Say the Pink One!

My three year old came skipping into the room, her blond curls bobbing up and down, her purple ‘chip stick’ carefully applied all over her lip… area, and two sweaters in hand.

liz 1

 

“Mommy, which sweater should I wear?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I surveyed the scene… hot pink and brown leopard shirt, green shorts, purple lips… and and said, “I think you should wear the white one.”

To which she quickly replied:liz 2

“No, mommy, say the pink one!”

To which I thought something like, “well, if you knew what you wanted, why did you ask me?”

and then said, “Okay… wear the pink one…”

 

 

 

I laughed as she skipped off, happily donning the pink sweater.

Then it hit me.

How many times do I approach my Dad (the one with the capital D), and ask,

“Father, which one would you have me do?”  When all I am really saying is, “Say the pink one!”  Am I really opening myself up to what God’s will truly is for me?  Or am I trying to hodge podge my life together (which in the eternal scheme of thing may look very much like a pink and brown shirt with green shorts and purple lip stick!)… only to ask God which covering would help bring it all together, and then trying to tell HIM what he should tell ME??!

I’m sad to say that I do that more often than I care to admit.

So here’s to another trial of getting on my knees and listening… really listening to what HIS will is for me, and then forming my life to that pattern… instead of the other way around.

Riding the Rapids

I took a leadership class.  When we started reading the given book, I have to admit, I didn’t really relate – it was based almost solely on leading in the business world, and in my life of diapers and drippy noses, I am far from the business world, nor do I have any desire to enter the business leadership realm.

But I kept reading.  And so glad that I did.

There was a part in there that talked about leaders feeling like the company should be acting like a placid lake.  They hit rapids every once in a while, but then will get back to the placid lake.  Most leaders are constantly striving to lead in the lake, but the authors brought out the reality… they have to learn to lead in the rapids, because the RAPIDS, not the lake, are in fact the norm.

This paragraph hit me like a ton of bricks.  I suddenly realized that all of the discontentment that I have been feeling lately was trying (in vain) to find the placid lake.

Life in motherhood is exactly like riding the rapids.

It’s great, and exciting, but also unpredictable and ever changing.  And forever forcing us forward at breakneck speed.

And the more time I spend trying to recapture the lake, the more frustrated I will be.

So I have given up the search for the placid lake.  Instead, I give in to the notion that each day is going to be a crazy ride, so I may as well buck up and enjoy it while it lasts.

So now, when people ask me how things are going… my response is to smile just a bit and say,

“Riding the rapids, baby.  Riding the Rapids.”

I see…

My vision …

Bread!

I posted this recipe last year, but it has since become buried in the blog, so if you went to education week and don’t want to have to scroll through the whole backlog of recipes – here is the super easy, super yummy, super cheap bread recipe :).  enjoy!

 

 

Pretty Perfect Pot Roast!

… of course, for me anything that is pretty perfect means that it has to be super easy to cook, and taste super yummy.

So, when I learned this neat little secret about pot roast, I was hooked…

and going on 9 years of being able to walk in from church to a yummy smelling house, with no fear of burning roast from the oven.

And the best part – you only need three things!

1.  A crock pot

Notice, the ‘well-used’ look (i.e.  I didn’t wipe it down before taking a picture!)

2.  A Roast – any type 🙂

3.  Some onion soup mix (the kind in the packet form)

the steps are just as easy!

Put roast into crock pot (you can pan sear the outside if you want… not necessary)

pour onion soup mix over top

put on lid

push “cook”

go to church 🙂

open the door hours later and inhale

ahhhh

then feast your eyes, nose, and best of all taste buds on the finished product…

or at least what is left after everyone steals a taste!