God Cares About Chicken Stock

We have been overwhelmed at how God has taken care of us and encouraged us in the 3+ weeks that my husband has been out of work.  We have not had one worry or concern.  Each time we paid a bill, the money has come back to us almost immediately.  From us using a couple Saturdays to have a table at a flea market to my husband working on a couple of vehicles for people.  I received a Wal-mart gift card for my birthday and my husband received a Piggly Wiggly gift card for working on the door that was not closing well.  Each time we have put gas in the car or truck, we have had the money returned to us.  It has just been absolutely amazing to watch.  A couple took us out to eat one Sunday after church.  Another friend took my husband and I to see Courageous.  A dear friend gave me a gift certificate for a facial that I used last week.  It was wonderful!

I have always used coupons and tried to feed our family as cheap as possible so that we could afford for me to stay at home all these years.  Yesterday, I dropped my husband and daughter off at church because they needed to be there for their small groups.  I had a little over an hour to waste until I needed to be there.  I grabbed my coupons and went to Bi-Lo.  I only had a few things that we either needed or were extremely cheap with my coupons.  I placed a couple of things in my cart, and went down the soup aisle.  I thought I had a coupon for the new Knorr Homestyle Stock.  I was planning to make potato soup Tuesday of this week and needed it for flavor.  I did not have a coupon and it seemed a little pricey so I just kept walking.  In less than 10 steps this lady coming toward me with a box and a display poster stopped and asked, "Are you Janie?"  I said, "No ma'am but I am Jamie".  She said "I have something to give you".  She reached into her box and pulled out not one but two samples of the Knorr Homestyle Chicken Stock.  I just laughed.  I then told her why I found it to be funny.  We talked about how she remembered me from an article that had been in the paper a few years ago, had seen me at a former church, and sees me with my coupons in the store.  She was on her way to set up a display for samples for the chicken stock and honestly, I am not certain with where she was placing the sample display, why she would even come down that particular aisle.  Oh, I do know why....God cares about chicken stock!

Leftover Soup---(8 servings for less than $2)

I love it when I can make a meal out of leftovers or things I get for nearly free with coupons/sales.  Today, I made a soup that was enough for two meals for our family and it only cost us less than $2 total.

I cooked an onion, a can of chopped tomatoes, and various spices until the onions were soft.  My son does not like chunks of tomatoes or onions so I used the immersion blender after cooking them.  I then added left over shredded chicken, leftover black-eyed peas, and leftover white rice.  I deep fried corn tortilla strips and sprinkled them with salt.  To serve the soup I placed it in a bowl with a sprinkle of cheese and spoon of sour cream.  I put some of the tortilla strips on the side.  It was a hit and we have enough for our lunch Sunday!

God Had a Plan

It has been nearly 3 weeks since my husband lost his job.  We had been praying for a long while that God would move him from where he was, but the way it all happened was not really what we had planned.  I know the Lord well enough to know better than to assume my plan is the best plan.  My husband had been swinging shifts for 5 years.  He would work 7 days on 3rd and have two days off, work 7 days on 1st and have one day off, and 7 days on 2nd and have three days off.  We only had one weekend as a family and that weekend was always cut short because he would need to rest for the upcoming 3rd shift week.  We really wanted to just have a normal schedule and for him to get proper rest.  Our other concern was that he was only able to go to church two Sundays a month.  We really wanted to find something where he could go to church every week.  Money had stopped being a motivator or desire.  

In July, we were convinced that a job we had checked into was the job God wanted him to have.  He had been recommended by someone that worked at the company.  On paper, the job should have been his.  Everything was working out just like we thought it should.  We would sit and "dream" of how life would be when he started the job.  We would talk about it as if it was a done deal.  We were convinced by everyone involved that it was.  Then came the day that Glenn called the recruiter to ask where things stood.  I saw Glenn's face as he found out that he was not getting hired.  I saw the defeat and rejection all over his face.  It was a sad day for us.  We had really gotten our hopes up.  We had a really hard time dealing with the questions in our hearts and the hurt that it did not workout.  We talked and said that we truly trusted God's timing and plan, but it was hard.

August came and I suddenly had a jaw/facial pain that was worse than any pain I had ever suffered.  I spent a lot of time in tears.  It was at this same time that I had agreed to start a women's small group at my church.  The pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced.  I eventually visited my dentist only to find out that it was nothing serious and a simple night guard that he would fit me far would fix the problem and alleviate the pain.  Once the guard was in place for a few nights, I had a complete recovery.

September came and I was gearing up to start leading a Bible study at our church.  I was planning and preparing, but really nervous about it.  We had the first meeting and it went well, but I was a nervous wreck.  That Saturday, my husband was working 2nd shift.  My daughter and I were in the back of the house in our kitchen cooking.  Our dog, who was in the den at the front of the house, started barking.  This is nothing unusual, so I sent my daughter to see what was wrong.  Almost as soon as she left the kitchen and got to the den, she started screaming.  As I left the kitchen, I realized a strange man was standing inside our front door.  My instincts kicked in and I ran from the back of our house and straight to him.  I was screaming for him to get out and eventually shoved him to our front porch.  The police came and arrested him later.  It was a scary scary night.

October came and we thought things had settled down.  Two weeks into the month, my husband left for work on 2nd shift and less than two hours came home.  He informed me that he would find out the next day if he still had a job.  The instant that he told me, I made a conscious decision to not go into my all familiar mode of anxiety.  I decided to take care of him, love him, encourage him, and help him through it.  We did not have any idea how we would handle things, but we knew God had a plan.  We decided to just trust Him.  As I sit and type this, realizing that he has been out of work three weeks as of tomorrow, I realize that every single need that we have had, has been met.  God has taken complete care of us.

Our prayer has been that God will shut every single door that is not where he wants him to work.  I asked God to encourage Glenn and to not allow him to suffer anymore rejection.  Fifteen minutes after my last blog post where I wondered "Why would we say no?", my husband walked into the room to tell me that he had gotten a call and was starting work Monday.  It was the job he first wanted and it is everything we had asked God to workout.  He was even going to ask the guy if he could come in early on Wednesdays so he could get home in time to go to the Men's Group on Wednesday evenings.  Before he could ask the guy told him he could get off an hour early every day.  God is so good!

I sit and type this knowing that God had a plan.  I have not once doubted that throughout these three weeks and I have been certain that whatever God was up to would be far better than anything we could workout on our on.

Why Would We Say "No"?

My husband lost his job a little over two weeks ago.  We have been amazed at how God has taken care of us in a time when we should be frantic, anxious, broke, and scared.  We have watched as he has provided in ways that we never thought imaginable.  We have felt the love of friends and been encouraged by their words.  It is absolutely amazing.  We have prayed for the job God wants him to have and for us to stay out of the way so God can work it all out.  We have watched our family heal from 5 years of my husband swinging shifts 7 days at a time.  We honestly did not realize the depth at which this job had robbed our family of  so much.  Although we are grateful he had a job for 5 years, it was truly a wilderness experience to say the least.  We have prayed that entire 5 years for Glenn to find another job.  We wanted him out of where he was, but this is not really how we saw it happening.  I have been reminded quite often lately that GOD IS TRULY IN CONTROL!!!

Today, Glenn was suppose to interview with a company that we just knew was not a good fit for us.  It would be over an hour drive, 7 days a week work, and always on-call.  We just knew that he was not suppose to go.  He called them and thanked them for their consideration and told them that he would not be coming for the interview.  He also got a call this morning about a temporary job at a company.  It would have been MUCH MUCH less money and we would have to supplement in some way.  It was also 3rd shift and would have cost us $100/week in gas.  We talked about it and he called them and thanked them for the opportunity, but told them that it was not feasible. 

Why would we say "no"?  I really do not know the answer, but I know this:

Our family has experienced a healing from the damage caused by him being in a bad situation and we don't want to go back.  I am leading a Bible Study by James MacDonald, "Lord Change My Attitude".  Last week was on doubt.  During this time in our lives, it would be easy to fall back to the familiar....doubt.  Instead, we are believing that God has a plan and that he will reveal that plan in His timing.  We are convinced that a regular 1st shift job where he is at peace is where he needs to be.  We are not certain how or when that will happen, but I am convinced that God did not bring him out of the wilderness for him to wonder back into slavery and bondage.  James MacDonald asked a question in last week's video that has really stuck with me ever since I watched it:  "Do you really think that God would continue to provide manna for the Israelites if they started returning to where they had been?"  As I think about this question, I see my husband as being freed from bondage in a bad situation.  Why would he go right back into a situation that would be the same or worse?  Also, God has met every single need that we have had since this all started and I am not going to panic now.  

We truly have a peace.  I cannot explain it and I honestly do not recognize my words and actions as being my normal reaction.  What I do know is that God is faithful....true...merciful...gracious...loving.  He has NEVER failed me or abandoned me, and I do not believe that He will now.

Supper

I could not decide what to cook for supper, but I usually cook from whatever is on hand.  I decided to make Roasted Potato Sausage Bake (no that is not an official recipe name...just what it was).

I chopped russet potatoes and mixed them with a 1/4 cup oil to coat them.  I placed them in a roasting pan and sprinkled them with granulated garlic, salt, pepper, and other spices.  I roasted them at 425 degrees until fork tender.  In the mean time, I browned a pound of bulk sausage.  When the potatoes were ready I sprinkled the sausage over them along with sour cream and cheeses.  I put it back in the over until the cheese melted.  This was a big hit with my family.  I think I will do the same thing for breakfast one Saturday morning and add scrambled eggs along with the sausage.

Being Transformed

This tree is one near our home that I watch transform each Autumn into a beautiful orange site.  During the other times of the year, it just blends in does not attract any attention.  Then the weather starts to cool off and suddenly I start noticing a difference in this one tree.  It stands out in a wonderful display of beauty.  I want to be like this tree.  I don't want to just blend into the world.  I want to be transformed.  The Bible tells us that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

I am thrilled to know that God can transform me.  I do not always like the process, but in the end, I will be a standout for Him.

Our Wreath

Last week I put this wreath together for our front door.  I was not sure what I was going to do with it when I bought all the materials, but this turned out pretty good.  I wanted the "W" to be a color that I could use for more than one season, so I decided on this shade of green.  I also wanted the "W" to be in the center of the wreath, but I was not certain how to make that happen.  Fortunately, my husband is good at knowing how to do things, so he used fishing line and hidden holes on the back of the "W" to suspend it in the middle.  I have less than $20 in this and it is a 26" grapevine wreath.

After posting this picture on Facebook, my husband came home from work with the news that he had lost his job.  Not long after I emailed several friends about our devastating news, one of them emailed me to encourage me.  Here is part of what she said:

"Looked at your wreath again and couldn't help but think of your family, the "W", surrounded by God's never ending love, the circle of the wreath, and His promise that He is always there for us, protecting us and surrounding us with His shield of righteousness, the berries and the netting, keeping us safe from the enemy."

I am not certain what God's plan is, but I am grateful to be surrounded by so many encouraging Christian friends.  God has used them to remind me of His love and concern for us.  What a blessing!

Pinterest.....My New Interest

I discovered Pinterest last week as I was looking for instructions for something I wanted to make for Christmas gifts.  It is now where I save all my "bookmarks".  It is very user friendly.  The reason this has replaced my bookmarks folder is that I can see a picture of each thing I want to save, click on that picture later, and go straight to the website where the details are found.  On Pinterest it is based on pinning like on a bulletin board.  You can make boards to have titles that best suit you.  As you "Pin" things, you will probably change your boards to better define each category.  You can search Pinterest for all sorts of ideas and if someone has already pinned the idea you just have to repin it to your page and decide what you want to say about it and which board to place it on.  You can plan an event, save ideas, make a reading list, etc.  The possibilities are endless.  The mobile site is useful and well laid out.  Pinterest is my new favorite thing!

Funky Junk Interiors

I have found a blog that I could spend HOURS looking at.  It has lots of cool ideas and I am very inspired.  Check it out:

Getting a Grip

We have all said it:  "Get a Grip!"

Today, I am saying it to myself.  I need to get a serious grip.  A month ago (or so) we had an intruder come into our house and it really has thrown me for a loop.  I am having a hard time focusing on anything, my eating is out of hand (again) and my exercise is non-existent.  I am struggling.  In my struggle, I realize that I need to get a grip...a real tight grip.  I cannot wait another moment.

As I think about getting a grip I imagine a tug-of-war. Here is how that goes.  There is a force on one side and a force on the other side.  Each force gets a firm grip on their side of the rope.  They make certain that their hands are positioned just right, one behind the other.  The game starts and immediately both forces start to pull.  The center of the rope moves a little back and forth.  Eventually, someone has to change their grip and as soon as they do, the center of the rope goes the other way.  Then it happens, somebody loses their grip and they lose.  It is a defeat.  Sometimes the game is played so that the losing side goes into the mud pit in the center.  Here is where the real decision is:  Do I pick the rope back up and get a grip or do I stay in the mud?

I GET A GRIP!

So, I am writing out my plan today for the next week.  I am going to have the afternoon alone so I will spend it working on a real plan of action and my daily schedules.  One thing that I have certainly learned is that without a plan....I FAIL!

"Those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 41:31