Profil de WendiHenry Legacy has moved t...PhotosBlogListesPlus  |  Outils Aide |
Henry Legacy has moved to http://wideopenair.blogspot.comMeaning, Truth, Community, Contribution-----A Look Inside Our Life----- For a look inside our hearts, visit http://wideopenair.blogspot.com |
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3 avril Oh yeah, We've Moved...The Henry's are taking a bit of advice from our good friends Russ and Angel (a.k.a. The Voice of Adventure) and my new friend Scott Hanselman and have decided to officially retire our old blog. Russ and Angel are people admire so we're aspiring to follow their example and share our whole lives with you, Dear Reader, in one place rather than splitting our virtual personality. Not only is maintaining two blogs more work but also "it's as tacky as having 5 phone numbers on your business card." Scott drives this and other smart blog tips home in his post 32 Ways to Keep Your Blog from Sucking. I suppose that is that so tell all your friends about the move and we'll catch you later in the Wide Open Air.
Adios, Sam & The Henry Family 22 février Madeline's Bike RideMy baby has been learning to ride her bike without her training wheels. Here's the proof :-) Daddy's Birthday Gift
The girls and I made a video for Sam for his birthday. He loved it, so we thought we'd share it with you. 21 février Daddy's BirthdayWe celebrated Sam's Birthday on the 10th in our family's traditional style with Daddy's favorite breakfast, lunch out at Bob's Taco Station, and a yummy flourless chocolate cake - moist & rich (click link for last year's post with recipe). Of course, the kids favorite part of any birthday celebration is the CAKE - just look at the joy on their faces. We ended the night with a candlelight dinner featuring our favorite take-out sans kids, of course. Our Stuff & Its Relationship to JusticeI stole the following message from one of my neighbors, Stacey. She sent out the link today to a very important website. So, here's to all my "consumers with a conscience" :-)
For some, this is life-changing. For others, thank you for already doing your part to 'stop the madness.' Give yourself a good 20 minutes of uninterrupted time...sit back and 'enjoy.' You will want to send this to everyone you know!
Please watch the short film on this website: http://www.storyofstuff.com/ . It is very timely, as we are being told to shop ourselves out of recession. This short film will change the way you think about our stuff! It is a powerful message done in a creative, fun way. Enjoy! 19 février A Graceless LifeI've recently "discovered" that I've been struggling with bitterness - wow! that wasn't on my radar of issues. It turns out that I've been inadvertently blaming someone else for some of my most glaring flaws because I felt wronged by them. The more I've been doing the very things I hate (Romans 7), as stated in a previous post, the more graceless, bitter, and disgusted I've become not only with myself but also with the one I'm bitter toward, and it finally spread like yeast to everyone else around me. One of my first thoughts after "I have issues, but not bitterness." was "Yikes! How did I get here and what do I do?" Consider the following quote from The Woman's Study Bible (NKJV), p.2048, topical note on Bitterness:
Well, I've certainly been in a place of 'refusing grace' lately both for myself and others, so no wonder I have none to give. When I feel ashamed or hurt, I turn inward to "get 'er done" in my own self-sufficient sort of way, and in so doing, I refuse the grace of God. When I need most to rely on His grace, I end up doing everything in my own strength which, as stated in John 15:5, never works and then I grow bitter. For me, bitterness is like tying a rotting corpse around my waste, and all the death and decay eventually consume me, as I become just like that thing which I hate. So, I choose to forgive, which I know will be a process and NOT an event. My prayer today, "Help me to forgive and have compassion and grace for those who have wronged me, so that I can also receive grace and escape this "body of death." (Romans 7:24) And there you have it...my revelation of the week: A graceless life is a bitter life. GF Breaded ChickenBreaded Chicken According to the folks at Pei Wei, you can use either Tapioca Starch (flour, aka Cassava flour) or Potato Starch - I purchase both at the Asian Market, but have only made the chicken with the tapioca starch. It sticks VERY well and tastes like Pei Wei - yum! I cut chicken breasts into chunks, making sure they are rinsed in water (to help the flour stick) and toss them in a ziploc bag with the starch/flour. You can also add a little sea salt or pepper, as the flour really is rather flavorless, but my kids use so much ketchup that I often don't bother. I fry mine in 1/4-1/2 inch of unrefined coconut oil in my cast iron skillet, but I'm sure other oils and pans would yield yummy results as well. Enjoy! 18 février Our Oldest Cutie in the NewspaperOur oldest cutie was in the newspaper this past week for Valentines' Day, so I had to share. 12 février Red Letters Book ClubWell, my buddy Angel and I have the extreme privilege of leading the first Red Letters Book Club at our church. Today, our discussion was great, and I got so excited that I went home and sent out a whole bunch of "extra" information to the group. I thought I should also share it here and will probably continue to in the weeks ahead. Our hope is that over the next 6-12 weeks, you'll become familiar with enough resources that you can pray specifically and hear what God is asking of you, that you can begin "Living a Faith that Bleeds." 11 février In Honor of the Recent Father-Daughter DanceFollowing are the words to one of my favorite new songs (thanks Tracy for sharing it with me): you can listen to it here www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfxL0S-7yVo Steven Curtis Chapman - Cinderella She spins and she sways So I will dance with Cinderella Well, she came home today So I will dance with Cinderella MisconceptionsWell, it seems I've been attracting some comments over this past year that have left me feeling humbled and misunderstood, so it’s time for another taste of the ‘real me.’ The comments have been similar to the following:
1 - "You just don't know how good you have it..."
2 - "Supermom"
3 - "You just seem to have it all together."
Now, I hate to burst your bubble, but 'not true' on all accounts. And for some of you reading this, you've heard the same about your own little world, so I hope you can tune in.
1 - To the 'not knowing how good my life is,' well, that's something that is all too easy to take for granted. Sometimes, I find myself envying others and other times I am glad to be on my own patch of grass, so to speak. However, I am more aware each day, as my path crosses hundreds of others, that I am richly blessed and undeservedly so. I have struggled over the past 11 or so years to burst out of the bubble I grew up in and learn about other people, but I don’t for one second think that my life is anything but abundant. God’s grace is stammering and very real to me.
2 – Well, not sure what to say other than this, (from the ESV Bible, Romans 12:3 & 6)
“…think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned… Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them”
Of course, the whole passage is a great message in how individuals contribute to the health of the whole, but my favorite verse in particular is this one about doing what you’ve been called to do because you have the grace to fulfill that calling while others do not. For me, it is a strong reminder that when I look at others in awe and wonder, it is most likely because they are operating in their gift with the grace God has given them, and maybe, just maybe, they are doing something I admire deeply but am not called to (or do not have the grace to) do. It does not make them superheroes, just [hopefully] faithful stewards of their gift. And when others want to say that about me, I pray they are not seeing an arrogant, proud, superficial representation of what I want my life to be, but a true calling walked out.
3 – First thing that comes to my mind, “Ha! That’s hilarious!” Since most days I’m barely ahead by five minutes. Of course, that’s what I’d like for you to think (back to the pride thing again), and frankly, what I’d like to think about myself. But the truth is, it just isn’t true. My favorite analogy is of a duck gliding along on the water – it looks so serene, doesn’t it? But underneath, those little feet are paddling like crazy! That’s me most days that I have to “present.” Sure, I can get through an hour or two of just about anything with at least a modicum of calm, but rest assured, that there is a barrel of monkeys under the surface just waiting to bust out (and I’m not talking about my four kids J). So next time you see me ‘gliding like a duck,’ feel free to ask me, “are you REALLY calm right now, or are you ‘duck calm’?” and we can both laugh about the answer.
Love to you all – thanks for keeping me sober-minded and reflective! Cool ListJana posted a very cool list that you need to read. Click here to read. (from a blogger I "met" through an adoption forum when we were considering our adoption - what a great list!)10 février Father-Daughter Dance 2008This past Friday my two precious Princesses went to our church's annual Father-Daughter Dance with their handsome Prince, Daddy. There's an album of pictures to see how much fun they had getting their nails painted & hair fixed (by beautician, Mommy), dressing up (in their favorite accessory - tights), and dancing (more with friends than Daddy). This is the first year they've made it longer than 30 minutes, in fact, they lasted 3 hours! Too cute - just see for yourself!
Mommy's OuchyYou like my "permanent" eye shadow? This is what happens when you go to check on your kids at night without turning on any lights. No, they didn't punch me, I got re-introduced to the edge of my hall door - boy did that hurt! (And this is after a few days of healing.) And yes, my eyebrows could use some help...maybe on my next day off.. My Silly 4-Year OldMadeline recently visited a public restroom with her Nana (my mom). Just as they entered their stalls, my mom’s toilet did the whole auto-flush thing that those over-zealous toilets sometimes do. Madeline yelled out, “Wow, Nana! That is the biggest ‘tee-tee’ I have ever heard!” 22 janvier "Wretched man that I am!"(all references are from the ESV Bible)
There's been a struggle going on in my household between me and me...no I don't have a split personality, although I must admit there are days when others (like my husband and children) might disagree :-).
But really, I'm talking about my own struggle between good and evil. I've been having such a hard time lately with my tongue - not just the words that roll off of it, but the way they sound coming out. My oldest daughter has become a megaphone of Mommy's bad habits for me to hear daily, and I cringe. I found myself digging through my Bible to find some truth on which to meditate and was focusing on James 3...verses like 8-10,
Yes, that is me...trying to squeeze chocolate syrup from a horseradish bottle. As you can imagine, it isn't working. My precious husband has struggled over the last 10 years to teach me that "blessing" and "cursing" have a lot less to do with the words I say, and much more to do with the way I say them...God help it stick!
By cross reference, I was led to other scripture in I Timothy and Romans, and this section from Romans 7:15ff sums up how I feel: (bear with me, as Romans can be fairly heavy)
I am thankful to know the Grace of God, but am burdened by my own depravity. It is an overwhelming feeling, as a parent, (and honestly quite arrogant) to feel that you hold the "keys" to success or failure when it comes to your childrens' futures. I know my struggle is greater when I attempt to do it all on my own, and therein lies the hitch...I need to get out of the way, so God can speak through me, with new words and a kinder tone, not only to my husband and children, but to everyone I see. God, please keep me out of your way, and if necessary, use duct tape!!!
21 janvier GF Flour TipI've been using the Gluten-Free flour mixture now for a few months with great success. My number one tip is this: PACK THE FLOUR VERY TIGHTLY WHEN YOU'RE MEASURING. It is a very light and loose powder, so your recipes will be runny if you don't pack the flour. So far, I've used it in Corn Bread (although I have a cornbread recipe that calls for no flour, I wanted to see how it would perform), Pizza Dough (see http://thevoiceofadventure.blogspot.com/ for the actual recipe), and several cookie recipes. Hope it's working well for you, too! Homemade Ice CreamWell, my sweet husband up and did it now...he bought an ice cream maker. Not that I don't think it's totally cool...especially for a pregnant girl who loves ice cream :-). The coolest part is that I've been wondering just how "natural" you could make ice cream and was wondering if I could use honey instead of sugar...well, it turns out you can! (As long as it's VERY flavored, like chocolate, peanut butter, etc.). It does not work well for vanilla, since the flavor is so overpowering that it just tastes like honey ice cream...and too sweet!
You could also start out substituting half and see what you think. Also, we made half-batches just in case, so we wouldn't waste as much if we messed up...although, how can you mess up ice cream - even if you just mixed all the ingredients in a bowl and put it in the freezer, wouldn't it taste yummy...milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, .... you get the picture. So, I had to share two of the yummiest recipes EVER with you (unfortunately, no pictures yet, but I will get my battery fixed and take some for you):
18 janvier CampingAs I mentioned in the holiday re-cap, we went camping in December. If you've never visited a state park, it's a great experience - even just for the day - and many have cabins to rent if tents aren't your thing. We had plans to go to a park that we found out was expecting a freeze in the 20's, so we opted for something a little closer and degrees warmer - albeit still in the 30's - it was an interesting two nights, but despite stopping for extra hats, mittens, wool socks, and thermals, we really did have a lot of fun.
Our adventure was full of making camp fires, hikes with dad, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, making our gluten-free Smores substitute, Chocolate-Marshmallow Bananas (see photo Album "July 4, 2007" for pictures), frito pie - scrumptious! Oh, and hot chocolate, of course! (No, our time didn't actually revolve around food, but almost) :-)
Our favorite thing about 'camping' is the absolute peacefulness of no schedule, no artificial sounds, and the chance to talk about life, mostly uninterrupted. The girls love going on individual Daddy hikes, and Daddy and I always stay up after the kids are asleep and sit around the campfire and talk. Those closest to me know me as a "Martha" type, so it's good for me because it's pitch black and there's nothing else for me to do, so I have no excuses to not 'sit down.' There are pictures in the "Camping" album.
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