Tuesday, March 29, 2011

I Lift My Eyes

Letting go of so many things that you hold dear is very HARD.

Trusting God and holding fast to your Faith is where you learn if you're really WALKING THE WALK or just TALKING THE TALK... Especially when things seem to get worse than you could have ever imagined instead of better.

I am determined to make it through this season of our lives with a SMILE on my face and JOY  in my heart. I know that God knows the plans that He has for us and He will bring us through this journey that has seemed so hopeless and  so very, very painful.

I know that when I think that we cannot endure one more trial, one more test, one more day without seeing a change in our situation.. I have to remind myself that HE endured a death that HE did not deserve for me.

And then I am reminded that this life if fleeting, that I am called to be the LIGHT during my time on this earth. Then I take a deep breath and put my head up, and keep pressing on in my journey.

Billy Graham said, “In my travels I have found that those who keep Heaven in view remain serene and cheerful in the darkest day. If the glories of Heaven were more real to us, if we lived less for material things and more for things eternal and spiritual, we would be less easily disturbed by this present life.”

Amen and Amen

Friday, March 18, 2011

You Can Take A Girl Out Of The South.. (you know the rest)

I will rarely, if ever again, post a recipe on this blog... I'm not great in the kitchen and I don't love spending hours on end working on recipes. Crazy thing is.. I love Food Network, Paula Deen, Giada (even though Dan makes fun of her big head the whole time), Rachel Ray (Dan calls me Amy Ray, when I take time to cook), and any other type of cooking show.  But to get in there and break out the spices and fresh ingredients.. well, I am NOT your girl. The heart of the matter is I love good food, but I would just rather eat it at someone else's house or at a restaurant!

Having said all that...
My three boys told me that tonight I made a great dinner. It was super-duper easy! So I thought I'd pass it along to y'all!



BBQ Chicken Sandwiches 
You will need a crock pot, then add
4-6 Frozen Chicken Breasts
1 bottle of any BBQ Sauce
1 cup of water
Turn on HIGH and cook for 6 hours and then down to low for 2 more hours.
They were so good! We ate them on Hawaiian Bread Buns along with sweet potato fries (manna from heaven). Listen, if I can do this and get rave reviews from my younger, very somewhat picky, younger boys.. anyone can!

Monday, March 14, 2011

They Chose Me

Thirty five years ago... my parents, Junior and Juanita Castillo, made a life-changing decision. They knew a baby girl that needed a home, she needed a mom and a dad that were committed to her and all that she would need to grow into the woman that God created her to be. When they were faced with the choice of adopting, they never wavered, never thought twice.. they only saw a little girl that needed them and they changed the direction that they were going and they committed to make only choices that would bring her closer to her Heavenly Father.


Thank you, Mom and Dad,  for the many sacrifices that you made for me. You forever changed the course of my life by your obedience and willingness to give up the life that you knew to create an new life with me. Our tradition of celebrating our family anniversary means so much to me...oh, the love that I have for you both!