Sweet potatoes

In an effort to be healthier, I have significantly decreased my sugar and salt consumption. In doing so I have been looking for yummy snacks which do not contain processed sugar and are low in sodium. My favorite treat has been sweet potatoes! I have always loved the flavor of pumpkin and sweet potatoes. I love both in pie form, however that doesn't help me in avoiding sugar:) My favorite form of sweet potatoes has become my own sweet potato chips. I sliver the sweet potato, place them on a cookie sheet, lightly spray with vegetable oil (Pam), sprinkle with spices, and bake. It's delicious!

How Firm a Foundation

A few years ago a friend and I were held up at gunpoint. It was terrifying for a few reasons. Our lives were threatened. After the robbery, the thief had the key to our apartment and had watched us exit so it was possible that he would return while we were there. The most terrifying part for my friend was the triggered memories of abuse. It was a challenging time. It was a time to rely on the Lord. We found solace in the hymn "How Firm a Foundation."
I was sitting by a friend at church today who is going through a large trial. We sang "How Firm a Foundation" and once again I was touched by the words and doctrine within this hymn:
"Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'erflow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake!"

Trials will always be apart of life. There is no need to fear! Heavenly Father gives us strength to overcome. The Adversary is the only one who wants us to become discouraged and give up. We become strengthened through our trials. When we rely on Jesus Christ we gain strength and wisdom and come closer to the ultimate goal, eternal life.

Greenhouse

My calla lily bulb never grew. So, I made a trip to the local nursery for an already growing calla lily. I ended up buying the only calla lily left. My bulb was supposed to be a red calla lily. It would have looked awesome with my red and brown color scheme in my room but alas the calla lily I purchased is white. I'm still super excited! It has a white spotted leaf which will look really awesome when the calla lilies bloom!
This past weekend I was spent some time with my dad. I found out that when he was young, his favorite flower was the calla lily. How cool that, at least for some time, my dad and I shared a favorite flower?!
Anyway, I never thought I was one for gardens. I appreciate beautiful gardens but was never interested in devoting much time to cultivating plants. A few years ago I decided that I wanted a plant. I've always liked the idea of having green draping plants hanging over bookshelves. So, I bought a plant which would make my library complete.
A few years later, I have four plants! My bedroom is going to become a greenhouse!

8/9/10

I realized at work that it is 8/9/10! I love numbers! I'm not a mathematician by any stretch of the imagination but I'm fascinated with number sequences, even numbers, and my favorite number (8). Eight became my favorite number around the age of 6 or 7 when I began looking forward to being baptized. Eight doubled is sixteen which is the date of my birth. Eighty eight was the number of the house I lived in until seven years of age. Eight is the last number of my current address. My license plate begins with the number 8. And it goes on and on. . . I love numbers!

Calla Lilies

About a month and a half ago I saw potted calla lilies at the grocery store. I was extremely tempted to buy one. Calla lilies are my favorite flower. A few days later I discovered a really cute pot which came with potting soil and a calla lily bulb for the same price as the potted calla lily at the grocery store. I was super excited! I purchased the cute pot and planted my bulb. I read up on care of calla lilies. According to the sources I read, caring for a calla lily is quite easy. I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong. It's been about 6 weeks and my bulb hasn't sprouted! I can't wait until it sprouts! It will be beautiful and will add a lovely accent to my decor! :)

My Dresser

I never thought I would say this but it is fun to be poor! Years ago I remember telling my dad that I wanted to be wealthy enough that I would never have to worry about money. He basically told me that it wasn't a realistic expectation and that the majority of people worry about finances.
Because of a large move and big changes in my life I have been really strapped monetarily. And I must admit I'm rather enjoying myself! My new living arrangement is rather small. Because of the size I need to be very efficient with my space. Since moving I've wanted to get a dresser. I've been perusing furniture stores, thrift stores, and garage sales for a few weeks. Every item I saw in thrift stores just looked nasty. Today I finally found the perfect dresser! Perfect in price: $35 (including tax)!!! Now one may not look at this dresser and think it looks perfect. It's pressed wood. It isn't stained, painted, or anything else. It's just plain and simple! There is nothing fancy about it! But this is the best part of all! When I saw this dresser it was kind of like seeing an incredible piece of fabric that you can't help but envision making into the perfect article of clothing! My creative juices began flowing. It's enthralling!
I'm so excited for my next project, my dresser! By the time I'm finished with it, it will look awesome! Well, hopefully it will! This is going to be my first furniture project so we'll see how it goes. But in my mind, this dresser is going to be incredible!

Patience

I think patience has always been a weakness of mine. I have always been one when told to jump, asks how high. Whenever I feel impressed to do something, I do it immediately. It has become a strength and a weakness. The weakness comes because I act so quickly, I expect others to do the same (including Heavenly Father). But the reality is things rarely happen when or how I want them to. A recent struggle has consisted of my patience being tested yet again. It's very difficult for me! I question a lot. I'm desperately working on becoming more patient and understanding, even when understanding is impossible in the present. Something which has helped me emensely is a talk by Pres. Dieter Uchtdorf given in the April 2010 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are MANY things he said which have helped me in my quest. One of which is this, "The children of Israel waited 40 years in the wilderness before they could enter the promised land. Jacob waited 7 long years for Rachel. The Jews waited 70 years in Babylon before they could return to rebuild the temple. The Nephites waited for a sign of Christ’s birth, even knowing that if the sign did not come, they would perish. Joseph Smith’s trials in Liberty Jail caused even the prophet of God to wonder, 'How long?' In each case, Heavenly Father had a purpose in requiring that His children wait." It gives me hope to know that people, even prophets have struggled through trials and wondered when it would end. It gives me hope that I can become a better person, as they did. I know in whom I trust!