Under construction...

So, I really want to set my blog up in a three-column template.  I found the HTML for this "Pink Flower" template you are looking at, but I want the columns to be wider and one column on each side of the "body" column.  I have no clue how to do this...  I'm trying.  Anyone reading this blog that can help?

Peaceful

Are you a complacency challenger?

For the last six weeks, or so, my Women's Connections group has been reading Fearless by Max Lucado (think we like us a little Max?).  This book is just down right incredible.  This weeks chapter was "Woe, Be Gone: The Fear of Running Out". 

That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough. (Matt. 6:25 NLT)

Max writes, "Whether you have enough. Shortfalls and depletions inhabit our trails. Not enough time, luck, credit, wisdom, intelligence. We are running out of everything, it seems, and so we worry.  But worry doesn't work."  

 

Read more here.

Giveaway WINNER!

Congratulations to Lauren!  She is my first blog giveaway winner, 

and it wasn't tough for her two win, because there were two entries!

God's Love is More Than Enough

This Valentine's Day I have lyrics from a Casting Crowns album, "Until the Whole World Hears" stuck in my head.  It is from their song "Always Enough".  The lyric that is in my head right now says "[His] love is peace to the broken, faith for the widow, hope for the orphan, strength for the week.  [His] love is the anthem of nations, rings out through the ages and [He is] always enough for me."

On facebook today, there have been so many posts about Valentine's Day, and one of my sister's friends wrote "Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!!! All of us are so loved by the love of God: there's no more perfect and unconditional love!!!"  How true that is.  How WONDERFUL that is.  How amazing that is, that we are so deeply loved by God our Father and His love is more than enough for us.  

My prayer this Valentine's Day is that the broken will find peace in His love.  That the widow will find faith in His love, the orphan will find hope in His love, the week will find strength in His love and that we who know and feel His love will let it ring out as the anthem of nations.

"And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul..." Deut 10:12

"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another." I John 3:11

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world." I John 2:15-16

"Love must be sincere. Hat what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Romans 12:9-13

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." I Corinth 13:13

My First Blog GIVEAWAY!

Having the Thomas Nelson "Book Sneeze" opportunity come in to my life has been such a blessing!  I love to read, and I love to read even more when it is free and even more than that when it is free AND I get to keep it (versus returning it to the library).  The most recent book that I had the opportunity to review was Mom's Bible: God's Wisdom for Mothers (NCV) with notes by Bobbie Wolgemuth.

I want to share this Bible with someone else.  I have my study Bible that is all marked up with my underlines, personal reflections, highlights, post-it flags, and I happen to like it that way!  Therefore, while reviewing the Mom's Bible I kept the book in a condition that is just like brand new!

Here are your opportunities to win:

• Follow the blog: 1 entry
• Comment on this post: 1 entry
• Follow me on twitter @mairs812: 1 entry

I will announce the lucky winner on Thursday morning!

Mom's Bible - God's Wisdom for Mothers

The most recent book that I was blessed to receive, free for review, from Thomas Nelson was the "Mom's Bible, God's Wisdom for Mothers".  This Bible is the New Century Version with notes by Bobbie Wolgemuth.  While, in two weeks time I have not read this entire Bible (can you believe it?), I have found it to be a wonderful resource.  My favorite part is the section in the back with "Answers to Questions Kids Ask".  I also love that this Bible contains a topical index.  Throughout the chapters, Wolgemuth adds in "Insights" based on the scripture on how to be a better parent.

The hard cover durability of this Bible is also very nice.  Given that it will likely land in the home of many small hands, it is great that it is durable for Mom, but still a great size for silent devotion.  I also love that the print is large enough to read comfortably, but small enough that the Bible is still just the right size!  It is silly, but I also enjoy the patterned edges of the paper.  It is almost like God has laid out his teachings in a scrapbook for us crafty mama's.

Throughout my time spent digging in to the word with this "Mom's Bible", I have had so many people come to mind that this would make a great gift for!  From those preparing for motherhood, to those that have grown children it is just an inspiration!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wordless Wednesday

 

Being that Valentines' Day is coming up.

I'm blessed that this man loves me, despite my shortcomings!

Priceless Moments

 

Maybe I am just nostalgic because Drew Brees' little guy is just about the same age as Matthew, but I thought that this was by far the best moment of the Superbowl!  I heard both Drew and his wife say "God is Good!"  Yes, He is!

And the Winner is...

Cheesey Corn & Black Bean Quesadillas. Matthew gobbled these up, I was so surprised.  I gobbled them up, too.  And then, couldn't wait to eat them for lunch again today!

I did change a couple things about the recipe.  One, I left out the jalapenos.  I'm not sure how 14-month-old boys respond to those and I did not feel like finding out.  Two, I grilled up about one pound of chicken breast and after I put the recipe mix on the tortillas I placed strips of grilled chicken on top of the mix before layering another tortilla over the top.  That brings me to change three, instead of folding the tortillas in half, I put approximately 3/4 cup of the mix on a flat tortilla, layered the chicken on top of that and then placed another tortilla on top and proceeded to cook according to the instructions.

 

Okay, so mine aren't as pretty as the stock photo, but they sure were tasty!  The stuff on the side of the plate is salsa mixed with sour cream, my fav!  And, the following photo shows the action around me while these quesadillas were a work in progress...

 

I tried to fight it... Matthew won.

Runner up, Slow Cooker Pizza Joes. We had friends of ours over for supper on Wednesday evening.  Our babies are 15 days apart, and we hadn't seen them since our two little ones just laid on the floor with the little "gyms" that hang over their heads.  They were in seventh heaven playing together while the four of us caught up on life and ate these yummy sandwiches.  I didn't take a photo, this dish is not exactly "pretty" in the slowcooker!  But, oh so yummy.  And, we threw in some sweet potato fries on the side.  Erin made an awesome carrot cake that used whole wheat flour and honey as the sweetner.  If you can feel healthy while eating a to-die-for cake... this was the one! I'll try to get the recipe and post later!

I found both of the recipes for the quesadillas and pizza joes via the Housewife Hacks blog.  This blogger posted these recipes weeks ago, but they just finally made their rotation on the monthly menu this last week.  They are likely to be eaten again in a couple of weeks!

Other items on the menu this week were some plain old pasta and meat sauce and chicken enchiladas.  The chicken enchiladas were the Campbell's Soup recipe.  My mom made these a lot when we were growing up and they are amazing! 

Ingredients

1 can Cream of Chicken or Cream of Celery Soup

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tbsp. margarine or butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tsp. chili powder

2 cups diced cooked chicken 

1 can chopped green chillies

8 flour tortillas (7 inch)

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  In small bowl, stir together soup and sour cream until smooth; set aside.

2.  In 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, in hot margarine, cook onion and chili powder until onion is tender, stirring often.  Stir in chicken, chilies, and 2 tablespoons of soup mixture.  Remove from heat.

3.  To make enchiladas:  Along center of each tortilla, spread about 1/4 cup of chicken mixture; fold sides over filling and place seam-side down in greased 12 x 8 inch baking dish.  

4.  Spread remaining soup mixture over enchiladas.  Cover with foil; bake 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more or until cheese melts.  Garnish with parsley if desired.

 

Because we are so exciting around here on Friday nights, and because we are just a little bit obsessed with Financial Peace University, we will be eating leftovers of all these yummy meals tonight!

 

Love Monday.

Happy Monday!  I know it's crazy, but I LOVE Mondays!  It is my Bible study day, and I just love being in the space of this group of women each week.  They encourage me, inspire me, make me laugh, and show me Christ's love.  What a way to kick-off the week.  I try to hang on to that encouragement, inspiration, laughter, and love as I tackle each week.

Well, last week I did not get a book done.  Rather, sampled a few.  I decided it was time to take a turn toward fiction.  I started reading "Skinny Dip" by Carl Hiaasen, kind of a cross between chick-lit and mystery - but hey, it is a New York Times Best-Seller, and it was free.  Unfortunately, about 45 pages in, and I still wasn't hooked.  I will finish it anyway, I think.

Then, I dug in to Max Lucado's "3:16", decided that while it is starting out so amazing, I need to set it aside until I am through my "Fearless" study with my Women's Connections group.  One Lucado piece at a time...

Last but not least, we started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University last week.  Part of our homework was to read four chapters of the course book.  So incredible.  I will have to post separately about the Financial Peace experience (well, as much as I can comfortably blog about publicly, if you will). 

But, what I am really excited about is...

My next BookSneeze.com selection arrived today - my "Mom's Bible" with notes by Bobbie Wolgemuth.  It is the "New Century Version" of the Bible, and I'm not sure that I've ever studied from this version before, but I sure am excited to dig in during my quiet time with the Lord.  Reviews to come!