Coffee Break

My husband was so generous this morning and allowed me the day to myself! How cool is that!? The last three weeks have been so busy with preparing for company, Addison's second birthday party, cooking, cleaning, and channeling a strong willed child :) I've really enjoyed all the company and parties that July had to offer. And now as I look towards August, I don't think our lives are going to slow down any. So it was nice to slip away this morning to Starbucks and have some quiet time with my Lord.

He brought me to study Hezekiah today. What an AMAZING King he was! I learned so much about his reign and what he did right in the eyes of God and where he struggled. "This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing that was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered." 2 Chronicles 31:21. God even saved his life~! Say what! He turned the sun back shadows and gave Hezekiah 15 more years of life.

Don't get me wrong, there were times Hezekiah was afraid but according to 2 Chronicles 32:1 we can be faithful to God and centered in His will and still be attacked by the enemy. Sometimes faith is the absence of fear. Other times faith may be choosing to believe God even when your heart is melting with fear. Perhaps, then, faith is tested by what we do with fear, not whether or not we have it.

Hezekiah and Isaiah prayed. When they were afraid and uncertain about their circumstances, they prayed.

How we respond to life and what happens to us will greatly impact our children and grandchildren. Our actions, both good and bad, will have consequences after we are absent from the earth. While we are enjoying the bliss of heaven and the mercy of God's grace, our grandchildren still could be reaping painful consequences of situations we've sown. Our, they can be enjoying the benefits of faithful lives by the great-grandparents who have gone before them.

I'm challenged today to live an even more faithful life to the Lord. Spending more time in prayer and trusting for His provision and leading in my life. I can only hope to leave a impacting legacy of faithful service, hope, and trust in the Lord for my children and grandchildren.

Trust-Why is it so Hard Sometimes?

Today I am transparent. I'm working through some things in my life where I need to solely rely on God for His provision and guidance. It's really hard. Really hard. I talked with my Mom last night and she reassured me that things are going to work out "just fine." She's been praying alongside me. That's comforting. At this time her strength is superior to mine; I can glean so much insight from her right now.

Without the Lord in my life, I don't know what I would do. I have to make a daily, if not hourly commitment to trust Him because He knows all things. He works all things for our good, right? "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we (Ron and I) have been called according to His purpose. I feel at ease reading this verse. He works all things for good! Ahh...

So I will wait. I will sit upon His word as my foundation and trust He will see me through. I trust He will move on my behalf.

Kale Chips

So I've always been afraid to try darker greens like kale and swiss chard. I love spinach and most all salad greens...but the darker ones...um not so much. I always thought they tasted so bitter and unappetizing. But since I've been trying to eat healthier and feed my little one a more varied diet, I thought I'd try kale chips. I had read an article in a magazine by Ellie Kreiger about Kale chips about a year ago...but never got around to making them myself. My friend Alison recently made some and her soon to be two year old loved them...so I said "let's try it!"

The first thing you want to do is tear the greens off their stems and wash them thoroughly. Then you want to use a salad spinner to get all the excess water off.

After doing that you want to place the newly washed leaves in bowl (I did two rounds of this because I had a lot of kale) and sprinkle with 1 T of olive oil and kosher salt. Toss the kale around in the bowl with the oil and salt.

Place the kale in a single layer on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 300 degrees oven for 15 minutes or until they are crisp and slightly brown around the edges.

Kale has so much going for it! Check out these stats!

• Filled with TONS of Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Iron
  
• Calcium

Give it a whirl, see what you think :)

Zucchini Grinders

Hi friends! I came up with this recipe on a whim one day a few years ago and it's been a staple on our rotating menu ever since then. I thought I'd share it with you; it's a great recipe to try if you have an over abundance of zucchini from your garden.

Serves 2

2 T of olive oil

1 T of minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 a large onion sliced or diced (whatever you desire)

1 large zucchini cleaned and diced

1/2 to 2/3 cup of spaghetti sauce

2 individual ciabatta rolls (or long crusty rolls)

4 slices of provolone cheese

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute until softened. Season with salt and pepper. It's important to season every layer when cooking. :)

2. Add the diced zucchini to the pan and cook 5-10 minutes or until soft. Again season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the spaghetti sauce and cook until warmed through.

4. On a large baking pan cut each roll and spoon zucchini mixture onto each roll. Top each roll with two slices of provolone cheese.

5. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Enjoy!

My husband told me tonight that this was the best non-meat meal he's ever had. I was so happy to hear it!

The zucchini while it was sauteing.

Give it a try, I think you'll like it too!

Breaking Free!

I am about to burst! I just had to share about a new Bible Study I've been doing calling Breaking Free by Beth Moore. I know the study has been around since 1999 but I just bought the updated version and started it last week. I have to be honest, I haven't done a "Bible Study" during personal quiet time in a long time. This study is amazing!! I'm thrilled at all the Bible history I'm learning-I eagerly await the time each day when I can come, sit and rest awhile at His feet...

I encourage you, if you are not currently studying God's Word, jump right in, try a new study. His Word is true and fulfilling.

My favorite part of the study for today was when Isaiah got his call from God in the year King Uzziah died. In the scripture it writes "In the year Jotham (King Uzziah's son) became king, I saw the Lord." Isaiah 6:1. "Not the existence of something new but the removal of something old (King Uzziah who everyone loved but was lost in the sin of pride died, and then his son took over after), opened Isaiah's eyes to the kingship of God. At no time is our vision more capable of seeing God in His rightful place than when the focus of our former attentions has been removed from our sight. Sadly, however, the removal of our earthly king could be to no avail. Like the people of Isaiah's day, we can choose to be everseeing, but never perceiving."

God knows just what we need to hear, doesn't He? I love how he gently nudges me to listen to Him here...

The final note of the study for today says "May we voluntarily dethrone every Uzziah and every Jotham in our lives and put them in their rightful places. Only then are we free to see the Lord seated on a throne, high and lifted up, as we journey to our destination."

My Little Chef in the Making

Addison is growing fast! Super fast! Lately she's been talking up a storm, exploring everything, and wanting to "see" what I'm cooking or baking. So today I decided to pull up her stool and see if she could actually "see" what I was doing, without falling off the stool in the meanwhile~lol. :) She actually is tall enough that she could "see" very well what I was doing so I gave her a little cooking lesson on how to grate cheese. She LOVES these spinach and cheese squares I make for her (thank you Christine Robinson for the recipe over 13 years ago!). I had to grate a pound of monterey jack cheese for the recipe. And don't you know, she stood there so still on her stool and watched me grate and talk about what grating was and everything! All the while she was nibbling on the cheese :) That's my girl!

Later on I made chocolate chip cookies but she was too busy playing to "see" what I was doing. I too got busy doing others things...like playing outside, to finish the cookies, so I had put the batter in the fridge. After dinner I said "Addy let's bake the cookies!" She was happy to stand on the stool again and try to help scoop the cookies onto the baking sheets.

Today was so fun! I've been excited about the upcoming stages of her development, while enjoying the one she's actually in. I love to cook more than bake but I think I may have a little chef on my hands~she and I can learn and grow together. She really enjoyed being in the kitchen with me too! I love being a mommy. It's the best job in the whole world!

Later on tonight she was saying "cookie, cookie mama" so I said "ok Addison I'll be right there to get you one..." And don't you know she ran into the kitchen, climbed up on that stool that I had forgotten to put away and had grabbed a cookie and had it in her mouth in no time! I was amazed. She's a smart cookie if I do say so myself ;)

A New Experience Pops!

I bought this trail mix, Wasabi Wild at Aldi tonight...sidenote: can I just say again, I LOVE ALDI! Love it! Anyway back to the story...I've heard so much about Wasabi over the years but the one thing I always hear is that it's hot! Being one that likes spice but not too much heat (I can handle jalapenos) I was always leary of trying anything flavored with it. Tonight while shopping to stock up on fruits and veggies for the week I saw this mix and decided to buy it (it was only $2.99! A steal for trail mix!) and give it a whirl.

Ahem...let me say, I am a wasabi fan now! It's yummy! It gives this nutty and sweet trail mix a kick. Not too much either...but just enough. I'm hooked!

Here's for trying new things! What have you been trying new these days?