Roast Leg of Lamb

4 pound leg of lamb
2 minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried oregano
sea salt
black pepper
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

message into lamb. Put into roasting pan Bake uncovered at 325 for 2-3 hours 160 degrees when done. Yummy yummy! Josh's absolute favorite meat dish. Beal family Christmas tradition.

Bible vs Cell Phone

I didn't write this but I thought it was a good food for thought!


Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone? 
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets? 
What if we flipped through it several times a day? 
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it? 
What if we used it to receive messages from the text? 
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it? 
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts? 
What if we used it when we traveled? 
What if we used it in case of emergency? 
This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible? 
Oh, and one more thing. 
Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being 
disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill. 
Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls! 
When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you!

Marriage - I love my Husband!

This weekend Josh and I went on a marriage retreat with his company. It was so great to get away from Fayetteville see the beautiful beach (even though it was raining the whole weekend) and spend time together without work, school, housework, projects, and whatever else life seems to throw at our direction. Kaiden came with us but it was great because free child care was provided we were given a great balance of couple time and family time.

This weekend was a motivator to me to stay on coarse with what I'm doing in my life right now. Sometimes is so wonderful to go to something and learn about marriage stuff and leave knowing you're doing somethings right. There are often times when you can go to a conference and leave feeling like nothing but a big failure. Josh and I try to listen to each other when the other is speaking and we try to encourage and be positive towards each other, we work at spending time together, and set aside time for intimacy. All things they said make for a great marriage. I've had a good example to follow my grandparent (married over 50 years) and my parents are a great example of loving your spouse. It's made it so much easier for me to follow their example in my life. I really hope Josh and I can also be an inspiration to Kaiden some day.

I love being married! My friend Robin would say "the mushy love stuff yuck" (with a wink and smile). I really do love being married. Josh is my best friend and my true love. With Josh I can be everything and anything I want to be. I have complete trust and faith in him. I know he is not a perfect man, but I try not to focus on his flaws so much that I have trouble remembering his negatives sometimes. I make it a goal or challenge for myself everyday to love my husband no matter what. So far it's working I'm crazy about him. You might not be attracted to my husband (which if you are back off he's mine!), but I honestly see him as my dreamy prince charming. I know it embraces him but I tell people all the time he's sexy. :)

So, enough about how much I love MY husband take today to write down how much you love yours don't forget to let him know. Also, tell him why you love him.

Watch your credit

Well, it's the end of the year so it's my time up year to get my files in perfect order. I just finished making all my new labels for my files for 2011. I also went through all my files and made sure everything was in order. One it makes the year end in a a organized fashion, plus it makes taxes a little easier come January. I was printed off my credit report for my husband and I. It's free at annualcreditreport.com you can view all three credit bureaus as the same time. You have to pay to see your credit score, but the main purpose of this is to at least check once a year to make sure everything in your name you actually did. I also like to take time to make sure everything that isn't need for tax purposes or for longer term records needs hits the shredder. If you don't have a shredder buy one ASAP spending forty bucks today could save you thousands in the future. Only 2% of identity theft happens  from the mail the others are form trash and internet. So, make it a safe throw away buy putting anything with your address or account number in the shredder. Today my utility bills from 2009 hit my shredder, I'll keep 2010 until the end of next year. I save all credit related documents for 7 years as recommended by most credit agencies and accountants. So I guess that box from 2003 can go today too! Feels so go to end the year with organization.

Thanksgiving 2010 Menu

Turkey

Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

Stuffing

Cranberry sauce

Garlic herb bread

Whip Supreme

Pumpkin cookies

Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving 2010

What am I thankful for this year? It has to start with my LORD Jesus Christ. This year hasn’t been the easiest for me. This time last year Josh had just left for his 2^nd deployment and I was traveling the west coast with Kaiden to visit family. Money was tight due to me not working at the time. I was thankful to have a wonderful roommate and friend staying at my house and taking care of my dog Molly while I was away. It was so wonderful to see my family for Thanksgiving last year, with all the family traditions. I came home and started to work a couple days a week again. I’m so grateful to have a job with such flexibility, I’m actually going to be moving up to 30-40 hours a week here this coming Monday. With the economy being so down I feel blessed to have not just a job but a job that is so fun and rewarding. God has provided so much for my family. We have a nice house that we’ve had the opportunity to update. This year I created a laundry room and remodeled our master bathroom. It’s been an amazing experience to own our home. God has also blessed Josh and I with the opportunity to raise our son Kaiden for his glory. This year Kaiden has learned to speak in sentences. It is so fun to have a conversation with my little man, but it best to hear him pray. I’m so grateful for Kaiden being a health little boy, growing as he should be. I know this isn’t something to be taken for granted. July 26^th our family got to be reunited. We were so worried Kaiden wouldn’t response well to Josh, since for most of the deployment he didn’t want to talk to Josh on the phone or webcam. I started praying that God would plant forgiveness in Kaiden’s heart and that they would be reconciled to each other. God completely answered that prayer. I can’t even think about it without weeping with joy! I’m also so thankful for my wonderful husband of almost 6 ½ years. He is amazing! I don’t even have with time to write everything I love about him. I am so thankful for my parents, my in-laws, siblings, best friends, extended family, my church, and food! J My heart runs over with gratitude this season for all the Lord has provided. 

Turkey

If you Google how to make a turkey for thanksgiving you'll find thousands of recipes and how to guides. Butterball even has a hot line to call. So, I thought I'd get in on the act and share my how to. I make pretty moist, tender turkey. I actually make a turkey dinner about once every two weeks on a normal basis. It is actually a very economical meat. With one turkey breast I have dinner for three the first night and then our sandwich meat for the rest of the week, plus a few lunches just a leftovers. I broke it down and the last time I made it made about 10 different meals for 3 people resulting in about 23 cents per serving of meat. So, I know Thanksgiving is the time of the turkey, but try it out all year long. 


So, here's how I dress my bird. I like to make mine on the sweet and savory side. So, I use a whole carrot, half a white onion, half a granny smith apple, and a tablespoon of garlic to stuff the bird. I don't use any bread because I feel it just dries it out and it's a lot more calories. Then I lift the skin of the turkey I rub down the meat with about 1/4 cup of olive oil and about a tablespoon of minced garlic. I give the bird a good massage while I'm at it. Then I place the skin back down and drizzle a little more EVOO on the outside. I put the turkey backside up in the roaster and surround it with cut up carrot, sweet potatoes, onion, white potatoes and parsnips. Drizzle the vegetables with EVOO. Sprinkle everything with garlic salt and black pepper. If you want thinly slice the other half of the apple and put on top of the back of the turkey like little discs. Then follow the time and temperature that came with the turkey. To tell if the turkey is done use your meat thermometer poke it into the shoulder (don't hit to bone) when it reaches 180 degrees your turkey is fully cooked. About half way through your cooking time baste the turkey with the juices at the bottom of the pan then again right when you take it out of the oven. After taking it out of the oven let it rest for 15 minutes. Carve and eat. 

Happy Turkey Day!

Be Still

We’ve been going through the Old Testament in the children’s ministry program at my church. Josh and I have been planning the main worship lesson for the 6 to 11 years olds about 3 times a month and the 10 – 11 year old small group every Sunday morning. It’s been really a lot of work, but we’ve really seen the kids grow over the past few months. Teaching has been very rewarding as it has been challenging. This week we’re on our third lesson on the life and ministry of the prophet Elijah. Last week we talked about when he challenged the prophets of Baal and the fire came down from heaven resulting in Israel repenting and the drought coming to an end. However, as a result all the prophets of Baal were put to death which didn’t please Jezebel too much, so she’s out to kill Elijah. At this point Elijah feels all alone in the world and everyone is out to get him. He is running for his life, God has sent an angel to provide food for him and after being on the run for 40 days, he is in a cave hiding.

I Kings 19

¹¹ The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”

   Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

   Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

This is what I find amazing in these verses that scripture points out to us all these natural disasters (a wind storm, earthquake, and fire) and states after each “but the LORD was not in” it. I often think that if God’s going to tell me something then he’s going to TELL me something. It’s going to big and loud! But, no! That’s not what happened here with Elijah when God spoke to him it was with a “gentle whisper”. I had to ask myself today how often do I listen to the voice of God? God brought to my heart this morning.

Psalm 46:10
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

This evening I was looking at my calendar for the week. It’s a busy week with doctor’s appointments, play dates, work, date night, a scrapbooking party, and more. One thing God spoke to me about it when did I schedule in my time with him? When will I allow the gentle whisper of the voice of God to ring in my ears? I want to challenge myself this week in the mist of my busyness to stop, be still, and listen so I will know God. I challenge you as well to take even just 5 minutes every day this week to turn off your phone, computer, TV, ipod, whatever it is and be still in the LORD and listen for that gentle whisper of God! I truly believe that the LORD will be exalted if we do!

Responsible Child

So, this morning I was thinking about Kaiden and the type of man I want him to be when he grows up. The word responsible rang through my head so I decided to look the word up in the dictionary and this is what it means.

responsible [ri-spon-suh-buhl] –adjective 

1) answerable or accountable, as for something within one'spower, control, or management (often fol. by to  or for ): Heis responsible to the president for his decisions. 

2) involving  accountability or responsibility: a responsible position. 

3) chargeable with being the author, cause, or occasion of something (usually fol. by for ): Termites were responsiblefor the damage.

4) having  a capacity for moral decisions and there fore accountable;  capable of rational thought or action: Thedefendant is not responsible for his actions. 

5) able to discharge obligations or pay debts.

6) reliable or dependable, as in meeting debts, conductingbusiness dealings, etc.

7) (of a government, member of a government, governmentagency, or the like) answerable to or serving at the discretion of an elected legislature or the electorate. 

Wow, being responsible is a tall order but really it does cover the overall requirements of God and society. Except for loving his neighbor as himself, yet then again that would be the responsible thing to do.

So, the question is how do I teach him to be responsible? One thing I do have for his benefit is a husband that is that man I want him to be.  I can also teach him these principles by give him the opportunity to set up and be responsible. At 2 and a half there isn’t a ton that he can do, but there is still a lot he can.

I created a responsibility chart for him, which he can be awarded with stamps or stickers. At some point we’ll teach him to have financial responsibility with an allowance, which he will be required to tithe, save and invest. As for now he just gets awarded with the stamps and stickers. It’s very rewarding for him and he is starting to understand that making big messes isn’t so fun when he is responsible for cleaning them up.

responsibility    [ri-spon-suh-bil-i-tee] –noun, plural -ties.

1) the state or fact of being responsible.

2) an instance of being responsible: The responsibility for this mess is yours!

3) a particular burden of obligation upon one who is responsible:the responsibilities of authority.

4) a person or thing for which one is responsible: A child is a responsibility to its parent.

	M	Tu	W	Th	F	Sa	Su
Make Your Bed
Help Daddy
Help Mommy
Go On the Potty
Eat Food
Put Clothes Away
Brush Teeth
Pick up toys