My Observations of... Storage Auction TV Shows

I love watching all the storage auction shows, "Storage Wars" and "Auction Hunters" are the two I watch most often. But I have made some observations the past year watching them.
1. Who pays money to store such junk? Just throw the stuff away! When your garage sale is over, give it away or throw it away, don't pay money to store it. Why do you think that stuff is worth saving? Its junk!
2. Who stores such valuable things in storage? If I have $15000 in gold bars, I'm not storing them in a locker with a dead bolt that can be cut off with a pair of clippers! Keep your valuables with you! Why would you store your valuable converse tennis shoe collection in a storage locker? Why would you store an antique gun worth thousands? Keep it with you where you can get to it whenever you need to, for fast cash if nothing else.
3. And this is the biggest thing to me... If you are not going to pay your locker bill, then why wouldn't you go get your stuff out before they take control of the locker!!!!???? Why would you leave your whole household of stuff in there and just let it get sold to the highest bidder? Go get it! At least the good stuff. If you can't afford to pay your bill, go get the antique gun out and sell it to pay your bill. I just don't understand.

Book Review of "Running for my Life"

Right at the end of the Olympics I read Running for my Life: One Lost Boy's Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games by Lopez Lomong. I was inspired, convicted, and amazed by this man's journey. Lomong was kidnapped as a small boy from his village and taken away to be trained to be a soldier. But the Lord protected him and provided him a way to escape. He then lived in a refugee camp for many years until the opportunity came allowing him to move to the US where he was blessed with a family who helped him achieve his dreams. Along the way, he surrendered his life to God and promised to give back to his birth country whatever way he could. We read about his journey from a small village in Sudan to running in the Olympic games, quite a contrast and story of remarkable survival.

I was mad at myself for starting this book at the end of Olympics and missing seeing Lopez Lomong race and seeing his story on tv. I was so in awe of his story, of his determination to focus on a dream and not give up, of his faith in God even when his circumstances seemed so bleak. I love hearing stories of God's hand being on someone, even protecting them before they have made a commitment to Him. God had a plan for that little boy that was kidnapped, very similar to the story of Joseph in the Bible. Lomong really clung to that story having faith that the Lord would bring him out of struggles at the end to bless him. This story also convicted me of how I take my blessed life for granted. I am not thankful for how easy my life is when there are people right now in the world struggling to survive. I highly encourage you to read this book to get awakened to how other people live and how God has a plan for all of us!

I received this book free from booksneeze.com but was not required to write a positive review.

What's in My CD Player Right Now

Haven't done this in a while, not even sure any one cares what I'm listening to, but its a fun thing to write about.
I can have 6 CDs in my car player at a time, and right now my CD player is acting up. It won't eject only one CD. They won't come out. I googled how to eject stuck CDs in a 2006 Toyota Sienna (you really can google anything) and found the answer, but I end up having to eject all 6 to be able to get them out. So switching CDs is really a serious event. So I may have these 6 for quite some time!

1. Mandisa, What if we Were Real.   I've had this one for awhile, but she sang "Good Morning" on Good Morning America a few weeks ago and did a great job. I was so proud of her, so I went and got the CD back out and remembered how much I love it. Really energizing on the way to work in the morning. They've been playing the song alot in the background on GMA and playing "Stronger" in the background when they talk about Robin Roberts who is on medical leave. I love how much people are getting to hear her spirit!

2. Matt Redman, 10000 Reasons Just REALLY good worship! One of my all time favorite worship albums.

3. Jason Castro, Who I Am American Idol finalist a few years back, and a strong believer. Some of the album is Christian, some is not. I think I already talked about this one when I got it, but I was listening to it in my house the other day while cleaning and remembered how much I liked it so it got promoted to my car!



Now three new albums you have to get!

4. For King and Country, Crave I LOVE this band! I got the CD because of a song I kept hearing on KSBJ, "Proof of your Love", but I love so many songs on the CD. Again, there are some that are not Christian, but some good love songs.

5. Building 429, Listen to the Sound. I have some of their previous stuff, but for some reason had never felt led to get this album that came out last May. But the other day I was in Lifeway to get something else and they had it on sale for $5 and I couldn't pass it up. I love the song "Where I Belong". But there are so many songs that I'm falling in love with.

6. And the one I CANNOT stop listening to, Toby Mac, Eye On It. I wanted it as soon as it came out and held out as long as I could but I gave in and am so glad I did. Its so much fun! My kids are loving jamming to it too! My favorite songs are the first two, "Me Without You" and "Steal my Show". I've been using that second song as my prayer on the way to school or my TOH parties. I pray that God is speaking through me and taking over!

If you need some new music, these are my current favorites! What are you listening to?

Pillow Pizza Recipe

This is what we had for dinner tonight, one my kids favorites! Pillow Pizza!

2 tubes biscuits

1 or 1 1/2 lbs ground beef or turkey

16 oz. pizza sauce

shredded mozzarella cheese 

other of your family's favorite pizza toppings

Cut each biscuit into quarters and place in bottom of greased 9 x 13 baking dish. In a skillet, brown meat, drain and add pizza sauce and stir. Pour over biscuit quarters. Top with optional toppings and cover with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

We added mini pepperoni's tonight, but sometimes I will add cut up ham pieces and pineapple! Yum!

Sunday Night

Most semesters I teach a Bible Study on Sunday nights, but for different reasons, I am not this semester. But I'm still at church on Sunday nights because my boys are there for choir and Bible drill. I'm going through a marriage book with Jason and another couple at 5, but what do I do from 6-7? So I've decided that its a good time to shut myself in a room and spend that forced time with Jesus. Apparently I can't do it if there are any distractions, so putting myself in a quiet room might help. I would love some company though if anyone else is wandering around the church. We could pray together, read something together, or you could just drop off a prayer request to me if you need me to pray with or for you. So I started this past Sunday and I thought every week I would blog something that I learned.

Week One:
I am slowly reading Lazarus Awakening by Joanna Weaver, one of my favorite authors. This was one of my favorite parts of Chapter Two, not even a main part of the chapter, but a side bar.

"What God does with our sin"
1. He lays them on His son - Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53:6
2. Christ takes them away - John 1:29
3. They are removed an immeasurable distance - Psalm 103:12
4. When sought for, they are not found. Jeremiah 50:20
5. The Lord forgives them - 1 John 1:9, Ephesians 1:7, Psalm 103:3
6. He cleanses them all away by the blood of His Son - 1 John 1:7
7. He cleanses them as white as snow or wool - Isaiah 1:18, Psalm 51:7
8. He abundantly pardons them - Isaiah 55:7
9. He tramples them underfoot. Micah 7:19
10. He remembers them no more. Hebrews 10:17, Ezekiel 33:16
11. He casts them behind his back. Isaiah 38:17
12. He casts them into the depths of the sea - Micah 7:19
13. He will not impute us with sins - Romans 4:8
14. He covers them - Romans 4:7
15. He blots them out - Isaiah 43:25
16. He blots them out like a think cloud - Isaiah 44:22
17. He blots out even the proof against us, nailing it to His Son's cross - Colossians 2:14

I love number 10 and 16 the most. I love that God forgets my sin! I love that because I can't forget my sin or anyone else's when they sin against me. I wish I could. And I love 16 because I don't remember ever hearing that verse before. "I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” I love that! I love picturing clouds that are blowing away in the sky, never to return and that's how my sin is. Its just gone. I am so thankful for God's forgiveness!

First Day of School!

I officially declare today, Sept. 24th, the first day of school. Yes, I know my kids have been in school a month already, but just like my summer started a month late, my school year has started a month late. This is the first day I have my full two days with out my kids to get stuff done, the first week my house has felt somewhat back to normal after the flood and J and I got to go away this weekend and make some goals for the year. So therefore, its today. And I'm feeling good, have some energy, I'm going to drink more water and  less coffee. I'm going to spend time with Jesus in the afternoon instead of a nap and I'm getting my to do list back up on the wipe board. I'm excited. It feels good. It feels like the first day of school to me. I think as a mom, the first day of school is more important than New Years Day. Its time to make new routines and start back up old ones that I know work. I'm ready to start this year... a month late.

Morning Person?

I have somehow morphed into a morning person. I'm not sure when it happened. I guess slowly over the past few years as getting my kids up for school has set in. Now, don't get the wrong idea. I'm not a really nice person in the morning. I don't get up singing and dancing or anything. (I have been known to wake up my kids singing and they don't like that. They aren't morning people). Most mornings I don't jump out of bed and get to work. I'm slow in the mornings. But I can't sleep late anymore. I've been waking up before the alarm goes off on school mornings. And I like to get up before my kids and enjoy my coffee while watching Good Morning America. Like this morning. Fridays are the only day I get to sleep late. J gets the big boys up and takes them for donuts before school. Used to I would either sleep through them getting up or at least go back to sleep after they left and stay asleep until Campbell woke me up. But this morning I couldn't go back to sleep so I got up and have had my breakfast and coffee and watched GMA and baby is still asleep. Some mornings I do wake up with a burst of energy and get a lot done before 9. But not usually. The bad part about all of this is now I'm not a night person like a used to be. I'm done at 10, out cold. And J is a night person so we used to stay up and watch History channel or HGTV together and catch up on our day, but not anymore. I fall asleep so he changes it to ESPN.

I'm not technically a morning or night person I guess. I have energy from 9 until 2 and then from 5 until 8. The other times I am in a fog. I have to have a shower and coffee to get to that morning shift and then a cat nap to make it until 5. Yes, I know if I exercised I would have more energy. Blah. I don't wanna. You can't make me. I know if I read my Bible and took time to pray every day I would have more energy and more focus. I have experienced that. But I'm not there right now. I'm feeling that I am at a fork in the road. I'm feeling that its time for a change. So I think next week I will try to start walking, try to skip the cat nap and read my Bible, and drink more water. Ah. The baby is awake. Time to get to work! 8:50. Right on schedule.

PS. I wrote this and posted it and then went to take a shower. My brain woke up and I thought of things I should have said so I came back and changed it. Showers are good like that.

King Ranch Chicken Recipe

This is one of my hubby's favorites, but I don't make it very often. We saw someone making a version of it the other night on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives so he requested it. It came out really pretty tonight so I took a picture (because normally my food doesn't turn out picture perfect). I don't know where I found this recipe, but I think it was in the UBC church cookbook. Enjoy!

King Ranch Chicken
1 1/2 lbs cooked chicken
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 chopped bell pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can rotel tomatoes
6 corn tortillas
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Dice cooked chicken. Saute bell pepper and onion. Combine soups, rotel tomatoes, bell pepper, onions and chicken. Grease 9 x 13 casserole dish. Line with stripped tortillas, 1/2 chicken mixture and 1/2 cheese. Repeat. Cook at 375 for 45 minutes.

Quick update on our house and my awesome kid!

Its been awhile. I have 10 minutes before I have to leave to pick up the boys from school, so let's see how much I can type.

We are officially done with the remodel/reconstruction of our flooded house! Yipee! I am loving the floors and blue walls, not loving how many boxes I still have to unpack. The closest I came to having a nervous breakdown was Monday night. They were coming Tuesday to clean the downstairs carpets so we had to remove everything out of the den and playroom except the furniture. So the dining room was taken over by boxes of toys. J was gone for the evening, so I thought I would have 3 helpers to make the job fast. Wrong. They were not in the helping mood, so by the end of the evening, there was yelling and throwing and lots of frustration on my part. But it got done. So now we have a no shoe rule on the clean carpets and we will be going through the boxes of toys and only returning some of it. They don't play with most of the stuff but if I try to get rid of anything, its suddenly their favorite toy ever.

Cooper got his braces last week and an expander put in this week. Poor guy. The expander is driving him crazy! Its this bar across the back of his mouth that I have to tighten each night. Its not hurting yet, but I bet it will. I don't think I've said publicly, but he is the starting quarterback for his football team and doing a great job if I do say so myself. He's such a leader and a great team player. They are 1-2 this year, but more than half the team has never played football before, so each week they get better. He has been chosen by his school to kick a field goal at a high school game in a few weeks to earn some money for them. He's so excited! He's trying out for the robotics team next week. And now its time for me to go pick up the boys from school. They have ridden the bus the past three years, but Cooper is on the safety patrol, afternoon shift, so he can't ride the bus anymore. One of the downsides of having an overachieving kid! But a small price to pay for such an awesome kid!

Another post tomorrow with some pics maybe?