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Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
GratiTuesday- God’s Providential Care
Well, this GratiTuesday I have a lot to be thankful. We got to be part of God’s work this week. We got to help rescue a young lady from a very bad situation. It was truly amazing to see God at work. At every turn I could literally feel His presence. At many turns the outcome was not what I’d plan or expected, but so much better. And, in the end, we were so blessed to be a part of this whole thing. I never stop being amazed at where God leads us when we yield completely to Him. When we get out of the driver seat and let Him drive (without holding the driving directions in our own hands). It just comes together. 9 times out of 10 it doesn’t come together how I expect, but that is the powerful part of it. What an awesome, awesome God we serve!
This post is linked to Heavenly Homemaker’s Gratituesday
Monday, February 14, 2011
Menu Monday-2/14
This week on WW I learned that when I get stressed out I stop journaling. That is bad. I need to not do that. I also learned that if I don’t have bananas on hand I don’t eat enough good food. The two are somehow related 
Monday: Pasta with Bolognese Sauce, Garlic Bread, Salad
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Burritos, Fruit, Mixed Veggies
Wednesday: Tilapia with garlic roasted tomatoes and corn, Mandarin Orange Cake
Thursday: Cheese Enchiladas, Spanish Rice
Friday: Baked French Toast, Fruit Salad
Saturday: Snack Dinner
Sunday: Beef Pot Roast, Rolls
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Supper Sunday- Sweet Chicken
Sweet Chicken
WW Points+=4pts, 4 servings
Ingredients:
8 oz chicken breast cut longwise
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 pepper
2 tsp olive oil
2 TBS balsamic Vinegar
1 TBS honey
2 TBS chopped fresh basil OR
2 tsp dried basil
Directions:
Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes until lightly browned. Turn chicken and cook another 6 minutes until done. Stir in vinegar, honey, and basil and cook one additional minute.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Singing Saturday- Lift Up Your Face
Lift Up Your Face-Third Day
Lift up your face,
Lift up your face,
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling.
You have fallen so far now
You don’t even know how you are going to survive
(But) Just above the horizon
A new light is shining, breaking through the darkest night
Love is coming and it’s calling out your name
Lift up your face, lift up your face
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling
Lift up your face, lift up your face
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling your name
You feel like your life is fading
You’re tired of waiting, for your moment to arrive
But tomorrow will bring a song that you can sing
And your hope is gonna rise
Love is coming and it’s calling out your name
Lift up your face, lift up your face
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling
Lift up your face, lift up your face
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling your name
Oh yeah…
Do you hear Him calling?
Can you hear Him calling?
He’s calling out your name
He’s calling out your name
Lift up your face, lift up your face
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling
Lift up your face, lift up your face
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling your name
Can you hear Him calling?
Can you hear Him calling now?
Oh, can you hear Him calling you
He is calling you now He is calling out your name
Just above the horizon A new light is shining
Salvation’s on its way
Friday, February 11, 2011
Family Time Friday- Valentine’s Day
I’ve talked a lot on the blog about traditions and the importance of them. I’ve talked about how they build confidence and security in our children, and even in us as adults. So, it’s appropriate to talk about Valentine’s Day today and give some ideas of how you can celebrate the day with your kids too 
Valentine’s Day is about love. The advertisers like to make it about buying a big diamond something for your wife or else she’ll hate you. But that’s not at all what it’s about. It’s about love, and that has nothing to do with the size of a diamond or extravagant gifts. While the history of Valentine’s Day does involve lovers sharing their love for each other, it is completely appropriate to celebrate it with our children as well- sharing our love for them. This is a great site, by the way that shares the history of Valentine’s Day in detail
Here are some ideas of ways to celebrate the day with your children:
- Fill up a bouquet of red, white, and pink balloons with notes to your children about what you love most about them, what you admire about them. Hang them on the wall or lay them out in the living room floor, and have them pop the balloons to read the notes.
- Make a candy scavenger hunt for them. Provide them with a note with a piece of candy that gives instructions on where to find the next note. After following the hints to several notes have them end at a final prize of a larger piece of candy, or other gift.
- Make a “red-themed” dinner, eating only red food.
- Make or purchase valentines for close friends or family. Go to their house and leave the Valentine on the step. Ring the doorbell and run and hide so they don’t see you when they retrieve their Valentine!
- Have siblings draw names out of a jar of their other siblings and have them each write a note to the person they drew about the things they admire most about them.
- Instead of purchasing Valentine’s cards for your kids’ classmates, plan some time to sit together and make them.
- Write out a candy poem to your children- replacing certain words with candy bars. “I’d give 100 Grand for you” etc…
I hope this has given you some ideas of ways to celebrate the day
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Making Our Homes Like Heaven- Week 6!
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Ok, for you regulars out there, I first want to apologize for this post being late. If you’re on FaceBook, you probably already know we’ve been really battling the sickies around here. And then on top of being sick, I had an unexpected adventure come up that consumed most of Wednesday and Thursday… So, I do apologize.
Ok, moving on… Over the past several weeks we’ve made some major progress in our homes…. or maybe your house is doing what my house is doing… the room that I’m not in is getting dumped in 
Ok, here’s this week’s list:
1. Choose 2 cabinets in your kitchen and go through and clean them out. Throw away or donate anything you do not use.
2. Do a good cleaning of all of your countertops in your kitchen. Remove items that do not belong. Move all appliances that live on the counter and scrub underneath.
3. Thoroughly wipe down the outsides of the cabinets.
4. Wipe down the refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher.
5. Buy or pick some flowers and put them in a vase in your kitchen.
That’s it for this week! I sure hope everyone has a great week and everyone is able to stay well!!!
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
GratiTuesday
This will be a super short post. Today I’m thankful for prayers. I have been battling the sick germs with my little girl for what seems like weeks and now they have finally settled in my body 
Also, McLinky has decided to terminate their free linkies, so tomorrow on Wordless Wednesday there will not be a linky. I plan on starting it back up next week, just can’t think straight enough to choose a new linky program right now…
Y’all have a great day!
Monday, February 07, 2011
Menu Monday-2/7
This week on WW I learned that I need to PLAN lots of fruits and veggies or I don’t eat them. I also learned that a bottle of chocolate milk is NOT worth the 7 points it costs! OOPS… I also learned that when I don’t have my water bottle handy I don’t drink water, and I have NO motivation for ANYTHING when it’s cold 
I’m also going to try my hand at a Once a Month Cooking Session this week. I’ve done a little in the past and really found it to be helpful, and I do a lot of stuff for the freezer now, like I make my own beans in the crock pot and freeze and I just recently started making my own red sauce. We’ll see how it goes…
Anyhow… On to this week’s menu!
Monday: Chicken and Dumplings,
Tuesday: Chicken Strips, sweet potato fries, fruit smoothies
Wednesday: Beef Enchiladas (made with ground turkey instead), Mandarin Orange Cake
Thursday: Pineapple Chicken, Rice, Fruit Kabobs
Friday: Pizza, Salad
Saturday: Snack Dinner
Sunday: Pot Roast, Rolls
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Supper Sunday- Baked French Toast
Doesn’t that look good? Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm… No need for syrup with these! And let me tell you, it was easy. Oh, and you know when you make french toast for a lot of people and you end up with not enough egg mixture, or you end up standing in front of the griddle for EVER and get the french toast done and then the ones that you finished first are soggy and cold? Yeah……
I decided I wanted to make some baked french toast for the family and started searching the net for recipes. The only problem is they all called for the toast to soak overnight and it was 4pm! I finally found this one which I adapted to better suit my family. This is my adaptation.
Baked French Toast
WW Points += 5 points per slice
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, divided
8 Eggs
1 1/3 cup Milk
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
2/3 sucanat (or sugar- may change points value)
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
18 slices bread
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide the butter between 2 10x15 pans, or one 10x15 and one 9x13. Place pans in oven to melt butter. While butter is melting mix sucanat and cinnamon. In another bowl mix milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once butter is melted take pans out of oven and use a spatula to spread butter around to make sure the pan is evenly covered. Sprinkle 1/2 of the sugar mixture on each pan being sure to coat the butter evenly. Soak each slice of bread well in egg mixture and place on top of sugar on pans. When you run out of room cut remaining slices into strips to make french toast strips and fill up the remaining area on the pans.
Bake both pans in oven for 10-15 minutes or until the egg mixture sets on the toast. The pan pictured above is done, it doesn’t really look done when you take it out. Use a metal scraper to scrape up sugar as you remove the French toast from pan and flip over so that the sugar side is up on the plate.
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Singing Saturday- Love Never Fails
Love Never Fails- Brandon Heath
Love is not proud Love does not boast
Love after all
Matters the most
Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep
Locked inside
Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you
Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time
Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don't
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you
When my heart won't make a sound
When I can't turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this
Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life
Love is the river than flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you
Friday, February 04, 2011
Family Time Friday- Praying for our Children
Prayer is a topic that's really on my heart lately. I know the power of prayer, I've seen it in action. Yet, I'm ashamed to admit I don't pray often enough or consistently enough. I pray for those in need, those in crisis, etc. I pray regularly for my friends, my marriage, my family, my friends marriages and families, my church prayer requests, small group requests etc, but I don't really have a system. I often wonder if I'm missing something important. I need a journal or something.
In addition, though, I've been reading the Power of the Praying Parent
, and really starting to feel out where I can do better in prayer for my children. Our children need so much from us, and prayer is one of those things.I also found this prayer calendar while bee-bopping around the internet the other day and I think it's such a great idea! Each day has a different topic of prayer for your children- 31 topics in all.
Warrior Prayers.com sets forth 5 prayers for our sons, specifically every week, and posts them on her facebook wall.
So I'm encouraged by all of the tools available, and hope you are too. We can take our petitions to the Lord on behalf of our children, and any time doing so is time well spent :)
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Making Our Homes Like Heaven in 2011- Week 5!
Here we are! Week 5! We’re in the first week of February and it’s a bit blustery all over the United States! Maybe over the past week you’ve caught up on some things you didn’t get done before. Maybe you were caught up and just really focused on your pantry. Either way, no matter what you got done, it was more than what you had done before 
This week I’m going to assume that a good majority of us are cooped up inside and hiding from the cold. I hope you’ll get yourself a cup of hot cocoa and stay warm!
On to this weeks list! I really want to hear how you’re doing on these lists! And more than that I’d like suggestions for items for future lists!
1. Take some time this week to plan out your Valentine’s Day. Are you planning on doing something with the sweetie? Are you purchasing gifts? Are you making a special meal? Are you going out? Sit down with a piece of paper, or on your computer and completely plan out the day. Write out the grocery list, plan any items you need to attend to ahead to. Are you giving teacher’s gifts? Teachers LOVE to get a little something for Valentines Day and if you’re strapped for cash there is a TON of ideas online for homemade items. Even a batch of cookies is a nice treat and easy to make
2. Go back into your bedroom. Has clutter begun to gather on the floor of the closet? What about your end tables? Are they gathering items again? Does the master bath counter need a wipe down? Be sure that the clutter bug isn’t multiplying again in the areas you’ve already cleaned.
3. In your living room or family room take some time this week to vacuum thoroughly. I mean move the furniture and vacuum behind and beneath everything. Clean out your couches and vacuum inside the couch under the cushions.
4. Do a thorough dusting of the living room. As you are dusting take inventory of all the items you’re dusting. Do they bring you joy? Do they have sentimental value? Do they need to be displayed? Purpose to put away, or give away at least 2 items that no longer bring you joy by being displayed.
5. Go through your entire house with a towel and some cleaner and clean all of your light switches and switch plates.
Hope you are able to complete this week’s tasks! Let's talk about our progress on FaceBook. It helps to encourage each other and holds each other accountable!
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