Still Alive

Everyone is still alive after our mystery dinner last night. It actually turned out pretty good and the kids liked it. That must mean something.

I floured and browned the stew meat just as you would for stew so the flour would thicken it. Added water just to cover meat, dumped in a can of tomatoes, and seasoned it with taco seasoning and some dry salsa mix. Onions are essential, but I forgot to add them! I simmered it for several hours. The meat was plenty tender. I would have liked the sauce to be a bit more enchilada-y, but the pantry was limited.

We slopped it on a whole-wheat tortilla with corn, cheese, and sour cream. Black beans would have been yummy also, but I was out. So now you have one more option for stew meat.

Emergency Meal

Seems as though our freezer mysteriously came unplugged. Of course, no one knows quite how it happened, but nonetheless, I'm now left with a large batch of stew meat that needs to be cooked up.



Therein lies the problem. We've had soups and stews a lot lately so an alternative is needed. I'm shooting for some kind of taco concoction...sort of like a shredded beef thing. But will I be able to get the stew meat tender enough in time? A prayer for a meal blessing will be going through the wire. Check back to see how it turned out!

Compassion

You'll see that I've recently added a button thing-y (like that?) to my sidebar for Compassion International. We have been so blessed by this ministry and the opportunity to help a child that is so far away. Compassion really loves these kids and provides so much for them. Things like: food, clothing, and school. But to me, the most important part of this ministry is that they whole-heartedly share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. What good are any of the things above, if in the end, you are still lost.

Our family has sponsored a girl, Julisa, for about 2 1/2 years. She lives in Mexico and is now 8 years old. Our church has sponsored a boy, Kepher, in Tanzania, Africa for about 4 years. How awesome it has been to see him grow.

So, please take a moment to pray for these two beautiful children and then ask the Lord if sponsoring a child is the direction He has for you. If you feel a tug, visit Compassion's Website. You will be blessed!

Twig & Feather

I couldn't wait to tell you about a new website just for us women who love the home! Please check out Twig & Feather and tell your friends about it.

Created by someone that I think is a dear along with a few of her friends, be sure to check back often as it is in its beginning stages. Be encouraged, take away tidbits, and share what you know.

Hope to see you there!

One of Those Moments

I know you've had them. That moment when you are beside yourself as you come to some kind of deeper realization. You're almost left breathless and filled with wonder. Okay, there's probably that momentary thought of, "Duh! Why didn't I see that before?" But it's fleeting in comparison.

Last night, I had such a moment while leading our women's bible study. We were reviewing an introduction to the book of Daniel. As I was sharing, I talked about Daniel having the Spirit of God living in him and that this was known by others around him. I mentioned that it's the same Spirit living in us as did Daniel and other mighty men of the bible. As the words are coming out of my mouth, I'm simultaneously realizing the impact of this! It was as if I were split in two, one half talking to the ladies and the other secretly experiencing this truth in a new way. Goose bumps! I pray that I was able to convey the importance and excitement in realizing we have the same power of the Spirit of God in us that was in Daniel as he stood before a king that would be happy to lop his head off and faced the lions!

So praise be to God in heaven who knows when we most need one of those moments!

Koinonia

Sunday. We all love the word. Sunday drives. Sunday dinners. Sunday picnics. Sunday papers. Sunday schools. It evokes all that is familiar and comfortable. Whether you attend church or not, Sunday is a day most of us treasure.

My Sunday often starts off a bit crazy. The building that we hold our church services in usually needs to be cleaned after a raucous party by renters the evening before. Depending on the size of the party, I rise between 5 and 6 a.m. Then throw in set-up for church. I'll admit, it can be exhausting. But in spite of this, I still look forward to the day. I run home for cleanup (easy since we live next door!) and head back to begin greeting saintly old friends and whatever new friends the Lord sends our way.

Before long, we settle into our seats. The music starts and we set aside the world to spend time in the presence of our heavenly Father. Now we're primed and ready for our feast of the Word. Rustling of pages, sound of pens scribbling, maybe a baby in the background. Heads nod in agreement, faces grimace as the Lord gently corrects. One last song and the fellowship begins again. Laughter, tears, and prayers are shared. Bliss.

But on one Sunday a month, we're blessed with even more! Potluck! (or Pot-faith as some parishoners like to say.) Wow! Now we get good food and more laughter, story sharing, and relationship building. Our cup overfloweth. Thank you, Lord.

The rest of the day is spent relaxing at home. Great day.

Your turn! Share your Sunday!

The Giver

My kids and I recently finished the audio version of the fiction book "The Giver". After an iffy start, all of us were enthralled by this story. It promoted great conversation and moral evaluation. Thoroughly thought-provoking!

The setting basically takes place in a utopia-type environment that the "Counsel" of "The Community" have created. "The Community" is a completely different world than what we know and its fascinating to learn more of the details as the story progresses.

In efforts to create a safe environment, the right to choose is completely eliminated. What would life really be like without choice? Given a great gift of seeing what it's like to know choice, Jonas, the main character, is faced with determining if the joy and blessings of choice are worth the pain that also comes with this freedom.

Read (or listen) to this book! Come back and tell me what you think. (Disclaimer: There was one section we fast-forwarded through that talked about "stirrings" in a 12 year old, but it also became a teaching moment!)