Work and Weaknessess

Good Friday morning friends and family. I normally would be at work right now but my sweetie and I took the day off because our anniversary is tomorrow and we NEED a little us time. All week long I have waited and dreamed about this day. Oh how I would sleep in and just be lazy but NO at 6:45 I am wide awake. Stupid job {HA! not really}.
So, I have been at work a month now and I really love working at Ross. I start at 7am in the cash office {I can't really tell you all that I do because thanks to all sorts of social media and the trash telling that goes on I had to sign a waiver} and when I am done I work on the floor for about an hour and half. I am off at 11. My boss is great and the team I work with are great also. But to tell the truth I have not adjusted yet. Between my home, my family, my church, the Ladies Department {I am a sectional director} and now work I feel so BEHIND and at times overwhelmed. I did not anticipate this.
I am a Mary stuck in Martha's body. I love God with all my heart but it is hard for me to stop doing all the work and choose the "better part". I think this is my greatest weakness. I strive for daily relationship but sad to say many times I choose laundry or house work or Sunday School lessons over God. This past week at Midweek Manna Joel taught about Lot being a righteous man and yet God never warned him about what was to come. Why? God spoke to me why because even though he was righteous he had no relationship. So I have been asking myself am I so busy being righteous that God cannot speak to me because I have spent no time with Him.
I really am not trying to be a Debbie Downer. I think I am a little sleep deprived this morning. HA! Seriously, how do you all keep up with everything and still find time to cultivate a relationship with God? I am a pretty organized gal but lately I am having doubts.
Now I feel better. Thanks for letting me share what has been weighing on me. My WHOLE family is now awake and they all are needing my attention. Next to confession, cooking is good for the soul. Blueberry Pancakes sound good.
Blueberry Pancakes for the Working Mom
Bisquick
Eggs
Milk
Blueberries
Follow the instructions on the box and add fresh blueberries.
Enjoy with the most wonderful family God ever gave a mom!!!

Harvest and Happenings

Yeah I'm back. This HUGE... two post in one month!!!

So much has transpired since my last post so I will apologize now if this is a bit lengthy. Please don't feel like you have to read it all but thanks to those of you who really love me and do. Ha!

Back in December Joel had a pastor friend ask us {our church} to join with them in Forty Days of Fire. For those of you who do not know what this is, it is a time set aside for prayer and fasting. At first Joel felt we should go a different direction and was indecisive. A few days later his elder Bro. Gonzales from Chicago called and asked the same thing!!! So we really felt like God was leading us to do this. So as of January 1 we have been praying and fasting and God has been moving!!! The week after my first post we went on a technology and media fast. Oh boy was that one difficult. {Thus no blog post last week.} This week we have been on the Daniel's Fast. I must admit it took a lot preparation for this week but I have "sort" of enjoyed this week. I did find some pretty yummy recipes. Although, I think I am in detox. I keep having horrible headaches. I really miss bread and dessert!! Ha! But God is moving in the Northwest. This is a very spiritually dark area and I really believe that is going to take God's people getting "really" serious and entering into spiritual warfare to bring down the strongholds of this area. So along with the 40 Days of Fire and outreach we did a Blessing the Community service. This past Sunday was a day of Harvest and we had 9 first time visitors and 3 of them received the Holy Spirit for the first time!!!! After church we held a drawing and "blessed" our guest with $25 gift cards to various places. This was so awesome for our little church. We are really excited about what God is doing in Souls Harbour.

This past Tuesday our six became five again. Boo!!! Miss Emily felt it was time for her to go back to Texas so after a lot of tears and prayers her and her dad left for home. Joel and I are at peace with her decision although we are going to miss her big time!!! Because Emily took our third bedroom all three of the girls were in one room. So after Em left we moved Alyssa and Livvy into the other room which they love. Oh and this morning we were making the bed and Alyssa said it's so good to sleep in Emily's room. So Em you will always have a room in our house. :)

More big news....I am going back to work. It has 15 months since my last day at Ross. I have loved being at home with the girls but financially it has been hard. I had been considering different options when my old boss called me and asked if I would be willing to come back and work for him so I took that as a open door from God. The next step was finding child care for Livvy and Amelia. I asked God to open that door and as it happens Chad's wife {Chad is my boss} will be watching the girls. Next Wednesday will be my first day and I must admit I am little nervous, not for me but for my Amelia. She thinks we are attached at the hip and I'm not sure how she will react to someone else keeping her. Thankfully it will only be for 4 hours a day. Here's hoping....

Okay so I am winding down now. Snow, snow and more snow!!!! It has been snowing since last Saturday. OH MY WORD!!! Apparently we haven't had a snow storm like this since the 1940's. Hundreds of schools and businesses are closed. Alyssa has been home all week and Joel for 2 days. It's been like a mini stay cation only without all the comfort food that I miss right now. I'm thinking on Saturday I'll be making a yummy dessert!!!

Okay one more thing since I LOVE to cook and the name of my blog is a "Pot of Beans" I thought I would be cool if at the end of my post I leave you with a new or old delicious recipe. This week I am passing along a recipe from the Daniel's fast. Joel and I really loved this chili. We would eat it even when we weren't on a fast. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for enduring this really long post. I hope you all have a warm cozy day I know I am!! For those of you without snow I thought I would let you enjoy mine. Here are a few pics I took earlier this week and one of the girls today.

Vegetarian Chili

This is a very easy to prepare and hearty meal. I make this even when I’m not on the Daniel Fast! 2 medium-sized green peppers, chopped

1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped

1 zucchini, sliced

1 yellow squash, sliced

2 tablespoons salad oil

2 tablespoons chili powder

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground red peppers

2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

2 16 oz. cans tomatoes (juice and all)

2 16 oz. cans pinto beans (juice and all)

2 16 oz. cans black beans (juice and all)

1 4 oz. can mild green chilies

1 4 oz. can of tomato paste[When I make this during non-fasting times, I also add 1 tablespoon of sugar with the other spices.]

Chop and sauté in oil the peppers and onions. Add the sliced squashes, chili powder, salt, ground red peppers, and corn. When all the vegetables are soft but still firm, add the tomatoes, all the beans, the green chilies, and the tomato paste. Stir until just blended.Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Let simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Yield: 6 generous servings

A new year a new Blog

Wow it has been so long since the last time I blogged that I had to relearn how to manuever aound in blogger. Whew, that took forever.
For quite a while I have been wanting to start up my blog again. I really want to share with the world about our experiences living in the Northwest and pastoring in the most unchured area in the nation. It is also a great avenue to share about my hobbies and intrest and of course my SweetBeans. So since it is a new year and everyone is making or renewing commitments I thought this would be a great time to renew my blog.
So, as I say when I am cooking "here's hoping".