Lost and Found

There are days when I feel "lost."  Only in His word can I be "found."   I lay down my ideals of the way it should be.  And take comfort in knowing that He delights in the way it is.   In my uncertainty I lose myself in Him.  When I am at my end, His directive becomes clear.  He simply asks "follow me."  And then, He reveals himself and I see me in Him.

Psalm 119:35-45 (NIV)

 ³⁵ Direct me in the path of your commands,
       for there I find delight.
 ³⁶ Turn my heart toward your statutes
       and not toward selfish gain.
 ³⁷ Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
       preserve my life according to your word. 
 ³⁸ Fulfill your promise to your servant,
       so that you may be feared.
 ³⁹ Take away the disgrace I dread,
       for your laws are good.
 ⁴⁰ How I long for your precepts!
       Preserve my life in your righteousness.
 ⁴¹ May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD,
       your salvation according to your promise;  ⁴² then I will answer the one who taunts me,
       for I trust in your word.
 ⁴³ Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth,
       for I have put my hope in your laws.
 ⁴⁴ I will always obey your law,
       for ever and ever.
 ⁴⁵ I will walk about in freedom,
       for I have sought out your precepts.

Meal Plan Oct 25-Oct 31 (Food Lion $42.82)

Monday- Idaho Tacos w/ String Beans
 Idaho Tacos
Note: Adjust recipe to fit your family size

Ingredients:

10 medium baking potato (1-2 pp)

1.5 lb  ground beef

1 pkg Taco Seasoning Mix

2 cup  Mexican Style Finely Shredded Cheese or Colby Jack

4 green onions, sliced (optional)

Salsa (optional)

1/2 cup  Sour Cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prick each potato several times. Bake 45 min. or until tender.

Meanwhile, cook meat with seasoning mix as directed on package.
Cut slits in tops of potatoes; top with meat mixture and remaining ingredients.

Tuesday- Apple Pork Chops & Stuffing w/ Carrots
Note: * Read sales ads carefully for discounts

Ingredients:
6 (1/2) thick pork chops
1/2 medium onion, sliced (optional)
2 boxes Stove top stuffing mix
1 15oz can of fried apples
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Season pork chops with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Add pork chops to baking dish. Place onion slices over pork chops. Cook for 20 min. Pull pork from oven add canned apple over pork chops. Return to oven, bake for 25. (You can add apples and bake all at once for 45 min, however, I am scared of undercooked meat. My reason for cooking it this way.) Meanwhile cook stove top stuffing according to package directions. Cook vegetable of your choice to complete the meal.

Wednesday- Chicken  Kraft Macaroni & Cheese w/ Broccoli

Ingredients:
1 4lb whole chicken
3 tablespoons of margarine, room temperature
2 boxes Kraft Mac & Cheese
1 bag frozen broccoli
2 cups of cheese
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of lawry's season salt
1 tablespoon of onion powder
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Clean chicken, remove neck and giblets from inside. Pat dry with paper towel. Smear chicken with margarine to cover the top. Sprinkle dry seasonings over the chicken. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes skin should be golden. Reduce heat to 375 degrees, cook for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, cook mac & cheese according to package directions. Boil an inch of water for broccoli. Once rapidly boiling add broccoli, salt & pepper (optional). Bring back up to a rapid boil, cover and reduce heat to medium. Boil for 3 minutes for crunchy steamed broccoli.

Once chicken is done. Cool down enough to touch. Cut in half between the breast bone. Shred half.(Note: use more or less chicken if desired) Save half. Mix chicken, broccoli and 2 cups of cheese. Bake until cheese is melted.

Thursday- Chicken Bacon Alfredo
Follow link for recipe:
lifeonechunkatatime.blogspot.com (Meal Plan Oct 10-Oct 16)
 Use other half of chicken.

Fri- Soup & Sandwiches (Kids Cook)
Note: Soup from Kroger. Campbell's soup 2/$1 use (2) $.30 off 3 coupons

Make sandwich of your choice. Follow condensed soup directions.

Saturday- Clean out fridge-Left overs
(rarely but I'm hopeful)

Sunday- ???? (Dad Cooks)

*Food lion featured these ingredients in their $10 dinner section of the sales ad. Purchase (1) Stove Top Stuffing + (1) Kraft Mac & Cheese + (1) Kraft Salad Dressing and get $3.00 off fresh pork. The deal was even sweeter when I found a pork roast reduced to $3.71. I had the butcher cut the roast into medallion size portions. The total cost for the pork = $.71  Again adjust to family size, I purchased (2) Stove Top Stuffing & (2) Kraft Mac & Cheese.

Have questions about saving on groceries?  Ask?

Choose Your Imagination

My friend and I chatted on instant message last night.  We talked about design ideas for her laundry room.  She i.m.'d her excitement at possibly choosing a new color scheme for this area.  I could feel her excitement and encouraged her to "choose her imagination," I typed.  After noticing my error, I quickly typed "use" in an effort to correct my mistake.  However, in this instance "choose" seemed to fit.  We laughed (LOL) at how God used a  simple mindless error to get our attention.

As with many of you, my friend and I are experiencing trying times.  Our individual trials can seem insurmountable and at times we are tempted to imagine an ungodly outcome.  You see we do "choose" our imagination. 

As I sat in the hair salon today, I was in awe of how God once again reminded me that I have  choice.  The book that I read while I waited referenced 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5(KJV).

 ³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

 ⁴(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

 ⁵Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

We choose what we focus on.  We choose what we believe to be true.  So I encourage you as I am encouraged, to "choose" your imagination. 

Get creative.  Think the best.  What will you choose to imagine? 

Why Wait? Clip Now!

 
Click the above link to organize and save on this week's grocery trip. 


Watch for 'Sommer Savings' this week. 

Playing in Dirt!

My two year old loves to play in dirt!  It is as if she is drawn to it.  She gravitates to the dirt whether in our driveway, at the park or any other place.  She will find it.  I often look on with apprehension forcefully giving my warning "no it's dirty!" I say.  However, the concept seems to elude her.  I shake my head at the thought of having to clean her up.  Disinfect.  Wipe off.  Make new. 

She looks up surprised by being interrupted from her play.  She stares at me, that look of "what?"   Then I stop and question myself, maybe the concept of "playing in dirt" eludes me?

Her innocence allows her to grasp something I've yet to realize.  She knows that her uncleanliness is temporary because there is one that will make her clean.  So I pause, smile and think of the one that cleans me up.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Psalms 51:1-2

Dirt is temporary, if we are willing to be made clean.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

Psalms 51:7

And so I disinfect-wipe off-make new, just as the Father does for me.