Seek Peace and Pursue It

In my repeated reading of 1 Peter this past month, it seems the Lord has been bringing this verse to mind:

For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer,but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." 1 Peter 3:10-12 (quoting from Psalm 34)

The words that keep ringing in my mind are "Seek peace and pursue it." Over and over. "Seek peace and pursue it." And you know what? I think that's what I've been doing.

First, you've got to seek peace. Look for it. Prayerfully ask God where it will be found. In setting a certain relationship in order? In becoming obedient in a certain area? In giving Him an area of fear? In my case, I decided that one of the places peace could be found for me was in an orderly home, which I admittedly hadn't had in quite some time. I used to be a nut about keeping my house perfect. When the kids were very small, I was so into my house that it became an area of bondage for me. Over the years, with God's help, I began to relax my standards. Then, my flesh took over and in recent years, my increasingly relaxed standards coincided with our increasingly busy schedule, and chaos began to take root. In my junk drawers. In my master closet. In the garage. Ack! I was in bondage to the house again, but not because it was too neat, but because it was too messy! Oh, it looked fine if you came over, but I knew that lurking behind cabinet and closet doors, and on the other side of the garage, there It was. Disorder. And the mess wasn't just contained in closets and drawers, but it began to invade my thinking as well. My mind became just as cluttered. And, I have to admit that I felt no energy or enthusiasm to do anything about it! I would clean a cabinet and wait for the "cleaning fever" to hit like it used to, and it didn't. I would take a vitamin. Drink some coffee. Pray. (Not necessarily in that order!) And still, the cleaning bug didn't bite. I wanted it clean, but didn't want to put everything aside in order to do it. The kids wanted to go to the pool, we were invited to go out of town, there was a conference, we had mission trips... there was always something!

Well, in recent weeks, I decided to do the second half of that sentence: "Pursue it." I knew peace could be found in order, but I had to pursue it. I began to see that cleaning a kitchen cabinet here, a pantry there, a laundry room shelf here and a bookshelf there were starting to help clear my mind and energize me. As I posted last week, I tackled my son's room, and as I mentioned in my post, my master closet was next. Boy, was it ever! I emptied that thing all over my room, up and down our hallway, and into our dining room. Stuff. Everywhere.

I became the "clothes bouncer," deciding which clothes could come back in. "You, but not you... you but not you." I interviewed my clothes, asking pointed questions like:

"Who was president when you were purchased?"

"When was the last time you were worn outside of this closet?"

"Does the number on your tag accurately represent my current size?"

"Does wearing you look like a cry for help?"

You know. Those tough questions that some of the clothes in our closets don't want to answer!

Sadly, not everyone qualified to come back in. Not all of our "stuff" was qualified to come back in, either. Some memorabilia, I found, wasn't worth taking a walk down memory lane with anymore. There were some things I thought I would want around, that suddenly I didn't want as much as I wanted peace. So, out they went. For two days I worked. Now, it's beautiful. It's organized. It smells like Cucumber Melon air freshener. Aaaahhh.

Yesterday we tackled the garage. My school shelves are where I can get to them, you can walk through it without wearing protective clothing. It's a work in progress, but it's measurable progress!

And do you know what I found this week? Peace!! Apparently it was stuffed in my master closet, garage, and under my son's trundle bed all along! Flattened under piles of stuff and weighed down by clutter, fragments of peace were cloistered away, just waiting to be found. I've got a pile of junk ready to go out with the trash in the morning, and a mountain of wonderful treasures ready to be picked up for donation on Tuesday. And I'm walking around clutching my prized posession, my greatest find in all of that mess... my peace!

I know that the ultimate goal should not be neatness for neatness' sake, but godliness and holiness. But I found that, for me, the disorder in my home did not reflect God's character, for He is a God of order, not chaos. I've still got some other areas where God has shown me I'm to pursue peace... a couple of relationships and some habits I need to work on, but the peace I've found in recent days by restoring order in my home will certainly accompany me into those areas as well. Sort of like a "peace snowball" I guess. It's getting bigger!

Where is your peace? I would encourage you to, with God's help, decide where it will be found, to seek it. Then, with His energy... pursue it! It's worth it!

I Wish I Was As Sweet As My Tea

But most days I'm not!

Come to the Internet Cafe today where I'm discussing how being sweet can effect others. Our example is a woman from the Bible who I'm sure was, as we in Texas would say, "just the sweetest thing" even though she had good reasons to be bitter.



It sure would be sweet of you to stop on by!

Cleaning

Yesterday when the kids got up, I warned them: "Today is cleaning day. Your goal today is to clean. It is our reason for being today. Cleaning. That's it. Cleaning and organizing. If it doesn't fit one of those two categories, we ain't doin' it." You can imagine the joy on their faces as they munched their cereal and heard the exciting plans for the day. I'm sure they were sad they hadn't gotten up earlier. Life just doesn't get any better than a sunny summer day when you wake up and your mom tells you you're cleaning your room, nay, the rest of the house. All. Day.

I'm sure one of them uttered a silent prayer, a plea for rescue, as I was speaking. How am I sure? Because after I had issued our orders for the day and we began to get our game faces on, the phone rang. It was Grandma. She's enjoying a week of vacation, and wouldn't the children like to spend the day with her at the lake? Luke's brother has a beautiful travel trailer/ RV which he took out to a lake not far from here and set up for her so she could spend time out there fishing and enjoying time by the water, relaxing. (Isn't that a sweet son?) So, of course, she would love it if the kids could go with her and fish and swim and enjoy it with her. (Isn't that a sweet Grandma?) I stood looking at the chaos and dirt around me (the result of our flying-by-the-seat-of-our-swim-suits summer lifestyle) my plan-for-the-day still echoing in my mind. The kids were already cheerfully hopping to it (really, that's how they are!) having no idea what I was on the phone discussing. I held their futures in my very palm, and they had no idea! So, what did I do? I let them go, of course. (Isn't that a sweet mom?)

Before they left, I decided we would do something for Dad, who is working long(er) hours this week while his business partner is out of the country. He's starting his days at 4:30 AM, coming home v-e-r-y tired. Too tired to mow the yard. So, my son and I tackled the yard together. I mowed and he weed-eated weed-ate used the weedeater. We knocked it out and they happily skipped off with Grandma by 10:30, and I had the day to myself. So, what did I do? I continued with The Plan. If it didn't have to do with cleaning, I wasn't going to do it! Still panting from yardwork, I decided to tackle my son's room. He had already warned me, "Mom, when we're cleaning my room, don't get mad, okay?" He knows me. And I know him. And I know that in the realm of kids and chores, you get what you inspect, not what you expect. I am not a good "inspector" most days, so I often find clothes behind the door and all manner of clutter stuffed where a resourceful 10/11 year-old would stuff clutter in the name of getting-through-with-chores! He's not as naturally organized as his sister, he just wants to get on with life!

I did what Laura the Organizing Junkie suggests, which is "empty the space." And I mean, I emptied the space. I took everything out of his closet and put it in the playroom. I took every toy, bin, shelf, all but his bed, desk and dresser... out. Bless his heart! If he would've been there I know I would've gotten frustrated with him over what I was finding. I'll bet I found enough socks to outfit the nearest elementary school. When I pulled out his trundle bed to move it, it was covered in books, socks, pencils, his mp3 player, etc. I decided early on that while I was working in his room that day, I would pray through it. I also decided that if I got frustrated with him (which I did, often! "This is not where he's supposed to put this!! And he knows it!!") I would pray for him. I had to keep reminding myself, that... he's a child! He's learning. And as I went through his things, putting things back in order and praying for that sweet child, I learned too.

I wonder if that's what it's like for Jesus, as He's going through the mess in my heart that I bring Him daily. I wonder if He thinks, "What a mess! What is this doing in here?? What did I tell you to do with this? And, do you still have this? I thought I asked you to get rid of it. Here, let Me help." It made me think of that little booklet, My Heart, Christ's Home, that I got from a Sunday School teacher in middle school. The concept of Jesus coming in and helping me deal with the clutter in my heart and setting it in order for His purposes has always been such a blessing to me. I'm His child. I'm learning.

So, what were the results? When my cute husband came home and saw the yard, he looked at me like he wanted to marry me again. I was even still in my yardwork clothes with my hair piled on my head! He said, "I thought you were kidding when you said you mowed!" Kidding? Who would kid about a thing like that? That's like burning a cookie-scented candle and making everyone's mouth water, thinking there's fresh-baked cookies somewhere when there's just... wax! Anyway, it was worth it to see the look on his tired face when he got home after a long day and was able to relax instead of do yard work.

My son came home today (they ended up spending the night last night- fun!) and l-o-v-e-d his room. He's up there now, listening to his radio and playing with his hamster in his newly-organized room. He feels thankful, most of all. (He hugged me SO tight. "Thanks, mom!!") He feels relieved that it's done. He feels empowered because everything is where he can get to it and knows exactly where to put his things. He feels relaxed because clutter has a way of producing tension. (I ought to know... it's how I feel when I walk in my closet! That's next on my list!) It's been in order before, but after our schoolyear and busy summer, it needed to be organized. I'm sure in a few months it will need it again, and that's okay. I wish I had a picture of his smile. And someday I'll share pictures of his room.

But right now I'm too tired!

Menu Plan Monday

Happy Monday! I hope you had a terrific weekend!

Let me just recommend Taste of Home's Southwestern Fish Tacos again. We had them last week, and they are wonderful. The recipe recommends haddock or orange roughy, but I have a fisherman who loves to bring home catfish and sand bass and this recipe works great with those. It is lighter than a beef dish, easy, and very quick! (It would also work great with tilapia fillets.) My husband asked me to write out the recipe for him last week after we had them so he could share it with a fishing buddy whose freezer is also full of fish. (And you know when guys are exchanging recipes, it must be good!) My kids also love them.

Also, this Chicken Spaghetti recipe worked *great* in the crock pot last week. I added extra cans of each of the soups, and added a can of low-sodium chicken broth, and it stayed really creamy until we were ready for dinner (which turned out to be late, as my sweet husband unexpectedly had to work late.) It turned out so good, he took leftovers to work for lunch twice!

Okay, here's what we've got cookin' this week:

Monday: Bar-b-cups, green beans, corn
Tuesday: order pizza
Wednesday: Chicken Pesto Panini sandwiches (on the George Foreman grill), Baked Potato soup
Thursday: Leftover buffet
Friday: African Chicken Treat, rice, stir-fried veggies
Weekend: Leftovers, sandwiches, out to eat after church

Be sure to stop by Laura's for more menu plans, or to share your own. I hope you're stirring up some fun at your house this week!

I Want My Kids to Rebel...

Against mediocrity. Against ungodliness. Against immaturity. Against rebellion! Here's where our family will this weekend- The Rebelution Conference! (Though, it's hard to believe our kids are old enough for "teen" conferences... :) If you've got teens/preteens I encourage you to check out the Rebelution site. What's a "rebelution?" From their site:

"The word 'rebelution' is a combination of the words "rebellion" and "revolution." So it carries a sense of an uprising against social norms. But in this case, it's not a rebellion against God-established authority, but against the low expectations of our society. It's a refusal to be defined by our ungodly, rebellious culture. Actually, we like to think of it as rebelling against rebellion. "

"And it's exciting, because the Rebelution has really become a type of counter-cultural youth movement among Christian young people from around the country, and even around the world, who are not only rejecting the lies and the corruption of media-saturated youth culture, but they're returning to biblical and historical levels of character and competence."

Alex and Brett Harris are awesome, truly leading by example and encouraging our youth to "rebel against low expectations" and "do hard things." Amen! I can't wait for our kids to hear what they (and their father, Gregg, whom we greatly admire) have to say.



I'll let you know what we learn. (And I do mean "we." Am I ever in "learning mode" at the moment!)

Have a blessed weekend!

Diving Into The Word This Summer

I haven't posted a "Works-For -Me-Wednesday" in just forever, but after I typed this post I realized it was Wednesday and I was posting something that "works for me" so I decided to link it. Last week someone commented on my WFMW: Prayer Bible post from way back in December, so that shows me that sometimes when you're prompted to post something that works for you, it can help someone months later! (I know going back over some of the great tips from others that I've missed on some busy weeks... God knows just when I need to read them!)

Today I thought I'd post about something I've been doing this summer that has been refreshing to me. I have begun a new approach to Bible reading, and I just love it! In past years I've enjoyed my Daily Bible, and have loved how it helps me read the Bible through in a year. At times, due to schedules, traveling, and general craziness I get off "schedule" but usually I'm able to get caught up, and I've found that it was a marvelous way to see God's Word speaking directly to me- I would read something in August that profoundly effected me, something that was dated for June, but God knew I would need to read in August! So, the daily, through-the-year Bible was something God used for several years in my life to ground me in His Word and help me become acquainted with the whole counsel of Scripture.

A couple of years ago I read How to Get The Most From God's Word by John MacArthur. In that book, he outlined a Bible reading plan that really interested me. This spring, as I began my usual daily-Bible-reading-derailment during the weeks preceding our trip to China, I was reminded of the method MacArthur described, so I looked it up and decided to try his approach.

Old Testament: MacArthur says, "For the Old Testament, I suggest reading through all of it once a year in a narrative manner (from Genesis to Malachi, no skipping around.) ...the best way to read the Old Testament is straight through, like a story. Don't look for a presentation of systematic theology... simply read the Old Testament to see what it says, to hear the story it has to tell. You will see the unfolding of God's progressive revelation; and you will also discover foundations for New Testament truths that come later.... When you come to a passage you don't understand completely, don't let it bog you down. Put a question mark in the margin and move on. As you continue to read the Old Testament year by year, line upon line and precept upon precept, you will begin to erase the question marks." He breaks it down into about 3 chapters a day (15-20 minutes).

New Testament: MacArthur says of the New Testament, "I use a little different approach. I still keep the principle of repetition from Isaiah 28:9 (line upon line, precept upon precept) but with an important variation. Instead of reading through the entire New Testament from Matthew to Revelation, I read each book over and over for thirty days... The Bible has a flow and a context, especially the letters from Paul, James, and others. When somebody writes you a letter, you don't stop to read a nice line, then jump two pages to find another good thought. You read it through, to understand the flow of thought.... You break the longer books up and still use the same thirty-day system. For example, the Gospel of John has twenty-one chapters. Divide it into three sections of seven chapters each."

His book goes into greater depth about the benefit of such a plan and the discipline involved, and I highly recommend it. (In fact, when I originally read it I read big chunks of it to my kids, too.) This summer I began with Colossians, now I'm in 1 Peter, and I'll be going on to James in August. In my Old Testament readings I am in Ruth, and it has coincided with Nancy Leigh DeMoss's series on Ruth on Revive our Hearts. God is so faithful!

Another thing I have been doing, which has been fun, is to use the Inductive Study Approach as outlined in The New Inductive Study Bible. I first learned this method when I did a Precepts Bible study two years ago, and I love it. I get to color in my Bible! Each morning I get out my box of colored pencils and color-code and mark key words throughout the passages I'm reading. Mainly, I've been marking my New Testament readings, a new chapter as I read the entire book each day. I'm not marking the Old Testament passages, although I've begun marking Ruth as I'm lingering there listening to Revive Our Hearts. (There is a pretty good explanation of how to "mark" or observe passage in this method here.)

Here is a picture of one of my pages from 1 Peter, to show how I've marked it. (You can click on it to make it larger.)There is a list of suggested markings in the front of the Inductive Study Bible, and I have some that I've developed on my own to help me remember key concepts. Combining the methods I learned in Precepts with MacArthur's reading plan has been so beneficial for me.

Are there days I don't get to it? Sure! Are there days I don't read every single chapter in "the plan"? Absolutely! You know what? It doesn't matter! The key is, I'm in God's Word, soaking up His truths, reading them in context and prayerfully applying His profound Word to my life. It's not meant to be intimidating or rigid, but enjoyable, interesting, and relevant. There's no "wrong" way to mark passages, it's strictly what helps me to identify key words, phrases, themes, people, and lists. I'm enjoying it immensely, and since I always love hearing what Bible study methods work for other people, I thought I'd share it with you today. I'd love to know what you've found that works for you, too!

Visit Shannon to read more of what works for some of the smartest women on the web!

Monday Menu, Meme, and Musings

Hello to another week! Doesn't it seem like summer is just flying by? Last week we got back from our quick trip to Sea World just in time for my daughter to attend a week of volleyball camp. She really enjoyed it, but I'm looking forward to this week with fewer days punctuated by regular pick-up and drop-off times. The kids are swimming and fishing with their cousins right now. My mother-in-law is so sweet to always call on her days off and want to spend time with her grandkids. She grabbed up whichever ones were available today for a morning at the marina. SO, I'm home getting caught up on some house chores (and blogging!)

First, our menu:

Monday: Southwestern Fish Tacos, black beans, guacamole, chips

Tuesday: Chicken Spaghetti, (mixed up and put in the crock pot- my favorite summer appliance besides the air conditioner!), caesar salad, green beans, garlic bread

Wednesday: Corny dogs, potato salad, baked beans

Thursday: Left-overs or eat out on the way to this (fun!)

Friday: Moroccan hamburgers, sweet potato fries, salad

Weekend: Leftovers and out-to-eat

Last week's menu highlights:

We really enjoyed this Crockpot Chicken Taco recipe, but made with pork. (We love any kind of taco around here!) The meat turns out so great in this recipe. We also enjoyed Crockpot BBQ Ham sandwiches one night. I'm tellin' ya, my Crockpot is one of my best friends during these hot summer months! I also bought all the fixin's for banana splits (complete with the cherry on top) and we had fun making those a couple of nights.

Visit Laura's for more menu ideas, or to share yours.

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Now, onto a fun meme that Susanne tagged me for last week. This is the "Questions Meme." She made up 5 questions for me to answer, I answer them, make up 5 more questions and then tag 5 other people.

Here are her questions:

1. If you could meet any famous person in the world, be it political leader, celebrity, novelist, missionary or preacher, etc. who would it be? Hmmm. Well, it depends on what book I'm reading, usually, but I'd say that I've always wanted to sit down and chat with Elisabeth Elliot. She's so, so wise, and gets straight to the point!

2. What is your all time favorite novel and why is it your favorite? I don't read a lot of fiction, but one of my all-time favorites that I read in high school and is currently in my "to-be-read-again" pile is To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee's writing is masterful, I love the way she develops the characters, and the story is gripping and makes me cry. I love it.

3. If you could go on any game show, past or present, which would it be? Well, since as a homeschool mom I already play "Are You Smarter Than A __th Grader" everyday, I definitely won't choose that one! I'd have to say Wheel of Fortune. Even though I know that I'd freeze up and forget what vowels and consonants are and land on "bankrupt" repeatedly...

4. If you could obliterate one tv show off the current programming schedule which would it be? Desperate Housewives

5. What is your dream job? I grew up wanting to be Julie from Love Boat, so I'll have to say cruise director!


Great questions, Susanne! That was fun!


Here are my questions:

1. When is a time you felt especially close to God?

2. If you could learn another language (easily), what would it be?

3. What house chore is your least favorite and why?

4. If you could have any animal (tamed) as a pet, what would it be?

5. What's one thing about your life now that would've surprised the "teenager you" to know?

I tag Linda, Lisa, Mindy, Lauren, and Christine.

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Well, on to the "musings." One thing I'm musing about right now is a toothache. I used some Anbesol earlier and enjoyed a numb tongue, but no real pain relief. Ith a good thing my kidth were gone thwimming and I dint have to thay anything... Oh! And one of my favorite jokes is coming true this afternoon. My dentist appointment is at 2:30. (Tooth-hurty?? Get it??? Cracks me up everytime!) But for some reason, I'm not laughing as hard today! Another thing I'm musing about this morning is how blessed I am to be in a ministry with my husband. We worked this weekend on our Awana schedule for the year, I finalized all of the record keeping from last year, and we brainstormed some leadership issues and upcoming events. We are meeting with our Childrens Pastor's assistant tomorrow to go over our year. As busy as it keeps us at times, I just love serving with my husband. So often our obligations and ministries take us in separate directions, and I just love that we're in this together. It's such a blessing and a privilege! I'm also musing about school. I'm knee deep in curriculum and planning for our homeschool year (which I post about on my homeschool blog when I can). Homeschooling is another blessing and gift in my life for which I am always doubly thankful this time of year. God is so, so faithful to give me enthusiasm for what He has called me to do.

Well, thanks for reading all of this! I hope your week is off to a great start, and that you, too, are experiencing enthusiasm and strength through God Himself as you do whatever He has called you to. Be blessed today!

I haven't posted all week because...

I. Can't. Do. It. All.

And you know what? Neither can you. Praise God, we don't have to! Join me today at the Internet Cafe where I'm discussing blog intimidation, "irl" comparison (what's that???), guilt, a liberating quote, and some thoughts on how sometimes good enough is... good enough!

I'd love to see you there!

"Spur" Of The Moment Vacation

SO... where did we go this weekend?

Here are some hints:

Yes, we headed to San Antonio! It's been rainy everywhere, but we decided to take our chances and head south. Luke and I realized a few months ago that our kids have seen the world, but not much of our fair state, so with work being slow due to the rain we decided it would be a fine time to take them on a "San Antonio Spur"-of-the-moment trip to Sea World and the Alamo. We had a great time! I was finishing folding some laundry when he called from work to say, "Hey, let's do it!" so I just diverted laundry into some duffle bags and off we went!

We arrived late after taking the dogs to be boarded and sitting in rush hour traffic leaving town. Once we arrived to our hotel we realized that the only room available was a smoking room, which didn't work for us at all. SO, here we were on a weekend, in the summer, looking for a hotel room in a major tourist town. We drove from hotel to hotel, Luke would go in a ask what they had and I would be on my cell phone calling the ones in the travel guide. On our way to one that seemed okay, he happened to pull into one we hadn't seen. Just what do you think the Lord provided? A beautiful Marriott Courtyard that had only been open for four days! We had a beautiful suite and more than likely, we were the first people to ever stay in it. Instead of smoke, it smelled of fresh paint, new carpet, and fresh linens. Heaven.


Ready for a fun day!

A theme park is a busy place on a summer Saturday, but way more fun than being home doing chores, which inevitably happens if you're around the house on the weekend...

Feeding the dolphins

A mother-daughter "myspace" picture and a family picture on the way to the waterpark. where we had fun floating around the lazy river and splashing around before heading back to some of the shows.

How do they DO that???

Shamu was so fun, we went to that show twice. (The second show was a different one.) Am I the only one who cries when they play that music and Shamu and the trainer swim around together?? I'm such a sap!

It was a perfect day!

Breakfast on the Riverwalk the next morning on our way to the Alamo.

Visiting the Alamo was a perfect cap-off to our study of Texas History this year. It was a great weekend!

I hope you had a great weekend as well. Isn't summer spontaneity fun?

It's been rainy and dreary here for days... SO, we're kidnapping our kids and taking them on a surprise trip for the weekend! Just for fun, I'll surprise y'all, too. I'll be back Monday with some fun pictures of where we went!

A Real Time-Saver

Note: I posted this over the weekend, but it quickly got buried underneath other posts and my weekly menu. I'm moving it up in case you haven't seen it. It's too cute to miss!

If all of us moms could just memorize this song, it would really streamline our day! This is Anita Renfroe in a clip, found here on her website from her DVD "Total Momsense." It's everything a mom says in 24 hours condensed in 2 minutes and 55 seconds. The first part is cut off for some reason, but I'm sure we've all said it... whatever it is!

Enjoy!

Freedom From... Freedom For

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Let freedom ring! Yes, today we celebrate our country's freedom. Our hard-won independence. Our patriotism. When I really begin to think about it, my mind automatically thinks of the Revolutionary War heroes who gave all. I found out last year that I have a patriot in my ancestry, which qualifies me for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution. I remember reading through all of the research and seeing my family tree leading me to him and seeing his name, rank, and location. All of a sudden I felt a... connection. A connection to something historical and fascinating. Yes, today I'll be thinking of my Great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather Thomas.

And today I'm also thinking about being set free. I remember in Beth Moore's "Breaking Free" study years ago, coming to grips with the concept of being truly set free. If you haven't done that study, I highly recommend it, or at least reading the book. (Even if you're not particularly "Beth Moore-ish," the information it contains is so beneficial and straight from the heart of God, it'll be worth your time, I promise!) I'm not sure if it was in that study or in subsequent readings that I really began to ponder the fact that I've been set free from... and I've been set free for.

Freedom from one thing leads to freedom to do something else. So, today as the firecrackers are popping, I'm going to be thanking my Heavenly Father that He sent His Son to set me truly free- free from the eternal consequences of my sin, free from sin's bonds while on this earth, free from thinking that this life is all there is. And I'm going to be thinking all day about what I've been set free for.

As one of my favorite Ginny Owen's songs says:

You're free to dance

Forget about your two left feet

And you're free to sing

Even joyful noise is music to Me

You’re free to love

'Cause I’ve given you My love

And it’s made you free

I have set you free!

My mind finds hard to believe

That You became humanity and

Changed the course of history

Because You loved us so

And my heart cannot understand

How You accept me as I am

But You say You've always had a plan

And that's all I need to know

So when I am consumed

With what the world will say

Then You're singing to me, as You remove my chains

Free from worry

Free from envy and denial

Free to live, free to give, free to smile

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That's true freedom.

Don't you feel a connection to something historical and fascinating now, too?

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

Menu Plan Monday (and two fun desserts!)

Since we were out of town last Monday, I didn't post our menu (which I'm not sure I'll do every week anyway since it's summer and around here "summer" is synonymous with "unpredictable!") First I'll share our menu for this week, and then some some "highlights" from our menu last week.

Monday: Orange-glazed pork chops, stir fried veggies, baked potatoes
Tuesday: Pizza Pancakes, caesar salad
Wednesday: ****Happy Fourth of July!**** Cooking out.
Thursday: Pan-fried fish, mixed vegetables, salad
Friday: leftovers
Weekend: Sandwiches, leftovers, and out-to-eat after church

What we loved last week:

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches I got the recipe out of my Fix It and Forget It cookbook, but it's similar to this one, and it was a *hit* around here.

Fruit Pizza I found this recipe and made it for a party a couple of weeks ago, and we loved it so much I made another one last week for our family.
I like this recipe because it also has a glaze. Easy and so, so yummy!

This one isn't as "pretty" as the one I made for the party, and I didn't like our bananas so I used mandarin oranges and they were great! (I just noticed that just about every picture I post has something in one of these metal baking pans. It's a family thing. My grandmother has a bunch, and so do I because you can bake things, pop the metal lid on it, stack it in the fridge, transport it, and it is virtually indestructable!) I made it in this rather than on a pizza pan so we could store it and eat it over a couple of days.

Fried Ice Cream- I got a recipe from the Spanish curriculum we used when the kids were younger, and it has been a family favorite! I haven't seen it in any books (and our curriculum is packed away) but the recipe is similar to the one found here. (The top one that doesn't actually involve frying!) I threw together some nachos one night last week and this was a perfect dessert to follow! I substitute some other ingredients to make ours a little sweeter, though. Here's how I do it:

Cinnamon graham crackers
Frosted Flakes
Vanilla ice cream (in nice, round scoops) You can scoop them up and refreeze them for a bit, or just work fast.
Caramel syrup
Crush the graham crackers finely. (I use my food processor.) Also crush the Frosted Flakes, but not into a powder like the graham crackers. Put each into separate bowls.


Scoop out the ice cream (and brace yourself for your hands to be cold for a few minutes!)



Then you roll the ice cream ball, first in the graham crackers, then in the Frosted flakes. I have to sometimes press the Frosted Flakes around it to make it stick.


Put them on a plate or pan lined with wax paper, and then cover with caramel syrup before you put them back in the freezer, where they will harden while you eat dinner.

An easy, fun treat! (And one that the kids can help with, too.)

Thanks for visiting, and I hope this week finds you cookin' up some fun, in or out of the kitchen!

Visit Laura for more menus, or to share yours. Thanks, Laura!

What's Irritating You?

I'm over here today. Stop on by for a fresh look at how God might be using those little (and big) irritations in your life. It could be more than meets the eye!