Keepin' It Real.

Because sometimes you just have to wear em' with pride.

Elvis, I don't think we're in Downtown Atlanta anymore.

What's In a Name?

God said to Moses, "I am who I am.". - Exodus 3:14

To the people of Israel, a name was so much more than just an identification for an individual. It was a statement about who that person was. When Moses (whose name means taken from the water) met God for the first time via the burning bush, Moses wanted to know God's name. Moses wanted to know who God was. God's reply was, "I am.". Derived from the Hebrew word to be, this name let Moses know that the One he was speaking to was unlike anyone else. God not only is, but He always was and always will be. God alone was never created, and He exists totally independent from anyone or anything else. "I am" is the One unchanging, eternal God. A constant in our ever-changing lives.

That amazes me.

The Jewish people considered God's name to be so holy that they refused to say it aloud for fear of using it in a way that dishonored Him. (doesn't that just smack you in the face.) In the New Testament, however, Jesus not only spoke God's name, but he also used it to refer to himself. The people listening immediately tried to stone Jesus. They knew God's words in Exodus. They understood that Jesus was calling himself God.

When God told Moses His name, God revealed the essence of who He is- and confirmed in advance that the same essence was in His Son. In the same way that God introduced Himself to Moses, this verse introduces you to God. It assures you that the "I am" of the universe is still alive and fully active today.

Let our actions and words not only introduce people to our character, but may they also see the Shining Light of Christ in us always.

Love,

Laura Lee

The Great Thing About Suffering for Christ.

I am no martyr. It would be wrong of me to even think that...because nothing in my life is a fraction as difficult as what fellow Christians suffer and sacrifice for Christ.

But I am familiar with trials. God has called me to a walk of submission to Him, and even down to the small tasks that He asks of me that no one sees, I will most likely struggle. I have never been good at sacrifice or giving until it hurt me, and maybe I never will be. But I can think of at least one good thing that comes of dying to your flesh and walking outside of your comfort zone. It will bring you closer to the Father.

I am by no means wise or of a scholarly mind, but the one thing that I have learned in life is that through trial and adversity your faith will increase. It will grow tremendously, and you will be ever thankful for the hard times that God has taken you through. You will look back and say, "Thank you, Daddy. You are so good to me."

The monthes of November and December were especially tough for me. Personal issues racked me to the core, and sins that I committed in the past came back to haunt me, reminding me of my fragile frame. But my God was there. Through it all, sins and victories, He was there. Showing Himself ever faithful to my unfaithful being, and showing me that He will be triumphant in the end.

All I can think to say in times of hardship and discomfort are these four words: I love you God.

Maybe this will help you, and maybe you won't see any point in it at all, but I hope that in your times of adversity and anguish you will be able to see a shining Light at the end of the dark tunnel.


All my love,

Laura Lee

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 103: 11-14

Victoria {Bound}

For those of you who have faithfully followed my blog from the start (and my lovely new followers) you will all know that I have known my best friend, Tori, since I was 5.

From the very first "Hey, I'm Laura Lee!" it was a strong friendship. Even when I
went up to her later and said, "Hey best friend, what is your name again?".

Tori and I have been so blessed to even have met, but sometimes it can be hard considering we live {four} hours away. Today, I was able to hug (okay, STRANGLE) her for the first time in {3.5} years.

How did we do it? Only God.

Boeuf Bourguignon---{The Ultimate Dish}

Any of you who live in a household of men (I have 1.5, and that is QUITE enough for me, THANK you.) will love this recipe. There are lots of chunky ingredients that the guys just love. My sweet, redneck father who grew up in the backwoods of nowhere (okay......maybe this is a bit of an exaggeration) simply adores it.

And, no, I will NOT tell you that he calls it "Boeuf Burpsalone"....because that would be embarassing. Right? And that would mean that he really is a redneck....even though he does look smashing in a tux ;) Don't tell him I said that, though. Thanks. You're a doll.

Where was I? ...Oh right, food.

Boeuf Bourguignon-

1. 6 ounces chunk bacon


2. 1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil


3. 3 pounds lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes


4. 2 sliced carrots


5. 1 sliced onion


6. 1 tsp. salt


7. 1/4 tsp. pepper


8. 2 Tbsp. flour


9. 3 cups full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti


10. 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon


11. 1 Tbsp. tomato paste


12. 3 cloves mashed garlic


13. 1/2 tsp. thyme


14. Crumbled bay leaf


15. Blanched bacon rind


16. 18 to 24 small white onions , brown-braised in stock


17. 1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter


18. Parsley sprigs

Alrighty, here we go:

Remove rind from bacon, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.

Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmersvery slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.

When the melt is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

For immediate serving: Covet the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

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Don't be intimidated. If you are at all familiar with your kitchen and the tools in it, this recipe is a whole lot less daunting :)

Bon Appetit!

XoLou

Do I Have a Spare Set of Keys? ....Of Course I Don't.

And that is why, when I locked my keys in my car I kind of, just a little, teensy, weensy, bit FREAKED OUT.

But don't worry for me, friends. It's all okay.

One of my redneck father's redneck friends just happens to be a car-unlocker. All is not lost. :)

The Busy Life

Whew, have I been busy! And quite honestly, I can't tell you one thing I've done this week.......

I've just kept going. OH. I can tell you what I did yesterday!

I made boeuf bourguignon from Julia Child's cookbook "The Art of French Cooking".

It was an instant hit. Like, LOVE at first bite. For everyone I think.

I'm so happy :) I love feeding people.


And I also made a traditional 1700's English pound cake!

As in, a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, a pound of flour, a pound of eggs. The REAL DEAL.


I will post recipes to both of those later today, but now, I'm off to feed horses in the mud!

Cheerio,

XoLou

Happy Birthday :]

I know exactly what I was doing twelve years ago today. I remember quite clearly.

I was 5.

I had long light blonde hair.

I was still an only child. (haha, sadly I still act like an only child sometimes.)

I was wearing a white under shirt with a little bow at the top, and white underwear with pink roses all over them.

And I was expecting a new sibling. It would remain an it until it came out, seeing as how my parents didn't find out.

I was quite perturbed with them.

I was hoping for a Joshua Christopher, but I got a Hannah Nicole instead.

Just kidding. I was REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wanting a baby sister.

And I got one!

Happy 12th birthday Hannah Nicole!

I love you!

I Am Not Related to My Father. The End.

At this very moment, he is eating tuna salad on wheat crackers.........with peanut butter.

Now, at this point, I am vomiting behind the couch.



That is the end of my story.


God did NOT make peanut butter for him. THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

The end.

{Snow} Storm Alert?

We have 13.5 inches of snow on the ground.

My short, fat, squatty, lazy, ungrateful, rolie-polie dog is completely covered in white. You can't even see his ears in the snow.

So we are hibernating in the house with a beautiful fire going, and eating comfort foods :) It's a lovely day....except for the gray clouds outside.

We are supposed to have a pretty big ice storm tonight (no fun) so please pray that we all stay safe!

What's your weather like?

XoSnowedIn

Ew. Virus. Ew.

I think each and every one of my friends is sick with this virus. Including family and friends of family. It's icky. It keeps you in bed, watching movies like Alice in Wonderland and laughing hysterically at the Mad Hatter.....then sprinting to the bathroom and throwing up. It is not fun. At all.

Please pray that we all get better.


XoBedRidden

Hello New Year :)

This year has been a ride.

I have done things that I still regret, and made memories that will last a lifetime. I am thankful for every sorrow and joy that the Lord has brought into my life, and every person who has come in and out.

I am humbled that the God who formed me still forgives my imperfections, as frequent as they may be, and that I have had the honor of having friends that say, "i will love you even if you hate me, and i will pray for you even when you don't know it."

I am so thankful for parents who are willing to grow with me, and joyfully overwhelmed that God put me in the family that He did.
I am grateful that my father is ready to admit his wrongs, and help me trudge through mine (because i would be lost without him), and a mother who stands up for me, even if I don't deserve the guardianship.

I am not worthy of the siblings that He gave me, and I try to be a better big sister everyday (hang with me guys). I am so thankful that they see my struggles, and are kind enough to pray me through them.


I am utterly overwhelmed by the year 2010. Of course, there was the drama, the sickness, the silly teenage girl giggles, the sorrows, the ecstasy, the thankfulness, and the love. The perfectly, pure love that I will never cease to be amazed at.

I am so thankful for all of the hills and valleys that the Lord has brought me through, and I pray, that as we start this year 2011 together, all of us will be able to get on our knees and say, "thank you Papa."

Happy New Years, Everyone :)

Love and Blessings to You and Yours,

Laura Lee

Our Southern White Christmas 2010

Hello All!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas Day, I know I sure did!

Here in the South, there are lots of things that we have the privilege of taking part in, snow is not usually one of them. Today, us Southerners were in for a lovely suprise, and oh, did we revel.


We have 9-12 inches of snow on the ground. Yeah, you heard me.

We built snowmen, we went sledding, we skiied, we made snow-cream, we played with our dogs, and then we came inside and collapsed.

I pray that the rest of your holidays will be filled with love, joy, and peace, and that the New Year will be ushered in like never before!

XoLaura

Is It Here Already? {O Wow}

Really? Is it Christmas Eve so soon? Where did the time go? I can't seem to recall.

Lots of running around, party planning, seeing good friends, eating good food, and loving the Lord has completely consumed my year.

It's had an abnormal amount of ups and downs, tears, laughter, grey skies, and sunshine. I am thankful that through the tough times, my faith has become stronger, and I have realized how much of a ripple in His massive Ocean that I am. I am thankful that through all of my imperfections, misgivings, and inadequacies, He still chooses to call me Daughter. I am honored that I may call Him "Father", and be a vessel for His Kingdom. I pray that in all the days to come, I will serve Him with a passion that precedes my blemishes and the sin-struggles that I try to hide.


I hope and pray that all of you, my faithful readers (few as there may be), have a blessed and merry Christmas :)

With Love,

Laura Lee

Hopewell {Mighty Hunter} ...or so we hope.

With much gladness in my heart, I am here to announce that our hawk trapping days have come to a close! Welcome, Trinity Oaks Hopewell:

XoInSheerEcstasy

I Think I Will Be a Good Wife and Mom.

I know, that sounds slightly odd. But I really think I will be.

Let me explain.

For a long time, I thought about never getting married. I thought myself toooo self-centered, uncapable of performing the smallest wifely task, and all around a not-very-good person to make someone happy. And I didn't think I was pretty (this goes along with the story).

The other night, the Lord sat me down and had me make a list of all the things I was good at, and generally liked to do.

1. Ride horses

2. Organizing and decorating rooms

3. Photography

4. Culinary Arts

5. Putting together outfits

6. Organizing things in general

7. Clean (no joke...it's a nasty habit)


I couldn't get past seven, but He then proceeded to reassure me that I was good at several other things.....of which cannot come to my mind, but I must trust that He knows what He's talking about.

And then He had me write down things that I thought I was not good at or struggled with:

1. Math

2. Generally loving people

3. Math

4. Encouraging people

5. Having compassion on all of humanity

6. Writing

7. Being a good person

8. Science

9. Telling people about all of the good things the Lord has done for me

10. Making people laugh (I don't know where this fits into the equation, but at the time I thought it was important)

11. And, I just wasn't that pretty. A certain fact of life that I thought very important.


The Lord then told me that 1) I wasn't horrible at math, I just had more right-brain inclinations. 2) You love people, silly, just in your own way. 3) Why did you put math twice on your list? 4) You encourage people in things you think they are good at.....but then again, maybe we do need to work in this area a wee bit. 5) Are you kidding me? Do you remember when you left the grocery store crying the other day because you saw an elderly man paying with pennies that he counted out of a rusted Altoid can? 6) No, you are not Ernest Hemingway or King David when it comes to the gift of eloquence, but you have a knack with putting down what you are thinking onto paper, and that my dear, is quite good enough for me. 7) This again? I'm starting to see a pattern here... 8) See question #1 9) I think you do that more than you think you do. 10) Hah! 11) Do you think that I am capable of making something that is not beautiful? I formed you before anyone on this planet had the slightest inclination to think of you. I am beauty. Therefore, whatever My hand touches is beauty. You are beauty.

And then I realized, Oh! First of all, you shouldn't even be thinking about if you will be a good wife and mom, that's a long way off; and second, since you are thinking about it, let's just be realistic.

YOU'LL BE GREAT.

That's just the truth.

I think I'll be a great mom. And feed my children great food. And dress them in cute clothes. And they will always match.

(Humor me and go along with that last one. Reality, I'm sure, will hit me someday.)


I'm not quite certain why I decided to post this on here, but it reassured me of a whole lot.

Thanks for lending an ear :)


And for those of you who have any doubts yourselves, let me make one thing clear: YOU. ARE. AMAZING.

XoLou

Joy to the World

Christmas music playing. Decorations up. Coffee cake is baking. Cinnamon scented candles burning.

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas.

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.

Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

O night divine, the night when Christ was born;

O night, O Holy Night ,O night divine!

O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,

Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.

The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;

In all our trials born to be our friends.

He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,

Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.

And in his name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

With all our hearts we praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,

His power and glory ever more proclaim!

His power and glory ever more proclaim!

Love,

Lou

In Search of the Perfect Bird

As some of you may know, my dad is a licensed falconer, which means he has a license which permits him to trap, own, train, and hunt with the raptor of his choice (more or less). Sadly, we lost our female hawk this Summer due to heat exhaustion, so this trapping season finds us out scouting again!

Now, there are many laws and rules for falconers to abide by, seeing as falconry is a federally regulated sport. You may only trap immature birds because the mature birds are needed for mating. Although they are trying to change that law, it has not gone into effect yet. That law kept us from keeping a beautiful, massive, female red-tail hawk. Here are some pictures of our adventure:

Love,

Lou

Laura, I think I want to marry you.

"But Christopher, didn't you say that when you got a wife, you would make her sleep outside in a tree....naked?"

"Laura! I would NEVER do that to you! Just the others!"

"Oh...others? That makes me feel so much better."

"You look pretty today, Laura."

"Thank you, Bud."

XoSis

Chipotle Roast Chicken Tacos {Mexican Yummyness}

Spicy. Healthy. Gourmet. DELICIOSO!

Chipotle Roast Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (plus three sprigs)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (plus three sprigs)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (plus three sprigs)
• 4 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
• 1 5.5- to 6 pound roasting chicken, rinsed, patted dry
• 3 large onions, each cut into 8 wedges through root end, leaving root ends intact
• 15 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 cup (or more) organic chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 8 warm tortillas
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, and thinly sliced

In small bowl mix butter, cilantro,

oregano,


and rosemary.

Add chipotle chiles and coriander.

Mix well with fork.

Like, really well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Place chicken, breast side up, in large roasting pan. Starting at neck end of chicken, slide fingers under skin to loosen, being careful to avoid tearing. Spread all but one tablespoon seasoned butter over breast meat and thigh meat under skin. Rub any butter remaining on fingers over outside of chicken.

Sprinkle main cavity of chicken with salt and pepper; place all herb sprigs in cavity. Tie legs together loosely.

Place onion wedges in large bowl. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon seasoned butter in small saucepan over low heat; pour over onion wedges and toss to coat.

Arrange onion wedges around chicken. Sprinkle onions and chicken with salt and pepper.

Roast chicken and onions for 30 minutes.

Peel garlic.

Scatter garlic cloves around chicken;

add 1/3 cup broth to roasting pan.

Continue to roast chicken until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 17o degrees F, basting occasionally with pan juices and ading more broth by 1/3 cupfuls as needed to maintain juices in roasting pan, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove roasting pan from oven. Tilt chicken, draining juices from cavity into pan. Transfer chicken, onions, and garlic to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm. Add 1/3 cup broth and wine to pan. Place over 2 burners and bring juices to boil, scraping up browned bits. Strain juices into bowl. Discard fat from top of juices.

Cut meat from chicken. Serve, making tacos with warm tortillas, chicken, onions, garlic, and avocado. (we added black beans, freshly grated cheese, and sour cream.) Drizzle tacos with pan juices.

Enjoy! We sure did :)

XoLou