I love discovering truth and taking it all in. I love how God walks with us in every season, sending us surprise notes of love and encouragement our way. Sitting down today to read this post was one of those surprises for me. Oh how HE loves us!
If you find yourself waiting on that long prayed for child, you are not alone. If you know a friend who could use a word of encouragement on this issue, have them check out this post. Rest in the love of Jesus as you wait.
With Love,
Karen
Looking for some comfort food in this cold weather?? This recipe comes from my husband's side of the family. It's simple and delicious.
Hungry Jack Casserole
1 pound of ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1 (16oz) can of beans
3/4 cup of BBQ sauce
2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1 Tablespoon of instant minced onion
1 can of biscuits
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat over to 375 degrees. Brown ground beef and drain. Stir in next 5 ingredients; heat until bubbly. Pour into a 2-quart casserole. Cut biscuits in half to form circles over the casserole. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.
Side note: I buy a can of 5 biscuits and cut them in half, this has always been enough.
Enjoy!
I grew up about 40 miles south of the St. Louis area. I come from a very small town but it never seemed that way growing up. Looking back I can tell that I kinda lived in the middle of no where. I could see houses from my yard but we had a lot of trees and privacy. Where I lived you had hills and creeks to cross and if you forgot something at the store...oh well, better luck next time. We even lived next to the kind of neighbors where we freely borrowed sugar and eggs from each other. I miss the simplicity of those days. I am the baby of five children. I am a big dreamer and I love to think of new things to do and I love to share them. Being the baby of a family doesn't necessarily make you a dreamer but I had a lot of people who made decisions for me and I spent a lot of time being silly and care free. I am grateful for that time of silliness because life does get harder.I have some dreams I just keep to myself, or share in secret because I know nothing will mostly likely come of them. I just pull those dreams out when I need a good smile or some inspiration. One of those dreams is living in the complete country. I dream of owning a farm and having a lot of land. I dream of wearing my cow girl boots and selling my crops at the end of road. I think farmers are extremely hard working and cool. So on days like today, I like to visit my dreams and think about what life would be like....I am sure you have dreams like that too. :)
I am joining this community above and giving thanks every Monday! I am so thankful for...
9. Dark Hot Chocolate
10. Painting on a Saturday in your PJ's
11. My spouse loving the dinner I made
12. Hugs
13. Praying with special women in my church
14. Sleepy quiet naps
15. Getting a new book in the mail on a snow day
16. That with God all things are possible....
Have a great Monday!
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Thanks for stopping by!
Check out other posts about words here.
I have been spending a lot of time examining my words. How my words matter. How I long to only speak words that make souls stronger. Even my own soul. The subject matter got me thinking a lot about my how my words have misguided me and even took me to deep places of sadness that could have been avoided. How the words I say to my own soul have affect others too. My words matter, even the words I say to myself.
Infertility can lead to insecurity. It's a feeling hard to ignore. As I have struggled with this I have often looked to the woman of the Bible who walked the same road. Hannah says it best.."I am a woman who is deeply troubled". 1 Samuel 1:15. Hannah's story hits home for me because of the passion she displays in her prayer. The Bible says she prayed out of her anguish and grief. I can relate.
I have wanted a child for so long and still do. I don't think I will ever stop. Besides a desire to be a mother I also have a desire to nurture my soul. A chance to stop feeding my soul lies and a chance to love my life right where I am. This world will always hand me something to be insecure about. Even if I have 5 children one day...there will always be something to make me want to hide. I don't want to hide anymore. This is my story and my ministry. You are not alone.
So stop and think...what words are you speaking to yourself? Are they words of life or death? I have spoken a lot of unkind words to my hurting soul and today I say goodbye to them. My pain and struggle don't define me, only Jesus. He will bring beauty again to my life and to yours.
As I continue on this road of finding beauty in my life and finding reasons to be grateful...I thought I would join in this wonderful community every Monday! Some people are well into counting their 1,000 reasons to be thankful but I am just starting today.
I am thankful for...
1. My job, for being able to work and learn every day.
2. For my friends who constantly show love and support to me. I love you friends!
3. For laughing so hard you can't stop!
4. For hope in things to come.
5. For the the gift of Heaven, thank you Jesus.
6. For hot tea...and my endless supply of it!
7. For organization. I love it!
8. For books!
I am so glad tomorrow is Friday! To kick off the weekend I was hoping you could share some fun things you do on your weekends! What makes your weekends so great? Do you do anything special with your family or for yourself? I would love to know! Here are a few reasons why I cherish the weekend...
*Movie, popcorn, and IBC soda time! My dog Zeke always looks for the popcorn I drop on the floor.
*Time to do something fun with Bryan
* Pancakes or French Toast on Saturdays mornings
* Time to think and plan
*Sunday worship at church, always refreshing
Have a wonderful weekend and please share!
I have been thinking a lot about growth. How easy it is to stay in the same place and not experience it. God is so full of grace and I am thankful that HIS kindness leads us to repentance. Romans 2:4.
I think I shared with you this series of letters about our words. Holley Gerth and Ann Voskamp write about this every Tuesday. I have been looking at myself hard, listening to the words coming out of my mouth. I struggle daily with this. My emotions take over and I say things I deeply regret. I need to GROW in this area. I am not only listening to the words I say to others but to myself.
"Whoever, keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble." Proverbs 21:23 ESV
Love to you,
Karen
It's cold and snowy here. I have my flannel pj's on and my tea cup next to me. Tonight I ran home and whipped up this Tomato Soup with White Beans and Pasta. I made some grilled cheese to go along side it. The soup was so flavorful that it made me do a little dance around my kitchen.
Hope your day was wonderful! Stay warm!
Love to you,
Karen
Wellness: 10 Things I Love
Back in the day I had some health issues that challenged my eating habits. When my body made me aware of the issue I had to make some changes to my diet. Prior to the issue I didn't really think a lot about what I ate. I never knew the health benefits of certain foods etc. Now, I am a big advocate for holistic health. I have a crazy dream of owning a women's wellness center where we focus on the complete well being of the human body. Having this type of approach can lead to a full life. My favorite verse is John 10:10 when Jesus says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I come that they may have life, and have it abundantly". Wow! What an AWESOME GOD we serve that he wants that for us.
I know some of us struggle with physical and mental problems that have been following us for years. Don't get me wrong, I understand that its a fight every day. I started changing things slowly in my life and have adapted from there. You can ask my friends that I am one of the first people to start eating every snack I see or ordering that big burger. I can often let myself eat whatever but I do try to come back to the plan I have created for myself. Some weeks I am down for the count and others I am walking the road I want to be on.
Now...on to the 10 things I love in no particular order!
1. Almond Butter-You must try this delicious and good for you treat. I always pair it with an apple.
2. Quinoa-Never tried it? You must! It's a whole grain that you can make very quickly. I make mine with olive oil, tomatoes, and green onions.
3. Reading-Yep, get those books out! Many people find reading to be fun and relaxing. I do! I love a good story!
4. Scripture memorization-Experience the power of memorizing Scripture from the Bible! Pick out verses that help you in every way.
5. Smoothies-I love them, I love them! You can't go wrong! Mix any fruit you want. I use a lot of frozen fruit in the winter. Tip-in the summer by a lot of fresh fruit and freeze it so you have plenty for the winter.
6. Connecting with people-I start to feel a bit down if I can't connect with the people I love. Ask a friend to go on a walk. Send them an email or note. People are a gift from God.
7. Say no to Jealousy and Bitterness-I struggle with this. I am sure we all do. Inviting those two things in your life means trouble. Walk away from the feeling, do something to combat the urge. I always tell myself, "Karen, choose life, not death". Meaning, I want growth in my life, not destruction.
8. Veggies-On a weekly basis I stand in the kitchen and cut up all my veggies for the week. I place them in containers and use them for my lunch every day. If you cut them all at one time, you have veggies for the whole week. No excuses for not eating them then.
9. Treat yourself- I like finding small ways to combat stress. For me its getting a facial, or buying a new cd, taking a nap, or going for a bike ride. Find healthy ways to treat yourself. :)
10. Pray and connect with God-Make time for your Creator because He is worthy of our praise! Get into a Bible Study, ask a friend to pray with you, do a devotional consistently. I know this is easier said then done, when I struggle with this I try to confess this to friends or ask God to help me connect again. He is faithful.
I got to 10 and realized I left out exercise! Whatever you do, make it fun. Walking, hiking, and Zumba are my favorites!
Thanks for reading and please post anything you do to walk your road of wellness!!!
I have been back to work the last few days after an incredible break. I have been trying to incorporate all of my new loves and obsessions into my days, like working out more, reading more, finding stuff to restyle, and working on doing the 30 for 30 challenge. Let's just say that it has not been easy but I am challenging myself anyways. I have started the 30 for 30 challenge
and you won't believe this but after I picked my clothes all my other clothes started to look more appealing. What's up with that? The challenge
is already working because I am interested in my clothes again. As my sisters would say....SWEET!
I hope beauty is invading your life these days and that you are getting chances to show your gratitude. Not to sound cheezy here but kiss your family and cherish your time with them. Hug people, tell them how much they make your life better. Send that card, stop to listen, share your popcorn, and don't be a grump when the alarm sounds. It's going to get better people.
Love to you,
Karen
Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful time last night celebrating the new year. We caught an early movie and dinner and spent the evening on the couch with ice cream!
About a month ago, my pastor was teaching a sermon on trials. Its been a while since I heard it but I am going to share the highlights from my perspective. He was talking about trials and how difficult they could be, but how we still have hope in Christ Jesus our Lord. How even though we are struggling, we need to reach out to God and call out to him. He said several other things and I might butcher the very sentence that changed everything for me but it went something like this...Reach out to God and ask HIM to make this life of yours beautiful. I think my heart did a flip inside and I think I checked out after that too because I couldn't get past that simple awesome truth.
Our miscarriage almost 5 years ago-Lord, please make it beautiful.
My brother-in-law passing away 4 years ago-Lord, please make it beautiful.
Watching my family hurt-Lord, please make it beautiful.
Our place of loss and infertility-Lord, please make it beautiful.
I could go on, and I know we all could. We all have areas in our lives that have seen devastation. It can be anything. Only you know your deepest sorrows. We see and feel the ashes and desperately long for beauty again.
So as this new year begins I pray we reach out and ask God for his restoration, for Him to come and do only what HE can.
Lord, please make this life beautiful!
Love to you,
Karen
