I love Mondays!

Warning!!!! Very cheerful blogger ahead!!!:0)

Good morning all. I love new beginnings and today is not only a beautiful fall day but a Monday also (big smile on my face). I have always loved Mondays and they have always been my most productive day of the week. Kayla was born on a Monday but apparently Tommy didn't get the memo b'cuz although he was due on a Monday he was induced on Tues.

I have gotten into the habit of cleaning the downstairs kitchen on Monday and the City of Richland has gotten on board and changed our garbage day to Tues which makes Monday a terrific time to clean out the fridge each week. I am also planning the meals on Monday and now I will post them here as well as a new favorite recipe we tried last night.

Happy Monday ladies! Don't hate me because I'm weird;0}

Sun: chicken puffs, corn, green beans, couscous
Mon: baked beef stew, biscuits, fruit salad, peanut butter cup baskets
Tues: left overs
Weds: dinner @ church
Thurs: vegetable soup, hamburgers on the grill w/English muffin buns
Fri: pork roast, mashed potatoes, green beans
Sat: BBQ pork sandwiches

We tried and loved Chicken Puffs:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
3 TBSP chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 pkg. cream cheese
6 TBSP butter
3 cans refrigerated crescent rolls

Cook chicken, onions & garlic until soft. Add butter & cream cheese until mixed. Roll crescent rolls out in rectangles (3 cans will give you 12) and put a spoonful of chicken mix in middle. Fold corners up to make a "ball". Bake on a baking sheet @ 325 until golden brown.

Every one in the family liked these and they were fun to make. You could use canned chicken if you are short on time.

Another quick & easy chicken favorite is chicken pot pie made with a ready made refrigerated pie crust, a can of cream of mushroom (or cream of chicken) soup, a can of veg all, a can of green beans, a can of diced potatoes, and canned chicken. It wears out the can opener but it is quick. My kids love this even with all the veggies in it.

Hugs to all of you!
Leslie

Sounds like a good book

I was reading blogs on Jill's list and found a book mentioned on GIRL TALK. It is regarding worldliness and their review asked many of the same questions I ask myself all the time. I am going to order it and can get free shipping if anyone else wants one too. It is called Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World. Amazon.com has it for $9.78 and any order over $25 is free shipping. I am intriqued and wondering if you struggle with "the seduction of this fallen world" like I do.

Talk to me ladies.

Notes to friends

Happy Birthday Jill!

Goodbye and God be with you Lori!

Goodbye and enjoy your trip w/your hubby...you deserve it, Tricia!

Welcome back online Ginger!

To the rest of you who are having a normal weekend like me - Hello!

Love to all of you on this fun, rainy Saturday!:0)

A Jochabed Wanna Be

I've been studying Moses and his mom this past week [Exodus 2:1-10]. What a mom. She saw something special about him (don't we all)...she risked her life and the lives of her entire family to hide & protect him...she planned and prepared (she was an original Martha Stewart in making that basket)...her daughter obeyed her...she trusted her Almighty God...and she LET HER BABY GO. Just like when Abraham sacrificed Isaac I can go along up to the point of the raised knife coming down or Jochebed taking her hands off of the basket then I find myself balking. We don't know how much she knew ABOUT the God of Israel, after 400 years in polytheistic Egypt I'm not sure how much of the oral history had been handed down, but obviously she obviously KNEW her God. He Himself gave her her faith as a gift and when she acted upon it He rewarded her faith by giving her her hearts desire. Lots & lots of lessons in this for me....someone who hangs out in the safe middle ground. The Pharaohs in Egypt during this time are not named but so far 4 courageous women are: the midwives who dared disobey Pharaoh's order to kill newborn Hebrew boys, Shiphrah & Puah; Jochebed the faithful mother & Miriam the sister who is a very quick thinker and so bold.

Thank You LORD for women in Your Word to look up to. Thank You for Your faithfulness to them and me. Who are the courageous, faithful, powerful women of my generation LORD? I am afraid the church has become so like the world I may not recognize them. As a matter of fact...when we meet You & all things are made new will I even recognize myself?

A Jochabed wanna be

A Jochabed wanna be

Menu Planning

Hi all! Due to all of your fabulous blogs about your menu plans & with the help of a great link from Kim (allrecipes.com) I have just successfully completed 2 weeks of great meals. I sat down & planned, shopped carefully & thoughtfully & am very pleased with the results. So, here is my new plan for the next 2 weeks.

Sun 9/14 slow cooker pineapple pork roast, buttered noodles, steamed veggies
Mon 9/15 pork roast hoagies, oven baked potatoes
Tues 9/16 chicken-n-dumplings w/biscuits
Weds 9/17 dinner @ church
Thurs 9/18 baked beef stew, applesauce, rolls
Fri 9/19 left overs or pizza
Sat 9/20 Blizzard Bean soup & corn bread
Sun 9/21 beef & bean burritos, corn, fruit
Mon 9/22 left overs
Tues 9/23 Cheezy baked ravioli, green beans, salad, rolls
Weds 9/24 dinner @ church
Thurs 9/25 Chicken fettuccine Alfredo, steamed veggies
Fri 9/26 left overs or pizza
Sat 9/27 Teryaki chicken, cous cous, corn
Sun 9/28 grilled hamburgers, potatoes, fruit

New sweet things to try: 1) twice baked sweet potatoes
2) peanut butter Brownies

Happy cooking for your families also. Remember that love & sanctuary are in the details but no one in my family will feel very loved if I am being a freak and trying to make these complicated gourmet meals. I tried to make things that a) my family will enjoy b) won't make me crazy. I tried to set aside pride & perfection...funny how that creeps in even in cooking dinner...and show you what a couple of weeks of really good meals looks like in my kitchen. I am not a great cook but can follow a recipe decently.

Love ya,
Leslie

My Tree & Me

We have a beautiful blue spruce tree in our front yard and it is sick. So are numerous other evergreen trees & bushes on our neighborhood loop. I was elected by my family (obviously I must be the one who has time!!! Arghhh) to find out WHY and WHAT to do. I called my "life line", Karen, who teaches my kids all things Science. She of course had many answers off the top of her head (who knows enough Science to be able to answer random tree questions?...she is amazing!) She referred me to the WSU extention office & tomorrow I bring in a sample because "it could be one of 12 different things!".

I have been very frustrated with myself because I do not seem to move beyond being Caught in the Middle with God (see Casting Crowns Alter & the Door CD)...for example: deep water faith in the shallow end/fearless warrior behind a picket fence/reckless abandon wrapped in common sense/choosing between the God I want and the God who is etc. I really identify with that song.

The Lord spoke to me yesterday as I was dealing with the tree about besetting sins and compromise. Like my tree, I can be spiritually sick and it could be one of many things. I need to go to the expert, identify the problem through prayer, remedy it through confession, and protect against a reoccurence. I imagine our tree was sick long before it began to show signs. I am really good at suiting up & showing up and not letting people see that I am struggling spiritually. I can have brown spots and dead branches long before the illness or crises that bring it all out into the open. Like the evergreens in our neighborhood, illness spreads. When you aren't right with God, even if you think you are the only one who knows, pretty soon you look around and your relationships with others isn't right either. That's God's way of getting our attention. Unfortunately, I am much more aware of the status of my relationships with others than with Him.

As I seek to save my tree, I am grateful for the One who saved me. I am grateful that He is the expert and the One who knows when I need pruning, strong medicine, more life giving water or just more time basking in His light.

I want to be a real tree brown spots, cobwebs, weak branches and all NOT a perfect, healthy, plastic tree. Your assignment Ladies is to help me "keep it real"!

A few weeks ago I had brunch with these lovely ladies. One is my mother in law and the other 4 are ladies I clean house for and they have all been friends for a long time. God has brought us together through circumstances only He could create and He has blessed our friendship. I am constantly amazed at how much He loves me and brings people into my life. Who knew that I could find so much love, purpose, & joy scrubbing toilets for other people? Last winter the Lord placed it on my heart to have a ladies luncheon in honor of Jane who was turning 89. I was hesitant to follow through because I didn't want anyone to feel like it was inappropriate since I work for them etc. God kept on me so I invited everyone. They were all thrilled and I made it a very fancy affair. I had so much fun doing it that it felt funny to receive compliments and thank yous. The lunch was such a big hit they decided we needed to do it more often eveb though I assured them my intention was not for them to feel like they have to socialize with me. We've met 4 times now at someones house or a restaurant. My mom has even joined us when she could.

I have a group of ladies who love me & are an amazing support system. They are tons of fun and we have to be careful when I am working to not talk too much or I wont get anything done! They are wonderful to my kids also. Two of them even came to our Vacation Bible School family night to support me...I cannot tell you how moved I was.

So now you know...I hang out with girlfriends who are in their 60's, 70's and almost 90's! Our next big adventure is to go to High Tea at a local Tea Shop in Oct. We are all shopping for fancy hats to wear!

One of these ladies gave me the greatest compliment I've ever received when she told me, "I see the love of the Lord in you." Oh thank you Jesus for showing up and shining through even me.

A Quickie

I need to BLOG! I have all these running thoughts in my mind but very little time to actually compose them. I will (in the very near future) give some time to my blog and tell you about my brunch w/some special ladies in my life and my weekend with family over Labor Day.

Right now I am focused on goals.

I am walking again and Amber (my dog & excercise accountability partner) has set us a goal of 100 miles by Thanksgiving. She has been noticing a little roll around her middle and she isn't the only one if you know what I mean.

Bible Study with the kids. We have been starting school @ 7:30am and beginning next Tues will begin with our study of Moses. I need to have a rigid walking schedule & be done by 7:20am @ the latest so we have time EVERY day to do our Bible Study together. Mondays we have Spanish @ 8am & Tues & Thurs Kayla has to be @ Science by 8am. Can't wait to get back into the habit & cosistency of DAILY Bible Study TOGETHER.

All things food: I am committed to eating healthier, shopping smarter, cooking better & more varied meals and helping Amber lose her little roll :0) by eating a lot less sugar & bread.

Being a better listener...and not just when I am interested. ie: When Tommy is explaining his newest LEGO creation ~ in depth. When my honey needs to vent from a frustrating day @ work. When Kayla just wants to ramble. etc.

Not spending $$$. I am in the process of switching colors & decor in my downstairs kitchen...
because it needs it? No, because I want to. So, I am trying to do it slowly and only buy things I will really need and not just replace things because I think they "don't go anymore".

BTW ~ I am officially in shoe rehab and am trying to not buy a single pair of shoes until Spring!

Ok - I feel better now. I can go on and be productive. It is Wednesday, you know what that means....living for Starbucks and my girlfriends! See you soon.

Hugs!