So this morning I got up once again at 6:30 to take mom to work. And I must say, if you get up this early, you must be an alien... because I don't know how you do it. Anyways... to my morning.
It all started when I was getting ready, brushing my teeth, wetting my hair (I have to wet it every morning, because it's everywhere when I get up haha) Well, my cat, Snuggs goes in with my every morning. And while I was brushing my teeth, he was waiting by the door. He was staring at the corner where the hinges are. So when I was done, I told him he was standing at the wrong side of the door. He looked at me, and then walked over to the right side! It was so funny! It was like he knew what I had said!
Well, I dropped mom off at 7, and headed to Kroger to get some gas for the car. I'm sure I was a site to be hold. Wet hair, barely awake, zip-up hoddie unzipped, Colts t-shirt, Nike snap pants, and flip flops. As I was filling up, a Jehovah's Witness lady came over and started talking to me. hahaha I'm sure I looked like I had a hangover or something. She wanted to give me a booklet to read, and I told her I was a Christian. I'm sure she did not believe me, because I'm sure they get people saying that a lot to get them to shut up. Anyways, I took the booklet (I was not in the mood to talk) and as she was turning around, she started to talk about the earthquake yesterday. She asked me what I thought about it, and all I said was I thought it was interesting. haha She went on to tell me how she wasn't dressed when it happened, but later that night, when she felt the after shock, she was "dressed and ready". haha I knew exactly what she was getting at!
That concludes my interesting morning... for now. I've got 4 more hours.
On another note. When a Jehovah's Witness comes to talk to you, what do you say? What are things you can say that won't get you into an argument? Any tips?
August 24, 2011
August 23, 2011
A Snapshot from Life
08/22/2011 - Goodbye get-together at the White's for Kristen. I'm gonna miss you, girl! Good luck at JMU! Love you!
The outside "J"
Along with I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Crazy Love for small group and school, I am reading Game Day For the Glory of God by Stephen Altrogge. If you don't know who Stephen Altrogge is, he is one of many Sovereign Grace's songwriter and well known songwriter, Mark Altrogge's son. I follow Stephen on Twitter, and really enjoy reading his daily tweets. Anytime I want a good laugh, I can count on Stephen Altrogge! Such as today this is what he said: @stephenaltrogge - For a moment today I thought I was beholding the glory of an angel. Then I realized that it was the brilliance of my dad's white legs.
I could go on and on about the things he tweets... but I'm sure you are wondering what this has to do with the title of this post. So, if you have a Twitter, you should follow Stephen Altrogge, or if not... get one to follow him. He's the best!
Now, on to the book.
In chapter two he was talking about where we get our talent. He uses MJ a lot (which I am not to fond of) as an example. "Michael Jordan's astonishing abilities were given to him by the Maker of all things. He didn't earn them, nor did he do anything to deserve them. They were generous gifts from a generous God. Similarly, any athleticism that you possess has been given to you by God as a gift." And how true that is! Yet, we don't seem to think about it at all. At least I didn't when I played basketball or soccer. The fact that I was able to bend my knees, lock onto the goal, and use my arms to shoot and make the basket, was not me! Nor was running at a rapid speed, toward a goal and goalie, and kicking my feet to make a goal. It was God giving me the gift of talent! What a gift I wish I had been thankful for!
Later he says; "Consider the simple act of shooting a basketball. Have you ever considered all that occurs in that second it takes to shoot the ball? First, the body must be positioned so that it's facing the basketball hoop. Then the brain must make a split-second judgment to determine trajectory needed to get the ball into the hoop. The brain then determines how much arm strength and hand movement are needed to get the ball moving toward the basket. Things become increasingly complex as more variables, such as a leaping defender, are thrown into the mix. All this takes place in the blink of an eye. A fadeaway jump-shot is truly amazing." There is a form to the perfect shot, I learned it on one of the many DVD's I would watch during my non-practice times. And even now, I can pick up a ball, and know exactly how to "fix" my shot if I'm off. But the way he describes this... is amazing! I have never heard it put that way, and I think knowing already what goes into a jump-shot, on top of this, is amazing! This is not something that was formed by goo, or from monkeys, or from a big bang. It's to much detail, it can only be from God! And what a gift such as sports, he has given us!
"If we receive such intense pleasure from sports, what must the One who invented all sports be like? If we receive such joy from watching Michael Jordan play basketball, what must the God who gave Michael his incredible talents be like?" I'm not a MJ fan (at all!!!), but I think about watching Peyton Manning, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Cam Newton, Blake Griffin, Dwight Freeney, Tim Tebow... those guys that my heart starts to pound every time they do something amazing, what must God be like? He gave Peyton Manning the arm to throw a ball across 100 years, what must He be like? He gave Blake Griffin the strength to dunk over three defenders and make the basket, what must He be like? He gave Cam Newton the ability to run and break through 11 guys and make a touchdown time and time again, what must He be like? He gave Lebron James the power to pull a fadeaway feet behind the 3 point and get the ball into a whole that is no bigger than 2 feet wide, what must He be like? I can only imagine! How great is our God!!!
I could go on and on about the things he tweets... but I'm sure you are wondering what this has to do with the title of this post. So, if you have a Twitter, you should follow Stephen Altrogge, or if not... get one to follow him. He's the best!
Now, on to the book.
In chapter two he was talking about where we get our talent. He uses MJ a lot (which I am not to fond of) as an example. "Michael Jordan's astonishing abilities were given to him by the Maker of all things. He didn't earn them, nor did he do anything to deserve them. They were generous gifts from a generous God. Similarly, any athleticism that you possess has been given to you by God as a gift." And how true that is! Yet, we don't seem to think about it at all. At least I didn't when I played basketball or soccer. The fact that I was able to bend my knees, lock onto the goal, and use my arms to shoot and make the basket, was not me! Nor was running at a rapid speed, toward a goal and goalie, and kicking my feet to make a goal. It was God giving me the gift of talent! What a gift I wish I had been thankful for!
Later he says; "Consider the simple act of shooting a basketball. Have you ever considered all that occurs in that second it takes to shoot the ball? First, the body must be positioned so that it's facing the basketball hoop. Then the brain must make a split-second judgment to determine trajectory needed to get the ball into the hoop. The brain then determines how much arm strength and hand movement are needed to get the ball moving toward the basket. Things become increasingly complex as more variables, such as a leaping defender, are thrown into the mix. All this takes place in the blink of an eye. A fadeaway jump-shot is truly amazing." There is a form to the perfect shot, I learned it on one of the many DVD's I would watch during my non-practice times. And even now, I can pick up a ball, and know exactly how to "fix" my shot if I'm off. But the way he describes this... is amazing! I have never heard it put that way, and I think knowing already what goes into a jump-shot, on top of this, is amazing! This is not something that was formed by goo, or from monkeys, or from a big bang. It's to much detail, it can only be from God! And what a gift such as sports, he has given us!
"If we receive such intense pleasure from sports, what must the One who invented all sports be like? If we receive such joy from watching Michael Jordan play basketball, what must the God who gave Michael his incredible talents be like?" I'm not a MJ fan (at all!!!), but I think about watching Peyton Manning, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Cam Newton, Blake Griffin, Dwight Freeney, Tim Tebow... those guys that my heart starts to pound every time they do something amazing, what must God be like? He gave Peyton Manning the arm to throw a ball across 100 years, what must He be like? He gave Blake Griffin the strength to dunk over three defenders and make the basket, what must He be like? He gave Cam Newton the ability to run and break through 11 guys and make a touchdown time and time again, what must He be like? He gave Lebron James the power to pull a fadeaway feet behind the 3 point and get the ball into a whole that is no bigger than 2 feet wide, what must He be like? I can only imagine! How great is our God!!!
August 21, 2011
August 17, 2011
Lemon-Herm Chicken
Last night, I had the privilege of making dinner two nights in a row! From my NFL Cookbook, I made Lemon-Herb Chicken by former Cleaveland Browns' linebacker, Willie McGinest's. Along with a side dish from my Real Simple cookbook, Parsleyed Corn On the Cob. It was sooooooo good! And the plus side, it's not that expensive!
The Lemon-Herb Chicken;
- 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbs grated lemon zest
- 1 Tbs minced fresh thyme
- 2 tsp minced fresh sage
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
- 1 lb thin asparagus spears, ends trimmed
- 1 Tbs unsalted butter, plus more if needed
- lemon wedges
Trim chicken of any excess fat. Cut chicken in half horizontally to make 2 cutlets. In large bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice and zest, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, sugar, and garlic. Put chicken in bowl and mix with all but on Tbs of the marinade. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
Meanwhile, bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Remove chicken from bowl, allowing most of the marinade to drip off. Add half of the chicken to skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, turning once, until lightly brown nad no longer pink inside. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more butter if needed.
Wipe skillet with a paper towel and add the reserved Tbs of marinade. Add the asparagus and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.
Divide the chicken and asparagus among serving plates and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.
The Parsleyed Corn on the Cob;
- 6 ears cor, shucked and halved
- 4 Tbs butter, melted
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper
Bring a large pot water to a boil. Add the corn and simmer just until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving dish.
Pour the butter over the corn and sprinkle with the parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.
*1 lemon is approximately 1 Tbs of zest and 3 Tbs of juice.
*We forgot to get parsley for the corn, so we used cilantro. It was just as good!
Family loved this! I would say it's a favorite!
The Lemon-Herb Chicken;
- 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbs grated lemon zest
- 1 Tbs minced fresh thyme
- 2 tsp minced fresh sage
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
- 1 lb thin asparagus spears, ends trimmed
- 1 Tbs unsalted butter, plus more if needed
- lemon wedges
Trim chicken of any excess fat. Cut chicken in half horizontally to make 2 cutlets. In large bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice and zest, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, sugar, and garlic. Put chicken in bowl and mix with all but on Tbs of the marinade. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
Meanwhile, bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Remove chicken from bowl, allowing most of the marinade to drip off. Add half of the chicken to skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, turning once, until lightly brown nad no longer pink inside. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more butter if needed.
Wipe skillet with a paper towel and add the reserved Tbs of marinade. Add the asparagus and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.
Divide the chicken and asparagus among serving plates and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.
The Parsleyed Corn on the Cob;
- 6 ears cor, shucked and halved
- 4 Tbs butter, melted
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper
Bring a large pot water to a boil. Add the corn and simmer just until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving dish.
Pour the butter over the corn and sprinkle with the parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.
*1 lemon is approximately 1 Tbs of zest and 3 Tbs of juice.
*We forgot to get parsley for the corn, so we used cilantro. It was just as good!
Family loved this! I would say it's a favorite!
Bon appétit!
August 16, 2011
History, History, History
Last week I signed up for my classes. And because Liberty has something wrong with their website for you to sign up for classes, you have to call. Well, I didn't have a very nice lady to talk to, and long story short I am taking history and humanities in the same term. I love history! Math and history are my to strong subjects. But I'm not to thrilled with taking two history's for my first term. So prayer would be much appreciated!
I am just reminded that this is one more thing God is using to help me to learn to trust Him. I'm not stressed, just kinda bummed. I'm also reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1; "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." He's got me doing two history subjects at once for a reason... maybe I'm going to love it. But please pray that when I start them next week, I will continue to trust God, and also, they would go smoothly since this is my first term heading back to school.
I am just reminded that this is one more thing God is using to help me to learn to trust Him. I'm not stressed, just kinda bummed. I'm also reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1; "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." He's got me doing two history subjects at once for a reason... maybe I'm going to love it. But please pray that when I start them next week, I will continue to trust God, and also, they would go smoothly since this is my first term heading back to school.
Banana Bread with Pecans
For a while I have had this recipe, Banana Bread with Pecans, that I found on my Food Network app on my iPhone. Last week we finally had enough "bad" bananas to make it, but then I didn't have enough butter. What are the odds? So this morning, before I went to work, I made it! And all I have to say is, I make a mean banana bread!!!! haha
It has in it;
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 overripe bananas
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sicks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
- confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)
Preheat over to 350, and lightly grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. Set aside. In a large bowl, blend with mixer remaining bananas and sugar for about 3 minutes, until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients. Don't over blend. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes or so.
*If you know me well, you know I love chocolate. And I grew up with my Memo making banana bread with chocolate chips. So I put some in the batter along with the nuts. Either way is up to you!
Thanks to mom for taking it out of the oven for me when I was at work! And also sending me a picture. Now I can use it for my blog!
It has in it;
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 overripe bananas
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sicks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
- confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)
Preheat over to 350, and lightly grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. Set aside. In a large bowl, blend with mixer remaining bananas and sugar for about 3 minutes, until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients. Don't over blend. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes or so.
*If you know me well, you know I love chocolate. And I grew up with my Memo making banana bread with chocolate chips. So I put some in the batter along with the nuts. Either way is up to you!
Thanks to mom for taking it out of the oven for me when I was at work! And also sending me a picture. Now I can use it for my blog!
Bon appétit!
August 15, 2011
Lime and Chili Rubbed Chicken
Last Wednesday I made Lime and Chili Rubbed Chicken. This recipe was sent by email from my mom, and it sounded very delish! You are supposed to grill, but since we were out of gas, I was forced to bake it. (Which it said you can do if you would rather not grill.)
It calls for;
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp grated lime peel
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
- 2 tsp olive or canola oil
Heat grill or preheat oven to 375. If baking, line shallow baking sheet with foil. In small bowl, mix chili powder, brown sugar, lime peel, salt, garlic powder and ground red pepper. Rub both sides of chicken with oil, then with spice mixture.
Refrigerating the "rubbed" chicken 20 to 30 minutes before grilling or baking really enhances the flavor. But this is optional.
Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 10 to 15 minutes, turning once or twice, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut.
Or, back for 25-30 minutes.
*I kept the lime after I grated it, and squeezed some juice onto the chicken when it was ready to eat on the plate.
*We made baked beans, corn, and a salad to go with it, but any bbq side would go well.
The family and Caleb all said it was wonderful, and worth doing again! But the next time I do this meal, I hope to grill. And when I do, I'll be sure to blog about it.
Thanks to mom for the extra hands in the kitchen for this meal!
It calls for;
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp grated lime peel
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
- 2 tsp olive or canola oil
Heat grill or preheat oven to 375. If baking, line shallow baking sheet with foil. In small bowl, mix chili powder, brown sugar, lime peel, salt, garlic powder and ground red pepper. Rub both sides of chicken with oil, then with spice mixture.
Refrigerating the "rubbed" chicken 20 to 30 minutes before grilling or baking really enhances the flavor. But this is optional.
Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 10 to 15 minutes, turning once or twice, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut.
Or, back for 25-30 minutes.
*I kept the lime after I grated it, and squeezed some juice onto the chicken when it was ready to eat on the plate.
*We made baked beans, corn, and a salad to go with it, but any bbq side would go well.
The family and Caleb all said it was wonderful, and worth doing again! But the next time I do this meal, I hope to grill. And when I do, I'll be sure to blog about it.
Thanks to mom for the extra hands in the kitchen for this meal!
Bon appetit!
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