KETO BIRTHDAY MEAL FOR MY SON...

Well, son #1 just had a birthday and has been really into the KETO diet lately...in fact, he's lost 30 pounds!  Didn't know he even had that much to lose!  But he's over 6 feet tall, so I guess those kind of guys can carry more than you think.  Anyway, I made a Keto meal for him.  It turned out pretty well - except for the cake!  It wasn't pretty but it still tasted good!

Bacon Chicken Broccoli casserole - this was so good!

Green Salad with lots of veggies

Roasted Red potatoes (I got the really small ones from Little Potato Co.)

Wheat Rolls (these were for the Non-Ketos)

Keto Vanilla Pound Cake

Strawberries with a little Swerve

Whipped cream

We ate inside much to my disappointment.  But it is pretty hot now, and Son #1 HATES bugs so that would not be a very fun birthday dinner for him.  I was also glad to have a Sous Chef - a college student who is living with us right now!

My sad Keto Vanilla Pound cake! But it tasted good!

This is what happens when you let the birthday boy put the whipped cream on everyone's dessert!

  I'm so thankful to have these moments!  They are few and far between nowadays.  Afterwards, we all went to church and had a great time singing in our Wonder of Worship class!  That was the icing on the cake for me!

DON'T PLAY GOD, JUST BE JESUS...

A couple of Sundays ago our preacher mentioned these words in a sermon and I was trying to make a decision.  These were the words I needed to help me act.  That's what the church is all about;  spurring one another on to good works, encouraging one another, and supporting one another.

What does it mean to be like Jesus?  It means to be a humble servant.  It means having tenderness and compassion - valuing others above yourself.

 FORGET trying to "PLAY GOD" and figure out everything on your own!  

Just TRUST that He will take care of it and "BE JESUS" to people!

Philippians 2 says it best:

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Have a blessed day, everyone!

I CALL IT A WIN...

We just finished a great week for women at church that we call Women's Service Week!  Our phrase is We Serve Because He Served, which I love.

This time we were ambitious and offered four different places to serve(we had two last year)!  We didn't fill up every time slot, but over 80 women participated in some way.  I call that a win!  We had opportunities to help at church, doing tasks for the Children's Ministry, help at a cooking camp put on by a adoption agency for at-risk kids in OKC, work at a thrift store owned by one of our sweet sisters in Christ, and do various things at an inner city congregation that has a program for kids year-round and a free medical clinic.  We also had a kitchen shower for that congregation.

One of the regular workers at the medical clinic said she really felt pampered by us coming and cleaning and doing a little re-decorating!  The Interns loved the home-made meals some women brought to them.  The owner of the thrift store felt so blessed and it just so happened that her birthday was the first day so we made sure she got some cupcakes and a gift!  The kids at the cooking camp were really sweet and we were reminded how time invested in a child is never wasted!  Also, I was glad we did provide opportunities right in our own building to bless those we worship with every week.

I was touched by one volunteer who just moved here, but wanted to serve several times, just so she could get to know the women from our church.  And the one who is a visitor that is thinking about helping regularly at the thrift store.  Just so many stories and women and children touched by this past week!  May all the glory go to God!

ASK YOURSELF...

Well, we're a little bit past half of this year!  I seem to read a lot about goals, self-discipline, and to put it in today's terms - living your best life!  Something I was thinking and reading about the beginning of this year in relation to this had you ask the question of yourself:

WHAT WERE YOU PROUDEST OF LAST YEAR?

Well, for me the answers were pretty easy.  There were two things.  One was related to personal health and clean eating.  I successfully lost weight and felt better and changed some bad eating habits.  The other was to get a service project for women, by women at church underway.  We ended up doing a whole week of service and many women participated!  

So far this year I wouldn't say I've done much to be proud of...but coming up this week is our 2nd Women's Service Week, and I'm pumped!  We were ambitious in planning more than last year, and prayed God would bring the volunteers!  Pictures and a full report to come.  

I'm curious...do you think over your life at the beginning of the year or the school year and do any kind of goal setting?  Does it help you reach your goals?  Have you ever asked yourself this question?  

35 YEARS AND WE AGREE...

Our wedding anniversary in June this year marked 35 years!  I wrote a Facebook/Instagram post that was all about wedded bliss, and what hard work bliss is, actually!  We do agree, though, that 35 is a great place to be.  Our stresses are minimal compared to those of early marriage.  Our parents and children are independent of us, at the moment.  His job and our finances are at a comfortable place.  We enjoy worshipping with a wonderful congregation and serving with God's people.  We're active physically and struggling to stay there. Our favorite things are worship, hiking, biking, traveling, and eating good food, and we get to enjoy these things often.  We appreciate the place we are, even if it's temporary.  

Phillippians 1:5-7 Reminds me that God isn't finished with us yet!  "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ. "  Thankful for growth and continued hope in whatever God has planned for us to do.  

I share this to encourage all of the young marriages out there.  May God bless you and may you find encouragement from the believers to continue on the sometimes difficult road of marriage.

Some favorites from our last year - we had many adventures!