Where is God?

As I was reading this morning, I came across this verse:

"You walked off and left us, and never looked back. God, how could you do that? We're your very own sheep; how can you stomp off in anger?" Psalm 74:1 The Message

Have you ever felt like that? That God just totally walked out on you and left you high and dry? I know I have. The chapter goes on to explain that a town has been completely demolished by their enemies. There is nothing left that symbolizes God. Everything has been destroyed.

OK, so my life isn't quite that dramatic, but right now my family is going through a tough time. It has been really tempting to think that God has forgotten about us. That He has just left us to fend for ourselves. Thankfully, I know that's not true. I know because of what His word tells me and because of my life experiences. There have been many times when I thought all was lost, but God showed up and turned things around for my good...just like He promises He will do (Romans 8:28). He tells us that He will provide for our every need (Philippians 4:19). He promises that whatever we ask for (according to His will) He will give if we just believe we have received it (Mark 11:24) I keep these verses and others posted in my house so that I can keep my mind focused in the right direction. I keep hoping, keep believing that God is going to move in a big way in 2009 and turn things around.

Just a couple chapters later, the guy writing the psalm has a change of heart, too. He says,

"O God! Your way is holy! No god is great like God! You're the God who makes things happen; You showed everyone what You can do--You pulled Your people out of the worst kind of trouble, rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph." Psalm 77:13-15 The Message

I want to have a heart that God is pleased with. I want to be found faithful in the end, through the highs and the lows of life. I KNOW that God will bring us through tough times and we will be closer to Him and stronger in our faith in the end.

Has God recently brought you out of a tough time? What verses helped get you through?

Blissful Brownies

I had been looking for a "made-from-scratch" recipe that really tasted homemade. I found several that tasted like a box mix and that just wasn't what I was after. This recipe is healthy (for brownies) and has the homemade yummy goodness.

You need:
EITHER 4 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate OR 3/4 c. cocoa and 1/4 c. oil
1/3 c. canola oil
1/3 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. sugar
4 eggs OR 8 egg whites
1 c. flour (I used whole wheat)
1/2 c. pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 13x9 pan with foil, with the ends of the foil extending over the short sides of the pan and grease.

Microwave the chocolate on high for 1 min. and stir until smooth OR stir together the cocoa and oil until smooth. Add oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in sugar. Add eggs OR egg whites. Stir until well blended. Add flour and pecans. Mix well. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake 25 minutes or until brownies pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely. Lift brownies from pan using foil handles. Cut into 24 brownies (ideally).

Thanks Kraft!! I modified their recipe a bit. (Food & Family, Winter 2007, pg. 53)

Layered Pumpkin Bread

A while ago I found a recipe for layered pumpkin muffins. I made them, and while they were really yummy, they were really fussy. I think foods are fussy if they take a lot of ingredients or a lot of work. So, I searched around and found this recipe to make instead. I love that it is healthy and easy to make. My family loves it, so it is a winner for breakfast or snack at our house.

You need:

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c fat free milk (or whatever your family uses)
1/4 cup oil
2 cups flour (I use 1 c. white and 1 c. wheat)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice OR cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 80z. pkg. cream cheese (I use the low fat version)
1 tsp. vanilla

First, preheat the oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan and set aside. Mix the pumpkin, 1 c. sugar, brown sugar, eggs, milk, and oil in a large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Stir until just moistened. Set aside. Beat cream cheese, vanilla, and remaining sugar until well blended.

Spoon half the pumpkin batter into the pan, followed by the cream cheese mixture and then the other half of the pumpkin batter. Bake about 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes before you take it out.

Let me know what you think if you make it.

Altering a shirt that is too short

In my closet, I have a lot of shirts that are just too short for my taste. I prefer to think that over the years they have shrunk. I have toyed with a lot of ideas for turning these shirts into useful items, you know, to help save the planet and everything. I actually made Kaelan a hat and scarf set out of three t-shirts. She's not particularly fond of wearing the scarf, but if I can get her mind off the scarf, she's fine. Anyway, I digress. For these shirts, I decided to see if I could fix the length.

I started with one plain white long sleeve t-shirt that hit right at the top of my pants and one brown t-shirt that was entirely too tight to be worn in public. Anyone know how to turn these pictures around?Using my handy dandy rotary cutter and mat (to avoid slicing my hardwood floor) I cut the brown shirt right across the chest under the armpits. This creates a tube which I shortened by turning wrong sides together.
I then pinned the right side of the brown tube around the right side of the white shirt as shown below.
Make sure the yucky edges of the brown shirt (that you cut) are matched up nicely with the bottom of the good t-shirt. Next you're going to sew across the bottom of the three layers.

There are some things to note when you do this.

• Make sure that you sew above the seam on the shirt so that it doesn't show when you're finished.
  
• Make sure if one shirt is smaller than the other one that you create darts by folding one shirt over (you can see this in the picture below). I chose to do this on the seams on the sides of the shirt. If you do this, make sure that the darts face the back of the shirt and not the front.

When you are finished, you might want to trim down the extra fabric along the seam. This was my finished product. Again, anyone know how to turn these pictures around?? So sorry!!
Hopefully you, too, can help save the planet and turn around global warming (cooling??) by refashioning a shirt.

My realization

Recently, I have come to a realization. A rather simple one, really, but one that totally changes the way I look at life. God wants us to depend on Him. He wants us to look to him for everything. He wants us to be totally dependent on Him. And if He wants us to depend on Him, that must mean that He is going to completely meet our needs. Not that we need to just sit around and be waited on hand and foot, but that there is no need to worry about anything because the God of hope can make even the most hopeless situation turn around and be used not only for our good, but to bring us to a better place than before. I'm trusting that that is what He's going to do for us. I know that many families are hurting right now because of job losses and pay cuts. In a sermon I heard recently, the pastor said that we should remember that God can't work miracles when there is still a way for us to work. We must be at the end of our rope before He can step in with a miracle. I know that my family is there right now, and we are waiting, expectantly, on God to do His part.

Making Laundry Detergent

I thought I would try again to make my own laundry detergent. My first attempt produced some cloudy sludge that I used, but was not thrilled with. This attempt was better and so far I'm pleased with the results. It was super-easy and not nearly as messy as the first version. This is the recipe I would recommend.
What you need:
1 bar of soap grated into small pieces
1 cup of baking soda
1 cup of Borax

Combine above ingredients. Use 1 tablespoon per load of laundry. Ta-da. You're done.

I used Dove the first time and the smell wasn't quite as strong as I was hoping for. This time I chose Irish Springs, and I LOVE the fresh smell that greets me when I open the container (even though I don't like the smell for my showers). I grated the bar into small pieces and then put it into our blender to make the pieces microscopic. When this is done, mix with 1 cup of Borax (I found this in the laundry aisle at Wal-mart) and 1 cup of baking soda. Yes, I know that some sites suggest washing soda, but a) I couldn't find any at any of the stores I tried, and b) I read that it can be quite caustic and so I opted to go for the safest, most environmentally friendly route.

Zesty Italian Chicken

This is a yummy dish I borrowed from the Kraft Food and Family magazine I get in the mail. If you cook, you MUST sign up for this free magazine. It is wonderful!

OK, here are the ingredients you need:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 in. pieces
1/2 cup Italian dressing (we use the low fat kind)
2 cups broccoli (fresh or frozen)
8 oz. cooked pasta, drained
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Optionals:
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
1 1/2 cups chopped red peppers
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

We aren't big fans of onions and peppers, so I leave those out, and I never keep parsley on hand, so I just didn't use it. I used frozen carrots instead.

Directions:First, go ahead and start heating the water so you can cook your pasta. Cut your chicken into small pieces. Put it in a skillet (I used a wok so I'd have lots of room) with 1/4 cup of the dressing and cook until the chicken isn't pink. I'm a real fanatic about cooking chicken, so mine was REALLY done. Add your vegetables of choice and cook until they are tender.

Toss the results with the dressing and your cooked pasta and sprinkle with cheese, and you've got a tasty, healthy meal. Enjoy!!