Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Bread/Muffins

I really wanted  to make some chocolate chip cookies today but I didn't have any butter and I was home alone with the kids so I didn't want to run to the store. I decided to make chocolate chip muffins instead. I came across a great recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bread and tweaked it a little. It is delicious! I will definitely be making this again. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bread/Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine dry ingredients and sugars. Add milk and peanut butter and chocolate chips and stir gently until well combined. Pour into a greased 8x4x3-inch loaf pan. Bake for approximately 50 minutes (oven times may vary). (I thought the recipe was a lot for just 1 loaf pan so I made 1 loaf and 12 mini muffins). The mini muffins cooked in about 20 minutes and the loaf took closer to the full 50 minutes.

Delicious! Enjoy!

A letter to Keane and Gracie

The other day during my quiet time God was really working in my heart. I decided to write out all the things that were going on in my head and heart in a letter to Keane and Gracie. I pray that the things that God was teaching me will also encourage you.

"Hi Two-
It is 7:30 am and I am up doing my quiet time with the Lord and thankfully you two are still sleeping (you usually sleep until 8 am...) Anyway, I've been studying Isaiah 30 and I have been so fascinated and convicted by it. It is just confirming and reminding me strongly of what I already know: that I always want to follow God and carry out His will in my life even if it is not easy or wouldn't be my first chocie if I were choosing based on my selfish motives. I never want there to be any unwillingness in my heart towards the things that God is calling our family to. There truly is no other place to be then where God wants you to be.

I don't know how much I have wrote about in these letters to you but living in Nepal is really not always easy for me. Not because of the material things or comforts that we live without here (although that is sometimes difficult) but mainly because of the emotional side of things like wanting to live near our family, raise you around your grandparents (who love you so much and want to be with you so badly) and raise you in a more "normal" way with a more "normal" (or what I have always pictured as normal) "traditional" life. I struggle against the calling we have to be here sometimes. I am not sure that God will keep us in Nepal forever but I am confident that this is where He has called us right now. I don't want to trade following HIm, being in His will, living for and serving the God who died for me for what I want, for what I desire and for what my flesh wants. Don't get me wrong....I am definitely not miserable here at all. God has blessed us with a wonderful life here but I struggle with this, with knowing God's will for how long we will be here and with being so emotional about the whole situation (your Daddy is thankfully less emotional about the whole situation and also simply desires to do what God has called him (us) to). God has provided abundantly for us here: we have a comforatable, nice apartment, good friends, good food, we get to see and do some amazing things as a family but not only that, we get to be a part of seeing God visibly work among people who have never heard of Him, we have the priviledge of working and being used by God to fulfill Revelation 7:9 and that is an ABSOLUTE honor and joy. So, I really don't want you to hear me say that I am miserable and don't want to be here at all because that is just not true. I just also think about life in America a lot and get pulled back into thinking that life there would be easier and more fun. It is my flesh and satan trying to keep my heart divided and not focused on where God has me/us now.

My prayer for you, Keane and Gracie, is that you'll always seek the Lord and His plans. That you won't run from what He's called you to, even when it is hard (and I will support you in that with the Lord's help even when it is hard for me) living a life surrendered to Jesus is the best, best way to live! It means that God is directing you , leading you, that the God who created you for a purpose is being able to carry out that purpose in your life for His glory! If you are doing this then you are doing what you were created for! The opposite is a dangerous, lonley and scary path. Living a life in rebellion to God, to the one who LOVES you and sacrificed Himself as an ultimate sacrifice for your sin may seem easier at first but believe me, there is NO joy in that. The temporal things that you would be running after do not compare to the Glory of the Lord and Him working in your life. Here are some of the verses from Isaiah 30 that really spoke to me about this:

"Ahh stubbon children," declares the Lord, "who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin, who set out to go down to Egypt without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharoah and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt. Therefore, the protection of Pharoah shall turn to your shame, and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation...through a land of trouble and anguish, from where come the lioness and the lion...they carry riches on the backs of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels to a people that can not profit them. Egypt's help is worthless and empty...For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children UNWILLING to hear the instruction of the Lord, who say to the seers, "do not see" and to the prophets, "do not prophesy to us what is right, speak to us the smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel." Because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and rely on them, therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach in a high wall, bulging out, and about to collapse, whose breaking comes suddenly and in an instant; and its breaking is like that of a potter's vessel that is smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not a shard is found with which to take fire from the hearth or to dip water out of the cistern." For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, "in returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. But you are UNWILLING...therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a god of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him." For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as He hears it, He answers you. And though the Lord gave you the bread of adversity and the water of afflicition, yet your Teacher will not hide himself from you anymore, but your eyes shall see your teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, "This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left." Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, "Be gone". And He will give you rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your lifestock will graze in large pastures, and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with a shovel and a fork on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water..." Isaiah 30:1-3, 6-7, 9-15, 18-25.

God has BIGGER, better, more wonderful plans for us then we could even imagine. We only see what is happening right now but He sees the big picture and knows what is ahead. I want to take refuge and protection from God alone and not in the temporal things that I think I know and that I think would satisfy me. God alone will be my refuge. God alone can truly satisfy me. Let me (let us) not put all of our hopes, dreams and lives into something that does not benefit us, does not profit us and leads to destruction. Only God knows where we should go and what we should do. I want to follow Him. I don't want to be unwilling. I don't want there to be any unwillingness in my heart. I don't want people to tell me what I want to hear, I want God to speak to me and direct me and I want to follow Him even through the difficult roads. I don't want to focus on my life and what I want and know so much that I am completely unable to be used by the Lord.

But God is SO good and so gracious that He is always there providing refuge (even if we have gotten off the path of following HIm or even if we are living in rebellion). He is there with open arms waiting to receive us, forgive us, bless us and use us. He is waiting to give us the good gifts He had in store for us from the beginning. He is patient. He is faithful. He is generous. He loves to give gifts to His children: good, amazing gifts! God knows us. He knows you, Keane and Gracie. He created us and knows what is best for us and we need to trust Him and follow Him even when it is not easy. It is the best, best way to live our lives.

It is my prayer that God would give me the strength to live like this everyday so I can hear Him clearly (what an amazing promise!) and live for Him and carry out His plans for my life here in Nepal, in America or wherever He leads me/us. I pray the same for you two, my sweet Keane and Gracie. May you have the strength to follow God wherever He may lead you and your family. You will always have my support, blessing and love because it is not about me (or you) and it is all about Jesus. I love you and will do my best (with God's strength) to live my life as an example for you. I love you and pray for you all the time!

Love,
Mommie

Absolute Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

I love to make cinnamon rolls. They actually are a lot easier to make than you might think. I have made them several times over here in Nepal and they always turn out great. When my in-laws visited Nepal they raved about how good my cinnamon rolls were. They even said they were some of the best they had eaten! SO when I was on stateside last year and spending Christmas with my in-laws I wanted to make the "famous" cinnamon rolls for everyone. Unfortunately when I made them in the states they were terrible (compared to how they are here)...not sure why...different ingredients, different yeast...I am sure if I tried them again in America they would be fine (it is certainly not the recipe) but it sure was disappointing. Anyway, thankfully since then I have redeemed myself and made them several times back here in Nepal and they have been delicious! I got this great recipe from my friend Crystal (I am not sure where she got it). I hope you enjoy!

Estimated Times:
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
Proofing: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

Dough:
- 1 packet of active dry yeast (or 1 Tbsp)
- 1 cup of warm milk (105-115 F)
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 1 tsp salt
-2 eggs
- 4 cups of flour

Filling:
- 1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 1/2 Tbsp of cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt

Icing:
- 1/2 cup butter (at room temp)
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add 1/2 cup sugar, melted butter, 1 tsp salt, eggs and flour. Mix well.

Dust a flat surface with a small amount of flour and knead dough into a large ball. Return to bowl and cover. Let rise for 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 F or 185 C.

Remove dough from bowl and roll out on a lightly floured surface until dough is 21 inches long by 16 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick.

In a small bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread the 1/3 of a cup of butter evenly over the surface of the dough (MAKE SURE THE BUTTER IS ROOM TEMP AND NOT MELTED...I think this was one of my problems when I made them in the states. I used melted butter and so it just all dripped off when I stood the rolls up and baked them) and cover with cinnamon and brown sugar mixture. Roll dough from the top (21 inch side) to bottom edge. Cut rolled dough into 1 3/4 inch slices and place them on a lightly greased baking sheet. You can have them slightly touching in a baking dish (they will expand).

** see note at bottom

Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

While rolls are baking combine remaining butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla and salt. Beat with a fork or an electric mixer until fluffy. Spread on rolls and serve!

Makes about 12 medium to large size cinnamon rolls.

** I like to make the rolls the night before I want to eat them for breakfast and get to the point just before I am to put them in the oven and bake them. I cover the uncooked roll pan tightly and leave them out overnight (I don't put them in the fridge unless it is really hot out and then I do put them in the fridge overnight and then just let them sit out for about 30 minutes before I cook them to warm them up and get the yeast working again). Then I just put them in the oven and make the icing to put on the top. This takes a lot of work out of it for me in the morning (which is great because our mornings can get pretty busy and I am often too tired).

ENJOY!!!

My God is SO faithful...

Wow it has been a LONG time since I updated this blog. I didn't really realize how long it has been. It seems each day that I think of a million things that I want to write about and then by the end of the day I can't seem to find the energy to put my thoughts into words...oh well...hopefully I will be able to find some time and energy to write about the things that God is really teaching me and all that is going on in my heart and head. For now though I want to share with you a story about how God showed His faithfulness to me SO clearly this past week that it totally blew me away:

Many of you know that Ryan, Keane, Gracie and I spent the past 10 days in India. We traveled to three cities (none of which are anywhere near each other) to visit friends and co-workers and get to "see" some of India. Overall the trip went really well and as smoothly as it could while traveling with two 22 month old toddlers (who did AMAZINGLY well considering all that we did and all the places we went!).

Anyway, even though most things went smoothly there were times that I was EXHAUSTED and worn out from the traveling and I have to admit that it often showed in my attitude. This one particular day we had just spent 5 days with our amazing friends in a city in the 'middle of India' and were traveling back to Delhi to stay the night before we left for a 12 hour car ride the next day to Northern India where we would go to Dharamsala. The only flight we could get was at night so we didn't leave our friends until 8:10 pm. That afternoon I had tried a couple of ATM's so that I could get out money for the rest of our trip and neither of them worked (I figured it was just because my bank was blocking my card from being used in India). Ryan and I decided that we would just exchange some of the US dollars we had brought with us into Indian rupees at the airport in Delhi...surely the capital will have places at the airport to exchange money.

When we finally arrived in Delhi at 9:45 pm all of us were wiped out....all we wanted to do was get in a taxi and get to the hotel. Well as soon as we got our luggage we asked about money exchange places and all of the workers directed us outside (which isn't great because once you leave you can't enter back into the airport) saying that there were none inside that were open. Once we arrive at the one money exchange counter they have outside they tell us that they are OUT OF MONEY and they can't help us. At this point we have $600 US dollars on us and 300 Indian rupees (less than $10) and we can't pay for a taxi in dollars and 300 rupees isn't enough. We then decided to try our ATM again and yet again it didn't work. We kept asking and asking for help from all different workers in different shops and all they could tell us was that we could walk about 10 minutes and try another ATM. I was willing to exchange dollars with them for rupees and NO ONE wanted to help us....it wasn't that they were rude, it was just that they weren't helpful at all!

At this point we are TIRED and my attitude is less than admirable and I am upset at Ryan (why? I don't know...I guess he was the one I could take my frustrations out on...I hate that I do that...) and I am about to cry. I realized that I had NO FAITH that God was going to help us and that somehow this would all get worked out. In my heart I had a knowledge that God was with me and that He would provide but unfortunately my actions and attitude didn't show that at all. After pacing around the outside of the airport and talking about all kinds of options we decide to go and ask the money exchange guy one more time if he can help us....of course he says "no". Just as we turn around we see some Tibetan looking people walking up to us. In perfect English they say, "Do you need help?" I wanted to scream..."YES! Please help us!" but instead I just said "yes" and smiled as I held back tears. They asked us how they could help us and said how thankful they were that we would allow them to help us. They said that often when they reach out to help people the people don't trust them and all they want to do is help. They said that they had been watching us walk from place to place with all of our bags and the kids and figured we must need help...it just took them that long to get up the courage to approach us!

We told them the situation and simply asked if they would exchange money with us. Just then they all started speaking to each other (there were 3 of them...2 guys and a girl) in Nepali...it brought a HUGE smile to my face. Here I was in dire need of help and God not only brings someone to reach out and help us but He brings Tibetan Buddhist Nepali speakers (who we work with here in Nepal and come to find out they are all from Sikkim a state in India that is mainly Tibetan Buddhist and their common language that they speak with each other is Nepali). I wanted to reach out and hug them. I felt like I was "home". They said that we didn't need to give them money and that they would help us get a taxi and would stay with us until we get in one...I started to cry. One of the guys looked at me and said, "why are you crying?" and I said, "Because I was just so nervous and I am just so thankful." These guys spent the next 30 minutes running back and forth for us trying to get us a taxi to our guest house (thankfully they also spoke fluent Hindi (the majority language of India) too...amazing!). The wait to get a taxi was about 30 minutes and they even offered for us to go with them in their taxi (which was very funny because it was a normal size taxi and they had 4 people and we had 4 people and they had 2 bags and we had 4 bags and there was NO way that we were all fitting in that one taxi...but it was sweet of them). During the wait they talked with us (and shared some about where their families live and that they are all in college there in Delhi) and tried all they could to get us in a taxi sooner. While the guys were running around the girl stayed with me and Ryan and played with Keane and Gracie...she was beyond sweet to them.

The guys ran back and said they had a taxi for us. We told them how we thought that they were a gift from God and that God had used them to provide for us. We asked them over and over again to take the 300 rupees that we had or to even take the $20 bill (the smallest bill we had on us) in order to pay them back for paying for the taxi (which cost about 400 rupees). They refused over and over again and said that they didn't want anything they ONLY wanted to help us. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. We gave them our cards with our email addresses and asked them over and over again to email us. I REALLY hope they do. As many of you know things like this DO NOT happen (OK..rarely) in South Asia and they happen rarely anywhere in the world (a complete stranger trying to reach out to you and paying for you and denying money when you offer to pay them back!). They were amazing and they are clear and vivid pictures to help me remember that I am never alone and that God is ALWAYS with me. God needs to receive all of the glory!

As I got in the taxi with my family and drove away waving good-bye to my new friends I again began to cry. I couldn't help but be broken before God and apologize to Him for my unfaithfulness...for the fact that I chose to worry about the situation instead of putting my hope, faith and trust in Him that He would work in a mighty way to help us in our time of need. As I held Keane I just wept and felt the love of God SO strongly...it was almost as if I could feel Him wrap His arms around us. It was such an awesome feeling to clearly see God's provision and work in our lives. We are NOT alone. God is with us. He is walking with us and He knows what we need even before we ask. He was faithful when I was unfaithful. I could just picture Him watching me get so upset and scared and Him just trying to say to me,

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

and

"God will meet all of your needs according His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

and

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10.

Right as Keane was starting to fall asleep I kissed him and whispered in his ear, "sweet boy go to sleep tonight knowing clearly that God loves us and is holding us in His hand." This is something I know in my mind to be true but at that point (and in many other points throughout my life) I felt it deep, deep in my heart and it was the best feeling in the world.

Thank you God for the ways that you show yourself SO faithful to us. It is our hearts desire to REMEMBER your abundant faithfulness and cling to it during the very hard times when we can't see it as clearly. I love you!

Good to remember...

Right now, when giving is down all over the world including to the organization that we work for, when people are without jobs, when salaries are being reduced, when savings are being eaten up, when things are uncertain, when benefits are changing, when worry sets in, we can be comforted and reminded of what is important through these passages:

1 Timothy 6:17-19
"As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."

Our life's hope is not in things or money. It is in God. He is the one who gives us all things and provides all things for us. We must not hold too tightly to the things of this world. We must be generous with the things we do have and realize that riches of this world are uncertain (as many of us know all too well!) but clinging to God and His promises is certain...we can build our lives on His promises to us. We can trust that life is truly found in God and we must take hold of Him. We cannot live our lives out of fear. The command that is given MOST in the Bible (366 times) is "fear not". God is telling us over and over not to fear. That He will provide all we need. That we must not be afraid of the future or what will happen with us financially. We must be generous and must serve others and be focused outwardly. God will take care of us. He is with us. We must not be controlled by fear or money or material things. We can trust Him. He is our life. Be encouraged today as I was in reading this. I am so thankful for the Lord and His promises to us.

Group 1 Crew

Ryan came across a new (new to us at least) Christian group a few weeks ago. Their name is Group 1 Crew, they have kind of a hip-hop meets R&B and pop kind of sound, which I really like. I really love their music and their lyrics and thought that you might like to give them a try too. You can download their songs from itunes. It is hard for me sometimes to find good music that I like to exercise or run to and this group has proven to be a great one to just listen to while I am at home, in the car or running and exercising. Their lyrics are encouraging and give honor and praise to the Lord. I am so happy that Ryan found them. Enjoy!

Bagel Recipe

Bagels are literally one of my favorite foods in the world. My absolute favorite are Bruegger’s Bagels but I really like all kinds and can eat them any time of the day. I had heard lately about some of my friends in America and in Nepal making bagels from scratch. I decided to give it a try and see how they came out. To my surprise they turned out AWESOME. There are many steps to making bagels but truthfully this was SO much easier than I thought it was going to be. Here is the recipe that I used today (I was originally going to use a different recipe from my friend Kim's blog because it sounded delicious and the pictures of her bagels looked great but my Internet was out when I needed the recipe so I used one my friend Judy had already given me. Give both of them a try and see which you like better!). The recipe I made, made 9 medium size bagels. They were delicious! Enjoy!

BAGELS

Combine:

1 Tbsp dry yeast

3 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup warm water

Add until knead-able:

3 cups of flour (can use 1 cup whole wheat if you want)

Variation: Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

1/2 cup raisins - soak in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and dust in mixture of 1 Tbsp of cinnamon and 1 Tbsp of sugar. Add this with the flour above.

Directions:
Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead until elastic (8-10 minutes). Place into greased bowl and turn over so top of dough is also greased. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place 30-40 minutes. Punch down dough. Separate into pieces (depending on how large you want your bagels...remember they will rise again). Shape into balls and work in toppings of choice (sesame, poppy or caraway seeds or minced onion if desired). Stick your thumb through to make 1/2 to 1 inch hole to form bagel. Let bagels rise again for 20 minutes.

Put 2-3 bagels at a time into a large pot of boiling water with 1 Tbsp of water added. Let rise to top and turn over and cook for about 1 - 2 minutes (I actually steamed mine instead and it worked great and was MUCH faster because I did not have to wait on each one to cook. Here in Nepal we can get layered momo/dumpling steamers everywhere and I just greased the bottoms of the steamer trays and put a few bagels on each layer and steamed them for 15 minutes instead of boiling them. Keep in mind when you are putting them into the steamer that they will almost double in size once they are steamed so leave room). Remove and sprinkle with salt, onion or more seeds if desired. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes until brown on bottom (I decided to only cook mine for 15 minutes although they probably could have used 20 because I like to toast mine and didn't want them to get overcooked and hard before I toasted them).

I'd love to hear how they turned out!

Weight-loss, Exercise and Sermons...

The past 6+ months I have been really working on losing some weight and getting healthy. Lately people have been asking me if I have lost weight and what I am doing to lose it so I thought it was time for a blog about it all. I have lost 34 lbs since the beginning of April. It hasn't always been easy but it has left me feeling so much better about myself and I know that my body is healthier. I have so much more energy and have made exercise a part of my day that I really look forward to each morning (or sometimes afternoon, depending on the day.) I have 12 more lbs to reach my first big goal and then I would like to lose another 15 more after that. I have averaged a little more than a lb a week since I started...sometimes more, sometimes less.

One Sunday morning during the very end of March I heard an amazing Sermon (click on the link to download or listen) from my pastor, J.D. Greear about self-control and discipline. I realized then that my eating was really out of control. It wasn't that I was eating everything in sight it was just that I wasn't giving much thought to it and was not having control over my body and its desires. I realized then that I had to make some changes in my life and lose some of the weight that I had put on before and after having Keane and Gracie (unfortunately I can't really attribute my weight to baby weight because I weighed 5 lbs LESS after having Keane and Gracie than I did when I got pregnant with them). I talked to Ryan about it first. I have been on many "diets" in the past but they have all been temporary and lasted a few weeks or days or months and then once the "diet" was over I just went back to old habits of eating and living and put the weight (and often more) right back on. So, I decided that this time whatever I was going to do to lose this weight was going to have to be more about a lifestyle change and less about a "diet". I realized I needed to learn about the foods I was eating and learn how to make small changes and better choices in my life about food and exercise in order to make this change lasting.

I found a GREAT (free) calorie counting website where I could keep an online journal of what I was eating and how many calories I was consuming. It also allowed me to put in my height and my weight and it calculated the amount of calories my body needed each day to MAINTAIN my weight and it showed me how many calories I needed to eat each day in order to lose the weight I wanted to by my goal date. It REALLY helped me get started and learn about the food I was eating. I began to make small changes like saying no to mayonnaise and cheese and ordering foods grilled instead of fried or ordering light dressings on the side of my salad instead of regular on top. I knew that this wasn't something that was going to happen overnight. I knew it would take time and for the first time in my life, I was OK with that. I would rather give a whole year to trying to get to my goal weight and in the process change the way I think about food and learn to eat better than to spend the rest of my life on "quick fix" yo-yo diets, stressed out and self conscious about my weight. When you think about it that way...a year doesn't seem like a long time at all.

When we were in America for our stateside time it was very easy to count calories and keep very strict track of it all since EVERYTHING has calorie information on the labels including restaurant items (you can look up most menu items online and I did. When people would invite us to go out to eat (or when we wanted to ourselves) I would ask which restaurant they were thinking and I would go to the restaurants website and look at the calorie information for each item. Then I would make my decision then and there before stepping foot into the restaurant and when we arrived at the restaurant I wouldn't even look at the menu to tempt myself. I would just order what I had decided beforehand (what I knew was the best calorie choice and fit into my food needs for the day) and by the time everyone had gotten their food and we had all eaten I felt just as satisfied as if I would have ordered the cheesy, fried item that probably would have caught my attention if I hadn't already made my decision. I often felt more satisfied knowing what I ate was SO much healthier for me and I was one decision closer to my goal weight!).

Once we returned back to Nepal things got a bit harder to really keep exact track of (because nothing has calorie info on it here) but by that time I was two months into it and I had learned so much about the foods I was eating and how to make good choices. I knew how many calories were in a cup of rice or a piece of bread (if you don't that is where the calorie counting website will really help!) I learned it is all about balance and smaller portions. There is no magic diet out there and there is really no simple quick easy fix. Believe me, if there was the world would be skinny. It all boils down to: calories in, calories out. If you eat more calories than you body needs each day to live then you will gain weight. If you eat less calories (or burn them off with exercise) than your body needs each day to live then you will lose weight. It really is that simple. If you eat more calories in carrots than your body needs each day (that is a lot of carrots) than you will gain weight. It is not so much about the kinds of food that we are eating but the amount of food that we are eating. The healthier (and fresher and greener) the foods we choose the more of them we get to eat. I love chocolate and I have eaten something chocolate everyday since I started this new "lifestyle". I knew I had to. I had tried to completely cut it out of my diet before but once I stopped the diet then I just binged on it and ate it all the time. This way, nothing is off limits. It is just the amount that I am concerned about. If I eat a big piece of chocolate cake for my friends birthday then I just eat a very, very light lunch or dinner that day. Like I mentioned earlier, it has been all about balance for me. With God's help, I have gained control over my body and its desires for food (I know this will be a lifetime battle that I will always have to be conscious about). I have learned how to know when I am full and when to stop eating. I have learned to say no to second portions when I know I have already eaten enough. I have learned to take only a bite of something and let the rest pass by. My pastor has also said, "Sacrifice is giving up something you love for something you love more." That has been my motto throughout this entire process. I love food (especially sweets) but I love the thought of being thin and healthy and in shape much, much more than the temporary pleasure that the taste of that food on my mouth brings.

Also, since I came back to Nepal and it was harder to know exactly how many calories I was eating each day (although I always have an idea), especially since often we are eating at friends house and have to eat what they give us, I really increased the amount that I was exercising. I exercise 5-6 days a week for about 45 minutes - 1 hour everyday (on top of the normal walking I do around my community). For me, it works best to get up before Keane and Gracie do (at about 6:15 am) and do an exercise video in my living room (I love Tae-bo and Jillian Michaels work out DVD's). We also have a membership to a gym near our home so sometimes I go there as well to swim or run on the treadmill. I can honestly say that I love exercise now. It is not a chore. I feel so much better after a great workout than I did before one. Lately, I have been turning the volume off on my exercise DVD's (once you have done them a few times the commentary gets OLD and BORING and in my mind is a waste of time) and listen to a sermon while I am exercising. Most sermons are about the same amount of time (45 minutes) as many workout DVD's and listening to the sermon makes the time exercising seem to go by so much faster and I feel so refreshed from hearing the Word of God taught while I exercise. It becomes a wonderful 45 minutes for my mind, body, heart and soul.

I pray that you will be encouraged by my story. Believe me, if I can get control of this in my busy life than you can too. It is not too late and it is easier than you think. Just take one step at a time. I am still working on reaching my goals so I am right there with you. Also, maybe it is not food that "controls" you. Maybe you are not overweight but your life is "out of control" in other areas. The sermon I mentioned earlier in this post is a WONDERFUL one for anyone to listen to. As Christians we must NOT let our bodies have control over us. With God's help and strength we can overcome the things that hold us back from being the person that God intends for us to be. We don't have to do it alone and it might take some time but it is worth it!

Cheeseballs!

Keane and Gracie LOVE cheeseballs. They are their favorite snack. They would eat them all day long if I let them. They get totally covered in cheese and love every minute of it. I love to give them to them in the snack trap. I love the snack trap. It is one of the best inventions for toddlers! If you don't have one you should try to get one (if you live overseas I realize that is hard!). What snacks do your children love? I am always looking for good snack ideas.

What's in a name?

Months ago, when Keane and Gracie were starting to say sounds and recognize different things and people, they would say something that resembled mama. I am not sure if that is what it actually was but I loved it. It made me feel so special and loved when they said it, even just to think that they were actually beginning to realize that I was their mama. Since then, in the past few months, they had stopped saying anything that resembled ‘mama’ in fact they were actually calling me ‘daddy’. They were calling their daddy, ‘daddy’ and they were sometimes calling me ‘daddy’. I didn’t get upset at this thinking that they were doing it on purpose or anything or thinking that they really didn’t know who I was or anything but until that point (where they stopped referring to me as anything resembling ‘mama’) I really didn’t understand how badly I longed for my children to say my name. To acknowledge me as who I am: their ‘mama’. It was hard for me to understand how they couldn’t get it. I mean they were pointing to dogs and calling them ‘dog’ and they would point to daddy and say ‘daddy’, juice and say ‘juice’, ball and say ‘ball’. I wanted them to hear them say ‘mama’ so badly. I never thought I would feel this way. I never knew that having my children call me by “my name” would mean so much or be so special but I certainly realized it when they weren’t saying it.

One day I was looking at Keane when he was calling me ‘daddy’ and saying, “say mommy” and he said ‘daddy’ and I would say, “say mommy” and he said, ‘daddy’. It was in that moment that I realized it and it impacted me in a way I never imagined: this happens to God ALL the time. He desires for people to know Him, to call Him by His name, to call on Him and He looks at them and says, “say God”, “say Father”, “say Lord” and people look back at him and say “Buddha”, “Vishnu”, “Shiva”, “I don’t believe in God”, “material things”, “wealth”, “prosperity”, etc. They look God in the face and call Him something He is not. They don’t call Him by His name. They simply don’t call on Him. God desires for His children to know Him. He has created that way so that people (all people, 2 Peter 3:9) can know Him and call Him “Father”.

Just the other day, I was holding Gracie and she looked up at me and in the sweetest little voice she said, “mama”. I cannot tell you what a sweet, sweet sound it was. I still don’t really understand why it is that special to me or why it means that much but all I can say is that it does. Every time she says it, it touches a place deep down in my heart and makes me smile. I imagine that when we, whom God sent His only Son to die for, finally look up at Him and call on Him and say, “God”, “Father”, “Lord” that it is one of the sweetest sounds He could ever hear. Now Gracie says, “mama” all the time and I must tell you that I still love it SO much. Keane also says it some but not as much yet as Gracie. Each time they say it, it melts my heart and makes me want to stop what I am doing and look at them and see what it is that they need or want. It also is a HUGE reminder of all of the people who don’t call on the name of the Lord and how much hurt that must cause Him. People that He loves so much who call on the names of other gods or things. We must tell them about the God who loves them so much and who longs to know them, to have a relationship with them to hear them say, “Abba, Father, my God!”
(Psalm 34:3, Joel 2:32, John 20:30-31, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:13, Philippians 2:9-11)

Toddler Food

If you are anything like me, finding good, quick, healthy meal options for your toddler aged children is really hard. I find it especially hard living overseas where pre-prepared food and fast food (although not the healthiest) is not even an option. Keane and Gracie actually eat dinner before Ryan and do and then we put them down around 7 pm and we eat after they go to bed. So that poses another problem because I often don't have dinner completely prepared before they go to bed.

When we first returned I would make a lot of mashed potatoes, beans and vegetables and keep them in the refrigerator but often the food would go bad before I was able to use it all. Anyway, I was looking and looking for ideas for what to do to always have good, healthy food on hand for them in a way that was convenient to prepare and wouldn't go bad. I don't remember where I read it but I read about putting food into muffin tins and freezing them so that they are good sized portions for toddlers and then popping them out of the tins when they were frozen and storing them in Ziploc bags until they were needed. So, that is what I have been doing and it is WONDERFUL! Whenever I need a quick and healthy lunch or dinner I just pop a few cubes in the microwave and a hot, healthy meal is ready within minutes (often we don't have electricity and the cubes warm up fine in a sauce pan too). I have put spaghetti and meat sauce into the cubes, chicken pot pie filling, Shepperd's pie, apple sauce, vegetables and mashed potatoes. Often I take left-overs from Ryan and my dinner and put them into the cubes. It really cuts down on waste and I always have food on hand for them. I am SO thankful I found out about this idea. Hope it helps some of you!

Do you have other ideas for quick and easy toddler food that is not pre-packaged or pre-prepared? I would love to hear them!

Spaghetti and meat sauce

Chicken pot pie

A hot, healthy meal within minutes and 2 happy kids!!!

When I finally stop and listen...

Balancing life wearing so many different hats (wife, mom, disciple of Christ, language learner, cook, English teacher, emailer, etc, etc) is often overwhelming. Trying to make sure that I am being intentional with my time and giving 110% to whatever I am doing at the moment is often hard. During the "down-time" of the day, I find that it is hard for me to relax and just be content to sit and enjoy the quietness or the stillness. However, yesterday I had such a unique and special time with the Lord in my community where I actually stopped long enough to really hear from Him...

I teach English on Tuesday and Friday mornings to a few Tibetan woman. Yesterday, I went to my class at our usual time, and the restaurant where I teach these women was closed. So I had to cancel class for the day. I called Ryan (who was home with the kids) and told him the situation and told him that I was going to take some time and just sit at the stupa (the Tibetan Buddhist temple by my home) and pray and listen and talk to some people there. He of course was fine with that and so supportive as usual. I spend a lot of time at the stupa, but most of the time I have a specific purpose or reason to be there. Yesterday, I decided to just sit on the steps of a big Buddhist monastery for a while. At the stupa (it is circular) people walk around and around it and believe that each time they circle the temple they are earning good karma (or merit) for the next life. Because I had time to just sit, pray, watch and listen for the first time in a while, all of it was overwhelming. I began to tear up,and my heart was just so broken as I sat and watched these people that I love, that God loves even more, putting all of their faith and hope into idols made by human hands carved from stone, gold, wood and clay. I saw little old women, so old it was hard for them to walk,bowing down to these idols. I saw teenagers come and get 'blessings' from the Buddhist and Hindu spiritual leaders. I saw people pay respect to and honor a bell made of silver. I saw people give money to monks and nuns so that the monks and nuns would pray for them. I heard horns blaring from monasteries in worship to false gods. I heard monks chanting mantras (many of which they don't even understand). I saw children begging, and I could just go on and on.

Throughout my time, as I watched and prayed, God was revealing things to me and bringing many Scriptures to mind. I just had to pull out a pen and a paper and start writing. Here is a little of what I wrote yesterday:

God, it all seems so hopeless. It seems like it is a never ending cycle. People turn to idols, and then they turn their backs on you. People don't seek truth (Romans 3:11, Jeremiah 29:12-13). They do what makes them feel happy, what they think is right (Proverbs 16). I know that it is not all hopeless. I know that you can bring salvation to these people. That you can tear down their walls, their barriers, their blindness, the things that keep them from knowing you. I know you can do it, and I ask that you PLEASE do it! I can see now (or at least understand a little bit more) why you sent the flood and why you had to destroy your creation at that time. Thank you for speaking to Noah and his family and for saving them from the flood. Thank you that you have provided a way for us to be saved from sin and your wrath (Romans 3:23, Romans 10:9, 1 John 1:9). I know that one day you are going to come again and judge the world. I know that those that don't know you will be eternally separated from you (John 14:6). I know that that breaks your heart so much more than it breaks mine. You love these people more than I ever could. So much so, that you sent your One and Only Son to die for them and for me (John 3:16). You are SO patient and long suffering. Your Word tells us that one day you will return, and I believe that with my whole heart (Matthew 24:36-44). I know you are waiting to return because those that you desire to hear about you haven't yet (Revelation 7:9), because you desire the ones who are here on the earth NOW to know you. It is your desire that no one perish but that ALL PEOPLE come to repentance and come to KNOW you (2 Peter 3:9). I know it must break your heart and make you so sad that so many people around the world, including most of the Tibetan Buddhist people I am looking at now, don't know you. I know you love them. Thank you for loving them. I know that these people aren't going to come to you unless they hear about you and unless we tell them (Romans 10:14, Matthew 28:18-20). I want to tell them about you. I want them to know you, to understand all they can about you, to love you. I want their lives to be transformed and for your name to be famous throughout the Himalayan mountains of Nepal.

God, help me to love the people here (and around the world) as you do. Help me in my language abilities. Open my eyes, my mind, my ears to the ways and places you are working here. I love you and am SO thankful for my salvation. I want to spend my life serving you!

I just wanted to encourage you (and me) today, to share our love for the Lord and His love for all people with those around us today wherever we are. We don't know what tomorrow holds, but we do know that God desires that ALL people would know Him. We have an important role in that, and we are to be the mouthpiece to share the Truth about God and who He is and the relationship He desires with all people. What an awesome privilege that is!

Chicken Panini Recipe

After my last post on Meal Planning, one of my friends asked for the Chicken Panini recipe. Well, I don't really have a recipe but I made them the other night for dinner and they were delicious so I will try and explain them below:

Chicken Breast sliced long and thin
Spinach
Tomatoes
Your favorite cheese
Honey mustard dressing
A good, fresh bread

I grilled the chicken and used a little chicken seasoning, salt and pepper. Then I sauteed the spinach with onion, garlic and salt and pepper. Then I made the light honey mustard (light mayo, yellow mustard, honey, vinegar, salt and pepper). I then got out my grill pan (since I don't have a panini maker) and I brushed honey mustard on a bread slice and laid it in the grill pan. I then added the tomato, spinach, chicken and cheese. I then brushed honey mustard on the second piece of bread and then topped the sandwich with it. I used a plate and a large heavy bowl to put pressure on the sandwiches as they grilled so they could "smoosh" together in a more panini style. I served them with baked french fries on the side and they were hot and delicious! Enjoy!

Meal Planning

We have been back in Nepal for almost 4 months now. These past 4 months have been so busy and every week I have told myself that I need to sit down and create a weekly/monthly meal plan/schedule because if you are anything like me, each morning you are trying to figure out what you have in the fridge and what you can get at the market in order to create a good dinner for your family. Living like this (especially in Nepal and other countries where there is no option for fast food or delivery or microwave meals or frozen pizza, etc) is stressful and time consuming.

So, I finally did it!!!!

I finally sat down and planned out dinners for the next three weeks. Everything we make here has to be made from scratch (thankfully we can get canned spaghetti sauce, canned beans, and have now even started getting a few frozen items such as french fries and tater tots and things like that most of the time) so these menu ideas are all things that can be made without many imported items. Also, a complete grocery list is not included here. Here in Nepal we have a few grocery stores where I do the bulk of my shopping and then we have small markets/shops that sell fresh vegetables, fruits, flour, sugar, butter, bread, salt, etc. everywhere. So my market lists are not grocery lists...they are simply a list of what I need from my local market each day. If you don't live near a market you could total up the vegetables you need each week and just buy them in one day and use them all week but because my little market is just 100 meters from my house I like to buy them each day.

So far (these past 2 days) having this planned out has made life so much simpler. It is one less thing I have to think about each day and it is so good to know that I have what I need in my fridge (except for my market items) for at least a weeks worth of meals...that means no last minute running to the grocery store and that means less time and less spending money on little things I find here and there. I would love to hear what you do each week for meal planning. I would love some meal ideas and always love to hear ways to make life easier.

September 2009
Monday 7: BLT and Tater Tots

From Market:
Lettuce
Tomatoes

Tuesday 8: Pot Roast (Buffalo or Beef) with Carrots, mashed potatoes and green beans

From Market:
3 Carrots
1 kg potatoes
300 g green beans (use some of these vegetables for Thursday’s pot pie for K and G)

Wednesday 9: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

From Market:
2 large tomatoes, tomato soup packets

Thursday 10: Chicken Panini’s with Spinach, Tomatoes and homemade honey mustard and Baked french fries
(use extra chicken and make pot pie cubes to freeze for K&G)

From Market:
2 large tomatoes, spinach, fresh bread


Friday 11: Pineapple Pizza
w/carrot and cucumber sticks

From Market:
1 carrot, 1 cucumber, 1 onion, flour


Monday 14: Chicken Burritos and Mexican rice

From Market:
2 green peppers, 2 onions, flour

Tuesday 15: Shepherd’s Pie

From Market:
2 tomatoes, 2 carrots, 200 g green beans, 1 onion, 1 garlic, 1 kg potatoes
(use extra potatoes to make mashed ones for K and G)

Wednesday 16: Chicken Noodle Soup and Biscuits

From Market:
2 Carrots, 2 onions, 1 Garlic, flour

Thursday 17: Banana Pancakes and Eggs

From Market:
6 Bananas, flour and eggs

Friday 18: Pineapple or Veg and Olive Stromboli with raw carrots and cucumbers

From Market:
2 Carrots, 2 Cucumbers, vegetables for pizza

Monday 21: Chicken Fingers with mashed potatoes and green beans

From Market:
1 kg large potatoes (use some for Tuesday night), 200 g green beans

Tuesday 22: Chili and Baked Potatoes

From Market:
½ kg tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 garlic

Wednesday 23: Pancakes or Cinnamon Toast with Eggs

From Market:
Eggs, bread

Thursday 24: Spaghetti with meat sauce and Garlic Bread

From Market:
1/2 kg tomatoes, Bread

Friday 25: Chicken Panini’s with Spinach, Tomatoes and homemade honey mustard and baked french fries

From Market:
2 large tomatoes, spinach, fresh bread

It is the little things...

These days my life seems to be so busy. Not too busy that I can't slow down or get control of things but just busy enough that at the end of my day I can barely keep my eyes open. Sometimes when life gets this busy it is so easy to focus on all of the things that HAVE to get done and so often times I forget to give attention to the things (0r people) that I need to and want to. This has happened recently with my husband. It is not something that he or I really even noticed (thankfully) but I realized that I was doing life with him, taking care of Keane and Gracie with him, taking care of our team with him, ministering with him but I really wasn't reaching out to him, serving him, spending quality time with him and just having fun with him. I would love to be able to say that when I realized this I got a babysitter and took my husband on a romantic date (which mind you is VERY hard to do in Kathmandu) and spent hours upon hours with only him but that is not what happened. What I did instead was to clean the coffee filter out of the pot, fill the pot up with water and fresh coffee grounds so it was all ready for him in the morning when he woke up. You see, my husband LOVES coffee and makes a hot, fresh pot every morning. The other day he was reminding me that one of the things he dislikes most is cleaning out the coffee pot and getting it ready for fresh coffee to be made. He wished that the coffee would just be ready in the morning without all of that (he was talking about a magical machine and truly not hinting for me to make it). Sounds silly, huh? But no, for Ryan this is something special to him. So, I decided to get his coffee pot all set up. When he realized that I had done this for him he was SO happy and thankful. It made him feel so special and loved. Cleaning and refilling the coffee pot is just a small way that I can show my husband that I love him but it is the little things right? I have decided that I am going to try and get his coffee cleaned up and set up each day for him...not because he ever asked me to do it or because he expects me to do it but because to him it is special and it is just one way, in my crazy, busy days that I can take a few extra minutes and show my husband how special he is to me and how much I love him.

Are there small things that you can do in your life to show those around you that you love them? It will make such a big difference in your relationships and loving and serving those around us honors and glorifies God...

Praying for our children: Day 14 - Day 31

Well, I am so sorry that I was not able to update these everyday. I really had all good intentions and then time just got away from me. I pray that you and I will be able to use this list (and the ones from my previous posts) to spend this next month consecutively praying for our children in these specific areas. I have prayed for Keane and Gracie in these areas most days this month and it has been so neat to see how my God brings so many other things to mind to pray for them about through these initial prayers each day. My friend Shannon also commented and gave me a link for where to find the original list of prayers so you can print the entire sheet out if you want. Click here to find the list. I hope you all are doing well. Here is day 14- day 31....

Day 14 Kindness "Lord, may my children 'always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else'"

1 Thessalonians 5:15

Day 15 Generosity "Grant that my children may 'be generous and willing to share [and so] lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age'"

1 Timothy 6:18-19

Day 16 Peace, peaceability "Father, let my children 'make every effort to do what leads to peace'"

Romans 14:19

Day 17 Joy " May my children be filled 'with the joy given by the Holy Spirit'"

1 Thessalonians 1:6

Day 18 Perseverance " Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to 'run with perseverance the race marked out for [them]'"

Hebrews 12:1

Day 19 Humility " God, please cultivate in my children the ability to 'show true humility toward all'"

Titus 3:2

Day 20 Compassion " Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion"

Colossians 3:12

Day 21 Responsibility " Grant that my children may learn responsibility, 'for each one should carry his own load'"

Galatians 6:5

Day 22 Contentment " Father, teach my children 'the secret of being content in any and every situation. . . . through him who gives [them] strength'"

Philippians 4:12-13

Day 23 Faith " I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children's hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them"

Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40

Day 24 A servant heart " God, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, 'as to the Lord, and not to men'"

Ephesians 6:7, KJV

Day 25 Hope " May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit"

Romans 15:13

Day 26 The willingness and ability to work hard " Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work hard at everything they do, 'as working for the Lord, not for men'"

Colossians 3:23

Day 27 A passion for God " Lord, please instill in my children a soul that "followeth hard after thee," a heart that clings passionately to you

Psalm 63:8, KJV

Day 28 Self-discipline " Father, I pray that my children may develop self-discipline, that they may acquire 'a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair'"

Proverbs 1:3

Day 29 Prayerfulness " Grant, Lord, that my children's lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to 'pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests"

Ephesians 6:18

Day 30 Gratitude " Help my children to live lives that are always 'overflowing with thankfulness,' 'always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'"

Colossians 2:7, Ephesians 5:20

Day 31 A heart for missions " Lord, please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples"

Psalm 96:3

Praying for our children...days 8-13

Oh the excuses I can give as to why I am posting this so late...but I will refrain and simply say...sorry. I hope that you can "catch up" while I do here!

Day 8: Mercy "May my children always 'be merciful, as [their] Father in heaven is merciful'".

Luke 6:36

Day 9: Respect (for self, others, authority) "Father, grant that my children may 'show proper respect to everyone, 'as your Word commands"

1 Peter 2:17a

Day 10: Strong, Biblical self-esteem "Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are 'God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus"

Ephesians 2:10

Day 11: Faithfulness "Let love and faithfulness never leave [my children],' but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts"

Proverbs 3:3

Day 12: Courage "May my children always 'Be strong and courageous' in their character and in their actions"

Deuteronomy 31:6

Day 13: Purity "Create in [my children] a pure heart, O God,' and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions"

Psalm 51:10

Praying for our children...day 5, 6, 7

Am I really that behind in posting these days? Time just seems to be flying by! For those of you who are trying to use these prayers daily...I am so sorry that I have not been able to do it each day...I will try to be more diligent about posting them here.

Day 5 Self-control "Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be 'alert and self controlled' in all they do."

1 Thessalonians 5:6

"So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and sober."

Day 6 a love for God's Word "May my children grow to find your Word 'more precious than gold, than much pure gold; [and] sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb."

Psalm 19:10

"More to be desired are than than gold,

even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey

and drippings from the honeycomb."

Day 7 justice "God, help my children to love justice as you do and to 'act justly' in all they do."

Psalm 11:7

"For the Lord is righteous,

He loves righteous deeds;

the upright shall behold His face."

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of

you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?"

Praying for our chidren...day 3 and day 4

Yesterday was a great but busy day so by the time I got home, played with Keane and Gracie and got dinner made and cleaned up, baths finished, I was exhausted and just wanted to watch TV so I didn't get day 3 posted yesterday. Forgive me for the delay but here are day 3 and day 4 of ways to pray for our children. I don't know about you but it has been such a special time for me to set aside just a few minutes each day to pray for these specific things. Praying these specific things makes me think about each one and how I desire so strongly for Keane and Gracie to have these traits and things in their lives. I am so thankful that God hears our prayers and desires to answer them!

Day 3: Love "Grant, Lord, that my children (Keane and Gracie) may learn to 'live a life of love,' through the spirit who dwells in them."

Ephesians 5:2

"And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God."

Galatians 5:22

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Day 4: Honesty and Integrity "May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection."

Psalm 25:21

"May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you."

Praying for our children...day 2

This morning at breakfast, I held both Keane and Gracie's hands and looked them in the eyes (they were looking around a bit of course) and I told that them that I was praying everyday for them. I told them that I wanted to pray for them right now and that is what I did...as they mumbled away and looked all around I held their hands and lifted today's prayer up to God. It was such a special time.

Day 2: Growth in grace

"I pray that they (Keane and Gracie) may grow in the grace

and

knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 3:18