abbie | Mac's Musings

The benefit of the doubt.

May 16, 2013 by abbie

I think about communication a lot, partly because I think “miscommunication” is at the core of most of our day to day...

20 Bucks Worth of Happiness

May 14, 2013 by abbie

What an interesting day. Weird even. Ok, so it wasn’t even so much that strange things happened, but I felt weird about it. Work was...

Support vs. Responsibility

May 13, 2013 by abbie

There is such a fine line between needing support and taking responsibility, between rightly relying on others and letting them...

My Mission Field.

May 9, 2013 by abbie

I’m not sure when it started, but it’s been here for a really long time. For longer than I can remember I’ve wanted...

This, not that.

May 8, 2013 by abbie

Sometimes I wish I was still blissfully ignorant. There’s a large part of me that says, “I wish I could just go back and...

Yada Yada Yada

May 7, 2013 by abbie

Remember Seinfeld? Remember “Yada, yada, yada”? Remember how everyone and their great aunt was saying it for a little...

Do you hear what I hear?

May 6, 2013 by abbie

How we perceive reality is really amazing! There’s been more than one occasion where I’ve been comparing notes with...

Adventures in Downsizing, Part...

May 2, 2013 by abbie

Here is my second installment in my Adventures in Downsizing saga. To read the first, head over to HERE. I find it funny that I...

I don’t want any part of...

May 1, 2013 by abbie

I’ve lost count of how many times in the last few years I’ve looked at the events of the world around me and said,...

Want a little Man Candy?

Apr 29, 2013 by abbie

Well, equal opportunity has finally arrived. For years, longer than I’ve been alive, feminists have decried the objectifying of...

What really satisfies.

Apr 26, 2013 by abbie

One of my favorite parts of any sort of fasting is the spiritual connections that are so easily made. Last week I juice fasted most of...

Miranda and me.

Apr 25, 2013 by abbie

Here we are again, I have something rather controversial to talk about. I welcome your feedback and comments, but please keep them...

On the road to good health ...

Apr 24, 2013 by abbie

I was sitting down today flipping through the blogs I semi-follow and came across two articles, the first listed off the natural...

The On/Off switch

Apr 19, 2013 by abbie

I’ve learned that I am either on or off. When I’m on, I’m on. When I’m off, man am I off. It seems to be as...

Sun Dried Tomato and White Bea...

Apr 18, 2013 by abbie

Today is a two-for-one post – it is also a testament to how I cook. I used to go to the store weekly and pick up...

Things I don’t understan...

Apr 17, 2013 by abbie

1. Why people talk on speaker phone when they don’t need to. It blows my mind. 2. When people describe a cake recipe as a...

Look for the helpers

Apr 16, 2013 by abbie

Here we are again… planes in buildings, bullets in kindergarten, bombs at finish lines. When we turn on the news and hear...

Taking No for an answer?

Apr 12, 2013 by abbie

I have been, historically, rather easily put off. I remember a few years ago having a odd conversation with someone about how easily...

Defining your style

Apr 11, 2013 by abbie

So, let me start by saying, I’m not a fashion expert. Most of the time I really don’t care about the latest trends or...

My favorite verse?

Apr 10, 2013 by abbie

How do you feel about party games? Me? Yeah, I’m not a fan. Oh, the torture party planners put women through when we go to...

Banana Oatmeal Cake with Broil...

Apr 9, 2013 by abbie

It’s been a while, not since writing, since baking – for fun at least. But tonight, after a kind of pointlessly busy but I...

4 Life Truths

Apr 8, 2013 by abbie

Don’t you wish that everyone handled every situation perfectly every time? I sure do. But, the reality of life is that for...

Right tune, wrong tempo.

Apr 5, 2013 by abbie

A few years ago I was part of a home group on Thursday nights where I led a time of music and worship each week. Rather than printing...

My favorite things about sprin...

Apr 4, 2013 by abbie

1. The vast majority of the dirty snow is gone. Snow is beautiful when it first comes down, but quickly becomes a dirty muddy mess...

Sheet Music Art

Apr 3, 2013 by abbie

I think of myself as a creative person, not necessarily artistic. I’m not much of a drawer or painter. I like to stick mostly to...

But I know who You are.

Apr 2, 2013 by abbie

It’s Tuesday! (Though it feels like Monday because I took yesterday off, but, anyway.) The sun is shining and I had a great...

Hidden

Mar 29, 2013 by abbie

Our society loves to expose. From our clothing choices to the scoop on the latest “Breaking News”. From the trend...

Where our treasure is

Mar 28, 2013 by abbie

There is a verse (Matthew 6:20-21) that says, “…lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…For where your treasure...

What’s really right?

Mar 27, 2013 by abbie

While not naturally optimistic, I try not to be a downer, this is met with mixed success. I recognize that life isn’t always fun...

Do you love me now?

Mar 25, 2013 by abbie

I’ve never been good with staunch rules. Never. It’s one of the things I congratulate my parents on. I’m not sure if...

Then don’t!

Mar 22, 2013 by abbie

I truly believe that God is writing a story for us. This story is full of drama. This story has heroes and villains, love and pain....

Top o’the Mornin

Mar 20, 2013 by abbie

I’m basking in the glow of my favorite holiday this morning…minus the hangover. Yes, by far my favorite holiday is St....

When advice bites back

Mar 18, 2013 by abbie

It’s a hard pill to swallow, you know the one, it’s when you very wisely dispense advice to others only to find yourself...

What’s your destination?

Mar 14, 2013 by abbie

One good turn deserves another. The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a step. Etc. I’ve been thinking of how true these cliche...

Ruuun Wilber!

Mar 12, 2013 by abbie

Have you read “Charlotte’s Web” recently? While I can’t say I’ve read it all, at least not in the past...

Put it down and back away.

Mar 8, 2013 by abbie

I think a big part of this past year was learning about myself and appreciating that my strengths/weaknesses are ok. I’m...

Choosing to function

Mar 7, 2013 by abbie

Every morning when your eyes flicker open you make a choice. That choice is if you will function or not. Whether you make that choice...

Cauliflower Cheesy Bread/Pizza

Mar 6, 2013 by abbie

So, I was surfing around Pinterest and happened upon this recipe. Apparently cauliflower is all the rage right now in gluten free/low...

Coping skills

Mar 5, 2013 by abbie

Sometimes I wonder at my coping skills. It’s just that more often than not I feel totally overwhelmed by life. This, that, and...

For such a time as this?

Mar 4, 2013 by abbie

Decisions, decisions. Man, do I dislike making them. But this dislike often gets me in trouble. Here’s what happens: Sometimes I...

Apologies

Feb 26, 2013 by abbie

In my recent thinking through of forgiveness, I’ve been contemplating the apology. What makes an apology sincere? What makes an...

The Take Away

Feb 25, 2013 by abbie

From the time we are young children we are taught that every story has a moral – a take away, if you will. Whether it be that...

Snowy Morning Pancakes

Feb 20, 2013 by abbie

I’m not sure what it is about snow days that brings on the overwhelming urge to cook and bake, but of the friends I saw on...

Saying no.

Feb 19, 2013 by abbie

I’m not naturally diplomatic. And, while it’s been something that’s required development, I’m not sure it will...

It’s the little things

Feb 15, 2013 by abbie

I have the habit of living for the big things in life. I’m just naturally a big picture person…details bog me down. But,...

Candied Orange Peel

Feb 12, 2013 by abbie

For all of you frugal foodies out there, this ones for you. And, bonus, it just happens to be delicious. Score. Did you know that most...

The satisfaction of a job well...

Feb 11, 2013 by abbie

Sometimes I write stuff. But of course you knew that, I mean, because you’re reading one of the things that I’ve written....

Do You Need To Understand?

Feb 8, 2013 by abbie

Like I talked about yesterday, I’ve been looking into forgiveness recently. In this search, I ran into this one situation that...

Who do we forgive for?

Feb 7, 2013 by abbie

Why do we forgive? I think if you were to ask most people you’d get close to the same answer pretty consistently: “We...

Things I’ll never get ov...

Feb 5, 2013 by abbie

1. Working during the summer. It’s just not fair that we’re conditioned for the first decade or more of our life that...

Ideas that sounded good at the...

Jan 31, 2013 by abbie

1. I currently own two turkeys. Thankfully (for me, not the turkeys) they are not alive. That would be awkward trying to explain why I...

Adventures in downsizing

Jan 30, 2013 by abbie

I consider myself a relatively organize person. That’s not to say that every area of my life is as organized as I would like it...

How to stop thinking

Jan 28, 2013 by abbie

I had coffee tonight with dessert. Consequently I will be awake for several more hours than I would like to be. It was totally worth...

Light and Air

Jan 24, 2013 by abbie

I have a wonderful family and awesome friends. This week I’ve seen so vividly how blessed I am to be surrounded by these people....

Questions and Answers

Jan 23, 2013 by abbie

There is a popular Bible teacher on the radio who often says, “God doesn’t answer our ‘why?’ questions.”...

The worst thing about nothing

Jan 17, 2013 by abbie

I’ve been fighting to keep my focus right recently. What’s the problem? A big, fat nothing. Sure, I’m busy, as busy...

Shame on me.

Jan 16, 2013 by abbie

I believe that there is a large part of us that is fixed, it is who we are and there’s not a whole lot that’s going to...

Putting my money where my mout...

Jan 15, 2013 by abbie

So, I’ve finally made the shift. I’ve started buying mostly organic food. I’m finally putting my money where my...

When memories go up in flames

Jan 14, 2013 by abbie

I honestly don’t remember a lot about my childhood, other than that it was generally happy and predicable. But there are some...

A fine line.

Jan 11, 2013 by abbie

There is such a fine line between being truthful and hurtful. Such. A. Fine. Line. I strongly dislike fine lines, mostly because I...

Blind Dates, Friends of Friend...

Jan 8, 2013 by abbie

I have reached the age, having yet to “secure” a husband, that everyone around me assumes I must need help. In the past...

Ever want to change your name?

Jan 7, 2013 by abbie

I like historical fiction. From classics to more modern, there’s something about the past that is, well, predictable – and...

Technology Detox

Dec 31, 2012 by abbie

Happy New Years Eve! The past 6 months have been intense. This year was definitely one of many lessons. One of those lessons piggy...

Are our smart phones making us...

Dec 28, 2012 by abbie

I’ve had my iPhone for about two months now and yes, it’s amazing. It is amazing the information I have at my fingertips....

The reason

Dec 27, 2012 by abbie

I love songs that make me reminisce. It’s not that I love reminiscing all that much, it’s just that there are a few songs...

But how do you know?

Dec 20, 2012 by abbie

I like quoting C.S. Lewis. Him, and Dr. Seuss. I find both of them to be quite profound…in different ways, obviously. Anyway....

Cilantro Lime Rice over at His...

Dec 19, 2012 by abbie

Hey everyone, Today I’m featured as a guest blogger over at His Harvest Group. Pop on over and check out my recipe for Cilantro...

Something to celebrate?

Dec 18, 2012 by abbie

I’ll be honest, it doesn’t feel quite right to go back to business as usual. And yet, this is the season where we are...

What can I say?

Dec 17, 2012 by abbie

I had a few ideas for today’s post, but honestly, none of them seem quite right. Because, when it comes right down to it, after...

Coconut Cranberry Muffins

Dec 14, 2012 by abbie

Last week a friend said, “I haven’t been on your site in a while, what have you been cooking?” To which the honest...

Crash.

Dec 13, 2012 by abbie

I was doing so well. So well, until, oh… now. Well actually, that now was about a week and a half ago. I crashed. I mentally...

Jehovah Shammah

Dec 6, 2012 by abbie

This is why I read blogs (and subsequently why I write one): I’ve been a little discouraged the past few days. Well, discouraged...

Facebook Official

Dec 5, 2012 by abbie

I love (typed dripping with sarcasm) how Facebook has impacted how we relate with one another. For example, how people aren’t...

How much should we care?

Dec 4, 2012 by abbie

I’ve said before, I care about what people think far too much. I really, really wish I could honestly say that I didn’t,...

It’s beginning to look&#...

Dec 3, 2012 by abbie

Ok, truth time. How many of you read the title of this post and sang the rest of the song in your head. Be real now, I know you did....

The hardest thing and the righ...

Dec 1, 2012 by abbie

I’ve always been a path of least resistance girl, it’s just me. But I’ve been learning (oh, have I been learning)...

The Boundaries of Boundaries

Nov 29, 2012 by abbie

In the world of relationships boundaries are very important. We have to know what our limits are, what we’re capable of, and...

School Daze

Nov 27, 2012 by abbie

Don’t you just hate when people randomly don’t post on their blog for days at a time! It’s one of my pet peeves....

Sunsets and Funerals

Nov 20, 2012 by abbie

There and back again. That’s what I did today. The mother of one of my very good friends from upstate NY has passed away and...

My Bucket List – Sorta.

Nov 19, 2012 by abbie

So, a few months ago, right before my birthday, I wrote a post about wanting to pull together a bucket list of 30 things to do before...

How do we do this run-on sente...

Nov 16, 2012 by abbie

This is the question that’s so completely taking over my head… how do I do this? How do I do work? How do I convince 16...

Is it Friday yet?

Nov 15, 2012 by abbie

Good Golly, there’s a lot going on. It’s times like these that bullet points work a lot better for me. If you like that,...

I survived IKEA

Nov 13, 2012 by abbie

I knew what I was getting myself into, I should have been more prepared. But it’s like a novice mountain climber thinking...

Freedom to mess up

Nov 12, 2012 by abbie

I have had a tendency to call people on things. I used to be worse… or better… er… I used to do it a lot more often....

Things I do like my mom

Nov 9, 2012 by abbie

Growing up I would often look at my mom and think, “Why do you do it that way?” But, over the years, I’ve come to...

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Nov 7, 2012 by abbie

Respect. It’s such an interesting word. Interesting, and rather confusing at times. Is respect inherent? Is it earned? Should it...

Balance and Truth

Nov 6, 2012 by abbie

Two weekdays of not writing in a row… I feel as if I’ve failed as a blogger. (Not really, that’s a total...

“And it came to passR...

Nov 1, 2012 by abbie

I know a man who, when asked his favorite verse, always says, “And it came to pass.” I thought that was so interesting, so...

For the Love of Fear

Oct 31, 2012 by abbie

Today we celebrate fear. Well, I use the term “we” in the broadest sense possible. “We” as a nation,...

Memorable Dating Moments ̵...

Oct 30, 2012 by abbie

Well, it’s been a while since my last memorable dating moments post, and I figured it’s about time for an update. These...

But they might think…

Oct 29, 2012 by abbie

I had great parents. They weren’t perfect, but they were (and are) great. I give parents a lot of credit, on the whole, they do...

Weekend Reflections

Oct 28, 2012 by abbie

This past weekend was spent at a conference up in Springfield. It was such an interesting weekend, partly because of me, partly...

My, things have changed…

Oct 26, 2012 by abbie

Last weekend and this weekend have and will be spent largely surrounded by teenagers. I’ve never been particularly good with...

What’s for dinner? Over ...

Oct 25, 2012 by abbie

Hey Everyone, This week has turned out to be much busier than I imagined (which is saying a lot). So, while I do have several great...

Privilege and Responsibility &...

Oct 23, 2012 by abbie

Yes, I have joined the ranks of iPhone users. After many years and more than one vocal mocking of smart phone users, I’ve become...

Thank you for breaking my hear...

Oct 22, 2012 by abbie

Thank you for breaking my heart, again. You see, at first it didn’t hurt, and I thought I had somehow arrived at a level of...

Oh to be known.

Oct 19, 2012 by abbie

I think most people desire to be recognized, to be known. When you walk into a room, what’s the first thing you do? Well, one of...

The virtue of laughing at your...

Oct 18, 2012 by abbie

Today I find myself humorous. Do you ever laugh at yourself? If you don’t, I highly suggest giving it a try. Laughing at life,...

Regarding Conformity

Oct 17, 2012 by abbie

Conformity. It’s an interesting concept. In the past generation or so, it’s developed a bit of a negative connotation. But...

That’s it, I’m cal...

Oct 16, 2012 by abbie

Let’s preface this by saying, I don’t have kids. I work with kids every day. I went to school to work with kids. I have a...

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