Favorite Friday- Crockpot meals

Recently, a new favorite thing of mine is making crock-pot meals. Since my husband works in the food business, he eats at work. Crock-pot meals are super nice to have because they can last for two to three days. My ultimate goal was to find something my husband would like on the days he has off, but it ended up that I liked them more! I have tried three recipes so far which I would like to share with you.

 

Crock-pot Meal #1

This one I made up myself. All you need is:

• 3 bone in chicken breasts
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cans of white beans
• half of pack of bacon
• Italian seasoning (as much as you like)

 

Combine all the ingredients in the crock-pot and put on low all day. It will be ready by dinner time.

 

 

 

Crock-pot Meal #2

I got this one from someone else's blog

The only thing I changed on this was the steak sauce. I am currently milk free because of my little one and the steak sauce had traces of milk in it, which I did not realize when I brought it. Instead, I put 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth. It made it a little more soupy, which I wanted. Right before I served it, I added my 5 minute rice and allowed it to cook a little while. This thicken it up nicely. I served it with a side salad.

 

Crock-pot Meal #3

I got also got this one from the Taste of Home website.

Now, I will admit this was kinda disappointing the first time around. But, when I reheated it for the 2nd and 3rd time it tasted so much better. I think I did not like it at first because it had a strong I-am-eating-spaghetti taste to it which I don't like much at all. I think reheating it allowed the other flavors to mix and have a less tomato sauce taste. I used red peppers instead of green and did not add the celery.   

Theme Thursday- Accountability

Accountability is one of the keys of success for meeting the goals we set for our kids (and even ourselves). It has always been exciting to see through the years how God has put people in my life to keep me accountable. They gave me so much wisdom and insight through the good and bad times. Their lives were examples to me on how I wanted to live my life. Their presence in my life has made me a better person, which in turn will help me meet the goals I have set for my LO. 

One of the most important people God put into my life at a very hard, but self-discovering time, was a lady named Jo. She taught me that despite my circumstances, God was still working in the here and the now. Just like Christ, she always put others first. Even with her busy schedule of being a mom, staying involved in church and struggling with health problems, Jo was always just a phone call away. She kept me focused on God instead of the bad attitude I was struggling with. Through our relationship, I was able to grow and realize that I was an angry person. When I was angry, I discovered there was a emotion behind the anger. When the people I worked with made me feel insignificant, instead of getting angry I saw how they treated me made me feel inadequate. Without God using Jo, I would have gone through another job struggling with my anger toward people whom I felt were mistreating me.

 

 

As a mom now, I have a group of ladies who are also moms that I get to hang out with twice a month. It was fascinating to see how God brought these ladies into my life. They were starting a mommy group, and I wanted to be involved with a group of like-minded people. Plus, my husband and I were trying to have a LO ourselves. Little did I know that after the first meeting, I got pregnant and was able to get a head start on motherhood. When the time came to have my LO, they were even there, always a phone call away. One particular lady had four c sections and was able to be there to help me through my own. They are such a huge encouragement to me. They challenge me to teach my little one the ways of God by beginning even now, despite her being only 4 months old. I know that I look forward to seeing them every time we meet and being blessed that God has given them to me.

God has shown me through the ladies in my life who have kept me accountable how to be accountable to others. First, I need to be intentional. I need to pray and step out in faith intentionally to that person He guides me to. If I am not intentional, it is so easy to just slack off. I know that the friend of mine with four c sections was intentional with me, especially during those countless times I was not able to answer the phone. I am thankful for her being intentional with me. Secondly, when I am keeping someone accountable I need to share with them the promises of God. He is the one that made this relationship happen. He deserves the credit. He is the one who knows my heart and this person's heart and how we can encourage each other. All of that is from His Word. It is His faithfulness to us and in return, our faithfulness to that other person. Thirdly, when we are in an accountability relationship, we have to depend on God and not the other person. That person is going to let us down--no doubt about it. They are as imperfect as we are. God is the only One who is perfect and reliable. In order to be there for someone, we need a God who is reliable and stable, especially when we feel unable to help that person.

So I challenge you to look at the people in your life, past and present, to see how they have challenged you to be a better person. In return, through those relationships, you can grow and be there for your own kids.  

Wordless Wednesday

 

Top 5 Tuesday- influential verses

For this week's top 5, I have chosen to pick my top 5 verses that have influenced my life starting at 5 and counting down :)

5) Psalm 37:3 "Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness."

I meditate on this verse when I am in need of what to do in times when I feel frustrated about a situation or feel distant from God. It tells me that trusting in Him helps me to do good, but trusting also means dwelling and feeding on His faithfulness. I ask myself, "What did God do in another situation like this in the past?". Or, I dwell on times when I thought I was unable to go on and how He helped me in that situation and now it does not seem like a big deal. That is His faithfulness and when I dwell and feed on that, it helps me to trust in Him and proceed in doing good. It brings me so much peace and joy in those hard times reflecting on this truth.

4) James 1:2-6 ^"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind."

Trials are hard times in your life when things just don't go your way. They happen. It is just life, but what you do during those trials is what is important. If I can hold on to the fact that in and through a trial 1) there is a purpose for my trial, to make me perfected and complete and 2) that if I am clueless on what to do I can ask God for wisdom and He will give it to me. These verses are a command, but also a promise. All I have to do is go through these trials with joy and have faith that what God says through His Word (wisdom) will help me get through them. I have to confess, having joy is hard, but asking God for wisdom and seeing Him work through that makes it a little easier.

3) Psalm 32:8-9 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.⁹ Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you."

Life is not suppose to be me aimlessly wandering around with no purpose. But how can I remain focused on what my purpose is? I need to realize that God is instructing and teaching me in the way I should go. He is guiding me with His eye. I don't have to be clueless. He knows. He is leading me in the way I should go. But what is neat about God is He gives me a choice. I can make it hard and be stubborn like that horse or mule and fight Him or I can allow Him to guide me knowing that He sees what is ahead. It is kind of empowering when I let Him direct me.

2) 2 Samuel 22:31 "As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven;He is a shield to all who trust in Him."

This verse has gotten me through so much! For 5 years I waited to have a child. My husband wanted to wait to have a set income and be more establish. I have always wanted to be submissive or servant-like to my husband, even when I disagree because God has called me as a wife to do so (Ephesians 5:22). But it was so hard because I wanted a little one so much. Being a mommy was my dream job. So I had to trust in God to know that this was the way He had for me. It was perfect for me no matter how much I did not like it sometimes. How did I know His way was perfect? Because He showed me through His Word how reliable it is and how He is a shield for me when I trust in Him. I can say now with my little 4 month old that His way was perfect because of who I am now and how my husband is with her too. This is one of the ways He was so faithful to me. 

And now for #1... Psalm 139. 

I cannot pick just one verse in this chapter because there are so many good ones. This has become more real to me ever since my daughter was conceived. In verses 13 and 14a, it states that He knew her while she was being formed in my womb and was being fearfully and wonderfully made. What is even more amazing is in verse 16 that when her substance was yet to be completely formed, He had written down every single one of her days. He knew when she was going to be born. That she was going to be breech. That she was going to be a fireball. He knows when she is going to take her first step or say her first word. He knows when she is going to be disobedient. He knows when she is going to accept Him as her Lord and Savior. He knows what she will be when she grows up. Like it states in verses 2-4, He knows her sitting down and her rising up and her thoughts far off. It is freeing when I reflect on these verses to know that her father and I, no doubt, have a role in her life because He has written it down, but that also He is ultimately in control of her life. No detail is misplaced. No event is an accident. He knows it all. Scary, but also exciting. A big responsibility to teach her these things, but to know ultimately He will be glorified through her.     

Mommy Monday

I am a visual person. I have to see things in order to understand pretty much anything. That's why I have always loved a good music video. My favorite are the ones that tell a story or when the artist actually makes a video that has to do with the lyrics. I can't stand the abstract ones! I was thinking about this when I ran into a post on Facebook of the top ten Christian music videos of 2014. I recognized only one person on the entire list (I guess I have always enjoyed the "classics" not so much the Christian music today). But being a music video fan I had to check out some of them. Number two's title caught my eye, "When Crazy Kicks In" by Francesca Battestelli. So I watched it. It was absolutely perfect for all mommies out there! It definitely encouraged me to hold onto why I have quiet times with God, especially being a mom. See what you think.

 

 

Also check out her You Tube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfLIak8yy1OHlFIKjE-sR7w especially the song "This is the Stuff" 

Being a Martha and a Mary

In order for my goals to be met for my little one, my relationship with my husband should be a top priority. This is something that I have really been pondering on a lot lately. I have been wanting to write on other topics, but I feel like God was really pushing this on my heart. I am a firm believer in placing God first, my husband second, and my little one third. If the order of these relationships get mixed up, all the others will suffer. I have been feeling very torn by this because currently I feel like it is all about my little one, which I enjoy, but I also love my husband. Amid his long and busy hours at work, I try to spend time with him, but every time we are intentional about it, she cries. It is so hard to listen to her cry in the other room while I am in the middle of spending time with my husband. He is very understanding most of the time which I am thankful for, but I am still hard on myself. I have always been that way, not showing much grace to myself and expecting too much. I always want to give everything I do my all and if I don't, I feel like I am disappointing those whom I love.

This morning at 4am, while I was feeding my little one, God put on my heart the story of Mary and Martha in the Bible. I read Luke 10:38-42 for my time spent with God which says:

"Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.' And Jesus answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.'".

Here's what I have gathered about both women:

  

Martha

• Oldest
• Hard worker and takes it seriously 
• Detail oriented 
• Pleases people through what she knows she needs to do 
• Recognizes and is comfortable with who Jesus is 
• Bold, speaks her mind 

Mary 

• Youngest 
• Has a yearning for the Lord
• Soaks in what the Lord has to say
• Sits at His feet- humble and personal

Nothing was wrong with the traits of Martha. All of them showed me she wanted to do what was right. But she got caught up in doing that instead of drawing near to the one Person who used those traits she had. All of those things she thought were more important to do were things that were not going to last. Jesus is the only thing that will last in the long run. When I get old and grey and my body and mind are unable to do what I used to be able to do what will I be able to rest in? As I think about older people I know that are unable to do things because of their body or mind, I see they are sad, disconnected, and yearning to fill up those longings with drinking, gambling, relationships with others, or even food. But they're still sad. On the contrary, I then think of the people who are older and drawing near to God and they seem happy and focused. There is a reason. They have their focus on God. He, in turn, guides them and helps them to do the things they can do. God will help me be the better wife and mother if I just draw near to Him. Everything else will be done when He enables me to do so. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" as it says in James 4:8.

Now, I am not saying to abandon all and just focus on God. But rather seek out His face and give to Him my fears and my time. He wants me to invest in my relationships with my daughter and husband. He wants me to teach her about Him. He wants me to be that help meet for my husband. God will last forever in my life and also the lives of my husband and daughter if I only rest in Him first.    

Goals for my little one

Ever since I could remember, I just wanted to be a mom. When someone asked me what I wanted to do, I always told them I wanted to be a mommy. As I grew up and matured, I realized the world did not revolve around me. People grew old and died. Others were less fortunate than me  economically and relationally with their loved ones and just seemed lost with no direction. Life was not about me. Old and young people needed me to encourage them and love on them. I saw how many young people grew up in dysfunctional homes and did not see anything wrong because that was normal to them. Often they continued on in their parent's footsteps, repeating the cycle. It made me sad to see the hurt and pain they experienced but unable to turn away from it. We live in such a sad world.

When I found out I was pregnant I knew I wanted to be as ready as anyone could be to be the best mom possible. I saw in the lives of others and the lives of my own family members how one decision could change everything.  I did not want to continue on those family choices that were carried down from generation to generation. I read many books, studied God's Word in the Proverbs, and joined a mommy group. But even now, as a mommy with a 2 month old, I realize I have a lot information and resources with little ways to implement them. I have to set goals for my little one. Who do I want her to be? What are things that I want to discontinue in my own life to be a better example? Who do I have in my life to encourage me? How is my relationship with my husband? These are questions that cross my mind. 

So here are some of my goals, simple or long term, based off of information and words of wisdom that I have gathered from my research for my little one:

1) I wish for my little one to know who Christ can be in her life

2) I wish for my little one to know and rely on the Word of God

3) I wish for my little one to see others that are different from her as opportunities for her to bless them and help them

4) I wish for my little one to learn sign language to communicate, but also to develop her language skills

5) I wish for my little one to experience skills such as cooking, gardening, budgeting money, canning, being resourceful and many other things that can help her to be a responsible young lady. 

6) I wish for my little one to be independent and confident through effectively and emotionally communicating with me, her dad and others in her life

These are just a few of my wishes. What about you? What are some goals you have for your kids? Having kids means being intentional at a young age. As parents we cannot wait until they get older to teach them. They need to know at a young age. Even parents with older kids, it is never too late to set goals. The following blog posts will be on the research I have done.