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 :)

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

11/21/11

I just wanted to share a few quick thoughts with you guys today. It's been almost a month since I decided to begin blogging again, and I've failed to do so. Oopsie. So this weekend I plan on posting sermon notes with the date that they were written. I also plan on writing some real posts!

So, quick thoughts:
I've begun a fast from facebook that will last until December 20th. I'm on day 2. It's not easy. It's crazy how I default to Facebook so often. I actually had to delete the bookmark off of my bookmarks toolbar so I wouldn't click on it. Any time I finish watching a show on Hulu, or get back to my apartment, or finish anything, I want to check facebook. It's ridiculous. I never realized what a big part of my life it really was!

Taylor gave me a MacArthur Daily Bible a few weeks ago, and I really love it. I've learned a lot of new things already and can view scripture in new ways. I'm loving it! In addition to that, I'm doing a few short devotions through the YouVersion Bible App (Life Application Study Bible Devotion and Right From the  Heart 1-Minute Devotions) and they are great. They're a good way to start the day and get my heart right. I've gotten SUPER lazy as the semester has progressed, so I'm usually running way too late to read MacArthur, but I can read both of those devotions and set my mind on the right path before I head out the door. Days I do that are noticeably different from days I don't!

That's it for now; I gotta read my bible and go to bed :)

Why?

So, I started a blog with this same name once, and I have decided to delete it and import all the posts to a new account that's tied to my universal Google account for simplicity's sake :) All the posts prior to this one are from the old blog. Here begins the new one! So, here's a bit of info on what this is about and why I'm doing all this!

1)Why the name "She made the Sun Stand Still?"
     If you've read the book "Sun Stand Still" by Pastor Steven Furtick, then you probably get it. And if you haven't read it, then you really need to. It's a wonderful book about having true faith in God and not limiting Him with your small faith. I have named my blog "She made the Sun Stand Still" because that is what I want to do in my life, through God. I don't want to hold back in my faith. I don't want to live a mediocre life. I want to see miracles happen in my life that people will see and know without a doubt that it came from God and not me.

2)Why Blog?
   I keep a written journal, but it's mostly a prayer journal that I use to speak with God. It's also a serious venting and praising journal. I use it to decompress and celebrate and all kinds of things. I want to use this blog as a more public record of what is happening in my life. The Lord is always teaching me things and I'm in such a phase of transition. I figured, why not type it up and share it with the internet. Whether or not anyone reads is of little consequence.

3)What should I expect?
   All manner of things. I plan on posting my notes from Church on Mondays, as well as some personal thoughts on what was said. I'll probably talk about different books I'm reading, and there will of course be all kinds of general life stuff. Hopefully it'll be fun!

I can not believe it is already April.

I can not believe it's almost the end of my Junior year at App State.

Time flies when you're living from one weekend to the next. Or one day to the next. Some days I feel like I'm just waiting for the next exciting thing to happen. I'm waiting to go riding on the weekend, or to get dinner with a friend, or for the homework to be done. I have a hard time believing the school year is almost over already. I think what makes it so hard to believe is that I have lived from event to event, and I wonder what I've missed out on.

Each day is a gift from the Lord. Every morning I wake up is a miracle. Not that I'm sick or anything, just the fact that the Lord saw fit to let me continue on this journey and to continue to do His work. I've often heard it said that each day we have a "divine appointment" with someone. There is a person on this Earth whose life we are supposed to impact for the glory of God. And sometimes days go by without me realizing, and I look back and wonder "What have I done to further His Kingdom in the last few days?" Sometimes I wonder if I've even taken a chance to marvel at the beauty of creation. It's so easy to go in to survival mode, especially with work and class and homework. It can sometimes feel like I don't have a free second to think.

I thank the Lord for days like today. Days where I can sit out at the farmhouse and watch the horses graze in the pasture. What a blessing. Days like today make me reflect back on the past week and think of the moments I've missed with the Lord because I've let myself get caught up in the hustle and bustle of being a college student with a job.

My intention for the upcoming week is to take the moments I have to enjoy the gift of each day. And take every oppurtunity to further God's kingdom. I hope you make that your intention as well.

Seat Covers!

So, my poor Rodeo has a very ratty driver's seat. The hole in it has been growing and growing, and I got fed up with it earlier this week. The solution was obvious, seat covers. But I am a college student and those cost big buck. So what did I do? I headed over to Good Will and found an AWESOME set of sheets! This total project cost me about $8, because I already had a sewing machine and thread, and in addition to the sheets, I bought some more pins to pin the sheets the right way. I have not yet purchased the string/rope to tighten the bottom, but that won't be too costly.

I believe the sheets are a full set, and as such have A LOT of sheet to deal with! Twin sheets may work, but I would suggest trying it out with a set you own before buying some. Most of the excess sheet was at the bottom, any way. And, I would suggest washing sheets first if you got them from a thrift store.



Step 1
Lay the sheet out on your car seat inside out. If one side is darker than the other, you want the lighter side up, so that as you sew where you pin, you're sewing the seam inside the cover. My sheet had a design, and I wanted this to be centered and straight, so I had to be very careful as I pinned the sheet. Solid sheets are probably much easier to work with. But, who wants easy when they do this the first time? With the flat sheet, I used the already hemmed edge at the top as the hole for my detachable headrest.If you have detachable headrests like I do, make sure to take this in to account when pinning. Get the top of your sheet situated before moving on. I put pins through the sheet into the seat to hold it in place, only at the top, though!



Step 2
I then pulled one edge of the sheet around the inside edge (beside the console) to the outer edge (by the door) of the seat. This got tricky at the bottom. I pulled as much around as I could and began pinning. Again, I had a design on my sheet, so this was a bit tedious to keep it straight! I also pinned the sheet in to rounded corners along the top of the seat so that it would be nice and smooth when finished!





Step 3
Once your back of the seat is covered, you can move around. I next moved to pin the outer edge (the one towards the door. I put a line of pins in the sheet where I wanted the bottom edege to be. Keep in mind, leave room for a hem that will have some string/rope for tightening the bottom and holding the cover in place.



Step 4
I then pinned along the front two corners of the seat. This is probably not neccessary, but I wanted it to look nice and neat once finished! I also pinned another hem line in the front, just so I'd know where to cut the excess sheet.

Step 5
This is the tricky part. Unless you have removed your seat, it is very hard to get to the opposite side to determine the proper length for that side. I trimmed the excess sheet off the back and front sides, then saved this side for last. I shoved the sheet down, then used a highlighter to mark where I wanted to cut, then pulled the sheet back out and cut. You could, of course take it off, turn it right side in, and pin it on the easy to access side, but I thought of this long after the fact, haha.

Step 6
Mark where you want to sew. I almost didn't do this, but I'm glad I did! I used a highlighter to mark where I planned the seams to go. This was very useful one I got the sheet inside. It's hard to envision what it looks like when it isn't held in the right shape by the seat. I followed my highlighted lines when sewing, and it worked out great!

Step 7
Lay your string out along the bottom edge, pin the hem around it. Sew the hem, careful not to sew in your string. I actually did sew in in the front middle on purpose. That way, when I wash it it won't come out!

Step 8
Remove any pins. No one wants to sit on that

Step 9
Flip right side out and place it on your car seat.

Step 10
If all went well, you have a car seat cover! If nothing went well..at least you tried! Sit back and admire your hard work. Brag to someone. I called my mom and told her.

Step 11
Think of all the wonderful crafts you can do with the left over fabric!

It's very possible to use the first cover as a pattern for the other seat. As of yet, I have not done this because I spent all afternoon on the first one :P And I'm also hoping I may be lucky enough that I cut the fabric in such a way that I'll have enough for the back seat. If not, oh well!

Here's the finished product! Well, the corners anyway. I neglected to take a full picture, and it is now dark out.

Delight Yourself in the Lord

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 37:4. Ashley Peterson wrote it to me in a card sometime last year, and since then I have really cherished that verse.

Reading Sun Stand Still has made me think more and more on the dreams within my heart. There are many things I feel like I could take joy in doing for the rest of my life. I know how I would like to serve the Lord. But some days I wonder to myself, what if the Lord doesn't want that for me? What if God put this love in my heart for a purpose I have already served? I've often said "I feel like God has put this love and passion in my heart for a reason." And I believe He has for many things. But some of those things may only be temporary. They are just stepping stones to guide my path.

But like I said, sometimes I really begin to wonder if what I think I'm called to do, isn't it at all. There are some things I want very much to do in my lifetime, and it scares me that it may not be in the Lord's plan for my life. And then He reminds me of Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. It is a very encouraging verse! As I follow the Lord, and stay true to Him, He will give me the desires of my heart. I love when you stop and think about that verse and realize what it means. It's not that if you do the right things and push all the right buttons, God will give you what you want. Becaue the key part of the verse is the beginning. If you delight yourself in the Lord. If you follow His ways. If you cherish His word. If you take joy in His presence. He will give you the desires of your heart. Why will He do this? Because the more time you spend with the Lord, the more your heart becomes like His. And when your heart is like His heart, your desires become His desires. Isn't that incredible?

Matthew Henry put it: “He has not promised to gratify all the appetites of the body and the humours of the fancy, but to grant all the desires of the heart, all the cravings of the renewed sanctified soul. What is the desire of the heart of a good man? It is this, to know, and love, and live to God, to please him and to be pleased in him.” I love it. I believe it to be so true.

I just wanted to share that with you all. I find Psalm 37:4 to be very encouraging, and I always love when the Lord brings me back to it :) And sorry my posts are all about future dreams and such, that's just the place I'm at right now in my life, haha. Everyone wants to know what I'm doing in the future, so I tend to think on it a lot.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your prayers!