Thankfulness

When I reflect back over this year I am thankful most for two things.

The first being the way God has stretched me in my faith walk with Him. Through several different Bible studies, God has revealed Himself to me in a new light. I have come to a better understanding of why He's allowed some thing to occur in my life that I had thought (at the time) to have been a hindrance. It's pretty awesome the way He can speak to us when we really search His heart and His word. I'm so very grateful for the way He's blessing my life as I learn to hunger for more of Him.

Second being, my Addison. I'm inclined to be forever grateful for her little life. She's growing so fast, and when I see her blooming, I am so in awe of the gift she is to me and Ron and the world. My heart is so full of love for her some days, I think it will burst. With tears, I thank God again for this precious gift of a long awaited child. My Addy girl.

May you all find peace and rest in Christ's astounding love this Thanksgiving season.

Fall Recipes!

Some of you recently asked me for the recipes I made last weekend when my friend Jenn was visiting. So...here they are! I hope you enjoy as much as we did. If you get a moment, leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of the recipes! :) Happy cooking!

Thai-Style Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups of Pumpkin Puree or one 15 oz can of pumpkin

1 14 oz can of veggie broth

1 1/2 cups of mango or apricot nectar

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 5 oz can of evaporated milk or unsweetened coconut milk (I recommend the coconut milk)

1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons of rice vinegar

Several dashes of hot pepper sauce or 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

1/4 cup of snipped fresh cilantro

Sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)

dried Thai Chile peppers (optional)

1. In a large saucepan combine pumpkin, broth, nectar, ginger, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 mins, stirring occasionally.

2. Whisk milk, peanut butter. vinegar, and hot sauce until smooth. Stir in cilantro. Ladle soup into bowls. If desired, top with sour cream and/or garnish with Thai Chile peppers.

Acorn Squash with Sausage and Corn Bread Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 8.5 oz package of corn muffin mix

4 small acorn squash (12 to 16 ozs each), halved lengthwise and seeds removed

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

8 oz of bulk pork sausage

1 cup coarsely chopped onion (1 large)

1 cup sliced celery (2 stalks)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon snipped fresh sage or thyme

1/2 cup of chicken broth

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare and bake muffin mix according to package directions for an 8x8x2 inch baking pan. Cool corn bread in pan. Cut into 3/4 inch cubes; set aside. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, lightly grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Sprinkle cavities of squash with salt and pepper. Arrange squash halves, cut side down, in prepared pan.

3. Bake squash halves, uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Remove pan from oven. Using a wide metal spatula, carefully turn squash halves over.

4. Meanwhile, in an extra-large skillet cook sausage, onion, celery, and garlic until sausage in browned and veggies are tender. Drain off fat. Stir in sage. Add corn bread cubes; toss gently to combine. Drizzle with broth and melted butter; toss gently to moisten. Spoon stuffing into squash cavities, mounding the stuffing.

5. Bake, uncovered, about 30 mins or until top of stuffing is golden brown and mixture is heated through.

Hope you enjoy these recipes! Have fun with your fall cooking!

The Problem with Idols: Desires Gone Crazy!

Hi from the outer banks of North Carolina!! This is the first time in a while I've been able to blog...life with a very busy two year old is full most days. I'm happy to be back for a bit-I'm enjoying some much needed quiet time with my Savior today.

My small group has been studying No Other Gods by Kelly Minter these past few weeks. I can't tell you how revealing it has been...I feel like I've grown by leaps and bounds through these studies. It's amazing how the simple things in life, even the good things, can rob us from God and the beautiful plan He has for our lives.

Idols are not necessarily only things on our bad list, but they can be things that are so good. Kelly says "Ah, and yes, the worst gods of all can be people. They are easy gods, but never good ones." When pleasing people, looking for their acceptance, or using them to fill the void only God can fill is taking first place in life, then we're idolizing them and denying God's ultimate gift of love. How many times in my life have I done this? Too many, way too many times.

God is starting to clear out some of the junk in my heart and leading me to his guiding light that fills my soul as nothing else can.

I feel really blessed to have been led to this study. God is really using this as a time to draw me closer to Himself...and I'm loving the new, fresh journey.

"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." Vs. 7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Vs. 8 "Come near to God and he will come to you. Wash your hands, you sinner, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 4:1-4, 7 & 8.

Hot Chocolate? Yes, please!

Who doesn't like sweet, creamy hot cocoa? Well, I guess some people don't, but around here we love us some rich hot chocolate on a cool fall evening. I've tried a few recipes over the years but I have to tell you that I found a good basic hot cocoa recipe last night.

We had some friends over for a bon fire, one of our favorite things to do in the fall, and I decided to try a new hot chocolate recipe. I searched online for a short bit and settled on one I thought sounded interesting...it's base is sweetened condensed milk. The sweetened milk is in place of sugar. The recipe was super easy and boy was it delicious! All our friends loved it! Ahem...and so did Addison (who I tried not to give too much to since it was 9 pm and the sugar and caffeine...ahh-you get the picture). So, I thought I'd share it here. Give it a try, I think you'll like it!

Here's the link to the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-hot-chocolate/detail.aspx

What If Your Blessings Come Through Raindrops...

What if sometimes the pain we feel is a way for God to draw us closer to His side? We pray for provision, comfort, protection, wisdom, healing, and prosperity. But what if all the while He hears each spoken need, yet He longs to give us more of himself? Sometimes we doubt His love and wonder where He is while we suffer in loneliness. He longs for us to have faith to believe.
The stirring in our heart is God's way of saying..."I'm here, trust my Word."

"So what if your blessings come through raindrops, what if your healing comes through tears, what if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?"

What if my greatest disappointments are God's way of saying this world is only a temporary resting place, your home is in Heaven. People will disappointment you but I will always be here for you. I hear every tear and cry that comes from the depth of your soul. "And surely I am with you always, until the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20.

What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

God's goodness is far and wide. From the smallest
hair on your head to the tips of your toes. He cares.
Today, tomorrow and forever.

Ministering Together = Love Expressed

Our little family of three held hands together as we crossed a busy street tonight. Visiting people together as a family is something we've been doing since Addison was born. My heart is warmed when we can go together as a family and love people just where they are. It's an honor to teach that discipline to our daughter so that one day, when she's ready, she will express God's love for His people in her own unique way and remember all the times we served together as a family.

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace, whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies-in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 4:10-11.

My heart is blessed and full tonight.

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.