Elizabeth's Chicken Lasagna

Alright, alright after many years of requests I'm giving out my favorite lasagna recipe. It's loosely based on a recipe I received from the mom of my husband's high school friends. This is a basic recipe and you can of course add different favors based on what you like. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts skinned and trimmed
1 box of oven ready lasagna noodles
2-3 jars of Alfredo sauce
Oregano
Garlic
Basil
1 block of cream cheese (I usually use fat free)
1/2 stick of butter
Mozzarella cheese

Boil chicken in a sauce pan of water until done through and easily pulls apart.
Shred chicken, dump water, put chicken back in sauce pan.
Add 2-3 jars of Alfredo sauce (I use 1 creamy, and 2 three cheese)
Add oregano, basil, and garlic til you like the way it tastes.
Spray 9x13 with pam and put down 1 layer of oven ready lasagna noodles.
When sauce is warm, spread some over the noodles.
On top of the sauce I put 12 small chunks of cream cheese (3 rows).
In between the rows of cream cheese I put 2 small slivers of butter or margarine. Then I top with mozzarella cheese.
Repeat for 4 layers making the top layer extra cheesy!
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Take the foil off, bake for another 15 minutes let cool some (about 10 minutes) before cutting and serving. This is actually the perfect time to set the table or get a salad thrown together.

Bubba Shirts

About two months ago it was time for Little Miss to move into her big girl bed. She really struggled with the transition waking up in the middle of the night every night for the first time in 2 years. Mr. Man and I were at our wits end because this was so out of the ordinary.

In the meantime Little Miss discovered the joy of putting on her brother's clothes. She would giggle and scream with joy once she got his shirts on...so pleased with herself. Little Man had outgrown some of his undershirts and so we decided to give Little Miss the old shirts.

So, I slapped some bows on the old white t-shirts and cinched up the shirt to make it fit better and look cute...now Little Miss will only sleep in her "bubba shirts" and the best part is that the first night she slept in her bubba shirt, she slept through the night again and has seemed to sleep much better since then!

Make It Rain Bows at The Color Run 2012

It's official. My first 5k is over and what a rush of emotions. What started as a challenge to myself ended in a car ride of tears home remembering the real reason that I run.

Let me start by telling everyone to start with that after 6ish months of running, I still HATE it 90% of the time. I started working out last August because my brother convinced me that joining a gym was a good idea. After losing 80 pounds over the past four years I had plateaued at a weight of 149 lbs and so I caved to the peer pressure and joined the gym in hopes of losing the final 19 pounds to achieve my dream weight. At some point I started to run. I remember feeling so accomplished when I finished a long stretch of running and enjoying the feeling of working my body the way it's intended to be worked but it was hard to run and boring and I don't know that I'll ever shake the feeling that I'd rather be doing anything except running.

So around February I got a Facebook post from my brother's friend telling me that I should do the color run with her and her friends. I checked it out and thought I had plenty of time to be well trained so I signed up under the team name Make It Rain Bows (which I loved and thought was super creative)! I was so excited and scared. I was not a person who ran races yet here I was setting a goal of running a 5k.

And so yesterday was it. I woke up around 4am so nervous that I couldn't go back to sleep, left my house at 4:45 to pick up my brother and made the hour and a half drive to Tulsa. We arrived, hooked up with our teams and waited for the start. My team found a spot in the middle of the pack and waited as wave after wave of groups of a thousand left for their run.

I wish I could say I ran the entire thing but I can't. I barely made it to the first color marker at 1km. I wanted to quit so bad and walk the entire thing but my now dear friend Jessica May kept cheering me on and telling me I could do it. She had more faith in me than I did. We paused to get doused in colors every kilometer along with getting water every kilometer but the stopping made it okay and ridiculously fun! The clouds of color floating in the air gave me hope that we could keep going.

As we got more tired our running spurts became shorter until the last kilometer. We decided to run the last kilometer and finish strong and we did. We ran the last kilometer and it was indeed uphill! Jessica's faith in me had restored my faith in myself and even though I didn't want to be running I kept going with a friend by my side. We celebrated in a cloud of multiple colors, high fives, and congratulations. 

On my solitary drive home I couldn't stop smiling. I had done it. I had completed a race. I began thinking about how I didn't have anything I needed to work towards now and how I wanted to quit running and then this thought slipped into my mind..."this isn't for you." i thought for a moment because if i wasn't running for myself who was I running for. I had forgotten why I had truly decided to change my life from my eating habits to my activity level. I wasn't doing this for me to lose weight or start racing or to prove to other people that I'm not fat and lazy any more; I changed for my kids.

I never want my children to worry about my health. I never want them thinking that I could die early from diabetes, heart disease, or any other obesity related illness. I never want them to struggle with their weight. I never want them being made fun of for their weight or having an obesity related illness at an early age or at any age for that matter. And so I changed for them. I quit eating fried foods, I quit eating enough food for three people, I educated myself in everything nutritional I could, I started eating foods I hate all for my children. I have strayed this year and today I remembered how important my lifestyle change is. My children are more important than anything! Thank you Color Run for reminding me of that. My children are the reason I run!

Children, Pray Today: Day 123

Dear God, we appreciate all the things you give us but most of all we value who you make us to be. Guide us to be the people you hope we become. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 122

Dear God, help me behave at school so I can get a sno-cone....and Legos. Help my teacher because sometimes we act crazy and she's real tired. Amen.

Yep, that's a little man special!

Princess, or Not?

Once upon a time there was a little girl and nobody knew if she was a princess or not. Let's see what you think.

Emma played in dirt...she did not practice tea time! Do you think Emma was a princess?

Emma wore shorts and t-shirts...she did not wear dresses! Do you think Emma was a princess?

Emma wore a cowboy hat...not a crown! Do you think Emma was a princess?

Emma sang as loud as she could...she did not use her inside voice! Do you think Emma was a princess?

Emma was very bossy...she did not ask politely! Do you think Emma was a princess?

Emma played with every child...she did not just play with princes and princesses! Do you think Emma was a princess?

So what do you think? Was Emma a princess or not?

Of course she was! Every girl is a princess!

Children, Pray Today: Day 121

Lord of all creation, thank you for flowers and rain, cookies and cake, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, cats and dogs and everything else that makes us smile. Remind us that smiles make us happy and life is always better when we smile. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 120

Dear God, we appreciate your love and patience. Teach us to be confident in ourselves so that we can stand up for what is right. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 119

God, thanks for dogs and cats they make us happy. Thanks for gardens, they bring us bunnies. Thank you for races, thank you for kites, thank you for picnics! Amen!

Children, Pray Today: Day 118

Dear God, thank you for teaching us to forgive each other. Sometimes it is hard when we get really mad at someone but we always feel better when we forgive them. In Jesus' name, amen!

Remembering the Fat

I was sitting in bed the other night with my husband when I heard this shocked, "whoa" come from his mouth. He was looking at pictures from years ago so I couldn't imagine what was so shocking but when I looked over it was a picture of me, a me he had obviously almost forgotten.

I looked at the picture and said, "yep. Pretty disgusting...It must be true that love is blind." I was thinking how in the world did anyone ever love me? I obviously didn't care about myself. I had flashbacks to the times when i realized my clothes weren't fitting and I kept seeing the girl in this picture even though my clothes were literally falling off of me. I remember vividly the day last fall when I finally saw a different me in the mirror.

Then, I turned my emotions from sad and repulsed to thankful. I'm so thankful that I've had this journey. I have a story that has inspired people to lose weight and hopefully will continue to inspire people to lose weight. I pray that it's enough to keep me from falling into bad habits again because I never want to be the girl in that picture. I still catch myself changing how i hold my head so I won't have a double chin or so I'll look thinner...things overweight people figure out to hang onto a thread of a positive self image. Praise be to God for placing some very key people in my life to save my life! Praise be to God for strength and determination!

Children, Pray Today: Day 117

Creative God, today we thank you for books. They help us imagine, relax, and learn. They help us escape to unknown places and spark our own creative thoughts. Some books inspire us to change, some encourage us to stay the same. Thank you for giving us books so that we can learn and imagine. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 116

All knowing God, thank you for day's when we can eat chips and queso for dinner without vegetables and fruit for fun. Help us remember though that it is important for us to take care of our bodies also so we can do all the fun things we like to do for a long, long time! In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 115

God who created me and knew me before I was born, help me figure out how to be proud of who I am without being boastful. Help me to admire my beauty without being vain. Help me share my successes yet still remain humble. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 114

Dear God, help us read the bible more so that we can remember the stories better because from each story there is something to learn. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 113

Lord, we are tired of routine. We are ready to ease our brains. We are excited about warm weather. We cannot wait for summer and swimming and vacations and time with friends and family and bar-b-ques. Grant us patience through the next few weeks as we finish school. Amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 112

God of nature, on this day called Earth Day, help us to be present in your creation. Help us to be still and listen to the sounds of birds and leaves blowing in the breezes. Help us be still and see the vibrant colors around us. Help us to be still and smell the flowers and fresh cut grass. Teach us how to take care of this gift you have given us so that all humans can enjoy it forever! Amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 111

Loving God, we know that sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest thing to do. Help us realize what the best choices for our life are so that we can follow the path you want for us. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 110

Dear God, help us to have faith like Noah. When you told him to build the ark he listened even though his friends thought he was crazy. Build our faith to be this strong so that we will be willing to listen to you. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 109

Dear God, thank you for my family who loves me a lot. Thank you for my friends that play with me. Thank you for my teacher that teaches me. Thank you for you who does everything. Amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 108

God, help us to forgive others when they upset us or hurt our feelings. Help us to see the good in people instead of thinking bad about them. Help us know that people love us. Amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 107

Dear God we are antsy. We are ready for summer and ready to not have to be confound to a rigid schedule. We are ready to play outside all day and have more family time. Grant us patience as we continue with school for these last few weeks. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 106

Dear loving God. Help us send peace to families that have lost loved ones. Give comfort when needed. Remind your children that you weep any time one of your children dies. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 105

God thank you for knowledge which helps us make the world better. Thank you for teachers that share their love of learning with us. Amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 104

God of everything calm us in the midst of the storms. Protect us as best you can. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 103

Loving God help us understand how to love others when we are angry so that our hearts quit hurting. Remind us that showing people love is more valuable than saying it. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 102

Lord of all things on Earth, tonight we bless you for apologies. Help us remember that it takes strong people to admit they were wrong so please give us that courage so that we can grow into strong, respected people! In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 101

This prayer deserves a double God, please heal the sick. Get rid of the allergies that keep our friends inside or make us unable to sleep. Thanks, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 100

Amazing God, bless you for time with our loved ones. Thank you for great-grandparents who teach us history so we can change the future. Thank you for grandparents who show us that it's okay to be spoiled every once in awhile. Thank you for parents who raise us and love us more than anyone else on earth. Thank you for brother's and sisters that play with us and teach us how to love others. In your son's name,amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 99

God we appreciate today the animals you have on earth. We are thankful for the dogs that protect and love us, the cats that teach us independence and pride in accomplishments, the birds that sing to us and the playful nature of the squirrels. Help us learn more from your animals. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 98

Father, thank you for protecting us from things we aren't ready to take on yet. Thank you for shielding us from pain and suffering as much as possible. Help us nurture those who are suffering so they may know your love. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 97

Loving God, help us understand that change is something that we need sometimes. Help us learn what we need to and move onto our next lesson so that we can learn as much as possible from you. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 96

God of life, thank you for blessing all of us with the gift of life. Thank you for birthdays and medicine that helps people. Thank you for saving lives! Amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 95

"All knowing God, help me in school so that I can learn lots and be nice to my teacher because she has a hard job, and help me get a good job when I grow up. Amen."

Found this at school. No name on it but someone was really using their moment of silence!

Children, Pray Today: Day 94

God when it seems like our friends don't like us anymore help us to remember that you love us all the time. Help us decide if it's time to let that friendship go so that we can make new friends. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 93

Refreshing God, thank you for cool breezes that renew our energy. Help us use that energy to love the people we know and those we don't. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 92

Patient God, be with us as we struggle to figure out who you want us to be. Guide us to do your work so that your world can become more loving. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 91

Yehweh, grant us wisdom when we feel sad so that we can learn how to be happy again. In your son's name, amen.

My Children, Pray Today: Day 101

Healing God, today we ask that you protect our friends that aren't feeling well. Heal their bodies so that they can play with us and feel better. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 90

Most loving God, today we pray thanksgiving for life, for birthdays, for friends, and cookies. Remind us to be more thankful all the time so we can feel the value in the gifts we have. Amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 89

God of patience, calm our nerves. Teach us to not worry about things we cannot change and teach us to change the things we can. Inspire us, Lord, to do the best we possibly can. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 88

Amazing God, thank you for hugs, kisses, snuggles, and smiles. Thank you for kind words and laughter. Encourage us to share these joys of life with other people so that they may experience your love. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 87

Dear God, thank you for teaching us how to worship you. Continue to show us all the different ways to worship you so that we can show you our love more completely. In Jesus' name, amen.

Goodbye Social Media!

In the past few years social media has boomed. We've gone from old school AIM (aol instant messenger) to MySpace to Facebook to pinterest and everything in between. They have all had their benefits and drawbacks but are we arriving at a place in life where social media is actually interfering with life as opposed to enhancing it? I think so.

It's becoming for many a new addiction. People feed off of how many followers they have or if they have more "friends" than a co-worker. Their break just isn't complete without checking twitter to see what some celebrity is doing. I was slow to pick up the social media scene and even I catch myself saying, "I'll go to sleep after I check Facebook." Instead of playing with our children we are playing with TweetDeck, trying to be clever and witty.

Maybe we think we are liked more because we have more followers. I think we are so obsessed with getting approval from everyone that we are losing approval from our loved ones. We put a movie on for our children for "family movie night" and almost instantly my husband and I pick up our phones. We aren't doing anything as a family. I remember complaining to my husband that watching tv didn't mean we were spending quality time with each other and the same goes for media. When someone that you love and cares about thinks you are supposed to be spending time with them but you're on your phone, you are communicating that your phone is more important.

Social Media also gives this sense of not wanting to miss anything and expecting everyone to onow what's going on in our life. Friends have said, "you didn't call and say congrats on (insert random congratulatory worthy event here)." My response, "I'm so sorry, I didn't even know." "well, I put it on Facebook." My mother-in-law made the comment one time that she had to get a Facebook so she new what was going on with our children. Wow, how sad that we don't even call our loved ones anymore to share exciting events. We put on our many social media outlets an expect anyone that "cares" about us to see it.

I heard a report on a random day that my husband left NPR on in my car that was talking about a New England town that has had an outbreak of Tourette's amongst mainly teenage girls. One common factor was the amount of time they all spent using Facebook. Another report was talking about the number of early dementia cases increasing and suggested that it could be linked to the amount of information we are processing through social media and the ease of accessing information via the internet. And yet another report is researching a possible connection between autism and the amount of information expected to process even as small as the color of cars passing you on the road. No wonder ADHD is increasing, our brains are constantly expected to process everything around us so we don't miss anything, or make a mistake, or accidentally hurt someone. That's a lot to expect when you're 40, let alone 5. Our brains don't know how to focus on just one thing anymore.

So many reasons to put an end to the madness that surrounds social media, yet something tells me it'll be just like cigarettes...we know they're bad for us but some of us just can't kick the habit. I for one plan on kicking at least some of my habit. Maybe only using Facebook for mass postings to people that I really would call just for ease. Definitely not using it during daytime hours with my babies around. I imagine I'll be a lot more productive at home and maybe magically find some time to do those things I just can't seem to find the time to do.

Children, Pray Today: Day 86

Dear God, you are the light that guides us through this world. Continue to show us your way. Inspire us to dream and set goals and encourage us to achieve our dreams. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 85

Patient God, we appreciate you always forgiving us when we make mistakes. Your forgiveness shows us your unconditional love. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 84

Joyful God, thank you for puppies, birthdays, warm spring days and flowers. Thank you for all of the things that make us smile. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 83

Dear God, thank you for always being here for us. Thank you for helping us to be strong when we need to be and thank you for holding us when we need to cry. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 82

Fatherly God, thank you for sending us your son Jesus. We can learn so much about how we should live by reading about him. Encourage us to continue learning from his teachings. In his name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 81

Dear God, help us hear the words that you need us to hear so that we can carry out your mission for love in this world. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 80

Caring God, today we ask that you take care of the people we love that are sick or hurting. Please heal their illnesses or comfort their hearts. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 79

Loving God sing to us everywhere we go. Help us hear your voice surrounding us through birds, friends, and family. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 78

Dear God, thank you for spring break! Help us enjoy our extra time with our family. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 77

Dear God, thank you for friends and family that remind us that we are loved. Help everyone in the world feel as loved as we do so that everyone is happier. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 76

Praise be to you God for blessing us with laughter. Fill our ears with this sound, Lord, that is bound to make us smile. Remind us that it's so much easier to smile and be happy. In your son's name, amen!

Children, Pray Today: Day 75

Loving God, help us become good communicators so that we can explain our thoughts and feelings without hurting other people's feelings. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 74

All knowing God, in times when we don't get our way, give us patience. In times when we see our friends crying give us compassion and concern. In times when we think we are in trouble give us integrity so that we can be trustworthy. Grant us all of this Lord, so that we will become the type of people that breathe your love into the lives of the people we see. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 73

Praise to you God of warmth and patience. Send us compassion so that we can learn to help other people. In Jesus' name, amen!

Children, Pray Today: Day 72

Creator God make us stop and smell the flowers that are blooming so that we may smell your presence. Stand with us in the wind so that we may feel your presence. Sing to us through the bird's song so we may hear your presence. Let us savor every bite of food so that we may taste your presence. And finally Lord open the eyes of our hearts so we may see you. In Jesus' name, amen!

Children, Pray Today: Day 71

God thank you for nice weather so we can play outside and enjoy the place you created for us so that we can remember to be thankful for good times. In your son's name, amen!

Children, Pray Today: Day 70

Patient God drag us into the peace of patience so that we calm down and enjoy what we are doing in the current moment. In the name of your son, the one called Prince of Peace. Amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 69

God, this prayer will be short but important. Grant us the courage to go on when all we want to do is quit. Amen

Children, Pray Today: Day 68

Dear God. It makes me sad when my friends don't play with me. Help me not feel so sad. Remind me that there are lots of people that love me and no matter what you will always be my friend. Then maybe you could send me some courage to try to play with my friends again or even some new friends so that my heart isn't so sad. In Jesus' name, amen.

This one is inspired by a friend's young son who had a rough day.

Children, Pray Today: Day 67

Precious Lord, empower us with compassion so that we can be a good friend to everyone and lead other people to do the same. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 66

Dear God, give us determination to get our stuff like chores and homework done with no arguing so that we can spend more time playing. In Jesus' name, amen.

Okay this one might be a bit more for the parents than the kids! :-)

Children, Pray Today: Day 65

Dear God, thank you for toys that we can play with. Help us remember to play with our toys so that we can learn. In your son's name, amen.

Youth Sunday Speaks Volumes

As a youth in middle school and high school I remember feeling like I lived for youth Sunday at church. It was a time when we could express ourselves, our talents, our thoughts. One time a year when we could showcase our faith and theology. Being married to a minister I have sat through or participated in one youth Sunday a year since I was in sixth grade and while we won't get into how many years that has been I will say its enough to know that what I experienced today was purely God working through the souls of our young people in a way that was polished and poignant.

Every year I have sat through sermons that made me laugh and made me cry and all sounded like young people not quite getting their point across in the way they wanted. You see there is something paralyzingly terrifying about standing in front of people that have raised you and helped you grow in your faith. Every young person with all their arrogance and invincibility complexes think its no big deal to preach and are grateful to be the one doing the talking instead of the listening. However, the moment they step behind the pulpit in practice and again during the services they realize the importance of what they are doing. In their nerves the message gets lost. Not today.
Today was God's message spoken through our young preachers. Their countless hours of work and prayers for them and by them resulted in their opening their hearts to what it was that God needed them to say in a way that everyone could relate to.

Our church is recently in search of a new minister and thus in a time of change. It is a concept that high school seniors grasp well. They feel how scary it is. They struggle with making decisions that point them down one specific path. Is it the right path, the wrong path? They may never know. But do not be afraid our young preachers said today, for God has promised to be with us. It was the perfect concept for our young people to present to a church congregation in the midst of a huge change. Our young preachers may never know the value and importance of their message today. Honestly I don't think anyone in the world could have spoken more honest or more passionate words to our congregation.

To all us adults that sometimes forget how much our young people really do understand, let this be a reminder that the young people in our churches are a reflection upon God's teaching through us. May we always remember that the people younger than us...know matter what our age...are looking to us for guidance. May we always remember to take every moment to teach. May we always remember to practice what we preach as hard as that is at times. May we always remember to value the thoughts of our young people for new ideas and feedback. Praise be to God for his amazing works through his children! Amen!

Children, Pray Today: Day 64

Amazing Lord it is through you that all things are possible. Thank you for speaking truth through the mouths of young people. Keep us strong and patient when others may doubt us. Use us to change your world! In the name of your son, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 63

Precious God, help us focus on what's most important in times of disasters...not why it happened but how we rebuild through your love. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 62

Lord of all creation, we come to you in prayer thankful for warm spring days and cool spring mornings. We are thankful for the birds that are returning with their springtime singing. We are thankful for the blossoms on your trees. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 61

Praise be to you God! Thank you for the warmth of the sun which reminds us what it feels like to be loved. Encourage us to get outside in nature on days like today when the sun is shining and the air is warm so that we might be reminded of the beauty that surrounds us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 60

Giving God, show us the way to enjoy the time we have. Encourage us to slow down and enjoy what is around us so that we can have fun! In your son's name we pray.

Children, Pray Today: Day 59

God move our feet towards people that need a friend. Speak through our mouths to those people that need a friend so that they will see your love and go out to show that love to others. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 58

God who shows us compassion, remind us to treat each other the way we want others to treat us so that everyone knows you love them. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 57

Precious God we love you. Show us your never ending love so that we may show that same love to others. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 56

Playful God, thank you for giving us the time to play. Remind us to take time to play with our friends so that we can relax and build relationships with each other. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 55

God of joy and laughter, Thank you for friends that can present us with different views. Remind us that we don't always have to agree and we can still love each other so that we can teach others tolerance. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 54

Quiet God, on this day beginning the season of lent refocus our minds on your message through Jesus. Remind us of the way Jesus lived and the example he set for us so that we are equipped to go out and live like Jesus. In his name we pray, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 53

Loving God remind us to care for everyone no matter what they look like so that they know we love them. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 52

God of patience send us calmness when life seems to get crazy. Remind us to pause and breathe and look at the stars so that we may refocus on what is important in life. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 51

Loving God, guide us through times of change. Ease our pain, comfort our hearts, and quiet our minds so that we are ready to hear your new path for us. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 50

Protector God, shield us from things in this world that we don't need to worry about. Show us how to trust loved ones to care, guide, and protect us so that we may fully enjoy your world. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 49

Lord, we sing praise to you, the glorious one. Sing back to us through the sounds of your world so we can enjoy what we hear and experience our sense of sound through you. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 48

All knowing God, grant us wisdom in times of uncertainty, give us peace in times of change so that we can clearly see your vision for us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen!

Children, Pray Today: Day 47

Precious, loving God, today we come to you to simply say thank you. Thank you for family that loves us. Thank you for friends to play with. Thank you for toys. Thank you for sunshine and warm weather so we can play outside. In your son's name we pray, amen.

Recipe Wednesday: Beck's Best Banana Bread

I grabbed this recipe from a book I read a long time ago, added some of my own flavors and fell in love! I hope you enjoy as much as I do!

2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
2 eggs
3 mashed bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp cardamom
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl cream butter, both sugars, cream cheese together. Then add eggs 1 at a time.

Next add bananas, sour cream, cardamom, cinnamon until just blended. Then in a separate bowl mix flour, salt, baking soda together. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture until just moist. Add pecans. Pour into a loaf pan and bake on 350 for about an hour.

Let cool slightly before eating. I like eating this bread just like any other slice of bread; warm with butter!

Children, Pray Today: Day 46

God of love and passion, soak us in your love of everyone. Help us understand what it means to love unconditionally, so that every person we see knows that someone in this world loves him or her no matter what. In your son's name we pray, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 45

Prayers of blessings and thanks to the God who shows us how we should live through God's son. Remind us that our feelings come out in our actions. Remind us that how we treat others needs to show your love so that we can grow in our love and bless others with your everlasting love. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 44

God of wonders, we praise your divine creation of this world. Show us your majesty in the snow that we see, the clean crisp air that we breathe, so that we may appreciate and value this world that we call home. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 43

Ever present Father, remind us of your presence in everything we do throughout our day. Fill our hearts with your spirit when we feel alone so that we know your love. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 42

God who created our world, we give thanks for the seasons of this earth. Even when it is bitterly cold or miserably hot help us understand that all seasons are a part of your creation so that we may be patient in times of extremes knowing that a new season will come soon. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 41

God of blessings, we praise your generosity and ask that you change our thinking to understand you better, so that we remember how blessed we are when we think things can't get any worse. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 40

God of longevity, thank you for surrounding us with your spirit for our entire lives. Build the support system of friends and family we need to be awesome so that we may live without fear of being alone, so that we know that we are loved. In name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 39

Patient Yehweh, we submit ourselves to your side so that we may feel the warm embrace of your love, and the refreshing peace of your forgiveness for all those times when we don't meet your expectations. In your sons's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 38

Forgiving God, grant us forgiveness when we don't pay enough attention to you so that we understand your love and mercy better.

Children, Pray Today: Day 37

Healing Father, we come to you sad for our friends and lived ones that are sick. Heal their bodies so that they are able to play with us again. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 36

All knowing God, teach us how to deal with hard situations. Show is how to calm our anger and soothe our frustrations so that we may learn to find peace in times when we are mad. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 35

Healing God, bless us with understanding, patience, and peace when those we love are hurting so that we can provide support and strength to our loved ones. In the name of the Prince of Peace, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 34

Forgiving God, shower us with forgiveness so that we might understand what it truly means to forgive others. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 33

Precious God who cares for everything, we come to you thankful for rain that nourishes this world. Guide our hearts to think about caring for this world so that we are able to love this world as you do. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 32

God who knew us before we were born, thank you for birthdays. Open our hearts so that we might remember how special these days are for everyone we love. In Jesus' name, amen.

Tooth Fairy Help

Well, the time has come all too soon and my little man has lost his first tooth. I did frantically complete a tooth fairy pillow but am now faced with what does the tooth fairy leave for little kids teeth these days and what does the tooth fairy do with these teeth? Any ideas?

Children, Pray Today: Day 31

Creative God, nurture our imagination so that we may discover new and exciting ways to share your good news. In the name of your son, Jesus, amen!

Children, Pray Today: Day 30

God of wonders we are excited about learning new things. Continue showering us with knowledge so that we can succeed at everything we do. In the name of your cherished son, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 29

God who loves us more than we could ever imagine, help us know our worth. Help us to feel your love in every inch of our bodies. Help us identify compassion in those that love us so that we might never doubt the need for us to be in your world. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 28

Strong, protective God that shelters us help us to feel safe so that we let ourselves try new things, dance as if no one is watching, and sing as loud as possible. In Jesus' name, amen.

Wine and Palette Fun!

A few weeks ago I receive a panicked phone call from my bestie saying, "hurry you have to sign up for this painting thing at Mama Roja's. There are only a couple of spots left so go sign up now."

"Ummm, yeah, okay I'm doing it now." I rushed to my computer, went to reserve my spot in this highly time sensitive endeavor. I got signed up with only two remaining spots, sat back, took a deep breath. Ahhhhhhh what had I done. I just signed up to take a painting class. Painting, not chalk or charcoals that can be messy and smudged...painting with all of its blending and layering and ahhhhh.

And so the day came when I painted. I embraced the letting my spirit flow through my brush and I was very pleased with the outcome. I strongly encourage everyone to find something like wine and palette, grab some friends and have a blast!

Children, Pray Today: Day 27

Dear God, help us remember that we are created perfect in your image and that you are with us always so we can be sure that we will do great things!

Recipe Wednesday: Cream Corn Homestyle

Every good southern food lover has a special place in their heart for cream corn. After going to a new "southern diner" in town I was inspired to figure out a good ol' fashioned cream corn recipe...here it is, momma style.

2 cans sweet corn
1 pck cream cheese
1tsp sugar (more or less depending on your sweet tooth)
3 tsp milk or whipping cream
1/2 stick of butter
Salt and pepper to your liking

Throw all this in a pot and cook over medium until everything is melted, combined and hot. If you like your corn thinner, add some water.

Children, Pray Today: Day 26

Caring God, help us to remember that we are not the only creatures in your world. Help us remember that the world you created is delicate and needs our help and knowledge to protect it. Guide is to be protectors of your Earth. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 25

God of infinite talents, help us discover the talents you have blessed us with and help us strengthen those talents so that we may use those talents to make your world better. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 24

Precious God, help us realize the value of friends. Helps us treat our friends with kindness and thoughtfulness so that our friends know your love. In Jesus' name, amen!

Children, Pray Today: Day 23

Friendly God, help us to see your face in the people we see, help us hear your voice in the sounds of Earth so that we might know you better. In Jesus' name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 22

I apologize for having a lapse in prayers...sick kids, principal observations, and an art class got the better of me but, life is back on track!

Patient God, forgive us when we don't pay as much attention to you as we should. Your forgiveness helps show us how much you love us which helps us forgive and love others. In Jesus' name, amen.

Peanut Butter Melts

I'm late in my recipe this week and i apologize. We've had the nasty virus running around our house. Better late than never though and I've had lots of requests for this one.

I took this recipe from a series of books I'm reading by Joanne Flunke who writes about a woman who owns a cookie store. The protagonist is always finding dead bodies which intrigues me but the cookie recipes are even better!

Preheat the oven to 375.


2 sticks of melted butter
2 cups white sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp molasses
1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup peanut butter
2 beaten eggs
2 & 1/2 cups flour

Add sugar, vanilla, and molasses to melted butter. Stir in baking soda, powder, and salt. Mix in peanut butter, eggs, then add flour and mix well.

Form into balls and bake 12 to a sheet for 8-10 minutes. Cool on the sheet for two minutes then completely on a wire rack.

Children, Pray Today: Day 21

God who dreams and plans, help us persevere when we want to give up so that we can learn the value of working hard. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 20

Peaceful God, grant me stillness so that I might hear your voice in the birds that sing, the crickets that chirp, and the chipmunks that chatter. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 19

God who sees everything, help us to be patient (wait calmly) and help others be patient with us so that we can build long lasting friendships. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 18

Loving God who cares for all of us, help us use our words to describe our emotions so that others can learn about who we are. In Jesus' name, amen.

4 Year Old With Loose Teeth

Okay friends, I'm in a panic state and what better to do than blog about it. My husband just informed me that our 4 year old Little Man has two loose teeth. Did I mention he's FOUR and not the normal age of six? I'm a school teacher, elementary certified, they taught me how to deal with loose teeth in school...for first graders. Little Man's in pre-k.

My husband is all nonchalant about the whole thing, "well I thought it was a little early."

" Early? Yes it's early, maybe even abnormal," I think in my head because I'm trying not to share my overly negative or sarcastic comments too frequently.

My husband also states that he checked online and it was okay. Well of course online information could be wrong, so I call my mother...and look online myself...and call the dentist.

Conversation with mom goes something like this:
Me: "Noah has two loose teeth. Is that normal?"

"kind of early. I mean, I've never seen that." (my interpretation: abnormal)

This is the point at which I call the dentist trying to mask my panic.
Me: "I have a question (insert background info here). Me being the overbearing mother that I am needs to make sure I don't need to worry so could you have the Dr. call me back?"

Receptionist: "hold just a moment."

"Dr. said every child is different and he is just fine. It might take awhile for the new permanent teeth to come in or he may lose them all really quickly. She wanted me to stress not to worry."

Whew! Me back to my mom: "dentist said its okay. I still have a problem though. I'm not even done tracking Little Miss' milestones for year one and now I've got Little Man's elementary milestones to start."

Mom:"now you know why the second kid has half the pictures and a third one is out of the question"

All too true for my OCD self! I have to scrapbook! Goodbye!

Children, Pray Today: Day 17

Dear creator of the warmth and cold help us remember that all of your seasons have a purpose so that we may rejoice in your perfect creation. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 16

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Dear loving God, help us remember to love all people so that our love can change the world. Help us identify our dreams and realize that hard work and determination are the keys to helping those dreams come true. In Jesus' name, amen!

Children, Pray Today: Day 15

Little Man wrote this one (momma's just a bit proud...my heart may be swelling out of my chest as you read this)..it has been slightly edited only to meet a variety of families instead of just our own.

Dear God, thank you for all of the people and pets in my family. Thanks for all the blessings you give to us. Thank you for being in my heart so that I can do good things in your world. In your name I pray, amen.

Play Doh Fun

My daughter received a Play-Doh fun factory for Christmas and to be honest I was apprehensive.

See my Little Miss spent numerous days trying to and succeeding at eating play Doh for many, many, many months. However, she hadn't eaten any in a long time and she loves ripping things apart so it seemed the perfect gift to request for her. Today was the first day of squishing fun and I had...I mean she had a blast!

I remembered as we were playing with the fun factory that I had something similar as a child. It's the machine that squishes the play Doh out in long strings of different shapes. I remember my personal favorite being the setting with the little tiny strings and I would turn it into spaghetti or hair. It amazed me to watch my children playing with this toy that I remembered playing with as a child. My children had what seemed like the same conversations my brother and I had about what the play Doh was and to stop mixing the colors. It was a fabulous hour. Yeah for Play Doh!

Children, Pray Today: Day 14

Dear gracious God, help us to be thankful for the things that we have so that we remember what is truly important in life which is helping others. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 13

Genesis 11

All-loving God, shower us with your love and kindness so that we may understand how we should act towards all people. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 12

Miraculous God who loves all, help us be patient when we don't get what we want so that we can learn to enjoy what we have. In Jesus' name, amen.

Recipe Wednesday: Easy Turkey Pot Pie

Every year someone else makes the Thanksgiving turkey and my family just mooches off of someone else's hard work. This year was no different.

My husband and I have however had a desire to learn to roast a turkey. First attempt last year...half cooked, half frozen...no good! Second attempt sensational success, but then we were left with tons of leftovers so of course we pot pied it. We tried something new to us though and included the stuffing in the pie mix. For someone who LOVES bread/pie crusts/biscuits etc. I must say mmmmmm.

2 cups chunked turkey meat (sage and rosemary seasoned)
1 cup prepared stuffing
2 cans veg-all
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can of milk
1 refrigerated pie crust

Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a round casserole dish. Top with pie crust. Poke lots of holes in the pie crust to vent steam. Cover. Bake at 350 for twenty minutes. Uncover and bake at 425 for ten minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Children, Pray Today: Day 11

Healing God, help us to be strong and courageous when those we love are sick so that we are able to care for them and help them feel better. In your son's name we pray, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 10

Healing God, help us to feel your comfort so that we may relax and heal when we are sick. In Jesus' name, amen.

Explanation of the Children, Pray Today Series

As most people have done the past couple of weeks I've been cleaning house...aka...out with the old and in with the new. In this process I came across a book of daily prayers for children. As I was reading through the prayers, I was astonished at the overly graphic language, negative images, and absence of tolerance and love in these prayers for children. I really didn't want to pray about Cain or Abel murdering his brother with my young ones...yikes!

So, I have set out on the mission of providing faith based, kid friendly prayers for families to use with their kiddoes. I'm trying to post one day ahead so they are available for the entire day. I hope that you are able to use these if nothing else as a springboard for your own prayers with your children. And if you have any other prayers you'd like to share that are kid focused, share away!

Children, Pray Today: Day 9

God who is patient, help us to be still and calm so that we may understand the awesomeness and beauty in the world that you created. In Jesus's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 8

Luke 2

Loving God, who gives us ways to learn, thank you for helping us learn about you, the same way Jesus learned about you so that we may go out and teach others about your love. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 7

Genesis 4

Heavenly God, help us remember to remain faithful so that we might be able to spread hope throughout your world. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 6

Genesis 4

Loving God, I pray that you help us learn to talk about our disagreements so that we can encourage others to work through arguments peaceably. In your son's name, amen.

Children, Pray Today: 5

Loving God who cares for us no matter what, help us to have kind hearts so that we show kindness to and be happy for our friends and family. In Jesus name, amen.

Recipe Wednesday: Molasses Crackles

In addition to my daily prayers for parents to say with their children, I've decided to TRY to do a blogpost named Recipe Wednesday where I will post a different recipe each Wednesday.  We'll see how far this goes before I run out of recipes.  Today's recipe is Molasses Crackles and Mr. Man put it best when he looked over my shoulder as I typed this out and said, "mmmmm Molasses Crackles," in that deep throaty voice that says yum.  These cookies not only taste good, they keep fresh forever (upwards of 2-3 weeks) and you can freeze them for up to 3 months (good luck keeping them around for that long).


*Dough must chill at least 2 hours though overnight works also*
3 sticks of melted butter (yes that is what makes these so delicious)
2 cups of white sugar
1/2 cup Brer Rabbit Molasses (yes the brand makes a difference)
2 fork whipped eggs
4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
4 cups of flour

Place melted butter, sugar, and molasses in a Large bowl and mix.  Let the mixture cool slightly while beating the eggs.  Add eggs, STIR, baking soda, STIR, salt, STIR, cinnamon, STIR, and nutmeg, STIR.  Add 1 cup of flour, STIR, 1 more cup of flour, STIR, 1 more cup of flour, STIR, and 1 more cup of flour, STIR.  The dough will be very stiff so hunker down and put some elbow grease in that stirring.

Cover and Refrigerate

Preheat oven to 350.  Roll dough into balls and coat with sugar, then place on a GREASED cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool a couple of minutes on the sheet and then completely cool on a wire rack.

Again, I warn you, these cookies are amazingly delicious and highly addictive.

Children, Pray Today: Day 4

Genesis 3

Loving God, open my ears to hear your knowing voice so that I may listen, hear, and act upon those things that you need me to complete whether it is caring for the Earth or caring for each other.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 3

Genesis 3

God who created Adam and Eve, guide us in the direction of making good choices so that we may make your world a better place. In the name of the prince of peace, amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 2

Genesis 1-2

God who created our earth, open my eyes to your plants, animals, land, and sky so that I can continue to keep your creation beautiful. In Jesus name, Amen.

Children, Pray Today: Day 1

Creator God, show us your world in all that we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch, so that we might better understand how to care for your creations. Amen.