It's time for my Friday link up with A Little Bit of Everything, Grace and Love, and Momfessionals.
On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote or Bible verse, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.
1. Thief by Third Day
I've mentioned this song before. I listen to it every Good Friday. It is one of the most haunting, most beautiful, most overwhelming songs I've ever heard. It is based on Luke's Gospel, Chapter 23, verses 32-33 and 39-43.
"Two other men, both criminals, were led away to be executed with Him. When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.(23:32-33)
Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at Him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!"
But the other answered, rebuking him, "Don't you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment. We are punished justly, because we're getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong. Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
And He said to him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." (39-43)
This year I heard Max Lucado discussing this passage emphasizing that the first one to follow Jesus into the kingdom was a common criminal - not a theologian, not a wealthy philanthropist, not a preacher. There is nothing we can do to earn our way in and nothing we can do that will cause Him to reject us. While we were yet sinners, He died for us. Everyone single one. It's astonishing, isn't it?
2. Mrs. Terry's Banana Bread
It is a curious thing when my husband is the one who goes to the grocery store. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it very much. However, he's a weirdo. He buys the most random stuff. And while we're trying to stock up on groceries sufficiently enough to make sure we don't have to go out to the store very often, bananas aren't really considered essential around here. All that to say, my man bought more bananas than a family of monkeys could eat in a month and I ended up with more than one bowl of rotting extremely ripe bananas.
See also: "Wife Races Against Time Making 7,000 Loaves of Banana Bread" (from our elementary school counselor's recipe. She's the best.)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temp.
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt (I used sour cream because I had no yogurt)
2 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Butter and flour two large loaf pans. Sift together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl. Beat together both types of sugar and eggs with an electric mixer on medium-high until the mixture is very thick. Reduce speed to low and add oil, bananas, yogurt, and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Divide batter between two pans, spreading evenly, and bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown and a wooden pick comes out clean, 1 - 1 1/4 hours. Cool pans on rack for 10 minutes.
PS I also added chocolate chips because apparently we are never going to wear real pants again around here.
PPS The banana bread was gone in two days. No offense to the bananas that sat there for a week.
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temp.
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt (I used sour cream because I had no yogurt)
2 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Butter and flour two large loaf pans. Sift together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl. Beat together both types of sugar and eggs with an electric mixer on medium-high until the mixture is very thick. Reduce speed to low and add oil, bananas, yogurt, and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Divide batter between two pans, spreading evenly, and bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown and a wooden pick comes out clean, 1 - 1 1/4 hours. Cool pans on rack for 10 minutes.
PS I also added chocolate chips because apparently we are never going to wear real pants again around here.
PPS The banana bread was gone in two days. No offense to the bananas that sat there for a week.
3. Quarantine Wear: Lightweight Not-Real-Pants Options
Speaking of not being able to wear real pants, it's getting a little warmer around here and I find that I am also not able to wear real shorts.
Appreciate ya, COVID-19! Thanks for continuing to be awesome.
Anyway, I find that I need some not-real-pants that are lighter for the warmer weather. I ordered these Amazon Essentials lightweight cropped joggers and even though they said they wouldn't ship until April 17th, I got them yesterday because Jesus loves me so much. They are a very thin, comfortable material and I am wearing them right this minute. Over-under on when I will take them off is about 8 days.
Perhaps for your Easter service on the sofa, you want to get a little fancier with your not-real-pants options. In that case, I highly recommend these bright, happy poppy-colored jetsetter joggers that I ordered from Albion Fit after I saw them on Candace Cameron Bure on Instagram.
Yes, the girl who plays DJ Tanner and acts in all the Hallmark movies. What about it?
These are expensive, but I got 10% off (I know, big whoop) for signing up for their emails. They are very lightweight, have a cute gold zipper detail on the ankle, and also come in black, blush, khaki, sage and a snap pea green color.
4. Youtube Video on How to Clean a Toilet in 3 minutes
We are taking this opportunity to learn life skills in Skinner World right now, so I decided there was no better time then CoronaVirus 2020 to hand off the toilet cleaning tasks to the boys. I can't remember how I found this video, but you can text it to your kid with the click of a button and send them on their way. You are so very welcome, Friends.
5. My Favorite Nurse
This is my friend from high school that I mentioned last week. She is a real life flesh and blood Wonder Woman who works as an ICU nurse. I've been praying Psalm 91 for her and will continue to do so until this nightmare ends. Everyday a different verse stands out to me. Today, it was this one:
"He will cover you with his feathers,
And under his wings you will find refuge,
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."
Psalm 91:4
Might you please pray a special word for my friend today? I pray that all the nurses, doctors, scientists, leaders, the sick, the dying, the healthy, the lonely, and every single last person on this broken planet will find a moment today when they feel covered by His relentless grace and mercy. Even for just a moment.
Have a blessed Easter weekend, friends. He loves us so much. I'll never get over it.
Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well.
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