Your Focus Needs Focus

About three months ago, I started really paying attention to some words that I seem to say a lot - mainly to my kids and especially during the teaching hours. One word consistently makes it way through my teeth and off my lips...FOCUS!

One day I recorded that I said the word 'focus' 11 times within a six-hour span! Well, that demanded a time slot for a family meeting :)

After chatting with my husband about this incredibly strong and over-used word, we decided to make it our family "word of the year!" I started researching what God's Word had to say about it. Judges cautions us to keep our focus on God and not ourselves while Paul warns us in Corinthians how easy it can be to lose our focus. Since we are humans, our need to be realigned with our moral and Biblical warehouse is constant.

This is not just for our children in regards to their school work. It's for me and you as well. We need focus when we sit down to study God's Word and quit thinking about our massive to-do list. Focus is necessary for your college-bound children as they embark on a whole new life completely unknown to them. We need focus and diligence in our jobs as we strive for excellence.

As ironic as it is, when our friends came to pray with us and our home in January, they kept using the word focus. I was amazed! I stopped them to tell them that we have deemed this our family word and how it can apply to so many areas of our lives. They spoke of the need for focus not only in our home but in America. We've lost our way and our priorities. We need to get back to the basics - God's Word - and fix (focus) our eyes on Him.

I'll never forget a picture I saw once of Daniel in the lions den. He was completely at peace while several lions rotated around him. His arms were lifted towards the sky as his head was. He eyes were fixed on Heaven. He wasn't concerned or worried about the seemingly impossible situation around him - he was focused on the only thing that mattered. God.

As another confirmation, we watched the remake of the new movie The Karate Kid. Although I didn't care much for the movie, guess what the main crux was? Focus! It was perfect and completely poignant to our family. The boy is basically wanting to learn karate to get even with several kids who are harassing him at school. He's tired of all the mundane training and is ready to just kick some tail! The patient teacher is consistent and diligent in his training repertoire. At one point, the teacher tells the boy that he needs to focus. The boy blurts out that he is focused. Now here comes my favorite line...the teacher says: "Then your focus needs focus!"

I love that! Your focus needs focus.

Of course, now the kids hear this weekly - and for great reason. But when it leaves my lips and hits their ears, I hear it too. I need focus in my life as much as they do.

Apparently some christian radio stations and pastors knew what I was onto and were trying to catch the wave. Before I knew it, I was hearing the "word of the day" and "word of the year" everywhere I went! Let me just set the record straight and inform you all that it started right here - in the Flint Home (haha!)

If you haven't adopted a word for your family yet, begin thinking about this. What are your priorities - for you and your family? What is the one thing you either need to work on or be constantly reminded of. I have a dear friend that I think should adopt the words 'thankful beyond measure'. They have been through so much the last five years and yet God constantly sustains them no matter how much the Devil has tried to knock them off course.

Just food for thought...besides that, my thoughts don't even cost you a penny - how's that for free? :)

Spicy White Chicken Chili

This is probably one of my favorite soup recipes. Serve this with some wonderful french bread and you have a hearty meal!

White Chicken Chili

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 cups cubed, cooked chicken
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies
3 cans great northern beans, rinses and drained
2 cups (8 ozs) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Saute onions in oil until tender. Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne and cloves. Stir 2-3 more minutes. Add broth, chicken, and beans. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. Garnish with sour cream if desired.

I do not care for cumin, so I leave that spice out. If you do not wish to have that wonderful "kick" then lessen or leave out the cayenne pepper. Also, I have tried it with and without the MJ cheese. Most of the time, I leave that out as well.

I love bowl with the garnished sour cream, but the kids do not.

Hope you enjoy this wonderful rainy day recipe!

But I Don't Have Any

Without my knowledge or control, we have ventured into a new but normal phase in our household. We are past the teeth-cutting, potty-training, time-outs of parenting. In one week, three teenagers will don the couches of the Flint home. The conversations I am able to have with my kids now are so enlightening. Although my chances of having one-on-one time may be greater since I home school, the opportunities are still there for every parent.

It has always struck me odd when kids choose to open the door into their heart and ask you to come in a have a seat - sometimes at the most inopportune time. Right in the middle of me explaining composite numbers. When I am frantically trying to get my hair finished because we are in a rush. While I'm focused on a new recipe for dinner. I wish I could say that every time these wonderful opportunities arise, that in all my perfectness, I drop whatever is at hand and divert all my attention to the child who is pleading for my time.

With great sorrow, I can tell you that I have not.

In their innocence, they really are not paying attention to what we are doing at that moment. They truly are not even aware nor really care. All they want is an attentive audience. Someone who can prove to them that they really, unconditionally love them. Someone who is willing to invest in them and hear their hurting or confused heart.

I am doing better the older I get. I've noticed that I no longer wait for the opportunity, but rather seek after them. Lately, I have begun asking my children on a daily basis if they are okay or if they have something on their heart they want to talk about. I have had numerous heart-wrenching talks with my daughter - she is 14 years old...need I say more?

It happened again yesterday. Right in the middle of a serious literature discussion, the word faith comes up. After explaining in detail what faith means, she nonchalantly tells me that she doesn't have any faith. I spent the next 20 minutes opening her eyes to how much faith she really does have. She had 100% faith as she sat in that chair, fully expecting that it would hold her up. She has complete faith in my driving skills every time she shuts the car door, completely trusting that I will get her to her destination. Without blinking an eye, she has the faith to believe that I will feed her a minimum of three times a day...and the list continues.

The discussion grew deeper since this is the child that has still not been healed of her deafness even though we have continued to pray for her over the past 12 years. In faith, we take her to the altar fulling expecting God's Will to come to fruition. And it has. It's still not His timing yet.

Explaining to your disabled daughter that only God can see the "big" picture and that in His eyes she is perfect, is not an easy task. She doesn't want to be deaf. She feels left out. Lonely. Tired of being different. And so we wait.

And in the waiting, we continue to practice our faith and teach our children the same. We help them work through their misguided anger and teach them that above all, God is still God and that He loves them just the way they are. When His Glory is ready to be revealed, then the miracle will take place.

Until then, we pray. And have faith. This is not the first time we've had this conversation and I know it won't be the last. It was important and necessary. She needed to hear this...again. She needed to weep in a safe environment and hear her momma's reassuring words...again.

I am so thankful that I didn't let the work or the schedule deter me from receiving a small piece of my daughter's heart. I'm sure there will be many more chances with all of my children, so, please, Lord, don't let me miss any of them.

Happy Anniversary to Me!

It is totally unbelievable to me but it is true - as of today, I have been blogging for one exact year!

I truly had no idea that it had been a year until I went back to the archives trying to find a recipe for a friend. Then I saw "Feb 2010" What? I was blogging in February? I was stunned! February 8th to be exact.

The reason this is so exciting to me is that I really never believed that I would actually begin one of my life-long dreams. I love to write. I have always enjoyed expressing myself through the written pen. Just the other day, I found my high school notebook full of the poetry that I wrote. Oh, how funny it was! This is the beginning of one of my poems:

Heavenly Father full of grace
Bless my boyfriends foxy face!

Hilarious!! I laughed till my eyes whelped up with tears!

I had this overwhelming urge to blog about four years ago but just couldn't bring myself to take that step. It's too scary. Outside of my comfort zone. Open myself up for criticism? Expose myself and all my failures? How transparent would I be? After all, the dozens of journals I have are completely private. No eyes have ever peered onto their pages.

"But I want to write, Lord. I want to share my heart. I have a small desire to be raw and open." To what degree? I don't know..."

With both eyes closed (or at least it felt that way!), Blogger.com made it's way onto my home page. I went back and re-read a lot of my first blogs. Although I like my variety...recipes, couponing, my kids and spiritual matters, I have exposed myself more than I ever thought I would. I had someone once tell me that it is very hard to read my blogs because they usually cry. I told her, "that's because I cry when I'm writing it."

I'm exciting to see where the Lord will lead me in 2011 in the blogging world. To say that I get giddy every time I sit to write is an understatement! Something strange about a burning passion...it's hard to keep a lid on it!

Thank you, my friends and family members, for your incredible encouragement this past year. Your comments and personal emails have inspired me to press on. Sometimes I even weep with your comments! You have been with me on this journey during the most difficult year my family has ever experienced. If my posts have helped you in some way, then to God be the Glory!

I look forward to another year of sharing my soul and more character pruning from the Lord...where would we be without Him?

Love to you all!

Bring Out the Guacamole!

Since I blogged about avocados yesterday and then ate the best guacamole I have ever made, I thought I would post a recipe. Of course, there are many different varieties and if the truth be known, I actually don't follow a recipe most of the time. I throw these items in there and then start tasting! A little more of this and then a little more of that...pretty soon I have perfection :)

Now, there is a trick to perfect guacamole and that is using good, ripe avocados. Check for ripeness by gently pressing the outside of the avocado. If there is no give, the avocado is not ripe yet and will not taste good. If there is a little give, the avocado is ripe.

2 ripe avocados
1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
A dash of freshly grated black pepper
1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Cut avocados in half and remove the seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel and put in a mixing bowl. Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more. Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness. So, start with a half of one chili pepper and add to the guacamole to your desired degree of hotness. Be careful handling the peppers; wash your hands thoroughly after handling and do not touch your eyes or the area near your eyes with your hands for several hours. The tomatoes need to be kept separate until ready to serve.

Remember that much of this is done to taste because of the variability in the fresh ingredients. Start with this recipe and adjust to your taste. Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix. Of course, I think that everything taste better with garlic, so I always add fresh garlic or some garlic powder to my dip.

One more tip...I haven't tried this yet, but I have heard that if you leave the seed in with the guacamole, it will prevent the dip from turning brown.

Grab some chips or a sandwich and enjoy a little piece of Heaven on earth!

Eat the Fat!

Hydrogenated Soybean Oil. Trans Fat. High Fructose Corn Syrup. Avocados. Nuts. Fish..and the list goes on and on. There are good fats and bad fats so how do you know which are which and should you touch them at all? I think that Americans are the recipients of a lot of conflicting information about fat.

The Human body needs fat for proper immune function nervous system and maintenance, hormone production and vitamin absorption. However, it is important to limit the consumption of saturated fats. When consumed in excess amounts, fats contribute to weight gain, heart disease and certain types of cancer. Fats are not created equal. Some fats promote our health positively while others increase our risks of heart disease. The key is to replace bad fats with good fats in our diet. Consuming healthful fats is a great way to add flavor and variety to your meals and reap the associated benefits.

We started on our health journey about 7 years ago and although I'm not tooting to be an expert, I certainly know a lot more than I ever did! I've learned by trial and error what works and what taste horrible in a muffin recipe! Here are a few tidbits that I've discovered:
* Don't throw the nuts out! Yes, nuts are fattening in the sense of the word, but they are the good kind of fat! Almonds and walnuts are the cream of the crop containing unsaturated fats and essential fatty acids. Your diet needs a variety so be sure to include Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts and pine nuts. Sesame and sunflower seeds are also a good choice. Just remember...moderation!

* Which oils do I use? The worst are Canola and Vegetable oils. My favorite? Olive oil and flax seed oil. Olive oil is rich in oleic acid and omega-9 monounsaturated fat which may help fight against the development of Type 2 diabetes. I cook and bake with both of these oils.

* I am so glad I finally fell in love with avocados! I didn't start eating this wonderful fruit till about two years ago. This is what I found when I searched the internet on the benefits of this delicious fruit: "Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit. Avocados can reduce bad cholesterol levels while increasing good cholesterol." Be creative with this fruit - it's not just for making up an awesome batch of guacamole. Put it in your salad and on your sandwich to replace high-fattening salad dressings or mayonnaise.

* Cold-water fish is incredible. It contains high levels of monounsaturated fast and omega-3 fatty acids which help protect against heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and many forms of cancer. Eating a serving of salmon, mackerel or herring two times per week will do wonders for your body! If you do not consume enough fish, then a trusted fish oil supplement is highly recommended. We take two DHA pills from Nordic Naturals. It also supports memory, learning and neurological function.

Just remember...fat isn't your enemy! Just choose the right kind!

Hamburger Stew

This is a wonderful recipe for a snowy or rainy day - chocked full of healthy vegetables and robust flavor! I think I got this from a friend years ago but I really can't remember - if you're the friend, just let me know so we can pass along the credit!

Hamburger Stew

1 lb cooked beef (I used venison)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1-1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
1 can beef broth (I use our own stock which adds more flavor)
1 cups water (I use enough beef broth that I don't add the water)
1 medium potato
1/2 chopped onion
2 chopped carrots
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 stalks of chopped celery
1 teas tarragon
1 cup cooked macaroni (set aside)

Throw everything in a big pot (except macaroni) and boil till veggies are cooked. Right before serving, add the cooked macaroni.

Serve with warm home made bread and enjoy :)