tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49471095400004408382024-03-13T01:49:02.494-07:00Growing as a MommyGrowing in Christ as a wife - mother - friend - etc.Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-89659286697236796652018-12-24T17:54:00.001-08:002018-12-24T18:16:59.783-08:00When Christmas Eve Looks Different than Expected <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX11Y6fVfEdREv5bTmlpcxl7NOalKZMQ7UTNhYGRAyL_u1VkLkxiP-ZSklQDs95MZKPTxA0n-5Qa26zig9Axe0BY1_Dn7Gyreg3nw8Z4A8nlRSFBpcpDGgbs7MhuKR2s9SHOHkURREGJI/s1600/F43C7E73-9036-4985-9060-1BC80FF248B5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX11Y6fVfEdREv5bTmlpcxl7NOalKZMQ7UTNhYGRAyL_u1VkLkxiP-ZSklQDs95MZKPTxA0n-5Qa26zig9Axe0BY1_Dn7Gyreg3nw8Z4A8nlRSFBpcpDGgbs7MhuKR2s9SHOHkURREGJI/s320/F43C7E73-9036-4985-9060-1BC80FF248B5.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Growing up, I loved Christmas Eve. We would gather at my grandparent’s house before dinner. Everyone was off work and life seemed to just stop for a bit. We enjoyed a good meal, took time thank Christ for what Christmas was really about, and opened presents from my grandparents. I especially loved that both of my parents were there—no work to think about…just time to sit and relax and be with family. <br />
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Fast forward to Christmas Eve now. Four years ago, we moved to Arkansas where my husband serves on staff at a church. Every Christmas Eve, we have a service in a barn. It is really neat to gather in a barn and such a tangible way to share the Christmas story. But, this means A LOT of work and preparation. We bring in a small stage, set up lights, chairs, heaters, tables for hot chocolate and cookies, etc. After the service is over, a lot of time is also devoted to clean up and my husband usually doesn’t get home until after kids are in bed. <br />
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Last year, I left the Christmas Eve service with our three children by myself. I remember driving home on the unfamiliar roads and I took a wrong turn. I was trying to navigate my way back to familiar roads and I just started crying. I felt so silly, but I just wanted to all be together on Christmas Eve and knowing that would not happen as long as we had our Christmas Eve service was upsetting. I came home to an empty house and began getting the kids something to eat. I was having a full-out pity party because things were not the way I wanted them. <br />
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This is life, though, isn’t it? Things change and things are not always the way we envision. As I think back to the night of Christ’s birth, I’m sure things were not as Mary planned. Who would envision giving birth in an unfamiliar setting, let alone in a stable because no rooms are available? But Mary saw past her circumstances because this night was not about her—it was about the baby she was carrying. This child was born to die for us, to carry a burden we could not carry and to give us new life.<br />
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What if we looked beyond our circumstances to the greater good? Our Christmas Eve may not be glamorous or what we envisioned. Perhaps you are stuck at home with a sick child or you have to work or you are alone with kids because your spouse has to work. But it’s a chance to change our perspective to see what God wants to do in our hearts tonight. How can you take what you’ve been given and use it for the greater good? So tonight may not look like it used to look for me on Christmas Eve. But that’s ok. Because tonight we get to celebrate in a barn with others who may not come to church otherwise. We get an opportunity to hear a message and turn our hearts to the real meaning of Christmas. I pray that you can find this same hope as you have your Christmas Eve-: that God would use you to love on your children or to wipe another sick child’s nose or to encourage your husband as he works the night shift. I’m so thankful for Christ’s sacrifice—that He saw past His comfort and chose to come down as a helpless baby to save us.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12757709321124462577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-51049549619450709642018-08-09T14:14:00.000-07:002018-08-09T14:16:26.931-07:00Hand Sanitizer <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The year 1996... Bath and Body Works was huge to a middle school girl then. I still enjoy a good smelling lotion or candle from there. Remember the scents Sun-Ripened Raspberry, Country Apple and Juniper Breeze? Those were my scents then. I remember when the store came out with a mind-blowing idea: SCENTED hand sanitizer. I mean, could it get any better? It actually cleans your hands, you can fit it in your purse, AND it smells amazing? Who wouldn't want to smell like a fresh, country apple?! My best friend in middle school and I saved up our money and decided to go in together and buy 4 and get the 5th free. So we scrounged up allowance and got to the store and began the smell test. She chose 2 and I chose 2 and then we had to decide on one we both liked to split. We were so excited (and really cool ha!). We got back to my house and found a little container to squeeze the 1/2 of the 5th bottle into. And we guarded that stuff. We would only use the tiniest amount because we wanted it to last and we didn't get it out in front of many people because we knew they'd all want to use it and we had to use our hard-earned allowance on this stuff. Stingy. We were stingy with our hand-sanitizer. The sad part is I remember having to throw out at least a bottle of it because it was getting so old and nasty. All that hoarding and being stingy and it didn't even get used.</div>
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Last night I was reminded of this experience and how it relates to our lives. When we get dealt hard things in life, so many times we pull back and don't want to release it to God. Whether it's from shame, fear, insecurity or bitterness, we dig our heels in and won't let go. And the result: we are left bitter and crusty instead of pouring out our lives for the good of others. Like that hand sanitizer that had to be thrown out...</div>
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Our hurts in life are the very things God uses to encourage others. So many times I think we feel like we have to be in that perfect place in life for God to use us. We have to get ourselves together first and then we will help others. But God is saying "I want to use you right where you are...in your weakness, because I will be your strength and my strength will shine through your weakness." So whether we are weak right now because of infertility or a divorce or an illness or depression or grieving the loss of a child or friend or just struggling to be a mom to our unruly children...God wants to use us in your weakness right where we are.</div>
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In my weariness right now of some recent health issues, I find myself wanting to just shrink away until all is better. But I can feel God saying to me..."I hate what you're going through right now. This was not my intent. It was never my intent to have sin and suffering in this world. But I can bring good out of it IF you will release it to me. Release your grip. Don't waste the hardships you have been dealt. Don't let them be hidden. Pour out your life. Encourage others with your pain." And I realize when I let go and become vulnerable and help someone else, it almost redeems the suffering we are going through. Only our perfect God can cause something GOOD to come out of something that is BAD.</div>
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Let's take our hardships and weaknesses and let God use them instead of holding on to them so tightly that they can't be used. </div>
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There's no space that His love can't reach<br />There's no place where we can't find peace<br />There's no end to Amazing Grace</div>
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"Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9</div>
Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-90551598887363076952017-03-05T14:12:00.002-08:002017-03-05T14:12:11.617-08:00Cream Cheese Red Pepper Chicken <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuOMrvciiMyVt580vyb7-YK2DFxAWPN7GEEFPVuN0R6nE8y2h5RkQfUDmTTyCPfwR83-2sS9K2Y9PKT31u1bkeVG476ZNmqhAgXJa87F2TqWVMz_deefVB6c523QCWa5tBKrjdCvj85ds/s1600/red+pepper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuOMrvciiMyVt580vyb7-YK2DFxAWPN7GEEFPVuN0R6nE8y2h5RkQfUDmTTyCPfwR83-2sS9K2Y9PKT31u1bkeVG476ZNmqhAgXJa87F2TqWVMz_deefVB6c523QCWa5tBKrjdCvj85ds/s320/red+pepper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was such a simple recipe and the kids loved it! I try not to eat much, if any, dairy, so it was nice that this only required 1/2 a block of cream cheese! Enjoy!<br />
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<b><u>Ingredients:</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<ul>
<li>4-5 boneless chicken breasts</li>
<li>1/2 block of cream cheese, softened</li>
<li>1 tsp. oregano</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. garlic</li>
<li>1/4 tsp. salt</li>
<li>1 diced red pepper</li>
<li>2 Tbsp. panko bread crumbs (we used gluten free)</li>
</ul>
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*If you don't have bread crumbs you can make some by crumbling rice crispy cereal and mixing it with some spices you like<br />
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<b><u>Directions:</u></b><br />
<ul>
<li>Preheat oven to 425 degrees. </li>
<li>Wash chicken breasts and arrange them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. In a mixer, combine the cream cheese, diced pepper, oregano, salt and garlic. Evenly spread this mixture over each piece of chicken. Sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp. of panko bread crumbs over each chicken breast. </li>
<li>Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until cooked through. That's it! </li>
</ul>
Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-17694910516378960052015-07-30T14:18:00.000-07:002015-07-30T14:18:39.235-07:00Apple Cinnamon Muffins (Grain-Free)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawCQ2M7BAf1Huqe6F0mYQhBI35QuY9ilCF2fpnEAKdvAo0NEdNisbPkKL-UwCiR6sDkX7EbWKEZ2FcC1LiO2gUYJIZ25cbZHaaGjKKQ8wcErd7xLWbY2cnqfDGoJVdapuo0sZtutqY6ft/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawCQ2M7BAf1Huqe6F0mYQhBI35QuY9ilCF2fpnEAKdvAo0NEdNisbPkKL-UwCiR6sDkX7EbWKEZ2FcC1LiO2gUYJIZ25cbZHaaGjKKQ8wcErd7xLWbY2cnqfDGoJVdapuo0sZtutqY6ft/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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When our oldest son began having some health issues over four years ago, I began to research possible causes. I began reading about gluten and the ways it can wreak havoc on our health. So, we committed to do a gluten-free diet for three months and see if there was any difference. The first few weeks we did not see a huge improvement, but by week 6, we started to see one. By the end of the three months, it was obvious that gluten was causing the problem. <br />
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The more I have researched gluten, it has made me want to severely limit it for our entire family and exclusively for our son. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://draxe.com/whats-the-deal-with-gluten/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="What’s the Deal with Gluten?"><span style="color: black;">Gluten</span></a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 26px;">, the protein found in wheat, has also been modified into “super gluten” from its original form that has been linked to a whole host of health problems. </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The amount of gluten has actually been doubled in hybridized wheat.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 26px;"> Gluten triggers inflammation</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 26px;">system-wide which causes weight gain, diabetes, autoimmune disease, and multiple chronic diseases. In the digestive system, gluten can actually damage the gut lining,</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 26px;">triggering full-body inflammation and susceptibility to other bacteria or viruses crossing gut barrier. This syndrome is called “leaky gut” and can be a trigger for a variety of illnesses, especially autoimmune diseases. (<a href="http://draxe.com/3-ways-wheat-is-giving-you-a-belly/" target="_blank">Dr. Axe</a>)</span></span></blockquote>
It is obvious that gluten can cause some pretty bad reactions. In the very least, we should all limit our consumption of it. But it can be challenging to find alternatives when it comes to food like muffins, cookies, etc. In my quest for a gluten free muffin, I wanted something that tasted good but that was also nutritional. I have been making these, and we love them! Hope your family enjoys them too!<br />
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<b>Apple Cinnamon Muffins (Grain and Gluten Free)</b></div>
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<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
1 Cup Almond Flour<br />
6 Tbsp. Arrowroot or Tapioca Flour<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
1 Tbsp. Cinnamon<br />
1 large egg<br />
1/4 cup honey or coconut sugar<br />
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted<br />
1 apple, diced<br />
1/4 cup raisins (optional)<br />
<u><br /></u>
<u>Directions:</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients first. Mix in wet ingredients. Gently stir in diced apples and raisins. Divide into muffin liners (makes 10-12 large muffins). Bake for 23 minutes or until lightly browned.<br />
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Note: I have tried these with blueberries as well, and they're delicious!Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-68230692490637916552015-05-27T06:30:00.000-07:002015-05-27T06:38:13.745-07:00Starving Sin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiIU6OInxAyQuyVsCtZCnUjd1P2MS53FQXDg4xSM7iLSLShtDuoW-t3AM-TH4ELRZkg8eIhBdsHPpIxDO8D-8mR112eTSqIYYroTUxSomP-vIqRzZj88gx4sZvBk7xbku1qiounP4aRtu/s1600/house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiIU6OInxAyQuyVsCtZCnUjd1P2MS53FQXDg4xSM7iLSLShtDuoW-t3AM-TH4ELRZkg8eIhBdsHPpIxDO8D-8mR112eTSqIYYroTUxSomP-vIqRzZj88gx4sZvBk7xbku1qiounP4aRtu/s400/house.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Isn't it amazing how God can use our life experiences to speak to us? Even the ones that seem so random, He can use to teach or remind us of an important life lesson. Well, I experienced that recently from a bizarre (and slightly gross) experience. <br />
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One of Scott's brothers and his wife has an amazing little gift. They can seek out houses that look awful, buy them at an incredible deal, and then flip them for profit. By the time they're done, it doesn't even look like the same house. So, they found a house up for auction in the area and we decided to go with them to check it out. We should have thought twice when the realtor gave us the code to get into the house. <br />
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As soon as we opened the door, the worst stench came out of the house. It smelled like a house full of dogs and urine. I won't go into more detail, but just filth. So, we all walk in and glance at the house and walk right out. We weren't in there for more than one minute. As soon as we come out, however, I notice that my husband starts picking stuff off of his legs. Fleas. There were fleas on all of us. Now, anyone who knows me well knows that <b>I. Do. Not. Do. Bugs.</b> My loving husband quickly came over to me and starting picking them off my pants while I tried not to think about what was happening. <br />
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It was quite the experience, and one that I would not like to repeat. Through this experience, I felt God trying to teach me something about sin. This is kind of a gross analogy, but bear with me. The fleas in that house were starving. They were starving for something to eat. If we had visited that house when the dogs were taking up residence, however, we could have walked in there and not noticed the fleas. <br />
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Sin is just like this. If we approach sin with the mentality that we will only indulge a little bit, we are still feeding sin. We can pretend that it's not taking up residence in our hearts, but it's still there and still living in our hearts. When the house had residents living in it, we could have walked in there and not noticed the fleas because they would have been on the animals and they were being fed regularly so they wouldn't have pounced on us. But, it didn't mean the fleas weren't there. They would just be a little more hidden. <br />
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When we try to get rid of sin in our lives, we can't just try to hide it. We need to starve it. If we just hide sin by only indulging in it some of the time, we are like a house full of fleas. They may be a little more hidden but they are there. A house full of fleas is so wasted and so filthy. It is the same with a life full of sin. We need Christ to clean our hearts, to show us the sin in our lives and help us starve that sin to death. <br />
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But, we have to be prepared to fight the battle when we begin to starve the sin in our lives. Just as those fleas were ready to pounce on anything that walked in that house, sin wants to do the same thing to us. We have to be ready and armed. We must be armed with the Truth (God's Word) and sometimes we have to enlist the help of others. Once we starve the sin in our life, though, the result is so worth it.<br />
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Just as a house without fleas can be inviting, our hearts without sin can reflect the love of Christ. We have to completely eliminate the sin in our life by starving it and by not making excuses and indulging in sin some of the time. Only through the power of Christ living in us is this possible. <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Eph-6-10" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Eph-6-11" id="en-NLT-29309" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil."</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Ephesians 6:10-11</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Rom-6-12" id="en-NLT-28042" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px;"><b>"</b></span><span class="text Rom-6-12" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Do not let sin control the way you live;</span><span class="text Rom-6-12" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">do not give in to sinful desires.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Rom-6-13" id="en-NLT-28043" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Romans 6:12-14</span></span></div>
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<br />Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-89420767226146260742015-03-15T12:14:00.000-07:002015-05-27T13:31:37.992-07:00Healthy Individual Brownie Cakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">I just love chocolate. It's my downfall when it comes to healthy eating. I can say no to fried foods and packaged foods, but I'm going to cheat a little if there's a warm, gooey brownie in front of me. So, in my attempt to find something healthy to satisfy that craving, I experimented today. I'm really shocked these turned out so good, and the kids ate one and loved it too. You'd never know there's NO FLOUR, OIL, OR SUGAR IN IT! A-mazing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vKuNEb5ThA7WS50lLLJDyz_DuW0-ioTnLHFBJvfAQgmqZbTuO1XKwRGLJ-hHtbwKYY2mPLTfd40dCFbZy94t-nI-6P_41RoLmL6jpGIMjy_UtSvH7HP06uISATMEOvrduxURU0UL9ofw/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vKuNEb5ThA7WS50lLLJDyz_DuW0-ioTnLHFBJvfAQgmqZbTuO1XKwRGLJ-hHtbwKYY2mPLTfd40dCFbZy94t-nI-6P_41RoLmL6jpGIMjy_UtSvH7HP06uISATMEOvrduxURU0UL9ofw/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:<br />
<ul>
<li>1 Tbsp. Apple Sauce</li>
<li>1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter or other Nut Butter </li>
<li>1 Tbsp. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder</li>
<li>1/2 Tbsp.-1 Tbsp. Pure Maple Syrup (optional)</li>
<li>1/2 Tbsp. Milk of Choice (use 1 Tbsp. if leaving out maple syrup)</li>
<li>1/2 Tbsp.- 1 Tbsp. Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips</li>
<li>few drops of vanilla</li>
<li>Tiny pinch of baking soda</li>
</ul>
Directions:<br />
<ul>
<li>Mix all of the following in a small microwavable, single serving bowl. Small ramekins are the perfect size. Heat in microwave for 1 minute and 25 seconds. Viola! You're done and you have yourself a yummy treat that's not bad for you but is still delicious! Can you tell I'm excited about this!?</li>
</ul>
<div>
Note: I tried it with Almond Butter and Peanut Butter and thought it was a little dryer with the Almond Butter, but it was still good!</div>
<div>
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If you've never used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips before, give them a try. They are gluten, nut, soy and dairy free, but they taste wonderful! Buy them on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HDJZWO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000HDJZWO&linkCode=as2&tag=groasamom09-20&linkId=7PNFHX7WOZSVXQC5" target="_blank">here</a> for a cheaper price (this is for a 6 pack of them).<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HDJZWO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000HDJZWO&linkCode=as2&tag=groasamom09-20&linkId=57G6ASH74BG6IZ4S"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000HDJZWO&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=groasamom09-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=groasamom09-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000HDJZWO" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-64706133940611895792015-03-07T11:41:00.003-08:002015-03-31T20:37:36.654-07:00Roasted Vegetables (Beets, Potatoes, Carrots, and Apples)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPKri1ueq5xGTIxqXPMNwljsvSF6bz2xIyJ1I7dem2T3UbozN8MDa-ZRmsFiVVCxtDd9XJJd9AN8x3QPOFnEN-ZhIiK_pfpYZnM4OiMf7OVEvc604ttTm_DGX1l-5fR8JGiln25QDz_nB/s1600/IMG_5271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPKri1ueq5xGTIxqXPMNwljsvSF6bz2xIyJ1I7dem2T3UbozN8MDa-ZRmsFiVVCxtDd9XJJd9AN8x3QPOFnEN-ZhIiK_pfpYZnM4OiMf7OVEvc604ttTm_DGX1l-5fR8JGiln25QDz_nB/s1600/IMG_5271.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Beets. They are one of those vegetables that just don't sound too appealing. Am I the only one? They just look like a lot of work, and I don't know what to do with them. I tried making something with them once, they didn't taste very good, so I kind of just gave up on them. Until recently. My aunt made some roasted vegetables when we went to her house for dinner a few weeks ago. They were great, and beets were part of the medley. She said that roasting them is the best way because it caramelizes them and gives them a great flavor. So today, I roasted some beets! Enjoy!<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>2-3 Beets, Peeled and chopped small</li>
<li>1 Bag of Baby Carrots, cut into small chunks</li>
<li>3 Large Red Potatoes or 2 Large Sweet Potatoes or combination of both, diced </li>
<li>2 Apples, diced (I didn't peel them)</li>
<li>2 Tbsp. Oil of Choice (I used Avocado Oil. Coconut oil or Olive oil would work great too.)</li>
<li>Generous sprinkling of a high quality sea salt. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EITYUU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000EITYUU&linkCode=as2&tag=groasamom09-20&linkId=EODAQNAUMOUFWBLD" target="_blank">Here </a>is a good choice.</li>
</ul>
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Directions:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Preheat oven to 425 degrees.</li>
<li>Cover baking sheet with parchment paper. </li>
<li>After all of the vegetables have been diced, toss in oil and sprinkle with salt. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 45-55 minutes, stirring half-way. </li>
</ul>
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The apples give the vegetables a slightly sweet flavor. Yummy!<br />
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<br />Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-91271892611543061272015-03-04T16:06:00.000-08:002015-03-04T16:06:02.199-08:00Natural Beauty Products<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It can be frustrating to find beauty products without all of the bad stuff in it. Many times, it is much more expensive than the stuff you can buy at Walmart and Target and a lot of the time it just doesn't work very well. <br />
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But, did you know that companies are allowed to use almost any ingredient that they want?! The U.S. government does not review the safety of products before they are sold! Toxic ingredients are used in many of the beauty products available today. These toxic ingredients are endocrine disruptors that can lead to cancer, autoimmune diseases, and other illnesses. Our skin absorbs 60% of any topical product we use, so that's why it's so important that we are not putting these harmful toxins on our body. <br />
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Have you ever used the <a href="http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/" target="_blank">Environmental Working Group database</a>? You'll want to check out this website if you haven't already. Their mission is to protect human health and the environment by creating online safety profiles for cosmetics and personal care products. You can search for a brand of make up and it will tell you the ratings (as far as safety goes) for your beauty product. <br />
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For example, if you searched for <a href="http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/469252/Burt%27s_Bees_Baby_Bee_Nourishing_Lotion%2C_Original/" target="_blank">Burt's Bees Baby Nourishing Lotion</a>, you would see a rating of a 5, which is a moderate hazard. You want your rating to be as close to 0 as possible. I was pretty upset to see that the expensive lotion I was buying and that I thought was healthy for my baby, was actually full of bad things that are toxic for my baby. I might as well buy the cheapest brand possible. <br />
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So, yes, it does take a little extra work to find products that are not toxic. But, I definitely don't want to be putting harmful things into my body. Here is a list of products that have worked for me, and I hope they'll help you too. <br />
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Note: I am not a sales rep for any of these products, but some affiliate links are below. If you purchase through an affiliate link, your costs will be the same, but I will receive a very small commission. Thanks for your support!<br />
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<u>Body Wash: </u><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00120VWJ0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00120VWJ0&linkCode=as2&tag=groasamom09-20&linkId=FX22BZNGP7VCLMDU" target="_blank">Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps -Peppermint</a><br />
This body wash contains organic certified ingredients and can be used for cleaning the body as well as used to make natural household cleaners. I like the peppermint oil because it creates a tingly-cool and increases vitality and clarity.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DAI76TC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00DAI76TC&linkCode=as2&tag=groasamom09-20&linkId=B6OG7QL4ZXKNSGX6">Dr. Bronner's Baby-mild Liquid Soap </a> (no essential oil scent)<br />
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To make it last longer, you can also dilute with water. We usually add 1/2 water to it and the 32 oz bottles lasts a LONG time!<br />
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<u>Tear-free wash for Kids:</u><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WC8EDE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002WC8EDE&linkCode=as2&tag=groasamom09-20&linkId=GU2TZVUHUILLEAGA">Nature's Baby Organics Shampoo & Body Wash</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=groasamom09-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002WC8EDE" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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This is a tear-free formula without all the bad stuff. It has a calming scent from essential oils.<br />
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<u>Face:</u><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005P0Y6LO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005P0Y6LO&linkCode=as2&tag=groasamom09-20&linkId=SIMOOE4BIIAF27DG">Derma e, Soothing Cleanser </a><br />
I like this face wash. It's gentle and fragrance free.<br />
<br />
<u>Toner:</u><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001U2BUJW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001U2BUJW&linkCode=as2&tag=groasamom09-20&linkId=2SSZWUGVOCBQOLSF">Heritage Rosewater & Glycerin With Atomizer </a><br />
I LOVE this stuff. See this <a href="http://www.beautyandtips.com/beauty-2/natural-skin-care-9-ways-to-use-rose-water-for-beautiful-skin-benefits-of-rose-water/" target="_blank">article</a> to learn more about it. It's a great price and it can bring benefit to all skin types.<br />
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<u>Eye Gel:</u><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ET7838/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001ET7838&linkCode=as2&tag=groasamom09-20&linkId=5SBGCHGTLYCWDNK6">derma e Pycnogenol Eye Gel with Green Tea Extract</a><u><br /></u>
This eye gel helps diminish the look of undereye puffiness...not that that ever happens to my eyes ;)<br />
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<u>Make-up Remover:</u><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EO5Q64/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001EO5Q64&linkCode=as2&tag=groasamom09-20&linkId=RS6K3KP2H2UAHDFS">Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil</a><br />
I use coconut oil. I love this brand, and we use it for cooking all the time too! I put some in a small container and just dip a cotton ball in it to remove my make-up each day.<br />
<u><br /></u>
<u>Face Lotion:</u><br />
<a href="http://www.aim2health.com/face&neck.htm" target="_blank">Aim 2 Health Face and Neck Cream</a><br />
For dry spots or when you need something extra moisturizing, I love using this. The aloe is very soothing. <br />
<br />
<u>Make-up:</u><br />
<a href="http://www.elegantminerals.com/" target="_blank">Elegant Minerals</a><br />
I found a new make-up that I really like. It's similar to Bare Minerals, but the prices are a little better. You can also order samples on most of their products for only $1. I love their<a href="http://www.elegantminerals.com/natural-clay-masks/" target="_blank"> clay masks</a> as well. From their site:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.6800003051758px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Elegant Minerals Makeup is free of all potentially harmful ingredients found in many commercial brands, such as: preservatives, talc, synthetic chemicals, carmine, parabens, artificial dyes, fragrances, bismuth, cornstarch, and various fillers. We do not use micronized minerals. We are confident you will love our mineral makeup and offer a 30 money-back guarantee.</span></span></blockquote>
<u>Mascara:</u><br />
My favorite non-toxic mascara is actually from Target and it is the<a href="http://www.target.com/p/boots-no7-stay-perfect-mascara-black/-/A-15642692#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=boots+no+7+stay+perfect+mascara" target="_blank"> Boots No. 7 Brand</a>. It gets a lower rating of 2 on EWG, although it is not a 0. I like that it costs under $10!<br />
<br />
<u>Epsom salt:</u><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004N7DQHA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004N7DQHA&linkCode=as2&tag=groasamom09-20&linkId=KVLDB2JIEX5RQPHU">Epsoak Epsom Salt </a><br />
In thinking about toxins, an epsom salt bath is excellent at removing toxins from the body. See this article <a href="http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/epsom-uses-benefits.asp" target="_blank">here</a>. This is, by far, my favorite brand, and it's well worth it to buy the 20 lb. bag, because you'll need to use 1-2 cups per bath. This has become a treat for me, and I try to take an epsom salt bath several times a week. <br />
<u><br /></u>
<u>Skin Brush:</u><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00016RIIA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00016RIIA&linkCode=as2&tag=groasamom09-20&linkId=M3P5HLUUM4VEDG3F">Yerba Prima Tampico Skin Brush</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=groasamom09-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00016RIIA" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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Read about the importance of skin brushing and how to do it <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/24/dry-skin-brushing.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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What are your favorite non-toxic beauty products?<br />
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<br />Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-32419842775988215972015-03-04T06:49:00.000-08:002015-03-04T13:11:56.442-08:00The Key to Your Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
This morning, I read Deuteronomy 30. The title for the chapter was <i>A Call to Return to the Lord.</i> Moses is speaking to the Israelites and imploring them to return to the Lord. He urges them to make the right choice. He presents them with two options: choose life or choose death. Even after the Israelites had turned away from God so many times, God still extends His mercy and grace to them. God wants them to have life and He knew that they could not have true life without Him. <br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! Deuteronomy 30:6</blockquote>
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This verse is so encouraging because it shows that God wants to change our hearts...He wants to replace our desires with His desires and help us love Him with all our heart and soul. And the result is so that we may live! He knows that to truly live is to live only for Him. <b>When we live for ourselves, we are not living at all. We are taking...taking from others, taking from this world to try and satisfy a longing that will never truly be satisfied. </b><br />
<br />
Sometimes we can get a distorted view of God. We can feel like He is so out of reach, so intangible, a standard that we can never attain. We can feel like since we know we'll never measure up, we shouldn't even try...that He is going to be disappointed no matter what happens. But this is so untrue. Deuteronomy 30 reminds us that His commands are not too difficult for us to understand:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach...No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it (vs. 11, 14).</blockquote>
<br />
Yes, we are all sinners and we will not always make the right choice. But, His Word is there to guide us and bring us back to Him. God doesn't want us to fail. He wants us to cling to Him, to forsake everything else and to choose life. When we are tempted to think that His standards are too high for us to ever attain, may we remember that it is not too difficult for us to understand.<br />
<br />
God wants to give us a new heart to obey Him in place of our former stubbornness. This new heart will teach us how to love the Lord wholeheartedly. Thank God that He can replace our sinful hearts with a new one so that we may have life. But, are we willing to let Him have control of our lives, to surrender our old heart's desires for His new heart? It may be hard to let go of our pursuits, our dreams and our goals. This world has a way of making our desires look so attractive. <b>The enemy wants nothing more than to see us choose our own way of living instead of His way of living. But the sad part is that when we choose our way of living, we really are not living at all. Because He is the key to our life. </b><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is they key to your life...(vs. 20). </blockquote>
<br />
This whole chapter is so full of verses that remind us to forsake our old way of living. Take time to read Deuteronomy 30.Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-14290996698398776972015-02-11T20:27:00.000-08:002015-03-04T06:49:38.786-08:00Discipline is Not Enough<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="text Ps-73-25" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Psalm 73:25-26</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I don't have anyone in heaven but you.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I don't want anything on earth besides you. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My body and my heart may grow weak.</div>
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God, you give strength to my heart.</div>
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You are everything I will ever need.<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 0;"> </span></div>
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I've always been somewhat of a disciplined person. If I feel convicted to do something, then I intentionally think of ways that I can accomplish the task and I set about accomplishing it. Of course there are times that I may cheat (ex. eating something unhealthy, not going to the gym, etc), but I know that in order to accomplish a task, it takes self-control and discipline. While it's good to be self-controlled and disciplined, God is showing me that I can't just make a "check list" and expect my heart to magically be in the right place. <br />
<br />
Recently I have noticed that my attitude has been a little less than stellar (to put it nicely). So, I began to think of ways I could fix this. I started developing my check list:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I'll get up earlier and spend more time reading my Bible</li>
<li>I'll post Bible verses everywhere </li>
<li>I'll try to do thing for others throughout the day</li>
<li>And the list goes on...</li>
</ul>
<br />
Of course, none of the things on this list is bad. It's good to spend more time reading my Bible and memorizing other verses. But, a check list cannot change my heart. I so wish it could. I wish that I could just write "love Jesus with all my heart" on a list and it would be taken care of. I can't just make a list of things I need to work on without first asking God to search my heart and forgive me for the sinful way that it is. God is showing me that I need to repent more often. Repentance is not fun. It takes time and it can get messy. If I'm really being honest, sometimes I don't want to take time to really look at my heart because I don't want to know what all is there. It's a lot easier to not deal with it and just pretend that my heart is in pretty good condition. But, if I sit still before the Lord and ask Him to reveal to me sin that is in my heart, He might show me some stuff that I didn't know was there (or tried to pretend wasn't there). He might remind me of some bitterness in my life or reveal to me my pride, my fear, my insecurities. <br />
<br />
Sometimes it's just easier to keep going through the motions, keep reading my Bible and singing the praise songs but not dealing with the state of my heart. When we do this, it's so easy to compare ourselves to others. We feel a nudge that God wants us to come before Him and search our heart, but we begin to become filled with pride as we look at others. We begin to list off all of the things we are doing for God, trying to justify the fact that we are doing so much for Him. But that's the most tragic part of all because I'll never do enough...I can never make a good enough to do list. Why? Because I'm a sinner and because my heart is deceitful and because each day I am facing a battle against my flesh. And, I need Jesus. I need Him to reveal to me where I am weak and I need His help to show me where I am not like Him. If I don't take time to come before Him and repent of my sins, then I am only relying on my own strength to cross items off of my to do list. See what Paul has to say about the power of sin in our lives:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="textrom-7-23"><span style="background: white;">But
there is another power </span></span><span class="textrom-7-23"><span style="background: white;">within
me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is
still within me.</span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="versenum"><span class="textrom-7-24"><span style="background: white;">Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free
me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?</span></span></span><span style="background: white;"> </span><span class="versenum"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span style="background: white;"><span id="en-NLT-28078" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> </span></span></b></span><span class="textrom-7-25"><span style="background: white;">Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our
Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but
because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. Romans 7:23-25</span></span></span></span></blockquote>
I want to rely on Christ's strength and be filled with a new heart as I see a new sin surfaces in my life. I don't want to rely on my own strength because then I will never really overcome it. And, as easy as it is to do sometimes, I don't want to just pretend sin is not in my life. In order to become more like Christ, I must repent and ask Him to help me turn from my sinful ways with His strength. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139: 23-24</blockquote>
Instead of making a to-do-list, my prayer is that I will ask God to search my heart first and help me rely on His strength. Then, I will rely on His power instead of my power. I love this quote by Matt Chandler about how we can be a great wife and mom:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You don't have to be a perfect wife to be a great wife. You don't have to be a perfect mom to be a great mom. 'Where's that line?' That line is confession, repentance, and getting back up and staying moving. We take on the perfection made available to us in Jesus Christ, his righteousness, not my righteousness, not a false veneer righteousness of my own. Not my strength, his strength. Not my perfection, his perfection. We rest in that. Then we walk as best we can every day.</span></span></blockquote>
Repentance takes time. It will probably be messy because it's when we see how evil our heart's desires truly are. But, when we repent of these sins, we are agreeing with God that we hate them, that we want to turn from them. And, when we come before Him with a humble heart, He. will. hear. us. So, why would I not repent?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text 2Chr-7-14" id="en-NLT-11315" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text 2Chr-7-15" id="en-NLT-11316" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. 2 Chronicles 7:14-15</span></span></blockquote>
<br />Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-84601572890532077282015-02-01T12:51:00.000-08:002015-03-04T06:50:24.376-08:002-Week Menu Plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am putting together our family's menu for the next few weeks and thought I would post it here for my own reference and in case anyone else wanted some meal ideas. Some of these recipes are mine and many of them came from other healthy blogs. I have made all of them and they have turned out great! I have included the links to them if I got it elsewhere. To print your own weekly planner, see <a href="http://growingasamommy.blogspot.com/2014/11/my-weekly-planner.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b>WEEK ONE</b><br />
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<ul>
<li><b>Monday:</b> <a href="http://www.lifeofmeg.com/2012/05/skinny-greek-yogurt-chicken.html" target="_blank">Greek Yogurt Chicken</a>, Roasted Potatoes, and <a href="http://growingasamommy.blogspot.com/2015/02/oven-baked-green-beans.html" target="_blank">Oven-baked Green Beans</a></li>
</ul>
Notes: For the roasted potatoes, I just chop potatoes and combine them with a little olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and paprika. I put them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and lightly sprayed and bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes.<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Tuesday:</b> <a href="http://deliciouslyorganic.net/homemade-meatballs-and-marinara-recipe-grain-free-challenge/" target="_blank">Homemade Meatballs</a> over Zucchini Pasta, Fresh Fruit</li>
</ul>
Notes: I used a spiralizer to make the zucchini pasta. After I spiralize it, I put it in a skillet over high heat with some oil and salt and whatever spices I have on hand. I let it cook for about 5 minutes and then serve the meatballs over it. I love my spiralizer! See it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GRIR87M/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00GRIR87M&linkCode=as2&tag=groasamom09-20&linkId=C2JEWVF366CULNMR" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Wednesday:</b> <a href="http://growingasamommy.blogspot.com/2014/10/cauliflower-stir-fry-with-peanut-sauce.html" target="_blank">Cauliflower Stir Fry</a>, <a href="http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/09/spiced-apple-muffins-gluten-grain-and-dairy-free.html" target="_blank">Apple Muffins</a> (gluten, grain and dairy free)</li>
</ul>
Notes: For the apple muffins, instead of grating my apples, I just diced them. I also added 1/4 cup of raisins.<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Thursday:</b> <a href="http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/04/black-bean-sweet-potato-quinoa-stuffed-bell-peppers/" target="_blank">Stuffed Peppers</a>, Cooked Apples</li>
</ul>
Notes: I have several substitutions/additions for this recipe. I use 3 sweet potatoes, but I bake them instead of boiling them. I also add 3 cooked chicken breasts to this. I use a can of diced tomatoes instead of fresh ones. I also add sauted fresh spinach to this as well. You can't even taste it and it's a great way to get in some extra veggies. I use 6 peppers for this recipe.<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Friday:</b> <a href="http://growingasamommy.blogspot.com/2014/07/crockpot-vegetable-soup.html" target="_blank">Crockpot Vegetable Soup</a>, <a href="http://deliciouslyorganic.net/grain-free-white-dinner-rolls/" target="_blank">Grain Free Dinner Rolls</a></li>
</ul>
Notes: I actually have not made these rolls yet, but everything I have made from this site is delicious, so I can't wait to try these!<br />
<br />
<b>WEEK TWO</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Monday:</b> <a href="http://growingasamommy.blogspot.com/2013/01/feta-cheese-turkey-meat-loaf.html" target="_blank">Feta Cheese Turkey Meatloaf</a>, Mashed Potatoes, Spinach Salad with strawberries and blueberries</li>
</ul>
Notes: I make a homemade salad dressing that consists of 2 oz. balsalmic vinegar, 6 oz. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. Honey<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Tuesday:</b> <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/teriyaki-chicken-and-veggies" target="_blank">Teriyaki Chicken and Veggies</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Wednesday:</b> <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?s=zucchini+boats&cat=50%2C+56%2C+55%2C+53%2C+62%2C+43%2C+16%2C+51%2C+52&Search=Search" target="_blank">Cheeseburger Zucchini Boats</a>, Fresh Fruit</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Thursday:</b> <a href="http://growingasamommy.blogspot.com/2015/01/tomato-and-fet-cheese-chicken-bake.html" target="_blank">Tomato and Feta Cheese Chicken Bake</a>, <a href="http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2014/11/lightened-sweet-potato-casserole-pecan-oat-streusel/" target="_blank">Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole</a>, Peas</li>
</ul>
<div>
Notes: I used a gf flour for the heatlhy sweet potato casserole, or you can just leave it out altogether. </div>
<ul>
<li><b>Friday:</b> <a href="http://detoxinista.com/2012/01/the-secret-to-perfect-cauliflower-pizza-crust/" target="_blank">Cauliflower Pizza Crust</a></li>
</ul>
Notes: I added 1 Tbsp of Almond Flour to the pizza crust to make it hold together a little better. I like to top my "pizza" with lots of veggies and some fruit: spinach, peppers, broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes, pineapple, etc.<br />
<br />
<b>SWEET TREATS:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="http://www.primallyinspired.com/berry-cobbler-grain-dairy-nut-free-paleo-gluten-free/" target="_blank">Grain Free Cobbler</a> (made with Coconut Flour)<br />
Notes: This cobbler is so good! I used 2 1/2 cups of frozen berries (raspberry, strawberry and blueberry blend with two chopped apples). It did take a lot longer for mine to cook- about 55 mintues instead of the 35 minutes that the recipe says. This makes a great breakfast for the kids too!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://growingasamommy.blogspot.com/2015/01/chocolate-covered-peanut-butter-banana.html" target="_blank">Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Banana Bites</a><br />
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<a href="http://zenbellyblog.com/2013/01/05/chocolate-chip-cookies-like-you-remember-em/" target="_blank">Grain-free Chocolate Chip Cookies</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://growingasamommy.blogspot.com/2015/02/chocolate-peanut-butter-fudge-made-with.html" target="_blank">Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge (made with coconut oil)</a><br />
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Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-22954637300242134832015-02-01T12:46:00.001-08:002015-02-01T12:46:30.067-08:00Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge (made with Coconut Oil)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYlWDzF6EIOdObr5SZ4vJ85QyJggAo5HWhyHPr_Upy0yFd7zjG1pj49I3PZxImECxByeQaN2_Pje4jaMVziZ7G2EJyZkDj9LgWvZKeyT1zvMnh8nDn2fsDUDSBh09SXl2tBx_ZN0Cfttw/s1600/fudge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYlWDzF6EIOdObr5SZ4vJ85QyJggAo5HWhyHPr_Upy0yFd7zjG1pj49I3PZxImECxByeQaN2_Pje4jaMVziZ7G2EJyZkDj9LgWvZKeyT1zvMnh8nDn2fsDUDSBh09SXl2tBx_ZN0Cfttw/s1600/fudge.png" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
This fudge is so yummy, it's hard to believe there is almost no sugar in it! It's great to satisfy a craving without feeling guilty!<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1/2 cup coconut oil (softened)<br />
1/2 cup natural peanut butter<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
1-2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
Place all ingredients in an electric mixer and mix on low-medium speed until well combined. Line a small pan or baking dish with parchment paper (this step is important)! Pour into the lined pan and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Cut into small pieces and put in a sealed container and store in fridge. So yummy!Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-47458056646969899072015-02-01T11:43:00.001-08:002015-02-01T13:19:27.364-08:00Oven-Baked Green Beans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
We eat green beans a lot. It is one of the vegetables our kids enjoy, so I try to take advantage of that. This is a great way to change up the taste a bit. My husband and I can almost eat a whole pan by ourselves because they taste so good!<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul>
<li>One Bag of Fresh Green Beans (washed and trimmed)</li>
<li>2-4 Tbsp Oil of Choice (avocado, olive, or coconut are great)</li>
<li>1 tsp paprika</li>
<li>1 tsp chili powder</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 tsp garlic powder</li>
</ul>
Directions:<br />
<ul>
<li>Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.</li>
<li>Combine oil and spices in a large bowl. </li>
<li>Add green beans to bowl and toss to coat. </li>
<li>Arrange green beans on a baking sheet that is covered in parchment paper or foil.</li>
<li>Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on how well-done you want them to be. </li>
</ul>
Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-68112628005519575512015-01-29T20:03:00.003-08:002015-01-29T20:03:53.279-08:00Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Banana Bites (made with coconut oil)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I keep seeing recipes for chocolate covered banana bites and they look so good. But, I wanted to find some that didn't have added sugar in them, and all of the recipes I saw called for chocolate bars or chips (which are full of sugar). So, I decided to make my own "chocolate" with coconut oil and cocoa powder. I love how unique coconut oil is-- it can be all melty and then harden right up, which makes it great for making fudge, etc. </div>
<br />
So, here's the recipe! <br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>2 Large Bananas</li>
<li>Almond or Peanut Butter (or any nut butter)</li>
<li>1/4 cup Coconut Oil</li>
<li>1/4 cup Cocoa Powder</li>
<li>1 tsp. Vanilla</li>
<li>1-2 tsp. Maple Syrup (optional)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the bananas thinly and line the baking sheet with them. You should get about 40 banana slices total. Place your nut butter on top of the banana slices and make them into sandwiches. Now you have 20 banana bites. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsE-NZcAYAY-jQK6pcZ-CHAPjvD4z9fY_jXtNmr6jb4I0h7d_9-uFNj7GcKfdXC9Ue5vQP0tXr3BtRaPu8KsifXsbSZTWAOfmLBkV2rbctO9SObSM42Cw_BRfsgZ-erEh-Zjcn3wR9TWbE/s1600/IMG_5028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsE-NZcAYAY-jQK6pcZ-CHAPjvD4z9fY_jXtNmr6jb4I0h7d_9-uFNj7GcKfdXC9Ue5vQP0tXr3BtRaPu8KsifXsbSZTWAOfmLBkV2rbctO9SObSM42Cw_BRfsgZ-erEh-Zjcn3wR9TWbE/s1600/IMG_5028.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeLXIb2cUk2pvju9_CJIZBxpwb4w02K9zJKI27_nvuikXfFTqvtv6kD18nJmSqL9ZGngkgVtTxkFIKbcsCcnAf6I6DvaxAGb7dHrmIwBDpGyJGpDo5PGpuYatDZ4j35C9Xt5leFgHTs7A/s1600/IMG_5029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeLXIb2cUk2pvju9_CJIZBxpwb4w02K9zJKI27_nvuikXfFTqvtv6kD18nJmSqL9ZGngkgVtTxkFIKbcsCcnAf6I6DvaxAGb7dHrmIwBDpGyJGpDo5PGpuYatDZ4j35C9Xt5leFgHTs7A/s1600/IMG_5029.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour. If you are short on time, you can just put them in for 10-15 minutes, but you want them to be chilled a little so that the coconut oil will harden on them. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>While the bananas are chilling, melt your coconut oil. Then, stir in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and maple syrup until well incorporated. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Take your banana bites out of the freezer and dip in the chocolate sauce. It should harden around the bananas. You can eat them immediately or put them in the freezer to get the bananas completely frozen (about 3 hours). Store in freezer. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaT2B8Lp1NZAgzU_HvWPxrEgR_wvTdF-X5JQcO2WrVJLrs1-ozCV3kP5HOU1XmebL8OSn9H_938ZfVc3ucrbeoet1wsGXEICo0g2kuGklvww-htKI6uWfpHwZDqnPwFUuF24At1pw0IlY-/s1600/banana+bites.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaT2B8Lp1NZAgzU_HvWPxrEgR_wvTdF-X5JQcO2WrVJLrs1-ozCV3kP5HOU1XmebL8OSn9H_938ZfVc3ucrbeoet1wsGXEICo0g2kuGklvww-htKI6uWfpHwZDqnPwFUuF24At1pw0IlY-/s1600/banana+bites.png" height="320" width="292" /></a></div>
<div>
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<div>
So, my picture is NOT so pretty. I basically just dumped the remaining chocolate sauce over the top of all of my banana bites, so they don't look so pretty. But, you could spend a little extra time and make the chocolate smooth and even drizzle it with some peanut butter on top. These make an awesome snack or dessert :) </div>
Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-289171405925837612015-01-21T18:47:00.001-08:002015-02-02T13:42:46.200-08:00It's Hard to Love<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text1cor-13-3"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text1cor-13-3"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text1cor-13-3"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><b>-1 Corinthians 13:4-7 </b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;">Every day I say the words, “I love you.”</span><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 18pt;">I dearly love my
children and my husband.</span><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 18pt;">Of course it is
a little bit more challenging to show love to those who are more un-loveable
and with whom I don’t have a close relationship, but I know we should always
seek to do that because the Scriptures tell us to.</span><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 18pt;">Today, however, as I was reading the familiar
“love chapter” in 1 Corinthians, it made me realize how bad I am at showing
love to others, even those I do love dearly.</span><span style="line-height: 18pt;">
</span><span style="line-height: 18pt;">If I have trouble really loving those closest to me, I know I am
struggling with loving those who are harder to love.</span><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 18pt;">Look at 1 Corinthians with me, and ask
yourself if you are struggling with loving others too.</span><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Love is patient</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">Ouch. The first definition of love
is convicting for me. As Americans, we
are known for our less-than-patient attitude.
I get impatient at my three year old for taking so long to get out of
the car. I can feel my blood boiling as
he takes his precious time unbuckling his seat belt and stopping to admire a toy
he found, and tripping over his shoe laces as he climbs out the door. No joke-this happens multiple times a
day. And, I get the same exasperated look
on my face and make the same sigh and tell him to “hurry up, please.” This is definitely not loving patiently.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>And kind</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">Do I display kindness throughout my day?
Am I looking for opportunities where people could be in need of a
helping hand? Or, do I see someone in
need and pretend that I don’t notice because I don’t want to be inconvenienced?</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Love is not jealous </b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;">This one can come out when you least expect it. I try not to look at others and want things
that they have. I try to be content with what I have. But, what about when someone else gets
acknowledged for something in which I don’t get acknowledged? Someone else gets praise for spending a lot
of time on an event that I spent even more time planning, but I </span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">didn't</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> get the
praise for it? Do I sulk and get mad
that I </span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">didn't</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> get credit, or do I participate in praising the person for their
hard efforts as well? Or, have you ever
been around people who just always seem to get it right? They </span></span><i style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">must</i><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">
be overflowing with compliments all the time.
So, you don’t compliment them because you think they already get enough
of those. I’m learning that this is
usually rooted in jealousy. Because I’m
jealous that I’m not the one who is good at everything, I’m hesitant to
compliment the person who is. What a sad
way to live. I want to celebrate with others when they accomplish something,
even if they seem to always get it right.
By celebrating with them, I get to share in their excitement instead of
wallowing in jealousy. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Or boastful or proud</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">The other day I was talking with someone about why women gossip. It’s
easy to say we just want to vent or get advice, but I think the main reason we
gossip is so that we can feel better about ourselves. By bashing someone else, we feel better about
ourselves. By putting down others and their decisions, we puff ourselves up. This is not love. This is pride…at the expense of others.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Or rude</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">When we’re having a bad day, sometimes it just all comes to a head right
when our husbands walk in the door from work.
Instead of greeting him with a smile and asking him how his date went,
it’s easy to offer a rude remark and give him a list of things in which you
need his help. This is not showing love
towards my husband. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>It does not demand its own way</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">I am a bit of a planner. When I
take the time to plan something, I have expectations that it will happen, and
when things don’t go as planned, it’s really hard for me to accept. While some people never make plans and never
have expectations, this can be harder for those of us who do make plans. When things get thrown off course, how will I
react? Will I pitch a fit because things
did not go the way I envisioned, or will I make the best of the change in
plans? God is really growing me in this
area right now because it seems like none of my plans are turning out the way I
expected. Sometimes it’s just out of our
control, and we can learn to accept that or we can choose to be a person no one
likes to be around (and NOT display love because love does not demand its own
way). </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<a name='more'></a><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">It is not irritable</b></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">I’d love to just skip right over this one, but that’s probably the very
reason it’s in here. It’s so refreshing
to be around a calm and content person. I feel like you always know what you’re
going to get because they’re always relaxed and at ease. I am not wired that way. I am a very reactive person and my emotions
are constantly fluctuating. For some of us, we just have to work a little bit
harder to NOT let our emotions control us.
After all, God gave us these emotions and these emotions are what allow
us to feel and experience life. It’s
okay to experience different emotions, but we can’t let them dictate our
behavior. I love this quote from </span><i style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">Unglued </i><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">by Lysa Terkeurst:</span></li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Feelings are indicators, not dictators, child. They can indicate where
your heart is in the moment, but that doesn’t mean they have the right to
dictate your behavior and boss you around. You are more than the sum total of
your feelings and perfectly capable of that little gift from Jesus called
self-control!”</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, when our emotions are all over the place, we can decide if we are
going to allow them to control us or not.
I do not want to be a moody person.
I don’t want my husband to questions what kind of woman he is going to
come home to. By reigning in my
emotions, I am showing love. </span></span></blockquote>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>It keeps no record of being wronged</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">My dad always jokes that women have “steel-trap memories.” We can
remember minute details that men usually cannot recall. When I think back to my
first date with my husband, I can remember everything in detail…what we were
wearing, what we talked about, the things that I thought about after our date
was over, etc. My husband, on the other
hand, is doing well to remember anything about our first date. So, when a disagreement arises, it can be
easy for women to pull up the past, reminding others of their faults. But, love is not supposed to keep a record of
being wronged. How can we make it a practice not to pull up the past, but to
truly put the past in the past? Is there someone with whom you are still holding a grudge? Who do you need to forgive?</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>It does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins
out</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">Sin is wrong and an unjust. What
sins do we try to cover up or make light of when we know we should forsake
them? Are we watching tv shows or movies
that are filling our minds with junk?
Are we dressing seductively to be noticed by others? This is not love. Love seeks to love righteousness and
truth. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Love never gives up, never loses faith</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;">What happens when life gets hard?
Do you blame God? Do you question
His goodness? When bad things happen in
life, Satan wants to use these moments to get us off track and to make us take
our eyes off of Jesus. I had a major
health scare in my life about a year ago, and this past year has been filled
with emotional ups and downs. It scares
me to think about leaving my children behind, and I tell God that. I want to have the opportunity to be their
mom and to serve alongside my husband, but I must choose to cling to God even
in uncertainties. It </span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">doesn't</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> mean we’ll understand everything that’s going on,
but it means that we won’t give up because our love for Christ compels us to
trust Him. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Is always hopeful</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18pt;">As Christians, we have hope! We
take this for granted everyday when we grumble and complain. It’s like we just forget about the hope that
we have and instead focus on our problems.
I love this quote from Ann Voskamp:</span></li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Unless we are intentional about giving God glory throughout the day, our
days unintentionally give way to grumbling.” </span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Are we celebrating our hope by intentionally giving God glory throughout
the day or are we allowing life’s circumstances to cloud our hope?</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
<span class="chapternum"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Endures through everything</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="first-line-nonechapter-2" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;">Do we really love others with this kind of love…a love that will endure
through everything? What is God asking
you to do right now? Maybe you’re
married to someone who is far away from Christ, maybe they are suffering with
an addiction to alcohol or pornography or maybe </span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">they've</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> even had an affair. What is God asking you to do through
this? I am not saying you should continue living with someone who is working through these things, but I do think that sometimes we
are just looking for an excuse or a way out instead of looking for love. Love
endures….it stands strong, even when it is wronged or mistreated. How is God asking you to endure? </span></span></li>
</ul>
Love. One word. So much meaning. So much conviction. Each day I am convicted of how I am not loving to the fullest, loving the way Scripture defines love. Conviction is good because it helps us see where we are not living for Christ and He can show us how to love others better...with His love. How can you grow in the way you love others?<br />
<br />
Love is what sets a Christian apart from the rest of the world. It is more important than faith and hope. Read what else 1 Corinthians says about love:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of
angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging
cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of
God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I
could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I
gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast
about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love
is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or
rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no
record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but
rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses
faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance...three things
will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is
love."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-1 Corinthians 13:1-7,13</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-90056996272692002522015-01-20T19:35:00.002-08:002015-01-20T19:39:11.887-08:00Homemade Chicken Salad (made with Greek Yogurt)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUoA1CKJsOO42m7IsE8VjAw1ROIu5U_SZAFgeocZMXGI__ANg4-x42y6UM4m8DQa3QnfjNcKZ4Dk0B9WSzifI06gwtaRa8KFQFKQ1EldDyZdJHEJWCDhbOnJA-h0ELGC4lwvhnXX5GHc/s1600/IMG_4957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUoA1CKJsOO42m7IsE8VjAw1ROIu5U_SZAFgeocZMXGI__ANg4-x42y6UM4m8DQa3QnfjNcKZ4Dk0B9WSzifI06gwtaRa8KFQFKQ1EldDyZdJHEJWCDhbOnJA-h0ELGC4lwvhnXX5GHc/s1600/IMG_4957.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I've always loved chicken salad...it's so good on a sandwich or atop a green salad. But, then I learned how fattening it is and that it is loaded with lots of unnecessary ingredients. Just look at the list of ingredients from Chick-fil-A's site for their chicken salad:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.5px;">Chicken (seasoning [salt, monosodium glutamate, sugar, spices, paprika]), chicken tenderloins (seasoning [salt, autolyzed yeast, maltodextrin, spice, natural flavor, chicken fat, garlic powder, sugar cane syrup, onion powder, paprika, molasses, sodium diacetate, tomato powder, silicon dioxide {anticaking agent}, sugar, oleoresin paprika {color}, citric acid, smoke flavor, caramel color]), seasoned coater (enriched bleached flour [with malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate, nonfat milk, leavening [baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate], spice, soybean oil, color [paprika]), milk wash (water, egg, nonfat milk), peanut oil (fully refined peanut oil with Dimethylpolysiloxane an anti-foaming agent added), mayonnaise (soybean oil, water, egg yolk, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, spice, calcium disodium EDTA to protect flavor), diced cooked eggs, celery, pickle relish (cucumbers, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, vinegar, salt, xanthan gum, mustard seed, calcium chloride, alum, potassium sorbate [preservative], natural flavors, polysorbate 80, dehydrated red bell pepper, turmeric), </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.5px;"><br /></span>
And, this list is just for the chicken...it's not including the bread! Now, I do love me some Chick-fil-A, but I can't understand why so many ingredients have to be used! <br />
<br />
So, tonight I made a recipe for some chicken salad that only has a few ingredients, and the ingredients are actually good for you! Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul>
<li>2 Large Cooked Chicken Breasts or the cooked white meat from a small rotisserie chicken</li>
<li>1/8 Cup Crushed Pecans</li>
<li>1 apple, diced</li>
<li>1/4 Cup Dried Cranberries</li>
<li>3-4 Tbsp. Plain Greek Yogurt</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. Sea Salt </li>
</ul>
<br />
Directions:<br />
Cut the chicken into smaller pieces and place all ingredients into a mixer and mix on low speed until combined. If you do not have a mixer, you could do this by hand, but the chicken won't be as shredded.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12757709321124462577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-58607063350471696732015-01-19T20:14:00.001-08:002015-01-19T20:15:04.621-08:00Tomato and Feta Cheese Chicken Bake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Chicken covered in a homemade tomato sauce with feta cheese, garlic and herbs. So good! And, it's made with fresh ingredients that are actually good for you! <br />
<br />
I made up a recipe for some chicken tonight and the kids loved it. They called it pizza chicken because it smelled like pizza. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
5-6 boneless chicken breasts. I used 5 large chicken breasts.<br />
<br />
For the marinade:<br />
<ul>
<li>2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar</li>
<li>2 Tbsp. Oil of Choice (I used avocado oil)</li>
<li>1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice</li>
<li>1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic</li>
</ul>
<br />
Topping:<br />
<ul>
<li>10-12 small tomatoes, quartered </li>
<li>1 Tbsp Italian seasoning blend</li>
<li>1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice</li>
<li>Oil of choice for pan (I used avocado oil)</li>
<li>1 tsp. minced garlic</li>
<li>1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (I used the garlic and herb blend)</li>
</ul>
<br />
Combine marinade and pour over chicken. Put marinated chicken in fridge. If you're in a hurry, you can just let it soak for a few minutes. If you have the time, let it soak all day. <br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Quarter tomatoes. Heat skillet over medium heat and add oil and minced garlic. Once oil is nice and hot, add tomatoes and seasonings. Cook for about 5 minutes, until tomatoes are nice and soft. Remove from heat and stir in feta cheese. <br />
<br />
Remove chicken from fridge and pour tomato and feta cheese sauce over chicken. Bake, uncovered for 45-50 minutes. Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-16820186114417412972015-01-06T13:32:00.000-08:002015-01-06T13:33:49.415-08:00Booklist of 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-qHiHeWgGpbnYddq6FByOniMBQNUElEabakJM8ODSq62v8JuJPA8EYoGp30uFU02DD3Uur7qvHdn154Ovb-vbsFztUJx-4gYTU-8W-aR-usW_QBzl9MWvpLBypdWx0B1VTWznByVO1lJ/s1600/books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-qHiHeWgGpbnYddq6FByOniMBQNUElEabakJM8ODSq62v8JuJPA8EYoGp30uFU02DD3Uur7qvHdn154Ovb-vbsFztUJx-4gYTU-8W-aR-usW_QBzl9MWvpLBypdWx0B1VTWznByVO1lJ/s1600/books.png" height="320" width="303" /></a></div>
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It can be hard to carve out time to read a book when life is constantly busy with little ones. But, I've come to realize that books greatly influence my spiritual life. By reading from others about what God has taught them, it can motivate us, inspire us, and challenge us to get out of our comfort zones.<br />
<br />
I've also discovered that is is so important to make sure and read from Christian authors when it comes to topics where we are wanting advice or counsel. When we are trying to learn and apply something, we want to make sure that we learn from someone who is pointing us to Christ. When we hear from non-Christians on topics such as parenting, marriage, etc., we have to be very careful because their chief concern is not pointing us to Christ. They are just giving us their opinion and opinions come and go, but the "Word of Christ endures forever" (1 Peter 1:25). <br />
<br />
Disclaimer: it can be tempting to put great books ahead of God's Word and this is a huge mistake that we should guard against. NOTHING can replace God's Word and it has to be top priority. If I try to replace His Word with a book, it will always fall short and I will not be able to grow in my walk with Christ as much. If, however, we use books in conjunction with God's Word, we get the best of both worlds. We get the infallible truth from Scripture and the personal insight from others that can help us live for Christ.<br />
<br />
Here are some challenging books that I've read this past year. I hope these books challenge and encourage your walk with the Lord as they have mine. Blessings!<br />
<br />
<u>Bible:</u><br />
I got a new Bible for Christmas that I'm really excited about. It's set up with a devotional for each day along with a passage out of the Bible. Though it does not contain every chapter and verse from the Bible, it offers a complete view of Scripture without being overwhelming. It skips material that appears more than once, giving a stream-lined look at the entire Bible.<br />
<br />
It's called the <i>Women's Sanctuary Devotional Bible</i><br />
<br />
<u>Spiritual Growth:</u><br />
<i>The Church Planting Wife </i>by Christine Hoover<br />
<i>Seven</i> by Jen Hatmaker<br />
<i>Makeover: Revitalizing the Many Roles you Fill </i>by Jen Hatmaker<br />
<i>Unglued </i>by Lysa Terkeurst<br />
<i>Follow Me</i> by David Platt<br />
<i>Mindset for Moms</i> by Jamie Martin<br />
<i>Mom Enough</i> (FREE on John Pipers site)<br />
<i>Radical</i> by David Platt<br />
<i>Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus</i> by Nabeel Qureshi and Lee Strobel<br />
<br />
<u>Raising Children:</u><br />
<i>Hands-Free Mama </i>by Rachel Stafford<br />
<i>Shepherding a Child's Heart</i> by Tedd Tripp<br />
<i>The Strong-Willed Child</i> by James Dobson<br />
<i>Am I Messing Up My Kids? </i>by Lysa Terkeurst<br />
<i>Don't Make Me Count to Three</i> by Ginger Hubbard<br />
<i>The Mommy Manual </i>by Barbara Curtis<br />
<i>Treasuring God in Our Traditions</i> by Noel Piper<br />
<br />
<u>Marriage:</u><br />
<i>Sheet Music</i> (only for married couples ;) by Kevin Leman<br />
<i>What's it like to be Married to Me? </i>by Linda Dillow<br />
<br />
<u>Misc:</u> <br />
<i>The Grain-Free Family Table</i> by Carrie Vitt<br />
<i>What Alice Forgot </i>by Liane Moriarty (this is a fiction, non-religious book, but it was kind of an eye-opener for me to remember to love your family and not get caught up in worldly things) Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-48175547964688063262014-11-15T12:13:00.000-08:002014-11-15T12:23:15.977-08:00My Weekly Planner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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See link to PDF download at bottom of page</div>
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It's so much easier for me to be productive when I have something written down each week. And, it's so much easier to write something down when it's on cute paper! <br />
<br />
I plan to use my weekly planner by putting it on a clipboard and hanging the clipboard on the wall where I can easily see it, make changes to it, etc. <br />
<br />
Feel free to use my weekly planners for yourself too. I made a Christmas one and a regular one. Hope it helps keep your week more organized! <br />
<br />
For my weekly planner, I have included the following:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Weekly Menu</b>: It's so much easier to cook at home when I have already planned out our menu for the week!</li>
<li><b>Memory Verse</b>: I think it gets even harder to memorize with age, but I know it's so important to commit to memorizing more and more Bible verses. </li>
<li><b>Goals</b>: I have this broken down into 4 sections:</li>
</ul>
<ol><ol>
<li>Health: What goal do I have this week that can make me healthier (ex.Cut out sugar this week)?</li>
<li>Relationships: What is one relationship I want to strengthen this week? This doesn't necessarily have to be an estranged relationship, but just a reminder to reach out to others. Maybe you can reach out to a new co-worker or neighbor, etc.</li>
<li>New Habits: What new habit do I want to incorporate into my life? This is just a great reminder to keep working on things. An example might be to intentionally read a book to the kids for 30 minutes, etc.</li>
<li>Other: Any other goal you want to work on/accomplish (ex. pick out a paint color for the bathroom)</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Housework</b>: Each day, list a household chore you want to accomplish. Monday might be laundry and bathrooms, etc. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>To Do</b>: Write down daily schedules such as soccer practice, lunch appointments, etc.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>I am thankful for</b>:This is just a reminder to be thankful. It's hard to complain when you are cultivating a thankful heart. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."</li>
</ul>
<div>
Download the Weekly Planner <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6tMqd3rM1VSckJOZ2dPdzlNWGM/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
</div>
<div>
Download the Weekly Christmas Planner <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6tMqd3rM1VSUS1EY0VJX18zaUk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-86556108927372499912014-11-14T19:28:00.001-08:002014-11-14T19:43:42.564-08:00Sins that Sneak Up on Us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"But maybe I need to view my trials in a new light because trials show us what is in our hearts..."</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Sins can have a funny way of sneaking up on us. Just when we think we are overcoming one sin, we notice a different sin in our lives. It can be discouraging because it feels like a battle that we always lose. When we focus all of our attention on overcoming sins, two things can happen:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We realize we cannot win, and we are overcome with guilt and shame.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We rely on our own power and start to gain victory over a certain sin. We become filled with pride and look down on others for not having the power to overcome as we have.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Both of these things happen because we begin to take our eyes off of Jesus. We try to overcome the sin with our own power and we either fail or allow another sin (pride) to take its place. Instead of focusing on Jesus and using His strength to replace the sin, we try to overcome the sin ourselves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
When a trial comes my way, I often see new sins pop up in my life that I have never had to deal with before. For example, I never really struggled that much with anger until I had children. I may have looked at people who struggled with that sin and thought they just didn't know how to manage their emotions and pride had settled in my heart. But now, years later, I see that, in the right situation, we are all capable of ANY sin.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
I didn't know that I would struggle so much with the sin of fear and unbelief until my health was threatened and I became terrified of leaving my family behind.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
I didn't realize how much I loved material things until we sold our house and moved into an apartment.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
I didn't realize how much I loved my children above God until one of our children was very sick and we were afraid he had a life-altering disease.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sins creep in our lives so quickly. Many times we notice this happening when we are under extra stress or going through a trial. Sometimes we are in denial that they have crept in, and we try to push them aside, without ever acknowledging or confessing them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Trials. are. no. fun. I want out of them as soon as I enter them, and I am always looking for a way around them. <b>But maybe I need to view my trials in a new light because trials show us what is in our hearts. If a new sin surfaces when I am going through a trial, it is an opportunity for me to cut off a part of my life that is not looking like Christ, a part of me that I may not have seen if I had not gone through a trial. </b> I was probably struggling with that sin all along, but it didn't come to light until I opened up my eyes to see the stronghold it was having in my life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
As new sins sneak up on us, may we use them as an opportunity to cut off whatever it is in our lives that doesn't look like Christ. Is my mouth causing me to sin by constantly complaining and arguing? Then, maybe I need to talk less until I can train my mind to say things that are encouraging and uplifting. Is fear keeping me from joining a home team and being around new people? Then maybe I need to make myself join a home team and push past the fear. Is pride keeping me from making things right with my husband when we got in an argument? Then, I should humble myself and apologize so that the relationship can be restored. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
May our sins be used:</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To remind ourselves that we are weak</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The moment that we think we are standing strong is the moment that we struggle with the sin of pride. It is also usually the moment that we fall flat on our faces. As new sins emerge, may we be reminded that we are all sinful, and that only through the blood of Christ can we turn from the sin in our lives. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">"If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall." 1 Corinthians 10:12</span> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Rom-7-21" id="en-NLT-28074" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px;">"</span><span class="text Rom-7-21" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Rom-7-22" id="en-NLT-28075" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">I love God’s law with all my heart.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Rom-7-23" id="en-NLT-28076" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>But there is another power<span class="footnote" data-fn="#fen-NLT-28076e" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="[<a href="#fen-NLT-28076e" title="See footnote e">e</a>]"></span> within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Rom-7-24" id="en-NLT-28077" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Rom-7-25" id="en-NLT-28078" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin." Romans 7:21-25</span></span></blockquote>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To help us truly confess our sins and repent</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At first, it is tempting to disregard the sin in our lives. If we don't deal with it, we can pretend it's not really there. But, when we do this, our sin is separating us from God and our relationship with Him is broken. As we confess our sins to Him, He forgives us and can show us how we can become more like Him. Psalm 32 is such a good description of how sin can cause us such despair. Forgiveness is right there, if we will take time to examine our hearts and turn from our sin so that we can become more like Christ. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Ps-32-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Oh, what joy for those</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">whose disobedience is forgiven,</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">whose sin is put out of sight!</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Ps-32-2" id="en-NLT-14334" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">Yes, what joy for those</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-2" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">whose record the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> has cleared of guilt,<span class="footnote" data-fn="#fen-NLT-14334b" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="[<a href="#fen-NLT-14334b" title="See footnote b">b</a>]"></span></span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-2" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">whose lives are lived in complete honesty!</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Ps-32-3" id="en-NLT-14335" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>When I refused to confess my sin,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-3" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">my body wasted away,</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-3" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and I groaned all day long.</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Ps-32-4" id="en-NLT-14336" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="poetry top-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 2.6em; position: relative;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Ps-32-5" id="en-NLT-14337" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Finally, I confessed all my sins to you</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-5" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and stopped trying to hide my guilt.</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Ps-32-5" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>.”</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-5" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. </span></span></span></div>
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<div class="poetry top-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 2.6em; position: relative;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Ps-32-6" id="en-NLT-14338" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-6" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Ps-32-7" id="en-NLT-14339" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>For you are my hiding place;</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">you protect me from trouble.</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">You surround me with songs of victory. </span></span></span></div>
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<div class="poetry top-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 2.6em; position: relative;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Ps-32-8" id="en-NLT-14340" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>The <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">I will advise you and watch over you.</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Ps-32-9" id="en-NLT-14341" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Do not be like a senseless horse or mule</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-9" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="poetry top-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 2.6em; position: relative;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Ps-32-10" id="en-NLT-14342" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Many sorrows come to the wicked,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-10" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>.</span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Ps-32-11" id="en-NLT-14343" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>So rejoice in the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> and be glad, all you who obey him!</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-32-11" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!</span></span></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To help us become more like Christ</span></li>
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<span class="text Heb-12-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By turning to Christ and fixing our eyes on Him, He shows us how to replace that sin in our lives. Instead of focusing on overcoming a particular sin, we need to fix our eyes on Him. I love the quote by A.W. Tozer: "Be thou exalted, and a thousand minor problems will be solved at once." As Christ is exalted, the sin will be replaced. Be ready to look for how He wants it to be replaced. Sometimes that might mean we must be ready to apologize to someone or it might mean giving something up. He will make it clear as we truly focus on Him and become more like Him. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Heb-12-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">"...let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.</span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Heb-12-2" id="en-NLT-30175" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith." Hebrews 12:1-2</span></span></span></span></span></span></blockquote>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As an opportunity to relate to others</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Whenever we are seeking to let Christ replace sin in our lives, it can be an opportunity for us to encourage someone else going through that same problem. Recently, I talked with our youth girls about the subject of dating. I believe God clearly gave me the words to say to them because I have struggled with a lot of the same things they are struggling with today. I know how hard it is to remain pure in your dating relationships. If I could not relate with them, then it would be hard to help them in that area. So, let God use you to encourage others as He helps you overcome sin in your life.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The next time we see sin trying to take root in our lives, it is my prayer that we will not be overcome with guilt and shame. Instead, repent and thank God that we do have forgiveness offered to us. At the same time, instead of relying on our own will power to overcome sin, may we truly fix our eyes on Jesus and look for ways that He can use that sin in our life to point us back to Him. What can we do to replace that sin in our lives? How can we love on someone else who is dealing with that same sin? Satan is seeking to keep us off track however he can, but God can use even our mistakes as a way to bring us back to Him. Be on the alert because Satan usually works in these two ways: he works by making us feel powerless OR by making us feel like we can handle everything on our own. Both are wrong and both will end up taking us away from Christ. </span><br />
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<br />Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-50616473598994451812014-10-15T09:02:00.002-07:002014-10-15T09:02:22.914-07:00Pumpkin Breakfast Porridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hHR9cX4vfchI93MF1LXjdHVkCVR6bx_nuPLsxMPAQwQ636NczluoQggMWz_sm4bIZbOR8IdTxeBNbT2fFdduuL_lzRhVnhDJcqX5Aj0xEnLZmXlit6UFbim2XxV7pFK8YGhwtn_0Lh60/s1600/pumpkin+porridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hHR9cX4vfchI93MF1LXjdHVkCVR6bx_nuPLsxMPAQwQ636NczluoQggMWz_sm4bIZbOR8IdTxeBNbT2fFdduuL_lzRhVnhDJcqX5Aj0xEnLZmXlit6UFbim2XxV7pFK8YGhwtn_0Lh60/s1600/pumpkin+porridge.jpg" height="296" width="400" /></a></div>
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What a great time of year to have something pumpkin-y for breakfast. I saw a <a href="http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2013/12/03/printable-recipe-tropical-grain-free-breakfast-porridge-free-download/" target="_blank">post</a> the other day for a breakfast porridge, but decided to adapt it for our family. We had it this morning, and I got thumbs up from my kids. </div>
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The great thing about this recipe is you can change it up however you want. Don't like one of the fruits in this recipe? Substitute if for another one! It was nice to serve something different for breakfast, and the pumpkins and apples are always a treat for fall. </div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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<ul>
<li>2 bananas</li>
<li>1 cup canned pumpkin (make sure pumpkin is the only ingredient)</li>
<li>1 cup coconut milk (any milk will work)</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 Tbsp butter</li>
<li>1 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla</li>
<li>1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. coconut flour</li>
<li>1 apple, diced</li>
<li>1/4 cup raisins</li>
<li>walnuts or almonds, crushed (optional)</li>
</ul>
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Instructions:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Use an immersion blender or regular blender to blend the bananas and pumpkin puree. Add the milk and eggs and blend to combine. </li>
<li>Pour into pot and heat over medium heat. Add butter, vanilla, and cinnamon and stir constantly. </li>
<li>Once warm, whisk in coconut flour and keep stirring until well incorporated. </li>
<li>Spoon into bowls and top with diced apples, raisins, and nuts. </li>
<li>Makes 4 bowls</li>
</ul>
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<br />Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-82330065195520596432014-10-08T16:56:00.000-07:002014-10-08T16:56:43.210-07:00Unit Ten: Water<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><span style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">To see a list of posts for all of our units for Kindergarten, see </span><a href="http://growingasamommy.blogspot.com/p/homeschool.html" style="color: #33a6c7; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">. This post contains information about only Unit Ten: Water.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><span style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Unit Ten focused on the letter W for Water and the coordinating Bible truth was "Jesus gives my spirit living water to drink." Benjamin really enjoyed this unit because it gave him the opportunity to do a lot of hands-on activities. I found a great 36 page resource for $3 that was worth every penny (see below)!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Benjamin cut out items from a magazine that were solids, liquids, and gases. All I had was a Pottery Barn magazine, but we made it work :) He cut out cucumbers for the solids, glasses full of water and juice for the liquids, and the sky for his gas. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENGfGEa6ixPtuaQB6YqlAJMMFzdXT07WC0cNI3vjYtXwR8HXjYaihvBn5k-BQBlZnzArQaL3ryGGcDiJBkUGUOF6zfnA7J8mvajnRoMiTKoTJwIKXWP8_NmpDdAfbAWycyMtMcFtyxhb2/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENGfGEa6ixPtuaQB6YqlAJMMFzdXT07WC0cNI3vjYtXwR8HXjYaihvBn5k-BQBlZnzArQaL3ryGGcDiJBkUGUOF6zfnA7J8mvajnRoMiTKoTJwIKXWP8_NmpDdAfbAWycyMtMcFtyxhb2/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here, Benjamin drew his own solid (Lego man, of course), liquid (water in a swimming pool), and gas (helium in a balloon). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><span style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><br style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /></span><span style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Some supplements we used for this unit:</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-eLFYguEh0QKgRuHWLv7AI0EKd72-0ufWIlVAlGRU0KIJKFEyl330G0NmmacsEXxGYZFWM5XOh6Fe1VypyWF-BKA_G1xZcXt3bXJz9r6fojo4WARM9AXsan85Rc3omQ77Xe7dtqccloT/s1600/matter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-eLFYguEh0QKgRuHWLv7AI0EKd72-0ufWIlVAlGRU0KIJKFEyl330G0NmmacsEXxGYZFWM5XOh6Fe1VypyWF-BKA_G1xZcXt3bXJz9r6fojo4WARM9AXsan85Rc3omQ77Xe7dtqccloT/s1600/matter.jpg" height="320" width="244" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">My favorite thing that I found for this unit was a 36-page printable from <a href="http://www.teachersnotebook.com/home" target="_blank">Teacher's Notebook</a>. It cost $3, but it was totally worth it! My son really enjoyed all of the experiments and it was fun to have bright pages at which to look. I would definitely recommend getting a copy! If you've never used Teacher's Notebook before, I would recommend creating an account and browsing through their stuff. You can get a lot of great stuff for free or pay a few dollars for some great stuff too. See the lesson on matter <a href="http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/mhenson/matter-oh-dear-what-can-the-matter-be" target="_blank">here</a>. <br style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /><span style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><br style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /></span><a href="http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2012/04/abc-bible-verse-flashcard-printables/" style="color: #33a6c7; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ABC Memory Verse Cards</a><br style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /><span style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">In addition to the Bible truth, we are also memorizing a Bible verse that begins with the letter of the week. I received some ACB cards as a gift and they are by Dayspring, but I have also seen these online that would work just as well.</span><br style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /><span style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><br style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /></span><span style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">This week our W verse was: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for man" (Colossians 3:23). </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Liberty-Nature-Reader-Book/dp/1932971130/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402015843&sr=1-6&keywords=liberty+nature+reader" style="color: #33a6c7; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Christian Liberty Press Nature Reader K</a><br style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /><span style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">This book is perfect for kindergarten, as it has a well-illusrtated animal lesson for each letter of the alphabet. This week we learned about whales. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LEgfGVtqBtiMlQ0z6VfHqSpyCyGf4YrYXzn5tU4lOV6EJW81yBmfgOYHdLwWRhqLcdv0ql0OrfzAIiVaFwMy3Et-c-TQgKN9i4tZXDv3B9AyAKVItlMJFtyjUuprORBbX8dOEcmgy3NC/s1600/bears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LEgfGVtqBtiMlQ0z6VfHqSpyCyGf4YrYXzn5tU4lOV6EJW81yBmfgOYHdLwWRhqLcdv0ql0OrfzAIiVaFwMy3Et-c-TQgKN9i4tZXDv3B9AyAKVItlMJFtyjUuprORBbX8dOEcmgy3NC/s1600/bears.jpg" height="200" width="145" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><span style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">I've mentioned that we use this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Berenstain-Bears-Science-Nature-Childrens-ebook/dp/B00CWR4X20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412811641&sr=8-1&keywords=berenstain+bears+science" target="_blank">book</a> before, but it had a great section on matter. We always love The Berenstain Bears!</span></span><br />
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Some books we enjoyed for this unit were <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Changes-Bobbie-Kalmans-Leveled-Readers/dp/0778795845/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412811869&sr=8-1&keywords=water+changes" target="_blank">Water Changes</a></i> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Down-Comes-Lets-Read---Find-Out-Science/dp/0064451666/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412811893&sr=8-1&keywords=down+comes+the+rain" target="_blank"><i>Down Comes the Rain</i></a>. </div>
<br />Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-47356247019245979332014-10-04T12:42:00.000-07:002014-10-04T12:53:52.394-07:00Cauliflower Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyUVPZaHxIJbOr6yAgs5jc22IOiuOfCf-Vhkm2nyRi1ZClbKKSpWTbvWi_NOihI1-lISr6-dGuwacmzJMul9vFYbvCJTXavbVnKT0huzl9FJ78aoGhIKetoe0IOCiKjeQsPcIYRCMoez2/s1600/photo+(10).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyUVPZaHxIJbOr6yAgs5jc22IOiuOfCf-Vhkm2nyRi1ZClbKKSpWTbvWi_NOihI1-lISr6-dGuwacmzJMul9vFYbvCJTXavbVnKT0huzl9FJ78aoGhIKetoe0IOCiKjeQsPcIYRCMoez2/s1600/photo+(10).JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was a little skeptical when I tried making this recipe today. I'm trying to cut back on carbs and eat more vegetables, and I read somewhere that cauliflower can be used in place of rice or to make a pizza crust, etc. So, I found a "fried rice" recipe that substituted cauliflower for rice and decided to give it a try. <br />
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The Results: We really liked it! Now, I did some tweaking of my own to the recipe to make it a little more tasty for us, so that's why I'm posting it here so I won't forget what I did. I was amazed at how much the cauliflower looked and even tasted like rice. What a healthy alternative to incorporate more veggies into your diet without even realizing it! Hope you enjoy it as much as our family did! <br />
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Cauliflower Stir Fry<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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<ul>
<li>1 pound ground turkey (ground beef or chicken would work, or leave it out completely)</li>
<li>1 Tbsp Soy Sauce (omit this if gf or using something in its place)</li>
<li>1 Tbsp Sherry</li>
<li>1 Tbsp minced garlic</li>
<li>1 tsp. cumin</li>
<li>1 large head of Cauliflower, cut in small chunks</li>
<li>1 cup peas</li>
<li>1 cup carrots, cut into small chunks</li>
<li>2 Tbsp coconut oil or butter</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice</li>
</ul>
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Peanut Sauce:<br />
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<ul>
<li>1-2 Tbsp. peanut butter (depending on how pea-nutty you want it)</li>
<li>1 tsp soy sauce</li>
<li>1/4 cup coconut milk (regular milk will work)</li>
<li>1/2 squeezed lemon</li>
<li>1/2 tsp garlic powder</li>
<li>1 tsp apple cider vinegar</li>
</ul>
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Instructions:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Stir together sherry, soy sauce, minced garlic, cumin and ground turkey and set aside.</li>
<li>Place cauliflower in food processor or blender and pulse for one second a few times. You just want the consistency to be like that of rice, so don't blend it or it will get mushy. Set aside.</li>
<li>Cook peas and carrots on stove until tender and drain.</li>
<li>Melt 1 Tbsp. coconut oil in skillet on medium heat and add ground turkey. Cook all the way through and set aside.</li>
<li>Using the same skillet, melt 1 Tbsp of coconut oil and place cauliflower in skillet and brown. Add orange juice.</li>
<li>Make a well in center of skillet and add egg and scramble. Once it is scrambled, toss with cauliflower.</li>
<li>Add peas and carrots and turkey.</li>
<li>In microwave safe bowl, mix your sauce ingredients and microwave for 30-45 seconds. Whisk sauce and pour on top of stir fry.</li>
<li>Serve immediately.</li>
</ul>
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Original recipe came from <a href="http://deliciouslyorganic.net/chicken-and-cauliflower-fried-rice-recipe-paleo/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-90666062526227649332014-09-28T14:42:00.003-07:002014-09-28T14:44:56.269-07:00Unit Nine: Octopus<span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><span style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">To see a list of posts for all of our units for Kindergarten, see </span><a href="http://growingasamommy.blogspot.com/p/homeschool.html" style="color: #33a6c7; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">. This post contains information about only Unit Nine: Octopus.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Unit Nine focused on the letter O for Octopus and the coordinating Bible truth was "Even the octopus praises the Lord!" This week got cut a little short, as we went on a little vacation to the beach for a few days to celebrate Daddy's birthday. How nice it was that our unit study was on octopus while we were at the beach, though! It was so nice to have the beach all to ourselves and not have to worry about being in a formal school setting. We talked a lot about our unit as we walked on the beach together. This is one of my favorite parts of homeschooling- you can set your own schedule! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My son really enjoyed making a watercolor painting of his very own octopus. <br style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><br style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Some supplements we used for this unit:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><br style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /></span><a href="http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2012/04/abc-bible-verse-flashcard-printables/" style="background-color: white; color: #33a6c7; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ABC Memory Verse Cards</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">In addition to the Bible truth, we are also memorizing a Bible verse that begins with the letter of the week. I received some ACB cards as a gift and they are by Dayspring, but I have also seen these online that would work just as well.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><br style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">This week our O verse was: "Obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right" (Ephesians 6:1). </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><br style="line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Liberty-Nature-Reader-Book/dp/1932971130/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402015843&sr=1-6&keywords=liberty+nature+reader" style="background-color: white; color: #33a6c7; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Christian Liberty Press Nature Reader K</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">This book is perfect for kindergarten, as it has a well-illusrtated animal lesson for each letter of the alphabet. This week we learned about the ostrich.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLU45nrBAV8BRxd-aCRl45pIjz0Gbg6n89QefiLODEBHp4YRxDI0nW4PwVdly0DWvCHvD3LP-NKG5SgAR27Mm_mZz0Fsp6E93uE_NmOKAwNifqmyoT91Uma3h_kPO8aLIIR9GPogJeNHEx/s1600/ocean+pack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLU45nrBAV8BRxd-aCRl45pIjz0Gbg6n89QefiLODEBHp4YRxDI0nW4PwVdly0DWvCHvD3LP-NKG5SgAR27Mm_mZz0Fsp6E93uE_NmOKAwNifqmyoT91Uma3h_kPO8aLIIR9GPogJeNHEx/s1600/ocean+pack.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.3dinosaurs.com/printables/packs/ocean.php" target="_blank">Ocean Pack</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Here is an AWESOME resource and it's FREE! We have completed printables from this site before and I had every intention of printing off and using this pack, but we didn't get to it this week. It looks super cute, though! There is also a <a href="http://www.3dinosaurs.com/printables/packs/hermitcrab.php" target="_blank">Hermit the Crab</a> one too, to go along with the Eric Carle book. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Two books we really enjoyed for this unit were: </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">A House for Hermit Crab</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Mister Seahorse</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Both books are by Eric Carle. We also checked out several books about the ocean and talked more about ocean life. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTT1DeONZ5y59xdfbC17MZZhOZbjCQOUeMQzE2l2_-TBcdtODgB20tdkEAUMtwRAYH47-8f-1rKphagv-r0bDxiV55EgXnVRnwjAyhc4-VqSziys47C5b4Z1Mc219NnuiY_Xit97j4_eG/s1600/seahorse.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTT1DeONZ5y59xdfbC17MZZhOZbjCQOUeMQzE2l2_-TBcdtODgB20tdkEAUMtwRAYH47-8f-1rKphagv-r0bDxiV55EgXnVRnwjAyhc4-VqSziys47C5b4Z1Mc219NnuiY_Xit97j4_eG/s1600/seahorse.jpeg" height="200" width="138" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBJXYjrG25HW1CWoUE57F_D3vGZTMFWE3tL1Q2E5hNLakiMOpEd_LtFcXDjmDbl7WSbOkTXjh8qSvJX0IBPOxmTIttc0wREj9a_ScSDZm0YRUeMlGLfpq7Ty0ex8XWf2E3ydrNGP8vc7f/s1600/hermit.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBJXYjrG25HW1CWoUE57F_D3vGZTMFWE3tL1Q2E5hNLakiMOpEd_LtFcXDjmDbl7WSbOkTXjh8qSvJX0IBPOxmTIttc0wREj9a_ScSDZm0YRUeMlGLfpq7Ty0ex8XWf2E3ydrNGP8vc7f/s1600/hermit.jpeg" height="200" width="143" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Under-Starting-Point-Science/dp/079451409X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411940265&sr=1-1&keywords=what%27s+under+the+sea" target="_blank">What's Under the Sea</a></i> is a great educational book. Each page is FULL of information about the sea, sea creatures, divers, etc. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uZnD-G_J9V-4GkwAem3v92DOMjxy_t44F6VzLvCJJU3fUWDpbQXA6dLsKmb58Txops66xJpaoFsGxBKSfg4a9eSYh3ZvuCnCJIh4PQZEC-erFSW-PAv5QR0lcLZQgYuDvdeJGLPHCMtx/s1600/sea.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uZnD-G_J9V-4GkwAem3v92DOMjxy_t44F6VzLvCJJU3fUWDpbQXA6dLsKmb58Txops66xJpaoFsGxBKSfg4a9eSYh3ZvuCnCJIh4PQZEC-erFSW-PAv5QR0lcLZQgYuDvdeJGLPHCMtx/s1600/sea.jpeg" height="200" width="198" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" /></span>Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4947109540000440838.post-45448633518704546382014-09-25T11:28:00.001-07:002015-01-30T14:10:23.618-08:00Raspberry-Chocolate Oatmeal Bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2O2H3DerS02MljrpsAxanwza0aLnTzPmbGiUUQkjWjbQsHnMbXKPAi_AOlsmdqLQWTwJYaXefv6-G0s2x552HO14JNWy4RBHmPIb1T7Mh7taSLKxU5A4q8Mf6Nye6Zw8iVZdHxkE0ngK/s1600/raspberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2O2H3DerS02MljrpsAxanwza0aLnTzPmbGiUUQkjWjbQsHnMbXKPAi_AOlsmdqLQWTwJYaXefv6-G0s2x552HO14JNWy4RBHmPIb1T7Mh7taSLKxU5A4q8Mf6Nye6Zw8iVZdHxkE0ngK/s1600/raspberries.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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As much as I try to eat healthy, I've got to have a few sweet recipes to turn to! This dessert has a fraction of the calories/sugar/fat grams of most raspberry bar recipes, but it still tastes pretty great. So, make this instead and you won't feel as guilty when you eat a piece!</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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<ul>
<li>1 Cup Flour (I used a gluten free flour mix, but regular or whole wheat flour should work)</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. baking soda (omit if using gf flour that already contains this)</li>
<li>1 Cup Oats</li>
<li>1/2 Cup Brown Sugar</li>
<li>6 Tbsp Coconut Oil (at room temp) or softened butter</li>
<li>6 oz. pureed raspberries (one small container)</li>
<li>1/4 Cup White Chocolate Chips</li>
<li>1/4 Cup Chocolate Chips</li>
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Instructions:</div>
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<li>Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.</li>
<li>On low/med speed, mix together butter/coconut oil and brown sugar. Slowly add flour, baking soda, and oats. </li>
<li>Using 1/4 of this mixture, press it on to the bottom of a 8x8 baking dish. </li>
<li>Pour pureed raspberries on top. </li>
<li>Combine chocolate chips with the remaining flour mixture and crumble on top of raspberries. </li>
<li>Bake for 35-40 minutes or until lightly brown on top. </li>
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<br />Growing as a Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460104198564815220noreply@blogger.com0