A Prayer for our Beautiful Mommy Mess'

A Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21

What you want is not always what you need, tune yourself into what God wants to teach you, and you will see what God has in store for you EVERYWHERE!!  Remember your mess does not disqualify you from sharing your story. There is hope in every story...even yours!!

Breakfast Pasta

If you are looking for something different to make for your next family brunch get together or you want to mix it up a bit for breakfast time here is a yummy breakfast pasta you can try that Joanna shared with us at our last MOPS meeting!! ENJOY!!

 

Breakfast Pasta

Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
1 lb linguine
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ lb baby new potatoes, quartered
1 medium yellow onion, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 eggs plus 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2/3 cup cheddar cheese, grated
½ lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:
1. Place a large pot, filled with water, over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
2. Once the water has come to a boil, drop the pasta in along with a small handful of salt (about 3 tablespoons).
3. Cook the pasta for 7 to 9 minutes or until al dente, stirring frequently.
4. Drain the pasta, toss with a small amount of oil and set aside.
5. Place the olive oil in a large sauté pan and place over medium heat.
6. Add the potatoes to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
7. Sauté for 5 minutes and add the onion, bell peppers and thyme. Season with salt/pepper and stir.
8. Sauté the mixture for 6 to 8 minutes or until the onions and peppers have softened and the potatoes become fork tender.
9. Pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
10. Place the pan back on the stove over medium heat and add the tablespoon of butter.
11. Pour the beaten eggs to the pan and gently scramble for about 2 minutes.
12. Add the cheese and stir. The mixture should still be a partially runny.
13. Add the linguine and potato mixture to the pan and toss together until everything is fully combined and the eggs have cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
14. Sprinkle the bacon over the pasta and serve hot.

Girlfriends Guide to Friendship

Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family. Proverbs 18: 24 (The Message):   speaker Jen Zick

Signs of a healthy friendship:•You feel loved and accepted as you. You don’t have to prove anything.
•You are comfortable being open and honest with your friend.
•When you think of spending time with this person, you smile.
•Your memories of time spent with this person bring you joy.
•You can be real about your faith, your convictions and values (even if they don’t share the same beliefs).
•Your friendship doesn’t tempt you to sin or compromise your values.
•Your friend protects your confidences, and shares hers with you.
•Your feel like a better, brighter version of yourself when you spend time with this person.

Signs of an unhealthy relationship
•You feel judged, or that you need to prove yourself (clothes, house, decisions about raising your children, marriage, etc.)
•You hold back on things you’d like to say, because you’re afraid that your friend will be defensive or angry. (Beyond the normal filtering.)
•When you think of spending time with this person, you feel tired. You may create excuses to avoid them.
•Your memories of time spent with this person are dull or regretful.
•You don’t talk about your faith, convictions or values.
•You find yourself in situations or environments that aren’t “true to you” –where you may be tempted to sin or compromise values.
•You can’t trust this person with your confidences.
•You feel like a worn-out, lesser version of yourself when you spend time with this person.

THE MOST IMPORTANT FRIENDSHIP
Is Jesus my BFF?

1. Have you invited Jesus into your life and heart, and asked him to forgive your sins? Are you confident that if you died today, you would spend eternity with Him in heaven?

2. Do you know his love for you? Do you feel that love alive inside of you in how you relate to others?

3. Do you make time for Jesus? Are you proactively investing in your relationship with Him?

4. Have you asked him to be at work in you, and in every one of your relationships, for His glory?

 If you are not sure of your salvation in Jesus, you can be today –It’s the MOST important decision you’ll ever make. Perhaps you have invited Jesus into your life, but you have not prioritized your relationship with him. He’s reaching out to you, but you’ve been drifting away, caught up in your own life. If you have not made Jesus your BFF, now is the time. Make him #1 on your list of friends to proactively seek out.

What friends might God be bringing across your path? What opportunities might you have to make a Christian connection or minister to a non-believer in your communities? Make a list of your primary communities below (MOPS, neighborhood, church, school, workplace, clubs, activities, other). Next to these items, jot down any actions you feel God is leading you to take to connect with others (i.e. Invite Jake’s mom to MOPS). If you’re not sure, just pray that God would lead you and help you to keep an open heart and open eyes.