Amazed
Are you amazed at the power and the word of God? Do you reflect on that enough? God is amazing. What He did is amazing. What He will do is amazing. His plan is amazing. His power is amazing. His creation is amazing. He moves in amazing ways every day. He is the definition of amazing. He is the only thing that really encompasses the true meaning of the word amazing. Everything else doesn’t even come close to fascination and the marvel we should have of God.
As I listen to this song, I want to live in a state of wonder and awe of Jesus. I ask for incredible things to happen all the time, but am I really looking for them? Do I really believe? Am I seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary? It is all around me, all the time, I just have to choose to see it. God is amazing. His creation is amazing. The Lord is amazing inside of me. Am I living that way? I think the more and more we are amazed and in wonder of who God is the more I can live in a place of who God created me to be in Him.
“Cause you are beautiful in all your ways
King of Kings
You are beautiful in all your ways
Ooooh
Cause you are beautiful in all your ways
Just close your eyes
Just close your eyes, you’ll see him
You are beautiful in all your ways
Open the eyes of our heart to see you God”
Are your eyes open? Can you see God? Look around you. See God in the little things. See God in the big things. Be amazed at His power. Don’t just think its expected or that God is intangible. He is real, He …
Read MoreTurkey Loaf Minis
Growing up, one of our favorite dinners was Turkey Loaf, mashed or baked potatoes, orange glazed carrots and a big green salad I know that many people turn their noses up when they hear about meat loaf of any kind but in our home we loved turkey loaf!!! This recipe is a fun rendition of our original turkey loaf, made into mini loaves and brushed with a secret glaze before baking. Our own Grammie Rozzie tried this rendition and thought it was “blog worthy” so we are sharing it with you today. We had it for dinner tonight and Poppa Rick thought it was scrumptious. Give it a try and you will have your family asking for MORE!!!
Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
1 egg
½ cup oats
1 small onion chopped fine
⅓ cup broth or milk
¼ cup parsley chopped fine
½-1 teaspoon salt
Glaze
⅓ cup organic ketchup
1-2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard or regular yellow mustard
Directions
Mix all meat loaf ingredients together in a medium sized bowl until mixture is all blended. Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Shape meat mixture into mini loaves and place on cookie sheet. (For a fun party idea-you can also grease a muffin tin and fill with the meat mixture to make mini turkey loaf cupcakes.) Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl and mix until blended. Spread a generous amount of glaze on each mini loaf. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 45 minutes. Whip up a batch of your favorite mashed potatoes and make a big salad and you have a delicious and very nutritious meal.
Risen-a Must See Movie
Last Friday, I had the privilege of seeing the movie, Risen.
Risen is absolutely fantastic-a must see movie! This movie is the story of Roman military tribune, Clavius, played by Joseph Fiennes. Under the authority of Pontius Pilate, he is commanded to undertake the greatest manhunt in human history – the search for the missing body of Jesus Christ. This movie is told from the point of view of a skeptic and his search for truth. Clavius becomes an investigator who searches crime scenes and interviews eyewitnesses and followers of Jesus. At one point in the movie he is confronted with the question…. You have seen and yet still struggle to believe, what about all those who have NOT seen who struggle to believe? He is challenged to make a decision for himself. One of my favorite quotes was when Clavius was talking to Mary Magdalene and she said “ You’re looking for something you’ll never find. Open your heart and see.” Clavius was looking for the physical body of Jesus after he had been crucified and had risen……Clavius would never find the body but when he opened his heart he saw something that changed his life for eternity.
One of my favorite places to go for movie reviews is Plugged In. Here is a portion of what Plugged In says about the movie: “Clavius is a man hardened by a lifetime spent doing the bloody bidding of his betters. And that, we see, has taken a toll on his soul. In a telling, poignant scene with Pilate, the Roman prefect asks the weary soldier what he wants in life. The man’s first responses are general and perhaps a bit worldly: “Power, wealth.” But then Clavius gets more personal, even confessional. “Family,” he says. “A place in the …
Read MoreCelebrate Your Differences
My three girls are SO different. Yes, they look alike, but they each have beautiful and unique personalities.
I am constantly reminding myself to CELEBRATE their unique gifts, talents, and interests and above to NOT compare–not to their siblings, and not to other kids. I want my kids to know the most important thing in their life is that God loves them and I love them.
In the spirit of celebration, I want to highlight my second little sweetie pie and Birthday Girl, Hanna! She has a tender heart, happy spirit, and is full of joy. She makes every day so fun and silly.
Today I challenge you to celebrate something unique about each of your children or something special and unique about you!
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Make it your mission
pic from http://futureperfectcoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/what_is_your_mission.jpg
What values do you live by? How do you make decisions? Do you know your why? Who are you really?….. These are all good questions, and I may have a way to help you focus in on an answer… Have you ever thought about creating a personal mission statement? Start here first to discover your why… then continue on with the rest!
Here are the benefits to doing so. The website www.doanwinkel.com has some great info on making a mission statement. They say,
“One of the most powerful methods to cultivate the passion of vision is to create and live by a mission statement, philosophy, or creed. Such statements capture what you want to be and do—what qualities you want to develop, what you want to accomplish, and what contributions you want to make. Clarity on these issues is critical because it affects everything else—the goals you set, the decisions you make, the paradigms you hold, and the ways you spend your time. A personal mission statement based on correct principles becomes a standard for an individual. It becomes a personal constitution, the basis for making life-directing decisions and daily decisions in the midst of the circumstances and emotions that affect your life.”
Wow, do you want to live this way? I sure do. Have clarity, know my decisions, know who I am…
An empowering Mission Statement…
- Represents the deepest and best within you. It comes out of a solid connection with your deep inner life.
- Is the fulfillment of your own unique gifts. It is the expression of your unique capacity to contribute.
- Addresses and integrates the four fundamental human needs and capacities in the physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions.
- Deals with all of the significant roles in your life. It represents a lifetime
Packing the Hospital Bags
I’m 38 weeks pregnant today and after my doctor’s appointment yesterday, we were instructed to have our bags packed to be ready any day in the next couple of weeks! They are mostly packed with a few more odds and ends that need to be thrown in at the last minute. I am usually quite the extensive packer, feeling like I would rather have too much than too little but I tried to find a good balance for this trip – packing for the ideal situation while also keeping reality in mind of what can happen throughout labor. So, I am going to give you the list that I came up with after looking at plenty of other lists to pack our hospital bags. However, I am sure that I am packing more than I will actually need, so in a few weeks I will write another post on what I actually used and/or what I wished I had included!
For Baby:
- Going home outfit (including Socks, Mittens, and Accessories such as a headband)
- Swaddling Blanket
- Nursing Cover
- Cute toy or prop for first photos
For Mommy:
- Comfy clothes (remember you will still look pregnant!)
- Toiletries (including shower supplies, lotion face wash and creams)
- Extra rubber bands and headbands to keep the hair out of your face
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Contacts and glasses
- Slippers and flip flops for shower shoes/room shoes
- Robe
- Socks and underwear (Granny panties…)
- PJs
- Sweater or sweatshirt with no front zipper
- Nursing tank top or bra (buy a size up if purchasing before milk comes in)
- Essential Oils
- Nursing Cover (when you have to feed with guests in the room)
- Chapstick
For Daddy:
- Clothes (1-2 days worth)
- Socks and underwear
- Sweatshirt
- Comfy shoes – he may be on his feet for many hours
- PJs
- Toiletries –
American Sukiyaki
Asian food is wonderfully healthy. An authentic Japanese diet is composed of fresh vegetables, lean meats, fish and tofu and rice. When I was growing up, my mom loved to serve international dinners for our family. She created this easy sukiyaki recipe that became a favorite at our home. We named the recipe American Sukiyaki (probably politically incorrect in this day and age) because it had a similarity to the Japanese dish with an American flair. It is so easy to make and really yummy. When you need a quick dinner that gives you an extra dose of iron and beef protein, this is the recipe to try.
Ingredients
1 lb lean top round steak thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions thinly sliced
1 garlic clove smashed
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar or honey
1 (16-20 oz) package of frozen FRENCH CUT STYLE green beans
2 (15 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
1 cup rice cooked according to package (we use Hinode short grain rice for authentic sticky rice)
Brown thinly sliced beef in olive oil on high in a large skillet (I use an electric fry pan on 400 degrees). When browned but not cooked all the way through, add the onions, garlic, soy sauce and sweetener.
Stir until onions start to soften about 2 minutes. Turn to medium (325 degrees for fry pan) and add bag of frozen green beans and stewed tomatoes. Stir once or twice, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over rice.
- 1 lb
Love Challenge for a Great Marriage
This past Sunday at church we heard a powerful sermon titled, “5 Keys to a Great Marriage.” I loved the sermon and took lots of notes since these words on marriage are direct from the marriage expert himself- G-O-D.
The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” -Genesis 2:18
1. Marriage is God’s Design
Did you know that marriage represents THE most important relationship of all: the relationship between Christ and His church.
2. Treat Your Spouse with Love and Respect
It is important to remember that love is a cycle, a relationship between two people. Often when we aren’t getting something we want, it stems from us not GIVING what the other person needs. It works like this: wives want love and husbands want respect. If a wife isn’t getting the love she wants, rather than think, “My husband isn’t loving me like I need him to.” Think about your role. The only person you can control is YOU, so take a look at what you are doing. Are you showing your husband the respect he needs so that he can in turn show you the love you need?
3. You Need a lot of Forgiveness
You and your spouse are flawed. Show them grace and forgiveness because there is FREEDOM in forgiveness.
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I also loved the challenge the pastor gave us at the end. He told us to do these 2 things:
1. Say one nice thing to your spouse every day. “I love you because…”
2. Do one nice thing a day for your spouse.
These might seem like simple things to do, but sometimes it’s the simple things that can have the greatest impact. Sometimes it is easy to get in …
Read MoreKeep on loving
pic from http://www.tarasfunpages.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/forever_love-300×212.jpg
What did you do for Valentine’s Day? Did you get something special? Did you give anything to other people? Do you spend a little extra time on Valentine’s day thinking about love? Valentines day is so fun to celebrate, and it is so fun to share love with other people.
Why just one day of the year? Our whole lives should be centered on love. So we should make effort and take time all year long to spend a little extra time focusing on love. It is incredible how loving other people and doing special things actually fills you up yourself. We live in such a give to receive and consumer world that we think we will only feel fulfilled and good when we get stuff. But have you experienced the blessing of sharing love? That feeling is the true goodness of experiencing real love. Real love doesn’t focus on just one day of the year, it doesn’t focus on what it is receiving, it doesn’t focus on an exchange, it doesn’t keep score, it doesn’t live centered on never enough. Real love is fulfilling, it is good, it is real, and it lasts forever. Don’t settle on just one day of the year. Think about ways you can incorporate more love into your life all year long. Whether its writing notes, buying someone a Starbucks, calling a friend, telling someone you are thankful for them… it doesn’t have to be extravagant, just do something.
Don’t focus on what you think you deserve. Focus on what you can do for others. Focus on the love of God. Focus on the gift God gave through his son Jesus to come and take away what we truly deserve. Through his mercy and grace we experience life and love in …
Read MoreBaby On The Mind Part 2
I decided to repost this from a few months ago after having a great customer service experience with BabyList! I was recently gifted one of my favorite and most anticipated items off my registry – my Tula Baby Carrier! However, when it arrived it was not the right pattern from my registry. I contacted BabyList and, within one day, I received a response apologizing for the mix up. Included in the message was also a shipping label to send back the item with simple yet detailed instructions on how to begin the exchange! Good customer service makes all the difference for me when there are so many options of companies and products to choose from! Don’t forget to always take an extra second to kind and courteous – you never know what it will do for someone or how it will make someone’s day!
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November 2015
You may not think that it is baby season but to all the mamas who deliver in the Spring (what is often known as Baby Season), Baby is definitely on her mind. We just finished our Baby Registry and it was quite the feat. I love researching, but there are so many options when it comes to baby it was hard to find the “right” answer for a lot of items. I also love supporting small, creative businesses -their products can usually be found online and not always in stores so it was important for me to find an online registry that I really enjoyed using so I could add that creative touch to our registry. And, I did!
We are using BabyList Online Baby Registry – www.babyli.st – and here are a few reasons why I have liked it!
- Easy to Use — As overwhelming as registering for baby can be, a