Serve

I have to share this and I do not want to to put it directly on facebook.  

At age 15, I was trusted to take up the weekly Meals for Missions money at our church.  

At age 17, I was trusted with the little hearts that made up my first Sunday School class.  

Those two appointments were the seeds that grew into a love, no, a passion for service. 

 I had wonderful examples of people who served joyfully.  

I was just telling Larry a few weeks ago that I am happiest when I am doing something for the Lord.  

Well, my family will tell you it is not just some"thing".  I like to do lot of things to serve the Lord!  

The last few years has been hard on me.  

I had to give up my positions at church for health reasons and now I am not doing anything.  

But, I do not intend to keep it that way.

 I have to do something.  

In order for me to be happy, truly happy, I have to actively serve my Lord.

We trained our children to serve.  

Through the years I remember as I prayed for them I would tell the Lord I would rather they serve Him in full time service than for them to not know Him and be wealthy by the world's standards.  

I still feel that way.  

And if not full time, then I pray(ed ) for great lay leaders.  

When Rachel was a teenager we were talking about what she planned to do with her life.  

She said, "I just want to do what you do."  

Shocked, I said, "And what's that?"  

She said, "Nothing. But everything." 

 No, I didn't have a job outside our home.... that was the nothing part.  

"But everything."  I saw then that the training we were doing was not going unnoticed.  

That was one of the highest compliments I could have gotten. 

Serving. 

And last night, Ryan came home late.   

Some friends had got together after church, but he came home with youth service still on his mind.  

He gave the lesson last night. It was his first lesson for Wednesday night that he put together himself. 

(He had filled in for me in Sunday School a time or two.) 

He shared with me his lesson on Jeremiah 29:11 and how it is important for us to make plans 

but it is more important for us to consider God first in those plans 

and know that He may have other plans that are better than ours.  

Then he shared that he had put together another thought on service, but didn't use it this time.  

And then he said, "I never understood growing up why you had to do all you did in the church.  

But now, I get it. I can't just go and not do anything.  

I have to show them Christ."  

Serving.

Right now, I have two children who are serving in their churches.  

I am waiting and praying for the other to stop "something" so  "nothing, but everything"  can be done.

Obviously, I cannot, we cannot brag on anything we have done. 

Yes, we tried to train them, but we failed so many times.  

It is only by God's grace we can rejoice in their service. 

no greater joy...

Food... Fabulous Food

So, I headed to the farmer's market this morning.  It is early in the season so I ended up only getting cabbage, spinach and lemon garlic gnocchi style pasta that my friend, Kathy makes. (Her business, Rolling in the Dough,  is growing and she will be opening in "downtown" Speedway in a few weeks.)  Every week the market will have more things. Not sure I will make it next week since Kristi and the girls will be here... maybe that would be a good outing for Kenzi and me, though.

This week's menu will be:

Tonight:  baked cod and salad
Sunday:  eye of round roast, baked potato for Ryan, roasted cabbage for me, carrots
Monday:  cider bbq chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower
Tuesday:  pork tenderloin on the grill, Kathy's pasta, broccoli
Wednesday:  spaghetti
Thursday:  lemon herb chicken, slim potato casserole, roasted green beans

Since I am doing Weight Watchers, I am going to work on the points plus for each dinner menu as I make the menu.... not today, maybe not next week since the kids will be here, but soon!

Choices

Oh, it would have been so nice to have been born with great genes that made it possible to eat whatever I wanted and still be thin.  But, it just isn't the case for me.  All my life I have struggled with my weight. I love to cook, I love butter, and I love Mt. Dew.  yep. That just about sums it up.

A few years ago my weight hit the all time high and so I knew I had to do something.  I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes so, I lost 20 lbs. on my own and then hit a plateau. So, at the encouragement of my daughter, we went to a weight loss doctor.  The blood tests then showed my A1C to be well below the diabetes level.  I was able to lose another 20 lbs. there.  Mr. Fye was happy with that.... I wanted to lose another 10 lbs. Well, that time in life hit came calling and I gained 10 lbs. in one month....  one month!! and it was all "up scale' from there! I had gained it all back plus 4 lbs. The last blood work I had showed my blood sugar levels to be fine, but that was 20 lbs. ago.

Knowing I had to do something I started the weight loss process with my regular doctor.  It did not help. At all. I think manufacturers do make a difference, but I don't want to pay for the weight loss doctor. Also, I noticed that this time I noticed that the  meds were definitely an upper.  It is a controlled substance, but I had never had "problems" with it. The "problems" were up early and on the go and getting things done!  Yeah, "problems." But I knew that taking that was not rally what I wanted to do.... family history and all being what it is.  I have been taking my It Works Greens for over a year.  They balance, detoxify and alkalize my system and are a probiotic.  So, my digestive system is so much healthier than it was in the past, so that is why I think my body responded different to it.  Everyone in the world needs to be on Greens.  Just ask me, I will tell you why!! but I won't go into that now...

So, since that didn't work I decided to give Weight Watchers another try.  I have tried it in the past, but if you know me, you know going to that weekly meeting was a chore.  So, this time I joined online.  I love all the etools, the Community and surprisingly, this 'paperless' version.  I joined last Friday and at my weigh in this week I was down 5.6 lbs!  And that is without all healthy options at home!  Tomorrow I head to the farmer's market and cannot wait to see what goodies they have there! I will be working toward another great week next week as I eat better, track more consistently, and maybe throw in some exercise in there other than chasing a 2 year old!  I think I am more excited about weight loss than I have ever been! When I lost before the meds kept hunger in check and I ate whatever I wanted.  This time I will learn to keep hunger in check by eating healthier and enjoying treats of those things I enjoy so much!  

I have chosen to be healthy, not just lose weight.

So, this week I have lost 5.6 lbs. of the 44 lbs. I want to lose.

I will post my week's menu tomorrow evening after I go to the grocery and farmer's market.  The market is only on Saturday and Wednesday.  Wednesday is impossible for me to get there with Braelyn's nap time and Saturday is a struggle, too.  I will try to do the Saturday market,because it is local. BUT, Fresh Thyme Farmer's Market is coming to the area and I am anxious to go there!

"There are two primary choices in life: 

to accept conditions as they exist, 

or accept the responsibility for changing them."

Dr. Denis Waitley

Rwya2wycf

To the normal eye the post title doesn't make a bit of sense.  But to my kids it represents something they have heard most of their lives.... for as long as they have been going somewhere on their own, they have heard the words this mumbo jumbo represents as they walked out the door.

Remember Who You Are, What You Are, and Where You Come From.

Remember Who You Are. 

You are a Fye. You represent our family. You have a responsibility to behave in a manner that will not bring reproach to our family name.

What You Are.

You are a Christian. You represent the Family of God. Your actions, reactions and attitudes need to pleasing to God.

Where You Come From.

You come from a family that loves you and will always be there for you.... we have your back.

I don't know if they ever thought about it after they walked out the door. I don't know if this little saying made any difference.  I do know other than a few full moons, ignored curfews, and the need to "collect" this, that and the other we have some pretty great kids. They are adults now and looking back, we, like every other parent of adults, have things we wish we would have done differently. But it does no good to look back with with any more than a brief thought about that. What I am getting at is, I am not trying to imply we did all things right. I am just so proud of my kids and how they have represented our family, their faith and attitudes, and I feel pretty certain they know they are loved.... not sure they know they depths of that love, though.

What really prompted this post is Facebook. 

The last couple of weeks the second "wya" of  rwya2wycf  has been challenged. Sometimes there are some things I want to post on my own wall or comment on another's post, that I type it out, then the thought "Does this please the Lord?" pops in my head and I hit the delete key.  Then, there are times as I am reading along I think, 'Really???'  People may not see what I have typed out or thought, but my Lord knows. And lately, my attitude toward some has not been what he would be pleased with. And today, the Lord said to me,

"Mari, remember who you are, what you are and where you come from."

Menu Monday

For some reason I cannot change the background on my blog.  I have tried two different companies.... gonna let it go for today.  Thankfully it is not snowing out as the background promotes, but it is rainy! But it is spring finally and that is to be expected.

I need to be putting some more thought to Easter.  I have an idea for our tablescape, but it needs finessing. The menu pretty much stays the same with a few changes. But I know it will be here before I know it and I don't want to just cook without a plan.... even though it doesn't need serious thought!

Menus are still challenging to me.  I want a plan and I want to stick to it. But if there isn't anyone here to cook for I am not going to cook a complete meal!  I am trying to adjust.

On the menu this week will be:

BBQ pork sandwiches (from the pork roast left over from Sunday), mac & cheese, green beans
Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, broccoli
Baked chicken, fettuccine, carrots
Deer steak, perogies, and a veggie
Smoked sausage, green beans and potatoes

Well, that is it for now.  It has been a busy day and the grand-darlin' is due to wake up any minute! Hope you have a good week!

Eggs

Actually this post could continue the Necessities of Life post... Eggs.  We have found it quite funny to see what people buy when there is a snow storm brewing.  Bread, eggs and milk. Rachel says that everyone obviously eats french toast when they are snowed in! It has crossed my mind that it is kinda crazy to get all worked up.  After this last storm we were able to get out and about the next day.  But, my mind quickly went back to the days of living 6 miles out of town and knowing that if you live out of the city, you may need a few days supply.  It is so easy to look at the panic that some people exhibit, and judge them by what is going on our little world.  Others have different challenges and situations.  We may take the storms in stride, but others may not be prepared for what we see as a hiccup.  But I digress.... Our necessities, storm or no storm, are eggs, milk, salt and butter.  We love our eggs.

We get our eggs from our neighbor, Pete, who gets them from a guy he works with.  We usually order 4-6 dozen.  The last time Larry ordered he got 8 dozen!! That was crazy since our household was going down in number, not going up or even staying the same! But since they are so fresh they last quite a while! This is how I keep the eggs in our refrigerator.  They are easy to grab and it looks pretty! See that one white egg? We had run out of farm fresh eggs and so we bought eggs from the store and that one last white egg just cannot make the cut for anyone's meal. This picture was actually taken last week... and it is still in there tonight!  The fresh eggs are just SO much better! Larry says they are meaty. (For some reason I find that funny!) They just have such a rich flavor that the store eggs do not have.  A favorite lunch for me is poached eggs on toast generously sprinkled with pepper. Reminds me of my Daddy.  How do you like your eggs?  Do you buy them from the store or farm fresh? I guess it may be a good thing that Larry ordered so many, because with this bitterly cold weather the hens (or is it chickens) probably aren't laying. 

It is Monday, so I start a new week of menus.  I am still adjusting to different schedules.  I am going to have to go with more of a definite plan I think... at least every other day.  I cannot go days just picking.  I thought I could.  Well, I guess I can if I am picking a nice pork chop or steak! 

Here is the plan right now for the week:

Roasted Smoked Sausage, Red Potatoes, Red Onions and Green Peppers

Deer Burger in Macaroni and Cheese

Pork Chops in the Crock Pot

Hamburgers

Chicken Parmesan and Linguine

Taco Salad

I am so excited!! I will be starting my menu plans for the end of the month soon, because my Oklahoma family will be coming!  And they have few things they like to have when they are home and I like to have something new! I am sure I mentioned it before, but I love cooking for my family!  

They enjoy what I cook and they tell me so! 

Ikea's Life Lesson

(I found this in my drafts.  I don't know why I didn't post it then. Timing is in the past, but the lesson is still relevant.)

  Larry has a long business trip ahead and so since he was in Cincinnati this last weekend he asked if I wanted to go down and stay with him. Alone.... just the two of us?  Duh!! I made it happen on my end and he moved to a better place than he was staying (wasn't that nice?). So I packed up my bags and headed to Cinci.

   The ride down was depressing.  It took me back to the days when my motto was 'Have ice. Will travel.' When Rob and Rachel were at God's Bible School and College I traveled that road a lot.  I loved those days.  I loved being around my kids and their friends. There are so many good memories from that time. What made it depressing was that it involved memories of going to see Rob.  It has been since Christmas.... 8 months!!!! since I have seen my boy! This is the longest I have gone without seeing him.  I am sure other parents of grown children know what I am talking about when I say I miss him so bad I actually hurt.

   On Friday night Larry and I used our trusty app, The Urban Spoon, and chose Stone Creek Dining Company as the place to have supper. It was the first time we had eaten there. It was really good! Not cheap, not terribly expensive.  Larry's salad was so fresh and crisp, and the bread and dipping oil was oh, so good!  Larry had tilapia on a bed of couscous with asparagus, and I had filet mignon, baked potato and mixed vegetables.  We will definitely go there again.

  The bed at the motel was one of  hardest beds I have ever slept on.  But that being said, I  slept so good that night! I did sleep in since there were no creaking floors or slamming doors or people talking to wake me up! Or a certain baby pounding on Mamaw's door so she can watch Super Why with me!

I knew I would be spending the day alone while he was working on Saturday, so I knew I would try to find Ikea and had thought about going to Jungle Jim's.  I arrived at Ikea about 1pm and hadn't eaten yet, so I decided to eat there. As soon as I walked in the store I was overwhelmed! Which way do I go? I watched for few seconds and looked around, noticed everyone else was taking a pencil and map so I did, too.  I saw the restaurant was upstairs, so I headed up the escalator. At the top I was greeted with a sample of Swedish Meatballs.  So good, so I decided to have that for my lunch.  I had a child size portion of meatballs, mashed potatoes, a corn bread square (because it looked so good) and a piece of apple cream cake.  All that with Coke for $6.46!  I was surprised that everything was perfectly seasoned!

  After I ate my delicious meal, I walked past the live band and set off on an adventure! I had heard so many great things about Ikea that I wondered if it would compare to my first time in The Container Store. That was like a singing angel choir experience! AHHHHHhhhhhh... Seriously.  Sadly, it was not that kind of experience, but that's ok.... TCS is a very special place.  I immediately saw all kinds of things I would like to put in my cart. And, oh my... Christmas gifts for my girls will be bought here!! As I was walking through the store I kept thinking, "Why do I keep running into all these people!"  I got off of the walkway to look at a kitchen island it took forever to get back on the walkway! People kept coming.  I was in my own little world and was patient but perplexed.  Finally, I got back on the walkway and when I made it to the next bend, there it was. The arrow on the walkway. They actually had directions to getting through the store! I looked at the little paper I picked up with the pencil and sure enough, there is a starting point!  So, I turned around and went back to the starting point and went the right direction and it was a lot easier! Still crowded, but it is easier to go with the flow! It would have been better to have a friend or two along.  More eyes to see all the bargains and details!

   I had a little laugh at myself and shared it with Larry, who laughed at me, too!  But the thought just kept coming back to me.

   The goal when I went to that store was to not miss a thing!  I knew what I wanted and was given the tools to make it happen. I just didn't know it. Why? Because I was so caught up with what I wanted to do and with being so overwhelmed with the experience, that I was going about it my own way.  The wrong way.  I had the map that told me where the starting point was and I didn't even look at it. Well, I did, but not closely.  I saw the departments and showroom areas and even the path through the store, but I didn't pay close enough attention to see the fine detail of the arrows.

You know, we are given our map to get through this life. So many times we start off with good plans and intentions. Whether it is in our spiritual walk, our business plans or our family life, God's Word should be our guide.   We have it. If we don't have one when we ask Jesus to be our Savior, we are given one by those we know at church.  Not using it, or by skimming it over is what gets us into a jam.  We end up going the wrong way.  We know what we want, but we end up confused and the joy of the journey is replaced with frustration. We aren't following His directions or consulting Him to lead us.  The only solution is to go by the Map. His plan is set in place and will make it possible to not miss a thing of what God has for us!

   And remember what I said about how it would have been easier to have a friend along?  Friendships are important.  Our close friends can be our confidants, our sounding boards and those that can see when we are heading off on our own way... the wrong way.  And a good friend will say, "Hey! Look the Map is saying this is the way to go.... You don't want to miss what God has planned for you!"

So, that is the life lesson I learned from Ikea.  I have a Bible... several actually, but I know I need to stop going off on my own, thinking I have it handled!  I don't want to miss a single blessing He has for me and my family.