Living as a Victorious Christian Woman

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...

I hope you're ready to start transitioning to autumn. I know I am because it's my favorite time of year. I'm a sweater lover, an under-the-blankets reader, and a piping-hot coffee kind of girl. And that carries over to the food we eat, too. While I'm not an All Things Pumpkin Spice person, I do enjoy some pumpkin-themed treats along the way. That's why this one-step, four-ingredient pumpkin dip was the best choice to kick off this wonderful season. Ingredients: 15 oz can pumpkin pie filling 8 oz container extra creamy whipped topping 3.4 oz package vanilla instant pudding mix (not prepared pudding, just the powder) 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice Nilla wafers for dipping 1. In a large bowl, combine all four ingredients and blend until smooth.  2. Refrigerate until chilled and serve with Nilla wafers or another favorite cookie.

Four ingredients. Four steps. I sense a pattern here. A yummy pattern that you will repeat frequently, trust me. These simple appetizers are so addictive that you'll have to make a second batch. And possibly a third. Ingredients: Butter-flavored crackers Brown sugar Thick-cut bacon, each strip cut in half Maple syrup 1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place a baking rack on a baking sheet. 2. Put about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar on each cracker. Wrap a  half slice of bacon around each topped cracker. 3. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour and 50 minutes. 4. Drizzle each cracker with maple syrup and return to oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly before eating.

You can tell that I was in my history phase this month when you look at my book list for August. I've had a lot on my plate at work, and I'm studying Exodus for our youth group series starting tomorrow. The history books have been a great relaxation tool for when I need a pick-me-up. The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker - the one work-related book I read over the past few weeks is also one of the best about the hospitality industry that I've ever read. It combines interpersonal communication and the world of event planning in ways I'd never thought about. I may not look at large-group travel the same again. The Last Outlaws: The Desperate Final Days of The Dalton Gang by Tom Clavin - I knew about the Dalton Gang from reading a book about Jesse James, so it was fun to read a little deeper into their history, too. A lot of these outlaws came through Iowa, so that was particularly fascinating. It's difficult to read about all the things criminals have done to other peo...

Take a moment and grab your favorite pen, pencil, marker, highlighter - anything you can write with. I'll wait. Why did you choose that one? Is it sentimental? Pretty? Easy to use? Your favorite color? And what do you do with your writing tool? You write words!  Words are so important in school , on the job, at home, and out in the world. Many times we take what we say (or don’t say) for granted, but in Proverbs, Solomon says we have to be serious about what we say. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:21 We all have to think about what we say before it comes spilling out because our words affect people - whether we mean to or not. But how do we know what we should and shouldn’t say? Paul wrote: For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 1 Corinthians 3:19 God doesn’t care what the world says. He doesn’t care what influencers...

Are you sitting there today trying to figure it all out? Is your jaw clenched, your shoulders tight, your brow furled over some situation or circumstance that you don't understand? If you just worry over it a little longer, will that help? If you honestly don't know the answer, it's no. No, worry doesn't help. Worry creates stress, not relief.  Yes, this is the voice of experience speaking. Worry. Will. Not. Help. But what do you do to beat the stress? How do you defeat the worry and find peace? First, unclench your jaw. Then drop your shoulders. Raise your eyebrows to release the frown. That's a good start. Now open a new note on your phone and title it: Stress Busters. Yes, I'm going to help you combat your stress by looking at your phone. Ironic, huh? As the first entry of your new Stress Buster note, type in Psalm 107:29 - He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. What better way to start de-stressing than with Scripture? And the psalm...

All I wanted was one good picture of our pack to use in social media. Monday is National Dog Day, so we're posting pictures of our puppies. At least that was my plan. Ever been booped by a Great Dane? You have now. "Stay" means absolutely nothing. Not only is Molly large and in charge, she's also stubborn and pushy. And the boys let her do pretty much whatever she wants. You try telling her no... Diesel's still there - he's just behind the big dog. Parker tried to do what I asked for, but he eventually got distracted by a bird. Diesel tried to take his place. Then I had the boys but no Molly. And Diesel was busy sneezing. The pollen count is high. Finally, after changing directions and bringing out crackers for bribes, I got them all in one place.  And if their smiles don't make you smile, I don't know what will. Except Diesel. He's just concerned that he's not getting the treats. This picture says it all.

Are you going through a spiritual battle right now? Is someone you know struggling and you're not sure how to help? My  Soundtrack to the War  has 33 songs that have been my battle cry in hard times. Each one has the truth of God's word behind it, making this playlist perfect for the times you need someone to come alongside you. Here are just the first ten songs in the list:  1. Good God Almighty - Crowder 2. Rise Up (Lazarus) - CAIN & Zach Williams 3. Yes He Can - CAIN 4. Stand My Ground - Zach Williams 5. Hallelujah Even Here - Lydia Laird 6. Fires - Jordan St. Cyr 7. No Hold On Me - Matty Mullins 8. Say I Won't - MercyMe 9. Won't He Do It - Koryn Hawthorne 10. Under My Feet - Zach Williams Check out this fear-fighting playlist by clicking HERE . 

In all the wicked storms that have gone through Iowa recently, we've been blessed to lose just a few trees. We have more than 23 acres of timber, so toppled trees is always a possibility when the weather gets dramatic. But we were surprised/not surprised to see this tree that fell on the little levee. It must have fallen sometime during the last storm, but we just hadn't noticed it. I had planned on taking the side-by-side down to fish this weekend and take some time at my prayer bench, but my plans have been temporarily thwarted until we have time to cut and clear it. Please note that I said temporarily thwarted. I still have every intention of going fishing, I just have to adjust my schedule a bit. I still plan to take my Bible down and pray in my favorite spot, it just won't be at that exact time.  On the same day that we saw the fallen tree, the Streams in the Desert devotion was about obstacles. God's timing is perfect, right?  We get frustrated when our carefully...

No one told me that the first birthday you celebrate without your mom would hurt so much. Like how you had this feeling all day that you'd forgotten something, forgotten to call her, forgotten to go see her. But you haven't forgotten. Not even close. Through tears this week, I found two pictures she took that spoke volumes to my heart. In the first one, I was learning how to walk by holding on to a piece of furniture, then reaching for the other one and grabbing on tight before I let go of the first one. I wasn't about to let a little distance keep me from moving forward and onward and upward. In the second, in a story my mom told me so many times that I have it memorized, I was doing something I wasn't supposed to do. She didn't want me to hit my head under the table, but every time those rings just happened to go under there, I had to go get them. Then I'd look proud of myself and show them off ... before I sent them flying and went right back underneath the t...

Did you go to one of those schools that had a special tater tot lunch a couple of times a month? I usually brown-bagged my lunch, but not on tater tot day! Those were good times ... good times. Comfort food isn't regulated to cold days or special occasions. Try this leveled-up tater tot casserole and see if you feel like you're back in school or as happy as a fall day. Ingredients: 1lb ground beef 1 small yellow onion, diced 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 can cream of mushroom soup 2 cups frozen green beans, thawed 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 28oz bag frozen tater tots 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. 2. In a medium cast iron skillet, brown the ground beef with the diced onion. Drain any grease and stir in Worcestershire sauce. 3. Spread ground beef mixture in the bottom of the baking dish. Layer soup, then green beans, then cheddar cheese, then tator tots. 4. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until tater tots are browned...

In our house, we have the best birthday tradition. Danny does the planning for my birthday surprise, and I just have to go along for the ride. It is the most fun I've ever had because he always picks something different and interesting. This year he took me to Boone, Iowa, to go on Rail Explorers, and it was amazing. The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad is one of the great Iowa tourism destinations, and they've added these pedal-assist railcars to their arsenal of fun. As soon as we pulled up to the parking lot, I knew by the logo where we were. Designed for two or four people, the seat on the right runs the motor while the passenger twirls the pedals and makes it look like she's helping. I'm very good at that part. The looking like she's helping part. Large groups of people can go at once, leaving three railroad cars' length between each car. Most of the time it felt like we were the only ones on the tracks, which was a cool feeling. The track they use is bea...

Ice cream has been an almost daily part of my day all my life. Dress it up, eat it plain, turn anything you want into a la mode. It's one of those versatile foods that makes me smile no matter how it's served. Since tomorrow is my birthday and ice cream is one of my favorite things, here are just a few fun, sweet treats you can make to help me celebrate. Click the link for all the details. Breakfast Cereal Ice Cream Frosted Animal Cookie Ice Cream and Cookies Homemade Blackberry Ice Cream Ice Cream Sundae Sauce Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches Peaches and Cream Milkshakes Apple Enchiladas and Ice Cream Enjoy!

As a bibliophile and lover of the written word, antique books do my heart good. We had racks of Cool Old Stuff at our last book sale, and it was emptied so quickly that I know there are others who feel the same way. That's why this book of children's poetry from 1930, reprinted in 1938, is such a treasure. Even more so with my grandmother's maiden name on the bookplate. She was born in 1921, so this would have been hers as a teenager. That puts in perspective, doesn't it? It's full of classic works by Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Joyce Kilmer, and Rudyard Kipling, but also by many poets I'm not familiar with. Two women painted all the silhouettes for the book, which are their own works of art alongside the poetry. These were the days when culture was taught at an early age, which is such a beautiful thing. She had several tiny slips of paper marking her place, making me wonder why she chose those pages. Was the girl from Iowa fascinated by the thought of whale...