Joseph and Unconditional Love

This year I am reading the Bible in a Year plan by reading the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs a day. Over the last week I read one of the stories we were all taught in church growing up.
Recap the story: Genesis Chapters 37-46
Joseph was so dear to his father, and his brothers were very jealous of him, so they sold him off, were Joseph became a slave, then he interpreted Pharaoh's dreams, next his brothers came to Pharaoh to buy food during the famine. Joseph recognized them and left the room and Wept. Joseph told them who he was and still showed love and provided for all of their needs.

Now I am been pondering and admiring Joseph's life and how he could have been so bitter and mean to his brothers but he Embraced them with love. Joseph shows us true forgiveness and unconditional love.

The Lord is teaching me daily, but one thing he is keeps asking me is Am I showing Unconditional love daily in every aspect of my life?

Wanting to Show and Live By a True Example of Unconditional Love,
Jenn

100 Day Challenge

100 Day Challenge- Week 1
Since loosing 30 pounds on New Years Eve, my body has just stopped wanting to loose weight, so I decided it was time to change things up a bit.

I just completed week 1 of the 100 Day Challenge, which is a program that is offered through our district. The goal is to work out and loose weight in 100 days. This program is designed to do with coworkers/family members or friends. I am so excited about the team I am on this year, Each of the women on our team inspire me and encourage me to loose weight. I am really trying hard to get the last 18 pounds off. This week I lost 2 pounds.

Goals Completed for this Week : I have had no YOGURT or Chocolate... I miss it but I know that my body needs to be healthy right now.

I am trying to balance more working out as well. So this week I started Zumba, at my house, I am too embarrassed to do this at a gym. Also on Tuesday and Thursdays I am doing P90X with my coworkers. This really does work you out, and I have been so sore.

I wish it was easy to loose all the weight... But its a Challenge for me. If you have any healthy tidbits that have worked for you or yummy recipes, I would love to hear them!

Losing Weight and Having Joy in doing it,
Jenn

A Proverbs for Today

Proverbs 3

I love the book of Proverbs, especially Chapter 3. A couple of years ago my friend Meredith and I memorized this Chapter. Now it did not happen over night, it took weeks of breaking it down and memorizing it. But in this Chapter there are so many verses to just chew on and really take them to heart.

Proverbs 3 - ESV Version (from Bible Gateway. com)

Trust in the LORD with All Your Heart

¹^A)">(A) My son, do not forget my teaching,
^B)">(B) but let your heart keep my commandments,
²for^C)">(C) length of days and years of life
and^D)">(D) peace they will add to you.

³Let not^E)">(E) steadfast love and^F)">(F) faithfulness forsake you;
^G)">(G) bind them around your neck;
^H)">(H) write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴So you will^I)">(I) find favor and^J)">(J) good success^a]">[a]
in the sight of God and man.

⁵^K)">(K) Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and^L)">(L) do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶In all your ways^M)">(M) acknowledge him,
and he^N)">(N) will make straight your paths.
⁷^O)">(O) Be not wise in your own eyes;
^P)">(P) fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
⁸It will be^Q)">(Q) healing to your flesh^b]">[b]
and^R)">(R) refreshment^c]">[c] to your bones.

⁹Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with^S)">(S) the firstfruits of all your produce;
¹⁰then your^T)">(T) barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.

¹¹^U)">(U) My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
¹²for the LORD reproves him whom he loves,
as^V)">(V) a father the son in whom he delights.

Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom

¹³^W)">(W) Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
¹⁴^X)">(X) for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
and her profit better than^Y)">(Y) gold.
¹⁵She is more precious than^Z)">(Z) jewels,
and^AA)">(AA) nothing you desire can compare with her.
¹⁶^AB)">(AB) Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are^AC)">(AC) riches and honor.
¹⁷Her^AD)">(AD) ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸She is^AE)">(AE) a tree of life to those who^AF)">(AF) lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.

¹⁹^AG)">(AG) The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding he established the heavens;
²⁰by his knowledge^AH)">(AH) the deeps broke open,
and^AI)">(AI) the clouds drop down the dew.

²¹My son,^AJ)">(AJ) do not lose sight of these—
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
²²and they will be^AK)">(AK) life for your soul
and^AL)">(AL) adornment for your neck.
²³^AM)">(AM) Then you will walk on your way securely,
^AN)">(AN) and your foot will not stumble.
²⁴^AO)">(AO) If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down,^AP)">(AP) your sleep will be sweet.
²⁵^AQ)">(AQ) Do not be afraid of sudden terror
or of^AR)">(AR) the ruin^d]">[d] of the wicked, when it comes,
²⁶for the LORD will be your confidence
and will^AS)">(AS) keep your foot from being caught.
²⁷^AT)">(AT) Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,^e]">[e]
when it is in your power to do it.

²⁸^AU)">(AU) Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give it"—when you have it with you.
²⁹^AV)">(AV) Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
who^AW)">(AW) dwells trustingly beside you.
³⁰^AX)">(AX) Do not contend with a man for no reason,
when he has done you no harm.
³¹^AY)">(AY) Do not envy^AZ)">(AZ) a man of violence
and do not choose any of his ways,
³²for^BA)">(BA) the devious person is an abomination to the LORD,
but the upright are^BB)">(BB) in his confidence.
³³^BC)">(BC) The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he^BD)">(BD) blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
³⁴Toward the^BE)">(BE) scorners he^BF)">(BF) is scornful,
^BG)">(BG) but to the humble he gives favor.^f]">[f]
³⁵The wise will inherit honor,
but fools get^g]">[g] disgrace.

God Bless and Happy Thursday!

Jenn

A Constant Reminder to me

A Constant Reminder

Do you ever have days were the same scripture comes back in your head over and over? Over the last few weeks these verses have been heavy on my heart. This morning as I was reading my Bible in a year plan, I was given the SAME verses in Prov 3:5-6:

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart,
in all your Ways Acknowledge him,
and HE Will direct your Paths.

I am learning this verse daily to trust God with all of my heart;Letting the Lord be in total Control of Every AREA of my life. I am having to stop more, to listen to what the Lord is saying not neccessarly what I want to hear. Then most importantly letting the Lord lead me exactly were he wants me to be. Have I mastered this yet, no I am human and sometimes my stubborness gets in the way. But then I am Gently reminded that God wants me to Trust Him.

I pray that if this is something you struggle with you would really take time and seek the Lord. Let him Guide you in every step of the day!

Trusting even more,
Jenn

Casa Rita

Casa Rita
This is a new restaurant opened in Frisco right next to Spring Creek Barbeque. Last Sunday night my precious friend Kim and I decided to try it out. Let me just tell you I LOVEEEE Mexican Food! It was YUMMY! The service was very speedy and quick. They had very good salsa. The portions were huge. In fact I had my leftover for lunch the next day! They had flat screen tvs on the well so you could watch the important football games while you ate. It was just a great atmosphere. The prices were affordable!

So if you are looking for trying a new restaurant, you will love Casa Rita!

Another Easy Crockpot Recipe

I am trying to cook very healthy, so the other night I went into the pantry and through some items in the crock pot. I was in desperate need for something for Lunch!

Ingredients
1 Box of Swanson's Chicken Broth
5-8 frozen chicken tenderloins
1 bag of Frozen chopped broccoli
1 bag of Frozen green peppers
1 bag of frozen onions
add your own seasonings.
Next time I want to add sauteed mushrooms.

Dump all of the ingredients in to your crock pot. I started it at 10 pm and it was ready when I woke up the next morning. The house smelled delicious.
Here's a tidbit.... The bags of frozen veggies are very cheap at Walmart. Sometimes I can not find them at other stores.

Let me know if you try this simple and delicious recipe!
To Healthy Cooking,
Jenn

I choose to

Eleven years ago today, my world was totally rocked. It was a dreary and rainy Friday, January 21, 2000. After I got out of college on Friday my plans were to drive to Houston to see my dad and eat at Olive Garden with my friend Mandy. But due to the weather we decided to go on a different weekend.
Out to dinner I went with my college friends at Outback. As we were wrapping up with dinner I looked down at my phone and had several missed calls from my Pop. My parents were trying to find me, so as I got in the car headed to meet them I remember looking at Mandy and saying, "Its my dad something has happened."
I will never forget Pop choking up, as he knew the words he was about to tell me were going to devastate me. The words were,"Your dad had a heart attack and did not make it."
Still to this day, I miss my Daddy and his amazing sense of humor.
But in my sadness today I choose to:

• Thank God for the testimony he has given me through this tragedy. This was a journey I never thought I would take so young in life but it has taught me so much and truly opened my eyes.
  
• I'm grateful for the 19 years I had with him.
• I Look forward to reuniting with him in Heaven.
• Rest and cling to my Heavenly Father.
• Remember all of our memories.
• Thank God for the family and friends who have walked this journey with me.(Especially my Pop who had lost both of his dads.)
• Cherish Life- and Love those Around me even more!

Cherishing Life,
Jenn
PS Sorry I wanted to upload pictures but I do not have any on the computer..

Out of Our Mouths

Out of Our Mouths
Good Morning! If you know me, I really love to talk and listen to my Friends. As I was studying my bible this morning I read some verses that just struck at my heart coming from the book of Matthew.

Matthew 12:36 which says And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. Vs 37 For by your words you shall be justified and by your words you shall be condemned.(New American Standard)

This has made me stop and think about the words that come out of my mouth. Sometimes I just need to close my mouth and not say anything. Then other times I need to BE BOLD and Share what Christ is teaching me with others. How often I get caught up in the moment and forget that the Words I say are very Valuable to God.

I truly want to praise him everyday in all that I do, but especially with the words that come out of my mouth.

Trying to use my words more wisely,
Jenn

A Morning of Praise

Morning of Praise

Psalms 9:1
I will Give Thanks to the Lord
with all of my heart,
and I will tell of all they wonders.

This morning as I was Memorizing this verse, I was really thinking about how its so Easy to Praise the Lord with all my heart. But then I started thinking of how often I miss opportunities when I'm with my friends, family members, or co-workers to share The AmazingNess of God...(I know Amazingness is not a word but it sounds fun.)

Everyday we should be Praising God and telling the people that God has put in our paths. We do not know the seeds that can be planted when we take the time to tell others, What God is doing in our Lives.

Who will you share Your Praises of God with today?
Praising Him,
Jenn

You are Beautiful!

My Precious Friend Brooke sent me this Song a few months ago when I was really having a rough week. This song is on my phone and I play it a lot. This song is very soothing but it constantly reminds me of how much Our Father in Heaven Loves us.

I hope this starts out your day with a SMILE from your Heavenly Father telling you how Much HE LOVES US and CARES About Us. Thank you Lord for helping us when we are having an off day or our hearts are hurting.

Beautiful
By Mercy Me
The days will come when you don't have the strength
When all you hear is you're not worth anything
Wondering if you ever could be loved
And if they truly saw your heart they'd see too much

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are made so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His
You're beautiful

And praying that you have the heart to find
Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight
For all the lies you've held inside so long
And they are nothing in the shadow of the cross
Before you ever took a breath
Long before the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious
Of all the earth and skys above
You're the one He madly loves
Enough to death

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
In His eyes

Before you ever took a breath
Long before the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious
Of all the earth and skys above
You're the one He madly loves
Enough to death

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
In His eyes

You're beautiful
You were meant for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You're meant for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His

Remember How Beautiful to the Lord,
Jenn

Oh what to do with the Rest of the Rotisserie Chicken?

Trying to eat Healthy can be rather Challenging some days, especially after you have had a Rotisserie Chicken for several days in a row. So let's be Creative... I'm sure there is a Better Recipe out there, but I went into my pantry and threw my own ingredients into the Crock Pot.

Ingredients are:
Left over Chicken cut into pieces
1 Can of Chicken Broth
1 Can of Original Rotel
1 Corn Tortilla cut into strips.

Again its Just Simple and Easy...
I love trying new Recipes so please send any my Way!!!

Healthy Eating,
Jenn

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday

I have recently started writing in my prayer journal Praises each Day. The Lord continues to show me how he longs to hear PRAISES from his Children even if they are small or large.

• Waking up to Snow in the Front yard. Isn't it beautiful to see the SNOW for more than one day.

• Baby Preston- My Friend Tiffanie and her husband Tony have an incredible story about their Baby Preston who is a MIRACLE. Please read their blog you will Sing the Lord's Praises.
• http://pineapples-n-pickles.blogspot.com/

• Having my Papa Smith's Bible to read and look at notes he made in his bible.

• The relationship with my parents, every day it gets stronger and they have taught me so many valuable lessons. But as an Adult I'm getting to do life with them through the good and bad.
• Just seeing how God answers Prayers daily.

• Ezra 3:11And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel." And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

I would love to hear how you are Thanking the Lord today! If you ever need someone to pray with I would love to, just leave me a comment.
Thankfully Praising the Lord,
Jenn

Timid or Bold

This morning as I was reading out of the Daily Bible Plan, I was reading Chapter 8 in Matthew. All day long I have thought about this verse Matthew 8:26
And he said to them, " Why are you timid you men of little Faith?" Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea and it became perfectly calm.

If you know me, you know I am a very social butterfly and can talk to anyone. But I can get so timid sometimes or have a lack of Faith through situations I am going through. Even though I know that God is in Control of my life.

As 2011 is in Full Swing, I truly want to become a Woman of Faith that does not get down when the waves hit but will stand strong rooted and standing firm to the Lord.

I hope you will Join me in this year of 2011 and be Bold in your Faith.
God Bless
Jenn

Trying new places

I am that girl that gets into routine and goes to the same places over and over. Recently I realized I go to the Same places to eat. SO Ive branched out to try some Yummy Places...

So Far Ive Tried:

• Mama Pita- Shops of Legacy, very reasonable. They have humus, tabbouleh, salad, wraps, felafel's, chicken, or lamb, or beef kabobs.
  
• Red Mango- Yogurt that is in the Shops of Legacy, lots of flavors for 38 cents an ounce.
  
• Yogurt Land-Frankford and the Tollway, right beside Fuddruckers. Its 30 Cents an ounce.
• Durkin's Pizza off of Custer and 121 past the On the Border. It has yummy pizza and really great salads.
• Twisted Root- In the Village shopping complex in Allen off of Stacy Road. They had watermelon sweet tea. I could not drink it because it was too sweet for me!! I got a Burger salad that was delicious.
  
• Indian Food- Its right by Pwood. It was my first time to try it and it was different but yummy.
• Dragon Fly -(Hotel ZaZa) The food was amazingly delicious with great portion sizes.
  

I would love to hear of any establishments you have tried or any recommendation's. I look forward to trying new foods this upcoming year!
To a New Year,
Jenn

Crockpot Meatloaf

This morning I decided to try my own recipe of Crock pot Meatloaf. It was seasoned perfectly and I love that I stepped out of my comfort zone to try my own mix.

Here are the ingredients:

1. 1 pound of Cooked Hamburger meat with crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper.
2. 1 can of rotel
3. 1 large can of diced tomatoes
4. A bag of frozen chopped bell peppers and onions.
Stir in the crock pot and cook on low all day.
Next time I will add a can of tomato sauce.
Its great to sprinkle crushed up crackers on top. Be prepared that it will make a lot.

Next time I will take a picture of this great and easy dish.... It feels so great coming home to a house that smells the aroma of something good cooking and having the meal prepared. Yes I have lots of leftovers for the week. If you would like some I would gladly let you have some!

Learning Daily,
Jenn

Life in the Old Testament

This past week I started reading through the Bible in a Year plan. This year I'm reading a section of the Old Testament/New Testament/Psalms/Proverbs a day.

I've really been thinking about people from the Old Testament that lived over double our life time. Can you imagine living that long. I can not. Here are some random things I have thought about over the week:

Who

• Noah-950 years (Gen 9:29)
  
• Shem -600 years (Gen 11: 10-11)
• Shelah- 433 years (Gen 11:14-16)
• Arpachshad- 438 years (Gen 11: 12-13)
• Eber 464 years (Gen 11:16-17)

• Who were some of these people?
  
• What did they look like?
• Did they have aches and pains at their age?
• What did they love most about their life?

Isn't it exciting to think about meeting them in Heaven?
And learning the Rest of their Story...

Ringtone Change

First and Foremost-- Praise God Baby Peyton came out of surgery and is doing well. He still needs our prayers as the next 24 to 48 hours are most critical.

In December I got tired of my ring tone, so I went through a ton of them looking for one that would just fit me. Well one day I came upon the ring tone: "I'm Letting Go" by Francesca Battistelli. The more I listened to the words I was reminded that this is a new Year and I need to Let Go and press forward for what God has planned for me and not to miss opportunity.

Here is what I hear every time my phone rings:

Chorus
I’m letting go by Francesca Battistelli.

Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
Losing control
Of my destiny
Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
So I’m letting go

This is a giant leap of faith
Trusting and trying to embrace

The fear of the unknown
Beyond my comfort zone

Thank you Lord for the reminders you give me to just trust you and have Faith.

Pray for baby Preston

Dear Friends,

Please be in prayer for baby Preston as he is going in for heart surgery this morning! His parents Tiffanie, Tony, and the rest of their family need our prayers today. I have known Tiffanie since childhood. Her journey has truly inspired me.

To read more here is Tiffanie's link:
http://pineapples-n-pickles.blogspot.com/


The verse for this morning: James 4:8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

Goals for 2011

In the past I have not been very good about sticking with the Goals I've made for the year. But after reaching my goals last year and praying through what my Goals should be for the upcoming year.

This is a glimpse of what the Lord has shown me for this year:

• To Fall more in Love with Christ through spending more time in his Word. This year I have started reading a bible plan using my Papa Smith's bible which is the New American Standard Bible.
• Memorize scripture weekly...
• Pray more to the Lord and journal my prayers.
  
• Continue to loose weight and tone.
• To Let Go of What I Want and Totally Do What God is Calling me to do. I do not want to miss out on opportunities he has for me.
• Love Unconditionally--Just like Christ.

So I'm ready for the ride and Journey for What the Lord has planned this year!