Trusting God to be at work in your life.

I would like to encourage you to jump on over at Susie Larson's blog post for the week. I am quite certain that you will agree with me that she is marvelous. Her words are uplifting and strength-building. I hope you love this one as much as I do. Here is a little tidbit of her blog entry...

We need time for our faith to grow. When we plant seeds, we can't repeatedly dig them up and pull them out of the ground to see if they are growing. We have to leave them in the ground. Those planted seeds (that we can no longer see) need to be watered by our faith. During the process we must learn to be content with seeing nothing while knowing that God holds everything in His hands, and that He moves on every act prompted by our faith, as the Scripture says.

Don't you love that!?! I know, me too. Click here to read more on this topic.

There is a hope that you can hold onto.

LOVE THIS SONG! You don't have to do this life alone. There is a hope that you can hold onto. My hope is in the Lord...through good and bad...ups and downs...sunshine and rain...when I am rich and when I am poor...There is a way, the truth, and the Life, and the way... There is HOPE! Thank you Lord. Amen.

Tomorrow brings wholeness and healing...

Beauty for Ashes-Crystal Lewis. One of my FAVORITE songs about my God who redeems, restores, heals, comforts, and makes your tomorrow better than your today! Amen!

Thank you Crystal Lewis!

All along He hears each desparate plea.

My friend posted this song on facebook today and I wanted to get it on my blog.



What if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise?

And a little more on this topic of seeking God's will.

Holy crazy cow!! Susie Larson just took on the very topic I tried to make some sense of last night, and she tackled it in a mighty powerful way. Check out her post today...

http://susielarsonblog.typepad.com/susie_larsons_blog/2011/04/an-atmosphere-for-answered-prayer.html

This is why I love her! Seriously...wow. In fewer words, and making way more sense than my last post...I'm always blown away by the way God speaks to me through her. Okay, who is joining the Susie Larson fan club with me? :)

I didn't get to listen to her interview yesterday on Praying Big, but it sounds like I am going to need to.

You've got somethin' to say, and no one can say it like you do.

But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.

An excerpt from one of my favorite books, Growing Grateful Kids, written by one of my favorite authors, Susie Larson.

My life Stunk. At least that's what I thought. I looked up at the IV bag hanging from our broken mini-blinds. My eyes followed the tube down to my arm and then to my hand. I noticed the varying shades of red and some bruising from my previous catheter sites. I was in my twenties, but I felt like I was ninety. I rolled over onto my left side and looked up at the garage sale clothes hanging from a rope that was draped across our living room. Our dryer was broken. Where in the world would we find the money to repair our dryer? I breathed a heavy sigh and looked up at the old rope strung across our living room. I stared at my kids' ratty clothes and wondered if we'd ever have enough money to buy name brand anything. Our house was falling apart. We owed many thousands of dollars in medical debt. I battles Lyme disease while my husband worked two and three jobs to keep food on the table.

My friends made life look easy. They had beautiful homes, dependable cars, and nice clothes. They went out to dinner on occasion and even enjoyed a bit of travel. Best of all, they had their health. I always marveled when I called to see how they were doing, and more often than not they'd reply, "Great!"

I couldn't imagine waking up six out of seven days a week feeling healthy, normal, and strong. In the depths of my being I wanted the kind of lives they lived.

My pity party was set. All I needed was a party hat and some food. Just when I was about to let my mind take another detour, the front door burst open, and my giant of a husband stepped into the entry way and said, "I'm hoooooome!" Like a big bear that found his favorite back-scratching tree, he bounded in the door with glee. All of the sudden I heard a loud thump! I lifted my head from the couch to look down to the entryway only to find Kevin standing in a gaping hole up to his armpits!

Seconds after Kevin stepped into the door, the floor beneath him gave way, dropping him through a sizable hold in our entryway. He looked as shocked as I was. With his arms in the air, and his feet in the downstairs closet on a pile of boxes, he looked up at me, and then down at himself, and then up at me again. He was at a loss for words.

We burst out laughing at the same time and he couldn't stop (it was either that or break down and cry). Still hooked up to my IV, I leaned over so he could see me from the entryway, and I spouted, "We are the pathetic losers! We live in the money pit!" Kevin laughed, shook his head, and climbed out of the hole in the entryway.

Within a few minutes he was out in the garage looking for a piece of plywood to cover up our gaping hole. I pulled out my journal and started to write what was on my heart. I actually surprised myself. Here is a paraphrase of what I wrote that day:

Thank you, Lord, that we have a roof over our head. And thank You, Lord, that we have running water we can freely drink any time of the day. Thank You for food in the cupboards. Thank You that I have a husband who comes home every night. He could so easily abandon us in this whole mess, but day after day he stays and he loves. Thank You, Lord, that we have three little ones playing in the bedroom down the hall who don't even know that we're in the crisis of our lives. They just know they're loved. Thank You, Lord, for loving us like You do. And though my eyes can't see it, I know You will make a way through this terrible time. I know that one day our lives will be better, and things won't feel so hard. You are good, and You will come through for me.

I closed my journal, sat up, and looked out the window. I was the richest woman alive. At that very moment, I had everything I needed to thrive. I lacked no good thing.

But every time (before and after that day) that I committed the sin of comparison and acquired my perspective by looking at what Others possessed...I became the poorest woman alive.

"But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me." -Psalm 50:23 NLT

Cheese Stuffed Pasta and Sauce

Mmmmmm...YUM! LOVED this one! WAY EASY and oh so tasty!
This recipe also comes from my "Kid Approved Meals" notebook that I bought when I was at a Mothering conference. For more meals by Christine Steendahl and Jenn Caligado, you can go to her website, www.kidapprovedmeals.com

Ingredients:
1 pkg. manicotti or lasagna noodles, cooked drained and cooling in water
1 cup cottage or ricotta cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 cup spaghetti sauce

Directions:
If you are using lasagna noodles, get those cooking first. (My opinion: I think you should either use half of the box of lasagna noodles, or you should double the cheese mixture if you are using a whole box. I had quite a bit of noodles left over when my cheese mixture was all used up)Once they are cooked, use tongs to take them out of the boiling water and put them in a bowl of ice water so they can chill enough to touch them.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together cheeses with egg and Italian seasoning. Stuff manicotti or lasagna noodles rolled up. Place stuffed pasta in large baking dish. Top with spaghetti sauce and bake for 30-35 minutes.Serve with veges. These are delightful, btw!!!!!!!!

Interesting: How about decreasing your vocabulary?

I've been encouraging you to increase your vocabulary. Check out this video I found today, encouraging you to do just the opposite.

The song in my head, and my heart, today.

I think I learned this one way back when I was a kid at camp. It still comes to my mind on a semi-regular basis. It's short and simple. Here it is:


Oh God, you are my God, and I will ever praise you.
Oh God, you are my God, and I will ever praise you.
I will seek you in the morning, and I will learn to walk in your ways,
and step by step you'll lead me, and I will follow you all of my days.

This song just keeps going through my head today.

It's just such great news for anyone who has ever done anything less than admirable. Soak in the freedom of this message. You are more...

My strength comes from the Lord.

Have you ever met someone who totally changed who you were, just by being who they were? I am blessed with inspiring and motivating mentors lately, close and far. I always have, actually. I just didn't always know to call them mentors. It isn't that they are all sitting down with me for coffee once a week. Some of them I sit down with and I ask them questions, and others I learn from by simply observing and listening closely when they talk. Some of them I sought out, and others I just happened to bump into along the way. Most of them don't even know how much they are influencing me just by being who God is calling them to be. I guess they cannot know unless I tell them. Lately, God has given me eyes to see who some of them are, and the desire to give a handful of them an extra thanks.

One of them is Susie Larson. She is an author, speaker, and a radio host. I just cannot say enough good about her. I mean, REALLY, I cannot. From miles away, she spreads wisdom and encouragement to anyone who wants to listen. Having said that, I read a clip on her blog today that I thought would strike a chord with many, many moms..."tapping into the strength God gives, and that is readily available to us all". Please read a little blurb about a dream she once had. If you are interested in reading the post, in its entirety, click here.

"Lord, I don't know what just happened at this event, but I do know this: I want more! More of You! More of Your power and Your presence in my life!"

I fell asleep with those words on my tongue. And I had a very vivid dream.

In the dream people were busy with their daily lives, rushing to and fro - totally unaware of the power that hung overhead, completely within their reach. The 'power' looked like rolling colorful clouds with bolts of lightning shooting through them. Every once in a while, someone had the presence of mind to pause and look up. Then they'd reach up and grab hold of the 'power' and place it on their children or their wallet, or their own heart. But then they'd go along their way and not look up for a long time after that. But in my dream there was one woman who camped in the presence of God. She lived there. She reached up with great regularity and accessed what God made available to her. And the result? Her life glowed with the power made available from on high.

I woke up from my nap absolutely stunned. As I snuggled in my bed for just a while longer, I pondered this vivid dream, and the Lord whispered this across my heart, 'Most of My people only scratch the surface of what I've made available to them.'

Isn't Susie wonderful? Of course, she would probably prefer that I say, "Isn't God, working through Susie, wonderful?" ;) She is always quick to give God credit for the good she is able to accomplish. Either way, I hope her words inspire you, like they do me. For the rest of her post, go here.

God's blessings on you, mommies, as you continue to daily muster the energy to serve your families. :) Moms, May you not grow weary in doing what is right, for at the proper time, your family will reap a harvest. Love you all. Thank you for visiting our site today.

Tomato-Cheese Ravioli Soup

Makes 1 (1.25 cup) servings.

I have to start by saying that these pictures do not do this recipe justice. This is always going to be one of our family favorites. This recipe came from my Five Ingredient, Fifteen Minute cookbook. I LOVE this cookbook. Did I mention yet that it is definitely my favorites of all my cookbooks? It is. Try this recipe and you will see why. This recipe has two easy steps.










Ingredients:
1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth or vege broth
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning (I always use it from an Italian seasoning packet, but I think the recipe intends that you just use regular seasoning)
3 cups frozen cheese ravioli (about 12 ounces)
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Step One:
Combine first three ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.









Step Two:
Add ravioli, zucchini, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heart, and simmer 7 minutes or until pasta and zucchini are tender.











Now, the question is: Will you use a fork or a spoon?!