From the outside looking in

As humans we often think we can do something apart from God. Or we are too ashamed to come before God and ask Him for His help because we may think it is our fault we are in the mess we are in. No matter what the scenario includes it goes back to Adam in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve were in right fellowship with God they were technically "naked" but didn't realize each other's nakedness, because they were "clothed" with God's glory. It was on them and shone around them covering their nakedness. Look at all the descriptions of God and it describes LIGHT - glorious light radiating from His very being. We were created in the image of God were we not?

However when they ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil they SAW each other's nakedness. Why? The glory left them. And instead of turning to God to help them they tried ON THEIR OWN to fix their problem. So they made fig leaf clothes. To break this down - they traded God's glory for a fig leaf suit. Seems foolish doesn't it? That is from the position of an outsider looking in, but you and I do it all the time when we think we can do something on our own.

So let's not be fools. Let's not trade in the glory God has set upon us for a fig leaf suit. Let's run to Him to clothe us properly - the way we were created to be clothed.

(This was adapted from a message I heard by Kenneth Copeland.)

Road Trip

A few things to mention and a few worth noting:

(This will be a totally random post from things I saw or visited on my road trip this summer)

1. We passed by what looked to be a horrible barn fire! Please keep the drought-ridden places in your prayers - one of my father-in-law's neighbors lost his house and pastureland to a bad prairie fire.

2. If you are ever in Woodward, Oklahoma you must stop in and eat at Polly Anna's Cafe!! It is one of the most unassuming places and their bathroom is one of those "it's through the kitchen to your left sweetie" RUSTIC kind of bathrooms but let me tell you, I got BBQ'ed chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, boiled cabbage, salad, a dinner roll, my drink AND dessert for $4.99!!!!! It's their lunch specials and their dinner is similarly priced! I'm telling you you can not get that good of homemade food for that price when traveling! So skip the chain restaurant and head downtown to this little old cafe! You'll be glad you did!

The street view. (Above)

My husband's burger meal. (above)

My yummy chicken!

3. I think the huge white and bright wind mills in Kansas are beautiful to watch!

4. When traveling with your spouse it's always important to talk and entertain the other one - my husband pointed out this road sign and we went off on a funny tangent of the competition between Ford and Dodge Companies! The conversations you have when you are road rummy.

5. Historic Dodge City was...I truly apologize, but a disappointment. I thought there would be a lot more specific or original artifacts and sites but most of it is just artifacts of that "era". Just one person's opinion but I thought for what was there it was not worth my $10 ticket.

However a cool big black train is ALWAYS worth a photo op!!

Make sure you check your guns at the door or you may get thrown in jail! No not really. But it is fun to walk inside their "jail" and make funny pictures!



Boot Hill. Most of the original bodies were moved quite some time ago so they pretty much recreated the names and stories of those who were buried there at one time, although they were never sure they got all of them so it's believed some may still be there.



Okay so the gun shoot out: Again personal opinion - a cheesy short show. Kids would be super entertained because there is humor in it but I don't recommend it for small children because it's all about the violence of the land so lots of fighting and shooting. (Although of course done in a nice manner in their play acting, if you know what I mean)

6. When traveling, always take time to slow down and take in the sights around you. The beauty of the wonderful things God created. Take for example these golden fields against the aqua blue expanse of sky and the perfectly white sweeping clouds.

Peter Pan & Dating

Our Associate Youth Pastor that is our true right hand girl and is there for anything and everything we need her for is also an amazing preacher! This girl has a gift to turn simple everyday concepts and relate them to people that explain spiritual concepts. It is awesome listening to her speak because I have yet to ever turn away empty handed!

The other day she made a post on a Face Book page that is for a group out of our church for young women that she is also a part of. It was SO good that my husband shared it on his Face Book and I got permission to share it here. You won't be disappointed. So with no further ado here is Peter Pan and Dating:

While watching Peter Pan at work today, a little girl says to me "Mrs. Tayler it looks like they are falling in love" lol. Proof that kids see more than we think! But I had never thought of Peter Pan as a love story until she said that. I grew up watching these stories such as Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and those I know are love stories! There's Cinderella the girl who is overlooked and mistreated until Mr. Right comes in and places value on her. There's Belle the girl who was woman enough to tame the Beast, and Jasmine who fell in love with the man who showed her adventure and fought to protect her at the same time! But in actuality those stories rarely happen in real life, but Peter Pan... this I see often! Girls all over the world have or have had a Peter Pan! It's the boy who never wants to grow up, and the girl who just wants commitment! Sound familiar? I love how Wendy being so caught up in the charm of Peter follows him all the way to Neverland. For the first few days she loves it! It's adventurous, it's exciting, it's magical, but she quickly realizes this is all it will ever be. She tries to see the beauty of Neverland and forget the things shes missing at home, but she begins to understand that those things, those desires, are embedded in who she is! So as hard as it may be for her to leave Peter, Wendy decides her life is not in Neverland. So she returns to her home, and her family a little wiser than before, and knowing better what she values in life and in boys! 
Beware of the Pan! Know what you want out of life and men before following them to Neverland! They may love you, they may excite you, and they may even need you, but remember Peter's motive for Wendy coming to Neverland was self centered. He needed a "mom", you'll find most Peters don't want to grow up, but don't want to be lonely either. Before you follow your man's lead, make sure you know and like where he's leading you!
-Tayler

Easy Home Makeover Project

 Do you see this chair?

Wait let me show you again...

Is that not the grossest chair cushion you have ever beheld?

Should I be in mom and wife jail for allowing these to actually reside in my household. Yes. Yes I should. But sadly it's the truth. But before you pass judgement let me plead my case: I have TODDLERS!

I think the jury just made an understanding "OHHHH" and passed their verdict of "Not guilty".

This is what I imagine anyways.

So how do I change this horrid sight? By smashing the cushions right out of there!

Well, not quite but you do start by removing the cushions whether this requires unscrewing or popping them out.

 Next go to the wonderful land of Hobby Lobby (or other favorite home decor shop) and select your material. I JUST happened to pick a material with built in stain resistant!! SCORE!!

If you have small children, or have kids visit ANY time of the year I highly suggest this type of material! It can only mean good things.

Second, cut and center your fabric the way you like. I had to make this as easy as possible so I picked a random design material that was easy to eyeball. Place the material face down on a flat hard working surface and then place your cushion face down as well on top of your fabric.

When it's squared up the way you like it start with the back edge and pull the fabric up and around to the backside. Then get out your biggest meanest staple gun and go to town!

 I found it easiest to do the back, then the sides and finish with the front. Make sure the entire time to always pull the fabric VERY tightly before beginning to staple. This will ensure it won't bunch up once some behinds have well, stretched them.

Again, I mean staple away literally, you want a tight hold on this fabric, do not give it a reason to lose it's tight fit. 

 As for the corners...there is no easy way and it's seriously hard to describe how I did it on here but the best effort at it is to fold straight up at first and stop stapling a couple inches from the side. Then pull the fabric tight to avoid a crease allowing your fabric to go over the side ends and put one or two staples to hold. Then pull the overage fabric back towards the center and pull tight again to pull what little crease is there out. again that is my best EFFORT and I realize I may be talking gibberish to some, or all, of you. Again sorry. I tried.

And oh what a sight it was to behold!

 Isn't that a far cry from my pathetic stained cushions before! Talk about a makeover! It made my table look amazing! And I LOVE the random alphabet letters all in different sizes!

Now if only my chairs were a dark espresso color to go with my awesome new cushions!! But what am I kidding, that's for another day. Okay, okay, for another year. But at least the thought is there for now! Happy Summer Projects to you!

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day everybody! I snapped this picture last year out of the backseat of my parents truck as we were headed to my cousin's wedding in Idaho. It's not your typical fireworks but I'm reminded on this day that I have the privilege to enjoy beautiful landscapes like this one because men and women have paid the price to KEEP our freedom. I do NOT take it lightly. My brother is celebrating his 4th of July on his Army post as I type. My brother and every other soldier is a hero and deserves our thanks.

So hope you go out and enjoy that freedom today! And in case you are like us this year and actually don't have every second of your day planned this year (sad as it is) here's some cute and delicious 4th of July treats for you to try out:

1. Blueberry Yogurt Waffles
2. Red, White, & Blue Funfetti Cookie Sandwiches

You'll find both over at Two Peas and Their Pod blog. One of my favorite food blogs out there!

A stress-free 4th of July with KIDS!

Last year for 4th of July I was at my parents house and arriving just a day or two before we were still pretty road weary and didn't want to be out and about all day long. So I hit the blogs searching for some kid-friendly fun to enjoy our day and make it memorable for the kiddos. Here is what I found:

1. Get in the kitchen with them!

Nothing seems more American or more KID than a traditional cupcake! So we got some cake mix (and buttermilk because it makes them SOOO much better that way) and made some good ole Vanilla Cupcakes.

 The kids had the most fun when we turned them lose with the red and blue sugar sprinkles! Yes, turn them lose - when else can they have total control in the kitchen and make a big mess besides 4th of July (and maybe Christmas)?

Even with no control they did a really good job! Look at these beautiful red white and blue cupcakes!

Next we made these awesome Red White and Blue Covered Strawberries!!

Step 1: Cover strawberries with White Chocolate (dip them in melted baking white chocolate)

Step 2: Dip the very end into blue sugar sprinkles.

 And just like that you have Red, white and Blue Strawberries! Aren't they cute?!

I highly recommend putting the strawberries in the fridge and letting the chocolate harden before attempting to take a picture of them. Your warm hand is not a good combo with the non-refrigerated chocolate!

2. CRAFTS! Free printable crafts may I add!

We started with cutting squares out of regular old computer paper and I had the kids color both sides, patriotically of course. Then you cut in from each corner stopping about an inch from the center.

 Next you fold in the corners and secure them all with a push pin into a pencil eraser. If you've never made them just search for easy pin-wheel instructions! They are a piece of cake!

 3. Firework Safety Fun

This one was my favorite BY FAR!! I found this handy tip on one of my many blogs (it was a year ago & I don't remember which one, otherwise I'd love to give them a shout-out!) But before handing sparklers to all the youngsters this year first stick the end of it into a playdoh can (yes with play-doh inside)

 It keeps their hands safe from flying sparks and makes them a bit more brave too to handle the fiery stick!!

Isn't that the greatest thing??!?! I loved it - I was always scared of them as a kid and usually screamed the whole time I played with them! I even tried the play-doh can out - it was fantastic!

4. Fireworks

Okay really, whether you go watch a show or set a few off yourself (or both like we did!) you HAVE to let your kids see SOME type of fireworks on 4th of July. It's just necessary okay?

Happy 4th of July! And the biggest thank you to all the soldiers past and present that allowed this day of celebration to exist! I'm eternally grateful.

Mexican Polenta Casserole

Mexican Polenta Casserole

Who doesn't like a new recipe?! Oh well except for the kitchen scaredy cats. I'm sorry that was rude. But true. No I'm totally joking, but this was a recipe my mom made for me while she was visiting and I fell in love with it! Hope you enjoy it as well!

INGREDIENTS

1 tube of prepared polenta (18 oz)

1 package (10 oz)  precooked boneless chicken breast strips, shredded

1 cup bottled medium-hot tomatillo green salsa

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can (15 oz) corn niblets, drained

6 scallions, sliced (about 1/2 Cup) *I actually omitted this ingredient

1 package (8 oz) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (approx. 2 cups)

1. Cut polenta into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about24). In medium-size bowl, combine chicken, salsa, cilantro and cumin until well-mixed.

2. In 11x7x2-inch baking dish, arrange half the polenta slices over bottom. Drizzle 1/3 cup heavy cream over polenta. Top with half the beans and half the corn. Spread with half the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with half the scallions and 1 cup shredded cheese. Repeat layering. Cover dish with nonstick foil. Refrigerate overnight, if desired.

3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. (If casserole was refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.)

4. Bake, covered, in 375 degree oven until internal temperature registers 130 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 50 to 60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes: 8 servings at $2.75 each



Avocados - a powerful anti-aging food!!

I know that awhile back I made a few posts about an anti-inflammatory diet that I used to live by that completely got rid of all of my acne! This diet was created by Dr. Perricone and I still read posts on his blog quite frequently. I received this blog post in my email today and I felt it was worth sharing! I highly recommend any of his amazing products and especially his diets! they do amazing things for your body!

HERE IS THE ARTICLE DIRECTLY FROM WWW.PERRICONEMD.COM, WRITTEN BY DR. PERRICONE:

 

Avocados

Nature's Forever Young Secret

The evening before I was to submit my completed manuscript to my editor at Simon & Schuster, a headline from the UK's Financial Times caught my eye: "Scientists discover the secret of ageing!" it screamed in 24 point type. The article went on to explain how one of the biggest puzzles in biology - how and why living cells age - had been solved by an international team based at the U.K.'s Newcastle University.

Using a complex 'systems biology' approach, the researchers, in conjunction with scientists from the University of Ulm in Germany, embarked on a journey to discover why cells become senescent (grow old).

The research, published by the journal Molecular Systems Biology, shows that when an aging cell detects serious DNA damage, which may be the result of general wear and tear from daily living, it sends out internal signals.

These distress signals trigger the cell's mitochondria, the energy producing part of the cell, to make free radical molecules, which instruct the cell to either destroy itself or to stop dividing. The reason for this is to avoid the damaged DNA that results in cancer.

Many Perricone readers are familiar with my belief that the damaging diseases and cellular destruction associated with aging, begins with the mitochondria.

The mitochondria are tiny energy-generating units in the cell. They function as microscopic furnaces, converting food into fuel and are responsible for all energy production in the body. Although tiny, as the energy producing portion of the cell, the mitochondria play a huge role in the body. In fact, properly functioning mitochondria are vital in maintaining a healthy body and beautiful skin.
Unfortunately, the mitochondria are a constant site for free radical production and very susceptible to the damage that free radicals can cause. If we hope to preserve youthful function and prevent disease, it is critical to search for agents and antioxidants that will protect the mitochondria from free radical damage. We all know that fruits and vegetables contain the antioxidants we need to fight the inflammatory cascade generated by free radicals. So if we just increase our intake can we solve the problem?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. The majority of these antioxidants (while invaluable to other parts of the cell), cannot enter into the mitochondria.
Thus, the free radicals and their inflammatory cascade continue to damage the mitochondria causing energy production to stop and the cell to collapse and die.

Avocados to the rescue
Avocados are antioxidant powerhouses—but as you will discover, they have truly unique regenerative properties.

The special monounsaturated fats that they contain are extremely effective in combating free radical damage. However, according to a study by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the oil found in avocados can enter the mitochondria and fight the free radicals.
Remember this key fact; a young cell is characterized by its energy production. And as we know, energy production takes place in the mitochondria. Now, thanks to the avocado, we have the tools at hand to protect this critical portion of the cell and significantly reduce the negative signs of aging in all organ systems—including the skin. I enjoy a serving of avocado on a daily basis.

For a host of wonderful recipes visit www.avocado.org. One recipe I can personally vouch for is "Best Ever Guacamole." It is outstanding!

"Summer Dreams" Bulletin Board Idea

 I came up with this bright and colorful Summer Dreams bulletin board idea for the end of the school year! I am currently working with toddlers while I get my education degree so I just asked them something they wanted to do and we talked all about summer and things we do in the summertime. It was fun to hear what some of these little toddlers said and I had to include a couple of them below:

 (Her dad is a motorcycle racer - so "Vroom-Vroom" is his motorcycle)

I just loved the Hulk one! Cracked me up! If you work with older kids you can make this bulletin board a writing assignment and have them complete the phrase of "My summer dream is..." Then post them around the fun fish and ocean cutouts or on the border as I did. I purchased all the ocean cutouts at our local Schoolhouse Store so I'm sure you can find a similar one if not the same one at any teacher supply store.

Just remember the year is almost over - so keep your sanity and know it's just a moment longer!!

Mother's Day kid's craft

 If you are looking for a quick and cute Mother's Day Gift here is a simple and cheap craft your child can do (with a little help from you depending on age)! Simply make a hand print on a terracotta pot using acrylic craft paint. Brighter colors tend to look better, or at least not a color in the same family as the red/brown because I tried a pretty cherry red (pictured below) and I didn't like it as well as the bright yellow you see above. But it's up to you of course.

Next take a Terracotta paint pen (sold at craft stores such as Michael's) or a paint brush and more acrylic paint and write the child's name on the rim of your pot.

I decorated the rest with dot decorations using the terracotta paint pens and they turned out so cute, simple and something any mommy would love. Then plant a flower! We chose Marigold's because there was this adorable Mother's Day poem that went with them and sadly I can't find it anywhere so it's not in this post :( However if I find it later I'll come back and add it in.

Hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day!