Happy New Year!!

I know a lot of people are happy to see the end of 2008, however I am not so sure. This was a very good year for me. I am happy to have all the memories from this year... all the family events, old and new friends, travels, job, life. Thank you all for being a part of making 2008 so great!!

See you again in 2009!!

My Current Favorite Drink... Hot Chocolate with Peppermint

I have been loving candy canes this year, like I do every year. However, my friend Erinleigh introduced me to putting the beloved candy cane into hot chocolate. How cool is that! I didn't have hot chocolate packets at my house so I looked around online and found a recipe, made it up, and then found out I like it way better than the regular packets at the grocery store. And, its so super easy and inexpensive that I made a large quantity and now just pull it out when I want some (only, like, every night)!!

Super Easy Hot Chocolate Recipe

1 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 tbsp. sugar
small pinch of chili powder
2 tbsp. water
1 c. reduced-fat vanilla soy milk

I mixed up the cocoa powder, sugar and chili power into a canister and then when I want some I just do 3 tbsp of the mix.

Combine mix and water in a small saucepan. Heat it on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the paste from sticking to the pan. After about 1 to 2 minutes, add milk (if you don't do vanilla soy milk you can add some vanilla to your drink too). Mix it all together until it reaches your preferred temperature.

I love to top off my hot chocolate with a peppermint star peep and a candy cane!! Yumm-o!

Christmas Eggnog (Soy-nog) and Banana Pancakes

I found this recipe online that was adapted from Nigella Lawson’s pancake recipe. So I guess that would make this recipe an adaptation of an adapted. Or something like that. Either way, these were made for my family's Christmas/Birthday breakfast and my parents and I thought they were darn good!



Eggnog/Banana Pancakes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups pancake mix (I used Aunt Jemima, I think, but any mix will do)
1 1/3 cups Silk Nog (or Eggnog)
2 eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 banana, thinly sliced

Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.

In a large, wide-necked measuring cup, measure out the pancake mix. In another cup, measure the Eggnog, beat in the eggs and then the canola oil and slightly cooled butter, and pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, whisking as you do so.

Heat either a griddle or nonstick frying pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray. Use a 1/4-cup measure cup to pour mix onto griddle. Top each pancake with a few slices of banana.

When you see bubbles erupting on the surface, turn the pancakes over and cook for a couple of minutes, if that, on the other side.

Enjoy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS PICTURES!!!!

The Christmas pictures have been added... the are linked under the picture section!!




I had another wonderful Christmas/Mom's birthday with my family! We had so much fun hanging out, opening presents, eating, seeing Jenny and Matt, and shopping!!! My memory is so shot, lets see if I can remember everything that we did...

My parents made it in Tuesday night. So, we started on Wednesday... Mom and I got our groceries at Publix and then we all went to the mall to walk around and eat at Chick-fil-a before the Christmas Eve service at my church. We watched the most awesome Christmas program ever! If it was already loaded on the Buckhead Church website I would show it to you.

Thursday we had a very MERRY CHRISTMAS. Dad made a big turkey dinner and I made an angel food cake to celebrate my Mom's birthday. We opened our presents and had a lot of fun watching Christmas parades. In the afternoon cousin Jenny and her husband Matt came over for dinner. We spent some time on the roof hanging out, eating, walking around the block, and playing Wizards. A great day!!

On Friday we met up with my friend Marcus to help him pick out a fake Christmas tree so he will have one for next year (and I will for sure help him decorate it then). And then we shopped around Atlantic Station (we bought a TON of clothes at Express... they had an amazing sale!!) and then I can't remember... ouch!

Saturday and Sunday we did more shopping!! We ended up going to Express at Atlantic Station (two times), Cumberland Mall, and Lenox Mall!! Hehe. They had such good sales and they had different clothes at each one so we went to one at every mall we ended up at. Saturday we at at Lonestar for dinner and ran into my friend Kimmy! It was fun to see her... she is from Michigan as well and had spent some time up there for Christmas so we were able to chat about all of that!

Sunday my parents tried SUSHI for the first time!! I made sure none of it was raw, my Dad thought it was good but I am not sure what my mom thought. It will probably be the only time they will have any but it was fun!! :D

Sunday night we took down my Christmas tree (sniffle). Through out the week my Dad helped me with some things in my apartment... he is a great handy man!! He installed a dimmer in my dining room which is wonderful to have! He also hung up some art in my living room... which is great cause I wouldn't have been able to do that either!

It was great to have my parents in town and for us to hang out!!

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas as well!!

Parents are coming!!!

Tonight my parents are scheduled to fly down!! I am super excited and can't wait to see them! Please pray that the flight will take off as planned... they are not having the greatest weather up in Michigan right now... eeek!

In preparation for them coming down I was trying to finish up my shopping (I know, I know this is much later than I normally finish up my Christmas shopping) yesterday and there were a few things that were out!! And super random things... it was crazy! And the number of cars on the road yesterday afternoon was amazing!! I guess I wasn't the only one that had last minute shopping to do!

Anyway, I should be finished up tonight before picking up my parents at the airport. As long as all goes as scheduled they will be here by 9:30pm!!

Another Soup

I find that I heart soup in the winter months. They are so easy to make and always so tasty!! I adapted this soup from one I found online.


Chickpea and Kale Soup

1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp EVOO
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 bag frozen vegetables for soup
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8-1/4 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
8 cups vegetable broth
1 large bag kale
about 2 cups water
salt to taste

Coat large saucepan with olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the onion begins to brown (about 5 minutes). Add the spices and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the chickpeas and stir to coat them with the spices. Pour in the 8 cups of vegetable stock, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the chopped kale and stir. If necessary add water to cover the kale and cook until it is tender, about 10-25 minutes, depending on how cooked you like your kale. Check frequently to see if it is becoming dry and add water as needed. Add salt to taste and serve.


This soup has made me about 8 different servings. Gotta love that!!

Giving Up Christmas

So, as you know I went to the Buckhead Church (North Point Ministries) Singles Christmas Event. Remember that they gave us our money back and then some, we were then tasked to give it to someone in need. I was able to pool some money for Toys For Tots. The event made our local new!!! Check it out!!!

What is this??? And I see it in GA!

Ewwh... this can't be possible!

Ode to the Christmas Cookie

I made some cookies this year and they are yummy!! Every year I make buckeyes and of course this year was no exception. I really like the assortment this year and I hope you do too!!




Buckeyes

1 1/2 pounds powered sugar
1 container crunchy peanut butter
2 sticks softened butter

Mix together and roll into balls. Chill.

12 oz chocolate chips
1/2 bar parafin wax

Melt together in double boiler. Using spoon dunk balls into chocolate mix. Cool.


Chocolate Peppermint Swirls

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Several drops food coloring (optional)

In a medium mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and baking powder; beat till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Divide dough in half.

Place half of the dough in a small bowl. Stir in melted chocolate, then knead dough till chocolate is evenly distributed.

Knead peppermint extract and, if desired, food coloring into remaining dough. Shape each half of dough into a ball. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours, or till firm.

On a lightly floured surface, shape each half of dough into a log about 4 inches long. Roll and/or pat each log to a 6-by-3-inch rectangle. Cut each rectangle in half lengthwise, forming two 6x1 1/2-inch rectangles. Stack 2 rectangles on top of each other, alternating chocolate and peppermint dough. Roll the dough into a circle and cut the stacked layers into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or till bottoms are a light golden brown. Remove cookies and cool on a rack.


Cinnamon and Hazelnut Biscotti

Makes about 32

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup toasted hazelnuts
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking liner. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl; set aside. Coarsely chop hazelnuts in a food processor. Combine sugar and butter and mix until fluffy. Add orange zest and vanilla and mix well. Add eggs 1 at a time, blending just until incorporated after each addition. Add flour mixture and mix until just blended. Mix in hazelnuts until just blended. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 9" x 2" log. Place the logs on the baking sheet. Flatten each log to 12" x 2 1/2". Bake 25 minutes or until very light golden and firm to touch. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut logs diagonally into 3/4-inch-wide slices. Place slices, cut side down, on your baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Turn biscotti over, bake about 15 minutes more or until light golden and firm. Transfer biscotti to racks and cool.


Church Windows

2 cups Chocolate Chips (1 large package)
½ cup peanut butter

Melt together in a double boiler. Remove from heat – let cool enough so the marshmallows don't melt

Add:
1 cup peanuts
3 cups small colored marshmallows

Mix well and put in an 8 x 8 pan. Cut into long, thin rectangles (like church windows)1 pound crunchy peanut butter

Knight in Shining Armor

My take on one view of premarital sex that was told in my Oasis group has stuck with me, because the more I think about it the more truth it holds. As the old fairytale holds, us ladies want our knight in shining armor, however we don't want to give him all the fun of slaying dragons, instead...

We want someone who we can trust to slay our dragons with us. In life, we all have forests of enemies with many dragons in them. The forests are very wooded, very dense and this helps to cover our battles from the rest of the world, only those who we let in are able to see what lies inside our forest. And only those who are closest to us are brought far enough in to see the dragons we must battle. And of those, only a small handful are brought to fight with us. When we have sex before marriage, we lose trust in the guy because we can't trust him to follow God's rules. We feel, somehow, that as a Christan male he has committed to putting us first. When sex occurs prematurely, we see it as him putting himself and his desires before us and what is best for us. Which is opposite to what is biblically directed. Because of that, we never trust the guy enough to bring him far enough in to do battle with us. And, most guys want to be the knight in shining armor that we do bring into battle. This is where it gets frustrating in long-term relationships, the guy wants to be the knight but because we don't have the complete trust in him and because we did something that God told us not to, we don't trust them enough to ever fully do battle with us. However, when we wait, when we know the guy has already put our needs in front of his own, and when he follows God's rules we know that we can trust him fully to do battle right beside us for the rest of our lives.

When you read this, do you agree?

Stepped Up!!

So Carlos has added what I have been looking for to his blog. Last week before the sermon here is what we got to watch.

Buckhead Church Opener December 7th STEP CHRISTMAS from Carlos Whittaker on Vimeo.

Once again, the best church ever! I love working here. Whose creative idea was this??

More Appetizers

Here you go... another round of food that I prepared for Oasis last night. The biggest hit was the hot artichoke dip (it was gone when everyone left)!! I will have to make it again... super easy. The hardest part was draining out the spinach.

Roasted Almond and Date Spread

1/2 cup unsalted roasted almonds (can substitute pecans or walnuts)
1 (8-ounce) package pitted dates
1/4 cup Madeira or dry sherry
Zest of 1 orange

In food processor, combine almonds, dates, Madeira and orange zest.
Pulse until the almonds are finely ground and mixture is almost smooth.

This spread can be covered and refrigerated for up to one week. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Serve with cheese and breads.


Hot Artichoke Dip
(from Vegetarian Times)

1 12-oz. pkg. light silken tofu
2 Tbs. reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 15.5-oz. can artichoke quarters in water, drained, rinsed, chopped
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F. Purée tofu, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, garlic and onion powder in blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to bowl.
Stir artichokes, spinach and Parmesan cheese into tofu mixture. Spoon into 8-inch glass pie dish or casserole. Bake 20 minutes. Dust with paprika; serve.

Nutritional Information

Per TABLESPOON: Calories: 16, Protein: 1g, Total fat: 1g, Saturated fat: g, Carbs: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 56mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugars: 1g

Christmas at Buckhead Church

Set

I have to admit that I stole the picture from Carlos, however isn't the set at Buckhead Church amazing?!?!?


The creativity of the people that I work with is out of this world! I can't imagine how they come up with it all. I am always impressed!!! And, on top of the cool design, we also got to watch an amazing step team from Morehouse college.

Do you hear what I hear?

PS if the video is posted anywhere online I will add a link here!!

Random Thoughts

Two completely random thoughts that I had this morning...

One.

I was trying to pick out clothes to wear this morning and I started thinking about what my parents are getting me for Christmas. Most years, Mom and I go shopping and she will buy me clothes and then I will get them on Christmas. I have come to like this tradition because I look forward knowing what I will be receiving. I actually look forward to the gift more when I know what it is cause I know for sure that I will love it ;) Though there is something left, though for being surprised. Anywho, for the month between purchase and receival, I dream about wearing my new outfit. Somehow, my outfit becomes super-human and if I had it now would change the world. I would know more, I would be able to do more, the world would somehow be better. I think it's part of my 'grass is greener' thing. Maybe not, maybe it will actually ...

Two.

I was checking my mobile phone account and saw that my Next Bill Cycle is 01/08/2009. This has been such a great 2008. It went by so fast. Wasn't last month just January? It hit me, almost punched me in the guyt, that soon it will be 2009. What is going to happen next year...

Ok, end of my random thoughts for this morning.

Table #52 Rocks!!

Yesterday I went to a singles event at Buckhead Church called Giving Up Christmas and I had a blast!! I sat at table #52 just for my friend Jerry but I am glad I did. Everyone at the table was amazing and we had a so much fun getting to know each other. To see what the event looked like look below...


To go to the event everyone had to pay $5. At the event, they said they would give back the $5 to everyone and then add some too it. All we had to do was win the money back. We played trivia games and each table was a contestant. My table ended up wining $10 per person. The goal was to then take the money to the streets. Give it to whatever we felt like (a charity, someone in need, an organization that needed assistance, anything). My group came up with a few different ideas... mine was to go to a Toys for Tots event that is going on this afternoon. The people who didn't come up with an idea gave their money to the event they most wanted to contribute too. I ended up with $35 for toys!!

After the event ended I helped clean up... I wish I had a video of the clean up... it would have been amazing. I thought it was so cool to watch the layout go from above to the normal church set up.

Once everything was cleaned up I headed to Target to pick up some toys. I hope I got some good ones!!


Do you think I got some fun gifts for kids????

Christmas TREES Are UP!!!

So you know I heart Christmas. And I heart Christmas Trees... well, I now have two trees up (right now I am looking at my one at home all lit up as I type)!!!!

Here is my home tree...





And yesterday Jerry and I put up the tree at Buckhead Church...


Oh so happy!

P.S. There are more pictures of the trees, just click on the link under Pictures!!

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Waffle Recipe!!

I had been given a box of waffle/pancake mix so I decided to use that to make some waffles for my family. They turned out AMAZING!! You will love them!

Pumpkin Waffles

2 1/2 cups waffle/pancake mix
2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 Tablespoons soy yogurt
2 cups soymilk
15 oz pureed pumpkin, fresh or canned
1/3 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla

Stir together dry ingredients + fresh ginger. In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk together wet ingredients until well emulsified. Pour wet into dry and combine. Prepare waffles according to manufacturers instructions.


We topped them with some fresh Cranberry Sauce... to die for!! I got it from Cooking Light:

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Combine cranberries, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, and juice in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until cranberries begin to pop, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir cornstarch mixture into cranberry mixture; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring often; remove from heat. Cool completely. Cut pie into 12 wedges; serve with sauce.

Thanksgiving pictures are loaded!!

There was no picture of our entire family! Crazy. However click on the link under pictures to see them all!

WARNING -- I am putting the events of the entire weekend in this 1 post. One post. You heard, one post right? Meaning... VERY LONG! Enjoy the read!!

I had a great (GREAT) weekend with my family. They all drove down and made it to my house around 9:30pm (I think) on Tuesday night. Of course, we had to watch the finale of 'Dancing with The Stars', although we all knew that Brooke would totally win!

We then caught up for a while before Mom and I planned out the next day! The guys were on vacation... no planning for them!!

Wednesday was the day of errands. To start the day I fueled everyone up with some really yummy Pumpkin Waffles!! We topped them with cranberry sauce, real maple syrup, whipped topping. Can't get better than that right! While I prepared breakfast, Dad and Dan pulled out my Christmas tree and they found out how easy it is to set up (I heart my Christmas tree)!!

Errand running started out by getting some necessities for my vehicle (thanks to my great auto mechanics -- Dad, Dan and Marcus -- my car wouldn't run without you guys!!).

Then we went to Lindberg so we could go to, are you ready for this... my shoe guy, Linens and Things, AT&T store, Target, Home Depot, Tin Drum, Starbucks, and Sallys. Whew, it was a lot (and we had additional errands to run after this).

My shoe guy had two pairs of my favorite shoes (fyi, all my shoes are my favorite) and I had to pick them up. Then we went to the AT&T store. I am a current AT&T customer (say what you will, I actually like their service) and we added Dan and my Mom under my service. That was the cheapest way to get them each a phone they both need. We spent quite a lot of time in the store picking out exactly what service we would need, the phones they would get (they each got the same phone - however Dan's was black and Mom's was dark purple which we thought was really pretty), and getting them on the plan. For the rest of the weekend we spent a lot of time figuring out their phones, getting numbers stored, adding ring tones. And calling each other to hear the ring tones! We are so easily amused!

Next, off to Linens and Things cause they are going out of business and we wanted to check out their sales. We only found a window cleaner/scraper/thingie for my shower, the rest of the deals were not great. Off to Target we headed (which is located directly under Linens and Things) to get a few odds and ends. By this time the guys wanted to eat. We had options but I talked them into trying something new (Thai) so we went to Tin Drum, located right next to the AT&T store (literally). I heart Thai food -- this is more an Asian Fusion restaurant that I have reviewed previously in my blog -- and I thought it would be something that would have something for everyone. As far as I know everyone was happy with their choices. For dessert, we headed to Starbucks for some coffee!

Next was Home Depot for a few things to fix up the place I am living -- nothing major, however a few things that the Dad-eye saw that could be easily fixed so he did that. I am so thankful for his and Dan's fix-it abilities!! There is nothing that they can't fix with a little bit of glue and some duct tape (emphasis on the 'ct -- almost have to spit it -- like duCTTTTT tape).

We then headed across the street to Sally's to get some hair dye for my Mom (we put it on the next day and it looks AMAZING on her!!)!!

We were all getting tired, like tired of doing work on vacation, however we had to get food and drinks (cause I really keep neither of much in my apartment) so off to Publix we went. But, on the way we decided to stop at the gun store. I have been wanting to get a gun to practice shooting with. My Dad took me to the range a few times when I was younger and it was fun so I want to be able to do it again. And, it wouldn't hurt to carry one and be able to use it if ever necessary. The store was super fun and I found a gun that I like, however I am now shopping around to see if I can find it any cheaper.

Finally, we made it to Publix and got the groceries. This was the first of many stops to Publix. We found many things that we needed to restock on, we forgot, or that somehow got added to our list during the week.

After all the errands we relaxed for a few minutes at my house before my Dad and Dan made dinner. Warning - when my family is around I give them a free pass to make whatever they want. So, that means I wasn't quite vegan this weekend. I know, I know... tisk, tisk. However, their cooking is just too good to do otherwise.

Victor hadn't had venison in a long, long time so Dad brought some venison down from Michigan so they made steaks and Mom made baked potatoes and we had something for vegetables. Sorry, don't remember. For dessert, I made Pecan Pie. It was so good that later in the weekend I made another one for another dinner. Victor came over for dinner and after dinner we played Wizards. Fun little card game.

Thursday -- HAPPY THANKSGIVING -- started out with Mom and I watching the parade, me decorating my Christmas tree (I love this little tradition that I have started) while Dad and Dan made us breakfast. Mid-day Mom wanted to go for a walk. It was a beautiful day so we went around the block and enjoyed the weather.

We all got ready for the day and then played some Schafkopf and took pictures on the roof before heading to Marcus's parent's house for dinner. There was a great group of people there (Marcus's daughter, parents, sister, sister's husband, their child, friend Wendy, and my family). Marcus's Mom made the dinner and it was ridiculous. It was sooooooooo good! Like my Dad would say... don't put HER food on top of your head! Cause your tongue would knock your brains out to get to it! After dinner and dessert we stayed up talking for a long time. It was sooo much fun!

BLACK Friday. My mom and I decided it would be a good idea to go shopping. We started out around 8:30am by getting stamps for me (did you know that the post office was open on black Friday? Who knew) and then going next door to Ulta. My mom liked my shampoo so we got her some for home. Then we headed to Phipps to say hi to my friend/small group companion Christina. Next was Target and then a sporting goods store to pick up a few things. Crazy that NONE of them were busy. Not even a little bit. You wouldn't have known it was black Friday! Next we headed to Lenox Mall and started out with brunch at Panera Bread. Then we shopped a few stores. We didn't find anything that really interested either of us until we made our final stop at Express. There I found a few good pieces of clothes! Mom got them for me for Christmas. I can't wait to get them on Christmas day!! Mom called Dad and Dan a few times to see if they would want to come out to the mall to join us... amazingly they did not! Can you believe it??

After the mall we stopped by Publix to get a couple necessities for dinner. That night Dad cooked a huge ham dinner with cheesy potatoes, salad, etc. It was sooooo yummy! VJ and Marcus came over for dinner and we had a blast! After dinner we played Wizards again until Marcus and VJ decided to go out. Then the family played Schafkopf again.

Saturday I made another batch of Pumpkin Waffles for breakfast. Dad and Dan put up lights around my window and snowflakes on my window! Its soooo pretty!! Then my cousin Jenny came up from her house (she lives south of Atlanta) and we all headed out to run a couple of errands before going to a shooting range north of town. The range had an hour wait so we went to the bar in the same complex for lunch. On the TV's they were playing the UGA/GA Tech football game and there was one really drunk, really obnoxious fan of GA Tech... so we all became UGA fans for that game! LOL!! Once there was a space open, Jenny and I did some shooting with Dad's help (Jenny had her own gun - an automatic - and we rented a revolver for me). I had a blast!! We tried to find western store, however once we finally found it, it was more of a Mexican store. So, we went home and ate dinner... always a TON of food when my family is around!! After dinner Jen went home cause she had a long drive. We then played some more Schafkopf.

Sunday morning I had to go to work. And my parents had to leave to drive home. So, at 8am they dropped my brother off at Buckhead Church. I hurried in the AM to get all my work done. Dan and I then went to the 9am service and it spoke so relevantly to both of our lives. We spent a lot of the day chatting about how much it does relate!! After the 9am service, Dan talked to Jerry (one of my super cool co-workers) about his recent journey to see his family out west. They have a ton in common!! While they chatted I made sure that there were no fires to put out. Once the next service started and I made sure everything was going well, Dan and I headed to brunch at The Flying Biscuit. The restaurant is right by the church and we both love breakfast!! Yumm-o!

I had been wanting to get some cowboy boots and Horse Town is right by Jenny's house so we took a drive down to it and I found some amazing boots!! On the drive down and back we hit some pretty bad traffic. It would have been horrible had I been in the car by myself, however with Dan in the car we talked the entire way! It has been so long since we have been able to talk that we filled the entire time with conversation. I was so glad to be able to catch up!! After Horse Town we went down the street to an outlet. Jenny got some cute clothes to wear to a Christmas party with her husband.

At home, Dan and I chatted a bit more, ate some dinner, and he got packed up to go back home the next morning.

On Monday, we got Dan to the airport. We got him thru check-in... but not without incident. The bag that he had was too big and he had to pay extra. Then we took his second checked item... his big rifle... to the correct place to check that in. Then onto get thru security. I had never seen the security line that long!! It was crazy!! But, Sunday's weather caused so many delays and missed flights that there were many people there on Monday to try to get on those flights. Because it was so long, Dan had to go straight to the line.

When it was time to say goodbye I had to say it quickly cause I was starting to get emotional. By the time I got back to my car I had tears streaming down my face. Luckily when I had to pay I was able to be cheerful with the lady at the booth. However by the time I got onto 285 (aka the perimeter) I was bawling... and I needed to call my Mom to let her know that Dan was going thru security. Once again, luckily I was able to calm down when I was around people but for the next 2 days, anytime I was by myself I broke down and cried, a lot. I am such a family girl and it can be so sad to have to leave my family!

I had such a great weekend with my family!! I hope your Thanksgiving was as good as mine!

What happens When We Give Thanks...

At North Point on Monday we had our Not-So-Christmas Party. We sang Christmas songs praising our Savior, we ate some amazing cake (at 10am) and had hot chocolate. We gave thanks. The message at the meeting was giving thanks.

'Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.' 1 Chr. 16:34

'For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God NOR GAVE THANKS to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.' Rom 1:21-23

We learned that people who don't give thanks to God:

• They know God
• They do not glorify God
• They do not GIVE THANKS
• Their hearts become darkened
• They become fools
• They exchange the glory of God

People who GIVE THANKS to God:

• We know God
• We glorify God
• We GIVE THANKS
• Our thinking becomes worthy & weighty
• Our hearts become enlightened
• We become wise
• We worship the immortal God

What do I give thanks for? Well, a ton. I am so blessed. Some of what I wrote down are:

Temporal Blessings: Parents, Brother, Extended Family, Amazing Co-Workers, Small Group, Wonderful Friends, All My Possessions (home, stuff in it, car, food, iPhone, etc), Job I LOVE Going To, Health, Ability to Travel to See My Family and Friends...

Eternal Blessings: God's Grace, Love, Forgiveness, Word, Peace, Faithfulness, Wisdom; All-Knowing God; Holy Spirit in Me; Jesus Died for Me; My Salvation; Adopted as a Child of God...

After my family left on Thanksgiving this was the message I needed to hear. I was so sad and missing them so much that I needed to be reminded of all the blessings that are in my life.

One of the songs that was played during communion...

Rid me of myself, I belong to YOU!!

MMMM... Food!

Once again, here is what was made for group last night:

Tabbouleh

1 cup bulgur wheat (cracked wheat)
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup (about 1 pound) chopped "vine-ripe" tomatoes
1 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped fresh mint, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Rinse the bulgur in a sieve under cool running water until the water runs clear, then transfer bulgur to a bowl. Add enough hot water to cover the bulgur by 1 inch. Set aside, covered for 5 minutes, then drain in a sieve and set aside while preparing the remaining ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the scallions, parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, mint, salt, pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Remove any excess water from the bulgur by squeezing it dry. Add the bulgur to the bowl and gently toss. Add the olive oil and the lemon juice and lightly toss, adding more seasoning if necessary. Set the tabbouleh aside for at least 30 minutes (I made it the night before) before serving to allow the flavors to blend.


Greek Sushi Rolls (based on Stuffed Grape Leaves - but I couldn't find grape leaves)

¾ c white sushi rice, cooked
few sheets of nori, cut into quarters -- original recipe: 4 oz vine leaves (these can be purchased in a jar at an ethnic food store)
1½ T olive oil
¼ c onion, minced
4 cloves garlic
2 T mint leaves, chopped
¼ c dill, chopped
1/3 c raisins
1/3 c pine nuts
1½ T Kalamata olives
¼ t salt
black pepper
¾ c vegetable stock
2 T lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat ½ T oil, sauté onion, and 1 minced garlic clove, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Combine rice, onion mixture, mint, dill, raisins, pine nuts, olives, salt, and pepper in large bowl.

Take quartered nori, add a heaping spoonful of filling in the center. Fold the sides of leaf over filling, then roll from stem-end to tip, to make a neatroll. Set seam-side-down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling, placing grape leaves cozily together and making two layers if necessary. Cut 3 garlic cloves into large pieces and poke between the grape leaves here and there. Pour stock over grape leaves, then remaining olive oil and 1 t lemon juice.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Drizzle with remaining lemon juice and serve.



The Greek Sushi Rolls were what I was most afraid of... since I had taken a recipe and changed it with the nori, I was scared they wouldn't taste good however everyone seemed to love them and at the end of the night there were none left!

Love it!

Weekend fun!!

Ok, so I haven't posted yet on the fun times that I had with my family while they were in town. I have been MIA for almost a week. And for this I applogize. When I get home at night I am so tired I just can't make myself post. And I have been busy.

However, on that note, I will get a good post of the fun I had with my family up soon.... as soon as I get the pictures off my phone and from my Mom.

Soon, I swear.

Ready For Christmas??

My blog is. If you don't normally check the blog itself (aka you use a reader like I do) then stop by and check it out. It's a cute new design.

P.S. my parents and brother are coming down tomorrow (super excited) and they will be bringing my Christmas tree and ornaments (almost as super excited). Can't wait to hang out with the family and put up my tree!!!!

My Version Of Spicy Thai Coconut Corn Soup

A few days ago I came across the following recipe from Happy Herbivore and I thought it sounded amazing. At the time I really didn't need to cook anything but I had some light coconut milk that I needed to use up, so I decided to made some and freeze it. And I am so glad I did!! It turned out amazing!! I, of course, changed up the recipe from the original -- to fit what I already had at the house, however I bet the original would be amazing so check out the other site too!

My version of Spicy Thai Coconut Corn Soup

1/2 red onion, diced
2 garlic clove, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 cups left over cowboy caviar
15oz lite coconut milk or fat-free soy milk
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp lime zest
red pepper flakes as desired (a little goes a long way)

In a large pot, high heat, cook red onion in 1/2 cup water 3 minutes. Add garlic and celery and continue to cook until water is gone. Add all other ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to low, cook 5-10 minutes - until thoroughly warmed. Add additional soy milk to thin out if desired.

First Falcons Game!!

Last night VJ and I went to my first ever regular season NFL football game!! It was a lot of fun however I didn't take any pictures of us at the game... how crazy right! I did use my iPhone to take a few pictures of the field though...



VJ is from Carolina so he was rooting for the Panthers. But, in the end the Falcons did win!

On a separate note... as I was walking from my seat to the restroom I had a lot of ladies commenting to the people next to them that they loved my hair and wanted the same color! Sometimes accidents turn out right!

Sweet!

A little too much...

I think I tried to do a little too much this weekend. By Saturday at 2pm I was ready for a nap. An hour later I fell asleep and slept for the next 2 hours. Luckily my next door neighbor knocked on my door and woke me up or I may have slept longer and then maybe not slept at night. I am exhausted right now (and I got 8 hours of sleep last night... apparently that is just not enough for me)

I am finding out how out of it I am. The quote of 'measure twice, cut once' is something that I am having to do with everything. I am not properly paying attention to what I am doing... not like I usually do. And it's quite frustrating. Sometimes though its just down right humorous.

For example, I color my own hair. I have the regular dye that I use and then I have a fire engine red color that I just add a dab to my regular color to give it some oomph. Well, last night I decided to touch up my color so I grabbed the two colors, put the regular color right in view and put the red over to the side so I wouldn't mix them up. I remembered something else I needed to do so I ran quickly and did that, then went back into the bathroom and grabbed a tube, put it in the bottle I use to dye my hair and then (thank God) looked at the labels again... because I grabbed the red! Had I not taken a second look I would have fire engine red hair today!! I took as much out of the bottle as I could and then added my regular color. I have to say it doesn't look to bad... what do you think??




Like the coffee cup... I am hoping that it helps to keep me awake. If not, someone may find me in a starting point room on a couch... passed out.

Its just that kinda day!

Daily Devotional

Another devotional that I thought was amazing! I have been really working on this but a lot of times I still get it wrong. I know now that I must continue trying and apologise when I get it wrong! :)



How to Deal with Conflict Quickly
by Rick Warren

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19 (NIV)

*** *** *** ***

How do you deal with conflict quickly? I’ll tell you, but you’re not going to like it. The solution to resolving conflict is confrontation.

That’s right; if you’re going to resolve conflict, you must confront.

You don’t have to confront in anger, though. In fact, you shouldn’t confront in anger. Lovingly go to the person and, speaking the truth in love, deal with the problem immediately.

In James (1:19), we’re taught three rules for confrontation: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

If you do the first two, the third one is automatic. If you’re quick to listen and you’re slow to speak, then you will be slow to anger.

What are you listening for?

You listen for the hurt in that person. Hurting people always hurt other people. When someone is being a jerk, more than likely, it’s because that person is hurting. When you understand their hurt, you have a better understanding of why they do what they do, and you’re a little more patient with them.

© 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.

In case you were wondering...

The latest medical news from me.

The specialist that I go to... the one who did the amazingly awful test on me last Friday... let me know that all the test they did came back normal!! That's good. So it's just IBS right. Well, they are not sure. Since the last medication they gave me didn't do anything they are now putting me on Amitiza. I took it last night for the first time... it says may cause nausea and they were not kidding!!! I was nauseous as all could be last night. And, yes, I did take it with food. The effects of the Lyrica were strong the first couple of days and then subsided. I am really hoping that the Amitiza works the same way.

I am taking both medications in the AM and the PM until the doctors say otherwise.

But how am I feeling? MUCH BETTER!! I can't tell if the Amitiza is working yet (but then it hasn't been 24 hours yet). However, the Lyrica and vitamin D are working beautifully!! I am still sleeping a lot at night however I am waking up feeling that not only do I want to do thing, I really can!!!

Yesterday I ran some errands... I went to IKEA to pick up some tea lights, I got the oil changed in my car, I had lunch with my good friend Rick (I used to work with him at Cbeyond... he was always a mentor and friend), got the Amitiza from my doctor, stopped at Sally's to pick up hair dye, and stopped in a fabric store, Office Depot looking for a laptop case, and in Home Goods. Granted, Sally's, the fabric store, Office Depot, and Home Goods were all next door to each other but I was able to go to them all, go home and eat dinner before getting sleepy (around 8:30pm). I don't mind being sleepy early at night if I can have a good day!

And on top of all of it... I feel good again this morning!!

Please continue to pray for me. Even if we find that the medications I am on work I have to pray that the medical insurance that I am switching to in December will cover them. The current insurance I am on doesn't. I know that no matter what, God will work it all out. He currently has... both doctors have given me free samples as we test.

Today I am hoping to go to a jeans store, to Barnes & Noble, clean my apartment, and dye my hair. Lets see how far I am able to get...

The Entire Bible

Revelations 22:21 - The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

This is the end of the Bible. I actually read it all the way thru!!! And man what life change did it bring.

• I now work at my Church that preaches this book in the most relevant way.
• My relationship with my Lord has grown by leaps and bounds.
• I lead my small group.
• I am in counseling to heal my past and my wounds so that I can be closer to my God.
• I let go of a boyfriend who I was living inappropriately with and committed to dating God's way.
• This past year I have not dated to give myself time to learn how God wants me to date.
• I have served on a mission team to Slovakia and had one of the best times in my life.
• I start tithing regularly, from the first of my income, and with so much joy in my heart.
• I now have a child. Who I sponsor thru Compassion International.
• My relationship with my family has gotten stronger and closer.
• Friends now look to me and expect Godly wisdom.

God has worked miracles in my life and I am so thankful and grateful for HIM!! None of this would have happened with out him in my life.

Anger?

If you are angry, be sure that it is not out of wounded pride or bad temper. Never go to bed angry – don’t give the devil that sort of foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27

I just got this verse in my devotional for today and it's amazing!! How many times is my anger from wounded pride or a bad temper!!! It's a good thing for me to remember.

More Recipes

I made the following recipes last night and the Tuscan White Bean Spread was a hit... it was completely gone by the end of the night!! I made the bread to eat it with and cut it into bite size chunks... which worked out really well I think. I did have a comment made that the bread tasted like some really expensive bread... and it only has 5 ingredients!! Excellent! My favorite was the fruit salad... but really, that is typical.

Tuscan White Bean Spread

1 (15-ounce) can navy beans
1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt (I used soy yogurt)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 whole garlic cloves, chopped
2 sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
pepper

Combine beans, yogurt, Italian seasoning, pepper, and garlic in a blender and puree until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until combined. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to allow flavors to meld. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.



Left Bank Apple Salad

3 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup diced celery
3/4 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 (8 ounce) container low-fat peach yogurt (I used soy yogurt)

Place apples in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Toss gently. Add the celery, grapes, and walnuts. Pour in the yogurt and mix until ingredients are coated. Cover bowl and refrigerate several hours or overnight to blend the flavors.



Whole Wheat Beer Bread

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
2 tbsp raw sugar (I used 1 tbsp turbino and 1 tbsp regular sugar)
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
12 oz dark beer

Preheat 375 F

Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Lightly grease bread pan. Pour beer into dry mixture. Stir to combine, it will eventually form a dough. Eventually, you will need to stop using the spoon and use your hands to combine. Transfer dough to your bread pan. press down gently so it spreads out even. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour.



Enjoy!

I Was Tagged!!

HAHA! My good friend Rachael tagged me in her blog and I'm supposed to list 7 random facts about me. So, here it goes...

1. The longest I have gone without a surgery/major illness is 6 years... between 12 (appendectomy) and 18 (surgery on my hand).

2. The shortest time... 1 year. Between 8 (tonsils & adenoids remove) and 9 (dog bit me in the face and I had to have starches).

3. I just read thru the entire Bible, it took a little over a year, and in that time God has changed my life more than I ever imagined He would.

4. In my life I have moved at least 18 times. And I am 28.

5. I have lived in 3 states.

6. I am more in love with life now that I am living a life devoted to God than I ever did before. It's hard to explain the peace I feel.

7. I miss my family every day and I wish they all lived closer.

So apparently now I am supposed to tag some more people to keep the chain going...

Natalie
Jason Poll
Jamie
Lynette
Jerry C
Erin R

Who will respond first...

Giving Thanks!

I know at this time of year there are many places to give and volunteer and one such place I found in my Facebook Inbox this morning. I have some friends that will be joining me in putting together a Thanksgiving meal for a family. If you would like to join in financially please let me know! If you would like to check out the opportunity please see below... it is the email I received today:

Over the past few years, 7|22 has partnered with Stirred-Up Ministries to provide Thanksgiving dinner for inner-city Atlanta families who may otherwise not have a Thanksgiving meal. 7|22 may no longer be meeting, but Next Is Now! By adopting a family for Thanksgiving, you will be partnering with Stirred-Up Ministries to help them reach people no one else is reaching.

Interested in adopting a family for Thanksgiving and providing them with a Thanksgiving meal? Here is how it works:
• Each basket costs around $100, so we encourage you to recruit several of your friends or small group to adopt a family together.
• Arrange a time for your group to grocery shop and deliver the basket.
• The basket needs to be delivered to Stirred-Up Ministries before next Tuesday, November 25th.
• Once you get your group together, reply to this e-mail with your name, e-mail and phone number.
• We will e-mail you the name of the family you are adopting, instructions, and a shopping list.

We hope that you decide to partner with Stirred-Up Ministries and adopt a family for Thanksgiving!

I think this is going to be fun!!

Another Update!

I went to the doctor again today. All the blood work that he did came back normal... well all except for my vitamin D, I am deficient in that. So I stopped by Target on my way home to pick some up. What does that mean for me... the doctor is not sure. He has been doing some research on what a deficiency in vitamin D can do to you but he really doesn't know what causes it and what it can do. So, he also wrote me a prescription for more Lyrica. I will be taking both until we can figure out if the trouble is actually the vitamin D. If it is, we will take me off the Lyrica and I will do a big dance!! If not, then we will continue to isolate the fibromyalgia.

Since I have been home I have done some research but I am not finding much that I would think to be interesting... except I found an article entitled 'Causes of vitamin d deficiency' from Helium.com. The part that raised my eyebrow was:

Signs of vitamin "D" deficiency can include, excessive thirst, itching, eczema-like itching, eye pain and soreness, frequent urination, diarrhea, achiness, insomnia, irritability, moodiness, headaches and migraines, muscle pain and many types of cancer, and bone fractures, dizzy spells, fatigue and deposits of calcium in your liver, lungs, kidney, stomach and your blood vessel walls. Since a lack of vitamin "D" leads to a lack of the absorption of B12, calcium and iron you could experience any or all of the above symptoms.

Research shows that fibromyalgia may have a link to vitamin "D" deficiency.

Interesting isn't it...

However, my B12, calcium and iron counts all came back normal. And, although the site is copy written I don't know how accurate it really is. I have been looking and looking for supporting evidence that the above statement is accurate but I am not finding any. So, it looks like I will now be my own guinea pig and will see what happens when I take my vitamins!!

Right now my prayer is that the trouble is just vitamin D (and if it is I will be shocked but I serve a mighty God who can do what he wants!!)!!!

Grandparents & Flying Biscuit!!

On Monday I was able to see my grandparents again!! What what! They were driving from Michigan to Florida (ohhhh warm Florida how I miss you today) they stopped off at the Flying Biscuit and we had a great visit. It was so fun to see them again. Hopefully my parents, brother and I will be going down there again next year! I always look forward to February/March in a beautiful villa in Venice!!

Food, Food and More Food

I have made some food for my Oasis group that I absolutely love so I wanted to pass it along to you. You will love them all.

This first recipe I got from FatFreeVegan and yummy!!

Pineapple Coffee Cake
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup quick or whole oats (not instant)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
1 cup crushed pineapple packed in pineapple juice, undrained
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Topping:
2 tablespoons coarse sugar, such as demerara or raw sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly spray or wipe the bottom and sides of a 8 X 8-inch glass baking pan with oil or cooking spray. (You may use metal, but the baking time will vary.)

Put the oats into a blender and grind until they are fine. Stir a couple of times to make sure that they're uniformly ground.

Mix the oat flour with the other dry ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to dry and stir until moistened and completely combined, but don't over mix. Pour into the prepared pan (batter will be thick). Mix together the sugar and cinnamon topping, and sprinkle it over the top.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Eat and celebrate!

Makes about 9 pieces. Each piece contains: 155 Calories (kcal); 1 g Total Fat; (4% calories from fat); 3 g Protein; 36 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 299 mg Sodium; 3 g Fiber



This second recipe I got from my Aunt Dawn and its addictive!! I tweaked the recipe a bit from her original but either one is amazing...

Cowboy Caviar

Marinade:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
Boil together until sugar melts. Cool. Add 1/4 cup canola oil.

Mix together:
1 can black beans or pinto beans - drained
1 can black eyed peas - drained
1 can whole kernel corn - drained
1 can whole kernel corn - drained
1 orange bell pepper - finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 medium size jar chopped pimentos - drained
1 handful finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp cilantro
black pepper to taste

Pour marinade over veggies 2-24 hours ahead of time. Chill.



This one I got from Semi-Homemade and as always I changed it just a bit. By adding peas it changes up the guacamole a bit but man is it good!

Guacamole
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 cups frozen no-salt added petite peas, thawed
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-ounce seasoning mix (my mix: paprika, cumin, garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cilantro & pepper)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic - it wasn't in this time but I would put it in if I had it
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, drained
1 Florida avocado, diced

In a medium saucepan combine onions, peas, water, lemon juice, guacamole seasoning, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes until ingredients are soft. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour cooled pea mixture into a large bowl. Add avocado and canned tomatoes - mash with a fork or potato masher. Mix until blended.



This recipe is a mix of a few humus recipes and a few additions that I thought would be good... and was I ever right. Yumm-o!

Hummus
3 cloves garlic
1 can chickpeas
6 ounces roasted red bell peppers
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
1/3 cup parsley
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon salt-free garlic herb powder
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Drain chickpeas. In blender or food processor, blend all but the olive oil. When smooth, drizzle in olive oil until you have the consistency that you want. Chill for at least 1 hour.




You can thank me later. :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

I had a great weekend with my family up in Michigan!!! I got it all... Grandma's cooking, Dad's cooking, all the Engelhardts, schafkoph, eucher, Zenders, Tommy V's, Meijers, Slurpees, snow, Normans, nap on Grandparents couch, watching Brennan and Colton play some basketball... I had a blast and as always it went by way too quickly! I was sad that my brother Dan couldn't be there but he is going to be down at my place for Thanksgiving and I am looking forward to seeing him then.

All the family (minus Dan)

All the cousins (once again minus Dan)

A pretty good looking bunch if you ask me!!

Down and Out... Still?

Well, I am not as down or out as I was but I am not quite better yet. The extra liver tests that the doctor did came back negative... which is a good thing however it means they are still trying to figure out what is wrong. I had been writing down all of my symptoms to tell the doctor and he is not 100% but with my symptoms he thinks it may be fibromyalgia. I looked it up online and found these symptoms... and I have to tell you most of the symptoms are things I have experienced recently and some have been quite long term. The doctor put me on Pregabalin (Lyrica) to see if it helps. I'll keep you posted!

Daily Devotional

Another devotional from a Purpose Driven Life that I thought was really, really applicable to my life. Schedules always seem to be more full than I have time for and especially with me in the physical state that I am I really need to make sure I am setting my priorities straight. When I saw this it just hit home...

Surviving Your Schedule
by Rick Warren

An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions. Proverbs 17:24 (TEV)

*** *** *** ***

Do you ever get to the end of your day and think “Did I accomplish anything today?” Where does all the time go?

If you don’t master your schedule, it will master you. Here are three suggestions from the Bible for reducing the stress of your schedule:

Line up your priorities. Obviously, you don’t have time to do everything. You must make choices. You must decide what’s really important and what isn’t. Take some time to consider the direction of your life.

· “It is stupid to waste time on useless projects” (Proverbs 12:11 TEV).

· “You may make your plans, but God directs your actions” (Proverbs 16:9 TEV).

Lighten up your attitude. Do you really have to do everything on your to-do list? No one is holding a gun to your head. A lot of your stress is self-imposed. The Bible says that God gave us humor as a stress reliever.

• “Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up” (Proverbs 12:25 NLT).

• “A relaxed attitude lengthens life; jealousy rots it away” (Proverbs 14:30 NLT).

• “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength” (Proverbs 17:22 NLT).

Look up to God. Stress is always a warning light that you’ve taken your focus off God and are looking at your problems from your limited viewpoint. I believe the single greatest cause of stress is this: We take ourselves too seriously and we don’t take God seriously enough!

Need more time in your schedule?

• “Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short” (Proverbs 10:27 NLT).

• “Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a place of refuge for their children” (Proverbs 14:26 NLT).

Illness Update

So, I am still sick. Nice, huh? Well, last week I went back to the doctor and here is where I am today...

On Friday the doctor took some blood work and when I heard back from the doctor they said its no longer strep and its not mono. The trouble is an elevated liver count. They are running additional test for things like hepatitis, etc and they should have the additional results back in a week. In the meantime I am on prednisone. They say the prednisone should help me to feel better and more awake. So far I am barely staying awake. I do very little and I am exhausted. In the past week I have worked about 2 hours... and after the 2 hours I could barely keep my eyes open.

This isn't the first time I have had blood work come back with an elevated liver count so who knows what will come of it. I just ask that you keep me in your prayers and once I know more I will definitely let you know again.

However, I am still very lucky. I have the best friends anyone could ask for who have brought me soup and flowers. And I include the people I know from work in the friends category... they have kept up with my illness and have even sent me flowers! My boss has told me every time I have tried to work to go back home and get better. I can't ask for more. Want to see my flowers?? Check them out...

From Work!

From Work

From Erinleigh & George

Its nice to look around and see such beautiful flowers! I am super lucky!

Missing Life

Once again MIA. Well, this time I blame it on strep. I have been out of life basically since last Wednesday and I am tired of sleeping!! I have spent the last 6 days either on my couch or on my bed. I had to go out today to get a few medications that I ran out of and I have to say it was nice to move but it made me sleepy.

When I think of the fun times that I was supposed to have this past week (my friend Victor's birtday party, seeing Nick Arrojo with Heather, small group, Oasis, Atlanta Challenge Celebration, Church, seeing my friends both at work and outside of work) I am a little sad however I need to get better.

So, medication will be taken and back to the couch I head to lay back down. Hope everyone else is feeling better than me!!!

Rich People Problems

Tonight for small group we went out to Seasons 52 and I had a great time! I love my small group and had never been to Seasons 52 before and was excited to go. The premise of the restaurant is that there is nothing over 500 calories. Tiffany (who is also vegan+) and I decided to split two of the entrees... Salmon Flatbread and the Autumn Market Vegetable Plate. To go with it, everyone in the group had a glass of wine. Everything was wonderful and I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. The service was slow, however it was just fine because we each had so much to talk about it made time just fly! Let me say that this part of the evening was more than I could have asked for... I had a blast.

But the rest of this is going to be written before all this healthy rage wears off...

Seasons 52 is in a retail/business area called One/Two Buckhead Plaza. I have been to the Plaza before to go to J. Christophers, a breakfast restaurant, and the first time I parked in the wrong parking garage and ended up paying more to park than I did to eat, needless to say I was frustrated.

However this time I searched and searched until I found the correct parking garage, it was a maze to get into and I passed complimentary valet parking but because I was being really cheap and didn't want to pay the tip to valet, I parked myself. Where I parked was for retail customers and was 2 hours free parking. Or so they said.

However, when I tried to get validated they said that Seasons 52 is not a retail shop. I question what it is then? I defined retail in this setting as something other than business. Since I am going somewhere to pay them money for a product (aka food) I figure this was retail. Crazy me.

So then I go to exit (and luckily it was evening) and I ended up paying $5 to park. Not that $5 is a lot of money, however I was expecting free. And more than that I feel like they purposefully made it complicated just so they can get money off of people like me (and had this been during the day it would have been $6 per hour or in this case about $15). And more than that, this isn't downtown Atlanta where there is no free parking to be had, this is Buckhead where its free to park pretty much anywhere. And more than that I could have done complimentary valet, pulled up to basically the exact same place and I could have tipped them this money, which I prefer to do, I was just being really economical (or cheap).

As I was driving home and I was stewing over this and basically just making myself more and more angry I started thinking about Oasis and Andy Stanley.

The anger training that we just went thru in Oasis class talked about healthy anger. And since I wanted to hurt someone over this means its not healthy anger.

And as Andy would say, this is a rich people problem.

I was able to eat, inside a restaurant, I was able to pay for the food with my own money, I was able to drive in my own car home, and I have a home to go home to. If any of those things were not there, this would be a real problem. Me having to pay a parking garage to be able to park my car is a rich people problem. And really, I need to just get over it.

So why am I still upset?

JJ Heller

During my run on Friday a song popped into my iTunes that I had downloaded from here but hadn't listened to it. The song is called 'Not Mine Anyway' and it made me smile...

More and more away to you
It’s not mine anyway

I could not ever try so hard
I could buy a place in your heart
But here I am
My name written on your hands
Because you paid the debt I owe

Without you we all fall down
Without you we all fall


As most of you know, I have felt a strong pull from God that the way I was living my life needed to change. There has been many things that I have prayed over and changed in my life to live the way I feel God calling me to. And the last sermon series at Buckhead Church really fit into what God has been showing me in my life.

Namely, you are what you think. Where are your thoughts leading you. My notes from the sermons are as follows:

You think. You are.
Clay Scroggins

Week 1 - What Was I Thinking?

Philippians 4:8

- Your thoughts drive your actions.
- Thoughts that hold us most, mold us most.
- Use this passage as filter for your thoughts. Filter all your thoughts thru this grid.

Week 2 - Above the Influence

What was I thinking? Thoughts drive our actions.

Changing your mind is a very difficult thing to do. Any human system of self control is frustrating.

Colossians 3:1-4

Jesus died for the things that we can't change on our own. But then he rose and we have been raised with Christ and are in eternity with Christ. This should be the backdrop for your mindset, for everything you believe.

I am not a slave to my mind. You can not change your mind, Christ can. What will He change?
- Your general perspective
- There is ultimate hope in every circumstance.
- Recalibrate your heart to what's really meaningful.

I Feel Like I Am Falling Behind

I noticed that I am not updating as much as I have been... where do the days go!! I had a great weekend. Friday became my day of rest and what do I do on my day of rest... I run for an hour and a half. Well, not really run the entire time, but most of it! I was going to go on a 4 mile run, which should have taken about 45 minutes. However as I started running I wanted to try a new course so I ran around different streets, thinking I knew where I was going. However, about an hour into the run I realized I had no clue where I was. Luckily I had my trusty I phone on me so I pulled it out, used GPS to find my location and mapped my way home. I was about 2.5 miles away from home!! I couldn't believe how far I had gone, and I would have to go about 2 miles down Peachtree to make it home. I don't like running on such a busy street so once I got to Peachtree I called my mom and talked to her on the rest of the walk.

The rest of the day was then resting. I sat on the couch, took a nap, had lunch and dinner, and knitted. It was great!! I am making Victor a scarf for his birthday, which is this week, however it may not be done on time. If not, he will get it a little late! Oh well, I am actually impressed on how far I already am on the scarf since I just started it last weekend!

Yesterday I worked out again in the morning, but this time I played it safe and went to the gym. I ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, did 30 minutes of cardio-kickboxing, and 30 minutes of yoga. Since the cardio-kickboxing and yoga are done to FitTV (and they have commercials) I did a few minutes of weightlifting during the commercials.

After the workout I ate some lunch and went to my friend Erinleigh's house for her dog, Bauer's, 2nd birthday party!! It was a lot of fun and I got to meet some new people which was very cool. After the party the ladies wanted to go to an art fair so we left around 6pm to head over there... however the fair closed at 6pm so by the time we got there all the booths were closed up. The guys were going to another house to play video games so us ladies headed over to that house to hang out. The game the guys wanted to play was missing some key parts so indeed we played Apples to Apples. I hadn't played it before but it was a lot of fun! Around 9pm Erinleigh got hungry so she, her husband George, and I went to La Fonda Cantina for a little Mexican food.

The Cantina (on Peachtree) is very close to my apartment and I had been there before but just for drinks. Their food was pretty good. I had the veggie tacos and Erinleigh got the salmon fish tacos. Since we each got 2 tacos with our order we decided to split them. We both preferred the veggie. We also got dessert to split... Apple Empanadas. They reminded all of us of apple pies from McDonalds. I wouldn't get the dessert again but I would go back for the main course. And, like all Mexican restaurants, they had chips and salsa. The salsa was super fresh and super good! And, for those that care, the price was very good.

Coconut Cupcakes... or Muffins

I am following a few vegan food blogs and in my reading one day I came across this Coconut Cupcake recipe, so I made it last night in preparation for Oasis tonight. In the end, I had one extra so I tried it and I would call it more a cross between a muffin and a cupcake. I liked it :)

I haven't iced them yet but I have added the icing recipe below as well. I will be icing tonight.



Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened, reduced fat coconut flakes (dehydrated)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup lite coconut milk
2/3 cup raw sugar
5 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp coconut extract or vanilla

Directions:
Preheat 350F
1. Mix flour, flakes, soda and salt in a bowl
2. Combine coconut milk, sugar, applesauce and extract
3. Mix wet until dry, stirring as little as possible until just combined
4. Spoon into a greased muffin tin 3/4 full
5. Bake 15 minutes

Coconut Creme Frosting

Ingredients:
4-5 tbsp reduced fat coconut flakes
3 tbsp non-hydr. cream cheese
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp coconut extract or soy milk

Directions:
1. place 2 tbsp of coconut flakes on a cookie sheet
2. bake 5 minutes at 350F until light brown
3. mix another 2-3 tbsp flakes, cream cheese, sugar and extract or soy milk
4. whip using electric beaters until blended and creamy
5. add another 1/2 to 1 tsp extract or soy milk if its too thick
6. ice cupcakes and sprinkle with toasted coconut

imago dei

Front Note: This posts is mostly for me. Something as a reminder for when I check past posts and remember where I have been and where I am going. But please, read on...

As I have talked about previously in posts, I am going thru Oasis (divorce) counseling thru North Point Ministries. Since my divorce, I have struggled with the idea of dating and marriage post-divorce. What good, Godly man would want to date/marry a lady who has been divorced? Would that make him/me an adulterer? There is some harsh punishments (i.e. stoning) in the Bible for divorce so what does that mean in this present day... does God see someone who is divorced as unlovable, unworthy, or unforgivable?

I have had to believe that God does forgive, that I am worthy and lovable. And there are so many other Christian people who have gone thru this so I know that it is possible to get remarried. However I have continued to struggle.

On Thursday I had some work to do so I stayed pretty late. During part of the work I was transferring data so I started looking at the website Blue Like Jazz and was looking around and then remembered the church Don talked about a lot, imago dei, and started poking around there. I really would love to visit the church some day but that's a completely different topic.

As I was poking around I found their stance on divorce and remarriage. It gave me hope...

Position
Imago Dei Community seeks God’s help to build strong marriages and families. Marriage is God’s gift for believers and unbelievers (Genesis 2:24); but, in a broken world, marriages will fail and we must be ready to respond with grace and truth.

The New Testament allows, but does not require divorce for sexual unfaithfulness. God’s grace encourages us to forgive and have hope that God’s transforming power can redeem even the most broken marriage. However, when there has been sexual unfaithfulness, divorce and remarriage are allowed, and do not constitute adultery. The marriage bond includes a covenant and then uniting sexually in “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Biblically, a marriage is viewed as ending when one spouse dies (Romans 7:2). It can also end when two things occur: (1) the one flesh has been violated (sexual unfaithfulness) and (2) the legal covenant has been revoked (divorce); if only one of these two things has occurred, the marriage continues to exist.

If someone divorces without a valid cause, they are still married in God’s sight. If one of them remarries, their new sexual union is adultery against their former spouse, and the first marriage is ended. Their union forms a new marriage. The new couple should repent of adultery, receive God’s forgiveness, and seek to make their marriage faithfully permanent. The former spouse is now single and free to remarry (Matthew 19:3-12).

One further exception is the so-called “Pauline privilege” in I Corinthians 7:15 (the believer “is not under bondage in such cases”) . The “bound” condition is best understood as the marriage bond (I Corinthians 7:39). In a marriage of believer and unbeliever, the believer should seek to preserve the marriage (1 Corinthians 7:13-14; 1 Peter 3:1-2). However, if the unbelieving spouse deserts, the believer, after patient prayer, may divorce and remarry.

Unmarried sexual cohabitation is an expression of sexual sin that seeks intimacy without commitment. The couple should either separate or make a marriage covenant in harmony with Scripture and state law (Hebrews 13:4; Romans 13:1).

Qualifications for church leadership involve one’s current life style. No one is disqualified because they did not meet the requirements in the past. The “husband of one wife” qualification for elders and deacons (I Timothy 3:2; 3:12) requires a person to have a reputation of living faithfully with their current spouse. The qualification is an idiom meaning a “one wife kind of man” not someone who has never been divorced or never remarried. For a single person this would require a reputation of sexual purity. Taking the phrase literally results in the unlikely view that it excludes single men like Paul, and those who have remarried for any cause. (Kostenberger, God Marriage and Family, chp. 12; Strauch, Biblical Eldership, 189-193).

It's kinda long so I cropped it. Check out the site if you want to see their position in its entirety.