In Case You've Caught the Mondays

Happy Monday everyone!

After two posts on Friday, I decided to take the weekend off from blogging. But don't worry, I have plenty to share today!

I will catch you up on my weekend really quickly (meh, kind of quickly).

Friday, I left work a little early because Jason and I had friends in town.

When I arrived home, a birthday/wedding present was waiting for me.

At first it was a mystery, and then on Saturday my sisters called and told me that the gift was from them! I love it (and so does Jason)!

We took our friends to New York Pizza, which was really fun. Jason and I just hung out for the rest of the evening.

Saturday was a busy day. We started out at the 5K Walk for Foster Care. I took us to the wrong park...oops! But once we got there, we had a great time. The weather was perfect and it was nice to start the day out early.

From there, we attempted to run some errands, but it honestly didn't happen. Everything we needed to do was closed. So...we went to lunch.

We hit up Stix by the Galleria thinking that they had a lunch menu, but they didn't. I got the teriyaki chicken with double veggies and no rice. I'm slowly but surely learning how to spell teriyaki (even though it's showing up as misspelled on my computer right now...uh oh).

Saturday was my sweet little neighbor's 87th birthday. Jason and I bought him a cupcake, card, plant, and balloon and left it for him Saturday morning. I ran into him as I was coming home from the grocery store on Saturday though and he said he didn't have dinner plans.

I was making dinner for Jason and myself, so I took some over to him.

Then...he told Jason that I need to go into the catering business.

Not sure what to think about that!

Anyway, here's what I made for dinner:

Jason's dinner is on top - Ziti Bake - and my sandwich and salad is below.

Once again, Jason and I ate together but separately. His dinner wasn't unhealthy, but I really wanted some frozen yogurt Saturday night, so I decided to use the remainder of the turkey from last week to make a sandwich.

I adapted the recipe for Jason's ziti bake from a recipe I found on Dashing Dish.

Three Cheese Ziti Bake (or, Three Cheese Pasta Bake):
Ingredients

• 3 c. cooked whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 c. fresh spinach leaves
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 1.5 jars three cheese marinara sauce
• 2 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened 
• 1 c. shredded mozzarella
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano 
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile cook ground turkey in a large nonstick skillet, until meat is cooked through, (no longer pink). Stir in cream cheese, crushed tomatoes, spinach, and spices and turn off heat. When pasta is done, pour into a colander to drain. Add pasta to sauce mixture.
3. Pour everything into prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle mozzarella over the pasta. Cover casserole dish with foil. Bake for 15 minutes, remove foil, and bake an additional 5-7 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted.

My sandwich consisted of whole wheat bread, an avocado, black forest turkey, and colby jack cheese. I grilled it on the skillet for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

I had a blast cooking Saturday night, as you can see. Usually, I'm alone on Saturday nights, so I either just make something quick for myself or go out to dinner with friends. Have I mentioned lately how much I love having Jason home?!? 

After dinner, Jason and I went to go see The Avengers...finally!! We are huge fans of the Edge Theater in Crestwood. We started going there when Sharing Spree sold tickets for less than $2. We bought tons of them...and unfortunately they're all used up/expired now. We still have coupons and Sharing Spree deals that are $5 for $10 worth of tickets or concessions. So, for two tickets and a popcorn, Jason paid the difference of $2 for us to see an incredible movie!! That's what I call a deal!

I loved everything about Saturday night. The food, the company, the movie, the price...absolutely everything...except for the kid who sat behind us in the movie and coughed, sneezed, and sniffled the ENTIRE 2.5 hour long movie! By the end of it, I felt like I needed to wash my hands for 15 minutes straight...or maybe take a shower.

Sunday was a normal Sunday for me. Jason went back to volunteering at church working the lights during all three services. I taught my 8th grade girls small group. We went home for lunch, ate leftovers, and watched Property Virgins. Then we went to the Summit to look for some colorful jeans for Jessica and we hit up Target on our way back to church. Church was great, our pastor and his wife are pregnant with their 4th child! We're so excited for them!

After church we went to Maki Fresh where I ordered a salmon salad. It was great, but I'm usually not all the way full after eating that. That shouldn't be the case for a salad that costs almost $10 from a counter-service restaurant. Oh well...

After church, Jason and I went home and read. We've never done that before and I'm not sure why. We both enjoy reading. So, we sat on my couch, Jason with book in hand and me with my Kindle. We read for about and hour...and then I fell asleep on the couch. Have I mentioned that Jason and I are glad we're done with school? I don't have the stamina to read like I had to in college anymore!

So, that about sums up my weekend. This morning I got up and went for a run around my apartment complex for about 30 minutes. I saw Jason's Asian next door neighbor doing tai chi or something in the parking lot.

GOAL: Get a picture of that for tomorrow's blog!

Also, isn't always more fun to get ready for a Monday with new things?

New matching red and black lunch box and tumbler.

QUESTION: Do you prefer a busy weekend or a laid back weekend at home?

Enough rambling for this Monday morning. Let us turn our focus to prayer...

Prayer Focus for the Day: May is National Foster Care Mother. Yesterday, the Alabama Baptist Children's Homes held their annual day of prayer. Will you join with me in praying for the fatherless both domestically and internationally? Here is a printable 40 day prayer guide: http://www.pearpod.com/oc/downloads/40DaysofPrayer.pdf

Who's Ready for the Weekend?

First of all, before we get into my eats of the day and other random activities, I have a slight public service announcement.

As you all know, I'm very passionate about orphan care, adoption, and foster care. May is National Foster Care Month.

This Saturday, May 12th, there will be a 5K walk at Veteran's Park in Hoover. I'll be there taking pictures and just hanging out from 9:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. The walk is only $30. Come hang out for a good cause! If you'd like more information, go to the website. Here is some more information here as well:

Yesterday morning I wasn't super hungry. I just kept with the usual coffee until about 10:00. Then I decided I was getting a bit hungry. I've been waiting for the perfect morning to make "Oats in a Jar" (idea from Itty Bits...I'm telling you, she's my fav).

Oats in a Jar:
Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. (about) Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter (creamy)
• 1/2 c. Quaker multigrain hot cereal
• 1 c. water
• Sweetener to taste 

Directions

1. When your peanut butter jar is almost empty (about 2 tbsp. left), set it aside and wait until breakfast.
2. Pour oats (or hot cereal) in a regular bowl and add water. Heat for 2 minutes or according to the directions given. 
3. When oats are cooked, add in sweetener to taste. Stir well.
4. Pour oats directly into peanut butter jar and mix well. 
5. Let cool and thicken up...and then it's time to enjoy!

Yesterday was quite busy at work (which is why I didn't have time to post this yesterday). It was nice to be super busy though. The pace of the day also carried over into the night. 

When I got home, Jason made himself a little snack-a-roo and I made myself "brinner" (breakfast for dinner). I truly love breakfast foods.

I made eggs (using Egg Beaters egg whites), whole wheat cinnamon and Stevia toast, and a banana/blueberry smoothie.

Here is the smoothie recipe -

Banana/Blueberry Smoothie:
Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/2 c. fresh blueberries
• 1 c. Silk unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• Ice

Directions

1. Pour milk into the blender
2. Cut up banana and add to blender
3. Pour in blueberries to the blender
4. Add ice.
5. Blend well.

After dinner, Jason had to do a video shoot at Samford. I decided to tag along. I know I only graduated a year ago, but I just felt old sitting there surrounded by all of the college students. Oh well...

When we left Samford we headed to meet up with some of my friends from college (it was kind of ironic since we'd just been on campus). One of my friends was in town from Texas to visit her fiance. I was happy to see everyone. Unfortunate, Jason and I both had to be up early this morning, so we were the lame ones who left early. 

I think that about sums up yesterday. Today is Friday...which means splurge day!!!!  I believe my sweet man is taking me on a date tonight :)

Happy Friday everyone!

Let the weekend ramblings begin.

Serving the Father to the Fatherless - Part One

Disclaimer: I've been thinking about writing this post for a long time so I have a lot to say about this topic and I'm going to have to write it in sections.

I have had a heart for orphans for a really long time.  In fact, I can remember talking to a friend in Starbucks the summer in between high school and college about how someday I would love to adopt.  That summer I was a lost 18-year-old who didn't really know what I wanted out of life.  Almost daily I was faced with the question of what I wanted; did I want Jesus or did I want the pleasures the world had to offer me?  About 90% of the time, I chose the world because it just seemed a lot easier and more comfortable.  But yet, I had this longing to be a mother to a child who did not have a mother, and I had this desire to adopt and care for a child that was not my own.  This was a very biblical picture of grace for someone who didn't even crack open her bible open other than maybe on Sunday and maybe the week of Christmas and Easter.

Fast forward two years...

June 9, 2009 I finally committed my life to Christ.  I finally decided to quit running, let go, die to myself, and live my life for Jesus. I was about to embark on my junior year of college and I was working over 40 hours a week while I was at home for the summer.  One job was an internship that was great experience, but I didn't enjoy it like I wanted to, and the other was in the restaurant industry.  I was saving up to study abroad for a few weeks over JanTerm, so basically everything I made went into savings, and by the end of the summer I was still short a few hundred dollars.  When I returned to Samford for my junior year, I began searching for another internship.  This time I wanted something totally different from what I'd done over the summer.  I wanted to work for a nonprofit.  I wanted to write.  I wanted to make a difference in someones life.  BUT, I needed to make money to for JanTerm.  So I applied for a paid internship at the Alabama Baptist Children's Homes...what a blessing that turned out to be.

Working for the Children's Homes, or ABCH, opened my eyes to the need for people to step up and become a foster parent.  There is such a need, in Alabama, in Jefferson County, and in Birmingham for people just to love kids who don't have anyone else.  Before I worked at ABCH, I knew that there were kids out there who needed a roof over their head, someone to love them and care for them, and someone to share Jesus' love with them, but it wasn't very real to me; it wasn't tangible.  Interning at the Children's Homes made such an impact on my life.  I could literally see that there are children out there who need love, care, attention, and salvation.

I was blessed to be able to write stories about how God had used the Children's Homes to lift someone out of their darkest days (see Susan's Homecoming).  I was able to write about how people were giving of their money and of their life for this cause (see Edith Snider, Lifelong Ambassador). I spoke with people about how this ministry has provided hope for them and even created an interest for the next generation (see LifePrints Cultivates Interest, Appreciation in Heart of Young Fan and Grace Through Restitution) and most importantly how people had come to know Christ through this ministry (see Salvation Story). Since beginning my internship in the Fall of 2009, I have been working pretty consistently with the Children's Homes.

In June of this year I was honored to attend Camp of Champions, which is the annual camp that ABCH holds for all of the kids in care.  ABCH employees put on a VBS-ish curriculum for a couple of days while house parents and foster parents meet.  They also get to swim, play paintball, watch movies, and just have fun together and share in the community of Christ that has been fostered through this ministry.  My job was to take pictures that will be a lifelong reminder of God's sovereignty for these families and the ABCH ministry(see photos here and read Children’s Homes ministers to children, parents through Camp of Champions).  I was humbled to witness the amount of love that God has provided to these children.

As I got into my car to drive back to Birmingham from camp, I was reignited with this longing to provide that same love to a child, or children, someday.  I've been given so much, and not just material possessions and financial stability.  I've been given love, grace, forgiveness, and a multitude of joy.  I have to share it.  We, God's church, have to share it.