Dinner, Discuss, Dessert

Hello ladies. Welcome to the mansion this fine Sunday evening. It's time for dinner, discuss, dessert.

As the movers are due to arrive bright and early in the morning, The Teagues are doing their best to clean out the food in the pantry. We don't want to carry any more than is necessary.

To that end, we have been eating some crazy stuff. This evening we enjoyed Zataran's black eyed peas with rice and chicken. Not bad. We through in some steamed veggies (trying to clean out the fridge too) and everyone was happy.

DESSERT consisted of leftover ice cream from the boys' birthday party yesterday. Ice cream is always a big hit, whether it's day old or not.

Now for DISCUSS... Tomorrow, just about everything we own will be boxed up and loaded into crates and thrown onto a truck. Then, it will be driven over several states to a holding facility. Next, it will be down loaded and put into storage. Finally, it will be reloaded onto a truck and hauled to the new mansion. Our "stuff" will be in the hands of many different people over the next couple of weeks.

This got me to thinking... In the military, we hear horror stories about folks who watch their stuff loaded onto the truck, wave bye to it all, and get a call some days later informing them that their belongings have fallen into the ocean or burned to bits. I have never met these folks, but they are talked of often. What would I do if I received one of those horrible calls? Hmmm.... I can tell you that not so many years ago, I would have lost it....completely. I would have been terribly distraught over the loss of all my precious "stuff." That is "my" stuff. I have worked for it, decorated it, cleaned it, and treasured it.

Last year, we learned that our dear friends, the Banks' had lost their home in a cat. 3 tornado here in Prattville, AL. The Banks family lost just about everything. They lost their "stuff" and their cars. Thankfully, none of them were hurt. They managed to jump into the tub just in the nick of time. I need to tell you all that I never heard these folks complain about their trials, not once. Not about their cars or their clothes, or their furniture, or their pictures, or anything. What a testament to their faith. What a statement of their character. Their example was inspiring to see.

God tells us, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19

As I mentioned earlier, there was a time when I would have been a basket case over the loss of my "stuff." However, something has changed in me. I can't really tell you what or why. I just know that I don't have strong attachments to things now as I once did.

So, I say, "Come...take my stuff...drive away...try not to lose it on the side of the road...but if you do, that's OK too." How do you all feel about your "stuff?" Would you be devastated by its loss? Would you see the situation as a great opportunity to shop for new "stuff?" Would you feel like a weight had been lifted? How attached are you? Do tell...

Have a great week ladies.

Laura

What State Are You In?

Dinner, Discuss, Dessert


Hello ladies. Welcome to the mansion. I must apologize...I forgot to do dinner, discuss, dessert last Sunday. Do forgive...


Dinner: The Teagues had steak, mashed potatoes, and peas. Yum. I usually add a recipe, but the dinner is pretty self explanatory this Sunday.


Discuss: What "state"are you in? At the current time, I am in the state of Alabama. In three weeks, I will be in the state of Louisiana. I am often in the state of Illinois (Shrine Hospital). I visit the state of Texas several times a year. I also visit the state of utter chaos several times a day. Many days, I am in a state of distress. There have been days when I have been in a state of ruin. What state are you in?


Today, our pastor discussed our "state." Very interesting. He proposed that we were in one of three states...Natural, Carnal, or Spiritual. So...let's look at this a little further and see where we are.


The "Natural" state. In the Greek this means "unrenewed." 1 Cor. 2-14 "The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seems like so much silliness." So...the natural state would be one in which a person has not received God. This person can't understand the ways of God or the ways of those who know God. This person has not been renewed by the Spirit.


The "Carnal" state. In the Greek this means "wordly." 1 Cor. 3:18-20 "
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Here, the carnal state would be one in which the person is renewed but still living of the world. This person may know God but keeps worldly options open. Straddling the fence, so to speak.

The "Spiritual" state. In the Greek this means "filled with and governed by the Spirit of God ." This person is inhabited by the Spirit. Ephesians 5:8-9 "You groped your way through the murk once, but no longer. You're out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. " The spiritual state would be one in which a person is filled with Christ and does everything within his/her power to live for God. This person seeks the narrow way. This person is continually being filled by God's word. This person is running over with God's love.

So....what state are you in? I would love to say that I am in a continual "spiritual" state. But, that would not be true. I vascilate between carnal and spiritual.

As I move from the state of Alabama to the state of Louisiana, I am also going to strive to move daily from a state of carnal to a state of spiritual.

Dessert: The older Teague kids made chocolate chip cookies. Yum....See????

And that is all ladies. Have a wonderful Sunday evening. I will see you all back here on Tuesday for Trash to Treasure.

Dinner, Discuss, Dessert

Hello ladies. Welcome to the mansion. It's time for another Dinner, Discuss, Dessert.

Dinner:

Fried Chicken

Loaded mashed pots (recipe to follow)

Country gravy

Black Eyed Peas

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

5 potatoes peeled and cubed

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup milk

crumbled bacon

salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain. Add all other ingredients and beat on medium until well blended. Yum Yum....

Discuss: Are you jumpin for Jesus popcorn or are you "chex" mix?

Yesterday, my friend Jen sent me a crazy piece of video. It was titled Popcorn. It showed some folks sitting around a table. They had 5 or 6 kernels of unpopped popcorn sitting in the middle of the table and they had placed their cell phones near the popcorn facing the center of the table as well. They each dialed their phone and the phones started ringing. Only a few seconds later, the popcorn started exploding and popping all over the place. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJlv9HHJyAo Here is the link if you have not yet seen the video.

It was amazing. All I could think was..."my kid is never getting a cell phone." Whatever was making the corn pop would also make their brains to weird stuff.

Well....for some reason I thought of the video during church today. I remembered the kernels bursting and jumping like crazy. I questioned myself with, "Am I bursting and jumping for Jesus?" What does it take for me to burst and jump for Him? Must someone else apply pressure for me to jump? Must God turn up the "heat" for me to jump? Do I jump at appropiate and convenient times only? Hmmmmm? Let's see....

I go to church...check

I read my bible...check

I pray...check

I volunteer at church...check

I try to guide my children in God's ways...check

Awanas...check

PWOC...check

bible studies galore...check

It occured to me that I sound more like "chex" mix than jumping for Jesus popcorn. I don't know that I "burst" and "jump" in any of the activities mentioned above. What is this saying about me? Hmmmm...

Are you "chex" mix too? Or...are you jumping for Jesus popcorn?

Dessert:

Strawberry shortcakes...yummm.

Have a great Sunday evening. Laura

Hello ladies and welcome to the "mansion" this evening.

Dinner

The Teagues will be having Nachos for dinner tonight. Here is the recipe...

Yummy Nachos:

Corn Tostado Chips. (These are round like tortillas)

1 can of refried beans

shredded colby and monterrey jack cheese

Place 6 tostadas on a baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of refried beans on each tostada. Put 1/3 cup of shredded cheese on each tostada. Place the pan under the broiler for enough time to melt the cheese. Keep a close watch on this. Cut each tostada into four quarters. Garnish with sour cream, picante, jalapenos, tomatos, etc. Delicious. You can also add grilled chicken or steak. Yum.

Discuss

Well. Let me see. Our church is going through some 'turmoil.' Our preacher announced last Sunday that he had been having an affair and that he would be resigning after the service. The Teagues were not in the service to witness this. However, we did hear of it right away. News travels fast. Bad news that is....Why is that? Why do we thrill in hearing of terrible things that are happening to others? Does it somehow make us feel better about ourselves? Does it pump us up? Why? Do we feel that these things will NEVER happen to us?

Matthew 7:3 as stated in the New American Standard Bible..."Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Are we so free of sin, any sin, that we don't have any logs in our eyes? I surely am not. There is a log cabin floating around in there for sure. This is not to say that we should ignore a transgression or a sin. We can certainly acknowledge the presence of sin. The question is....what do we do then? In this case, the sin was stated aloud. Forgivness was sought. Is that where it should end? Should we continue to dredge in the muck of it?

Our sins, when confessed to God are washed away right then. They are cleansed and forgotton. Wouldn't it be nice if we, humans, could display a bit more of this? Just something to think about.

Dessert

Yummy Chocolate Fondue with strawberries and pound cake.

Have a great Sunday evening.

Much love, Laura

Dinner, Discuss, Dessert

Hello ladies. Welcome to the "mansion." It is Sunday, so it is time for Dinner, Discuss, Dessert.

Dinner:
The Teagues had Chicken-n-Dumplings. Here is the recipe...

Easy Chicken-n-Dumplings

3 Chicken breasts
4 cups of water
2 cans of cream of celery soup
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 cans of cheap biscuits

Bring the water, bouillon, salt and pepper to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and boil until done. Remove the chicken and cut into small pieces. Add the chicken back into the water in your pot. Whisk in the two cans of cream of celery soup until there are no more lumps. Heat until a low boil. Open the canned biscuits. Flatten the biscuits out very thin and cut each one into six pieces. Drop the pieces slowly into the boiling pot. Continue on a low boil for 10 minutes. TaDa. Done. Enjoy.

Discuss:
I must confess. I did not go to church today. After Casey's stomach virus and a day of upholstery, I was in no shape to get up early. So, no talking points from the preacher. However, I did have a thought. While I was trying my best to cover my denim club chair, I kept thinking...."this is so...not my gift." I though that over and over. But, I didn't stop sewing. I kept on going until it was done.

God says through 1 Corinthians 12 that to each one of us (Christians) the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. This is done as follows..."To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues."

I have taken a "gift" test several times before. This test determined my "gifting." I am supposed to be gifted with hospitality and discernment. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Knowing this, I am set....right? I am expected to be hospitable. I am expected to be able to discern between what is of God and what is not. Everything else is hands off for me...right? I have heard folks say (out loud) "I can't do that, it is not my gift." I have even heard someone say, "I don't feel sorry for her, compassion just isn't my gift." So...are our "gifts" a way out of doing things that we don't feel comfortable doing? Are they a pass on showing care and compassion? Hummmmmmmm... The last verse of chapter 12 says...Love "And now I will show you the most excellent way." The most excellent way and greatest gift is Love. Without love, and the pouring out of it, we are for not. Without showing love, our gifts don't count for anything. So...I am going to go ahead and say that NO, our gifts are not a get out of jail free card for doing things that we don't want to do. NO, they are not a pass on showing compassion and empathy. They are ways that we express our love for others. They are ways that we build one another up. They are ways that we move folks to Christ.

I didn't quit sewing that silly slipcover because I didn't have the gift of sewing. I just gritted my teeth and ripped those seems out. I worked on it until the job was done. We should do the same with each other. Don't bow out because something isn't your gift. Don't be less than gentle with someone because gentleness isn't your gift. Because above all those gifts is the gift of Love. The most excellent way to do, the most excellent way to speak, the most excellent way to act, the most excellent way to react. And that is all.

DESSERT:
Ice cream sundaes on Sunday. Yum

Have a blessed week ladies. Show your gifts and your non gifts through love. Laura

Dinner, Discuss, Dessert

Hello everyone and welcome to the "mansion." Hope you all have adjusted to the spring forward this morning. I personally have not. So...my sweet husband is making dinner this evening. The Teagues will be having...

DINNER

Fried Rice (recipe to follow)
Pot Stickers
Sweet and Sour chicken

Recipe for Casey's Fried Rice

Ingredients:
1 - 2 green onions, as desired
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
4 cups cold cooked rice (Cook the rice the day before and put in the fridge.)
1 - 2 tablespoons light soy sauce or oyster sauce, as desired
chopped ham or salad shrimp are good too.

Preparation:Wash and finely chop the green onion. Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper.Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove the eggs and clean out the pan.Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart. Stir in the soy sauce or oyster sauce as desired.When the rice is heated through, add the scrambled egg back into the pan. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the green onion. Serve hot. Yum.

DISCUSS

Do you all remember the trash bag commercial???????? HEFTY, HEFTY, HEFTY.....wimpy, wimpy, wimpy.... I had not thought of that commercial for some years until this morning at church. BEAR WITH ME....My question to you all is...are you "HEFTY" in serving God or are you "wimpy?" This was a tough question for me. If to serve Him means to spread the Gospel (good message) I feel that I might be leaning toward "wimpy" most of the time.

If the Bible read something like Dick and Jane, Acts 6:8 - Acts 7:60 might sound a little like this...
See Stephen.
See Stephen do wonders.
See the bad men.
See the bad men conspire against Stephen.
See Stephen share God's words.
Stephen shared and shared.
Stephen shared the truth.
The bad men gnashed their teeth.
Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit.
Stephen saw heaven.
The bad men grabbed Stephen.
The bad men stoned Stephen.
Stephen asked mercy for the bad men.
Stephen went to be with his Maker.

Now let me tell you something...that is "HEFTY." Stephen shared the good message until he physically couldn't any longer. He shared in the face of evil. He shared in the proximity of great danger. He shared with every word and breath. He shared unto physical death. HEFTY doesn't really do Stephen justice.

I am going to try to be less "wimpy" and more "HEFTY." I invite you all to do the same.

DESSERT

Fortune cookies

You all have a wonderful Sunday evening. Go out being "HEFTY."

Laura