Is Your Bag Ready?

“Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.” (Revelation 16:15)

Earlier this week, I was standing in the grocery checkout line behind a pregnant woman who was chatting on her cell phone. She was telling a friend how excited she was about her upcoming birthing classes. As she talked, my mind wandered back to our first pregnancy and our birthing classes.

For 6 weeks, JT and I joined other expectant couples and learned what to expect in the final weeks and days leading up to delivery. As our class neared its end, our instructor encouraged all mothers to prepare a labor and delivery bag, full of the things we would need to make the hospital stay more comfortable. The instructor warned us not to wait until the last minute to pack the bag, since labor could commence at any time. As soon as I returned home from that final class, my packing began. Like a squirrel hoarding nuts, I hastily dashed around the house filling my bag with calming lotions, personal toiletries, warm socks, comfortable clothes, nursing pads, soothing lip balm, hard candy, and the many other things a pregnant woman needs. I wasted no time packing because I did not want to be caught unprepared when labor began. Everything was in the bag!

That day, as I scurried about filling my hospital bag, I thought about what people might be doing the day Jesus returns. The Savior will find that some already have their spiritual bags packed and thus are ready to go with Him. Sadly, He will also find those who are woefully unprepared with empty spiritual bags and therefore will be left behind. Revelation 16:15 informs us that Christ will return quickly and advises us to be ready for His return.

If your bag is not ready, it’s not too late to start packing. Fill your spiritual bag with admission, repentance, confession, and belief. Admit that you are a sinner, ask God to forgive you of your sins, confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in your heart that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave. Once your bag is packed, you can rest assured that you are prepared for your eternal stay with Jesus Christ. Remember, whether our bags are packed or not, Jesus will return. Is your bag ready?

Taste Tested Tuesday: Lettuce Wraps

This post marks the official launch of “Taste Tested Tuesday”! Each Tuesday, we’ll post a recipe (or two) that the Thorpe family enjoys. Stop by and see what’s cooking in our kitchen. Perhaps you’ll find something new to try with your family.

Last month we were able to enjoy a much needed date night. We left the girls with their beloved babysitter and headed off to have dinner at PF Chang’s. One of our favorite things on the menu is the Lettuce Wraps, seasoned chicken in a stir fry sauce spooned into lettuce leaves and eaten as you would a taco or burrito.

After our visit to PF Chang’s, I craved lettuce wraps! Since running over to PF Chang’s whenever a craving hit was not an option, I decided to search the internet for lettuce wrap recipes so we could have them at home whenever we craved them. It didn’t take long before I found a couple of PF Chang style lettuce wrap copycat recipes. Over the next few weeks, I tested them and found them to be pretty tasty. As usual, I tinkered with the recipes and edited them to suit our family’s tastes. Now we have a yummy lettuce wrap recipe our whole family enjoys. (Yes, that means even Sweet Pea and Sugar Plum love them!)

Don’t let the ingredients intimidate you. You can find most of them in the ethnic or international foods aisle of your large chain supermarket. If you don’t have sherry or would prefer not to cook with alcohol, you can substitute apple cider. Sometimes the grocery stores in my area don’t carry garlic and red chile paste. Most of the time I substitute with a spicy szechuan/sczchwan sauce from the ethnic foods/international aisle of the grocery store. I make our lettuce wraps with ground turkey instead of pork or chicken and they taste great. Also, feel free to add whatever else you like to the meat mixture (such as mushrooms or shredded carrots).

Asian Style Lettuce Wraps:

Filling:
1 pound ground turkey
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, chopped
¼ cup onions, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1-2 heads Boston or Bibb lettuce

Stir Fry Sauce:
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Prepare the stir fry sauce by combining the Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sherry, oyster sauce, water, sesame oil, sugar, and cornstarch. Set the mixture aside.

Brown the ground turkey in a large pan. Once browned, add the onions, water chestnuts, and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes until thickened.

To serve, separate the lettuce leaves, place a spoonful of the turkey mixture into the cup, wrap, and eat.

The Moment She’s Been Waiting For!

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ (Job 37:5-6)

All winter long, Sweet Pea has anxiously awaited the arrival of snow. Throughout the winter, she’s listened to stories about snow and watched her favorite cartoon characters enjoy snowy activities on television. Naturally, this has prompted a flurry of questions about when it will snow here.

“Mommy, is it gonna snow today?”
“Daddy, when I can I build a snowman?”
“Mommy, can we pray for snow?”

Unfortunately, a mild and nearly snowless winter had not made a winter wonderland possible until today! When Sweet Pea awoke this morning, she peered out the window and found the area blanketed in snow. (I don’t have the words to describe just how happy this made her, but I think the picture will suffice. Talk about making a joyful noise unto the Lord!) Later, while her little sister was napping, Sweet Pea and I ventured outside to play in the snow for a little while.

While she romped in the snow, tossed snow, and created snow angels, I admired the beautiful snowy scene in our backyard and thanked God for some of the beautiful things in my life: a gorgeous giggling girl, a warm and cozy house, a great husband. What a nice way to start the weekend!