it is that you might be dealing with, your weight, your appearance, an un healthy self esteem, a diagnosis of some sort I challenge you to give it over to the Lord. Our bodies are a gift for us to be thankful for. Being faithful in taking care of this gift by walking according to God's plan, no matter your weight or any other issue, the Lord knows because It passed his desk before the doctors or before the scale. This thought gives me renewed strength to keep a healthy view of my body. 

Like the psalmist, I can pray this prayer of thanksgiving over my body and mean it.

Read psalm 103 again

It is so easy to zero in on what is wrong with our bodies. Maybe you hate your nose and it may seem like a shallow concern to others. But when we allow our brains to park and fixate on this place of dissatisfaction it gives Satan just enough room to share his lie that will strip you of any motivation. "Your body is never going to look the way you want it to look, or work the way you want it to" is what he says.

This is why We have to seek the Lords perspective. Psalm 103 says "forget not all his benefits."

God has not cursed you and I think it is safe to say that you offend God when you think negatively about yourself in any manner. 

I know that the Lord is going to show himself faithful in my particular situation, I don't know when but it is such a sweet gift to my soul to know and brings my heart great satisfaction.

Psalm 103 again affirms, God satisfies your desires "with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's"

Read psalm 103 again, and again, as many times as you need too.

When I studied this verse out and decided to also live it out I began thanking God daily for making me exactly the way He did. I don't hold myself up to others with a critical eye of judgement.

I challenge you to examine what the hidden benefits of those things you hold as negative in your life and bring them to the feet of Jesus, it is truly liberating.

Fresh Green Bean Dinner

I've bought fresh green beans this summer and I've had them given to be by the bag load! I love em! Give me all the green beans, because I know before long they will be sparse. I'm all about quick dinners and this tops the list of quick and easy.

Coconut oil 

Fresh green beans

Chicken

Teriyaki sauce

Garlic

Brown rice

Cook chicken in skillet with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Once cooked add teriyaki sauce, green beans, and garlic. While you have all of that in the skillet cook your brown rice separately. Easy, peasy, all done, serve your family! 

TBT: The EIGHT things you will miss about college.

The EIGHT things you will miss about college.

1. You will miss having several wardrobe choices on any given day. Don't feel like being you today, no problem!

2. You will miss lazy Sundays of knitting and studying by the fire. Talk about a lively bunch.

College, where I learned to knit.

3. You will miss sharing your bed and binge watching OTH and Glee. Sleepover everyday, homework tomorrow.

4. You will miss having someone to force you to workout and also cook you junk food. Cookies were our Last Supper on several occasions. 

5. You will miss traveling in a pact. No really, you go no where without at least two friends and you always, always take 700 selfies before you leave.

6. You will miss celebrating holidays with them. Of course you went home for the holidays, but not before celebrating with this family.

Happy Halloween

Happy Thanksgiving, complete with turkey dinner! Okay maybe it was a rotisserie chicken...

Merry Christmas

7. You will miss kidnapping kittens from the dorm five buildings down. We were great kitten moms for about two hours.

8. Mostly, you'll just miss them. A lot.

TURNING SADNESS INTO THANKFULNESS

I woke up the other morning with that surprising ache of sadness. Not the kind of sadness that pairs with hopelessness, it's the sadness that catches you off guard, resting in your eyes and filling your lungs before you even know it's there, almost more of a physical sadness than a mental sadness. It's the sadness that is paired with His presence and peace, yet the emotion is real and the breaths seem a little shorter as you try to hold it together. These days always catch me off guard, hitting me when I least expect it and yet bring a gentle comfort with them as I know bringing my sadness to His feet is powerful and that He will rest with me in a no-reason tough day like today. It's days like this when I have to be keenly aware and tuned into my blessings, otherwise the sadness can run wild and free and do far more damage that it should. So today I am thankful for my husband, the sun shining, the kitchen sink that was empty when I came home, the liquid caffeine my husband has waiting for me each morning. If your caught off guard by an emotion today acknowledge it and bring it to his feet. Worship Him and thank Him despite the hardships and ask Him to walk with you. He is faithful to meet us. What are you thankful for today?

Blueberry Honey Popsicles

I'm always looking for a fun, yummy, summer treat to snack on while outside in the evenings watching the dogs running around in the yard and these yummy Popsicles do the trick!!

1 3/4 c. Of vanilla yogurt

1 c. Blueberries

1/2 tbs. of honey

Mix your blueberries and honey together. 

If you do not want whole blueberries in your Popsicles then place everything in your blender.

If you want whole berries, like myself, add your yogurt and fill your Popsicle molds and place in the freezer for at least 24 hours. 

When your ready to enjoy, depending on the type of molds you have you may have to submerge them in some warm water to get them out. 

Enjoy, summers almost gone!

Cotton Anniversary

Keeping with tradition yet again we went for a cotton theme anniversary. Starting with our traditional anniversary pictures. David is always pretty creative, he went with a quilt and wrote on it to remember this anniversary. Plus he knows I'm a nut about blankets! He even got us pillows and drew a cute drawing on them. Knowing that I have been dying to try and make a quilt, he took me too get some cotton fabric to make a quilt, guess I better get started now-no excuses! Again with the blankets, he will be yelling at me in a few years to get rid of them all! David and I are always so thankful to everyone that remembers us on our anniversary as well. Thank you to everyone that sent us well wishes and thanks to everyone who shared that special day with us TWO years ago! We cannot remember a time when we felt so loved as that day!

cotton quilt

Cotton sheets from my parents

Garden veggie basket from my father in law and his wife.

Cotton basket for David

How creative and sweet is my husband? 

Of course you have to celebrate a cotton anniversary with cotton candy!

A LETTER TO MY HUSBAND- OUR SECOND ANNIVERSARY

David Cole, Two years ago was more than a dream-it was a taste of Heaven and I have been living there ever since. I have decided that God loves weddings and marriage! His presence that August day was stronger than I felt in my whole life and our marriage has only drawn me closer to Him. I find myself gasping for air as I think of the things to type in this letter. This past year we have learned and grown so much, probably more so than year one. Yea, actually that was a breeze. ;) We have been challenged with circumstantial things out of our control that left us with one option-surrendering to God. Even when difficult and heart breaking you have never wavered and are my greatest supporter and greatest source of strength. You are the calm in the middle of the storms that I create for myself (as you would say) and even the ones that I have no control over. I've never looked around and had to question where you were, you are my constant. I love how we do everything together, you cook with me, clean with me, indulge in Hobby Lobby trips with me, pray with me, and sit beside me outside in the evenings. You my love are always quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. You keep me laughing and falling in love more day after day.

I love you always, Mrs. David Douthitt

Photography by: and lifestyle photography

6 Prayers For My Husband

1. Lord let my husband obey you without question like Abrahan, regardless of your request.

2. God, help him to remember that no matter the situation, good or bad, that you are still good.

3. Jesus give him the faith of Job, no matter how difficult the circumstance.

4. Lord, give Him the wisdom and guidance to shepherd over his family and your people.

5. God, allow Him to find his rest in you and in you alone.

6. Jesus, I pray he have the boldness of Peter, to speak your truth always.