Craving the Spirit of God

Today being Friday, I thought I'd be posting a recipe of some delicious Chicken Lettuce Wraps, but that will have to wait. This is burning on my heart and in my mind, I have to share!

I am part of an online Bible study called Good Morning Girls. We are in the middle of studying the book of Ephesians and it's getting so good!

The past few mornings we have read Ephesians 5: 15-20 (NKJV).

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,"

God has given us a choice. We can crave the Holy Spirit or spirits (alcohol).

We can finish up a tiring day with the desire for a strong drink or ask God to satisfy us with a drink of His Spirit! One leaves us empty and detached from reality, the other leaves us overflowing and in the most "real" state we can ever be!

Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but

whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.

But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain

of water springing up into everlasting life."

John 4:13-14

Could this Water of life, His very Spirit, be the same that flows from the throne?

 I don't know, but what a picture that is!!!

"And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from

the throne of God and of the Lamb."

Revelation 22:1

Our wonderful Saviour, Creator and the Lover of our soul wants to fill us up! He wants to meet our physical, spiritual and emotional needs.

God is not far off (Acts 17:27), even so we are told to SEEK Him, GROPE for Him, ASK for Him.

Be encouraged today - God is near and HE alone is enough.


Blessings,

I'm linked up with:

Freezer Pancakes and a Few of My Favorite Things {Thoughtful Momma Monday}

Thoughtful Momma Monday

A baker in the making!

The washer is spinning, paint on my canvas-in-progress is drying and the KIDS ARE NAPPING! Time to play a little blog catch up!

My daughter LOVES her Eggo waffles in the morning - a little peanut putter and syrup and she is a happy, full girl. I was looking to save some money, and make something that I know all is in it and I came across a simple pancake recipe. These freeze SO well and make a quick breakfast for busy mommas. I just place individual pancakes in sandwich bags and pop them in the freezer to be used over the next week or so.

Sometimes I make simple, round pancakes - just the size to fill my babies' tummies for breakfast. And sometimes, we have a little fun (for birthdays, Valentine's Day, or just because!).

A little love for the tummy!

A forced smile from the birthday girl... and her evil-eyed bunny pancake. lol.

Only had red frosting on hand :o)

"J" for Josiah, never too early to learn your letters!

Pancakes
(adapted from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook)

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1 cup whole wheat/white flour mix
3 Tbl. ground flax seed
3/4 cup milk
1 Tbl. sugar - white or brown
2 Tbl. vegetable oil
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt


Directions:

1. Beat egg in medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients until smooth. For thinner pancakes (especially helps when making designs), stir in additional 1-2 Tbl. milk.
2. Heat griddle over med/high heat. Grease pan (with butter) as necessary and cook your circles or shapes until they are puffy and dry around the edges.
3. Turn and cook on the other side ( idea: after flipping over, place a few chocolate chips as eyes, nose, mouth on a face - so fun!)
4. ENJOY!

Nothing fancy, just pancakes... but your kids will enjoy them! It will keep their tummies full 'till at least snack time  :o)

Now onto a few of my favorites things...

My kids' firsts

Here is Mo's first time roller skating!

Loving the lights on the ground!

Flowers from a friend

Making new friends!

LOVE the princess dresses/trampoline combo. And a diaper booty!

This face...

And this one...

And especially this one!

Playing outside in cold weather

All bundled up for a walk through the park!

And in warm weather too!

Loving the sand!

Nursing my big baby boy :o)

Watching my little girl's excitement to go with Daddy on a date.

Practicing her princess curtsy

Visiting Daddy for lunch on a work day

May God bless your week abundantly,

I'm linked up with:

 

 



Homemade Pinto Beans in the Crock Pot

Here's a favorite recipe of mine (my dear friend shared her recipe with me - it's Da Bomb!). I usually cook a batch of beans in the crock pot, put a container in the fridge to use right away and freeze the rest for later. They keep very well and taste so good, even after being frozen.

I no longer want to eat canned beans... these rock! Go ahead, give them a try!



Leonora's Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

2 lb. pinto beans (or lentils, black beans, your choice!)

2 bulbs garlic

3 jalapenos (fewer if you want less heat)

1 onion

3 Tbl. sea salt/kosher salt

1/4 cup canola oil

Directions:

Sort and rinse beans.

Place in crock pot and cover with water - about 2 inches above beans.

Add salt, peeled garlic cloves (whole or halved), chopped jalapenos, and chopped onion to the pot.

Cook on High for 6 hours.

2 hours into cooking beans, add 1/4 cup oil.

Add water as needed. It may need another cup or two half way through cooking. Just watch to be sure that there is always a couple inches of water above the beans.

When they are done, place beans in plastic containers, with plenty of room to expand as they freeze.

I always write the type of beans and the date I cooked them on

a piece of tape and stick it on each container.

Allow the beans to cool a bit before placing them in the freezer. 

Ready to freeze!

Some of my favorite ways to enjoy beans:

• Breakfast tacos - I re-fry one container of beans in 2 tablespoons of butter to eat with eggs, soyrizo (soy version of chorizo), and corn tortillas. Yummm...
• A side dish for enchiladas, Tex Mex roast, or fajitas.
• A plain old bean burrito - with a little homemade salsa, sour cream and cheese of course!

Okay, I'm ready for dinner! Here are a few pics and a great kitchen tip for you!

 Having fun sorting beans... oh my!

(my one-year-old now makes a "cheese" face when I pull out my camera :o)

A tip for peeling garlic

This tip is great for peeling a LOT of garlic and saving a LOT of time!

I used to peel each clove with a knife and my fingers - ouch!

Now my three-year-old can help me and we have fun :o)

Start by cutting the end off the garlic bulb.

Turn the bulb and cut a bit, turn the bulb and cut some more.

Grab a silicone pot holder and place a clove in the middle of it.

Roll the pot holder up like a taco and roll back and forth,

pressing down at the same time.



And TADA! A nice, clean piece of garlic, ready to be dropped

in your crock pot of beans!

 

 My big helper!

Now I can reach into my freezer for some homemade, ready-to-eat beans!
I get to save money and eat well. What a deal!!!

I know that this is a simple recipe, but I hope that it encourages you to try your hand at beans! They taste so much better than canned beans and the nutrients found in beans is HUGE (including protein, fiber and iron!).

God bless your weekend, 

I'm linked up with:

Easy Chicken Salad!

Above picture and recipe are from Rachel's blog!

What a sweet friend she is!

This is a quick and simple recipe that makes plenty of chicken salad to feed your family or company! I love to whip this up and enjoy it for a couple of days. Serve on a buttery croissant or just scoop onto your favorite bed of greens! I love mine with a juicy pickle spear and a side of fruit. Okay... my tummy is growling now :o)

Easy Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

A rotisserie chicken (cooled)

or

3 large chicken breasts

2- 3 celery stalks

1/4 cup onion (more or less)

1/4 cup mayo (more or less)

squirt of yellow mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
If time allows, bake a couple of chicken breasts (seasoned with salt,

pepper and garlic powder) in the oven at 350 for about 30 min.

When cooled, chop up chicken breasts and place into a large mixing bowl.

Chop celery and onion to the size you prefer and add to the chicken.

Scoop in the mayonnaise and squirt in the mustard. The amount of both depends on how "wet" you prefer your chicken salad.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix and taste - add a bit more of anything that's lacking.

Chill and serve on bread or a green salad!

 

This salad makes a GREAT party food!

As I type this recipe, I'm reminded that we can bless others with what we have. Even if it's only a couple of veggies and some chicken, we can still be hospitable!

 

Adding the veggies

 

 

 

Next the mayo and mustard, then to mix it!

 

 

All mixed and ready to serve!

This fed my soul today, and I hope that it encourages you too!

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

 

All you have to do is WALK in the good things that God has already prepared for you! You are set up for success today!

Have a blessed weekend,

 

I'm linked up with Janelle over at Comfy In The Kitchen!

Stop by her blog for more delicious recipe ideas!

BUT GOD!

It all comes down to the cross - BUT GOD!

This series of Good Morning Girls devotionals is flying by and I'm having fun! The Facebook group that I am a part of is very active and it's great to hear feedback from different ladies as to what they are learning through the book of Ephesians.

This week's verses amaze me. Here they are:


Eph 2:1-7 (NKJV, emphasis mine)
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.


BUT GOD! If it wasn't for God and His GREAT mercy and grace I would probably be dead right now. If not physically, I would be dead in sin. But He saved me!!!

I'm alive in Christ, a new creation. My old man is dead and gone!

I had the privilege of teaching on the life of Jesus, in particular His water baptism, last Friday to a group of kids (ages 2-14). As I read the story of John, the cousin of Jesus, baptizing our Savior I was reminded of Old vs. New.

Jesus' baptism...

what a powerful thing it must have been to witness!

Jesus didn't have to be baptized, but He did so as an example to us.

We, through water baptism, get to:

1. Testify to the world that we are dead to ourselves and are living for Christ, ready to follow Him every step of the way. (Acts 10:48)
2. Follow Christ's example - being totally submerged in water and coming up again, symbolizing death, burial, and resurrection. (Matthew 3:13)
3. Obey God's command of  going into all the world, making disciples and baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

I hadn't intended on sharing on baptism when I sat down to type this but I can't help it!

I was dead in my sin, angry in my heart, fearful of my future... BUT GOD!

God restored relationships in my life, renewed my mind, revived my body, and gave me purpose to live. If you have the time, you can read my full testimony here!

I pray that you are encouraged to respond to God's mercy in your own life.

Also, if you are a believer and have never been water baptized, please talk to a local pastor or church leader. They will be happy to set up a time and place for you to obey God! You can do it!


Have a blessed day,

I'm linked up with: