To Be or Not To Be...Prepared

This morning after I did my devotional, I decided I wanted to spend a little bit more time in the word and headed for 1 Peter. No reason really, I've just been seeing some great verses from that chapter lately on different websites and wanted to start from the beginning and read my way through it. I knew one minute into reading it that I had stumbled upon a golden nugget of wise words. When I got to chapter 3, a verse I've read and heard before and know all too well, caught my attention. I paused and relished over the words for a few moments. "...Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" verse 15. Not sure why I really lingered on that one this morning the way I did. The entire chapter was filled to the brim with wisdom but I couldn't get my attention away from this verse. I thought to myself..."Ugh, I'm horrible at memorization. All the verses I've tried to memorize in the last couple months have already slipped out of my mind. If I had to give a verse I just don't think I could." So I compromised...bad girl..."If anyone asks me I'll just tell them why I think the way I do from the experiences I've had that have led me to where I am today" and felt that was good enough.

"Not so fast little one", is what I'm sure He was saying to me.

So I put up my things, do the dishes, piddle around the house a bit and head for the local gym. Yes, can you believe it? I went to the gym. Can't tell you the last time I went, which really kind of adds to the dynamic of the story if you ask me. I went and walk/ran for about 30 min and on my way out the door to go back home I noticed some candles and a marker on the desk. "What is this?" I ask the girl sitting in boredom behind the desk (we were the only ones there). Then she begins to tell me about someone who works up there with her who just found out they have stage four cancer...ouch. That's serious. For those of you who are not familiar with it, that's the last stage. My heart sank immediately and I asked all about her friend. She said they were selling the candles for a donation and were going to display them across the work out stage next week when their friend shows up to do a class. I thought that was such a lovely idea and wanted to contribute. So I tell her thank you and wish them the best after making my donation and start to head out. Then she stops me and says "Here! Decorate your candle with this marker" and smiles at me. That kind of caught me off guard, I'm not super creative especially on a whim. Hmmmm, so I thought I'd send this person some words of encouragement through scripture. I sat down and racked my brain and wished I had something to share. I had nothing, horrible feeling...fail. I searched in my iphone and finally about 20 min later found something I felt stood out the most.

I felt a little disappointed that I couldn't think of anything like that. Even just a verse about His love. Good one Kat!

Although I was not asked to give any reasons to share why I believe the way I do, I felt like this opportunity and situation fit the bill. Really, I feel like I should've been able to share something on this person's candle just to give them some hope and encouragement. I'm not being too hard on myself today because lots of people have issues with memorization. I feel like this happened today to prove to me and remind me that I can't just give an excuse for what my Father wants and expects from His daughter. I'm not a little girl anymore, I'm an adult now, no more excuses. And to think, I was just making them this morning-->shaking my head. I'm grateful to have been shown this though. The written word is right, I know I would've felt so wonderful if I'd been able to share a favorite inspirational verse! As the minutes ticked on though searching for a fitting verse, I was reminded more and more of what I read this morning & how I responded. Lesson learned, I feel humbled and want nothing more than to be obedient from now on. I'm not going to do what I feel comfortable doing but what is expected of me :D


*I just wanted to add also, how wonderful would it be to encourage this person who is suffering this horrible illness and flood that stage with candles. If you're interested in adding a candle with encouragement or scripture I'd be more than willing to help with that! They were only $3 a candle and the event will take place very soon on Oct. 5th (next Wed.!) Message me on my fb page or leave a comment if you're interested and we can help make it happen!

"...love one another as I have loved you" John 15:12

Our First Anniverse

Haha! That's how we like to say it because it rhymes. All weekend we congratulated each other on our "first anniverse", so silly! Anyway, we had a most lovely anniversary everybody. Zachary took me to San Antonio Saturday night for a most lovely date. We went to a fabulous restaurant on the river, it was so wonderful & delicious. We got to stay in a beautiful old hotel right next door to the Alamo. The next day we had brunch at one of our favorite places, "The Monterrey". We sat out on the patio that morning and I had the eggs benedict, only instead of ham, they replaced it with fried green tomatoes. It was deeeelish! Later that afternoon we relived our wedding day by watching our wedding video. We had so much fun reminiscing that evening. We even watched it right at the time we were getting married one year back, it was about 7:30. Zachary pointed that out, we thought it was fun! He made me the most beautiful, precious note for our anniversary. Since paper is the first year gift, he did that and went above and beyond with it like I knew he would, that's just his style ;) he's a super romantic, I love that about him! He made it look very old and even burnt the edges and wrote a most precious note to me on it. I know it had to have taken him hours to complete. I made him a "Tiger Book" all about how we met and our wedding day and our first year of marriage. I'm not quite as creative as him so it's only about 6 pages, haha! We thought it was fun that we both got each other "paper" gifts. I also got him a ring with our initials and anniversary date, he wears it around his neck everyday and he got me some fall boots last week in honor of the occasion! I can't wait for it to start cooling off so I can wear them! All in all we had a perfect weekend everyone. Thank you so much for helping me out and giving me tips, hehe! We love you all and miss you so much! Here's to another year and many, many more to come!

Love Kat & Zac

Slow Cooker Recipes

Oh man, do I have another fab recipe for you! My husband and I just finished eating this for dinner and are very happily stuffed. This recipe is AMAZING and perfect for these icy cold days! I know you guys will enjoy this as much as we did! Yay for crockpot recipes!!

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili

1/2 an onion, chopped
1-16oz can black beans
1-16oz can kidney beans
1-8oz can tomato sauce
2 small cans of corn
2-14.5oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
1 packet taco seasoning
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
240z. boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used two 12.5 oz cans of chunk chicken to save money)
1-4oz can of diced green chilies

Combine beans, onion, green chilies, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover-or if you used chunk chicken like I did, add the chicken in with everything else halfway through cooking time. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.

Yummy additions to add to your finished bowl of chicken taco chili...
-sour cream!
-cheddar cheese!
-a few squeezes of fresh lime!
-avacado slices!
-fresh cilantro!
-use tortilla chips as a spoon!
-and for those who like it hot ;) siracha!

These yummy toppings really make it absolutely perfect my darlings. Enjoy!!


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My favorite chili recipe!

Slow Cooker Chili
(and it is delish let me tell ya!)

Prep Time- 15min
Cook Time- 4 hours (on high) or 8-10 hours (on low)
Ready In- 4 hours and 15 min

Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
2 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 small can of green chills
1 can of corn
2 medium onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Top servings with shredded Cheddar cheese and sour cream. Serve with crackers or cornbread.

Directions
In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add the next nine ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4 hours.

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Hi friends! I made this the other day in a pinch and let me tell you, not only was it easy peezy, it was out of this world DELISH! My husband and I both loved it! It will certainly become a staple in the Tiger family household. So, with that being said, if you're in a pinch and want something fast, cheap, delicious & could easily feed a family of 5? We ate on it for three days and never got tired of it believe it or not! You can't go wrong with this recipe. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 5 hours on low setting
Ready In: 5 hours & 10 min

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup of milk

Directions: Put the uncooked chicken breasts, dressing mix, both cans of soup and milk in slow cooker and cook for about 5 hours. After chicken is moist & tender (4, 4 and a half hours or so), remove from cooker and shred. After shredding chicken, put back in slow cooker and add cream cheese. Let cook for 45 more minutes so the flavor can blend.

Serve over whole wheat egg noodles or brown rice. We ate ours with brown rice, broccoli & corn. MMMMM mmmmm! I also used fat free soups and cream cheese and it was heavenly. You can even get creative and add fresh mushrooms, corn, any kind of vegetable really or sour cream when you add the cream cheese. The options are limitless. Make it your very own! I promise you'll love!

Kat

Yummy Treats!

In honor of my absolute favorite time of year, I just had to share this recipe I found for pumpkin spiced crispy treats! Yum! I've had this treat on my "I gotta try this fast-to do" list! After eyeballing it for the last week or so, I finally made the trip to the grocery store to buy what I needed for this fun recipe. I just made my first batch and it's delicious! And the best part is, it took me about 5 minutes ;D This makes for a great snack/dessert and I invite you try some for yourself!

Pumpkin Spiced Krispy Treats
1/4 cup of salted butter
1 (10.5) bag of mini marshmallows
1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
6 cups of Rice Krispies (one regular sized box of Rice Krispy cereal)

That's it!

On med/low heat, melt your butter. Once it's melted continue to cook until golden brown (be careful not to burn, once it begins to brown it can burn easily). Next, add the bag of 'mallows (like they'd say in the Sandlot, haha!) and the pumpkin spice. Stir it up until the marshmallows have melted. Once they've melted, remove from heat and stir in the krispies. Once it is all stirred together, put in 9x9 pan. Last but not least, spray a piece of wax paper with non-stick spray and use that to gently press down krispies into place. Wait 30 min before cutting into squares. Viola! At this point you can just dig in, as my husband and I plan to do, or if you have a decorating bone, you could take it a step further and get "fall" cookie cutters. For example, pumpkins, or leaves, and really get creative with your treats. Ice your squares how you want with different colors and sprinkles, the options are limitless.

Have fun and enjoy. Happy fall everybody!

Kat

A Special Kind of Hatred

Hello all! Today I would like to touch on an interesting subject regarding a special kind of hatred. Ladies...unfortunately, this one's for you. But take heart Daughter's of Eve, trust me and just keep reading.

This is an exerpt from one of my favorite books, "Captivating".

"Turn your attention to the events that took place in the Garden of Eden. Notice- who does the evil one go after? Who does satan single out for his move against the human race? He could have chosen Adam...but he didn't. Satan went after Eve. He set his sights on her. Have you ever wondered why? It might have been that he, like any predator, chose what he believed to be the weaker of the two. There is some truth to that. He is utterly ruthless. But we believe there is more. Why does satan make Eve the focus of his assault on humanity?

You may know that satan was first named Lucifer, or Son of the Morning. It infers a glory, a brightness or radiance unique to him. In the days of his former glory he was appointed a guardian angel. Many believe he was the captain of the angel armies of God. The guardian of the glory of the Lord.

You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the Garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were annointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. (Ezek. 28:12-14)

Perfect in beauty. That is the key. Lucifer was gorgeous. He was breathtaking. And it was his ruin. Pride entered Lucifer's heart. The angel came to believe he was being cheated somehow. He craved the worship that was being given to God for himself. He wanted the attention and adoration for himself. ("Mirror, mirror, on the wall...")

Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. (Ezek. 28:17)

Satan fell because of his beauty. Now his heart for revenge is to assault beauty. He reaks destruction on the glory of God in the earth like a psychopath committed to destroying great works of art.

But most especially, he hates Eve. Because she is captivating, uniquely glorious, and he cannot be. She is the incarnation of the Beauty of God. More than anything else in all creation, she embodies the glory of God. She allures the world to God. He hates it with a jealousy we can only imagine.

And there is more. The evil one also hates Eve because she gives life. Eve means "life" or "life producer." Women give and nourish life. Satan was a murderer from the beginning, he brings death. His is a kingdom of death. Ritual sacrifices, genocide, the Holocaust-those are his ideas. And thus, Eve is his greatest human threat, for she brings life.

Put those two things together- that Eve incarnates the beauty of God and she gives life to the world. Satan's bitter heart cannot bear it. He assaults her with a special hatred. History removes any doubt of this. Do you begin to see it?

Think of the great stories- in nearly all of them, the villain goes after the hero's true love.

This explains an awful lot. It is not meant to scare you. Actually, it will shed so much light on your life's story, if you let it. Most of you thought the things that have happened to you were somehow your fault- that you deserved it. If only you had been prettier or smarter or done more or pleased them. somehow it wouldn't have happened. You would have been loved. They wouldn't have hurt you.

And most of you are living with the guilt that somehow it's your fault you aren't more deeply pursued now. That you have no beauty to unveil. The message of our wounds nearly always is. "This is because of you, this is what you deserve." It changes things to realize that, no, it is because you are a major threat to the kingdom of darkness. Because you uniquely carry the glory of God to the world.

You are hated because of your beauty and power."

(Eldridge, 83, 84 & 85)

All I have to say is wow. If that doesn't open your eyes to a new truth, I don't know what does. I am so thankful this was revealed to me and find it incredibly fascinating. Not only that but it answers so many questions that have been lingering in my heart for so long.

Incredible.

Faith On Facebook

For all you facebookers out there (the majority of us, haha!) Have you ever thought to yourself, "Facebook seems to be missing something these days?" Although I am on it quite often keeping up with family and friends, I find myself wanting something more. It didn't seem to be doing anything for me mentally or spiritually at all. I can only handle so many pictures and posts of people going out, venting with vulgarity and self destructing at times, it gets mind numbing. I've even had a few friends drop the site for that very reason, I almost went along with them completely understanding their point. I just couldn't sit back any longer, things are starting to change for the better and I invite you to be a part of it! "Faith on Facebook" is our new page dedicated to thoughts, stories, inspirations and scripture. Facebook finally has substance and it's so refreshing! Please join us, we'd LOVE for you to be a part of it. It's so very encouraging, I promise :) Hope to see you there!

XO

http://www.facebook.com/groups/177022859039111/

Already, a Whole Year?!

Wow! It's already been almost a whole year since I married the man of my dreams. It seems like just yesterday I was picking up bridesmaids dresses and making sure every detail was in line for my glorious day. As my very first anniversary approaches, I can't help but try and think of something super creative to do. My anniversary, wow! It has a ring to it, right?! Sorry, I just had a moment, haha! Anyway, if any of you out there have some great ideas or traditions, I would LOVE for you to share them with me! One idea we are going to do for sure is related to the photo. It was my husband's idea...he's so very creative...we are going to take a photo of our hands every year on our anniversary through the years. It will be interesting to see the changes over time. I love it. Maybe I'll even set up the tripod and take a candid photo of us being silly. That would be another fun tradition to start every year as well. I'm so excited to take that trip down memory lane next week and thank you for taking the time to stop by. Please feel free to share!

Love, Kat