So Justin and I are starting our workout with the Insanity program again this week! Naturally, we are trying to eat as healthy as possible during this time as well.
For lunch this week we are either eating tuna or we are having chicken salad sandwiches. I made a batch of chicken salad and we eat this on wheat bread.
Ingredients:
- 2 Packs of Sweet Sue Premium Chicken Breast (it's 98% Fat Free, according to the package)
- Light Mayo (I usually do this just enough to keep the chicken salad moist, but I try not to overdo it)
- 1 Onion
- 2 or 3 Tablespoons of Relish
- Wheat Bread
Mix the listed ingredients (the chicken, mayo, onion, and relish together). Spread it on wheat bread, and you have a yummy chicken salad sandwich! I even have been eating baby carrots as a side dish to my sandwich. :)
I was just asked this by my 14 year old earlier today. We go to church, we go to church regularly, but she had not yet fully grasped the meaning of what Palm Sunday is...of what it means. I guess at her age I didn't full understand what it meant either. I was raised in church, my dad was even a Deacon of a church, but at the age of 14 that's not something I fully understood.
I understood from the early years of my childhood what Easter is, but I never really thought that often of Palm Sunday...not because I was being disrespectful, but because I really didn't understand what it was or why it existed. So to answer my daughter as accurately as possible, I thought of the scripture that is in reference to this. The story in the Bible that tells us of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Matthew 21: 8-11 (KJV) 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
I tried to explain this to my 14 year old daughter as best as I could. Sometimes it's even hard for my mind to grasp what really went on that day. This is to me what Palm Sunday is referenced by though...this scripture. A crowd getting ready for the entry of Jesus. Then I think, how awesome would it be to see Jesus?!?
Every single day though I think of how we need to make way for Jesus. Clear our minds, our hearts, and our lives enough to free up space for Jesus to be there...to make way for the Lord to be present in our lives. Jesus has already made a way, we just need to welcome the Lord into our space! There's always room in our lives, we just need to welcome Him and show Him that we have room for Him, and by welcoming Him into our own place (our own lives), we are able to celebrate each and every day...He is here...in our life...every single moment of it, we just have to show Him we welcome Him to make His entrance and be right where He needs to be!
I understood from the early years of my childhood what Easter is, but I never really thought that often of Palm Sunday...not because I was being disrespectful, but because I really didn't understand what it was or why it existed. So to answer my daughter as accurately as possible, I thought of the scripture that is in reference to this. The story in the Bible that tells us of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Matthew 21: 8-11 (KJV) 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
I tried to explain this to my 14 year old daughter as best as I could. Sometimes it's even hard for my mind to grasp what really went on that day. This is to me what Palm Sunday is referenced by though...this scripture. A crowd getting ready for the entry of Jesus. Then I think, how awesome would it be to see Jesus?!?
Every single day though I think of how we need to make way for Jesus. Clear our minds, our hearts, and our lives enough to free up space for Jesus to be there...to make way for the Lord to be present in our lives. Jesus has already made a way, we just need to welcome the Lord into our space! There's always room in our lives, we just need to welcome Him and show Him that we have room for Him, and by welcoming Him into our own place (our own lives), we are able to celebrate each and every day...He is here...in our life...every single moment of it, we just have to show Him we welcome Him to make His entrance and be right where He needs to be!
Although it's that too!
It's the ones who you walk on the beach looking at the ocean with, the ones you spend your time making memories with that is so important. This week, we've made so many memories. We traveled to Destin and Miramar Beach, FL. We stayed our first night in Birmingham, Alabama (the kids as well as my first time to Alabama). This is also the first time the kids and I have saw water this blue (which we saw in Florida). So, we got to see the swamps of Alabama and blue, very blue waters of Florida. Justin and I celebrated our 15th anniversary at a place we will never forget. We saw dolphins from our balcony, strolled the beach, the kids got to see jellyfish and view the dolphins near where they were playing in the ocean. These moments have definitely turned into memories to last all of us a lifetime.
Justin and I even had an oceanfront dinner the evening of our anniversary at Pompano Joe's Seafood House. We strolled the beach at our resort. Our time together at Florida has been an awesome experience to add to our collection of memories made.
More Photos are in the Members/Readers Area: Photos Page 1 | Photos Page 2 | Photos Page 3 | Photos Page 4 | Photos Page 5 |
Over the last week or so we finished up a workspace for my photography/craft area. In this space we have my Dad's custom made picture frames. We placed our family photos in the frames. These frames are custom made...Dad even cut the glass. They are so very, very special!
Banana Nut Bread...yummy! :)
Yummy!
So...the first of many "Happy Birthdays" that I get to say to you without you saying a thank you, without me hearing your laugh, or without me seeing your smile. Instead of me getting you a gift this year, Justin, the kids, and I will make the trip out to the cemetery to spend some time with you. We will take flowers, and those will be your gift this year.
I realize there is a season for everything. This is our season of "the (dreaded) firsts" without you. We've already had one Thanksgiving where your chair was empty (alongside Dad's). There was one less name on our Christmas gift list this past year...instead of a Christmas gift, we bought you flowers. Your call was even missed right after the ball dropped on New Year's to tell us Happy New Year. Now, we celebrate your birthday, but we celebrate it without you being here.
Each day I'm painfully reminded of your no longer being on this Earth. I'm reminded by the silence every single morning, when I should be hearing the phone ringing with you on the other end of the line telling me to have a good day. I've even thought of you being gone a lot this Winter, when you normally would call and tell me to be careful on my way to work and to watch out for black ice on the road. You'd even call to make sure I got home okay at the end of the workday when it was bad weather. Now...now, I have memories.
Perhaps this is one reason why I love pictures so, so very much! They help us to remember the times we can't get back!
This photo was taken the first birthday you celebrated after your lung transplant. Those last few years prior to the transplant, I never thought I'd see the day that you could blow out a candle again, you were so out of breath all of the time prior to your transplant. The Lord blessed us to see it again though, and for that I'm thankful!
I'm thankful for having you as my Mom. Your birthday was supposed to be a day for you to celebrate your life, but you see, everyone who ever knew you in this world needs to be the one to celebrate the day you were born. A celebration as much for them as for you, because anyone who knew you should consider it a true gift, one of the finest!
During your last days on this earth, the days you and I got to have a conversation, at least with me talking and you listening (as you were on the ventilator and couldn't speak with it), I mentioned to you what a treasure you were to me, and what a gift it was to have a Mom like you. I still mean that. You're one of the greatest friends I've ever had, and I'm blessed to call you Mom.
So, this day, your birthday, even though you're no longer on this Earth, I'll celebrate you. I'll take you flowers, I'll whisper Happy Birthday to you, I'll look at pictures of days gone by, and I'll remember. I love you, Mom! Happy Birthday!
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