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.
Friday, February 24, 2012
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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