Keri goes to Paris

To start this August 19th, which was no ordinary day because it was the birthday of one special Keri, a group of little ladies dined in a small cafe in "Paris" Let me introduce the serveurs~

the lovely ladies at the cafeAfter dining on the french fare, the girls stopped at a magasin de fleur and a magasin de bonbons

A quick trip to the Louvre, where they posed as the Mona Lisa

Au revoir~

On righteousness and purity

It occurred to me that I've been okay with- even "cool" with the idea- that I'm not perfect and "oh well". I've been agreeable with the fact that what I struggle with is okay- in fact, it's what makes me, me and at least I'm "real".

It isn't okay. It's wrong to be okay with it. God wants to get rid of my impurity. Being "cool" with where I stay-in the muck of subtle and not-so-subtle discontentment in this season of my life is not right.

Somehow, I've allowed myself to accept this. "It's hard being a mom of 5". "I'm a woman on a roller coaster of emotions". "This is a time of life where feeling bogged down and melancholy is just the reality."

Not so. Christ died for my sinful thoughts and moods and emotions. It isn't acceptable to "ride with it". I can't live in the same sinful mindsets and behaviors day after day. His Word says that Christ's dying and rising defeated sin. Therefore, from that day, when I accepted what He did and died with Him and rose with Him, He dwells in me.

I think I view His grace wrongly sometimes (so says Romans on keeping the law after being saved by grace). I mistakenly think that He'll change me...eventually even if I'm laze-fare about it.

Desire righteousness Jamie! Desire holiness, and the process of sanctification. "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey it's evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life, and offer parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace." -Romans 6:12-14 "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning it's shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God".

I want to oppose all sin, wrong thoughts, and behaviors that take away from the freedom and growth in my sanctification journey with the Lord.

Love this picture. I pray often that God will transform me into a mom who loves and protects always.


I desire for my children to look back and remember their mom like this.

Oh my goodness~ I'm caring for little, beautiful people.

Avocaah...do

Josh and I have a newly found fondness for the avocado.

These healthy little "alligator pears" stir an excitement in me that only other "foodies" can really understand. Texture, taste, color. They have it all. But for me, it's the smooth and creamy texture. It makes any food that much more exciting. May I suggest a few~ avocado showcasing~ recipes?

Eggs Benedict and avocado, recipe and photo by California Avocado Commission

Ingredients

~ 4 English muffins

~ 8 slices of Canadian bacon or ham, fried

~ 8 eggs poached

~ 2 avocados

~ 2 cups of hollandaise sauce

Prepare

~ toast muffins

~ cover each half with 1 ounce Canadian bacon, 1 egg, 1/4 avocado sliced.

~ top with hollandaise sauce

~ chill and serve

Chilled avocado soup cooks.com

Ingredients

~ 4 ounces sour cream

~ 2 avocados peeled, seeded and pureed

~ 6 3/4 green chilli pureed

~ 1/2 tbsp garlic powder

~ 1/2 qt lite cream

~ 1 cup heavy cream

~ 1/4 cup onion pureed

~ 1 ounce chipotle chili pepper pureed

~ 1 cup whole milk

~ salt to taste

~ pepper to taste

Chill and serve~

Guacamole Autenico, California Avocado Commission

Ingredients

~ 2 Ripe avocados

~ 1/4 tsp ground cumin

~ 1 ripe Roma tomato, seeded and diced

~ 1/4 cup minced white sweet onion

~ 1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped

~ 1 serrano chili seeded and minced

~ 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

~ hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper to taste

Prepare

~ Cut avocado in large chunks & mash coarsely in a large bowl with a fork.

~ Add remaining ingredients and gently blend; leaving some small chunks is fine.

~ Taste and adjust pepper sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

I cloud the raising of my kids with a lot of riff raff. I'm starting to "defrag". First things first, stop caring about what others think. Let's see how this goes...