pesto and cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts.

ingredients:

thin chicken breasts trimmed of fat

light olive oil

reduced fat cream cheese

package of pesto

salt & pepper

toothpicks

this recipe is so simple.

1. simply pour desired amount of olive oil in baking dish and place chicken breasts in it.

2. spread reduced fat cream cheese over each chicken breast.

3. sprinkle pesto over cream cheese spread.

4. roll chicken breasts up and secure with toothpicks.

5. sprinkle rolled up chicken breasts with more pesto, salt & pepper.

6. bake at 375 for about 30 minutes or until cooked all the way though. (this will depend on the thickness of your chicken breasts)

7. serve with garlic & olive oil cous cous (from a package), baby portabella mushrooms sauted in olive oil & butter, and half a whole grain english muffin topped with butter.

yum!

an autumn greeting

i taught this poem to the first grade class i am placed in this semester. they loved it! they thought it was so cool that they could memorize a whole poem by themselves. the poem is cute too, definitely makes for a fun & quick, fall activity.

an autumn greeting

"come" said the wind to the leaves one day.

"come over the meadow and we will play.

put on your dresses of red and gold.

for summer is gone and the days grow cold."

i can only conclude that i was not made for here

if i find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy,

i can only conclude, that i was not made for here. -cs lewis

there may be pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning. -jesus culture

therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. -hebrews 12:28

there is nothing that can shake God's kingdom...not tragedy, not fear, not stress, not depression, not guilt...nothing. christ has already redeemed it all. that is the kingdom in which we are called to walk in.

but we're stuck living in a world full of all those things, forcing us to, at times, suffer from these worldly afflictions. sometimes there is no explanation for the sorrows that we witness & experience other than that we live in a world under the curse of sin. but if jesus is the redeemer of all our sin and of all our brokenness, we are members of an unshakable kingdom founded on the unshakable love of christ. and so we must be jesus to the world and bring heaven to earth in everything we do.

what does that look like? i can only say to look at the character of jesus, as heaven cannot be heaven without him. heaven is the fullness of God's presence and the absence of sin and death. may those of us who profess to be children of God live such a life: a life filled with God's presence and absent of sin, strictly by christ in us, our hope of glory.

Christ will do the rest.

healthy & classy: stuffed red bell peppers.

i dont like to follow recipes; i usually eyeball the amounts of ingredients i need. soooo i dont have the quantities for the ingredients to make these lovely, stuffed red bell peppers. you'll just need the following, accommodated to the amount you wish to serve :

red bell peppers

olive oil

1-2 garlic cloves

chopped onion

chopped carrots

chopped celery

chopped baby portabella mushrooms

cooked brown rice

ground chicken

ground basil

red pepper flakes

organic, low-sodium chicken broth

salt & pepper to taste

finely chop your veggies, onion & mushrooms

cook your brown rice

saute your olive oil, garlic, & veggies. sprinkle with

ground basil & red pepper flakes.

add chicken broth, ground chicken, mushrooms & rice.

cook until chicken is no longer pink.

spoon mixture into topless red bell peppers.

cover & bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

serve with baked potatoes and left over

stuffing mixture. enjoy!

saturdays...

saturdays are for relaxing...for sleeping in until 10...and then heading back up to your plush, warm bed for a 1:00 nap. saturdays are for leisurely trips to the grocery; for coming home with a full car of fresh veggies, apple cider, and almond butter. saturdays are for drinking creme brulee coffee topped with whipped cream out of your favorite mug...not because you have anything you need to stay awake for, but because it goes so well with your favorite book. saturday evenings are perfect for staying in and cooking an intimate meal for someone you love.

may your saturday be blessed.

i am giving myself to you, and tomorrow i will do it again

"I will give you this, my love, and I will not bargain or barter any longer. I will love you, as sure as He has loved me. I will discover what I can discover and though you remain a mystery, save God's own knowledge, what I disclose of you I will keep in the warmest chamber of my heart, the very chamber where God has stowed Himself in me. And I will do this to my death, and to death it may bring me.

I will love you like God, because of God, mighted by the power of God. I will stop expecting your love, demanding your love, trading for your love, gaming for your love. I will simply love. I am giving myself to you, and tomorrow I will do it again. I suppose the clock itself will wear thin its time before I am ended at this altar of dying and dying again"

this is a quote from "blue like jazz," which i absolutely recommend. what a beautiful picture of love it is and i pray to be empowered by the holy spirit to love this way. i think it paints a terrific picture of what love in a marriage should be. not always the rainbows and butterflies, but the reality of picking up your cross and choosing to love the one you have committed your life to.

thinking about how much i love my husband makes my heart swell. but there is room for so much more love, and i intend for it grow and grow. it will grow as long as i am growing in my love for jesus and learning more of his unfailing, sacrificial love for me. for we will never come to the end of learning the savior's love...and as long as there is room to love him more, there is room to love others more :)

happy first official day of fall

yes, today is the first official day of fall. we'll miss you summer, but we are so excited for crisp air, crunchy leaves, football, cozy sweaters, pumpkins, and caramel apple spices from starbucks.

now let's just try to move past the fact that the high for today is 91...and celebrate the beginning of fall anyway.

dear monday

my friday

i am trying to avoid thinking about all the school work i need to do today... but on a happier note, fall break is in one month.

and on another happy note, yesterday was a wonderful day where i did zero schoolwork. my mom and i had a mommy-daughter date. we went and looked through:

due to this store's amazing style, but outrageous prices, the purpose of looking though here is more just to get inspiration. i did, however, find a pretty coffee mug with the letter "m" on it for $6 :)

after shopping, my mom introduced me to a new obsession of mine: PHO. this is a type of vietnamese soup and it is absolutely delicious. it's the perfect mixture of chicken, noodles, and different vietnamese spices. my next goal is to learn how to make it :)

so after briefly falling in love with this new food, i though it was only fair if i introduced my mom to one of my obsessions: lara bars. there was a whole foods market in our shopping complex and so after going in and sampling their guacamole (of course), i took her to the nutrition bars aisle and showed her these amazing bars combined of only whole and natural foods. no sugar is added, yet they taste like dessert. the only ingredients in my favorite flavor, banana bread, are: almonds, dates, and unsweetened bananas. it tastes just like banana bread! the best part about these bars is that they are diet, detox, and daniel fast friendly :)

and finally, for dessert (but can you really call something dessert if it's healthy for you?) we went to yagoot. this is delicious 99% fat free frozen yogurt with active live cultures that promote digestive health. my mom got the original flavor and topped it with raspberries and blackberries and i got the strawberry flavor and topped it with strawberries and pineapple. there is nothing more refreshing :)

and so after our mommy-daughter date, i took a nap and got ready for my date with my husband, which consisted of going to the high school football game, dinner at applebees, and trying not to let him tickle me.

what a wonderful, fall friday :)

things that make me smile

this hair

magic wands

love, romance, ruffles & lace

this baby lion.

fresh fruit

orange kitties

love letters

holding hands in the car

hammocks

this sweet little garden breakfast

strawberry cake

carnivals

pretty lyrics

all three of these things: dresses, books, and the beach

who am i to be loved this way?

isaiah 40:10-11

see the sovereign lord comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
see, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
he tends his flock like a shepherd:
he gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
and he gently leads those that have young.

i came across this verse today and am in love with the lord's beautiful mixture of power & might with his tenderness & gentleness. i feel so loved by him!

today is a busy and hectic day and i have let the stress of this world steal my sleep the past two nights as i kept waking up almost every hour. i often allow myself to feel defeated. but somehow this morning, the holy spirit got a hold of me and reminded me that because i am a child of god, i have his favor. i couldn't help but smile as i heard this, and i know i must have looked pretty silly, smiling to myself as i walked through campus. but i belong to him and he knows me...what's not to smile about?! then he lead me to the verse i posted above. who am i to be loved this way?

he not only encouraged me with his presence and his word, but through several other people. i received sweet&encouraging messages from my wonderful husband and my friends for no reason and felt/am still feeling so loved!

i praise the lord for his grace in granting me undeserved success, victory, & love today.

date night in hyde park

we went here for dinner: http://www.myindigogrill.com/

and here for coffee: http://www.awakeningscoffeeandwine.com/

for me, not against me

from "quiet moments with god, prayers and promises for each new day," by lloyd john ogilvie.

beloved, i pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers

-3 john 2

"gracious god, who is constantly seeking my spiritual prosperity, i thank you for your care for every aspect of my life. when i am in a right relationship with you, everything else works better. i am healthier emotionally and physically when i relax and trust you to guide and strengthen me. amazingly, my relationships are more harmonious. when i do things your way, you work out things for your glory and my growth. it's really liberating to claim that you are for me and not against me. you are working night and day to accomplish your very best in my life. so i claim paul's promises to the philippians as my personal assurance today: "my god shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by christ jesus" (philippians 4:19)

thank you for this quiet moment to reorient my thinking and reform my attitude about today in the light of the spiritual prosperity in the riches of your grace and power. i confess that i often think about what i must do with the challenges and relationships of the day without thinking about how you will accomplish your will by your power through me. you do not want me to fail at life today. you are by my side in circumstances and dwell inside to give me courage. i'm spiritually wealthy for the expenditures of working with you today!"

amen. if you belong to god then he is for you. believe it in your heart and be free from the bondage of condemnation. check out this song by kari jobe, "you are for me"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbSMfL5LuSo

So faithful
So constant
So loving and so true
So powerful in all you do
You fill me
You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to you

I know that you are for me
I know that you are for me
I know that you will never forsake me in my weakness
I know that you have come down
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who you are

So patient
So gracious
So merciful and true
So wonderful in all you do
You fill me
You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to you

I know that you are for me
I know that you are for me
I know that you will never forsake me in my weakness
I know that you have come down
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me that

I know that you are for me
I know that you are for me
I know that you will never forsake me in my weakness
I know that you have come down
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who you are

life is art

sweetness

i received this dessert recipe book at one of my wedding showers and it will always be one of my most favorite gifts. two special family friends of ours put it together. they collected favorite dessert recipes from some of my family and closest friends and combined them beautifully and decoratively in this book. i love looking through them and have already tried baking several.

not sure if you can see the spine of the book, but it says,

"courtney's sweet treats."

the first page :)

may your day be full of sweetness!

hope photography

this past weekend i visited friends in lexington...oh how i have missed them. i got to visit one friend in particular, miss breanne kaiser, of hope photography. this girl is so amazingly talented and has a natural eye. i am so happy how her business is growing! this past weekend alone she assisted in shooting a wedding that made the local news, shot an engagement session, and booked a wedding as the main photographer for this november. she is still a college student, mind you. yet, her talent is that of a professional. it has been such a joy to watch her pursue her passion as her talent just grows and grows!

if i can brag on her more, brea spent the past summer serving with lightforce international ministries, a ministry for women in central america who are victims of exploitation. while serving in costa rica and helping bring hope to many women through jesus christ, she captured some incredible images. brea seeks to use her talent and passion as a means for ministry and glorifying the lord. she has a gift for making every woman she photographs feel beautiful and has a natural, creative eye.

brea and i bond over princesses, childish adventures, sweet coffee, and the christ inside of us. i wanted her to be a bridesmaid in my wedding, so she could not shoot the big day. however, brian and i had the honor of having her shoot our engagement photos this past spring. we could not be more happy with them and i could not be more blessed to have a friend like her.

here are a few of the MANY wonderful ones she captured.

for previews of her other work, visit her site: http://www.wix.com/Brkais2/HopePhotography

it's the beauty of simplicity...

songs i am loving at the moment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zKh3mpIvIU

^the beauty of simplicity, telecast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErXuFPCUczQ&feature=related

^cs lewis song, brooke frasier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTU4u30w2tQ

^forever reign, hillsong united

today is such a beautiful day. we have the windows open and the whole house feels and smells like fall.

i love lazy days. i am about to go eat a labor day breakfast with my family. hope everyone is able to relax today, eat a good breakfast, and spend time with people you love :)

thankful

1 chronicles 29:13:
now, our god, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

thankfulness to god must always be continuous. it must always come from a heart that can never truly say "thank you" enough. a thankful heart is blessed because it is continually thankful for its blessings; those blessings are never forgotten. those blessings are remembered each day, as if they were just received. even if jesus was the only gift our father gave us, that would still be more than enough to have a heart that overflows with thankfulness. yet, in addition to jesus and our hope of heaven, our father loves to lavish us with more and more goodness. he gave/gives us everything and holds nothing back.

thankfulness=blessings=JOY