Amazing Grace!

Ephesians 2:4-9  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.


It occurred to me that the song that was being sung when I was saved is pretty much my testimony:

Amazing Grace, How Sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

 

Grace, it is amazing. Grace is God's favor.  How could a person like me, who had done so many terrible things, be deserving of anyone's favor?  Let alone, God's?

 

A Wretch?  Yes, I was.  I had hurt and disappointed everyone who loved me.  Burned bridges and deserved the absolute worse life had to offer.

 

I once was lost, but now I'm found

Was blind, but now I see

 

I was selfish and untrustworthy.  I was full of shame and disgust for myself.  Then a total stranger reached out to me.  They saw a glimmer of hope for me and led me to the moment where I was open to God.  Jesus rescued me and opened my eyes so that I could see a glimmer of hope for my future.

 

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

 

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

 

Fear of the Lord is indeed the beginning of it all.  Before the moment I received The Lord's Salvation, I felt the entire weight of my sin-filled past growing heavier and heavier.  I was drowning under it.

 

Accepting His invitation, fearing His great presence and humbling myself before Him made it possible for His grace to remove that weight of guilt, shame, despair, and hopelessness from me.  I no longer needed to fear the future.  He was with me.

 

The Lord has promised good to me

His Word my hope secures

 

He loves me, no matter what I did in my past.  His promises ring truer and truer with each passing day.  The security I have in knowing Him and His unending love is beyond what words can describe.

 

He will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures

 

He not only cleansed me of my past, He fights my battles for me and He provides me with everything I need.  He has restored me!  I will praise Him forever with a thankful heart, because He has given me so much more happiness than I would have ever imagined possible.



 

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow

The sun forbear to shine

But God, Who called me here below,

Will be forever mine.

Will be forever mine.

WILL BE FOREVER MINE.

 

I will not be here on earth forever.  We are all mortal.  I will however, continue to do the Lord's work as long as He needs me to. 

 

I can sing this part from the mountaintops!!!!!!

 

 

My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, My Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy reigns

Unending Love, AMAZING GRACE!



 

 

This was written by Jessica Honc.  She is a wife and homeschooling mom of 3, President of Freedom Fellowship Co-op, Church Librarian, and 1st-3rd grade Girls' class teacher. 

Radical Parenting!

What does the world tell us about raising children?  Children need the freedom to become who they want to be no matter if it is immoral.  Children are capable of making lifelong decisions, right!?!  Education will take them anywhere and must be priority.  Discipline of any form destroys children's self esteem.  They must be in every activity possible to feel like they have made accomplishments and so they can find out "who they are".  The list is endless.  When I start thinking about this, I am convinced that it is absolute nonsense.

For every book that tells you how to do one of these ideas, you will find another that contradicts it.  There is much confusion in the world over the best way to raise children to be healthy, "well adjusted" adults.  That confusion has infiltrated the churches, but it doesn't have to be that way. 

We don't have to try to chase these ideas to figure out the best way to raise our children.  The best book for child training has nothing that can contradict it.  The Bible is infallible.  Its words are proven through the ages.  This guide will never steer you wrong!

I heard it said my whole life that Christians need to read their Bible every day, but I knew few who actually did.  As an adult, I began to take on this wonderful task.  I love the Word of God.  It is life and breath!  The more I read, the more I love it.  Sister Linda Gilmore and I were talking at the Ladies Retreat.  She told me how much she loves reading the Bible and how she would have never made it through such hard times without it.  I told her that some days it is like eating chocolate cake.....it is just that good, and I can't get enough!    

A few years ago, I was convicted that I did not work very hard to instill a love for the Word of God in my children.  We went to church every time the doors were open.  We home school, so Bible stories and scripture are in their daily school work.  THIS WAS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH.  I did nothing to encourage them to have their own time with Our Savior everyday or take time to teach them to pray.  Maybe we think our kids will figure out how to do these things when they are grown.  Why do we allow them to miss out on years of precious time with Jesus and His Word?  

If we are to train our children, we must become instructors of scripture to them daily.  No matter your educational preferences, reading the Bible to your children is not an option.  (Well, it shouldn't be anyways!)  Memorizing scripture is just as important as reading it.  Psalm 119:11 says I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

We must not base our ideas of parenting on what others are doing around us, even if they are Christians.  Use scripture and trust the Holy Spirit to guide you.  If we are to be radical in our parenting, and to be intentional in raising Godly children, we must know what else The Word of God would say about this great task.   
         
Ephesians 6:4   Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.   

         

We must be reminded that we do not discipline out of anger or for the sake of making a child do what we want them to do.  We disciple, correct, and instruct our children so they will know what God wants them to do.  We are the Lord's tool to train the next generation of warriors.

 

 

Proverbs 29:15  The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.   

 

The small window of time we have with our kids goes by so quickly.  The sad thing is that most parents realize this all too late.  Technology and entertainment are no replacement for time spent with parents.         

Deuteronomy 6:7   You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.   

 

Diligence is defined as having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties.  If you read the whole text it is referring to teaching scripture to your children and to love the Lord with all our heart and strength!  A radical parent takes every care to nurture a child's relationship, as well as their own, with Jesus and with the Word of God.           

Proverbs 13:24   Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.   

         

Proverbs 29:17   Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.   

         

Proverbs 22:15   Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.   

   

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible says this about Proverbs 22:15. That is, sin, the greatest of all folly; this is naturally in the heart of man; it is in the heart of a child, it is in him from his infancy; it is bound in his heart, it is rooted and riveted in him, being conceived in sin, and shapen in iniquity; it is what cleaves close to him, and he has a strong affection for and desire after: the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth, ( Genesis 8:21 ) ; so that he is not easily brought off of sin, or becomes wise; [but] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him; the rod used by parents, for the correction of sin and folly, is a means of making children wise, and of restraining the folly that is bound up in them; and of reclaiming them from those sinful ways, which the folly of their hearts leads them to, and so in some measure of driving it far from them.       

Psalm 127:3-5   Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Above all, we must remember that our children are a reward for us.  They are a blessing.  If we want them to be a blessing to others, we must train them in the way they should go!

 

Food With Friends:Pie Crust, Pecan Pie Filling, and Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Every time my friend, Naomi Chance, writes for Passionate With a Purpose, I go on and on about how much I love her and what a great cook she is!  I will try not to get carried away today, so without further ado, enjoy these awesome, my family approved, recipes!

 

Dale and Naomi Chance! 
(Courtesy of Kayla Buckner Photography!)

 

I remember baking bread in the 6^th grade by myself.  Not with a bread machine or frozen bread dough. It was the real old fashioned way.  Knead, knead, knead…. rise, punch down, rise, punch down, rise and punch down yet again.  It was an all day ordeal.  I love, love, love to bake.  Seriously, if there was only one favorite pastime I could choose, it would be cooking in my kitchen with my praise music going, an apron around my waist, measuring out ingredients.  It relaxes me and brings me joy.  My friend and sister in Christ, Tiffany Kilpatrick, put it best “You love with food.”  And that is the honest truth.  I extend my love with what I cook.  If I cook for you, then I love ya!

 

I attribute my love of cooking to my mother and her sisters.  Some of the very best memories I have from my childhood are ones around the kitchen and then the dinner table with my parents, grandparents, aunts and cousins.  Dinners brought our family together.  This pie crust recipe is from my aunt (who has gone on to be with the Lord).  Every time I make it I think of her.  She was one of a kind and I feel privileged to have learned from her.  I hope the recipes shared on this blog will be ones that bring fond memories for you and for your children when they are grown.  Cherish every minute you have with them. I  am always reminded of this scripture when I share a recipe for Tera:

 

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, TEACHERS OF GOOD THINGS; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.      ~Titus 2:3-5

 

What a responsibility!!!!  I pray that I am a living example of this scripture to my daughters daily. Although, I hate to admit I MAY fall into the category of  “aged women”!  Gasp!!

 

Nana’s Pie Crust

 

2 c flour (plus extra to roll out crust)

½ tsp salt

¾ c. Crisco

¾ c. water

 

Mix flour, salt and sugar together. Add Crisco and cut in with pastry cutter or fork (I use a fork) until crumbly looking. Slowly mix in water. Roll out on floured surface to fit pie plate. 

 

*This recipe will make 2- 9inch pie crusts.

 

1. Combine flour and salt in medium sized bowl. The recipe doesn’t call for it, but I add 1 Tbsp. of sugar with it. Add your Crisco. Cut in with a fork. Until it looks similar to this:

 2.  Mix in water. It’s gonna be sticky. It will look like this:

 

 

3.  Turn half of your dough out onto a floured surface. I got my handy dandy dough mat from Tupperware. It saves a lot of cleanup. I know a lot of women that keep a floured pillowcase in their freezer to roll our crust and dumplins. Even your table or counter will do the trick as long as you have it floured adequately. Be sure to flour your hands and rolling pin as well.

 

4.  Cover dough with flour and form into a ball. Just as Jane shows you. Before rolling flatten your dough a little then roll out your dough large enough to fit into your pie plate.

 

 

 

 

 

5.  I then fold my dough in half to easier transfer it into my pie plate. It tears fairly easy so you want to be sure not to pull on it when laying it in your pie plate.

 

 

6.  I then begin to pinch around the edges. Be sure your fingers are well floured. Jenna demonstrates this here for you:

 

 

7.  Then with a floured knife, cut the remaining dough from around the edges.

 

Southern Pecan Pie

 

1 c. sugar

1 ½ c. Karo corn syrup

4 eggs

¼ c. butter

1 ½ tsp. vanilla

1 ½ c. pecan halves

 

In saucepan bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl beat eggs. Temper your eggs with the corn syrup. Stir in butter and vanilla. Finally add your pecans. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

 

 

1. Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil. This supersaturates your syrup and keeps the pie filling from being sugary/grainy. It is extremely HOT. And will be clear like this:

 

2.  Tempering your eggs is just a fancy word meaning to increase the temperature of your egg slowly without cooking them. So you will need to SLOWLY add your corn syrup mixture otherwise you will end up with scrambled eggs and corn syrup YUCK! (please note that yours may not look exactly like this. I was making 4 pies!)

 

 

3.  Stir in your butter and vanilla. Finally add your pecans. Then pour into prepared pie crust.

 4.  Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. Your pie should NOT be firm but a bit jiggly when you remove it from the oven. (That is one lesson my husband can attest to from the first pecan pie I made 15 years ago. It was not edible and went into the trash. Fellow Texans please forgive me, I was raised in Vermont. A Yankee doesn’t eat many pecan pies.)

 

5.  And voila!

 

 

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

 

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)

1 ½ c. ketchup

1 ½ c. bbq sauce

6 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1-2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

 

 

 

1.  Mix all sauce ingredients in crock pot.   Add chicken and coat with sauce.  Cook on high for 4 hours.

 

2.  Remove chicken and shred with forks.

 

3.  Return to sauce and serve over toasted buns.  This is one of our favorite Sunday lunches. It cooks perfectly while we are at church. (For buns: butter and sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Put under broiler in oven until golden brown)

 

 

Wedded Wednesday:Sacrifice in Marriage!

I'm sure if you have been reading Passionate With a Purpose very long, you know that Wedded Wednesday is my favorite day of the week!  This is such a treat!  Buddy Buckner is my guest writer today.  He and his wife, Kayla serve as Sr. High School Youth Pastors, lead the Youth Praise Team, and are a part of the Freedom Fellowship Praise team.  Buddy plays drums, and Kayla sings!  They have been married for seven years and have two beautiful children, Emily and J.B, and one on the way.  How exciting is that!           -Tera

Buddy and Kayla Buckner

          I do not consider myself to be an expert on the subject of marriage, but I have learned at least a few lessons in the almost 7 wonderful years that I have been married to my beautiful wife! (brownie points) No it really is true.  It has been 7 years filled with good times and with trials, and my wife is a beauty. Things worth having and holding onto don’t always come easy. But I know the reward for enduring hard times and working thru differences is far greater.  We live in a day when it seems easy to give up.  You can drive down the road and see billboards advertising a cheap and easy divorce.  The devil knows the institution of marriage is a God thing so he tries to promote its destruction every opportunity he gets.  But thanks be unto God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

          One lesson I have learned in marriage, and I continue to learn to this day, is that of being unselfish. My wife, Kayla, is naturally a giving person.  She bends over backwards and makes sacrifices for me all the time without the adequate thanks that she certainly deserves. She takes care of the kids and the home relentlessly and doesn’t ask for accolades.  I, on the other hand, am a taker who is slowly learning how to be more of a giver.  One thing is certain; selfishness will wreak havoc on a marriage relationship.  There have been times that my selfishness has caused problems.  Now I don’t want to paint an image of perfection about my wife, because she has her shortcomings as well as I, and she would agree with me on that.  I do know that selfishness has been one of the continual tests that the Lord has been placing before me.  We can become wrapped up in ourselves without any attention to the needs of our spouse.  When everything becomes about us, and our happiness then I believe we are missing the point of the marriage relationship that God ordained.  Marriage is about sacrifice.  Sacrifice must be given from both sides.  The Word of God tells us this in Ephesians 5: 22-33 (NKJV):

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

From these scriptures I see a main point of sacrifice for the husband and a main point of sacrifice for the wife:

Husbands, love your wife as yourself.

Wives, submit to (respect) your husband.

 

I believe women look for love and adoration and men look for respect.  When one or the other is selfish, and does not provide their reasonable sacrifice in the marriage, things will get rough.  A man needs to love his wife and treat her like he would himself; with love, respect, adoration, appreciation, and any other virtue that creates value and self-worth within her. When a woman is treated correctly she becomes a blossoming flower in a field on a beautiful spring day.  (Men take notes here!) God created her this way.  If we have a problem with that then we need to take it up with Him, I suppose!

 

Men, on the other hand, want respect.  A contentious woman is like a constant dripping on a rainy day.  It is better to dwell on the housetop than in the house with a brawling woman. Those are words of wisdom from a man that had 700 wives!  If anyone should know about women it should be him right?  A man wants to feel respected.  When a woman submits to her husband it makes him feel as though she respects him and it fulfills the God-given desire He placed within the man to be a leader and protector.  How does a woman submit to her husband?  She allows him to lead and be the head of the home as was ordained by God.  Men were created to lead.  Men were created to lead in the home.  Men must accept that call and understand there is no greater call in the world!  Our families need us to be men of God that lead!

 

When we live our lives in line with the Word of God, we will have a blessed home and a blessed family.  For a marriage to work properly, Christ must be in the center of the relationship.   Both individuals must accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Marriage takes work and God never intended that we go thru it alone without His love and grace.  If you do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior, ask Him into your heart and life today.  Confess that you are a sinner. Believe that He is the Son of God that died for your sins.  Start a new life of following Christ and living in His word.  Become a new creation!

In conclusion, husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and wives submit to your husbands and his God-given leadership and live happily ever after.



 

Radical Prayer

It is my honor to have Sister Etta Rose as a guest writer today.  There are not enough words to tell you how much love and respect I have for her and her husband, Bro. Ken.  Bro. Ken serves as Executive Pastor at our church and together, Ken and Etta handle all the finances.  Mrs. Etta is also over our Ladies Intercessors Group that meets weekly to pray.  I have been to some of these meetings and I am telling you, the Presence of God is so strong!  There is something absolutely beautiful about the faith Mrs. Etta has that through prayer, God can and will do anything! 

 

Bro. Ken and Sis. Etta Rose

Tera asked me to write something about Prayer....RADICAL PRAYER!  My first thoughts were no way not me.....however....

I looked up the word radical & it means ...thorough; extreme.  Hmmm....thorough or extreme prayer! That sounds exciting and it stirs my soul.  So here I am doing what I thought I couldn't do....

A love for prayer and intercession is something that the Holy Spirit has placed in my spirit.
It was important to Jesus so it should be important to us!  I love to praise & I love to pray! The two go hand in hand.

The Holy Spirit is our teacher.  We are to allow him complete & total access to all that we are & all that we do.  When we are saved, we are not our own anymore. We belong to The Lord!
 

"Ye are bought with a price; be not ye

the servants of men."

1 Corinthians 7:23

So that means, our prayers are not our own either!

Ask The Lord to teach you to pray for the needs that touch His heart and to expand our prayer borders!  There are so many needs that it can seem a bit overwhelming for us, but the word says "He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could think or ask." Ephesians 3:20

I have had to learn to get beyond praying just for me & mine.  They are important to me & they are important to the Lord, but He wants us to pray for so much more!  Our families, our communities, our nation need Jesus! We need revival in our land....

Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that we could have the gift of salvation.  It is because of Him, and Him alone, there is hope for all of us!  He has given us the Power & the authority to go boldly before the throne of grace & lay our petitions before him.  These petitions are our prayers.

As the bride of Christ we have a call to prayer.  There is a big difference between a prayer life and a life of prayer.

What an honor & privilege it is to serve someone by praying for them.  We go before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords on their behalf...how awesome is that!!!

As we ask the Holy Spirit to pray through us & to show us how to pray, He does!  Sometimes, it is a quiet prayer, sometimes, it is a prayer that has no words, just tears or it might even be loud.  We have to trust The Lord with all of our prayers and remember that the results of these prayers are always up to The Lord!

"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray,

and Cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice."

Psalm 55:17

There is power in prayer!  EXTREME prayer, with EXTREME power!  If we are crying out for a soul to be saved, shouldn't we be willing to go to the extreme?  If there is a need, shouldn't we be THOROUGH when we pray?  If we are crying out for one of our own family, there will be some sincere prayers lifted up, maybe even with tears.  The prayers will be EXTREME.  They will be THOROUGH as we cry out to our mighty God.  That's how we are to pray for for others.

I am praying that the Holy Spirit will teach us all to pray prayers that touch the heart of Jesus on behalf of others.  That our prayers will become RADICAL and that with our RADICAL prayers, there will be EXTREME power released bringing forth EXTREME, THOROUGH victories in our families, our communities and across our nation!

 " Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,

will draw all men unto me."

John 12:32

It says, He will draw ALL men if we will lift Him up.  That means the lost, the sick, the broken hearted, the bound up.....all men means ALL men!

Lift Jesus up...then watch and see what a mighty God we serve!

Week of Radical

A couple of weeks ago I did a post about being radical.  It was one of the most viewed posts here.  I have to think it is because Christian people are ready and hungry for something that is "more than this".  We read Acts 2 and it stirs us to want more than just church as usual.  We read Revelation 4, and it stirs our heart to reach deeper into worship.  We turn our Bibles to James 1:27 and read what the Bible defines as pure, undefiled religion, and we know we are called to do more than fill a spot on pew each week.  Digging into the Word brings life to Christians that otherwise would be stale and stagnant. 

When I read about Paul, I know that know that no mission God calls me to will be too hard, and there will be no trial I will have to face alone.  When I read about Jesus, I become fully aware of the magnificent act that transpired on the cross and how beautiful grace and mercy is.  I, also, know that if I want to do "greater things" (John 14:12) that Jesus talked about, I better get even more radical!  If I want to be like Jesus, I have to know Jesus.  I get revelation of Him through His Word. 

Radical- a person who advocates thorough and complete reform; an activist; revolutionary; reaching; wide-ranging

The theme to this whole week is going to be R-A-D-I-C-A-L!  Radical parenting, radical marriages (Wedded Wednesday), radical homemaking (Food with Friends!), and Radical Prayer.  In my life, this just means I am going to become even more revolutionary to make sure these things that I do, parenting, marriage, etc., line up more with the Bible than with the world's view of what they should look like.

Have you ever heard of Jefferson Bethke?  If you have, you have probably seen the video below.  If not, I hope you enjoy.

If you are reading by email or mobile device and can not view this video, check it out on YouTube.  It is titled Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus by Jefferson Bethke.

What do you think?  Here is something else to ponder on. 

How true is this statement!?!  If we want to not just play church, we have to know Jesus, know His heart towards people, know what stirred Him to compassion and what made Him angry.  If we are going to be RADICAL, we must get in the Word of God.  We must ask for a fresh revelation of WHO JESUS IS!  When we truly see Jesus, WE WILL BE LIKE HIM! (1 John 3:2)

Friday Randomness!

I have so many thoughts in my head today.  I read an article, recently, that said you should have one strong topic on your blog.  If you have more, you will confuse your readers, and not build your blog.  If y'all haven't noticed....I'm not really worried about building my blog.  So, today you are getting Friday Randomness!

I woke up to a text from Billy Joe (my husband) this morning that says, "How is Shine?"  I had to really think about that a minute.  Shine?  I am thinking all kinds of crazy thoughts because I am half asleep still.  Well, it is almost Valentine's Day!  Maybe he got me an early present!?!  I text him back and ask, "What is Shine?"  His reply, "The bluetick (coon dog) puppy in the mudroom!" Go ahead and laugh out loud!!!   Hmm, not exactly what I was thinking.  I am so crazy in love with that farmin', ranchin', coon huntin', servin' Jesus man!  ☺ 

Have you ever hear of 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jenn Hatmaker?  I read Interrupted by Jenn and found myself wanting to do this experiment.  It takes seven months.  Each month a different area of excess is addressed - food, clothes, spending, media, possessions, waste, and stress.  Below is the book description on Amazon.

 

They would spend thirty days on each topic, boiling it down to the number seven. Only eat seven foods, wear seven articles of clothing, and spend money in seven places. Eliminate use of seven media types, give away seven things each day for one month, adopt seven green habits, and observe “seven sacred pauses.” So, what’s the payoff from living a deeply reduced life? It’s the discovery of a greatly increased God—a call toward Christ-like simplicity and generosity that transcends social experiment to become a radically better existence.

 

Doesn't that sound intriguing!  I have started month 1 this week - anyone want to join me?  I have to warn you that Jenn Hatmaker is extremely honest and does not sugar coat anything like you might expect in a Christian book.  She is a "what you see is what you get" type of gal.  If you dive in, you'll see exactly what I am talking about!

 

 

The Ladies Retreat last weekend was awesome!  The worship led by Sarah Reeves Kothlow and the teaching by Sister Linda Gilmore was so good.  The best part (to me) was the fellowship!  I have to testify that this weekend I realized just how loved I am.  Trust me, I am not being proud, because this fact is absolutely humbling.  It brings tears to my eyes.  I am beyond blessed to have a community of women who love me no matter who I am, what I wear, how spiritual I can be, or what position I hold.  There is no need to work for acceptance or friendship, these women just love Jesus and love people.  Plain. And. Simple.  

 

Growing up, this was something I struggled with - the need to be accepted....or to fit in.  Even as an adult, I worried about this.  I feel free from it for the first time in my life!  These women don't expect me to be someone I am not or to try to be like them.  All they want is for me to love Jesus and love others.  I can not imagine being in a church where I didn't feel so loved or have Godly women in my life. 

 

I hate for people to use the word "BLESSED" flippantly about everything, but you better believe I do not throw it around lightly.  These women are a BLESSING in my life, and I love the place that God has me! 

 

Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in showing honor.
Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.” - C.S. Lewis

 

Just a note of encouragement....If you feel like you don't need people in your life (FLASHING RED LIGHT HERE!) or that all of a sudden you don't fit in your Church community, you better believe that Satan will attempt to separate you and "cut you from the herd".  Don't believe his lies.  We need each other.  We were made for fellowship.  Press through and find a Christian friend to pray for you and with you. ☺ 

 

I have really been thinking about this for a few days.  There is a Valentine's sale at Lilla Rose today and tomorrow.  ALL PROCEEDS for February and March will go to Freedom Fellowship building fund!!!!!  If you have been thinking about ordering, and have been putting it off - NOW IS THE TIME!  Just click here to shop or click on the tab at the top that says Shop Lilla Rose to check them out!  Thank you in advance!  (For those who have ordered already, those proceeds will also go to the Building Fund!)

 

Kera and Kati (My oldest daughters) are making a video explaining how to use Lilla Rose Flexi-clips.  Hopefully, I will be able to post it later this afternoon or tomorrow.  I assure you, it will be entertaining!

 

This was my Friday Randomness!  I feel like I just sat down and spilled my thoughts over coffee with you.  Hugs, my friends!  I just want to throw one last quick thought out there.  To all my friends that read my blog, you make feel so loved, too!  Thank you for your friendship.  Seriously, from the bottom of my heart, I am most grateful for you!  Have a great weekend!

 

Food With Friends:Chicken Teriyaki

As you may have noticed, after the survey last week, the name for our recipe day, Food with Friends, won by leaps and bounds!  Aren't we cool now!?!  Today, I have such a treat for us. 

 

If men have BFF's, Mitchell Sanchez would be my husband's!  They do everything together- hunt, work, and serve the Lord!  Generally, if you find one of them doing something, the other is with them.  

 

Something they don't do together though is share the joy of cooking.....I'm pretty sure I don't even love cooking as much as Mitchell and Tonya Sanchez.  They are good chefs and thank goodness, because we enjoy their food quite a bit. 

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  Let me know if you try it out!  Do what everybody else does, and post a picture of it on Facebook! ☺ 

 

Mitchell Sanchez

 

So I guess it's time to admit I'm a closet reader of Tera's blog.  I'll go ahead and say it, the girl does a great job and I get a fresh blessing every time I read it.  That being said, I noticed she does a recipe day and thought I'd share some of our recipes we use at our house.   Tonya and I share the cooking duties, and we both love being in the kitchen.  Last night, we made a meal of stuff we had on hand, and it turned out pretty good!  We love us some Chinese food, so we tried a slimmed down version of Chicken Teriyaki!

 

Our meal was made for a family of 4, but add or take away as you see fit.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast

12oz bag frozen broccoli (we actually used half the bag)

1 whole yellow onion

2 green bell pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and Pepper to taste

Teriyaki Sauce (we used preservative free)

Brown or white rice

 

First, get your skillet or pot on the stove and warming, about medium heat.  I used a dutch oven, to give me some stirring room.

 

Next, chop your onion and bell pepper.  Try your best to cut everything the same size, and that’ll make it all finish cooking at the same time. 

 

 

 

Once  the skillet/pot warms up, add just enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom.  Once it starts lightly smoking, add the bell pepper first and let it cook for about 5 minutes to soften.  I always do this when cooking onion and bell pepper together, as it takes the bell pepper a little longer to soften and I try to get them the same consistency.  After they soften to your liking, add the onion.

 

 

While the onion and bell pepper are cooking, go ahead and chop up the chicken.  You can either cube it or cut it into thin strips.  We cut ours into thin strips.  Same thing as the onion and bell pepper, try as best you can to cut them all the same size.

 

 

Cook the onion and bell pepper till they brown lightly.

 

 

 

Once they get to the consistency you like, remove them from the pot and set them aside.  Turn your temp up to about medium high. After the temp comes up, add the chicken and lightly sear it.  If it’s cut thin, it won’t take long to cook.

 

 

 

Now would be a good time to cook the rice, as per the instructions on the box.

 

Once the chicken is cooked through, drain off any excess water and add the onion, bell pepper, half bag of frozen broccoli and about 4 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce and mix in.  You can add a little more or less, depending on how sweet you want it.  Drop the temp back to medium low, cover and cook about 5 minutes.  Take it off the heat and it should look something like this.

 

 

 

Put some of the rice in the bottom of a bowl and add some of the Teriyaki chicken, and ENJOY!!

 

 

 

Thanks again, Tera for letting me share a little of our kitchen in your blog.  Hopefully I’ll get to share a few more with you in the future!  God Bless!