Monday
Firecracker Enchiladas
Spanish Rice
Tuesday
Concession Stand Supper at the Baseball Park
Wednesday
Out to Eat Before Church
Thursday
Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
Green Beans
Garlic Bread
Friday
Pseudo Asian Delight
(This is Matthew's delicious invention)
Egg Rolls
Saturday
Homemade Pizzas
Salad
Sunday
Leftovers :)
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Easter Traditions
I am still alive. I haven't posted in ages because I just can't seem to find enough down time these days :) I do have a few things to say, and surely I will get to them soon; however, for now I just wanted to let you know about two Easter traditions we decided to enact in our family this year.
One is the use of Resurrection Eggs, and the other is Resurrection Cookies. Both of these are simple yet detailed ways to explain the Easter story to toddlers and give the family some great time together. I love how they are each directly connected to Scripture.
I know it's too late to use these ideas this year, but maybe you can check them out if you are looking for ideas for next year. Happy Easter! He is Risen!!!
One is the use of Resurrection Eggs, and the other is Resurrection Cookies. Both of these are simple yet detailed ways to explain the Easter story to toddlers and give the family some great time together. I love how they are each directly connected to Scripture.
I know it's too late to use these ideas this year, but maybe you can check them out if you are looking for ideas for next year. Happy Easter! He is Risen!!!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
What's for Dinner?
Sunday
Pizza Lasagna (by Jerry)
Monday
Chicken and Dumplings (at Dad's)
Tuesday
Pork Chops
Mashed Potatoes
Cream Corn
Wednesday
Out to Eat
Thursday
Grilled Tilapia
Potatoes and Onions
Friday
Grilled Chicken and Avocado Sandwiches
Baked French Fries
Saturday
Chopped Beef Sandwiches
Pizza Lasagna (by Jerry)
Monday
Chicken and Dumplings (at Dad's)
Tuesday
Pork Chops
Mashed Potatoes
Cream Corn
Wednesday
Out to Eat
Thursday
Grilled Tilapia
Potatoes and Onions
Friday
Grilled Chicken and Avocado Sandwiches
Baked French Fries
Saturday
Chopped Beef Sandwiches
Monday, February 8, 2010
What's for Dinner?
Sunday
Superbowl Party
Monday
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Tuesday
Baked Potato Soup
Wednesday
Out to Eat
Thursday
Cheese Ravioli with Grilled Chicken in Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Cheesy Garlic Bread
Friday
Beef Stroganoff
Green Beans
Crescent Rolls
Saturday
Valentine's Dinner
Superbowl Party
Monday
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Tuesday
Baked Potato Soup
Wednesday
Out to Eat
Thursday
Cheese Ravioli with Grilled Chicken in Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Cheesy Garlic Bread
Friday
Beef Stroganoff
Green Beans
Crescent Rolls
Saturday
Valentine's Dinner
Friday, February 5, 2010
Faith to Obey
Over the last 13 years, God has taught me so many many lessons on faith through my acts of obedience. From my first missions trip to China until now I have been continually stretched to believe and learn that God truly will provide for my every need.
Recently I have come to realize that sometimes God asks me to do something in order to grow my faith, but at other times, he asks me to do something in order to prove my faith.
In 1997, I was a relatively new Christian when my pastor presented an opportunity to the congregation to join him on a trip to China. We were going to carry Bibles into the country and visit with some Christians who were truly putting their lives on the line for the gospel's sake. As a college student, this sounded like the adventure of a lifetime; the only catch was that the trip was going to cost a little more than $2000. That was about 3 months worth of living expenses for me which made it totally out of my reach.
I met with Pastor, and he simply said "God never gives vision without provision." That wise saying changed my life.
I began to pray earnestly that if I was supposed to go on this trip, He would make the way. I was willing and able to spend a week of my life overseas if people that had the money and the heart, but not the time or desire to go on this trip, would provide the finances.
I began to share my opportunity with everyone I knew; however, I did not get as much positive feedback or support as I expected. Many of my closest friends and family members thought I was crazy and that the trip was too dangerous for a young single girl to embark on. I prayed harder.
Slowly but surely money began to roll in, but with only a few days left until the payment deadline, I had right at half of my support raised. I was concerned, but I knew that I had vision and the provision was God's part. The very next day, in my mailbox, there was a check for $1000 from a man that I had met once! He was a friend of one of my friends, and I had met him when we were at lunch a few weeks prior.
Needless to say, God used this lesson to grow my faith.
Like David was prepared with the bear and the lion to slay the giant, I have oftentimes looked back on this experience as my foundational lesson in faith. It has given me the strength, faith and patience that I have needed so many times since then. (1 Samuel 17:34-37)
More recently, Matthew and I have had multiple opportunities to prove our faith. Over the past few years, we have been so blessed to play the role of prayer, payer, goer and stayer. We have been able to give to others in need and we have received much when we were least expecting it.
In August I asked Matthew if we could give some money towards an upcoming trip to Nepal; he said sure and wrote out the check. When we gave the money at church that night, we asked the missionary if he had need of anything more. He gracefully responded that there are always needs to be met in this ever growing ministry. At the end of the service, Matthew told me that he felt like God had told him to give more. I agreed before I knew how much it was; it was about the equivalent of a house note!
We were excited to be able to give such a significant amount of money towards the mission field, and little did we know, God was about to teach us another huge lesson in faith. Matthew lost his job the very next week. The church got wind of our situation and asked if we wanted our recent offering back. Without even discussing it, we both said absolutely not.
After talking about the situation, we realized two things: 1. It is not our place to question God and his sovereignty, and 2. God asked us to give that money when we had the means to give it and not after Matthew was unemployed. Like the widow woman in 1 Kings 17, God had put a word in our hearts that was awakened when we did His will.
Fast forward to the Christmas season... I was able to help create the Missions Gift Catalog that my church published this year, and I so wanted to purchase one of everything that was listed there. One Wednesday afternoon, I was feeling a little sad that we didn't have the money to give towards this effort when I felt God speak to my spirit that we should give any money that we received that day.
I talked to Matthew about it, and we were both looking forward to seeing what God was going to do. I began praying that we would get $35 to give. We proceeded to church that evening with great anticipation; nothing happened.
During worship I poured my heart out to God and told him that he had my heart and that we really wanted to give something. I thought that this must just be one of those times when God asks you IF you will do something for him, and I reminded him that we were full willing to obey His words to us.
After church, Matthew asked me if anyone had given me anything; I said no and so did he. Again we were a little disappointed, but we knew that our hearts were in the right place. Just as we finished the conversation, we walked in the house to see an envelope on the floor in our foyer; someone had slipped an anonymous gift into our mail slot while we were gone. It contained $500! With that money we were able to buy multiple gifts for multiple missionaries in multiple countries.
Good thing we had purposed in our heart what to do before the situation arose (Daniel 1), or that amount of money could have been hard to give away. After all, we had no income outside of Matthew's unemployment check, and most of us probably stretch ourselves during the months of December and January anyway.
Needless to say, God used that situation to allow us to prove our faithfulness.
So there it is... faith to learn and receive and faith to obey and give. I hope you get a chance to experience both of these types of faith in your very near future. I am trusting we will.
Recently I have come to realize that sometimes God asks me to do something in order to grow my faith, but at other times, he asks me to do something in order to prove my faith.
In 1997, I was a relatively new Christian when my pastor presented an opportunity to the congregation to join him on a trip to China. We were going to carry Bibles into the country and visit with some Christians who were truly putting their lives on the line for the gospel's sake. As a college student, this sounded like the adventure of a lifetime; the only catch was that the trip was going to cost a little more than $2000. That was about 3 months worth of living expenses for me which made it totally out of my reach.
I met with Pastor, and he simply said "God never gives vision without provision." That wise saying changed my life.
I began to pray earnestly that if I was supposed to go on this trip, He would make the way. I was willing and able to spend a week of my life overseas if people that had the money and the heart, but not the time or desire to go on this trip, would provide the finances.
I began to share my opportunity with everyone I knew; however, I did not get as much positive feedback or support as I expected. Many of my closest friends and family members thought I was crazy and that the trip was too dangerous for a young single girl to embark on. I prayed harder.
Slowly but surely money began to roll in, but with only a few days left until the payment deadline, I had right at half of my support raised. I was concerned, but I knew that I had vision and the provision was God's part. The very next day, in my mailbox, there was a check for $1000 from a man that I had met once! He was a friend of one of my friends, and I had met him when we were at lunch a few weeks prior.
Needless to say, God used this lesson to grow my faith.
Like David was prepared with the bear and the lion to slay the giant, I have oftentimes looked back on this experience as my foundational lesson in faith. It has given me the strength, faith and patience that I have needed so many times since then. (1 Samuel 17:34-37)
More recently, Matthew and I have had multiple opportunities to prove our faith. Over the past few years, we have been so blessed to play the role of prayer, payer, goer and stayer. We have been able to give to others in need and we have received much when we were least expecting it.
In August I asked Matthew if we could give some money towards an upcoming trip to Nepal; he said sure and wrote out the check. When we gave the money at church that night, we asked the missionary if he had need of anything more. He gracefully responded that there are always needs to be met in this ever growing ministry. At the end of the service, Matthew told me that he felt like God had told him to give more. I agreed before I knew how much it was; it was about the equivalent of a house note!
We were excited to be able to give such a significant amount of money towards the mission field, and little did we know, God was about to teach us another huge lesson in faith. Matthew lost his job the very next week. The church got wind of our situation and asked if we wanted our recent offering back. Without even discussing it, we both said absolutely not.
After talking about the situation, we realized two things: 1. It is not our place to question God and his sovereignty, and 2. God asked us to give that money when we had the means to give it and not after Matthew was unemployed. Like the widow woman in 1 Kings 17, God had put a word in our hearts that was awakened when we did His will.
Fast forward to the Christmas season... I was able to help create the Missions Gift Catalog that my church published this year, and I so wanted to purchase one of everything that was listed there. One Wednesday afternoon, I was feeling a little sad that we didn't have the money to give towards this effort when I felt God speak to my spirit that we should give any money that we received that day.
I talked to Matthew about it, and we were both looking forward to seeing what God was going to do. I began praying that we would get $35 to give. We proceeded to church that evening with great anticipation; nothing happened.
During worship I poured my heart out to God and told him that he had my heart and that we really wanted to give something. I thought that this must just be one of those times when God asks you IF you will do something for him, and I reminded him that we were full willing to obey His words to us.
After church, Matthew asked me if anyone had given me anything; I said no and so did he. Again we were a little disappointed, but we knew that our hearts were in the right place. Just as we finished the conversation, we walked in the house to see an envelope on the floor in our foyer; someone had slipped an anonymous gift into our mail slot while we were gone. It contained $500! With that money we were able to buy multiple gifts for multiple missionaries in multiple countries.
Good thing we had purposed in our heart what to do before the situation arose (Daniel 1), or that amount of money could have been hard to give away. After all, we had no income outside of Matthew's unemployment check, and most of us probably stretch ourselves during the months of December and January anyway.
Needless to say, God used that situation to allow us to prove our faithfulness.
So there it is... faith to learn and receive and faith to obey and give. I hope you get a chance to experience both of these types of faith in your very near future. I am trusting we will.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Politicing
Politics has become of a dirty word in our society; it has continually been associated with party lines and backdoor entrances into options that otherwise would not even be considered. Most politicians are automatically put into the category of the Biblical tax collector. However, God has been speaking to me about politics for a while now.
Proverbs 18:16 says, "A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men."
The Message says it this way: "A man's gift gets attention, it buys the attention of eminent people."
In the the book of Esther, Queen Vashti refused to cajole her husband, and for that she was permanently banned from the king's presence so as to make an example out of her.
Eventually the king decided he would allow "the girl who best pleased him" to become queen in place of Vashti. It was only after a year of preparation that Esther was allowed in the presence of King Xerxes.
After Esther became queen, her uncle Mordecai exposed a plot of two men who were attempting to kill the king. Not long after that, Haman convinced (bribed) the king to allow for Jews to be freely murdered on a given day. When Esther approached the king on her people's behalf, the king told her that she could have whatever she desired, even half the kingdom, before he even heard her request.
In the two days leading up to her request, Esther prepared fine dinners for both Xerxes and Haman, but before the second night came, Haman plotted to have Mordecai hanged. However, on that very same night the king discovered that Mordecai was actually the man who had previously saved his life, and he was honored more than any other man in the kingdom.
In the meantime, the dinner ensued and Esther revealed that she truly was a Jew and that Haman's plot put her very life and family in jeopardy. While the king went to cool off from the matter, Haman begged Esther for his own life; when the king returned he accused his servant of molesting his queen and ordered Haman be hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.
The king gave Esther Haman's entire estate which she then immediately appointed her uncle as the head of. There was a new decree sent out allowing Jews to defend themselves and their families which led, not only to a victory for the Jews, but also to Mordecai being ranked as second in command of the kingdom only behind King Xerxes himself.
Here's the politics of it all:
Vashti
Banished for not accommodating her husband.
Haman
Gave his gift of silver and got an irreversible decree passed.
Mordecai
Devised and worked a plan to bring his niece into the queen's seat.
He was also honored above all men because he worked to help the king prosper.
He also received a huge estate and became a leader in his country strictly based upon his connection to Esther.
The Jewish People
Had their lives spared because they were the people of Esther.
Esther
Went through "training" to prepare herself to become the queen.
She was allowed into the presence of the king although she was not invited because he favored her.
She was granted her request, before she asked for it, because she was well-pleasing to the king.
Her enemies were destroyed in order that she may live.
I believe it is time that good Christian men and women rise up and politic. We need to make sure that we know who to know-not only Christ, but also people in our community that have pull or the ear of someone else who has pull. Also our local elections are forth-coming, and it is our responsibility to make sure that the people in office are connected to the right side with the right heart.
Like we've heard it said before... "It's not what you know so much as who you know."
Proverbs 18:16 says, "A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men."
The Message says it this way: "A man's gift gets attention, it buys the attention of eminent people."
In the the book of Esther, Queen Vashti refused to cajole her husband, and for that she was permanently banned from the king's presence so as to make an example out of her.
Eventually the king decided he would allow "the girl who best pleased him" to become queen in place of Vashti. It was only after a year of preparation that Esther was allowed in the presence of King Xerxes.
After Esther became queen, her uncle Mordecai exposed a plot of two men who were attempting to kill the king. Not long after that, Haman convinced (bribed) the king to allow for Jews to be freely murdered on a given day. When Esther approached the king on her people's behalf, the king told her that she could have whatever she desired, even half the kingdom, before he even heard her request.
In the two days leading up to her request, Esther prepared fine dinners for both Xerxes and Haman, but before the second night came, Haman plotted to have Mordecai hanged. However, on that very same night the king discovered that Mordecai was actually the man who had previously saved his life, and he was honored more than any other man in the kingdom.
In the meantime, the dinner ensued and Esther revealed that she truly was a Jew and that Haman's plot put her very life and family in jeopardy. While the king went to cool off from the matter, Haman begged Esther for his own life; when the king returned he accused his servant of molesting his queen and ordered Haman be hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.
The king gave Esther Haman's entire estate which she then immediately appointed her uncle as the head of. There was a new decree sent out allowing Jews to defend themselves and their families which led, not only to a victory for the Jews, but also to Mordecai being ranked as second in command of the kingdom only behind King Xerxes himself.
Here's the politics of it all:
Vashti
Banished for not accommodating her husband.
Haman
Gave his gift of silver and got an irreversible decree passed.
Mordecai
Devised and worked a plan to bring his niece into the queen's seat.
He was also honored above all men because he worked to help the king prosper.
He also received a huge estate and became a leader in his country strictly based upon his connection to Esther.
The Jewish People
Had their lives spared because they were the people of Esther.
Esther
Went through "training" to prepare herself to become the queen.
She was allowed into the presence of the king although she was not invited because he favored her.
She was granted her request, before she asked for it, because she was well-pleasing to the king.
Her enemies were destroyed in order that she may live.
I believe it is time that good Christian men and women rise up and politic. We need to make sure that we know who to know-not only Christ, but also people in our community that have pull or the ear of someone else who has pull. Also our local elections are forth-coming, and it is our responsibility to make sure that the people in office are connected to the right side with the right heart.
Like we've heard it said before... "It's not what you know so much as who you know."
Monday, February 1, 2010
What's for Dinner?
In an effort to save some cash and get an early start on my spring cleaning, this is "clean out the pantry/freezer week" in the McCullough house. So here's what we'll be eating for supper this week:
Sunday
Grabbed a bite to eat on the way home from a meeting at church
Monday
Cajun Chicken Pasta
Garlic Bread
*This was excellent! I may add some kind of cheese and sausage to it next time.
Tuesday
Tuna Casserole
Wednesday
Out to eat between dance and church
Thursday
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Green Beans
Friday
Breakfast for Supper
Pancakes
Sausage
Eggs
Saturday
Beef Stroganoff
Cream Spinach
Crescent Rolls
Sunday
Grabbed a bite to eat on the way home from a meeting at church
Monday
Cajun Chicken Pasta
Garlic Bread
*This was excellent! I may add some kind of cheese and sausage to it next time.
Tuesday
Tuna Casserole
Wednesday
Out to eat between dance and church
Thursday
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Green Beans
Friday
Breakfast for Supper
Pancakes
Sausage
Eggs
Saturday
Beef Stroganoff
Cream Spinach
Crescent Rolls
Saturday, January 30, 2010
The Hidden Word
Don't you just love when God wakes you up with a scripture for your day? Me too; most of the time... What if it's 4:00 AM? What if the scripture is Proverbs 14:1 "A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands"?
Now I have read that verse countless times, about once a month on the 14th of each month, but I assure you that I have never worked to memorize that one. That one has never been written on a note card to hang on my mirror or slipped into my back pocket to be viewed throughout the day. I haven't spent time meditating on this verse, nor have I really even pondered it.
Of course I have always assumed myself to fit into the "wise" category in this verse. That is until God woke me up at 4 AM with this verse clearly speaking to me. By the way, it wasn't even the 14th or the 15th.
So let me start from the beginning. You see, this last Tuesday was a rough day in the McCullough house. I started my new job teaching a half-day at Ozen at 6:45 that morning. I had a relatively good morning, but I was no longer accustomed to being up and dressed at that time, and I was even less used to working with teenagers for hours at a time. I came home exhausted. Truth be told, in my world exhaustion usually leads to frustration and grumpiness, and that was exactly where I was living that afternoon.
One thing led to another, and Matthew and I ended up in quite an argument. It all started when he did something that I didn't agree with, but like most arguments, it turned into a blame game where no one was even talking about the original issue. Luckily Matthew is a pretty good "arguer" who almost never allows things to get too riled up or voices to be raised much. However, in our heated discussion, he said something that broke my heart. With hurt in his eyes, he said that he feels like I tear him down when I get mad. Supper was on the stove, and we had company on the way, so we talked for a few more minutes and agreed that we would continue the discussion later after we had both calmed down.
Well, lest you think I am super-spiritual, you should know that Proverbs 14:1 never occurred to me during that argument. As a matter of fact, I went away from there sorry that my husband felt that way but still thinking that I was right in the whole situation. Later that night we talked some more, and things were pretty well resolved. We went to bed agreeing that everything was OK, and I knew that I needed sleep to be prepared for work the next morning.
Fast forward to 4:00. Eyes wide open... A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands. A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands. A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands. Oh wait, God, are you trying to tell me that I have been a foolish woman? Actually I'm not even sure if that's what that verse says. I'll look it up when I get out of bed in a couple of hours. Eyes close, and I doze in and out of sleep until 6:15.
So I woke up, got dressed, headed to work and and pulled up my Proverbs of the Day on my computer. As I sat down to read, that verse came right back to me. I did a keyword search only to find that Proverbs 14:1 was almost word for word what I had heard so plainly that morning. Right there, I repented immediately. First I prayed to God that he would change me and teach me how to be a builder rather than a destroyer. Second I sent my husband a text (he was still asleep, and the least I could do was to let him sleep) telling him that I was so sorry and I needed his forgiveness.
Long story short, God speaks! He doesn't always say exactly what we want to hear, but he always says exactly what we need to hear. Thank God that I had inadvertently hidden that word in my heart, so that He could bring it to memory when I needed it. Now I just have to search the Word and listen to my husband, so that I can find out exactly how a wise woman builds her house.
Now I have read that verse countless times, about once a month on the 14th of each month, but I assure you that I have never worked to memorize that one. That one has never been written on a note card to hang on my mirror or slipped into my back pocket to be viewed throughout the day. I haven't spent time meditating on this verse, nor have I really even pondered it.
Of course I have always assumed myself to fit into the "wise" category in this verse. That is until God woke me up at 4 AM with this verse clearly speaking to me. By the way, it wasn't even the 14th or the 15th.
So let me start from the beginning. You see, this last Tuesday was a rough day in the McCullough house. I started my new job teaching a half-day at Ozen at 6:45 that morning. I had a relatively good morning, but I was no longer accustomed to being up and dressed at that time, and I was even less used to working with teenagers for hours at a time. I came home exhausted. Truth be told, in my world exhaustion usually leads to frustration and grumpiness, and that was exactly where I was living that afternoon.
One thing led to another, and Matthew and I ended up in quite an argument. It all started when he did something that I didn't agree with, but like most arguments, it turned into a blame game where no one was even talking about the original issue. Luckily Matthew is a pretty good "arguer" who almost never allows things to get too riled up or voices to be raised much. However, in our heated discussion, he said something that broke my heart. With hurt in his eyes, he said that he feels like I tear him down when I get mad. Supper was on the stove, and we had company on the way, so we talked for a few more minutes and agreed that we would continue the discussion later after we had both calmed down.
Well, lest you think I am super-spiritual, you should know that Proverbs 14:1 never occurred to me during that argument. As a matter of fact, I went away from there sorry that my husband felt that way but still thinking that I was right in the whole situation. Later that night we talked some more, and things were pretty well resolved. We went to bed agreeing that everything was OK, and I knew that I needed sleep to be prepared for work the next morning.
Fast forward to 4:00. Eyes wide open... A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands. A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands. A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands. Oh wait, God, are you trying to tell me that I have been a foolish woman? Actually I'm not even sure if that's what that verse says. I'll look it up when I get out of bed in a couple of hours. Eyes close, and I doze in and out of sleep until 6:15.
So I woke up, got dressed, headed to work and and pulled up my Proverbs of the Day on my computer. As I sat down to read, that verse came right back to me. I did a keyword search only to find that Proverbs 14:1 was almost word for word what I had heard so plainly that morning. Right there, I repented immediately. First I prayed to God that he would change me and teach me how to be a builder rather than a destroyer. Second I sent my husband a text (he was still asleep, and the least I could do was to let him sleep) telling him that I was so sorry and I needed his forgiveness.
Long story short, God speaks! He doesn't always say exactly what we want to hear, but he always says exactly what we need to hear. Thank God that I had inadvertently hidden that word in my heart, so that He could bring it to memory when I needed it. Now I just have to search the Word and listen to my husband, so that I can find out exactly how a wise woman builds her house.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Meal Planning on Monday
If you are at all like me, depending on your mood, the grocery store is either a black hole or a free for all. Sometimes I go in to get milk and come out with "all kinds of good stuff", and other times I have a list of five things and come out with $100 worth of mismatched items.
So to help me organize and maximize my time at the grocery store, I began making out weekly menus and grocery lists according to that week's meals. I am fully aware that this is not a novel idea, and many of you probably already do this. However, I thought this might actually be a good way to share recipes and ideas to make both our families and yours a little better. So bring on the feedback :)
BTW... The colored titles are links to the recipes I used.
Sunday
Tacos (It had to be simple so I wouldn't miss any of the Saints game)
Guacamole
Monday
Spaghetti
Green Beans
Garlic Bread
Tuesday
Lentil Soup
Ezekiel Bread
Wednesday
We always go out to eat between dance class and church
Thursday
Bacon Wrapped Spinach Chicken Strips
Parsley Paprika Potatoes
Friday
Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup
Toasted Tortilla Strips
Sopapillas
Saturday
Cheese Raviolis in Sun-dried Tomato Sauce
Corn on the Cob
Garlic Bread
Happy and Healthy Eating!!!
So to help me organize and maximize my time at the grocery store, I began making out weekly menus and grocery lists according to that week's meals. I am fully aware that this is not a novel idea, and many of you probably already do this. However, I thought this might actually be a good way to share recipes and ideas to make both our families and yours a little better. So bring on the feedback :)
BTW... The colored titles are links to the recipes I used.
Sunday
Tacos (It had to be simple so I wouldn't miss any of the Saints game)
Guacamole
Monday
Spaghetti
Green Beans
Garlic Bread
Tuesday
Lentil Soup
Ezekiel Bread
Wednesday
We always go out to eat between dance class and church
Thursday
Bacon Wrapped Spinach Chicken Strips
Parsley Paprika Potatoes
Friday
Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup
Toasted Tortilla Strips
Sopapillas
Saturday
Cheese Raviolis in Sun-dried Tomato Sauce
Corn on the Cob
Garlic Bread
Happy and Healthy Eating!!!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Suprised Myself
Anyone who knows me well knows that I certainly do not consider myself to be a crafty person. I mean I love hand-sewn dolls and skirts we get from friends; I would love to have someone else create a scrapbook for each of my girls; I am constantly looking at big ticket kid's items and figuring out how easy that would be for my mom to make. I just rarely have the resources, knowledge or true desire to get these things done for myself.
That's why I am so proud to post about what I did this weekend. As you probably know, my husband is currently unemployed which causes us to be on somewhat of a tight budget. I can't just run to Target and Rao's or order cutesy presents for friends. However, one of my dearest friends is about to have a baby, and I really wanted to make sure that she had a fabulous baby shower. Under normal circumstances, I would run across town and pick up something cute and way too pricey at one of the local baby boutiques, but that just isn't a possibility for us right now, so what's a girl to do?
You guessed it! I got crafty this weekend... Here are some pics of my gifts to Carson Joshua:
Until next time...
That's why I am so proud to post about what I did this weekend. As you probably know, my husband is currently unemployed which causes us to be on somewhat of a tight budget. I can't just run to Target and Rao's or order cutesy presents for friends. However, one of my dearest friends is about to have a baby, and I really wanted to make sure that she had a fabulous baby shower. Under normal circumstances, I would run across town and pick up something cute and way too pricey at one of the local baby boutiques, but that just isn't a possibility for us right now, so what's a girl to do?
You guessed it! I got crafty this weekend... Here are some pics of my gifts to Carson Joshua:
A Cowboy Kinda Diaper Cake
His Name Plaque
So truth be told, Matthew helped me with his name. I made these for both of my girls when they were born, but I used a stencil to paint the letters. Since I didn't have the appropriate size stencils for these particular frames, I just got my amazingly talented husband to draw the letters for me. Thanks honey!
And speaking of how talented my husband is, I leave you a picture of gift he made for another of our friends' recent baby showers. Their nursery is pirate themed :)
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The Words of my Mouth and the Meditation of my Heart
So we've been going through a rough patch around here the last few months. In my head and in my spirit I know that all is well. I know that God loves us and holds my family in his hands. I know that He guides my every step and provides my every need. I don't doubt at all that we will make it through this and come out the other side without a burn or the smell of smoke on us. But the fact of the matter is that I can't wait until this phase of life is just a part of our testimony.
I know that in my flesh I tend to be a pessimist. I know that I often spend too much energy on the what ifs and the whenevers. My husband says or does one thing, and I infer 20 more things that he must have meant by that. These are things about myself that I have literally been trying to change for years now. God has spoken many scriptures to me over the years that I continually rely on to keep that nasty fleshy part of my personality from popping up, but the other day I think I finally had the much needed paradigm shift deep down inside of me. I know it sounds simple, but I realized in a fresh way that I have the power and the necessity to take every thought captive and make sure that the words of my mouth AND the meditation of my heart is pleasing and acceptable in the sight of the Lord because life and death are in the power of the tongue.
So first, the scriptures that I am clinging to:
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Psalm 34:1-3
I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
James 1:16-17
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing is given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is not variation or shifting shadow.
Romans 8:18, 24-27
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us...For in this hope we are saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it in patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting men's sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Numbers 14:28
Say to them, 'As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you:
Proverbs 18:20-21
With the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
That's a heck of a lot of scriptures you say. Well, did I mention how terribly hard-headed I am? I don't always learn easily, so thankfully God usually speaks the same thing to me over and over and over and over until I finally get it. And here is the fleshing out of all of those scriptures:
My kids are driving me crazy. Why can't I just have one hour of peace quiet?
Praise you God that I have two amazing little girls that are fully functioning, happy and energetic. I pray for all of the women out there who are desperately wanting children today and who have children with serious health and mental issues which keep them from running around the house and hanging on their moms' legs.
My husband just isn't doing what I think is right or best for our family. I can't believe he still hasn't found a job. What is taking so long God?
Thank you God for the man of God that you have paired me with. I praise you that you knew just what I needed to balance out my high strung personality and you put me in the family as you saw fit. I believe that your timing is better than mine and your ways are better than mine. I pray that very soon you will bless my husband with the job that you have perfectly created for him and his personality. I pray for the women out there that really want to be married but have no mate. I pray for the women who are married to ungodly and unkind men. I pray that you will protect and heal those women.
My house is a wreck always. I can't seem to keep up with this place.
Thank you, thank you, thank you that we are so blessed that we can actually own a house. I thank you that there is a family in this house to keep dirtying it up. I pray for those without homes that you would keep them warm and filled and that they would be protected from the elements of this winter as they brave the cold without the luxuries that I have surrounding me.
Dishes and clothes are a futile task. I clean only to have things dirtied. These are my least favorite tasks, yet they are the ones I have to continually stay on top of.
All praises to my God who provides our every need. Even without a means of gainful employment, our family has never lacked in one area. We are so blessed to have cousins that continually hand down clothes to our children, and we tend to find incredible deals when we do go shopping for something. I pray for people all over this world who are hungry, thirsty and naked today. There are children who dig in the dump for sustenance and can't even afford to buy a pair of flip flops. I pray that you would provide money and supernatural means to keep those kids and all others filled and healthy today.
This stinking car is still broken down, and we can't afford to have it fixed.
Thank you God that we have two cars. So many people don't have a vehicle and our driveway is full. I thank you that this comes at a time when we don't really need to cars. I thank you that we have friends and family that can help us out if we ever do need to get somewhere that we aren't able to drive. I pray for those people that need some mode of transportation to get them to and from work so that they can survive.
As you can imagine, the list goes on and on. God continually speaks as we search his word and converse with him. Please don't be mistaken and think that I've got it all under control now. I'm not that spiritual :) I will rehearse these verses and prayers over and over and over for the coming months, and hopefully I will eventually brainwash myself into believing God's Word over my circumstances when the pressures of everyday mommy life pop up.
I know that in my flesh I tend to be a pessimist. I know that I often spend too much energy on the what ifs and the whenevers. My husband says or does one thing, and I infer 20 more things that he must have meant by that. These are things about myself that I have literally been trying to change for years now. God has spoken many scriptures to me over the years that I continually rely on to keep that nasty fleshy part of my personality from popping up, but the other day I think I finally had the much needed paradigm shift deep down inside of me. I know it sounds simple, but I realized in a fresh way that I have the power and the necessity to take every thought captive and make sure that the words of my mouth AND the meditation of my heart is pleasing and acceptable in the sight of the Lord because life and death are in the power of the tongue.
So first, the scriptures that I am clinging to:
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Psalm 34:1-3
I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
James 1:16-17
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing is given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is not variation or shifting shadow.
Romans 8:18, 24-27
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us...For in this hope we are saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it in patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting men's sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Numbers 14:28
Say to them, 'As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you:
Proverbs 18:20-21
With the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
That's a heck of a lot of scriptures you say. Well, did I mention how terribly hard-headed I am? I don't always learn easily, so thankfully God usually speaks the same thing to me over and over and over and over until I finally get it. And here is the fleshing out of all of those scriptures:
My kids are driving me crazy. Why can't I just have one hour of peace quiet?
Praise you God that I have two amazing little girls that are fully functioning, happy and energetic. I pray for all of the women out there who are desperately wanting children today and who have children with serious health and mental issues which keep them from running around the house and hanging on their moms' legs.
My husband just isn't doing what I think is right or best for our family. I can't believe he still hasn't found a job. What is taking so long God?
Thank you God for the man of God that you have paired me with. I praise you that you knew just what I needed to balance out my high strung personality and you put me in the family as you saw fit. I believe that your timing is better than mine and your ways are better than mine. I pray that very soon you will bless my husband with the job that you have perfectly created for him and his personality. I pray for the women out there that really want to be married but have no mate. I pray for the women who are married to ungodly and unkind men. I pray that you will protect and heal those women.
My house is a wreck always. I can't seem to keep up with this place.
Thank you, thank you, thank you that we are so blessed that we can actually own a house. I thank you that there is a family in this house to keep dirtying it up. I pray for those without homes that you would keep them warm and filled and that they would be protected from the elements of this winter as they brave the cold without the luxuries that I have surrounding me.
Dishes and clothes are a futile task. I clean only to have things dirtied. These are my least favorite tasks, yet they are the ones I have to continually stay on top of.
All praises to my God who provides our every need. Even without a means of gainful employment, our family has never lacked in one area. We are so blessed to have cousins that continually hand down clothes to our children, and we tend to find incredible deals when we do go shopping for something. I pray for people all over this world who are hungry, thirsty and naked today. There are children who dig in the dump for sustenance and can't even afford to buy a pair of flip flops. I pray that you would provide money and supernatural means to keep those kids and all others filled and healthy today.
This stinking car is still broken down, and we can't afford to have it fixed.
Thank you God that we have two cars. So many people don't have a vehicle and our driveway is full. I thank you that this comes at a time when we don't really need to cars. I thank you that we have friends and family that can help us out if we ever do need to get somewhere that we aren't able to drive. I pray for those people that need some mode of transportation to get them to and from work so that they can survive.
As you can imagine, the list goes on and on. God continually speaks as we search his word and converse with him. Please don't be mistaken and think that I've got it all under control now. I'm not that spiritual :) I will rehearse these verses and prayers over and over and over for the coming months, and hopefully I will eventually brainwash myself into believing God's Word over my circumstances when the pressures of everyday mommy life pop up.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A Little Down Time
Like every other woman in this world, my life is crazy. Although I am currently staying home with my two wonderful daughters, I really believe I had more hours in the day when I worked outside the home for eight hours a day. Maybe it's because we are home more, so there is usually a mess being generated as fast as I can clean the last one up, but the sad truth is... I can't seem to keep up.
I browse through numerous blogs on a regular basis, and it seems that most everyone else in this world has got it together. However, I know that the reality is that most moms have a life very much like mine filled with laundry, potty training, crafts, meals and dirty dishes and priceless hugs and kisses. That's why I am creating this blog... because I need a way to relax when I get "a little down time."
Long ago I used to journal the old fashion way, with pen and paper. Then I moved on to typing my thoughts down on my Myspace page as a form of blogging, but it's been months and months since I've used that page at all. So when all else failed, and I needed to find an outlet for the things that I am learning, I finally gave in and turned to creating this particular blog.
So, if you're looking for some polished and intellectually stimulating reading, this is probably not the spot for you. This is just my way to share my thoughts, prayers, trials, successes and the things that God is teaching me as I walk out this thing we call life.
Blessings
I browse through numerous blogs on a regular basis, and it seems that most everyone else in this world has got it together. However, I know that the reality is that most moms have a life very much like mine filled with laundry, potty training, crafts, meals and dirty dishes and priceless hugs and kisses. That's why I am creating this blog... because I need a way to relax when I get "a little down time."
Long ago I used to journal the old fashion way, with pen and paper. Then I moved on to typing my thoughts down on my Myspace page as a form of blogging, but it's been months and months since I've used that page at all. So when all else failed, and I needed to find an outlet for the things that I am learning, I finally gave in and turned to creating this particular blog.
So, if you're looking for some polished and intellectually stimulating reading, this is probably not the spot for you. This is just my way to share my thoughts, prayers, trials, successes and the things that God is teaching me as I walk out this thing we call life.
Blessings
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