What's for Dinner? - Pot Roast!

Crock Pot Pot Roast

1. Sear a 3-4 pound pot or oven roast using a hot pan with salt and pepper and no added fat.
2. Trim large fat and cut into 4 pieces.. Sear well don't move too much, sear all sides and ends
3. In crock pot slice onions, celery, carrots, S&P, 1 T . Worcestershire, 1 Tbsp. bacon is good too.
4. Lay seared beef on top of these.
5. Add: a can of beef stock or broth, it should reach 1/2 way up sides of meat.
6. Add some rosemary springs, oregano, no need to mix.
7. Cook on HIGH 5 hours or so.
8. Move meat to platter, strain out veg and pour liquid into de-fatting cup. Let sit at least 20 minutes.
9. Make roux with Pot Roast in crock pot oil & flour. Add broth all at once whisk and all 1 cheat gravy package and a little cream for color and texture.

Serve with mashed potatoes and carrots.

Hope you enjoy this recipe. It is an original so if you choose to link or copy please give me a follow up link. Thanks and have a blessed day!

AMLW Desire Chapter 3

Back to our amazing book study on a million little ways...

During this chapter we were asked to look within. The sometimes scarey area that holds the buried, the forgotten, the lost....we are to look within, uncover all that slush, move it out of the way and search for that which God set in the fragile orb -- our soul.

These are the things C. S. Lewis called the "first things." (p.41) The first things we see and feel before the rational/logical self edits them out to make room for it's own 

                                         SAFE, EASY second things....

But, what does it actually look like to think of God's glory as a 'first thing.' Today I take a step back and, rather than try to figure out what my "thing" is I want to just bask in His Presence.   

To think about His glory and the fact that I, a mere sinful human is even a speck of dust amid the luminous blaze that is the I AM.

I resist the urge to put in an image of hands raised as this would include me in the blaze. I want to just sit back and bask in the light, the warmth, the connection...

Desire has been redeemed in Christ. My soul desire has purpose and a need to connect to its Creator...

In the video Emily uses the signing symbol for connected often. It is the thumb and finger touching on each hand and together. 

When you try to draw it out (like I did in my notes) it takes on a look of infinity.

That's when my heart leap and I felt the kiss of God.

I am connected with God, souls intertwined, infinite....

true desire is born out of death, of knowing I no longer live, but Christ lives in me..

The Trinity is 

                          the beginning of always

To die with Christ is the beginning of my always....eternal life. 

Living that desire is true life, connected, intertwined, infinite....

AMLW Chapter 2 Reflect

Now we are knee deep in a million little ways  and I am in awe of how God is working on my heart through this book.
Let's take art for example:  visual art is so obvious: singer, sculptor, painter...easy to identify.
But what we're looking for is the 'soul-art' (p.19) the art that is practically invisible because it is so NOT obvious.
We make art with our lives (p.21) says Emily Freeman. 

Every smile, every hug, every load of laundry - soul-art.

I REFLECT about what I know:

I was created by a Creative God

          in His image

               He spoke creation into existence

                       He breathed life, literally, into man

                                            His Spirit lives inside the believer, 

connecting

created to Creator.

So I DWELL on this:

what is the difference between this creative art and this soul art....

and I am given the conclusion of YHWH - yes, just that, His breath.

The difference between the two are His breath. 

Can creative art be Soul art? Absolutely.

But it is not turned into SOUL ART until it touches HIS BREATH and

 LIFE. is. BREATHED. into. it.

Paintings are painted, books are written, dances are danced, 

            dinner is made, laundry is folded, a smile is given,

      

                                   a child is born.

All is art when connected to the Breath of GOD.

Created by the Creator, 

reflected by His image (me & you) through the Holy Spirit,               making VISIBLE the invisible 

               by connecting Spirit to SPIRIT 

                      all to the Glory of 

 ONE. Awesome. God.

So now I LIVE it:

I dig deep to find the art, the God-breath I've been given, by the Creator. 

That is my plan: to find His plan, wait for Him to breathe on it, and 

Spirits-united make His ART.

Reflect.  Dwell.   Live.

Feel free to share your comments with me and while you're at it go out and make some art!

Thank you for stopping by. If you would like to join in the study pick up a copy of a million little ways and join us over at (in)courage the link is on the side bar. 

Have a blessed day and

Pumpkin Munchkins

These were a wonderful hit with my daycare and my family. Give them a try for a seasonal treat - so much better than the drive-thru!
This is an original recipe, please be kind and link back to me if you share it - thanks:)

Pumpkin Munchkins

Yield: 50-60 munchkins, can be cut in half

Wet ingredients:

2/3 cup oil

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

1 can pumpkin (1 ½ - 1 ¾ cup can, NOT pie filling)

1 cup milk

Dry ingredients:

3 ½ cups flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

Coating:

¾ cup butter, melted

¾ cup sugar

1-2 Tbsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray-coat 2 or 3 (24-cup) mini muffin pans.
2. In large bowl or bowl of electric stand mixer  fit with paddle attachment combine wet ingredients. Beat on medium until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined but not over beaten.

3. Using a medium cookie scoop, fill each cup about ¾-full of dough. Bake for about 14-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan then cool on wire rack.
   
4. While munchkins are cooling melt butter in a medium dish and combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a second dish. While munchkins are warm but not hot dip each one in butter and then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Set on plate and serve while still warm or cover and store for 5 days.

  I hope you enjoy these healthy munchkins. Have a blessed day:)

AMLW Picture this...

Adding my picture to the a million little ways book club. It seems like I'm the only one using the kindle version. I love to sit down with my coffee and note book. I guess I've been making a little art as well with my notes....I tend to use different colored pens and clouds...makes it fun to look back at.

Looking forward to sitting down with Emily, Jessica, and Angie today for chapter 2. It's not too late to start - what an amazing book! and join (in)courage.

Though it's been a bit disturbing as I delve into the topic of "what is it that I really LOVE to do, what brings me the greatest Joy- the greatest connection with our Creator?" I'm almost embarrassed to say I really don't know. I am so guilty of takin' care of business all the time that I may need to dig a little deeper to find what matter to me. I am looking forward to learning more about me and my Creator.

I am also looking into my kids 19 and 14 to encourage them to find what makes them joyful. Homeschooling is a blessing but sometimes we get so focused on the task we forget to breath.

Breath deep - YHWH

Have a blessed day:)

Prepare Your Heart

Prepare your heart....sometimes this seems like just another overused Christian saying. 

But today it took more meaning for me. Today I saw words become reality.

While reading Emily P. Freemen's new book A Million Little Ways I was presented with the reality "Live as though you have something to offer" (p.17). I realized that I have my heart to offer. When I open my heart, consciously open it - to the who's and what's around me, I am aware of the needs and responses of others. But, it is a conscious effort. A training of the mind, heart and soul. I have to be...all...there.

I have to EXPECT to witness God. 

I have to PURPOSELY see through the eyes of my heart to witness something awesome in the most  mundane of circumstances.

What if you are speaking with a sister, a subject you have visited a number of timescomes up - your normal instinct would be to yes her, nod, agree, etc. but what if...

What if: GOD

God enters, you command your heart to open and for the first time you see what happens when your Spirit is allowed to interact with another Spirit. You feel their happiness, their sadness, their joys and their hopes. You see more than words, you feel more than emotions, you see the mundane unfold into...

His Art (capital A here).

I purposely opened my heart eyes expecting to see something beautiful. And God does not disappoint....I saw His Art in my dad who refinished my kitchen table just "because it makes me happy to see you happy," my daughter making me an elastic bracelet in my favorite colors, my husband asking me to make spaghetti instead of Sunday dinner because he knew I had a headache.

I saw more than a table, a bracelet, an easy meal - I saw love, a symphony of Words and Actions brought on by His Spirit in me interacting with His Spirit in them.

Breath - YHWH- pray His name.


I would like to 'encourage' you to join the book study over at: Bloom incourage We are on chap 1 and I am already amazed at the places she is taking us. Make no mistake, this book is not about art (small a), it's about Art (capital A)!

Bloom book club - a million little ways

Obstacles

I can't help but think of the gates in my life that I have closed. Only when I see them here they don't look so dirty...angry....permanent.

What would I say if God were on the other side?  Would I be so willing to turn and walk away?

Who is on the other side of your gates?

What would it take for you to open those gates....would it take a Savior?



What are you afraid of? There is nothing He hasn't been through for you already. Why wouldn't He help you through this?

It is done.....

It. Is. Done.

You won''t be the same after watching this.

Think. Ponder. Dwell. Live.

 Plenty

She caught my eye across the room. She was clean, her boy was clean, she didn't look needy.

She looked like me. Not too long ago, little boy in tow. Only I, WE... never stood in a soup line.

I stand in a grocery line and complain about the wait.

She stands in a soup line smiles at me and says "just half for him, we don't want waste it."

I dump half the bowl in the trash because my boy doesn't like onions and celery. 

Fussy eaters, spoiled in their plenty. 



The smell makes it hard for me to sleep. I remember the smell of that meat pie. Serving, upon serving. "Can we have seconds today?" "Yes, please do, we have plenty today."

Their plenty and my plenty - so different. 

Their plenty means seconds, enough to hold them until the next meal...the next day...the next seconds.

My plenty means dumping what's not eaten because we're --

Too full. Too much enough. Too many seconds. Too full of plenty. 

Too full of ...His Grace. 

The only thing that separates me from her. His Grace. I bake a cake, stir the beans, spoon out the meat pie...

Then I go home to my plenty and feel ...empty. 

 John 3:30

He must increase, but I must decrease.

I am decreasing day by day. Decreasing the plenty. The needs, wants, have to's which fill the me places ....daily decreasing and being filled... with Him. 

Thank you Spirit for those words. Filling my empty to plenty again with His words of assurance. His Love. His Presence. His Grace.

So excited for the new community book study A Million Little Ways! If you've never participated in an on-line book club you may want to give this one a try. It is so flexible and fun.

I am looking forward to this book as it appears to combine the Creator with His created - me!

Can't wait to see how she brings about changes how I look at His work in this world. I have been feeling a little down with the world lately and am hoping this new insight in to Him and into myself will bring a new light into my thoughts!

Hope to see you there. Jump on the link below and see what you think:)
Praising Him, T