HE IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!

JESUS.

Santa lives at the North Pole.
JESUS is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh
JESUS rides on the wind
and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year
JESUS is an ever- present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies
JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited
JESUS stands at your door and knocks
and then enters your heart.

You have to stand in line to see Santa
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap
JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is
"Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?"
JESUS knew our name before we did.
Not only does He know our name,
He knows our address too.
He knows our history and future
and He knows how many hairs are on our heads.

JESUS has a heart full of love.

JESUS offers health, help and hope.

Santa says "You better not cry"
JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me
for I care for you.

Santa's little helpers make toys
JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts,
repairs broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree,
JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.


It's obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.

We need to put CHRIST back in CHRISTmas!!

Roasted Red Pepper And Basil Pesto Pinwheels

Okay this is definitely a wonderful recipe and one that I will be making again in the near future. It was so simple yet these little appetizers explode with flavor in your mouth and are nice to pair with homemade soups as well, which is what is for dinner tonight. :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 can (8oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8oz) Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations refrigerated seamless dough sheet.
1/4 cup of basil pesto
1/4 cup of roasted red bell peppers (from a jar)

DIRECTIONS: Heat oven to 350 degrees. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate dough into 4 rectangles. Firmly press perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles. Spread pesto over each rectangle to within 1/4 inch of edge. Sprinkle with roasted red peppers. Starting with 1 short side, roll up each rectangle; press edge to seal. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 4 slices. Bake 13-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. These are the best when served warm.  Makes 16 appetizers.

Beefy Tortellini Soup

This soup is scrumptious, pretty, and unbelievably fast to put together. For a creamier version of this soup, you can substitute cream of mushroom soup for the French onion soup. If there are any leftovers, they taste even better the next day.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
3 1/2 cups water
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (10 ounce) can condensed French onion soup, undiluted
1 (9 ounce) package frozen green beans
1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil

In a large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add all of the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until heated through. This makes about 6-8 servings.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love CrockPots because they simultaneously make my life easier and make it seem like I've put a lot more effort into dinner than I actually did. Anything that can do that is definitely a winner in my book!

Because we've been experiencing some cooler weather around here, I have decided to use the trusty CrockPot more lately. One of my favorite things to make in the winter is homemade soups and since I haven't posted a recipe in a long time, I thought I'd share with all of you! :)

Ingredients
2 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans Ro-Tel (I like the lime & cilantro, but the regular is fine)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn
1 onion, chopped
2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
1-2 cups of water
1 Tbsp garlic powder*
1 Tbsp chile powder*
1 Tbsp ground cumin*
1 Tbsp dried cilantro*

tortilla chips
sour cream
shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

*Instead of these spices, you could include a packet of Taco seasoning if you prefer.*

Put chopped onion, cans of beans, rotel, corn, chicken broth, water, and spices in CrockPot and stir to mix. Put chicken breasts on top of mixture and make sure they're at least partly submerged in liquid. Cook on high 6-7 hours or low 8-9 hours. Before serving remove the chicken breasts from soup and shred, if needed, (sometimes they'll just fall apart on their own, but sometimes they need some help). Return chicken to CrockPot, stir to combine.

To serve put a few tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl, ladle soup over tortilla chips, top with shredded cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream, serve with more chips if you like. Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day

I have got to be the luckiest and or most blessed woman in the entire world! As I was preparing a nice candlelight dinner for my husband when he got home from work tonight, he walked in the door with the most beautiful Lily plant ever, which is one of my favorites by the way! No only did he make my day special but he brought me one of my favorite plants in the entire universe. What made it even more special was the name "Love Story Lily." Richie and I certainly have one of the greatest love stories ever as far as I am concerned and we grow closer to each other every single day. It's amazing to watch our lives weave together like a beautiful tapestry and to see true love blossom, the way God designed it to be.

Needless to say we had a fantastic Valentine's Day and we are so incredibly blessed by the love that we have for each other. A love that can only be blessed by the one who created us! I love the trio that we are, Richie and I with God right in the middle of our marriage. May He continue to strengthen our marriage each and every day and may our lives reflect His love.