Faith-Filled Friday

Welcome to Faith-Filled Friday!

I hope it’s been a good one for you so far! I’m a little late in the day posting this, but I wanted to be sure to share with you another challenge I’m going to attempt this year. It’s called the P31 Challenge and is headed up by Sara Horn, author of My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife.

From the back cover…

Author Sara Horn always admired the Proverbs 31 wife, but when she became a busy writer and mother, she deemed this model to be dated and impossible. Or is it? Join Sara as she heads into a one-year domestic experiment and offers full access to see if this biblical model can be embraced by a modern woman—even one who can’t sew.

With humility and humor, Sara sets out to pursue the Proverbs 31 characteristics through immersing herself in all things domestic, but when her family's situation changes and she must return to a full-time job, she's forced to look at the Proverbs 31 woman with a whole new viewpoint. Through it all, she and readers discover:

what it means to be a godly woman and a wife

how investing in family and faith refines priorities as a spouse and a parent

how mistakes are opportunities for growth

This thought-provoking, surprising, and entertaining personal account will inspire women to try their own experiments in living out God’s purpose for their lives.

***

I’ve been intrigued with her book so far and I’m always up for a good challenge! Won’t you join me…

Sara has posted the first challenge on her blog this week and it’s the perfect place to start…check it out here.

I’ve actually done really well this week with this challenge! I found a great new Bible reading plan for the year called The Bible Program for Shirkers and Slackers. You can find more information about it here.

I came across a blog post about the reading plan on Pinterest and learned a new technique to go along with my quiet time called S.O.A.P. Here is a little more information about how that works. I have really enjoyed my quiet time this week using this new method and would encourage you to try it out!

{perfection not required}

So, don’t forget to check out the P31 Challenge! I’m sure Sara is going to have some really fun challenges for us to do together and I love that I’ll have some accountability through her Facebook Page.

Until next week…I’ll be sharing more about Beth Moore’s latest Bible study, James.

May you have a blessed weekend!

Faith-Filled Friday

Welcome to Faith-Filled Friday!

Do you ever find that your life seems to be spiraling out of control because of your surrounding circumstances? Do you ever feel like it’s just too much to handle?

Me too…

This has been a really rough week for me…emotionally. I’m really not sure what it is…circumstances, hormones, people…probably some of each. It just seems that nothing is going right…the way I think it should go at least.

When you find yourself falling into a pit and struggling to climb out…what or who do you turn to?

I have learned that there is only one source that can help me and that is my mighty & powerful God! Too often I allow myself to get too wrapped up in this world…circumstances, people, events…

Stormie Omartain in The Power of the Praying Woman says it like this…’we risk waking up one day with that empty, insecure feeling in the pit of our stomach frightening us with the thought that our foundation may be turning into sand and our protective armor may be becoming as fragile as an eggshell.’ I’ve felt that this week. She also says about herself, ‘There wasn’t anything else that could satisfy the hunger I felt inside except more of His presence.’

So, that is why I’ve come to the conclusion this week to lay some things down use for the next 30 days and draw near to God (James 4:8). Stormie will help me do that while I read and pray through her powerful book, The Power of a Praying Woman. There just happens to be 30 chapters…one for each day of September.

(If you are a friend of mine on Facebook, no need to worry about me…it’s one of the things I’ve decided to lay down. I will continue to share here on my blog…my artwork and more of my reflections over the next 30 days…I think my blog posts will still post to Facebook…I just won’t be checking Facebook for the next 30 days. Feel free to contact me through my blog if you need anything.)

I can not wait to see what God will do in my life in the next 30 days! If you have any desire to draw close to God, won’t you join me? Stormie says, ‘I want to help you draw close to your heavenly Father, to feel His arms around you, to maintain a right heart before Him, to live in the confidence of knowing you are in the center of His will, to discover more fully who He made you to be, to find wholeness and completeness in Him, and to move into all He has for you.

You can purchase her book through Amazon by clicking on the picture below. If you want it immediately…get the Kindle version…you can download free applications for your computer, iPods and phones to read it if you don’t own a Kindle.

From the Back Cover

"I have come to know that God can smooth my path, calm the storms, keep me and I all care about safe, and even make my way simple when I ask Him to carry the complexities of life for me. But these things don’t just happen. Not without prayer."

Prayer is powerful—but do you know how to pray for yourself?

It may seem easier to pray for your spouse, your children, your friends, and your extended family, but God wants to hear your requests for your life too. He loves it when you come to Him for the things you need and ask Him to help you become the woman you have always longed to be.

Stormie Omartian has led nearly 2 million women into deeper, more fulfilling prayer lives. Now, through her knowledge of Scripture and candid examples of her own epiphanies in prayer, she shows you how to:

• draw closer to God
• know His plans and purposes for your life
• receive comfort, help, and strength for every day

Trust Him moment by moment with the concerns of your heart and discover the awesome power prayer will release in your life.

***

‘Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.’ ~James 4:8

If you have any prayer requests that you’d like to share with me, I’d love to pray for you. You can leave me a public comment below or contact me privately.

Have a blessed day,

It’s About the Cross

 

Yum! Spicy Squash Casserole

Looking for something a little different to cook for dinner?

I thought I’d share this recipe I found at http://www.allrecipes.com last week. I tweaked it some because of the ingredients I had on hand. I really think it would be great with crushed tortilla chips sprinkled on top, but didn’t think of it ‘til after we ate. It was so delicious that I’m making more for tonight…it’s actually in the oven as I type this and yes, I added some crushed tortilla chips this time.

Spicy Squash Casserole

2 tablespoons butter
3 yellow squash, sliced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
10 oz can Rotel, drained
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup mayonnaise w/lime
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute squash in butter until tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef, and onion, stirring until beef is evenly browned. Drain off grease. Add Rotel to ground beef and onion and stir. In a large bowl, mix together the squash, eggs, and mayonnaise. Stir in the ground beef mixture and Cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish. (Sprinkle crushed tortilla chips & more cheese on top if desired)

3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until heated through.

Enjoy!