Vintage.

Never too late.

 I am finally learning to play the guitar. And frankly people, I'm a little hyped about it. 

Feel free to leave some comments with tips and song suggestions that you enjoy! 

Living out loud.

As Christians we are called to live out loud. God calls us all to different things, whether it be missions, being a pastor or just an average  job and glorifying Him through it. We're called to be lights, we're called to love, we're called not to complain, we're called to work hard, we're called to have faith. We all have a calling. The lost souls in Africa are just as lost as the souls in your inner city. We're all called to me missionaries. However, we will fail, over and over again. But I know that in my life God uses my failures to create the need for something bigger than myself and that's Him. We must have faith. Winston Churchill wrote: "What we are required to do now is stand erect and look the world in the face and do our duty without fear or fervor." He will take care of us. We do what we have been called to and He is our strength to do it. God is using so many suffering Christians in other countries and we can't even pass out a tract without leaving our comfort zone. We can't fear the world and their thoughts of us. "You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield." - Psalm 15:11 As I mentioned before, we're called to love. We aren't called to love only if the person has a good attitude. We're called to love every single mother and every lost teenager. It doesn't matter who they are. I pray that God would break our hearts for what breaks His. And teach us the importance of life and teach us how not to waste what time He's given us. 

We are called to be accurate. That means with purpose, not wasting time and diligently caring for those around us and their hearts.

-Madison




www.teens4orphans.blogspot.com

Oh spring.

 So on friday we went hiking/rock climbing with some friends to this observatory on Look Rock. It was a blast!

Silly faces with Eden!

We also had a picnic and no picnic is complete with out of these little dandies. :)

Mathias. :)

Photo courtesy of Alyssa for the picture below.

It was a fabulous day.

The gluten story.

Hello lovelies. I decided to post about this because it's something a lot of people are dealing with right now. You can say it's because having a gluten problem is popular or you just don't want to admit you have an allergy to it.

When I first started having issues with gluten I thought my life was ending. Not literally. Carbs and starches were my life. However when something is making you nauseous 24/7 you quickly discover that your ability to overcome the temptation for a chocolate donut becomes very simple. I lost 23 pounds in two months from not eating due to nausea. 

Note: Once you start having major trouble with gluten (And it effects everyone very differently) It takes at least 6 weeks to cleanse your body of it. 

How to survive on a gluten free diet if your a carboholic: Don't think about it. The brand Udi has amazing  gluten free bread. The brand Pamela has incredible gluten free cake mixes, pancake mixes etc.  

I would caution you completely trusting everything that says "gluten free". If you are hyper sensitive mosts foods are all manufactured in the same facilities as other products containing gluten.

How have I made it? By living off of Chicken, broccoli and fruit. The short and sweet of it is. If God didn't make it chances are it's not good for you. That's a hard thing to live by though. Which is why God has blessed us with brands like Udi and Pamela.

You may want to consider typing "gluten free" in on your Pinterest home page. One word: Amazing. 

If your looking for quick and easy delicious snacks, here ya go: 

http://www.tiffanyteske.com/2010/04/delicious-gluten-free-chocolate-energy.html

Ingredients:
3/4 cups smooth organic peanut butter
3/4 cups liquid honey
1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Cocoa Camino which is organic and fair trade)
1 1/2 cups organic quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)
1 1/4 cups rice crispies (I use brown rice cereal)
1 cups dried cranberries
1 cup sliced almonds

Directions:
- In a med/large saucepan, combine peanut butter, honey & cocoa and cook over low heat until smooth.
- Remove from heat & stir into the saucepan the oatmeal, cereal, cranberries & almonds. You can use your hands.
- Into a well-buttered 8x8 pan, firmly press the mixture, cover & chill in fridge an hour or two.

I would suggest specifically gluten free oats. While oats are gluten free most are manufactured with other gluten products.

I hope some of this was helpful.

Peace out homies.

<3

A tribute to Pinterest.

You can never have to much jewelry.

Martha Stewart: Popovers.

This is a fabulous recipe found on Martha Stewart's website for 'Perfect Popovers'.  They are immensely lovely! I mean, seriously. Paula Dean's got nothing on Martha Stewart when it some to this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing tin
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a popover tin.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Pour over flour mixture, and fold until just blended. 
3. Fill the popover cups two-thirds to three-quarters full.
4. Transfer tin to oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until well browned and crusty, about 20 minutes. Remove popovers from the oven, and unmold onto a rack. Puncture the sides with a sharp knife to let steam escape, and serve immediately. Yields 6.

http://www.marthastewart.com/326501/perfect-popovers

Little brothers. 

Life without them would be dull.

And I'm pretty sure mine is the best. 

Photographers who love being photographed.

This is Brianna. Adorable, fun, easy going, Brianna.

She's fabulous.

Crayon magic.

This was super fun to make and very easy. It can be a little messy but it's absolutely worth it. Tips: Don't remove the paper from the crayons and don't melt them too much or they will puddle at the bottom of your picture creating gross colors. :) 

Thinking of you.

You might not remember me, I'm Madison, this is my blog (whatever that is). Here's a hardcore fact: Facebook is much faster. The wretched truth is, I've been almost as bad at taking photos as I have been at blogging. 

I feel like I've forgotten how to type. Without pictures this feels somewhat dull. I'm coming up with fun new things to post, though. 

So hang tight. Peace out. 

Love ya.