The Bright Eyed Brunette

 Happy Monday my good friends! We had a pretty good weekend here on the homestead. We celebrated Carl's birthday and the Super Bowl!  On Saturday, Carl and I went to Little Rock on the hunt for him some new shoes. We couldn't find the ones he wanted anywhere. We couldn't even order the ones he wanted in his size. After trying 4 or 5 stores we decided to eat lunch and then come back home. He did end up finding an alternative pair in town. He is on his feet a lot, and as he has gotten older, good shoes are a must! We celebrated with our family on Saturday night. He loved his cookie cake! Wrenley likes to help open presents! He is a great husband, Dad, and Pappy. Happy Birthday, Carl! Sunday was Super Bowl Sunday! We aren't that much of a sports family. We watch a few games here and there but we don't live and breathe it. But we do love a reason to celebrate (and by celebrate, I mean eat, lol). My mom fixed lots of party food for our Sunday lunch and my dad fixed a del...

Every February, love gets wrapped up in pink paper, heart-shaped boxes, and expectations that can feel heavy instead of hopeful. Valentine's Day tells us love should be grand, romantic, and always feel good. But the Bible paints a very different picture of love- one that lasts long after the roses wilt and the chocolate is gone. Scripture doesn't describe love as something we fall  into and out of without control. Biblical love is intentional.      "Love is patient, love is kind..." (1Corinthians 13:4) Patience and kindness don't just show up when emotions are high. They show up in the ordinary- when you're tired, misunderstood, or stretched thin. Love is choosing gentleness when snapping would be easier. It's choosing grace when feelings are complicated. Real love is often quiet. The Bible never promises that love will always feel easy. In fact, some of the strongest examples of love in Scripture happen in suffering.      "Greater love has no one tha...

 Ah February, the month of love. I love a good theme month, and I also love loving on my people! I know that most of the time the way to their heart it through their stomach💗 Today I want to share my recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Cups.  Ingredients Strawberry Filling 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon lemon juice Shortcake Cups 2 cups prepared pound cake or vanilla cake, cubed Whipped Cream 1 cup heavy whipping Cream 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Instructions In a bowl, toss sliced strawberries with sugar and lemon juice. Let sit for 15-20 minutes until juicy. In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. To assemble, layer cake cubes in the bottom of small cups or jars. Spoon strawberries and juices over the cake. Add a layer of whipped cream. Repeat layers once more, finishing with whipped cream and strawberries on top. Chill for 10-15 minutes or serve immediately....

 Happy Monday, friends. It has been a pretty long week. I tested positive for flu A on Tuesday, and let me tell you, I think its mission was to take me out! Then Makena got it on Thursday. She and I are both a lot better today.  Carl was trying to clear the end of our driveway so that we could get in and out. The snowplows and road graters did great but they threw the excess in the driveways. After almost a week of not seeing Wrenley, I was finally feeling better and the roads were clear enough for me to go pick her up! She came with us to my niece, Ellie Kate's birthday party.  All smiles for fun with BeBe and nuggets! Happy Sweet 16 to my favorite niece! Wrenley was living her best life: eating birthday cake and playing with Play Doh. Between the big freeze and getting sick, I found an excellent book to read. A few months ago, I discovered that I enjoy Meagan Church books! I would 100% recommend this book. I think I finished it in a day :) That pretty much sums up my we...

Happy frozen Monday, friends! We have been doing our best to stay warm inside! Carl and I ventured out on Saturday, but on Sunday I started getting sick.  Here are some snow pictures I took on our venture out and about. I love seeing our church all covered with snow. The old windmill And our favorite place, the river! We had to cancel church this morning, so Carl and I watched church on TV.  It was a great sermon on the Sovereignty of God. I didn't even get out of the house today. Like I said my throat and head started hurting pretty bad, so I took medicine and slept a lot.  Carlie sent me pictures of Wrenley and Macy today. Maggie and Trey came to eat dinner with us tonight. We had breakfast food for dinner tonight. Last night Carl fixed chili.  That about wraps up our very slow-paced weekend. It's supposed to be another super cold day. Schools and businesses will be closed. We are just going to hang out around here until the roads are in better shape. Boredom is se...

 Happy Friday, friends! Hope this Friday finds you all somewhere warm! This week I am again linking up with  Andrea  and  Erika  for another Friday Favorites. Slow Mornings (Even if they're short)                                                                                        This week reminded me that a slow moment matters just as much a slow morning. Five quiet minutes before the house wakes up. One uninterrupted cup of coffee. A deep breath before the day begins. Slowness doesn't have to be long-it just has to be intentional.       2. Comfort Food That Feels Like Home   There's nothing fancy about comfort food, and that's the beauty of it. Warm meals, familiar flavors,       and recipes you don't ...

  There’s a quiet pressure most of us live under, even if we don’t talk about it much. It’s the pressure to look like we have things together. Not perfect —just together enough that no one worries about us. We tidy up before people come over, even if we’re exhausted. We answer “good” when someone asks how we’re doing, because explaining the truth feels like too much work. We make sure our lives look orderly on the outside, even when they feel a little shaky on the inside. And it’s not just social media. That pressure existed long before filtered photos and highlight reels. Social media just gave it better lighting. Keeping up appearances can look like a clean house when your heart feels cluttered. It can look like saying yes when you should say no. It can look like staying quiet about the hard stuff because you don’t want to be “that person.” The one who brings the mood down. The one who needs something. What makes it exhausting is that the pressure is mostly internal. No one is...

 Welcome back to my Wednesday Kids Ministry series. This week I want to talk give some good ideas for object lessons. I have been part of many object lessons over the years. Some of them were totally awesome, others were not so awesome (always practice before hand!). Here are a few of the ones that really seem to drive the point of the lesson home.  The Apple (The Trinity) Objects: One apple Point: One apple, three distinct parts. How to teach it: Hold up an apple and say: “This is one apple. But it has three distinct parts.” Cut it open and show: Skin Flesh Core/seeds Explain: The apple is one apple The parts are distinct All parts are fully part of the apple The apple is not complete without all three Trinity connection: One God Three distinct Persons: Father, Son, Holy Spirit Each fully God Not three gods, not one person pretending Why it works: It avoids the “switching forms” problem and shows unity + distinction.  ...

 As I'm inching along in my fitness journey, eating cleaner each day becomes a little more challenging, but extremely necessary. My hardest meal to fix for myself is lunch. Carl is here occasionally and Trey is here almost every day at lunch. They don't care to eat things they are good for them, they just usually need a quick meal. I came across this Egg Salad recipe and decided to make it for me and Carl for lunch one day. We both loved it! Ingredients 6 large eggs boiled and peeled 3 oz. grape tomatoes, about 3/4 cup chopped 6 medium pitted green olives, chopped 2 tbsp. red onion, chopped 2 tbsp. basil, fresh, chopped 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar 1/4 tsp. salt 8 medium bibb lettuce leaves Directions Peel and chop the eggs and place in a medium bowl. Add the chopped tomatoes, olives, red onion, and basil. In a cup, stir the olive oil, vinegar and salt and pour over the egg mixture. Stir to mix. Scoop into lettuce leaves by rounded 1/4 cup servings. Roll to clos...

  The truth about Mondays is this: most of us don’t wake up refreshed, focused, and ready to conquer the week. We wake up a little behind. A little tired. Still carrying the weight of last week and the leftovers from the weekend—physically, emotionally, and sometimes spiritually. Mondays don’t usually start with clarity; they start with coffee and a quiet negotiation with ourselves to just get moving. What nobody posts online is the pause before the productivity. The deep breath before the to-do list. The moment of doubt that wonders if we’re already starting behind. Mondays are rarely as polished as they appear on screens. They’re ordinary. Sometimes messy. Often slower than we planned. And that doesn’t mean we’re doing it wrong—it means we’re human. The truth is, Monday isn’t a test you pass or fail. It isn’t proof of how disciplined, motivated, or put-together you are. It’s simply a doorway. One step into a new stretch of ordinary days where real life happens. And real li...

 Woo Hoo, it's Friday! Just last week I was talking about how this month is flying by, but this week has moved at a snail's pace! Today, I am linking up with  Andrea  and  Erika  for Friday Favorites. I have been working on my fitness for about a year now, more seriously in the past 6 months. One thing I've worked on is getting my daily protein in. I tried the built puff protein bars a while ago and they are wonderful, but earlier this week I found the sour puffs, and wow, those things are surprisingly amazing!! I've also taken the new year to do a little more for myself. I started ordering from Nuuly (a monthly clothing subscription). I have found serveral brands that I have wanted to try. There is no pressure to buy anything. You just simply pick 6 items, wear them for the month and send it back and then pick 6 more items (of course, you can purchase if you like). This is a new favorite of mine. At the end of November I bought tickets to the Jason Aldean conce...

 There are people out there doing 75 Hard-- waking up at 4:30 a.m., taking ice baths on purpose, and drinking enough water to raise the water table. And then there are the rest of us. The ones that say, "I'll improve my life but I'm not military."              Enter 75 Medium--for the people who have goals, responsibilities, and a strong attachment to dessert. 75 Medium is the idea that you can change your habits without pretending that you are training for the Olympics. It's the middle lane between "do nothing" and "turn your life upside down on Monday. It usually looks something like: moving your body every day drinking water, but not enough to require you to have a map of all the public restrooms eating mostly real food that didn't come from a gas station reading or doing something that is good for your brain taking progress photos is you remember, and if you don't--oh well! In other words, progress without misery. I chose 75 Medium over ...

 Well, as promised I am coming back to you with another Kids/Youth Ministry post. This week we are going to talk about some games that all ages of youth can enjoy. Let The Fun Begin! Shake It Off: Each player gets 20 sticky notes (each player has their own color). Instruct the students to place the sticky notes all over their clothes, then let them all start shaking. The first player to get all of their sticky notes off, wins. Pool Noodle Battle: Each player holds two pool noodles (1 noodle cut in half). One is designated as your "sword" and the other must be used as your "torch". Your torch has a "flame" (red solo cup) that the player must protect from extinguishing (falling to the ground off of the torch) Once the torch is extinguished, the player is eliminated.  The players sword (the noodle without the cup) must be used to attack the other players in attempt to extinguish their torches or to be used to block incoming attacks from other player (also cal...

 Welcome to my DITL post-- otherwise known as "watch me attempt to be productive." I didn't wake up glowing, I didn't float into the kitchen, and my hair didn't cooperate. But I did find these super cute moisturizing eye patches Please ignore my dirty mirror.  Another "Wren was here" moment. She loves brushing her teeth! And I made myself a yummy weight loss drink.  And then I got started my Bible Study/Memory work. I really enjoy soaking it all in. Then it was time for me to warm the car up and head to Trey's house to check on Maggie. I was really dreading this because as you can see it was 37 degrees and she always runs off to places she doesn't belong.  Heater all the way up! Steering wheel heat on as well as the seats! I hate the winter! As soon as I got back home and warmed up, it was on to laundry! We were busy catching up from the weekend! After a couple of loads, I headed to my bedroom to put away some of that laundry! It didn't take ...