Oh, I have many, many thoughts today.
Bear with me, because I have many questions, I have many things chasing me, and I am out of balance.
A friend of mine brought to my attention the Book of Job. If you want to see what I'm talking about, just click on "A friend of mine".
She enticed my attention so much that I went to my Book and began reading.
Being a victim of unemployment, a full-time college student, and volunteering at the church,
How do I find balance?
My wonderful minister preached to me last Sunday.
Yes, he preached directly to me.
His words, "Don't worry, be happy".
I have a hard time laying my worries aside.
Does my worry about a test score do any good?
Does my worry about what my family is going to eat do any good?
Does my worry about how I am going to fulfill my spiritual needs for the day going to help?
The test score does not change through worry
The food that my family eats does not change through worry.
My spiritual needs do not change through worry.
My balance.....
Will come with my own determination.
I have to clear my path of worry before I can become balanced.
All of my studies, the food we sometimes have to eat (did you notice the Pizza Hut box mixed in there?), the appointments, and the quiet time will become balanced when worry is out of the way.
My worry sometimes leads me to see red. I don't like it when I can't see past the red.
What puts the red in my vision?
WORRY!!
As I was reviewing the Book of Job, I came across this:
"Job continued to speak. He said, "How I long for the good old days! That's when God watched over me. The light of His lamp shone on me. I walked through darkness by His light. Those were the best days of my life. That's when God's friendship blessed my house. The Mighty One was still with me. My children were all around me. The path in front of me was like sweet cream. It was as if the rock poured out olive oil for me." Job 29: 1-6
When I was working, not attending school, and was right with God in my own way,
I had no worries.
Why do I worry now? Nothing is going to fall apart unless I let it.
I will continue going to school, I will continue working in the church, and my family is eating plenty.
No reason for worry....
Right?
This casserole was thrown together with what I had available in the kitchen. And the good thing about a casserole, it can be eaten for days. I don't have to worry about what my family is eating when I can't be at home.See??? No worries...
This casserole is layers of sauce, cheese, and noodles (the good stuff, right?).
Sauce on the bottom, noodles, cheese, more sauce, cheese, noodles, and more sauce and cheese...
Did you keep up with that order?
I used one package of noodles and layered it twice.
This recipe is linked to Eat At Home ingredient spotlight.
Cheese is good....
This is what it looked like when it came out of the oven.
Mexican Lasagna Casserole1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 TBS chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
a couple shakes of ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 - 15 oz. tomato sauce
1 (14.5 can) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 (15 oz. can) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 TBS green olives, chopped
3 c. mozzarella cheese
1 pkg. whole wheat noodles, cooked al dente
Sour cream for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking pan, set aside.
In a dutch oven, brown the beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat. Stir until meat is no longer pink. Drain if there is a lot of grease. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, and salt and pepper. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add the black beans and olives. Mix well and heat through.
Cook noodles according to package directions for al-dente.
For layers:
Sauce on the bottom of pan
Half of the noodles
Sauce
Cheese
Last half of noodles
Sauce
Cheese
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Plate, and top with a dollop of sour cream.
Good Luck~Happy Eating~Enjoy
"Lord my God, I go to you for safety. Help me. Save me from all those who are chasing me. If You don't, they will tear me apart as if they were lions. They will rip me to pieces so that no one can save me." Psalm 7:1-2
What an awesome blog today (and everyday :) I too worry and I definately need to find some balance in my life as well... you are right worrying won't get anything done and the book of Job think while the baby is napping instead of cleaning (like I usually do) I am going to have a few minutes of devotional time for me... and this casserole looks awesome and I have all the stuff to make it... looks like Mexican casserole for dinner tomorrow :) Yum
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your devotion Joelle. I try and spend a little time in devotion every day. But one thing that helps, I get triple treatment from the minister since I see him three times a week...Is that considered favoritism? I threw together this casserole on a whim, so I hope you enjoy it. Your talent with spices will certainly come in handy with this one. You can also throw corn in with the beans. I didn't have any so I left it out.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Great looking dish! Amazing how God provides, even when our faith is shakey. Yep, I love Job...and have felt like I had it worst than he did at one point in my life. My favorite verse in Job is in 23:10 - 'But he knoweth the way that I take; when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.' No one wants to be 'polished'...but we can rest in the fact that God doesn't make mistakes, and uses all things for our good, and His glory. Wonderful heart stirring post - rich blessings on your week! XO
ReplyDeleteIm one of your newest followers - and love your blog. This casserole recipe looks great. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMay God bless you and your family!
~Melissa