Peanut Butter Balls

Mix:

2 C. peanut butter

1 lb. powder sugar

1 stick margarine

1 tsp vanilla

Roll into balls and chill.

Dip into melted chocolate.

Yum.

Chicken with Apricots

1 1/4 C dried orzo pasta

1 15 oz can unpeeled apricot halves in syrup (save 1/2 C syrup)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 1/2 t curry powder

salt

pepper

2 T olive oil

6 green onions

1. Cook orzo; drain.

Drain apricots (save 1/2 C syrup) and cut into wedges.

2. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 t curry powder, salt & pepper.

Cook in hot oil on large skillet over medium heat until done.

Add apricots last 2 minutes of cooking.

Transfer chicken and apricots onto dinner plates.

3. Cut tops of 2 green onions into diagonal slices; chop remaining onions.

Add chopped green onions and curry powder to oil. Cook and stir for 1 minute.

Stir in orzo and reserved apricot syrup; heat through.

4. Spoon orzo mixture onto plates with chicken. Sprinkle with green onion tops.

What is there to lose?

"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10

Mary and I started the Complacency Challenge several months ago. Our goal was to challenge complacency in our lives.

"...and the complacency of fools will destroy them." Proverbs 1:32

The complacency. Our complacency in Knowledge. Our complacency in Truth.

com⋅pla⋅cen⋅cy

  [kuhm-pley-suhn-see]

–noun, plural -cies.

1.	a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.

2.	Archaic. a. friendly civility; inclination to please; complaisance. b. a civil act.

But look at definition two. Friendly. Civility. Inclination to please.

Complacency. To please. To please whom?

I'm going to venture a guess that complacency is not an inclination to please God. Rather, it's an inclination to please man.

Why are we so eager to please man?

Is it because we are afraid of "failure?"

Are we insecure?

Are we trying to "fit in?"

Do we think it will help us to "succeed?"

Our society teaches tolerance and acceptance. We are surrounded by commercials and posters telling us to accept and to tolerate.

God tells us

"...As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34

But does He want us to accept and to tolerate?

"But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the One you received, or a different gospel from the One you accepted, you put up with it easily enough." 2 Corinthians 11:3-4

We "put up with it." We tolerate it. We accept it.

Why? Why do we "put up with" it?

MckMama posted a video awhile back of Penn Gillette receiving a Bible.

He is not a believer. But appreciates the person's gift. He talks about if you saw a semi barreling down the road about to hit someone, wouldn't you let them know?

If you believe that people who do not know Christ will spend an eternity in Hell, shouldn't you let them know?

I have friends that say they are agnostic. Do I love them? Yes.

Should I love them? Of course!

Do I accept their beliefs? Admittedly, yes.

Should I accept their beliefs? Absolutely not!

So why do I? Why am I so willing to accept a lie? What am I afraid of? Why am I trying to please man? Why am I being complacent?

What do I have to lose if I shout out the Truth? Nothing.

What do they have to lose if I don't? Everything.

Do you know Him?

If you do, are you shouting out the Truth?

If you don't, you can.

"For God so loved the world that He sent his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Whoever believes in Him. Everyone who believes in Him.

His promise is for me. His promise is for you.

"Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13

Call upon Him. Pray to Him. Seek Him.

Lord, Thank You for the Truth. Thank You for Your saving Grace. Lord, please help me to stop being complacent. Help me to stop being afraid. Make me bold. Make me a voice of truth. Give me the voice to yell, scream, and shout Your Truth. Make me unashamed. Don't let me put up with falsehoods. Help me to see that everything is on the line. Help me to love others enough to speak the Truth. Thank You for Your Truth. Amen.

Movers & Painters

Beth Moore sparked a debate this week about movers and non-movers on her blog when she asked readers if they liked to rearrange their furniture or if they found a spot for it and kept it there.

I am a mover that owns non-mover furniture. Because our sectional and tv are so massive and because of our open floor plan, I'm not sure if there's another arrangement that would work for our living room. Or dining room for that matter. I often stand in the middle of our house and picture our dining room table facing the other way... then decide that just cant happen.

So while I'm itching to move my furniture but feel stuck... I grab the paint brush and paint. Walls, furniture, frames, pictures, etc, etc, etc. Our master bedroom and bath have each been painted (at least) three times since we built the house (just over a year ago). My husband tells our dog not to lay still too long or he may wake up a different color.

Exhibit A:

Before:

After:

(Note the nightstand and the pillows (in the second picture I hadn't yet sewn the pillows... I need to take some updated pictures). Oh, and if you were here when I was debating the latest color... I realize this is a bit different from the teal I was looking at. I just cant help it!)

So if being a mover really is a psychological disorder, what about someone that does not move the furniture but paints the walls. Or worse, someone that often paints the walls but refuses to stray away from a white blog background.........

How about you? As we start a new year, are you mixing up your furniture? painting your walls? changing your blog background? Or keeping it all the same?

Beyond Myself

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galations 5:22-23

As I was mentally preparing for my first night of "Living Beyond Yourself" study today, I quickly blogged on the Complacency Challenge how my January calendar was a little overwhelming. I half jokingly asked prayer warriors to pray for that schedule but was quietly begging God to have someone take my request serious.
I'm now home from my first night of "Living Beyond Yourself," another Beth Moore study. As I hurried to get there (I was a few minutes late), I wondered if it would be worthwhile. I prayed that it would be relevant. I asked God to really use it in my life and to change me.
Uh huh.
I'm not even sure where to start when I tell you how excited I am about this study. Let me attempt to break it down.

Reason #1:
When the video started, Beth quickly went into saying how we were all there for a purpose. As I was thinking, "This better be good. It better be worth the one night a week commitment on my calender," Beth caught my attention by saying "This is on His calendar."
He ordained this meeting. He is happening. Right now. Right here. Right in the midst of that 'every day, except for two, is booked solid' calendar.

Reason #2:
Remember I questioned if it would be relevant? She answered, or rather asked, that too. Bullet point one on living:
1. The in-depth study of this biblical concept offers an affirmative answer to an important question: Is this relevant? It is! Could he have hit me upside the head anymore than that?

Yes. Yes He can....
Which brings me to
Reason #3:
If you've gotten an email from me lately, you've maybe noticed the signature automatically attached at the end.
"The same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead is alive in me." (ref. Ephesians 1:19-20)
I've looked at this the last week and contemplated changing it. I've wondered if it even resonates in the slightest with anyone that is on the receiving end of those emails. Or, even, if others read that and think I'm self-absorbed or boasting (I'm not) that there is power in me.
But there is power in me. His.

And if you know Him, it's in you too.

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." Acts 1:8
This is not a personal power. It's not boasting or saying we are powerful. It is bigger than that. It is better than that. It is His power. He is in us. He fills us with the power for things we would otherwise face powerless. We can do all and accomplish all through Him and with His power.

Through the infiltrating power of the Holy Spirit, I can...
DO things I COULDN'T
FEEL things I DIDN'T
KNOW things I WOULDN'T

God is God. He lives in me. and if you know Him, He lives in you.

Reason #4 is a prayer request that I'll keep in between me and God for right now. But guess what, He answered it. He answered it better than I could have imagined.

Isn't He great?

Lord, Thank You. Thank You for for ordaining this meeting with You. Thank You for always being here. No matter how full my calendar is, You are always here. Lord, I pray for myself and for each one of my dear friends that as we look at the calendar in 2010 that we make time for You. Lord, please fill our lives with more of You. Please help us to see You in every single appointment on our calendars. Thank You for living in us. Thank You for Your almighty power that those of us that know you have. Lord I also pray tonight for those that don't know You and feel so powerless right now. I pray that You will use me to reach them and to share You with them so that they may be filled to the full with Your power. Thank You, thank You, thank You Lord. Amen.

Happy New Year!

Kelly's "Show Us Your Life" for New Years is to post your New Years Resolution.

I've never actually had a New Year's Resolution before. I am always setting goals but never actually got in on the resolution setting.

This year, I want to complete Project365. Everyday of the year, I plan to take a photo. I have started another blog (yes, another one) where I'll be collecting all of my pictures. I would love to make that blog into a scrapbook at the end of the year.

Day one photo is above. Because midnight is considered today, right? And it's much prettier than a picture of us in our sweatpants on the couch watching football (or, in my case, blogging...) today.

Did you set a New Years Resolution this year?
Are you dreaming God-sized dreams for 2010?
Have you read this post yet?

Happy New Year!

Hickstionary: Project 365 Blog

Double Dose

This week, we were lucky enough to get a double dose of the P. boys. Tuesday the whole fam came over for dinner. J. enjoyed digging through the toy closet finding new Christmas sale toys.


I. played with the mailing labels and put together some stationary sets he was going to send letters on.

Yesterday, A. brought the boys over and I took them sledding. When we (finally!) came inside to get some hot chocolate, the boys decided they'd rather have juice boxes, ice cream, and peanut butter.

When the mail came, I. was so excited to check our mailbox. We pulled the mail out and Dakota had a letter in there from him. What perfect timing! He included a list of Dakota's favorite things.

Thanks for the fun times, boys! We've missed you this basketball season!