Today, I’m sharing a book recommendation with y’all. Don’t Make Me Come Up There by Kristen Welch is a great devotion book for moms. This is a collection of stories and reflections that SO many of us can relate to in our daily lives and in our faith walks too. I haven’t read it all yet, but every time I read a new chapter, I find myself nodding along. I recommend picking up a copy of this book or download it onto your e-reader. You’ll be blessed!

• Today, I looked into a closet FULL of clothes and thought “I have nothing to wear.”
• Today, I went to the pantry to find something for lunch and although it was full, I thought “There’s nothing to eat here.”
• Today, I discovered that I am spoiled. And, yes, I’m pretty ashamed of that fact.

When I realized just how spoiled I’ve become, it was quite humbling. I mean, seriously, to look into a closet full of clothes in utter disgust at having “nothing” to wear? Spoiled. To be entirely too choosy about lunch when I have options? Spoiled. It’s just plain wrong. How many out there would love to have even a second set of clothes to wear? How many would like to have the “problem” of deciding which shoes to wear? The answer, unfortunately, is entirely too many. People go without daily and I have the gall to be disappointed when I can’t find anything in our stocked pantry that suits my fancy for lunch. Y’all, it hit me like a ton of bricks today that I have not been grateful enough. At all. I really haven’t. I mean, sure, when I say my prayers I am thankful for my many blessings, but I admittedly rarely take the time to go through the list. My “things” are plentiful, actually, but my blessings are infinite. I need to be more grateful. Instead of griping that I don’t want to wear THOSE jeans, I should put them on and be thankful I have the ones I have. Instead of whining (to myself) that we don’t have what I wanted for lunch, I can eat and be thankful to have a meal. Because, let’s be honest, nothing guarantees that I’ll have that tomorrow. If it all fell away,I would wish I had the things back that I took so easily for granted. That’s a hard reality, but there it is.

I decided to share this because it’s been on my heart.  I really want this blog to be a place where I can express all kinds of different thoughts, feelings and even things like this that knock me over the head. I have a feeling that some out there can relate to what I have written about today. Trust me, I say that without a hint of judgment, but with an understanding that comes from my own realization. I’ll never be perfect, but I know and trust the One who is and I am thankful that He loves me in spite of me.

I am reminded, yet again, to just be thankful. I am called to be thankful in everything – good, bad, up down and all things in between. Sometimes, I need that reality check even if it’s hard to face.

Blessings,
Kelly

 In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 

Hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend. We didn’t have much going on around here and, actually, it was a nice change of pace. Mariana was fighting off a cold, so we basically laid low and had family time at home. The girls had a play date yesterday with a friend’s kids and they had a blast!! Her daughter is in Macey’s class and her son is also in kindergarten, like Mariana, so it was perfect. I need to be better about planning play dates for the girls because they LOVE them and it’s always fun to have friends play over here.

I think y’all should check out Three Little Pixies on Etsy. Liz has some amazing and beautiful hand-made keepsakes, y’all. I’m angling to win this “You are My Sunshine” necklace on her Facebook page. When Macey was a tiny baby (wasn’t that just yesterday?), I used to try to sing “You Are My Sunshine” to her and I would choke up and cry. I just love that sweet song and it took me quite awhile to be able to sing it to her without being a sniffling mess. (Note: I’m not getting any contest entries by posting this here, but I did post on FB, Pinterest and Twitter to enter the contest. I just so happen to adore her creations, so I wanted to share the link.)

Not much else going on today. It’s somewhat of a dreary day here,  but at least it’s not frigid or snowing, so…no complaints from me.

Have a great remainder of this Tuesday, y’all…
Kelly

We are keeping Bea and her family in our prayers. We don’t know the family, personally, but they are a part of our community and we want to help as much as possible. One small way we can help is by helping to get the word out. So, please visit the site, add Bea and her family to your prayer list and make a donation if possible.

Blessings,

Kelly

And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased…
Hebrews 13:16 

Now, on to today’s blog post. Natural consequences.

Mickey and I have been working on teaching the girls about natural consequences. We believe that this is a good method of teaching valuable life lessons – when taught within reason, of course. For instance, we are teaching them that if they don’t eat what they have for meals, they will probably be pretty hungry when the next meal rolls around again. This teaches a few things, actually. One, Mama is not a short-order cook and this is not Waffle House. If you don’t eat what I’m serving, well, you’re going to have to wait until the next meal to see if you like that one better. We’re also teaching the girls how blessed they are to have three good meals (not to mention snacks) per day. This seems to be working well because although neither of our daughters are what I would label as “adventurous eaters”, they will definitely try what we are having at mealtimes. To be honest, I don’t cook much of anything that is extravagant anyway. So, when I prepare a meal, I expect them at try it and I always make things that I truly believe our whole family will like. If they choose not to eat much of it, then they know that they won’t get anything until it’s time to eat again. To me, that’s a good natural consequence. They certainly won’t starve, right? It’s all about keeping things within reason. We wouldn’t turn them loose into a crowded parking lot in some ridiculous effort to teach them the natural consequence of THAT, but we will certainly use natural consequences when appropriate.

As simplistic as this seems, as I was thinking recently about natural consequences, it occurred to me that God lets us operate on natural consequences as well. The choices we make that are of this world warrant us the rewards or consequences of the world. If we choose to do that which is right and faithful, the reward is our’s. If we choose to deviate from the path of faithfulness, we suffer the consequences. Pretty simple, right? I think that on the surface, it seems simple, but, like anything with faith, it goes far deeper. Because God allows us free will, we have these choices to make and we aren’t always going to make the right ones. Try as we might, we are all bound to fail in our humanness. It just happens. Just like we do with our children, God allows us to experience natural consequences in life so that we might learn and grow. However, while we are training our children to eventually be independent of us, God is always calling us to drawer nearer to Him and depend more fully on Him. Even when we fail Him, God is always faithful to us. It’s out of love for us that He allows us to make choices and give us opportunities to learn and grow from the choices we make.

Using natural consequences as a parenting tool is a model that we feel will benefit our girls in many ways. We want to instill an anchor of faith for them so that as they grow and make choices in their lives, they are equipped to make faithful decisions for themselves. This won’t always be the case, but as long as we have taught them well, they will have a faith basis on which to grow and learn. So, while it starts with something as simple as choosing to eat a meal and be thankful for it, hopefully this will bloom into life lessons that carry them through with faith.

Blessings,
Kelly

Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Proverbs 22:6

This is going to sound crass to say and I know it, but sometimes there is nothing you can say about cancer except that it just sucks.  Cancer has found its way into my family a few times and the last two times it’s been close to home. Over the summer, my awesome step-mom Dorothy (aka MiMi to the girls) was diagnosed with breast cancer. She’s undergone the torture of chemo and is now going through radiation. Praise God, she’s a trooper and is handling it all with grace and faith, but to say it’s been hard is the understatement of the decade. And, now my sweet Gran is about to go through chemo treatments too. She had her port placed today and a protocol should be decided tomorrow so that she can start her treatments. It’s going to be a hard road, but I know that, like Dorothy, she will face it with faith in God and strength from His grace. It hurts my heart that they are going through this. Cancer claimed Mickey’s beloved Grandpa Frank last year and his Grandma had overcome breast cancer several years ago before she passed away this past fall. It touches too many families. I dare say that there aren’t many people out there whose family hasn’t been affected by it in some way. And, like so many others out there, we wait and hope for a cure.

I’m asking for prayer for Gran, Pop and the family as she goes through this trial. I’m also asking for prayer for Dorothy as she goes through radiation. These are two women that mean so much to me and my little family. We trust in God’s plan as we pray for healing and peace.

Blessings,
Kelly

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:11-13

Chicken Pot Pie
From Paula Deen’s My First Cookbook 

What you’ll need:

• Medium pot
• Tongs
• Cutting Board
• Medium Sharp Knife
• Liquid measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• Small pot
• Dry measuring cup (1/4 cup)
• Whisk
• 9-inch glass pie plate
• Oven mitts or hot pad
• Scoop for serving
• 2 chicken breasts with skin and bone (we used thin sliced boneless breasts – about four of them.  We also used 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth.)
• 2-3 cups of water
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup whole milk  (we used 2% organic milk)
• 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Two 9-inch refrigerated foldable pie crusts
• 2 15-oz cans mixed vegetables (We used one small can mixed vegetables, one regular can diced new potatoes and half a can of diced asparagus)

What You’ll Do:

1. Turn the oven on to 375 degrees.
2. Make sure your adult helper is nearby. Put the chicken and enough water just to cover it in the medium post. Put the pot on the stove-top and turn on the heat to medium-high. When the water comes to a boil, cook for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and let chicken cool for one hour. (NOTE: We used boneless, skinless, thin-sliced chicken breasts and boiled until done. We used a reduced sodium chicken broth in place of the broth that the original recipe called for.)
3. Using tongs, take chicken out of the pot and put it on the cutting board. Pull the meat from the bones and chop it into medium-size pieces. Throw away the skin, bones and fat. Save one cup of the broth to make your sauce. (See note above)
4. Put the butter in the small pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk it with the whisk until it is smooth. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and whisk until the sauce is thick. Add the milk and whisk until the sauce is bubbling. Whisk in salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.
5. To assemble the pie: Unfold one of the pie crusts and press it into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Spread the chicken over the bottom of the crust. Drain the vegetables (you can pour the water through your fingers into the sink). Spread the vegetables on top of the chicken. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables.
6. Place the top crust over the chicken. Trim the edge if it is too long. Pinch the edges of the crust together. Take a knife and make three slits in the crust.
7. Bake the pie for 40 minutes, until the crust is brown and the filling is bubbling. Use oven mitts or hot pads to take it out of the oven. (You might have to ask your adult helper to do that for you.) Let the pie cool for 10 minutes before you take a big scoop.

Serves 6 to 8

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This recipe is not only easy and tasty, but also lends itself to creativity. You can use a variety of vegetables for the filling. You could also substitute turkey instead of chicken. The varieties are plentiful with this one.

I have to give this recipe high marks because not only was it easy for Macey and me to make together, but it was also delicious!! Mickey is a big fan of chicken pot pie and he absolutely raved over it too. Okay, part of it was because Macey cooked it, but it really was THAT good. Macey and I served this pot pie with a very simple side salad (lettuce, tomato and almond slivers) and it was a fantastic meal for our family. I took this picture of the finished pie with my phone, so that photo quality isn’t the greatest – sorry.

As you can see, it turned out great and tasted even better. I love getting in the kitchen with my girls. This is a great way for them to learn and for us to build great memories. Sometimes I’ve been guilty of saying “oh, just let me do it…”, but, really, it’s so awesome to help them learn and watch their pride when it all comes together. That’s worth taking a little extra time for, if you ask me.

Kelly

“ I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 NASB

Today, I was listening to Hillsong United’s Aftermath CD. (Side note: if you don’t have it, get it. It’s amazing.) The song Aftermath was on and I heard certain parts of it with new clarity today.  The whole song is powerful to me, but the part that really struck a chord with me today were the lyrics “And, I know you’re with me. Yes, I know you’re with me here…” 

Who else out there is like me and knows in your heart that God is truly always with us, but, yet, we don’t really stop to think about that throughout our days? God is as present as the very air we breathe and sometimes, I shamefully admit, I don’t embrace His presence as constant. When times are hard, I’m known to rely on His presence more. Our family went through some mighty struggles in September of last year with the loss of my step-dad, my step-mom starting chemo and my granddaddy having major heart surgery. I can say with absolute conviction that especially during those times I relied greatly on the presence of God for sustaining grace and strength. But, why is it during those times when I embrace Him the most? I am not so foolish as to think that I don’t need Him every second of every day. So, why then, do I often live without acknowledging His presence in my every day life? I’m ashamed to admit that I go through this, but, frankly, I do. Instead of acting like God is right with me with every breath I take, I tend to fall into the needing of Him in tragedy rather than seeking His guidance in every day. And, that’s a staggering realization that I know I need to work through because I know for certain that God desires a relationship with me just as He desires a personal relationship with all that are His. This relationship shouldn’t be one-sided or one where I call out to Him only when I am faced with trials and burdens. I should walk with Him daily, so that His presence shines through me and into all that I do.

My desire is to have a closer and more personal relationship with my Savior. I am always a believer, but just believing isn’t living out the calling God has for my life. He has set me apart and that’s how I know I should live. I can only do that through close connection with Him. If I find that I am not feeling as connected with God, it is always me that has moved. God is faithful, steadfast and true. He is unchanging and everlasting. While I am humanly flawed, I know He’s patient and that I’m always a work in progress.

While it seems simple to say that I know God is with me daily, my prayer and goal is that I would live this out in my life. He’s not just the God of comfort, but also the God of guidance and truth. I can only achieve my full purpose in life through His grace and I can only do that through connection with Him. I’m thankful that I’ve been convicted, yet again, of how to better live for Him and through Him.

Amen.

Today Mickey and I attended the life celebration/memorial service of a good friend’s mom who recently passed away after a long battle with cancer. It was a very beautiful and fitting service for a life well lived. To me, it says a lot for a person when their memorial service not only has tears, but also times of smiles and laughter through remembrances. That’s what I would want my own memorial to be like, actually. I would like to be remembered, some day, with smiles and laughter. That’s a great testimony to a life filled with family, friends, love and faithfulness.

One thing that really stood out to me in today’s service was when entries from a journal were read.  I found the sharing of written thoughts very moving. It occurred to me that these journals would be a treasure for the family for years to come. I think that is just incredible. That makes me want to be a better journal keeper. If not written down into a beautifully bound book, then maybe typed on a blog or a computer journal. What was shared today were thankful lists and it was a blessing to hear each of them. If it blessed me, as a congregation member today, I can only imagine how it blessed the family and close friends to hear those thankful words being read. What a beautiful treasure!

I would encourage each of us to keep thankful records. This is one of my yearly goals, but, really, it’s a nice lifelong goal. I haven’t yet recorded our family thankful items in a journal, but each evening before we have the blessing before dinner, we all go around and tell what we are thankful for in that day. Tonight, Macey even asked to go first. It’s catching on already! I really need to get a journal and write down these thankful items each day. A friend recently told me that she used to do this with her three children too and that it helped them all to see that they could find something to be thankful for in even the not-so-happiest of days.  So, we’ll continue with our thankful offerings each evening and I’ll get a journal soon to record them.

When I remember our friend’s mom, I will remember her sweet smile, the way she adored her family and what I learned today which was the way she was known for faithfully journaling. In journaling, she left behind a precious set of written memories that can be treasured by her family. And, whichever way I can, I’d like to do the same.

Blessings,
Kelly

(I decided not to include names, outside of our family,  in this post out of respect for privacy.)

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

8oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 (5oz) can evaporated milk
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chiles
1 pound chicken, boiled and shredded
1 regular size jar salsa
1 packet reduced-sodium taco seasoning
4oz reduced-fat sour cream
Flour tortillas
Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Boil and shred chicken. Put into sauce pan and add the jar of salsa, taco seasoning and sour cream.  Spoon the chicken mixture into soft flour tortillas; roll and place in lightly greased casserole dish.

For the sauce, place evaporated  milk, Velveeta and Rotel in sauce pan and heat together until cheese is melted. Stir consistently – this is quick to burn. Once the cheese is completely melted, pour the sauce over the rolled tortillas in the casserole dish.  Cover with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is brown & bubbly.

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NOTES:

• I sprinkled some shredded cheese into the tortilla with the chicken mixture before I rolled it. Not a lot – just a little sprinkling.
• If you’d prefer, you can use diced green chiles instead of Rotel tomatoes with chiles.
• I heated the tortillas in the microwave so that they’d be soft and easier to roll.
• I bake in two 8×8 pans and place four rolled tortillas in each. One pan is enough for our family of four.
• For our side dish, I made pinto beans.

Do you have a chicken enchilada recipe? If so, please share.

Kelly