Secrets From The Sisterhood

Here's a couple of quick recipes for a crazy weeknight that were sent to me by a couple of my friends.

The first one is from Camillia.  If your watching your waistline, this one is figure friendly!

Tuna Patties(however many cans of tuna, use the same number of eggs, for about 8 patties, I use 3 cans and 3 eggs)

3 cans tuna
3 eggs
equal parmesan cheese and italian bread crumbs
some seasonings of choice, I use a dash of lemon pepper, paprkia, garlic powder (not much), pepper, season salt, italian seasonings. Any or all of these work.

Mix all together till its stuck together.

Barely cover the bottom of a skillet with oil, and brown on both sides
Total time 10 minutes.

Warm up canned veggies or boxed rice and walah. dinner is served!
(side note...one patty is one weight watchers point)


And since you were so good with your dinner recipe that was quite figure friendly, here's a recipe from Linda for a quick go-to dessert:

Angel Food Dessert
1 large angel food cake ( store bought)
1 large can crushed pineapple with juice
1 small container cool whip
1 large pkg of french vanilla instant pudding.

slice cake into 3 layers and set aside

In mixing bowl, mix pineapple with juice with pudding.
add 1/2 container of cool whip.

Spread 1/2 of mixture on bottom layer of cake, put 2nd layer on and spread other 1/2 of mixture and put 3rd layer on.  Keep in Fridge until ready to serve.
This can be made low calorie by using fat free cool whip and sugar free pudding.

Sounds quite yummy to me!


Here's one of my family's favorite things for dinner that's pretty quick and easy:

Divine Burgers
1lb ground beef
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 c shredded cheese (the flavor you prefer)

Combine all ingredients.  Separate and form into 4 patties and grill. (I use my little George Foreman grill - does anybody else still use theirs????)  The cheese makes the edges all yummy and crispy. We eat them without buns, but they are good both ways. 

We just may have Divine Burgers for dinner tonight!

If you have something your family likes to eat that can be whipped up in a snap, please post a comment with the how-to or you can send me an email at beyondsundaymornings@gmail.com.



Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

No Such Thing.......

Before you read any further today, make sure there are no little eyes reading over your shoulder!  I know everyone does things differently in their individual families, and I respect that, but I sure don't want to cause any broken hearts by today's post.......So be careful little eyes what you see!












PSST.............................................................Lean in real close......

I need to tell you a secret.......




There is no such thing as the Boogie Man.




There is no such thing as the Easter Bunny.




There is no such thing as the Tooth Fairy.





Nope.





There's no such thing as Santa Claus.






And here's one you might be surprised at.......

There's no such thing as perfect people.

There.   I said it.  The truth is out.

Now, I know you know that and I know it too, but sometimes I find myself living and thinking as if that statement were true.  I really have to be careful where I let my mind go, because if I don't keep tabs on my thinking, the next thing I know I'm comparing Amy's little life, Amy's little circumstances, Amy's little income, Amy's little house, Amy's little car, Amy's little wardrobe, Amy's little husband who recently forgot to pick up a much needed coupon for an important birthday gift (let's don't go there), and Amy's little everything else to what I perceive is true about someone else.

We cannot compare those things. 

They are not equal.

No matter how good I think Ms. "X" has it, I don't know her truth.

Let me repeat that.

No matter how good I think Ms. "X" has it, I don't know her truth.

I only know my perception of her.

And my perception is based on my imperfect thinking.

If my thinking is imperfect, then my perception of her must be imperfect too.

Don't forget that Ms. "X" is comparing herself to someone else, possibly even you.  Yes, her home may be nicer, her car may be newer, she may have a deeper wallet or a deeper closet, but she may just be watching you, wishing her life were more like yours.

She may be envious of the bond she sees you sharing with your family.

She may be envious of your faith.

She just may not be seeing her life as perfect at all.

Just a thought to pass along to you today....

Don't forget -

There's no such thing as perfect people.

Let me confess something to you, I have an issue with this, and for the past year or so, God has been showing me that for me, comparing myself to someone else is sin.  I have to stand on my own as a unique woman created by Him and I cannot be measured by someone else.  It's like trying to measure cups with a ruler.  It just doesn't work.  Maybe He wants you to know that too....





Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

Never Extinguished

Before we go any further, I must ask you one question -

Do you believe God's Word?

I mean REALLY believe to the deepest parts of your being that what He says in His word is true??

Do you BELIEVE it?

It may seem silly that I ask you that, but at one point, I don't think I really took God at His Word and believed what was contained in those pages was real and it applied to me.  This may sound abrupt, but until you believe what it says applies to YOU, then you are dealing with unbelief, and He wants to take you beyond that. 

With that said, let me share with you a familiar verse that lifted my spirit from the basement, so to speak.  I was reading along in my chronological Bible and we finally got to the New Testament.  I was reading in John chapter one.  It was talking about Jesus being the Word and the Word was God and the Word was with God.  The Word gave life to all, and the life brought light to everyone.  Then I read these words and it was like a fresh sunrise to my soul:

The light shines in the darkness,
      and the darkness can never extinguish it.

John1:5



There have been many dark days recently, as many of you can attest to, but these words were just like water to my dry heart. 

Do you get what this says?

No matter how dark your days may seem, the darkness can NEVER extinguish that light within you, because it comes from the One who has already defeated darkness. The darkness cannot overcome it.

Believe what this word says today.

Believe it.

Even for you.


Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

The Sweetness of Old Friends

It had been sixteen plus years since I had seen them, spent time with them, laughed with them face to face.  I was both excited yet apprehensive toward our lunch date that was fastly approaching.   As I drove to the restaurant, the thoughts running through my mind were crazy.

Will they even recognize me?

Will there be anything to talk about?

Will it be awkward?

Will we be different? No longer having that comraderie forged at our lunch tables and in the gym lobby of our high school?  

It was a wonderful time as I sat with two of my best high school friends.  They gave me the gift of laughter and acceptance during those clumsy high school years, we were just goofy together, and it was ok.  These same two people were with me the night I met my husband, a man I prayed for, so they will always have a special place in my heart. 

Our conversation over lunch lingered long and we laughed as we used to.  Yes, a lot of water has passed under our bridges over the 20 years spanning since high school, but despite the passage of time, it was a gift to be with them.  I hope they felt the same.

It wasn't awkward.

It was sweet.

My question for you, my sisters -

Would you fear awkwardness if you were meeting Jesus for lunch?  Would the time passing since your last intimate moments with Him make you nervous?  Would you be weary for the water that has passed under your bridge since your last encounter?

Or would you just pick up where you left off?

Let me remind you, He's at that table awaiting your arrival.  He's not nervous.  He sits calmly, with confidence to see the woman He loves.

Don't cancel.

Just go.

And linger for hours in your conversation.

Laugh as you used to.

It will be a gift to be with Him.

And He will feel the same.



Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

Secrets From The Sisterhood: A Dinner Idea For Those Crazy Weeknights

If your life is anything like ours, evenings are C - R - A - Z - Y. 

There's always homework, practices, A.R. reading, showers, whining, dishes, laundry, important discussions, etc to be done.  I won't keep listing so I don't stress myself out merely thinking about it!

Although our life is hectic and crazy, it is still very important to Todd and I that we have dinner as a family as often as we can; therefore, after Jesus and a few other people, my crockpot is my best friend. 

If you have one of those handy dandy little appliances and don't use it much, it's time to dig it out of the back of the cabinet and dust it off, because I am sure you will want to try this yummy recipe from Leslie Dick. 

Perfect for a hectic weeknight.  Throw it in the crockpot in the morning and head out the door.

Slow Cooker Tex Mex Chicken1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 TBSP taco seasoning
2 TBSP flour
1 each, green and red pepper, cut into strips
1 c. frozen corn
1 1/2 c. thick-n-chunky salsa
1 c. mexican style shredded cheese. 

Toss chicken with seasoning and flour in slow cooker. Stir in vegetables and salsa; cover. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours on low (or for 3 to 4 hours on high). Serve on white or spanish rice and top with cheese.

There's a couple of more where that came from, so be watching for the next Secret From The Sisterhood.

Blessings,


Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

To My Danielles,

For the past two weeks in our Sunday School Class, the subject of spiritual battle has surfaced.  We've discussed the intense need we have for purposefully putting on our spiritual armor every day and being alert and ready for attacks from the enemy. 

It seems everywhere I go, there are many of God's people who are weary and overwhelmed right now.  It doesn't seem to matter if the individual is a new or seasoned believer, the story is the same......

I just don't know how much more I can take.....

Many times when I've heard this, I've seen eyes brimming with tears, and witness their spirits longing for some glimpse of hope.  My hearts break along with all of theirs.  Most of these spirits that are downcast, are weary for what they see happening or about to happen to those that they love.

With spiritual and physical despair in mind, it makes me think of something I read about Daniel a few weeks ago.  If you would like to read it for yourself, you can find what I'm talking about in Daniel chapter 10.  Daniel had been given a vision of future things that would happen to God's people, it was a vision of war and terrible hardship.  The things he had been shown in this vision were so disturbing that Daniel  mourned and did not eat for three weeks. 

If your spirit is weary, I'm sure you can identify with what Daniel was feeling.

Daniel was standing on the banks of the Tigris River, he saw a messenger from God.  Being an emotional wreck already, Daniel grew very weak and passed out at the mere sound of the voice of this one resembling a man.  The messenger reaches down, touches him, and lifts him trembling to his hands and knees.  And he said to Daniel -

"Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you.  Stand up, for I have been sent to you." v11

Trembling, Daniel stands up to take heed of the messengers words.

My weary sisters, I know your spirits are trembling, I know you feel weak, but listen to what I have to say to you --- You are very precious to God.  Stand Up.  Listen for God's message to you.

The messenger goes on to tell Daniel to not be afraid -

"Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven.  I have come in answer to your prayer.  But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way.  Then Michael one of the archangels came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia...."v 12-14

How long had Daniel been in mourning, unable to eat?

Yes, 3 weeks.

How long had the messenger from God been detained by the enemy?

21 days.

That's one of those things that makes you go Hmm Hmm Hmm- you 90's kids will totally get what I mean!

Daniel mourned in his spirit for what would happen to his people - God's people - for 3 weeks and there was spiritual battle going on between the enemy and God's messenger for 21 days.  I think it no coincidence that these numbers are the same and I think it no coincidence that the messenger was sure to tell Daniel that since the FIRST day he began to pray, his requests had been heard in Heaven - hence, the battle.

War-torn sisters, your requests are being heard since the first day you began to pray about this and there is battle taking place for you.

Daniel stands speechless, looks down to the ground, then the messenger touched his lips as if to release the words in Daniel's heart....Daniel pours out these sentences, I'm sure you can identify -

"I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak.  How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord?  My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe." v16

I know some of you feel like you can hardly breathe under the weight of your struggles. The messenger reminds him again

"Don't be afraid," he said.  "For you are very precious to God.  Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!"  v18

Then Daniel says -

As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, "Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me." v19

Ok, girls, follow me for just a minute.  We have talked about all of the different things Jesus is to us.  One of the characteristics of Jesus is strength.  He IS strength.  He is the I AM; therefore, whatever our need is, HE IS. He is strength.  He is courage.

And if He is living in you, if He has touched you like the messenger touched Daniel causing him to feel his strength return, you can BE strong.  You can BE encouraged.  You can have peace.  This was but a messenger of god who was able to do this, you have THE GOD living in you, imagine the possibilities.

Stand up, my sweet Danielles, stand up.

For you are very precious to God.

Take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm. Stand firm, therefore.....

Eph 6:13-14

Stand up.

Just stand.

God has a message for you.

Even in the midst of this battle.

Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

Well.....

Well, how's the Say Yes 7 Day Challenge going?  Are you noticing traces of Him in your day to day comings and goings?  If you are, don't forget to post a comment here, and while your there read the other comments.  If you're having trouble, maybe reading those comments will get you started.



Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

Say Yes 7 Day Challenge

Don't let that title scare you....this isn't the typical challenge you think of - it doesn't involve exercise!  Some of you know me well enough to know that the words "exercise" and "Amy" are not best friends!  Lest you think I've lost my marbles, let me explain this Say Yes 7 Day Challenge.

For the next seven days, I challenge you to exercise your minds, your thoughts, your spirit, your eyes.  I love to watch for God in the everyday comings and goings of my life, and when I live through those eyes, I sense Him so near.  He seems so present.  Real.  Involved.

Involved in MY life.
Alive.

He's still alive.  Did you hear me?  He's alive!  He's still moving and working. We just have to watch for Him. 

This past week I watched a webcast featuring Lysa TerKeurst and Ann Voskamp entitled "Yes to God".  When I heard about the webcast, I was excited to see it because I enjoyed reading Lysa's book What Happens When Women Say Yes to God last summer. I have also enjoyed Ann Voskamp's writings that she mixes with photography.  With her words and images, she ministers to others with her heart completely exposed.  Their program served as an alarm clock to my spirit to wake up and not forget to watch for God in the everyday and say "Yes" to Him.  Even if that yes is but a simple acknowledgement that, in fact, it IS Him that I see in the ordinary.

Ann said this, "May we have a thought life of Yes so that we might live an action life of Yes." When our thoughts are centered around seeing and acknowledging Him,  it's so much easier to have a Yes action life.  It's easier to act at the moments of God's urging when in our thought life we have been looking for opportunities to say, "Yes, that's Him." 

Please don't tune me out thinking you don't have time to walk around with your head in the clouds looking for cute God moments....It's about more than that..

Engage.

Please.

Don't believe the lie that you can't see Him.  Don't believe the lie that you are too busy. Where ever you are, He is there.  Psalms 139: 7-12

 I can never escape from your Spirit!
      I can never get away from your presence!
 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
      if I go down to the grave,you are there.
 If I ride the wings of the morning,
      if I dwell by the farthest oceans 

  even there your hand will guide me,
      and your strength will support me.
  I could ask the darkness to hide me
      and the light around me to become night—
    but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
   To you the night shines as bright as day.
      Darkness and light are the same to you.

Lysa TerKeurst said this, "If we wait until everything is in place or wait until all of the broken things in our life get fixed to say Yes to God, we will miss saying Yes to God.  Because the messes and the broken pieces will always be there, in the midst of now, say Yes to God."

So what's the challenge you're wondering?

For the next seven days, look for Him in the midst of the everyday.  Live expecting to experience Him and when you do, come back here and post a comment telling us about it.  It doesn't have to be long, it can be a simple blip.  If you have trouble sensing Him, ask Him for eyes to see.  Lysa shared that she starts every morning with this prayer before her feet hit the floor:

God, I want to see You.
God, I want to hear You.
God, I want to know You.
God, I want to follow hard after You.
And even before I know what I will face today, I say yes to You.

For the next seven days, I am expecting to experience Him, and I am expecting you to experience Him too. 
As I intentionally watch for Him over the next week, I may not write new posts, but you can trust that you will find me in the comments below - and I'll be looking to meet you there.

To get you started, here's my first Yes, that's you God moment:

As I type this post, it's Sunday night, I am sitting out on my deck.  I sat here reflecting upon God while wrapping up this post,  I looked up at the moon, looked for Him there, but that wasn't it.  KLove is playing on our stereo in the background and I'm not really paying attention, but suddenly my attention turns from the moon for a moment and I hear these words:

God says yes to His promises
Take Him at His word
Yeah you can believe it
God says yes
To a child-like faith
When we claim everything He died to give
God says yes

The song was entitled God Says Yes by John Waller, and God's boldness at that moment to be so obvious to me just made be belly laugh - out loud. I say Yes to Him and He says Yes to me....You see, I was reluctant to issue this challenge to you.  I was afraid you wouldn't participate, but I said Yes to His prompting and He's already answered me.  I hope I made Him belly laugh too! By the way, the crickets think I'm crazy now!

Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

Hush!

"The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning." 

If we ever hear those words come across our weather radio or our television, my kids become quite the inquistors..

"Where's it at?"

"Is it coming toward us?"

"What's the difference in a watch and a warning?" 

If you have kids that despise storms, I'm sure you get my drift.  This past spring there was a day when we had a severe thunderstorm warning, which escalated into a tornado warning and they were petrified.

I mean petrified. 

And I understand, I never liked storms either, especially when I was a child.

We took the necessary safety measures and got into the bathroom with our radio and flashlight, but they were incorrigible.  No matter how Todd and I tried to reassure them, they could not hear what we were telling them for their fearful, frantic crying.  They would ask a question and then begin crying out of their fear that they couldn't comprehend my response.  They would cry about the dog, they would cry about the where-abouts of every extended family member, they would cry about the swing in the back yard, they would cry about what to do next.

At first I would try to answer them in a calm voice in an effort to bring them back from the Land of Fear, but my soothing answers were not penetrating their fears. They were so focussed on the questions and the situation that they would not listen.  Finally I had to yell at them to get their attention, "Hush!" I had to remind them that we were fine and they were worrying about things that had not even happened.

Sometimes we walk through storms and each second seems to be dominated by our fears. The fears are the only voices that we can hear and we don't know what to do next.  We are scared of what may happen. 

Don't forget, the Father is there in that bathroom with you while you're all hunkered down.  He is there in the eye of the storm.   He is there after the storm.  He will protect you.  We have to silence our fears long enough to hear His voice.

"Hush, be still." Mark 4:39

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me........... And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

"Hush, be still." Mark 4:39

Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

Secrets From The Sisterhood

Last week I posed a question to the ladies of the Sisterhood.  Here's what I asked them:

What is something that you reuse in your home in a way different than it was intended?

I'll share with you a few of their creative ideas that you can try for yourself.

From Leslie - Homemade chip clips.  She reuses the hangers that pants come on to make chip clips.  Simply cut the clip off of each end and discard the rest.  For those of you with children whose clothes have outgrown those smaller hangers, this is a great idea to reuse them.  You and also add a magnet to the back and place it on your refrigerator to secure grocery lists, coupons, etc.

From April -  Hairspray is for more than just your hair.  If you accidentally get a stray ink pen mark on your clothes, spray the area with hairspray, scrub and most inks will dissolve.  

Hamburger patties - Instead of trying to shape and mold them in your hands, form the meat into a ball, place on a sheet of wax paper.  Lay a second sheet of wax paper over it, then using a dinner plate press down on the wax paper until the patty is your desired thickness.  Peel away the wax paper and repeat.
From Jan - Do you have a plastic shower curtain that has icky build up on it?  She uses lemon juice to make it fresh and clean.

From Amy - Have you ever left the coffee pot on and the coffee burns in the bottom, discoloring your coffee pot?  Put a tablespoon or so of salt in the pot along with 1 or 2 cups of ice cubes.  Swish it around, and as the ice begins to melt, you will start to see the coffee color coming off of your pot. 

In my laundry room, I have a dish pan for each person in our family. Instead of filling it with dirty dishes -  we put the clean clothes in each person's tub as they are folded.  Then everything is separated and the kids can easily carry the stacks of clothes to their rooms to put away - NOT THAT THEY ARE EVER HAPPY ABOUT IT THOUGH!  

I use a gallon size ziploc bag to corral all of those envelopes like taco seasoning, Kool Aid packets, ranch dressing mixes, onion soup mix etc.  In the cabinet where I keep my spices, I put one of those removable hooks on the inside of the cabinet door, punched a hole in the bag, and hung it.  Now I can easily find those pesky little envelopes without emptying the entire cabinet.

From Camillia - I re-use dryer sheets as dust-rags...just run them over the furniture, makes the house smell good too, like I shampooed the carpet or something :)


Feel free to comment with any ideas you might have for using something in a way that is a little out of the ordinary!



Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

Daring Courage

Words spoken by Jeremiah, the prophet, from the New Living Translation:

I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!"

The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.
Lamentations 3:20-26

Just before Jeremiah wrote these words, he had been describing the complete destruction and devastation of Israel as a result of their disobedience to God.  As he looked upon his country, his hometown, things were very, very bad.  There wasn't much hope in any direction Jeremiah turned.

Imagine your world, life as you know it, completely devastated. 

No idea where to begin.

No clue what to do next.

Complete shock.

The wounds raw, still stinging.

Surreal.

Is there someone reading today that has found herself in Jeremiah's shoes of despair, hopelessness, and destruction?  If that is you, I hope you caught these 6 words in that passage:

Yet I still dare to hope 

He still dared to hope when he remembered God's faithfulness, God's character, his inheritance to come. 

Dare defined by dictionary.com means this -

1. to have the necessary courage or boldness for something; to be bold enough;
2. to have the boldness to try; venture; hazard
3. to meet defiantly; face courageously
4. to challenge or provoke into a demonstration of courage.

My sisters, hear me on this.   It takes no strength, no courage, no boldness to look upon your situation as hopeless.  It takes no courage to gaze upon the destruction of circumstances and keep your eyes upon that destruction.  Anyone can do that, and you're not just anyone.  It takes nothing special to face life this way, but you were made for more than that.

It does take courage to still dare to hope in God's faithfulness. 

Do you have that courage?  If you are His, you do, and it's time you found it. 

Do you mind if I pray for you?

Father, I pray for the one out there that has found herself in what she sees as a heap of rubble that is going to smother her or those around her.  God, I am depending upon You to give her the courage she needs to dare to believe in who You are.  God, give her the courage to dare to lift her eyes from the rubble and believe in what this world cannot.  Give her the courage to dare to remember Your faithfulness, Your mercies that are new for her each day, and her inheritance in Christ.  Give her the courage to hope in the truth according to Your word that You are good to those who depend on You.  You are good to those who search for You.  Make her daring today.  Daring and courageous so that she can wait quietly for the victory that will come from You.  Give her the courage to remember that she is yours and that none of this has caught You by surprise.

Meeting her situation defiantly, facing it with courage, I ask this for her by the power of the name of the One who has conquered death, hell, and the grave.  Jesus Christ.  If He conquered those things, I believe He can conquer her rubble.



Royal Princess Daughter Of The King