Real vs. Fake

Many times when I exercise outdoors I see this...

Heart shaped leaves and twig crosses are my little love notes from God. They're always dropped perfectly in my path. I never have to search for them; they're just there.

This morning, I saw this...

If I looked hard enough, I could see a tiny indent on the leaf that could possibly count as a heart. The twigs are together and if I nudged the twigs just so, they'd form a cross. But you don't have to be a genius to see that this leaf and two little twigs are pale imitations of the "real" ones I've been given so many times. The leaf has a little indent, but it isn't really a heart. The twigs are together, but definitely don't form a cross.

Sometimes, when we are vulnerable, dry, or thirsty, we want to grab ahold of the first thing that will quench the thirst. We'll settle for something close to the real thing because we want it to be real. We're parched for whatever that thing is. But I believe God gives us the real thing enough times for us to know the truth, so we can't be deceived. Satan is the master of illusion and deception. He has the ability to make something look real and genuine, but if you know the real thing, you can tell where the master illusionist has gone wrong in his deceptive recreation.

My heart wanted to grab on to the feelings and emotions of receiving my little love notes from God. It's been a while since I've had a heart shaped leaf or a twig cross, primarily because I haven't been exercising outdoors (or exercising much at all, but that's a story for another day). God gave me a gift greater than a heart shaped leaf or a twig cross on my walk today; He showed me how to be alert, to really look for Him, and not to settle or be enticed by cheap imitations of His gift. He showed me to always grab ahold of the truth.

No matter how badly you want something, no matter how thirsty you get, never trick yourself or allow yourself to be tricked into settling for less than God's best for you. The more time you spend with the Author of perfection, the easier it will be to spot the imitation things that pale in comparison to the real, best thing.

The Color Run Is FUN!

This morning, my friends Tiffanie, Megan, and I went to National Harbor in Washington, D.C., for The Color Run 5K. Oh my goodness...if you've been thinking about doing The Color Run... do it! The Color Run says it's the "Happiest 5K," and it really is. All the volunteers were happy, positive, and fun. Everyone there to race was in a great mood and ready to have a fun time. The Color Run is definitely a race for all ages - kids to young at heart - and we saw all ages represented.

We knew it was about to be a ridiculously awesome experience when a unicorn emerged from the crowd. I could have died with excitement. I heart unicorns.

Be prepared for a ridiculous mass of people. The earlier you get there, the better. We managed to get in the second wave and they started things a little early since there were so many people. There was an emcee at the front of the line, music was pumping, volunteers were randomly raining The Color Run bracelets and magnets into the crowd, so it really made the wait at the start line seem minimal.

Along the race route are "color zones." When you run through a color zone, volunteers squirt you with colored food-grade cornstarch. I wore a pair of sunglasses to protect my eyes from the powder and found myself pulling my shirt up over my nose because it made it easier to breathe through some of the zones. Staying in the middle of the color zone meant that we didn't get as much color on us as we wanted, so we made sure to get close to the edge where volunteers were "colorizing" participants.

This isn't a timed race - it's all about fun! Lots of people were taking pictures of themselves after each color zone, rolling around in the color at each zone - think FUN. Make sure to put your phone in a plastic baggy to protect it. Also, if you love your phone's case, consider swapping it out for a cheap one or going without the case. The color will seep into the case. I went cover free on my phone and it got a bit dusty, but it's completely fine. I also brought a plastic baggy for it just in case and didn't use it at all. 

Isn't this sweet?? These two ladies (mom and daughter, maybe?) made these signs to encourage the runners/walker.

Lots of people piled near the finish line to high five and cheer everyone on in the final stretch.

We were handed bottles of water, free Slurpees, and bars from KIND. But The Color Run kept the party going by having a "color toss" party. Everyone was given a packet of color in their race packet (included in the race packet was also a shirt, bib number and safety pins, The Color Run tattoo, and entry wristband), and we tossed our color in the air at the same time...and got covered in even more color. SOOOO MUCH FUN!!!

 

My friends and I had a GREAT experience at the The Color Run and would totally do it again! Big kudos to the workers and volunteer crews who made it such a fun experience. It really is the "happiest 5K!"

Trying to figure out how in the world to wash all the color off after The Color Run and not be stained for days? Click here and I'll tell you what I used and how I got 100% clean in less than an hour in the shower using one bath item to make it happen.

Pineapple Pepper Chicken | 8 WW P+

As my kid bro would say, "Just call me butter, 'cause I'm on a roll!"

Seriously, I'm hitting some cooking home runs here with my experiments. I'm working on recipes that are simple to make, freeze well, and tastes as good reheated as it did coming out of the pan. If you have any recipes like this, feel free to share! I've been spending too much money on the pre-made frozen meals. Purchasing the organic, gluten free, dairy free meals - which run an extra $2-$3 over the "standard" frozen meals - is delightfully convenient, but really puts a dent in the budget. I'm mystified how a frozen meal, which uses fresh ingredients, no weird unrecognizable preservatives, could cost so much more. I'm not the only one who thinks that's backwards, right? I appreciate the convenience though, so I'm glad it's there for when I need it. But... I need to really kick my laziness in the backside and just start making my own meals again. Sigh.

This recipe got a thumbs up from my dad. In case you don't know, my family thinks I make "weird food," so to have an endorsement from my day... that's big stuff.

Quick recipe notes: if you don't like quinoa, you could use cooked rice, cous cous, or another grain - whatever floats your boat. Not keen on frozen peppers and frozen pineapple? Use fresh by all means. Frozen is what I had on hand. Want to make this completely gluten free? Use Tamari or coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.


Pineapple Pepper Chicken 
Serves 4 | 8 Weight Watchers Points+ per serving (1 cup of Pepper Pineapple Chicken over 1/2 cup of prepared quinoa)

2 tsp coconut oil
1lb uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into bite sized pieces
16oz frozen red, green, yellow pepper strips (like Trader Joe's Melange a Trois)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple bits (like Trader Joe's Frozen Pineapple Tidbits)
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 scallions, thinly sliced


Sauce
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 lime, zest and juice of
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbls water


Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium/high heat. Add chicken and cook until almost cooked through, approximately 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook another 3-4 minutes or until you start to smell the onions cooking. Turn the heat up to high and add the frozen peppers and pineapple tidbits. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the frozen items thaw and the liquid evaporates.

While the chicken, peppers, and pineapple cook, combine all the sauce ingredients from chicken broth to the soy sauce in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Add cornstarch mixture to the rest of the sauce ingredients. Pour over the chicken mixture and stir until thickened and the sauce forms.

Spoon 1 cup of Pepper Pineapple Chicken over 1/2 cup of prepared quinoa. Top with some scallions, and enjoy!

Easy Slow Cooker Beef & Tomato Macaroni Soup

I have been in a total food rut lately. Looking back over my grocery bills, I can see that at least one meal each day has consisted of a pre-packaged frozen meal. While they've been organic, healthy meals like Amy's Kitchen and Evol, to do them every single day really puts a dent in the budget. So, I've been kicking myself in the rear and trying to get myself back in the habit of making actual meals again. Cooking for one is hard, but I'm making sure I have plenty of containers on hand so I can take the leftovers and create my own frozen meals. This recipe saved me massive dollars in the pre-packaged food department - even using all organic ingredients.

BTW - I made this and took it in for my coworkers to try. It got total rave reviews. It's one of the finest soups I've ever made!

Beef and Tomato Macaroni Soup
5 Weight Watchers Points+ for a 1 cup serving

8 cups beef broth, divided
1lb ground beef (I used 85/15)
28oz diced tomatoes in tomato juice
6oz tomato paste
1 cup frozen chopped onions (or one large onion, chopped)
10oz sliced mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 cup uncooked macaroni noodles

Directions
Place all ingredients in large slow cooker, except for 1 cup of beef broth and the uncooked macaroni noodles. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Thirty minutes before serving, stir in uncooked macaroni noodles and reserved beef broth. Stir, cover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

* No need to cook the beef ahead of time - it cooks in the soup

* Make it gluten free by using gluten free beef broth and gluten free macaroni noodles, like Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta. 

* Fresh is always better, but you can use 2 Tbls dried basil in place of fresh basil.

The Tale of Two Grocery Stores

And now a tale of two grocery stores.

The first store I went in, the clerks carried on conversations with each other, but I was never acknowledged. I passed by several clerks in the aisles, and there was no smile, no eye contact, nothing, even though I looked at them with a smile. When I went to check out, I smiled and said "hello" to the cashier. No response. I smiled again and wished him a good day as I put the last bag of groceries in my cart. No response.

The second store I went in, I was immediately greeted by a clerk who welcomed me to the store. Another clerk asked me if I needed help finding anything. I walked down an aisle and another clerk smiled and said, "Good morning!" brightly when I walked by. When I went to check out, a clerk was proactively called from the back so I didn't have to wait. The clerk invited me over to his register insisted on taking my very full, heavy basket from my hands, and carried it for me to the checkout counter. He even struck up a conversation. The young lady bagging my groceries offered to carry my bag to my car for me.

The moral of this story is: people remember how you make them feel. Both stores sell similar items. The first store is cheaper than the second store. But the second store didn't just sell groceries. They took time to acknowledge me as more than the person who was there to buy some lettuce, cashews, and apples. They didn't make me feel like a shopper. They made me feel like a person, and that feeling is priceless.

F-O-C-U-S

If you've read the account in the Bible about Jesus walking on water, did it occur to you no one had ever, ever seen someone walk on water before?

It had never, ever been done. And then here comes Jesus, at 3AM in the morning, when it's pitch black except for the stars and moon to light the sky, walking right up to the boat where the disciples were.

The Bible says the disciples were "terrified." I think that's putting it mildly. I'm sure if I was there, I would have let out a girl scream, no doubt about that.

But Peter, the ever fearless one, asked to join in. He climbed out of the boat and began walking on water! Amazing! Peter didn’t know how to walk on water. The fact it had never been done before wasn’t a concern as long as he kept his eyes focused on Jesus. And Peter began walking on water, towards Jesus. But then the waves started crashing and the wind picked up. Peter took his eyes, his focus, off of Jesus and started to look at his surroundings. In a heartbeat, Peter shifted his focus and put more trust in the frightening elements around him and his own inability to conquer the elements, rather than keeping his focus on the creator of the elements and His ability to keep Peter safe. The second Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink.

Sometimes it's a gradual shift of focus. Things are going great, and we start to drift but don't realize it. Sometimes it's a sudden circumstance, and we immediately turn to fear - the way Peter did - instead of keeping our focus on Jesus. Whenever we pull our eyes, our focus, off of Jesus, we sink. No two ways about it. But Jesus will do for us what he did for Peter: "Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him." Just be prepared for what Jesus says next: "You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” That's an answer I don't want to give. When the wind picks up, the waters start crashing, remember they're big, fat distractions. Keep your eyes, your focus, on Jesus, the only one who has the power to overcome the distractions and can help you walk right over them.

Loving God & Loving Others

By some grand miracle, I received 100% on my final Liberty University Online BIBL105 essay. When I say, "by some miracle," I mean that this was a tough one for me to write about. The Old Testament prophet books are tough ones to work my way through, and I felt like I was having a hard time answering the question. 

Here was the question I needed to answer in my essay:

"In what manner do the prophets speak to the following 3 issues: idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism? Cite examples of the prophets speaking to each of these issues. Knowing what the prophets had to say about these issues, what practical applications can be drawn from those teachings for today?"

I felt like the "key" to those three issues was summed up in Micah 6:8, "the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." I decided to expound upon it from there. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me while I was trying to make this one happen. I had quite a few people express interest in the final product, so here it is.

Loving God and Loving Others
At first glance, it's easy to pass over the prophet books. They aren't “fun” books of the Bible to read, like Esther or Ruth or even Jonah. They're angst filled books. They're about judgement. Frankly, they can be downright depressing. But when one looks deeper within these books, some major themes that are applicable to today become noticeable. The themes of idolatry – who and what we worship, social injustices, and religious ritualism emerge. While we may like to think that these are issues of the past, they are still present and relative in 2013. Another theme emerges too: God's great and deep love for his people and the desire to see them restored.
          Israel wrestled over worshiping a God they couldn't see. No matter how many times God made himself known to them, they still assimilated into the culture and chose to worship man-made gods over the living God. God used the prophets to call Israel out and to give them fair warning to turn back to himself and to uphold their end of their covenantal responsibility. From the outset of his message on behalf of the Lord, the prophet Zephaniah condemned the people of Judah and their worship of false idols saying, "I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship. I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will disappear. For they go up to their roofs and bow down to the sun, moon, and stars. They claim to follow the LORD, but then they worship Molech, too. And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do. They no longer ask for the LORD's guidance or seek my blessings."1 God also gave a prophetic vision to Ezekiel so that he could warn the people that the glory of the Lord would depart from the temple because the people were bringing in idols into the temple area.2 And the Lord even had Hosea marry an unfaithful wife so the Lord could use it as a “metaphor of Israel's covenant unfaithfulness toward the Lord.”3
          Because Israel began worshiping other gods, that led to a problem of social injustices. Other gods don't follow God's rule that we are to use God's wealth for his purposes, and that includes taking care of the poor and needy.4 Israel was enjoying economic prosperity during the reign of Jeroboam II. However, during that time, “Israel's accumulation of wealth led to a wide disparity between the upper and lower classes, and a climate of injustice prevailed as the rich used their power and influence to take advantage of the poor. Selfishness, greed, and the pursuit of pleasure characterized Israelite society rather than love for the Lord and one's neighbor.”5 It also brought about “spiritual apathy and moral decline.”6 God sent Amos to tell Israel their days of luxury were over, and God followed through on his promise two years later by sending a great earthquake.7 Micah also reminded Israel that showing love for others shows their love for God. “No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”8
Equally offensive to God is the offering of sacrifices just for the sake of ritualism, not out of love and honor for God. The priests were to set the tone for the people and lead them in the right way to worship God and offer sacrifices, but they had become corrupt. They allowed animals not appropriate for sacrifice and even accepted bribes.9 Because their leaders didn't uphold the standard, the people didn't either, and they made their worship out of duty and not out of love for the Lord.
          As we read through the books of the Old Testament prophets, we can see that not much has changed. We are still a selfish people, and we don't worship as we should because we put other things ahead of our love for the Lord. As we dig through the books of the prophets, it's easy to see that if we as a people, individually and collectively, would simply “humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” God craves obedience from the ones who promise to love him. When we respond out of obedient love for God by worshiping him and him alone with a full and glad heart, that will spill over into us taking care of others so that we can show the love of God to them. He's given us all the tools and resources – namely, himself – to accomplish this. It's up to us to follow through so that we can be a blessed people.

1. Zephaniah 1:4-6
2. Ezekiel 8-11
3. Hindson, Ed: The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey (Pg. 371). B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, Tennessee: 2012.
4. Isaiah 1:7; Jeremiah 22:3; Proverbs 31:9
5. Hindson, Ed: The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey (Pg. 370). B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, Tennessee: 2012.
6. Ibid
7. Amos 1:1; Zechariah 14:5
8. Micah 6:8
9. Micah 3:9-12

I Eat Dirt

Dirt is pretty much the world's easiest dessert at only 5 ingredients. Shoot, you could buy pre-made chocolate pudding and knock it down to 4 ingredients.

My mom's yearbook class is having their big bake sale today, and this is the big request. We package them into individual servings and sell for $1 each. They're always the first to go. It's something about the way they look, combined with the unmistakable taste of chocolate pudding, Cool Whip, and crushed Oreos. So simple, familiar, and good. If you've never tried it, just do it once for your kids...or yourself!


DIRT

2 cups cold milk
1 pkg (4 serving size) Jello Instant Pudding, chocolate flavor
8oz container Cool Whip, thawed
1 pkg Oreo Cookies
1 pkg gummy worms

1. Dump Oreo Cookies into the food processor and pulse until finely ground, resembling sand or...dirt. Alternatively, you can place the cookies in a Ziploc bag and beat the tar out of them.

2. Pour the milk into a large bowl. Add the chocolate instant pudding, and whisk to mix the pudding for two minutes or until thickened. Let chocolate pudding stand 5 minutes to turn into pudding consistency. When thickened, add in half of the crushed cookies until evenly distributed. Fold in the thawed Cool Whip.

3. I like to make three layers of dirt and cookies. Drop a spoonful of pudding in mixture into the bottom of a cup (an ice cream scoop makes this part easy), add a thin layer of cookie crumbs. Drop in a gummy worm. Drop another spoonful of pudding mixture on top and finish with a layer of cookie crumbs. Top with another gummy worm.


*Note: we double this recipe and package them in clear, 8oz party cups. We get 12 servings out of the double recipe using this method. You could go with a smaller cup and increase your servings. We also cut the gummy worms in half to make them more manageable.

Yes. Bacon Cherry Pie. Yes.

Today is Jack's (my co-worker) birthday.

His birthday present request?

A bacon cherry pie, what else? And so I made it for him. Initially, I was a little worried...I didn't want to eat pools of bacon grease. This pie needs to be eaten warm so the bacon grease is melted.

Honestly...straight up...this was awesome. Tasted like an amazing Saturday morning breakfast.


Bacon Cherry Pie

5 cups cherries
2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
10 pieces bacon
2 Tbls cinnamon sugar
Double pie crust


Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix cherries, sugar, and cornstarch together. Let sit for 20 minutes.

Line pie plate with a pie crust.

Give cherry mixture a final stir and dump into pie crust.

Make a lattice with 9-10 pieces of bacon.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes.

Lower oven temperature to 350 and bake one hour.

Uncover and bake another 15 min to crisp bacon.

Let pie rest but serve while still warm.

The Winner of Unglued Is...

And the winner of my copy of Unglued – Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa TerKeurst is...

...Comment #9, AKA Ginger Sampson. Congratulations to Ginger!

So now I'm moving on to my next book, and I've decided it's going to be Pete Wilson's Empty Promises: The Truth About You, Your Desires, and the Lies You're Believing. I loved his first book, Plan B, so I have high hopes for Empty Promises. If you want to give it a little preview yourself, here's the link to Amazon.


-- Erin

Book Challenge #1: Unglued

I love fiction books. They're like candy for my brain. Non-fiction titles? They're basically a plate of plain, raw broccoli to me. Definitely not my favorite thing in the world. But I decided this year, I need to get off the candy and start consuming more things that will nourish my brain, challenge my soul, and help to make a better me. Plus, I have a TON of non-fiction books sitting on my desk and I feel intense guilt each time I look at them. It's like they know that I don't like them as much as my fiction works.

So they stare at me.

And stare.

And stare some more.

I've had it.

This year, I've set a goal to read a minimum of one non-fiction book a month and then give the book away when I'm done. I looked through the stack on my desk and picked up Lysa TerKeurst's Unglued – Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions. It was the perfect book. Definitely not a plate of broccoli in any shape or form.

Lysa's book touches on the raw emotions we women battle, how we handle them, and how we should handle them. Her chapter on jealousy really stood out to me...

as did this part about the lies we believe about ourselves...

Unglued is one of those books that came at the right time. If you want to check out Unglued – Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions a little more, click here. You can even read the first two chapters here. By the way, I'm not being compensated for telling you about this. It's just a great book that I discovered and want to pass along if it will help.

I mentioned that I was planning to give my "challenge" book away when I'm done with it. All you need to do is leave a comment saying "winner, winner, chicken dinner," "I want this book," "Erin, you're so beautiful," "I believe in unicorns," or anything fabulous that you'd like to write in that spot. Make sure to leave your name in the comment. I'm going to randomly choose a winner so I can't be accused of picking the person who tells me I'm fabulous. Entries close Sunday, January 6th, 2013, at 11:59PM. I'll post the winner on Monday, January 7th, by noon est! 

By the way, I can guarantee 3 things when you receive Unglued:

1. It will be dog-eared.
2. It will have underlined passages in purple gel pen.
3. There will NOT be any boogies in it - unlike library books.

You are now free to make your comments. 

- Erin

The Purple One Smoothie

There's no way on earth I would start my day off with spinach.

Or swiss chard.

Or kale.

Or any other dark, leafy green.

No way.

But here I am today, eating a minimum of two cups of dark leafy greens for breakfast.

If the idea of eating greens for breakfast seems completely ridiculous to you - like it once was to me, try The Purple One Smoothie. I've found the biggest hurdle to eating a green smoothie for most folks is the color - they can't get past the green. Personally, I love a bright green smoothie. It reminds me of being a kid in the 90's and wishing I would get slimed by the bright green goo on Double Dare.

However, all you see in this smoothie is PURPLE from the blackberries, but you get the added nutritional benefits from the green swiss chard. I admit The Purple One Smoothie is a bit high in fructose, but if you need a sweet treat that's filling and good for you, then give it a try. It's easy to make because it's one of everything - no measuring unless you want to measure your almond milk.

Enjoy :-)

Classic Way to Close Out 2012

Closing out 2012 with - what else? - a major problem. The plug thingy somehow came loose from the oil thing while I was driving. I was able to make it home "somehow." Thankfully, I have a dad who speaks car, so we took a trip to get some parts (thankfully, we got the there before the store closed!) and the problem is now fixed.

Problems have been the theme of this year. But for each problem, God never left me hanging. When I was flat on my back and had no where to go (literally, at times) He faithfully and continually brought the solution to my problems in the form of help from family and friends. I don't ever want to repeat this year. Ever. But I wouldn't trade the lessons learned and the knowledge that when God allows a problem to be thrown my way, He always has the solution. I may not be able to see the solution right away, and sometimes the solution isn't about the problem, but I learned I don't have to figure out the solution because God's already got it. God will never give me more than He can handle.

Praying for a new year for you filled with moments where you experience God's faithful and loving care for you.

Happy New Year!

What Light Through Yonder Window Breaks?

It was a little before 6AM when I was awoken by a very bright light piercing through the blinds in my bedroom. I waited for the light to fade away, expecting it to be headlights of a car coming down a driveway, but the intensity of the light never changed.

I sleepily looked out the window, and to my surprise, the bright light was a full moon.

I stared at it, and I stared some more - mostly because I was still half asleep and my brain hadn't yet begun to function. The moon has never woken me up before, so why this morning?

"Perhaps," I thought, "the moon just wanted someone to appreciate the job it did while the world slept. Or perhaps the moon wanted someone to notice it was leaving to make way for the sun."

Yes, that must be it.

So, I smiled at the moon and whispered, "Goodbye, Mr. Moon - you did a great job tonight. I'll see you tomorrow - same time, same place. Toodles!"

The moon sparkled and shone a little more and then disappeared behind a cloud, leaving me all alone in complete darkness.

I nestled back into my bed and closed my eyes ready to go back to sleep. But my brain was awake and decided to be mischievous as it can be at times.

"You know something we haven't thought about in quite a while when you're all alone and your bedroom is completely dark?" my brain asked me. "Monsters. I bet there are some under your bed right now."

Naughty brain.

I felt around in the darkness for the lamp beside my bed, being careful to keep my body under the covers. It's a well known fact that monsters can't get you when you're under the covers.

After knocking an empty, plastic cup off the nightstand, my hand finally found the lamp. I switched the light on and breathed a sigh of relief. Monsters can't emerge when there's a light in a room. That's another well known fact. My mom told me that when I was six.

And then it occurred to me...maybe that's why the moon shone such a bright light into my window. It saw a monster and scared it away.

Awww...thanks, Mr. Moon. You're the best moon that ever was!

Merry Christmas To You

This is my family.

Yes, that is me.

I think I was 11 or 12 here, clearly in my obnoxious phase.

It should be noted that I try not to smile like this for family pictures anymore. It frightens people. But it does make for an epic photo.

Merry Christmas! Here's hoping you're making fantastic memories together like mine apparently did, thanks to the fabulous photographic evidence.

God WILL Give You More Than You Can Handle

You've heard this saying before, right? "God won't give me more than I can handle." Or, "The Lord promised that He would never give us more to bear than we could carry. I just wish I couldn't carry so much." 

I used to say those phrases. A lot. It helped me cope as I was struggling under the weight of disappointments, health issues, you name it. I even had some folks speak those words to me most recently as I went into the hospital for surgery - "Remember! The Lord won't give you more than you can handle!"

One day it occurred to me - in all my years of reading the Bible, I've never seen that verse. Anywhere. So a few years ago I did some searching and I made a startling discovery: the Lord, in all of Scripture, has never said that He won't give us more than we can handle. 

As I kept digging, I discovered it was Mother Theresa who wrongly started that idea when she said, "I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much." I realize that saying, "Mother Theresa was wrong," is nigh to heresy, so I say that with love, respect, and truthfulness.

All throughout Scripture people were handed impossible tasks - Moses freeing thousands of Israelites, David slaying a giant, Joseph sold into slavery and becoming the most powerful man in Egypt, Daniel in the lion's den, Mary becoming a pregnant virgin, etc. Do you think any of these "heroes" of the Bible were in the middle of such extremely stressful circumstances and thought, "Well, God won't give me more than I handle, so I'll just keep hanging on"? The point was to show that a possible God is in charge of impossible situations. In all of these stories, the main character consistently depended upon God for deliverance, not themselves.

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians saying, "We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us" (2 Corinthians 1:8-10, NLT, bold/italics mine).

The pressure of the problems on Paul was so great, he thought he was going to die. But the feelings of being crushed by his problems stopped once Paul stopped trying to handle it ("we stopped relying on ourselves") and gave it to God ("learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead"), then God came to the rescue.

The biggest lesson that keeps being reinforced with me is that I am not meant to handle my problems. If the Apostle Paul couldn't handle it, why should I??

God never once said, "I think you're strong, so I'm going to heap problems on you for you to carry. And when you can't do it anymore, I'll carry them for you."

Never.

What God has said is, "When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them." (Psalm 91:15)

Jesus says, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

"My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)


I need to continually give these stresses/anxieties/problems over to God. I need to rely on God completely. I am not meant to handle these problems, only God is. The only way to have rest is to give God my burdens and wait to see how He is going to work it out. When I'm feeling buried under the weight of my problems and it's more than I can handle, it's a sure sign that I'm trying to carry the load instead doing what I'm supposed to be doing: giving it to God.

I hope this gives you some freedom today knowing that you are not meant to carry the things that are weighing you down. Remember: God won't give you anything HE can't handle...and He promises that His burden is light (Matthew 11:30).

What Criticism Really Is

To others, this season is Christmas. To me, and those who work within Christian radio, this season is "Criticism-mas."

"You've ruined my Christmas by not playing all Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. You aren't playing enough songs about Mary. Why can't you play Christmas music for one week only? Your Christmas music does nothing for me and I can't worship to it - guess I'll have to listen to the rock station until you get back to REAL music. I can't believe you aren't playing all Christmas music - I expect more out of the supposedly CHRISTIAN radio station..."

Those are real comments/emails from listeners, and the list could go on and on. It takes every bit of the Lord's help to respond in grace, especially when assaulted with criticism day in and day out during the most joyous season. Criticism-mas challenges me to look at myself, my defense mechanisms, how I respond to others, and how I criticize others.

Criticism isn't always a bad thing.

It can be something that helps a person/organization grow. It can help you view a task, job, or thought process in a different light through an opposing view point. It can even help a person course correct and positively put them on a fresh, uncharted path personally and professionally. Criticism shows that someone cares. Unfortunately, criticism is typically the adult form of throwing a temper tantrum and crying out for attention.

The trick is to recognize that there are two forms of criticism and then how to express criticism appropriately.

1) Good, (constructive) Criticism
When expressed, doesn't tear a person/organization down and encourages them to grow personally/professionally. This criticism focuses on helping the other person/organization. It's like turning on a flashlight in a dark room and pointing the beam towards the exit to help guide the person.

2) Bad Criticism
When expressed, is done in a way without regard for the feelings of the person/business. It's all about the criticizer expressing their irritation towards the person/business. It's like being in a bright room and someone comes along, switches off the lights, leaving you in pitch black darkness, struggling to discover the exit.

One type of criticism builds up; the other tears down.

"Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." - Ephesians 4:29

"So encourage each other and build each other up..." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11a

"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires." James 1:19-20

"If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless." - James 1:26

The next time you have the opportunity to express criticism, ask yourself, "Is this about helping the other person or business grow? Or is this about helping me express my frustration? Would my family and friends be proud or appalled at the way I expressed criticism towards this person/organization? When Jesus asks me for an account of this in heaven, will I be embarrassed?"

You'll find your answer very quickly if it's criticism that can and should be expressed.

Baked Eggs in Salsa

The directions really should read, "Dump salsa in a dish, crack eggs over top, season, pop in oven, set the timer, sit down and watch 'Gone With the Wind' marathon, try not to burn yourself pulling it out of the oven or the roof of your mouth when you don't let it cool because you're too busy laughing at the scene where Scarlett makes the dress out of the drapes and all you can think about is the Carol Burnet comedy sketch."

'Cause that's kind of how it happened.

But it was still good and wickedly simple to make on a Saturday morning.

Goodbye Hostess

Dear Hostess Brands,

How I will miss you. Shall I count the ways?

1. Cherry Fruit Pie
2. Beefsteak Rye Bread
3. Donettes
4. Ding Dongs
5. Cupcakes
6. Sno Balls
7. Raspberry Zingers
8. Ho-Ho's

I could keep counting, but it's too painful. I will always carry a part of you with me. In my arteries. And on my hips. Thanks for the memories.

Sincerely,

Erin

Pumpkin Pecan Granola

How could I have forgotten to share this recipe?

Last year I made this pumpkin pecan granola by the truck load. This year, not so much since this isn't apart of my raw foods lifestyle. But last year? Ummmm.... I stuffed pre-portioned baggies in my purse to take with me to work. I handed them out at my Weight Watchers meetings like I was the Great Granola Pusher. Practically every weekend I was making a batch. Yet I never shared the recipe with you.

My apologies.

Reasons why I loved this so much last year? It tasted like fall. It was crunchy and clustery - the way I like my granola. It had pecans in it, and I love pecans. It wasn't oily. It was low in fat and high in nutrition. It had pumpkin in it. It had pumpkin in it. And it had pumpkin in it.

I suggest getting some snack size baggies and pre-portioning the granola out otherwise you'll keep reaching for more and more and not realize that you've had too many servings. I took the oatmeal containers, wrapped them in pretty wrapping paper, and then store the baggies in there. Try sprinkling 1/4 cup (half portion) of the granola over some vanilla yogurt mixed with canned pumpkin and some cinnamon. YUM!

Pumpkin Pecan Granola
Recipe adapted from The Pastry Affair

3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 tsps pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup pecans
1 cup puffed wheat
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Add the oats, pecans, and puffed wheat, and stir until everything is coated and you have a moist mixture.

Spread the granola mixture on to the parchment lined baking sheet. I like to leave small clusters of the mix. Those are my favorite parts of granola.

Bake for 20 minutes and stir the granola around. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Cool completely on the pan. Scatter the dried cranberries and raisins on top of the granola, toss, and then store the cooled granola in an air tight container.


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Servings 14 | Serving Size: 2 oz (or a scant 1/2 cup)
Calories: 165 | Fat: 4.1 | Carbs: 30 | Fiber: 3 | Protein: 3

{4 WW Points+}