by Amanda Barnard | Mar 8, 2020 | Everything Else, Faith, Family
Today is Brande and Tim’s anniversary! Our middle daughter and son-in-love. Sometimes love finds you in unexpected ways.
Not too many years ago, it wasn’t easy to enter the world of dating. But now, all it takes is a click. That’s it! Break out the computer and you enter a whole new world!
With Internet sites like Farmers Only Dot Com (yes I spelled it out on purpose, and now you’re singing the commercial, lol! Don’t worry, I hate it too), eHarmony, and plethora of others, finding a significant other is literally at your fingertips.
Today I am thankful that some of these exist, although I realize the dangers involved as well. This is how these two favorites of mine met! God can use any tool HE chooses to formulate the plans HE has for us!
“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”
Jeremiah 29:11
by Amanda Barnard | Mar 5, 2020 | Everything Else, Family
On February 24, 2020 our family visited Papi’s Cuban and Caribbean Grill. This has become a favorite on our yearly vacation. There have been times when the food has been better than others.
This trip, we already had great expectations and they were all surpassed!
Between the 11 adults present, we tried a bit of everything from the beloved Cuban sandwich to the Churrasco steak. (Side note: ‘churrasco’ means steak in Spanish and is the word used for “grilled beef”.)
David is fluent in Spanish, so we were able to order without the language barrier. He had questions thrown at him from all sides, but we all know he enjoys that environment.
WHERE ARE THE MARIQUITAS?
We had to get Mariquitas, but no one could find them on the menu. David came to the rescue and soon we had 5 plates on the way.
I had the Palomilla Steak Salad. I was keeping it partly keto, but admittedly the mariquitas are not on the list. Hey don’t judge! It’s only one time per year and I have NOT been the most strict recently. (More on that later.)
Oh my it was very good! I tried a little bit of everyone’s food. (Again, don’t judge, this is something we do in our family.) The Cuban sandwich was “melt in your mouth”.
The Churrasco came with chimichurri sauce. It has lime which I am not a fan of. However, the lime was not overpowering and added a nice touch.
A couple of the kids got ‘Masitas De Puerco’, which is a pork dish. I have been moving away from pork, but this was cooked and seasoned ever so nicely.
DID YOU SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT?
We even splurged for dessert this trip. Have you ever tried Mango Cheesecake and did you even know there was such a thing? What?
Ok, I’m going to stop right there and say the cheesecake was interesting. It wasn’t bad at all, but I don’t know if I would order it again. The mango twist was different.
All in all, Papi’s Cuban and Caribbean Grill was a huge hit with our tribe and we would highly recommend it, if you happen to be in the Lawrenceville, Georgia area.
by Amanda Barnard | Mar 2, 2020 | Faith, Family, Motivation
The Lord has been putting on my heart the importance of prayer and being specific. Many times I find myself in situations where I don’t know what to pray for a person. Almost every single time, I realize that the following scripture applies. So I pray the Word.
It is impossible to go wrong when praying the Word of God! If you find yourself in this same dilemma, I challenge you to see how this fits for yourself.
Pray this……
Father God, I thank you for (insert your specific person’s name here), and I pray that You grant them a spirit of wisdom and revelation of insight into mysteries and secrets in the deep and intimate knowledge of Jesus. Flood their heart with light, that they may know and understand the hope to which You have called them and how rich Your glorious inheritance is. May they come to know and understand what is the immeasurable, unlimited, and surpassing greatness of Your power in and for us who believe! In Jesus name!
Taken from Ephesians 1:17-19
by Amanda Barnard | Feb 17, 2020 | Everything Else, Family, Motivation
It’s been a few weeks and we are in full blown vacation mode! Have you ever been close to that “day”, ready for those designated days off and just – BAM! – your mind is mush? Or at the very least that is the way it feels.
I need a little angel to run around with me to make sure everything gets accomplished accordingly or a note with step by step instructions, that God-forbid, I would have to remember to actually read.
This is how the end of my January month plays out and has been for the last 10+ years and wouldn’t you know it?! We are there again! It is that time of year!
February is right around the corner! And what that means for us, is that annual family vacation time! I was out with the girls and Dalton last night and we were talking about how we get in that mindset – January is here and we all start talking it up. Then the chatter fades, but only for a moment.
So today, the countdown begins as there are SO many things that must be accomplished before checking out!
by Amanda Barnard | Jan 25, 2020 | Family
Many times, I try to make my blog posts ready to post at 0900. Yes it is great for consistency! After a little over a year, I am still trying to figure this thing out, but I do love it!
Today, as several days prior, the task hasn’t happened and I find myself realizing how non-productive the attempt to apply this to me has NOT worked.
My first son-in-law’s birthday is today and the date slipped away from me. I’m sure he thought I had forgotten about him, but that simply isn’t possible! He is TOO GREAT of a blessing in our lives for that!
David is a very hard worker. He creates amazing art with his hands, in the form of structure. If you want a home built, he is your guy (although it may cost you a pretty penny, because #1 he is that good and #2 he is extremely busy)!
I love the heart he has for Jesus and for the church as a whole AND my favorite is how well he loves my Brittany and balances her out. God sure knew what HE was doing when HE hand picked David to join our family!
My word for the year is – INTENTIONAL – so come along with me and be just that! So if you see our Prince today, be sure to wish him an AMAZING BIRTHDAY!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY David! I am excited to see what God has in store for the next 33years!!
by Amanda Barnard | Jan 8, 2020 | Family, Motivation
After 16 years of marriage, we still don’t have it right, But that doesn’t stop us from striving toward better. We are always working for better.
How do you spell marriage? W-O-R-K, and ALOT of it! We also know that it isn’t made up of two people giving 50/50, but more necessary is for both parties to give 100%.
When you get married it is no longer about you, but about the other person. The attitude of – what can I do for my spouse? What can I do to make their life better? It is about learning their likes and their dislikes.
I personally don’t want to be 45 years in and still not have a clue what my partner likes or doesn’t like. So I have chosen to go to school; constantly trying to learn things about mine!
What are things you are doing to improve your relationship?
