"He is like a Tree Planted by Water..."

My absolute favorite part of last week was gardening with my parents... 

or rather, learning how to garden. They have this extraordinary fairy garden in their backyard. The base of the garden is an old iron cast bathtub from my grandparent's lakehouse at Lake Rabun in North Georgia. Isn't the entire garden just magical??

Here are a few close-ups of the fairies. Little kids LOVE playing in this garden, especially our little niece / cousin Emma Kate. Just precious. :)

This is Gnomeo and Juliet. JD and I really liked this movie but mom and dad had no idea who these little figurines were until we told them. :) Don't you love the little door? My parents are going to attach matching windows going up the tree to act like a castle.

Fast forward to this week and we end up at a nice little quiet time I spent with the Lord while waiting on the maintenance man to come hang up my new art project on the wall...

Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."

First of all, did you catch that line where it says we are blessed if we not only trust in the Lord but actually transform our trust to be Jesus? I hadn't ever thought of it that way until reading this verse. It's a challenging thing, but so much more rewarding. When Jesus is our trust, we have absolutely nothing to be anxious about. For He is good. He is enough.

Secondly, I fear that I wouldn't have truly grasped verse eight if I had not spent the week gardening. God really knows when to place things in front of our eyes, huh? Dad taught me a lot about deeply planting the roots - especially tomato roots because they spread quickly with enough water. 

Think about that with a tree. 

If we are deeply rooted and planted beside the Living Water, we are going to grow in mighty ways through Christ's power alone. Better yet, fear will begin to disperse because we will have faith in knowing that our roots are deeply planted, spread widely and quenched by the Living Water of our Savior. 

We are so thankful for this Truth today. 

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And here is our garden at the apartment!! :) 

{sigh}

I LOVE using fresh herbs and practically punch myself in the kneecap when I have to buy herbs at the grocery store. We left the herb garden (in the strawberry planter) at the bungalow when we moved, so we're thrilled to have it back home with us. Finally, fresh herbs without the cost! 

We're growing rosemary, chives, parsley, thyme, mint and basil. 

The box on the wooden pedestal is our tiny fairy garden. It's quite sweet.

And here's one more photo of mom for ya... 

The John Deere has always been an Adams Family staple. I can't remember a summer when she wasn't on this thing. And if she wasn't riding around the yard, picking up tree branches or rocks before my dad plowed through on the much bigger tractor, well... you would probably find me chugging along on it. 

Hope you're having a wonderful week!! 

Special Finds at The Cotton Depot

Is it in you?? The desire to find the hottest deals at the lowest prices... with the most history behind it? 

Here are the hottest things I found when antique-ing in Monroe, GA, at The Cotton Depot with my mom the week before Easter...

There is just something classic about an old rotary phone, no? This screams retro and America. Don't you love it? I had to part ways with it after snapping this photo because I have a lovely yellow one just like it (oh, but it would fit in so wonderfully with my light blue and red kitchen appliances!!). 

Old filing cabinet. 

Oh yes. I've been searching for something like this for a while. I just never expected it to be so perfect. This purchased jewel will be stored in my shabby chic office when we buy a new home. 

These pieces were created using photo frames and candlestick holders. Fantastic way to create a tiered look to those photos, word art creations or scrapbook paper accents!

This lady's booth is one of my favorites. She has such a beautiful way of organizing her products. Old suitcases such as the one above simply make my heart melt. Did I mention that my mom had a tiny tan one waiting for me (with a few inches of fabric for me to play with tucked inside) when I went to visit her and dad the week before Easter? She knows me so well. :)

{sigh} 

An old sewing machine head. This baby was only $22 but will probably never be able to work again without the sewing table and presser foot. I don't care. It's beautiful. 

One day, JD and I will buy an old typewriter to put in our home. We just have to find the perfect one. This one was close to it, but I had already maxed out the budget for my trip. How so? 

...Well, we'll show you that once we have it all settled and cozy in our home...

And finally, I couldn't resist sharing this absolutely striking photo of my mom walking her garden. 

Isn't she beautiful? 

We had the best time walking around their yard as mom pointed out each plant and the history behind it. Many of the plants have been pulled from her mother's and grandmother's yards, simply to be re-planted in my parent's yard. I look forward to the day my mom and Gingin pass down plants to us when JD and I move into our first house. 

Come back Thursday to see photos of my parent's yard and the magical little fairy garden they've created in an old rusty bathtub from my grandparent's lake house in North Georgia.

We Have No Choice but to Laugh in the Face of Unfortunate Events...

This week has been a super big week for us... not just because I went home to spend a few days with my family but mainly because JD and I were apart for four entire days and worse - three entire nights!! To some of you, this may not be a big deal - but it kind of shatters our hearts.

However, I was incredibly proud of my husband because every time we would chat via FaceTime (thank you Apple), a neatly made bed and clean apartment stood proudly behind him in the background. THAT is a good husband.

Ask us about our Google+ Hangout story the next time we see you (or you can email us). It went down in the Todd Family Book as the most embarrassing story yet. ;)

JD took me on a special date night to Landry's Seafood in Huntsville the night before I left for Atlanta. The prices there are pretty stinkin' ridiculous for the quality of food (not in the best way) but we were loving the Seafood Stuffed Jalapenos! 

I flew out of Huntsville and arrived in Atlanta Tuesday morning. 

Thank you, Delta SkyMiles.

Mom and I drove to Nordstrom Rack (oh yes!). 

I spent way too much money on clothes (oh no...).

I immediately sent a text to JD saying, "The charge was from Nordstrom. Fashion Show tonight via Google+. We'll decide what we need to take back." 

(If you haven't figured it out yet, this may or may not have a huge connection to our embarrassing moment...)

I must add here that we have bought maybe three or four articles of clothing since we've been married (celebrating our two years in May) so it would make sense to have a shopping spree... but we would rather distribute our money elsewhere. Nordstrom Rack just has such awesome deals though. Ugh. The battle. 

Side Note: I went today to take back some things. We cannot let our desires control us unless they are desires for good (clothes are definitely good, but not if we don't truly need them). Repeat. We cannot let our desires control us unless they are desires for good. Haha

Back to Tuesday's Pre-Catastrophic Events...

We had lunch with our precious friends Terri and Brittany Thurmond at O'Charleys.

I met dad at the mall for our daddy / daughter date. 

Yes. 

Going to see The Hunger Games (for a second time).

No. 

Twenty minutes into the movie, we feel our phones vibrating. 

Mom is calling. 

But she knows we're in the movie. 

Something must be wrong. 

Dad walks outside of the theater to call and check on her. She had gone to Publix, bought groceries, walked back to her car and it wouldn't start.

She's stranded.

 Nobody stopped to help her even though her hood was up and she was standing at her car. Two employees from Publix walk outside to help jump her car off but the manager told them they needed to go back to work. 

Customer Loyalty at its finest, I suppose. 

So dad and I jetted out of the movie and headed to Publix.

The sky went from cloudless to dark gray within minutes. 

Rain turned to hail and hail turned to loss of electricity in the stoplights. 

Mom's roast, eggs and milk will soon turn sour if we don't arrive soon. 

She leaves the car to get cold bags to store her food in. 

Forty-five minutes to an hour later, we arrive. 

No jumper cables. 

What? My dad is the absolute most prepared man I know. He taught me how to build a squirrel snare. He packed us a Go Bag in the case of disaster. No jumper cables? This is the most unusual day...

He drives to Target to get a new battery for mom's car. 

Oh. Target doesn't sell car batteries. 

He buys jumper cables instead. 

As it's charging, a man walks out of Publix and asks if we needed extra jumper cables. Why didn't he stop when he was walking into Publix when we didn't even have jumper cables attached... or jumper cables at all?

We finally jump off the car and drive to the house for the first time since I've been in Georgia.

That's where the photo on the bottom left of the montage above comes in... Dinner at the Japanese restaurant with my parents in Monroe. There was this awesome four-year-old little boy sitting at the hibachi table who entertained us more than the chef could even attempt. It was a special time that we adored. We hated JD couldn't be there with us.

 But JD and I talked on Google+ an hour later. Thus enters our embarrassing moment in which I will refrain from sharing via blog post.

This may have been the oddest day I've experienced in quite some time... but it made for the memory of a lifetime. 

And finally, the photo on the bottom right. This is Emmy. She and I have been best friends since we were two years old. In our childhood years, we did everything together - took dance classes, devoured mint chocolate chip ice cream in the wee hours of the night (i.e. 7 pm), performed in musicals (both on stage and in front of our home mirrors), fought over which Hanson brother we wanted to date and had the sweetest little tea parties that any little girl would dream of. 

Have I mentioned that I am infinitely grateful that God sent JD for me and Brian for Emmy as husbands instead of a Hanson brother?

She's getting married in August to a guy she has been dating for seven years (high school sweethearts) and came to visit for some wedding planning fun!! Her mother (one of mom's closest friends) and her sister-in-law joined us as well. 

JD and I have been blessed with some amazing long-term friends. We couldn't be more thankful for the friends we've made and those we've kept up with throughout the years!!

Stay tuned next week for a glimpse into my trip with my parents. Antiquing Finds and a Magical Garden Adventure....

Reel Time Thursday

We figured it was time to share some happenings of Jitney in real time by busting out a few recent reels of photos (oh yeah - we just pulled out the play on words). 

We've had some pretty cool stuff going on, but no worries - we'll get back to posting about Israel again soon. Gosh, this time-sensitive info sharing is tough stuff.

On the day of pinching each other and singing ole' Irish songs (St. Patty's Day), we got to help build this awesome ramp for a family in Huntsville. We worked with an organization called CASA of Madison County. 

Mission Statement: Care Assurance System for the Aging and Homebound is a non-profit agency located in Huntsville, Alabama that provides services to individuals age 60 and older and to the homebound (wheelchair and bed bound) of all ages. Our programs are designed to enable the elderly and homebound to maintain their independence, dignity, health and safety by providing services that specifically address their special physical and emotional needs. 

JD was offered the opportunity through his job. Like most of the time, I tagged along. :) You just can't beat working for a group of people who want to serve the community!

PS: Can you believe this team built the spectacular ramp in only a few hours? 

OH! And if you're concerned that we didn't celebrate St. Patrick's Day... don't worry. I took some advice on a date night from The Dating Divas. Their site is the go-to place for all things dating!! And yes, we strongly advocate dating your spouse after the wedding day on a VERY consistent basis (we celebrate Date Night once a week). 

We realize it's a little late, but what did you do for St. Patrick's Day? Any luck of the Irish come your way?

October 28: Capernaum

We placed the map below to help you envision the country of Israel. The big star is Tel Aviv (our home base) and the little star is placed on Capernaum, near the Sea of Galilee. 

We only drove through Capernaum so we didn't do much sightseeing. It was beautiful though. JD and I would like to go back and actually spend time there, reading different parts of scripture together and walking around.

Capernaum is a pretty epic place.

It was Jesus' next destination after leaving Nazareth. In fact, Capernaum was the central location of Jesus' ministry for the last 18-20 months of His life on earth. It was here that Jesus told Simon and Andrew, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men." In other words, this is where Jesus gathered His group of disciples and called them to action (Matthew 4 and 9).

Jesus performed more miracles in Capernaum than any other location, including:

• Healing a man with an unclean demon in the synagogue (Luke 4:31-37)
  "Be silent and come out of him!" Jesus rebukes the man who is mocking Him. We love when Luke describes the witnesses by saying, "They were amazed and said to one another, 'What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!'" Luke says that Jesus' word astonished the crowd, for it possessed authority. Instantly, the grapevine started growing into every place in the surrounding region with people talking about what they had seen. That is Jesus. Our Savior with power and authority. Is your soul stirring yet?
  
• Healing Simon's mother-in-law, and then many (Luke 4:38-41)
  How beautiful is this story? It seems to be early morning ("and he arose") when Jesus walks into Simon's house and finds that Simon's mother-in-law has a high fever (Jesus probably knew about Simon's mother-in-law prior to walking into the house, since it's Jesus and all). Jesus heals her and "immediately she rose and began to serve them (vs. 39)". No recovery phase or anything like that. She just gets up and actually begins serving them, offering them some hot tea and crumpets (well, the latter part may not be 100% accurate). Then the sun is setting (a full day) and people began bringing sick and demon-possessed friends and family to the Son of God. And He touches and heals every one of them (vs. 40). That is Jesus. The ultimate Healer.
  
• Healing a centurion's servant (Matthew 8:5-13)
  In case you're wondering, a centurion is the commander of a century in the ancient Roman army. But seriously? Have you read this story lately? Here comes the centurion, asking Jesus to heal his servant who is laying in bad - paralyzed - and suffering terribly. And Jesus is like, "Sure. I'll come to your house." But no. The centurion says he is not worthy of Jesus entering his home. Instead, how about Jesus just say the word and his servant will be healed, with miles between them. Even Jesus is marveled by this man's faith and tells the centurion, "'Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.' And the servant was healed at that very moment. (vs. 13)" That is Jesus. The One who responds to our faith by being faithful. 

These are a few among many accounts of Jesus' miraculous healings. Here are a few more miracles that Jesus fulfilled in Capernaum in case you want to check them out:

• Matthew 9:18-26 - Jesus raises a woman from the dead
• Matthew 9:20-22 - Jesus heals the woman who suffers from a discharge of blood
• John 4:46-54 - Jesus heals an official's son

Thoughts...


In many of these stories, Jesus responds to believers by saying, "Take heart, your faith has made you well. (Matthew 9:22)" We are baffled and encouraged by these believers with such immovable faith.


Has Jesus ever responded to your prayers in this way? 


When you talk to Jesus and ask Him for healing (not just physically, but emotionally or spiritually), do you have absolute faith in Him that He will heal you? 


What's holding you back from surrendering completely to Him and trusting that He will be faithful to your needs? 

October 28: Bet She'an National Park

Whew! October 28th was an exciting but very long day. So long, in fact, that we will be breaking the day into four different posts.

(1) Bet She'an National Park
(2) Capernaum
(3) Mount of Beatitudes
(4) Sea of Galilee


We now welcome you to...

Bet She'an National Park is the site of over 400 archaeologically-excavated acres from the Byzantine period. The ruins include the ancient city of Bet She'an-Scythopolis and the imposing Tel Bet She'an. Excavations were first carried out in Bet She'an in the 1920s; yet archaeologists have only uncovered about one tenth of the city's area.


If you are planning on going to Bet She'an solo (not in a tour group), we must warn you that the actual ruins are difficult to find even after you walk through the park's entrance. You can either take the free route and walk down hidden paths, through bushes and trees - OR you can ride the tram for a small fee. We recommend the latter, seeing as we wasted quite a bit of time trying to find the place on our own.

This 7,000 seat Roman Theater was built in the 21st century. The Bet She'an theater is known as the best-preserved ancient theater in Israel. All plays occurred in daylight, when the metropolis was the busiest. Though the walls were built in order to block out distractions from the busy city outside of the theater, can you imagine how loud the actors had to speak in this massive theater? 

The lovely columns of Bet She'an.

The Western Bathhouses

1. The bathhouse toilets - the bathhouse provided public toilets. The toilets pictured here are the remains. Toilet "paper" was a soft leaf attached to a twig. A channel of running water under the seats afforded drainage. 
2. Outlook into Western Bathhouses
3. Entrance to Bathhouses - some of the facilities, such as this, faced an open courtyard paved with mosaic floors.
4. We're pretty sure this was the king's latrine quarters. Don't hold us to that.
5. Model of the Bathhouse - the bathhouse included a swimming pool, massage rooms, public toilets, and other conveniences.

1. The outlook over Bet She'an. We had to climb many steps to get to this point. Well worth it! This, of course, was at the end of the hike. 
2. Sigma - a semicircular concourse of the Byzantine period, referred to as the Sigma in an inscription found at the site, surrounded by rooms opening onto it.
3. Colored mosaics were displayed on the floors of the rooms. This one depicts Tyche, guardian goddess of the city, wearing a crown of city walls and holding a cornucopia.

We spent about three hours navigating the ruins. We made one last stop at the gift shop and ate schwarmas before we left for next destination: Capernaum. 

Shwarmas, by the way, are wrapped like the Greek gyros but only include lamb (no beef). The lamb is normally sliced from a 3-foot tower of racked meat. I ate a falafel schwarma (no meat). The falafel is basically a hushpuppy, except made out of chickpeas. They put hummus, coleslaw and tomatoes in the schwarma. 

What about you?

Do you think you could act on a stage like that... and be heard?

What fascinates you the most about past eras and excavated ruins? 

Have you ever had a version of a schwarma? What were your thoughts?

October 26: Chuck Norris in Israel, Adoption and Sappe

Yes. This guy. Chuck Norris. While dozing off to sleep, JD was flipping through the telly when he turned one channel too far. And there he was. Chuck Norris dubbed over in Hebrew. Needless to say, we didn't watch very long (language barrier), but we felt sparks of patriotism just by seeing his face.




Today has been a beautiful day! The past couple of days have been cloudy with a little breeze so it's been somewhat unbearable to lay out.

Today was perfect though. I laid out until the sun began to set, and oh, was the sunset lovely!

I'm really enjoying the book I've been reading. The storyline follows two families: (1) a family from India who gave their daughter to an orphanage because they couldn't afford the dowry to pay her off to a good suitor and (2) the American couple who adopts her. Since JD and I are interested in adopting one day, it's eye-opening to see how both sets of parents deal with the decisions they have made and how the daughter deals with being adopted.

After enjoying the sunset, I sat in the room until JD and Adam got back from work then we went to the Executive Lounge for dinner.

The coffee here is extremely strong!! I always add hot milk and sugar which tames it down a bit. Even JD needs to add a little sugar and he always drinks his coffee black!

Adam says we must try the refreshing Aloe Water here called Sappe.

We will probably get a few bottles tomorrow because the bottled water they serve here tastes tainted, kind of like lukewarm store-brand water. I am embarrassed to admit that I have a terrible habit of being a picky water drinker. Dasani is about the only one I can handle. I have now initiated JD into the water snobbery club. We have found a cheaper solution which I will post about later. Basically, we just bought a Brita water pitcher and use the filtered water in another pitcher. We then add rosemary, mint and cucumber. Mmm. Fresh and delicious!

We're going to try to go to sleep a little earlier tonight because JD and Adam have to leave for work at 9:30 in the morning! It's going to be a long day for the both of them, but I have a feeling that it's going to be a SUPER long day for me! :) We've made some plans to tour up north in Israel Friday and Saturday. It will be nice to get away from the hotel for a little bit. More importantly, JD and I will finally get to spend time together, doing what we love. Exploring. And in this case? Exploring the same steps that Jesus walked. How cool is that!


So friends, we want to know... 


Craving some Chuck Norris jokes now? Click here for a Top 100 List. What is your favorite Chuck Norris joke? 


How do you feel about adoption? Have you ever adopted a child and/or do you feel called to? Want to follow a real life blog about adoption? Follow this Finding Our Way Home. I met LeAnn when my friend Barbara invited me to a Woman's Bible Study in Huntsville. JD and I are both baffled by the way God is moving in LeAnn's family, and we're sure that their story will be an encouragement to all who read it. 


Have you ever tried Sappe? What's the verdict on behalf of your tastebuds?


And... are you a water snob? Which brand do you choose?

October 25: Survival Bag, Book Club and International Television

I decided last night that I would pack my book bag with a survival kit in case something happens. I packed it with maps of Israel, an Israeli cell phone that JD's co-worker gave him, a first aid kit, a flashlight, Iodine tablets, my passport, a few hundred shekels and Cliff bars. I'm going to carry it everywhere I go from now on.

Travel Tip: You may be thinking to yourself, "Paranoia, much?" But let's get serious here. If you're a woman in her twenties walking around in a different country by herself, wouldn't you want to be prepared for the worst? Let's not forget to mention that my sweet husband {and our parents} fully supported my survival book bag idea!!

JD enjoys working here. I'm glad that he has a co-worker here with him. It makes me feel more at ease. His co-worker, Adam, was here a few weeks earlier in the year so he's pretty comfortable with the area. Adam will only be here for two of the three weeks that JD is here. However, when he leaves, another co-worker will be flying in. The team always tries to have at least two people on site for projects in areas like this.

The day was fairly uneventful since I didn't wake up until 14:00. I walked up to the Executive Lounge and began reading Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda during the afternoon tea hours.

JD and Adam met me up there when they got back from work around 18:00 tonight. The food is delicious and we eat / drink whatever we want for free! They have very healthy options - lots of fish, veggies, olives, salads, etc. All kosher foods. All Mediterranean style cooking. During the afternoon tea hours they serve crumpets, macaroons, tasty cookies, coffee and tea.

It's somewhat frustrating here because of all the different languages spoken. I hate not knowing what people are saying! Rather than facing future frustrations, I decided that I may take up a hobby of learning new languages. Hebrew, Arabic, French, Italian, English, and a few other languages that I've never heard are spoken here.

The TV stations are not exactly targeted towards the English-speaking population. I spend a few hours a day watching National Geographic (because it gets dark around 17:00 / 5:00 p.m.) pending on what they're broadcasting. I watched a documentary today about lions. We also get Fox Sports, CNN and Fox News. Comedy Central and the Family channel are broadcasted here but you have to hit the channel at particular hours of the day or else the shows will be in Spanish or Hebrew.

I was constantly keeping up with CNN and Fox News until the stories became monotonous. To name a few, the Family channel played Dr. Phil, Oprah, Ellen, and the Real Housewives of OC. No wonder other countries have such a terrible view of Americans (granted, I am a fan of the Ellen Show). I am embarrassed to admit that JD walked in on me watching the Real Housewives on a few occasions. When you're sitting in a hotel room during most of the hours your awake, you have to find more ways to be entertained than by reading non-stop. {Have I mentioned that I didn't have Internet access about 80% of the time we were in Tel Aviv?}


We'd love to hear your opinions! 


Do you think the survival book bag was too much? What precautions would you take if you were in that scenario? 


What would you do if you stayed in a hotel room for about 8-10 hours alone, without Internet and a TV that only partially broadcasted English-speaking shows (besides reading)? Also keep in mind that JD left for work when there was only about two or three hours of daylight - surely you wouldn't walk around the city alone during the nighttime, right?


Have you read Secret Daughter? What did you think of it? [My review to come.]

The Wedding

Video by JD and Whitney Todd

Songs in the video:
You're Beautiful - Phil Wickham
You're All I Have - Snow Patrol

*Photo Credit on all wedding and trash the dress photos goes to Kike Morales Photography.

Happy Spring!! Free Cleaning Printable...

Happy First Day of Spring!!!

Hopefully, you are outside enjoying this beautiful weather on this lovely first day of Spring. Maybe you're painting your fingernails super-fresh colors like this:

{Color: Rimmel 60 seconds, 819 Green with Envy}

Or maybe you're out picking big, bountiful flowers for those awesome vases:

{Photo taken at the Bungalow last year. Gingin grows the most beautiful hydrangeas at the lake!}

Whatever you're doing, you are probably either delighting in or dreading spring cleaning. To make it a little more exciting, JD and I decided to share our Cleaning List with you from our Newlywed Organization Book I designed last year (you know, the one I've been meaning to put up on Etsy... one day).

This printable (in color for you savvy families out there OR in black & white for those penny-pincher newlyweds) will be free for your printing pleasure on our blog until the end of March. Spread the love via Pinterest, Facebook or whatever you'd like! It's just one step closer to making our world into a cleaner world. :) Enjoy!

P.S.: "Int" means interior cleaning priorities and "Ext" means exterior. 

P.P.S.: The document should open in a different tab (Adobe tab, to be exact) and you can download the file from there free of charge. If not, well, please email us here. JD knows how to do all of this techie stuff but he's at work in the midst of me posting this. Fingers crossed. 

*As of April 9, The Cleaning List Printable has been placed in our Etsy shop! Come visit us here!!