Meditations Part 2

When Laurel posted her 2007 New Year Meditations post and invited us to join in, I started pondering but knew it would take a few days to get my thoughts together. I mean, these are goals for my life for the next 12 months. That's pretty hefty. So...I do have the rest of the year to work on these but I thought maybe I should finalize these thoughts before the end of the month.

As I mentioned, my heart is centered around redeeming the time. I can't list now WHAT I'm going to do, nor how. I hope to figure out the "how's" as I go through the year. These are a few things on which I feel the need to work:
Serving
Learning more about my God Thankfully, I was brought up going to church and being taught about God at home. Throughout most of my first twenty years I had a wonderful, wise pastor from which I learned much and still learn from though he is not my present pastor. The next twenty years I continued to learn; but in the past four years I have learned more about God than the previous forty combined. I don't say this lightly...I thank God for the blessings I am receiving. I was made to realize the Bible was written to ME. When I started taking His words more personal, what blessings I received. God has blessed my current pastor to teach me ever so much and I can never thank Him enough. I purpose to spend more time learning about Him.
De-cluttering Wow! My mind has been set on lessening the clutter in our home. As I'm typing I realize I need to unclutter much more in my life than material things.
Being a better steward of God's blessings Monetary and otherwise

So there are some of my goals for this year. As Laurel said, "this will be a post I am hoping to come back to throughout the year and see how God changed things, how some prayers were answered, and to see how God blew my mind on other things. And, God willing, I would love to come back and post December 2007 what God taught me through everything."

Attitude Adjustment Week

I work part time as a photo processing technician. I love the work, the company, my manager, most of my co-workers. I work 2-3 nights a week and Saturday mornings. The biggest downside to my job I guess is not having a set schedule. My nights off vary each week. OK, there is another downside to my job. For 26 years my husband has known I DON'T DO TRASH. I'll do windows, but not trash. Each evening when I close up the photo lab, I have to do the trash! Ewwwww, that's a man's job.

Now that I've bored you with all that, I'll get to the point of this post. I have for whatever reason become burned out lately. But this week I am off all week until Friday night. That is four days straight! I totally plan to have an Attitude Adjustment Week. I have so many plans (and lists) to get projects done and household chores caught up. It's noon, and 27 degrees here. I have already washed the bed linens, washed bathroom rugs, straighted the kitchen and begun rearranging the living room furniture. I'm having a blast knowing I can stay in my pjs until just before hubby gets home. I'm going to make a big pot of vegetable beef soup for dinner. After dinner we may watch one of the three Netflix movies we have.

Have a great day all. I'm off the adjust the living room as I adjust my attitude.

Favorite Ingredients Friday

WooHoo This week and next, the theme for Favorite Ingredients Friday is Super Bowl Edition. I love party type recipes. This week I'll share an easy, delicious guacamole recipe.

GUACAMOLE

1 medium tomato, diced
2 medium avocados
2 T lemon juice
1 1/4 t salt
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
4oz. can green chiles, chopped
fresh cilantro

This is how you mix this all together:

Yep, with your hands. Then place the avocado pits in the mixture until serving time. This keeps the guacamole from turning dark.

Head over to Overwhelmed With Joy for more great recipes.

Thursday Thirteen of a somewhat different type

Thirteen Blogs I have enjoyed visiting This Week 1. Jen 2. Wendy 3. BooMama 4. Trina 5. Shannon 6. Susie 7. Cid 8. Mariah 9. Tammy 10. momrn2 11. Susanne 12. Kalyn 13. Judith These ladies are not on my sidebar and I may not comment each time as I would like while visiting with them. I have most certainly had wonderful visits. Thank you, ladies.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Win a Free Apron

Head on over to Smockity Frocks to enter to win this darling vintage style apron.


Cute, yes? Read here about how fun it'd be to wear one of the aprons she makes.

*All entries due by midnight tonight.

Bittersweet

I'm a little sad today. I decided awhile back to redecorate my kitchen. We are also doing a little remodeling.
My kitchen "theme" for around the past 15 years has been gingerbread men. Yes, gingerbread men. Aren't they cute little fellas? It has been an exciting challenge to find non "Chrismasy" ones to display year-round. My best find was wallpaper border. My recipe cards even have gingerbread men. I add the Christmas ones during the season.
Today is the day I am taking them all down... from the walls, the shelves, the counters. I'm packing away all the ones I think I'll use next Christmas. The rest are being thrown away or put on eBay. It's ironic that some I treasured finding (non Christmasy) are the very ones I'm getting rid of.
My new decor is going to be sort of Tuscan... French chefs and a coffee cafe mix. I guess I'm doomed forever with a kitchen challenge. My new one is finding French chefs that don't pull in a wine theme, as they so often seem to do.
As for remodeling, hubby spent the last weekend putting a new counter top, sink, and faucet set. He's still working on a back splash as well as the smaller counter top.
I'm going to Google, looking for a cute little man to add to the top of this post. Perhaps that will bring a smile as I finish packing them away.

For Kelli...

BooMama has written about a very special need of one of our own bloggers. You can go here to read about Kelli and her need for a kidney transplant. We have the awesome opportunity to help Kelli by donating as little as $1.50 today. Please prayerfully consider donating and most of all pray for Kelli and her family. There is a Make A Donation click at the bottom of BooMama's post. Just click HERE to find the button. Have a blessed day.

Works for Me: Eating Well

Shannon has a themed Works-For-Me Wednesday this week. I'm adding one of my favorite recipes.

CHICKEN EGGPLANT
Peel and slice an eggplant into 1/2 in. slices and lay them flat in a baking dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil and seasoned salt. Place chicken breasts skin side down on top of the eggplant. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 45 min. Remove the foil, turn the pieces of chicken over and continue baking until the skin is golden brown.

This recipe works for a low carb diet. If one wishes to lower the fat, use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and keep the pan covered for the full hour of baking.

Visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer for more Eating Well tips.

Meditations

Ever since Laurel Wreath asked us to post our hopes, dreams and goals for this year, I have pondered what I would list. Many things come to mind. Some are difficult to word. A few may be difficult to type here. Some are quite easy to talk about. The common thread they all seem to share comes from Ephesians 5:16. I wish to better redeem the time.
I expect over the next few weeks to begin journaling about some of the things I'm pondering. For now, I wish you a Happy New Year and invite you to read others New Year's Meditations. Thank you Laurel for hosting this thought provoking idea.