Thankfulness

I have enjoyed reading the postings on FaceBook for the 30 days of Thankfulness for the month of November. It is a tradition in our family, that before we eat Thanksgiving dinner each person in our family shares the thing they are most thankful for that year. This year I am most thankful for the enlightment that God has given me this year.

It is kind of a funny story or at least it's funny to me. Almost thirty years ago, God told me he was going to take me from the darkness to the light and take me a way I had never been before. He certainly did that and continues to do it. But what was funny was at the time I was in church and born again and I thought I was already in the "light". Little did I know! God in His wonderful, great goodness continues and continues to bring me to the light. There is a scripture that says, Light arises in the darkness for the upright. I would like to say that light is arising in the darkness for mankind. We just need to have eyes to see and ears to hear.

I have many things to be thankful for this year but that is the one I'm most thankful for.

Critical Thinking

I have become a critical thinker over the years but I remember my mother always saying "why didn't I have you first when I was younger, because you are always asking why and how." Beliefs are passed down from family, government, religion and other sources I'm probably not thinking of right now. I'm sure you've heard the story of cutting the butt off the ham. A family is gathered for dinner and the mother has cut off the butt of the ham to put it in the oven and her daughter asked her why she was cutting off the butt of the ham and she said, "Because Mom always cut it off" and grandma was there and the daughter asked her why did you cut off the butt of the ham and grandma said "because it wouldn't fit in my oven." Great example!

As I said in my last post, I have been going through some of my son's school books from college. I realized as I was reading one of the stories in his English book that I had taken someone else opinion of a person. The person is Martin Luther King, Jr. I vaguely remember hearing that he had communist views and I can't give you specifics but I had a negative view toward him. I ran across a story in the English book entitled "Letter from Birmingham Jail." He was in jail being arrested for a peaceful protest. His letter was addressed to the clergyman in his part of the country who had been criticizing him for his beliefs and position in the civil rights movement. It was a very moving and inspirational letter and once again I saw where I had been sucked into believing something that wasn't true. If I had been older when King was protesting for the civil rights of the black people I can assure you I would have been marching with him. I read nothing in the letter that would make me think he was a communist, in fact from reading his letter I could see why he was asassinated.

I am writing this to encourage you to think critically. Research things for yourself and know what you believe and why you believe it. I think if you will start to do that you will find out that things may be different than what you think.

This makes my blood boil!!

Recently, I was looking through my son's Sociology book from college. I know the agenda of the colleges are to change the way our children think. In fact, over 100 years ago the public education system was changed to do just that. Starting in kindergarten through college. The goal is to create worker bees, slaves, who show up for a job everyday, do their job, go home, eat dinner, watch TV, go to bed and start all over again. The big high light of the week is the weekend when you don't have to "work". They have been very successful. Children today do not think critically, not just children, even adults. There are so many contradictions on the evening news (which I don't watch anymore) I'm thinking are people not catching this? I'm getting side tracked here. Back to the book. It stated that parents are in agreement that it is more socially important for their children to know how to conduct themselves in today's society than to be taught all the academic subjects. The only subject that the educational system views as important is Math. I don't have the book here with me or I would quote it exactly. In fact, I will do it at another time.

Twenty-five years ago the agenda was hidden. But it is out there in plain sight for all to see now. Probably thirty years ago, in the Baptist church we were attending at the time, there was a special meeting. It was a husband and wife team and they were both teachers from the midwest. They were traveling the country trying to wake up parents to what was going on in the public school system. They could take a teachers lesson plan for the year and show the teacher how this philosophy was woven into what they were teaching. Our children were not school age at the time. When our oldest became school age she was enrolled in a Christian school and evently we started homeschooling.

We homeschooled for 17 years and this is my opinion "nothing is perfect." Not everyone can afford to send their children to private schools and not all mothers can stay home with their children. My advice to young mothers is raise critical thinkers, unconditionally love your children, give them wings and let them make mistakes while living under your roof. If you are Christians guard your heart from being religious. Make sure you have dinner together every night at a dinner table with the TV off and talk to your children. Love them and pray for them and the rest is up to God. As God asked me one day, "do you think you can change their heart" and I said," is that what I'm trying to do" and He said "all you can do is teach them what you know and leave the rest up to Me."

Beautiful Poem

I love this poem and I can't say who wrote it. It's from my devotional book that I read every year.

"He was better to me than all my hopes;
He was better than all my fears;
He made a bridge of my broken works,
And a rainbow of my tears."

The billows that guarded my sea-girt path,
But carried my Lord on their crest;
When I dwell on the days of my wilderness march
I can lean on His love for the rest.

He emptied my hands of my treasured store,
And his covenant love revealed,
There was not a wound in my aching heart,
But the balm of His breath hath healed.
Oh, tender and true was the chastening sore,
In wisdom, that taught and tried,
Till the soul that He sought was trusting in Him,
And nothing on earth beside.

He guided by paths that I could not see,
By ways that I have not known;
The crooked was straight, and the rough was plain
As I followed the Lord alone,
I praise Him still for the pleasant palms,
And the water-springs by the way.
For the glowing pillar of flame by night,
And the sheltering cloud by day.

Never a watch on the dreariest halt,
But some promise of love endears;
I read from the past, that my future shall be
Far better than all my fears.
Like the golden pot, of the wilderness bread,
Laid up with the blossoming rod,
All safe in the ark, with the law of the Lord,
Is the covenant care of my God.

Yoga Class

Over a year ago I attended my first Yoga class. I had every intention before I attended to do this at least 2 to 4 times a week. After the first class I never went back. :( It is probably the hardest exercise I have ever done. Maybe, it's because I'm older.

I think I mentioned in an early blog that I still have 30 pounds I want to get off. So I was recently putting together an exercise program for myself and I knew I needed to incorporate the Yoga class in my regimen. It has been over a year so I somewhat forgot about how hard it is. Now I want to say, that Yoga is a lot of stretching and flexibility and it is amazing how you sweat when you are not really doing anything aerobic.

So last week I went back to my first class in over a year. It first started with a lot of stretching and it felt good and I thought to myself, "Ok, this is not so bad." Then things started to pick up and I then remembered why I never came back. Ok, visualize this. On the floor, in a men's push up position and from this position you bring one leg up under you and come up into a standing position. Oh my gosh, I can't even tell you how hard this is. My thoughts, in the midst of all of this was I'm not doing this, I'm not coming back, this is just too flippin hard, then I thought no, I can do this and I have to make myself do this. It is good for my body. As I do it, it will become easier.

Toward the end of the class, I started laughing because of what I am about to tell you. I think everyone pretty much experiences this, even though we are getting older, inside, in our spirit, we still feel like we are in our 20's or maybe 30's. Anyway that's how I feel. So here I am, standing with this huge rubber band stretched around my foot holding it with my hand and this leg is out in the air and I am trying to balance myself on the other foot. Really struggling to keep standing and all of a sudden I look up and this huge mirror is in front of me and I wonder who this old woman is trying to stand on one foot and about to fall on her face.

It was funny! You probably don't see the humor in all of this but you needed to be there to really appreciate it. So, the moral to this story is I am not giving up. I am making myself attended the Yoga class once a week and my goal is to work into twice a week. When the class was over, I really felt better and was I ever sore the next day. I'll keep you posted on my progress!

I'm determined, "I will not give up."

Easy Cherry Dessert

I had a client call me in July and was having a birthday party for an aunt. She was wanting a dessert with cherries but not a cherry pie and she also wanted a chocolate pie. I remembered a dessert I use to make years ago and it was very good. I told her about it and she liked the idea so I made it for her. She called me later and said it was a hit at the party and everyone loved it. You may or may not know about this dessert but it is very easy and good. One of those things you can whip up quickly and it taste so good everyone things it must have taken time.

2 cans cherry pie filling
1 lg. can crushed pineapple, drained
1 white cake mix
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups, chopped pecans

Pour cherry pie filling in a 9x13inch ungreased pan. Sprinkle crushed pineapple over the cherry pie filling. The sprinkle white cake mix over cherries and pineapple. Pour melted butter over cake mix. Top with chopped pecans. Bake at 350 for one hour. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

I want to share another idea with you for gift giving. I have posted a picture of 2 chocolate pie tarts. I had a lot of chocolate filling left from the pie I made so I made 2 chocolate tarts to give to a friend for her birthday. She loves chocolate pie and she is a person who has everything. She was delighted with the tarts. This particular chocolate pie recipe is served with whipped cream so that is why there is no meringue on the top. On another occasion I made coconut cream tarts with the meringue and they really look cute. People really like things that are homemade and the tarts are perfect.

Chicago Steakhouse Sandwich

All the family was home yesterday for dinner. It was a pretty exciting day. We have a house divided in the area of college football. Some of kids were at the OSU game and some were at the OU game. It makes for lively dinner conversation. Then as we are eating dinner, we see one of our neighbors in his four wheeler running our next door neighbor's Longhorn bull up the road.

My husband and I ran outside to see what we could do. Our neighbor cornered him in our back pasture and I thought we were going to have a bull fight on our hands. The bull was hitting the dirt with his front hoofs they way they do in the bull fights. It was pretty funny. He was mad! This bull belonged to our neighbor on the north and the bull was trying to get to our neighbor's heifers on the south.

Well the roundup :) ended safe and sound and the bull got back in the right pasture. So much for life on a Sunday afternoon in the country!

Ok, back to food. This steak sandwich is really awesome you've got to make it.....you will love it. I was watching the Sandwich King on Food Network and he made this sandwich and my taste buds were having an attack. I knew I had to try it for sure. I made homemade onion rings to go with it. It was a great combo and my family all loved the sandwiches.

3 boneless rib eyes or strip steak would work
12 0z and 5 oz container of spinach (I used this much for my family of 6)
10 peeled garlic cloves, sliced thinly
baguette bread
crushed red pepper flakes
olive oil

Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayo
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 heaping Tablespoon fresh dill chopped
Cracked pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Use a large skillet and put in about 1/4 cup of olive oil and cook garlic until it starts to turn golden then remove and place on paper towel. Use the garlic oil to saute spinach and add one teapsoon of red pepper flakes or more if your family likes it spicy. Your spinach will be overflowing the skillet but it will cook down and you will wonder if you have enough. Keep turning spinach with tongs until it is wilted down.

I have just started cooking steaks this way and they are really great. I have watched this on the Food Network Channel and all the cooks do this. If you buy a good grade and cut of meat you really don't need a lot of seasoning and if you cook it correctly the taste is excellent. Salt and Pepper your steak. I have very large cast iron skillets but you can use any skillet just make sure you can put it in the oven. Salt and pepper one side of the steaks. Make sure your skillet is very, very hot and lay the steak in the skillet and sear both sides of the steak. When you lay the salted side down make sure you salt the other side. After you sear the second side then put it in a 420 degree oven for about 10 to 15 minutes depended on how you like it cooked. Take it out of the oven and cover it with foil for about 10 minutes. Don't cut into it until after it has set for 10 minutes.

After the steak has set for 10 minutes, put the steak on a cutting board and slice it thinly. Take your baguette bread cut it in half (horizontally) then cut in half vertically. Butter both sides of bread and grilled it or put it in the oven until slightly golden. Take bread and put slices of steak on bun then sauteed spinach then put garlic chips on top of spinach then top with several spoonfuls of the buttermilk blue dressing.
YUMOOOOOO!

If you have friends over on Saturdays to watch the game, this would be a great sandwich to serve.