On Daring to Be Different

I have to apologize for the sparseness of posts over the last week and into the next few days. I've been busily preparing a slew of ideas and posts for the 31 Days challenge that is being hosted by The Nester. I'm really excited about my series, which I'm titling "[31 Days of] Joyful Learning at Home" and I hope that you'll join me!

In the meantime, however, I've been dealing with a little bit of internal struggle. I thought I'd go ahead and share in case it helps anybody else out. After all, last week we talked about turning your mess into a message, and how your history is really His story!

I'm dealing with some discomfort in regards to being "different." We've all been there, I'm sure. Being different is uncomfortable, it's not always fun, it's frequently anxiety inducing... and - too often - we let it keep us from doing what God has called us to do, and being who God has called us to be.

Sometimes you just have to let it go. When I attended my church's women's conference back in March, Sheri Rose Shepherd (the fabulous speaker) said, "Girlfriend, NOBODY is thinking as much about you as you are!" (Or something along those lines - it has been a long time!)

That helps a little bit but, this is even better:

In What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, Lysa Terkeurst says "We are to be DIFFERENT so that we can make a DIFFERENCE." That's some serious truth.

I don't know about you ladies, but I want to be the kind of woman who makes a difference... who says "yes" when God calls... who does whatever God says to do... who steps out in faith and leaves the consequences to God.

So what's a girl to do in those times when we feel "awkward" about being different?

Here are a few of my favorite scriptures for those times. Pray them, claim them as your motto, personalize them, and hide them in your heart. :)

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Romans 12:2

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:13

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Philippians 4:6

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

Chime in - Share your favorite verses in the comments!

(P.S. All of the verses in this post are taken from the ESV translation.)

Pumpkin Black Bean Chili

Note: This post is a re-posted, fixed up, tweaked version of a post made last year.

I'm not going to lie, most of my favorite meals are made in my crockpot. (I'm pretty lazy!) My favorite fall food is chili, and it's given a new twist in this recipe, adapted from one I found on this blog: The Architect & The Artist.

The Perfect Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen tri-color pepper mix

1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups chicken broth

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can solid-pack pumpkin

1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes

2 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cumin

Directions:

Place all ingredients (except peppers) in your slow cooker. 

Stir, then cook on low for as few as 4 hours or as many as 8 hours. (The longer your chili simmers, the better it will be!) Add the peppers 30 mins to an hour before serving to help them retain their color and a bit of "crunch."

You can serve this chili over tortilla chips, spaghetti, or corn bread and top with shredded cheese and sour cream. This makes 9-10 servings in our house, and let me tell you, it's even better the second day than it is the first!

Enjoy!

Welcome Fall!

Rumor has it that today is the first official day of FALL! I somehow missed that memo until now. I think it may have something to do with the fact that I live in Florida, and the current temperature is hovering somewhere in the mid-80's.

Regardless, it's now perfectly acceptable to pull out the stops on all things FALL!

Here are a few of the things that I'm looking forward to this week:

+ Doing all sorts of pumpkin crafts, like this one from Lilacs and Longhorns.

+ Making my "famous" Pumpkin & Black Bean Chili for dinner on Tuesday night. (Recipe to come!)

+ Digging out my FALL decor from the dark depths of the office closet (...or was it the garage?)

+ The RETURN of all of my favorite FALL TV shows! (Castle, anyone?!)

+ Painting my nails in beautiful FALL colors. (Thanks for the ideas, Nails and Sales!)

+ Wearing ORANGE as often as possible.

+ Making grand plans, perhaps for a Thanksgiving adventure!

+ Starting my Christmas shopping.

And last, but certainly not least...

+ Getting my new A/C installed tomorrow! (Listen, if it doesn't feel like FALL outside, the least I can do is crank down the air inside and pretend!)

What are you most looking forward to about the FALL season?

Great Songs to Start Your Day Off Right!

I'm not gonna lie... I used to be a MySpace fanatic. There are a LOT of things that I don't miss about MySpace. However, I do miss the cool little music player you could put on your page to bombard your friends with your favorite music every time they viewed your page.

I recently found myself with a little bit of extra iTunes money. (Isn't that just the best?) After much debate about whether to buy myself some new camera apps or some fun new music, the idea of new music won out. I've been listening to the radio for days and searching the internet to find just the right songs with an upbeat tempo and positive lyrics, and I think I finally figured it out!

If you're looking for some new music for your iThingamabob (or if you just want something fun to listen to while you work or clean) here are 10 of my new favorite songs! Click the underlined hyperlinks to check them out on YouTube!

1. Good Morning - Mandisa
2. God's Great Dance Floor - Chris Tomlin
3. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us - Sidewalk Prophets
4. We Are The Free - Matt Redman
5. Make Some Noise - Krystal Meyers
6.  That's How We Roll - Britt Nicole
7. Overcomer - Mandisa
8. Burning in My Soul - Matt Maher
9. Steal My Show - TobyMac
10. Lord, I Need You - Matt Maher

Let's hear it friends - what are YOUR favorite songs for starting the day off right?! Leave a comment and let us know!

Friday Freebie Alert!

(Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links with Tyndale Rewards. I promise not to make sales pitches and affiliate links my norm, but this one was too good NOT to share... Read on to see why!)

I don't know about you, but I love books... Especially FREE books!

So, how do you get free books, you ask?

I recently learned about the Tyndale Rewards program, which enables you to earn points towards free books and Bibles! How cool is that?

After joining their website, you can earn points by inviting friends to join, subscribing to their newsletters, posting reviews, and participating in focus groups. Each activity earns you 10-25 points, which can in turn be redeemed for books and Bibles that start at just 30 points!

You can learn more about the program by watching this little video:

I haven't ordered anything off the site yet, but from my friends who have already joined, I understand that it really is FREE and there really isn't a "catch" or any hidden fees. (Just as you would hope to find from a well-known Christian publishing company, lol!)

So, what are you waiting for? Come join me on the Tyndale Rewards website - click here to join! (By the way, new members typically receive 10 points in their account, but by using my referral link, you'll start out with 25 points in your account... That's almost a free book!)

On Being a Mess

There are some days that I'd rather not admit that my chosen profession is writing. 

After all, I studied writing in college. I teach writing classes. I write homeschool curriculum.

Still, sometimes I forget to write on my blog for weeks in a row. I frequently make spelling mistakes on the board in front of my students. I submit drafts of my books only to find out that I made a bajillion grammar mistakes. 

My life is a lot like that, too. 

I make an awful lot of mistakes. There are some days that my temper is short, my attitude is negative, and I just want to be selfish. I've made more than my fair share of bad decisions.

On those days, I would rather not admit that I am a Christ Follower.

Thankfully, being a Christ Follower doesn't mean that I have to be perfect 100% of the time... Being a Christ Follower means that I am forgiven.

When I make mistakes, when I react too quickly out of my frustrations and anger, and when I make poor decisions... His forgiveness is always there. All I have to do is admit that I need Him and ask his forgiveness and healing. How beautiful is that?

But honestly, friends, that's not the best part. The best part is that God takes those broken and messy places and after he heals them, he uses them for His Glory. 

Romans 8:28 says "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."* I especially love the way that it is written in The Message: "we can be sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good."

Or, as Lysa TerKeurst states in What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, "a MESS, when touched by the MESSIAH, can become a beautiful MESSAGE."

Can I get an AMEN?!

I am so thankful that God doesn't give up on me. I am so thankful for God's mercy and forgiveness. But most of all, I am so thankful that He doesn't let a single moment of my life go to waste.

Lord, I make so many mistakes! I am so thankful for your amazing forgiveness, mercy, and grace. Thank you for your promise that you will take the broken and messy places in my life, touch them, and turn them around to be used for your glory. Help me to be a shining light for you, even in my messy moments. Amen.

*English Standard Version