Jesus Paid It All

I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small;

Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.”

Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe;

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.

Happy Easter!

inspiration: easter eggs

I love Easter! I love the meaning most of all, but I also love the springy colors & of course, dying Easter eggs!

So, I thought I would share a few favorite Easter egg ideas that have inspired me this year!

There are so many ideas out there from Martha Stewart to Pinterest, but here are my three favorites...

I think my top favorite idea is naturally dyed Easter eggs! I think these colors are much prettier than what comes in the old dying kits & I am very curious about trying this out! {Click here to see more...}

I also love the way these farm fresh brown eggs look with just the white paint pen designs. 

You could really get creative, but still keep the eggs simple & pretty. {Click here to see more...}

And my last favorite pick... hand-painted floral patterns are so perfect on Easter eggs.

I love these bright, happy colors and nothing is more spring-y than flowers!!

{Click here to see more...}

And because it is spring & the flowers are starting to bloom... I thought I would share a link to an article that I recently read about flowers & the perfect love that they truly represent... 

{ Thoughts of Love, Hope and Purpose }

It was really worth the read for me, so maybe it would be for you too!

thankful snapshots

This is my attempt at being thankful every day... for little things & big things!

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

I post most days, via Instagram @sarah_brightside.

If you don't follow me there, here are my snapshots from this past week (or so)...

Thankful for tea & memory verse time... my current verse is John 15:2.

Thankful for that sweet little girl that I just sponsored though Compassion.

Thankful for baking (and eating) my favorite cookies & listening to La Vie En Rose. 

I could listen to that song over & over... it is so good!

Thankful for a cozy home, safe & warm from spring snow storms! By the time the snow & wind stopped on Saturday, there was a 3 foot snow drift across the whole driveway. Yikes! The snow was packed & hard to shovel... So thankful for my Sunday School teacher, who brought over his snow blower & cleared it all out in about 20 minutes!! But now I have a cold... SO, needless to say, I am ready for spring! 

:)

What are you thankful for lately??

recipe: lemon coconut brownies

Lemon Coconut Brownies might be my new favorite recipe!!  I love these!!

These bars have the consistency of brownies, but they are full of sweet lemon-y flavor.

And coconut is the perfect touch in the lemon glaze. They pair together so beautifully.

They would be so great to make for Easter!

Lemon Coconut Brownies

Ingredients…

¾ cup Flour

¾ cup Sugar

¼ tsp Salt

1 stick Butter, softened

2 eggs

Juice & Zest from half a Lemon

Directions...

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, sugar & salt in a mixing bowl. Beat in a softened stick of butter, until well mixed. 

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs & the juice/zest from half of a lemon. 

(Reserve the other half of the lemon juice & zest for the glaze.) 

Pour the lemon/egg mixture into the mixing bowl & beat everything until well combined.

Pour the batter into a greased 8x8 pan & spread out evenly. Bake for approx. 30 minutes. 

While the brownies are baking, spread a thin layer of sweetened coconut on to a small baking pan.

Put in the oven (with brownies) for about 5 minutes or until it is light golden. Allow to cool.

To check the brownies, insert a toothpick into the center, if it comes out clean they should be done. 

Allow the brownies to cool, while you make the glaze.

To make the glaze, put the juice from the other half of your lemon into a small bowl.

Whisk in about 3/4 cup of powdered sugar. Add  about 1/4 cup of sweetened coconut.

If the glaze is too thick add a little bit of water, if it is too thin add more powdered sugar.

Once the brownies are completely cooled, spread the lemon coconut glaze all over the top.

Sprinkle the toasted coconut on top of the glaze right away.

Put the pan of brownies in the refrigerator for about an hour, so the glaze will set up.

Cut into squares & serve!

thankful snapshots: being healthy

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."

This tells me that my health & the way I treat my body is important to God & so it should be important to me too! 

We need food to give us nourishment & strength everyday. Food can be used to show love & service to others. And of course, food can easily be abused. It is something that we rely on to survive, yet at the same time we don't always treat it like it is as important as that. Sometimes I can be over indulgent. Sometimes I find myself just eating & not thinking much of it and I don't always come before God in thanksgiving for my food like should either... BUT to have fresh, healthy & yummy food is such a gift and I should be very thankful for it everyday! Honoring God with how I eat, taking care of myself & being thankful for my food & my health is the most important part of "being healthy"!

For a while now I have used My Fitness Pal (off & on) to help me keep track of what I eat. If you have never heard of it, it is a great resource to count your calorie intake & the calories you burn from exercise. It is great if you want to lose weight, but more than that, it has made me more aware of what I am actually eating & doing. You can use it online & you can download the app on your phone, which makes it even faster & easier to log foods, by just scanning the bar codes... I love it! I don't use it all the time, but if I notice that I am starting to eat more carelessly, then I know it's time to start using MyFitnessPal again!

I am not extreme when it comes to dieting or exercising. I don't kill myself in workouts, but instead I choose to do things that I genuinely love. I often do pilates-themed DVDs by Ellen Barrett, she is my favorite! I feel like her videos are perfect for me. I love to go on walks & play tennis too. I try to "do something" at least 3 times a week. And my sister is my workout buddy, which helps so much! 

Also, I don't put many restrictions on my eating, I just try to keep everything balanced. I really love healthy foods, but I also have a major sweet tooth & you probably know from my blog that I love to bake! So, for me it's all about keeping things balanced and using My Fitness Pal really helps with that. I am not in perfect shape, but that is not necessarily my goal anyway... I honestly just want to feel healthy & bring honor to God above all!

Earlier this week, I made a special treat for my Bible study ladies! It has one of my most favorite ingredients, LEMONS!! I can't wait to share the recipe with you soon, because it is amazing! 

It might not be healthy, but in moderation it is okay!  :)

a fun photo session...

Last week, my friend & her son were visiting from CA!  I love it when they are here! I don't get to see them

near enough... And because the weather was nice, we got a chance to get out for a fun little photo shoot!

This kid is seriously one of my favorites!! His smile & laugh are the best ever!!

I told him to put his hands in his pockets... so cute! He did a great job for the photos!

Love this sweet shot of grandma and grandson!!

a hopeful heart

"I've got my heart set on what happens next.

I've got my eyes wide and it's not over yet.

We are miracles and we're not alone."

There is so much hope in those words, from this song. This time of year I always start feeling so hopeful!
I always look forward to the trees & flower blooming. And of course, Easter is all about hope!!
Plus, the extra sunshine in the evenings just makes me feel so much more happy!
I took those shots on the first day of daylight saving time. This is the first sign that winter is almost over.
I know a lot of people don't like the time change, but to me, this golden evening light makes it all so worth it!

Have a happy weekend!!

PS. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

thankful snapshots + currently i am...

This is my attempt at being thankful every day... for little things & big things!

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

I post most days, via Instagram @sarah_brightside.

If you don't follow me there, here are my snapshots from this past week (or so)...

Currently I Am...

THANKFUL FOR //  Dreaming of travel adventures. Learning new things. New nail polish colors. Longer days. 

Practicing memory verses before bed. My cute dog. And building lego towers with a cute little guy.  :)

WORKING ON //  Taxes... and crocheting the prettiest little flowers! I am so thankful that my grandma taught
me how to crochet them. So fun & cute!! I really love how you can use different colors in every layer of petals.

THINKING ABOUT //  I discovered that beautiful vintage globe & had to take photos of it... It made me want 
to start planning a summer adventure! Also, it reminded me that I live so comfortably in "my own little world" 
& so often I forget about how big this world really is... Thinking about that reminded me of how I have
wanted to sponsor a child through Compassion for so long. Finally over the last week couple of weeks I have
realized that it is time to actually DO IT!!! There are so many sweet kids & families all over the world that need
help & we need to think about things like that more often and about ourselves less often!!
Do any of you sponsor a child through Compassion or some other organization?? 

ANTICIPATING //  Spring!! Who isn't?!?! I am ready for blooming trees, warmer days & baseball season!!!
Yesterday was cold, but on Friday it is supposed to be in the high 70s, yay!!!

WATCHING //  Loving season 6 of Heartland, I am watching it online & I can't get enough of it! I love the
stories, the characters, the horses, & the scenery (which makes me want to visit Canada)... It is SO good!!!

READING //  I am right in the middle of a Bible study on the Tabernacle, so I am currently reading a lot in Exodus,
which is great because I haven't read/studied it much before & there is so much to learn!!! Because of that,
I have been pretty slow at reading other things... I am still reading Grace for the Good Girl, a little bit at a time.

LISTENING TO //  Jon Foreman station on Pandora. It has been on non-stop lately. He is my favorite ever!! 
Plus there are so many other great songs! Really loving Mat Kearney & Needtobreathe. I love hearing new music too!

EATING //  Have had roasted potatoes a lot lately (similar to these). Oh, they are so good!! Honestly, I have not

been eating as healthy as I should be lately, but all of a sudden I have been in the mood for apples a lot, so that's
a good, healthy snack! And because it's almost spring I am ready for some fresh asparagus.

DRINKING //  I mostly drink water & tea, but lately I am loving Diet Dr. Pepper!! It's one of my treats! I have never been much of a diet person, but strangely I like the taste of diet Dr. Pepper better than regular. 

recipe: deep-dish chocolate chip cookie

This amazing recipe is from Top with Cinnamon (check it out)...

Izy is the girl behind the blog. She is 17 and lives in London!!

She has a lot of recipes that look amazing & her food photography is truly beautiful!

I had to give this one a try, because I am a big lover of chocolate chips cookies! And now that I have 

made it, I realize that an easy way to make a chocolate chip cookie into a single serving size could become 

a problem for me... Honestly, these might be even yummier than a normal cookie, because the deep-dish

makes them more like a brownie and so it is really the best of both worlds! 

Also, they are salted... And chocolate & salt are probably my favorite combo!! :)

inspired by: A-frame shelves for plants

I absolutely loved this beautiful ladder shelf design the first time I saw it, on A Beautiful Mess!

I was so inspired by the A-frame design and the pretty yellow paint color. I especially love how it is 

used to display the cute little house plants. So, it got me looking around for other A-frame shelf designs 

& I found a lot of great inspiration. I always love to see variety of different plants all grouped together 

& this is a great way to do it! So, sometime in the future I would love to have a bright sun room, with

 something just like this. Plus, it would be really great to have just one place to go to water all of your plants,

 since I don't really have much of a "green thumb".

( Sources: 1, 2, 3 )

Not sure of the original source for the 4th picture, if you know, please let me know...

:)