Search Results for: round up

The Song

February 12, 2015 by HappyGoStuckey Leave a Comment

Many months ago, I saw a preview for The Song being released in local movie theaters, but sadly enough it never came to this part of the state. Naturally, when I saw the book up for review, I quickly requested a copy. I have been trying to fit in a work of fiction between each non-fiction book that I read this year. This is helping me to stay sharp and fresh when I’m reading– and it really helps me in writing, too.

I have to be honest I was a bit apprehensive about reading The Song. The last book I read which was released at a similar time as the movie was not wonderful but seemed like a sloppy adaption of the screen play. With that book, I struggled to find anything creative about the telling of the story having also seen the movie. This book, The Song by Chris Fabry was not that way at all. I truly enjoyed the writing style and the story therein. I still have not seen the movie– but I think the book should ALWAYS be more thorough, not the other way around– right?

Jed King, the son of famous musician David King, struggles to really find his place in life and in music. Though he has the talent, he has yet to find the passion needed for a career as a musician. When he plays for a Vineyard Festival in the town of Sharon, his future shifts in a tangible way. Enter Rose, the daughter of the vineyard owner. Having Rose out in the crowd stops Jed right in his set and he asks her out right on the spot. Their fast moving journey toward marriage and the future is real, pure, and beautifully told. Finally, in Rose, Jed has found all of the love and inspiration his music was lacking and he pens the song for her that propels him into the fame for which he was not even searching. Jed’s new found notoriety takes him down the rocky path of stardom which proves treacherous and ultimately unfulfilling. The Song, a modern adaptation of the life of King Solomon, causes the reader to ask difficult questions about grace, forgiveness and love. The tag line of the book, Even the Wisest of Men was a Fool For Love reveals the nature of certain struggles Jed will encounter on his journey.

I truly enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, the hard truth about pieces of Christian Fiction that attempt to deal with difficult issues– is that they often seem detached in hopes of not glorifying sin. This was not the case with this story. The writers write not from removed piety but from the place of being those in need of grace, as we all are. The Song is poignant and at times, heartbreaking without being vulgar or too raw. Well written and honest, the rough road Jed walks is detailed as he recklessly careens toward ruin without being either trite or coarse. One of the most clear themes of The Song is the theme of Grace that runs like a lovely thread from the first page until the last. I will not reveal how it ends, but if you love a good ending with plenty of redemption, you will certainly enjoy this The Song. I highly recommend this enjoyable and praise-worthy read. You can pick up your own copy of The Song at Amazon* today.

(affiliate link– which means Amazon thanks for me for telling you to use them!)

**I received a free copy of The Song by Chris Fabry from the Tyndale Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, Tyndale!

Crazy Good Banana Pancakes & Newlywed Life

January 21, 2015 by HappyGoStuckey 16 Comments

The whir of a coffee grinder and the clink of a French Press were the musical notes of our newlywed days. Just as the sun peeked through the mini-blinds of that little townhouse on McDowell Drive, we woke to the smiling reminder of married life. Lance was in his final year of Seminary and I was working at a small bank in town. The weeks were all business but the weekends, they were all ours.

When we were still dating and Lance learned how to make perfect lattes, I was officially hooked. Hooked on the oversized mug filled with lightly sweetened foam and perfectly strong espresso, yes– but mostly just hooked on him. We often still herald our Saturdays with home made lattes, breakfast, music, and plans for the day.

The sound of coffee being made will always remind of those first, sunshine filled days; so will Jack Johnson and banana pancakes. I’ve had plenty of pancakes with bananas stuck in them, but until now, I had never had– THE banana pancakes. Pancakes fluffy yet hearty, spiked with a touch of cinnamon, and banana chunks that caramelize as they sizzle on the griddle.

The search for THE banana pancakes, ones that would cause Jack Johnson to write a song about pancakes– is over.

Note: these are not your garden variety un-healthy, mightaswellbedessert pancakes. They are filling and not over the top sweet, but the bananas and coconut come together and whoa. They have a shot of fiber with the flax meal and oat bran, which you could leave out if you choose. These will not completely derail your healthy eating plans– but they are still special enough for a Saturday morning.

Okay, now go flirt with your spouse and make pancakes.

Crazy Good Banana Pancakes

Author: Cynthia Stuckey

Recipe type: Breakfast

We enjoy them with a smidge of butter and cinnamon sugar, but maple syrup would be perfect too. Oh and bacon. Don't forget the bacon. (Try cooking it in the oven at 400' on a foil lined baking sheet-- crispy and easy clean up! )

Ingredients

¾ cup All-purpose Flour
¾ cup White Whole Wheat Flour
¼ cup Raw Sugar
2 tbsp. Oat Bran
2 tsp. Ground Flax Seed
½ tsp. Kosher Salt
1 tsp. Baking soda
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1½ tsp. Cinnamon
1½ cup Buttermilk (if you leave out the flax and oat bran, lower this to 1 cup and add more liquid gradually as you need it.)
2 Eggs, beaten
¼ cup melted Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
1-2 chopped ripe Bananas
¼- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
½ cup toasted, chopped Pecans

Method

Lightly spray your pancake griddle or cast iron skillet heated to about 300'
Whisk dry ingredients (Flour through Cinnamon) in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl or glass measuring cup, mix Buttermilk, eggs, butter and vanilla.
Add wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry and whisk until combined.
Add pancake batter using an ice cream scoop or disher, and then top with bananas, pecans, and coconut.
Once ready to flip (surface appears drier and filled with tiny bubbles) then flip with toppings side down, press down lightly and then leave them alone for just a minute or two.
The bananas and coconut will turn brown and caramelize making a golden brown crust on that side.

Our Saturdays are only slightly different than they were all those 8 summers ago. We still like to make lattes and homemade breakfasts. Both come a bit earlier as we now have two little alarm clocks who wake up with the sun– but the sun is prettier when it’s just coming up, and now we get to see it with two crazy-bed-headed littles by our side. Win-Win.

3 Things for Your Tuesday

January 13, 2015 by HappyGoStuckey Leave a Comment

1. Coffitivity. I recently discovered how I simply cannot listen to music while I’m writing. Sad. I have entire playlists full of Christa Wells and Ellie Holcomb goodness, dedicated to writing and each time I turn them on, I can’t seem to turn the volume down low enough to be able to still concentrate. I have become increasingly more easily distracted in the last couple of years and I find that having someone talk to me or sing to me just does. not. work. Can anyone identify? Enter Coffitivity. Coffitivity is a self-proclaimed as a site that “recreates the ambient sounds of a cafe to boost your creativity and help you work better.” And let me just say, it works. Imagine being at Starbucks or Panera and being able to turn down the volume of the tables full of loud people around you until they are at just the right “doesn’t distract me– but helps with the dead silence” volume. Loud guy bragging about his super cool blahblah sports car? Turn him down a notch. Bunch of high schoolers talking about how Sloan and Trey broke up in front of the whole school? Turn them down just a smidge. Someone else’s toddler (this time.) expressing their displeasure over having to sit in a high chair? Lower that screeching sound just a bit. That’s coffitivity. And unless you want to listen to a coffee shop in Paris or Brazil or the like, it’s free! I have really enjoyed having this neat little tool. And it helps an introvert who thinks she’s an extrovert have the illusion of noise without the actual noise.

2. Jessica Turner of The Mom Creative has written a truly indispensable book for women. The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You is an excellent tool for every woman who wishes she had more time to do the things she enjoys. Reading, cooking, crafting, running, writing, whatever it is that you wish you had more time for– this book is filled with success stories, helpful practical tips and Jessica’s kind but honest approach to the age-old problem of wanting to do something for yourself but not finding the time. The book releases February 15th, but I happened to notice it is on Amazon right now for the Pre-order price of $7.49!!!! Which is crazy inexpensive. This book is helping me rethink the way I plan my days and it has been really encouraging that margin really does exist, no matter how full our plates are.

3. Ok. Whatever you’ve done today, you need to stop and see this video. I mentioned Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors the other day, (thanks to my Lance for taking the last 8 years to expand my musical horizons beyond movie soundtracks and Celine Dion.) They have released this fun little video of one of their new songs. There are silly costumes and plenty of fun dancing. Don’t take yourself too seriously, just watch it. And if you’re an Ellie Holcomb fan, she’s the Princess Leia who is married to the Bearded Banana. How fun is that? Very fun. AND, I believe you can get their last album for free on Noisetrade here.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnoYg1iNdJ8]

(** #2 includes an amazon affiliate link. Basically this means I get a small monetary “thank you” from Amazon if you choose to buy this book by clicking through my link. No strings attached, they just like to reward bloggers who recommend them. 🙂

The Sabbath for Servants

November 20, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey 9 Comments

By 7:25am on Sunday I had already cleaned up two little messes, changed one diaper, fixed 2 sippy cups of milk, folded up the blankets, made the beds and was half way through breakfast prep.

And standing there in the kitchen I pondered the word, Sabbath and it immediately led me to Remember the Sabbath to Keep it Holy…

As the youngest of five children, I saw my mom rise before the sun– clad in her pink robe and bare feet, standing watch at a skillet of scrambled eggs and smiling over her coffee cup as we padded in the kitchen one by one. Sometimes, the happy dusting of flour all over the counter tops and a quick peek through the stove window confirmed the smell of homemade biscuits.

Sometimes it was a piece of nearly burnt cheese toast hastily served up while we all ran out the door, pulling on shoes and tucking in shirts and smoothing unruly hair– but either way, she was always at the helm of our ship— making provisions for us all as we made our way to church on Sunday morning. Once or twice I wondered… when was her Sunday? Who would make her breakfast so she could enjoy a break? When would her Sabbath come? But mostly, I just ate my own breakfast, filled my seat in the family grocery-getter and never questioned the way things were.

And many trips around the sun later, I’m the mom. Biscuit baker. Cup-Filler. Smile-bringer. Hair-smoother. And to be truthful, sometimes it feels like I also wear the label, Non-Sabbath taker.

And as I struggle with the push and pull of being both provision-maker and desperate needer of a Sabbath myself– I know there are things we can do to cut back on all the doing– and make time for the resting. And sometimes we do them. Takeout Sunday lunch. Extra planning on Saturday. Frozen waffles. And just letting some things go until Monday.

But I also know that life just is. And Sundays are a day that little people still need the same help they need the other six.

Whether a mother or a Minister or an ICU nurse, not everyone can take a service-free Sunday. And I’m just not sure that is what Sabbath means after all.

The hands that serve others for God are hands that worship simultaneously. Perhaps we are the best multi-taskers when we first put our hands up toward Heaven to offer up our first bits of sacrifice.

I know that if asked, my mom would not say she missed out on those few extra hours of Sunday morning sleep. More likely, she would say that God gave them back to her twenty fold in watching her children grow to know Christ.

And some might say that the two are not related. But as one of those pajama clad kids who always woke up to such Sunday mornings, I would disagree.

Nothing is secular when done for the honor of the sacred. Nothing is ordinary when done with the hands and feet of Christ. And for all the moms (and dads!) standing in all the kitchens today, for all the grandparents who are doing it again for another generation, it matters. For the policeman standing guard instead of sitting with the paper, it makes a difference. For the leaders in our churches who get up and get at it so Sundays can happen, we need you. We need you all.

So go hard after it for the Glory of God.

Meaningful Christmas Books: The Legend of the Candy Cane

November 14, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey Leave a Comment

Before having children, one of the things I most anticipated was how we would celebrate Christmas as a family with little ones around. When we did add to our family, I remember buying Lucy’s Christmas stocking months before she was even born. I was ecstatic to find a little board book of the Night Before Christmas with sweet Victorian illustrations. She sat there in her Christmas blanket sleeper that first year, 6 months old and all smiles– as we read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and she kept batting at the Christmas lights like a new puppy.

As she has grown year by year, there are some traditions we continue and others we leave behind so that we can grab hold of another– but reading books by the Christmas Tree remains at the top of our list! One year I tried that “Pinterest-y” idea of wrapping up 25 Christmas books and having the kids open one each night to read– but we missed not having all the books to choose from throughout the month. This year, I’m planning to fill a large basket with all our Christmas books and place it under the tree to pick from. Besides, wrapping 25 EXTRA things? AintNoMamaGotTimeForThatatChristmas.

One book I am so happy to add to our collection this year is The Legend of the Candy Cane

The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg tells an inspirational story of a little girl named Lucy (!) who discovers the joyous meaning of the candy cane when she meets Mr. John Sonneman and his candy store. Mr. Sonneman moves to town and turns an old building into a wonderful candy store full of all kinds of treats, and allows his new friend Lucy to help set up shop. He takes the time to introduce her to the candy cane and the beautiful meaning of Christmas it points to. The friendly pair then take candy canes to all the residents of the town inviting them to come to Sonneman’s Candy Store Grand Opening. This story takes a simple Christmas treat and makes it something much more meaningful as it rightly ties Christmas and Easter together.

There is no shortage of whimsical illustrations– the book itself is pure joy to read for both child and parent. The portion with the candy store looks good enough to eat and the pages which portray the first Christmas are serene and uncluttered, pointing straight to Jesus. As a parent in a stage of life who reads a lot of children’s books– I appreciated the illustrator’s attention to detail. And even though the story is quite complete, the language is simple enough for my Five year old to help read. Another aspect I love about this particular printing of the book, is that it’s a board book– which makes it fairly indestructible even at our house!

I asked Lucy what she liked about The Legend of the Candy Cane and she said, “Well it has Jesus in it. And candy. I love both of those a lot.”

I received a free copy of The Legend of the Candy Cane (published by ZonderKidz) from the BookLook Blogger program in exchange for my honest opinions and review, but I certainly would have purchased a copy for our house anyway.

If you would like to add The Legend of the Candy Cane* to your Christmas book library, you can get in on Amazon right now for only $9.99! (And if you have Amazon Prime, you can get free shipping in two days. Fun!)

*Affiliate Link with Amazon

Living Free. (#Write31Days)

October 28, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey 17 Comments

27/31 (#Write31Days)

In 4th grade, I came home breathless and excited, clutching a blank permission slip and desperately hoping my parents would go for the tennis lessons I wanted. It was the very first time I remember wanting to do something. My mom was hoping I would take piano, like my best friend Heidi, but she agreed to talk it over with my dad. I sat across from both of them feeling nervous and a little giddy that they might just say yes.

Finally my dad said, “Ok– but you can’t quit. Once you start, you have to finish out the year.”

I nodded vigorously and started to picture myself as the next Jennifer Capriati. (Minus the hours of community service she “earned.”)

My mom tried gently one more time, “Are you sure you don’t want piano lessons? Because we really can’t do both..”

I shook my head no and a smile crept across my hopeful face.

“Okay.” Dad said. “You can do it.” And that was that, I jumped up, gave quick hugs, and excited “thank you’s” and ran off to locate my favorite scrunci and slouchy socks just in time for practice the next day.

****

If you’re wondering why I’ve never mentioned my tennis career, there is a very good explanation. It was terribly short lived. About 6 months later, the school had to plow up the tennis courts to make room for more parking and they never were re-built. So that was that.

So here I am, a non-tennis playing Minister’s wife– who consequently doesn’t know how to play the piano, either. HA!

At one point I asked my mom why she let me take tennis lessons on my own little whim, and I’ve not forgotten what she said, “Because we really didn’t know who you would become– and we wanted you to be free to decide.

Free. That freedom means a lot more to me now that I’m 32 and a mother myself.

At the time, I was the 5th in a long line of sport-playing, tuition-check needing kiddos– and somehow they sacrificed yet again to allow me the FREEDOM to begin to figure it all out with a Jr. Tennis racket and a pair of shiny white keds.

And by the time those tennis courts were nothing but a parking lot– I had gotten it well out of my system, and they didn’t care one bit.

They let me stretch my wings a little, and it taught me a lot about freedom — and being who you are.

****

Fast Forward to a couple of years ago when our little family blog was the exact spot where I wanted to spend more time. I wrote as often as I could, and it made my heart beat fast to edit, edit, edit and then finally press– publish. The more I wrote, the more I loved writing.

And when I sat down with Lance and told him how I longed to be… an actual writer– he said this, “Go for it. I think you should.”

And I felt it all over again, that exhilarating breath of air that comes when the people we love the most create the space for us to thrive. The space for us to continue growing, all throughout adulthood to change and become more of who God made us to be.

He is continually doing a new work in us, giving us fresh life and fresh opportunities to grow and serve Him better. That fresh bit of life brings great Freedom as the seasons of our lives change bit by bit.

I hope that our children grow up with the same space around them that I did. The same space I live in today– the space to become– whatever God has created them to be.

So naturally, when Dayspring asked a few of us what “word” would be special to us as a family, I chose Free. Namely, Free Indeed.

Because, if the Son has set us Free–(and He has!) than we are Free indeed. Free from the chains of our sin and self– and Free to grow in Him and in this life He has blessed us with.

The gorgeous letterpress blocks can be completely customized to whatever word, phrase or verse is special to you and your family. The fun part is, you can go to their website and play around with the tool to see exactly what your blocks would look like!

“The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8: 35, 36

**Dayspring is sending me a $25.00 credit in exchange for my honest and heart-felt opinion of these letterpress blocks. I actually won my words, Free Indeed during a Twitter party for #Allume, and the blocks are just as beautiful in person as they are on the site!!

On Fear and Cancer.

October 20, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey 15 Comments

Your voice wavered on the other end of the line as you paused to collect yourself and a softball of dread dropped into my stomach. Bad news. The lump rose in my own throat.

Cancer. You said. And I cried right then and there in that parking lot. I listened as you told me what your Doctor’s plans were. Swift course of action and then two weeks of waiting to see if they got it all.

It feels as though I’ve been carrying around a backpack of bricks since then– and I don’t know if your burden feels any lighter, knowing so many who love you are carrying it with you. But I hope so.

And friend, dear friend who has meant so much to me these last few months. Who makes me both love and hate my spin bike three times a week as you encourage us all to just keep going– It’s our turn to be your coach.

It’s our turn to cheer you on. It’s our turn to tell YOU you can do this. It’s our turn to be there. And we will be. We will be there to remind you that HE HAS THIS. Because He most certainly does. He has this. He has you– right in His healing hands.

You’re the one whose name is on that medical chart, but we are all a little bit scared.

When the outcome is uncertain, the future is a little scary.

So here is what we do know:

Cancer stinks. The FEAR is big and it’s real and it can choke the truth out of what we know sometimes. We cannot let that happen. We need that truth to guide us through these next few days. So if you forget, let us remind you.

Because even when our fear is awfully big, OUR GOD IS BIGGER.

And not for one moment on that operating table or any moment after will ever HE leave your side.

We are praying for the Doctors, we are praying that they are swift and merciless with that awful stuff that threatens your health. But we know that at the end of the day, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:8

So go bravely tomorrow. And today and every day after, we will remember–

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” Psalm 56:3,4