For Monday, March 27th, 2023

 

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE 

MONDAY, MARCH 27TH, 2023

The moments of our lives may be bright with possibility, dark with fear or sadness, or even plain everyday gray, but God's glory never fades.  May God's glory shine into the exciting lights, upsetting darks,  and boring grays of your every day.

Slightly adapted from one of my morning devotionals

86 DAYS UNTIL SUMMER

In Ohio

 Sunrise:  7:20 am

 Sunset:   7:48  

pm

Life is a special    

occasion!

Hallmark!

Today is a Happy Anniversary to DS#4 and his wife.

An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow!

Author Unknown 

May the dear Lord bless you both today and always!

Happy Anniversary to you♥ 

Today is also Qirky Country Music Song Titles Day which celebrates this  unique songs.  Songs like Johnny Cash’s Everytime I Itch I Wind Up Scratching You, or Kenny Chesney’s She Thinks my Tractor’s Sexy or Homer and Jetho’s, She Made Toothpicks Out of the Timber of my Heart.  

Today is the day to pay tribute to these songs that put a smile on your face.  Country music evolved from Appalacian folk music in the 1920’s, and became a nationwide sensation in the 1940’s.  The Grand Ole Oprey radio station in Nashville, Tennessee began broadcasting weekly concerts that showcased all the different genres of country music - Hillbilly, honky tonk, bluegrass, western, rockabilly, gospel and more.

To celebrate today put on your cowboy hat and get out your banjo and belt out your favorite country music song or play them on the radio.

If you cannot see the bright side, polish the dull side

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Country music is great music because it really comes from real life experiences.  It is such a great haven for reality.

Bryan White

 This son and DIL’s anniversary is another of my long distance celebrations but a card was sent to them with congratulations and lots of love.  I got to visit with them this winter when I went on a trip to Florida.  The first airplane trip I ever took was to go to their wedding and it was my first visit to Florida too.  They have lived a few other places but seem to always go back to Florida.  I can’t blame them, there’s  no place like Florida, especially in the winter.

I do love country music and listen to it all the time, it’s a habit of mine to turn the radio on and sing along.  I never really liked it until I went camping with my daughter and her husband.  We shared a permanent camping spot for several years and my SIL used to always have country music playing.

It’s relaxing to me and always seems to tell a story.  

Today I’ll be cooking up something new and on the menu is:

Beef and Bean Sloppy Joes

Serves 4

1 Tbsp. olive oil

12 oz. lean ground beef

1 cup black beans, rinsed 

1 cup chopped onion

2 Tsp Chile powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

Pinch of cayenne pepper 

1 cup no salt tomato sauce 

3 Tbsp Ketchup

1 Tbsp. reduced sodium Worceshire sauce

2 tsp. spice brown mustard

1 tsp light brown sugar

4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add beef and cook, braking it up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned.  Use a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a bowl, reserving drippings in the pan.

Add beans and onion to the pan, cook stirring often until onion is softened.  Add chile powder, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne; cook stirring constantly until fragrant. Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard and brown sugar. Return the beef to the pan.  Bring to a simmer and cook stirring often until the beef is just cooked through and sauce has thickened slightly.  Serve on buns.

As usual I omitted the cayenne and the brown sugar.  I also used pinto beans instead of black beans because I didn’t have any on hand, otherwise I followed the recipe as is.  The addition of beans to the beef gives us an additional supply of fiber which is good for all of us. I’ll be having mine on my oatmeal bread instead of a bun with just a few slightly salted potato chips. Since I discovered that oatmeal bread is so much better for me, I don’t have any other kind.

We may have some more rain coming our way today, so I’ll be staying in and keeping dry.  I did go out briefly yesterday afternoon to get my prescriptions refilled.  I take blood pressure meds and they are a necessity.

I hope you all have a GREAT start to this new week!  Happy Monday!

COUNTING MY BLESSINGS 

To me country music tells a story about, and deals with the way people live their lives and what they do.

Randy Travis

Counting at least 3 things every day that I'm thankful for.  There is truly is always something to be thankful for.

11,167. for country music and all its quirky titles

11,168.  for a healthy dinner tonight 

11,169. for a day to stay inside and get housework done.

Enter into His courts with thanksgiving — and in His presence is fullness of Joy!

PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPS

Please pray for God's protection of

our troops and HIS wisdom for their

commanders.

 

Almighty and eternal God,

Protect our military

as they discharge their duties

with the shield of your strength,

may the power of your love

enable them to return home in safety

that with all who love them

they may ever praise you for your loving care.

AND bless our Police Officers, Firefighters and EMT’s.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

ADVICE FOR TODAY

County music is good for the soul.

Author Unknown

A little smile, a word of cheer, 

A bit of love from someone dear…

 

Love,

ma