The Power of the Cross

My cousin, Kelli, gave me Keith and Kristyn Getty's CD "In Christ Alone" for Christmas, and I've really been enjoying listening to it. This song has really ministered to me. Let us never forget what it cost Jesus or the freedom we now have through the Cross!

"The Power of the Cross"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

CHORUS:This, the pow'r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

FINAL CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Tasty Low Fat Recipe

Lately, I've been looking for healthier things too cook for supper that also taste good and are relatively inexpensive. I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, and we tried it for dinner a few nights ago with Brown Minute Rice and one of those Steam Fresh vegetable medleys. It was surprisingly really tasty considering it takes so few ingredients. So, I thought I'd share it:

Baked Fish with Mushrooms (Makes 4 servings)
Ingredients:
-1 lb. fresh or frozen fish (we used frozen Talapia)
-2 tablespoons butter or margarine
-1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (1 8 oz. pkg)
-1/4 cup sliced green onions (2)
-1 tsp. snipped fresh tarragon or thyme, or 1/4 tsp. dried tarragon or thyme, crushed (we used dried thyme)
Directions:
1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 4 sering-size pieces, if necessary. Arrange fish in a 2-quart rectangular baking dish, turning under thin edges. Sprinkle with salt.
2. In a small saucepan melt butter; add mushrooms, green onions, and dried tarragon, if using. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms and green onions are tender. Spoon mushroom mixture over fish; sprinkle with fresh tarragon, if using. Bake, covered in a 450 degree oven for 12 to 18 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Nutritional Info per serving: 159 cal., 8 g. total fat (4 g. sat. fat), 71 mg chol., 104 mg sodium, 1 g. carb., 0 g. fiber, 22 g. protein

Ethan at Christmas

I know that's it been a month since Christmas, but I'm just getting stuff from my video camera on the computer. So, I thought I'd pass this video along. (Sorry if it's too long, I have yet to learn how to use our video editing program.) Hope you enjoy :).

Not a Busy Nothing. . .

This certainly is convicting, and it's a great reminder of our awesome duty and privilege as God's children. Be encouraged. (Thanks for showing me this, Dad.)

Pilates

Two days I ago I had just finished doing my pilates workout (part of my goal to excercise as often as I can this year). Afterward, I went to go give Ethan a bath and left my mat out. So, while I was cleaning up after E's bath, he decided to get a little work out in himself. I walked in to find him positioned on my mat trying to do either a "roll up" or "scissors." Just another reminder that little eyes are always watching!

Favorite New Websites

Just thought I would take a minute to pass along some helpful websites that I have recently "found." The first is http://www.exercisetv.tv/. Right now they have about 100 exercise videos available to watch for free (usually they just have six or so), so I have been taking advantage of it!

The second is http://www.pandora.com/. Again, I am probably way behind the times on this one, but my Daddy recently told me about it and Andrew and I have been having fun trying to make new stations. For any of you who do not know, this is a website where you can basically "customize" different radio stations for yourself based on a genre, artist, or song. My favorite, of course, is Josh Groban radio!

The last neat website that I recently found is http://www.librarything.com/. For all of you bibliophiles, this is a great website where you can catalog up to 200 books for free (beyond that is a small yearly or lifetime membership fee). It's really neat, though, as far as all of the features that it includes. To add a book, you just type in the ISBN, and it pulls up everything about the book, including a picture (if they have one), the dewey decimal number, publishing info etc. You can see who has the same books as you and even write your own review.

As a side note, Happy Birthday Baby Carter! My big brother's little boy is a year old today. I've enjoyed being an aunt this year. Can't wait to watch you grow up, little buddy!

Another "by the way," I love quotes. So if any of you have any good ones, please feel free to pass them along. Here's one of my all-time favorites: "If I covet any place on earth but the dust at the foot of the Cross, then I know nothing of Calvary love." -Amy Carmichael

Welcome

Well, I am not too sure who I am welcoming to my blog at this point. To tell the truth, I am going to try blogging before I actually tell anyone I have a blog so I can test my own consistency. I do not need one more thing to make me feel neglectful. Time is an indispensible commodity, after all!

I did want to explain my title and give credit where credit is due. I got this phrase from a Jane Austen quote, and I just happened to Goggle it just now and discover that many other "bloggers" have preceeded me in the use of that title. Oh well, I never claimed to be original, which is another reason why I have pondered creating a blog for so long.

If anyone ever reads this, I want to say that I apologize in advance for its simplicity and pray that somehow you will learn something or be blessed in some way. There will probably be no original thoughts or even clever observations; however, I hope you see another example of an imperfect wife and mother who desires to learn through all of her trials, joys, and "busy nothings" to die to her flesh and live on Christ.

God Bless!