I am grateful

As I was scrolling through my Facebook page this morning, I saw a really good article that I just wanted to share with you all. I am going to copy and paste part of it here for those of you who don't have time to read the whole thing. And if you do the link is right here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-dannemiller/christians-should-stop-saying_b_4868963.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

Excerpt:
"If we're looking for the definition of blessing, Jesus spells it out clearly (Matthew 5: 1-12).

1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him,
2 And He began to teach them, saying:
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I have a sneaking suspicion verses 12a 12b and 12c were omitted from the text. That's where the disciples responded by saying:
12a Waitest thou for one second, Lord. What about "blessed art thou comfortable," or 12b "blessed art thou which havest good jobs, a modest house in the suburbs, and a yearly vacation to the Florida Gulf Coast?"
12c And Jesus said unto them, "Apologies, my brothers, but those did not maketh the cut.""

Aside from that last "verse" being clever, it is also very true.We aren't guaranteed a good job, a house, a car or an easy life. We are guaranteed the things stated above if we choose to accept God's gift. You are blessed to have a God that loves you and has given you His greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ.

My favorite chili

Today it is snowing like crazy! We are supposed to get up to eight inches over the next 24 hours. So Sylas and I are tucked inside where its nice and warm. I have the front windows open so Sylas can watch it fall. He finally tuckered out and went down for a nap so I have some time to post.

I thought that all this snow would make a great day to make some chili for lunch. So I'm going to share my recipe with you guys to enjoy. It is actually the way my dad always made chili. It is pretty mild and perfect for kids. Sylas absolutely loves it! Its a very simple, semi-homemade, one pot chili. All you need is right here in the picture: 

 

* diced onion (dehydrated or fresh)

* tomato juice

* McCormick chilli seasoning (mild)

* 2 cans Mrs. Grimes chili beans

* 1 can tomato paste

* 1lb hamburger 

Start by browning your meat. Sprinkle some onion in with the meat to bring out its flavor.

 After you have drained the excess grease from the hamburger, add the tomato paste and the chili beans.

The next thing that I like to do (totally optional) is pour some tomato juice into the cans to get all of the stuff out, especially the tomato paste since it tends to stick to the can. Just swirl your spoon around in it and pour out into the pot.

I normally use garden tomato juice but I didn't have any today, so I improvised and used Campbell's . I like home grown, canned juice better because it is thicker and pulpy. So when using store bought, I use less juice. I like my chili to be thicker. If you prefer your chili to be a little soupy, you can add the whole thing.

This is about how full the pot is after the juice is added. 

Next, add your chili seasoning packet. I use mild because it is kid friendly but there are hotter versions if you are looking for some heat.

Cook over high heat until it gets to a good bubble, then lower the temp to cook off the rest of the excess fluid. Make sure you stir it frequently because it can burn and stick to the bottom of the pot. Then you have little black floaties in it.

You can eat it plain or serve it with some saltines and shredded cheese. My personal favorite, a chili cheese dog.