Tuesday Treasures

August 3, 2015

Life is starting to get crazy and crazier as school beings to approach. It seemed at first glance that I could only see the treasures of life when everything is calm and relaxed, but I'm so thankful that isn't the truth. Though this week has been primarily spent babysitting, there's just as much joy in watching Paw Patrol as traveling the streets of Pennsylvania.

SRT is where it's at, y'all. SRT stands for "She Reads Truth," which is a daily bible study via email or the app. They never fail to have the most wonderful daily devotions. They just completed a study called "Women in the Word" that went through the Bible book by book and studied the lives of the women in the Bible. It covered the majors like Mary and Eve to the unsung heroes such as Joanna and Pilate's Wife. Their devotions are short, but so insanely rich and applicable in any walk of life!

They actually started a new study today called "This is the Gospel," and I know that I personally can not wait to start it. I've been a "she" for almost a year now, and SRT has definitely made a difference in how I look at every situation.

SRT is middle Tennessee based and have writers of all different kinds, but they are all united by a passionate love for Jesus.  

You can sign up for their daily emails here or you can download their app for your iPhone or for your Android.

This past Friday was my grandmother's birthday, and one of the birthday traditions we have on that side is a homemade family dinner. For all of our birthdays, Amma cooks for us, but this year, I decided that I was going to cook dinner for her, and that is exactly what happened. We had chicken enchiladas roll ups and strawberry shortcake. The enchiladas are a family recipe, but when my grandfather and I decided we should make shortcake,  I was a little stumped. Buying the pre-made sponge cakes from Publix just wasn't appealing to me, so I scoured Pinterest and found an excellent shortcake recipe. It claims to be of Amish origin, and I do not doubt that at all.

It takes about 30 minutes and is hundreds of times better than the pre-made ones. This recipe makes a nice biscuity base and delicious flour, sugar, and butter topping.

When I made it, I made 9 servings because I cut the 8x8 pan into 3x3 rows and the serving sizes were just right. 

We did learn that it doesn't keep well over night, so it is best to make it the morning/day of your event.

I got so many complements about this cake and it is so addicting! This recipe is great because the toppings can be way more than just strawberries. My brother put cinnamon on his, and the original author/s dad puts milk on his. The possibilities with this recipe are endless! I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an easy dessert base.

I feel like I'm preaching to the choir when I say coffee is the best conversational drink, but it really is. This week, I got a wonderful opportunity to catch up with a very very dear friend and role model of mine that I look up to with all that is in me, and we caught up over breakfast and coffee. My heart is so full after our conversation, and I am more encouraged than ever. If you're ever trying to get to know someone or to catch up, breakfast and coffee is a great place to start.

Kyle Donn is a genius. This week, I came across an article of his called "Sexy Christianity." I know, you're probably as skeptical as I was when I saw it, too, but believe me, it is worth the read. Not so much focusing on the sexual side of Christianity, Donn questions the "believers" motives who succumb to Christian social trends and reminds all who read that our sights should be on God's approval. Not man's. Check it out when you have 5 minutes. It is brilliant.

You can also read more from his blog, http://kyledonn.com/.

Even when it's busy, you just gotta look for the little things.

xo,

lauren