Routine's...or really a break?

Hey guys! I know, I'm a slacker for not blogging but I have decided to after all that has been going on since January. So, here goes.

Many of you now know what exciting times have been going on with the Hill family and if you don't know, you ought to join Bryan's blog because he's far better a writer and in remembering to blog/update than I am. He is an Associate Campus Pastor over LifeGroups/Missions with a wonderful, growing, all about leading people to Christ church called LifeChurch.tv. Check out the website. I love the hearts of these people there and I look forward in establishing relationships with each of them soon!

So, here is the very first Monday after B has moved to the sunny state of Florida and our new routine's have begun. I must say first that the first weekend has come and gone and w/o B around was busy (note: that was my goal all along) though I found myself in a state of moping around mostly and hoping to hide it from the girls and my peeps. I did pretty good in accomplishing that I believe. Meanwhile, the girls were super great! I'm sure lack of sleep/rest did that mostly though.

So, after reading my mom's text this morning, as she has done since he left, asking how we're doing and such, I told her about B and I getting to Skype for about 50 min last night. (Loving technology) I told her about how I jokingly showed B the curtain in our room which did not have the blanket at the top of it to hide out the street light which he did routinely, or his side of the bed not turned down, or that I now turn the alarm on, turn all Scentsies off, turn our fan on, close the doors from other light from the bathroom, tuck in our babies, preparing the house every weekend for our Open House and so on. Can you see where I'm going with this? Realizing to myself....Bryan's getting a break from these dang routine's that he's been helping/doing for years!!! Poor guy needed to drive all the way to South Florida to get that much needed break! He's calling it a job but we both know that's not all it is. haha

I know that I sound like a high maintenance woman, but I'm actually sharing with you what I found to be true and that is..... that I have a partner in life and when he's gone, though briefly, I get a little thrown off because of the things I wasn't use to doing alone. Which leads me to seeking scripture where God is constantly reminding us that we as believers in Christ are never alone. This wasn't anything new but now I see it so differently.

Jesus was very clear when telling his disciples this.

John 15:16

'You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last-and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.'

John 14:12

'Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.'

Man, that excites me like no other....I have the very same power that Christ has living in me through the Holy Spirit. I can and will learn how to accept the transitions during these short term "changes" in our lives. Jesus chose me, and for that, I am eternally grateful that he sought me and thought enough of me to love me unconditionally even through my whiny stages in life. I have a lot of work to do during this time so we begin in this new journey with me putting my "big girl panties on" and enjoying the ride of my life! I am not alone, ever, thank you Jesus! Though having Bryan as my partner in life, it is a gift to me, and having his help is extremely nice, we're all going to be just fine because God is in control not us.

I trust in you Jesus! Teach me what I need to learn and hear what you have to say so that I can bear fruit and will have lasting effects in Your name.

Sorry if I offended anyone with my "big girl panties" remark, but that's how I role....Maybe you too should use that term and live by it?

Mel

Here's what's for supper.....

TRY THIS..............

Curry Chicken

3-4 Chicken Breast Cubed
Season w/ salt, pepper, curry powder, and chili powder
1 pkg Ready to eat carrots
3-4 small Russett potatoes chopped into 1 in cubes
1 can coconut milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 pkg Golden Curry paste

Cook chicken (add the dry ingredients) in skillet with EVOO. Boil potatoes and carrots until almost done. Pour off water until it's slightly below them. Pour in can of coconut milk, evaporated milk, and curry paste. Then add cooked chicken and let it cook together for about 20 min on medium heat.

Recipe by: Candice Stanley


If you have a recipe, please share it with me in my inbox on FB and I'd love to share it with the world! Well, all 11 of my blog followers at least : )

Keep cooking my friends,

Mel

I'm still here....

Happy New Year!

Hey guys and yea, it's been too long since the last blog! I'm not gonna give you any excuses as to why it's been so long since I've posted anything since I have basically no one following me but 8 peeps and THOSE people I paid. I do however wanna say that I have been a busy little girl kickn' off this year and to be honest I can't keep my head above waters, in fact, I'm drowning....blurb blurb, HELP!

New thoughts, new decisions to be made, and frankly, Bryan and I are at a wall right now just waiting (I would say patiently but that's NOT exactly the right word) on what God has in store for us. It's something and we can't wait to see what it is....It's hard to just wait but if we do things out of our flesh, it's human form so there would be no gain from it. So, we will wait! Wait on what it is exactly that we're suppose to be waiting for....GOD SIZED---SPIRIT LEAD.....THEN and ONLY THEN will we want to J.U.M.P. because our lives I trust in his hands not that of our own!

.....Thank you Father for your love and for giving Bryan and I the very Grace that we need in our time of need and when we fail, for picking us back up. We will wait upon the Lord. We give it all to you, for you, and in you alone. For your Glory Alone!
Amen-

 

Just a thought throughout today!

Well, after all of the hoopla over voting, Halloween over, friends having babies, Fall arriving, Thankgsgiving Break around the corner, Christmas shopping is near, and I finally finished a long time painting project, I can finally say that there's always gonna be more stuff around the corner coming up to FOG my thoughts.

Well, Bryan and I have more recently been on a journey spiritually, emotionally, and physically with new ideas, thoughts, and possibilitites of the future for our family. He and I both are the type to literally "up and go" if God says to with anything (if we don't our insides will eat us alive with conviction) and we're extremely spontanious though at times it is difficult and tiresome to act. I believe though that you have to because God didn't call us as believers to receive the gift from Jesus Christ and then, SIT. No, he called us to make NEW believers and that CANNOT require sitting!!!!! I've learned that you don't count on others to do the job, YOU get up and do it don't be lazy! Do it because you'll be completely transformed in your obedience and it matters to God in the 1st place. Go out of your way to bless the hearts of others and see how much God will go out of his way to bless you!

Love you guys!

Looks and sounds complicated, but it's not and so worth it!

Homemade Chicken & Dumplings


*3-4 cups of all purpose flour
*1 1/2 cups of milk
*2 eggs
*1-2 teaspoons of baking soda
*Salt n pepper
*2 cans of Tyson White meat chicken in a can drained (use a fork 1st in a bowl to break up chicken)
*1 can of cream of chicken soup
*onion powder
*garlic powder

Mix flour, milk, eggs, baking soda, salt/pepper in a large bowl with a fork. Where dough seems sticky after mixing with a fork, add more flour. Where it seems too thin, add flour until dough seems firm. If it doesnt come together yet, add some water until it's glued together. Sprinkle flour onto a cutting board, and empty dough onto board. Flour a rolling pin until evenly spread. Take a pizza cutter and start cutting both horizontal and diagonal until you have small squares at least 1-2 inches each.

Either use 2 cans of Tyson white meat ONLY cans of chicken or boil your own chicken and add in stock pot after dumplings have cooked.

In a large stock pot, empty 1 lrg box of chicken broth, 1 cup of water, 1 can of cream of chicken soup. Adding salt/pepper, a dash of onion powder, and a dash of garlic powder. Bring to a boil then drop in each dumpling individually. They will rise up and just simmer until dumplings are fluffy then add chicken. Low heat until soup thickens and ENJOY!

Mel

Utility and Kitchen Room.....

Ok... What a chore tonight was in cleaning the utility and kitchen rooms at the church. Made me realize how much I dreaded doing this chore so much until the moment we finished cleaning it, I was so incredibly relieved that it was done and felt great about it.

So, that made me realize that it's really the same thing I do when it involves getting into the word plus praying and having faith that God hears and answers my prayers on his timing of course. I find myself knowing it NEEDS to be done but dread doing it as I've said before yet when I do, I feel so good after I've done it. So, in a dramatic way of sounding, I feel complete.

Now, I can only imagine if I know how good I feel after going to the one and only open arms that I can trust all of the time through my ugliest of times and my happiest, then God must love me unconditionally and willingly to allow his child come to him. Even when I "dread" doing it sometimes and actually think of it as a chore at times.

BTW..... I've been at Bryan's band practice forever tonight while they're getting the new sound board set up and I'd be a terrible person not inviting you to come out Sunday to thecitychurch at 10:30. If you are looking for a church home and want somewhere that you can walk in just the way you are, come see me there!!!

Love you people as much as a freshly cleaned house : )

Mel

Wow.....What a week!

Hey guys! So happy to create yet another blog for those imaginary people out there that I think are reading this.

Well.......This past week was a ROLLER COASTER of a week with schedules, homework, cooking, routines, birthday party gift purchasing, frustrating moments, sad times for a family member, SELLING BRYAN'S CAR????, figuring out how to get him to and from places until we get another car and so on........

To say all of that, I found myself thinking about how much JUNK that I either consumed my time with or is considered "real" stuff that I committed to do and found out that ALL of it was just that, STUFF! I realized that between all of that stuff, I forgot to read my bible for almost the whole week yet found myself praying more this week? Have you ever done that? Prayed often, yet forgets to get in the word? I Do!

My goal this week is to get in the word AND pray to the GOD that created the universe (hello, the FLIPPING UNIVERSE) and with all of that in mind cares deeply for me and wants to spend time with me! STUFF is sometimes a great thing unless that STUFF is enabling you from being with your creator. STOP...and pay more attention and worship the God that sent his son to pay for my sins on the cross. We must mean a lot to him and so we owe him everything! Can I give it to him this week??? I'm sure gonna try....

I hope you guys have terrific "GOD TIMES" this week.

*****The weather is so much cooler and so the new dishes are coming out in the kitchen. Try to cook up a new recipe this week for you and the family, play games, or watch a movie together......I've got some great recipes coming your way to share : ) If you've got some, don't hesitate to write one also!

Mel