Brave

My husband and I took our daughters to see Brave this morning. I enjoyed the story, setting and characters. I especially liked the fact that Disney Pixar added a strong mother figure to this film! My main take away from the film was that I need to listen to my daughters and give them opportunities, not expectations.

I've been thinking about bravery all day as a result of the movie. Who is brave? What qualifies one to be considered brave?

Early this morning I was reading the story of Abraham and I've got to say, Abraham was brave. Here are just a couple of examples of Abraham's personal bravery.  He founded a city from scratch. He married Sariah and then married a second wife when the Lord commanded him to. He endured and led his family through several famines. He nearly offered his first born son as a human sacrifice when God commanded him to.

The Bible is filled with stories of brave people: Moses, Noah, Ruth, Esther, etc.

In our day we don't have to sacrifice our children on alters, or take second wives, or build an ark, or free a nation from oppressive slavery. But we also have opportunities to be brave. We are brave when we continue.

Winston Churchill once said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."

We are brave when we keep fighting the good fight. That fight is personal and different for each one of us. A leader of my church recently said, "God did not send us here to fail, but to succeed triumphantly." I hope that we will be able to dig deep and find the courage to keep fighting.

The Legend of the Clay Buddha

When I was having a really bad day a few years ago a friend told me, "Lindsey, you are amazing because you were born that way." It's a simple statement, but I have come to believe that it applies to everyone. It is a universal truth that you have infinite value within you at birth.

Watching the video below this morning reminded me of who I am really am, and who you really are.


The Legend of the Clay Buddha

Two Awesome Dads

My Dad had a sign hanging on his bedroom wall during my entire childhood, the sign is still there today and it reads, "The greatest gift a father can give his children is to love their mother." With Father's Day coming up in just a few days I wanted to thank my Dad and my Husband for taking that challenge seriously. I know sometimes it is just that, a challenge. I am so grateful to have you and your love in my life. I love you both very much.

The following video is for all the Fathers raising daughters.

Mosby Brother's Farm

I took the girls for a hike at Flaming Geyser State Park today after we finished all our chores.  This lovely park is only 10 miles from our house is Auburn, and we were the only visitors.

Adam gave me a Washington State Discover Pass for Mother's Day so for the next year I can visit any State Park in Washington without paying the $10/day entrance fee. The card only costs $30, so I highly recommend getting one if you live in Washington.

While there we saw a bunny and lots of pretty flowers. It was 60 degrees and drizzling, but we didn't mind. It was just nice to get out of the house and in to the fresh air. When we pulled up to the parking lot Mia yelled, "Hiking here we come!" I love to see the girls developing a love of the great outdoors.

On our drive home we encountered a roadside barn I could not resist. It's called the Mosby Brother's Farm. These two brothers have been in business since 1977 and they specialize in fresh, local, organic food. They had the most delicious looking fruits and vegetables and a wide selection of wine, cheese and organic snacks. I let the girls pick out a few things; Mia chose watermelon and bananas, Teryn choose cabbage and blackberries. It was really cool to see the girls enthusiastically select healthy items.

It made me think about Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign. The point of the campaign is to "raise a healthier generation of kids." The campaign pledge is, "We believe every kid has the right to a healthy childhood." On the Let's Move website you can find suggestions for eating more healthfully, gardening tips and ideas for being more active. There are suggestions for moms, families, schools and communities. I especially like the suggestion made to eat together as a family.

"When families sit down and eat together, children are more likely to eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer junk foods. Eating together is also a chance to model good behavior and regularly scheduled meal and snack times help kids learn structure for eating. So, keep the television off and spend time eating and talking together around the table."

 I hope my daughters will grow up knowing that what they eat and how they spend their time is important, and I hope they choose to make healthy decisions. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be here with them as they learn.  

P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

What I love, I share. This recipe has become a Shumway family favorite!

P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

Servings:

  2   2

2-3

Units: US | Metric

• 3 tablespoons oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup water chestnut
• 2/3 cup mushroom
• 3 tablespoons chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 -5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon hot mustard
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 -2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions:

1. 1
   Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2. 2
   Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3. 3
   Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4. 4
   Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5. 5
   Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
6. 6
   Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
7. 7
   Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
8. 8
   Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
9. 9
   Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
10. 10
    As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
11. 11
    Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
12. 12
    When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
13. 13
    With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
14. 14
    Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
15. 15
    Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".
16. 16
    Top with"Special Sauce".