Hey guys! I will no longer be posting on this blog. You can access the blog directly from the website at http://livegreaterfoundation.org or click here and this link:http://livegreaterfoundation.org/?p=1278 will take you directly to the blog on the website!
Thanks for reading and joining me in this journey!
Friday, August 15, 2014
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Restless heart
Summer is winding down and I get to go school supplies shopping for the first time ever for Gavin. I have no clue why I am so excited about this, but I just am. I guess being easily amused has its perks. I had some time yesterday to go over the small supplies list, after all he is just going to pre-school but it felt good to just sit down and only have that be on my mind. Our family has had a wonderful but very busy schedule these past two weeks. Within all the business I have found a lack of joy and desire to do some of the everyday things I normally do such as reading my daily devotional or praying. When I sink into these times of desolation it's most likely because A.) I have gotten so busy with life I have not made time for God or B.) I have made time for everything else and have not made God the priority.
When things get busy I usually unwind by going for a walk or just vegging out when the kids go to bed and putting on Netflix or even immersing myself in some kind of (small) DIY project. Even though these things can be good and everyone needs something that helps them unwind after a busy day our hearts will still be restless if we don't put God first. St. Augustine has a wonderful yet simple quote that says it all, “Thou hast made us for thyself, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” -Augustine, Confessions. I love this quote and often go back to it when I find myself a little restless. When I've watched my movie, read my book, done a painting or went for a walk and I still feel "off", I look back to this quote as a reminder we will always feel restless until we rest in God first. You would think this would be easy to do but I must have short term memory because I often forget that keeping myself busy with things that I enjoy might make me feel better for a short while but that feeling wears off quickly and I just needed to spend some time with God in the first place.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church opens with the following: "The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for"(Number 27.) I feel like I need to spend some more time with the Catechism...good stuff! "The desire for God is written in the human heart", so beautiful. It's funny how we all have this natural desire for good things, we all want to feel happy and yet at times we constantly fill our time with things to keep ourselves busy to fill this sort of void we have been feeling when truly all along that desire we have is God's voice calling us to be with Him.
So, for the rest of the week I know what I am going to be working on, filling that "void" with prayers and getting back on track with my daily devotional. My plan may not be earth shattering, but as I said before it's the small things and I'm easily amused.
Hope you all have a good week and find rest in the Lord!
When things get busy I usually unwind by going for a walk or just vegging out when the kids go to bed and putting on Netflix or even immersing myself in some kind of (small) DIY project. Even though these things can be good and everyone needs something that helps them unwind after a busy day our hearts will still be restless if we don't put God first. St. Augustine has a wonderful yet simple quote that says it all, “Thou hast made us for thyself, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” -Augustine, Confessions. I love this quote and often go back to it when I find myself a little restless. When I've watched my movie, read my book, done a painting or went for a walk and I still feel "off", I look back to this quote as a reminder we will always feel restless until we rest in God first. You would think this would be easy to do but I must have short term memory because I often forget that keeping myself busy with things that I enjoy might make me feel better for a short while but that feeling wears off quickly and I just needed to spend some time with God in the first place.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church opens with the following: "The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for"(Number 27.) I feel like I need to spend some more time with the Catechism...good stuff! "The desire for God is written in the human heart", so beautiful. It's funny how we all have this natural desire for good things, we all want to feel happy and yet at times we constantly fill our time with things to keep ourselves busy to fill this sort of void we have been feeling when truly all along that desire we have is God's voice calling us to be with Him.
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| This is my favorite devotional to read! |
So, for the rest of the week I know what I am going to be working on, filling that "void" with prayers and getting back on track with my daily devotional. My plan may not be earth shattering, but as I said before it's the small things and I'm easily amused.
Hope you all have a good week and find rest in the Lord!
Monday, August 4, 2014
Meal time
Confession, one of my least favorite times of the day is right around 5:00. Why? Because that's when I should be preparing a meal for my family. There really isn't any part of me that really, truly enjoys cooking. Don't get me wrong, I'm really into the actual eating part of the meal for sure! But when it comes to the grocery shopping, to preparing the meal, to making a mess, then cooking...forget about it.
I realize this is problematic for me because it is my job to prepare three meals a day. So, what to do? I've decided to no longer dread the 5 o'clock hour and make a goal of becoming more organized. That means I'm starting to plan out our meals on Saturdays then try and do most of the grocery shopping on Sundays. That way I have everything set up for a successful week of meals! (Or at least that's the goal.) I feel like meal planning will also help with the stress level as well. Normally,11 AM rolls around and I'm already worrying about what we are going to have for dinner, frantically looking through the cupboards for something to whip up.
Thanks to Pinterest,I found a meal that is right up my ally. You only have to get one dish dirty and it's Mexican food. Sounds good right? (Side note:I could eat Mexican food all day,every day.) Feast your eyes on the recipe below:
Southwest Chicken Skillet:
*You can find this recipe at: www.persnicketyplates.com*
Source: Adapted from 20 Paws 4 Feet
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (or tenders) cut into small pieces
salt, pepper, Montreal chicken seasoning, red pepper flakes - whatever you like to season your chicken with
1 Tablespoon (or so) olive oil
1 cup uncooked rice
10 oz can RoTel diced tomatoes & green chilies
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
handful of shredded Mexican cheese blend
sour cream, for topping
Directions
Cut your chicken into small (about 1" pieces) and season with salt, pepper, Montreal chicken seasoning, and red pepper flakes (or whichever seasoning you prefer).
Head a large skillet over medium high heat and coat with a turn of the pan of olive oil.
Once hot, add in the seasoned chicken and cook until no longer pink.
Stir in the uncooked rice, can of Rotel, can of tomato sauce, and water. Bring to a boil then cover.
Reduce heat to low and let cook for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Be sure to stir mixture to make sure rice isn't sticking to the bottom.
Once the rice is done, stir the mixture and top with a handful of shredded cheese. Turn off heat and cover for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Top with a dollop of sour cream and serve.
This meal only took me about 30-35 minutes to make and the kids really liked it as well. You could even put the mixture in a tortilla to make southwest chicken burritos.
I hope you guys have a great week and feel free to comment below with your quick go to meals!(I know I would love to get some meal ideas!)
I realize this is problematic for me because it is my job to prepare three meals a day. So, what to do? I've decided to no longer dread the 5 o'clock hour and make a goal of becoming more organized. That means I'm starting to plan out our meals on Saturdays then try and do most of the grocery shopping on Sundays. That way I have everything set up for a successful week of meals! (Or at least that's the goal.) I feel like meal planning will also help with the stress level as well. Normally,11 AM rolls around and I'm already worrying about what we are going to have for dinner, frantically looking through the cupboards for something to whip up.
Thanks to Pinterest,I found a meal that is right up my ally. You only have to get one dish dirty and it's Mexican food. Sounds good right? (Side note:I could eat Mexican food all day,every day.) Feast your eyes on the recipe below:
Southwest Chicken Skillet:
*You can find this recipe at: www.persnicketyplates.com*
Source: Adapted from 20 Paws 4 Feet
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (or tenders) cut into small pieces
salt, pepper, Montreal chicken seasoning, red pepper flakes - whatever you like to season your chicken with
1 Tablespoon (or so) olive oil
1 cup uncooked rice
10 oz can RoTel diced tomatoes & green chilies
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
handful of shredded Mexican cheese blend
sour cream, for topping
Directions
Cut your chicken into small (about 1" pieces) and season with salt, pepper, Montreal chicken seasoning, and red pepper flakes (or whichever seasoning you prefer).
Head a large skillet over medium high heat and coat with a turn of the pan of olive oil.
Once hot, add in the seasoned chicken and cook until no longer pink.
Stir in the uncooked rice, can of Rotel, can of tomato sauce, and water. Bring to a boil then cover.
Reduce heat to low and let cook for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Be sure to stir mixture to make sure rice isn't sticking to the bottom.
Once the rice is done, stir the mixture and top with a handful of shredded cheese. Turn off heat and cover for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Top with a dollop of sour cream and serve.
This meal only took me about 30-35 minutes to make and the kids really liked it as well. You could even put the mixture in a tortilla to make southwest chicken burritos.
I hope you guys have a great week and feel free to comment below with your quick go to meals!(I know I would love to get some meal ideas!)
Friday, August 1, 2014
Foundation Friday
Happy Friday and welcome to this weeks edition of Foundation Friday! We have been up to a lot this week so I'll get right to it.
First there was the big trip to New York to rejoice with Br. Angelus who just took final vows this past weekend. Thank you for your prayers for him and the 7 others from the Friars of the Renewal who gave their lives to God in a special and profound way. Pictures can say 1000 words, so I'll let all the pictures do the talking this time. Enjoy!
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Another program we are working on is “Potluck 4 the Poor” which provides fresh food for the St. Anthony's Shelter for Renewal (NYC) every month, allowing the guest an opportunity to share meals together in fellowship and fraternity. We believe that this experience is an "icon" of the Christian life, a moment to experience the blessings of life shared together as family, and to rejoice in the providence of God.
We invite you to share in this initiative by partnering with us to give food to the poor. For more information on how to help please contact: info@livegreaterfoundation.org
Hope you all have a blessed weekend!!!
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