Un-Sausage and Potato Soup

Another reason to love winter:  Soup!  I am a big soup gal.  I don't have many soup recipes that I feel I have mastered, but this is the one that I really KNOW how to do and it comes out delicioso!  

Here's what you'll need:

4 cups Chicken Broth (preferably homemade)

2 cups milk

2 tbs butter or 2 tbs beef grease

2 tbs wheat flour

coconut oil

Ground beef - 1/2 pound (preferably grass-fed)

2 large potatoes or 3 medium-sized

1/2 onion

1 head broccoli

dried sage to taste

dried dill (optional) to taste

garlic salt to taste

salt and pepper to taste

As with all recipes, I like to make mine fit our tastes...season until you find it just right, add more or less potato,beef or broccoli...totally up to you.  If you like more broth just do more of the milk mixture.

I don't know all the cooking terms...so bear with me.  Cut up potatoes (cut it in cubes as big or small as you like - just remember the smaller they are the faster they cook and they may get mushy - but again, your preference).  Put them in soup pot with chicken broth and add salt and cook on medium.  While it is cooking,  dice onion (use the food processor if you have one) and saute on medium-low heat for at least 5 minutes.  Then brown your beef and season with garlic salt, sage and pepper.  I like to go heavy on the sage (it gives it a sausage flavor).  If you don't get much fat from the beef, add butter and flour and mix in then add milk and bring to a soft boil, stirring often.  Cut up the broccoli into florets and I don't like to waste the stalks so I cut them up in tiny bits for the extra nutrition and add it to the chicken broth/potato pot.  I like the broccoli to stay al dente so I don't let it stay in long before adding the milk mixture.  Add dried dill or keep it as is.  But taste it and see if you think it needs more sage. Enjoy!

Fat Vultures

We recently started watching Man vs. Wild with the kids...what a fascinating show!  If you've never heard of it, it's about a guy that can be dropped in any environment (Amazon, Antarctic, Rocky Mountains) and can survive in the environments against wild animals, hunger, and life threatening situations.  Antony loves it because the guy is from England...anyone that cool and that happens to be British is a winner in Antony's book!  He's my British Bulldog.  :)  Anyway, in one of the episodes, a zebra had been killed and Bear (the name of the adventurer) was so hungry he was going to go and see if he could make a meal of it... but the vultures had gotten to it first.  You could see them in the background trying to walk up the hills.  He explained that they had eaten of the carcass, the dead,  until they were so full, that they could no longer fly.  When I heard that, it hit me.  I can feast off the dead things in my life:  old hurts, disappointments, regrets, broken dreams, habits, paradigms and failures and they will fill me up enough so that I'll never fly.  The dead things will fill me enough to stop me from reaching my dreams.  I can be filled with life that will lead me to my dreams or I can choose to be filled with dead things that will keep me on the ground, struggling to even just make it up the small hills in life.  Then I began to think about how that relates to my thought life.  During Jesus' ministry, there were times where the Bible says that Jesus answered their thoughts.  Their thoughts were the truest part of what they believed.  They could've acted on the outside as though they believed, they could've said the right things, but it's the heart, the thoughts and intents that God sees and that determines what we truly believe.  As a man thinks he is, that's what he is. (my paraphrase of Proverbs  23:7).

 Just think, it's not the disappointment or regret or hurt or whatever that stops us.  It has already occurred.  It lasted for a specific time.  But it's our thoughts regarding the negative situation that we relive and "eat" from.  Scientfically, it's shown that our thoughts can even cause our physical bodies to react negatively - increase in blood pressure, heart rate, sweating, even disease - all just by thinking something!  It's our thoughts that we have to take captive.  (2 Cor.10:5a We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ).  My thoughts are what goes against the knowledge of who God is.  What He stands for.  If what I think about goes against anything that would come out of God, then those are the thoughts that I must take captive and replace them with the knowledge of who God says He is.  The other day Luke came and told me that Jonathon had done something naughty.  But I knew it was completely out of character for Jonathon to do such a thing that I could NOT even believe Luke.  I briefly entertained the possibility that maybe Jonathon did the wrong action but I quickly disregarded it because I have knowledge of who he is.  I know him and from my knowledge of him, my thoughts dictated only the truth of the situation.  Past failures are speaking through our thought life.  But they are lies when they try to dictate who I am today and go completely against who God says I am now.  If I know Him, if I know what He says, and what He stands for, then I will have no problem differentiating between His truth and the thoughts that say otherwise and try to lift themselves up higher than that truth.

I have called myself unorganized.  I have allowed failures in housework, financial and parental decisions that were a result of a lack of organization keep me unorganized by my believing that I am so.  But God says I am complete in Christ.  That means that I have what I need in me to have a life of order - not chaos.  God did things in order when He created the world...He didn't create man without  first creating all the things man needed to survive.  The King of Order has His Spirit living in me.  So I must reprogram my thoughts with the truth of who I am - the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!  I am just now beginning to really understand what that means.

So, forget the dead stuff...I've got to fly!

The Extraction

Soft vs weak.  I was weak.  It's easy to get to a place where the line gets blurry. Being soft is important - when I say soft, I mean living out love in speech, conduct, etc.  I endeavor to be soft and so often miss that mark, but  remind myself that I am a work in progress.  Then there's plain old weak.  Weak moments tend to creep up on you.  You can be going strong all day long and then the one weak moment where you make a choice out of the weakness and then, BOOM...no bueno.  But I think about Paul and that where he says in 1 Corinithians about him become strong in his weakness b/c of God saying: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  The Message paraphrase says, "My grace is enough; it's all you need.  My strength comes into its own in your weakness."   I like that.  It's all I need.  His grace is all I need.  His strength shows up in my weakness.  Showing weakness used to seem too "un-spiritual".  I wouldn't allow myself to show others and really just deceived myself  by not acknowledging its existence.  Pride - again, showing up in my life.  Now I am working on facing the weakness by first admitting it's there and then submitting it over and accepting His grace and strength so that I can gain a victory over it.

My moment of weakness this week:  not wanting to face the challenge of a possible disobedience moment (and therefore the need to follow through with discipline) so I just left it alone, watched my 4 year old go play on a zipline and wound up with an unexpected run to the dentist for a tooth extraction.

Well, I was definitely leaning on His grace and strength that afternoon!  And the argument in my mind that plagued me afterwards..."I should've _____"...but as I prayed I told myself to let it go and I literally had to fight to keep it out of my thoughts.  There'll always be something that we should've done but it does nothing for us to constantly rehearse our mistakes.  We must trust Him at each moment - not looking to what I could've done or should've done but knowing that He knows all and that in the end facing my weaknesses leads to me gaining His strength!  How can I lose?

I have to admit, when it was all said and done, one thing I kept thinking was about how he would look in family pictures for quite awhile...*sigh...I am going to have to get over that.  ;)  Maybe a little pride creeping through on that one, too...

Oh, well...Grace and Strength!

Eggplant Parmesan Remix

I have developed a taste for Eggplant but don't want to take the time to make it and bake it...I don't want to wait, I guess.  So the other day I did my own easy and quick version of the yummy meal...here it is:

1 eggplant, peeled and cut into cubes
2 Roma Tomato, seeded
onion, chopped
olive oil/coconut oil/butter
italian seasoning, garlic salt and pepper
fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese

Saute onion (as much or as little as you like) in a mix of coconut oil and butter (or olive oil) on medium heat until soft.  Add the roma tomatos and cook for another minute.  Raise heat to medium high and add in cubed eggplant and sprinkle with garlic salt, italian seasoning and just a little pepper.  Add more oil as needed if things start to get dry and if you don't want to add more oil, just add a little water.  Stir while cooking.  I like it to be a bit al dente but you can cook it has the consistency you like.  Put your mixture into your serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and as much freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese...yum!

Yummy Squash Soup and Simple Greek Style Salad

I made an amazingly simple and delicious soup last night...thanks mom for your idea!

I had a huge butternut and acorn squash so I only used half of each. So if you have small ones then just use the whole thing. 

Using a sharp knife, cut squashes in chunks and scoop out any seeds (and use a spoon to get all the stringy bits out) and steam until soft.  While still hot, scoop out the meat of the squash and place into your mixer (I wear gloves when I have them but last night I just held each chunk with a clean dish cloth while scooping the insides out.)  Add 3-4 Tbs  of butter (unpasteurized is ideal) and then add a llittle of the hot water used for steaming (about 1/4 cup) and then add 1/2 cup of milk.  Mix and then slowly add more milk until you reach the desired consistency. Add garlic salt (or salt and freshly fround garlic) to taste and pepper to taste.  Voila!  All done..super easy and super tasty!  Perfect for the chilly nights!

While my squash was steaming, I peeled 2 cucumber and seeded it then cut them into thin 1 inch chunks.  I cut up 2 roma tomatoes (you can use more...I only had 4 and wanted to save some for today), one avocado (again, feel free to add more - my other ones weren't ripened so I only used one), onion (optional as cut or as dried onion flakes - I opted for dried since the kids aren't fully onion-people yet), and feta (the chunk is cheaper and you have to crumble it - so it's a bit more messy, but no biggie).  I added kalamata olives (mine had seeds I took them out and cut the olives in slices).  Sprinkle juice from one half lemon (of course, if you have opted to increase the amounts of veggies, you should probably juice a whole lemon) and then sprinkle garlic salt (I use that a lot!), some pepper, and olive oil.  Stir until coated.  Oh, my!  Amazing!  I could've eaten the whole bowl!

It was a delicious meal...my hubby is a meat guy so I did make a huge meat patty (ideal is grass-fed beef) and I seasoned with, you guessed it, garlic salt, sage and pepper.

Hope you try it, it's so yummy and best of all - easy!

Chocolate and Peppermint Shakes

There's something about winter that makes me want minty things...and even though we aren't technically in winter, the minty excitement has begun.  Last night the kids and I made Thin Mints.  Oh, what fond memories I have of those small round chocolate cookies bursting with minty-wonderfulness.  Those were my number one choice when those little Girl Scouts made their way around to our home.  Well, I happened to find a recipe for them - completely unmeditated, I assure you - so it must've been fate that I came across it.  They turned out abosolutely delicious!  Tonight, the kids are sipping on our own homemade Chocolate and Peppermint Shake...I had a sip and it was mintastic!  ;)  Super easy, too! 
Here's the minty how to:

P.S.  The organic sugar that I mentioned, that is NOT the good kind (even though it says organic - they can do a lot of stuff to foods and still put the organic label on them) is the Florida Crystals along with anything that says RAW, Turbinado, whatever...one of the kinds that would be best to use is Rapadura.  (The info I got on sweeteners - which to use and which to avoid - comes form Sally Fallon's book and you can find it at :http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Traditions-Challenges-Politically-Dictocrats/dp/0967089735/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1  or if you want to look through it without purchasing, you can find it at the library).

The Second Poop Did It!

All is quiet on the Chicken Front.  It's 6:16am and I actually woke up at 5:24 (well, that's when I looked at the time).  Baby did a poopie in a half-sleep state and so I got up to clean and change him.  I had the great idea to just get up and get a bunch of stuff done, including my journaling, while the others slept.  So what did I do?  Snuggle back in bed and try to sleep.  I had such great intentions, the voice inside me said to get up so that I could accomplish much but I willingly went against it.  I closed my eyes and moments later hear a little grunting followed by a splurting noise.  The second poop did it.  I figured I might as well get up.  So again, I washed his sweet little bum, changed him and fed him and back to bed I did not go.

It's been a good chunk of time since I have sat down to write my thoughts.  I have been listening to a series that is challenging me by Terri Savelle Foy entitled "Can You Imagine".  It's talking about the fact that vision is the sight of the mind.  The famous blind/deaf Helen Keller was asked, "What would be worse than having no sight?"  She replied, "Having sight, but having no vision."  Wow.  Getting my goals starts with my imagination.  I have realized that I have stopped imagining.  Listen to kids.  They imagine all day long!  But somewhere along the lines we are programmed to stop doing so.  We are taught as children, "You get what you get.  You can't have this or that.  Eat all the food on your plate whether you like it or not.  In life, you don't always get what you want."  Then we wonder why we are where we are as adults.  Last time I checked, my God was the God of the impossible.  We learn to put limits on ourselves so those limits translate into how we see Him and what He is allowed to do in us.  It's not a question of His ability - b/c we know He is able - but more what we allow Him to do. 

Albert Einstein said that the imagination is a preview of life's coming attractions.  When the people of the Tower of Babel in Genesis were building their tower to reach heaven (something that seemed impossible - they didn't have power tools back then!) God Himself came down ⁶And the Lord said, Behold, they are one people and they have ^[a]all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do, and now nothing they have imagined they can do will be impossible for them."  Look at that...nothing they imagined they could do would be impossible for them.  But, we have lost the art of imagination.  We get so caught up in what we are doing on our day to day that imagining seems silly and a time waster.  But dreaming and imagining leads us to do something greater.  It leads us to open our hearts to the possibility of great things that God can do in and through us.  When we don't, we are determining to  ourselves, "this is what my life is, so I'll just go with what's been dealt me".  The truth is, our mind has the ability to see things as they COULD be, not as they actually are.  I've never been to Tahiti, but in my mind's eye, I could picture myself there, feeling the hot sun tingling my skin, hearing the crashing waves.  God created our amazing minds and I believe that the greatest doctors and thinkers of the world today can't even begin to understand the mind's capabilities! 

Walt Disney died before Disney World, in Orlando, was ever launched.  During the opening, the master of ceremonies introduced Mrs. Disney and said, "Wouldn't it have been great if Walt could have seen all this?"  She stood up and said, "He did." And then she sat back down.  Before it ever became a tangible reality, it was a mental reality.  And just like in the tower of Babel story, the people not only imagined that they could reach heaven, but they had the plan to accomplish it.   And that's what comes after the imagination stage.  We get a vision for what we want to see accomplished in our lives and we write out our goals and make them plain.  I heard a story of a veteran that said that in WWII if an unidentified soldier was come upon at any time and asked what his mission was but was unable to immediately state his mission, then he would be shot wihtout question.  If I were faced with a life or death need to know my mission, my vision, where I am headed, would I be able to say it immediately?  "My people perish for a lack of knowledge."  Perish means die.  If I don't have a vision for my life, I'm dying.  If someone asks me about my goals and vision and I respond with, "Well, I haven't give it much thought."  Then what I'm saying is, "I'm content to stay right here in this exact state for the rest of my life."  But I'm not content to stay here.  I don't want to live like I'm living today for the rest of my life.  I don't want to be the same wife and mother.  I don't want to live in the same house.  I don't want to be giving the same amounts to good causes.  I want to continue to grow and move forward in every area of my life.  But yet I have lived without a mission for so long.  And it's time to get out of the rut.  I say I want to be out of debt.  Yet, if Jesus himself showed up in my living room and asked me, "How much money do you need to get out of debt?" and I couldn't answer him, then I'm not serious about getting out of debt.  If it's a vision that I have written out, and I make it plain (broken down into realistic/measurable goals) then it's at the forefront of my mind and I could answer him immediately.  Remember what Habakuk said, Write the vision and make it plain.  If I don't have my vision written down, then it's just wishing.  I need to have the exacts, right there and ready.

So I am starting my dreams book.  A book that has every dream - small and large - physical, financial, emotional, mental, spiritual...the whole kit and kaboodle.  Something that I can look at every day and thank God for it coming to pass.  I will keep it at the forefront of my mind - they will be plain so that I can run with it - take the action steps so I can see them become a reality.  I am going to let my imagination run wild and see God be glorified through the completion of each goal. 

"The Moment-Misser"

My husband just called me a moment misser...it was supposed to be more of a tease, but when I thought about it, I realized that I do miss many opportunities for a "moment".  We went to the pumpkin patch after church this past Sunday.  I had come up with an idea for a great family day but I had so played it up in my mind's eye, that when, of course, it did not go as envisioned, I had a rough time getting over my failed plan and the frustration that accompanied it. 

I was so looking forward to taking some vivid photos.  I had seen so many kid's photos taken during their pumpkin patch experiences and I was sure that I too would be among the many mom's deliriously happy with their latest candid shots.  The kids were all dressed up: the boys had on their new white shorts and Kezi had her new glittery shoes (Target clearance find - I love a sweet deal!).  All day I pictured the great fun it would be, the wonderful family moment that would be remembered through the ages...alas, it was not so.  From bees, to muddied bums, the wonderful outing turned ominous from the moment we started our picnic, that Antony insisted we eat in the car.  Not a great idea when mustard is a part of your picnic fare.  The mustard soon became part of the the baby's attire and the car's carpeting (what was I thinking to bring mustard!?!).  I decided to stay behind to feed Marc Alec while the others went out to start the fun-filled afternoon (except Jonathon who had been plagued by ants).  When I got the phone call from Antony, not 5 minutes later, that Luke's white pants were already soiled with dirt and taht Kezi's shoes no longer looked new, I knew things were starting to go downhill.  So I called him to find out where they were but we couldn't find each other...by this time I could sense major tension in both of our voices.  Finally, we hooked up and got on the hayride and after being attacked by bees, we set off.  Okay, things didn't look good up to this point, but that's okay, I was set that we could definitely fit in a sweet, we-are-such-a-happy-family picture.  I left my camera in the car b/c Antony said we could just use his IPhone for pics...but when he realized I wanted the nice couple sitting across from us to actually hold and touch the beloved thing to get a family photo, my idea was quickly shot down.  How could I have been so daft...it's no question they would've jumped out of the hayride, with their kids in tow, to steal it (when they probably had their own).  Well, his response finished it for me.  I wanted those family pics SO bad and not getting the exact replica of what I had foreseen in my mind for our outing, tipped me over the edge.   I was done...and although I knew I should stop the ugly part of me from taking over and becoming The Moment-Misser, I chose the wrong path (as I tell the kids so often NOT to choose).    Oh yes...I ignored him that whole hay ride.  So mature, so loving, I know.  And the funny thing was that at one point he even said, "What, you aren't going to talk to me the whole day?  Oh yes, I see, everything hasn't gone EXACTLY as Lisa pictured in her mind and so now you're upset and it's going to be a miserable rest of the day."  Of course, he hit the nail on the head and it hurt - I didn't like it.  Thankfully, I got my act together - after the hayride (and we did sneak in a couple of pics - albeit, not a full family one).  But I realize, how many moments I miss b/c things don't quite turn out exactly as I picture.  Instead of rolling with the punches, making the most of a situation gone awry, I tend to whine about what hasn't gone acccording to my plan and then I just miss the moment for a special memory and I pretty much ruin it for everyone.  So, I am determined.  I will not be a moment misser!  I will enjoy the moments during the day.  I'll take the time to stop and listen and be a part of something my kids want to tell me or show me, even if I'm in the middle of something.  Days are filled with so many of these special moments and each one holds the open door to inspire me, challenge me, teach me, or give me a precious treasure that if ignored, is so quickly swept away.  Let's embrace every moment - they will more than likely turn out even better than we planned.

Feta and Zucchini Quiche

Just made some delicious quiche tonight and it was super easy.

2 Zucchini thinly sliced - (not paper thin - I just eye ball it) - with skins off (or you can leave them on, I just didn't have organic ones and didn't want to eat wax and Kezi doesn't like the skins either, so it worked)
Feta
Swiss
Onion (as much or little as you like) Sautéed in coconut oil or use fresh green onion
Garlic Salt (or salt and fresh garlic, sautéed)
Pepper
Italian Seasoning
8 -10 eggs
8tsp milk

Arrange zucchini in an 8x10 dish up the sides as well as the bottom.  Overlapping of zucchini will happen.  While onion is sautéing, shred swiss cheese and put on top of zucchini with the crumbled feta (or you can just use feta).

I put the eggs and milk, garlic salt and onion in my mixer and liquefied it and then poured it on top of the zucchini/cheese.  I sprinkled a bit of Italian seasoning and pepper (which you could just add to the mixer - or use cayenne for an extra zingy kick) and cooked in a preheated oven at 350 for 30-40 minutes.  You can add more cheese and allow it to melt for the last 5 minutes - but I don't.

Here'a  variation that I LOVE (but I didn't have all the ingredients this time):
Use Feta only (and lots of it!)
Greek Olives chopped or sliced
Spinach, chopped
Tomato, chopped
Sprinkle the last 3 ingredients after you pour the mixture into the dish (gives it a nice color and presentation).
Then cook as stated above.

This is a great recipe b/c you can play with it and add or take out anything that suits your fancy (mushrooms, red/green/orange/yellow peppers,

We serve with avocado (for your good fats) and crispy tortillas (grilled to a crunchy perfection) or with a slice of sprouted grain toast - YUM!

Note:  Don't even consider changing the eggs to egg beaters...read up on it - super BAD for you - oxidized and so unhealthy.  Find Farm Fresh eggs if you can in your area...check Craigslist...eggs are a complete protein and truly the incredible, edible egg!

Rah, Rah, Shish-kum-bah!

It never ceases to amaze me when I think of the fact that everything I am doing/teaching/living in front of my kids will affect their entire lives...sobering, don't you think?  How they will interact with people, how they will succeed in relationships, money, jobs...it's so huge.  It can be an overwhelming realization if you look at your own strength and ability because you inevitably look at your weaknesses and insufficiencies.  I used to get paranoid about this reality  - well, maybe not "paranoid"...but I'd definitely freak out if Antony and I would make the error of raising our voices in front of my kids.  Yes, we have argued in front of them and still do at times.  We are a work in progress and praise the Lord, we've made A WHOLE LOT of progress.  But I would get to the point that I'd be so focused on our mistakes, and all that we weren't doing that all I could see were children that would be scarred for life.  I'd forget to look at the progress we had made and then instead of being encouraging, I'd bring my spouse down instead of build him up.  I couldn't just compliment him and say, "Babe, that was really great how you dealt with that situation with the kids.  You are just doing a great job."  I had to be sure to add in the P.S. and say, "But you know there's still so much you have to do.  So much that still needs to be made right or the kids will grow up to be...."  I was only prohibiting the very thing I wanted to see in our home.  I felt like it was my place to keep reminding him - to keep in his full focus the strides that were needed to see our family succeed.  As if he didn't already know it.  I hate it when people remind me of things that I know need fixing and that I'm working really hard at achieving.  But of course, I felt the need to continually remind him.  Unfortunately, I never saw that I was cutting him down each time I reminded him of his other failings.  For every good effort he made, a positive change/growth, I would only keep in front of him how far he still had to go...how's that for cheerleader of the year?  I mean, seriously...we all know that people do better when they are cheered on for every triumph and encouraged when grace is extended for each downfall.  But I was cutting my own teammate at the feet!  And many times I would lord it over him - put myself on a higher plane - to make him see how low he was and how he needed to improve all the more.  It's a wonder I've never been crowned "Meanie of the Year".

I am not 100% there yet.  At times, my peppy cheers are out the window and I fall back into my old habit of seeing the cup half filled.  But, I got to the place, where I see that we are our own special and unique family.  There will be things Antony and I will do, right and wrong things, that our children will see.  But if I am allowing myself to be transformed daily, giving Him my shortcomings so that He can mold me, then God's grace will cover the errors we are sure to make and He will be the One to shape my children into the men and women He sees them as.  I had gotten to the place where I thought my "works" would ensure they turn out all right instead of entrusting them to Him with the knowledge that in my own human strength I could never give them everything they need to be successful....I could only offer them the one person that can - Jesus.   I depend on His grace and I set my faith that they will walk in the destiny that God has for them.  I am living out my relationship with Jesus in front of them.  I know I will make a mistake and when I do, instead of pretending like I can go through life without erring (like I used to in my self-righteous state), I can use the opportunities to teach them what to do when that mistake is made.  How to make things right with daddy when I get snappy or argumentative, or how to walk in self-control when I deal with the boys and some of their weird boy-things they've got going on (like the time I found out they were trying to pee into the toilet while perched on the sink).  I can talk to them about my consistent state of righteousness, the fruits of the Spirit, and how to trust the Holy Spirit for His help and guidance...that by the power of Jesus Christ I am transformed everyday.

One thing is for sure - cheering my family on to victory in this life is definitely more fun and brings more joy to us than a constant view of defeat.  Chicken Family...Let's go, let's go, L-E-T-S-G-O!!!.

What is it about Monday's?

It's amazing how quickly reality smacks you in the face after the euphoria fades.  Monday, I woke up and I didn't feel like doing anything.  The list of things I needed to do was extensive and, of course, add to it 4 kiddies...well, I wasn't too chipper, to say the least.  After a late night I had to get up early to get Antony his breakfast.  I was making him some Avena...cooked oats then liquefied with milk, agave, cinnamon and vanilla extract...yummmmm.  Anyway, all the kids were in bed and I so wanted to just have a quiet morning and didn't want the loud noise to wake them.  So picture me in my pj's with scrub-type bottoms on walking through the house with a liquefier in my hand and my pants decide to fall down while I am walking to my bathroom.  What a lovely sight for sure.  So breakfast was prepared in the bathroom and after all that rigmarole, the kids woke up as daddy was making his way out the door.  But since I'd had it in my mind that I wanted quiet time, them being up and at it, so early, made me irritable.  Well, more like, I chose to become so.  They didn't MAKE me do anything, I chose to allow my irritation to rule my morning.  Needless to say, I was off to a bad start and I didn't do my planning so the morning felt ill-spent.

It's so easy to get discouraged and just wallow in it.  But in the end, it all comes down to the choice I make.  And how funny when I am teaching my kids about making choices and I'm not doing it myself!  Well, not funny.  Jonathon was doing school the other day and although he was very productive last week, he seemed to be totally off this week.  (Newsflash, Lisa, probably b/c of your lack of planning!  The proof of the domino effect...) Anyway, he was crying and whining about being so hungry and that his hunger pain was just affecting him to the point that he couldn't move his pencil and it was inhibiting brain function  (of course if he had been playing or watching TV he wouldn't have even noticed all that hunger pain) and I told him that if he's so hungry then he should go ahead and just choose to finish his work so that he could eat lunch with us.  I told him that it was his choice to be miserable but that it would lead down the death path or to chose the path that brought good things, the life path.  I told him it was his choice to be upset but nothing good would come out of it - he'd just waste time, waste energy and still be sitting there with the same amount of work to be done and still no food to show for it.  It only makes logical sense to choose the thing that is good for us.  I told him, Jonathon, you are in a race against yourself.  You can choose to stop running but you'll lose the reward that comes at the end.  Stop crying about your issue and run the race so that you can win the reward!  He finally did make the right choice - after a little more of his wallowing in self-pity b/c of extreme hunger...and enjoyed lunch with the rest of us.

My choice to succumb to the lazy river only caused me to drift through my morning and ended up taking me nowhere.  The discouragement bled into my relationships.  I could've enjoyed my children more but instead I was short, curt, agitated, aggravated and whatever else that comes out of me when I'm choosing to be miserable.  But how much time do I waste and energy do I spend b/c I don't make the choice to just run my race?   It's only logical, good sense that says, hurry and make the right choice that will lead you down the Life Path!  Thankfully, I too made the right choice before my whole day was eaten up...it took me a little while but I finally got it.  ;)  And we enjoyed the rest of our day and getting things accomplished.

I have the choice.  My choice determines how long I allow discouragement or even just the "Monday Blues" to stop me from accomplishing all that God has for me in each day.  Maybe going to my room, shutting the door and just being open about what I feel, "Lord, I am feeling yucky right now but I choose life.  I choose to let go of the feelings and determine that my fruits of love, joy and peace will be developed right now.  I need your strength to get me through today."    I don't just leave it with how I feel but I finish it with my choice for life, for the good things God can accomplish in and through me in my day, and I acknowledge that I can accomplish it all by depending on Him.

How "NOT" to make Friends

Antony asked the kids if they wanted to join him at the gym the other day.  Luke, my second born (almost 5 year old) usually doesn't want to play at the kids area there but this time quickly assented to go.  I was a bit surprised and told him so and he so sweetly said that he wanted to go so that I could have some alone time.  He said it was Mother's Day and he wanted me to have fun on "Mother's Day".  It was so sweet - one of those melt your heart moments.  I enjoyed my time alone, although I did have the baby with me and although I did spend the time cleaning....but I did get to talk to my sis-in-law which I don't get the chance to do often.  It was nice.  So they all got back home and Luke asked me if I'd had a nice time and I replied in the affirmative and I asked him in return if he had fun and he replied, "No.  I had to sit down."  I asked, "Why did the teacher have you sit?  What did you do?"  Of course, the little ears on his big brother were in the other room but picked up the signal that something was brewing and he replied for Luke, "He was spitting on the girls!"  Ohhhhh.....ugghhhhhh....the same "I don't understand why you do this!" feeling I get when Luke misbehaves. You know, when you want to yell and cry and shake them and say "WHY?!"  But I quickly composed myself, although I may have rolled my eyes with a little "Oh, Luke..." remark...I don't recall...but hopefully I didn't, though I don't give myself that much credit. ;)  So, I proceeded to explain, for what felt like the millionth time, that to make friends we don't do things like that.  Daddy came in and did a little drama with two scenarios -in the first, he pretended to be a boy that spit on Luke and in the other he introduced himself as a little boy wanting to be friends and wanting to play together and asked Luke which was the best way to make friends.  It put a smile on everyone's face.  But I still left the situation thinking, WHEN is this going to kick in?!  Just the day before we were at the park and he called one of the older girls a name...the problem seems to be with older girls - he wants their attention and them to like him so he does stuff - usually not "nice" stuff - so he can get their attention.  Negative attention is still attention, unfortunately.

But this is one of those things that weighs on me as a mom.  The weight that follows me whenever we go out - at any get-together, play group, church service, etc...  The weight that sends the unrelenting thoughts.  The thoughts that seem to take residence in the back of my mind, never allowing me to fully settle.  Never allowing me to fully enjoy and relax b/c deep down that weight is always whispering at me, getting me to focus on it.  What weight is holding on to you?  Mine may seem trivial, but to me, it's real.  It's something big for me b/c it has to do with my son and his growth.  Yours may be financial, marital, relational, spiritual, emotional.  And we have different ones.  This is my Mom-ital weight.  I'm sure I have others.  But it's taking the time to dig deep and see that we have them.  Seeking out their hiding places.  If we don't find them and then mentally and even verbally recognize that they are trespassing, we are living in deception - not really wanting to deal with the elephant in the room.  But it is there, and until we can see it rationally - for what it really is -  then we will be unable to deal with it spiritually.

I've been reading a book by Dr. Spencer Johnson called, Peaks and Valleys.  (I would encourage everyone to read this and also his book "Who Moved My Cheese?" - read that one first -you can find them at your public library).  And basically he says that life is filled with peaks and valleys.  We all know that b/c we all experience them.  But he talks about how to make your peaks last longer and your valleys shorter.  And one thing is to look at your situation rationally.  Not allowing yourself to see it for more than it is.  If we are in a valley and we magnify it to the point where we can't let ourselves see the truth of the situation, see that it is truly there, we'll be stuck in that valley for a long time.  But if you face the weight, see it for what it is, and what it wants to do in you (stop you from moving forward) then you can identify the steps you need to take to let yourself loose from it's grip.  Also, if you are at a peak, you may see it for more than it is by not facing the little things that would want to take you down from that peak prematurely.  You may be so pie in the sky, everything is going dandy, that you miss pinpointing the little things that will cause you to return to a valley sooner than needed.  It's about constantly checking ourselves.  We have to look and ask the Holy Spirit to show us the little things that are holding us back from being all that He has for us to be.

I could allow myself to talk about my Mom-ital issue like it's never going to change and like it's hopeless.  But instead, I see it for what it is.  I see the truth.  I am in a season.  It's training time and I will not give up.  It's going to take time to see Luke develop into who God has him to be...look at me!  I'm still being worked on!  He's come a long way and he will fail - but he'll be failing forward.  Each mess-up is an opportunity to develop his make-up...I see the reality of the situation so that then I can let my faith work to see that reality change.

Take time to ask yourself the hard questions.  What am I fearing?  What is holding me back?  What is stopping me from moving forward?  Find it, verbalize it, then let God show you how to deal with it so that you can keep moving on up!

Great Balls of Fire!

Wow.  What a day.  I'm sitting down to have quiet time and it's 7:56pm.  This is the end of day one and the big change for Lisa Chicken!  Here's putting the action toward moving forward - living differently.  I sat down this morning with the kids and my challenge was on my mind - set goals for my day.  Antony has encouraged me to be a goal setter since we were married - I always knew it was a good idea but I never implemented it.  Man, have I missed a lot of opportunity that time has presented but it all slipped me by with every passing second.  Well, can't cry over spilt milk!  The point of the matter is to make a change starting now – there’s still time to benefit from it.  And even though I want to look back and think of all the missed possibilities, I have to choose to let it go.  That’s a lesson in itself. 

Anyway, I had the boys help me make a task list – things we wanted/needed to get done today.  Jonathon started with his idea of cleaning the bedroom.  But I urged him to be more specific.  Pick up Legos, make bed, vacuum floor, put clothes away…etc.  Generalities leaves room for distraction – specifics makes way for progress.  Oh, I like that…thanks Holy Spirit.  ;)  So we got all our thoughts down – even things like “Cut Marc Alec’s finger nails”.  Then we made a time chart – and put tasks in the order we wanted to do them with play time, snack time and meal times specified.  Yes, it took some time…about 27 minutes to be exact (I’m weird about being exact with time) but like Abraham Lincoln said, If my task is to cut this tree down in 8 hours, I will sharpen my axe for 6 of those hours.  (My paraphrase).  Basically meaning preparation is key.  Taking that little bit of time to prepare for the day is key to having a successful, purposeful day.  27 minutes preparing for 10 hours of my life.  And wow, can I say this was an amazing day! 

The boys were like little worker bees.  They took out the garbage, cleaned their room, mopped the kitchen floor, did school work, played outside…and every few minutes they would check the time – making sure they were right on task!  Did we get it all done?  No.  Is there still so many other things that I could have put on that list that need doing?  Yes.  But I feel amazing!  How is that?  I worked diligently today b/c I had something to work towards – I had direction.  I feel like I accomplished things today.  I did things purposefully and what that does for me, personally, is amazing in itself.  I don’t know what it is about our minds but they are pretty amazing.  Just writing the tasks down and putting a time frame to them somehow makes me WANT to get things done – and get more done…I wanted to beat the time!  Like it was some kind of race – me against the task list and I was going to win!  And to know that I got things done that I had planned to do brings a sense of freedom.  I don’t feel bad about the pile of laundry that is sitting there waiting to be folded/put away.  B/c I know tomorrow, I can write it down and git ‘r done!  But the funny thing is that not writing it down and then not doing it makes me feel bound to the task somehow.  And it pushes me away from wanting to do it.  And it’ll sit there for a week if I don’t just write it down and say, “This is what I will accomplish today”.  I’ve had a load of socks that literally sat in a basket for at least a month, once…and I’m being conservative on that figure! 

 I challenge you to live just one day with specific, clear, attainable, written-out goals and a time line to go with it and just tell me what you felt about that day's outcome.  So, in a nutshell – “Goals, are good, Goals are great, plan ahead – it will set you straight!” 

P.S.  Did you wonder why my journal entry is called Great Balls of Fire?  Well, my melting butter became a huge flame in my kitchen today…that one was definitely not on the task list!  What a day, indeed!

The Muscle Man

There's this guy.  A weightlifting dude.  He's the one everyone notices in the gym, mainly because he does those loud breathing noises with each flex of his muscles.  Then after each rep he hikes up his shorts to expose his muscley leg so he can do his pose for the wall mirror.  And I'm the one who just can't help but stare.  I've always been a people watcher.  I love staring at people, much to Antony's dismay.  I like to put myself in their shoes, I wonder what their life must be like, how they must think and feel.  Anyway, back to the muscle man.  Although he made the show of being a pro, I found it odd that he didn't look super fit, in my humble opionion.  I'm far from being Mrs. Olympia, but his tubby belly just doesn't make the cut.  Antony wanted to ask him for his expert advice and I said, "Why go to someone who says he knows all this stuff but doesn't have the body to show for it?  If I'm going to a trainer, I want to go to a trainer that actually looks fit."  Like at the makeup counter - do you go for a makeover to the girl who is all made up or the girl who doesn't have any make-up on and really needs it?  I want to buy from someone who's knows what they are talking about and can prove it with results.  It made me think, what are things in my life that I say I know -  principles and truths that I believe and have seen work, but I don't put into action on a consistent basis?  Ow.  I've heard the time management principles and about writing out my tasks and appointments in a daytimer type thing. I know it works, but I've never flexed those muscles before and therefore I don't see the results of a trim schedule.  So, I think it's time to get this work out in my daily routine.  In your own life, what are some principles that you know work but aren't putting into action?  Think it over - God will show us the things that we can begin to walk out to ensure we are as fit as can be!

One Clean Counter Top

 So have you ever just cleaned one section of your kitchen counter top and just lingered there - staring at it, observing it's lovely cleanliness and wishing the rest of your house could be that clean, or at least just the rest of your kitchen?  I've been there, many times.  Am there still - right now at 8:06pm.  My feet feel like they're burning.  I don't want to look around the rest of the kitchen b/c the mess that is waiting to be cleaned is so far from looking like my lovely countertop that it's depressing.  Well, maybe not depressing, discouraging is more like it.  But every time I come to this point - which is often, with 4 precious children to look after - I say, "Lord, help me.  Holy Spirit I need your strength.  Thank you for your grace.  Lisa, just focus on one thing at a time".  I tell myself that.  Somehow it helps - I look at one small chunk at a time: one more counter, one more dish, one more chunk of dried dill potato on the dining room chandelier to flake off.  Okay, so it's not a chandelier, but food somehow makes it's way up on our speckled light fixture.  And I take the first step...I make a move...I put action to my prayer and self-exhortation...and then suddenly things are looking up.  And then a short time later, the kitchen is clean, relatively speaking.  My "definition of "clean" and my husband's definition of "clean" don't exactly match - and this is not a diss to him...he does a better job than I do!  But focusing on one small thing at a time works in every area of our lives.  There's so much I want to do and excel at, negative life habits that I am daily molding into positive ones - but if I look at all of it at once, the task becomes daunting.  If my eyes magnify everything that needs "cleaning and fixing up" in my life - it becomes overwhelming, discouraging.  So, I look at one small thing at a time and ask God for His help.  "...where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth..."  If he can make heaven and earth then he can undoubtedly help me clean my countertops.

"I am a Ballerina!"

We just celebrated Keziah's 3rd birthday.  She got a new dress from Grandee in England (why do the styles there seem so much cuter than here?)  She immediately donned her newest addtition to her wardrobe and proceeded to twirl and show it off.  "You look like a ballerina!"  I proclaimed.  She very definitely replied, "I AM a ballerina!"  It immediately got me thinking.  How do I see myself?  Do we define ourselves by what we look like?  I don't necessarily mean the outward appearance and the clothes we wear (though that could be a big one for us), but more like what we do - our daily habits, our weaknesses and strengths, our good, bad and ugly.  If we are in Christ we are new.  We are forgiven and righteous through Christ.  So, even though our tutus may not always be on straight, who we are in Christ never changes.  Check out Jospeh Prince Ministries to get a full-on revelation of what it means to be in Christ.  My whole perspective has changed through his foundational teaching.  I guarantee you'll be dancing like never before!
http://josephprince.org/
P.S.  No, this is not a paid ad.  ;)

Close Your Eyes and Dream Again

Well, this is it.  I am finally turning over a new leaf.  Today is my day of change.  The day that I finally made the decision that I was going to move forward in reaching my dreams.  So it starts with this.  I have said I wanted to journal for so long and I'm finally doing what I said I "wanted" to do.  I am finally starting my journaling.  Techincally this is called blogging, but it's my blog and I want to see it as journaling.  When I hear "journal" I think notebook and pen but I think typing is a bit more time-freeing.  When I write, I start out with the intention of making it look so nice by using my best handwriting but then I can't write fast enough to keep up with my mind so it turns into chicken scratch.  Thankfully not literally as I don't have any nails and even if I did, I'd still use a pen. I just read that to my husband and giggled out loud.  Well, I thought it was cute.

So, my journaling.  Why have I not done something that I've heard is so beneficial?  What was I so afraid of?  If I say that I know journaling "works" (is good for me) but don't do it, then I don't truly have the revelation and I won't see it the benefits operating in my life.  But this happens all across the board for us.  What is the thing behind us not doing what we know is good for us?  Fear, maybe.  A fear that if I step out and try this thing that has worked for so many, that somehow it won't work for me.  Fear of failure.  Fear of the unknown.  That maybe I wouldn't "do" it right.  And who is setting the standard, anyway?  It's amazing what fear will do to stop us from moving forward.  Stop us from doing something that will take me out of my normal day to day and thrust me into something new, something potentially great.  And when we finally just do it, we see how the fear was like a deadbolt - locking us out of walking through the door to our dreams.

 

I guess I should start from the beginning...there's no right or wrong way to journal.  It's mine - I can do what i want with it.  So, basically right at the end of 2009, I started to feel an urgency.  Just a realization that I was getting older...that time was ticking by and that if I was going to do the things I said I've always wanted to do, then I'd better get started b/c otherwise I'd miss the chance.  I'd always thought about writing a book as a child.  I even started one - on discipline, from a child's perspective.  My parents were supportive but wihtout the right guidance I never finished.  So, with this urgency and the help of a good friend, I started on a journey toward greatness.  I know that there's the potential for greatness in each person - it's only a matter of developing it, working it, channeling it so that it comes out.  Anyway, I did start my book but again the lack of guidance or maybe my lack of real direction stopped things.  I'm sure the addition of another baby to the family was part of it, as well.  So, that little precious baby is now 6 months old and about a month ago I started feeling funny.  Not pregnant funny, or sick funny, but that funny that you just don't quite know how to pinpoint.  Something deep inside your soul that niggles at you but you don't know what it is, which only adds to the funny-ness.  Well, that urgency I felt almost one year earlier was now a deeper urgency.  I have just felt like time is zooming by.  I'm going to be 30 soon...my days are slipping by and with what to show for it?  Hours spent on Facebook or watching some show on TV or the laest chick flick, all of which adds not one ounce of value to my life.  I just felt like I was being sucked into wasting time...again.  But I was feeling like I needed direction.  Just a bit of guidance from someone who was living outside the mediocre realm.  Wow.  I wonder how many people out there are seeking someone who could give them just a little guidance.  Someone who can give them a little help to nudge them in the right direction.  Someone who can ask them those really good questions that helps them see what they haven't been able to on their own, to help them see what they are naturally good at and have a natural knack for and then show them what they could do with that gift.  There's got to be more people out there than just me.  I'm sure it's more like a pandemic.  I'm sure that at the root of so many people's lack of drive and frustration is the fact that they just don't know what they're meant to do.  Like there's something out there...something more...something potentially great that they just can't quite put their finger on.  And thinking about it becomes scary or simply adds to the frustration so it's thought best to be left alone.  Well, I was needing someone to help point me in the right direction with a nice little push to get me rolling.  Anyway, I just trusted that God would show me and open up doors to get me to hear what I needed to hear that would trigger the change.  Sure enough, I went to an amazing women's event which I'd venture to say was the best one I'd ever attended.  One that I got something helpful out of.  Something that would change me forever.  At the end of the event, I still wasn't exactly sure what my place was but I knew that it was a marked day.  And a time I'd remember as the day that things shifted in my life and where I started to truly pursue my dreams.  I went to see the same speaker at another church that same weekend.  This time I'm glad I was on Facebook b/c that's how I found out she would be preaching in town.  I rallied up the chicks and rushed to get them fed and ready and out the door.  I was so hungry to hear more information that would not only inpsire me but that would get me going on my journey.  It's one of the pushes I needed...I knew I'd need more, but it was a step in the right direction.  After an amazing message, I came home.  Words, pictures, ideas...they just started swirling in my head and I just got more and more excited b/c I was allowing myself to dream.  For so long, up to that poing, I'd stopped myself from dreaming...and why?  Fear.  I'd close my eyes and picture something so great that I'd open my eyes to stop it b/c of fear.  I didn't think I could ever do something like that.  I didn't know if it was God or just me conjuring up those ideas...so I wouldn't allow myself to go there...but finally, I thought, "no more!"  I'm going to let my imaginatin run wild.  I started writing ideas down.  Questions started coming up inside of me and the answers revealed more possibilities.  I was so excited I called my husband.  I told him, "Babe, you've got a new wife!"  Seriously though, I'd felt like I'd finlly gotten out of a hump and that I finally could see more clearly and I could identify what it was that I wanted to do...and boy was it big - bigger than me, impossible in my own strength,  but not impossible for my great God.  So, journaling is the first thing that I'm putting in place in my life.  Just one small victory - it goes a long way.  So, here's to this day.  This is the time that I'll always remember as the day my life changed and I was alive again.  Ready to start my journey that would lead to me making my Jesus mark on this earth.