NOT

I am not the strongest

but Your strength is made PERFECT in my weakness

I am not the smartest,

but Your wisdom confounds the wisest of men

I am not the fastest

but the race does not always go to the swift

and you make my feet like the hind’s feet so that I can LEAP to higher and higher heights

I am not the richest

but You own the cattle on a thousand hills

and have freely given me ALL things in Christ Jesus

I am not the most powerful

but the same power that raised Jesus from the dead

that defeated Death itself

dwells in me

I am not a person of great importance

but You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords

and I am Your child, and Your Bride

I am not influential

but You hold the hearts of kings in Your hand

I am not

…

much

But You, O God, HAVE CHOSEN ME

not because I am strong

or beautiful

or wise

or rich

or influential

or even good

or kind

or patient

or helpful

You have chosen me because You love me

You KNOW me, and you love me

You are with me, I am not alone

You created me. I am known

Sophia L Hansen
2013

Sausage & Peppers

Sausage & Peppers is an easy-peasy one pan recipe that is sure to please!

SERVINGS: 6

TOTAL COOKING TIME: 30 MIN

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Ingredients:

2 Tbsp oil

1 pkg Sweet italian Sausage (links or bulk)

1 large Onion (I prefer sweet)

3 Bell Peppers **

splash of cooking wine to deglaze

1 can diced tomatoes w/ Basil, Garlic & Oregano

Directions:

1. Coat large skillet with oil on med high

2. Slice links into bite-sized pieces and brown in pan. (If you are using bulk sausage, just break up into large chunks.) Brown.

3. Halve and slice onion into thick slices. Throw them in the pan once the sausage is browned.

4. Slice peppers thickly, roughly same as onions. If you have multi-colored, start with green, then yellow, orange and red, last.

5. Throw in a splash of cooking wine if you need to deglaze. Scrape up any stuck bits off the bottom of the pan before they start to burn.

6. Stir in the tomatoes. Cover and cook for another 5 min or until the vegetables are tender enough for you.

**frozen veggies can do in a pinch, but instead of cooking them, thaw in a sieve under hot tap water. This helps avoid over-mushy veggies.

I like to serve this with crusty Chicago rolls from Publix's bakery, but it's also great over rice or your favorite pasta.

Beef & Broccoli

Some days you just want some comfort food. Beef and Broccoli does the trick for me.
Here's a tweaked recipe - Enjoy!!

SERVINGS: 4

TOTAL COOKING TIME: 30 MIN

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Ingredients:

1 pound broccoli florets or crowns (slice peeled stems--so delicious!)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp minced garlic**

1 tsp grated (fresh) ginger**

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp cornstarch, divided

1 tsp baking soda

1 pound flank steak (or sirloin, whatever you have)

1/2 cup beef or chicken stock

2 tsp rice wine (sherry works too)

1/4 cup oyster sauce

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Microwave fresh broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl covered with plastic wrap, (poke holes for ventilation,) for 1-2 minutes. (**Frozen will work, but just toss them in the finished product.)

2. Slice the beef against the grain into 1/4 " thick strips and rub well with sugar.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, baking soda and 1 tsp cornstarch. Add scallions, and beef to your marinade and let it sit for at least 20 minutes, then add the sesame oil and mix well. (This can sit up to overnight in the refrigerator.)

4. In a separate small bowl, stir together the stock, rice wine, oyster sauce and remaining 1 tsp cornstarch until the cornstarch is fully dissolved.

5. Heat a wok or large skillet on high heat and add the oil. When a wisp of white smoke appears, toss the marinated beef and garlic into the pan. Cook for about 1 minutes, continually moving the beef so it browns on all sides, but is still rare. Once the beef is seared, add the broccoli and cook for an additional minute.

6. Stir in the sauce and keep it all moving. scrape up any stuck bits off the bottom of the pan before they start to burn. Throw in a splash of sherry if you need to deglaze. Once the sauce has turned into a nice thick glaze, about 1 minutes, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

**keep minced garlic and tube ginger in the fridge, its serves as well for fresh in these preparations without the work or waste.

**frozen veggies can do in a pinch, but instead of cooking them, thaw in a sieve under hot tap water. This helps avoid over-mushy veggies.

This is my adaption of Jet Tila's Beef and Broccoli Food Network recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/beef-and-broccoli-3872568

Publishing News! Check out STORIES THAT SING - HAVOK'S ANTHOLOGY

Now available on Amazon!

My first published flash-fiction story, entitled “MINE,” is now available in print!

Many of you know the good people at HAVOK Publishing. What you may not know is that HAVOK prints seasonal anthologies of curated stories that are chosen by their readers and editors. Now they have released SEASON TWO: STORIES THAT SING - A Flash Fiction Anthology, and I’m beyond thrilled that my story was selected for inclusion!

It’s available now on Amazon at a GREAT PRICE, so support indie publishing and authors and get your copy today! The printed format is coming soon, but you can get the Kindle edition starting April 30, 2020.

If you don’t know about HAVOK, they release fresh, free, flash-fiction stories on their site every weekday, and for just a five bucks a year subscribers can freely access all their stories and archives.

JOIN THE HAVOK HORDE!

LEAFBOUND

Born into darkness with a hunger that doesn’t stop.
Will her need ever be satisfied, or will it drive her to despair?

LEAFBOUND is free at goHavok.com
on Friday, March 27th

Sovereign over Stupid?

I think when I get to heaven, I should bring God one of these "I'm with stupid" t-shirts, cuz, sometimes...you know.

I get that He's sovereign over the stuff life throws at me - the big picture things like pregnancy, death, illness, jobs. I get that He's sovereignly working all things for good in lots of the smaller things as well - relationships, bills, stuff like that. I even can trust that He is bigger than my sin, and uses these stumbles and failures along the way to work love, trust, humility and thanksgiving in my heart, not to mention a deeper understanding of grace along the way.

What I have a difficult time resting in is that He is sovereign over my stupid as well. Seriously. I do stupid things. To some who have known me for a long time, this may not be an earth-shattering revelation. I flake out. Especially on details. Like dates. Or hours. Or commas in numbers. That last one is fun in marriage. Flaking out combined with being a chronoptimist can be hazardous to a schedule, and has put more than one relationship to the test.

It's one thing when the stupid only effects me, but when my stupid visits consequences on others, especially my kids, a serious self-beatdown starts ramping up in my head. "Failure/loser/worst mom ever." It's a mantra that is hard to shake. So I turn to a different one. A mantra that speaks truth and life into my despair and self-hatred.

"The Lord is my shepherd."

If God is my shepherd, that makes me a sheep. I take comfort in this. Sheep are not known for their intelligence, strength or bravery. They need a shepherd that will protect & guide them. One who anticipates their needs as He leads them. One who will rescue them from predators as well as their own stupid choices.

I have a good shepherd.

I am thankful that God does not allow me to construct a pretend world in which I am deluded into thinking that I am not in need of His rescue. His provision. His mercy. His grace. I would rather see in a mirror clearly and know that I need my Savior than live a lie of self-sufficiency. So if stupid keeps me from prideful delusions of adequacy, I guess it's a good thing.