Whatever It Takes

We had a really good service last night!!  (Oak Forest 1-15-2012)  Good testimonies and songs, and Bro. Wright did a great job talking about hearing the Lord’s voice and being willing to obey it.  He really lined it out for us. 

Sis. Lydia followed it up by a pretty song with some hard words…”Whatever it takes for my will to break…”

I tend to have a really hard time singing songs like that because I immediately think of my kids and I can hardly hold them and sing “Whatever it takes”.  It’s just too much to even think about.  As I was texting some this last night it’s almost like I am saying “Lord, whatever it takes…that you have to do to me…but not my kids Lord”.  This is something I have always struggled with. 

This morning I was thinking about the service…and about that feeling…the thought hit me…”He’s not requiring that right now.”   I felt the HOLY GHOST all over!!!  He is not requiring that of me right now.  What is the Lord asking me to do RIGHT NOW??  It’s not the big bad hard things right now.  It’s the little things.  Things that should be easy to do.

He’s requiring me to turn off the television…turn off the computer…read more…pray more…be kinder to my children…to my husband…watch how I respond to things…these are some of the things the Lord is dealing with me about right now.   

Instead of getting so distracted by all the things the Lord MIGHT require of me someday I need to focus on the things He IS requiring right now.  They are not big in the grand scheme of things; but really they are because if I can’t obey in these little things I for sure won’t be able to obey when the BIG things come around.  I need to instead   1) Listen for the Lord’s voice in my life   2) OBEY – not try to talk myself out of it, or ignore it till it goes away; but OBEY!!! 

Easiest Queso EVER!!

This wonderfully delicious recipe came from my wonderful mother in law.  I'm not sure where she got it from; but it has quickly become my most favorite queso recipe.

Ingredients:

1 8oz. package of cream cheese (softened)
1 can of cheddar cheese soup
1 can of rotel

You slowly on low heat melt the cream cheese (on the stove or in the microwave)

Add the cheddar soup straight from the can (no water needed)

Add the entire can of rotel - juice and all (you can blend it if you don't want the chunks of tomatoes)

And that's it...you're done!!!  Go grab a bowl and dig in!!  YUMMY!!!

Salsa Recipe

Ok...I think I have found the greatest recipe in the world for salsa...ok maybe not the WORLD; but it's pretty good!!!

www.copykat.com/2009/03/27pappasitos-salsa/

My husband loves Pappasitos salsa and I have attempted in the past to make some; but it just never tasted quite right.  Until now!!!  :0)

Ingredients:  (Ingredients I used - website has a little different spices)
8 whole tomatoes
1 small yellow onion - diced
1 Jalapeno pepper
1 Poblano pepper
1/2 tsp. Celery Salt
1/8 tsp. Oregano
1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt

Also - the recipe on the website calls for 1/3 - 3/4 cup of water; but I found that I didn't need any water added.  Adding the extra water would have been too much.

I take no credit for this recipe at all because all I did was follow the directions.  I did tweak a few things to fit my taste and added an extra jalapeno for a little more heat. 

1 jalapeno - mild
2 was just right
3 eye - chi - wau wau :0)

Another secret is to use FRESH ingredients.  Don't buy your stuff till the day you're going to make it.  It will taste ok if you have to wait; but it tastes so much better if they're fresh. 

You start by coring and de-seeding 1 Poblano pepper and your jalapenos (however many you choose)

Heat a large skillet on medium (4 or 5)

When heated spray skillet with PAM and drop in peppers.  Stir and cook till till they are brown on both sides.  You might have to re-spray pan a couple times during the whole process. 

When they are brown add your tomatoes (WHOLE tomato except for the hard part the stem sticks in - I do not know the technical term)   The recipe calls for Roma tomatoes...I prefer vine ripened.  I have used both and I think that the Vine Ripened has a better flavor when roasted. 

Next, when your tomatoes have browned on several sides remove the skillet from heat and add your onion (diced).



Sure wish you had smellavision :0) YUMMY!!!





While the onions are warming go ahead and put your seasonings into your food processor. 

 

Next, add your cilantro and slowly spoon the vegetables into your food processor. 

I only did a little at a time so that it all mixed well. 

Next poor it back into the skillet and heat for 3 minutes to warm it all back up good...

And vuala...

yummy yummy :0)

Thank you copykat!!!!  Hope you enjoy!!!

"You can have two people sitting right beside eachother...have the same experiences in the Lord...filled with the same Holy Ghost...It's not just that you have the Holy Ghost...It's what you do with it!!!" 
Bro. Troy Coldwater 
He stated this among many many good thoughts tonight!!  Lord, let me have enough faith in you to put my Holy Ghost to work for the purpose that it was given for...to overcome the flesh...to lay down this old will...to strive for the Bride for which I've been called!!!! 

Ain't God Good

Tonight we had an amazing service.  From start to finish the Lord was there.  To give you a little summary…the band played “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power” and the Holy Ghost moved in.  From there the song service continued in like manner.  The testimonies began to echo the channel of the goodness of the Lord.  Soon a young lady stood to her feet and said “We can say this phrase the proper way; but she liked to say AIN’T GOD GOOD, better!!!!!”  We began to sing the song

Well ain’t God good…To Give us so many blessings…undeserving is what we are!!!  We ought to thank Him…Love and praise Him…a little more today and a whole lot more tomorrow!!!!

From then the Holy Ghost began to move in a mighty way as people began to express the GOODNESS of the Lord!!!  I’m telling you with each and every testimony my spiritual bucket got fuller…and fuller…and FULLER till I thought I was just going to POP!!! 

I didn’t feel to add my testimony to the service; but as I lay in bed tonight (going back and forth between praying for some of my friends who are in desperate need tonight and hearing that song ringing over and over in my head) I kept thinking Lord you’ve been so good to me.  So many things, and then the Lord brought back one time that was a significant turning point in my life.  So…I had to get up and write it down.  You see…these are things I NEVER want to forget.

When I was 15 years old…some of you know this; but some of you may not.  When I was 15 my mother was killed in a car accident.  As if the Lord bringing me through the grief of that wasn’t enough…there is a little more to this story.  At this time in my life I was very much into school activities.  I was in a #1 nationally ranked marching band, a part of an exclusive music academy, winning awards left and right for my flute; and to top it all off I had a boyfriend in school who respected my moral standards and had declared his desire to marry me.  I was going to church; but not IN church.  Once again I was 15. 

One normal June day my mother asked if I wanted to go with her to work.  I went to bed that night with the intention of getting up and going with her the next day.  Now whether my alarm didn’t go off or not, for some reason I did not get up.  As I finally made my way out of bed my mother was just about to walk out the door.  I don’t remember much about that day; but we did argue and I begged her to wait for me.  She was already late so she did not.  Later that evening a state trooper came to our door and informed us that my mother had been in a car accident earlier that day.  I was supposed to be in that car.  The gravity of this fact didn’t hit me till a few years later when I was able to process this.  The Lord…for whatever reason saw fit to spare me.  Yes I lost my mother, and yes I may never understand why; but in that one instant my life changed. 

After that day the Lord slowly began to cut my ties with the world that I had become so wrapped up in.

My boyfriend who had been in Mexico for his senior trip had come home 2 days after this and the first words out of his mouth were “I hope this doesn’t affect our relationship”.  Comforting huh!!!!  I was so in love…and so stupid!!!!  I assured him that it wouldn’t; but in the back of my mind the Lord was already beginning to cut that tie.   

After the funeral I left my mother’s grave…got on the church bus…and ended up in Dallas, TX for a tent youth meeting.  In that meeting I went down front for prayer.  From the moment the ministry began to pray for me I don’t remember what happened.  I came to…lying on the ground…surrounded by the people of God…covered in dirt…speaking in tongues!!!!!!  I have never had an experience like that ever again; but it is one I will NEVER forget!!!!  Something had been changed.  The Lord had come on the scene and I was never to be the same again!!!!!!!

When I got home from that meeting you know who was waiting for me.  When he showed up at my door I felt this coldness toward him.  I don’t know any other way to describe it.  As we talked somehow we got on the subject of church and how many services we have.  I know it was the Lord.  He responded to something I said by saying “I don’t mind if you go to church on Sunday; but I really don’t think you need to go any more than that.”  I felt that last string that had tied him to my heart pop with a loud…solid SNAP.  I told him “Well, I AM going to go whenever I want and it’s more important to me to do what the Lord wants me to do than to be with you.”  There were more words exchanged and he finally got angry and stormed out.  When we got to the front door of my house he turned around and asked “so you really feel like GOD is asking you to break up with me”. I said “yes I do” and I shut the door.    I tell you that it was the Lord that did that for me.  He knew more than I did what would lie ahead if I had stayed with him.  I never cried.  I never even gave him a second thought.  The Lord took him completely out of my heart and set my feet on the path that HE wanted for me.

By the time I graduated I had little or no contact with the people that were considered my closest school friends.  I didn’t go where they went, and do the things they did anymore.  I was no longer in band and really spent all my time trying to pass my classes and get out of there!!  I was a different person.  My one and only good friend that stayed my good friend through all this come to find out a couple years after high school had married the local drug dealer and had several children.  I would also find out around the same time that my so called “faithful” boyfriend and my so called “good school friends”, would drop me off at home (from a night of going out to eat and a movie) and go get slap drunk and high on all kinds of stuff for the rest of the night.  I was shocked because never once did I even see any of them smoke a cigarette or anything around me.  The LORD kept me covered.  He kept evil away even when I didn’t even know to be worried.    

So YES…

AIN’T GOD GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SMILES

The other night we were watching Princess #1's Sunday School Christmas Program - She chuckles and says, "Mom, I had all those smile in my head and that was the only way to get them all out". 

I guess she must have noticed that through the whole program she was smiling from ear to ear. 

LOL!!!

Today the opportunity presented itself… (Meaning…my girls were still for longer than 20 seconds…) for me to tell my girls a Bible story.  This weekend Bro. Brown was talking about his childhood a little bit and mentioned that when his family got saved that his mother began to read them a chapter out of the Bible every night before bed.  That really pricked my heart because I should be doing a lot more.  I should be teaching me children little tidbits throughout the day.  Taking the chances when they come around to plant these truths in their little hearts.  So…back to my story.  It just so happened that they were still :o) so I asked them if they wanted me to tell them a story.  They said yes so I thought for a second and began to tell them about the story of Noah building the Ark.  When I got to the end I told them that the rainbow was a promise from God and then asked them if they knew any promises that the Lord has given them?  They both said no so I began to name a few…
He promised to never leave you or forsake you.  He promised to always love and watch over you.  He promised that if you will love and serve Him that you can reign with Him someday. 
I really felt the Lord back me up and I knew that this was something that the Lord wanted me to take more time to do for them while they are young. 
As they went off to play I still was thinking about those promises and this phrase kept going over and over in my head…”To him that overcometh…to him that overcometh”.  Now we have all heard these but they encouraged me so much today that I thought I would share them with you.  He has given us for sure…without a doubt promises…if we continue in obedience. 
Revelations 2 & 3

2:7 – To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

2:17 – To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that recieveth it.
2:26 – 28 – And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of the potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.  And I will give him the morning star.
3:5 – He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
3:12 – Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

3:21 – To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne.

3:22 – He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Cold Winter Night = Warm Memories

Tonight as the wind whipped around our little house and the cold settled in for the night our family sat around the dining room table sipping hot cocoa and eating yummy cookies.  Reminded me of tons of movies I had seen as a kid...where someone stands looking into the window of a house.  They're cold and lonely outside while the little family inside is warm and cozy.  You always here some sort of happy little Christmas tune playing in the background and you see everyone inside smiling; and having such a grand time.  Depending on the story of course it usually made me smile.  How great it was tonight to be that little happy family...wrapped in the warmth we felt...with all the wonderful memories being made.  My girls first sip of hot chocolate and the fun of filling your cup with marshmallows.  Yes they had just had a bath and yes they got cookie and sticky all over them; but oh how I wouldn't trade those memories for a clean kid :0)  I so much would rather see the light in their eyes as that warm yummy chocolate hit their little mouths for the first time.  Or the giggles at the mustaches the marshmallows left behind!!  It may be *35 degrees outside; but it was a snugglie *80 inside :0)  Thank you Lord for my little family!!!

Yum yum yum :0)



Christmas Ornaments

$5.00 each

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Can Ship anywhere in US

One Day at a Time

After spending time being discouraged because of my faults and failures I decided today that I have to repent and then move on.  I have to let go and trust that the Lord is going to forgive me for my failures and choose to start again.  I think I must have felt that I needed to pay some sort of penance by dwelling on them...worrying about them...and beating myself up.  The thought occurred to me today that doing this is not profitable anymore.  All that does is keep me beaten down and in the same place.  This doesn't allow me to grow.  I learn and grow by making the mistake...repenting...and turning from my ways.  Dwelling on it keeps it there in front of me and more often than not I tend to go right back to doing what I repented for. So...I am trying something different..."One Day at a Time Sweet Jesus".  So TODAY I started over :o)  TODAY I will take everything one step at a time...then before I go to bed I will thank the Lord for the victories won and repent for the battles lost...I will go to sleep and start again tomorrow. 

The Good Guy Club

To all my Family…and those that might as well be.

I was sitting and thinking Sunday about Matt and Annie’s wedding. I was soooo happy for them. I thought to myself “well good…another one joins the good guy club”.

As I thought about it these words started coming to me:

I would like to raise my glass today to all the good guys. What do I mean you ask? Well, it takes a very special man to love the women in this family. Now before you get offended let me explain!! :D

It takes a very special man to understand, love; and even at times admire the unique breed that we are.

We are a strong, passionate, opinionated, loyal; and headstrong group of women. You know I’m right…why because I of course, am one of you :o) We are more than happy to admit that we are wrong and ask for forgiveness…when we really are. We fight with a passion; and love with that same or even a greater passion. If we are behind you…we are behind you 100%. No backing down; but unfortunately if we are against you…you better pray :o) The Lord is working on this in all of us I am sure. We believe what we believe and we will stand for it against the strongest of opposition.

Now the gentle side…we are loving and gentle. We are thankful, honored; and yes even proud to be wives, mothers, daughters, aunts, sisters; and grandmothers. We take our job seriously and will do our very best to do everything we can to make sure our family has what they need and want. We will stand by our men and defend them to anyone that deems them less than adequate. We don’t have many qualms when it comes to calling on the Lord in a time of need; but sometimes do have to struggle against self-sufficiency.

I could go on and on; but you get my point. It takes a strong, confident; and unique man to love and appreciate the women that we are. They are MANLY men. Not afraid to voice their opinion or authority when needed; but also willing to be a quiet and calming influence for each of us. They are confident in their leadership and not afraid to BE leaders.

You see I have one of these special good guys!! His name is Phillip Wyrick. He is my rock. My strength. My comfort and my joy. I know that you may think WOW he must be something special…well…HE IS!! He has loved me in the good and stayed true even in the bad. When I have been unfair and hurtful, he has forgiven. When I have not thought and said things I didn’t mean he has let the words roll of his back and not held a grudge. And on and on and on…

So, if you are one of these women I am talking about; or if you don’t actually share the same DNA but seem to have the same “specialness” as we do, would you join me today and take a moment to wrap your arms around your good guy? Let him know that you appreciate him loving you and standing by you…even in the midst of all your special quirks!!

Here’s to all the good guys out there!!!

One thing at a Time

One thing I have a hard time doing is focusing on ONE thing. What I mean is for example:


I decided that today I was going to wash, fold; and hang up EVERY single piece of laundry. I decided that I was going to focus solely on the stuff in the laundry baskets and the stuff I left on the couch. I started working and washing and then I walked into my closet…I have a few skirts that needed to be hung up in there as well…which turned into “hmm I really need to organize my closet”. This would not be a big deal except that if I allow myself to be distracted by one thing it just turns into another and then another…then I NEVER get anything done at all!!!! So…for today I am focusing on ONE project, then when I get finished with that one I will move onto the next one. Lord help me as I try to tame this wild brain of mine!! :o)

Thankful for the times I get to sing with my kids...and then the times I get to watch them "play" church :0) Thankful that the Lord slowly plants Himself in their hearts so when they are older and begin to seek for Him they find that He has been with them all along.

We've Come This Far By Faith

The Cathedral Quartet

The Rocks Will Not Cry Our For Me

The Collingsworth Family

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcLBdlfkGJs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwbbHXewIRI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ8SlsWwGcI&feature=related

Thankful Again

A while back our family had an experience that I felt like I wanted to share.

My youngest daughter a few weeks ago woke up one morning saying that her ear was hurting.  When I checked there was dried blood around the inside of the ear.  This needless to say freaked me out so I immediately called the doctor and made an appointment.  We took her and they said that there was something in her ear; but were unable to get it out.  They sent me hone with some drops to decrease the inflammation in her ear in hopes that whatever it was would just fall out.  If not then more extensive measures would have to be taken.  They asked me to make an appointment to come back in 3 days.  I spent the next 3 days trying to figure out what in the world she had put in her ear.  No telling!!

While all of this was going on my husband had to leave for Fire School.  He is on the fire rescue team at the plant that he works at; and they have to go for training a couple times a year.  All this was going on and I was so wishing he was at home.

Every night we prayed for Daddy to be safe and for Maya's ear...

Friday was the day...we got to the doctor and she looked in Maya's ear.  She still saw the object in there; but she decided to do an ear wash before she tried anything else.  An ear wash for those that don't know is a spray bottle with a tube attached.  They insert the tube and squeeze water into her ear.  This washes out whatever is in the ear.  She started and low and behold it worked.  She said that whatever it was...she still couldn't tell by looking at it...was gone!!  Praise the LORD!!!

Well...I left the doctor and proceeded to call Phillip to tell him the news.  He answered and then gave me some news that scared me to death...

He said "I'm okay!!" which to me meant prepare yourself...what I'm about to tell you is gonna be bad.  I am driving down the road and he says I got a little burned today.  I said WHAT!!!??  He told me that he was in a burning building (training exercise) and the fire was to hot.  It was hotter than the regulations are for the suits they were wearing.  He said that he could feel the fire burning his hands and the heat on his arms.  He said when the air in his tank got hot  he decided that it was time to get out.  He told the guy behind him to take the lead and he got out.  When he came out his helmet was melted and he had 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his hands.  The on site EMT's treated him and then he headed home. 

 

Phillip holding his helment

Fire

Building on fire

Helment

 

Helment Melted

When I hung up the phone all I could think was THANK YOU LORD!!!  While I was focused on Maya's situation the Lord had his eyes on the big picture.  He answered a prayer I hadn't even known needed to be prayed.  He kept his hand on my husband!!! 

That day I felt like the Lord really had his hand on my little family!!  He takes care of us even when we don't know that He is taking care of us!!  What a mighty mighty God we serve!!!

12 Years Down...50 more to go!!

Sunday my husband and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary...well kind of ;o)

Sunday morning our daughter woke us up coughing so hard that she got sick.  We thought that she would be fine since she was just really congested from the weather changes.  She was not running a fever or exhibiting any other symptoms so we all got ready for church and went on.  As the band began to play we got about 10 minutes or so into the service and she got sick again.  Poor baby!!!!  Mommy didn't have any changes of clothes so we went home...gave her a bath.  By that time she had gotten sick again and was now running a slight fever.  I was giving a talk to the young ladies in our church that afternoon so Phillip volunteered to stay home with her so I didn't have to cancel. 

I gave my talk and rushed home.  On the way I stopped and bought each girl a balloon and Phillip a card, a balloon; and one of his favorite candy bars.  (Sadly this was to be his only gift that day.) 

As the night progressed she got worse and so we put the girls to bed early.  I finished up some laundry and then we just sat on the couch watching football together. 

As we sat there I thought...out of all this chaos the day ended on such a wonderful note.  Us just spending some time together doing nothing.  Sitting together...remembering a little what it was like before kids.  Don't get me wrong...I wouldn't trade my kids for anything; but sometimes it's nice to just sit.  No words necessary...just sit and hold each other. 

Today...Monday I am thankful for my wonderful...strong...confident man!!  He helps me stay focused and present.  Without him...well...let's not even bother thinking about that!!  He is after all...the man who has exceeded my very dreams!! 

New Section

Check out my new section I am adding.  I hope to add a section of music that inspires me soon.

Check back in a few days to see what I have posted :o)

Story to tell the Grandkids

Well...yesterday I had an extraordinary learning experience.  My Oldest and I both did :o)

We were leaving Old Navy (Dept. Store) and I noticed that my oldest little darling was walking a little behind me.  I told her to come on and she ran to the other side of her sister and held her hand which for her it was weird for her not to hold my hand.  As I we walked I glanced over to see her hiding something behind her back.  I asked her what she had (NOT thinking anything about her stealing something).  I thought she may have picked up something off the ground.  When she showed it to me I saw that it was an unopened package of gum.  I stood there in utter disbelief!!!  She immediately said, "I'm sorry mommy". 

I didn't blink, I don't think I even thought for a second.  I wheeled right around and marched her right back into the store.  I know that at 4 she didn't even really understand the gravity of what she had done; but I was hoping to scare the whits out of her enough that if she ever thought about doing it later on she would remember the experience.  Not sure that she really will; but I didn't want to let it go and try to re-teach her later. 

There we stood...her on the verge of tears...and me as well as she handed the gum back to the cashier.  I felt so awful about her being afraid and embarrassed that I truly understood the phrase "this hurts me more than it hurts you".  Never really got that before.  N-e-ways, even if she doesn't remember and we have to go through it all again I know that I will never forget it the look on her face or her quiet desperate voice calling out "I'm sorry mommy, I'm sorry mommy" all the way in the store.  My poor baby  :o)  This will definitely be a story for the grand kids!!