riceless rosemary risotto (gluten-free)

THIS is so good. y'all.
I saw it being made on Dr. Oz one day a while back.
(Yeah, it must've been nap time or something and I was trying to find another Doc besides McStuffins to watch.)
The recipe comes from this awesome blog. I love all her recipes, check her out!

It's so so easy and really yummy. I like it on it's own or as a side dish to some chicken or even steak pieces. There's really lots of winning things about this dish, in my opinion.
1. it cooks in the MICROWAVE. yes, it does.
2. my kids love it.
3. Rosemary. enough said for me.
4. did I say it cooks in the microwave?
5. it's gluten-free.

SOLD!

you need:
1 cup quick cooking old fashioned oats
2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
2 TBSP low fat (or fat free) cream cheese
1 TBSP rosemary (I didn't have fresh but it'd be so good if it was!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
 



In a large microwaveable bowl, mix together the broth and the oats.
Cook between 3-4 minutes depending on your microwave's strength.
Take it out and stir.



While out, mix the peas and cream cheese in.
Then put the bowl back in for another 3-4 minutes, watching to make sure your oats dont boil over.
Get them to the thickness you like your oats.



Take it out and stir in the rosemary, salt and pepper.
and WALA! (is that how you spell that?)
You have a yummy dish done in like 10 minutes total.
ENJOY!

 

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I haven't shared a recipe in a while, but I really am wanting to get back into that.
I feel like it helps me branch out my cooking a little more, try new things, and get new ideas of what works for my family. SO I plan to start cooking sharing recipes more. :)
Wanna join me?
If you have a recipe you would love to share, let me know and I'd love to have you guest post with it!

here's to a good week ahead!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
Here's to a new week ahead filled with fresh revelation and encouragement from the Lord!
Make a choice to believe His goodness towards you this week.
It is His nature to love you well...
so let Him!

Hope Spoken : God showed up

I can't even, I don't even know...how to start about this last weekend.
Hope Spoken wasn't just a good conference. It wasn't a "blogging thing", it wasn't a women's retreat, It wasn't a place to hear good speakers and take pictures with friends.
It was a place God showed up.
His presence fell and His Spirit got the attention of many women there.
Women who, like me, needed a fresh taste of His goodness.

Amidst all the beautiful women and beautiful stories of God's redemtion and power and grace,
the most beautiful part for me, was seeing women open up and share their stories.
THEIR stories. THEIR souls. THEIR heartaches, THEIR fears. THEIR lives.
THEIR encounters with the goodness of God.


I think a lot of times we can so easily think that other people, "bigger" people than us, have stories that matter more that our own.
NOT true.
It's easy to think that amazing author or that "big" blogger has a story and a life testimony that matter more than ours.
YOUR story matters. Anything and everything you have been through...it's valuable.
And what I saw happening all around me at Hope Spoken, was women opening up and telling their own stories, because when God's presence comes, it creates a space to be real and comfortable.


 (that's my tribe, my girls I can't do life without. We all got to be together, which made the weekend even better)

Not only were the decorations and goodies sheer perfection (though I did not get a macaroon! tear.), the community building aspect to the weekend's flow was perfect.  The way it was set up and run and scheduled was so good. The speakers were awesome. The worship leaders were wonderful. The small group aspect was perfect.
Danielle, Casey and Emily left no detail undone and I am so amazed how the weekend went, especially it being the very first one. Those ladies should be so proud of themselves for following their dream and seeing it come to life so beautifully
God showed up in all the details.

I had the honor to lead a small group throughout the weekend, and I could not have asked for a better one. The openness, the tears, the loving spirits shared between all these women who had all just met was really inspiring. God showed up...kindof the theme here, right?
I was humbled to hear different stories and to hear these women encourage each other.
I actually had things in my head to say for each session, but the Lord always just took over...which is really exactly what I prayed would happen. His agenda, not my own.
And things the women shared? I needed.
I needed to hear other people's stories.
And I came away with a love for these new friends, which is awesome
(love you ladies, miss you!)

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The reason I started this blog was because after our first miscarriage, I needed a place to tell my story. I needed an outlet to help me process, to just "put it out there".
(I think a lot of bloggers can relate to this).
And so I did.
And then I realized how much it helped me, and even connected me with others who were going through the same.
My point is...through that inner-hurting need and desire to be heard, I gained life.
Through sharing my loss, I gained life.
And through continuing to share my story here...I have gained SO much life.

So my encouragement to you?
Find a place to share your story.
Seek it out. If you don't have people you feel safe sharing with, then journal in some way.
I promise you...you need to tell your story.
And I can promise you this too...someone else needs to hear your story.

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I will share more about Hope Spoken next week, but just wanted to say all this for now.
Also, here are a few pics of the weekend!
*Tickets for next years conference go on sale soon. Last weekend of March 2015 in Dallas! Please consider going! Ill keep you posted here ab it all!*

chocolate protector

"No takey my choco, Mama."




(Happy Wednesday, friends!)

letting praise rule me

To praise someone is to recognize, acknowledge, and express gratitude for what they have done.
And while I love to praise God on my own, and to worship Him with others around me...
I realized this weekend that it is not always on my lips.
His praise is not what always comes out.
His purposes do not always get acknowledged when I am living in doubt.
His extravagant love for me does not always rule my emotions.

We heard an amazing prophetic couple speak recently, who shared some incredible encouragements from the Lord.
One of the things I took away from it the most was this:
I cannot let how I feel when I wake up in the morning rule my day.

(and oh it does, let me tell you.
When your 2 and 4 year old wake you up screaming and needing your every ounce of attention...
it's easy to let feelings take over.)

But I so desire for WORSHIP and PRAISE and TRUTH to be what rules my day, my heart.
From the minute I wake up.

And I'm not talking about going around in a sing-songy voice and praising Jesus for the peanut butter that my 4-year-old just smeared all over my 2-year-old's hair while I was still sleeping.
(thank you Jesus for your grace to laugh on that particular day)

But I am talking about seeing Him in it all.

Not just the peanut butter situations.
The hard stuff and the good stuff.
Sickness, cancer, uncertainty, money problems, anger.
Good news, salvation, healing, restoration.

When we can see Him, see His sovereignty and His purposes of love,
it's a lot easier to worship.
And worship is a lot easier than anger, or whatever else the "feeling" is that is ruling you.

- - - - - - - - - -

Worship has been a huge part of my life ever since I was touched by the Holy Spirit in 10th grade.

It's what fuels me. It's what SHOULD fuel me, especially on harder days.

There are so many ways to worship our Jesus, and everyone is drawn differently...

some worship through song, some through art, some through service, some through time and money. 

It is ALL worship when we are doing it for His glory and His purposes, and not our own.

But you know the amazing thing?

When we worship to bless HIM....WE get blessed ourselves.

Like I said, everyone worships God differently, even within singing.

Some like louder songs, some prefer traditional quiet hymns.

Some sit in silence and reverence, and some raise their hands and pray out loud.

And some do it all, in different seasons and on different days.

All to bring glory to God.

To praise Him and acknowledge what He has done in our lives.

To recognize His value.

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so today, I want to praise God right here in front of you.
I want to worship His heart by proclaiming things He has done in my life.
Because He does show up.
Because He loves us.
And so I want to worship Him "publicly" in this way...

I am praising God for my health and my life. He has healed me from disease and issues that should not have been so easy to be healed. He has made me whole again!

I am praising Him for my precious husband who leads and guides me and ALWAYS speaks the Truth to me. He pulls me out of my cloud when I am in the midst of doubt and fear and shame. I praise Him for giving me Parker.

I praise God for my babies. For my sweet girls who love on me, make me laugh, refine and challenge my soul, keep me grounded, and keep me motivated. They are the biggest blessings in my life.

I praise Him for the other three babies we have in Heaven. What a big family we have there now...what an amazing Homecoming it will be for us someday!

I praise Him for the loss and the heartache we have been through. It has made us strong. HE has made us strong.

I praise Him for all of our family. For our moms here who love us so well, and for our Dads in Heaven who left a legacy for us.

I praise God for incredible friends scattered all throughout the country, who I met through this crazy world of social media. They are my friendship rocks and make me cry and laugh pretty much every day.

I praise Him for teaching us about His power. For not letting us stay in the rut of religion, but showing us the powerful ways He still moves. It has forever changed us and I praise Him for allowing us to see it.

I praise Him for Provision. HE is our provider. Even when we had nothing, we had much.

I praise Him for the freedom we get to worship Him. I take it for granted. Whew! We are SO blessed here, yall.

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GOD I PRAISE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE IN MY LIFE TODAY!!
I want everyone to know just how amazing you are. How loving and how good.
YOU have rescued and redeemed and forgiven and healed.
Thank you so much for letting me bless you.

Let it rule me, and let Your praise ever be on my lips, God.