SHINGLES STINK

I have shingles again. Shingles hurt, I mean really hurt, but I think Kidney stones are worse, well maybe not worse but Kidney stones stink too (had those a few times too, they don't last as long for me though). Shingles stink, but .... These people don't: James, and Lisa, Kristin, Natalie, Jim and Wendy, Elizabeth, Kelly and Erica, Kim and Jessica. All of these people either fed my family, took my child to school, delivered food, kept nursery or made an adament offer to do one of those things. There were others that offered things that I know that I could have called on. We are so thankful for help. We don't have grandmas to come and stay for a week. We need our church and school family. Praise God. He is the one that this love flows from. Of course we are most thankful for Him.
His love has been shown greatly to me by my wonderful husband, who although he sent our son to school without a jacket this morning in what had to be 20 something degree weather (I'm sorry I had to mention that - that is just funny - the boy had to borrow a coat from lost and found!!) Getting back on track... My wonderful husband has done a magnificent job of working fulltime and some OT while caring for this entire family with very little help from me. He even made me hashbrowns with onions and diced tomatoes this morning, just beacause that is what I thought that I could eat. He started with an actual whole potato by the way.
Please pray that my illness is very short lived. I am dying to hug my husband and kids without guarding and whincing. I am actually really wanting to cook. I look forward to two straight days without nausea and no sensations of needles piercing my skin. I also want to take a shower for more than three minutes. Believe me, when your skin feels like this you don't even use conditioner. I've tried a bath but that has its pitfalls too.
I praise you God for this time. Oh how much more thankful I will be for those hugs, the ability to cook, wear a bra and go out in publc, have nausea free days, take hot adequate showers.....
You have mercifully shown me in the past in concrete terms just how your ways are better than mine. Shingles stink, they sure do, but all the more clearly they show me how I depend on YOU!

Dad's Great Green Chili - (From Eating For Life Cookbook)

Dad's Great Green Chili -Eating for Life by Bill Phillips

• 8 Cups fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth


• 1 Onion, finely chopped


• 8 Portions chicken breast (about 2 pounds- I used 3 large bone in breasts and that was plenty)


• 2 Packages Roasted Chicken Gravy Mix


• 5 cans (4 oz. each) mild diced green chiles- original recipe calls for 3-7oz. cans I can only find 4 oz and just used 5 cans + a little more


• 6 Cloves Garlic minced


• 1/2 Cup fresh cilantro - I used much less Bill has recently decided that he doesn't like cilantro so I just used a few sprigs - but it was great!!


• 1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin


• 2 Jalapenos, seeded and chopped (wear gloves if you can and don't rub those eyes) - It really doesn't make it too hot - both kids loved it.


• 1 Can (28 ounces) white hominy, drained - I couldn't find that size can so got two small ones and used 1.5 cans. I think putting both would have been fine.


• 8 (6inch) flour tortillas


• 1 Tomato, diced


• 1/2 cup fat free sour cream

• In a large pot, combine chicken broth, onion and chicken breasts. Heat to boiling over high heat. Then reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from the broth and set aside to cool.


• Use whisk to blend gravy mix into the broth. Then add chiles, garlic, cilantro, cumin, jalapenos and hominy. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; then reduce heat to low.


• Shred the cooked chicken by pulling it apart with two forks, and add it back into the broth. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.


• Warm flour tortillas by placing them between two damp paper towels and microwaving on high for 45 seconds.


• Spoon a portion of the green chili (about 1 1/2 cups) into each bowl, top with a spoonful of diced tomato and a tablespoon of sour cream.


• Fold a warmed tortilla, and place it beside the bowl of chili for dipping.

This stuff is great even without the toppings. This is a healthy meal.

OZ Pizza Fire

Will cried this morning when I told him about the OZ pizza fire. From the way the news reported this morning, it sounded like it started there. Pics from the noon news show the involvement mostly to the left of the restaurant. This building has been there for over a hundred years. Will's football team has had fundraisers there. He LOVES old buildings. He is a major history buff. The building is across the street from school. Our family has eaten there and made memories. I spoke to Will about things on this earth being temporal and how that God is sovereign. We will continue to pray for the people who will be looking for jobs. Uncertain what the future is for that part of the building. It's just a building, I know. It just has special memories of this brief time that we have been back in GA.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purposes." Romans 8:28

Fire Ravages Fairburn Retail Center FOX 5 Atlanta myfoxatlanta.com

This Blog ....

Well hello there (If anyone is still there after my very long absence). I considered a post title of this blog sucks (quite vulgar and not positive). I have had blogger's block. I haven't posted much on facebook lately either. Reasons: A) I have been trying to limit my time on the computer and with help from God do a better job at mothering and housekeeping. B) I have found myself feeling that my posts would be boastful. I just couldn't think of anything that wasn't. Not that we are full of great successes around here right now or anything, but I just haven't felt comfortable posting the pics of "those good parts" of life. I take far more pics of those things than the occasional pic of my daughter covered in something because her Mom wasn't watching her closely enough or the many spills and broken jelly jars I cause. I have never taken a picture of my son to remember the time he brought a note home from school because he chose to mimic another child's hand motion (no not that one - we got that one out of the way a while back). I am certainly not saying that blog posts about these things are boastful. In fact, I plan to do one of my marathon catch you up pic posts soon. I was just feeling that way. Not sure why, I'll leave it at that.

I am hoping to be able to manage my time more wisely and be able to fit some blogging in. I don't scrapbook, so this IS our family's scrapbook. Thanks to the friends and family and anyone else who takes the time to share in it. I plan to share a recipe with you soon for a healthy and oh so good green chili. (I am stingy with recipes. No I am not one of those freaks that will REFUSE to give you a recipe. I will just ask you not to bring certain ones to things in the same circle as me. I mean who wants to bring their lasagna to a new mother the night after someone else has brought the same thing- trivial I know - or the week before you plan to bring your Apple Dumplings -Well not really yours but PW's- someone else beats you to the punch - again trivial ).

Well I've already spent more time than I should here. Thanks for reading and thanks to all you fellow bloggers for being generous with beautiful pics of your families, recipes, general know how, meditations on the Word and YOUR TIME! These things take time. We do them primarily for our families I'm sure but they are often helpful and encouraging to your readers.

M

Daddy, Thankfulness and Family

My Daddy is in the hospital on a ventilator. He has pneumonia and is likely septic. My Mama is a mess. The family is stressed. I pray that we can all seek the peace that only God can give. I pray that we are all refined through this. I pray that Daddy be healed if it is God's will.
Bill and I prayed together for a long time last night. So many people were in our joint prayer. The fact that I can and do pray with my husband and can approach the Father because of what the Son has done... That is what I am most thankful for. My salvation and how it is part of my life now, not just my get out of hell free card.
We are dealing with stresses in the Lawton family right now too. We are trying to find a time that we can have our Christmas gathering together. Tensions are rising. I'm not sure if I should be mentioning this on the blog or not... My intention is that my friends who keep up with me on this blog will pray. I also want to document this very stressful but thankful time in our lives.
Bill and I are thankful that anyone even wants to see us and try to have the family together in one place.

A post is coming soon.... Lord willing

Life isn't always pretty...

Well, I have lots of pics to share when the creative bug hits me again. But not now. We have had 3 quite interesting weeks. We have been sick! Well we all started with this respiratory illness on the same night, a Sat night three Sats ago. We haven't ever all gotten sick at once before. Well the kids got better quickly, Bill and I however, did not. Approx 9 days later I woke up with my eye matted together and decided that I had more than a cold. I went to the PA and got some oral antibiotics and a refill for the antibiotic eye ointment that I had from the last time I had conjunctivitis. Then two days later I had severe pain and tearing in said eye and the Ophthalmologist confirmed a corneal abrasion (scratched eye). That day Bill got abx (antibiotics) from the PA. 2AM that morning Will knocks on our bedroom door, "I just threw up". He has a loft bed and just leaned over the side....SPLAT! The next morning I began to throw up and realized that I had been having chills the night before. The next day Bill gets a fever and then has severe tummy troubles for a day. The whole saga ends?? with Laura Ann getting conjunctivitis a fever and diarrhea. Oh yeah Bill got conjunctivitis (pink eye) in that span of time too. Bill missed most of the week of work. Will missed two days of school and 1 football practice. Bill was unable to coach football for several practices and two games (at least). We all missed small group once.
Switching gears here. I get calls. Drama filled calls. I won't mention where they come from. Some that know me know. These calls upset me. I mean heart racing, stomach in knots ready to cry upset me. It should be as simple as not answering the phone but it isn't. I pray, not as often as I should, to respond in a Christ-like manner to these calls. I fall short. Life isn't always pretty, but Jesus is always my Savior. Praise God. One day these calls will stop or be replaced with different calls from another person. I pray that through my sanctification that I will glorify God in the next call. I hate the disruption to my family. (When Mama is upset...)
Funny thing, these calls always make me more thankful. I am so thankful for my protective, loving, sweet, giving, humble, (I could go on and on) husband that pursues holiness and is a wonderful father. God scooped me up the day that He called me to himself. Some years later, God used Bill on this earth to provide a safe, peace pursuing, God honoring home for me. Those strong arms and shoulders love me. God blesses me through them.

Life isn't always pretty, but Jesus is always my Savior.