The Musing Mom

Fajitas anyone?

2014-01-06T10:33:00.002-08:00

I love fajitas! They have become one of my favorite foods over the years but a pain to make. I hated having to saute veggies in one pan while cooking my chicken or beef in another. Now I don't have to!! I discovered on Pinterest that I can bake all the ingredients in one pan. Yay! So I have taken my recipe for fajitas and turned it into a one pan wonder!

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 1/2 lbs steak
Taco seasoning (I use my recipe)
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 Large onions sliced
2 Large green peppers sliced (and seeded)
1 Large red pepper (optional)
Flour tortillas
Desired toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, Mexican rice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut chicken or steak into strips and place in a greased 13x9 baking dish.
In a bowl, combine oil, spices and salt. Drizzle the mixture over the chicken or steak and stir to coat. Add the tomatoes, onions and peppers. Stir all ingredients.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked completely or steak done to your liking and veggies are tender. Spoon onto tortillas and top with your favorite toppings. Most of all enjoy the easy clean up!!

We call it Goulash

2014-01-06T10:17:00.004-08:00

I really don't know the official name of this recipe but it's good. It's a concoction of things I had in my pantry and fridge one day and it turned out pretty good. The kids have named it goulash. It's easy and tastes even better on the second day!

3 LBS ground beef
2 large diced onions
1 diced green pepper
4 1/2 Cups water
3 cans diced tomatoes with garlic and oregano
3 cans favorite tomato based pasta sauce or 3 cans tomato sauce
3 TBSP Italian seasoning
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 Tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup brown sugar (optional)
3 Cups macaroni noodles (uncooked)

Heat 2 TBSP oil in hot skillet. Add red pepper flakes until they begin to brown but don't let them burn. Add ground beef. Brown and drain excess liquid. Add diced onions and garlic powder. Saute until tender. (Approx. 5 minutes) In a dutch oven, add water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Add beef and sauteed onions. Place a lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid and simmer for another 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for about 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with your favorite garlic bread and roasted veggies!

Best.Tacos.Ever

2014-01-06T10:00:00.003-08:00

This recipe has become a family favorite and the only way the kids ask for tacos. They are really good and if you have a smaller family (4), cut the recipe in half. (This recipe makes 8-10 servings) They don't make the best leftovers because reheating the taco shells the next day does not work. However I have started scooping out the filling and storing that in the fridge and tossing the taco shells. The kids reheat the beef mixture and put it on potatoes, tortilla chips or in wraps.

1 LB ground beef or 2 LB ground beef
2 cans refried beans or 1 can refried beans
1 small diced onion
1 small can green chilies
3/4 Cup salsa
Taco seasoning (I use my homemade seasoning)
2 Cups shredded Colby-Jack Cheese (I use the Mexican blend from Aldi)
18-20 Hard Shell Tacos

Preheat oven to 375. Brown ground beef and diced onion over medium-high heat. Drain excess liquid. Add refried beans, salsa, chilies and taco seasoning. Mix well. Spoon mixture into the taco shells and place in a 9x13 baking dish standing tacos up. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the tacos. (I always push some down inside the shells as well.) Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted.

Serve with your choice of condiments.
Sour Cream
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Salsa

Taco Seasoning

2014-01-06T09:44:00.000-08:00

I no longer purchase the little pre-made packages of taco seasoning from the grocery store. Currently I make my own and have found the flavor to be a lot better. Enjoy!!

1/4 Cup Chili Powder
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tsp Oregano
2 Tsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2-1 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1 Tsp Onion Powder/Flakes
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
3 Tsp Sea Salt

Mix and store in an airtight container or old spice bottle. Use 2-21/2 Tbsp in place of store bought packages.

100 Things about Me

2013-08-26T16:05:00.002-07:00

I originally posted this back in January of 2011. As I read through the original 100 I realized that some of the things about me had changed.
This idea was originally stolen from my dear friend Aaron over at Carp Dime.

1. My birthday is September 17
2. My favorite season is fall
3. My favorite season would best be spent in the mountains
4. I love to read while sitting on the beach
5. I would rather spend my vacation doing nothing than constantly on the go
6. I have had at least five different hair colors
7. I love fast cars
8. I have five children
9. Those same five children can lead me to a place of wanting to cut off all of my hair at times
10. Those same five children have taught me to love like I have never loved
11. My favorite color is red
12. My favorite movie is STILL Knight's Tale
13. I enjoy reading a variety of things when I have the time
14. I would rather eat my dessert before my meal
15. I love to bake
16. I do not like chocolate chip cookies but I love to make them for those I love
17. I believe that true love is selfless and it does exist
18. I believe that people are too cynical
19. I believe that most people take themselves too seriously
20.I LOVE to laugh
21. I love to take care of other people
22. I believe that God is in control of all things-good and bad
23. I love to write
24. My favorite show is The Big Bang Theory
25. My favorite Christmas movie is A Christmas Story
26. My favorite Disney animated movie is Aladdin
27. My favorite Disney Princess is Cinderella
28. I have had 8 dogs in my life
29. I have had 7 cats in my life
30. I had a hamster when I was 15
31. My Honda S2000 was my dream car.
32. I named her Lucy.
33. I would rather drive a stick shift than an automatic
34. My favorite cake is Coconut Cake
35. I love to cook and make recipes my own
36. I would rather eat at a mom and pop diner than a five star restaurant
37. I love to get all dressed up but am thankful that I do not have to every day
38. I am a very forgiving person
39. My fondest memories of childhood are of being at the beach with my family
40. I miss family reunions and big family Christmas' with my extended family
41. I LOVE McDonald's honey
42. Some say that I can be sarcastic but I don't believe them
43. Math is not my strongest area
44. I love to be doted on
45. During the week you can always find me at one of two places at some point
46. Target and Harris Teeter
47. Hearing one of my five say I love you and their laughter are my favorite things to hear
48. I love to eat take-out from Lin's Garden in Wake Forest
49. I prefer greasy New York style pizza over any pizza chain
50. I am not a very trusting person
51. Yet I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt
52. Which leads me to get my heart broken quite often
53. I don't like to be late
54. I do of good job of arriving on time even with five children tagging along
55. I prefer to be organized
56. But I find it difficult at times with five children
57. I do not like going to bed with dirty dishes in the sink
58. I know the difference between to, too and two
59. And the difference between your and you're
60. And I also know the difference between its and it's
61. I love to watch college basketball
62. But I would rather experience a hockey game live
63. I am moved by many genres of music
64. Reba McIntyre is my favorite country artist
65. Train is my favorite alternative rock group
66. There is no one more amazing in concert than Chris Tomlin!!!!
67. Each of my children think that they are my favorite
68. I love fancy gadgets
69. My favorite book of the bible is Philippians
70. My EVO LTE is the BOMB
71. I get paid to shop
72. I LOVE getting paid to shop
73. I despise ranch dressing
74. I despise Reese cups even more
75. The smell of Miracle Whip makes me gag
76. I love the smell of coffee
77. I only drink it if prepared by my husband
78. And I love how the smell reminds me of being in my granddaddy and grandmother's house
79. My favorite reality show is Big Brother
80. One of my favorite smells is that of a sweet baby after a bath
81. The smell of blood makes me light headed
82. I do not particularly enjoy the smell of many types of flowers
83. That said I could spend an entire day surrounded by Jasmine bushes
84. I enjoy working on school projects with my kids
85. I love the thrill of shopping a good sale and saving a ton of money
86. I will confess that I spend more than I should
87. I am rarely wrong :-)
88. I am the oldest child of three
89. Many times I wish I were the youngest
90. I do not know how I will survive the death of my cat Bailey
91. I was born in Roanoke VA
92. I now live in downtown Wake Forest, North Carolina
93. I enjoy going to museums
94. I would love to live in Italy someday
95. I believe in the magic of Disney and love to visit
96. I love American History
97. I am a Christ Follower
98. I am a part of a non-denominational church
99. I have read the Constitution at least twice
100. I will know that you have read my facts if you leave me a comment

Buffalo Chicken Tenders

2013-08-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

Everyone in this house loves Buffalo anything. After some experimenting with different hot sauces my oldest daughter and I think we have perfected what we consider the best Buffalo sauce :-)

Be warned. It is NOT a healthy recipe but it is SO GOOD!

We start with Frank's Red Hot Sauce.

This recipe will make around 2 cups of sauce which will coat around 32 frozen chicken tenders. This feeds our family of 7.

16 Tablespoons of Franks Hot Sauce

Two full sticks of Butter

1/8 Teaspoon onion powder

Pinch of nutmeg

1/4 Teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne pepper (when I don't have Cayenne I use Chili powder)

3 Tablespoons of White Vinegar

2 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Mix it all in a saucepan over medium heat while stirring occasionally until the butter is completely melted. Reduce to simmer. Typically, while my oldest daughter is mixing the sauce I prepare the chicken tenders. You can either make your own or buy frozen tenders from your local grocery store. If I use frozen tenders I put them in the over for the first half of the cooking time. I then remove the tenders, put them into a large plastic food storage container and pour sauce over them. I then close the container and gently shake. Once coated I place them back into the oven for the remainder of cooking time. Once done I serve with ranch dressing. Easy and delicious!

An invitation

2013-08-21T14:00:00.001-07:00

I cannot say enough good things about my church. I don't typically link sermons encouraging others to listen but this one is exceptionally good. I came from a very legalistic church that left me questioning my faith as well as God's character. God brought me to Journey three years ago where I found incredible healing and a real relationship with Christ. If you struggle with the rules and lists that religion offers, take a listen to Jimmy's message. There is an amazing God waiting to have an intimate relationship with you!

Post by Journey Church.

All Things New...: My Husband used to be a pastor- Part 2

2013-06-04T10:20:00.001-07:00

All Things New...: My Husband used to be a pastor- Part 2: All of this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will rec...

One year

2012-11-01T16:32:00.001-07:00

So thankful today for God's faithfulness over the past year. So thankful for this new place in my life and that I'm no longer where I was November 1 of last year. He's brought me so far! I'm so incredibly blessed!!

Honey....

2012-09-30T19:29:00.001-07:00

Hmmm...interesting thought don't you think?

Teach our daughters, then our sons.

2012-09-24T16:31:00.001-07:00

Truth is truth...

2012-09-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

A truth I am teaching my children. Just because someone tells you something does not mean it is true even if everyone else around you believes it to be true. There are those in the world who are set out to hurt us. Those who want to bring about destruction. Those who are used by the enemy to create chaos and harm simply by lying. Each day my children are faced with those who would stand in front of their innocent minds and speak untruths to them. Those people who do not care about the effects they are having on the self-esteem of my children and the way in which my children will one day see themselves. These are individuals driven by something dark. Something that lurks in the shadows of this world wanting to devour the good that still exists. Thankfully as a mom, God has given me the words to speak into the lives of my children in order to help them understand what is true. I have recited Philippians 4:8-9 many times with my children hoping to instill in them what God's truth says..

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

When they come home confused by the latest tells they have been told, we sit, pray and talk about what we know to be true. We talk about how they are unconditionally loved by God and that He holds each of them in His hands. That God has great plans for each of their lives and when they choose to follow Him and not the world, He will do great things with them. It never takes them long to regain proper perspective and to remember all that they know to be true. That God is good and faithful to those who choose to follow Him.

Words of wisdom

2012-09-12T19:18:00.001-07:00

Things I wish I had known when I was younger. This is so true.

The Launch

2012-08-14T16:44:00.001-07:00

I have not posted anything is what feels like forever. Life is moving at such a fast pace and so many exciting things are happening. God is truly moving in my life and I have never been more aware of His presence. He is moving and He is here!!!

This Sunday is the official launch of the church plant that I became a part of six months ago. I have been given the amazing privilege alongside my best friend and the love of my life not to mention my children to be a part of something that will grow God’s kingdom. I also have a family. I finally have a church family and it is something that I have not known in a very long time. My children have a family. They are witnessing firsthand what it truly means to be part of a church family. Together we are watching God create something amazing out of a group of ordinary people each with their own story to tell. My kids have witnessed God move in the life of their mom and have witnessed firsthand God using their mom to share His love with those who do not know Him. God is blessing me with the unbelievable opportunity of living out my faith with my children.

Our church family

I spent years as a stay at home mom. I always knew there was more for me but I was part of a group that told me that if I worked outside of the home, I was neglecting my mission field (my children). I became depressed and knew something in my life was missing. I have now discovered that I was missing the opportunity to share God with other people. I was missing the opportunity to share my faith. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to work and I have loved every moment. I love my job. I love the people I work with but most of all I LOVE the opportunity I have daily to share my faith with those I encounter every day. To me, there is no greater example for my children than to see their mom live out her faith in front of them. It is incredible. God has blessed my work and opened many doors for me. It is such an exciting time in my life. I just cannot explain the joy.

All this time He has been preparing me for this very moment in my life. He knew the hard road I would travel and the pain I would endure but He has used every second of it all to prepare me and to grow my faith in Him so that I could be my best for Him. After years of heartache and abuse, God has taken the ashes of my life and turned them into something beautiful and I cannot get over it. I know this mountaintop will not last forever and eventually there will be trials again, but how thankful am I that God’s hand is upon my life right now?!?!?! He has chosen ME and He is using me in a way that brings Him glory!!! I am so undeserving but so extraordinarily thankful!

The Vow

2012-07-20T12:30:00.001-07:00

Lying in bed late one night with Krickitt asleep beside me, I came face-to-face once again with the fact that only God could heal our marriage. At that point Krickitt and I could hardly be in the same room together without fighting. And I knew the problem didn’t all lie at Krickitt’s feet. I needed help. God was going to have to break me down in order to build me back up into the husband I needed to be for her, and I finally realized that someone else was going to have to help me do it. Staring at the ceiling, hearing and feeling Krickcitt’s steady breathing beside me, I rolled these and other thoughts around in my head. God, what are you doing with my life? What you doing with my vow?

I had stood before God and a church full of people and promised to provide for and protect Krisxan Pappas “through times of challenge and need.” I vowed to devote myself to her “every need and desire.” I declared I would be faithful. I had said those words with such joy and conviction. I had meant them then, and I would honor them now. I just didn’t know how.

The Vow, Kim and Krickitt Carpenter

For Mother’s Day, my children gave me the movie The Vow along with the book that inspired the movie. Let me start by saying, if you have seen the movie, the book is by far better. Of course, Hollywood took a true-life story and turned it into a hopeless romantic type fairy tale but the book, oh wow, was incredible. The story of this couple and their faith in God through an enormous storm is more than inspiring. It is miraculous. It is the picture of God’s redemption, grace and love. It is the example of God’s heart and idea for marriage.

God is a God of second chances. This story is a great reminder of that. Sometimes I look at the broken pieces of my life and believe that there could never be healing or hope. Then I am reminded of great stories throughout the bible in which the most unlikely of candidates are used by God to accomplish great things. People such as David the shepherd as well as David the King, The Samaritan woman (from the well), and Peter, who denied Jesus three times were all unlikely candidates whom God used for His redemptive purpose. God takes what we see as impossible and He turns those things into the possible for His glory. Just look at the couple depicted in this movie. Would they have ever thought when going through their tragic car accident that one day God would use their story to show the world His faithfulness? It is amazing. This young married couple experienced several years of hell on earth but in the end, God did an amazing work and is using that amazing work to make Himself known. Wow. Just WOW! He is so awesome that way!

It causes me to stop and put my own life into perspective. I have a lot happening right now. Many battles are still raging but God is doing a work and making Himself known. He is the God of second chances and though there are still battles, He is giving me a second chance at love as well as life. He is taking two broken people and lavishing His love and grace upon them both to form something that neither ever expected nor experienced. God is teaching us that He takes all things and works them out for His glory. God is creating a message within our lives so that we may one day share with others His faithfulness.

Life is so unexpected sometimes. We think we know how a story will end but then God reveals Himself. He reveals an ending that we would have never anticipated. He reveals an ending that leaves us surprised by His faithfulness. For a while, my story was a horrific mess but God in all of His love, grace and faithfulness picked up ALL the pieces of the tragic mess and turned it into a message of His love, His grace, His hope and His redemption. I used to worry about what others thought about me but now I know who I am in Christ and have experienced God in indescribable ways. I have seen Him move in my life in ways that others will never know or understand. I have experienced His work in my heart and have heard His voice when He speaks. I know Him in a way I never have and because of that, I am getting a second chance. I now have a powerful message to share and someone to walk along side with me as I share. It is someone who experienced his own mess and brokenness but also discovered God’s love and grace as well. Oh the amazing ways in which God moves. So unexpected! I am so looking forward to walking through life with my best friend and love as we share that message of God’s grace and love together with those who need to hear just as we did.

2012-06-27T19:10:00.001-07:00

This article was so beneficial to me and I wanted to share in hopes of helping others who may have found themselves in destructive relationships. God makes all things new!!!

How to Break Destructive Relationship Patterns

Whitney Hopler
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer

Editor's note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Tim Clinton and Pat Springle's new book, Break Through: When to Give In, How to Push Back: The Moment that Changes Everything (Worthy Publishing, 2012).

Are you caught in a dysfunctional relationship with someone? Perhaps you’re letting others control you, such as by tolerating an abusive marriage or enabling a friend’s addiction because you’re afraid of losing the relationship if you speak up. Or maybe you’re trying to control others, such as by making unreasonable demands on a coworker or rescuing your children when they make mistakes rather than letting them learn from the consequences. Such “one up, one down” relationships are built on power instead of on the trust and respect that God wants people to have for each other.

The good news is that your close relationships don’t have to be painful. If you’re willing to change destructive relationship patterns in your life, God will help you break free from them and enjoy healthy relationships. Here’s how you can break destructive relationship patterns:

Get to know what true love is like. Study how Jesus related to people during His life on Earth to see what true love in action looks like: Jesus neither manipulated nor deceived people, and He never tolerated others trying to manipulate or deceive Him. Instead, Jesus spoke the truth to people and let them freely make their own choices about how to respond. Jesus valued people for who they were rather than for what they could do for Him. Make Jesus your role model for how to relate to all people in your life.

Answer God’s wake-up calls. God will often allow crises to come into your life to wake you up to the fact that one or more of your relationships is dysfunctional and needs your attention to heal. If you’re going through a crisis that’s causing heartache in your life (from a divorce to a financial collapse), ask God what He wants to teach you about your relationships through that crisis. Let your crisis draw your attention to the fact that your unhealthy relationships are actually costing you more than they’re giving you. Decide to begin the process of changing the way you relate to people so you can enjoy more peace in your life.

Repent of idolatrous relationships and choose to love God the most. Realize that any relationships in which you tie your identity to either someone else’s opinion of you or your ability to fix or rescue them reflect the fact that you’ve made that other person an idol in your life. Only God truly has the power to shape your identity or fix or rescue another person. God alone can meet your deepest relationship needs. So confess and repent of idolatry in your life, and move God to His rightful place at the center of your life as the one you love most. Invest more time and energy into nurturing your relationship with God than you do into any other relationship. When God becomes your top priority in life, all of your relationships with people will become healthier as a result. Enjoying a close relationship with God will make you sensitive to any sin (such as destructive ways of relating to others) that interferes with that relationship, and motivate you to grow closer to God every day.

Pray to break relationship strongholds of sin in your life. Ask God to help you identify specific strongholds of sin that are affecting your relationships. Then pray about each of those strongholds, confessing and renouncing the sins that relate to them and exercising your God-given authority over evil. Ask God to release you and the people you’re in relationships with from all negative spiritual forces associated with each stronghold. Thank God and receive the forgiveness He offers you. Follow God’s guidance to make appropriate restitution to any people you’ve wronged through your past sins.

Hold up mirrors of truth and love to your relationships. Evaluate the state of your relationships regularly by considering how well they do or don’t line up with biblical principles, by asking the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom regarding your relationships, and by discussing your relationships with some trusted friends who support your healing process and will speak the truth to you. Each of these practices is like holding up a mirror to relationships so you can see them more clearly from God’s perspective.

Base your identity on your relationship with God through Jesus. When your identity is rooted where it should be – in God’s love for you – you’ll gain the confidence you need to develop a more secure style of relating to others, such as boldly identifying and communicating your thoughts and feelings to them.

Choose to trust wisely. Ask God to give you the discernment you need to know when to trust people and when they’re not worthy of your trust. Decide to trust the most important people in your life to God, who has much more power than you do to help them.

Take responsibility appropriately. Pray for the wisdom to know which responsibilities are truly yours to handle, and which are not. Then take back responsibility for your own decisions from others who have inappropriately tried to control you, and set boundaries to protect yourself from taking on responsibilities that other people should be handling.

Confront people with whom you want to change your relationships. You must speak the truth to people with whom you’ve shared dysfunctional relationships, so you can work to change those relationships for the better. Don’t expect the people you confront to be happy about it; they’ll likely be upset at first and try to convince you to stop your efforts to change your relationship with them. Stay strong, however, and eventually they may learn new, healthier ways of relating to you. Prepare a written agenda for your meetings with people, and focus only on a few major issues in your relationship instead of every way you all have hurt each other. Speak calmly, listen carefully, and clarify what people say to you. Apologize for what you’ve done wrong and ask people to reflect on how they’ve wronged you and pray about what God may want them to do about it.

Pursue forgiveness. Ask the people you’ve hurt to forgive you, and follow God’s command to forgive the people who have hurt you. But keep in mind that, while forgiveness is a gift you give people, people must earn your trust back over time.

Look toward the future with hope. You can be hopeful about the future as long as you remain committed to renewing your mind with thoughts that reflect biblical truth and relating to others in healthy ways. Over time, you can fulfill more of God’s purposes for your relationships.

2012-06-20T07:09:00.001-07:00

"There is no despair so absolute as that which comes with the first moments of our first great sorrow, when we have not yet known what it is to have suffered and be healed, to have despaired and have recovered hope."

George Eliot

Thoughts of my mom

2012-05-14T13:37:00.001-07:00

I wrote this on Saturday morning, wanting to post it for Mother's Day but due to a computer malfunction, that did not happen. Hopefully we can look past it being a day late :-)

This morning I woke up to find my oldest daughter standing over me with a plate of food in her hand. She had made me breakfast and brought it to me in bed. Her words were that I deserved breakfast in bed every morning not just on Mother’s Day. She made my day just a little bit.

It is in those moments that I realize the job I am doing as a mom and I think I can honestly say I am an excellent mom. The thing is though that I recognize that I am an excellent mom because I grew up with an excellent mom. Being a mom is a LOT of work. Laundry, cleaning, cooking and caring for your kids pretty much consumes the time of a mom. It just does not leave much time for anything else if you want to keep your sanity but somehow my mom did it. She sang in the church choir, participated in WMU, taught children’s choir, attended bible studies and still had time to take care of us kids while still making time to entertain those who came to visit.

Now that I am a mom of five kids of my own, I realize the amount of time and energy it takes to not only run a home and maintain other activities but to do those things and still love others while I do it all. It is a ridiculous amount of work but you know what? That is the love of a mom. A love that is sacrificial and unconditional. A love that is not critical. Not every mom loves in this way but I am so incredibly thankful to God, that He chose me to have a mom like the one that I have. I learned to love by watching my mom and now my kids are learning too. They are learning that there is so much more to life then themselves. They are realizing that there is so much more joy in loving and serving others than being focused only on themselves.

Back to my mom. Though she was busy with kids and activities, she managed still to have a sweet loving spirit. My mom dealt with many critical people in her life. She is not perfect and can be critical at times (as we all can) but she was never critical to the extent at which I believe certain people deserved from her. She has dealt with people who spent much time putting her down and making her feel less than she was but here is what I know, she is SO much greater than those critical people are in her life. When people were critical to my mom, she stayed quiet. She has chosen to keep silent a lot when she has been hurt or criticized. She has taken the high road and chosen not to repay evil with evil. Whether she wants to admit it or not, she is why I have stayed silent for the past few years while my character was trampled. I learned from watching her, whether she realized it or not, that it is not our place to “put someone in their place” but instead it is God’s place. God is doing amazing things in my life that He could not have done if I had chosen to stand on my soapbox setting the record straight on why I have been wronged instead of giving Him the room to work. I would have been working against what He was trying to accomplish in my life and the lives of others. All of this, I learned from my mom.

God is a big God. He so does not need us to fight His battles. There are so many critical and hateful people in the world that would rather put down and hurt others instead of loving people and allowing God room to do His work. I am thankful for a mom who chose to stay silent when attacked and instead she allowed God to work through her situations and teach her as she sat still before Him. I have chosen to follow her lead and to focus my love and attention on loving my God, my children and others so that God can do His work in my life. This is what I pray my children are learning from watching their mom as this is what I learned from watching my own mom.

Thank you God for my amazing mom! Thank you mom for being my greatest advocate and for believing in me when others did not. That is most definitely the LOVE of a MOM!

The Lucky One

2012-04-23T13:22:00.002-07:00

In 2008, Nicholas Sparks released the book The Lucky One. I being a huge Nicholas Sparks fan bought the book. Thankfully, I did not get far into the book before putting it down, never to finish the story. There was a reason. This past weekend, I journeyed to the theater with excitement to see the book I never finished turned movie. I am a sucker for a good chick flick and Spark’s never disappoints. This time though, I found a movie very difficult to watch. It was extremely familiar. Throughout the movie, I bit my lip fighting back tears and spent much of the movie sick on my stomach. In the end, there was a happy ending as love prevailed but it just did not settle well for me.

Life is a journey. We all face battles. We have great hills to climb. What I am learning though is that through those battles, there come unexpected blessings. It is crazy to see how the worst of things can happen in our lives and yet God will take those things and mold them into something incredibly beautiful. I am a testimony to His great artistic abilities and His amazing divine power. I have been given much. In so many areas of my life, I would consider myself beyond blessed. Some would call it luck. I truly do feel like the lucky one however, to me, luck is nothing but instead the great blessing of Living Under Christ’s Kindness. He has given me all that I have and I recognize that these blessings in disguise are the work of a mighty God whose grace is more than I can understand and greater than I even deserve.

Love just needs to be true

2012-03-24T08:47:00.003-07:00

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

   Love never gives up.
   Love cares more for others than for self.
   Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
   Love doesn't strut,
   Doesn't have a swelled head,
   Doesn't force itself on others,
   Isn't always "me first,"
   Doesn't fly off the handle,
   Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
   Doesn't revel when others grovel,
   Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
   Puts up with anything,
   Trusts God always,
   Always looks for the best,
   Never looks back,
   But keeps going to the end.

1 Corinthians 13:1-7 The Message

Back to where I started

2012-02-28T08:37:00.001-08:00

Reflection. It is a good thing. We all need to take time to reflect back on choices whether good or bad that we have made in our lives as they all lead us to the moment in which we find ourselves now.

In the spring of 1993, I made a decision to attend Liberty University. I had originally planned on going to my local community college but that spring, God stirred something within me and my plans changed. Each step in regards to going to school fell into place and in the fall of 1993, I moved into a dorm and began a journey.

Within the first couple of weeks of school, I found myself in my first grown up storm. I was involved in a horrible car accident that put me in the hospital for a week due to a collapsed lung. I remember that moment as if it were yesterday. It was terrifying as I recognized I could have been killed. I remember hearing later that my granddaddy had gone to the junk yard to see my car and could not believe that I had survived. I remember realizing that God had a plan for my life.

My freshman year of college was full of heartache and joy. I made amazing friends and created memories that to this day I still smile when still think about them. I had dreams. I wanted to be something someday. God was trying to work in my life. I was trying to listen. I wanted to listen. One Wednesday at convocation, Dr. Falwell preached a sermon that left me yearning for a more intimate relationship with Christ. The Word of God became alive and real to me that day and I wanted more. I totally missed the mark. My problem, I turned to the wrong places/ things. I did not know where to find Him. I was new to hearing from God and I made a bad choice. I dropped out of school. Out of fear because of my failures, a lack of trust in God and just truly not knowing where to go next, I ran like Moses after he killed the guard.

Almost twenty years later, He has brought me back. I have wandered for almost twenty years in the wilderness. I have seen Him bless my life. I have seen Him work in my life as He has grown my faith. He has taught me to listen to His voice above the chaos and He pulled me from the wilderness and drew me closer to Him. He drew me back to where I started.

God had a plan for Moses to do great things. He knew He would use Moses to lead the people out of Egypt but Moses missed the memo and ran away out of fear. Did this make him unusable to God? No way. God did not give up on Moses. Instead, He waited for Moses to stop wandering and He went after him to finish the work that He began in Moses. Oh how I need that story of Moses. I need to be reminded that though I took a detour almost twenty years ago, that God still wants to use me for the purpose in which He created me.

God does not give up on us. He sees us as the work that He has created us to be and He knows our full potential. He is just sitting back waiting for us to finally wake up and realize who we are in Him. So I am now back to where I originally started. He is now going to finish that work He began in me. I am setting out to become what He originally had planned for me. It is my turn to be used and my purpose accomplished because God is good! ALL the time!

Something to think about...

2012-02-23T08:32:00.001-08:00

"Isn't it staggering when you think that one sermon on the day of Pentecost produced 3000 Christian people? And we had some cities yesterday where 3000 sermons were preached and nobody was saved. And it doesn't even faze us. The church used to be a lightning bolt, now it's a cruise ship. We are not marching to Zion - we are sailing there with ease. In the apostolic church it says they were all amazed - And now in our churches everybody wants to be amused. The church began in the upper room with a bunch of men agonizing, and it's ending in the supper room with a bunch of people organizing. We mistake rattle for revival, and commotion for creation, and action for unction. Look, I think this is a critical hour in history, the most critical hour in history; the Middle East is ready to blow up... the prestige of this nation we love has gone down ... As someone said, "We live in a theater of the absurd...
When did you last tiptoe out of the sanctuary when you dare not say a word? The church has to rediscover two things. One, the majesty and the Holiness of God, and the other, the sinfulness of sin." ---Leonard Ravenhill

HELLO 2012! I've been waiting along time for you....

2012-01-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

I'm learning to accept that God has a plan and that things are out of my control. I'm learning that when I take the passenger seat and allow God full control of all things, life takes on a whole new meaning. I'm learning He will close doors and get rid of those things that are hurtful. He will protect my heart. He will reveal Himself in miraculous ways. He will open doors at the right time. He will place amazing people in my life that I would have never expected and remove ones that I may not have chosen. God knows what is best for me and I am learning that I must listen to His voice alone in order to go the way in which I am supposed to go. He is good ALL THE TIME!!

I am happier than I have ever been and there are truly no words to describe the joy I am experiencing at this time in my life. God is so good and has blessed me more than I deserve. This year is going to be AMAZING ♥

In my own little corner....

2012-01-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

It's perfect. That was my reaction the day I viewed the home where the kids and I live. It was perfect! For starters, the outside is red. I love red. And it's not like lipstick red, but a brick red. The perfect shade. It's also a town home and we're the end unit. Because we're the end unit, we have a side entrance which I LOVE. Our sidewalk is lined with rose bushes making it magical and whimsical for me. I also love cozy! This home is not too small and it's not too big but it's just right.

Once inside there were several things that confirmed to me that this was the perfect home for us. Now they may sound silly to you but to me they meant perfection.

For starters, I love Tuscan anything. I tend to buy decor for my home that has a Tuscan feel. Something about this house had it. The kitchen was my dream. It's a small kitchen but it's the right size for me and it's designed as a kitchen should be designed which makes cooking a cinch. It has gorgeous cabinets and hardware. Exactly MY taste. The appliances are black which I LOVE. They show lots of little fingers prints but I don't care. The counter top are not granite but have the look of granite. The color is a mixture of dark and light browns and black. Behind the stove the wall is covered in copper tiles. I'm telling you, it is perfect!! I knew when I saw the kitchen, I had to have the house.

After seeing the kitchen (which is typically the first thing I look at in a home) I turned around and noticed a wall paper border around the family room. As I looked closer, I couldn't believe it. It almost matched a clock I have that pictures the Eiffel Tower. I got chills. The light fixture hanging in the dinning area was totally me. Loved it!

As I walked through the first floor I was happy to discover that my bedroom would be...on the first floor. Not only that but I would have my own bathroom again as well as not one but count them, two closets. This made me instantly excited because I saw great potential for the walk in closet in my room. Since it's only me and I don't have a lot of clothes, I decided to use the small closet for my stuff and turn the walk in closet into my "office." It is the perfect office. It provides me with a quiet place to write which I love. There's heat and air conditioning as well as a window and it's my own little corner of space. I'm brought to tears just writing about it. FOR REAL!

One other thing that may sound silly to some but totally excited me was my bathroom. I have always, ALWAYS wanted one of those cabinets that goes over the toilet. It was always a want and never really a need. It was just not something I could afford. Guess what?? My bathroom as one of those cabinets. It's perfect!!

I LOVE my home! I am beyond thankful for the amazing couple who chose us to live in their home. After a year of being turned down by every place I applied to because of my poor credit, this couple took a chance. They took a chance on me and have given me an incredibly blessing. Not only that but they have extended their generosity to us on more than one occasion in order to help us through our tough time. It is more and more evident every day that God chose this home for us and I am beyond grateful.

The Next Three Days

2012-01-07T07:57:00.000-08:00

Have you ever read the review of a movie you wanted to see and it was not a good one. Because of the review you end up deciding not to go and see it? I have a bad habit of listening to the opinion of others. I've missed a lot of opportunities because of this weakness.

Two years ago a movie was released titled The Next Three Days. When I saw the previews I knew it appeared to be something I would be interested in seeing. Then I read the reviews. No one seemed to be impressed by it and so I decided to save my dollars and wait for the Redbox.

Let me preface with saying that I LOVE movies. I LOVE going to the movies. The smells and sounds excite me. Even more though, I LOVE seeing movies on the big screen verses my little screen at home which means when I've missed seeing something because I've listened to the opinion of another, I am not very happy.

So last year sometime, when The Next Three Days was released at the Redbox, I snagged it. I was not overly excited to see it due to the reviews I had read but eager to press play. You would think this lesson would have been learned a long time ago as this has happened to me more than once, but the reviews were wrong and I LOVED it.

Here recently it has been available on Netflix for instant watching. I have probably already watched it ten times just this past week. Understand though that I do not sit in front of the tv all day. Even at this very moment as I'm typing this post in my small office, it is playing in the other room. For some reason, it offers me some sort of hope. In a way, it is a reflection of my past few years.

If you haven't seen it, watch it. You'll probably understand exactly what I'm talking about once the movie is over. If you have never been in a situation where all the evidence stacked against you seems true, you may miss my point. If you have experienced this sort of thing, watch it. See if it doesn't make you stop, think and give you a little hope. If you are someone who has pointed a finger against someone for what appeared to you to be truth, I suggest you watch this movie and understand that things are not always as they appear to be.

This movie ends without the truth being revealed to the characters in the movie but the one being accused is "set free." I believe that God will "set us free" when falsely accused and He will make things right for us in His time but I also believe that those who did not seek out truth, will be left to their consequences as well. God is fair and just. He does make all things new for those who seek Him.