Over the River and Through the Woods...

As the tagline of my blog describes, I'm a suburban girl who married a country boy, but since spending time with my husband and his family, I have come to enjoy the slower pace of country living.

Although Nashville is a growing city, it is surrounded by small towns and rolling hills, which makes for a lovely variation of scenery and attractions. Well, an experience we had a couple weeks ago, when a family that attends our weekly Bible study invited us out to their farm, took country living to a whole new level...

Most GPS systems cannot find their house, so they sent us detailed instructions explaining how to make it to their property from the highway.

We drove 3-1/2 miles along a winding, paved road and then turned onto a dirt road, just before the paved road went into a creek. And when I say "went into a creek," I mean that in order to continue on down that road, you would have to drive through water.

We drove another 600 feet down the dirt road and thought we had almost reached their house. That's when we came across another creek. This time, we had to cross it.

Mr. Handsome stopped the car, and we both stared at the creek in disbelief for a good 30 seconds. "Think we can make it?" I asked my husband. "I don't know, but we'll find out," he replied.

It was a warm day, so I removed my shoes and walked across to find the best path for the car to take. The "creek," which was more like a river, was about 60 feet wide and just over 1 foot deep. Thankfully, the bed was limestone instead of mud. The current was strong, but not quite strong enough to push me over.

After I reach the other side and got my camera ready, my husband plunged the car into the water.

I held my breath (and took pictures) as he drove across.

He made it! I breathed a sigh of relief when he was safely on shore. The car was wet but undamaged. Boy were we glad to have a vehicle with all-wheel-drive...

We drove a short distance up a hill and finally reached our friends' farm, which was beautiful! They live in a mountain-style cabin and raise goats, chickens, and bees.

We look forward to visiting them again soon, so long as the creek isn't too high. Have any of y'all ever driven through a creek?

'God's Not Dead 2' Movie Review

My sister-in-law Mae and I pose with Kevin Sorbo

(Professor Radisson in God's Not Dead)

What would you do if your faith was placed on trial?

I recently had the opportunity to pre-screen the upcoming movie God's Not Dead 2, a mainstream film set to open in theaters across the United States and Canada on April 1st.

Featuring a number of well-known actors, including Melissa Joan Hart, Pat Boone, and Sadie Robertson, God's Not Dead 2 follows the trial that ensues when beloved history teacher Grace Wesley gives a factual answer to a student's legitimate question about Jesus. The film is inspired by 25 real-life court cases that have threatened to quench religious liberty in the classroom.

In a world where faith is being met with increasing hostility, God's Not Dead 2 urges Christians to fight to maintain religious freedom, no matter the cost. A must-see for both children and adults, this movie is a chilling reminder that those who dare to stand up for what they believe must be willing to lay down everything for the sake of their convictions.

Watch the trailer below:

Happy (Belated) Easter

He is not here, but is risen. 
~Luke 24:6a

Happy Easter! I took the weekend off blogging, so I apologize for the late post.

Mr. Handsome and I were thrilled to be able to spend the holiday at a two-day gathering with his immediate and extended family, as well as my immediate family. (My extended family lives very far away, so we rarely see them on holidays.)

My in-laws attend church in a building that is more than 120 years old, which made for a beautiful setting for our gathering. The vibrant red front door was the perfect backdrop for our Easter picture.

On Saturday, we had lunch and dinner at the church, with plenty of games and chitchat in between. Instead of a traditional Easter egg hunt, we competed in a Scripture-based scavenger hunt, with Bible verses from the Easter story as clues. The church has an antique pipe organ, so we enjoyed playing Easter-themed hymns.

After church on Sunday, we had another meal together before saying our goodbyes. How did you celebrate Easter?

Coconut Recipe #1: Success!

I'm so grateful to y'all for coming to my rescue and helping me find a use for my bottle of coconut water! I read all your suggestions and chose one to try: pineapple-coconut popsicles.

They turned out to be easy to make and absolutely delicious. I plan to try your other suggestions soon. Check out my popsicle tutorial video below:

Deal at LOFT

Over the weekend, I stopped by the store LOFT. Have you ever shopped there? The clothing can be a little pricey, so I rarely go, but there was a sale going on, so I decided to check it out...And I'm sure glad I did!

Combining the sale with a 25% off coupon that I received by signing up for the email list, I scored four nice shirts for $30. The two on the right were on the clearance rack and only cost $3 each. The other two are much nicer and were just under $12 each.

All of them are made almost entirely out of cotton, which will be perfect for summer.

My favorite is the light blue one. Where do you like to shop?

Coconut Water?

While on my weekly grocery shopping adventure at Aldi, I stumbled across a display of 100% pure coconut water (with no sugar added). If you've ever been to Aldi, you know that they frequently bring in novelty products for a limited time. I had never seen coconut water at our Aldi, so I figured it would not be available for long.

I am a big fan of coconut and had sampled coconut milk a couple times in the past and enjoyed it. Why not try coconut water? I thought. I spent a few moments debating on whether to spend the $2.99, but I decided that buying it at any other store would most likely cost more. So I went for it.

Eager to find out how it tasted, I grabbed a clean cup as soon as I walked in the door of our apartment. I didn't even put the groceries away first. After one swig, I knew I had made a big mistake.

I understand that coconut water has a decent amount of health benefits, and I commend those who can stomach it, but I'm not one of those people.

I'm curious to know, have you ever tasted coconut water? What did you think of it? And what on Earth should I do with the leftovers? I'm quite certain that my husband won't touch it.

Interview with Former Broncos QB Scott Stankavage

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Scott Stankavage, a former Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and University of North Carolina quarterback.

In his new book, The QB Mentor, Scott shares hard-won wisdom about fatherhood, life, and football. Scott is the proud dad of seven children and is in a "disease control phase" of his battle with Leukemia. "...I count every day a blessing," he says.

My interview with Scott is embedded below. You can learn more about him on Facebook and Twitter, as well as on his website. The QB Mentor is available wherever books are sold, but those who order from qbmentorbook.com will receive an autographed copy from Scott's personal stock.

Be sure to check out my interviews with hit songwriter Keith Getty, political activist Star Parker, and Hollywood actress Shari Rigby.