Thursday Thoughts on... bad choices, dark valleys, and God's restoration

I believe that God is good. 

I believe that the bad in this world is Satan's fault. I do believe that God could fix everything (He promises that one day He will) and no, I'm not sure why He doesn't.  I do believe that if there was no bad, I would not realize my need for Christ; I would not hope for heaven; I would have no need for God. 

That make sense?

Just as cold is the measured absence of heat, evil is the absence of good.

I am reminded daily of my need for Christ and my hope for Heaven becomes more tangible as I see the effects of evil in the world around me.

I am thankful beyond words that God saw fit to restore me. There have been several spans of time in my life when I thought I was broken beyond repair. I am thankful that God does not see things the way I do.

While I would not choose the paths I have traveled if given the opportunity to revisit the past, I am thankful for what God did in me through the valleys in life. Please note that my thankfulness is for what God has done, not for the choices (when there were choices) that lead me to the valleys.

Too many times I think we make light of poor choices that land us in the valley because God, in his mercy, love, and grace, DOES work all things together for good. This is true in my life. God has used the darkest times in my life to draw me closer to himself, to shine light on sin in my life, and to grow me in my faith. Even so, I think it breaks his heart when I do things that separate me from him.

I feel certain that he would rather I choose him freely, not out of duress. I feel certain that he would rather I submit fully to him and his will and just follow his lead in all things instead of choosing to follow him out of the valley once I've landed myself there.

When I think about the idea that evil is the absence of good, I feel a little sick. In my life there have been several spans of time where my choices lead me away from God. These choices, without exception, landed me in the valley eventually. Realizing that I allowed, at times invited, evil into my life makes me sick. The brutal truth about those times in my life is that, for whatever reason, I chose Satan's temporary pleasure for God's complete fulfillment. That truth hurts.

A while back, my hubs said that he worried that I made light of suicide and depression. I do not think that anyone who has read my story would think that suicide is the answer to anything.

I have and will continue to say that I am thankful for the valleys I have traveled, but that thankfulness is only for what GOD did in my life and in my heart while I was in the valley, not for the valley itself of for what brought me to it.  This is especially true of the valley of depression and suicide. I would not choose it again, nor would I suggest that it is something that anyone should entertain. I am thankful for the many ways God healed me and restored me as a result of me being in the bottom of that valley.

Big Hugs and much love,
K

Wednesday's Weekly Recipes - Mrs. Barbara's Chicken Salad

Several of my friends have "signature" dishes...that one thing that they make that EVERYONE requests when we have food. In my office, Mrs. Barbara's chicken salad is that thing. I asked her for the recipe and she gladly shared it with me. She said that a good "cheat" is to use a rotisserie chicken. This will save the time of boiling your chicken. (But she added that she always boils hers.)

Here's what she sent me....

6 Chicken Breasts
Seedless Red Grapes (halved)
Sweet Pickles (Chopped) (not pickle relish)
Toasted sliced almonds
Onion (chopped)
Lemon Juice (a dash or two)
Worcestershire Sauce (a dash or two)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Hellman's  Mayonaise

Boil chicken until tender. (Chicken breast with skin and bone is best)
When cooled, tear into small pieces
Add the other ingredients except almonda
Mix with lots of mayo

* I usually add more lemon juice and worc sauce than 2 dashes. I mix it all together, then taste and decide if I need to add anything.

** It takes a LOT of Mayo!

Hope you Enjoy!
Ms. B


She serves hers on croissants. I could eat it alone. It is SO good!


Much love and BIG hugs!
K

Tuesday Tips and Tricks - Getting Organized - The kitchen

 Winter is almost officially over! Of course, here in the deep south, we've been having 80 degree days since mid-February...

Goodness it seems like we were just celebrating the New Year! How are those resolutions going? So far, I am mostly on track. Hasn't been easy. TBH I have fallen off the track several times and struggled to get back on... but I HAVE gotten back on, and that's what's important.

We have purged, organized, repaired, and cleaned the bedrooms, bathrooms, and hall closet.

Now let's take care of the kitchen.

Step one...
The fridge and freezer. Purge purge purge!

Once you get everything out and have tossed any stray science experiments, let's get the shelves out and give the ol girl a good cleaning.

Once she's clean, and dry, put what isn't expired, empty, or molded back in the fridge. Wipe off all those bottles before you put them back in.

Step 2...
Under the kitchen sink. Purge and organize. Line with shelf paper before you put things back in the cabinet. Will make it look prettier.

Step 3...
The junk drawer. We all have one (I think). PURGE! Ink Pens that don't write, keys to who knows where, dried up hi-lighters, empty lighters, broken...stuff...PURGE!!!!! (honestly, this only takes about 15-20 minutes)

Once you've tossed the junk, you should be able to use this space for things like scissors, tape, the hammer, maybe a screwdriver, and the super glue.

There! That wasn't so bad!



Hugs!
K

Monday Motivation

When I first saw this, I immediately thought "yes!!"

This is me! I want to be fit and healthy, but I don't always want to go to the gym, and I am almost never motivated to pass up tater tots. I want a clean, neat, and orderly house, but I am RARELY motivated to do laundry or mop floors. I WANT an organized, planned out schedule, but am not terribly motivated to follow my calendar.

These things require self discipline. Before you tell yourself that you just don't have any, please let me remind you that, as a Child of God, the Holy Spirit has GIVEN you Self Control. (same thing... for the most part)

Sometimes we have to do what we need to do just because it needs to be done.