Meal Planning

When it comes to meal planning, I'll take ANY help I can get! I have lots of cookbooks and seem oh so organized with that (yes, for some reason my menu planning is totally organized....must just be some freak in my nature....and I can't blame it on my curly hair!!)

Well, I found some GREAT ideas at A Year of CrockPotting. Now if you've yet learned ANYTHING about me, you must now that I can't help it, I must play with a recipe. Also, tomorrow is our bi-monthly payday, so pickins are slim, so we make do. I saw Stephanie's recipe for Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings and my wheels started turning! I needed something for dinner......I had a huge bag of skinless, boneless chicken thighs (which I bought cuz they were cheap, NOT cuz we like them....we don't!).....I had one more jar of strawberry jam that I had put up this summer, and an almost full bottle of salsa.......ehhhh! Close enough!! (yes, this is how my brain works, and yes, Stephanie gets the credit for the idea!)

So here's our dinner cooking. I took pictures because I also wanted to show you one of my top favorite kitchen appliances. Never thought I'd say that. My youngest sis didn't want this and said I could have it AND my 5qt crockpot was not up to par (it always burnt in one spot). I don't even know what you actually call this thing, but I love it!! It is so much more than a crockpot!! You can turn it up really high or really low (and everything in between); you can take the lid off to stir it, you can cook with the lid off to thicken it......it doesn't do dishes, but that's okay I guess. Anyway, this thing is SUCH a help in the kitchen I had to share it with you. I can do what I want during the day and still have a yummy, hot dinner ready for when my Sweetie comes home!!

After the fact: This was yummy!! I guess now I can tell you what I put in it (better sit down). Chicken thighs, salsa, strawberry jam, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and mustard. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it along with sides of tossed salad (made by 5yo Little D) and potato wedges/cottage fries.

Pink Princess' new hat and mittens

Pink Princess' new hat and mittens, originally uploaded by jjlrdomom.

My Aunt "Snowbird" made this hat for the Pink Princess. I have been wanting to make Pink some mittens, so I decided to make them to match the hat! I REALLY like this mitten pattern, very quick and easy!! I'm thinking that my friend K and I need hats like this too. K's will be chocolate and light pink, but I need ideas for colors for mine. Any thoughts? Post them here please! :)

Messed up Priorities

Well, time to get a status report on the New Year's resolution.....and.......yeah, my priorities are ALL messed up! I finally took time this morning to get with God, it's been weeks! So I plunked down with my Women of the Bible study book, and read about Jezebel. Then there was a question regarding II Kings 9:30 Now when Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and beautified her head and looked out of [an upper] window. Why did Jezebel get "all dolled up" though she knew that Jehu was coming to kill her? For some reason that question bugged me and I wasn't seeing any obvious answers so I sat there thinking.....was she just vain? stupid? uncaring?

As I sat there thinking about that, about her putting on makeup when her life was about to end, I started thinking about life in this house lately. I've been doing LOTS of knitting, I really like knitting, so I've been....well......knitting! And really, not a whole lot else....I might as well have been putting on makeup, huh?? So I started praying, confessing that my priorities were certainly messed up, and admitting that I had no idea how to get myself out of this rut; asking God for His plans for my priorities. Following is what I wrote, and what I realized I need to look at each day:

#1 GOD --> Spend time soaking in His presence; praise and worship.
#2 HUBBY --> Provide a haven for him to come home to. (today I need to clean our bedroom, wash our sheets, make a good dinner, and tidy up the clutter around the house)
#3 CHILDREN --> Teaching and nurturing them (Today we need to get school done, work on chores with a good attitude, and have joyful free-time)
#4 OTHERS --> Be available (simply trusting God in this as it comes)
#5 SELF--> When all else is done, I can then sit and enjoy the things I like to do (KNITTING!)

So how about you, have you sat down and received your marching orders for the day??
Count your blessings!!!
Amy

Ugh!

Well, let's see....this week....I did go back to the doctor's on Tuesday; she was suprised and grossed out kinda by the bruising on my arm. We repeated the x-rays and again they said nothing's broken. She said it might be a torn ligament and recommended physical therapy to get range of motion back. For now I'm just going to use it more at home and see how it feels. So far it's pretty good, though this morning I propped myself up on that elbow and it did NOT feel good at all (note to self......DON'T!)

Last weekend we went to dh's oldest brother's house. They live about 3 hours from us. BIL is also in the Air Force, so they are living on a base in ID (about halfway to my youngest sister's house). Anyway, while there, Big D started sniffling and coughing....and sure enough, a NASTY cold has invaded our home. Of course I got it too.....NO fun!! Guess I kinda sound like a whiney baby; sorry about that.

So, life has been a bit chaotic lately, but what else is new? Gotta kinda roll with the punches, you know? Glad to know that God is on my side though! That makes each day doable for me, that's for sure!!

Well, just thought I'd catch you all up to speed on life here!
Count your blessings!

Rahab's Thread (blog)

(unfortunately I don't know how to make this into a link for the side of my blog )

Another contest

This one is all about winning a new blog design. And any of you who have visited here more than twice (thank you for sticking by me) know that I keep messing with my blog design and 1.)I'm never really successful with it, 2.)I lose lots of cool stuff in the process, and 3.) I keep trying to do it anyway! Someday, maybe, I will learn.....or better yet, I will win this contest and someone will put you all out of your misery (misery done by me for all of you) and design something that works for me and curbs this strange desire to have a cute blog. Yeah, whatever! :)

See, what I'm trying to do is capture the whole "joy of being a woman of God" thing....now you see why I'm having a hard time? I want to somehow have some kind of design that inspires joy in all things. Oooo! That reminds me, one of my favorite verses (stop laughing, I know have tons of them!) is James 1:2-4, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. " And I went to a women's retreat with these verses as a theme, and got this picture of a clothesline beside a white fence with sunflowers growing nearby and a big wicker basket of laundry waiting to be hung. Kind of a reminder that you can choose to see drudgery or joy in all things. For some reason, to me, that's such a comforting thing.....okay, I confess, hanging laundry is actually something I enjoy, just being outside, being quiet, I dunno....

Anyway, there's my ramblings, they asked me to post why I wanted to win a blog design. If you want to leave comments asking them to please help me out so you won't have to continually wonder what I'm going to mess with next, feel free!!

Hee hee! Cheeky, sorry!

Blessings!

I love this

and am entering it in this contest . I know it wasn't built to win for silliness, but there's just something about this "snow-girl" that I LOVE!!!!! My sweet "Pink Princess" built her for me.

Giveaways are fun!!

Visiting various blogs can be fun and sometimes you even get "rewarded"! Since I'm limited in my posting for now, I'll help you get a chance to win a giveaway. Please visit Chryll's Corner and enter for the giveaway here.
Here is what you have to do to enter:
1. Post about the giveaways on your blog.
2. Leave a comment picking out your first and second choice of the giveaways.
~The Giveaway will end at 2:00 p.m. on January 31st.
The winners' names will be drawn and announced on January 31st at 7:00 p.m.International readers are welcome to join also.

Sorry

No new posts lately. I'm afraid I may have broken (cracked) my elbow last weekend. My good friend K took me to the doctor on Monday. They didn't see anything, but said that it was still bleeding internally and swollen, so if it was cracked, that wouldn't show up well on x-rays until all the swelling went down. I thought it was getting better throughout the week, however, in attempting to braid my hair I got a sharp pain in my elbow and it began bleeding internally again (sorry if that's gross).

I could use prayers as it is VERY hard to do nothing and order everyone else to do what you should be doing. Blahhhhh!!!

Don't Wannas

So as seen in my last couple posts, I'm really thinking and resolving to follow after God's heart this year; to keep headed in the way He has set for me. All that said, then I come face to face with the nitty-gritty stuff, you know, the stuff that really seems to have no eternal value and yet......

I have a kidney disease. I was diagnosed with it about, umm, 8 years ago (though symptoms were first noticed in '95 while pregnant with Big D). Now, this thing is not noticeable, doesn't really seem to affect my life at all right now BUT of course, the doctors can see stuff and they want to keep following up on it. That's all, just following up. But I don't want to!! I do not want to continually do 24 hour urines (yep, saving pee in a jug for 24 hours......think I've done at least 2 or 3 weeks worth by now!!!), bloodwork, etc. And then, going into the doctor just so that they can look at the numbers and say, "Yep, still there. Lose weight, watch your salt, watch your protein, cut back on the coffee......" I DON'T WANNA!!!!! I've got things to do! Life to live! Ministry opportunities to pursue!!!

Oh, wait.....then I remember, my body is a temple for Christ. How useful is a rickety, falling down temple? First things first, I gotta take care of this body that God has given me. I should be thankful that all that's required of this kidney disease right now is monitoring. I should be doing all that is advised so that I am available for whatever God has for me.

So....I'm still pluggin' along, trying to follow God's plans for me rather than my own. The things I can't change I simply need to trust to God's care. He's allowed it in my life for a purpose and rather than fight it, I need to follow Him....no matter where or how He leads.

I know this is rambling, just had to share it, to write it down and wrestle with it all. :)

God bless!!!!

Keeping myself on track

Matthew 6:33-34
But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

Just something to chew on throughout the day.

New Year's Resolutions

Okay, I have to admit that simply the thought of New Year's Resolutions can strike fear in me!!!! I am NOT a planner as I associate "planning" with "failing" (which, as you can imagine, frustrates my dear husband to no end!!) And yet, I can't help but ponder the need for resolutions each year. Saturday night, as I laid in bed, I began thinking about things that needed to be looked at for the new year, but rather than my plans, I wanted it to be God plans. And then, wouldn't you know (just like our great big Abba to do), Sunday's sermon was on Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

So, I figure I don't need to be afraid of New Year's Resolutions....God's already got it planned out, I just need to seek His plans rather than my own. So here is my New Year's Resolution (said with confidence, and head held high)

In the year 2008 I resolve to "Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all [my] heart and mind and do not rely on [my] own insight or understanding. In all [my] ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain [my] paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I know, I know....that's straight from the Bible, but what better place to find a failure proof resolution??? And it stands to reason that this is the only resolution that I need to make.......everything else will fall into place when my priorities are where they need to be (focused on Christ)!

Truly, Abba, this is my new year's resolution! This is a worthy and attainable goal. Help me to keep my life centered on You, to seek Your ways. Father, I cannot attain anything on my own. Open my eyes and my heart, teach me to wait on You rather than stepping forward on my own. I have so many thoughts, directions and dreams, but truly Father, Your way is all I seek. In Christ's name I pray this.......AMEN!!!