Feb Newsletter
GIVEAWAY + Marriage Retreat, Inspirational Books, & 1st Trimester Recipes
It has been a busy month; I’m learning how to cope with 1st-trimester fatigue and nausea. Thankfully, the vomiting has subsided, and there’s only dry heaving. (Sorry for the TMI)
Since I’ve been resting more often, I’ve gotten more reading done, trying to reach my goal of 30 books a year. I’m always looking for new books and would love to hear what you’re reading, too!
I also have a goal of spending 1,000 hours outside this year.
Reads
Purposefooled by Kelly Needham
Fantastic book about everyone’s innate purpose in Christ. Christ gives us value, not checking off our to-do list. Kelly argues that our purpose isn’t in a verb. Instead, it’s a noun, being a child of God, not a doer for God.
For instance, as young kids, we seek attention. We want others to look at us and our accomplishments. That isn’t necessarily the problem, but our audience can be. Do we want friends, colleagues, or family to notice us? What happens when they can’t give us attention or don’t give us the attention we want?
Kelly argues that our greatest needs are only fulfilled through Christ.
“We weren’t made for dreams but for the divine.
We weren’t made for a calling but for Christ.
We weren’t made for greatness but for God.” - Purposefooled
Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef: Wow! I wasn’t fully aware of all the conflicts between Israel and Palestine, but this man has an intimate knowledge of both sides. Per the title, he is the son of a Hamas leader. He explains how his father’s allegiance to Hamas started small and then grew into more violent associations.
As Mosab Hassan Yousef got older, he was arrested by the IDF and offered a job as a spy. He took the position and gathered incredible intelligence from his father’s contacts. If you’re interested in learning more about the conflict, I’d highly recommend this book. My husband and I both enjoyed it.
Recipes
I love making this quick Italian Lentil soup. It’s easy on my 1st-trimester stomach, and my toddler loves it! Most of the ingredients are pretty familiar and it’s easy to add extra ingredients, like chicken.
Banana Sourdough Muffins - another staple that’s easy on my stomach and appetizing to my toddler. This time I made it without the sourdough starter, and they still tasted great.
Recreation
Family Life’s Weekend to Remember Marriage Retreat. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed attending this conference and getting a refresher on communication, conflict resolution, and everything in between. We also enjoyed using the hotel’s electric bikes.
We booked tickets to see the April Total Eclipse! (The next one isn’t happening until 2044.) We’ll be viewing it in NY, and we’d love any food, lodging, or recreation suggestions!
Thanks for reading!
Giveaway!
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An excellent book: Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves. Our pastor gave me a copy.
Fun! Love the pictures of both your lil ones