A Pinterest Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  Check out these cool ideas I found on Pinterest!

Just the right mix of cute and creepy

Add a police lineup backdrop for party photos!

Because anyone has time to create this?

Click the photo for the chicken wire ghost tutorial!

Simple and spooky.

Marshmallows drizzled with caramel on skewers...genius!

How cute is this?

Cardboard cutouts inside the windows!

Melted  crayon pumpkins

Click here to follow me on Pinterest!

Should Have Been Me

Citizen Way's song Should Have Been Me states it clear as day:

Should have been me
Should have been us
Should've been there hanging on a cross


Romans 6:23 says:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I'm incapable of living a life without sin.  We all are.  We're human, we're sinners, we can't deny it.  According to Romans 6:23 the only way to pay for sin is death.  

I should die for my sin.

But God, because He loves us SOOOO much, sent His perfect and blameless Son to die that death for me. 

Lets do a little math:

Sin = death

My sin = my death

Jesus' sinless life ≠ death

But Because He loves us

My sin = Jesus death

Jesus' sinless life = my eternity secured

The lyrics of the song go onto say: 

Leaves me saying Thank God for the 'should've been'

Isn't that the truth?  Thank God that 'what should've been' isn't what really happened.

A free gift from our Heavenly Father.  All we need to do is accept.

A Blast From The Past

I was looking through all my old blogs and found this post that originally debuted on November 16, 2010.  The words I wrote are still true...enjoy:

Tall.  Dark.  Handsome.

Those words have been ingrained into every little girl's mind.  As well as: Happily.  Ever.  After.

Thank you Disney for creating such an amazing picture of how life is supposed to be:

Beautiful Girl + Tall Dark and Handsome (oh, and usually a prince) = Happily Ever After.

Wait, wait, wait!

These things, though appealing, aren't reality; and though I'm a sucker for a good fairytale, I know they don't equal happiness.

What, then, does create happiness in the context of love?

The Bible says this about love:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

Paul, one of the greatest servants of the Lord, also said this about love:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

At the end of the day, it's not about the tall dark and handsome prince that rides in on his white stallion to save the day.  I spent my 20's looking for this prince.  I had it all wrong.  The Prince I need isn't going to ride in and save me...the Prince I need already has saved me.  And not by awakening me from a poison-apple-induced-slumber.  And He didn't ride a noble stead...He rode a lowly donkey, and  HE DIED ON A CROSS for me.  FOR ME!  But don't worry...He died on a cross for you too!

That, my friends, is LOVE.  And I'll take that over a fairytale any day.

Menu 10/29-11/2

October 29th-November 2

Monday: Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Sliced Potatoes ,Green Beans

Last time I made this I doubled the filling and it was a HUGE hit, the girls have been asking for this for a few weeks already so I figured it was time!

Tuesday: Potato Soup

I've never made this recipe but with the weather changing I thought it sounded good.  Plus, it seems pretty easy and quite delicious (though not super healthy...)

Wednesday: Lasagna (CP) bread and broccoli

As before, First, I double the meat and sauce mixture and put half in the freezer.  Later, you can pull it out, let it thaw and quickly assemble the rest in minutes.  Where the lasagna recipe calls for egg, I use a little olive oil instead.  I also sautee onion and garlic with the ground beef and sometimes I'll throw some carrots into a food processor then stir that into the meat as well, never hurts to sneak in a little extra veggies!  For soft buttery bread, slice bread, spread with softened butter (and garlic if you like) wrap in foil and place in oven for 10 min at 350.  Frozen broccoli lightly steamed with garlic powder is a perfect and quick addition to the meal.

Thursday: I'm off dinner duty this night because their Grandma is in town and she's going to make dinner for the fam!!

Grocery List:

Chicken Breasts

Basil

Cream Cheese

Bakers

Green Beans

2.5lbs Red Potatoes

Bacon

Onion

Celery

Parsley

Heavy Cream

2 Jars spaghetti sauce

parmesan

shredded mozerella

lasagna noodles

2 lb ground beef 

Crusty bread (I use Jewel (Albertsons) french bread)

Apple Pie

I make a killer apple pie.  You can thank Hannah over at EttaGrace for that.  See, she asked me to make all the desserts for her wedding where I made enough pie, banana bread, cake and cookies to feed a small army.  Up until that point I hadn't spent too much time on apple pie but I became obsessed with finding the best apple pie recipe.  I tried many, and then I found this one.  This past weekend I was called upon yet again to make some pies for an event Hannah was hosting.  Apple pie was a no-brainer. (I also made pumpkin, but that's simple, everyone can make a good pumpkin pie!)

Part of the dessert spread at Hannah's wedding.

I don't follow the recipe exactly...I never follow recipes exactly.  Here are my changes:

First, I use a mix of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp apples which I peel and core.  Chop the apples in half then into slices.

Second, as you're slicing the apples, place in a large plastic bowl (I find the apples break more easily in glass bowls) and squirt a little lemon juice on them to prevent browning.

I sprinkle cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger on the apples and toss to coat.  I also sprinkle about 1-2Tbl of flour to help thicken the juices.  I don't ever measure the amounts, I can tell you that I use the most cinnamon, followed by about half as much ginger, half again of cloves and just a dash of nutmeg.

Place the apples into a pie pan with a bottom crust (I usually use the pre made and rolled kind from the store but since my pie plate is larger I have to roll it out a little to make it big enough) and arrange in a dome.

Place in fridge to chill while making the caramel.

Getting ready for the fridge while I make the caramel!

I follow the caramel from the recipe above but I pour 95% of it on the apples (the recipe calls for a lattice top then pouring the caramel over/through that) drizzling it somewhat evenly over the apples.  I then roll out the top crust and place to top the pie.  Cut a few slits in the crust to allow venting while baking then put back in to chill for 20 or so minutes.

The chilling of the pie before baking ensures that the crust won't fall.  Falling crust is due to the butter in the dough melting before the crust sets.  By chilling it, the butter re-solidifies and the crust will set before the butter completely melts and the crust falls.

After it's done chilling, heat up the last little bit of caramel and use a pastry paint brush to cover top crust, but DO NOT brush over edges of pie crust.  The edge bakes more rapidly and for a uniform color you'll want to just brush the crust that is covering the filling and not the edge.

Fresh out of the oven pie!

Bake as directed, cool, slice and top each piece with cinnamon honey whipped cream:

Again, I don't measure anything (sorry)

Place cold heavy whipping cream into your mixer bowl and start beating on low speed with your whip attachment.  As it starts to thicken, you can increase the speed and sprinkle in some powdered sugar to sweeten slightly (maybe like 1/4 cup max) and some cinnamon to taste.  Before it gets much thicker, drizzle in some honey as it's whipping.  Don't be afraid to stop the mixer and take a taste.  This is your dessert-make it just how you want it!  Remember, it's easy to add more of anything, but impossible to take away once you've added an ingredient.  Whip until you reach a medium peak.  You want the cream to form decent peaks but the sides to be smooth.  If you've beaten it too long, the sides of the peaks will be jagged.  Don't worry, simply add in a little more heavy whipping cream and mix by hand to combine.

The complete spread.

Pinterest Thursday

So, the Challenge is in full swing...week two is half way over and we've already lost over 20 pounds...and that's just the 8 people who have offered their +/- for week 1.

I've been struggling since I'm unable to actually do much working out.  This tendonitis in my foot is really a pain!  I tried swimming last weekend but after 15 minutes I had to get out of the pool, it was just to painful.  Instead of running, swimming or weights I've been doing Mari Windsor's bun and thigh workout as well as upper body weights and some abs.

Once I can workout again, I'm going to attempt one of these workouts (click photos for links)

If you're having a tough time getting up in the morning to get that workout in, check out these tips

And if you're like me, you might need a few ideas for healthy snacks, especially pre and post workout.

And, it's not too late to jump on the Challenge!!

And click here to follow me on Pinterest.

PSA

I know this public service announcement won't change anything since the target audience for this post is males, specifically those on online dating sites.  And lets face it, the people who read my blog are my family and girlfriends...but, I feel it needs to be said anyway...

Guys,

This is the deal...you are horrible at picking photos of yourself.  Please consult your mother, a sister, coworker, cousin, or one of the many female "friends from high school" shown in your albums.

Strictly forbidden are:

Bill Cosby Sweaters: unless you add a caption stating you won the Ugly Sweater Contest with said sweater,  I'm going to think you like this sweater, think it looks nice on you and will wear it when you're in public with me, which I am not looking forward to.

Cats: unless it's a mountain lion you wrestled to the ground to prevent from eating a small child, or a lion you saw on your missions trip to africa, I don't want to see any cats wandering around your photos, ESPECIALLY when you're wearing the cat...I don't think a cat draped over a man's shoulders is attractive and makes me question the phrase "old cat LADY"

Cleavage: of any kind, especially of the excessive variety.  Even though you captioned the photo with "friend from high school" so I know it's not an ex I still don't want to see down her shirt.  It's not classy.

Celebrities: in the flesh, cardboard cutouts or photoshopped in.  I don't want to see celebrities in your pics.  Seriously, it doesn't impress me.  Have I mentioned that trying to impress me is the biggest turn off?  When a man tries to impress a lady it comes off as just that-trying.  If you are a classy guy (which I'm sure you are) then just be the person you are and that will impress me...or, it won't, but at least you will have been true to yourself.

Unidentified Children: Who is this precious child that is in your pic?  If you don't caption the photo with: niece/nephew,cousin, little bro/sis or something like that I'm going to assume it's either your kid or you grabbed a strangers kid for the photo to make it appear that you are good with children.

Multiple Large Group Shots: You're popular, I get it.  You have a lot of really great friends and you do so many fun things together.  However...sometimes, I can't tell which one you are if you haven't clearly captioned it, and also, I usually can't really get a good look at you because group shots make each person a super tiny part of the pic.  And finally...your best friend...he's pretty cute, since I don't think it's going to work out for us, can you introduce me to him?

Moving on...some issues we have with filling out the profile questions:

Your stats say your don't have kids at home.  To a woman that means you don't have any children.  Anywhere.  To a man, that means you don't have a kid standing right in front of you at this very moment.  So, I'm confused when a man says he doesn't have kids at home yet is thankful for his children.  That means kids live with the mom?  Now I'm more interested in knowing why you are so thankful for your kids yet they don't spend time in your home or they aren't important enough for you to put a "yes" on the have kids at home line, than I am in reading the rest of your profile.

When you answer the question "What's the last book you enjoyed and why?" with "I don't really read." You've got to know I applaud your honesty (even though I'm already reaching for the "close match" button) but at minimum could we list the Bible, since it's one of the things you just told me you can't live without?

"One thing your passionate about" does not equal "any interest I've ever had, ever, in my life" it means ONE THING you are passionate about.  Perhaps, God, Jesus, My faith, Family, relationships with loved ones, continuing to expand my knowledge, etc.  Unacceptable answers are: trucks, video games, trains, airplanes (ok, lets just say anything that is a mode of transpiration should not be the ONE thing you are passionate about) hunting, fishing, paintball, (ok, lets add all outdoor activities).  I'm not saying those are bad things, I'm just saying if you are asked to list one and only one thing you are passionate about, I think it should be something more important than paintball...really...you're more passionate about video games than your family, or God?  Hmmm...

A few positive things I've seen:

When you answer the question "One person (besides parents) that has influenced your life" with something honest and vulnerable like your special needs sibling, your grandma, YoungLife leader, etc it's endearing.  When you're open share things like that it shows me that you aren't trying to be a tough-guy and realize you've needed people along the way.  When you answer it with: I've done it all on my own I think you're a jerk.  When you say Jesus, I agree but I think it's an easy out and I want to know more about your interactions with the people in your life.

Thank you for pulling something I said in my profile and asking me a question about it, it makes me feel like you actually read what I had to say and didn't just click through my photos and decided I was pretty enough to communicate with.

I'm a sucker for any guy who posts a photo with his mom.  Shows me you love and value her.  And if you don't treat your mom right, I know you aren't going to treat me right.

If you're liking what you're reading, get on it, man!  I'm on this dating site because I WANT to meet someone, so kudos to the men who initiate communication and keep the process moving at a comfortable pace.  I get more excited about you when you're pursuing me, and I'm more likely to agree to a date if you've not dilly dallied around.

The truth is, I know there are some GREAT men on these sites.  It's just frustrating looking at each piece of hay in the stack to find the needle.  But I know that God is in control and who knows, the man he has for me might be a cat loving, x-box playing, ugly sweater wearing, slowpoke.  But lets be praying against that :)

You Love Me Anyway

Being a Christian is hard.  I mean, I'm just so good at being a sinner.  We all are.  And if we think otherwise, we're just lying to ourselves.

I had a really grumpy day last week.  I was cranky.  Like, wrong side of the bed cranky.  Plus my foot really hurt (stupid tendonitis) and I was hungry all day because I'm trying to stay within my calorie goal and the girls were more needy than normal and I just couldn't pull it together.

Then it hit me.

Why am I complaining about anything?  Why do I get upset about trivial things like traffic, rain and a slight hunger pain or a sore foot?

Man, do I not know what has been given to me?  I have been given so much and I don't deserve any of it.  I am the reason Christ died on the cross.  Every time I sin, no matter how "small" I think it might be, sin is sin and it was enough to nail Jesus to the cross.

I'm the mocking voice, yet He died for me.  That I might live.

What does traffic have on that?  

A nail pierced His flesh and I'm grumpy about feeling hungry?  And it's not even real hunger like the kids I met in Africa feel every second of every single day of their entire life.

Reality check time Lins.  

And I'm not saying I'm a horrible person for feeling these normal human things, but I am admitting that I'm human, which means I'm a sinner and therefore the recipient of grace, love and mercy.  And not just a little...it abounds.  Freely given.  Without hesitation.  To me.  And to you.

This Sidewalk Prophets song really hit me and I can't stop thinking about how 

I am the thorn in His crown

I am Judas' kiss

I am the one who sent Him to death.  The death He died for me.  Because He loved me, and you.

Guest Post: Swan Tears: Part 2

To read part 1, Click here

Gartu knocked. I backed up and hid my face in Coral’s mane. A moment later the door was opened by a little boy with an angelic face and eyes the color of liquid silver. His hair was light blonde, running on white, which was the only other color besides Coral’s tail that I had seen today. I smiled at him, but he frowned at me, and I noticed the little tail that smoothly connected to his waist.

“Garth, come in. Father and Mother are waiting,” the little boy said. Wait, so Gartu was Garth? Wait, that was confusing. I felt Coral pull me into the castle. When she stopped, I looked up and gasped. The king was all silver, but the queen was a riot of color. Her eyes were bright green, and her hair was red like mine, except longer and fuller.

“Irene? I gasped. Irene was our oldest sister. She was twenty now, but looked older, more mature, queenly, even. She wore a silver gown, of course, and her mouth was turned up at the corners.

“Delilah. How you’ve grown,” she said. Her voice was cool. “Meet your new husband, Elijah.” Into the room swam a man who very closely resembled the king, except his eyes were blue.

“NO!” I yelled, which made Coral whinney nervously. Elijah smiled slowly, and his eyes glittered cruelly. I backed up.

“Is there any other option, Irene?” I asked my sister.

“You will address me as Your Holiness or Your Savior of the Land,” my sister said. She had a glint in her eye, a lust for power.

“Your Holiness,” I repeated. Irene nodded. “Is there any other choice?” I repeated.

“Well, you could spend the rest of your time as a swan,” the king said, and immediately I knew what appealed to me.

“Swan,” I said. The king looked shocked.

“Are you sure?” He asked. I nodded. “There hasn’t been a female living here in many years,” he said, but I wasn’t swayed. He sighed.

“We cannot force you into this,” Irene said. She brought me into a room made completely out of hardened silica.

“Why silica?” I asked. She said nothing. “We will put a pool in your family’s backyard, big enough for eight swans. You will live there for the rest of your life, unless you can shed a tear, which is impossible because swans do not feel like humans. And silica is a good magic heightener.” Irene started to leave.

“Will our family now who I am? Will you ever come back?” I bombarded her with questions, trying to make her stay.

“Yes, and no. I am one of the five women left in this Silver City. As much as I wish, I cannot go back,” Irene said sadly. “If you are freed from your spell, surf extra hard for me. Compete. For me, okay?” Irene walked out of the room, and there was a humming in the air. I felt a tugging in my gut, like when I hit a rough wave and am on the verge of wiping out. The silica room started spinning, and then I was floating.

It had been a year since I was turned into a swan, and I hadn’t been able to shed a tear. I was used to seeing a beak and long neck in the water, but what really made me sad was the ocean. The waves were huge, and the water a cool blue. I felt tugging in my feathered body at all times, though I loved watching Maddie and Kevin learning how to surf. Mike was eighteen now, so we didn’t see him often because he was off at Stanford, doing whatever college kids do. I looked up and cawed happily. Chelsea, at twelve now, came forward holding a cup of lemon citrus tea. I found I still liked it, even after I had been turned into a swan. Chelsea still found time to visit me, even after I had been turned. She still loved me. That was good. David, at fourteen avoided me, and I could hear him muttering words like “unnatural” and “false.”  It made me sad.

“Hi, Delilah,” Chelsea said. Her grey eyes were filled with sadness. Sadness, if I had been able to, would’ve made me cry. I gave another call, and Chelsea smiled, tears dripping down her cheeks. She let me drink the tea, and then I put my head in her lap. I was so filled with emotion, moved by Chelsea’s tears. I felt an odd prickling sensation, and out of my eye spilled something wet.

“Shh. Don’t cry…Delilah?” Chelsea picked something up from her lap. It was a pearl, white and creamy. It looked like my feathers when they were wet, creamy and smooth.  I sat up. I felt a warm tingling feeling in my body, and took flight out of Chelsea’s lap. I felt her eyes follow me. I landed, and began to sparkle.

“MOMMA! DAD! DAVID! MADDIE AND KEVIN!” Chelsea screeched, and the rest of my family came running. They couldn’t even say anything.

The sparkling stopped and I looked up. My hair--red hair, surrounded my vision. I touched it. It was smooth and silky. I sat up. I was wearing my suit, but my shirt was gone. My hair had grown to well past my shoulders, almost at waist length. Another moment passed, and my whole family collapsed on me, hugging and kissing one another.

I was free.

I had shed a swan tear.                   

Menu 10/21-10/28

October 21st-28th

Monday: Chicken Alfredo with Peas

I marinate some chicken breasts, cook and either pull or cube.  Then, I make a homemade alfredo sauce from Julia Child's béchamel, I usually make one and a half times the recipe.  To that I add a bunch of fresh grated parm, some garlic and when it's ready I mix it into the pasta (whichever shape the girls pick) and stir in the pulled or cubed chicken and some frozen peas.

Tuesday: Whole Foods Mediterranean Turkey Burger, Broccoli

The Whole Foods meat counter has amazing pre-made Mediterranean turkey burgers.  The link above will take you to a blog a girl wrote about them.  I'll pop them on my Foreman grill and add a side of steamed broccoli.  The girls have never had them before but I made something similar from scratch they really enjoyed.

Wednesday: Tacos, Peppers and Corn

Our standard chicken tacos with black beans, avocado, cheese and tomato.  Frozen corn and fresh peppers to round out the meal.

Thursday: Pork Chops (CP) and Green Beans

I have never made these.  And I just realized they are Mediterranean too...guess I was in the mood!  Anyway, We'll see how they turn out!

Grocery List:

Parm

Milk (the alfredo takes 2-3 cups so make sure you have plenty)

Pasta (shape of your choosing)

WF Turkey Burgers

Buns

Lettuce

Tortillas

Avocado

Black Beans

Pork Chops (4thick)

Tomato

Chicken Breasts (for two meals)

Wait, You Don't Eat Pork?

I mentioned before that I've been praying that God would present me with opportunities to speak the Gospel into the girl's lives, and the courage to do so.  Today, He presented such a moment.

I'll set the scene: Lucy, Pho and I were hanging out in the car while Mia was at her dance class.  The girls were doing homework and I was reading my way through today's portion of my "Read the Bible Through in a Year" program.  I just happened to be in Leviticus and something (ok, God) nudged me to interrupt their homework...

Me: Hey, Lucy, you know how your Jewish friends don't eat pork?

Lucy: Yeah...

(Pho stops doing homework and sticks her head up from the back seat)

Me: Well, I'm reading that part of the Bible right now 

Then I read them most of Leviticus 11:1-46, stopping along the way as they were grossed out at the thought of eating some of the animals listed.

Me: So that's why they don't eat pork.

Lucy: So, Moses, he was like a messenger for God?  God spoke to him and he told the people?  What's that called?  A prophet?

Me: Yeah, exactly.

Lucy: Well, I used to think that it meant he made money-because he was a profit.

Me: That's funny Lucy!  So clever!

Pho: So, you're Jewish?  Wait, you don't eat pork?

Lucy (breaks into maniacal laughter): Yeah right!!!  Linsey not eat bacon...that would never happen!!!

At which point I explained to Pho the difference between the Old and New Testament, the difference between someone who is Jewish and a Christian. And then Lucy asked me to "draw her the cross thing you drew for me last month and explain about how without Jesus, you'd just fall into the Grand Canyon, but because of Jesus and his work on the cross, he bridges the gap between you and God so you can be with him forever when you die." (Lucy's words)

So I did...

Enjoy your eternal trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon...

Lucy pointed out several times to Pho "how cool it is that this makes a cross,
and that's the symbol for Christians because Jesus was crucified on a cross."

I know it really should read "Jesus took all my sin"--it's not contingent on me giving my heart to him, it's already been done...it's not perfect, but on the spot, this is what I came up with.

Clearly, they are listening when I talk.  And praise God for answering prayers and providing an opening for His message to be heard.  God is Good!