Some of the greatest battles will be fought within the silent chambers of your own soul.
Ezra Taft Benson
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
lately
I made a stuffed cabbage casserole tonight and it was freaking delicious!
(photo and recipe cred to skinnytaste.com)
We're OBSESSED with this...
I will say I wish it wasn't so stinkin' graphic. There are times when I literally can't look at the TV because I feel like I'm going to throw up or I'm just plain embarrassed.
I finished this book this week:
It was OK. By the way, when you buy a "Kindle Single", please know that it means a very short book. Hmm...not sure if it was worth my $1.99. It was kind of interesting but mostly creepy, I give it a 2 out of 5 stars. Here's Goodreads' description:
After Maureen's husband
dies, she imagines that the years of abuse are over, but while looking
for the Halloween decorations in the attic, Maureen finds a gift-wrapped
GPS with her name on the box: an early birthday present from her late
husband. When the voice from the machine starts giving her sinister
directions, she learns that sometimes the dead are restless . . . and
she's locked in a battle not just for her life but for her soul.
I'm also doing this Bible study with a group of gals from my church:
And can I just say a few things?
1. I love Bible studies! I didn't realize how much I missed the fellowship and homework(gasp!) 'til I was doing it again.
2. I LOVE BETH MOORE. Like, I really want to be her best friend! Is she taking applications?
3. The study itself is really great, I'm learning so much about the book of James! Who knew?
So that's kinda what I've been up to instead of posting :)
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
your daily quote
Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow."
Mary Anne Radmacher
Thursday, April 26, 2012
asking for help
Dramatic title, right? Glad I got your attention. See, I don't ask for help much. I have a past full of loathing fundraisers (even as a child I cringed having to ask people to buy overpriced Christmas wrapping paper in September). So now you will know how deeply I care for what I'm about to talk (type) about...
For almost 3 years now I've been volunteering on and off with Women's Choice Network. It's a crisis pregnancy center which basically means a place where women go when they think they may be pregnant and weren't necessarily planning on being pregnant. We get girls in their early teens all the way up to middle aged women. We offer free pregnancy tests, STD tests, sonograms and counseling. And one of my favorite parts is that we offer material assistance for mothers/couples that are in need.
It is a pro-life organization and I know that this is a touchy subject that I won't even begin to talk about except that I will note this; I love that the women who run this organization stand firm in their beliefs and offer assistance. Because I cannot stand when people condemn others for the choices they've made and offer them no help. For instance, if you're going to encourage a 17 year old girl to give birth to her baby, then I can darn well respect you for giving her the materials she needs to raise this child, connecting her to a whole slew of networks that can also support her, offer free counseling and basically being with her through every step of the way. And that's exactly what WCN does.
And since this is a non-profit it runs on donations alone. This is where you come in! I'm walking and raising money for the center by participating in the Walk for Life. And I'm asking you to help sponsor me. Please :) But please don't feel compelled to give. Only if you want to. And if you want to, here's how:
1. Go to the Walk for Life fundraising page
2. Click on "give"
3. Then a nifty little box will pop up with people's pictures (the walkers) and click on me, Jessi Kelly
4. Then click the big "give" button and follow their directions
I am so thankful for all of you who put up with this blog and it's major hiatuses and posting binges! Thank you for reading this and thank you for your support! Y'all are wonderful, beautiful people! (I'm sending big hugs and kisses your way!) XOXOXO
For almost 3 years now I've been volunteering on and off with Women's Choice Network. It's a crisis pregnancy center which basically means a place where women go when they think they may be pregnant and weren't necessarily planning on being pregnant. We get girls in their early teens all the way up to middle aged women. We offer free pregnancy tests, STD tests, sonograms and counseling. And one of my favorite parts is that we offer material assistance for mothers/couples that are in need.
It is a pro-life organization and I know that this is a touchy subject that I won't even begin to talk about except that I will note this; I love that the women who run this organization stand firm in their beliefs and offer assistance. Because I cannot stand when people condemn others for the choices they've made and offer them no help. For instance, if you're going to encourage a 17 year old girl to give birth to her baby, then I can darn well respect you for giving her the materials she needs to raise this child, connecting her to a whole slew of networks that can also support her, offer free counseling and basically being with her through every step of the way. And that's exactly what WCN does.
And since this is a non-profit it runs on donations alone. This is where you come in! I'm walking and raising money for the center by participating in the Walk for Life. And I'm asking you to help sponsor me. Please :) But please don't feel compelled to give. Only if you want to. And if you want to, here's how:
1. Go to the Walk for Life fundraising page
2. Click on "give"
3. Then a nifty little box will pop up with people's pictures (the walkers) and click on me, Jessi Kelly
4. Then click the big "give" button and follow their directions
I am so thankful for all of you who put up with this blog and it's major hiatuses and posting binges! Thank you for reading this and thank you for your support! Y'all are wonderful, beautiful people! (I'm sending big hugs and kisses your way!) XOXOXO
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
the lucky one
I picked this book up a few weeks ago because the movie was being released soon (last Friday to be exact) and I decided it would be a good book to read. Mostly it's because Zac Efron is in the movie and I think he's cute and I used to like Nicholas Sparks' books so it just added up. Then I realized that I hadn't read a Nicholas Sparks book since I was in high school. I went through quite a few back then. This was a typical Nicholas Sparks book, kinda predictable love story set in North/South Carolina. I did enjoy it though, I liked the familiar style, I liked the setting (reminded me a lot of Goldsboro actually) and I liked the romance of it all. I give it a 3 out of 5 stars; entertaining and delightful while being kinda predictable. Here's the summary from Goodreads:
When U.S. Marine Logan
Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the
dirt during his third tour of duty in Iraq, his first instinct is to
toss it aside. Instead, he brings it back to the base for someone to
claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo
in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck—winning
poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his
closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an
explanation for his good fortune: the photograph—his lucky charm.
Back home in Colorado, Thibault can’t seem to get the photo—and the woman in it—out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina—Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son—to be the girl he’s been waiting his whole life to meet. Caught off guard by the attraction he feels, Thibault keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate and all-consuming love affair, the secret he is keeping will soon threaten to tear them apart—destroying not only their love, but also their lives.
Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, The Lucky One is Nicholas Sparks at his best—an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love.
Back home in Colorado, Thibault can’t seem to get the photo—and the woman in it—out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina—Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son—to be the girl he’s been waiting his whole life to meet. Caught off guard by the attraction he feels, Thibault keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate and all-consuming love affair, the secret he is keeping will soon threaten to tear them apart—destroying not only their love, but also their lives.
Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, The Lucky One is Nicholas Sparks at his best—an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love.
your daily quote
The
opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is
not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy,
it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s
indifference.
Elie Wiesel
lately
I often feel like I don't have a lot going on and then I look at my blog and realize that I haven't posted in a week. To be fair, I was out of town this past weekend so that accounts for some days of negligence, right?
Oh, where was I out of town you say? South Bend, Indiana actually. I know, right? That's the farthest "midwest" I've gone in this fine country of ours. Notice I didn't say west, I've actually been to CA so that's pretty west but I've never ventured into the Midwest. Ohio doesn't count, it's kinda in its own little area if you ask me. So yes, I have been to South Bend, Indiana, thank you very much. I traveled there with my friend Anna for her first ever bridal shower (squeal)! It was great to be enveloped in a lot of Irish Catholic love! Anna's family is huge, like her mom has 7 brothers and sisters kind of huge! So there were a lot of people there to celebrate Anna and Matthew's upcoming wedding and it was great to finally be able to put faces with names.
I also got to see one of my dad's good friends, Bill and his family while I was in South Bend. Fun fact: I babysat Bill's little girl when she was a baby and she's turning 12 this summer! 12! I mean, really? I felt really old but it was really great to see Bill and his family. They also took me on a great tour of Notre Dame. What a beautiful and historic campus! If Anna puts pictures up online I'll swipe some and put them on the blog so that you're not only guided by my words but by pictures too :)
Oh and we returned to a "winter weather advisory" in PA on Sunday. Ughhhh. It's the end of April, how the heck could it be predicted to snow (it didn't, btw) and have a freaking winter weather advisory?! This place, man, this place (insert disapproving head shake). So much for my Spring post...
Oh, where was I out of town you say? South Bend, Indiana actually. I know, right? That's the farthest "midwest" I've gone in this fine country of ours. Notice I didn't say west, I've actually been to CA so that's pretty west but I've never ventured into the Midwest. Ohio doesn't count, it's kinda in its own little area if you ask me. So yes, I have been to South Bend, Indiana, thank you very much. I traveled there with my friend Anna for her first ever bridal shower (squeal)! It was great to be enveloped in a lot of Irish Catholic love! Anna's family is huge, like her mom has 7 brothers and sisters kind of huge! So there were a lot of people there to celebrate Anna and Matthew's upcoming wedding and it was great to finally be able to put faces with names.
I also got to see one of my dad's good friends, Bill and his family while I was in South Bend. Fun fact: I babysat Bill's little girl when she was a baby and she's turning 12 this summer! 12! I mean, really? I felt really old but it was really great to see Bill and his family. They also took me on a great tour of Notre Dame. What a beautiful and historic campus! If Anna puts pictures up online I'll swipe some and put them on the blog so that you're not only guided by my words but by pictures too :)
Oh and we returned to a "winter weather advisory" in PA on Sunday. Ughhhh. It's the end of April, how the heck could it be predicted to snow (it didn't, btw) and have a freaking winter weather advisory?! This place, man, this place (insert disapproving head shake). So much for my Spring post...
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
your daily quote
If you will trust God with your anguish, it will give birth to something precious.
Beth Moore
(gah, I love that woman)
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
the muppets
We watched this last weekend and loved it! It was a precious movie. Especially if you grew up watching The Muppets. Also, if you have kids, this is a great movie for both you and them. There was a point where they were singing the introduction to the The Muppets Show and I found myself smiling and dancing in my seat. You never forget the things that made you happy as a kid :) With that said, you should definitely rent it.
asian edamame fried rice
I found this recipe and had to try it. It was pretty good. Not P.F. Changs good but still one of the best Asian dishes I've made at home.
You should try it because:
1. It's healthy
2. It's quick and easy
3. It's cheap.
Do it.
(photo and recipe cred go to: skinnytaste)
spring
This is a binge post on Spring. It's here. Finally. Even after we had a snow dusting(!) last week. It was warmish and sunny today this morning. I know this because my husband signed me up for a 9:15 a.m. dentist appointment on a Saturday (a Saturday! i know!). Don't worry, many guilt trips have been given over the past few days. Verdict: he seems unfazed and I was still pissed going to the appointment. Anyway, I digress.
Since I was up at the crack of dawn (on a Saturday!), I decided to get some stuff done. I ran a few errands and mosied on over to Lowe's for my annual herbs/flowers shopping spree. Right after I got home and planted them it started to rain, so I will post pictures one day when it isn't raining. That's another thing, it's totally Spring because there's sunshine then two minutes later it's raining, then back to sunshine again.
Another reason I know it's Spring is because my allergies have come back with a vengeance. Sit down a spell, I have a story to tell (yes I rhymed). Pretty much the entire time I lived down South my nasal area hated life from March to May. I couldn't stop sneezing, blowing my nose, and rubbing my eyeballs so hard that I looked like I was high 24/7. Then we moved to PA and the pollen levels were significantly lower. Like so much so that I was able to walk around and actually enjoy the beautiful flowers without sneezing all over them. It was nice. Then this Spring came and my nasal area decided to wreak havoc on my body again. I seriously sneeze like 7 or 8 times in a row. Very dramatic, and not the kind of drama that I welcome. And yes, I've tried every allergy medicine under the sun, some work for a little bit but they all eventually stop. Here's a conversation I had the other day with the 3 year old I watch:
Me: sneeze sneeze sneeze
B: Jessi, why you sneeze so much?
Me: Because I have this thing called allergies and you sneeze a lot because of the pollen in the flowers.
B: Oh.
(3 hours later)
Me: sneeze sneeze sneeze sneeze sneeze
B: Jessi, why you coughing?
Me: I'm not, I'm sneezing.
B: Oh, but why?
Me: Because, remember, I have allergies?
B: You STILL have that?!
Me: Yeah, it doesn't really go away for a long time
B: (silence)
Yet another reason to love Spring, all the springy clothes and what not. One of my fave things this season are these pants I bought (and I just saw that they're $15 now so I'm probably going to go back and buy another pair):
Since I was up at the crack of dawn (on a Saturday!), I decided to get some stuff done. I ran a few errands and mosied on over to Lowe's for my annual herbs/flowers shopping spree. Right after I got home and planted them it started to rain, so I will post pictures one day when it isn't raining. That's another thing, it's totally Spring because there's sunshine then two minutes later it's raining, then back to sunshine again.
Another reason I know it's Spring is because my allergies have come back with a vengeance. Sit down a spell, I have a story to tell (yes I rhymed). Pretty much the entire time I lived down South my nasal area hated life from March to May. I couldn't stop sneezing, blowing my nose, and rubbing my eyeballs so hard that I looked like I was high 24/7. Then we moved to PA and the pollen levels were significantly lower. Like so much so that I was able to walk around and actually enjoy the beautiful flowers without sneezing all over them. It was nice. Then this Spring came and my nasal area decided to wreak havoc on my body again. I seriously sneeze like 7 or 8 times in a row. Very dramatic, and not the kind of drama that I welcome. And yes, I've tried every allergy medicine under the sun, some work for a little bit but they all eventually stop. Here's a conversation I had the other day with the 3 year old I watch:
Me: sneeze sneeze sneeze
B: Jessi, why you sneeze so much?
Me: Because I have this thing called allergies and you sneeze a lot because of the pollen in the flowers.
B: Oh.
(3 hours later)
Me: sneeze sneeze sneeze sneeze sneeze
B: Jessi, why you coughing?
Me: I'm not, I'm sneezing.
B: Oh, but why?
Me: Because, remember, I have allergies?
B: You STILL have that?!
Me: Yeah, it doesn't really go away for a long time
B: (silence)
Yet another reason to love Spring, all the springy clothes and what not. One of my fave things this season are these pants I bought (and I just saw that they're $15 now so I'm probably going to go back and buy another pair):
So yeah, Spring is a pretty great time of the year, even if I do look/act like a zombie 24/7.
sorry pals
I know I haven't been consistent with blogging. Every time I think about writing I just think about how I don't really have anything exciting to write about. Or I'll think of like one little thing but it isn't funny or interesting. I feel like I always post recipes, quotes, movie and book reviews. I hope y'all like that because I don't see anything too different in the near future. Wah. Newsflash: there's not a lot going on 'round here. Hmph. With that said, I'm about to binge post. Enjoy the 57 posts that are about to come because there probably won't be any for another week or so.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
happy easter y'all!
Then sings my soul,
My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Hope y'all had a great Easter :)
Saturday, April 7, 2012
your daily quote
A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself-and
especially to feel, or not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at
any moment is fine with them. That’s what real love amounts to: letting a
person be what he really is.
Jim Morrison
Friday, April 6, 2012
in case you want to waste time...
Here's a hilarious site that I've just wasted approximately 10 hours (not really, well maybe...) on:
You're welcome.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
your daily quote
I can’t think about that right now. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about that tomorrow.
Scarlett O'Hara
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