Yum Yum African Peanut Stew!

I'm posting my first recipe. I'm didn't take a picture, so you'll have to just trust me that this stew is amazing!!!

African Peanut Stew

-Serve as a soup or over rice for a hearty main dish-

1Tbs olive oil

1 med. red onion, finely chopped (about 1 ½ cups)

1 med. green bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1 ¼ cups)

½ cup chopped carrot (2 small)

½ cup chopped celery (1 rib)

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs minced, peeled fresh ginger

1 Tbs curry powder

1 bay leaf

4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth

1 (12 oz) sweet potato peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces

1 ½ cups shelled edamame (I found mine in the frozen vegetable section- I microwaved it just enough to get the shells off)

¼ cup creamy or crunchy natural peanut butter

1 (5 oz) bag baby spinach leaves, torn into bite-size pieces

½ tsp salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot and celery; sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 min.
2. Add garlic, ginger and curry powder and sauté until fragrant, about 1 min, do not brown garlic. Add tomatoes and bay leaf; cook, uncovered, until tomatoes are slightly reduced, about 3 min.
3. Add broth and sweet potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 8 min. Stir in edamame and peanut butter until combined. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 2 min. Stir in cilantro and spinach until spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 8

Enjoy!!

Your message defines you!

A blog I really enjoy reading is Sally Clarkson's "I Take Joy" found at: http://wholeheart.typepad.com/itakejoy/

Today she blogged about the messages we hear in our heads and how our life will reflect the messages we're listening to. An amazing truth!

The last few days I've felt so frustrated inside-upset with my own inadequacies, the business of my schedule, the toil of mothering, and how nothing ever seems to just "be easy." I find my instinctual reaction to my frustrations is blame-usually directed at God or my husband- for my frustrations. "God, You just HAD to make that dish fall to the floor and shatter glass everywhere, didn't ya?!"

Sally explains that living your life in bitterness and anger may mean you're listening to voices that life is unfair and that God has not heard your prayers; that God doesn't really love me and is really not a good God or he wouldn't have let this happen to me. While Sally seemed to be referring to a general life approach, I think her wisdom applies to our daily thoughts and reactions to our circumstances as well.

In looking at my reactions when something goes wrong in my day, I really do think it boils down to my perception of God and the message I hear in my head. Is this true for you as well? Psalm 85:8 "I will listen to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people." This is just the type of scripture that helps us discern God's voice from others in our lives. I must remember that any message that isn't peaceful but filled with blame or anger, or doesn't yield a peaceful response in my heart is not from the Lord!

Sally says that if you are living in hope and peace of mind, the message in your heart that you're believing is "All things work together for good of those who are called in Christ Jesus" and "I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I committed to Him." She concludes that we are what we believe--and our actions tell the world what we believe.

Lord, Help me to hear your voice in those moments where life isn't easy. Help me to live my life daily with a message that gives life, not steals it from myself or others! And let my reactions to my circumstances be those that glorify you; truthful, patient and peacegiving.

Volleyball Girlzzz!!

Just a little shout out to all the girls on the Serve-ivers city league volleyball team! Last Monday night we took home 2nd place in the B+ league! The agony of defeat in the championship game left us all yearning for more, but I've never had more fun playing any sport on any team...ever! There were games where my gut ached from laughing (who knows why...) and other games were the desire to win was so fierce, it hurt!

Anyway, thanks, girls, for the super fun season and if it weren't for certain people...ahem Jill... moving away I'd say "See you all next year...for the championship!!"
Until then, Bump-Set-Spike!

A little pizzaz with scrapbook paper!

This has been a little project I've had my mind on for a couple of weeks. I just lOOOve wreaths and I think there is no good reason they should be reserved for Christmas time. I found this little summery looking wreath at Goodwill a few weeks ago and spruced it up with a wooden "H" from Hobby Lobby. I decoupaged this cute scrapbook paper on it and tied it to the wreath with twine.





I also used this same print on scrapbook paper to make little sleeves for the white candle sticks/tubes on my chandelier in the dining room. Those little white candle sticks were so bland and dingy looking, but now they totally coordinate with my wreath! Now all this chandelier needs is some light eggshell blue mini shades! Anyone know where I can find them cheap??




And finally, this little helper was watching me hang my wreath!

Remorse and Repentance

Today in a bible study I attend we were discussing John 18. That is the part in the Bible right before Jesus's trial and crucifixion where Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss to the Roman soldiers and Peter denies Jesus three times to the temple guards. We were discussing the difference between "remorse" and "repentance". Even though both men betrayed Jesus in his time of need, the scriptures say Judas feels remorse and Peter demonstrated repentance.
Judas' remorse for his wrongdoing led him to hang himself but Peter's repentance for his wrongdoing led him to go on and have an amazing ministry for Christ.

So, how did these two men have such different reactions to their sinful actions?

Well, yourdictionary.com defines "Remorse" as: a deep, torturing sense of guilt felt over a wrong that one has done. "Repentance" is defined as: to feel such regret for past conduct as to change one's mind regarding it.

The difference between Judas and Peter is that Judas never humbled himself and asked for forgiveness. His guilt, therefore, followed him-torturing him, until he couldn't take it any longer and ended his life. The scriptures say, Peter, on the other hand, "wept deeply" over his actions and we learn that he sought forgiveness from the Lord. Peter humbled himself and repented of his sins-allowing God to free him of his guilt. This freedom fueled a ministry for Peter that was one of true devotion to God and passion to do Christ's work for the remainder of his life.

Praise God for the freedom He so mercifully gives when we repent!

Discipline and Trust

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

How true this is.

Isn't is amazing how accepting discipline and trust go hand in hand. I see this most clearly in moments when I'm leading my child who has just misbehaved into the bathroom. Her hand in mine, we go. Often times she is crying as we walk, but she keeps ahold of me, walking right by my side. While she knows what awaits her may sting a bit, she trusts her momma to hold and comfort her after, and not to cause her pain for any reason she can't understand.

Can we view our Loving Father this way? Can we trust God to discipline us for our good? Do we truly trust God to produce righteousness and peace in our lives?

Like my little girl, I don't look forward to being disciplined. I like to cry or pity myself for awhile. One such situation happened a few months ago. I, after two margaritas (and a whole lot of chips and salsa) made a flippant and casual comment to a group of young women in my church's college ministry about "what to expect from your man once married." I was challenged by an older godly women at the table, that my comment wasn't biblical and untrue for couples submitting to each other and the Lord. I, pridefully tried to defend my comment for the next 10 minutes until falling awkwardly silent and anxious to go home.

The next day, God weighed heavily on my heart. I read through my prayer journal and realized that I had prayed for an opportunity to grow in humility the week before. Obviously this was my answer to prayer. God told me I was not right and that I needed to apologize to all the women I had mislead, the specific woman who had challenged me and even to my own husband- who wasn't even there, but whom I had inadvertently disrespected. I cried much that day. I tried to make my comment sound more right. I tried to convince myself I didn't really explain it well enough or that all the women had misunderstood me.

But by the end of the day, God had convinced me of my sin and the ugliness of my pride in refusing to admit it. I followed God's leading-wrote an email and made some phone calls of apology to these women. After repairing these tender hearts and asking for my husband's forgiveness, I felt a hearty weight lifted off my shoulders. It felt good to obey but I still sat discouraged that I had so messed up.

I read back through my journal and realized that I had also asked God to allow me to be joyful in this humility training. No sooner had I thought, "now that's impossible" did God give me 5 reasons that I could be JOYful in His discipline!

1. God hears me! He answered my prayer so swiftly!
2. God is interested in my spiritual growth! He desires to produce a HARVEST of righteousness and peace in my life.
3. I got to demonstrate humility-a quality of Jesus Christ's- to other women who look up to me!
4. I got to be comforted by my husband as I apologized and cried in his arms.
5. God got a victory!

Eating my pride that day was hard, but choosing to trust God and allowing Him to train me produced an immediate peace and even great joy!

Even though my little 3 year old may not recognize it, her smile and freed spirit after a correction reminds me that discipline is good when we trust God (or momma) to be trained by it.

G'night!
Jessica

What color are you?

I love my girlfriend Ashley's blog. She always seems to weed through the ideas and post about the best of the best. Research is her gift! You can check her out here: http://rahouck.blogspot.com/

Anyway, recently she posted a cute little quiz that determines what "color" you are and what your color means about you. I took the quiz. At 11p.m. Can't sleep.

I'm a purple and I'd say I'm pretty happy with the results!
Purple people:

Spontaneity is the key to your existence. Quick-witted with a flair for originality, you enjoy situations that allow you to explore your creativity. Comparatively conservative, you appreciate beautiful surroundings, especially if they’re found in nature. Your relaxed and self-assured personality allows you to work well with others. Surprisingly enough, your unique and unusual tastes don’t prevent you from being comfortable among your more conservative peers.

Ashley is definitely a Red.
What are you?!