Blessed be Your name...

One of the most incredible things about being a Christian is the ability to rely upon God's strength in the difficult times.  While I'm weak, He is strong.  When I am scared, He has a plan for my future.  

But what I struggle with sometimes is continuing to glorify the Lord in the midst of my struggles.  Sure, I let Him catch me when I fall, but do I still show His love? Do I still exude joy?  

I heard a song called Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman several years ago, and I still cry every time I hear it.  

It's just so true.  God is just as good today, in the midst of the difficulties, as He was yesterday, when life was wonderful.  I want to post the lyrics here because they are so beautiful.  Let it remind you to give praise, even when you're on the road marked with suffering.

Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman
 

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

I swear I'm not an idiot...

So Micah and I have been watching Lost for the past week or two.  And we're pretty much obsessed.  Despite the fact that now isn't really the best time for me to become addicted to a new television show, I can't really stop at this point.  It's like a sickness, really.

But that's not what this post is about.

Tonight, as we were finishing up the last episode of Season Two, Micah says, "babe, how many seasons are there?"

"Four," I reply, a little confused by his question.

"Are you sure?  I thought there were more," he said.

"No there are only four.  Winter, spring, summer, and fall.  That's four."

And then he died laughing.

Yes, I really said that.  And, yes, I was absolutely serious.  And, no, I'm not really sure how I graduated from law school.

Yummy Food...

Well, better late than never.

I've got two things to share with you.  The recipe for the Hot Chicken Salad is below.  But first, I have to tell you about the Banana Pudding I made on Tuesday. (Yes, I realize that I wasn't supposed to make it until Sunday, but I was entirely too curious.) 

One word? Delicious. Scrumptious. Delectable. Mouthwatering.

Okay, so that's four words.  But seriously.  DELICIOUS.  It's incredibly creamy and rich, and the flavor is wonderful.  Best of all, it tastes homemade and perfect, and you don't have to cook anything!! One tip, though - let it sit overnight (or at least a few hours) before you try it.  I was unable to resist and ate some right after I made it, and it wasn't NEARLY as good as the serving I had the next morning for breakfast (don't judge me).

So the moral of the story is that this is a recipe you HAVE to make.

And you ALSO have to make this Hot Chicken Salad.  It's a staple in my family, and it's perfect girl food!

Hot Chicken Salad

Ingredients
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
2 cups chopped celery
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup toasted almonds (toast under broiler for a minute or two, or just toast them in a frying pan on the stove)
1/2 tsp. accent
1 cup mayonnaise
2 T. chopped onion
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crushed potato chips

Preheat oven to 425.  Mix together all ingredients except cheese and chips and put into a casserole dish.  Top with cheese and chips.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Enjoy! :)

Meal-Planning Monday

I never did get around to grocery shopping last week, so I didn't have a menu plan.  But I'm on the ball this week - so here are my recipes.  

I apologize for all of the pork.  One of my bar review professors last week randomly commented about his love for pork, and I've been craving all things pig.

Monday:  Baby Back Ribs with Caesar salad, macaroni & cheese, and King's Hawaiian rolls (Kroger meal deal)

Tuesday:  Chicken Cacciatore with mashed potatoes

Wednesday:  Grilled cheese/apple/bacon paninis with grapes and chips and ranch dip

Thursday:  Tender Pork Roast with mashed potatoes

Friday:  Pork tacos with guacamole

Saturday Afternoon Dessert:  Lemon Granita

Saturday Dinner:  Date Night!!

Sunday Afternoon Dessert: Banana Pudding

Sunday Dinner:  Hot Chicken Salad (I don't have this recipe posted yet, but I will.  And it's worth the wait - I PROMISE!)

SuperTarget savings!!!

Today I achieved something great. Something incredible.  Something unbelievable.

I spent $3.82 for several bags of groceries.  And I saved $29.97.

Okay, so I get that this isn't really such a big deal, but it sure was fun!

Here's a picture of my loot.

Just to make two things clear.  First,  the bottle is pink peach Italian soda, in case you were wondering.  Second,  the baby wipes are for my cousin who is having a baby and also happens to adore a bargain as much as I do - I promise I'm not pregnant.   :)

So, do you want the breakdown?  Of course you do! (If you're new to couponing, check out my general shopping method here.)

Cherries:  The cherries were on sale for $2.49/lb.  I'm in LOVE with cherries, and last week I paid over $9 for a bag, so I snatched some up when I saw that they were marked down.

Pretzels and Italian Soda:  The pretzels and Italian soda were on clearance.  The pretzels were marked down from $1.99 to $.98.  The Italian Soda was marked down from $2.39 to $1.48.  I didn't have coupons for either of them.

Baby Wipes:  There was a $2/1 Pampers Wipes coupon in last week's paper, and it's causing quite the commotion in the couponing community.  :)  Target has tubs of Pampers wipes priced at $2.39, so I grabbed a tub for my cute cousin.

Lysol Wipes:  Target has their Lysol wipes marked down to $1.89, and I had two $1/1 coupons, so I grabbed two.

Orange Juice:  I got a coupon in the mail for a free carton of Tropicana orange juice after going here a few days ago.  So I didn't even look at the price, I just grabbed the juice and threw it in the basket.

Scrubbing Bubbles Daily Shower Cleaner and Refill:  These were the money-maker items.  First, I had a $5/1 coupon for the starter kit from here.  Then, I used a Buy One Starter Kit, Get a Refill Free coupon from here.  And then, because Target lets you stack manufacturer coupons with Target coupons, I used a $3/1 Scrubbing Bubbles Power Sprayer Target coupon from here (click on "Household" to the left to find the coupon more quickly).  And, as if that weren't enough, I had another coupon in my organizer (from the newspaper) which gave me a free $5 Target gift card with the purchase of a Srubbing Bubbles Daily Shower Cleaner.  But when the clerk went to scan it, it wouldn't work - so she just adjusted my price down $5!

Here's my receipt.  I'm still in awe. :)