leftovers.

We polished off the last bit of the Reverse Shepherd's Pie last night. I reheated it and it was still yummy. We ate it while watching Heroes. Have I mentioned that that's a great show?

Anyway, here's what I did for the "pie."

I boiled some rice with a little bit of butter. While it was cooking, I browned two packages of ground beef, seasoned with a few shakes of sea salt and fresh-ground pepper, then drained it. I returned the meat to low heat, then added two small cans of garlic and herb-flavored tomato sauce. I seasoned it again with a few shakes of sea salt and fresh-ground pepper, and added some basil, probably a small palm-ful. I then added some parsley that I had chopped up, about half a cup. I mixed it up, and spooned it on top of my then-done rice. For garnish we sprinkled parmesan cheese on top, and added some of those french-fried onions that are used in green bean casseroles for crunch.

Barefoot Contessa it's not (I love her, by the way), but it was tasty nonetheless. It was simple, off-the-cuff (I really didn't feel like peeling, cubing, boiling, and mashing potatoes) and good.

too tired.

Not a whole lot to report this week. Baby had a teething spell starting Wednesday--the fever, runny nose, CONSTANT crying, and that consumed just about all of my attention and energy. Now here it is the end of the weekend, and I am exhausted.

No football game Friday either. It was the boys' turn to go, and there was an excursion to North Carolina planned. Everyone was going to meet up with a group up there that's learning to do outreaches the way we do them. Well, the weather SUCKED Friday, and not just here, but there too! It rained and rained and rained. And rained.

And rained.

Unfortunately, I had to take my two boys out in it that afternoon. That was a major drag, considering baby boy wasn't feeling well. I love rainy days, but only when I'm cozied up at home. Thank God it was just Friday. Saturday was completely clear and beautiful, and today was even more so. It got up to the 70's.

On a brighter note, I hit several home runs in the kitchen this week. I've always been a decent cook, but this week I tried a brand new recipe and made up two of my own. Luckily I've had zero disasters in the experimenting department in my adult life. That's quite an accomplishment. The last mistake I remember was when I was twelve or thirteen and I put flour in the cornbread recipe.

Anyway, on Tuesday I made Potato-Souped Pork Chops. Friday I made Pasta Carbonara. Saturday I made Reverse Shepherd's Pie. I'll share the recipes for the chops and the pie later...I made them up and they're super easy. Which brings me to my next found blog, which I'll post later as well (getting tired of typing). I'm thinking food blog, and wow there are quite a few awesome ones out there...

icky.

I woke up this morning around 5:30. Said goodbye to my husband as he was off to work. Was ready to turn back in for some more zzz's. Couldn't. Sweet baby (who still sleeps with us) woke up and pretty much cried all morning. I think he's teething again...non-stop crying, low-grade fever, runny nose. Bless his heart. I prayed for him earlier, and now he's taking a good nap, finally. He was all dressed up in this adorable little shirt that says "I'm cute." and jeans with corduroy patches on the knees and a plaid button down shirt, to take pictures with big brother at school. Now that will have to wait. I'm just glad he's sleeping. Maybe I can take a short nap now too. Lord knows I need one.

found.

Here's another awesome find...

I actually discovered Decor8 a few months ago, and it's pretty much a daily read for me. Holly had a workspace contest a few weeks ago, and ohmygosh. I really need to get on the ball with finishing mine, but her pictures were super-inspiring. She's got all these stellar links too, including some of my personal hometown faves! Her site is off the chain. Do check it out.

Decor8

On a more random note, let me just say that I am loving that new show "Heroes."

nostalgia tuesday.

Me at age four, wearing my favorite Winnie the Pooh dress. There was a matching cardigan as well, but I wasn't wearing it in this particular shot. I was at home, I think after church or something.

fruit.

Yesterday was fruity!

I know, I know. What does that mean?

The actual word should be 'fruitful,' but I want to convey the thought of being able to actually smell and taste the fruit. Big fruit. Wonderful fruit. It was so exciting.

Let me back up to Friday.

I went to a football game with several others Friday night. A large group of us split up into three (or four, not sure which) smaller groups and each group went to a different game. This was my first football game outreach, and I was a little nervous. But I kept asking the Lord to show me His heart for these kids.

We got a couple of words for people, and prayed for some people. After talking to this one kid, three cheerleaders came up to me later and said, "We just want you to know that we think it was cool what you did back there." I asked them if they knew the guy that we had been talking to and they said yes. So I ended up getting some stuff for them too and they gave me their undivided attention. I felt like a revival would break out right there starting with them, but another cheerleader came and tugged on one of them, beckoning for all of them to go back to the stands. I was a little disappointed, but at least I got to minister to them for a moment.

It was cool. Saturday hubby and I chilled. We both needed rest. Then Sunday we went out on outreach after church again. On Sundays we go to different neighborhoods, mostly trailer parks. We are concentrating on the Latino community. Anyway, my husband and I went with another guy from our church to one neighborhood. We got to pray for one guy's wife, another guy who I really felt was being overrun by depression, and a sweet old lady who had lost two sons to premature death.

After leaving the sweet old lady's house, my husband said, "The next person we talk to is going to give their life to the Lord." So we stopped at the next trailer. A young guy answered the door. He was from Michoacan, in Mexico. (I've been there. It's pretty.) He basically spoke no English. Since I was the only one out of the three of us who could speak Spanish, they just let me do all of the talking. I didn't have to translate for them. I asked the guy if he knew Jesus and he said 'no.' I wasn't expecting that for some reason, so I continued, and ended up leading him to the Lord.

He gave his life to the Lord!

I prophesied to him, gave him a Spanish New Testament, and that was it. We went on our way. We continued to pray for him after we left, that the Holy Spirit would overshadow him and ignite a hunger in his heart for all that the Lord has for him.

Now, I've prayed for lots of people. I've laid hands on people and seen them healed. That's exciting. I've also prophesied to people and watched in amazement when they tell me that what I've said is spot on. That's exciting too.

This is the first person I've ever led to the Lord.

There's no feeling like it. It was fruity.

blech.

So, they tell her that her clothes are clothes that every woman will want to wear.

Then, they give the prize to...the punky punk.

I cannot believe Uli did not win Project Runway. Michael was my favorite, but his collection was, admittedly, lacking. Uli's, however, was fabulous.

Apparently, fabulous was not what the judges were looking for. They were looking for stuff that people with mohawks who love 1980's Cyndi Lauper and Madonna videos would wear. Since that's what Jeffrey's clothes look like, he was the clear winner.

My husband has decided he won't be watching the next season. Who can blame him?

nostalgia tuesday.

Here's the Atlanta skyline again, but at night.

Same hospital window.

My dad took this one too. He took all of the Fotomat photos.

Remember those Fotomat booths? The Kodak digital kiosks at Wally-World and Target (read: Tar-zhay) are the Fotomat booths of today; you just don't have to drive up to them.

friday night lights.

My husband and son went to a high school football game Friday night. It was one of the weekly outreaches that we do at our church. Here's what happened...

Bobby ministered to several kids, even getting one kid's name. He actually thought it was the kid's brother's name. He said, "Your brother's name is Tyler, right?"

The kid said, "No, MY name is Tyler! How did you know that??" That opened the door for my nine year-old son to share the Gospel with him. After that, several other kids were lined up at my son, saying "Do me!" or "Me next!" or "Pray for me!"

They were all around my husband too. One kid had a broken rib sticking out of his shirt. My husband laid hands on him and prayed for him, and his rib went back in!

My guys, needless to say, are hooked. This Friday is MY turn at a football game! Hubby stays home with the baby.

found.

I've decided to start a new thing on this blog, called "Found."

I'll highlight a blog that I've found and include the link, and you can click on it and go somewhere pretty cool, which is that person's blog.

I don't have much time at the moment to start a comprehensive list or blogroll, so I'll do it like this, posting the person's link here and then adding it to a blogroll list one at a time. That way I can actually get a list done!

Through posting these links, you can catch a glimpse into the different interests that I have, or the ideas that I find thought-provoking, or just the stuff that I think is cool.

The first link, I guess, was posted a couple months ago, when I posted a link to my associate pastor's blog, Kingdom Power on the Street. That blog is already on the sidebar. So,...

The first link to begin the new blogroll list is...Meaghan's blog!

Meaghan, I really enjoy reading your posts. You're a booklover like me, you're a Calvin and Hobbes lover like me, and you're a mom like me. I could list several other "like me's" but you get the point!

Meaghan's Daily Ponderings

a day in the life.

Well, it's way too late to be up and I've got a squirmy sleeping baby in my arms and I feel like I've been drugged, I am so tired from Monday. I've got a cool testimony about something that happened on Friday night, but I think I'm going to trust my better judgment and write about it later on today when it's normal operating hours and I'm coherent.

What I wouldn't give for one of those Tempur-Pedic beds...

slowly but surely.

The new pad is coming along nicely, allbeit slowly. We finally got Bobby's room put together last weekend; his closet just has a bunch of stuff in it that isn't his (baby brother's stuff, stepsister's stuff). Now all he's missing is a desk and a chair. I scoped a cute folding desk at Target a few months ago that was on clearance last time I saw it; maybe I can get it this weekend if it's still there. And Wal-Mart had this cute wooden egg-looking chair on clearance. I'll have to check that out too; if it's gone I can always just go to IKEA. I LOVE IKEA.

My studio/office (read: the sunroom) is coming together too. I have a few more art pieces and photos to put up, but then I'll be set! All of the artwork in this room is done by Bobby, and the photographs are mine. I'm looking forward to posting pictures of everything once I'm done.

Then there's the laundry. No comment.

bobbyisms.

New Bobbyisms today:

"I'm looking forward to the Fall Festival, but I don't think I'll be riding the mechanical bull this time, because I got hurt the last time [two years ago]. Riding the mechanical bull is fun. Until you fall."

"What do you mean, it's my own fault? I realize it's my own fault! Why do you have to disencourage me?"

nostalgia tuesday.

This is what the ATL skyline used to look like. It was taken by my dad, from a hospital room, in 1977. The tallest building in the photo is the Peachtree Plaza hotel, now known as the Westin. It was once the tallest hotel in the world. Now, you can't even see it because it's dwarfed by all of the other skyscrapers. Atlanta now looks sort of like Gotham at night. It's nice. Certainly a far cry from this. Looks like it was a pretty muggy day too.

the truth.

When God says something, it is an invitation to act. You must act in faith. You are deciding to crucify your flesh and accept the invitation and move.

Miracles happen when you're on the move. They don't happen in the prayer room. Revelation comes in the prayer room. Once you get out of the prayer room and on the move, acting on the revelation you've received, that's when opposition comes. That's also when miracles happen.

(Incidentally, one of the words that Bob Jones gave us a couple of months ago was "Keep moving.")

Destiny is a matter of choice. It is not a matter of chance or an accident.

I wish I could take credit for the challenging and motivating nuggets written above, but I can't. My pastor said it all in his sermon this morning. I was writing feverishly, trying to make sure I got it all down.

He said we all choose to step into our destiny. We do it by obeying what the Lord says at every turn. We do it by moving, not by being inactive, expecting our destiny to just fall into our lap. If a person feels that he is being called by God to go to all nations, the first step he must take is to get a passport. If a person feels that she is being called by God to play the guitar, she needs to buy one if she doesn't have one.

These things seem like obvious no-brainers, but sometimes we as Christians get this "by the by the pie in the sky" mentality and just think that by virtue of us breathing in and out that our purpose will be fulfilled. We must be active. Faith requires action. Faith without works is dead. Love is an act. We cannot just say we love but not demonstrate it. God wants us to be active believers. How many passive believers heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, or preach the Gospel?

Okay, that last paragraph was me.

I'm through with being a passive believer. I will step into my destiny.

macbeth.

Remember that phrase, "Out, out, damned spot" from Macbeth?

Well, I have felt like saying that this week, only to my computer. Apparently there's some kind of virus on it.

It's had my computer acting freaky the past few days, thus no Nostalgia Tuesday this week. Heck, I haven't even been able to scan my new photos. It's really frustrating.

It seems to be working okay at the moment, so I've got a lot of catching up to do on this and my other two blogs. Plus all the photo scanning. I'll also call a good computer-tech friend of mine and see if he can help me with this virus drama.

On a more random note, I did catch a glimpse of both Comet and Spic and Span at Wally-World (read: Wal-Mart) yesterday. They do still exist. Sigh. Glad that's all cleared up.

reality tv.

I'm not a big reality TV watcher.

...Well, let me make sure that's true before I say that.

Let's see...I've watched (and enjoyed):

• The Amazing Race (great show)
• Fear Factor (back when it was super-popular)
• The Real World (some seasons, when I was in college)
• America's Next Top Model (I think the first two seasons, marathon-style on VH-1)
• American Idol (okay. I'm pretty much addicted to that.)

So that makes five reality shows of which I've seen multiple episodes. Considering how many reality shows are on the tube these days, I would say that's not too bad.

Until now.

I think I'm officially addicted to another show. I say this because, in the last twenty-four hours, I have gotten completely caught up on this show's entire season, and am going through slight withdrawal for the final episode. Even my husband (who can't stand stuff like this), after asking "What is this crap you're watching?" was sucked into its vortex, and is now anticipating the final installment with me.

What show has us all twisted up in the game like this? PROJECT RUNWAY. YIKES.

Just thatquickly we were in all too deep. And it's all because of better cable (we couldn't get the Bravo channel in our old apartment, for some strange reason) and Tivo, which is, like, the best invention EVER.

So, we'll be tuning in, or Tivo-ing in, with bells on, to see who wins. We hope it's Michael. Way to represent the A, Michael!