thankful thursday #230

Two weekends ago I worked a very late football game in my old stomping grounds at Mississippi State. When I left the stadium at 1:30 in the morning, I loaded my car and pulled out of the parking space, only to discover (quickly) that my tire was flat.

Not low. Flat.

Three twenty-something men loading up their tailgate nearby came to my rescue and replaced the flat with my spare before I could ask for help. Their dads meandered over -- tailgating is a family affair -- and supervised, chatted with me about the game, and offered an air compressor to check the air pressure before they left.

Now listen. This was a well-lit area, fans were still waiting for traffic to clear, and I had friends and colleagues with me. I was not in danger.

But oh, to be reminded that there are still good people out there, sober after an SEC football game, and willing to help out a single gal.

As I drove off campus, I literally said aloud, God bless Mississippi men. I loved that they knew how to change the tire in the first place, they offered and were genuinely happy to help, and they didn't mind getting dirty.

Those men made their wives proud that early morning outside Davis Wade Stadium.

And they made me thankful.

Have you had a stranger lend a helping hand? Go on, be grateful!

thankful thursday #229

This week has been riddled with adulthood woes. Dropping some change on a garage door repair, a new tire (because the one I had to buy six months ago took a beer bottle to its chin).

For good measure, a dash of disappointment unrelated to any of those creeped into my heart, too. Because why not.

Saturday I get to see the little darlings.

Our time together will be nestled between work obligations. Brief, and per usual, not long enough.

But I'm grateful to get some perspective, and some purity and innocence, if only for a breath. (And if only they're on their best behavior.)

Do you get to peek at something simple and happy this weekend? Go on, be grateful!

pizza in a bowl

Not really. But this recipe tastes like a way healthier Italian sausage pizza to me.

It's adapted from Cooking Light, and I love it because it's quick, hearty, better as leftovers, and only uses one pot -- all ingredients of a winner in my book.

It would probably also be extra-cozy in the fall -- it's stew-ish -- but man, it's so good. Let's pretend it's fall.

Sausage, Cannellini and Tomato Ragout
Serves 4-6

1 lb. bulk Italian turkey sausage
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
1 Tbsp. unsalted tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c. dry red wine
3/4 c. unsalted chicken broth
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Dash of crushed red pepper
1 (14.5-oz.) can unsalted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15-oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp. fresh oregano (or 1 tsp. dried)

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage for 2 minutes, stirring to crumble. Remove sausage from pan and drain on paper towels.
2. Add oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add onion, and saute 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring continuously. Add wine; cook 1 minute, scraping the pan to loosen the browned bits.
3. Stir in stock, salt, pepper, red pepper, tomatoes and beans. Reduce heat to low and simmer 8-10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
4. Add sausage and oregano.

Put this on your radar for an easy weeknight meal -- it's really done faster than pizza is delivered anyway.

thankful thursday #228

I joined a new church about nine months ago, and last night I went to choir practice for the first time. I've been in church choirs my whole life, and every one of them have been so special to me, but not before this:

I dread being the new girl, introducing myself, the small talk, and all the other accompanying things generally painful for an introvert.

On the drive to the church, I processed these thoughts, and I was so grateful to have been raised in a family that valued church, and the community therein.

By God's grace, that foundation for me makes the discipline of integrating into a new local body, worth it on the other side.

In other words, the aversion to being the new girl loses, when compared to the alternative of not serving the local body, being an outsider, and missing out on community.

I'm not sure I'd see it that way if church had not been such a constant framework in my life for as long as I can remember, and I couldn't help but feel thankful and undeserving of that gift.

Is there evidence of God's goodness in your life that's so ingrained in your DNA that sometimes you just miss it? Go on, be grateful that it's there.