Teaching our children

I am on a quest to train my children up in the way that they should go, and part of that is teaching them scripture.
One set of scriptures that is very important for any child or adult to know is the "Romans Road to Salvation."  This is a series of verses that allow you to show the path to salvation in the Book of Romans.

I made a printable which I will laminate or put in a sheet protector for our daily practice.

Feel free to use it in your own training endeavors!

Romans Road to Salvation Printable

Fiesta Chicken Lasagna Recipe

We are trying to use up the contents of our deep freezer and pantry because we are (hopefully) moving back to the mainland USA in about 6 weeks.

That being said, it has led to some real creativity in the kitchen on my part. Some of which has been successful, some of which.....well, you can guess the rest.

Last night, I knocked it out of the ball park.

I completely made this up and I have to say it is delicious.

Fiesta Chicken Lasagna
Ingredients:
1/2 pkg of lasagna noodles
1 can enhillada sauce
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (more or less)
1 can Rotel
shredded mozz cheese (or whatever cheese you have on hand)
1 onion, diced
EVOO

Boil lasagna noodles according to package directions. Set aside.

Sautee onion in sauce pan with EVOO until golden brown. Add shredded chicken, enchillada sauce, cream of chicken soup and rotel.  Stir and simmer until combined well. 

Spread small layer of chicken mixture in bottom on 13x9 baking dish.  Add layer of lasagna noodles.  Add layer of shredded cheese.  Alternate layering until pan is full. 

Either place in refrigerator until ready to bake or bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbling.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Routines

Amy over at New Nostalgia has a great post about Morning Routines which has inspired me to make my own. I use Cozi which is an awesome free online planner. Seriously. I. love. it. and. it. is. free. Winning combination in my book.

Anywhoo, I like to use that to plan out my days and make a to-do list. But I think a morning routine is just what I need to get my mornings off to the right start.

I recently checked out Life Management for Busy Women: Living Out God's Plan with Passion and Purpose from the library here and I have been going through it. Great book. One of the thing she really emphasizes as a key to success is a daily quiet time. The concept is time, first time, and early time.

In other words, you need to give time to the Lord daily, make it your first or best time, and make it early. I have always fought this concept because I am not a morning person. And I have a baby who wakes me up at night. But I really feel that she is absolutely right in this---starting your day off with quiet time, just you and the Lord before anyone else is up, is an excellent habit.

And it starts now.

I'm not going to be perfect, but I am going to make it a priority.

So here is my new morning routine:

Wake up before anyone else.
Quiet time with the Lord.
Check/revise calendar and to-do list.
Make a hot breakfast for family.
Make beds.
Eat breakfast with family/family devotional.
Get kids ready for whatever they need to do.
Reset laundry for the new day.

I'm going to try it tomorrow morning.

Do you guys have a morning routine?

He will act

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and He will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
—Psalm 37:3-6


We are a military family facing the prospect of the government shut down and not getting paid. We are also in limbo as to whether or not we will be moving across the pacific ocean in a matter of weeks. We got rear ended a couple of days ago and my neck was sprained in the accident. Then yesterday my husbands car broke down.

All of these things have caused me to despair. To say "Why, Lord?"

I do not know the answer.

Thank God for my sweet, level-headed husband. In the face of all this he says "But there are so many wonderful things in our lives to be thankful for; let us rest in that."

And I will. I woke this morning, after having done an intensive bible study, feeling hopeful and refreshed. All my "what-ifs" have melted away into "so what? He is in control. What will be will be."

God is so good. Have faith in Him today.

My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
-Lamentations 3:20-23

Don't Waste your Homemaking: Sleeping Tips

Don't Waste your Homemaking: Sleeping Tips
posted this great vlog all about sleep! Thought I would share--go check it out!

I myself still wake up 6-7 times per night with my 9 month old nursing baby.....working on the sleep thing :)

My Tin Can List

It's sorta like a bucket list, but for the down-home simple mama like me who can't go gallivanting around the world climbing Mt. Everest and the like.

So here goes....my-right-where-I-am, in-this-season-of-my-life bucket list....

My Tin Can List

1) Make each of the kids a quilt

2) Make dh a quilt for work

3) Make a quilt for our bed

4) Learn to crochet well (I can't seem to get past Single Chain!)

5) Crochet some doilies

6 ) Learn to embroider well (I can do basic embroidery, but would like to learn more stitches)

7) Sew aprons for everyone  in progress, sewed one for DD#1

8) Learn to knit well (I can knit, just not well enough to make anything beyond the "rectangular" items)

9) Have a vegetable garden   growing tomatoes right now, waiting to see if we move before we do more

10) Have a cut flower garden

11) Sew a patchwork tablecloth for our table

12) Find a craft that I do it as charity work regularly

13) Make a real housekeeping schedule and stick to it

14) Have a successful blog (I have no idea what the parameters are for this one  lol)

15) Have a 2 week dinner plan/rotation that works for me

16) Have a budget and stick to it    in progress this month

17) Faithfully pay off the car

18) Faithfully save for retirement

19) Learn CPR    in progress, found an online course at AHA.org!

Do y'all have a tin can list of sorts?  

I'll keep y'all updated on mine. :)

Linking up at

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... is my new flag that I got for springtime at Target this week on clearance for 3.49!
I am thinking... that I am getting better at this housekeeping thing, but still have a lot of work to do.
I am thankful for... my savior, my wonderful husband, my 3 precious children, for the soldiers that are defending our freedom.
From the kitchen...needing to decide what to make for dinner tonight.  Something quick cause I'm taking the kiddos to the pool.
I am wearing... capris and a t-shirt.  It's technically a maternity shirt, and there's no bun in this oven :)
I am creating... in my mind, pillowcase dresses for the girls for easter....we'll see if I have the time to make them.
I am going...to the pool with the kids later
I am reading... James Herriot
I am hoping... that we will get to transfer
I am hearing... the kids playing a spelling game on the computer that I picked up at the thrift shop
Around the house... I am trying to make some "re-organizational changes"
One of my favorite things... is to have my house very clean.  Once in a blue moon, dears.
A few plans for the rest of the week:  DH will actually be home every night so we plan on having lots of fun family time.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Please visit the Simple Womans Daybook blog and see what other simple ladies are up to!

The Legacy of Home

The Christian Home Magazine at The Legacy of Home
The Legacy of Home (a blog I love) is hosting a blog carnival about the Christian Home--it was an encouragement to me today! Check it out ;)

Waiting on the Lord

Waiting.  It is difficult to do.

Right now we are waiting, waiting, and have been waiting for months to hear news about my husband's job.  Will we transfer, will we stay where we are, there has even been question of him losing his job.

Some days the strain becomes too much for me.  These are the days I realize that I am not leaning on the Lord as I should be.

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
Ps 62:5 NLT

Will you trust Him today with all your needs?

This season of waiting has reminded me of one of my favorite hymns, "Turn you eyes upon Jesus."
Enjoy this beautiful reminder of of Savior's love for us.


Remember to turn off the music from this blog before you press play :)

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Making Family Devotions Happen

Family devotions are so important .  I know it.  Yet sometimes I go through spells where we neglect them. 

My husband is gone a lot for work, so usually the buck passes to me.  I find it a challenge to remember to do them sometimes, but I have a very simple strategy that helps me to remember to do them.

It’s so simple that I hesitate to even post about it, but it’s one of those things that has revolutionized our morning routine so I decided to share it with you.

Leave your family bible/devotion book at your place at the table.  All the time.  Like, that’s where it lives. 

I told you it was ridiculously simple.

But there you have it.  Every morning when my husband or I sit down at the table to breakfast), it’s there, reminding me to make God the foundation of our day.

 (I occupy my husband’s seat at the dinner table when he is gone—no symbolism intended.  It’s a matter of strategic geography)

There are many good choices for family devotionals.  Two that are free that I love are Open Windows and Our Daily Bread.  We can get either one or both of these for free at our church, but you can also order them online.  I like Open Windows because there is also a section listing missionaries’ birthdays so that you can pray for them on their special day.

One resource that is not free but that we love is a delightful book entitled
Leading Little Ones to God: A Child's Book of Bible Teachings.

It includes a devotional, bible story and song selection for each day.

How do you do your family devotional?  Any great books?

Disclaimer: The link to Leading Little Ones to God is an affiliate link and if you click through to purchase the product, I will earn a small percentage of the sale price.  If you feel uncomfortable with that idea, open a new window and search for the product through amazon.com. :)

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