My mom found this delicious recipe for pecan pie mini-muffins several years ago–we love these muffins.  They are great to take to potlucks, and they freeze well–plus, they are pretty easy to make and only require five ingredients.  This is probably the recipe I have been asked for most often!

Pecan Pie Mini Muffins

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2/3 cup real butter, melted
• 2 eggs, beaten

Combine the brown sugar, pecans and flour and set aside.  Combine butter and eggs and stir into flour mixture until combined.  Fill greased/floured mini-muffin tin.  The pan will be pretty full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes and then remove.  If you wait too long, they are hard to get out.

KEY:  The real butter is extremely important.  Do not use a substitute!

Makes 24 delicious mini-muffins.

In the throes of obsession with Ferris Bueller’s Day Off when I was a pre-teen/teenager, I loved to quote it.  One of my favorites?  “Life moves pretty fast.  If you don’t stop once in a while and look around…you could miss it.”

Psalm 90:12 (NIV) says it this way:

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Besides all of the newness and joy of that goes with the first year of marriage, my husband and I (and number of relatives) have been commenting on how fast it went by.  Life moves faster as we get older–or so it seems.

I have been thinking about numbering my days, and one of my great-grandmother’s favorite sayings:  “Do it now.”

So, whatever it is for you, please be encouraged to do it now.  Don’t waste this beautiful gem called today.  So often, we get caught up in temporal things, and don’t give enough time to the eternal–time with the Lord, and time building and enjoying relationships.  So many times, we put off our own dreams playing the game of, “I’ll do it when I get a better job, when I pay off some bills, when the kids are older, when I have more time, when things calm down.  It’s so easy to get trapped in this way of thinking, but we all know that we will never have more time, and things don’t usually “calm down.”

Therefore, let’s all seize the day and put a little special time into our worship, our relationships and our dreams.  I am walking away from a messy house, and a half-finished to-do list today, so I can spend the day with my husband.  We are going to look in some shops, have lunch, and see a play in a town about an hour a way.  This day will be a treasure, I know–even if not a single thing gets marked off my “do-do list.”

Hey–maybe we should all just revamp our lists!  Mine might look something like this:

1.  See if I can make my husband laugh.

2. Thank God for everything I see today that is beautiful.

3.  Choose to be a hopeless optimist.

4. Stay home more–run around less.

5.. Chase the dog around a tree.

6.  Send a friend a goofy card.

7. Take a step toward one of my “far-out” dreams.

8.  Sit quietly for five minutes and  meditate on the love of God.

9. Try a new recipe.

10. Make something new–whether it’s a poem or a bath bomb cupcake.

11. Look at the stars.

Oh, yes!  Let us number our days and relish our moments.  Thank God for the life he has given us!

Dear Lord, I pray that you would teach us to count our days, and that you would give us a heart of wisdom.  I pray for wisdom in how we spend our time, how we spend our resources of talent and money.  Dear Lord, let us be wise in how we spend our lives.  Thank you for today and I ask you to help us to accept our current circumstances and find the special blessing this day offers.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.

And a gentle tongue breaks a bone.

Do not wear yourself out to get rich, for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Getting excited… Our 1st year wedding anniversary is Sunday!  I was also getting stressed out.  I made a commitment for Saturday a couple of weeks ago which I conveniently forgot about until today.  That means that any anniversary gift shopping had to take place immediately!  I had a great idea for a gift for my sweetie, but it could only be purchase on-line, and the product was sold out.

Sadly, I did not have a back-up gift plan, and I was feeling the pressure.  There’s a lot of pressure on certain occasions to get the PERFECT GIFT–to do the PERFECT THING to celebrate.  It’s the same sort of pressure I associate with Christmas and New Year’s Eve.  The occasion should be celebrated in the heart, but somehow it gets tangled up with fancy presents and exotic plans–or at least, feeling the need for such…

I regretted that I made plans for Saturday, because that would make it really hard to put together a special, gourmet six-course meal for my husband, buy and light 100 votive candles, put brand-new 1000 thread-count sheets on the bed and find something special from Victoria’s Secret…Oh, and get some strawberries, champagne, and chocolate…and hunt down our wineglasses (they are probably in the grain bin–we have stuff stored in odd places while we are working on finishing the house.).

Today, I pestered everyone at work with questions–what did you get your wife/husband for your 1st anniversary and what did he/she get you???  I asked everyone that came within shouting distance, and I got a wide variety of responses from the engraved pocket watch, to a weekend away, to the “I don’t remember.”  Oh, and I just remembered!  I should probably make a back-up cake just in case the year-old wedding cake has freezer burn.  Hm…

Ha!  The sanity of the Lord saved me from all this.  I actually asked my sweetie nonchalantly if we could go out to eat Saturday night.  Done.  Then, I ran to town today (a mere 90-minute drive one way) and bought hubby a very practical (not engraved) gift that I think he will like.  (Can’t tell, in case he is reading this.)  I found the perfect card for us–it is one of those quotes from a young child and it says, “They lived happily ever after.  And the next day, they got up and went to work.”  When you open the card, it says, “Fairy tales really do come true.”  Perfect for my  hard working honey.

Now, I am a bit more relaxed.  Gift is wrapped.  Card is signed.  I shall leave the rest until Saturday.  I love being with my husband and one of the things I enjoy most about our relationship is the spontaneity, creativity and fun.  I am convince that we will have a memorable and special anniversary, even if we don’t jump through every single (romantic) hoop this year.  After all, if it’s stressful, that sort of takes the fun out of it.  And to be honest, I adore wedding cake–doesn’t bother me if it’s a year old.

I wanted to give a short Part II follow up to the earlier post on practical wisdom.  I think another source of knowledge and wisdom that God provides, that I have a tendency to overlook at times, is books written my experts.  I have a friend who once told me that whenever she is doing something new or working on a particular area of her character, she will read a book about it at the same time, for inspiration and insight.  For example, if she was fasting, she would read God’s Chosen Fast.

Now, I am learning to apply book technique to a lot of different areas and new things I want to learn more about.  For example, I am taking my responsibilities as a puppy owner very seriously.  I think when I first saw Scout, after “He’s so cute,” the next words out of my mouth were, “I’ve gotta get a book.”

Books can in no way replace the wisdom, knowledge, and guidance that the Lord provides, but I believe he has also provided us with people who have wisdom and insight in certain areas, and it is wise to learn from those people!  Yesterday, I hit the bookstore and purchase two great puppy books: The Puppy Whisperer and Guide to Raising a Puppy.  I am already skimming, reading, and learning.  I believe that all of God’s creation (including puppies and other animals) proclaim that HE IS, and it is fascinating learning more about God’s creative design in animals.  As silly as this may sound, I think that having a puppy is also teaching me more about unconditional love.  Right now, Scout is very sick, and has been for several days.  He can’t do anything for me, and even though hubby and I gave him a bath last night, he is a dirty, stinky, sickly little guy today.  And yet, I love him.  I am normally kind of squeamish around all things gross, but I have no fear of puppy fluids right now, and I don’t care that he’s a mess–I just want him to be healthy.  This helps me put into perspective all of the times that I am a mess and hesitate to go to God.  Just a few more thoughts on puppies and practical wisdom for you…now, I’d better get back into my book.

p.s.  Scout is going to the vet first thing in the morning.  No one is available on Sunday.

Sometimes I need wisdom for a weighty spiritual matter–what is God’s will for my life?  What is his plan?  What’s the next step?Yet, on a daily basis, I need wisdom much more often for the “little” things that are really big things–how I manage my life/time, and how I prioritize my days.

As you may know from my previous posts, I have not had an easy transition from summer vacation to fall semester.  While I have worked during the day at school, in the evenings at home, and on the weekends, in the back of my mind, I have been keeping a certain woman in my mind–a bit of a legend to me.  I heard that she “never takes work home,” and that if you ask here what she does at home, she will say, “Not school work.”  At the same time, this woman is accomplished in her career, polished in her appearance, and exudes the confidence of a person who really has it all together.

I ran into her at a school function on Saturday, and asked her advice.  I am so glad I did.  She gave me some very practical tips Ion creating boundaries between home and work, and planning and grading more efficiently.  I was able to put some of her advice to work immediately, and I know that it will require discipline to do some of the things she suggested.  Even so, I felt better right away.  I had an answer!  A solution!   A plan to keep my life balanced!

Today, I was thinking about wisdom, and I wondered how long I might have continued on in my exhausting and inefficient ways if I had not asked this woman for advice.  I reminded myself of my students when they have to use the library.  They struggle to find the sources they want, but it never occurs to them to ask a librarian–the people that are there to help them.  So, after this experience, the next time I am having a hard time with a task, or lesson, or issue, in addition to praying about it, I will ask myself, “Who do I know that is really good at this?”  Then, I am going to do the smart thing right off, and ask that person for some advice!  Read Proverbs 19:20 (NIV):

Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.

Just in case any of my friend/mentor’s advice is applicable to you, here is a summary of her suggestions.  I realize they don’t apply to every person and every job, but just in case they are of use to you, here goes:

• Even though your last class of the day may be over at noon, force yourself to stay in your office and work until 5 p.m.  Then, force yourself to leave your work in your office.
• Instead of writing down extensive class plans, use a note card with the questions you want to ask, and they key points that must be covered.
• Use a timer when grading, and do not spend more than twenty minutes on a single paper.  Do not overwrite on the paper.  If the student has a question, he can come talk to you.
• There may be occasions when you still have to have a bit of work to do on the weekend.  In that case, get up early, make your coffee and get on it early so that you can still enjoy the rest of the day.
• You should be working 40-45 hours per week.  You could easily work 80, but there is really no need to do that.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.  Against such things, there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23, NIV).

I have been praying for a while for the fruit of the Spirit to be manifest in me and my life.  This is kind of ironic because the one I thought I struggled with most is self-control.  The one that I now think I struggle with the most is patience.  Let me explain–I thought I had patience “down” pretty well.  I had to be patient for a lot of big things over the years–jobs, the right man, etc.  I also do a lot of things that others tell me are evidence of my being a patient person–I teach students who tend to struggle with academics, I have tutored international language learners, I start and finish long projects, and if one of my long projects isn’t turning out well, I will start over–and still finish it.  So, you see, I thought I was a pretty patient person.  Then, 1 Thessalonians 5:14 came alive to me today:

And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idol, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone (NIV).

I don’t struggle a lot with being patient with others, but I struggle greatly with being patient with myself.  This has been one of my more difficult weeks.  I have made a lot of silly mistakes at work that I don’t normally make–nothing huge to anyone but me.  If anyone else made the same mistakes, I would extend mercy and tell her not to worry about it.  Yet, with myself, I keep a record of the “wrongs” I’ve done and allow those mistakes to take center stage in my mind.  I end up feeling frustrated and down on myself.  This is not God’s intention for me.  I am to be patient with everyone according to the scripture.  God could have said, “Be patient with everyone, except yourself,” but he didn’t.  I want to learn to extend mercy and tolerance to myself when I mess up.  It should be instinct when I mess up to just apologize, forgive myself, and go on.  And, when I say go on, I mean I can’t allow myself to dwell on the mistake, relive the mistake and obsess about the mistake.

Since it is my natural human tendency to focus on what I am doing wrong more than what I am doing right, I have to really be diligent to gain victory in this area.  Being aware of it as a spiritual issue helps.  My plan the next time I am tested in this area is to be ready with a verse to meditate on so my mind will stay focused on what is good and true.  I may use “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13 NIV), or I may use “Be patient with everyone…” (with a note to self–that includes me!)

I love fall!  What’s not to love?  Autumn offers beautiful foliage, crisp and sunny days, harvest moon, pumpkins and caramel apples, sweatshirt weather, festivals, and holidays!  Sadly, autumn also coincides with my busiest time of the year–fall semester.  I am hoppin’ to keep up with my classes, meetings, conferences with students and events on campus!  And, when I am home these days, I am chasing a puppy around to ensure that he does not eat all of my shoes.  Occasionally, I spare a regretful look of apology at the house.  Even so, I rejoice in the fall!  I am pausing to admire and appreciate the change in seasons and the passing of one kind of beauty to another kind of beauty.  It’s also a reminder that all things have their season, just as it says in Ecclesiastes.  Like the changing of the seasons in the natural world, we each go through our own seasons in life.  I think it can be very beneficial to consider what kind of season I am in, and embrace it’s blessings instead of longing for something else.  When it’s fall, I will enjoy fall.  I will not waste these beautiful days wishing for a different season, and it is the same for life.  Simple?  Yes, but still true.

While I may not have a lot of leisure hour to pursue a bunch of harvest time activities right now, I am delighting in a beautiful pot of orangey-colored mums (a birthday gift from family!) that to me says, “Oh, Boy!  Fall is here!”  I want to take that extra step and plant them outside and see if I can get them to grow.  I also took time today to look up John Keats’ poem, “Ode To Autumn.” If you need a little beauty or a little inspiration today, I encourage you to read the poem and treat yourself (or a friend) to a pot of mums.