A Simple Sparkle

Several years ago I was a little obsessed with musicals and theatre. My cousin gave me these picture frames with playbills in them and they've been hanging in my room ever since. Last summer I took them down when I painted my walls and they were forgotten about in the back of a closet. I saw them when I came home for Christmas and I decided to get a little creative.  I busted out the watercolors and You've Got Mail   and this was the result.  I've quite pleased with how it turned out. I might get back into painting, it such a peaceful thing to do when you're stressed. Right now I'm getting ready to leave for Ireland, and I am definitely stressed! -E

I've felt enormously convicted lately about my disposition. I keep hearing 1 Peter 3:4 quoted over and over again.  "Instead, make yourselves beautiful on the inside, in your hearts, with the enduring quality of a gentle, peaceful spirit. This type of beauty is very precious in God's eyes." Gentle has never really been a word that I've identified with. Quiet comes easily and it's a common misconception that the two go hand in hand. You'll notice the translation I quoted does not use the traditional "quiet",  it says "peaceful". I think that's the key. Gentleness does not accompany quiet, it accompanies peace. Gentleness can only emerge when dissension and agitation are absent. If there is order within your heart there is no need to be harsh and ill- tempered. That's where gentleness comes in.  My quiet nature is not peaceful and that is perhaps why I've struggled with this idea. I've mistaken restlessness for st

We are nearly two weeks into the new year and so far I think I've done alright on keeping my resolutions. I know I'm a little late in posting about my resolutions, but I think putting them on here will give me an extra boost of accountability. So here we go! 1. I want to be healthier this year. That means less store bought junk food and more home made, wholesome foods. This should be fairly easy while I'm home, but once I get back to dorm life I'll have to be more creative. Being healthy also mean that I need to exercise on a more consistent basis. I have become a master of sporadic workouts. I really would like to get into running because it's something I can do wherever I am. My goal is to run three miles every week at first and then increase as time goes on. Lately my asthma has been acting up, so for me this is a pretty realistic goal. 2. I want to be more joyful. I am so blessed in so many ways and there is absolutely no reason for me to  be pessimisti

When I was a freshman in high school I attempted to try vegetarianism, and I failed. My unscalable mountain was tofu. I never could figure out how to cook it properly and it just always had the wrong consistency. I have since learned about draining and proper temperatures. So today I'm going to share one of my favorite tofu recipes and hopefully help some of you dive deeper into the mystery that is tofu! The original source for this recipe can be found  here . Ingredients: 16 oz tofu, drained 2 Limes, juiced 2 Teaspoons mild paprika 2 teaspoons cumin 3 ga rlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 yellow onion 3 tablespoons olive oil 8oz guacamole 8 oz pico de gallo 4oz plain greek yogurt or sour cream Tortillas To begin you need to drain the tofu. I like to cut the package open a little and pour  out as much juice as I can. Then I sandwich the tofu between two big plates loaded with paper towels. If you have a clean dish rag or t