His Grace Is Sufficient

Time and time again, it amazes me how God knows exactly what we need.  Usually he generously blesses us above and beyond with bountiful measures of grace, strength, endurance.  But sometimes I find that I get what I need to withstand the trial, and not much extra :-).  I guess this keeps me ever dependent on Him to provide.

For the last 9 months I have been a "traveling dentist," filing in as needed for about 5 doctors who needed to take time off, usually for at least a month. I have learned so much, and this has been a good time, and obviously the income is a huge blessing. But at the same time, it's been tiring and trying - always traveling, learning how to work in new offices constantly, being left-handed (believe it or not this makes certain offices very difficult to work in), and every patient I see is a new patient with no history of trust. And yes, I get, "you look like your 12" at least 4 times each day.

Next week I get to "retire" from my traveling dentist gig. And I think all I have left in me is one more week to cross the finish line of this season.  I can't even begin to describe how excited I am to be at our office, building long-term relationships with our patients, and working to improve the way we do things.

One unexpected blessing of these first 9 months as a dentist is the gratitude I feel of being in one place from here on out. I would have had no idea what a blessing it is to work in one office with one set of staff and seeing one patient base.  I love how the Lord does that!  It's sort of like in our first duplex after getting married we had no dishwasher, no disposal, no microwave, no washer, no dryer.  It was only for 5 months and it wasn't that hard to survive.  But to this day 5 years later, I am still so grateful for my washer and dryer being in my house and I love doing laundry.

So, praise the Lord for the trials, both large and small, that not only require us to lean heavily on him for all our needs, but also teach us to be thankful for the blessings of peaceful times.

The Gender Reveal!

So, I'm a slack blogger, we already know that.  Most of you have heard by now if Baby Dubs is a boy or a girl.  But here is the official post, so just play along with me :-)  There are countless ways to share the exciting news with family and friends.  I will present two options:

1) If your family lives in multiple states (and countries in my case)...

We all got on Google hang out at the same time and I bought a little outfit to show everyone.  Not the most exciting way, but it was fun to tell everyone at the same time.

Hi Wade - all the way in Bolivia!

2) If your entire family lives in the same city...

Needless to say, you can get a bit more creative.  After scouring Pinterest for way longer than I should have, I settled on cupcakes.  If figured that way everyone got to participate in figuring out as opposed to having one cake.

 The  yummy ingredients for Sour Cream Cupcakes (recipe from Southern Living, see below).  And no, the onions did NOT go in the cupcakes!

 My mom gave me these cute cupcake liners in my Christmas stocking this year.  They make it fun.

I got a cupcake corer from Bed, Bath, & Beyond - only $4 and it made the process super easy to take out the center and fill with icing.

 I must admit, they are really cute!

 Reactions

 Some people guessed right

It's a girl!

We are so, so excited!  My due date is 5 months from yesterday, which seems like an eternity!  I can hardly wait to meet our sweet little princess.

And here is the recipe for the cupcakes; they were delicious.  I made them the very next week as mini cupcakes for a drop-in party at our house.  This is my new go-to cupcake recipe, it just takes the normal cupcake a step up.

Sour Cream Cupcakes

(source, Southern Living; the original pinterest/blog inspiration here)

Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 8 oz sour cream
- Buttercream frosting (see below)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.  Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.  Beat in sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended.  Stir in vanilla.
2. Combine flour, powder, soda, & salt.  Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternating with sour cream, beating until blended.  Spoon batter into a lightly greased (or lined) muffin pan.
3. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Cool in pans, then remove and cool completely.

Buttercream Frosting:
Let 1 cup of unsalted butter soften to room temperature.  Cream butter; slowly add 4 cups confectioner's sugar until creamy.  Add 1 tsp vanilla.  If too thick, add a few ounces of milk slowly until you reach the desired consistency.

Good Medicine for a Rough Day

I left the office today at 6pm saying to Bryan, "This is not the life I wanted."  Right now, we are one month into owning our own business.  Anyone who has done this before knows what that means and feels like.  After working nearly 10 hours today and not making a penny, sometimes all I want is to be an hourly employee and be able to say, "well that was a rough day, but at least I made X amount of money."

I feel stretched and challenged in ways I never imagined would happen when Bryan and I decided we would be dentists.  And no, this has nothing to do with teeth and everything to do with paying bills and making sure the deposits are bigger than the withdrawals… so anyone with a small business can relate.

So naturally, I pulled the pregnancy card to get out of going to a dental meeting tonight (the massive headache was not fictitious, however I'm sure work, and not pregnancy, was the culprit).  I was going to get home and get some more work done, but that still small voice in me beckoned me to sit down, slow down, and read.  I love how the Lord knows what I need in both the little and big things.

I've been reading through the Sermon on the Mount for a few months, and it has been just the good medicine I've needed for this transition time.  Tonight I wrapped it up, and Sinclair Ferguson (via his commentary "Sermon on the Mount") was so profound.  He said, "The sphere of blessing is also the sphere of battle."  Satan wants to drag me down with worry, fear, doubt, stress, anxiety, regret, and even ingratitude.  The blessing we have to own our dental practice and to be in this position is outrageous!  How dare I complain about that blessing by telling Bryan this isn't what I want.

The answer: realign my vision.  "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matt 6:33).  We are not promised an easy life, in fact the gate is narrow and the way is hard, but - it leads to life!  Surely these struggles and trials are the Lord's means to work out grace, trust, and faith in my life.  To do what he has called me to and know that he will give me what I need.  Physically yes, but even more so, in a spiritual since.  He will give me the strength to face tomorrow, of that I am sure.

You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;

you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.

But for me, it is good to be near God;

I have made the Lord God my refuge

that I may tell of all your works."

Psalm 73:24-28

Daring to Hope

I have been overwhelmed by the response and number of people who are praying for our Little Ones.  The hardest part of bearing the initial news following our first ultrasound was the feeling of zero hope - processing that the little one (we refer to them as Big Dubs and Little Dubs - Dubs being short for "Baby W"), Little Dubs, was alive, but just barely, that he/she would not survive, that I should expect bleeding and cramping in the coming weeks, and that was that.  No chance of survival.  But with each person praying, and each story we hear of miracle survivals of a "vanishing twin", and each day with no cramps or bleeding, my hope grows.

The babies are 11 weeks old today.  In 7 days we are half way to viable.  In 14 days we finish the first trimester.  But... in 8 days we get another ultrasound, and part of me can't wait to see the babies again, and part of me doesn't want it to happen, because we will know for sure if Little Dubs is alive or not, and his/her not being alive is the much more likely discovery.  The not knowing for sure, the hope, the desperate prayer all have lifted me, and I now dread the news, which to our doctors was sure to happen.

Please pray for peace, grace, strength, courage… and a miracle.

"My frame was not hidden from You,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in Your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me.

when as yet there was none of them."

Psalm 139:15-16

2014: A Year of Change

Here is the follow up to Tuesday's post - 2013 was a year of blessing and transition.  In 2014 we look ahead to several big things that have and will change our lives forever.

1) We bought a business 

- a dental practice to be precise.  Everyday we are excited and humbled as we begin this life-long journey of taking care of a business, patients, and employees.   Pray for us!

2) We are going to have a baby!

We cannot wait to meet Baby Wingate in August!  Needless to say, we are thrilled, nervous, excited, scared, giddy, overjoyed... and I'm sure these emotions about being parents and having children will continue to change over the next 80 years.  We praise the Lord for the amazing miracle of life!

Again, pray for us!  Specifically, we found out 2 weeks ago that we have two miracles, yes twins!  But in the same instant, we learned that one of the babies will probably not make it.  He/she is very small and has a weak heartbeat.... but, it has a heartbeat!  We are praying for a miracle, for God to save this precious little life despite the odds. 

Bryan's reaction to his early Christmas present

2013: A Year of Transition & Blessing

Well, hello!  It's been nearly 6 months since my last post - where has the time gone?  I won't bore you with all the details of the blog posts I've started and never finished.  It's a new year, and although I'm not necessarily resolving to be a "better blogger", we'll see what the new year brings!

To wrap up all the details of the second half of 2013 in one post would be long and boring (because most of it includes working long hours during long weeks, and I have a feeling you don't care about Bryan's new root canal system or other discoveries made in the dental office).  But, if you would indulge me, I'd love to reflect on 2013 as a whole, just briefly, how it changed Bryan and I forever.... then we will move on to this year!

The Lord has filled my heart with such gratitude for the multitude of blessings He lavishly bestowed on us throughout last year.

- passing boards - graduating dental school - a celebration trip -

- grandparents' heath decline, then recovery, then more decline -

- a new house - a new job - a new town - a new church -
- new friends - new sister-in-law - new nephews -

Truly, we have been blessed abundantly above and beyond what we could ask or imagine.  And we thank our Heavenly Father for these blessings.

The Lord promises to give us what we need.  Yet frequently He gives us above and beyond, and for that it is fitting to praise Him for His goodness, to remember this time in the future when things may not look or feel as rosey, and to point others to the one who gives us all good things.

Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;

your judgments are like the great deep;

man and beast you save, O LORD.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!

The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 36:5-7

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa

Before we started work, I used to cook :-)  Hopefully I can transition into cooking again sometime soon.  In the meantime, I want to share with you this recipe that I MADE UP!  99% of what I make is straight from someone else, so I'm proud of this one.  It all began when I had 2 different families over for dinner in 2 weeks, and both times someone couldn't have gluten.  So naturally, I took one of my favorite pasta recipes (Pasta Primavera by Giada) and took the pasta out :-)  So, maybe this isn't a Jeanette original... oh well!

Anyway, this Roasted Vegetable Quinoa is out of this world good!  I had never cooked with quinoa before.  In fact, I needed help finding it at Whole Foods (I know, showing my ignorance to the "pure food lovers", I hope they enjoyed got a good laugh on me).  If you were like me and have never cooked with quinoa before, I challenge you to try this recipe.  It is delicious, healthy, easy, and beautiful!

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa

- vegetables cut julienne: orange bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, carrots, zucchini, squash, and onion (enough quantity of veggies to fill a large cookie sheet)
- EVOO
- S&P
- Italian seasoning
- 1 cup of quinoa
- 1 cup of vegetable broth
- diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan
- sliced fresh basil (~6 leaves)

1. Cut vegetables julienne style; toss all vegetables except tomatoes with EVOO, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.  Roast at 425 for 25 min (or until carrots are soft to a fork).  Halfway through, give the veggies a good "stir".
2. While vegetables are in the oven, bring vegetable broth to a boil, add quinoa and reduce to simmer.  Cook until liquid is absorbed (about 20 min), stirring occasionally.
3. Combine roasted vegetables, quinoa, diced tomato, parmesan, and basil.  Toss, and season with additional salt to taste.

**serves ~8.  Use whatever veggies you like best.  The roasted carrots are my favorite!  For this dish, I used approximately 2 bell peppers (1 of each color), 2-3 zucchini, 1 squash, 4-5 carrots, and 1 large onion

Rainbow Promise

I'm back blogging a bit.  On our first day of work, now over one month ago, we saw this beautiful sight in the sky that evening.

What didn't show up terrifically in that picture, is that this was a double rainbow!  I had never seen one before.  This is the best picture I could get of the double, you can barely see it to the left of the main rainbow.

I'm usually not one for extreme cheesy-ness.  But for whatever reason, this double rainbow, which was so maginficant streatching all the the way across the sky, was a huge comfort to me of how the Lord keeps is promises to us.

This is the beginning of the next stage of life for us, in many ways it is a stage that will continue for (hopefully) 40 years.  As with most new beginnings, there is much apprehension of the unknown ahead. As we seek to balance work and the rest of life, and take on so many new roles - doctor, clinician, business owner, manager of people, motivator, educator - I frequently feel overwhelmed and afraid.  There is still much to learn about dentistry, and what we do know is constantly changing with innovations in materials and methods, and there is also so much we are clueless about on the business aspect.  And then every so often I remember the mountain of student debt we have accrued to get to this place... (breathe!). What a comfort to know that God, who is our loving heavenly Father, has promised to take care of us, and He will be with us and guide us every step of the way.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.  As it is written,

"He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever"

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.  You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:8-11

And on a funny note, this rainbow reminded me of one of my favorite Youtube songify videos.  All during 2nd year of dental school, Bryan and I would watch these videos instead of while studying.

Work... and confessions from a recovering perfectionist

Work.... that sums it up!  That's what we've been up to - welcome to the real world Wingates!  With this new life, has come a business neither Bryan nor I have yet to experience.

I haven't posted in for-e-ver, which naturally means I've been avoiding all blogs in general and feeling guilty :-)  This is what I do in so many areas - I am a perfectionistic, slightly OCD, type, and when I get behind in anything (keeping up with the budget, writing thank you notes, journaling, quiet time, and now I can add blogging to that long list), I start to stress out about it.  So naturally, the best thing to do is fall off of my routine completely.

This habit is not desirable, but not harmful in the world of blogging.  However, when it comes to spending time with the Lord each day, I cannot allow this to be tolerated in my life.  It's amazing how quickly I can see change in my attitude, relationships, and demeanor in general when I am not spending time each day with the Lover and Savior of my soul.  Satan loves to plant thoughts in my head about my unworthiness because I've gone 3 days without spending time with Jesus, so naturally on the fourth day I shouldn't spent time with Him at all because I am unworthy.  Shame creeps in, and a downward spiral ensues until I am such a jerk to others and I hate the monster I've become that I finally run back to the cross.

Why do I fall for these lies so frequently? Why do I still struggle with the basic concept that I know in my head but don't apply in my heart - that salvation and the Christian life in general is by grace alone from the first to the last?  Praise be to the Lord, who does not require any goodness on my part for me to come into his presence!

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?  Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

Isaiah 55:1-2

"Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal... I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

John 6:27, 35

Driveway & Dentistry

Last week we finished our driveway.  This is the long term, yet temporary improvement.  We've widened the driveway so we can park side by side.  In a few years we'd like to do a cement driveway with some brick outline and details throughout.  But in the meantime - it is so much more functional.  With each project and improvement we tackle, I gain a new appreciation for how long a "simple" project can take!

However, all progress will now be coming to a screeching halt.  This past week we have been enjoying a week in Sonoma California with both our parents to celebrate graduation (will put up pics soon).  While we were out there, we found out that we received our dental licenses!!!!!!!!!  For you non-dental people to understand the significance of this happening, we were hoping it would come in for us to start work by July 1st, but we go ours on June 3rd - 3 weeks earlier than expected!  What does that mean?!?  Well, we start work on Monday.  Yep!  We are now working people.  Needless to say, things will progress much more slowly with our house :-)

A beautiful site to behold!

Before

Original location of paver outline of driveway (not a great picture, but note location of bush for perspective)

 Azaleas by porch

 Asphalt that extended all the way to the shed

Progress

Moved paver outline to include bush, bush removed, some dirt removed to level area

Area ready for gravel

Asphalt removed in back - we hauled over 7 TONS of asphalt to the dump

Finished

Removed all asphalt and will seed this area with grass next week

Next up: add a fence from the corner of the house (right where the asphalt now ends) and remove current location of fence - this will add a lot more room to our fence in backyard.

Memorial Day Projects

It's been a good day for projects, spending time together, visiting with friends, lovin' up on our sweet dog (who just loves to help us out with yard projects).  We are thankful today for the freedom we enjoy and for the sacrifices of so many to protect our country.  As they say, freedom isn't free, the high price should make us ever grateful of the blessing we have in the USA.

Demolition of extra concrete.  One day, this area will be a beautiful garden and grassy backyard (hopefully!).  Step 1: Digging up concrete

But... unable to take it to the dump, because they were closed.  So this project is in process :-)

Our first garden!!!

And our faithful overseer :-)

Bryan's parents tackelled a little project of their own, unlike us they finish what they start!  Looks awesome.  Hydrangea to grow up their beautiful trellis.

House Tour

Welcome to our home!  As promised, here is a long over due house tour, and updates on what we've been up to over the past few weeks.

Front Yard

Already done: painted front door (Sherwin Williams Labradorite); lots of RoundUp, weeding, and pruning
In process: widening driveway for 2 cars to fit side by side; vegetable garden
Still to do:

• more RoundUp to eradicate vines, ivy, and invasive wisteria that are so at home in our yard
• have several old pine trees cut down
• landscaping - several hedges need to be removed, add some interest to get rid of the straight line of bushes across the font
• move location of fence on side of house to make back yard "larger"
• improve grass coverage (grass is pretty splotchy in the front, and basically non-existant in back)
• later on... add invisible fence for Keller, have driveway redone (current asphalt is in rough shape)

Family Room

Already done: painted built-ins and walk-through bookshelves white
To Do:

• paint trim & doors
• curtains (thinking something like this linen/burlap look from World Market)
• furniture: light brown sofa is going to my sister in August, and it will be replaced with club chairs from Bryan's aunt that need to be recovered.  (dark brown sofa & love seat from my aunt & uncle, rug from my grandmother - it's amazing how we have put everything together through everyone's generosity!)
• add overhead lighting (2 rows of several cans and a central light or fan)

Dining Room

Already done: de-bling chandelier; first transom shown here as a prototype for the other 4 (full post on this later)
To Do:

• touch up paint (we are leaving the stripes, but don't have any leftover paint for the darker stripe, so we will have to repaint all the dark stripes)
• paint trim & doors
• furniture - we have a table, but no chairs... trying out these upholstered chairs (from Pier 1) are top contenders.  If we go with 6 of these, will make slip covers

Drawing Room

To Do:

• paint (I'm thinking a greyish green color - you can see a sample to the left of the window)
• paint trim and doors
• repair broken pane in french doors

Kitchen

Already done: painted beadboard white
To Do:

• paint trim & doors
• make curtains (here is my fabric)
• later on... build banquette to allow for seating around all sides of the table

Master Bedroom & Bathroom

Already done: added overhead light to fan, installed hand towel ring in bathroom
To Do:

• paint bedroom (tan color - paint is already purchased, so hopefully this will happen next week)
• paint trim & doors
• make curtains & coordinating pillows (here is my fabric)
• new shower head! (this one is terrible in the amount of water it puts out, fortunately the hall bath shower has much better water flow, so we currently use that one)
• later on... replace the tile on the walls (which was turquoise and is now painted white) with white beadboard, maybe convert tub area to walk in shower?

Hall Bathroom

To Do:

• remove wallpaper and paint walls (previous owners painted over wallpaper, which has bubbled in some areas)
• paint trim & doors
• resurface tub
• replace several fixtures (right now it is a mix of brass and polished chrome)
• find something to go above toilet for extra storage (currently zero storage in here for even an extra roll of TP)
• later on... replace painted tile on walls with white beadboard

Green Bedroom

 To Do:

• paint walls (pale yellow)
• paint trim & doors
• curtains & bedding (no fabric selected yet)

Blue Bedroom

Already done: no more stripes - after many hours of sanding, this room is painted green!

To Do:

• paint trim, chair rail & doors
• make curtains and pillows (here is my fabric)
• needs a lot of furniture: headboard, dresser, chair, and little table for under window

And that's a wrap!  We love the flow of our house, how spacious it is, and the personality it has simply by being over 60 years old.  As you may have noticed in my to do lists, all the doors and trim desperately need to be sanded and repainted.  We are also working to restore the original transoms.  These projects will take months (or in the case of repainting ALL the trim... years).  But that, I guess, that is part of the joys of homeownership - it's a work in progress.  The previous owners did SOOO much to update the house and we are excited to build upon the work they started.

Come visit us if you are ever in or near Columbia!  We hope and pray that our house will be used as an instrument of hospitality and a place for ministry and fellowship to occur - all to the glory and praise of God!