It Could Not be more Random

I just want to jump on here to talk about a few random things of no importance whatsoever and in no particular order.
Actually this first one is of importance.  It is the only one of the list that is. 
1.  God was so good to me today.  He totally answered my prayer and the prayers of those who were praying for me as I spoke to the Challenged Child Women's Advocacy Group this morning.  I remembered what I wanted to say.  Even though I had notes, I hardly ever used them.  I got my display set up in time.  Everybody was so supportive and encouraging.  Bottom line, it could not have gone better.  I am so very thankful for those who prayed and so thankful that God honored those prayers. 
2.  I just ate an entire Dove Chocolate bar.  If you remember, it was in my Valentine's bouquet.  Please do not judge me.
3.  I am probably the last human on earth to download on my iphone/ipad/ihome/iwhatever Adele's album titled "21."  Oh my word it is amazing.  I liked having new music on my i-device that I downloaded Vince Gill's new CD, "Guitar Slinger."  As I think I might have mentioned once or a hundred times, I am a huge Vince Gill fan.  His new music is somewhat different than the honky-tonky stuff of his past but that voice is amazing and the music is just as good or better.  Love it.
4.  I have the new InStyle and new Southern Lady magazines sitting over there in the chair waiting for me to open them and I could not be happier about it. 
5.  Speaking of magazines and i-devices, I noticed in my new issue of Southern Living that if you are a subscriber you could download the magazine onto your iPad.  Well, okay.  I followed the directions just like they said and lo and behold, the new issue of SL came up on my iPad.  However, I'm just not sure how I feel about reading it on there.  You know how I struggle with the whole Kindle concept and even though I try to be a friend to technology, there is just something about having a book and/or magazine right in front of me.  I want to touch and smell those pages.  I'll let you know how this electronic magazine thing turns out.
6.  I am loving the new season of "The Voice." I sorta liked it last year but I am all about those four judges and the whole concept this season.  The judges actually are nice, respectful, encouraging and constructive with their advice. And I love that more than one judge can "turn their chair" for the artist.  Then that artist gets to chose which judge he or she wants to work with.  You see the judges trying to sell themselves to these talented individuals.  Sort of a role reversal of sorts and definitely a fresh approach.  Hands down better than American Idol and certainly Simon Cowell's new show, The X Factor.
7.  I have two new electronic personal care items.  (that may be the most ridiculous thing I've ever written).  It's true.  D got me a Sonicare toothbrush for Christmas.  And y'all thought he was such a romantic after those roses and chocolate.  Yes, the man bought me an electric toothbrush for Christmas.  Thankfully, he padded that gift with some other items that totally made me forget that he got me a toothbrush with a cord.   I really don't tell him how much I love this toothbrush for fear he'll buy me a new vacuum cleaner next year.  So that got me to thinking how much I really would love to have the Sonicare toothbrush's sister,The Clarisonic Mia.  Have you seen her?  I had been going back and forth on investing in one of these little beauties because I wasn't sure if it would really work like they say, or would it make my face break out, or could I send it back if I had already used it on my face or most importantly, can I really justify the cost both initially and the cost with the replacement brushes.  And do I want one more thing laying on my bathroom counter.   Clearly, I am an overthinker.  But one night, after wearing myself out with all of this overthinking, I gave up and ordered it.  I could not be happier with her.  I'm not sure my face looks any different but it feels amazing.  Smooth as a baby's behind.  I am not kidding.
Check it out.  I ordered mine in Turqoise. 
http://www.amazon.com/Clarisonic-Mia-Skin-Cleansing-System/dp/B002XURD32/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329865472&sr=8-1
8.  I met a friend for breakfast yesterday morning at Panera and thought I might try something new there.  The thing that's funny about this is that I have one of two things every single time I go to Panera and I go to Panera a lot.   But since it was breakfast and I was feeling, well, like walking on the wild side, I tried their new Mediterranean Egg White Breakfast Sandwich.  And let me just say, slamdunk, Panera, it was great.  And I don't really even like egg whites. 

Well, that's all the worthless information that I know for today.  Stay tuned.  It's got to get better than this.

Food Friday Reappears

Last week on the What's for Supper? segment we built a great meal for a special occasion, specifically Valentines Day.  This week on the segment we have talked about slow-cooker meals.  We are even giving away a 6-quart Crock Pot during the segment today!  Super fun, right?  I just love to give stuff away!  With two weeks of great recipes to choose from I can hardly decide which ones to share here but I'll try.
This Beef Tenderloin recipe is amazing.   You can easily adjust the basting ingredients based on your taste and diet restrictions but any way you go, it's delicious and oh so easy.  And don't forget the key to making any meat great is to let it rest after cooking and before slicing.  It really makes all the difference in world, in the world of meat anyway.
The Sweetheart Salad was devoured by my family.  I'm not a fan of cherries so next time I'm making it with strawberry pie filling.  It would work just as well. 
Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms - what can I say.  This is a staple at our house and pretty much the easiest and most delicious side dish you can  do.   Love this recipe.
Man, I thought I would just do a couple recipes but I can't stop.   I've got to include a slow cooker recipe because my slow cooker is probably my favorite kitchen appliance.  Well, it and my Kitchen Aid stand mixer.  I just couldn't function in the kitchen without them.  Anyway, I'll just have to say, with no pride I promise, that the slow cooker recipes this week were great.  If you're interested in the recipes, you can go on the store website, www.jandjfoods.com and look them up.  Here was the line-up:  Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes (de-lish); Parmesan Honey Pork Roast (have mercy); Chicken Parmesan (another staple at our house); Triple Berry Cobbler (love a dessert in the slow cooker) and a new one that my family loved - Creamy Mushroom Chicken. 

Hope you enjoy!

Fabulous Beef Tenderloin

Ingredients:
1 (3 pound) beef tenderloin roast
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup melted butter
Garlic Pepper, to taste
Granulated garlic, to taste
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place roast into a shallow, glass baking dish. Pour soy sauce and melted butter over the tenderloin.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn the roast over, and continue cooking 35 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally until the internal temperature of the roast is at 140 degrees F for medium. Or, cook to your desired degree of doneness. Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Sweetheart Salad

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 15 ¼ - ounce crushed pineapple, drained

1 21-ounce cherry pie filling

1 cup chopped pecans

1 8-ounce whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

1.        Beat cream cheese until smooth, add powdered sugar.

2.       Fold in pineapple, cherry pie filling, pecans and whipped topping.

3.       Chill and serve.

Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered

2 teaspoons olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with vegetable cooking spray.

2.        Place the asparagus and mushrooms in a bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil, then season with   salt and pepper; toss well.

3.        Lay the asparagus and mushrooms out on the prepared pan in an even layer.

4.       Roast in the preheated oven until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

Ingredients:

¼ cup butter

1 .7-ounce package Italian dry salad dressing mix

1 can condensed mushroom soup

½ cup chicken broth

1 8-ounce cream cheese (can use reduced fat/calorie)

2 8-ounce package fresh mushrooms, quartered

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Hot cooked rice or angel hair pasta

Directions:

1.        Melt butter in a saucepan and add Italian dressing packet.  Stir in soup, broth and cream cheese until it combines and cream cheese melts.

2.       Spray slow cooker with cooking spray or use a liner. Place mushrooms in the bottom of the slow cooker. 

3.       Place chicken on top of mushrooms and pour sauce on top of the chicken.

4.       Cook on low for 5 hours.

5.        Serve hot with rice or pasta.

He Knows Me So Well

It's just been one of those weeks.  One when you write a great blog post about Valentine's Day but somehow it doesn't get saved and you lose it.  One when you're just too tired to write the same post again.  One when you do something stupid like fall out of bed (don't ask) and then can't move your back for about two days.   One when you are feeling so overwhelmed with all you have to do that you just want to stay in bed all day and do nothing.  One when you feel like all of the sadness in the world has surrounded your family and you can't take too much more. 

But God.  Because He is full of grace and mercy, He sends you bright spots all week to overshadow the pain.  Praise Him! 
Bright spot:  My son sent me a text message on Valentine's Day that said, "I'm so blessed that you're my mom. I love you."  Have mercy. 
Bright spot:  My daughter sat and listened for well over an hour yesterday to me throw out ideas about my upcoming speaking engagement; and then vent, rant and rave about a whole myriad of subjects.  After listening patiently, she gave her valuable and creative input.  Bless her. 
Bright spot:  I sat with a group of godly women last night with whom I share a common passion.  What an amazing blessing to hear their hearts and thoughts about this ministry.  
Bright spot:  Friends who constantly surround me and my family with encouragement and support through texts, emails and phone calls.  Yesterday I sent an email to a dear friend full of scattered ideas about a particular subject that I just can't seem to wrap my head around and within minutes she responded with thoughts as to how to make this whole thing work. (J- if you're reading, thank you!). 

And then on Valentine's Day evening, as I'm still sitting in the bed, in my pajamas, nursing my aching back, in comes the love of my life with a beautiful bouquet.  But this isn't just any bouquet because this one has been custom made just for me with roses and Dove chocolate.  He knows me so well.  Nothing like chocolate to help you forget your troubles.  It also served as just another reminder that when life is going, well, like life does, there is always beauty, love, goodness and sweetness to be found.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."  Psalm 34:8

Praying for our Husbands

I saw this yesterday and I must say, I was convicted.  Yes, I pray for my husband but do I pray the right things?  Not always.  This is a great reminder to all of us married girls.

10 Ways to Pray for Your Husband

I Pray . . . for my husband's relationship with God.
I Pray . . . that God would bless my husband.
I Pray . . . for my husband to be the spiritual leader of our family.
I Pray . . . for my husband to love me deeply.
I Pray . . . for my husband to have a heart for his children.
I Pray . . . for my husband to make wise choices.
I Pray . . . for my husband's emotional, mental and physical health.
I Pray . . . for my husband to prosper at work.
I Pray . . . for my husband's power to resist sexual temptation.
I Pray . . . that I will show my husband respect, grace and kindness.

What I Love about February 2012

With the full realization that we are seven days into February, I thought a monthly post might still be appropriate.  So let's see what's happening around here this month.


1.  On the 1st, we were honored to be invited to see the son of some long-time friends participate in the National Signing Day Celebration here in Gainesville.  It has been a privilege for us to watch this young man grow up and now see him make a life decision to sign with a major college to play football.  Not only is he a talented athelete, he's a great student.  We wish him much success in this next chapter of his life.


2.  On the 3rd, I spent the day in Athens with one of our brides visiting her church, reception site, and various rehearsal dinner venue options.  Love this girl and the whole feel of her wedding. She and her mother are just a joy and we could not have had more fun.  Her wedding is coming up at warp speed (March 31st) and we needed to confirm lots of details.  Much was accomplished and we were so pleased with our progress. 


3.  Well, yes, we watched the Super Bowl yesterday.  I didn't give a hoot as to who won this game but I sure did enjoy the commercials and Madonna.  Yes, I actually said I enjoyed Madonna. 
First the commericals.   My favorites in this order were:
a.  The Honda CRV commerical starring Matthew Broderick.  As a fan of the "Ferris Bueller" movie for years (it's one of those that we watch every time it comes on tv) I loved the whole reference to Matthew and Ferris.  Thought it was genius.
b.  The Doritos commerical.  Dogs and babies - works every time. 
c.  The Acura commerical with Jerry Seinfield.  Yep, I get caught up in nostalgia I guess since this one was reminiscent of the old "Seinfield" episodes.  It even featured an appearance by the soup nazi. And dear goodness, what a great looking car.  Sign me up for an Acura NSX.   
d.  VW's Bark Wars.  What is not to love about a bunch of adorable dogs barking?  I thought it was great. 
So about Madonna.  I may not hold the popular view on this one and frankly I'm a little surprised at myself for even liking the halftime show just a little bit.   Madonna rocked the house in my opinion. Even if you aren't a fan, you have to give the girl credit.   She's a 53-year old who can still wear thigh-high boots, a short skirt, look amazing in it and dance like a 25 year old.  Personally, I thought she was impressive and they could have done a lot worse for halftime entertainment.  Oh wait, they have.   
 

4.  E and I are just having the most fun with our current brides.  Our two March brides are both long time family friends and it is just a joy and an honor to be a part of their planning.  We are blessed to be very busy with lots of clients and so thankful for the trust they put in us.  So this month is full of details for these two March weddings as well as those coming up in 2012.

5.  Next weekend I’ll be packing up my suitcase and heading to the mountains with some of my best girlfriends.  I just cannot wait to go.   The past few weeks have been very stressful for a variety of reasons so to say that I need a weekend away is a little understatement.  I am looking so forward to this weekend that I can hardly stand it.

6.  Valentine’s Day comes once a year this month on the 14^th!  I love Valentine’s Day and making my loved ones feel special.  Cook a great meal; make a fun card; do something special you don’t normally do to show the ones you love how you feel about them.

7.  I’ve been asked to speak to a Ladies’ group this month and while this kind of thing makes me extremely on the nervous side, I am looking forward to it.  I do love to talk which is why I enjoy the radio so much I guess.  But like I’ve said before, when the listeners have real faces, it becomes just a little more difficult.  I’ll be speaking about a subject I love and the time frame is short, so this is definitely something I can do.  However, I don’t have a clue at this point what specifics I’m going to talk about so when you don’t know that, 30 minutes is a very long time.  Whew.  Praying for clear direction and clarity.

8.  On the 25^th the Party Girls will be heading back up to New Beginnings Ministry to love on the precious ladies there.  Now before you get the wrong idea, the Party Girls is the name we have given our group of ladies from Gainesville who give of their time and talents to serve these women.  This is our quarterly trip to celebrate birthdays and pamper them with spa and beauty treatments.  The ladies of New Beginnings have touched my heart in a way I cannot explain.   Coming from a background of less-than-ideal decisions and choices, they are committed to turning their lives around by loving and serving Jesus.  If you don’t believe in miracles, you haven’t seen the life transformation that has happened to these women.  What a blessing just be in their midst for a day. 

9.  The Gainesville Care Center Gala Fundraiser will be held on Tuesday evening, February 28^th.  I am super excited about this year’s guest speaker, Bruce Wilkinson.  Mr. Wilkinson is a powerful speaker and writer; author of the best-selling “Prayer of Jabez.”  The Banquet will be begin at 6:45 p.m. at the First Baptist Church Banquet Hall.  Tickets are $30. This very worthy organization is celebrating 25 years of service to our community this year. 

10.  You know this February 2012 has an extra day.  Yes, it’s leap year.  I think of this like a bonus day – one we don’t get just every year.  This is pretty special if you stop and think about it. So I’ve been thinking what I might do with this extra day that God has placed on our calendar this year.  I want to make it different but I’m just not sure yet what to do with this day.   What are you going to do on this extra day?  Will it be just like any other day?  Will you do something special or different?

A Good Man

When I looked at the date of  my last posting, my heart sank.  I know why January 4th was my last post because on January 5th, our world shifted, changed, skewed to a new normal.  One that frankly, we wish we could change.  But we can't. On January 5th, I lost one of the greatest men I have ever known, my father-in-law, Johnnie Wiley. 

I've put this blog post off not knowing what to say because I just don't know what is appropriate.  The emotions are so overwhelming that here almost a month later, I can hardly order my thoughts.  But because this blog exists to document my life, I'm going to try to share a few things.

Some of you know mine and D's dating story.  We were on the fast track.  We met in January, were engaged in March, and married in June.    I know.   I'm not sure I would recommend this for other folks but it felt right for us.  We were living in Illinois at the time and were married there so I hadn't had the chance to spend a lot of time with D's parents up to this point.  I immediately liked them but just didn't really know them very well yet.  But on our wedding day, Johnnie said something to me, a girl he barely knew, that I will never, ever forget.  While taking family photos, it was time for those with the parents.  I said to Johnnie, "come stand by me for this one" and he looked me square in the eye and said, " I will always stand by you.  No matter what happens in this world, I will always be here for you."   
Those words are seared in my memory forever. 

Johnnie never made me feel like I was a daughter-in-law but a daughter. I felt as equally loved as his own children.  One of our pastor friends who knew Johnnie well described him as inclusive and that is so true.  Johnnie was the same whether he was talking to an influential business leader or the 92-year-old lady who came down Aisle 1 of the grocery store on a Saturday morning.  I observed him on many occasions and while he was often a man of few words, those words were always sincere and thoughtful. 

He was one of the smartest men I have ever known.  One thing that impressed me most about him was that he was a lifelong learner.  Never, ever did he stop reading and learning.   He enjoyed researching a variety of topics but especially anything that had to do with business, farming or politics.  While you might not agree with his political opinions, he always knew the facts.   He understood how things worked and if there was something that he didn't know, he found out.  The past few years, he had learned how to use the internet and that just opened up a whole new world of information for him.  He would find something interesting and the whole family would get an email from him about it.   It is a just a great reminder to all of us that no matter how old you are, you should always be willing to learn.

I am so thankful that he was my children's grandfather.  My own daddy died in 1996 so E or G never really knew him.  That just breaks my heart to this day because he would have adored my children.  Because of that, I am so thankful they had Johnnie in their lives.   He poured into them his wisdom, knowledge and love.  I never will forget when E was born.  She was the first grandchild on both sides so it goes without saying how much she was doted on.  Johnnie would do just about whatever she wanted to do whether it was playing with dolls, fishing on the dock or riding in the golf cart.   For the past year or so, E has worked right across the hall from him.  He would bring flowers to all of the ladies in the office out of his garden but by his own admission, the prettiest flowers would go to E. 
G and Johnnie had a pretty special bond.  They were fortunate to spend a lot of time together.  Johnnie basically taught G to drive because the summer before his 16th birthday, he spent every Tuesday with Johnnie.  Wherever Johnnie went, that's where G went - to work, to a meeting, to the farm - and G drove Johnnie's truck.  Johnnie and G had a lot of good talks about life.   He taught my children well.

Both of my children clearly loved him dearly.  He was a great example to them of a godly man living a godly life, leaving a godly legacy.

And I loved him dearly.  I am so thankful and beyond blessed that I knew him.