Just a quick funny story that brought a lot of laughter to our morning yesterday and I pray it brings you the same gift of laughter...
As we were rushing through our morning routine to get Belle off to school and Brittany to a Biology Lab we were doing together with a friend, I had given Lola Grace a pad of paper and pen to doodle with to keep her content. About 15 minutes later just as we were ready to walk out the door to the bus stop, Brittany burst out laughing and said, "Mom, look at what Lola's done to her face!" To my shock & amazement, there was my little Lola Grace with a pen colored mustache drawn above her upper lip! She didn't just draw a simple mustache! She scribbled it in to make it look thick and actually drew the ends curled up and spiralled! If the mustache weren't enough, she had also given herself eyeliner, eyeshadow, and rings drawn on every finger - all with PEN!! I didn't know whether to respond in tears that I would have to take her to the bus stop looking the way she did or in laughter! So laughing is what we did...all the way to the bus stop!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Chicken & Marinara over Angel Hair
As a busy homeschooling mother, I have learned to "Walk In Victory...In the Kitchen!" I just sort of threw this all in the crock pot today just before lunchtime and by dinner, it seemed as if I had been in the kitchen all day with this easy, budget friendly meal that the entire family loved! Here's what I did and you can too!
I defrosted a package of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast. I placed the Chicken Breast in the crock pot and covered them with a couple of cans of Basil & Garlic Seasoned Diced Tomatoes. I added a hodge podge of a little bit of this and a little bit of that until it tasted amazing! :) Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Sugar, a splash of Chardonay and let it cook all afternoon (about 4-5 hours). Just before hubbie was scheduled to arrive home from work, I added a jar of store bought Spaghetti Sauce (I used Prego) to the Chicken & Marinara in the crock pot and boiled a box of Angel Hair Pasta. I served the Chicken & Marinara over the Angel Hair Pasta, served with a side of bagged Spring Mix Salad and wala...dinner practically cooked itself leaving us time to go to the library as a family for a special Bedtime Storytime for the kids!
I defrosted a package of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast. I placed the Chicken Breast in the crock pot and covered them with a couple of cans of Basil & Garlic Seasoned Diced Tomatoes. I added a hodge podge of a little bit of this and a little bit of that until it tasted amazing! :) Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Sugar, a splash of Chardonay and let it cook all afternoon (about 4-5 hours). Just before hubbie was scheduled to arrive home from work, I added a jar of store bought Spaghetti Sauce (I used Prego) to the Chicken & Marinara in the crock pot and boiled a box of Angel Hair Pasta. I served the Chicken & Marinara over the Angel Hair Pasta, served with a side of bagged Spring Mix Salad and wala...dinner practically cooked itself leaving us time to go to the library as a family for a special Bedtime Storytime for the kids!
"Walking In Victory, Ministries" is birthed! Part 1
Last Friday morning as I was going about my morning work, I had a revelation. The name for my ministry, audience, and purpose was revealed. "Walking In Victory Ministries" would be the name of the ministry, my audience would be anybody, of any age, in any season, desiring to grow or walk in victory in any area of life. My purpose would be to talk about topics and lessons I have learned along the way in any area of life that God would desire for us to "walk in victory!" Not that I am the expert in this area at all and I think that fact is precisely the reason this would be a burden on my heart, because it's an area of struggle for me. In any area of life I can remember, in any season from my teen years to my current season, I know the truth of God's word in my "know," yet walk in defeat, not on a daily basis, but honestly on a moment by moment basis. Most of the time, my mind is the battlefield, my heart is the casualty, and the outcome is defeat.
How many of you know what this kind of defeat looks like? The defeat in our own hearts and minds, where the enemy (Satan) uses our own worst enemy, (our thoughtlife, our own sinful and corrupt heart, our past experiences, our current circumstances, our failures, our weaknesses, etc., to cause us to stumble on a daily, and in my case, a moment by moment basis? And how many of you recognize this pattern of response, fear, anxiety, worry, anger, doubt, depression, discouragement, hopelessness, insecurity, etc? What is the dialouge in our minds? "I can't do it! I'll never get it right! I'll always be a failure! I'll never be good at ____! Look at him/her, they have it all together! My life is a mess! My marriage is a mess! My kids are a mess! My finances are a mess!" You know the dialouge! It may not look exactly like mine, but filled in with whatever your own individual circumstances hold, it's strikingly similar! How can I be so sure of that fact? Well, I certainly have enough experience in this area to recognize how the enemy operates and the result he's looking to accomplish!
Why does God sometimes allow these attacks? For our good and for His ultimate glory! To show us our continual dependence on Him alone! The enemy is right, we can't do it! We are fully human, hence, filled with sin and fully prone to wander! Apart from our Creator, our Heavenly Father, our Redeemer, our Healer, Rewarder, Restorer, we are completely depraved! Isn't that good news?! :) By now I'm sure you're all scratching your heads in complete confusion as to how you've been encouraged by my message that we can't do anything right, we're hopeless, we're depraved, etc! The truth of the matter is, when we come to this sobering realization, we come to know that there has to be, there IS One greater than we, and if we acknowledge our dependence upon Him, we CAN do it! His desire for our lives is not that we walk in defeat, but in full dependence on Him so that we CAN walk in the glorious victory and abundant life he has for all of us!
There is no sin, no issue in our lives that is shocking to God or too far out of reach for Him to help us walk in victory over! From the issues we look at as small potatoes, if we recognize as an issue at all, such as anxiety, fear, doubt, insecurity, discontentment, judging others, etc., to the mediocre struggles of yelling at our kids, nagging our spouse, unforgiveness and resentment toward someone who has harmed us in some way, to the "larger than large" issues we battle with lust, addiction, rebellion, etc. The truth is, we catagorize our sin. In fact, we don't even like to call it as it is and convince ourselves that "this is normal," "sure, I need to get control over this issue but it's not as bad as what "Johnny" down the street is doing," "well, if so and so didn't do that, I wouldn't have gotten so angry!"
The truth is, none of it, whether we are in full acceptance or full denial of an issue in our lives is a surprise to God, will not be used by Satan to cause us to continually stumble and walk in defeat, and turned back and be used by God to grow us, make us more dependent on Him, and give us a testimony, that can be used for His glory as we use the lessons learned in our own lives to minister into the lives of someone else.
That is my mission, the purpose of this ministry and whether it is used to minister to one person or multitudes, is up to God. I am just the vessel, the instrument, the tool, for some reason beyond my comprehension or abilities He has called for such a moment as this, to build the ultimate masterpiece of His kingdom!
How many of you know what this kind of defeat looks like? The defeat in our own hearts and minds, where the enemy (Satan) uses our own worst enemy, (our thoughtlife, our own sinful and corrupt heart, our past experiences, our current circumstances, our failures, our weaknesses, etc., to cause us to stumble on a daily, and in my case, a moment by moment basis? And how many of you recognize this pattern of response, fear, anxiety, worry, anger, doubt, depression, discouragement, hopelessness, insecurity, etc? What is the dialouge in our minds? "I can't do it! I'll never get it right! I'll always be a failure! I'll never be good at ____! Look at him/her, they have it all together! My life is a mess! My marriage is a mess! My kids are a mess! My finances are a mess!" You know the dialouge! It may not look exactly like mine, but filled in with whatever your own individual circumstances hold, it's strikingly similar! How can I be so sure of that fact? Well, I certainly have enough experience in this area to recognize how the enemy operates and the result he's looking to accomplish!
Why does God sometimes allow these attacks? For our good and for His ultimate glory! To show us our continual dependence on Him alone! The enemy is right, we can't do it! We are fully human, hence, filled with sin and fully prone to wander! Apart from our Creator, our Heavenly Father, our Redeemer, our Healer, Rewarder, Restorer, we are completely depraved! Isn't that good news?! :) By now I'm sure you're all scratching your heads in complete confusion as to how you've been encouraged by my message that we can't do anything right, we're hopeless, we're depraved, etc! The truth of the matter is, when we come to this sobering realization, we come to know that there has to be, there IS One greater than we, and if we acknowledge our dependence upon Him, we CAN do it! His desire for our lives is not that we walk in defeat, but in full dependence on Him so that we CAN walk in the glorious victory and abundant life he has for all of us!
There is no sin, no issue in our lives that is shocking to God or too far out of reach for Him to help us walk in victory over! From the issues we look at as small potatoes, if we recognize as an issue at all, such as anxiety, fear, doubt, insecurity, discontentment, judging others, etc., to the mediocre struggles of yelling at our kids, nagging our spouse, unforgiveness and resentment toward someone who has harmed us in some way, to the "larger than large" issues we battle with lust, addiction, rebellion, etc. The truth is, we catagorize our sin. In fact, we don't even like to call it as it is and convince ourselves that "this is normal," "sure, I need to get control over this issue but it's not as bad as what "Johnny" down the street is doing," "well, if so and so didn't do that, I wouldn't have gotten so angry!"
The truth is, none of it, whether we are in full acceptance or full denial of an issue in our lives is a surprise to God, will not be used by Satan to cause us to continually stumble and walk in defeat, and turned back and be used by God to grow us, make us more dependent on Him, and give us a testimony, that can be used for His glory as we use the lessons learned in our own lives to minister into the lives of someone else.
That is my mission, the purpose of this ministry and whether it is used to minister to one person or multitudes, is up to God. I am just the vessel, the instrument, the tool, for some reason beyond my comprehension or abilities He has called for such a moment as this, to build the ultimate masterpiece of His kingdom!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Preparing To Launch
During a personal devotion time 5-6 years ago and in the midst of a storm in my life, a phrase came to mind. If you're like me, I'm sure phrases and thoughts come to mind every moment of each day, however this was profound and applicable to what I was going through during that difficult time in my life. Even more profound was that this particular phrase never seemed to leave my mind. It almost became not only a phrase that came to mind one day, but a burden that was impressed upon my heart.
Weeks passed and this burden impressed on my heart, faithfully remained and I did what I always did during that season of life. I consulted with a dear friend who had been devinely ordained and placed in my life during a season that I needed not only a friend but also a spiritual mentor. This friend knew and was walking very closely with me through the trial I was going through. When I talked with her about this "phrase," this impression on my heart, she very quickly and knowingly made a statement that has stuck with me to this very moment in time. She said, "Oh, that is the title of your future book!"
That was 5-6 years ago and I'm disappointed in myself to admit that it is still just an overwhelming impression and burden on my heart that I have been placing on the back burner in life as I fill my schedule with life. A busy, homeschooling, stay-at-home mother, always with a growing to do list, the days and schedule of "to do's" never seemed to allow for WRITING A BOOK!! I mean, who really wants to sign up for that job?! I was the girl overwhelmed in high school and college by writing a research or term paper. Did God realize that writing a book would be no easy task? That it would require a certain amount of focus and committment of my life? That I was already drowning in a sea of unlimited committments everyday? He absolutely knew that He had called an ill equipped one like me and He also made it very clear that it wasn't about me. I was simply an instrument in His sovereign hand and that He will guide each and every step, big and small and He will help me if I would just obey!
That's how I arrived here. It is very clear to me that God has indeed called me to this and I believe has added other books and ministries that will branch from that initial "phrase" He quietly whispered in that still, small voice I have learned to recognize through my journey. Hence, a blog ministry and here I am! I believe God is revealing to me little nuggets of time that He is giving me to walk in obedience to what he has required me to do. I may not have hours out of my busy days caring for 4 children to devote to writing a book, however I can find little 15 minute nuggets, an excerpt here, an excerpt there, and eventually each excerpt will compile into exactly what He wants to create. So, I'm beginning small. A blog, a way to publish little nuggets hopefully each day, that I pray will minister to your lives as I share the stories that fill mine.
Weeks passed and this burden impressed on my heart, faithfully remained and I did what I always did during that season of life. I consulted with a dear friend who had been devinely ordained and placed in my life during a season that I needed not only a friend but also a spiritual mentor. This friend knew and was walking very closely with me through the trial I was going through. When I talked with her about this "phrase," this impression on my heart, she very quickly and knowingly made a statement that has stuck with me to this very moment in time. She said, "Oh, that is the title of your future book!"
That was 5-6 years ago and I'm disappointed in myself to admit that it is still just an overwhelming impression and burden on my heart that I have been placing on the back burner in life as I fill my schedule with life. A busy, homeschooling, stay-at-home mother, always with a growing to do list, the days and schedule of "to do's" never seemed to allow for WRITING A BOOK!! I mean, who really wants to sign up for that job?! I was the girl overwhelmed in high school and college by writing a research or term paper. Did God realize that writing a book would be no easy task? That it would require a certain amount of focus and committment of my life? That I was already drowning in a sea of unlimited committments everyday? He absolutely knew that He had called an ill equipped one like me and He also made it very clear that it wasn't about me. I was simply an instrument in His sovereign hand and that He will guide each and every step, big and small and He will help me if I would just obey!
That's how I arrived here. It is very clear to me that God has indeed called me to this and I believe has added other books and ministries that will branch from that initial "phrase" He quietly whispered in that still, small voice I have learned to recognize through my journey. Hence, a blog ministry and here I am! I believe God is revealing to me little nuggets of time that He is giving me to walk in obedience to what he has required me to do. I may not have hours out of my busy days caring for 4 children to devote to writing a book, however I can find little 15 minute nuggets, an excerpt here, an excerpt there, and eventually each excerpt will compile into exactly what He wants to create. So, I'm beginning small. A blog, a way to publish little nuggets hopefully each day, that I pray will minister to your lives as I share the stories that fill mine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)