You know what they say...the way to a man's heart is through their stomach. In the case of my husband, this is certainly true, so when a special occasion comes around I try to prepare meals I know he loves to show admiration, love, and affection toward him. Father's day and his birthday top the list of the days I put special care into what meals I fix. 
   One of my husband's favorite meals is BBQ Ribs and Fried Potatoes, but not just any fried potatoes, my specialty fried potatoes. This Father's Day I fixed both of these things for him, and he was a pretty happy camper, to say the least. He finished the entire plate of food with a smile on his face. 

   Now, on a 'normal' day we try not to eat lots of meals that are high calorie, but on a day like Father's Day we tend not to worry about the calorie count, and focus on the love, company, and the time around the dinner table together. There's really no better way to connect with one another than around a table eating a meal and sharing your lives and loves. We try to make sure we eat our dinner meals (at minimum) at the table together most nights. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog, and I hope you'll try the Fried potato recipe. When you celebrate dad or any other man in your life, consider feeding him a good meal! He'll most likely appreciate it! Please share it with your friends! Thanks for reading. See y'all tomorrow!

XOXO
​Jen

     Okay, that title is a bit deceiving because let's be honest, there's not really any shaking going on here. LOL. There is however a whole lot of baking going on. From August to December last year I baked up a storm. I perfected buttercream frosting, I found a homemade roll recipe that is out of this world, and super easy, and I made everything from homemade biscuits to pies, cakes, and loaves of bread. I even made completely homemade cinnamon rolls, and they were amazing. Yes, my bake game is strong, but my back, not so much.

You might be saying to yourself, what does her back have to do with baking, and you'd be right to be confused. My back has little to do with baking, but it has everything to do with my stamina to get anything of real value accomplished, and last year it was a stretch to do that. You see, emotional health is important, very important, but physical health is just as important. If you're lacking one or the other, you're lacking a whole lot. Last year I baked a lot, but some days I couldn't get my things into or out of the oven on my own, seriously, I couldn't. That may sound silly, or sad, or unbelievable, but it's the truth, and it was life-altering.

It all began when I slipped a few years ago hanging a birthday banner for my son, and I have had continual issues with my lower back ever since, but it wasn't until this past year that things really took a turn for the worst. I went from an occasional issue with my lower back to chronic lower back pain that was disabling. At one point we nearly invested in a scooter so I could go places with my family that required a great deal of walking because I simply couldn't keep up with them. The fact that I was still going to work and accomplishing anything at home was remarkable because I couldn't move without pain, and not just back pain, but nerve pain as well. It was all so devastating.

Being a strong, praying Christian, I did what anyone in my position would do, I prayed. I prayed BIG, and I believed God would take care of my back. As weeks turned into months, I started to doubt I'd ever be able to function again without a large amount of pain, but God is so great y'all, and He didn't leave me hanging. When the time was right He fixed my back, and I was without pain for the first time in months just before Christmas.

Now, do I believe God can heal, absolutely, but do I believe God healed me, absolutely, at least in that moment. You see, I know God can perform miraculous healings, He does it every day, but I have continued to have lingering pain and so I know He didn't totally heal me (yet). He gave me what I needed, not necessarily what I wanted. He's a mighty God though and He fixed me up so I could function again and that matters. I literally went to bed one night and when I woke up the next day all that horrible pain was gone; that's God.

So back to the baking. Did I mention I learned to bake last year? When I say I learned to bake, I don't mean from a box, but I learned so much more. I learned to make everything from bare ingredients, but I also learned that sometimes when you're accomplishing great goals, those goals can be met and achieved amid some real setbacks. I learned that my husband is even more amazing than I had ever imagined. He literally put my things into the oven to bake and took them out for me for four months. That's love y'all. He did anything that required any lifting, and he still does. He helps me more than words can express, purely out of his love for me. I am so blessed and I know it.

I learned that physical and emotional health matters. I also learned that a support system matters, but mostly I learned that God is good to His word. He never left me not did He forsake me, instead, He was right there with me and brought me through that trial. He also gave me the passion and strength to do things I hadn't really done before but wanted to. I'm still relying on Him greatly. We've progressed to a mini urban farm at our house. Gardening and chickens and canning and more. I couldn't do any of it without my husband's help and my God's faithfulness. When the song says "Great is Thy faithfulness." They're not kidding.

Do you have a physical need in your body today? Please allow me to pray for you. Leave me a message here and it would be my honor and privilege to pray for your need. Know that God is with you and even if He doesn't heal you, He'll sustain you, but also know that He can heal you completely, so don't give up on that reality. I certainly haven't given up on that for myself.

If you're enjoying reading my blogs daily, please like it and share it with your friends. Some days we'll talk about home decor and crafts and I'll break down different projects, but other days it will be just like today where I share my heart and my life with y'all. I pray you are blessed today by the God of miracles. Until tomorrow I pray you have a wonderful today.

XOXO
Jen