A Recent Life Lesson--of 5 Words

"Thank you Lord, Thank you"
Today, I sat back and thought about a person who has greatly impacted my life. When my Uncle Rob was in his early 20's he was diagnosed with Krohn's disease. Some of my earliest memories are with Uncle Rob being at Baylor Hospital in Dallas for a surgery or lengthy hospital stay for his disease. I can remember him being so sick and weak, but he never COMPLAINED. He has taken his Journey with a Smile and has not let it get him down. (On another note I thought as a child you were suppose to spend Christmas in the hospital.)

They do not have any children, which breaks my heart because they would have
been amazing parents
I was thinking about how in my own life, I had this certain plan that I thought was going to be. Then I think about Uncle Rob and Aunt Nan they have been through so many hurdles with his Krohns disease that they just keep going without Complaining.. Isn't this a priceless picture of what God has called us to do to not be Mumblers or Complainers.

I can not even begin to tell you how Amazing My Aunt and Uncle are by constantly encouraging, sending me a card for every holiday, Praying for me, and most of all Loving me. We have had alot of chats about different scriptures and what God is teaching us.

But I have to tell you, that Recently Uncle Rob had a Krohns flair up where he was in the hospital, and My Aunt Nan went for her chemo treatment and got sent to MD Anderson, which she had to have a surgery! They were separated in 2 different cities. Again neither one of them complained, in fact my Aunt Nan apologized to the nurses for having to bother them for her pain medicine.Aunt Nan got discharged on Sat morning and we headed to Lufkin.

As soon as we got home, Uncle Rob said "Thank you Lord, Thank you! for getting us home safe. Through out the next week, anytime I saw them they were constantly saying, "Thank you Lord, Thank you. For the smallest things to the biggest items in their lives, they know and Believe God is in Control! "Thank you God, Thank you.. This immediately got my attention and made me think about How many times God blesses me through out the day, and I do not stop to say Thank you Lord, Thank you!

So as I go through out my day, I am constantly looking out for those blessings and Saying; Thank you Lord, Thank you!

Thank you Lord, Thank you for all that you are doing and all that you going to do!
Blessings,
Jenn

Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients:
1 bunch of Kale
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon Seasoned Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper. (We used foil.)
2. With a knife carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt-around 10 to 15 minutes!

(Pop found this recipe on-line)
These are a low calorie nutritious snack. I felt like I was eating a potato chip for less the calories!! Also I helped make a batch and it was so quick and easy!

Another Easy and Quick Recipe
Chocolate Almond Pie

Ingredients:
1 small pie shell
6 Hershey almond bars
1 container of cool whip

Mix:
First, Melt your almond bars, I do 1 at a time. Second, mix your cool whip and melted almond bar together. Then, pour the mixture evenly into the pie shell. Finally, put it in the fridge until your ready to serve it! Its Yummy!!

Apple/Snicker Dessert

Last week at Our Staff Thanksgiving Feast we had a yummy Dessert that was so easy to make so I thought I would share it...

Take 3 to 4 snicker full size bars and cut them into pieces and then freeze them.

1 tub of cool whip
1 pkg of instant vanilla pudding(I used fat free)
2-3 apples ( I used 1 red and 1 green apple)

After you have frozen your snickers, mix all ingredients together. Then you can put it back in the refrig or serve immediately. This would be a great dip to have at a shower. You could have graham crackers to scoop on the dip!!

This was an Amazing Quick and Easy Dessert!!
Happy Baking!
Jenn

There's No Place Like Home

I have felt like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, saying
"There's no Place Like Home".....

There's No Place Like Home- Being with my family makes me incredibly happy!! Second, it is so relaxing to come home and just CHILL out with the Parents. We have watched tv together, eaten popcorn for dinner, and have just spent quality time together. It has been nice not to have the tv on all the time and just be able to talk to one another.

There's No place Like Home when it comes to sleeping in my bed at home is just so comfortable!

There's no Place Like Home when it comes to walking outside and seeing our pond in the backyard with lots of East Texas trees!

There's No Place Like Home when you get to catch up with dear friends from my Precious home church- Denman Avenue!

There's No Place Like Home when you get to see your former Pastor Bro. Charles and Mrs. Doris!!

There's no Place Like Home when you get to spend quality time with other family members....

There's No Place Like Home- Eating at your Favorite Lufkin joints(Ray's Burger, La Unica, Cafe Del Rio)

There's no Place Like Home makes me EXTREMELY Thankful for all that God has given me!

There's Just No Place Like Home,
Jenn

HOT MESS-- YES that's ME!
Did that Really Just Happen???

My precious friend Davia and I always Laugh about some of the things that have happen to me, whether it be spilling something on me, or you name it... I hope you get some laughs over some of the moments I have decided to write about!

I'm going to RECAP some adventures that have taken place:

• At Dinner before Open House a few years ago, I was with Judi Blair and her family at a Yummy Mexican food place in Allen. I had on a BEAUTIFUL Brand new Pink Shirt. Well, the waiter brings me my meal and YES it happen.. HE SPILLED IT ALL OVER MY LAP! I cleaned up the skirt as best as I could, went to meet the teacher, in the skirt- But the skirt was RUINED!

• When I was younger I decided to get fake nails around my birthday, as I reached down to blow out my candles, my finger nails, were too close to the candles and one of the fake finger nails caught on fire...

• Every morning I have a glass of tea sometimes its hot and then cold, well I always place it next to me when I am teaching.. Needless to say sometimes one of my students will not see my tea and it will get knocked over. Again, I become a mess...

• Recently, I sat down at a wedding, and sat my tea down. Well how I set it down it spilled all over the table, almost getting my precious friend wet, but it didn't.... Our place setting got wet and all we could do was LAUGH!

• When I am teaching I get really busy so as I am using my writing pens and etc, sometimes they end up all over me, especially my hands!! At least we know that I have worked hard that day!
  

• On Wednesday night as I got to MD Anderson, it was late of course I was VERY tired from the teaching and the drive. As I pulled up to the Drive thru of Valet, the sweet guy opened the back of my car, and of Course, I had thrown a bag in the back of my car without zipping it. Well he opened the back and the back flew out of the car and landed in the middle of the valet line. As quick as I could I was grabbing my jewelry and everything that flew out of the bag ... The guy is laughing and trying to help... I looked at him and said Im Nothing but a Hot Mess...

• Sometimes I just love having a Dance Party, even if its just me..(My friends sometimes get embarrassed by it)
• During the Rangers World Series, I got really nervous during the game- to the Point that this guy looks at me and says, HONEY- Just Breathe! Your really into this game!
  

• If I'm walking into a place you might just hear me say with my SOUTHERN DRAW Oh HEY! even if its to a Perfect Stranger..
  

In May, I got an email from my friend Haley saying she had found the Perfect Shirt for me, Its Says Hot MESS of Texas.(Black and HOT PINK) IT describes me to a TEE!!

• This purpose of this Blog is to just make you Laugh!! Life is too hard and short not to just laugh...

I love being a Hot Mess,
Jenn

Taking it All In....

This is the 1st year I will not be in Alabama with my Aunt and sweet cousins who are like my sisters! The reason is we are going to be going there in May for Kristen's wedding and then for Courtney's wedding... Looking back we were very bumbed that we would not be together, but now I can totally see the Lord at work! As we need to be in Lufkin to help take care of them!

This morning I started my day asking the Lord to help me have Joy even though I was EXHAUSTED from being up every hour on the hour. After I got an hour of sleep the nurse came in to work with my aunt and told me I had a 30 minute break. I gathered my purse and headed downstairs, to not be prepared of how many people were hurting and just so SAD. I asked the Lord what could I do and he said just give them a smile, and start a conversation. Easy and Simple! As I was walking to the cafeteria, I saw several children with cancer. Then a family sat down beside me as they were devastated as their family member was not doing well. My eyes teared up seeing and hearing some of the stories through out the day. If you know me, when it comes to children it breaks my heart to watch children hurt...

As my friend called to tell me about her disappointment for the day, she stopped and said, I am sorry what you are going through is worst and you dont need to hear my sob story... WHOA!! Hold on... Yes, I do!! I need something to get my mind off of sitting in the hospital room.

We all go through trials, low points, or high points in our lives, but we have to share them with each other. We need to share them with one another, but after seeing and hearing other stories of people, it makes me EXTREMELY Thankful for everything we are going through to stop and SAY Thank you God, Thank you! Because he is in this and in Control....

Extremely Grateful,
Jenn

Let's Be REAL-3 WEDDINGS

Last weekend is truly a Blur, but so much fun all in one weekend... As many of you know I have had weddings/shower every weekend starting before Labor Day. Every wedding has been so much fun but to be honest last weekend was hard having 3 in one weekend. They were so much fun, yet each so different, and each bride was absolutely GORGEOUS! Also, I got to use one of my talents, and help be a wedding coordinator for one of them--- if you are ever looking I love helping with weddings.

Well let me be honest, the older I get, the more I long to be married. I am so excited for my friends that have gotten married and to know the stories of how they have gotten to this point. Ive had feelings of defeat, Ive shed some tears or have been asking myself or my best friends,
WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?
Here is what the Lord is teaching me:
He is at work!
He has protected me from the Wrong Guys in Life!
God's plan and timing for my life is PERFECT!
God has given me the Verse Ps 37:4
Delight in the Lord and he will Give you the Desires of your HEART!

So, I am truly rejoicing for my friends who have gotten married and I know that right now, God wants all of me... I have laid this at the Lord's feet and he is going to Show me what I am suppose to be doing right now. It's not about me, but looking to the Lord so that he WILL GET ALL THE GLORY in my life.

If you are feeling weary from a disappointment in life:
Be encouraged!!
James 1:2
Count it ALL Joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kings, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing!

Also, I have learned that Satan really wants to attack or have a stronghold over issues he knows I will melt at. When I feel this coming on, I call my friends and we start praying. Do not let Satan get your JOY!

Blessings,
Jenn