Living as a Victorious Christian Woman

Everyone is looking for easy weeknight dinners, and sheet pan meals are where it's at. In less than an hour and with only a handful of ingredients and spices, you'll have your meat and potatoes all taken care of - just add vegetables and dessert! Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods in the world, and these oven-roasted ones are tasty, crispy, and all kinds of wonderful. They go into the oven while you're prepping the steak in a skillet, which is my kind of multi-tasking! Feel free to play with spices for the steak and the sweet potatoes until you find a combination you love. Then let me know what you choose! Ingredients: 4 top sirloin steaks 10 small sweet potatoes, cut into quarters olive oil Italian seasoning Steak seasoning 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 2. Toss sweet potato quarters with olive oil in a large bowl. Season with Italian seasoning and toss to coat. 3. Spread sweet potatoes in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast at 450 for 35-40 minutes, stirring on...

When we go out on the property for the first time each spring, we know there will always be some trees knocked over. Sometimes they've broken in half, other times just the tops have fallen, while some trees will break off at the base of the trunk. It's always an adventure to get these pieces out of the paths so the tractor will cut through easily. There are some trees, though, that fall over in the wind, and we're able to see the entire root ball sticking up. There are incredibly strong winds in Iowa, especially during the winter, and a tree that doesn't have an established root system will keel over, going root-side-up in an instant. What causes roots to not dig deep? Young trees just haven't had enough time to root down deep for strength. Some trees have too much water or too little water and topple over easily. If it's been a dark and dreary year, the lack of sun will stunt the growth of tree roots. And if the soil where they've planted themselves isn...

When your husband says "We're making chicken this way from now on," you know you've got a keeper of a recipe. Yes, that is a direct quote. This simple, 4-ingredient slow-cooker chicken is the perfect way to cook a whole chicken with minimal effort. And I'm all for minimal effort these days - I'm just saying. There are specific seasoning blends that work great with chicken, and it's always fun to experiment with some new ones. I used a Creole seasoning blend that I found in Louisiana, and I would love to hear what you've chosen. Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, giblets removed 1/2 cup avocado oil 1/2 cup seasoning mix (I used a Creole blend) 4 Tbsp minced garlic 1 can chicken broth 1. Heat the slow cooker to high. 2. In a small bowl, combine the avocado oil and seasoning mix until a paste forms. Rub the paste over the entire chicken and set it in the cooker. 3. Rub the minced garlic throughout the cavity of the chicken. 4. Pour chicken broth around the chi...

We've probably all heard Jesus' story of the mustard seed of faith since we were little. I remember seeing a necklace with a tiny orb containing a single mustard seed and thinking, What, that's it? Tiny person, tiny thoughts, I suppose. But isn't that the point of the story? The mustard seed is so small, but its result is so powerful. And Jesus said unto then, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matthew 17:20 Once again, the disciples just weren't getting it. I know we can be tough on them for not understanding Jesus' words so many times, but would we be any different? I'm not so sure. But this time, Jesus couldn't have been more clear. You can't do what I've commanded you to do because of your unbelief. Talk about leading with the truth. Our Lord never said anyth...

Yesterday afternoon, Danny and I took a walk around the far side of the property to take in the sights. It's a little harder to walk on that side, but we really wanted to get out and enjoy the day, while seeing how difficult it might be to cut the trails in this spring. The first thing we discovered was that the beavers are incredibly active. They've been working diligently to dam up the drain from the big pond to the creek, but it only took Danny a couple of minutes to thwart their efforts. I've always thought this clearing would be the perfect place for a natural amphitheater. Can't you just see actors or musicians or teenagers doing various things at the top of that hill and the seats down below? Gravity may be an issue, but I have faith in defying the laws of physics. The big pond is so clear right now, and those wispy white clouds took my breath away. The ridge also takes my breath away, but not in a good way. Hill + asthma = let's take it nice and slow. There ...

You know those nuggets of sausage and cheese that someone always brings to your church potluck. You know the ones - they're held together with cream cheese, love, and other good things that make them addictive. Honestly, I don't know why I never tried these for myself. I've just always enjoyed eating someone else's labor, I guess. But this weekend I pulled out my hand mixer, gathered my ingredients, and made these adorable little balls of goodness. I can't believe they only use four ingredients and can be prepared in just a few minutes. And you don't cook the sausage beforehand, so that saves a ton of time. Did I mention that they're addictive? Just making sure you're prepared. You can even store these in the freezer, cooked or uncooked, and make them as needed. And trust me, you'll definitely need them. Ingredients: 1lb ground breakfast sausage 8oz cream cheese, softened 1 1/4 cups Bisquick 4oz cheddar cheese, finely shredded 1. Preheat oven to 400 ...

Here they come. There's no stopping them. Just accept it. Diesel's turning on the eyes. Apparently using the eyes is tiring. Now the eyelids close and the snoring begins.

After three months of 2023, I honestly thought I would have read more books by now. I feel like I've read a lot and studied a lot, but maybe I'm moving at a slower pace so I can absorb it. My word of the year is grace, and it's probably time to give myself some. At some point in mid-March I realized that I'd read many Bible study books and nonfiction, but I'd completely ignored my shelves of fiction. I know, right? Slap my hand for that one. So I pulled out one of my favorite sets, one study book I've had for a while and one brand-new study book. Here are my favorite passages from each. Woven: Understanding the Bible as One Seamless Story by Angie Smith. "I want to scream when I think about it. I want to scream and fight to get to him, same as I would if he were a child of mine. But that's not where the thread of God's story was leading - to a last-second rescue, to a deathless redemption. The spotless, righteous Lamb of God must suffer. Like this. ...