Please the Lord Now

Do not let your growth in holiness depend upon surrounding circumstances, but rather constrain those circumstances to minister to your growth. Beware of looking onward, or out of the present in any way, for the sanctification of your life. The only thing you can really control is the present--the actual moment that is passing by. Sanctify that from hour to hour, and you sanctify your whole life; but brood over the past, or project yourself into the future, and you will lose all. The little act of obedience, love, self-restraint, meekness, patience, devotion, offered to you actually, is all you can do now, and if you neglect that to fret about something else at a distance, you lose your real opportunity of serving God. A moment's silence, when some irritating words are said by another, may stem a very small thing; yet at that moment it is your one duty, your one way of serving and pleasing God, and if you break it, you have lost your opportunity.
~H. L. SIDNEY LEAR~

Thrifty Mama

Last week I cooked a big pot of pinto beans in the crockpot, fried up some potatoes and onions, and made a cake of cornbread. Yummy! We ate that for two nights! Talk about a frugal meal....just pennies per person.

At any rate, a small bag of pinto beans can go a loooonnnngggg way, 'cause we're having them again tonight! I had about two to three cups of beans left so I am jazzing them up for dinner. Here's my plan:

Drain beans and mash them up.
Add chicken chunks from the freezer, about 1 cup.
Add 1 can of Ro-Tel chilies (mild-cause of the kiddos).
Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
Mix ingredients well and then roll the mixture into flour tortilla shells.
Place the rolled up shells into a big baking dish and then bake for 25-30 minutes on 350.

Oh, and of course sprinkle more cheese on top of the shells before baking. One can never have too much cheese. Well, okay.....unless your allergic. Major bummer for you.

So that's my plan for dinner. Who knew that a $.99 bag of beans could feed our family of five for three nights? Gotta love beans! :)

Happy Days

The last two months in a nutshell:

~Happy 1st Birthday, Jacob!
~Happy Positive Pregnancy Test Day!
~Happy Mother's Day!
~Happy ?? Birthday, Me!
~Congratulations Graduate!
~Happy Family Vacation!
~Congratulations Bride and Groom!
~Happy Week of Vacation Bible School!
~Happy Family Reunion Day!
~Happy More Vacation Bible School!
~Happy 7th Wedding Anniversary to Us!
~Happy 3rd Birthday, Chloe!

It's been extremely quiet here, but don't think for a second it's been quiet at our house. As you can see, lots of happy days around here. I'm absolutely exhausted from all the happiness!

Our biggest news is the upcoming addition of baby number four, due January 11, 2010! We are very excited and pray God's blessing upon the pregnancy and delivery. (Also praying for my sanity because life is sure to be crazy around here with four kids under five years old! )

I hope the past few weeks have brought you as much happiness as we've had!