Amazing Grace

O THOU GIVING GOD,
My heart is drawn out in thankfulness to thee,
for thy amazing grace and condescension
to me
in influences and assistances of thy Spirit,
for special help in prayer,
for the sweetness of Christian service,
for the thoughts of arriving in heaven,
for always sending me needful supplies,
for raising me to new life when I am
like one dead.
I want not the favour of man to lean upon
for thy favour is infinitely better.
Thou art eternal wisdom in dispensations
towards me;
and it matters not when, nor where, nor how
I serve thee,
nor what trials I am exercised with,
if I might but be prepared for thy work and will.
No poor creature stands in need of divine grace
more than I do,
And yet none abuses it more than I have done,
and still do.
How heartless and dull I am!
Humble me in the dust for not loving thee more.
Every time I exercise my grace renewedly
I am renewedly indebted to thee,
the God of all grace, for special assistance.
I cannot boast when I think how dependent
I am upon thee for the being and every act
of grace;
I never do anything but depart from thee,
and if ever I get to heaven it will be because
thou willest it, and for no reason beside.
I love, as a feeble, afflicted, despised creature,
to cast myself on thy infinite grace and goodness,
hoping for no happiness but from thee;
Give me special grace to fit me for special services,
and keep me calm and resigned at all times,
humble, solemn, mortified,
and conformed to thy will.


-The Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions

The 11 Halloween Pumpkin Coloring Pages

The 11 Hhalloween Pumpkin Coloring Pages

Emotions and the Spiritual Life

I posted this on 11 October 2006 and is reposting here because it is so insightful.

Emotions and Spiritual Direction

Kathleen Fischer, Working with the Emotions in Spiritual Direction: Seven Guiding Principles, Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction. Vol.12. No.13. September 2006


Fisher, obviously a very experienced psychotherapist has given us seven guiding principles for working with emotions in spiritual direction.

1. Emotions belong at the center of spirituality, not at its edges.

It has taken us a long time but finally we have come to the realization that a holistic spirituality has emotions at the center of spirituality. I agree fully with Fisher in this. In many traditions, especially the Evangelical tradition, we value the intellectual, treating the emotions as unreliable guides. It has become a major stop for us to acknowledge that we are emotional beings. Donald Coggan, the 101st Archbishop of Canterbury once said that the longest journey in our spiritual life is from the head to the heart.

2. Emotions are not opposed to reason, in fact, they are a mode of knowing.
“The heart has its reasons that reasons does not know”. I agree with Fisher here that emotion is a way of knowing. If we learn to acknowledge and name our emotions and trace it back to the cause, it often gives us new insights into a lot of issues. That is because of the mechanism of denial that blocks our reasoning sequence. Fisher also formed a few questions to help us in our prayer reflection:
· What is the feeling in me like and how do I picture it?
· Does my anger issue in a sense of resolve and creative direction, or is it eating away at body and spirit, alienating me from others and interfering from prayer?
· Am I choosing to hold tight to feelings of hurt and sorrow in spite of the grace that keeps me from fully using my gifts in the ministry, or should I risk moving past it?
· Do feelings of guilt undermine my trust in God and myself, or can I make peace with my finitude and the limits of life?
· Can I celebrate the joy and peace I experience this day as God’s gift? (p.29)

3. Naming emotions accurately and exploring their relationship to the Spirit requires patient, attentive listening.

Fischer notes that emotions often come as “interwoven clusters”. Thus it is the role of a spiritual director to carefully untangle the whole clusters. Often anger may come together with the fear of death, shame or dearth.

4. Bringing hidden and unacknowledged emotions to awareness frequently leads to breakthroughs on the spiritual journey.
It has been noted that sometimes we have feelings about our feelings. “We are ashamed of our sexual desire, guilty about our jealousy, afraid of our anger-and sometimes the feeling about the feeling is worst than the initial feeling itself.” (Italics author’s). This is where careful listening and providing a safe space comes in. A safe space is where a directee can feel secure to explore his or her own emotions without the feeling or being judged by the director.

5. Tracing emotional memory, the history of how we came to feel the way we do, often liberates a person spiritually.
We have emotional memories. The smell of cherry blossoms may bring back memories of a holiday in Japan. Emotional memories offers the director many opportunities to strengthen or weaken the hold the past. I strongly support Fischer’s statement that we allow the memories to surface rather than to probe for them. When a memory, especially a negative memory surface by itself, the directee may be ready to deal with it. Prematurely bringing out negative memories may be harmful to the directee.

6. Praying with the imagination and incorporating the arts into spirituality leads to insight and conversion.
The arts have always had a highway into our heart. Hence the spiritual director must be familiar with ways of using the arts; creative paintings, music, icons, mandala to help their directees identify and deal with their emotions. Imaginative praying especially using bible stories is a powerful tool.

7. Spiritual directors need to pay prayerful attention to their own emotional experience, inside and outside the time of direction.
Spiritual directors must always be doing their own emotional work so that they will know where they stand with themselves. Aside from that, they must be listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. Sometimes, issues may be hidden from the director by the skilful psychological defenses of the directee. In such cases, the Holy Spirit will uncover the deception and fgo to the heart of the matter.

This is an informative article contain the distilled wisdom from Kathleen Fischer who has been a psychotherapist and spiritual director for more than twenty years.

11 Happy Halloween Coloring Pages

11 Happy Halloween Coloring Pages

Halloween Coloring Pages for Kids

Halloween Coloring Pages for Kids

Fall Book Pumpkin

What's a "book pumpkin"?  A unique and adorable tutorial by CraftberryBush who suggests we "Fall in love with fall" by making this book pumpkin.

How cute is this?

And look at this!!

This lady at Craftberry Bush is AMAZING! She is an inspiration to all crafters, a true artist. She suggests :

"How about a little white pumpkin with the kiddies?  Simply take some white paper and fold in half.  Staple the centre to form a little booklet and have your child cut the 'pages'.  Glue a little stick and there you go.  These would also make lovely place cards or you can make a streamer, so many craftberries...."

Linking to BusyMom

Stalking at this blog hop Formulamom

Fall Book Pumpkin

What's a "book pumpkin"?  A unique and adorable tutorial by CraftberryBush who suggests we "Fall in love with fall" by making this book pumpkin.

How cute is this?

And look at this!!

This lady at Craftberry Bush is AMAZING! She is an inspiration to all crafters, a true artist. She suggests :

"How about a little white pumpkin with the kiddies?  Simply take some white paper and fold in half.  Staple the centre to form a little booklet and have your child cut the 'pages'.  Glue a little stick and there you go.  These would also make lovely place cards or you can make a streamer, so many craftberries...."

Linking to BusyMom

Stalking at this blog hop Formulamom

Halloween Pooh Treat Coloring Pages

Halloween Pooh Treat Coloring Pages

Pooh Pirate Costume of Halloween Day Coloring Pages

Pooh Pirate Costume of Halloween Day Coloring Pages

Pooh Halloween Coloring Pages

Pooh Halloween Coloring Pages

Fall Leaves Coloring Page

Fall Leaves Coloring Page

Healthier Chicken fried steak recipe

A Southern Favorite! 

Thanks to Prevention.com

It's essential to pound the meat and allow it to soak in buttermilk before cooking it. That way, even a lean cut of meat like top round will still be tender like fattier cuts traditionally used in this dish.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients1 pound trimmed top round steak, preferably grass fed
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
3/4 cup all-natural whole wheat panko-style bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 pinches ground red pepper
Olive oil spray (propellant free)

InstructionsPlace the steak on a clean, flat work surface. Using the toothed side of a meat mallet, pound it on both sides, until it is 1/4" thick. Cut it into 4 equal pieces. Place the pieces in a medium plastic bag and pour the buttermilk over them. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Place 2 sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper on a clean, flat work surface.

Add the panko to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Process until they are fine crumbs. Spoon the bread crumbs onto a plate.

In a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, turmeric, salt, and red pepper.

Remove 1 steak from the buttermilk and let any excess drip off. Over a sheet of waxed paper, sprinkle both sides of the steak evenly with about one-quarter of the spice mixture. Immediately transfer the steak to the crumbs. Coat both sides. Then place the breaded steak on the second sheet of waxed paper. Repeat with the remaining steaks, placing them side by side so they don't touch on the paper. Mist the tops of both sides of the steaks with spray and sprinkle with additional pepper to taste.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, mist it with spray. Cook the steaks for 1 to 3 minutes per side, or until the breading is crisp on the outside and the insides are cooked to desired doneness (be careful not to overcook the steaks--if you do, the breading will become soggy and fall off the steaks). Lightly mist the finished steaks with spray and serve immediately.

Per serving: 166 calories, 27 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates (1 g sugar), 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 51 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 159 mg sodium

Adapted from The Biggest Loser Flavors of the World Cookbook by Chef Devin Alexander and The Biggest Loser Experts and Cast with Melissa Roberson. Copyright © 2011 by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP, The Biggest Loser?, and NBC Studios, Inc., and Reveille LLC. Reprinted by permission of Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098.

Healthier Chicken fried steak recipe

A Southern Favorite! 

Thanks to Prevention.com

It's essential to pound the meat and allow it to soak in buttermilk before cooking it. That way, even a lean cut of meat like top round will still be tender like fattier cuts traditionally used in this dish.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients1 pound trimmed top round steak, preferably grass fed
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
3/4 cup all-natural whole wheat panko-style bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 pinches ground red pepper
Olive oil spray (propellant free)

InstructionsPlace the steak on a clean, flat work surface. Using the toothed side of a meat mallet, pound it on both sides, until it is 1/4" thick. Cut it into 4 equal pieces. Place the pieces in a medium plastic bag and pour the buttermilk over them. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Place 2 sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper on a clean, flat work surface.

Add the panko to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Process until they are fine crumbs. Spoon the bread crumbs onto a plate.

In a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, turmeric, salt, and red pepper.

Remove 1 steak from the buttermilk and let any excess drip off. Over a sheet of waxed paper, sprinkle both sides of the steak evenly with about one-quarter of the spice mixture. Immediately transfer the steak to the crumbs. Coat both sides. Then place the breaded steak on the second sheet of waxed paper. Repeat with the remaining steaks, placing them side by side so they don't touch on the paper. Mist the tops of both sides of the steaks with spray and sprinkle with additional pepper to taste.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, mist it with spray. Cook the steaks for 1 to 3 minutes per side, or until the breading is crisp on the outside and the insides are cooked to desired doneness (be careful not to overcook the steaks--if you do, the breading will become soggy and fall off the steaks). Lightly mist the finished steaks with spray and serve immediately.

Per serving: 166 calories, 27 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates (1 g sugar), 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 51 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 159 mg sodium

Adapted from The Biggest Loser Flavors of the World Cookbook by Chef Devin Alexander and The Biggest Loser Experts and Cast with Melissa Roberson. Copyright © 2011 by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP, The Biggest Loser?, and NBC Studios, Inc., and Reveille LLC. Reprinted by permission of Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098.

Kids Happy Halloween Coloring Pages

Kids Happy Halloween Coloring Pages

Happy Halloween Coloring Page Picture

Happy Halloween Coloring Page Picture

Glimpses of Las Vegas