Chicken Tortilla Soup

I am a sucker for tortilla soup. It is my absolute favorite!!!!!

So today I thought I would give you my recipe and pass on the love to your family.

Here are the ingredients
- half red onion, chopped
- bunch of cilantro
- 2 chicken breast or precooked chicken either rotisserie or TJ’s grilled chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken and only used the white meat)
- 1 avocado
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cans rotel
- 4 TBSP tomato paste
- 60 or so ounces chicken broth
- cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder
- sour cream, optional
- your favorite brand of tortilla chips

Let’s get started.
Put your soup pot over the stove on med heat.
Add some extra virgin olive oil, about 3 TBSP.
Add 1/2 red onion, chopped and let it saute for a minute
Add 1 tsp each of cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder (use less chili powder if you want it mild, my recipe has a little zip to it)
Add half the bunch of cilantro, chopped
Add the two cans of rotel tomatoes
Add your precooked chicken, shredded
Add 4 TBSP of tomato paste

The smell in your kitchen will be divine at this point.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a low boil.
Turn off the heat and start preparing your add ins.

Grate some sharp cheddar cheese, about 2 cups worth.
Chop up some more cilantro
Slice and chop the avocado.

Ladle the soup in the bowl, add avocado, a dollop of sour cream (if you choose), sprinkling of cheddar cheese, and some cilantro on top.
YUMMY!!!!!
I crunch up my chips and put them in the soup while I eat. It’s just the best soup on earth!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Cheers!!!!

I love lentils.

Have I mentioned that I love lentils? Cause I do!!!! They are so delicious and wonderful and warm and comforting and tasty.

Here is my recipe for lentils. It is easy, simple, and oh soooo good

Soak a small bag of lentils in warm water for 3 hours.
Drain and rinse and put the lentils in a crock pot

Add chicken broth to the lentils. I use 48 ounces of chicken broth, or one and a half quarts. If I don’t have homemade chicken stock, I use Trader Joe’s free range organic chicken broth.

Then add
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- some black pepper.
- 2 bay leaves

Set your crockpot to cook for either 4 or 6 hours.

I always add Frank’s sauce to my bowl of lentils when I eat them, but they are great just like this.
You can always add sliced veggies to your lentils while they cook if you like. I’ve added zucchini, squash, carrots, and celery at different times when I want to mix it up a bit. I try to make a big crockpot once a week and eat a cup a day.

I hope you enjoy this lentil recipe as much as I do!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This recipe is truly unique and will surprise your taste buds with it’s deliciousness.

It went from 55 degrees here in Kansas City to 8 degrees within 24 hours. We are all needing something warm for our tummies.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
- 30 oz frozen broccoli
- 3 cans chicken broth (the small ones)
- 6 TBSP butter
- 1 chopped onion
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 cans coconut milk
- 1 1/2 lbs velveeta cubed
- pinch of pepper

Simmer the broccoli in the chicken broth, just until the broccoli softens.
Melt butter in a soup pot.
Saute onions for about 2 minutes.
Add flour and make a paste by combining it with the onions and butter.
Slowly whisk in the coconut milk, until thick and bubbly.
Add chicken broth and broccoli, stir together.
Add the cheese and melt. (Do not boil)

Use an immersion blender to thoroughly mix the soup and break up some of the broccoli chunks. I like to leave some bigger pieces of broccoli though.

Serve warm with some hot, toasty bread, and a salad if you like.
Cheers to a nice, delicious, winter meal!

Pie crust, Pie crust, and more Pie crust

I have 3 recipes for pie crust that I love using.
One with all shortening, one with all butter, and one with a blend of both.

All shortening pie crust (Marci Sorge’s recipe)
for a double 9 inch crust
- 2 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup cold shortening
- (I always add about 2 TBSP of sugar to balance out the salt, but my MIL does not.)

- Add salt, flour, and sugar. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or use your food processor.
- Add 8-10 TBSP of ice cold water.
- Mix with a fork until combined, form into two balls, and roll out the dough.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before baking.

All butter Pie crust
- 2 2/3 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 TBSP sugar
- 1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, cold. (must be unsalted butter, as it has less water content than salted butter)

- Mix the first 3 ingredients. Cut in butter with pastry blender or food processor. Until it resembles, small peas.
- Add 10-12 TBSP ice cold water
- Mix with a fork until combined, form into two balls, and roll out the dough.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking.

Here is a picture of my all butter crust. You know it’s a good crust when you can see small pieces of butter. It will bake up beautifully.

Pie Crust Recipe (the first pie crust that I tried and LOVED)

- 3 cups of flour
- 4 TBSP sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 2/3 cup butter, unsalted and cold
- 1/2 cup ice cold water (i usually use a few TBSP more than that, but feel it out)

- Mix first 3 ingredients, cut in shortening and butter or use a food processor, then mix with a fork the ice cold water.
- Form 2 balls, and roll out the dough, put it in the pie pan and then refrigerate for 30 minutes at least before baking.

****MAJOR TIP****
One thing that I have found with pie crust, the wetter the dough, the better it rolls out. If there are lots of “floury” crumbs then you need to add another TBSP or two of ice water. You don’t want wet dough, you want dough that is wet enough to stick together. Trust me, when in doubt, add another TBSP.

Here is a picture of the all shortening crust, ready to go into the oven. It’s a blueberry pie

Good luck with all your pie making adventures!

French silk pie

If you are looking for an amazing chocolate pie recipe, this is it!!!!!

Seriously it’s that good. Just ask my kids.

I needed to make some pie tartlets for a friend of mine hosting a benefit concert. These babies fit the bill perfectly.

Here is my recipe for French silk pie.
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- Whipped cream, for serving and chocolate shavings if you’re all fancy and such.

Beat butter and sugar together with a paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Add melted chocolate and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time and beat for 5 minutes after each egg. This part takes the longest and it’s easy to think that it’s whipped enough, but just keep whipping it! Set the timer on the stove, the mixer at med speed and beat those eggs into the choc/butter mixture.

Then spoon the chocolate mixture into a fully cooked pie crust and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.

Serve with homemade whipped cream.

I pour some heavy whipping cream into my mixer and start beating it on high until it forms some consistency. Then I add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add sugar to taste. When it forms and becomes thick, taste it and see if it’s sweet enough or needs more vanilla etc. You can always add more sugar and vanilla, just not take it away

Tomorrow I will post my 3 favorite pie crust recipes. Look back here tomorrow and pick your favorite to try.

Cheers!!! Hope you enjoy your chocolate pie. O wait, you don’t have it. I do.

The Zoo

Audrey feeding the deer

 

Noah in his cuteness

silly faces

 

Alexander the great

High and Noble Calling

Throughout my day, I have to continually remind myself to keep going. Okay Anna, keep moving, clean off the table, change the diaper, pick up the toys, wrestle with the kids, etc. It seems like my list of things to do never ends and it only increases. A continual increase. But there is one thing I am sure of, every time I decide to serve one of my kids or my husband, I do it unto the Lord. He sees my heart and He knows my thoughts. One person prophesied over me that he saw me going about the routine mundane business of being a mom and every time I did something, an old fashion cash register in heaven would sound out “ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching”. And each and every time I would receive more reward in heaven. 

Honestly, that keeps me going. Knowing that I am doing what I’m doing unto the Lord. No one else but Him. My reward is not on this side of eternity. May you be encouraged to be a mom today. You are daily laying your life down for your husband and your children and it is a glorious thing in the sight of the Lord. Keep going. This is a high and noble calling! For we want Him to say “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

I pray that the Lord blesses you today with energy in the mundane. May you have renewed grace and vision today!

Sorge Family Photo Shoot

 

The entire Sorge family!!!

 

 

Isn't Katie gorgeous?

Noah and his Opa.

 

Noah and his uncle Michael

 

Audrey and Opa

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a couple photos from the Sorge family photo shoot we had recently. Steve Willis did a phenomenal job and I would recommend him in a heartbeat. Man, is it hard to get all three kids happy and smiling for an entire hour! But we had a blast doing it. Hope you enjoy!

What happened to my baby Noah?!!!

 

Noah at six months

 

 

 

Noah at 2 years

Have I mentioned how much I hate that they grow up so fast? Drives me crazy! Don’t get me wrong, I love every single stage, but time just passes way too fast. For those of you with little babies, sitting at home wondering if they will ever grow up, I promise you, they will. All too soon. And my babies are only 3 and 2. AHHH!

My Day

Well Hello!

I had a very long wonderful day! My kids woke up super early and took turns taking their naps, which meant that I didn’t get any time alone today, which is fine but very tiring. It was such a beautiful fall day, a little cool outside and cloudy, which is how I prefer my days to be. I got to babysit Joshua, my cutie patutie nephew, and that was a blast. It gives me a taste of what having twins would be like, since he and Alexander are only 6 weeks apart. To all you moms out there with multiples, I salute you and you have my utmost respect and admiration! 

After days like today I have to encourage my heart with this verse. Ephesians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart”. 

Today was a good day, just wearisome. Paul warns us to not grow weary but to keep doing good, press on, for our goal is to produce fruit! This verse reminds me that I need to have perseverance in my every day stuff. In the mundane of the mundane, to keep on living a fasted lifestyle, to keep giving of myself in every area, to guard my thoughts and my words, and to live a life that is set apart from this world. We have got to have our goal, the prize, continually in front of us. We need to be continually reminded of why we are doing what we’re doing. 

2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing”.

I hope this encourages you too! We are after the crown of righteousness!  I pray that the Lord strengthens and encourages your heart today.

Quotes from Mother Theresa

Here are just a few of the many questions asked to the nuns who devote their lives to the ministry of the poor. They come from the book “Works of love are works of Peace.” It is a great book and I encourage you to look it up and read it. 

• Am I aware of the special call I have received and do I live as one specially chosen?
• Do I look on this life as a burden rather than a grace? 
• Can I repeat in front of Jesus what I say to others? 
• Is my obedience prompt? Cheerful? Constant?
• Is my work such that I have made it a holy service full of love unto the Lord?
• In my manner of working, am I afraid of difficulties and obstacles, forgetting that I can do all things in Him who strengthens me?
• Have I tried to seek the admiration and appreciation of others, or have I sought only to please God?
• Is my principal source of energy really my love of God and of my neighbor?
• Do I do my work with Jesus, for Jesus, and to Jesus?

My Delightful Kids!

 

Audrey

 

 

 

 

Noah drumming

 

Joel with Alexander

 

Audrey and her lizard

 

Noah riding his scooter

Happy Birthday Katie!!!!

I am so privileged to have married into the Sorge family. I love each and every one of the Sorges so very much, but I LOVE Katie! Katie is stunningly beautiful, inside and out. She was a dear friend before she became my sister and I am so thankful for her friendship in my life. She is an absolute joy to be around and I am so thankful that God gave her to me as a sister! I love you so much Katie and I hope you have a fabulous day today! May God truly give you the desires of your heart this year. May you be blessed with His favor and anointing on your life! I love you so very much!!!!

Being disciplined

1 Corinthians 9:24-27, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified”.

These verses so help my heart as it relates to motherhood. I have to discipline my body, my mind, and my thoughts and bring them into subjection. When I’m having a ridiculously difficult day and the kids are super cranky, I have to choose, make a mental and physical choice, to discipline myself and think Godly thoughts and not sin by reacting to the anger within me. I have to choose to literally go through the motions and align my heart with God’s heart for my life and for my children. And most days it just feels like all I’m doing is just going through the motions with little to no feeling whatsoever. That’s okay. I live for those precious moments when the planets align and my heart feels alive in Jesus! My goal is to win that prize! Every morning I wake up with the desire to run in such a way that I will obtain the prize. I want that crown of righteousness! But I won’t get it without first disciplining myself to choose righteousness!

Is that all?

Right now I am almost finished reading “Camille’s Children.” A book recommended by Renee Loux on a woman and her husband who adopted 31 children, most of them have Down Syndrome. It is a remarkable book. I cried the first time I sat down to read it and read half the book. This is true religion. It really is. 

Here is a quote from the book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

“The day Albert was born, his older brother, Tommy came to the hospital to visit him. It frightened Tommy to see his grandmother and aunts crying in the waiting room. He wondered if something had happened to his mom. When he saw that his mom, Ada, was fine, he was confused. “Why is everybody crying?” 

“Because the baby is sick, Tommy,” Ada replied.

“No, I just saw him, Mom,” he cried excitedly. “In the nursery. Go see him. He’s fine!”

“No,” Ada said gently. “He might look fine now, but he’s not. He has Down Syndrome.” 

Tommy frowned. “What is that?”

Ada carefully explained everything to her son. She was worried about his reaction, but she wanted to be honest. She told him that the baby was healthy, but he would be slower than the other children, and he would look different than they did. 

But this was a kid with his priorities straight. “Is that all?” he asked.”

Taking up my cross

Last night I gave Alexander, my youngest, a dream feed at 10:30pm. Not because he needed it, he’s been sleeping through the night for about 4 weeks now, but because I know that way too soon, he’ll be grown up. Joel and I stayed up a while talking about the Lord and praying together. We probably fell asleep around 11:30pm. 4:00am Alexander wakes up. I feed him again but the problem is, he doesn’t go back to sleep. I try feeding him again. No luck with getting him back to sleep. I might as well wake up and start my day. 

This morning this verse ministered to me. 

Matthew 10:38-39, “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”

My Secret

I have an amazing weight loss secret. Want to know what it is?

HAVE KIDS!!!!!

p.s. I guess I forgot to clarify that my weight loss plan only works for women who are married and have toddlers they run around after, and a fat, cute baby to lift and work the arms. Thats really what I meant to say! 

Mothering Mission Statement

To sustain our lifestyle of raising children and following Jesus, we need fresh vision every day. As the sun comes up, the babies wake, and our day full of laundry, cleaning, dishes, temper tantrums, maintaining friendships, etc. begins, we need to know why we do what we do. This is where it helps to have a mission statement. We as mothers need to have a mission statement to remind us daily of our vision. Having a mission statement is to set goals and desires for our lives and the lives of our children. We all have desires and ideas within us for our lives, but very few of us really take the time to write them out. The point of having a mission statement is so that it serves us as a continual reminder of the goals set in front of us. We can so easily get distracted and lose focus on why we are doing what we’re doing. Why am I training them again? Why am I cleaning the poop off my floor again? What am I doing? Our Mothering Mission Statement is meant to provoke us daily. It’s meant to remind us that we are called by God to be mothers.  You didn’t make a mistake and now you have a baby, God has called you to be a mother. 

What we choose to write in our mission statements reveal so much about us. It reveals in our hearts the desire for perfection. Which is a godly desire! We were called to be like Jesus. We are made in His image and are called to be perfect. There is nothing wrong with having that desire. There is nothing wrong with wanting and desiring to be better than our parents. We are supposed to take the groundwork that our parents laid for us and go beyond them in the spirit. Wouldn’t you want that for your child? Let’s see where our parents succeeded and failed and raise the bar completely. Not in disrespect, but out of respect so that we take their ceiling and we make it our floor. We are a different generation. The level has been raised and we have got to step up. We are going to have to raise our children differently. This calls for higher standards. We are going to have to live and mother differently than our mothers. And it’s okay. 

I encourage you to write your mothering mission statements today. Print it out, put it in a frame and hang it somewhere around your home to remind you of your goals and desires for your life and the lives of your children. May the Lord bless you today and give you renewed vision and hunger for Jesus!

Great Life Video

Here is a great video put out to rally the 67 million catholic voters. Enjoy! It is powerful!

This ministered to me today.

 Why are you so downcast, o my soul? Put your hope in God. For He is the living God. He is the righteous One with Him there is a fountain of life. Why are you so downcast? Why so dismayed? Why so discouraged? For I will put my hope in the living God, for He is my strong tower and He is my source. I say spring up o well within my soul, for you have the living God dwelling on the inside. Fix your eyes on Him. Fix your gaze on Him, with whom the riches of glory dwell. O be rooted and grounded in so much more. These are just momentary light afflictions. Put your hope in God. See He dwells within. Spring up o well, within my soul. See the Lord God, He dwells within. The living God dwells within. So I fix my eyes on You Jesus. I choose to be grounded in You. I choose to find my strength in You. I choose to look upon You and gaze upon You for You are the living source. Spirit of God arise in me, even now. Spirit of God arise in me!

-Excerpt from the noon set at IHOP KC. Thank you Bethany, Grace, Sarah, Allison, and team. Great job! 

 I pray that it encourages you as much as it encouraged me. If you have the webcast, go back and watch the noon set, 10/28. It was AWESOME!!!!

My generation

I have had a lot of things on my heart lately. The main one is Adoption. I feel strongly that my generation is going to take a stand on this issue. Desperate times call for desperate measures. This is something that we have to take a stand on. There is blood guilt on our nation. The primary way we war against abortion in our nation is through prayer. We go to battle in the spirit realm and we ask God for mercy. 

“Jesus, we plead Your blood over our sins and the sins of our nation. God end abortion and send revival to America”.

Another way we stand against abortion, is through adoption. I believe my generation is called to take a stand for adoption. I think this is going to mark us and set us apart as a generation. We are called to be radical. We are called to be holy as He is holy, totally other than the world. If we don’t adopt, who will? We are living as forerunners, preparing the way for His return, and raising our children in the fear of the Lord. I pray over my kids every night that they would love righteousness and hate wickedness and that they would be pillars of righteousness in their generation. That they would set a standard of purity and holiness in their generation. I believe that we have to draw a line in the sand. How long will we turn away from the cries of the children and say “no”, “it’s not for me”, or “maybe in five years”? 

Now, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t use wisdom in making these huge life decisions. There are many things to consider before adopting. Please talk to your spouse and pray, pray, pray, pray. Ask the Lord to speak to you His heart and plans for your family. Let Him guide you. But, I do want this to stir your heart. I do not want to have regret on that day I see Him face to face. I encourage you to ask yourself, Is this something God has for me? Is this something God is asking me to do? What is He saying concerning this?

I pray Colossians 1:9-11 over you, “I ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.”

Here are some photos from our falkner family friday dinner!

Hope you all had a great day! Sorry most of these pics were of my family. Next week I’ll try and post some of the entire crew together, the Falkners, the Meiers, the Sorges, and the Kims.

The Elections

As Joel and I were watching the results come in on Tuesday night, I looked over at him and I said “O no, honey. It’s not looking good.” And Joel is so great. He looked right back at me and said, “We have the best job in the entire world. Either way, we wake up and we get to pray for our President. We’ll pray with the same fervency whether it be Obama or McCain. This is what we do. We’re priests!”

Fun little Fact

 I am so thankful for the movie, The Gospel of John. My kids watch a little of it every day and they are in love with it. One night, Joel turned it on before bedtime. After about fifteen minutes, he flipped it off and was talking to Audrey and Noah about Jesus. He then asked them if they wanted to have Jesus come into their hearts and save them. Yes!!! My kids got saved through watching the Gospel of John!!! Every morning they have about twenty minutes allotted to them to watch something while I take my shower and get ready. I run through the list of choices, Blues Clues, Letter Factory, Word Factory, Winnie the Pooh, Jesus…..They ALWAYS choose Jesus. He is their favorite! 

That makes me happy. 

There is one small problem though. Whenever John the Baptist shows up on the movie screen, my kids laugh. Yep, you read it right. They crack up laughing. Something about him, the way he looks, the way he talks, something makes them laugh. It’s a little troubling since Jesus called him the greatest man born of a woman. I want my kids to pay some respect. But then I realized that they’re only 2 and 3 and if John the Baptist makes them happy, then I’m happy with that. 

I encourage you to go get this movie, watch it. Let your kids see it. It’s powerful! It’s just the Bible being acted out and it’s fabulous! Enjoy!

Struck

I was watching the Gospel of John with the kids yesterday and I was struck by something Jesus said to the Pharisees. 

John 5:44, “How can you believe, you who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?”

I don’t know what version of the Bible the movie is, but it says, “you receive praise from men, but do not seek the praise that only God can give”. This so struck my heart. How true is this? I wonder how many things I do throughout my day to receive praise from men? Whether it be subconscious or not, I am sure I am motivated by the wrong things. 

Jesus, I make it my aim to please You! Lord I long to receive the praise and honor that only You can give. Help me today Jesus. Help me to not live for this world. Show me what it means to live a holy set-apart life for You!

It’s about that time…..

It’s official! Joel set up our tree before he went out of town and I surprised him by decorating it. The first two Christmases we had a fake tree, last Christmas we had our first real tree. Now this year we are back to our fake tree. Joel insists upon it. I know it’s a little early. Tradition in my family is that we put up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. But Joel jumped the gun out of pure excitement for the season to begin. Can you blame him? Anyways, Cheers to this beautiful season where we celebrate the birth of Christ!

Thank you Dad!!!

This weekend Joel was out of town. I always like to do something different to the house when he goes away. This weekend I chose to paint our breakfast room. Before it was a pretty grassy green, but it just didn’t go with fall/winter colors. I needed to add some warmth to our house. I mentioned the idea to my dad, and he completely jumped on it and painted it for me. How sweet is that?

Falkner Family Photo Shoot

Here we all are

My mom and dad and their 8 grandchildren

Joel and Noah

Isn't Alexander getting big?

Noah, Audrey, Zion, Rees, Isaiah, and Hudson

They did this all on their own!!!

Funny Fact

My daughter Audrey, randomly, multiple times throughout the day, takes articles of her clothing off. It is so perplexing. Right after I am done getting her dressed in the morning, I’ll leave the room and come back literally 10 seconds later and she’ll be without a shirt, or have taken her pants off and is just wearing underwear. She really just likes either being in her pajamas or being naked. It’s really hard to keep clothes on her. Especially when I have other things to do besides watch her to make sure she keeps her clothes on. The other day, a good friend texted me saying, “Hey, I saw your naked daughter while driving by this morning!” AHHHHH!!!! I had no idea she is now being seen by people driving by.
O geez. I am on a mission. A mission to keep my daughter dressed.

Thanksgiving Tradition!

My family (Falkner side) has a tradition that we do at Thanksgiving. It’s pretty standard, but we all go around the table and say what we are thankful for that year. This may seem pretty basic. Everyone does this right? But in our family, it is a huge deal. We wait ’til the kids are watching a movie, or down to sleep so we can do it and do it right. We take our time and by the end of it we are all crying and hugging each other, celebrating the Lord’s goodness over us and His love. I have to admit that this is my favorite holiday, because of this one tradition.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving Tradition????

Check this out

This is a shout out to Tim Reimherr and Marcus Meier for their new cd! Thank you to you both for writing such amazing songs. Last night, I was driving with my daughter Audrey in the car. We were listening to the cd, that’s all they want to listen to, and we were both singing at the top of our lungs, “Jesus I plead your blood over my sins and the sins of my nation, end abortion, send revival. The blood upon our hands is the blood of innocence, we’re guilty, have mercy!”
Just the fact that my 3 year old daughter knows those words and can sing that song by heart, blows my mind. Where is she headed? This so encourages my heart!!! Praise the Lord that our kids are being raised singing songs like this.
I encourage you to get the cd if you haven’t yet. It’s awesome!!!!

A really cool story

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston , Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, ‘You’d better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.’ Then he thought, ‘Oh, forget it, it’s only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a ‘gift from God’ and keep quiet.’

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, ‘Here, you gave me too much change ‘

The driver, with a smile, replied, ‘Aren’t you the new preacher in town?’

‘Yes’ he replied.

‘Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I’ll see you at church.’

When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, ‘Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.’

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a beautiful example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard — and remember — You carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself ‘Christian.’

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

My kids ROCK!!!

So tonight Joel and I started a Sorge family tradition where we do an advent Christmas tree and count down the days til Christmas. It’s out of a book all centered around who Jesus is and Bob and Marci did it with their kids and now it is passed down to us. The first verse we read tonight was Revelation 22:13, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” We were making Audrey and Noah recite it, over and over, to memorize it.

“Audrey, repeat after me. I am the Alpha….. and the Omega, ” I say.

” I the Alpha, Omega,” she says.

“The first….” I go slower. “And the last.”

Audrey pauses, trying to figure out what I was saying. “Mom, I firsty! I need a drink. I’m firsty!!!”

Joel and I started busting up laughing. How funny!!

Well…..

There is a new addition to our family!!!
Probably not what you’re thinking. Joel and I bought our kids their Christmas present early.
A beautiful little gray kitten with a little white tipped tail! She is absolutely wonderful and the kids are going crazy they love her so much. Almost too much. I worry for her poor little self. Audrey has never been so crazy happy. Ever. She wants to be with this kitten and follows her around like they have been best friends for ever. Super sweet.
Just thought you would want to know!
Have a fabulous day!
Any new news in your lives today? I want to know!

Revelation for the day.

Colossians 3:23-24, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Amen! This struck me as I was reading my Bible this afternoon. I am not a good judge of myself, but I know that I do things for men and not 100% to Jesus. As a mom, you seem so unnoticed most of the time. No one would ever know if you swept your floor, or if you had dirty dishes in your sink. On the same hand, no one would know how hard you bust your butt to get your house clean, or how good and faithful you were with training your children. No one is watching but Jesus!!!! He sees and knows all!!! Which is such a good thing. We need to change our mindsets. We do things not for ourselves, our husbands or for any one of our friends and family. We do it unto Jesus. For only He can give us reward at the end of the day! Thank you Jesus! For before men, I fail. But You look at my heart and see the sincerity within! I love you Jesus!!!!

It’s a new day

Phillipians 3:12-14, ” Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Let’s forget those things that are behind us, whatever happened yesterday, we forget it. We must forget it and let it go in order to reach forward to the things ahead. We need to start the day with zeal and an urgency to lay hold of Christ Jesus. We must press, press, press toward the goal for the prize. I am encouraged today to press anew. I want to have a zeal to walk worthy of the Lord. Jesus give me the fear of the Lord and give me urgency in my inner being.

For my husband…

I’ve gotten to back to normal after having three kids and the other day Joel and I were talking. Here’s what our conversation looked like.
“I’m surprised you look like you do considering you don’t work out at all,” Joel said.
(This is all taking into account that I am a stay at home mom with three kids three and under. I am up by the latest 6am, I don’t take a nap, and I am still nursing my 9 month old.)
“Well honey, I do work a lot around the house. I hold Alexander, (who is heavy for a 9 month old, 22 lbs.) I play with the kids, I clean up toys, cook, etc. Take tonight for example honey, I cleaned both bathrooms, swept and organized the garage and swept and mopped the floors in the house, ” I said very kindly.
“But Anna, you don’t burn any calories doing that,” Joel said.

WHAT!!!!
I told him he was wrong, but he still didn’t believe me. So today, I went and looked up some stuff on just how many calories we moms burn while doing housework.
Here’s what I found…….

Just by working hard in the house and yard you can burn about as many calories as walking on a treadmill for the same amount of time. Yes, all those mundane household chores you do at home daily count in burning a significant amount of calories.

Not only do you burn calories cleaning your house, but you also improve your body. For keeping your arms shapely, you can polish, dust, mop and/or sweep. Whenever you make the beds you’re bending and stretching. Just add a few more bends and stretches if you only have one or two beds to make. Doing the laundry tones thighs and improves flexibility. And, the next time you’re tempted to complain about living in a multi-storied house, be thankful that all that running up and down the stairs can serve as an aerobic workout.

Housework- (30 min)
Vacuuming – 75 – 125 calories. Give yourself a real workout. Tackle all those corners and specs of dirt.
Cooking – 40 – 50 calories
Cleaning gutters – 340 calories
Mopping floors – 112 calories. Besides burning calories, you can tone your shoulders and biceps.

Yard Work- (30 min)
Walk outside and you can burn even more calories. An hour of gardening burns about 256 calories. You’ll also be working on your arms, back and legs.
Raking leaves – 110 calories per hour
Lawn mowing – 150-225 calories per hour. (Nope, this doesn’t include a riding mower.) The more you push, the more calories burned.
Cleaning gutters – 340 calories per hour, firming your back arms and shoulders
Painting – 288 calories for an hour of painting, working your arms and knees.
Gutter cleaning – 320 calories per hour, working on your shoulders, upper back, arms and legs.

p.s. Joel, I love you so very much! Just wanted to show you that I’ve proven you wrong.

Christmas Pics

Noah and Opa playing Christmas songs

Alexander's new phone

Noah's new mohawk hat!

My very own chunky monkey

Like Joel's deep V???

my new sunglasses and bangles. Thanks Mercy

Audrey and Katie

Verse for the day

2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

I love this verse. It so encourages my heart. I know that even though Joel is “out of town at the Onething conference” that I have at my hand an abundance of grace available to me! God will help me and in the moments of chaos in my home, when my anger and the sin in my heart comes up, I can call on God and He can give me grace. Thank you Jesus!

Noah’s story

Tonight, Tuesday night, I was praying with Audrey and Noah before I put them down for bed. We always pray for the same things…”that they would love righteousness and hate wickedness, and that they would have the fear of the Lord…etc…” I prayed that they would sleep with Jesus and have dreams of Jesus and angels. Noah then looks at me and very matter of factly said, “Mom, Jesus came into my room with me last night. He came into my room mommy.”
Awwww. My heart melted. Thank you Jesus!!!! He was very serious. It wasn’t just something he said. Jesus was there with him in his room.
He and Audrey then went on to argue about whose room Jesus was going to be in. Noah was positive Jesus wanted to be in his room, but Audrey wanted Jesus in her room.
I love it!!! Jesus is real and He really does meet our children!!!

Raising up Prophetic Messengers

My sister Rachel and I went out for coffee last night and we were talking about our action plans for this year and raising up Prophetic Messengers. I left thinking about what my goals are for this year and asking myself in what specific ways am I raising up messengers.
I was thinking that one of my goals is that I want my children to know their prophetic destiny, who they’re called to be in the Lord! I started teaching them the things that the Lord has told me about them. Every night, Joel and I pray over them and we speak it over them again. I want to make it my practice to quiz them throughout the day asking them who they are in God. Audrey is my beautiful, strong overcomer of evil! She speaks and demons flee. Noah is my pillar of righteousness in a perverse and wicked generation. He will stand for truth and holiness and will set a standard of purity in his generation. Alexander is my mighty prayer warrior. He is a fighter in the heavenly realm! And He is close to the Lord’s heart. I make the kids repeat who they are and I can see them start to believe it! They say it as if it’s reality to them and they will never know anything different than their parents calling their destinies out prophetically. We speak it forth and we speak it over them.

I am asking the Lord for divine wisdom into how to do this more and do it better. What are some of the ways you specifically practice raising up prophetic messengers??? Got any good ideas for me???

Surrender

This seems like a funny random comparison, but a scene in 24 last night sparked something in me. In the scene, Jack Bauer is trying to knock out this lady so he can escape from the room. He has her in a choke hold and keeps telling her to surrender to it and not fight it. She inevitably passes out and he is able to escape.
I was thinking about my life in the Lord and my need to surrender! Right now, Alexander is screaming his brains out, he’s been crying for an hour. I can’t sleep. He needs to cry it out and surrender to his tired body. But I was thinking about the areas in my life where I need to continually be surrendering to the Lord. As I’m awake right now, I thought I would share them with you and I pray that this encourages your heart.
When I think of surrender I think of trust. There must be trust if I am going to surrender myself. I want to encourage you today, wherever you are at, to surrender to Jesus’ will and plan for your life. Your life is not a product of all your past mistakes. You aren’t just in the place you find yourself in because you sinned. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths, ” Proverbs 3:5. You aren’t a mom because you were just stupid that one time and were caught up into passion. God planned it. I feel for me personally, that I need to remind myself to surrender to Jesus’ will for my life and not try to fight it. Even in the areas of discipline and chastening, we need to surrender to the Lord and let Him have his good work in our lives. He is the potter and we are the clay, sometimes what he does may not feel good to us but it is pruning and disciplining us only so that we might grow more. It would be much easier for me if I surrender to His sovereignty, and His goodness, His perfect gentle leadership over my life instead of trying to fight it by arguing or reasoning myself out of it. Will we today, trust Him enough to surrender our lives over to Him. For He is good and just. He is ever merciful!!!! And He has good plans for you life. He has orchestrated every little part of you life and has formed and fashioned you. Trust Him to complete the good work He has started. Surrender to Him today!

For today

Today I’m reminding myself that when I signed up to be a Christian I did not sign up for my life to be easy. I didn’t sign up for fun and games along the way and enjoyment of all shapes and sizes. I signed up to walk the narrow road. I signed up for difficulty. Why am I so surprised when life is hard? Why do I throw my hands up and say “Why me God?”, What did I do to deserve this?”, “Why is my life like this?”. Somewhere deep within me I really do think that life is supposed to be fun all the time. Whether it be the American dream or culture imbedded into my mind or what, I think that I should have little to no hardships and that I should genuinely be having fun 98% of the time. But life as a believer is just not like that. Life as a intercessory missionary is one of faith, risk, and trust! Why do I get so surprised when things don’t go the way I plan them to go? Why do I get upset at circumstances, especially the ones that are out of my control? I have signed up to a life of faith and trust in Jesus. Of living a life set apart from this world and there are going to be hard days, even hard months, or hard years. But I have got to stay faithful and stay the course on the narrow road. The Lord wants to teach me lessons through the various hardships in my life. He’s after a heart transformation in me. He’s after me becoming a burning and shining lamp. He wants the fullness of my heart, the fullness of my love.
And so what are a few trials and tribulations other than the open door for my transformation into His likeness!

Mission Statement

If you haven’t written a mission statement for this year, I strongly encourage you to. The New Year is always such a great time to set vision for your life and to be renewed in your calling. Just to give you an example, I thought I would post my mothering mission statement for this year 2009. Here you go. I hope this inspires you to write your own.

My mission as a mother is to raise my children to fear God. That through my joy, my patience, my hunger for God, my love for righteousness, my eternal perspective, and my desire to be found pleasing to the Lord, I would be an example to them and I would provoke them to live lives set apart from this world, pure and spotless. I make it my goal to direct them to Jesus and not be a hindrance or a stumbling block in their walk. I will be careful to discern their hearts and not just their outward acts. I will use the prophetic gifting I have to speak and pray over them and call them out in the fear and admonition of the Lord. I want them to remember waking up to find me in the word, honoring and respecting my husband, serving my family and others selflessly, and having an amazingly joyful countenance!

Verse for the day

“God will render to each one according to his deeds; eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;” Romans 2:6-7.

Today, my goal is to patiently continue in doing good. I do not want to be frustrated/angry, anxious, discontented, or unhappy. I want my attitude to reflect my heart, that I am at peace, that I trust Jesus, that His strength is my joy, and that He is sovereign and in control, and that He is good. I want to be steadfast and faithful regardless of the circumstances around me. In my mission statement for this year I wrote that I wanted my kids to wake up and find me reading my Bible. So Joel’s staycation is over and today was my first day waking up early. I set my alarm for 5:30 to wake up and drink coffee, but Alexander beat me to it and was up at 5:20 to eat and never went back to bed. Audrey and Noah were awakened by his noises and the house was up 5 til 6am. Wow. But I rolled with the punches and I am geared up for an excitingly long day. My goal: to patiently continue in doing good. I hope you all have an absolutely fabulous day! May the Lord be with you and help you today!

Sowing

I have been having such a hard time getting Alexander to sleep during the night. And my kids have been waking up so early. Yesterday, Audrey and Alexander woke up at 5:30am and did not take afternoon naps. Yes, it was a very long day. I think motherhood so much more than marriage, brings up all my issues. I never thought I struggled with anger until I became a mother. Then I realized how evil I really was. So today as I wake and read my Bible, I am going to make it my aim to sow to the Spirit and not to the flesh. Today I want to sow to the Spirit. I do not want to continue in my envy, my selfish ambition, my outbursts of wrath( Galatians 6:20-21), etc. I want to have the fruits of the Spirit. I want joy, love, peace, gentleness, and self-control to be very evident in my life.

“Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart,” Galatians 6:7-9.

One thing at a time

There are so many things that I would like to work on in my kids. So many things I would like to see magically disappear. I really just want my kids to walk in their destiny now with absolutely no trace of sin. Since that is not realistic when they are 2 and 3, I have to set other goals. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed at the task at hand. I don’t know how much longer I can get 4 hours of sleep at night, or how much longer I can take the kids not taking naps, or how much longer I can take disobedience, or fighting, or you name it. So I have decided to really tackle on thing at a time, really one thing a week. This week I am working on disciplining my kids the first time they disobey. It is always something that I wanted to do and something that I actually have done in the past but with my kids being the ages they are, I am needing to do a whole lot more training than even a year ago. So this week I have been diligently working on if I say it once, and they disobey, I discipline. I don’t want to have to repeat myself. So far, we are doing good! Praise the Lord. Now if I can just patiently continue in doing good, maybe we’ll have eternal rewards!
I hope this encourages you. If you have so many things on your plate right now and it is completely overwhelming you, try just taking one problem and working on it this week. Don’t completely ignore the other stuff, but don’t stress about it. Next week, work on something else.

“For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” Phillipians 4:13.

This morning

“You alone are my strength, You alone are my strength. You are my rock and there is no other, You are my rock. You are my refuge, You are my tower of strength, You are my shelter and I run into Your name!”

This morning I woke up and I thank the Lord that Ron Downing was singing this song. It was everything I needed to pump me up this morning.
Thank you Jesus for being my rock and thank you for being my tower of strength. Today, I will choose to run into Your name for Your name is a refuge for my heart. I love you Jesus!

Concerns of the day

It’s a new week. Today I commit myself anew to my goals.

“Whoever desire to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom to many,” Matthew 20:26-27

Today I do not want to be concerned with the things of this world. I don’t want to worry about the way that I look, and whether it fits into the “trendy” status of our world. I don’t want to worry about whether or not my friends call me, if my house is spotless, if I have time enough to myself to do “adult” things, etc… Today I want to be concerned with laying my life down for my family. I want to be my husband and my children’s servant. Not because I have to, but because I want to become great in heaven. I want to have a testimony like Jesus’ that I layed my life down. I don’t want to be concerned with the cost. I don’t want to look to my left or to my right and get distracted by what other people are doing. I want to be focused in my death of self. I have to be focused on it, or I can assure you that my death to self will not happen.

This is so easy. Anyone can do this; Rich or poor, famous or unknown, wives, mothers, men, women, children. Jesus has called us to live as servants and to lay our lives down for others. Let’s be great in heaven. Not just today, but for eternity!

Excellence

Being excellent is simply doing the best you can with what you’ve been given.

Living simply

Psalms 17:14, David is asking for deliverance from evil and wicked men, and “from men of the world who have their portion in this life.”

I was talking with Joel last night and we were discussing living the fasted lifestyle. The other day I made a list of all the things that we need, not just want, but true needs for our house and for our children. We were talking about not living for this world and what that really means. Even though my list of 10 things is justifiable and no one would think anything of me buying them, some would even say “thank you” for finally getting that, I have made a choice to live as an intercessory missionary. I have chosen to give more than just 10% of my income to the kingdom. I have chosen to not live for this world. I don’t want my reward and my comfort to come on this side of eternity. If it means I live a life of sacrifice then so be it. I have chosen to put my stock in a different world. Why? Because I long for His appearing. I want to want Him to come back. I don’t want to be too comfortable that I don’t long for Jesus’ return. I want to live simply not just to always be in self denial, but so that I am keeping a continual reminder in front of me that this life doesn’t matter. The stuff I have in this life doesn’t matter. I need a heart alive on the inside, longing for Jesus’ return. For me, the way to get that is to live a simple fasted lifestyle.

I encourage you today, if you are struggling with comparison with your friends, a longing for “stuff” you don’t have that you even legitimately need, or just discouragement, God has called us in this day in age, to live a lifestyle set apart from this world. He has called you to be a burning and shining lamp. Not to be just like the world in every way but to stand out and be different. As the world gets darker, we should get lighter. I pray that the Lord would strengthen your heart and speak life to you today! Blessings!!!!

So much on my heart!

Right now, it’s 2:30 in the afternoon. I have so much on my heart to share right now. So much is churning within an I am so excited at what Jesus is doing, but I have absolutely no time to right it all down or collect my thoughts. My kids go down at 1 pm to take their naps. As of now, none of my kids are sleeping. Noah is still being potty trained and pooped his pants. Alexander is still crying in his crib. I just went in there to check on him and he had pooped up his back. So needless to say, I don’t have time right now. But I promise I will be back at writing tomorrow. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.
May the Lord bless you and may the light of His countenance shine down on you today!

A Good Morning

This morning I woke up and had some good quiet time. I prayed through all of the items on my prayer list and I did it with Alexander awake with me. Then while feeding the kids breakfast, we were talking about angels and how they are everywhere. Noah looked at me and said “Mommy, Jesus came into my room last night and held my hand.”
Wow! That makes my heart so happy. Jesus is real to my kids, He talks to them, and holds their hand. What times are we living in when are 2 year olds are encountering Jesus?
Hope you all have a great day encountering Jesus!!!!

Seeking God

Psalms 84:11, “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
Psalms 34:10, “But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”

I was struck reading this the other day. Normally I read this verse and I think, “Great, if I just seek the Lord and walk uprightly, then I will never lack the things that I want. I’ll have food for the week, clothes for my kids, gas money for the car, etc.” But the other day, I read this and it hit me in a new way. If I seek Him, all things in God are available to me. All the fruits of the spirit are available to me. I will not lack anything “in God” if I seek Him. And trust me I am very in need of the fruits of the Spirit. I need love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

I encourage you today, Pursue Him. Seek Him. Call on His name! He will give you the grace you need. He will give you the patience and longsuffering you need. All He asks is that you seek Him and walk uprightly. A bounty of the fruits of the Spirit are available to you for the taking just seek Him. Reach out and grab the love for your enemy that you need today. It is there for the taking.
May the Lord strengthen your hearts today. May He give you hunger for Him and for His word. Blessings and Happy Monday!!!

Coffee

My absolute favorite thing about waking up is that I get to spend alone time with Jesus!!! My absolute second favorite thing about waking up, is that I get to drink coffee while spending time with Jesus. There’s no other way I could get up that early if I didn’t have these two things to look forward to.
One day a couple months ago, I tried to get off coffee. I have been told by some that coffee is very toxic for you and if you can do without, then it’s better to have tea or just water. So, being the “desiring-to-be-healthy” girl that I am, I decided I would try and get off of coffee.

I woke up that morning, with much zeal. Around noon, I called my mom crying and somewhat freaking out about my day and how horrible it had been. She then proceeded to ask me if I had had any coffee that morning. Ha, she knew right away that I was missing something. She said something to me and all the sudden the light came on.
“Anna,” she said “You have worse things to deal with than your addiction to coffee right now.” Boy was she right. It’s not worth me giving up coffee right now if I yell at my kids and cannot keep peace and joy in my home. I have other demons to deal with first. Coffee will come later, but for right now, I wake up and drink my 2 cups of coffee, pray to Jesus, and then I go about my day with peace and joy.

Audrey’s Birthday Party!

Joel did the streamers himself!

My first ever try at making a cake! Paula Deen recipe, could I go wrong?

I can't believe she's 4!

Noah loves balloons!

check out those eyes!

New Family photos

Here are a few new family photos we took on Friday. Audrey turned 4 on Friday, and I am in shock that I have a four year old. Crazy and yet so exciting! Noah will be three in April, and he woke up today and told me that Jesus and an angel were in his room last night. Alexander is cutting all four of his top teeth, so you can all be praying for him and for me. Hope you all have a wonderful Monday!!!

Being Hungry

This morning in my quiet time I read Psalms 107:9, “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” I believe this “goodness” is not of our world or culture. It does not necessarily mean that He will give me food, money, provision etc…but more than those things it means He will fill my hungry soul with His goodness, the fruit of the spirit. My hunger is not just for the food of this world, I am hungering for something eternal. I am hungering for my inner most being to be filled with God. I want the fullness of everything He has for me. I long for it. I hunger for it.
I really believe that we are living in a crazy awesome time right now. My friends and fellow moms in this IHOP community are going deeper and running harder after the Lord than anything I’ve seen in the last 5 years. There is a move of God in our midst and I am aware of the the change in my own heart and in the hearts of my friends. It has gotten me excited and I have such an anticipation for what the Lord is going to do. I encourage you to ask big things of the Lord. I believe He wants to fill your soul with His goodness. I pray that the Lord will strengthen and encourage your heart today. May you feel His pleasure over you and may you be filled with hunger for His fullness. Bless you!!!

I am asking!!!!

I am asking the Lord for an angelic visitation!!! I want an encounter with Jesus!!!! I am desperate for it. I am positioning myself in a place of fasting and prayer asking the Lord to break into my life. I literally want to see an angel in my kitchen. I want the Lord to SPEAK to me!!!! I feel desperate. If I don’t get more of God, I’ll die. I need Him. I hunger for Him. I am praying that God would let me see the light of His glory and to encounter the “glory realm”. I am asking for Holy Spirit encounters (dreams, visions, angelic visitations, manifestations of light, fire, wind) just as God gave to Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel and John. You can pray for me that God would answer the cry of my heart!

I will also pray for you that the Lord would reveal Himself to you today! May you have a Holy Spirit encounter today and may the Lord bless you!

Daniel’s parents

During this past Onething conference, I was at home listening to the web stream and watching the question and answer time with Mike Bickle, Allen Hood, and some other IHOP leaders. One question came in asking “In light of the end times, should we be having babies right now?” Allen Hood responded right away and said “YES, YES, YES.” He then went on the describe Daniel and Daniel’s parents. When Daniel was a baby, his parents heard Jeremiah and responded. Jeremiah was a prophet in Israel, calling for a great turning of Israel back to God. Daniel’s parents heard the voice of Jeremiah and taught their son in this way. They taught him to pray three times a day and not to have a love for this world. Therefore when Daniel was called to the King, and he was still very young at this time, he knew how to pray and fast and he gained favor in the sight of God, men and the king.
Allen and Mike went back and forth talking about this story for a while. Mike Bickle said he had never thought about the parents hearing Jeremiah and he was struck at the truth of it.
Truth be told, NOW is the time to be having children. Now is the time to be training our children in the ways of God. We live in such an unprecedented time in history and we can train our children even while they are 2, 3, 4, and 5, to be fasting and praying. Obviously, don’t starve your children or keep healthy food away from them. But we can teach them how to say no to the things they are wanting, like cookies. It’s about slowly training their spirits, praying with them at every meal of the table, having the IHOP web stream on during the day, and teaching them the choruses that the singers are singing, reading the Bible to them, and having daily random conversations about God and their role in the end time scenario. These things are so simple and easy to do but also easy to forget. We as their parents need to steward their hearts and spirits and we need to direct them into Jesus. I do not want to be a hindrance in their walk and I want to be putting Jesus in their faces as much as I possibly can while they are so young. We as parents can affect them and we can raise up young prophets, end time messengers who proclaim the word of the Lord with boldness, spiritual giants, and friends of God!
I encourage you today if you are struggling to believe that what you are doing even matters, I tell you today, IT MATTERS!!! IT COUNTS!!! You are not just praying over dinner just because it’s what you do, you are teaching them to commune with the Holy Spirit. You are not just disciplining them to stop fighting, you are teaching them the fear of the Lord. You are doing the most important thing right now. You are training up Godly prayer warriors!!! Good Job Mom! You are doing the high and noble thing. May the Lord give you grace, strength, and endurance for the task ahead. Blessings!!!!

Us at the Zoo

Where have I been?

Yes, I am here. I have been super out of the loop for about a week now. Please forgive me, I am back.
Here is an update of what’s been happening the past week. Last Thursday, Joel went in to his doctor to get a physical. People have been telling him that he looks sick and deathly pale, so he decided to go see the doctor and find out if anything was wrong. Friday morning, his doctor calls him and tells him to go to the ER because his hemoglobin levels were dangerously low. Joel ended up going to the ER on Saturday morning and didn’t end up coming home from the hospital until Monday night. He was diagnosed with something called Ulcerative Colitis. He is on a very healthy and modified diet and I completely believe the Lord is going to heal him. If you think about him, please ask the Lord for healing for his body.
So, it took a few days to get back in the flow of things after he got back from the hospital. I just wanted everyone to know that I am back and will hopefully be posting more regularly. Thank you so much for praying for our family. The Lord has been so good to us. Joel and I will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary on Friday, the 27th and I am so excited. It just feels like a milestone anniversary. Whew, we made it five years. Joel says “5 down, let’s do 5 more.” He’s been saying that every year. It was really only offensive to me the first year when he said “1 year down, I’m asking God for 1 more.” What??? Only one? But once he said it at the 2 year mark, I realized it was a pattern I was going to have to get used to.
I hope you all have such a blessed Saturday! May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you!!!
Blessings!!!

Quote

I saw this Mother Theresa quote this morning and it really provoked me. So I thought I would share it with you.

“Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.”
Mother Teresa

My children are Jesus in disguise. My husband is Jesus in disguise. My family and my friends are Jesus in disguise. The stranger at Walmart is Jesus in disguise.
May your day be blessed!

Alexander’s 1st Birthday Party

Last night we celebrated Alexander turning 1. It was so fun and relaxed and here are a few shots of the event!

New swim trunks

Carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

brother and sister

stuffing his face

headed for the bath

Noah and his early birthday present, a helicopter

I am in love with him

Shout out to my daddy

I have the privilege of having my anniversary and my dad’s birthday on the same day. Yesterday was that day! A day that will stand out in history as being such a great and glorious day. Without the birth of my dad, my anniversary would never even be possible. So I thank Jesus for my dad!
My sister, Rachel, wrote the sweetest post about my dad so I will attempt to try and say something about him too.
My Dad is one of the most humble men you will ever meet. He has not an ounce of pride in him. He is very aware of his need for the Lord and knows that he is constantly in need of a Saviour. He is a man of great hunger for the Lord. Every Sunday we would wake up to Christian music playing loudly and eggs for breakfast. After church when we would all eat lunch, dad would repeat the entire sermon to us, telling us how it was the most amazing sermon he had ever heard and why. I am so thankful for him and my mom hearing the voice of the Lord 22 years ago and leaving their family and moving here to Kansas City to be apart of the church here. What a hard decision that must have been to make, but it was a great one. My dad has always been a lover of Jesus, a seeker of truth, a student of humility, and hungry for more of God. I love him and I am so thankful that he was born!!!!
I will post more later on the fabulous anniversary day Joel and I had yesterday. Pics coming too.

Happy Birthday Noah!!

My little Noah turns 3 today! Crazy. I still remember laboring with him like it was yesterday. It was such a glorious day and I am so deliriously happy as I celebrate him today. I wanted to post some pictures of his 3 years starting with the day he was born. Enjoy and remember to celebrate the people in your life that you love. Blessings!!!

Noah Daniel Sorge, 1 day old.

4 weeks old, already sporting the faux-hawk

Noah 6 months

1 year birthday party

Noah at present

I love my Family!!!!

Here are a few photos from lasts night’s family dinner. We celebrated Noah’s birthday and it was such a blast. I am just so in love with my family. I am thankful for the way they provoke me in God and the way they are so loving, righteous, and super fun. I have photos from Noah’s birthday celebration with the Sorge’s that I will post later. Hope you all have a great day!!!!

Rachel Meier is my sister and dearest friend. She is one of the most amazing women I have ever known. I have nothing but the deepest respect and love for her!

My gorgeous mommy, beautiful Mercy, lovely Grace, amazing Rachel, and me.

cool angle huh???

two of my favorite people in the world. I love them so much!!!!

Portraits by Steve Willis

Audrey

Noah

All photos are from Steve Willis. You can check out more of his work at www.underpinphotography.com or email him at Steve@underpinphotography.com

Asking

I have been asking the Lord for a repentance anointing. I want to have not just an anointing to preach, I want people to repent and turn to the Lord when I speak. I know lots of people who are not walking with the Lord and there is one person in particular that has really been on my heart that I’ve been interceeding for to get saved. It has been breaking my heart and I want my words to have power and authority on them. I want Jesus to give me a repentance anointing! Don’t you??? Let’s all ask for that today. Blessings!!! I hope you all have a wonderful day!

My trip to Austin Texas

This past weekend I had the privilege of going to Austin Texas with Laura Hackett to visit one of my best friends, Elizabeth. We had a weekend of fun and it was one of the best trips I have ever had. I thought I would share some pics from my time. I hope you are all doing well. May the Lord bless you and strengthen your heart today! Blessings!

On Lake Travis enjoying tea and a cinnamon roll

Eating dinner at the Melting Pot

Amazing snow cone at a candy store called Big Top

Eating lunch at the lake

I will not…

I will not become a victim of Motherhood.
I view it as a challenge and a joy. I rejoice in the knowledge that this is my path to righteousness. It is causing me to die to my self and forcing me to be humble. I will not be victimized by the challenges and struggles that motherhood brings. I will accept them as a tool to sharpen me and create godliness within me. I am called by God in this season to be a mother and I rejoice, regardless of how hard it is. This is a divine hedging in by the Lord to mold me and produce fruit in my life.
May you be encouraged today in this calling of motherhood. May it not be a trial or a wearisome burden but may it be life within your spirit. Today is a day to play with your little prophets and princesses and to train them up in the admonition and fear of the Lord. Grace, peace and joy to your hearts today!!!!!

Weakness

I was thinking about my weakness today. I failed to be perfect today in so many areas. Don’t we all? But I was thinking about how one of my main areas of weakness is my addiction to ice cream. I am going to be very vulnerable and tell you all a little secret. Are you ready for this…..? The other day I was walking in Walmart and I came across a freezer section with the $1 sign above it. I was intrigued and opened it to see what it held. I was surprised and amazed to see my fave Breyer’s ice cream inside. for $1!!!!! I picked out my favorite flavor, put it in my cart, and headed home. That wasn’t the bulk of my weakness, although it was the first step into me failing. I did good and waited til all the kids were in bed and Joel headed down into the basement to work on paintings before I opened the container. Joel came up about 30-45 minutes later and asked “What’s that?” I had tried to hide it with me in the seat. I said, “O it’s just ice cream I bought today”. He looked inside and took the last 3 bites.
Yes. Yes. Yes. I ate nearly an entire 1/2 gallon of ice cream. Are you shocked? I’m not. I have a problem. Once I start I literally can’t stop. It’s the funniest and most terrible thing. So there you go. There’s my confession. Honestly, that was the first time I’ve ever eaten that much and I won’t ever do it again. I’ve learned never to buy ice cream so that I won’t have to struggle so much.
But I was thinking about “weakness” this morning when I was trying to get the kids ready to go to the “Malachi Prayer meeting”. Audrey wasn’t obeying me that well and kept forgetting to get dressed. I was trying to do other things and by the time we were needing to head out the door, it just wasn’t happening. I sat down on the floor and played and read my kids books. Honestly, we had so much fun. It was probably the most fun we’ve had all week. And I just sat there thinking, we’re missing it! How come I can’t get my kids ready in time to go somewhere? It was my fault and I was very aware of my weakness. But in my opinion, weakness can be a good thing. It can be a good thing if we are moldable and if we are willing to change ourselves. I have a weakness in that I eat too much ice cream. Not only is it yummy and makes me feel good, when I eat ice cream, I need to change and not ever buy it. I failed in succeeding to get to the prayer meeting but I changed my perspective and turned that disappointment into something truly beautiful; enjoying and loving up on my kids.
Sometimes we just need to change our perspective. We need to not be so hard on ourselves. Sometimes, we need to miss out on something to spend time with our kids. Does this make any sense? It does in my mind, but sometimes getting the words out onto paper seems messy.
Well, blessings!!!! May the Lord give you wisdom and joy today!

Practicing His presence

Yesterday was a hard day. It felt like such a whirlwind of craziness. Every day I am confronted with thoughts that I am failing. I was reminded this morning though that the Lord was with me in that whirlwind. The Lord is with me when my day is perfect, which is very rare, and when my day is terrible. He never leaves me nor forsakes me. I am reminded again today to practice His presence. He is in this room with me while I type this. He wants me to be aware of His presence. He just wants me to go about my day with Him. That as I discipline my children, clean my house, cook the dinner, He is with me. He just wants to do it together. It’s so comforting to know that even in the midst of the worst days, He is there. He wants communion with me. He is after a relationship with me regardless of how perfect my life is. That is my hope and my encouragement. I can have hard days where I do fail, but Jesus is there with me. My helper, the strong tower I run into.
May the Lord bless you today and may you be renewed to practice His presence.

Meddling

1 Peter 4:15, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody (meddler) in other people’s matters.”

I was reminded of how relevant this is to us moms today. It is so easy as women and moms who stay at home, to enjoy talking about what’s going on outside of the home and in the world. It is fun to talk about the exciting things other people are doing and how beautiful and wonderful everyone is. But it is very easy to slip into a “busybody” or a “meddler” mode. If one negative thing comes up, whether it be gossip or just talking about the negative in someone’s life, it is meddling in other people’s business. Even in our thought life, if we are just consumed with what “so” and “so” are doing, and wearing, and living their life, etc… that is wrong too. Peter puts it in the category of murderers and thieves. It’s bad. He’s telling us that this is not something that Jesus likes. He does not want us to be found meddling in things that do not pertain to us.

I want to encourage you in this arena today. Trust me, I am preaching to the choir. I need to be reminded of this every day and even probably multiple times in the day. But ladies, we can do this. We can hold out tongues, and not talk about other peoples business and meddle in others’ affairs. I am challenging myself to not talk about that which would displease God. To not talk about the negative things in other’s lives. I want my words to arise unto the Lord as a pleasing sweet fragrance. I do not want to be grouped in the category of murderers and thieves.
I want to live blameless before my God.
I hope you all have a wonderful day and I pray the Lord blesses you today!!!!

Doors

Well, what a journey I have been on the past few months. I am laughing today at the goodness and sovereignty of the Lord.
I can’t go into all the details and neither would you want me to, but the Lord is definitely up to teaching me a lesson. I have been pursuing trying to get a part time job because our family is in need of some extra finances to pay the bills and such. I have had several doors open to me and then they have closed in my face. Nothing bad has happened. But It is just so funny to know that even though I may make plans, the Lord directs my steps. The thoughts in my mind are mine, but the word has to come from His tongue. He ultimately has to breathe on it in order for it to work. So, now I am waiting and trusting. I believe the Lord has good plans for me and my family. I truly desire to be in His will.
So for all of you who are frustrated with circumstances, I stand here with a testimony of God’s goodness. He is sovereign. All the time He is good. He has good plans for our lives. Be encouraged. Be strengthened. Take courage. He is in control. Blessings!

And he….

“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it,” Matthew 10:38-39.

The point of this whole journey is to lose my life for Christ’s sake. There is not a better path for that, in my opinion, than motherhood. Motherhood is a continual pouring out, an unceasing death to self. Motherhood has taught me that my life is truly not my own. And this is the very thing that God intended for me to learn. He wants us to be separate from this world, to live our lives for Him and Him alone. Motherhood teaches us to not live for ourselves but to serve our children. I think this soil of motherhood is where we work out our salvation. 1 Timothy 2:25 says “Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing…” And I really believe that this is what the Lord intended motherhood for: our salvation. He knew that it would take a continual laying down of our wants and desires. He knew that it would take sacrifice. A death to self. Lou Engle says that God will never send fire on anything but sacrifice. Our very lives are a perpetual laying down by the act of motherhood. We are standing in our homes calling out for the fire of God. Asking Him to pour out His spirit and presence in our homes and lives. This act of sacrifice is so beautiful before Him and every time we change a diaper or read a book we are pleasing the heart of God. May the Lord bless you today and may He refresh your heart!

New Family Photos

Joel and Alexander

All photos are courtesy of Jackson Bohlender!!!

Brand new photos of the kids

Noah Daniel Sorge

Audrey Elizabeth Sorge

Alexander Michael Sorge

We were talking about dinasours

All photos courtesy of Bella Vida Photography
www.bellavidaphotography.blogspot.com

Testing God in our heart

This morning in my quiet time I was reading from Psalms 78:12-25. “Marvelous things He did….He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink in abundance like the depths….But they sinned even more against Him and they testing God in their heart by asking for the food of their fancy. Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious”.
I was thinking about how I am so much like this. I thank the Lord for His provision and yet in my heart I still long for more. Today I was challenged and provoked with the fear of the Lord. I do not want to test God in my heart. I do not want to be ungrateful for the things He so graciously gives me. I want to live a life satisfied with His goodness. Today, I resign up again to have a grateful and thankful heart. In good times and bad, I will give thanks and praise to my God.

Hidden

Above Matthew 6 verse 1, it says “Do good to please God.” Verses one through four go on to say that you should let your charitable deed be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you.
I was thinking about motherhood and how so much of the time I feel like I am so hidden, so alone, and forgotten by my friends and every other cool person on the planet. No one sees how many diapers I change, or how many times I sweep or mop my floor. No one sees how many times I pray for my friends, family, children and I choose to smile even when I feel like yelling. Only the Lord sees the countless hidden moments in which I choose to serve those around me. And it’s set up this way for a reason, because we are learning to work the muscle of faithfulness and servanthood in the secret place, so that we get reward in heaven from Jesus. Not earthly reward for doing something nice in front of someone else. This is very encouraging for a mom who feels alone in her house because it means that it’s not all lost. I am getting a reward from Jesus in heaven.
Be encouraged! Your reward is in heaven!!!!

New Quote of the Day!

Sow a thought reap an action. Sow an action reap a habit. Sow a habit reap a lifestyle. Sow a lifestyle reap a destiny. – Lou Engle

Thoughts

I seem to have a burning desire to bake. Every day. I go to bed thinking about pie crusts, and the perfect coffee cake, and chocolate peanut butter candy bars. It’s truly insane, even I admit that. I have found that over the last few weeks, I have baked at least 5 times a week. Crazy, I know. Most of the time, I bake and then give it away to my amazing friends and family. But me and my baking craze have led me to one conclusion. I should start a food blog. Well, it would probably be mostly baking with some cooking thrown in every once in a while.
But, I need to know your thoughts? Does this sound like a good idea to you? Why or why not? Do you even care about if I bake or not? Any ideas on what types of things I should bake?
I am looking for advice and wisdom. Please leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts. Blessings!!!!

Cherry Pie with Cream Cheese Pie Crust

So yesterday I went downtown to the River market and ended up getting some super scrumptious cherries. Problem was they were a little too ripe. I thought and thought about what I could make with them and came to one conclusion. I must make a pie. Mind you, this is my first attempt at a cherry pie. So don’t be too critical. It tasted fantastic, but looked a little shabby. I made a few mistakes, but rest assured that the next time I make a cherry pie, I will knock your socks off!

Ultimately, pie was a winner. Enjoy!!!

Cherry Pie with Cream Cheese Pie Crust
- One recipe of flaky cream cheese pie crust for 9-inch lattice pie
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 TBSP. cornstarch
- pinch of salt
- 3 1/2 cups pitted fresh sour cherries
- 1/4 tsp. almond extract
Optional Glaze
- 1 TBSP. egg yolk
- 1 tsp. heavy cream

Stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in the cherries along with any juice and the almond extract. Allow the mixture to macerate for a minimum of 10 minutes and maximum of 3 hours. Transfer to pie shell, add the lattice, and bake in a preheated oven at 425F for 40-50 minutes. Cover the edges with a foil ring after 15 minutes of baking, and the edges will not look like mine. Let cool for 3 hours before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Perfect Peach Pie

I don’t like to use the word perfect that often. It’s just not something I throw around in order to sound cool. The other day a friend dropped off a tray of gorgeous, ripe peaches and told me to make something with them. How sweet is that? I thought about the many different things I could do with these amazing peaches, but I just had to make another pie. Here you go everyone. If you want to “wow” your friends with the simplicity of a perfect fruity pie, this recipe is for you.

Perfect Peach Pie Recipe
- Pastry for 2 crust pie, ready in pan to bake
- juice of 1/2 large lemon
- 6 or 7 large peaches, peeled, sliced
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 TBSP. cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400F
Mix sliced peaches into lemon juice to keep them from darkening. Mix together sugar and cornstarch and pour over the peaches ( Mixture will become “soupy”). When oven is hot, pour the mixture into the pie shell and either lattice or put the second crust on top. Cut some slits in the pie and sprinkle sugar on top. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes and then reduce temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. Oven times do vary. I ended up baking my pie for close to 45 minutes because my crust was a little thicker. Then let cool on a cooling rack for 2-3 hours. Then slice, serve and try not to eat it to fast!

Blueberry Muffins

This morning I was pining over what to make with the last of my blueberries from the Berry Patch. I browsed tons of recipes but decided I had to make a classic blueberry muffin.

Here’s the recipe adapted from Gourmet Magazine:

7 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups fresh blueberries

For the Topping
3 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Put a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line muffin pan with paper or foil liners

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep an eye on the butter. Melt and cook down the butter until little brown bits appear in the pan. The crackling will subside and butter will begin to brown fairly quickly after that. Keep a close eye. Remove from heat.
Whisk milk, egg, yolk and vanilla until combined. Add the brown butter and stir to combine.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl Add milk and butter mixture all at one and stir gently to combine. Gently but thoroughly fold in the blueberries.
Divide the batter among muffin cups and spread evenly.
To make the topping combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the cups.
Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes then remove from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

What’s been up with me

For those of you out there still reading this humble blog, I thank you for your patience. I have been extremely busy with so many things lately. Here, in bullet format, is what’s been going on with me the past month.

- Joel had a flare up of his condition, ulcerative colitis, and entered the hospital for an overnight stay. He is now on some good medication and is doing a lot better. Praise the Lord.
- Joel had a birthday and turned 26! Yay!
- Joel traveled with his dad on a ministry trip and I held down the fort with the kiddos.
- Joel threw his first Forerunner Art events by hosting a benefit concert for the Zoe Foundation. He is now the director of the Arts department at the House of Prayer and is absolutely loving every second of it. He comes home every day excited and thrilled by his job and what he gets to do every day. He is also the senior production manager at the House of Prayer and loves doing that as well. This really is his dream job in every way.
- I threw my sister in law a beautiful baby shower. Katie Hebbert will be having a beautiful little girl, Emma Kate, due October 3rd. The whole family is super stoked for this little wonder to enter the world.
- I have one of my best friends in town this weekend to visit me and the House of Prayer. We have so much history together and have known each other before we got married. It has been such a joy to host her and her brother this weekend.

All in all, it has been a very crazy month. I am so thankful for the Lord’s leadership in my life and His sovereignty. I am so blessed and also so challenged to grow in the Lord. The trials that the Lord brings are really blessings in disguise because I get to grow in Him.
I thank you all for your friendship in love. Thank you for welcoming me back to the blogging world with open arms and hearts.
May the Lord bless you and your families!

Chocolate Pudding Pie

Some days I have cravings. Some days I have intense cravings. Let’s just say I have had an intense craving for chocolate pudding pie for about a week now.
And now that my schedule has calmed down a bit, I had some time to make it.
This pie is what every good pie should be; easy to make, absolutely delicious, and tempts you to eat the whole pie in one sitting.

Here’s the amazing recipe
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
One recipe for a 9inch pie crust

Pudding filling:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not more than 60% cacao), finely chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chilled heavy cream

Make pudding filling: Whisk together cornstarch, 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then gradually whisk [tips alert!] in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, then boil, whisking, two minutes (mixture will thicken). Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate and vanilla until smooth.
Pour filling into cooled shell and chill, its surface covered with wax paper (if you want to prevent a skin from forming), until cold, at least two hours.
Just before serving, beat cream with remaining two tablespoons sugar until it just holds soft peaks. Spoon onto pie and garnish with bittersweet chocolate shavings, if you’re feeling fancy.

Seriously, this pie is just that good. But don’t take my word for it. Go ahead, try it and see for yourself.

Mocha Coffee Coffee Cake with espresso glaze

I am always looking for an amazing coffee cake. I am a firm believer that coffee is just that much better with a piece of cake. This cake is amazing as it has three different layers of cake all in one; vanilla, mocha, and espresso. Deliciousso.

Here’s the recipe if you are daring enough to try a coffee cake that will make you want to sit and drink coffee and eat cake all day.
Mocha Coffee Coffee Cake with Espresso Glaze
adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook and Joy the Baker

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder dissolved in 1 1/2 Tablespoons hot water
2 Tablespoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 Tablespoon hot water

For the Glaze
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
2-3 Tablespoons strong brewed coffee
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Make the Cake
Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour 8- inch (6 cup) Bundt pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just incorporated.
Transfer about one third of the batter to a small bowl. Add espresso mixture and stir until combined. Transfer 1/3 of the remaining vanilla batter to another small bowl and add the cocoa mixture and stir until combined. Spoon all three batters into the Bundt pan, alternating so each flavor is distributed through the pan.
Bake until cake is golden, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.

Make the Glaze

Stir together espresso powder and 2 tablespoons coffee in a bowl until powder is dissolved. Add confectioners’ sugar and stir until well combined. If glaze is not pourable, thin with remaining coffee if necessary.
Pour glaze over coffee cake and let cake stand until glaze is set, about 10 minutes, before serving.
(This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 10- inch (12 cup) Bundt pan. Increase the baking time to about 1 hour.)

Great Granola Bars

I have a big announcement to make. Yes, I am pregnant with baby #4!!!! Joel and I are beyond excited about this baby.
I have been searching for healthy snacks that will not be sugary and will also keep me full.
These granola bars are the perfect option. They are just that good!!!

Makes 12 to 16 granola bars
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds ( I used pecans and almonds mixed)
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3 TBSP melted butter
2/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cup dried fruit, or a mix of dried fruit (I used chopped apricots, pineapple, cranberries, and raisins)

-Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter an 9×13-inch baking dish
-Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
-While the mixture is still warm, stir in the honey, vanilla, butter, and salt until the mixture is well coated, then the dried fruit. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish and press, press, press it in (wet fingers and/or a silicon spatula work great for this) until the mixture is packed as tightly as possible.
-Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares — your best serrated knife is great for this.

Yes, these bars are going to be just the ticket for a healthy breakfast and snacking option during my pregnancy. Healthy, naturally sweet, and satisfying.

Absence and Salad

Hello to you all!!!
I am deeply sorry for my long absence from the blogging world. Things have been very busy and somewhat chaotic in my life.
One big thing that I need to announce is that Joel and I are pregnant with a BOY, Maxwell Finney Sorge. We are super excited and cannot wait to see him. I cannot believe that I will have 1 girl and 3 sons. This is insane to me. I am thinking after 10 years, well maybe 20, I should write a book on how to raise boys. Ha! Well, if you think about it, just pray for me.
Joel and I and are family are doing amazingly well. The holiday season was fantastic and now we are in the swing of the Onething Conference.

Random, slightly unimportant fact. I just ate a salad. I was hungry and knew that I would probably eat a lot. So I made a HUGE salad. Problem is, the salad left me more hungry at the end than I was at the beginning. Why? It was like a huge amuse bouche! Ha!

Well, I hope that you haven’t completely forgotten me and this blog. I hope that everything is well with you and yours.
God bless!!!!

Cranberry Orange Scones

Seriously. You need to make these scones.

Don’t look at how much butter is in the recipe.

Don’t even worry about it. Make them today. Add extra glaze on top and enjoy with a cup of coffee. I promise you won’t be upset. You will thank me later.

Recipe -from Ina Garten
4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy! Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn’t stick. Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough. Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more circles.

Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones.

Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies

So Joel is joining Laura Hackett’s team at the House of Prayer. Tonight, is their first set. He volunteered me to bake for their little pre-set-party and I couldn’t say no, especially after he told everyone I would do it in a heartbeat.

Here is what I decided on. These cookies are just amazing! The perfect combination of mint and chocolate. I originally tried these cookies when my good friend Song Harri made them. I think I ate 10 cookies without blinking. Well, maybe I blinked a few times, but time flew by. I immediately asked for the recipe and have made these cookies many many times.

Recipe (from Song Harri and All Recipes)
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Andes mints

Directions
In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. While cookies are baking unwrap mints and divide each in half. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie. Eat and enjoy!

Me and Maxwell

Not that it’s a big deal but I am 20 weeks along in my pregnancy. Yes, that is exactly half way. Well I am 20 weeks and 5 days to be specific.

Thought that it would be fun to post a picture of my growing belly to show the world how delightful it is to be carrying this little prophetic warrior.

He is expected to arrive May 21 and I can’t wait!!! Trying to get through winter. Kansas city is expected to have another winter storm tomorrow with wind chills of -20 and I am wanting it to be spring, yesterday.
Hope you all are doing well! Blessings,
Anna

Sister’s birthday and Tiramisu Cake

Today is my sister Mercy’s birthday. So, I made a cake. Not just any cake the king of all cakes, Tiramisu.

First you bake two gorgeous layers of cake. Drench them with an espresso/kahlua/sugar syrup. On the first cake, smother it with mixture of marscapone cheese, kahlua, vanilla, sugar, and whipped cream.

Cover that with chocolate shavings. Top it with the second layer of drenched cake.

Cover entire cake with marscapone cream.
Make design out of wax paper and cover with cocoa powder and chocolate shavings.

Ta Da!!! Finished Cake!

Pictures to follow of the party and eating of the cake.

Here is the recipe by Deb at Smitten Kitchen! Amazing!
For the cake layers:
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the espresso extract:
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons boiling water

For the espresso syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy (Deb note: I used brandy)

For the filling and frosting:
1 8-ounce container mascarpone
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy (Deb note: I used brandy)
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 1/2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, or about 1/2 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

Chocolate-covered espresso beans, for decoration (optional)
Cocoa powder, for dusting

Getting ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9×2 inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess, and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.
To make the cake:
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them, and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right-side up.To make the extract:
Stir the espresso powder and boiling water together in a small cup until blended. Set aside.
To make the syrup:
Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Pour the syrup into a small heatproof bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the espresso extract and the liqueur or brandy; set aside.
To make the filling and frosting:
Put the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, and liqueur in a large bowl and whisk just until blended and smooth.
Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir about one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream with a light touch.
To assemble the cake:
If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Place one layer right-side up on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected with strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, soak the layer with about one third of the espresso syrup. Smooth some of the mascarpone cream over the layer – user about 1 1/4 cups – and gently press the chopped chocolate into the filling. Put the second cake layer on the counter and soak the top of it with half the remaining espresso syrup, then turn the layer over and position it, soaked side down, over the filling. Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup.
For the frosting, whisk 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining espresso extract into the remaining mascarpone filling. Taste the frosting as you go to decide how much extract you want to add. If the frosting looks as if it might be a little too soft to spread over the cake, press a piece of plastic wrap against its surface and refrigerate it for 15 minutes or so. Refrigerate the cake too.
With a long metal icing spatula, smooth the frosting around the sides of the cake and over the top. If you want to decorate the cake with chocolate-covered espresso beans, press them into the filling, making concentric circles of beans or just putting some beans in the center of the cake.
Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours (or for up to 1 day) before serving – the elements need time to meld.
Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with cocoa. I cut a star shape out of waxed paper and placed it lightly over the cake, and shaved a layer of chocolate over it with a microplane, before carefully removing the star to leave a stenciled shape.

New family photo

Happy Birthday Audrey

Today my daughter Audrey Elizabeth turns 5! I am quite shocked at how fast it has gone and that I am 3 months away from having my 4th baby. Praise the Lord for His goodness over me and my family. Here are some photos of Audrey in order to celebrate her special day. She was born at 9:30pm, weight 9lbs. 3oz. and was 21 1/2 inches long.

pictures coming later or today’s festivities.

As of late…

I have once again neglected this blog. I do apologize and ask for your forgiveness.

This past month has been absolutely crazy. I was summoned for jury duty and ended up having to serve on the jury for a week and a half. It was a roller coaster to say the least but so good for my heart. Not only did I grow in appreciation for Joel and him being so willing to stay home with the kids so I could go do my civic duty, but I grew in love with Jesus. I was with a group of 12 other people, complete strangers, for a week and a half. I got to know many of them. After the first day of jury duty, I left feeling frustrated with everyone’s negativity and complaining. I went home and read my Bible and was awakened to the fact that I have a reason to be joyful. I am saved!!!! I know where I am going when this life is over. I am not without hope when bad things happen to me. I have unspeakable joy and for me to require someone else who does not know Jesus and does not have the joy of salvation to have an optimistic outlook on life, is ridiculous. It’s completely unrealistic. They have nothing to be happy about! Out of the 12, 9 had been divorced, remarried, and/or separated. It was a shocking number to me. So many talked about going to church and yet were completely depressed and had nothing positive to say about anything. I knew the reason Jesus had me there and it was primarily to bring a light into those peoples’ lives even if just for 9 days. I was thankful for my time on the jury because it gave me a restored joy. Salvation is truly a gift and I don’t take it lightly.

I rejoice that I have a Saviour!

Joel had another colonoscopy the following week. His third colonoscopy this year. What a crazy journey this has been. He is doing good. Not great, but his condition has not worsened which is good news. If you think of him, please pray for full healing. He is on supplements, prescriptions, and eating good but we are primarily depending on Jesus to heal him. I know it’s in His heart to heal and Joel and I are contending for the fullness of healing for his body. We appreciate your prayers for his ulcerative colitis.

My sister Grace had her baby 3 weeks early and that came as quite a shocker to our family. Her daughter, Evangeline Hope, is just beautiful and their family is doing so well.

In case you were wondering, I am back in the swing of things and ready to continue this blog faithfully.
I will be writing on matters of the heart, speaking encouragement, and also blogging amazing recipes that I have found.

If there is a certain food you are wanting a recipe for or any questions you may have, please feel free to comment and I’ll try my very best to get back to you or post something in response. I am excited to not only post wonderful baked good recipes, but also healthy spring entrees to feed your family.

May the Lord bless you and yours and may you today be filled with the joy of knowing that you are saved!!!!

Maxwell Finney Sorge is here!!!

For those of you who have not heard, Maxwell Finney is here! He was born May 17 at 3:52pm. He was 7 lbs 6 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. He is perfect and just gorgeous. Joel and I so enjoying our family of 6.

Noah is very much in love with his new brother.

I love that I get to be his mommy.

I’ll blog more later about his birth and I’ll share the entire story with all of you. Hope you enjoy these pictures.
More baking to come. I am dying to get back into the kitchen. Any special baking requests? I am ready to make some summer berry pies, and tarts, and really anything yummy and fruity.

Bless you all! Anna

Simple things in life

Hello. Again. I promise I will be back for good.

Today was one of those days that literally flew by. I have no idea where the time went. Somewhere between nursing my 3 month old all throughout the night, sending my oldest to kindergarten, 2 birthday parties, and a birthday lunch with my family, then dealing with children who don’t want to go to bed and one very cute little boy who is now awake right now hanging out with daddy, I remembered that I don’t want to take these crazy moments for granted.

Life has been happening so fast.

It seems like I blinked and Maxwell is now almost 4 months. How did this happen? Sometimes, I just sit down at night and look through pictures on the computer and cry thinking of how quickly time has passed and I’ll never be able to get those moments back.

Then I go and kiss my 4 babies and tell them how much I adore them and how I pray that they will love Jesus. Then I go to bed and pray for my own heart that I will love Jesus and be able to forgive myself for my weaknesses as a wife and mom. I don’t want to take these hard days for granted. I want to enjoy the craziness and enjoy the simple things in life.

So my prayer for you tonight is that we, as moms, wives, and women who love Jesus, can press on during the hard crazy times in life and can find pure joy in knowing that this life will go by so fast and our hope is in Jesus and we will live with Him for all eternity.

Maxwell Finney’s Birth Story

Here it is. The story of my fourth child’s birth. I hope you enjoy reading it and I hope it encourages your heart.

Maxwell Finney Sorge

Sunday night, May 16th, I was laying in bed. Frustrated from having contractions for several days and nothing was picking up. I prayed out loud to Jesus and surrendered my body, the birth, Maxwell, the surrounding circumstances of family going out of town and not wanting them to miss the birth, and surrendering my own wishes and hopes for this birth to Jesus. I put myself in His hands and ended the prayer. I closed my eyes to go to sleep. Contractions started. Nothing too intense but I definitely had to focus on them. They were about every 5 minutes apart from 12:30am- 6:30am. I stayed awake by myself, took a bath, watch a birthing video, watched another movie, and then finally went to sleep around 6:30am. I woke up a few hours later and got dressed. I went to my midwives appointment at 10am that Monday morning, May 17th. I was having small contractions but nothing intense and nothing consistent. I was dialated to a 4-5 and they stripped my membranes and sent me home, saying I was definitely in early labor and would have a baby probably later in the day maybe closer to midnight.
I went home and decided to take a walk around my neighborhood. It was about 11:30am and I got Alexander and Audrey in the double stroller and went a ‘strollin’. I came home 20 minutes later with completely wet pants. My water broke. Joel and I had planned on going to grab lunch somewhere with the kids because it would be our last time with just 3 kids and eating out gets pretty hard to do with 4 kids, or so I’ve been told. I wasn’t having contractions, so I decided that labor would start when it wanted to and I was safe to go to D’Bronx for an hour and eat a slice of pizza.
We packed in the car and headed to D’Bronx. I called the midwives and ended up having to leave a voicemail. I told them my water broke around noon and that I would come in when my contractions really picked up and I knew I was in labor. I asked them to call me if there was anything else I needed to know.
We got home from lunch around 1:30pm and I decided to lay down for a little nap. One of my midwives called and said that I needed to be at the hospital at 4pm because I was GBS positive and my water had broken and they needed to start an iv with an antibiotic. I figured I had 3 or 4 hours to relax and hopefully get some sleep. I laid down and contractions started coming. I talked to a few people and they said not to wait too long because I would probably go pretty fast being I was already dialated to a 4.
At around 2:30pm, I got up to use the restroom, and Sheila, my midwife called me saying that I needed to get to the hospital right now. She was worried that I was going to dialate super fast and she wanted to get me there asap. As soon as I hung up the phone with her, my contractions came on fast and hard. I knew we had to get to the hospital NOW. We called our babysitter, Chauntelle Hall, and thankfully she was able to come right over. She was at our house within 5 minutes, and we headed to the hospital.
I knew something was up when I had 5 contractions getting from the car to the hospital entrance. I was in full blown labor and I could barely walk. As soon as we got up to the maternity floor, I asked to use the restroom and get into a gown immediately. Liesl Arteaga, my dear friend and nurse practicioner, was there to assist me during labor. I got into the bed and asked for them to start the iv with the antibiotic asap because I wanted to get in the tub. Thinking I had to endure such intense labor for several more hours was getting me freaked out and I wanted in the jacuzzi, yesterday.
They are required to do a 20 minute fetal monitoring strip to see how the baby is doing. Praise the Lord for this required test!!!! I laid there having hard contraction after contraction, and they noticed that Max’s heart rate was dropping during my contractions. By now, it was 3:30pm. I had been at the hospital for 30 minutes. I knew something was wrong, when they gave me an oxygen mask and when they saw that I had meconium stained amniotic fluid. Also, they checked me again and I was only at a 5. Sheila, my midwife came in and sat on the bed to check me herself. She put her hand up and said the words, “O no we have a cord.” Next thing I knew was everyone went crazy. People were yelling across halls and Sheila said, “Anna, we have a prolapsed cord and we need to get him out asap.” I just started praying “Jesus come” at the top of my lungs and praying in tongues. Sheila, my amazing midwife, stayed on the hospital bed with me, with her hand holding the cord away from Maxwell’s head. I just kept praying. Now I was in the OR. Joel wasn’t allowed to come. Because of how fast everything happened they had no time for an epidural and I was given general anesthetic. I just kept praying at the top of my lungs through the mask, “Jesus come, Jesus come, Jesus come.” Doctors and nurses were shouting at each other to get things, turn the lights up, get the anesthesiologist so they could get Max out!!! It all happened so suddenly. The only 2 things I remember, is I had a huge contraction right before going under, and they were able to get the fetal monitor on me and we heard a strong heartbeat. That made me have hope that Max was okay, and the other was that the doctor performing the surgery leaned over to my ear and just kept whispering, “It’s going to be okay, you’ll be asleep soon, just keep praying, just keep praying.” And I prayed.
Next thing I know, I am awake and in a hospital room. Joel was standing next to me, smiling, saying Maxwell was okay and in the NICU. He had taken a huge gulp of meconium coming out of the uterus and they were working with him. I remember feeling so much peace during this time. The presence of the Lord was with me and Joel and I had surrendered this all to Him the night before. I felt that I was in the Lord’s hands and regardless how terrible these circumstances were, the Lord was in control.
My different family members I had invited to be at Max’s birth, came in 2 or 3 at a time to see me, Rachel, Grace, Mercy, my mom, Marci, Katie, and Liesl.
Thankfully, Sheila and my doctor, Dr. Schwartz had taken an hour to go sit and talk with my waiting family members and explain to them in detail what happened and why it happened. I am so thankful that they did this as it brought such a peace to my family to have their questions answered.

Definition of Umbilical cord prolapse- is an obstetric emergency during pregnancy or labor that imminently endangers the life of the fetus. Cord prolapse is very rare and only occurs in 1 out of every 300 births or about 0.14% of all births. It happens when the umbilical cord precedes the fetus’ exit from the uterus. It is often concurrent with the rupture of the amniotic sac. After this happens, the fetus moves downward into the pelvis and puts pressure on the cord. As a result, oxygen and blood supplies to the fetus are diminished or cut-off and the baby must be delivered quickly.

In my case, my water broke at noon, and that’s when the cord slipped down ahead of Max. With each contraction, it was cutting off oxygen to Max therefore causing his heart rate to dramatically decrease into the 60′s when it should have been in the 130′s. That put stress on the poor little guy and he passed meconium during that period.

My water broke at noon, contractions came on hard at 2:30pm, I got to the hospital at 3pm, Max was born at 3:52pm.

Sheila came in the next day to talk with me. She explained to me that Maxwell is my miracle baby. Normally, from the time they call a c-section to the time they actually take the first cut, it is 30 minutes. In my case, they called the c-section and Maxwell was out in 17 minutes. It was one of the fastest emergency c-sections they have ever done. Sheila, who fractured her knee in December, squatted on my bed holding his head back away from the umbilical cord for 20 minutes. She is my hero!!! Throughout my contractions, she kept her hand there and actually had some bruising on her hand from the pressure of my contractions. In the ten minutes before Max was delivered, I went from 5 centimeters dialated to an 8. My contractions were very strong and Sheila did an amazing job of keeping her hand in place and squatting for such a prolonged period with her bad knee. I am eternally grateful. Sheila made a comment after the whole thing, saying “Anna, God wanted this baby more than any of your other babies.” She is not a believer and had to proclaim the goodness of the Lord in this situation. She said that if I had come into the hospital 30 minutes later, we would either have a dead baby or a severely brain damaged baby. Max really was in the Lord’s hands and the Lord brought him forth. My doctor described this as a perfect outcome to a terrible situation.

Within 2 hours after having a c-section, I was in a wheelchair on my way to the NICU. I was dying to see my baby. The neonatal doctor who had been at the c-section, explained to me how scared everyone was for me and the situation. She said she fully expected Max to come out not breathing. Max came out crying, praise the Lord, but had swallowed a huge bit of meconium. He immediately had his stomach pumped and spent 6 days in the NICU recovering. I will not go into detail about what happened that week in the NICU and me in the hospital while Joel stayed at home with the kids. It was a long hard week, full of ups and downs. I thank each and every family member and friend who prayed, helped out, brought me meals, and watched my children.

I praise the Lord for bringing my baby out in health and wholeness! My heart rejoices. Even though this is not the birth I envisioned, it is the birth I had. And I rejoice in the Lord, for He is only good, only sovereign, and has good plans for me and for Maxwell Finney. I pray that this encourages your heart as you read it. For the Lord truly is King over our lives and He will bring us through whatever trials

Max just a week old

Parenthood is not for the faint of heart

Today was a glorious and incredibly hard day.

It’s absolutely shocking to me have days that are filled with such high highs and such low lows. Wow. Joel and I went out for lunch today to celebrate my birthday coming up. We had such a lovely time together, outside of Max being a little stinker and crying for the first part of lunch, he eventually calmed down and slept in Joel’s arms so we could finish eating. Our waiter was awesome and gave us free seafood chowder and dessert on the house for our birthdays. Such a treat!!! It was just glorious. Then we went and got coffee at our favorite coffee shop, the Roasterie, and sat outside in the glorious weather with the cool September wind blowing around us. I held Max as he gently cooed and awed at people walking by. Did I mention it was glorious??? It felt as if we were communing with Jesus as we enjoyed each other and our surroundings.

Then we went and picked up the kids and life got a little more interesting. Let me just say that life with four children, 5 and under, is gloriously busy and slightly chaotic. Beautiful but busy. I will not go into the details of the afternoon as they are too many to recount. But our evening ended with our son, Noah, throwing a fit for 3 hours. As I write this, he has just now calmed down and gone to sleep.

It is in moments like this when I realize my dependance on Jesus. Without Him, I am nothing and can do nothing. My days can be so wonderful and yet so hard all at once. My kids are amazing, beautiful, loving, and surprising and yet try me and test my patience like none other. Every day, I have to turn to Jesus and ask that He strengthen me and fill me with more of His Spirit. I have no good apart from Him.

Isaiah 40:28-31 is such an encouragement to me and I hope it encourages you tonight.
“Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

The Lord is mighty to strengthen you tonight. He can lift you up and bring renewal and refreshing to your heart.
Thank you Jesus!

In closing, here are a couple pictures of my gorgeous children whom I love so dearly.

Audrey and Noah

Alexander the Great!

And just in case you thought that this photo shoot was smooth sailing and the kids were complete angels……..

All 12 Falkner grandchildren

Yes, the ones screaming are mine. Aren’t they just sooooooo cute????

My wish list

I was so stirred by Mike Bickle’s message this morning at church. Here are some things on my wish list.

- I want to be a woman of diligence. Diligence is a constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken. I want to be a woman of diligence.
- I desire an ever increasing fear of the Lord. I want to always be aware that He is in the room with me, watching me, and knows every thought I think.
- I want to be rid of all my anger.
- I never want to struggle with envy ever again.
- I want to train my mind to only think godly thoughts of others. Even in difficult circumstances, when I, my husband, and my family are judged or wronged.
- I want to be only encouraging and uplifting with my speech. I want my words to give grace to the hearer. I really mean this. It is so discouraging to leave a conversation or time with a friend, and not feel uplifted or loved at the core. I want to only speak affirming words and give life.
- I want my life to give testimony of the goodness of God. I want to be a faithful witness of Jesus Christ.

This is not an all encompassing list of the things that I want. Just things that have been on my heart today. I need Jesus. I need Him bad. I have no goodness apart from Him.

What are some things on your wish list?

Family photos

Here are some recent family photos courtesy of Steve Willis at http://thepureportraitproject.com/

This time Alexander wasn’t crying. He wasn’t happy, but he wasn’t crying. I’ll take what I can get!

Currently, Joel and I are 27, Audrey is 5, Noah is 4, Alexander is 2, and Max is 5 months. My kids are growing at rapid speeds. Partly due to the fact they have a snack every 2 hours. It really is insane how much food they can all eat!

On a completely separate note, I am very excited for fall and the upcoming holiday season. I want to have nice fires, bubbly hot chocolate, and lovely times with my family. What do you love about fall???

Thanksgiving 2010

I know my posts are few and far between. But I am hoping to make them more frequent. Please have grace with me as this momma of 4 little ones works harder.

Thanksgiving was just peachy. How was yours????
I spent the day before making tons of yummy goodness including 4 dozen chocolate dipped coconut macaroons, an apple pie, and a banana cake with cream cheese frosting.
The day of Thanksgiving, I woke up and made 15 lbs of mashed potatoes and drove over to my parent’s home, the Falkner’s, and ate a beautiful Thanksgiving lunch with them. It is a tradition in my family to go around the table and say what we are thankful for. It always ends in tears and hugs and a huge celebration over the Lord’s goodness to us the past year. This year was no different. Mercy started it off with the crying and within 3 minutes, every person was in tears.

Thanksgiving is by far my #1 favorite holiday with my family.

Home for naps at 1pm. I make another 15lbs of mashed potatoes. Yes, you read that right. I made a total of 30 lbs of mashed potatoes. Hand peeled and all.

At 3pm we headed over to the Sorge household for dinner and festivities. Every Thanksgiving, us and the Hebbert’s spend the night over at Bob and Marci’s house. It is so fun and the kids look forward to it every year. We stay up late and eat leftovers and watch a movie. The following morning there was a brunch at the Sorge’s house with lots of people stopping in and saying hello. So fun!

Coming home, it took me a while to get my bearings and stop eating leftovers and resume a normal schedule.

But it was a joyous holiday and I am so thankful to the Lord for all that He has done in my life this past year. Especially for being so kind and bringing Maxwell forth into this world and helping us through that crazy time.

Here are a few photos of our day. Hope you enjoy.

Isn't Maxwell getting so big? 6 months and 20lbs of beautiful chunk.

Audrey being gorgeous. Noah being gangster.

The women in my family. Starting from the left, Mercy, Grace, Rachel, my mom, and me.

More pictures to come from the Sorge side.

A Moment

Hello everyone,
Today I had a moment.
A moment where time stood still and I knew that I would remember this day for the rest of my life.
Every night before my kids go to sleep, we have bible story time. Well, that’s not true. I try to stir up everything within to be spiritual and tell them something that they will remember about God. Most nights, it happens, but other nights are just busy and a tired mom can only put her children to bed.

Tonight was a night where heaven met earth.

Let me give you a little history.
Two sundays ago, a friend of mine, Shelley Hundley (name drop) gave an incredible message. One thing she said stuck out to me. She was not a believer in college and a group of Christians at her school started praying for the Lord to save her and encounter her. They knew that if God could save Shelley, anything could happen. This group of believers on Shelley’s campus, started praying for her daily. She eventually came to know Christ.

This got me thinking. How often do I pray for my unsaved friends? So that very day, I sat down and started praying. Specifically for my friend Nathan. My kids came in and saw me kneeling down with tears in my eyes. They of course were worried for me. I ended up explaining all about hell and told them to pray with me for my friend Nathan, that he would not go to hell and that Jesus would encounter him.

Today, we drove by a funeral home. My kids have never asked before, but for some reason, today they asked. “Mom, what is that building?” I went on to explain about when we die, we get buried in the ground and our spirits either go to heaven or hell. That kind of confused them, but they knew the heaven and hell part.

Audrey nearly started crying saying that she never wanted to die. Then of course I start telling them about heaven and how we will get to be with Jesus forever.
Conversation ended.

Tonight, after a busy crazy day, I sat down with the kids. I had yelled at them just 30 minutes before for their bad attitudes and had to repent for my anger. I am just saying this to let you know that I am not some super spiritual amazing mother. I struggle with anger. I am not perfect. But I am quick to repent and I know that it takes effort to stir myself up at the end of the day and tell them about Jesus, so I do it. Tonight, I told them about Mary of Bethany. We talked about pouring out perfume on Jesus’ feet and loving Him with our whole hearts.

Somehow we got talking about heaven and hell again. We went into specifics this time. We talked about the lake of fire and people that don’t know Jesus who will burn in hell for ever. The kids all got tears in their eyes. Then we talked about Jesus and how we will be in heaven with Him forever, worshipping Him, dancing, eating good food and talking with all the heroes of the bible. Then we talked about hell again and about how important it is to obey God, and our parents and love each other and give to each other. We talked about evil men and women and how they have turned their backs on God.

Audrey looked at me crying, asking to go to heaven to be with Jesus. She said, “why do I have to be here on earth? I want to go to heaven!”

This broke my heart. My daughter, who just turned six, is yearning for eternity in a way that I wasn’t. I am happy here. I am content to go about my day and sleep in my bed and wake up and drink delicious coffee. Tears were streaming down her face tonight, because she was not satisfied with her life and wanted to be with Jesus.

Then we prayed.
Each one of my children were in tears. Each one of them closed their eyes and prayed for Nathan to come to know Jesus so that he wouldn’t burn in hell for eternity.
Then we prayed for our own lives. That we would love righteousness and hate wickedness and we would love, serve, and follow Jesus all the days of our lives.

Tonight, I am convicted by my children. They have shown me how to hunger and thirst for righteousness. They have shown me how to long for another age.
Today was a long, hard day. I did not feel spiritual. I did not feel righteous. I have no goodness apart from Jesus.

I have always struggled to feel that I was doing enough, and teaching my children enough about Jesus. When they were 2 and 3 years old and I would sit and have bible story time, they didn’t take it seriously. Guess what? I took it personally. As if it were my fault they weren’t more spiritual and talked about Jesus all the time. I thought to myself that I was doing something wrong and I had to change my approach or if I had just let them watch less movies, then they would hunger for Jesus more.
Guess what? They were just young. They didn’t have the brain capacity to understand what I was even saying to them. Now, they are older. They are starting to get it.

My point is this. God uses weak people, in seemingly unimportant moments of life, to glorify Himself. I am just a weak person, a mom, who is trying the best I can (and I fail miserably), to teach my children about Jesus. My hope is that in my weakness and in the mundane, hard, trying, tiring, moments of my day, that suddenly, in a moment God will show up and glorify Himself. Tonight was one of those moments. My heart is happy, convicted, provoked, and needing more of Jesus.

I hope this encourages you in the journey that you are on. Keep persevering and pressing on, because in a moment, God can come and reveal Himself and glorify His Son.
Blessings tonight!
Anna

What will it be?

Hello again,
I was reminded today of something the Lord spoke to me and I wanted to share it with you all.

Short story, but I was born in Tucson, Arizona. My parents had family there and in the middle of winter, early February 1986 to be exact, they heard a Mike Bickle tape (yes, tape). That tape so transformed them and they knew that Kansas City was the place the Lord had for them. So they packed up all their belongings and without even hesitating, they moved to Kansas City. My mom was also 9 months pregnant with Grace at the time. Crazy story.

We have been here ever since, under Mike Bickle’s leadership, 25 years to be exact.

One sunday morning at church, I was sitting listening to Mike preach. My heart was so stirred and I was thanking the Lord for my parents’ decision to move here. If they hadn’t left family, friends, church, a good life and job, and moved in the middle of winter, 9 months pregnant, I don’t know where I would be. In my life, that is the single most important decision my parents ever made.

Then I asked the question. What will it be for my kids? What is the one thing I will do that will mark and set my children up for their destiny in God?

And you know what? God answered me, right then and there. He spoke to my heart saying, “Your faithfulness and your steadiness in the mundane of doing IHOP will be the thing that marks their hearts.”

Clear as day. It really ministered to me because most of the work of an intercessory missionary is mundane and hard. It’s also joyous and beautiful, don’t get me wrong. But the number one thing I am tempted with being an intercessory missionary here at IHOPKC, is the dream of moving away and living in a beautiful city with gorgeous outdoor activities, etc. Still loving the Lord of course and doing the work of the kingdom, but just living somewhere else.

The Lord clearly spoke to me that day and told me that I am called to be faithful and steady, here at IHOP KC. My children will see me and Joel and they will know of the goodness of the Lord over their lives.

So I challenge you to ask that tonight. What will it be in your life that will mark your children for greatness in God? It’s a fun question to ask the Lord. Maybe He’ll speak to you tonight.

Blessings!!!!!
Anna Rose

Brussel Sprouts. Simple, healthy, delicious.

Since we are done with the Christmas season, it is time to start thinking of getting healthy and eating right!
My favorite vegetable of all time is the brussel sprout.

Here’s how to cook them properly.
Cut off the stubs with a small knife.
I normally cut the large ones in half and throw them into a colander.
Give them a thorough rinse and scatter them onto a large cookie sheet.
This is where the fun comes in. Don’t measure just take a bottle of Extra virgin olive oil and drizzle them nicely. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper.
Toss with your hands to evenly coat them all.
Bake at 450 for about 10-15 minutes.
I like mine brown and crispy. The burnt bits end up tasting like popcorn. Even my kids devour them.

Cheers and happy brussel sprout eating!!!

Birthday’s and Pizza contests

Tomorrow is my brother’s birthday. Truman turns 21 and the family is having a party.

Here’s the deal. It’s not just any ‘ole party, it’s a pizza competition. Each sibling and their spouse has to bring a homemade pizza. At the end of the night, everyone will anonymously vote and the winner gets two free movie tickets and free babysitting from my mother.

I will win.

Joel and I talked long and hard about what type of pizza to make. We decided on a deep dish. We normally only make ultra thin crust (he is from NY) but wanted to shock everyone and go with a thick, deep dish pie.

I will post pictures tomorrow of the grand event. For now, Here are some other pizzas I have made.

When Joel and I were throwing out an idea of starting a pizza shop, this was one that would’ve definitely been on the menu. Alas, we do not have a pizza shop, but this pizza is definitely worth trying. So delicious!

Go ahead. Make it for your family one morning. They will love you for it. We have tried bacon as well as sausage. They both work.

What’s for dinner?

Tonight, I threw a couple chickens in the oven for dinner. My kids, sadly, are entirely sick of roast chicken and veg. From being on the GAPS diet for 3 weeks, they had their fair share of chicken stock and vegetables cooked in chicken stock. They need a break. But alas, it was what I had and they had to eat it.

My method of cooking chicken is foolproof and super delicious. I thought I would share it.

I always throw two chickens in a roasting pan, usually weighing 3-5 lbs a piece. I throw some chopped up vegetables in the pan too. Celery, carrots, potatos, squash, onions, or anything else that sounds good. I love using fresh herbs but don’t always have those available. Today, though I did and I used fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage, along with salt and pepper which I generously spread over the chickens and veg.

Put half a stick of butter on top of each chicken and put in the oven at 250 degrees for 4-5 hours. It always takes my oven 4 hours to get fully cooked but I have a terrible fear of serving under cooked chicken. It is one of my biggest fears. So I always want to make sure my chicken is fully cooked. And cooking the chicken at 250 nearly guarantees that it won’t be overcooked even if you do go over time.

Many a time, I have been in a rush and cooked my chicken at 350 for a couple hours, and the meat is always tough. In this method, you will have juicy, succulent meat. I promise.

Add some cumin, paprika, garlic, onion powder, anything you find in your cupboard. Experiment with seasonings. But 250 for 4 hours is the way to go.

I almost forget to mention that halfway through cooking, I add another stick of butter to the pan and mix around all the veg and start basting the chicken for the remainder of the cooking time.

The great thing is that you have plenty of bones and chicken for stock and soup the next day!!!!

Cheers and happy eating!

p.s. On a side note, for lunch I tried some veggie burgers from Costco.

They were just okay. The only redeeming thing is that I ate them with Frank’s sauce, the most glorious condiment on earth.

I am still looking for the best veggie burger available in stores.

Please let me know if you have on you adore! Thanks!

Pizza Dough Recipe

This is by far, my go to pizza dough recipe.

If you haven’t tried making your own dough, try this. It is pretty easy and tastes awesome.

I use it for my ultra thin crust pizzas and my deep dish thick crust pizzas.

Dough Recipe-
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
4 TBSP softened unsalted butter
1 TBSP salt
4 cups of all purpose flour

- Put water and yeast in your mixing bowl and let the yeast dissolve. About 5 minutes. When it gets all foamy, you know the yeast has dissolved.

- Add 3 cups of flour, olive oil, and salt.

- Mix with a dough hook for 3 minutes.

- Add the last cup of flour. Maybe half a cup more if it needs it. You don’t want dough that’s too dry or too sticky. And knead with the dough hook for another 2 minutes.

- Add the softened butter. Mix about 30 seconds more or until the butter is fully incorporated.

- Take the ball of dough and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with saran wrap and let it double in size.

- Once it doubles, punch it down. At this point, I either divide it into 4 smaller balls for thin crust pizzas or divide it in half for two thick crust pizzas, whatever your preference.

- Stick in your fridge if you aren’t going to bake it until later. Or after forming your balls, let it sit for another 30 minutes before rolling it out and making your pizza.

- Bake according to your recipe for pizza. For thin crust, I bake at 550 for about 10 minutes. For thick, deep dish crust, I bake it at 400 for 40 minutes.

I hope this helps you have the confidence to go forth, and make your own pizza!
Cheers!!!!!

Pizza Contest and Truman’s Birthday!

So yesterday, my little brother turn 21. Crazy how fast time flies.

We celebrated with a homemade pizza contest. Each sibling couple had to bring a large homemade pizza of their choice. Everyone voted anonymously, and the winner won two movie tickets and free babysitting.

The selection of pizzas included a white pizza with spinach and feta from Beau and Mercy, a chicken pesto pizza from Brian and Grace, a pepperoni and olive pizza from Marcus and Rachel, a proscuitto and fig pizza from James and Hanna, and a deep dish pepperoni, peppers, and sausage pizza from me and Joel.

Our pizza came in second. We lost to Hanna and James. But you know what. That’s okay. I have resolved my anger and jealousy.

It’s a bad picture, but it’s the only one I have. This is my pizza. First time ever making a deep dish and I have to say it turned out awesome. There will definitely be “tweaking” but that’s normal in the game of food.

Happy Birthday Truman!!!!! I love you so much and I am so proud of the man of God you are. We love you too Lauren.

Here are some snapshots of me and my handsome hubby.

Life is grand isn’t it?

Cinnamon Rolls

I know you have been waiting for this day. The day that I post my cinnamon roll recipe.

Now you too, can have delicious cinnamon rolls made by your own two hands.

Have you ever tried making your own cinnamon rolls before? It couldn’t be easier.

Recipe-
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Filling-
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 1/2 TBSP cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

Glaze
- 4 TBSP butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3-6 TBSP milk/half and half/or heavy cream.

First, warm milk in a saucepan.
Add to mixing bowl with the yeast and let the yeast dissolve in the milk.
While it’s dissolving, melt the butter in the same saucepan.
Add butter, eggs, and sugar to the yeast mixture.
Add flour and salt and knead in your mixer with the dough hook for 5-10 minutes.
You want a smooth consistency.
Place in an oiled bowl, cover with saran wrap, and let it rise until it’s doubled in size. About an hour or so.

I have a long wooden cutting board that I use to help me measure, but after it’s risen once, roll out the dough on a floured surface. You want it to be a large rectangle, not too thin or too thick.
Rub the softened butter all over the rectangle. Sprinkle on the brown sugar, then the cinnamon.
Slowly and carefully roll the dough starting from the top of the rectangle.
Roll towards you and shape the roll so that it’s even and you won’t have one roll that’s larger than the other. Make it look like a well rounded snake.

Take out a chefs knife and cut into 12 rolls. place in a 9×13 pan.
I almost always stick the pan in my fridge and bake the next morning. If you like that method, take them out of the fridge in the morning and put them in your cold oven.
Turn the oven on to 400 and once the oven has preheated time them about 10-12 minutes. They rise perfectly and during that time all you have to do is make the glaze.

If you want to bake them the day you make them, let the rolls rise again until almost doubled in size. Then bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Watch them though at the 12 minute mark. They burn easily.

With cinnamon rolls, the hardest thing about them to me is their consistency. I don’t want a “doughy” center but I don’t want a dry center. It must be moist, buttery, and not over or underdone.

For the glaze, mix all the ingredients together and pour over the rolls once they have cooled a bit. Don’t make the glaze too runny. I prefer a thicker glaze.
I have also used a homemade cream cheese frosting as well and it tastes splendid. Whatever your preference of glaze or frosting, go for it.

Hope you enjoy and I hope you make them soon for someone you love!!!!!

Just a few weeks ago, I made them for a client. He ordered 5 dozen. It was fun and boy did my kitchen smell heavenly.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Mmmmmmmmmm, homey, delicious, warm, healthy, amazing chicken noodle soup.

Nothing is better than homemade chicken noodle soup. Here’s my recipe.

Take a large onion, and chop it. Add to a large pan with extra virgin olive oil and saute for a few minutes.

Chop of a bunch of carrots. I never count or measure the veg. I just do what seems right. If i have extra carrots than I chop them too.

Throw the carrots in the soup pot with the onions and just let it saute while you chop up some celery.

Throw the celery in the pot. Keep the soup pot on med heat and just saute the living daylights out of it.

Now I add my herbs. Rosemary, thyme, sage (I used fresh because I had it on hand, but I normally use dry ingredients at around 1 tsp. a piece), oregano, salt, and pepper.

Throw them in the pot and add your chicken stock. I use homemade from the chickens that I roast once a week. But you can use store bought or homemade. Add a good amount. Again, I never measure. I just know what looks right. Definitely cover the vegetables by a couple inches.

Bring the stock to a boil and throw in the egg noodles. Let them cook in the soup, and then add some chopped up chicken.

I usually roast two chickens a week. We eat one for dinner then I pick the chicken off the other and save it in a ziploc bag for either soup or a casserole during the week.

Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
There you have it!

Enjoy and make it on a cold day or when someone is sick and needs to get better fast!!!! There’s healing in this soup.

p.s. Thought you would enjoy a view from where I cook. I have such a wonderful view of all my friends on my refrigerator. While I chop, cut, and cook, I pray for all my friends and their families. Want me to think and pray for you? Send me a photo of your family.

Enough is Enough!

No seriously.

Enough truly is enough. This is a new year, a time for resolutions, and a time for true change. I am not just saying this. I am actually going to change.

I am taking on the 90 day challenge. Want to do it with me?????

I officially and sadly have 20 lbs of weight to lose that I never lost after having Max, my fourth baby. I am still, nearly 20 months later, not in my old clothes. It is frustrating to say the least, but more uncomfortable and sad. I wear clothes that cover my problem areas. I put so much time and effort into making my face and hair beautiful, and feeling uncomfortable from the neck down. I am done. I need to change and I don’t need some “fad, extreme” diet. I need something healthy that will actually work.

I found this.

http://annasorge.myvi.net/

Check back here to track my progress and still get amazing recipes from me. I will still be blogging on all things life, God, family, and food. We are in this together. I am not looking for a quick, extreme fix. I want something that will fill my body with nutrients not deprive it of something while I try to lose the weight.

So cheers to life, a new year, a new body, and change!