Blessings

The song Blessings by Laura Story has particularly struck me lately. She sings about blessings in disguise. Our doubts, desperation, anger, and aching.

We pray for the suffering to stop. We pray for specific blessings and miracles to occur to us and to others. But maybe God just loves us too much to give us this 'lesser thing' that Laura writes about. Maybe there is a bigger, better blessing God has created for us that is more beautiful than we could imagine.

Sometimes we get so focused on one thing and we can even have tunnel vision...we see this one thing everywhere, in other people, on tv shows, in magazines, with friends, at work. But perhaps by doing so, we are missing out on God's 'one thing'...His blessing for us through whatever trial we are travelling through.

Think about all the promises His Word provides for us. Promises of peace, of love, of comfort, of eternal life, and on and on. Will that ever be enough for us? Will God ever be enough?

I thirst for God. I thirst for His promises to surround me like a warm blanket. I want to rest in His promises. I want God to be enough...because He is.

Dear friends, let's look past ourselves today. Let's look up and look out. Let's search for mercies in disguise.

Blessings- Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things
‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

Roasted Pepper & Goat Cheese Sandwiches

This is a great Barefoot Contessa recipe that I really enjoy. It would be wonderful for a ladies' lunch paired with soup. Delicious.

4 large red or yellow bell peppers
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons drained capers

For assembling:
1 large ciabatta bread, halved horizontally
1 (11-ounce) garlic-and-herb or plain goat cheese at room temperature
8 to 10 large basil leaves
3 thin slices red onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the whole peppers on a sheet pan and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the skins are completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred, turning them twice during roasting. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Remove the stem from each pepper and cut them in quarters. Remove the peels and seeds and place the peppers in a bowl along with any juices that have collected. Discard the stems, peels, and seeds. Pour the oil and vinegar mixture over the peppers. Stir in the capers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread the bottom half of the loaf with the goat cheese. Add a layer of peppers and then a layer of basil leaves. Separate the onions into rings and spread out on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with the top half of the ciabatta and cut into individual servings.

Pastrami Sandwiches

Pastrami Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 large ciabatta bread, halved horizontally
1 lb pastrami deli meat or turkey pastrami
1 lb creamy coleslaw
6 slices provolone cheese

Slice the bread. Butter the sides. Toast on stove. Set aside.
Add small amount of oil to fry pan. Layer pastrami to fit ciabatta roll into fry pan. Saute pastrami until edges start to brown. Flip over. Top with provolone cheese. When cheese is melted, place pastrami onto ciabatta bread. Top with coleslaw. Cut into servings.
Enjoy!

News

Hey!

Random news:

*Colin and I had a date night this last week and went to dinner and a movie, Unknown with Liam Neeson. It was pretty good!
*Spring is 10 days away! Unfortunately we still have lots of snow and are supposed to be getting more Saturday. It's been in the 30s here in Wisconsin.
*I just finished reading The Help. Great book. Highly recommended. I think I will be starting Water For Elephants soon- the movie is going to be in theaters this spring, so I want to have read it by then.

Soul CPR

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV).

Soul CPR by Lisa Buffaloe, http://www.incourage.me/

My desk is littered with what looks like nuclear fallout from a paper bomb, 128 e-mail messages await reading, and documents are stacked on the floor by the shredder. To-do-lists sit next to my computer keyboard, laundry waits, and dishes are in the sink.

And inside, my soul churns from lack of Godly connection.

It’s my own fault. I woke, had a quick quiet-time, and hit the ground running. I have a tendency to want spiritual nutrition on the fly. Kind of like driving up to a gas pump, putting the hose in the tank, then driving off after receiving a few drops. No wonder I’m puttering down life’s highways.

Jesus tell us to, “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33 NIV). When we focus on our problems more than we focus on God, overwhelming factors hit like tidal waves.

However if we filter through God’s hands each task and activity, there is a calming and a centering within our souls. We are promised grace for each moment, strength for every step, for nothing is impossible with God.

Sounds all fine and dandy on paper, but much harder to practice. Woof, life is often like a tight-rope walk while juggling fifty-two tasks. I want to know that everything will be good, everyone will be healthy, and money will be in the bank for today and tomorrow. I want assurance now, patience now, and happiness now, all while running through my day at top speed.

And in the quiet part of my soul God whispers, be still, cease striving, do not worry, I will provide all your needs, I will never leave or forsake you.

I hesitate. Still not totally convinced, my feet keep moving, because somebody has to get all these things done.

The words from Psalm 23 float by in wind. “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.”

But God, have you seen the checkbook balance?

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.”

I visualize myself a sheep running through the pasture, splashing in the water, acting like a toddler fighting against nap time.

“He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Restoration and guidance? Who has time for that?

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Life gets scary, and I run back to God’s arms looking for comfort.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

Settling in prayer and praise, I seat myself at His banquet table. All the issues, problems, and tasks slough off and clunk to the floor.

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

Happy, contented, sigh. Thank you, Father.

C — Connecting

P — Praising

R – Restoring

Three

I have three days off! I am so excited. Although, I've got a lot of cleaning, laundry, and other chores to catch up on. And a LOT of blogs to catch up on, too.

Question: My newsfeed of updates from the people I follow has been messed up lately. It won't let me scroll down further than 12-24 hours worth of posts....have any of you had this trouble? In the past, it has let me scroll down through more than 7 days. Luckily, I have been able to read posts through Google reader, but I would love for this to go back to normal someday. Let me know if you have any suggestions.
Update: Problem solved! I went through and deleted some blogs I never read and the issue disappeared!

I have been thinking of you all a lot lately. I am so blessed to be able to go on blogger and instantly be connected to other trying to concieve blogs, cooking blogs, Christian inspiration blogs, homemaking blogs, home decor blogs, etc.! Although we are all unique, we all have some sort of connection that can bring us together on this wonderful thing called internet. And that is amazing!