Merry Christmas everyone!
May your holiday be restful, peaceful and full of the love of family and friends. I hope that as this year comes to an end and we take that natural moment to reflect on the times of the past that we each choose to make the world we are in a better place. We may not change it in big, noticeable ways but like it's been said, we can "lift where we stand" and raise the world up together!
Merry Christmas!!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Recipe for the Holidays
It's amazing that Christmas is THIS WEEK! I'm amazed that an entire year has passed.
I spent the weekend cleaning and preparing for family coming in to spend the holidays. My next item on the old to-do list is prepare the traditional family devotional for Christmas Eve. In the past I have always used the outline my mother used when I was growing up but I've decided to tweak it this year. I just thought I'd find out how your families read or celebrate the story of the nativity. I love it when I come across a great idea from someone else.
As for tonight, I'm off to make some stuffed mushrooms for the family Christmas party. Here's the recipe below, they are simple and if you like mushrooms (I don't but my hubby and his family do) you'll think these are great.
Sausage and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
1 tube Jimmy Dean Sage sausage
1 8 oz brick cream cheese (can use low fat/fat free)
20 button mushroom, cleaned and stemmed
Instructions:
Cook sausage according to package directions. Drain. Add room temperature cream cheese to sausage until fully mixed together. Stuff mixture into mushroom caps and place on microwave safe platter. (mushrooms can be kept in the refrigerator for several hours until ready to cook/serve) Microwave stuffed mushrooms until cheese is soft and edges bubble slightly. Serve warm.
Enjoy!
I spent the weekend cleaning and preparing for family coming in to spend the holidays. My next item on the old to-do list is prepare the traditional family devotional for Christmas Eve. In the past I have always used the outline my mother used when I was growing up but I've decided to tweak it this year. I just thought I'd find out how your families read or celebrate the story of the nativity. I love it when I come across a great idea from someone else.
As for tonight, I'm off to make some stuffed mushrooms for the family Christmas party. Here's the recipe below, they are simple and if you like mushrooms (I don't but my hubby and his family do) you'll think these are great.
Sausage and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
1 tube Jimmy Dean Sage sausage
1 8 oz brick cream cheese (can use low fat/fat free)
20 button mushroom, cleaned and stemmed
Instructions:
Cook sausage according to package directions. Drain. Add room temperature cream cheese to sausage until fully mixed together. Stuff mixture into mushroom caps and place on microwave safe platter. (mushrooms can be kept in the refrigerator for several hours until ready to cook/serve) Microwave stuffed mushrooms until cheese is soft and edges bubble slightly. Serve warm.
Enjoy!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Ugh, Parents
So, long story short, this little girl has been bullying my 10 year old son for over a year. Not in an overly aggressive way but it was childhood teasing that has become perpetual and irritating. My son was never afraid but had grown weary of always having to deal with this girl's relentless teasing. She goes to his school and is a member of our church and I have heard her shout a stupid name at him as we passed while going home from school and I have seen how he avoids her at church by sitting at the farthest end of the row by himself. The sad truth is this, for six months my son has asked me to deal with this young lady and I have put it off because I wanted to find a non-threatening way to ask this girl to stop. I am ashamed that my son has gone so long dealing with this because I have been too afraid of causing a situation with her parents to be his advocate. Even at the beginning of last night, my youngest son (his younger brother) asked me to speak with this girl and I said no because it was the Christmas party and I felt it was inappropriate.
I'm not sure at what point in the evening the "incident" took place but when my husband and I got home, he relayed the fact that the mother of this girl (a woman I respect and call a friend), had approached him and said that our oldest son (my 13 year old, not the 10 year old who has been teased for a year) told her daughter that he would stuff raisins up her nose if she didn't leave his brother alone. This woman then continued with (and this bothers me the most); "I just thought you'd want to know that your 13 year old son is picking on little girls."
My husband said he'd handle it and proceeded to talk to our oldest about what happened. While he was engaged in this conversation, the young lady came up to the two of them and said "so can I punch him in the nose now?" To which my husband looked her in the eye and said; "No, but what you can do is never say another word to (my son) again. No teasing, no bothering, no nothing."
This young lady was surprised at the straightforwardness of my husband and left without saying anything else.
The thing that bothers me the most about this event is not what my oldest did (we've spoken to him about how his words were a threat and that we don't behave that way) but that I let it get to the point where he felt he had to defend his brother. I failed in this thing as a parent.
I am currently trying to decide how/if I am going to contact my friend about this and let her know our side of what happened. It will take me a while until I can get past the urge to say "I just thought you should know your 10 year old daughter is a bully." and so I have decided to wait until I can have a rational conversation. I don't know, I don't know whether I should just let it alone because the girl has been handled or if I should just bite the bullet and speak out. I suppose if she persists I will have to act, and act quickly, but for now, I am at a loss.
I'm not sure at what point in the evening the "incident" took place but when my husband and I got home, he relayed the fact that the mother of this girl (a woman I respect and call a friend), had approached him and said that our oldest son (my 13 year old, not the 10 year old who has been teased for a year) told her daughter that he would stuff raisins up her nose if she didn't leave his brother alone. This woman then continued with (and this bothers me the most); "I just thought you'd want to know that your 13 year old son is picking on little girls."
My husband said he'd handle it and proceeded to talk to our oldest about what happened. While he was engaged in this conversation, the young lady came up to the two of them and said "so can I punch him in the nose now?" To which my husband looked her in the eye and said; "No, but what you can do is never say another word to (my son) again. No teasing, no bothering, no nothing."
This young lady was surprised at the straightforwardness of my husband and left without saying anything else.
The thing that bothers me the most about this event is not what my oldest did (we've spoken to him about how his words were a threat and that we don't behave that way) but that I let it get to the point where he felt he had to defend his brother. I failed in this thing as a parent.
I am currently trying to decide how/if I am going to contact my friend about this and let her know our side of what happened. It will take me a while until I can get past the urge to say "I just thought you should know your 10 year old daughter is a bully." and so I have decided to wait until I can have a rational conversation. I don't know, I don't know whether I should just let it alone because the girl has been handled or if I should just bite the bullet and speak out. I suppose if she persists I will have to act, and act quickly, but for now, I am at a loss.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
How Sweet it is!
I dropped my thirteen year old and his friend off at school the other day and as he got out of the car he said "love ya mom. Have a good day." I felt so happy that he cared and that even at thirteen, I still get to hear "I love you" in public places.
Yay for teenagers!
Yay for teenagers!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
F.E.A.R.
So we had a really great talk in church a couple weeks back that I've been meaning to share. It was given by a member of our ward whose profession it is to counsel those with addictions. His specialty is in dealing with patients addicted to porn. Needless to say, he has some very powerful insights and he shared some in his talk.
One of the acronyms he uses is this:
(F)alse
(E)vidence
(A)ppearing
(R)eal
I loved this! He is so right, all fear is is the message the receptor in our brain sends. Sometimes fear is useful, that tingle you get when you're in a dangerous situation, the desire to run from danger. The problem with that little receptor is that it can interpret things in an unrealistic way. Fear of the dark, fear of failing, etc. He mentioned that Satan is really good a pushing that little receptor over and over to paralyze us, keep us from progressing. He wants us to feel F.E.A.R. because it can stop us from doing our best.
He suggested that when we feel F.E.A.R. we should use a tool that he teaches to his patients and it is this; place your hand over your heart and repeat; "I am safe", "I am loved", "I am good" and "I am ordained".
That last one caught me off guard but after pondering on that for a while I realized it is true. We have all been set apart to do something on this earth. We must choose to limit the F.E.A.R. we respond to so that we can fulfill the role we were meant to play.
May you have a safe, loved, good and ordained day!
One of the acronyms he uses is this:
(F)alse
(E)vidence
(A)ppearing
(R)eal
I loved this! He is so right, all fear is is the message the receptor in our brain sends. Sometimes fear is useful, that tingle you get when you're in a dangerous situation, the desire to run from danger. The problem with that little receptor is that it can interpret things in an unrealistic way. Fear of the dark, fear of failing, etc. He mentioned that Satan is really good a pushing that little receptor over and over to paralyze us, keep us from progressing. He wants us to feel F.E.A.R. because it can stop us from doing our best.
He suggested that when we feel F.E.A.R. we should use a tool that he teaches to his patients and it is this; place your hand over your heart and repeat; "I am safe", "I am loved", "I am good" and "I am ordained".
That last one caught me off guard but after pondering on that for a while I realized it is true. We have all been set apart to do something on this earth. We must choose to limit the F.E.A.R. we respond to so that we can fulfill the role we were meant to play.
May you have a safe, loved, good and ordained day!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Messiah
It's finally here! I get to go to the annual Messiah sing-in in our town. I look forward to this tradition every year and I have been practicing my alto part in the Hallelujah Chorus so I can sing open and unflinching with the others in attendance. I love the feeling in the room; voices raised in song praising the Lord! If you have something similar to this where you are, go! It's such a wonderful experience.
Have a great weekend!
Have a great weekend!
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