A Still Small Voice

              Remember the life of Elijah, the prophet written about in the Old Testament? In 1 Kings 19:11-12 the Lord is really wanting to get a hold of Elijah's heart, to speak to him about some important stuff. God calls him away, up to a mountain to get him alone, because there the Lord is going to speak with him. "Then He said, 'Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord passed by and a great strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice." 
                I really like this set of verses because it shows us some very important things..

1.) God desires alone time with us
     - Yep. You read that right. The God of the universe DESIRES to spend time with us, in communion and fellowship, alone with our hearts.It is in our selfishness and busyness that we reject Him of this time. Oh, how foolish we can be.

2.) Sometimes, God just wants to speak tenderly
    - Sure, there are times when God will and does speak through the strong winds and earthquakes of our lives, we expect Him to speak then. But often God wants to speak to us tenderly. In His still small voice that whispers to the corners of hearts and says, "I see you, I love you, and this is what we are going to do next". But too many times, the chaos we call daily life gets too loud for us to listen in for that gentle voice of love, and we don't take the time to get quiet before God to find it.

3.) When life gives you quiet minutes...GRAB THEM
     - Don't jump on Facebook for the 30th time today, or check your Instagram feed to see what your BFF is having for lunch, take that time and sit at the feet of Jesus. Maybe it's just one minute in between classes, or maybe it's an hour you've found on your lunch break...read a verse, a Psalm, send a prayer of praise to the Lord, thank Him for the day He has given you, or sit alone and do nothing...but whatever the time, however you chose to use it, practice quieting your heart before the Lord. You'll be amazed how much it will refresh you to reflect on the good gifts He has given you for one minute, or to remember who God is in your life, or even to sit quietly and listen to Him speak words of love into your heart. 

I hope that this weekend you make time to get alone and to get quiet, to listen for the still small voice of God in your heart. Remember, He desires time with you, He wants to be able to shower you with His love, to pour out His grace, to refresh your heart and guide your steps...give Him time to do just that! 

Sincerely, 
Kaity

Sundays in the Kitchen

I used to look at people who do food prep and think 'why would you want to spend the last day of your weekend cooking all afternoon?!' Well let me tell you people, food prep is the most underrated thing. It's wonderful, it saves me so much time during the week, and I am able to eat healthy meals! 
Here are my steps and tips to successful food prep:

1.) Have a Plan- my sister and I go through and pick some recipes we are going to make for the week. Usually they are dinner type meals that can make several servings and are easy to reheat. Make a list of the ingredients you will need for each recipe, along with your other usual grocery store grabs

2.) Time to shop- I love grocery shopping. Whole Foods has become my favorite Sunday hangout, I could walk the isles for a good couple of hours. But anyway, get what you need and don't forget your list! 

3.) Head to the Kitchen- once your shopping is done its time to cook! I like to start by preparing the big meals first. Last week we made a slow cooker stew and a slow cooker chicken recipe (links to both below). I also like to put a couple of salads together that are easy to grab for lunch, cook up some rice and quinoa (you can make these side dishes for just about anything), and cut up some fruits and veggies for snacks (I eat more of them if I can just grab and go!). 

4.) Ease Yourself Into it- if you are anything like me, then the kitchen can be a little bit intimidating. Don't worry about having every single meal for the week prepped, it can get overwhelming, and you can end up with more food than you can really eat. So start by trying to prep one or two meals. Maybe cook up some chicken for a lunch and dinner, or throw together some salad for the week.  Prep to the extent that works best for you and your schedule.

5.) Get creative and try new things- because we prep for the whole week, we eat a lot of the same meals. so for my sister and I, we try to find new recipes and flavors each week. Have fun in the kitchen and experiment.

Last week we tried three all new recipes we ended up loving them all! here are the links to each of the recipes. They are easy to make and may be a good starting point for you:

• Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken: http://www.emilylovesfood.com/2012/11/20/slow-cooker-sesame-chicken/
• Quinoa Egg Bake: http://www.fitsugar.com/Healthy-Quinoa-Egg-Bake-Recipe-26947762
• New Mexican Stew: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-mexican-stew.html

I hope you enjoy! 
Sincerely, 
Kaity