Posts

That Email

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The response to my email was short and sweet. And filled with passive aggressive blame. I reached out with a question, and now suddenly I was in the wrong.  It's not the first time this has happened. This is an amazing person with lots of great qualities, an opinion I share frequently with other people, but communication is not one of them. Their intelligence, passion, and expertise are quickly overshadowed by a sharp tongue and lack of patience that turn into overblown situations. Do you know how hard it was to not stay in the flesh and respond in kind? Of course you do. I'm sure you've had similar conversations, both digitally and in person. An eye for an eye and pain for pain just because you can - it's so easy and would feel so good momentarily. Other people do it and get away with it. What I wanted to do was sit down at my computer and fire back word for word and hurt for hurt. I can still feel the heat in my face when I think about those words. Someone's got t...

Italian Sausage Ravioli Bake

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It's been so long since I've actually felt like cooking. Oh, we're not starving and there have been meals on the table, but I've not felt that joy in the kitchen for quite some time. As I've been processing everything that's happened over the past year, though, that healing is drawing me back to the things I love. Instead of just deleting the recipes that show up in my email inbox like I normally would, last week I opened one of them. This lovely (and simple) ravioli bake was in there, and I couldn't resist.  I'd much rather have ground sausage than ground beef any day, so that sealed the deal. And we loved it! The recipe below is just how I fixed it. Next time I would use a thicker pasta sauce so it would be heartier, and I'd like a meat-filled ravioli to make it a little more substantial. After you try it, let me know what you loved and if you'd make any other substitutions. Ingredients: 1 1/2lb bulk Italian sausage 2 Tbsp minced garlic 2 24oz ...

My Word Of The Year - Breathe!

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I'm ready to breathe. It's been that kind of year. After I wash and dry my face at night, I've caught myself letting out the biggest sigh ever. Then I realize I probably haven't breathed deeply all day. Or I'll hold my breath because I'm stressed or in a rush or so busy that I just forget to inhale. And exhale. And repeat. Breathing has always been an issue for me, physically anyway. I've suffered from exercise-induced asthma all my life, and sometimes just walking is a challenge depending on the day. I remember not being able to walk all the laps around the school in elementary gym class, and sitting on the bleachers being glared at by other high school kids who had to run the track, but I couldn't. Breathing was more important, but it was hard to struggle and be different. So when I got the email quiz for this year's Dayspring word of 2025, imagine what it did to my heart when it came up with Breathe! If you've never taken their quiz, go to www...

How I'm Praying For My Husband In 2025

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Nineteen years ago today, I was one day away from marrying the love of my life.  I had no idea what the coming years would bring, but looking back, it was the best decision we have ever made together.  And the best anniversary present a woman can give her husband is the gift of prayer. Whether your special day is coming up soon or isn't for several months, start praying for him in some powerful ways today. * Pray that he will have a desire to grow spiritually, in some way, every day. (2 Peter 3:18) * Pray for his strength and endurance when he's at work. (Psalm 18:1-2) * Pray for God's guidance in making daily decisions. (Proverbs 1:5-7) * Pray that God will protect him from temptation and always show him a way out. (1 Corinthians 10:13) * Pray for his eyes to be opened to the joyful moments around him. (John 15:11) * Pray that he will take care of himself physically, being a good steward of the body God has given him. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) * Pray for traveling mercies wh...

Words For Wednesday

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5-Minute Prep Slow Cooker Roast

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This time of year, there's nothing better than a fix-it-and-forget-it meal. The busyness of fall just begs for the slow cooker, and a roast is at its best going low and slow all day long. Sounds like a perfect combination! The great thing about a beef roast is that there's so little prep you have to do before it goes in the slow cooker. I'm lucky if I remember my name in the morning, let alone a long prep process to prepare the evening meal. Does that sound like you, too? Here's my foolproof slow cooker roast to make your meal prep a little easier, too. I pour in just enough Pure Leaf raspberry tea to cover the bottom of the slow cooker. It's much more flavorful than water and not as heavy and fatty as broth. Then I coat both sides of the roast in Montreal steak seasoning, pressing it in to the surface of the meat to create a crust. Then it goes in the slow cooker on low for eight hours. My Crockpot automatically switches to warm at the end of the scheduled time, wh...

Words For Wednesday

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