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!