Life is Worth Living, Just Because HE LIVES!

The past week or two the circumstances of life were weighing heavily on my heart, and not just my own life’s circumstances but others that I know and the world at large.

Especially with Easter approaching last week, this well-known song started running through my head:

Because He lives I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives all fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future.
And life is worth the living, just because He lives.

I realized that I was placing so much of my focus on circumstances, the tangible messes and frustrations of life, rather than focusing on Jesus in the midst of these situations – what He could do and the goodness that still existed in my life and others’ lives because of Him, regardless of the disappointments and sorrows.

As I started to fix my gaze on the resurrection of Jesus, I reminded myself that it is because of Him that we can live in this world of imperfection and be victorious, having hope, joy, and peace.

Jesus Came. Served. Suffered. Died.
And then rose again – all for us!

His love for us is great, and He lives!
His love is current!

Because He lives, we CAN face tomorrow.

There’s no need for us to worry about what is to come. The present has enough worries of its own, and we can’t add anything to our lives by worrying. (Matthew 6:34)

Because He lives, all fear is gone.

Perfect love casts out fear, and God’s love is perfect. We know God and believe in His love for us and abide in Him. There is no need for us to fear. He loves us! (1 John 4:16-19)

Because we know HE holds the future.

No matter what happens here on earth, God holds the future. He has a good plan for us and for our eternities. He knows the end from the beginning and has the story all figured out!

And life is worth the living, just because He lives.

Life is worth living for no other reason than this -- God lives! He created us. He loves us and wants relationship with us. He desires good things for us. Simply to know and remember that God is watching over us and longs for us – that should be enough to make us want to live the best lives we can and give Him glory.

Have your eyes been fixed on your circumstances?

Remember, He lives,
and it’s all worth it just because of that.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

Our Easter Menu

This past weekend we had our first Easter celebration with my family. My dad is having surgery the
day after Easter, so we scheduled our dinner early.

Our menu consisted of:

Ham
Meatballs
Mostaccioli
Potato Roast
Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots
Broccoli Salad
Rolls
Brownie Pizza
Sugar Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies

My daughter did a wonderful job with the decorations and made the sugar cookies and a large pitcher of strawberry lemonade on her own. She makes me proud!

My mom and sister brought the meatballs, mostaccioli, and peanut butter cookies, which were a great addition to the meal.

I still have to make one more Easter menu. Some of the things I am considering this time are: turkey, chicken piccata, mashed potato or hash brown casserole, and green bean amandine.

What are YOU making for Easter?

The Pioneer Woman's Brother's Tacos

Did you know that the Pioneer Woman has a brother?

And did you know that the Pioneer Woman’s brother makes exceptional tacos?

Yes, he does! I’ve tried them. Okay… I didn’t really eat tacos that he made for me, but I did try his recipe, and YUM! The tacos were delicious!

These tacos do take a while to make, since they are fried, AND since they are fried, you may not want to eat them every day. Well, you may WANT to eat them every day, but you probably SHOULDN’T eat them every day.

My family LOVED these!

Just a note: I actually misread the recipe and used 4 HALF chicken breasts and stretched it to make 16 tacos with that, so you may be able to tweak the amount of chicken and tortillas you use.

The Pioneer Woman’s Brother’s Tacos
Original Found Here
Printable Version

16 corn tortillas, small size (you may need more)
4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
salt, cumin, chili powder, to taste, or taco seasoning
2 T canola oil
2 cans (4 oz.) green chilies, diced, drained
1 1/2 cups grated cheese, Cheddar or Co/Jack
Sour cream
hot sauce or taco sauce
2 cups thinly sliced lettuce
4 whole roma tomatoes, diced
canola oil, for frying tacos

Heat 2 T of oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and flavor with spices or taco seasoning. Add the green chilies and cook until the chicken is well-cooked. Turn off heat and set aside.

*Be careful frying with oil*

Fill a saucepan with a couple inches of oil. Heat to 350 degrees. Put some of the chicken inside a tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half and hold it shut with a heat-proof pair of metal tongs while placing it, one side down, into the hot oil. Keep holding the taco for a few seconds to form it. When it stays put, leave the taco in the oil until light golden brown (probably no longer than 30 seconds), and flip, cooking the other side similarly.

When the taco is done, carefully take the taco out of the oil and pour the oil out of both sides, draining well. Then put the taco on a paper towel. (The Pioneer Woman recommends putting the taco into a stack of paper towels, folding the corners and sides in, and shaking the taco a few times to remove excess oil).

You should be able to fry 2 or 3 tacos at once, depending on the size of your pan. I preferred frying two at a time to keep the temperature of the oil more stable.

After the tacos sit for a few minutes, fill them with cheese to allow it to melt while you are making the other tacos.

Garnish the tacos as desired, with sauce and sour cream first and then lettuce and tomatoes on top.

Enjoy!

Make Time to Care for Yourself

As a mom and even moreso, a homeschooling mom who is always on call, I feel responsible for a lot for my family: their health and nutrition, their education, their hungry bellies, their needy souls, their talents, their weaknesses, and everything in between. I wake in the morning, knowing that any moment can start rolling the ball of needs, demands, and inquiries. If I don’t intentionally start the day proactively with some time for myself, I will lose that precious time as my family waits for my love and service.

I have said to my husband at times, “Picture waking up in the morning to your boss staring you in the face, waiting for you to get to work”.

That’s how motherhood feels oftentimes. If I don’t rise before my children, soon enough they will be breathing in my face, waiting for breakfast and direction, possessing appetites and intentions and hopes for the day.

The day moves forward, and I serve and serve… Training, exhorting, encouraging, reproving, prodding, feeding, cleaning, driving, and tending to many needs.

It isn’t long before I realize that I need to be on my toes daily. I need to have my strength stored up and my ducks in a row. Well, as best as I can, and of course, rely upon the grace of God for the rest! Drier moments and seasons will come when we rely upon God to carry us through our days.

However, I believe we need to make time for ourselves
so we can make ourselves
stronger, wiser, healthier, and lovelier.

The blessed and sometimes unfortunate truth is
that our households are only as good as we are.

If we desire to have a clean house, healthy meals, happy hearts, a cozy atmosphere, well-trained children, hospitable moments, and thriving marriages, we will have to work hard to restore our strength and be filled up so we can pour good energies into our homes.

Taking care of our homes and the hearts that live there and visit is an immensely important privilege and also a huge responsibility. We should never take it lightly nor should we get to the point of despising the beautiful position God has put before us.

Taking good care of ourselves prevents burnout,
provides refreshment, and positions us to thrive.

There is no need to feel guilty about making time for ourselves, but everything should always be done with proper moderation. Too much focus on ourselves causes us to neglect responsibility and feel like we ought to live on an eternal vacation or merely feed our own desires. Too less of a focus on ourselves causes us to neglect ourselves and be susceptible to depression, lack of vision, sickness, fatigue and more.

How are you taking care of yourself?

Are you taking care of your spiritual self?

• Reading your Bible
• Praying
• Memorizing Scripture
• Attending church
• Fellowshipping with the believers

Are you taking care of your physical self?

• Getting enough sleep and rest
• Eating well
• Exercising / Adding movement to your days (walking, housework, etc.)

Are you taking care of your emotional and mental self?

• Reading good books
• Staying away from dramatic situations
• Giving yourself quiet time each day or at least when necessary
• Limiting social media and internet time

Are you taking care of your relational self?

• Prioritizing and pouring into your marriage
• Keeping peace and joy in your relationships with your children
• Creating and maintaining friendships that are godly and encouraging
• Finding a mentor, if necessary, to help you through tough times

There is a lot we can do to take care of ourselves,
and it isn’t really optional.

Taking care of ourselves isn’t about selfishness but about building ourselves up so we can be the best we can be for God and others.

What can you do today
to take care of yourself better?

Cheesy Cauliflower "Bread" Sticks

Cauliflower has become all the rage over the past handful of years, especially as gluten-free eating habits have increased. I have wanted to tackle cauliflower pizza crust but made my way to these wonderful, cauliflower “bread” sticks first.

My husband ate them and said, “I wish you wouldn’t have told me that these were made from cauliflower.” The truth = He thought they were delicious.

I, too admit, they were delicious, and the texture and sight of these babies turned out well also – a hit on multiple facets!

Whether you are gluten-free, like to add more veggies to your diet, or just like trying new things, I recommend you try these!

Cheesy Cauliflower “Bread” Sticks
Original found Here.

4 cups cauliflower “rice”
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1 t oregano
1 t basil
1/4 t salt
1/2 t Italian seasoning
Marinara or pizza sauce for dipping, if desired (This kicks it up a notch!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

“Rice” the cauliflower. I did it the easy way. Clean and chop the cauliflower into chunks. Place the chunks into a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower looks like rice.

Put one inch of water into a medium to large saucepan and bring water to boil. Put cauliflower “rice” in the water and steam for about 5 minutes.

Use a fine mesh strainer to drain the cauliflower. Let cool for 5 minutes. Then place inside a clean dish towel and squeeze out the excess water.

After the cauliflower rice is drained and squeezed, combine with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, the egg, oregano, basil, and salt and stir well.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil. Put the cauliflower mixture on the baking sheet and form into a rectangle, about the size of an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper.

Place in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, but keep an eye on it. Mine actually cooked in less time than this. Watch for the crust to become golden brown and firm.

Remove the “bread” sticks from the oven and cover with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and the Italian seasoning.

Return the pan to the oven for another 7 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it and watch for the cheese to melt.

Cut into “breadsticks” and serve with sauce if desired.

Make Time for Your Hobbies. They're More Important Than You May Think.

Writing this post feels a bit trivial at the moment. As my own household currently battles the stomach flu and the world juggles its own load of needs and concerns, hobbies hardly seem important. It feels like there are a lot more important things we could be doing: feeding the hungry, helping the poor, comforting the lonely, encouraging the disappointed, healing the sick… I can think of many noble, and menial, things to fill my time.

But let’s face it… Hobbies are part of our lives, or at least we want them to be. When I asked on my Facebook page what people wished they had more time for, hobbies were at the top of the list. Some of the answers were: quilting, crocheting, scrapbooking, and crafting, in general.

Although we obviously want time for hobbies, our hobbies tend to live at the bottom of the list, getting attention when “everything else” gets done. Some of us may even feel guilty spending time on our hobbies when we still have tasks that we could or should accomplish.

However, I have come to realize that our hobbies
actually play an important role in our lives.

Hobbies:

• give us a way to relax and take a break from our normal, every day responsibilities
• still give us a sense of purpose as we accomplish something that is more fun and less pressure
• bring variety, beauty, and newness to life, a breath of fresh air that refreshes us
• provide a way to connect and share our interests with others

Spending time on our hobbies opens an
avenue for refreshment, purpose, and passion.

When I write or work on my blog, I feel satisfied, even if I have only spent a short while doing it. I enjoy writing, and it is one of my passions, so for me to spend time writing is for me to invest in myself and in turn, the people and products of my life.

When our hobbies exist at the bottom of our “To Do” list, if at all, they appear merely as a dream or a hope of “some day”.

However, if we really see that hobbies can be an important part of our lives and have a desire to better establish them, why not make some goals for ourselves?

Teri Maxwell, author of Managers of Their Homes, sewed for a half hour every afternoon during the week. This amount of sewing led to “four jumpers, two culotte jumpers, two vests, two baby outfits, one skirt, putting ruffles on ten baby outfits, plus mending projects” over the course of eight months. She said in her book, “For me, the slow, steady progress and accomplishment is better than not sewing at all. If I did not have this half-hour set aside for sewing, I would not get around to it. Other urgent things would fill this time space. So at 1:30 p.m., I am busy. I do not plan other activities during this time. It is reserved for sewing.”

Jessica N. Turner, in her book Fringe Hours, encourages women to use the spaces of time – waiting for appointments and practices and the like - that are already in our days to make time for ourselves and our passions.

How can we make time for our hobbies?
- Schedule small amounts of time, a few times a week or each day
- Schedule one time slot per week, i.e. Saturday mornings from 10 to 12 when your husband can watch the kids.
- Use the fringe hours of your days – when you’re waiting at a child’s music or athletic practice, traveling somewhere as a passenger, etc.
- Strive to work on your hobby for a certain amount of time each day, week, month or year.

Remember: Something is better than nothing!

And if you make a goal,
at least you are striving for something.

Not sure what to pursue for a hobby? Consider these:

• Photography
• Scrapbooking
• Cooking/Baking
• Card-making
• Sports/Outdoor Activities
• Writing/Blogging
• Crocheting
• Quilting/Sewing
• Reading
• Painting
• Playing a Musical Instrument

Think about your heart’s passion and interest
and make a goal to pursue the things
that enrich your daily life.

Fast Transcripts–Review: Create Homeschooling Transcripts Easily and Professionally

My oldest son is in high school, and I wanted a good product for making his transcript, something that would be easy to use and produce a high quality result. We are members of HSLDA, and I had seen an ad for their “Fast Transcripts”.  Sure enough, I tried it, and I loved it.

Within a short chunk of time, I was able to create a transcript for my son, by entering his information and data fairly simply. “Fast Transcripts” was easy to use and clearly laid out.

With little effort, at a very reasonable price, you can make a professional transcript that you and your students will be proud of!

Fast Transcripts enables you to track your high schooler’s courses via online record keeping, and then helps you produce an official transcript with an auto-calculation feature for determining yearly and cumulative GPAs.

You even have the option of having your final transcript printed on watermark protected, academic record stock!
~From the “Fast Transcripts” web site

“Fast Transcripts” is $12 for HSLDA members and $16 for non-members – a certainly affordable price for a product well-worth your money!

For more information about “Fast Transcripts”, check out their web site. You can even get a 30 day free trial to see if you like the product.