tonight.....

i found myself wondering tonight:

how many times have i gone through my days, experiences, blessings, joys; with my whole heart thanking and praising our God, though all the while failing to realize that these things are actually answers to my prayers?

how many times have i felt His peace so strongly and warmly, so all-encompassing and fulfilling; and rejoicing, thanked Him over and over again, yet forgetting that prior to this feeling, i had cried out and cried out and called to Him repeatedly?
day in and day out, moment after moment, pleading for His peace.
for His comfort.  relief.

i wonder this because, after 2 things today, and countless others i am very sure.
but 2 things in particular i found myself contemplating while doing dishes [i find myself doing dishes quite often, and quite often my deepest thinking occurs while i am doing them].
i found myself contemplating the peace that accompanies me as i re-soap my washcloth,
the joy that is able to flow from within.
able to flow without and surround and fill me.  
washing bowls and plates and mugs of coffee that just a few hours before were shared with new friends, mentors, Spirit-filled Christ-followers.
recalling conversations and moments and smiles and laughter and much peace.

all the while i am thanking God for this gift of peace, and it struck me.
it stuck me quite speechless there in the late-night presence of our porcelain kitchen sink.

This was an answered prayer.
and answer to relentless prayers prayed over and over again over the past month [or more].
so often they have near-become my mind's mantra.

but these things,
these people,
these events of this blessed Monday,
have been answers to the desperate pleas sent to my Father, my Creator, my God.  my Lord.
my Jesus, Messiah, King.  Good Shepard.
Holy One.
Lamb.

He is so very Good.

i have been trying [not always successfully, for i am a mama who hasn't yet mastered the art of waking up earlier than everyone else]
to read psalms and proverbs to A, 'B, and L every morning during our breakfast time.

reading David's laments and praises.
his pleas and cries and heart pouring out to the same God, same Father, same Adonai.
Lord.
and He listens.
David knows He listens.

our Great God listens.
and He not only knows our hearts and our needs and wants to bless us with what He knows we need and has placed in us to desire,
but
He hears our cries as well.

and i feel there is something beautiful and powerful
and necessary
about recognizing when He not only blesses, but answers our pure, real and unabashed outpourings.

how beautiful.

how is our God answering the cries of your heart on this lovely rainy Monday?
{this post was written previously, in Feb. 2011}

a mantra.

we have all seen this image, heard this phrase, thought it a worthy enough statement to make into a 'blog button', hang it on our walls.
it could easily be called a 'mantra' [if repeated unnecessarily often and believed in as a source of wisdom] especially when referring to the era in which the poster first made it's debut;
which you can read about here.
but not for me.  there is not enough joy exuded in it's phrasing for me.
who wants to keep calm and carry on when you can smile and laugh and jump up and down and watch your babies sleep in your arms.
so much more than carrying on, right?

needless to say, up and down as i so often am, i have never been able to choose or stick to a mantra, per say.
however, i was completely blind-sided and slapped in the face with a line in a song [i had never heard before] this sunday in church.

Spare us any joy that’s not of You


do you hear this statement?  
spare us any joy that is not of You.  spare us any joy that is not of God.  


that is powerful.  
beautiful.  
strong and bold.  


wise.  

and of course.  

of course this is what we should long for.  

we sang these words 
and this line in the middle spoke right to me.  


the rest of the the lyrics were quite confirming, too. 


Save us from these comforts
Break us of our need for the familiar
Spare us any joy that’s not of You
And we will worship You

{see source, here}

wow.  

so now i have a mantra.  

Spare us any joy that’s not of You.

Spare us any joy that is not of You.  

Spare us any joy that is not of You.  

LOVE.

enjoy!

-c.  (=

easy chicken masala

today i woke up [possibly a little later than i should have] and followed our typical morning routine by double checking w/A2 that nothing out of the ordinary would be going on this evening.
when i was answered with a delightful 'no', i thought to myself....
today is a crock-pot day.

do you ever think that to yourself?
i may have even thought it out-loud to A2.  to which i am sure he replied, 'you know honey, i was thinking the same exact thing'.  (=

we do not use the crock-pot extremely often, but i find that when it is warmer outside, i seem to take it out of it's drawer a little more than usual.
i am pretty sure that it is more common to use it during the colder months, but who wants to be inside cooking mid-afternoon when there is sunshine and baseball and sidewalk chalk to be lavished upon?

so today, on this crock-pot appropriate wednesday, i want to share my version of bon appetit's
easy chicken masala.

YUM!

i have made this recipe several {or at least a few} times and always take the first 6 ingredients and mix them together in the crock-pot and then place the onions and chicken [boneless skinless breasts, not bone-in pieces] in the crock-pot with the mixture and stir.

it is delicious EVERY time.

and then i usually pair it with either cucumber raita {a VERY favorite dish from my time in india; a fun combination of plain yogurt, red onions, tomato, cucumber, mint and salt} atop yummy basmati rice, or another simple [basmati] rice or couscous dish.

have i mentioned that i am a little obsessed with couscous lately?
it is just delicious.
and also very high in protein content.  which i am sure is the true reason behind my obsession.....

and of course, i end up making fresh chapattis {try substituting plain yogurt or milk for the water for extra fluffy chapattis} in which to wrap all of this savory goodness......double YUM.

except that today, again, the sunshine and baseball and sidewalk chalk are beckoning me to please not spend the time to make chapattis.  inside.  this afternoon.  even for a short while.....we shall see.
it truly is not a long process.

what are you making for dinner on this GLORIOUS warm-weather day?


enjoy!

-c.  (=