Best Memory of 2013

What was the best memory I had of last year? You know the memory fades as you grow older; but as I reflect back these were some of my best memories or most memorable. 

The Feminar is always a highlight of my year; even though I stress over the details of getting there and wanting everyone to get something out of the trip other than material things, it remains a highlight. Simply because in the end it is a Spirit-filled, Word-drenched, life-transforming, God’s-will-be-done weekend leaving me delirious and desperate to know, love and serve Him more by living a life that is filled with love, not criticism and judgment. A life lived with forgiveness, not hatred and bitterness. A life lived with compassion, not mean and uncaring. A life lived with giving to others, not self-centeredness. And more than anything my desire is a life lived in freedom, not confined to a prison of guilt, shame, judgment. My annual trek to the Feminar is coming up soon and I am praying that we will be open to what God has to say to each of us; and more importantly we will act on it. That we will use this short weekend together to build relationships, laugh, cry and share biblical encouragement with each other…oh and shop.

Darryl and I got to help a fellow Oklahoman, Richard, log hours for his Habitat for Humanity home. I was fortunate enough to make it to his house dedication. Through this process, I learned that I am not that great at hammering nails; but I can pick up trash, lay sod, carry lumber, raise walls and of course cheer on all those hard workers that can nail a nail straight. Even through the hours we spend working God reminded me His love for me again through nails (His death), trash (my past), sod (His foundation), lumber (Jesus was a worker), walls (don’t build them) and cheering (rejoice with those that rejoice).

Seeing my basketball hubby in a baseball uniform while being an assistant baseball coach at Capitol Hill High School and building relationship with young men. I can’t think or type this without giggly because Darryl in a baseball uniform is just comical. One day I hope to share how all this came to be; let’s just say God works in mysterious ways and always for His glory.

May 20^th, I would not categorize as a “best” memory, as many lives were lost, but still a very vivid memory worth noting. There was MUCH heartache in our community, but through all we saw our community join forces to help one another heal and rebuild. I am so grateful that I was able to take a week of vacation time to help out some good friends. As we cleaned and tried to salvage their personal items, we laughed…and we laughed some more…it is true what the bible says about laughter being good medicine. We ate so much pizza that we thought we would never eat pizza again; but seriously if it weren’t for all the local restaurants we would have withered away; well maybe not entirely true, but they were a huge blessing that allowed us to keep working. I must note when the Chick-Fil-A people, instead of the Pizza Hut people, came walking down the street there was MUCH rejoicing! May 20^th also brought us some awesome neighbors, as a high school friend and his wife moved next door; prayers answered for good neighbors! If you ever had neighbors that would make you want to move, you will understand why we were praying for good neighbors! Let’s just say God told State Farm to send them our way, like a good neighbor…

Our week in Fort Morgan, Alabama…the beach! The beach house was a dream. Family time swimming, playing in the sand, visiting the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, puzzles, movies, shopping, running away from sharks, watching the Blue Angels fly over the ocean, antique shopping, chasing crabs, lightening show on the beach, visiting Duck Dynasty Headquarters, eating at Lambert’s Home of the Throwed Rolls, Casting Crowns & Francesca Battistelli concert at the Warf, pictures and living history at Fort Morgan. I love the beach, white sand, emerald green water, the unending view of water, the smell of saltwater, the sound of crashing waves, no agendas, add family to that mix and life is perfect, at least for a week and then it is back to concrete, buildings, highways, smog, traffic, and oh yeah…war torn Moore. I had secretly hoped and believed that while we were gone that we would come back and our town would have been put back together. I had not prepared myself mentally for what was up the road, but as we rolled in and the unending destruction littered our view, my heart grew heavy again.

As I reviewed my calendar from last year, there were a lot of great times at all kinds of events, but I think my BEST memory from last year was April Fool’s Day. No kidding.

April Fool’s Day 2013 I received an email from the Admiral that I had been reassigned to a new position effective immediately. I had hoped that it was an April Fool’s joke, but there is no joking up here. We are all business, we are the federal government. I know for most of you (the entire 11 people that read my blog) that probably made you laugh or roll your eyes; but it is true, we work hard and fun is not often found here. So I knew it was not an April Fool’s joke, it was soon to be my new reality. For the short version, and if you are ever interested in the whole story how God orchestrated this life changing event over a two year period in my life, let’s meet over coffee. Here is the final outcome…I learned that God who is steadfast in His love for me, made me completely weak by sending me to the Land of Lack….lack of ability…lack of confidence…lack of skill…lack…lack…lack…and provided me something I needed much more and that was to put my reliance back on Him and not me, He was asking me to stretch. It is like my Big God, who graciously takes me through a difficult passage to show me He is brilliant, glorious, all powerful, able, in control, that He loves me with a steadfast love and while things will change around me, He remains the same…yesterday, today, and forever…I just have to stretch and remember when I am weak, He is strong. What are your memories from last year? Which was your BEST memory from last year? Leave me a message on Facebook, email or text me or post here on this blog.

Wind-Chills

You may know or you may not know, but I bought my sister a 365 Journal and gave her the 365 Journal Prompts and told her to get after it! I am such a bully! I also asked her when she wanted to share something here on this blog that has a whopping eleven followers to send it to me and she could be my second Guest Blogger! If you are wondering who was the first guest blogger that would be my chatty son Jayden. If you are interested in that blog you can read it here.

Without further ado, I present to you my sister’s first blog entry "Wind-Chills" on Whatever Wednesday Writings.

When I picked Alexis up after school yesterday she was in tears. I asked her what was wrong and her reply was. "The kids in the gym said there's a wind-chill!" I asked her if she knew what a wind-chill was. But of course she didn't. I explained to her what it was and she calmed down for a bit. And then proceeded to tell me about the fire drill they had at school and also being in her class in the dark. This conversation lasted the whole way to the doctor's office to meet her Mom.

After I dropped her off I received a phone call from her teacher who told me all about Alexis being scared during the lock-down drill and then the fire drill. I'm thankful for a teacher who cares enough for her kids to let parents/grandparents know about things like that.

After returning home from the doctor Katy was able to talk to her about wind-chills, fire drills and lock-downs. We learned that she thought wind chills were tornadoes.

It got me to thinking about all the children that were effected directly and indirectly by the May 20 & 31 tornadoes. With springtime coming up the schools are practicing for tornado season and I'm sure we'll be dealing with many frightened children.  Will you join me in praying for the children and teachers?

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 4:6-7 AMP

Whatever Wednesday Writings - Schizo Sah-weet Potato Feast

Have you ever had one of those nights where one kid is raptly begging you to take them to a favorite restaurant; while the other kid is on the couch just wanting saltine crackers and to feel better; then the husband is following you around like a puppy wondering what is for dinner? Or is it just my family?

This is one of those guilt-don’t waste - search Pinterest - be grateful for what you have type of concoctions. So I found something that had the main ingredient I was trying not to waste by letting it go to Rottville…Sah-weet Potatoes and even though the recipe was only four ingredients, I pinned it, thanks to menopause. The recipe was named “Baked Sweet Potato with Salsa, Avocado & Fried Egg”, but I renamed it. Can you believe no one gave it a like or even re-pinned it? Probably because it looks and sounds so appetizing huh? Poor, lonely sweet potatoes who have been branded and confined to the holidays.

When you read the ingredient list it sounds like it came out of a diabetic magazine. Just for the record I like those recipes, but my mom, who happens to be a diabetic, is convinced that the entire diabetic eating plan is created by people who are high (yes, she said that), so it probably originated in Colorado, just sayin.

So with the four ingredients in mind I dragged myself into the kitchen, with husband following, pulled out the sweet potatoes I got for a good deal at Aldi’s and begin to wash and prepare them to bake in the oven. I don’t know too many people who like sweet potatoes outside of the holidays. Grant it sweet potatoes are ugly and often crooked but did you know they pack a serious punch of Vitamin A? They truly are nutritional Superstars! One sweet potato provides about two and a half (2 ½) times the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) of vitamin A, plus fiber (and who doesn’t need more fiber in their diet?), potassium and vitamin C. See? Superstar! By the way every time I say the word Superstar, I say it like Mary Katherine Gallagher. See! All good things we need that God created and provided for us to enjoy and we get snooty and act like they are only for the special holiday meals, shame on us!

While the potatoes were baking I went to the store to get saltine crackers for the sick kid and when I returned my sweet crooked babies were baked and ready, see how I am warming up to these Superstars? The beggar child and her stalking dad went to church; so I asked my sickly child, would you like some saltine crackers or pigs in a blanket? My trick to see if my children are really sick is to offer them food I know they like, devious I know! I prefer to think of it as Momma’s Sickness Gauge and mind you it did not take hundreds of thousands of government dollars to research its effectiveness. The reply?  Pigs in a blanket.  Really? After I got out in the cold and trekked to the store in misty rain for the saltines? So pigs it was for my piglet because I am short order cook in case you didn’t know. So here is my variation of the four ingredients Sweet Potato recipe from Pinterest along with its new name.

Schizo Sah-weet Potato

1 Medium Sweet Potato, baked

¼ cup of black beans, rinsed

2 oz of egg substitute (or you can live dangerously and use one real egg, yolk and all), fried

¼ cup of reduced fat shredded cheese (your favorite kind – I used WeightWatchers Mexican Style Blend)

¼ of an avocado

2 Tablespoons of Salsa (I like the HOT kind)

Pinch of Cumin

Pinch of Chili Powder

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper (told you I like it HOT)

Salt and Pepper if desired

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash your sweet potato, pierce it several times with a fork (great therapy) and wrap in aluminum foil (or not) and bake for 50 minutes or until you can insert a fork in the middle and it is soft.   Once baked (take off the aluminum foil if you used it) and put on a plate, slice it open and mashed it up like you do a baked potato. Then put in a pinch of cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and mix in to the potato.  Next, top the potato with ¼ cup of black beans and cheese. Then spray your skillet with cooking spray and once heated, fry your egg or egg substitute, salt and pepper if you like. Once the egg is fried, flop it on top of your potato that has the beans/cheese on it. Then top that with salsa and avocado and enjoy!

I put it with a side of nothing because it was just that good! This concoction is one of the best unsuspected food combinations known to man and my life seriously went from a mundane evening to glories untold as I sank my teeth in to all that God had made. I may have heard singing it was that good. Eating sweet potatoes out of their natural territory of Thanksgiving and Christmas meals required me to take a risk and see things differently and it paid off! My tummy and eyes thanked me. Nobody else did though. I made it the next evening for Darryl; but after the first bite I can tell if he thinks it is good or not because the first bite is followed by a Mmmmmmmm, well this time it wasn't. Sweet Potato Snob!

I am so glad I took the risk to see something differently. I vote for Sah-weet Potatoes Year Around!

Whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corin 10:31

Whatever Wednesday Writings - Can people change?

This post is the beginning of my Whatever Wednesday Writing Challenge to learn more, read about the challenge visit here.

Can people change? It is only three simple words, but it is a loaded question. Being the start of a New Year change in the form of New Year’s resolution is being discussed, considered and promised a lot right now. And since we are the first week of the New Year, many of those resolutions have already gone out the window landing flat smack on the ground in a pile of good intents. In fact, Forbes magazine reports only 8% of people will achieve their New Year’s Resolutions. Wow, we are a bunch of failures and/or proof that change is hard. As you know, most people don’t like change unless you are a baby with a poopy diaper; but change is a big part of our lives.

We change jobs, homes, cars, brand names, insurance companies, providers, friends, our minds, Facebook accounts, the list is really endless. So the answer is YES people can change. However, some things are unchangeable, for example, I could not change the structure of my DNA or blood type; but I do believe for the most part people can change. If I didn’t believe this I would not have become a Health Educator. Behavioral change is one of the most difficult things to achieve and it really boils down to an individual’s choice. We can’t make people do anything they don’t want to do. I can’t make anyone quit smoking. I can’t make anyone exercise regularly. I can’t make anyone eat healthy. Those desires for change must come from within the individual. Once the individual gets past the roadblocks to change in their lives and minds and takes on the Rocky Balboa attitude and believes “I can do this!” then change is possible. Not easy, but possible.

Surprisingly, Rocky Balboa had some pretty good quotes.

One of my favorite TV shows is the Biggest Loser. I love watching severely obese people sweat, puke and cry almost to the point of death; I am joking. One reason I love to watch the (unrealistic as it may be) TV show is the encouragement I gain to live a healthier life. If they can get through a workout that was probably designed by “Hannibal King”, by gosh, I CAN TOO! If they can listen to trainers yelling at them to press through the workout, by gosh, I CAN TOO! If they can prepare and eat healthy meals, by gosh, I CAN TOO! See my motivation?

I know how to set smart goals, identify barriers and obstacles, find solutions, but the piece of the change puzzle that I wished I knew how to produce in individuals is how to get people out of the Eeyore outlook of “I don’t feel like changing”; “I don’t want to change” to the side of empowerment where they live and yell out “I am ready to do this!”.

Last night I saw on someone’s Facebook page a quote by Maya Angelou that said, “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” I really like that! Another favorite of mine that I often say to myself is “Attitude determines actions and outlook determines outcomes.” That came from one of my favorite authors Warren Wiersbe. There will be times in our lives that change will be necessary and unwelcomed; but if we go forth with a good attitude and outlook, our actions will follow and the outcome will be better. I like to try and focus on the cans and not the cant’s.

 

Finally, I can’t write about change without talking about the biggest change in my life, no I am not speaking of menopause; it actually was a change that took place in my heart. A change that has kept me from going down the “ugly attitude road” and living on “Bitterness Avenue”. The change is a change I had no control over or any part in, it was a GIFT  given to me with no strings attached,  no requirements, just given out of love. A gift that will never be taken away from me, because it is just that…A  GIFT! It is when Jesus found me. You see I didn’t find Him, He wasn’t lost. I was. Lost. Without hope. In shame. And completely blinded of the messed up state I was in by the god of this world, I was unable to see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (see 2 Corin 4:4); but God who is rich in mercy made me alive with Christ even when I was blinded and dead in my sins, it is of GRACE that I have been saved (see Eph 2:4-5). And now that I am His, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength” (see Phil 4:13).