Spicy spaghetti

Tonight, I attempted to make this:


It turned out like this:


I decided it was a good thing I put it in a fancy bowl because that's about all it had going for it in terms of presentation. As for taste.... My lips are still on fire!

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Molding

Growing up, I loved kids. I played house all the time, took my baby doll "Joey" with me almost everywhere, and thought I wanted to become a pediatrician. As I got older, I babysat almost every single weekend. I loved playing with kids, and when I started out at Baylor with a Communication Disorders major, I originally thought I'd be someone who worked with hearing impaired kids to teach them how to talk.

Somewhere along the way, I decided I'd become an audiologist rather than a speech pathologist. As I started out at Callier, I realized quickly that I prefered working with adults over kiddos. I still like kids, but I find that it is much easier to be their friend than their doctor. I do not find it satisfying to try and bribe a kid to do what you want them to, and pretend like it's the most fun they'll have all week!

Now that I work at Waco ENT, I see kids and adults every day. We do testing on kids, but we currently only fit adults with hearing aids. And believe me, I'm okay with that. It takes out a lot of the guess work. I enjoy working with adults of all ages but have found that I have a particularly soft spot in my heart for the 70 plus population. And although I am all too aware of the process of aging (something I deal with every day), and have at least one conversation a week about death and dying (that's the name of a class at Baylor that I probably should have taken), these special people actually have me looking forward to my 70s and 80s. Imagine that! Maybe God is molding me for something special.

Taco Burgers

I tried a new recipe tonight that I'd highly recommend. It caught my eye on the cover of the food network magazine while I was in line at Home Depot last week.



Lightly mix 6 oz ground beef with a pinch of salt to make patties. Then sprinkle each patty with cumin, oregano, and chili powder before cooking. (I also added some French onion soup mix to each patty.)

Preheat grill to high. Lightly brush the grate and each patty with canola oil. Grill about 4 minutes per side.

Serve on a soft bun with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, tortilla chips, lettuce and cheddar.

Enjoy with friends! Very delicious. We may have round 2 very soon.



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Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending some time with my aunt and cousins in Branson, Missouri. I do intend to post some pictures as soon as I'm able to upload them from my camera. Since I was going to be gone, my parents so kindly offered to keep Sadie for me free of charge. She thoroughly enjoys all of her time spent at their house and is spoiled with sometimes multiple walks a day. This particular trip she also enjoyed a trip to the hunting camp with the boys. As I was having a fun and relaxing weekend with the cousins, Sadie was apparently showing off her keen hunting instincts. (Warning: the following picture is kind of gross.) Here is what I received from my dad Monday morning.


I honestly have to say I love Sadie's look of pure satisfaction, like she has done something really great. Apparently Sadie snatched this dove out of the air, carried it half a mile back to the camp, ate her breakfast, and then buried the bird. Strange instincts this dog has, but I must admit I was impressed.

I'll try to post pictures soon!

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It came!

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A tribute

May 8, 2010
It seems a little strange for all of us to be gathered here today without Grandma among us. She has always been a strong presence in our family. And although she never said much, at least while I knew her, she was always there, observing, with a big smile on her face. Jenny and I remember her always laughing as she watched. What exactly she was laughing at, we’ll never know. But she was always happy.

In my younger days, I remember Grandma always playing music. On her piano, and even her accordion – when we could talk her into it. There is one song in particular that always brings me back to Grandma and Grandpa’s house on Carmel. It’s the one that says, “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory!”

So even though it seems strange that Grandma is not here with us today, and most of us think this day came a little too soon, we know that she is in a place today where she has always longed to be. In fact, it was just this past fall when my mom and I came for a visit at Holmgreen and found Grandma lying in her bed.  When we asked how she was feeling she said that she thought she may be getting ready to go to heaven. We looked at each other, perplexed, and told Grandma it probably wasn't going to be today. Then she asked if we could take her to the hospital, because I guess she thought that she'd have a better shot at heaven if she were there.  We told Grandma it wasn't her time to go yet, and she looked at us and said, "I've lived a good life, and I am ready to go."

So even though we miss her dearly, we know that this day came not one too soon for her. In her own famous last words, "Praise the Lord!"

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

p.s. Click on the title of this post to see a picture slideshow of Grandma's life.

Two young boys walked into a pharmacy one day, picked out a box of tampons and proceeded to the checkout counter.


The man at the counter asked the older boy, "Son, how old are you?"

"Eight," the boy replied.

The man continued, "do you know what these are used for?"

The boy replied, "not exactly, but they aren't for me. They're for him. He's my brother. He's four. We saw on TV that if you use these you would be able to swim and ride a bike. Right now, he can't do either."

Grandma

Ruth Irene (Bebee) Moore went to be with the Lord, May 1, 2010 at the age of 86. She was born to Hazel and Roy Bebee on September 10, 1923 in Garber, Oklahoma. She was married to her husband Marvin of 56 years. A job transfer in 1957 brought them to Corpus Christi where they lived until they moved to Portland in 1963. She enjoyed caring for her family, church activities, playing the piano and reading. She was a life long member of the Assemblies of God church.

Her son, Jim Moore, precedes her in death.

Ruth is survived and will be greatly missed by her devoted husband Marvin Moore; her daughters: Linda Moore of Corpus Christi, Texas. Cheryl (Ed) Butler of Houston, Texas. and Mary (Jorge) Font of Sugar Land, Texas; five grandchildren: Lauren Butler of Waco, Texas, Jenny Butler, Ben Butler, Michael Font, Stephen Font and dear sister Betty Ann (Charles) Rury of Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

A special thank you to the many friends, family and caregivers at Holmgreen Assisted Living Center/Trinity Towers where she resided the past two years.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Food for Thought

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan". All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A.

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy.

As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little. The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

Couldn't be any simpler than that.

My dad is currently in Syria on a mission trip. Here is his latest email:

We met a Kurdish lady, Zena, at the church. John (Pastor Samara's son) had been to northern Syria earlier in the week to visit the Kurds. He met her then and she came to Damascus surprising John. Zena told us she had breast cancer. Her brother, who had been kicked out of the family because he had become a Christian, came to visit her because she was not expected to recover. He told her about how Jesus gave him hope for the future. She accepted Jesus as the way to heaven. A month later when she went in for her test, her cancer was clear. Her friend who was treating her for the cancer asked what medicine she was taking? She told her she was healed by Jesus. Now Zena's entire family (the ones who had kicked her brother out) have accepted Jesus.

Today we visited in Iraqi homes in the suburb of Giovanni. The first home was one room with blankets on the floor to sit on. A family of five lives here. The father was out looking for work. The mother received us. We noticed no one was wearing shoes, so we left ours at the door. The three children are just like mine. The oldest, Joseph, was very compliant behaving just as his mother asked him. The second boy, Daniel, was very expressive - smiling ang giggling using hand motions to communicate with his older brother. The youngest, David, was just happy. They are hoping to move to Canada where she has a sister living. She sends her three boys to the Iraqi school at the church. When asked why they left Iraq she replied "Because of the bombs".

The second home we visited was much nicer. This home had furniture. Living here was a mother with two boys. Her husband had been killed in Iraq by a bomb in the market. She could afford the nicer apartment than the first home we visited because th UN gives her money since she had no husband. She also is wanting to move to Canada.

Closing Day

It's not til tomorrow, but tomorrow is going to be a whirlwind, so I am posting about it today. Assuming all goes as planned I should be a homeowner in just over 24 hours. Even though I probably won't move until may, I have already set up the electricity & water so I can start working in and around the house. I went ahead and filled out my change of address form online. Now I'm just waiting for them to tell me when to be there and how much to bring =)

Right after work tomorrow I'll be dropping Sadie off at the vet and driving down to Houston with Jenny to catch a sunrise flight to NYC on Thursday. I will definitely post pictures soon after!

P.S. Check out my photos link on the right to see pictures from our trip to Corpus a couple weeks ago.

Sanctified

I am...

chosen by God. (Deuteronomy 7:6)
redeemed by His blood. (Romans 5:19)
like God, righteous and holy. (Ephesians 4:24)
sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)
blameless and holy. (1 Thessalonians 3:13)
without fault. (Jude 24)


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Today is a good day...

Today is a good day because...

I got coffee and a muffin at Starbucks this morning for only $2.50.
I was able to get out of the office during lunch and experience a perfect spring day.
I received perfectly crisp, fresh & hot fried okra at Bush's.
I got locked out during lunch and my sister was close by and semi-available to let me back in so I could make it back to work on time.
I was also lucky enough to have my windows cracked just enough on my car to reach in and unlock it to get my phone and call for help.
I managed not to get stung by the wasp that was trapped in my car.
I made someone's day by getting them a discount on a hearing aid.
I received my REI divident for $99.42!
And, I get to have chicken spaghetti for dinner!

FDA Approves First Totally Implanted Hearing System

FDA Approves First Totally Implanted Hearing System

Waco in Bloom

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My (soon to be) New House!

In Case You Were Wondering.....

21 Tips For Removing Crayon Marks From Walls

Toothpaste (regular paste–not gel). This one’s my first pick always (good old regular Crest), it also helps clean up permanent marker stains pretty easily.

Artgum Eraser – gently rub on marks in a circular motion, can also try a regular pencil eraser. Done carefully, this might be an option for wallpaper stains.

Baking Soda – make a paste with water and use it to gently scrub the mark. You could also just sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge and rub.

Baby Oil – apply directly to crayon stains then rub off.

Mayonnaise – Glob some on the stain and scrub a bit in a circular motion, then wipe off.

Shaving Cream – apply to markings, rub in, then wipe off.

WD-40 – spray some on the marks and rub off. Wash walls with hot soapy water once the crayon has been removed.

Turpentine – dab some on a damp cloth and scrub into stain to remove crayon.

Lighter Fluid – apply as you would turpentine

Goo Gone – Same directions as for turpentine

Ammonia – soak a section of cloth in household ammonia and scrub markings. You may also luck out with an ammonia based cleaner like Windex and a hot soapy cloth.

Vinegar – soak a toothbrush in white vinegar and scrub marks off.

Heat – Take a hair dryer to the crayon stain and allow it to heat the wax. Wipe heated crayon wax off with a hot, soapy cloth. You could try a clothes iron as well (no steam), just make sure it’s on a low heat setting so it won’t scorch the paint. Place a few paper towels between the wall and the iron.

Hand Lotion – rub directly into crayon and wipe off.

Powdered Dishwasher Detergent – make a paste with water and gently scrub area. Some detergents contain bleach so be careful on wallpaper.

Powdered Household Cleaners – such as Ajax or Comet. Mix with some water or sprinkle on a damp sponge then scrub gently.

Non-stick Cooking Spray – just spray it on then wipe off the marks. Not the best solution for wallpaper since this could leave a grease stain.

Hairspray – spray generously on walls then scrub off the crayon.

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser – go gently, you don’t want to rub off any paint.

Rubbing Alcohol – Saturate part of a clean cloth then rub stains.

Moist Baby Wipe Towelettes – Rub them directly on the crayon stains and scrub markings off. The homemade baby wipes should work too!

Conversations outside my door

At work, we have a sitting area near my door for people waiting to be scheduled for surgery. I hear kids say the darndest things outside my door sometimes.  But today, this is the conversation I am hearing. So sweet. Picture a 7 yr old sister reading to her 14 month old brother, one word at a time:

Our.. Father.. Who.. Art.. In.. Heaven...
"Hollowed".. Be.. The, thy.. Name...
Thy.. Kingdom.. Come.. Thy.. Will.. Be.. Done...

"Bubba, are you lllistening?" (in her sassy seven-year-old voice)

On.. Eeaarrth.. As.. It.. Is.. In.. Heaven...
Give.. Us.. This.. Day.. Our.. Daily.. Bread...
And.. For.. Give.. Us.. Our.. Tres.. Pass.. Es...

"Bubba, take that out of your mouth. Right now. I mean it."
 
As.. We.. Forgive.. Those.. Who.. Tres.. Pass.. Against.. Us...

The tightrope walker.

"But believing in Jesus is not just a matter of the head, it’s a matter of our whole being. It's like the old story of Blondin, the famous French tightrope walker. One day he strung a cable across Niagara Falls, and there's a huge crowd watching. And as they watch, he walks across. And all the way back. Like he was out for a Sunday stroll. The crowd goes wild. He says to them, do you believe THAT I COULD WALK ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE WITH THIS WHEELBARROW? And they all cheer and scream and say YEAH! We believe THAT you can walk across there with a wheelbarrow. No problems. They've seen him walk it easily. Shouldn't be too much harder with a wheel barrow. They believe that he could do it. But here's believing IN. Blondin says, okay, you believe I can do it. You've seen me walk across there. WHO'S GOING TO GET IN THE WHEELBARROW? And come with me. And there was a deathly hush. See, it's a different thing altogether, isn't it? You can believe THAT he can do it. You can believe BECAUSE he‘s done it before. But when it comes to BELIEVING IN, there's an element of personal commitment being called for.Finally one man puts up his hand. He gets into the wheelbarrow and Blondin slowly but surely pushes him across the rope to safety. That man was the only one who really believed, because he backed his intellectual belief with a physical trust Jesus says we need to have that sort of belief. Its not good enough to believe that God exists, or that Jesus was a good teacher. Its not enough to believe there is a heaven and that God is gracious and loving. Its about putting your money where your mouth is. And your life and your relationship and your future, and your everything."

Snow day!

Sadie's snow dandruff!


We are like the mail man, "rain or shine, sleet or snow..."


Paw prints!


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Me and Mom

Last weekend I went to Houston and got to see my mom's office for the first time. It is on the 30th floor and has quite a view from the terrace.

The building also is very reflective so I took a picture of us while we were out there.

This is our actual reflection in the window! It reminded me of the Chicago bean!

(Chicago 2006)

Sadie n Me

 Today is the 2 year anniversary of when I brought Sadie home! I had been visiting the SPCA with Lori and had my eye on the cutest little black dog. I think she had her eye on me too! When I would come and look at all the dogs, Sadie would stand up on her hind legs and watch me walk around the whole place until I left. Then one day Lori talked me into adopting her. It was January 17, 2008.

Sadie's story really starts with Nick.

Nick was very old and pretty sick when I got him in 2006. He lived with me almost a full year and when we said goodbye I thought I'd never be able to love another dog the same way. Well, I lasted almost 3 months before I ended up with Sadie.

Needless to say, I am completely smitten by her.  She is my alarm clock, my faithful companion, my exercise program, and my friend. I still love her ears and her playful personality. Even people who don't like dogs tend to like Sadie. She is very sweet and definitely knows how to put the "puppy eyes" to use for her good. I have really enjoyed having her and today I am celebrating our 2 year anniversary. Haha!

Christmas in pictures

Sadie helped Dad carve the turkey on Christmas eve.

After a delicious feast with Mary, Jorge, Michael and Stephen, we all headed to Corpus to spend Christmas day with Grandma and Grandpa.  Along the way we crossed the Navidad River!

We took G&G out for steak and loaded them down with gifts.

Then we all went to Grandad's house for dessert.

Jenny taught Sadie how to be a therapy dog at the assisted living center. The residents all love petting her when we come.

The end of a decade

There has been lots of talk this week about the end of the decade, so I started thinking back on it.

When this decade started...
I was in high school.
I had to take my camera to CVS for the pictures to be developed.
Ben Butler was 5 years old!!
I shared a '93 Mitsubishi Eclipse with my dad.
I carried a giant book full of CDs in my car.
And AOL instant messenger was how we talked online.

They are calling this the technology decade, and for good reason. We have worked our way to instant gratification-- through iTunes, amazon, Kindle, GPS, smart phones, digital cameras, facebook, Twitter, and on demand movies... just to name a few.

In this decade... I graduated from high school, college, and grad school.  So maybe for me this should be the decade of higher education, and of course technology. I have GPS, digital camera, and music all on my phone. I no longer carry Mapscos, film, or CDs in my car.  I don't even know how to log onto AIM anymore, because we have texting, G-chat, and facebook. 

I am hoping this coming decade will also carry lots of new and exciting life changes.  Who knows where it will take me... so here's to 2010-2019!!  (Wow that sounds weird!)

Big D

Today I am back at work after a lovely long weekend of Christmas break.  It's a good thing I enjoy my job because I am especially envious of those still on break this week.  Fortunately for me, I have New Years Day off so I get to head to Dallas on Thursday after work to celebrate the end of 2009 with my fellow Class of 2009 Doctors of Audiology! I will pick up Julia at Love Field and then spend the evening celebrating and reuniting with Greg & Misty, Bodes, Reagan, and Rachel.  I can't believe how lucky we are that this worked out! I miss these guys like crazy since we graduated in May.  There are some other things I miss about Dallas as well...  Potbelly, DSW, Whole Foods chicken salad, dog school, UGM, and my favorite friends, to name a few.  Maybe I will get to experience some of these things as well on my visit.  For  now, I better get back to work.  I hope to post a few pictures from Christmas soon. We shall see!

My favorite Christmas scripture

John 3:17  "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

This is probably not frequently quoted around Christmas time, but I love it because it tells exactly why God chose to send his Son.  And after all, that is what Christmas is all about! 

I imagine this verse is probably one of the most overlooked in the whole Bible because it follows right after John 3:16, which is undoubtedly the most quoted verse of all.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life..... For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

Thankful

When I was a student, I frequently said I was most looking forward to Sunday afternoons post-grad school.

Well, here I am at home on a Sunday afternoon, and I have to say I am very grateful that my to do list today includes (1) go to zumba, (2) make zucchini bread, (3) wrap a few gifts, and (4) maybe bathe Sadie instead of (1) start a paper, (2) finish research analysis, and (3) read 100 pages about auditory processing disorders.

Yes, life post-grad school is pretty good.

the prettiest tree in Waco

He gives me hope

Today I'm praising God...
-For Stellan's Victory.
-that even when life looks bleak, I am confident He holds my future.

And I trust in Him.

-for reminding me that PF is not a lways a death sentence*.
-because I know Jesus has the power to restore me.
-that on my first day at BSF, God's already talking to me.
-because I know He's not finished with me yet.
Today I've been reminded that even when there is no hope, there is God. And He always comes through. Sometimes it is not on our terms, but that's okay because He is God and He's in control.

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3


*Tonight I heard about a man who just got his 2nd lung transplant. He is 65 years old, diabetic, and was less than 100 lbs when he went in for it. They told his family he may not make it off the table, and he did. Praise God!

43 families.

The title for this post was going to be "Every day is someone's last" - but that seemed a bit too morbid for a title. You may have guessed I'm writing about the tragedy that took place at Ft. Hood today. My heart goes out to the 43 families who were personally impacted by this senseless shooting. Loss of a loved one is so hard to deal with, especially when it is sudden and unexpected. I don't think I'll ever understand how anyone makes it through losing a child. One thing I've learned over these past 2 years is that there is a day that each and every one of us will leave this life on earth, and we have to be ready on that day. We don't know when it is, and we have no control over when it will come. And when our time does come, we have to be ready to go. I don't know if this is something most people learn at 26, but for me it has really hit home these past few years since losing Uncle Jim, Mama Dara, Aunt Peggy, and Uncle Dan so close together. During Uncle Dan's last week of life (if you can call it that when you are dependent on life support), I heard the Chris Tomlin song I will rise about a hundred times. It reminded me that we all will face "our time" and when it comes we should be ready and willing to go. The harder part of that is letting the people we love go when it is their time. The truth is that any day can be anyone's last, and every day is someone's. One day ours too will come. Will you be ready?

Fun at work

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October in pictures!

I know it's not over yet, but I couldn't resist. Here's what I've been up to!

October 3rd: FC Anniversary and Staff Reunion

October 10th: Houston to see Ben march and run cross country!
October 17th: Dallas for Rae & Liv's Birthday Party!

October 24th: Baylor Homecoming!

And next weekend I'm off to Little Rock... so perhaps more pictures to follow!

a zumba!

So some awesome and generous ladies at my church decided to start up a zumba class just for kicks. Turned out to be a huge hit and people flock to it! Some are good at it, some are pretty bad (like myself), but we all have a great time. Church is a totally safe place to work out, where it is okay to have fun while making a fool of yourself in the company of friends. It was such a hit that they decided to offer it three times a week, so that is where I'm headed tonight! Look out, world ;-)

Marching Mustangs

This weekend I went to Houston to watch Ben march in the band. It's so wild to see him in high school, because he was so young when I was in band myself. He looks great when he marches and this week he was named marcher of the week! AND (drumroll please) he was the 1st JV finisher from Memorial HS at the cross country meet on Saturday! Way to go Ben!

(He is the trumpet player on the far right.)

Random

Well, I am locked out of the house again so I figured why not blog a little? Thank goodness for this nifty iPhone... We'll see how long the battery holds out! I sometimes share recipes on here but today I will share something I do NOT suggest making. Crock pot broccoli cheese soup. Ick, weirdest looking stuff ever. Actually didn't taste too horribly though. Just not something I'll try again.

I received a call today from the national bone marrow registry saying that I am a possible match for someone with a rare form of leukemia. Transplant is usually a last ditch effort when all other treatments have failed. When I joined the registry last spring they told us that we would most likely never be called so when it happened I was quite taken aback. I have decided to go forward with the process for now to see if I might be a suitable donor for this person. There is about a 5% chance, I am told. So, I will leave it in God's hands. After all, he made me... And him.

Not much is going on in my life right now other than work, which I do enjoy. I have lived here long enough that it is officially past time for me to find some friends and hobbies. Not sure what that will entail, because I don't just want to jump into something for the sake of doing something. I want to find something that I am passionate about that has Purpose. I'm keeping my mind open and waiting to see what is next. If it's not getting married and having kids, that is fine, but what is it? I know that is blunt but that's where I am right now. A real life grown up without a real sense of purpose. And I hate that.

So anyway, that's it for now. I guess it's about time to hide a key!! :)

Monterey

I just got back from a whirlwind weekend in Monterey, CA!

Check out the pictures in my Picasa album. Hint: it's the 'my Photos' link --->

mine!

Homemade hummus

I am not the person who would normally create my own homemade hummus, but this week I decided to try this new recipe from MckMama. Long story short, I ended up cooking my own garbanzo beans. I know, strange. (P.S. Did you know beans take like 10 hrs to make if you use the proper method?) Anyway, I ended up with extra beans because, low and behold, after you cook them they practically triple in size. So,.. in the process I found out that garbanzo beans are the same as chickpeas which meant that I could try this recipe for hummus. I'm not sure how it really tasted because A) I didn't have any tahini, and B) the three cheese panetini crackers I ate it with were really tasty!

Oh, and the corn and bean salad turned out okay, too.

Ransom

A couple of weeks ago when I heard this song on the radio, one particular word popped out at me. It's a word I've heard probably hundreds of times in this context, but that time it really grabbed my attention and I've been thinking about it ever since. The word is ransom. We hear it in church all the time, that Jesus paid our ransom. If you're like me and you've been in church your whole life, a lot of these words and phrases, what I like to call Christianese, sound so familiar and casual that we can easily miss the impact of these foundational words. I started thinking about the literal definition of the word "ransom" and I suddenly saw the picture of Christ in a whole new light. Miriam Webster defines ransom as a price paid or demanded for the release of someone or something from captivity.

The truth of the matter is this: all of us have been held captive by the enemy. Imagine for just a moment being kidnapped and held captive against your will. In order to be released from this bondage, a price must be paid: our ransom. What is the ransom, in this case? Life. Blood. Jesus. A life for a life. "For it is blood that makes an atonement for the soul." (Leviticus 17:11b) God in his mercy offered his Son as the ransom (or payment) for me. When I deserved God's wrath and punishment, he instead offered to pay my ransom. He set me free.

Dinnertime!

Well, I finally made it to the store and was able to cook dinner at home this week. I'm hoping to eat out less, even though it's hard while living with college students! I have a basic rule I follow when choosing recipes: no more than 5 ingredients, not including basics like salt, pepper, butter and flour. So for those who, like me, appreciate quick and easy recipes, here you go...

Beef Tenderloin with Peppercorns (only I used pork chops)
-2 beef tenderloin steaks (1 inch thick)
-2 tsp. cracked whole black peppercorns
-2 Tbsp. butter
-1 tsp. all-purpose flour
-salt & pepper
-1/3 cup light cream or milk
-1 Tbsp. horseradish mustard (I used dijon mustard b/c that's what I had)

1. Trim fat from steaks. Sprinkle cracked black pepper evenly over both sides of steaks; rub in with your fingers.
2. Cook steaks for 10-13 minutes in a heavy skillet or on the grill, turning once. Transfer steaks to dinner plates. Cover & keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, for sauce: In small saucepan melt 2 teaspoons butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt, and ground black pepper. Slowly stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in mustard.
4. Spoon sauce over steaks.

Squash Casserole
-2 lb. summer squash, sliced, cooked and drained
-1/2 cup onion, chopped and cooked with squash
-8 oz. herb-flavored stuffing mix
-1/3 cup butter, melted
-1 can cream of chicken soup
-1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1. Melt butter and add to stuffing mix.
2. Mix remaining ingredients with half the stuffing mixture and place in greased casserole dish or 9X13 baking dish.
3. Top with remaining stuffing mix and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. (I sprinkled on some grated cheese during the last 10 minutes of cooking.)

Mashed Potatoes (always a classic!)
-5 small potatoes
-1/2 cup milk
-1/4 cup butter

1. Boil 6 cups of water.
2. Peel and chop potatoes and place in boiling water.
3. Blend potatoes, milk and butter with a mixer.

ENJOY!

Sweet little brown bear

 

Um...thanks?

 

A little gift Sadie brought me last week :)

August Pics

It hit like a storm

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a compulsive vacuumer. I can be watching TV, or cooking dinner, and then all of the sudden I am vacuuming... the whole house. I used to vacuum our house in Dallas at least 3 times a week. (Due mostly to our 2 dogs and the dirt they tracked in through the doggy door.) Well. My new house comes with a maid so we don't even have a vacuum. Only she doesn't come in the summer months. I have a tiny hand one that sucks (or doesn't suck...however you want to put it) and a handheld canister vacuum that I inherited from my grandmother. Which is an ORECK. Wow!

But... On moving day back in May, my mom asked me if I had any bags for the little Oreck, which I did, and I got them out for her. She never ended up changing the bag for some reason and then they got lost in the move, so I was left with an incredibly overstuffed vacuum bag upon arriving in Waco which I promptly threw away expecting to find the fresh bags reasonably soon. Needless to say, I have been unable to vacuum since moving to Waco. (Tragedy, I know.) I have tried to sweep every couple weeks just because Sadie's hair is kind of ALL OVER the floor, but it's just not as rewarding. So, one night after work I finally made my way over to the Oreck store to pick up some new bags. And WALLA! I was back in business. I quickly vacuumed around all the baseboards, the bottom of the pantry, the perimeter of my bedroom, the stairs. Oh it was so much fun. I know, I'm crazy, but hey - what can I say? :)


In other news... I've been picking stickers out of Sadie's paws all summer during walks around our extremely dry and somewhat unkempt neighborhood. But today, I learned that she not only knows how to get them out herself, but is actually quite skilled at it. She never stops surprising me.

On our recent trip to Corpus (more pics to come).

Is she spoiled or what?

Fancy feast (not the cat food)

I recently discovered this recipe in a magazine and decided it looked simple enough to try. (I tend to stick to 5 ingredients or fewer.) Despite the fairly easy recipe, it turned out looking like possibly the fanciest thing I've ever made. And it was quite delicious, I might add.

Schlitterbahnnnn!!!

With our exchange students Jack and Max!