Sharing Slow Cooker Recipes!

Last night we enjoyed some wonderful beef stroganoff that had been cooking in the slow cooker all day. This was my first slow cooker cooking experience! It turned out GREAT!

Here's the recipe:

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

• 1 lb cubed beef stew meat
• 1 10.75-oz can condensed golden mushroom soup
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 c water
• 4 oz cream cheese

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water.
2. Cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving.

(from allrecipes.com)


Your turn! I'm trying to learn more slow cooker recipes. Please share a comment with a link to your favorite recipe!

Behold the Lamb of God

Well, folks, yesterday was the day. The day to commence the listening of Christmas music. 

I always start the Christmas season each year with a listen to Andrew Peterson's album, Behold the Lamb of God. Take a listen here if you haven't heard it!

This album is a powerfully painted musical/lyrical portrait of the whole story of scripture, starting with the Old Testament and continuing on to share the story of how God became man in order to rescue His Beloved. 

I can never get enough. 

It embodies this idea: 
‎"No, the Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne—everything—to rescue the ones he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life! It takes the whole Bible to tell this story. And at the center of the story, there is a baby. Every story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in the puzzle—the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture." -Sally Lloyd-Jones (from The Jesus Storybook Bible)

An original piece of art I made for Christmas a few years ago

Look Directly Forward.

Lately I've been reading Proverbs. Which God is good to have given me the idea for, since lately I've also needed wisdom. Today, as I was reading, on verse in particular stuck out to me. I needed to be reminded:

Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
Proverbs 4:25

Oh, how I need His strength to do this!

Look directly forward... not at "you're not enough."

Look directly forward... not at "of course you're enough—you don't need God."

Look directly forward... not at the to-do list.

Look directly forward... not at the shifting sand.

Look directly forward... not at the lies.

Look directly forward... at the God who is there.

Look directly forward... at the God who created the universe.

Look directly forward... at Jesus Christ (!), crucified on my behalf (!!), risen (!!!), and seated on His throne (!!!!).

Look directly forward... at "no more condemnation."

Look directly forward... at the God who promises to provide.

Look directly forward... at the God who promises to "never leave you or forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

Look directly forward... at the God who keeps all of His promises.

Look.

Directly.

Forward.

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heaven's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all!

And so, what have we to fear?

The Man Who Makes Me Fly

I love this sweet little song.

I think it speaks to a longing in every woman's heart.
I'm so glad God gave me a husband who makes me fly.
God's so good to give me such a gift!




FLY
by Sara Groves

Speak in a summer tone
Pause in the afterglow
Tenderly whisper my name
Tell me once again, why I am your bride
So I can fly.
So I can fly.

Pause in your busy day
Look extra long my way
Wink at me across the room
Kiss me longer
Touch my arm when I am by your side
So I can fly
So I can fly

Oh, how the little things stregthen my tiny wings
Help me to take on the world
When you love me, there's nothing I wouldn't try
I might even fly
I might even fly
I might even fly


The man who makes me fly

Photo by Daniel LaBelle. See some of his most recent work here.

The Scandalous Reputation of Jesus

"'He breaks all social etiquette in relating to people. He acknowledge no barriers or human divisions. There is no category of sinner he isolates himself from. Simply stated, Jesus is a miserable failure at meeting religious people's expectations of him. He connects with the kinds of people he should disregard. He attends the wrong dinner parties. He is rude to respected religious leaders and polite to whores. He reprimands his own followers and praises outsiders and riffraff.'

... He stirred things up wherever he went, and the Pharisees hated that fact he existed. He associated with adulterous and unclean women, lepers, and tax collectors. Though he was without sin, there were sill those who questioned his reputation. Knowing there were people who disagreed, even hated him, didn't cause him to change one thing he did. He wasn't working to maintain a good reputation. He was walking in dependence on his Father. Jesus didn't value what people thought; he valued people, period."

-Emily P. Freeman, Grace for the Good Girl
(Part of this quote os quoted by Emily from Breaking the Rules, Fil Anderson)

A Wedding Prayer

Lord of my life,

Thank you for this undeserved grace. Make our wedding one that points to You. Make our joy be found in You and You alone. Make us aware of Your grace. Help us to remember what marriage means. Oh, how I want us to represent Christ and the Church—on Saturday and for the rest of our lives.

As we set up for the wedding, let us keep Your Kingdom in mind and let the rest be small.

As we get ready Saturday morning, may we remember what it will be like on that day—when Your Bride makes herself ready for You, her Husband.

As we look at one another and I walk toward him, may we have joy in the wonderful way You brought us together. Let us know that the joy we feel is just a tiny picture of the eternal pleasure we will experience in Your presence.

As we sing, make us truly aware of who You are. Make us be in awe of You and how You've worked in our lives.

As we say our vows, Lord, help us to trust in You to give us the strength to keep them.

As we greet our friends, let them know how we love them—and even more, how You love them. Draw them to Yourself, and let them have fun.

As we celebrate with them, help us to enjoy, to soak it in. Let our friends have fun and trust in You. Let our celebration be out of gratitude for Your abundant goodness.

As my new husband and I leave together, give us a sense of Your beauty and Your goodness in creating marriage.

As we become one flesh, give us hearts to be givers of ourselves to one another—a picture of the way You intimately know and give Yourself to us.

As we begin this life together, make our marriage one that glorifies You.

Amen.

My Best Friend's Wedding

My best friend got married on Saturday. It was like a real-life fairy tale because of the beautiful place the wedding was at... and because of the beautiful bride and her Cinderella dress! Congrats, Darcy!

dresses lined up and ready to go

here comes the bride!

vows. ok. i approve. he can marry my darcy.

me and my own prince charming

does this remind anyone else of cinderella?

bouquet toss!

bffs

i got to dance with daddy :)

i also got to dance with darcy

so pretty

yep. we're that cool.

God blessed us both with great men in our lives.

sunset on the way home