If you're like me, several days of eating Thanksgiving leftovers can get a little tiresome.  Even with all my tried & true do-overs it came time to do something different.

     I get tired of seeing the containers in the fridge for longer than a day, 2 days tops, so I try to come up with different ways to do them over (the term "re-use" doesn't seem right when it comes to food~not very appetizing~LOL).  And if that doesn't work, I tell my 18 year old son, "Sebastian, leftovers have to be eaten today!  Don't make anything new!!!"  That usually does the trick, but tonight I decided I had to come up with a meal to get rid of it...I mean, to come up with a creative and nutritious way to serve a delicious meal to my family, cough, cough.

     What I came up with was definitely Divine guidance, because it was almost everything from our Thanksgiving meal plus some extras.  I started with some olive oil, diced tomatoes and roasted peppers in a pot.  Got them sweating and added some minced garlic, okay a lot of garlic.  We love garlic.  Found two cans of chicken noodle soup, the hearty kind, added them with some more carrots.  And more carrots...my daughter loves carrots.  Then, most of Turkey Day dinner went in:  turkey, gravy, stuffing, garbonzo beans, some mashed taters and even some cranberry sauce.  Seasoned with black pepper and cumin. Brought to a boil, then simmered and walked away.  WOW!  It is so good!  It is a huge hit!  My mother kept laughing that even the cranberry sauce got in there.  Only thing left out was the deviled eggs...they were appetizers.  ;)

     Made some steak-ums & provolone cheese sandwiches to go with it and we officially sent those leftovers packing!  Well, except we still have lots of stew left...hubster is happy about that.  We are getting a cold front coming down and he's happy to have the Turkey Day-Ovah! Stew for his lunch.

     Oh boy, you know how good stews are the next day...yum...

     Wow!  Time is flying and I realize sometimes that's not such a bad thing.  We have been adjusting to our new schedule with minor burn-outs.  I am a fine-tuning, problem-smoothing machine as of late, and I am praying for God's strength the whole way!

     I can see how many things He is taking care of...I am learning to let go more and more.  You know how it is - when something huge or devastating comes in our path and we feel desperate, that's a given time you are on your knees.  My mission became to be on my knees (literally & figuratively) for everything.  That's right, everything.  So many miss such a wonderful opportunity of communion with our wonderful Savior.  Wait!  Did you get that?  S-A-V-I-O-R (say it in your best Mr. Roger's voice).
     He saves us - currently.  Not saved - saving - a real-time event - as we speak kind of thing.  He is saving you right now...but are you letting Him?  That was my question to myself and I realized not for everything.  Maybe, not all of my stuff...

     I can get so caught up in my part of our conversation that sometimes I don't hear the "Shh...".  When I look back I can see where He was trying to find a break in our conversation...LOL.  You know what I am talking about...we all have done it & have spoke with others that do it.  Talk and talk and talk...
     My goal/mission since I was a teenager was to be more like my older brother Marty.  He was like Caine from that TV show, "Kung Fu".  He was tough when needed & so very, very calm at times when others would have lost their minds.  Not him.  You always felt so peaceful when you were with him.  I wanted that.  I wanted to give that.  To put others at ease without the losing my soul bit.  I hope I have it...I feel like I am getting there.  (I haven't had anyone tell me I freak them out or make them a nervous wreck yet, so...fingers crossed!  ;)

     The best metaphor for a conversation with God came from my old pastor.  He said that for most the conversation is not a true conversation, it's a want/help/do this for me please/I don't get what You are doing??? list.  The best point he made was that we need to think of it like a telephone call.  You observe normal protocol of: they speak-you speak/reply-they speak/reply, and so on.  Do we do that with God?  Do we wait for His speak/reply?  I immediately went to work on that.

     I see all His saving.  The past, present and future.  He lays His coat across the puddle so we don't fall in, if we let Him.  With all the controlled chaos that is going on in my life right now, I embrace that coat across that so-called puddle (more like ocean if the world had its way).  His coat doesn't get dirty and is ready for the next time.  I really need it today...umm, I have so much to do today God and there is absolutely no way any of it will get done without You.  I'll remember to hold out my hand...