Yesterday at Elevation App State we were honored to listen live to the third week of Greater from Pastor Steven Furtick. What a message. I think this third week was the most powerful for me, it really spoke to the condition of my dreams and hopes at this point in my life.
The main take-away was that you cannot experience the miracle of resurrection without death first. Sometimes God has to let our dreams die so we can experience the miracle of it being resurrected. Sometimes God births our dreams in our life and lets them live on. But sometimes He want us to know Him as more than the bringer of dreams. He wants us to know Him as the one who can resurrect a dream we thought would never live again. And sometimes He chooses one we have tucked away so deep, we've forgotten about it entirely because it's too disappointing.
I can SERIOUSLY relate to this. Over the past year, I have come so close to a few dreams being realized, only to have them fade away or even be crushed. I was so excited about continuing on into grad school at App for counseling. I had competitive GRE scores and such a desire to go. I had prayed and felt lead to apply to grad school. I kept reminding myself that just because God wanted me to apply didn't mean that I would get it, but I didn't fully take into account that He might actually lead me to apply and then I wouldn't get in. I mean, God so clearly said "Yes, take the GRE, apply to App." that I couldn't help but think that must mean I was meant to get in. Why spend $200 on taking the GRE and applying, why get me all excited if that's not what I'm meant to do? Because sometimes dreams have to die. Sometimes you have to say goodbye to something good for something greater. Needless to say if you know me, I did not get accepted into grad school. And I was crushed. I mourned for about three days. It was just such a shock - I'd never had such a big "NO" in my life.
At this point in the story, I can't give you a resurrection story about my dream. I still want to pursue a graduate degree in counseling. Sometimes it still hurts that I'm not. My landlord got into both degree programs I applied to. I have a really great friend who is few semesters ahead of me - he gets his first clients this week. I'm excited for the both of them, but I still wish I was in their shoes. Grad school would put me one step closer to my ultimate dream. And like I said, it hurts that I'm not on that path right now.
I'm still not sure what path I'm heading down. I trust that the Lord has me going in the direction I need to go. I honestly do. I have no clue where I'm going, or even the next step. But I'm trusting in Him. He may resurrect my graduate degree dream - I do get to reapply for free for fall 2013. But He may take me down a GREATER path than I can imagine.
I strongly encourage you to watch the third week of Greater - Upon Further Review - when you get the oppurtunity. As of this morning (9/24 - 8:30am) it's not up, but should be by this afternoon.
http://www.elevationchurch.org/sermons
Monday, September 24, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Oh, home made cookies!
Today I went to camp after work and that was such a blessing. I still find it hard to believe that my time at camp has come to an end. I sat in on Ashley's small group with her kitchen staff and the snack shack staff. I found myself envious of her ministry. She gets to spend 9 weeks pouring into the lives of the staff and campers. My heart went out to a few of the staff tonight and I felt like I had so much advice to offer, but no time to do it. I miss being able to invest in the staff! I always felt my place at camp was more to minister to the younger girls (usually 4 or more years younger than me) than it was to give trail rides to campers. I miss it. A lot. I've been through a lot and learned a lot of lessons and feel like I have some insights to offer. And I love to help people out and give advice!
Last week when I went, I was sorely tempted by the chocolate chip cookies. This week I barely batted my eye at them. It's crazy! I LOVE...loved(?) chocolate chip cookies! And Ashley made them from scratch tonight to boot. But I think since I'm now on week three without wheat, it makes it easier to resist. Plus, last week I was experimenting with eating some wheat here and there. The more I resist, the easier it is!
I'm feeling really good being wheat free. I also find it's much easier to stay within a lower calorie range to lose weight. Where it used to be a struggle to keep my calories down and eat well, it's now super easy. My meals are all meat and veggies. Lots and lots of veggies! Gosh, I feel so much better! And I feel like I don't have to watch what I eat! The last few days of tracking meals, I haven't made a goal to keep it under a certain number of calories. I've just been eating to make myself feel satiated and having snacks at work. And again, I FEEL SO GOOD!
Last week when I went, I was sorely tempted by the chocolate chip cookies. This week I barely batted my eye at them. It's crazy! I LOVE...loved(?) chocolate chip cookies! And Ashley made them from scratch tonight to boot. But I think since I'm now on week three without wheat, it makes it easier to resist. Plus, last week I was experimenting with eating some wheat here and there. The more I resist, the easier it is!
I'm feeling really good being wheat free. I also find it's much easier to stay within a lower calorie range to lose weight. Where it used to be a struggle to keep my calories down and eat well, it's now super easy. My meals are all meat and veggies. Lots and lots of veggies! Gosh, I feel so much better! And I feel like I don't have to watch what I eat! The last few days of tracking meals, I haven't made a goal to keep it under a certain number of calories. I've just been eating to make myself feel satiated and having snacks at work. And again, I FEEL SO GOOD!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Experimenting
Last time I was at the store, I decided to experiment with corn tortillas. I was pretty excited that they might be a good alternative to normal wheat wraps. What a let down! They were thick, stiff, and tasted like cardboard. Ugh. I even heated them up per the instructions on the package! Hopefully I can bake them into some good chips or something. Hopefully next week or so I'll make it to Earthfare and get some almond and coconut flour! I have two recipes I really want to try - one for a biscuit and one for rolls.
I did make one oopsie today. I had corn muffin mix and used it to coat my okra before reading the ingredients. To my dismay, it included wheat flour. That being said, it was very yummy! I'll remember to check better next time!
I did make one oopsie today. I had corn muffin mix and used it to coat my okra before reading the ingredients. To my dismay, it included wheat flour. That being said, it was very yummy! I'll remember to check better next time!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Wheat Free
Tomorrow marks two full weeks wheat free for me. Well, mostly wheat free. After both my boss and my brother told me to try going wheat free, and after reading a few articles, I felt compelled to give it a go. The first week I was completely wheat free. For the second week I was mostly wheat free, but experimented to see if wheat was truly a problem for me, and yes indeed it was. The second day of adding it back it really upset my stomach and I had some IBS issues - which I had not had any problems with since I cut wheat. Definitely a sign to cut it out! So, after much debate, I have decided to go almost entirely wheat free. I find the less I eat, the better I feel, and the easier it is to resist!
So, now my fridge is full of meat, fruit, and veggies! I have a few friends who are thinking about trying it out, but wonder what my meals are like.
So, now my fridge is full of meat, fruit, and veggies! I have a few friends who are thinking about trying it out, but wonder what my meals are like.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Revamping an Old Window
My mom is constantly checking out stained glass windows and has always wanted one to hang in our living room window. The problem is, they are always very expensive - even the small one! So, being the crafty woman I am, I decided to make her one myself. We've been to countless craft shows and seen where people have taken old windows and painted them. It has long been an ambition of mine to do this, but old windows that are affordable are hard to come by! Recently, I was in a large antique store in downtown Boone and low and behold, an old window for $10! It was clearly meant to be!
This project for me was probably the cheapest Mother's Day gift I have ever or will ever purchase! I already had loads of acrylic paint on hand and lots of brushes, so I was set to go. made this project for the cost of the window.
I started by cleaning the window. Luckily, there was not much old paint on the pane itself. What was there I just decided to leave, it happened that it was right where I planned on painting anyway and didn't really interfere.
Next, I looked up some designs online. Now, I can draw pretty well myself, but I have this problem where I want everything PERFECT, so I took a shortcut and did a few google image searches to come up with what I wanted. I found the perfect flowers, birds, and font! I printed and taped these to the backside of the window. If you prefer, you can tape them to the frontside, and paint the backside. This will give you a smooth front. I didn't flip the words before printing, so I knew they would be on the front of the window, so I made everything that way for simplicity and a cohesive look. Not to mention, when painting on the back, you have to paint front to back, which is tricky.
Now the painting! I sort of winged it with the flower colors and chose what I felt would look best as I went. I began with the lighter colors first, then added darker colors. I knew that overlapping light over dark would be ugly, and like I said, I was trying to keep this easy and pretty! Rule of thumb is to usually work your way down, then you don't have to worry about getting your hands and arm in the paint. Like I ALWAYS DO. I started with the birds and moved down to the next two flowers.
Once I finished the birds and lower flowers, I turned the window around. For the words, I actually used a sharpie for the smaller words. I then went back over it with a brush. "Home" and the heart were fairly easy to do with a paint brush, so I wasn't concerned. When I finished those two, I moved on to the last two flowers!
I actually did this project over a few weeks. I chose to start early so I had plenty of time for each layer to dry before the next color/layer was added!
Two things to note: There is a slight distance between your stencil/paper and where your brush will touch the glass, it will take a little get used to. Second, the acrylic paint doesn't go on so well with the first coat. I sort of globbed it on, then went back over again. In the future, I may be tempted to purchase a glass paint. I've used them before, and they grab a little better!
This project for me was probably the cheapest Mother's Day gift I have ever or will ever purchase! I already had loads of acrylic paint on hand and lots of brushes, so I was set to go. made this project for the cost of the window.
I started by cleaning the window. Luckily, there was not much old paint on the pane itself. What was there I just decided to leave, it happened that it was right where I planned on painting anyway and didn't really interfere.
Next, I looked up some designs online. Now, I can draw pretty well myself, but I have this problem where I want everything PERFECT, so I took a shortcut and did a few google image searches to come up with what I wanted. I found the perfect flowers, birds, and font! I printed and taped these to the backside of the window. If you prefer, you can tape them to the frontside, and paint the backside. This will give you a smooth front. I didn't flip the words before printing, so I knew they would be on the front of the window, so I made everything that way for simplicity and a cohesive look. Not to mention, when painting on the back, you have to paint front to back, which is tricky.
Next, choose a good work space. My dining room table was the perfect size for the window, but I had little room for anything else! I set my table mate (a TV tray, basically) beside my chair and put my painting supplies on it.
Now the painting! I sort of winged it with the flower colors and chose what I felt would look best as I went. I began with the lighter colors first, then added darker colors. I knew that overlapping light over dark would be ugly, and like I said, I was trying to keep this easy and pretty! Rule of thumb is to usually work your way down, then you don't have to worry about getting your hands and arm in the paint. Like I ALWAYS DO. I started with the birds and moved down to the next two flowers.
Once I finished the birds and lower flowers, I turned the window around. For the words, I actually used a sharpie for the smaller words. I then went back over it with a brush. "Home" and the heart were fairly easy to do with a paint brush, so I wasn't concerned. When I finished those two, I moved on to the last two flowers!
I actually did this project over a few weeks. I chose to start early so I had plenty of time for each layer to dry before the next color/layer was added!
Two things to note: There is a slight distance between your stencil/paper and where your brush will touch the glass, it will take a little get used to. Second, the acrylic paint doesn't go on so well with the first coat. I sort of globbed it on, then went back over again. In the future, I may be tempted to purchase a glass paint. I've used them before, and they grab a little better!
Post-Grad
I really am terrible at blogging. And that's all I have to say about that.
It's still a little surreal that Saturday makes three weeks since I graduated from App State. Right now I mostly just feel like I'm on summer break. Since graduating high school, I've never taken a full summer break. The most I've ever had at a time was three weeks. So working all summer is nothing new. The crazy part is planning for the fall, knowing I'll still be at work full time.
Adjusting to a full time job hasn't been too hard. Last summer I worked 6 days a week leading trail rides for 3 months, so working 5 days a week is not a big deal. The struggle for me is packing lunches. Most of the last four years I've been able to make lunch at home, so the possibilities are endless. Now, I need to come up with healthy lunches that are easy to prepare and take to work. Definitely a learning curve! But I've found some great recipes and ideas that I cannot wait to try!
I'm officially three weeks into living in my new apartment this weekend as well. I am loving the country life, even with the micey intruders and birds trying to get it. It's so peaceful at night, and during the day for that matter! My front porch is also ideal for hammocking. The biggest change is paying my rent. The last three years of my life, I've used student loans to pay rent. I went to App for free from my sophomore year on, so taking loans to pay rent was not a big deal, and it made sense. I was in school to learn, not to spend all my time working to afford a place so I could go to school. My last paycheck wasn't for a full two weeks of full time work, and it was JUST enough to cover my rent for the month. Thank goodness for graduation money! That made things this last week much easier.
I'm excited to see how my paychecks will really look once I have a full two weeks on them. This may sound silly, but I am so excited about sitting down with my BFFs Excel and "Total Money Make-Over" and reworking my budget! Now that I have a predictable income, I think things will be a bit easier. I am ready to really pick up some momentum in saving my emergency fund as well as paying down my student debt! My boss has even mentioned the possibility of bonuses if we have a super busy summer - that would go a long way to helping pay down those debts!
One of the best things about my post grad life is no homework! I LOVE to read. I could spend all day reading a good book. It has been so great to be able to read for fun and not feel guilty for neglecting school work! I also love that after work, I can borrow our guard dog Knox and go to the park for an hour, or eat dinner with a friend, or go to Boone for the evening, and not be ignoring something important. The BEST part is that I acutally have a weekend! For the last year, when I wasn't at school, I was at work or doing homework. Even on Sundays, I worked in the morning at 8am until time to leave for church. I now have Sunday and Monday all to myself, aside from being blessed to be able to volunteer at Elevation Boone. Life is good :)
Hopefully I really can actually pick blogging up for once. Perhaps I can come up with themes for a few days of the week? If I had direction, I know I could do it!
It's still a little surreal that Saturday makes three weeks since I graduated from App State. Right now I mostly just feel like I'm on summer break. Since graduating high school, I've never taken a full summer break. The most I've ever had at a time was three weeks. So working all summer is nothing new. The crazy part is planning for the fall, knowing I'll still be at work full time.
Adjusting to a full time job hasn't been too hard. Last summer I worked 6 days a week leading trail rides for 3 months, so working 5 days a week is not a big deal. The struggle for me is packing lunches. Most of the last four years I've been able to make lunch at home, so the possibilities are endless. Now, I need to come up with healthy lunches that are easy to prepare and take to work. Definitely a learning curve! But I've found some great recipes and ideas that I cannot wait to try!
I'm officially three weeks into living in my new apartment this weekend as well. I am loving the country life, even with the micey intruders and birds trying to get it. It's so peaceful at night, and during the day for that matter! My front porch is also ideal for hammocking. The biggest change is paying my rent. The last three years of my life, I've used student loans to pay rent. I went to App for free from my sophomore year on, so taking loans to pay rent was not a big deal, and it made sense. I was in school to learn, not to spend all my time working to afford a place so I could go to school. My last paycheck wasn't for a full two weeks of full time work, and it was JUST enough to cover my rent for the month. Thank goodness for graduation money! That made things this last week much easier.
I'm excited to see how my paychecks will really look once I have a full two weeks on them. This may sound silly, but I am so excited about sitting down with my BFFs Excel and "Total Money Make-Over" and reworking my budget! Now that I have a predictable income, I think things will be a bit easier. I am ready to really pick up some momentum in saving my emergency fund as well as paying down my student debt! My boss has even mentioned the possibility of bonuses if we have a super busy summer - that would go a long way to helping pay down those debts!
One of the best things about my post grad life is no homework! I LOVE to read. I could spend all day reading a good book. It has been so great to be able to read for fun and not feel guilty for neglecting school work! I also love that after work, I can borrow our guard dog Knox and go to the park for an hour, or eat dinner with a friend, or go to Boone for the evening, and not be ignoring something important. The BEST part is that I acutally have a weekend! For the last year, when I wasn't at school, I was at work or doing homework. Even on Sundays, I worked in the morning at 8am until time to leave for church. I now have Sunday and Monday all to myself, aside from being blessed to be able to volunteer at Elevation Boone. Life is good :)
Hopefully I really can actually pick blogging up for once. Perhaps I can come up with themes for a few days of the week? If I had direction, I know I could do it!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Morning Rituals
I really enjoy my morning rituals for getting ready. If I get up to late or something comes up that throws off my routine, I'm not really a happy camper and just feel off for the rest of the day. I probably enjoy getting ready in the morning more than I should, haha.
My morning ritual starts with a shower. From there I start applying the lotions - body lotion and face lotion. Then I apply this oil to my hair to keep it protected from the hairdryer and the elements. After getting dressed, the fun begins. I usually grab a cup of coffee or hot tea and return to the bathroom to start in on my make-up. I think part of the fun and enjoyment comes from the little girl inside who loves to play dress up and who wants to play at being someone new. I don't think any girl ever loses the little girl inside. I love watching how my face changes as I apply eyeliner, then carefully (or more often, lazily) choose an eyeshadow color. Some days, like today, I get really into it and get to shading and highlighting all around my eyes. Next comes the foundation to cover the redness in my cheeks or scars from teenage years of acne. Top it off with a little mascara, and on occasion a little hair spray for hold. I love that I can highlight want I want to highlight and hide what I want to hide. Some days I look like a slightly enhanced version of myself. There are a few where I feel like a different person.
I find that the closer to my true self that I look, the more I enjoy the look. I almost always default to a natural look. I'm not saying that I think I need makeup to be pretty. I think I'm beautiful with or without it, but I enjoy being able to bring out attention to the things I want attention drawn to. I like that I can hide what I don't want people to see.
That's all well and good when it comes to make up, but there are so many other things in my life that I do the same thing with. That's when it gets dangerous. When I start to alter my true self and put on a mask of perfection. I want people to think I have it together. I want them to think I'm a good little girl and that my life is all flowers and horses and dancing fun. I carefully line up my mask every morning before class, and even every Sunday before Elevation. If you ask me how I am, it is likely I'm going to give you a half truth. I am going to pick a highlight of the week to share. Or I'll pick a small problem, like being worn out, to share. I do not want people to see behind the mask on the days that I'm falling apart. I don't want you to think I can't hold it together. I don't want you to think I'm not strong.
At the same time, I hate it that I have friends who don't know what is really going on in my life. I am so blessed to have my wonderful eGroup and some great friends who know how to cut the crap. Just seeing them takes the mask down. But I'm tired of myself and everyone else putting up these fronts of perfection and peace. I think we should all bear our hearts to one another a little more. I think we'll find more support and love than we ever imagined. I think we'll also discover that the Lord has granted us more strength than we ever thought.
My morning ritual starts with a shower. From there I start applying the lotions - body lotion and face lotion. Then I apply this oil to my hair to keep it protected from the hairdryer and the elements. After getting dressed, the fun begins. I usually grab a cup of coffee or hot tea and return to the bathroom to start in on my make-up. I think part of the fun and enjoyment comes from the little girl inside who loves to play dress up and who wants to play at being someone new. I don't think any girl ever loses the little girl inside. I love watching how my face changes as I apply eyeliner, then carefully (or more often, lazily) choose an eyeshadow color. Some days, like today, I get really into it and get to shading and highlighting all around my eyes. Next comes the foundation to cover the redness in my cheeks or scars from teenage years of acne. Top it off with a little mascara, and on occasion a little hair spray for hold. I love that I can highlight want I want to highlight and hide what I want to hide. Some days I look like a slightly enhanced version of myself. There are a few where I feel like a different person.
I find that the closer to my true self that I look, the more I enjoy the look. I almost always default to a natural look. I'm not saying that I think I need makeup to be pretty. I think I'm beautiful with or without it, but I enjoy being able to bring out attention to the things I want attention drawn to. I like that I can hide what I don't want people to see.
That's all well and good when it comes to make up, but there are so many other things in my life that I do the same thing with. That's when it gets dangerous. When I start to alter my true self and put on a mask of perfection. I want people to think I have it together. I want them to think I'm a good little girl and that my life is all flowers and horses and dancing fun. I carefully line up my mask every morning before class, and even every Sunday before Elevation. If you ask me how I am, it is likely I'm going to give you a half truth. I am going to pick a highlight of the week to share. Or I'll pick a small problem, like being worn out, to share. I do not want people to see behind the mask on the days that I'm falling apart. I don't want you to think I can't hold it together. I don't want you to think I'm not strong.
At the same time, I hate it that I have friends who don't know what is really going on in my life. I am so blessed to have my wonderful eGroup and some great friends who know how to cut the crap. Just seeing them takes the mask down. But I'm tired of myself and everyone else putting up these fronts of perfection and peace. I think we should all bear our hearts to one another a little more. I think we'll find more support and love than we ever imagined. I think we'll also discover that the Lord has granted us more strength than we ever thought.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Embracing Your Place
If you know me, and if you scroll down the page, then you know that I am the world's worst at the whole blogging thing. It's not that I lack things to write about, or even the time to sit down and type out a post. It's just that I lack the discipline to do it. As much as I'd like to blog, I can never seem to make it a little higher up on my priority list. That being said, there is something I just needed to type out and share, even if no one reads it. It's more for me, anyway.
As a few of my friends know, I'm fairly certain my pastor back home listens to Elevation's podcasts. It is not uncommon for me to rehear a past Elevation message at New Horizon Church when I go home. They're always fantastic messages, and I think I usually get to rehear the message because God REALLY wants me to get the point. Recently, this was made very clear to me that that was the case.
On my way home for Christmas break (12-18) I listened to the Get Back series by Elevation from January 2011. Specifically, I listened to the sermon Christine Caine did entitled Embrace Your Place (http://www.elevationchurch.org/sermons/getback/part2). It was a great sermon, and I really enjoyed it as I drove down the mountain. The last Sunday I was home for break, Jan 15, Pastor Dave gave a sermon that hit all the points that week one and two of Get Back did. Then, to top it off, when I got back to Elevation Boone that night, I got to watch the original Christine Caine message again.
When I realized that was the message we'd be watching, I knew that God was really really trying to get a point across to me. All three of the sermons were about embracing your place in God's plan and where He has you know. They talked about how being obedient to His plan and doing as He says sets you up to be ready for the next step. Christine was in her place for seven years, doing her job as the Lord lead her until she became an "overnight" speaking success. As she says "it was a very long night."While listening to the sermons and trying to figure out why God kept sending them my way, all I could ask God was "Aren't I in place? I'm serving as the VIP coordinator and Elevation Boone. I'm working the job You lead me to. I'm attending the school You placed me in. I feel like I'm doing what You want me to do, and I don't feel like I'm doing something You DON'T want me to do. What are You saying to me?"
It wasn't until 3 1/2 weeks later that I finally realized what god was trying to tell me. And it was a big "DUH" moment. And one of those moments that makes you feel a little guilty. As my eGroup can attest, I fully believe that as a woman, it is your duty to do the job that the Lord has set before you and He will bring your husband to you when you both are ready. Not everyone agrees with me or thinks this is right, but in the Bible, God always brings the husband when the woman is doing her job. Rachel is out tending her father's sheep when Jacob finds her. Ruth is gleaning in the fields when Boaz notices her. Rebecca is at the well fetching water when Isaac's father's servant finds her. I'm probably forgetting a few, but I feel my point is made.
I have advised many of my single friends that they just need to be patient, and embrace where they are in life and focus on what God would have them do now. I've told them that being single is a great time to do wonderful things for God and in your life. You have only God to answer to and nothing to stop you from dropping everything and following Him. And that we need to live in the present moment, and not give our hearts an thoughts away to possible but improbable futures and daydreams. And I've told myself these same things. But a few weeks ago, I realized what God was saying to me, and I realized what it meant.
Despite knowing that God would bring my husband and I together at the proper time as we follow His will, I still chose to be discontent with my singleness. I was constantly praying for God to send me a man and wasting time dreaming of what could be. Even though I was IN my place, I wasn't EMBRACING my place. I wasn't living out and internalizing my beliefs that I needed to focus on what God would have me do here and now, and not what could be happening in my life if I had a boyfriend/husband. It was great to finally realize just what God was trying to get through to me, despite the fact that I felt a little guilty for my disobedience and not realized sooner. But now, I am fully embracing my place, which is getting better and better by the moment :)
As a few of my friends know, I'm fairly certain my pastor back home listens to Elevation's podcasts. It is not uncommon for me to rehear a past Elevation message at New Horizon Church when I go home. They're always fantastic messages, and I think I usually get to rehear the message because God REALLY wants me to get the point. Recently, this was made very clear to me that that was the case.
On my way home for Christmas break (12-18) I listened to the Get Back series by Elevation from January 2011. Specifically, I listened to the sermon Christine Caine did entitled Embrace Your Place (http://www.elevationchurch.org/sermons/getback/part2). It was a great sermon, and I really enjoyed it as I drove down the mountain. The last Sunday I was home for break, Jan 15, Pastor Dave gave a sermon that hit all the points that week one and two of Get Back did. Then, to top it off, when I got back to Elevation Boone that night, I got to watch the original Christine Caine message again.
When I realized that was the message we'd be watching, I knew that God was really really trying to get a point across to me. All three of the sermons were about embracing your place in God's plan and where He has you know. They talked about how being obedient to His plan and doing as He says sets you up to be ready for the next step. Christine was in her place for seven years, doing her job as the Lord lead her until she became an "overnight" speaking success. As she says "it was a very long night."While listening to the sermons and trying to figure out why God kept sending them my way, all I could ask God was "Aren't I in place? I'm serving as the VIP coordinator and Elevation Boone. I'm working the job You lead me to. I'm attending the school You placed me in. I feel like I'm doing what You want me to do, and I don't feel like I'm doing something You DON'T want me to do. What are You saying to me?"
It wasn't until 3 1/2 weeks later that I finally realized what god was trying to tell me. And it was a big "DUH" moment. And one of those moments that makes you feel a little guilty. As my eGroup can attest, I fully believe that as a woman, it is your duty to do the job that the Lord has set before you and He will bring your husband to you when you both are ready. Not everyone agrees with me or thinks this is right, but in the Bible, God always brings the husband when the woman is doing her job. Rachel is out tending her father's sheep when Jacob finds her. Ruth is gleaning in the fields when Boaz notices her. Rebecca is at the well fetching water when Isaac's father's servant finds her. I'm probably forgetting a few, but I feel my point is made.
I have advised many of my single friends that they just need to be patient, and embrace where they are in life and focus on what God would have them do now. I've told them that being single is a great time to do wonderful things for God and in your life. You have only God to answer to and nothing to stop you from dropping everything and following Him. And that we need to live in the present moment, and not give our hearts an thoughts away to possible but improbable futures and daydreams. And I've told myself these same things. But a few weeks ago, I realized what God was saying to me, and I realized what it meant.
Despite knowing that God would bring my husband and I together at the proper time as we follow His will, I still chose to be discontent with my singleness. I was constantly praying for God to send me a man and wasting time dreaming of what could be. Even though I was IN my place, I wasn't EMBRACING my place. I wasn't living out and internalizing my beliefs that I needed to focus on what God would have me do here and now, and not what could be happening in my life if I had a boyfriend/husband. It was great to finally realize just what God was trying to get through to me, despite the fact that I felt a little guilty for my disobedience and not realized sooner. But now, I am fully embracing my place, which is getting better and better by the moment :)
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins
So, I adapted this recipe from two different recipes I found on pinterest, and I will post the links at the bottom. For all my girlfriends, here is the recipe for my Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins!
As you know, I am a crockpot girl through and through so I made my buffalo chicken using the crockpot! This is how I made it. You can of course substitute fresh chicken and milder/hotter sauce. I used the frozen because it's something I always have on hand and you can put it in the pot frozen! Both of these recipes are fairly simple. The hardest part is waiting for the potatoes to be ready!
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
8 hours on low
4 to 5 frozen boneless skinless chicken tenders
1 bottle of Texas Pete Wing Sauce
4(ish) tablespoons butter ( I used unsalted stick butter)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Mix
1. Put the frozen chicken and most of the bottle of sauce into the crock pot. Top with the packet of Ranch mix.
2.Cook on low 6 to 7 hours.
3. Remove the chicken, using two forks to shred it. If it doesn't pull apart easily, it's not ready. (I did mine at 5 hours, but my chicken had thawed in the fridge over night)
4. Place shredded chicken back into pot, as well as your butter. This allows the chicken to really soak up the sauce.
5.Cook for an additional hour on low.
6. Enjoy! or begin the steps for putting it into potato skins!
Potato Skins
350 degree Oven
4 medium russet/baking potatoes
oil for brushing
2 cups (or more) of buffalo chicken
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese
Blue Cheese
Green onion if you want to garnish it up!
Ranch/Blue cheese dressing for dipping
1.Clean and prick potatoes, then microwave for 8 minutes or so (or with potato button).
2. Let the potatoes cool, then scoop out most of the insides. Try to leave about 1/8 inch left. Save the insides for some mashed potatoes later in the week!
3. Salt and pepper the insides to taste.
4.Brush oil over the potatoes skins and salt.
5. Place on a cookie sheet (I put down foil first....less cleaning) and bake for 10 minutes on each side at 350. (The recipe calls for 450, but 350 was perfect for me).
6. Remove potatoes and fill with chicken, then blue cheese, then cheddar cheese. Place back in oven under BROIL in order to melt the cheese. Make sure your chicken is already warm when you put your potatoes together. It will only take a few minutes for the cheese to melt.
7. Pig out!
http://mykitchenapron.blogspot.com/2011/07/crock-pot-buffalo-chicken.html
http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/02/buffalo-chicken-potato-skins.html
As you know, I am a crockpot girl through and through so I made my buffalo chicken using the crockpot! This is how I made it. You can of course substitute fresh chicken and milder/hotter sauce. I used the frozen because it's something I always have on hand and you can put it in the pot frozen! Both of these recipes are fairly simple. The hardest part is waiting for the potatoes to be ready!
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
8 hours on low
4 to 5 frozen boneless skinless chicken tenders
1 bottle of Texas Pete Wing Sauce
4(ish) tablespoons butter ( I used unsalted stick butter)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Mix
1. Put the frozen chicken and most of the bottle of sauce into the crock pot. Top with the packet of Ranch mix.
2.Cook on low 6 to 7 hours.
3. Remove the chicken, using two forks to shred it. If it doesn't pull apart easily, it's not ready. (I did mine at 5 hours, but my chicken had thawed in the fridge over night)
4. Place shredded chicken back into pot, as well as your butter. This allows the chicken to really soak up the sauce.
5.Cook for an additional hour on low.
6. Enjoy! or begin the steps for putting it into potato skins!
Potato Skins
350 degree Oven
4 medium russet/baking potatoes
oil for brushing
2 cups (or more) of buffalo chicken
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese
Blue Cheese
Green onion if you want to garnish it up!
Ranch/Blue cheese dressing for dipping
1.Clean and prick potatoes, then microwave for 8 minutes or so (or with potato button).
2. Let the potatoes cool, then scoop out most of the insides. Try to leave about 1/8 inch left. Save the insides for some mashed potatoes later in the week!
3. Salt and pepper the insides to taste.
4.Brush oil over the potatoes skins and salt.
5. Place on a cookie sheet (I put down foil first....less cleaning) and bake for 10 minutes on each side at 350. (The recipe calls for 450, but 350 was perfect for me).
6. Remove potatoes and fill with chicken, then blue cheese, then cheddar cheese. Place back in oven under BROIL in order to melt the cheese. Make sure your chicken is already warm when you put your potatoes together. It will only take a few minutes for the cheese to melt.
7. Pig out!
http://mykitchenapron.blogspot.com/2011/07/crock-pot-buffalo-chicken.html
http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/02/buffalo-chicken-potato-skins.html
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