Ways to Shave...Newlyweds Edition

It has been a month since being married and the honeymoon effect is drifting out of sight. What was once new and exciting is becoming routine and mundane. The desire to please and look good for one's spouse is no longer the main concern. When it comes to dinnertime, one may be so drained from the day that in order to relieve the stress, one must stuff their stomachs full. Pasta is so easy to make that it becomes the meal more than once a week for those who are new at cooking. As a newly married couple, there are so many things that may contribute to the addition of pounds. For myself, I am one that is eager to fight against that tide and keep my figure (I mean who doesn't want to look good for their husband?) As a once-upon-a-time health nut, I am looking for ways around the apartment to make it difficult for my husband and myself to put on extra pounds. Here are some things I have noticed:

1. Choose Popsicles.

We are dessert people. As one who finds baking to be therapeutic, I have tried to use my love of baking to give to others. Instead of baking for myself and my husband (which I will always leave a couple extra cookies, etc. for us), I bake for others, such as the kids in the youth group. Instead of always eating brownies or cookies, we have placed in our freezer popsicles! Less calories, and still lots of flavor to put an end tot he overbearing sweet tooth.

2. Leave the candy in the cabinets.

I have realized, since putting M&Ms out on our coffee table, that we are more likely to devour them because they are right there. Any sort of food that I have to work at getting, I am less likely to want to eat.

3. More meat, less carbs.

Since I am a newby at cooking, I find pasta and tacos some of the easiest things for me to cook. Instead of using lots of noodles, use more meat. Instead of using tortillas, go for the meat mixed with all the yummy ingredients that make tacos so delicious.

4. Fruit, Fruit, FRUIT!

Always keep fruit cut up in the fridge. Although it is not out in the open like my M&Ms, having it out in the fridge will always make me go for the fruit instead of having to open a bag of chips whenever I want a snack.

5. Dine-In instead of Dining-Out

We are not a couple that has the money to dine out a lot, which is a good thing if you are not trying to put on the pounds. You can burn over 100 calories by cooking something for 45 minutes. No calories will be burned by dining out, that's for sure.

6. Outside Activities

After eating dinner, go outside and walk together, talk about the day, get your food digesting, and enjoy the quality time together.

My Life as a Wife

Hello, my name is Jordan McGuire. I am no longer a Magruder, but I have become one with Matt McGuire. I am thrilled to have entered into this new era in my life. I am now married and I am now living in North Carolina. I miss the Bluegrass state every once in a while, but North Carolina is becoming my home. I love the church here that my husband works at. Pinedale is full of so many great people who have really welcomed us and made us feel so special. Although it doesn't feel like home quite yet, it is getting there and it will happen over time. It hasn't been easy being away from all of my friends and Southeast, which I considered to be home. It has been pretty hard for me at times. Moving to a place where you know no one can really cause some emotional breakdowns. Although I have had a couple tear-filled nights, I have not once wished I was not here. My husband loves his job and I love being a part of youth ministry with him. I know that God has placed us here for a reason and He is going to use us as long as we make ourselves available. That has been my prayer: to always be available to Him and the opportunities He places in our days no matter what my circumstances may be.

On a brighter note, I have been job searching for a few weeks now. It is a hard time to be searching for any sort of job right now, too. It has been frustrating at times, but I am glad to say that I found a job. I will be working in the daycare at the church! It may not seem exciting to many, but I am so pumped. I get to prepare myself for motherhood, which may also not seem exciting to many. I, on the other hand, look forward to it. I see being a mother and a wife two of the greatest gifts God could give to a woman, so I am embracing them! Not only that, but I hope to volunteer with the Salem Pregnancy Center here. I want to pour out to teens and women who need Jesus and are at a vulnerable point in their lives where they see that they need Him. I know it will also be something that will stretch me and help me grow. Anyways, I know that it will all bring about much to share, as well as assistance in prayer.

I am also learning many new things as I have become a wife. I never realized that I would ever want to serve someone so much as I do my husband. I have learned to do new things in order to show him that I love him. Here are some of those things: I cook, and I am pretty good at it, which I never thought I would be. I enjoy cleaning, which is a weird thing to enjoy, but I know that my husband would rather come home to a clean apartment than a pigsty. I even sewed on my very first button, so my husband never needs to fear if a button falls off of his fave shirt. I never knew I would be so overjoyed to know that I am capable of doing such things. I am also learning to budget, or in other words, coupon. I may never be on the coupon show on TLC, but I am learning and I know it brings a smile to my husband's face as I try to help us save that dollar. With so many new things in my life, it has been great for me because I have had to be humble in order to learn. I hope that the humility will continue on even as I grow in the new things I am learning.

Two Words: Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club. There are really no words to describe it. It all started with Sarah and myself meeting every Saturday morning at Panera to share what is going on in our lives and laughing and enjoying time together. Then it began to grow and grow and now there are around six of us who are committed to meeting anytime we are in town, even if just a few of us can get together. Sometimes we even have special guests, mainly friends of Rachel, but they are always welcome to join and it is such a blast. I have never experienced a group of women quite like them. We are committed to one another. We are committed to loving and caring for one another. We are committed to being transparent with one another. I could go on and on. It is truly the epitome of Christian community. I am so very blessed. Thank you Sarah, Rach, Morgan, Hannah, and Alyssa for being so great and being committed to something that is totally of the Lord. I know it is something that will last for a very long time because these friendships are eternal!

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

How I Spent My Thanksgiving...

I started off the day driving to Lexington with Macy to run our first race ever! And this is what the Lord blessed us with....

Yeah, the sky was AMAZING.

It was such a fun experience and we finished in almost 30 minutes.

I spent Thanksgiving with the family and it was good, but one thing was missing...the love of my life. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life celebrating holidays with him!

I made some sweet treats because I like to bake...

I have so many things to be thankful for! The Lord is so good to me.

Ephesians 5:29-30 Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What is Next?!

This is the question I have been pondering in my heart with the Lord. I am really excited for the next step in my life. I get to marry the most amazing guy I have ever met and then...

Well, that's what Matt and I are praying about and it would mean so much to have the prayers of those who surround us and love us. Matt is in the process of looking for a job for when his internship is finished. With that said, we are not sure where that church will be, but I am already praying for those at that church and praying that God will reveal to us the right place. Just a background: Matt and I met while he was a youth intern and I was volunteering with Junior High, so it is so cool to see the Lord place a man in my life with the same passions as myself. That is why I can't wait to serve alongside Matt in youth ministry. I love the church and the blessing it has in the lives of so many, so to serve in the church with our lives is such a divine calling and I am so thankful. If you could pray with us that we would seek the Lord's guidance as to what church to go to next, and for the people at that church whoever they are, that they would become our family.

I am so excited!!!

Ephesians 1:18-23
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Pumpkin Cookies Anyone?

These are Matt's fave...and possibly mine too! I thought I would share the recipe:

1/2 cup softened butter

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup cinnamon chips

1 cup chocolate chips

And however much vanilla you are in the mood for, usually more than what recipes call for =)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Mix together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and the pumpkin. It doesn't look the most appetizing at this point but don't no worries...

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and spices. Then pour the dry ingredients in with the mixture with the pumpkin and throw in some vanilla.

Stir in the cinnamon chips and chocolate chips and you are ready to start putting them on a cookie sheet.

Bake for about 13 minutes.

And then you will have some yummy pumpkin cookies!!!

Golf

The fall golf season has come to an end, so one more season to go. It is crazy to see how far I have come since I first got here. There were many times that I wanted to give up, but I thank the Lord that I didn't and that I hung in there. It has been a crazy season in my life, but a wonderful one, too. Not many people get the opportunity to play a sport at the collegiate level, so I am very grateful. It's just another one of the many adventures the Lord has set out for my life.

It has taken me the past three years to finally realize why I play the sport. I don't play it for my coach, my teammates, my parents, but for the Lord who has blessed me with the gift to play golf. I am glad I didn't end my college golf career without learning this. Because I have learned this, I have been a better athlete, a better teammate, and a better follower of Christ on and off the golf course. I thank the Lord for continually working in my heart to finally get me to this point. I enjoy playing the sport so much more now!

I am also grateful for the girls on the team. I love them so much and I am thankful for each and every one of them. It has been a joy to get to travel with them and get to know them. It has been great to see how we have all improved and worked so hard to get where we are. As my golf career draws to an end, I just want to continue to glorify the Lord with the gift He has blessed me with and to enjoy this season of my life.

Oh yeah, and next season we are looking for a win! =)