Breakfast Bake

Serves 12

12 slices white bread, crusts trimmed
12 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
2 cans (4 oz each) sliced mushrooms, drained
4 green onions, sliced
1 pound Velveeta light, cut up
9 eggs
3 cups milk

Place 6 of the bread slices in bottom of greased 13x9 pan; top with bacon, mushrooms, onions, and cheese. Cover with remaining 6 bread slices. Beat eggs and milk with wire whisk in large bowl until well blended; pour over bread. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

1st Corinthians 13:4-7

We are reading a book called Crazy Love in our home group right now. It's a really good book. In this week's chapter, there was an exercise to read 1st Corinthians 13:4-7 in a new way. Here is how my Bible reads:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always protects, always hopes, and never gives up.

The exercise was to read this passage and interject your name where it describes love. Here is how the passage looks now for me:

Jaime is patient and kind. Jaime is not jealous. Jaime does not brag. Jaime is not proud. Jaime is not rude. Jaime is not selfish. Jaime does not get upset with others. Jaime does not count up wrongs that have been done. Jaime takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Jaime patiently accepts all things. Jaime always trusts. Jaime always protects. Jaime always hopes. Jaime never gives up.

Can you pour just a little more conviction upon my head, there just isn't quite enough.......You should try this for yourself. It will make you think.

Valuables

Last night, I had the kids write 5 things they consider valuable. Here are Christopher's answers:
1. a glass vase
2. a glass cup
3. a lamp
4. a glass cross
5. my pokemon cards
6. my D.S.
(He took a while to answer these)

Then, I had them turn over the paper and write 5 things they think God considers valuable. Here are Christopher's answers:
(first, he asked if he could put more than 5 and whizzed straight through these in no time)
1. My heart
2. My soul
3. Love
4. Joy
5. Peace
6. Patience
7. Kindness
8. Goodness
9. Faithfulness
10. Gentleness
11. Self control

How awesome is that! Other than telling him to write 5 things....I didn't give him any instructions at all.

Beefy Italian Minestrone

Serves 4

1 (24 oz) can beef stew
2 (14.5 oz each) cans diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen cut green beans
1 tsp basil
3/4 cup uncooked spiral shaped pasta

In saucepan, combine stew, tomatoes, green beans and basil. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Stir in pasta. Reduce heat and simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

Broccoli Soup

Serves 6

1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk
3/4 pound light velveeta, cut up
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1/8 tsp pepper

Cook and stir onion in 1 Tbsp butter in 2 quart pan until onion is tender. Add remaining 1 Tbsp butter and flour; cook 1 minute or until hot and bubbly, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring until well blended. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients; cook until velveeta is melted and soup is heated through.

Crafts

I was talking with someone at work today about Old Timers Day and all the crafts there and it reminded me of something Katie said when she was about 3. I picked her up from preschool and asked about her day and what they did. She said "We worked on the letter G and we did arts and crap" (translation: arts and crafts). How cute!

Cinco de Mayo

Have you ever been so frustrated with your kids you didn't know what to do? And then they do something that just warms your heart? Well, that happened with Katie today. It was little, but it made me so happy.

It's Cinco de Mayo! What a great excuse to go out and eat mexican, right! Well, that was our plan for the evening. We would pick up the kids, eat mexican and then John and I had to go to home group. I called the kids to let them know to be ready. They were excited. You'd think we never eat out. A few minutes later, Katie called me to ask which restaurant we were going to (we only have 2 to choose from down here). When I told her, she said "That's what I figured. You usually get cold when we go there, do you need me to bring you a jacket?"

That's it. So small, but it made my heart just swell. It was huge for me.

Rain

So, last week sucked. It started bad on Monday and steadily got worse. I do have to admit, it got worse because I couldn't let something go. I had to grumble, complain, stress, and overthink things. I couldn't focus on anything except the few things that I can do nothing about. (and I also think it was a full moon - crazy things really do happen in the medical field around a full moon). Because I couldn't focus, it took me 10 times longer to do something. So, of course, I was behind all week.

But God is good. It rained all week. Most of the people I have talked to are sick of the rain. But I love it. I love to listen to the rain, sleep in the rain (well, not IN it, just while it's raining), read a book during the rain. When it rains like it has been lately, I stay home more. John and the kids have cabin fever, but home is what I crave. I long to be home to take care of my family, to relax with my family, to just BE.

There are so many things in our lives that we choose to complain about. Some of those things may be somewhat in our control, and some aren't. I don't like the person I am when I am complaining, but unfortunately, I become that person easily. I want to see the moments of my life, good or bad, through God's eyes. I know that, even in the middle of yuck, God's plan is in progress. And His plan is good. Of course, it is a lot easier to remember when things are going well.