Teach Us to Number Our Days

"Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about it's own things.  Sufficient for the day is it's own trouble."  ~Matthew 6:34

This morning I woke up, stretched, and did what hundreds of thousands of other Americans also did this morning...

Checked the IRS website for my tax refund.

With sleepy eyes and arthritic fingers I clumsily Googled search terms like:

• Where's my 2013 refund?
• What day does IRS direct deposit refunds?
• What time of day does IRS direct deposit refunds?
• Why do I not have my 2013 direct deposited refund yet?

Let me stop right here and acknowledge my mother who is thinking, "Sarah, you just need to be patient.  God will work it out and everything happens for a reason.  It will come when it's supposed to come."

But I've got things that need taken care of!  Oh, and by the way, I need them taken care of now.

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under Heaven." ~Ecclesiastes 3:1  (There's another shout-out to Mom...Beatles' #1 fan!)

Isn't that the way we all think at times?  How quickly we forget that no matter how much money we have in the bank---or supposedly on it's way to the bank---God is still, and always will be, our provider.

Instead of counting the days, I need to make the days count.

It's not just the anticipation of tax refunds that cause me to pace the floor and foam at the mouth.  I am an equal-opportunity worrier.  In addition to my lack of patience in this area, let me point out some other things that I don't like waiting on:

• My husband's job applications to be reviewed and employers to call
• The final days of a pregnancy that seems will never end
• The beginning of a pregnancy that seems will never come
• My kids to go to bed so I can do something alone

Did I just write that last one?  Yep...I'm nothing if not real.

Wow! What time is being wasted!
So much interaction that's not really happening.
So many distracted responses that have no meaning.
So little engaging.
So much missed.

"So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."  ~Psalm 90:12

This article was published in Issue #103 of The Christian Home Magazine.

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Linking with:

Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner
Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple
Legacy Leaver Thursday @ Leaving a Legacy
Thriving Thursday @ Serving Joyfully
Desire to Inspire @ A Royal Daughter
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home
Open House @ Bernideen's
Thoughtful Thursday @ Found the Marbles
Essential Friday @ Essential Things Devotions 
Show and Tell Saturday @ Be Different, Act Normal
Or So She Says...
Show and Tell Saturday @ Sassy Little Lady 
Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom
Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home
Courtship Connection
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What Is Good 
Domestically Divine @ Far Above Rubies
(Titus 2)s Days @ Time Warp Wife
Tending the Home Tuesday
The Bliss Project Linkup @ Grace-Full Intentions
Wisdom Wednesdays @Simply Helping Him
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers

Chocolate Vanilla-Mint Fudge

You might be surprised to know that St. Patrick's Day is my very favorite holiday!  There's no one big reason why, in fact I'm not really sure myself.  I have happy memories of the St. Patrick's Day festivities in my hometown and I love all things Celtic---maybe I just love having another excuse to make treats.  Ha!

I've been writing a series called Great Grandma's Kitchen where I feature recipes that I've found in the big box of cookbooks and recipes that once belonged to my great-grandma and great-great grandma.  They're treasures for sure!

Recently, I was looking through a recipe box, trying to find something chocolatey to show off, and I came across several versions of the same recipe.  Most everyone is familiar with "Magic Fudge"---the kind where you just mix up chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk---melt it, chill it and eat it!  Well, according to grandma's recipe box, this one has been circulating for awhile under a couple of other assumed names!

This Nestle® version from 1957 is called, Safety Fudge, and involves melting the chocolate chips over hot water (double boiler method) to make it "safe" for children to make.  The tag line invites moms to "let junior chefs make it" and suggests adding peanut butter, nuts, raisins, Nescafe®, or gumdrops.  Gumdrops?  Well...maybe.

A little later version is called 12- Minute Magic French Fudge and was put out by Eagle® Brand.  What makes this one "French" is beyond me, but maybe they were playing to a '60s fad.

Here's my version.  Maybe someday my great granddaughter will be sharing it with her friends!

Chocolate Vanilla-Mint Fudge

2 c. chocolate chips
2 c. white chocolate chips
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. peppermint extract
green food coloring

Line the bottom of a square pan with wax paper (I used an 8 inch pan) and set aside.  Place the chocolate chips and half the can of sweetened condensed milk in a bowl and microwave/stir until smooth.  Pour into the pan and spread evenly.  Place the white chocolate chips and the rest of the milk into a bowl and microwave/stir until smooth.  Add peppermint and food coloring, stir well, spread evenly over chocolate fudge.  Use a knife to swirl parts of the two fudges together for a pretty design.  Refrigerate until firm then place on counter until it reaches room temperature.  Run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn the fudge out onto a cutting board.  Remove the wax paper and cut into squares.

Linking with:

Happy Homemaker Monday

The Art of Homemaking
No Place Like Home

Inspiration Monday @ Your Homebased Mom

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Motivate Me Monday 

Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom 

Living Proverbs 31

Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy 

A Round Tuit @ Creating My Way to Success 

Making Your Home Sing Monday
Make It Pretty Monday
Our Home of Many Blessings

Origami Owl Giveaway

I'm happy to introduce Patricia from A Taste of Something Unimaginable, who is teaming up with Origami Owl, to bring my readers a great giveaway!

Here's what Patricia has to say about her experience with Origami Owl:

A Giveaway Event Brought to you By

A Taste of Something Unimaginable

and Owlcharmyou.origamiowl.com

Welcome to the Owl Charm You giveaway event. For a while now Origami Owl has been making amazing necklaces that are built to tell a story. Completely personalized to describe your life. I had seen pictures of these necklaces floating around on Facebook, but I did not know just how many charms there are to choose from. It took me forever to go through all the charms because I just couldn't decide on one! There were so many cute charms that could have described something about me. Once you actually receive the necklace you open the adorable box and you actually put the necklace together yourself. I was worried about this at first but it is actually really easy and fun.

The independent designer who worked with us for this giveaway event was Leslie Rhoads, and you can purchase your own living locket from her website http://owlcharmyou.origamiowl.com!

Now on to the good stuff. One lucky winner will receive a gift card to make their own Origami Owl necklace! I know you all are as excited as I am about Origami Owl. 

You can win it from the rafflecopter below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway