Let it BURNNNNN

Oh yeah....So working out has been going GREAT! Randall and I have been completely faithful to going when we are supposed to! And I'm sooo proud of my husband. He has been the my biggest cheerleader, and he's been so supportive of helping me eat healthy! We've been keeping a bowl full of salad in the refrigerator, and we even made our own Deer Jerky!  I just have so much endurance and will to loose this weight and get to where I feel comfortable! I'm not sure if I have even lost any weight, but I just feel soooo much better and so much more energized! Which I'm glad, because I'm pretty sure that Anderson has some teefers trying to come in; which it's totally not to early, because I was only 2 months when I started to cut teeth, and by the time I was a mere 6 months, I already had 6 teeth! Imaging that! Anyways, I really have to get off of here, and get busy on the kitchen and baking cakes!

Starting a journey....a weight loss journey!

Ugh...looking back at pictures from right before and right after I got married, it just makes me mad and upset with myself!. I usually don't share my weight with anyone, but I was 145 when I got married, and now, lets just say I'm way over that! I'm just so tired of not being able to shop in normal clothes anymore...and I just miss shopping at Forever 21 and American Eagle! And I'm tired of being the big girl, with a pretty face...I'm doing this for my husband, because he deserves to have what he had when he married me. I'm doing this for my son, because he deserves to have is momma around for a long time,  and he deserves to have a momma he's proud of!!!! And most of all, I'm doing this for myself! I want to be able to shop in stores that I used to love, and I want to be proud of the way I look! Philippians 4:13 "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me!!!" This *ALL* includes losing weight!! Cleaning out my pantry and putting away everything that is bad for me! I CAN and WILL do this!!

Life now!

So; It's been a while since I've posted, but what can I say? I've been pretty busy! Since the last time I posted, I've became a mommy!!! Hooray! Anderson Michael Griffis was born on February 12, 2013 at 11:22 pm, weighing in at 5'13" and a grand total of 18" long!! (seriously a little guy) It's been pretty easy adjusting to being a mommy. It just feels like what I was supposed to do in life :D I love this little man with all my heart!! We did have a hospital stay with him a week after we brought him home, he had a touch of Jaundice, and he lost quite a bit of weight. So he had to lay under the lights for a while...it was supposed to be a full 24 hours, but his levels dropped from 20.7 to 11 within a few hours. So we got to go home!!! He's had to continue to go to the doctor every week for a weight check, but praise the Lord, he's gained every time we've went. I'm claiming that tomorrow's doctors appointment that he won't have to go back weekly!!

I will Praise you in this Valley

I know it's been a while since I have posted, and honestly, I hadn't planned on it today....But driving home from a birthday party tonight, a song came on the radio, and it got me to thinking a lot! As children of God, we face valleys, and a lot of people forget to praise God when they are in the valley. God knows what he's doing, even if we can't see it. We always forget that God knows what he's doing, and it's not up to us to question him. When I got home, I looked up the words to the song that came on the radio, and isn't it just like God...The song is by the same people that will be at our church for homecoming! It brought tears to my eyes. I don't feel led to share what our little family is going through, but tonight God showed me that He still has us in his hands. Isaiah 49:16 says "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." This to me is saying that God has not and will not forget us for we are placed in the palms of his hands. He looks our for our needs daily. Jeremiah 29:11 also says "For I know that thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." So therefore, why should we worry about anything? Why should we let fear get the best of us? We shouldn't! I wonder if sometimes God is trying to tell us " Don't worry. I've got this?" I had to go through this myself and that song that came on tonight reminded me there isn't always going to be mountain tops....sometimes there will be valleys, so when we come to a valley, we just need to praise him!!

I couldn't find a video with the song...so these lyrics will have to do!!

Praise You in This Valley

Words and music by Matthew Browder

v.1

The pain has been great

I’ve cried a river of tears

This trial has tried my faith

Through my doubts and my fears

But I will stand on your Word

That’s proven to be true

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel

You will see me through

Chorus

And I will praise you in this valley

Though it seems you’re far away

And the clouds are hanging over my head today

It seems not long ago  

I was on the mountain peak

I will praise you that even more, Lord

You know what’s best for me

v.2

I know you have a plan

Right now it’s hard to see

In the palm of your hand

You are molding me

Though my heart has been broken

And I don’t understand

In all things I’ll just give you thanks

I’ll lift up my hands. 

2012 is ending...

What can I say, 2012 has been a pretty great year for The Griffis'! Randall and I at the beginning of the year felt if God was about to do something great in our lives, and little did we know we'd be where we are today. At the beginning of the year we began to feel as if we didn't belong anywhere, and as children of God, that's a scary place to be...You begin to question and wonder where God is going to take you. Well in about March, God's plan began to unfold for us. Randall came home and told me about an opportunity to become a Pastor of a Church. To be honest, my first initial thought was I CANNOT be a Pastor's wife....I'm not good enough. You know the times when God just smacks you in the face? Well I was sitting in one of the services that Randall was preaching at the church, and God just whispered to me "This is what I've been preparing you for." And then it all was made clear, why we felt we didn't feel if we belonged. It was because God was changing the direction of our life. Well from there I told Randall it was okay now....and we placed it into God's hands and we were voted in I believe the Sunday after Easter. Every ballot said yes! So we became Pastor, and Pastor's wife. Another big change that we decided to make was to try to have a baby. Well we began to try in about May...and July 1st we bought the tests, and not one but all three said yes, almost instantly! We were beside ourselves!! So we are expecting our little boy, Anderson Michael Griffis, on February 26th, 2013!

I can't complain about 2012...it was an amazing year....I pray that 2013 is just as great!

Where has the true meaning of Christmas gone?

As I sit here and watch all of the Christmas movies and different store commercials on TV, and as I visit department store after department store, it makes me wonder where has the true meaning of Christmas gone. Much like there was no room for Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, today it seems like there is no room for Jesus on his OWN birthday. Imagine if every one were in a hustle and bustle around your birthday and pushed you out on your own birthday. How would you feel? Jesus didn't have to agree to be born for us, and he most also didn't have to die for us. He came and was born just to die for us! And we are all guilty of leaving him out on his own birthday. Parents, as you rush around this year, remember to take the time out to read the REAL Christmas story, out of the Bible. Instill in your kids what Christmas is all about! I know this isn't a Christmas song, but I want to post it on here anyways. The song is called Had it Not Been! Had Jesus not been born, where would we be? Had he not agreed, because he looked down the streams of time and seen a world that would leave him out on his own birthday....Think about it!

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings :D

So I grew up in the south, and I love some Chicken and Dumplings! So I set out on a search for a chicken and dumpling recipe that was sort of like my mom made (minus the *ahem* frozen dumplings!) I found a few that I liked, but really ended up having to come up with my own! So here goes.


For the Chicken:
I used 5 chicken legs (its what I had) But you can use what ever type of chicken you like!
1 whole cut up onion
2 celery stalks (cut up)
2 Cloves of garlic minced (yes; GARLIC)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Enough water to cover the chicken and stuff :)

For the Dumplings:
3 c. flour (I used AP)
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Salt
4 1/2 tbsp Shorting (I suppose the butter kind is okay too)
3/4 to 1 c milk

Now on to the preparation!

Place your Chicken, Onion, Celery, Garlic, Salt and Pepper, and your water in a big enough pot. You want to place it on a Medium High heat to boil. Boil it for about 30 minutes. (until your chicken is done.) When your chicken is done you want to turn it off and pull it out of the stock (yes, you just made homemade chicken stock) and you want to place all of the chicken on a plate to cool. While your chicken is cooling you can move on the the Dumplings of the Chicken and Dumplings!

This part can get pretty messy! Take your three cups of flour and place it in a big bowl, along with your salt, baking powder, and shorting. You want to "Cut" this together with a pastry cutter, fork or a butter knife. You'll cut it until it looks like small peas. Once you reach this step you'll want to add your milk in 1/4 cup at a time and you'll stir it until it resembles a big ball. You may not use all of your milk. Once it reaches this step you'll want to flour your working space and prepare to roll the dumplings out. Roll them out and cut them into strips the size you like! Now that you've made a mess...time to pull the chicken from the bones.

Separate the chicken from its skin and bones, and shred it up to the size you like. Once you've finished this step you'll want to strain your stock and discard the vegetables. Replace your stock back into the pot and turn it on a medium heat. Place your chicken back into the pot and wait for it to come to a simmer. Once it is simmering, place your dumplings in one at a time (okay maybe two or three) And let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes! Wahlaa, yummy Chicken and Dumplings!!