RECIPE: Q's Southern Fried Chicken Strips

It has been a while since I've posted here, so what better way to update than with a recipe. I love to cook and as evidenced by my mid-section, I love to eat too. Recently I have begun cooking more foods from scratch, therefore I am better able to control what goes into our food. Typically, I will make out a weekly menu and this particular meal had been on the menu for some time and had been pushed back several times. It turned out pretty good and will definitely be going into the meal rotation. I would have included a picture but it did not last long enough to dig the camera out.

Q's Southern Fried Chicken Strips

4 cups vegetable oil for deep frying
4 chicken breasts
Cajun Seasoning to taste (I use Cajun's Choice Blackend Seasoning), or seasoning salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Heat oil in large cast iron skillet (if you don't have a cast iron skillet use a large heavy pot) to 350 degrees F.

Cut chicken into strips about 1/2" wide by 3" long. Place chicken strips in baking dish and sprinkle with blackened seasoning or seasoning salt according to your taste. Be sure to give seasoned chicken a good rub to be sure seasoning sticks to chicken. Pour buttermilk over chicken and turn to coat.

While chicken is absorbing the buttermilk goodness combine flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and paprika and mix thoroughly. Place mixture in shallow dish (I use a pie tin).

Dredge chicken strips in flour mixture and carefully transfer to hot oil a few at a time (do not overcrowd chicken strips) and cook until outside is golden brown and inside is thoroughly cooked. To ensure doneness remove the largest piece and cut strip in thickest part. If done, eat the piece of chicken without being noticed and remove remaining strips and allow to drain on paper towels. As you will most likely be cooking in batches you may need to do this with each batch. Once all chicken is done serve with your choice of sides and enjoy.

A Lesson Learned

You know that saying, "You never stop learning." Well, I fully believe it. Especially since I learned something new today.

Today is a warm day in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The temperature reached into the lower nineties and the old apartment was beginning to get a little warm. We are not allowed to have window air conditioners and the portable units are too expensive to even consider. However, our car does have air conditioning and a drive is still a whole lot cheaper than a movie. Off we went and on the way we dropped a couple of letters at the post office and then headed over to the car wash. I pull up to the attendant and pay for the wash. Then I do a ritual "checking of the windows," making sure they are all fully in their closed position. I then hit the "window lock" switch to make sure none of the backseat passengers can suddenly open their window. With that checked and locked I decide we are ready for the car wash. I soon feel a drop or two of water on my left arm and double check my window. Yep, it is up. Then came the soap, and I notice a few soap bubbles coming in at the top of the door. Once again I check my window and indeed it is still up. Then comes the high pressure rinse and my second shower of the day (for the left side of my body anyway). It is at this point I realize that my door is not fully closed. I am laughing, my wife is laughing, the kids are laughing, and I am wet. Once we pull out of the car wash I grabbed a towel from my trunk and dried both myself and the inside of the car.

So next time you get a car wash, heed my advice and be sure not only that your windows are up but that your doors are also fully closed.

We continued on our little drive enjoying the countryside and ending our trip at the local Dairy Queen. Nothing like a little frozen treat on a hot day, not to mention a cold shower.

Heavy Thoughts

Over the past week or so I have attempted to write several blog posts but have stopped short of completing any of them. I will not get into any of those thoughts or ideas tonight, at least not in detail. I have been thinking about the condition of our country. I believe the total collapse of our economy is near, not just our economy, but the world economy as well. I fear what will arise out of the ashes. Integrity and morality do not seem to have a place in our society. God and Christian Faith are under attack and I fear a time of great persecution is just around the corner. I see so much happening, I am in disbelief. I often ask what can I do? I do not have any influence. I am not an articulate speaker. I only have a handful of readers on this blog. What can I do? I can only come to one conclusion, and that is to pray. Pray that God will deliver us from this turmoil and strife and if it is not His will, then gives us the strength to persevere.

I often find myself hoping for a trumpet sound and the glorious return of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Now that really is hope and change I can get into. Come Lord Jesus, come.

"Q"

I have threatened at various times to shave my head. For many years now my hairline has been receding back and to the sides, leaving a few scraggling hairs remaining on the top. I blame this on Dean. He was my youth group leader back when I was in High School. Yes, he was bald, and yes we made sure to point that out. And now I am paying the price for making fun of him. Dean, would often respond by saying, "God created some heads perfect, the rest he covered with hair." Other times he would remind us of the story Elisha and the youths who made fun of him for being bald.

²³ Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of boys from the town began mocking and making fun of him. “Go away, baldy!” they chanted. “Go away, baldy!” ²⁴ Elisha turned around and looked at them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them. 2 Kings 2:23, 24 (NLT)

Ever since those days of my youth, I have been wary of bears. Dean was a great guy and a great mentor. All was in fun and he didn't seem to mind. But he also mentioned that someday I might be bald too. I never believed him... I should have.

About 10-15 years ago the hair on the top of my head started to thin. At this stage of my life I was not ready for 'male pattern baldness' to be a reality. I tried Rogaine to no avail. Finally, I succumbed to the fact that I was going bald. More recently, I decided to embrace baldness. It began one day after paying a barber $18 to cut my hair. I found this to be ridiculous. So, I asked my Uncle, who has done some barbering, where to find a pair of good clippers. He ended up giving me one of his older clippers (still in mighty fine condition too) and showing my wife how to trim up the sides and back of the neck. I started out with a size "2" guide. Over the last few months I have reduced it to a size "0". Until this morning that is. After breakfast I quietly slipped away into the bathroom with my clippers, razor and shave cream.

Ah, the freedom. When I emerged from the bathroom, my wife kept saying, "I don't believe you really did it!" My kids were shocked and think a little afraid of this completely bald guy who suddenly appeared before them. My oldest even stated, "you were more handsome with hair." Oh well, guess you can't please them all. I don't think my youngest knew what to think, and she still gives me a quizzical look every now and then.

My friends on Facebook are now trying to encourage me to get a tattoo or piercings. To which I say, "No way, I am too much of a wimp to have needles stuck into me voluntarily."

So here I sit at my computer keyboard with a shaved head. I sprung the news on my parents and in-laws by emailing a picture. Normally, I send one picture of each of my girls out every day under the subject, "Picture of the Day." I am sure they were excited as usual to find a picture of their sweet, pretty grand-daughters, but were shocked to find a picture of their bald Daddy. My Father-In-Law called almost immediately to see if I had my wife's permission (no, I didn't). My Dad sent me email in response reminding me it will only grow back in "darker and courser." Which if that is the case, maybe I should have done this a long time ago. I have yet to hear from my Mother-In-Law or my own Mother. I am guessing my Mom is still in a state of shock and has not been able to formulate a reply. But I am sure she will come up with a good one.

Oh, and my Dad has given me a new nickname -- "Q" -- I think I like it. Thanks Dad!

Q

edit: The picture of my girls is not the actual reaction to my bald head. It was however a funny prank my wife pulled on them. Hopefully, she will blog about it, if not I might.

edit 2: She blogged about The Roach, click hear to read about it and see a video.

Cherrios -- My New Drug of Choice

I read the following article on FoxNews.com this morning and personally I think this is just another shining example of how big our current administration is becoming. It seems to me the Obama administration is seeking to take more and more control of our everyday lives. The government already controls the financial and American automotive industries and now they are seeking to take control of the food industry. For another example read the following post over at fellow blogger Cedar Grove Farm: Food Freedom or Food Fascism? We are heading down a dangerous road, one which I fear has no return. We need to act now my fellow citizens before it too late and we no longer have the freedom to do so. Contact your representatives and urge them to vote against bills providing for bigger government.

FDA Takes Cheerios to Task for Boastful Labels

President Obama isn't just rewriting rules regulating the environment and the financial markets -- he is also going after the food industry.

Target and example No. 1: Cheerios.

"Based on claims made on your product's label," the FDA said in a letter to manufacturer General Mills, "we have determined (Cheerios) is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug because the product is intended for use in the prevention, mitigation and treatment of disease."

If the government's enforcement action against Cheerios were to hold up, the cereal would be pulled from grocery shelves and consumers would need a prescription to buy a box of those little oats.

That's unlikely, but experts say the message is clear: There is a new sheriff in town and when it comes to false, misleading and exaggerated labeling, you had better clean up your act.

"It is showing us that there is a new era," says dietician and a former advertising executive Ashley Koff. "They are saying, we are coming into town and we are going to show you what will and won't be allowed, and we're going to be going after every single claim, whether it's on a package or in TV."

Bruce Silverglade of the consumer advocacy group, Center for Science in the Public Interest, said it was a welcome and needed change.

"The Obama administration is reversing course, thank goodness, and enforcing the law," he said. "Cheerios was the first target. We hope though the FDA under the Obama administration clamps down on misleading health claims by other food manufacturers as well.

"During the Bush administration the Food and Drug Administration essentially took a policy of non-enforcement and failed to stop what became increasingly exaggerated claims, first by small food companies and by larger and larger food manufacturers," Silverglade told FOX News.

At issue are two claims made by Cheerios on their cereal box.

1. "Cheerios is clinically proven to reduce cholesterol 4 percent in 6 weeks."

2. "Cheerios can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, by lowering the 'bad' cholesterol."

Both General Mills and the FDA declined to comment -- but issued statements saying the two sides were in negotiations over the claims that have helped make Cheerios America's best-selling cereal, amounting to one of every 8 boxes of cereal sold in the U.S.

General Mills is a titan of the food business with an army of lawyers. If the FDA can make it back down, others will follow.

"If I were an industry member and I saw what happened with Cheerios, I would look at this example and say the FDA is going after General Mills," said Koff. "If I'm a maker of a small product I better start to look at any study that I am basing my claims on and what I put on my packaging."

Koff argued that the General Mills study was suspect, as the company paid for the research and two staff members helped author it. That is not the type of rigorous, double-blind, peer-reviewed science necessary to back up drug claims.

"What we are seeing today is a government that understands that the obesity problem in America and the disease that is everywhere in America is not solely a consumer responsibility nor is it solely a marketer responsibility," said Koff, who agrees with the FDA action, but said there are many other more egregious cases on store shelves.

Consumers outside a Los Angeles grocery store were less supportive of a move some called "silly" and heavy-handed.

"No, Cheerios should not be regulated by the FDA, because this is not a drug."

To view the original article click here.

Lucky Fortune?

I love Chinese food. Especially Chinese buffets where I can sample many different flavors. Yesterday my kids took me out to an early Father's Day dinner at a buffet here in town. As usual I ate too much and was hungry again two hours later. The bill came and along with with it four fortune cookies. I like fortune cookies, some are better than others, these were ok. We always have fun reading our fortunes and having a good laugh. Sometimes they are pretty wacky and for the most part always positive in some way or another. I don't remember who had which fortune but here they are:

You will have many important meetings, visits, and chance encounters.

We must not become complacent over any success.

You're transforming yourself into someone who is certain to succeed.

Love yourself first and everything falls into line.

After reading the last one my first thought was, "Isn't this what got us into this economic mess in the first place?" This is the problem with society today, it is all about self. I find this very sad. Used to be a time when people cared about one another. Too bad for us, that time is in the past.

Photo credit: www.buzzle.com

Trust

It is easy to become overwhelmed when we look at our own resources and think, "How will be ever be able to do this?" Let's face it, very few people have not been impacted by the current economic crisis. My wife recently lamented, "I wish money were not such a big issue." It seems every time we are just about to get ahead, something breaks, something needs repaired, the kids have grown again and their clothes are too small, or simply the costs of everyday necessities keep increasing. What are we to do? So often, I will look at the checking account balance and think, "How am I going to pay the bills?" or "Where am I going to get the money for this?" I begin to rely solely upon myself. I begin to worry. I become irritable. I lash out. This has often been the pattern that I followed and I have been wrong.

Recently my wife and I rented the movie Flywheel, which is put out by the same group that released Fireproof. It was Sherwood Pictures' first full length film. Sherwood Pictures gives the following synopsis of the film:

Jay Austin wants to sell used cars in the worst way ... and that's exactly how he does business at his dealership. Promising much more than he can ever deliver, he'll do whatever it takes to sell a car. His manipulative ways permeate all of his relationships—even his wife and son know they can't trust him.

But as Jay works on restoring a classic convertible, he begins to see that God is working on restoring him as well. Coming face-to-face with the reality of how he truly conducts himself, Jay Austin begins the ride of his life as he commits to honoring God with his business, his relationships, and his life!

At the turning point of Jay's life a verse comes alive for him. It is from Proverbs 3:5, 6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." (NLT)

I have thought about this verse quite a bit over the past several weeks. The more I think about it, the more I realize just how difficult this verse is to put into practice. After all I am a man, and men like to fix things, well I should say attempt to fix things. One thing I have learned over my almost ten years of marriage is that I can not fix my wife. The main reason being she ain't broke. But men are like this, if something is broken and needs to be fixed, we want to fix it. Sometimes when I have attempted this it ends up being broken even more and in a bigger mess than had I left it alone.

Finances are big thing with me. I worry about them. I used to get upset when something went wrong with the car or we needed to replace a worn out item. But now this verse comes to mind, and it is as if God is asking me, "Jeff, do you trust me?" The hard part is answering this honestly, because God doesn't just want to hear me say "Yes Lord, I trust You." He wants to see it in how I respond. He wants to know I trust Him with all of my heart, not just the part I want to give Him. He wants me to depend upon Him fully without any reservation. So many times it is so easy to try to depend upon my own finite understanding.

The hard part for me is putting away my own understanding, my own fears, my own worries and my own solutions. It is when I put all of this aside and ignore all the paths that I have made up on my own and decide to follow the path God has prepared for me, that I can receive His divine providence.

So when difficult times come, give it all over to God. Trust in Him completely and He will show the way out. Scripture does not guarantee an easy path or an instant solution. It may require hard work and diligence on our part, but God will see us through. He will provide the strength we need to persevere.

Almost There. . .

My wife and I decided to educate our children at home for a variety of reasons. It is a decision we have not regretted. I remember when we first started and feeling of being overwhelmed with such a great and important task. While there are times of struggle and difficulty this journey as been rewarding and enriching.

My wonderful wife takes on the brunt of the teaching and I cover the subject of Science. It is a subject I enjoy personally. This year has had some ups and downs. There have been desert periods where it seems we have been going nowhere fast but at last the school year is drawing to a close. There is a light at the end of this tunnel. And we are beginning to look forward to next year when our oldest will be entering Third Grade and our youngest will be starting Kindergarten. This past year has been fun and is finally drawing to a close.

The learning will not stop when the last book closes in about two weeks. We are planning on taking a few day trips which be mainly "Family Fun Days" but will include educational information as well. I look forward to the summer break and wait with anticipation for what the new Fall term brings. It has been a good year.

New Respect for a Small Instrument

The Ukulele is not an instrument I have paid much attention to in the past. In fact I most ofter associated it with a toy or a gimmick, most often in relation to Tiny Tim.

It was not until a few months ago when my parents started paying for Ukulele lessons for my oldest daughter. At first I was not so sure about this. But as I found out more about this particular instrument the more I came to appreciate it.

In searching online I found videos from such masters as Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Jake Shimabukuro, John King and James Hill. There is also the very entertaining Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Do yourself a favor and search YouTube for some great talent.

I have even started to learn a little bit myself. Tonight I learned four chords (not bad for an old dog). I might consider learning even more.

It was listening to my daughter play that really moved me to appreciate this little instrument even more. She is a quick learner and music seems to come naturally to her. She has a fantastic ear, often time when I thought the Ukulele was in tune she knew it was not. She enjoys playing and has even written a couple of her own songs. I plan on putting some videos up in the near future.

I suppose it could be said that while I have developed an appreciation for the Ukulele that I have developed an even greater appreciation of my daughter. I am one proud Daddy and look forward to watching her cultivate this new found talent.

An Awesome Day

Today I had the great honor of baptizing my oldest daughter. She has been a follower of Christ for about 4 years now, but today she fulfilled the command to be baptized. She is becoming quite the young lady and I look forward to seeing how God uses her in the future.

There are certain days in the life of a father/daughter relationship that are truly special. The day of birth is one of these special days. As is the day a father gives away his little girl in marriage. I have told my daughter she will have to wait 64 years for this one, since she has to be 72 years old. But, in the life of a Christian father there is another special day - the day a child is baptized into Christ.

Following is a short video of this wonderful event. I could not help getting choked up.

Blog Title

Do you struggle with coming up with catchy user names, email addresses, blog titles? Well I do. I don't remember what the original title of this blog was so many months ago. It then went to "Who Writes This Stuff, Oh That Would Be Me." A true Browncoat would understand this reference. It is an homage to Hoban "Wash" Washburn from the television show Firefly.

Then came "Oh Yeah, I Forgot I Had a Blog." This came about after a long hiatus from the blog world. After another short hiatus the name changed to "Ramblings From a Bald Headed Fat Man." While this may have been aptly named, it just did not sit well with the Missus.


Then for a couple of days it was simply "?," maybe I was thinking back to the days of the Artist Formerly Known as Prince. I don't know. This was only a temporary solution thankfully. The "Blog Formerly Know As..." just didn't seem to fit me.

Tonight I decided I really need to come up with a good title. So I began to think what things were important to me. First is God and my relationship with Christ. And while this blog will occasionally have a more religious tone I wanted something a little broader. So on to the second most important thing in my life -- my girls. That cinched it and "Life With Girls" was born.

Meeting my wife is one of the best things that has happened to me. She is one special lady who loves me with all her heart and looks past my rough edges. I love her and I just want her and everyone else to know how special she is. Then came my two daughters, now ages 8 and 5. They are truly special as well. I will admit sometimes they can be somewhat aggravating, but what kids don't. If you don't believe me, just ask my parents.

So that will probably be the main topic of this blog. Exploring the task of being a Husband and Daddy, with its many joys, foibles and challenges. Occasionally, or possibly more often, I will branch off into other areas to be determined.

Until next time,
Jeff

(Symbol) Image Credit: http://www.wikipedia.com

Family Fun Night

Used to be that Wednesday's would be AWANA night for our kids. But now it is over for the summer we decided it would be good to do something as a family. So "Family Fun Night" was born. Tonight we played a game called "Harold and the Purple Crayon." The game is a lot of fun as you never know what to expect and we tend to get a little crazy.

The game consists of several cards with pictures of various objects on them. A player takes a card off the top of the pile, and then draws that object on the game board.

After drawing the object on the game board the player then makes up a story about the object. In the picture above the first card was a tree. So a story started about a tree. The next player received a card with a leaf as the object. The story started off with a line about a tree and then a leaf. As the game goes on a story soon develops. Each player must remember the original order of the drawings. If one is missed or said out order that player is then out. The winner is the last one left who gets everything in the proper order.

As I mentioned before, things can get pretty crazy...

Everyone had a blast and it turned out to be a great family time.

So until the fall, my wife and I won't be able to get our weekly "date night" but it will be worth it. Until then we will continue to have fun... all four of us.

Memorial Day

A lot of men and women have sacrificed their lives for defending freedom throughout the years. We must never forget this sacrifice. Others have been wounded and bear the scars of battle, we must always honor them for their sacrifice. Men and women are currently fighting for the freedom of others and we must lift them up in prayer and support their efforts. Family members of our brave troops also sacrifice greatly and we must remember to aid them when ever possible.

To those who have served and to those who now serve our great nation, to those families who have loved ones serving, and to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. . . . Thank you.

Photo Credit: http://www.united-states-flag.org/

Computer Problems...

While working at my computer today I heard a loud noise emanating from within my computer's case. After clearing several books, pieces of paper, coin jar, tape recorder and what ever else was piled on and around my CPU I was able to open the computer's case. The sound was definitely coming from a fan. I quickly surmised it was the video card's fan. It would appear the bearing was giving out. A quick log on to my favorite computer parts supplier, newegg.com, yielded the purchase of a brand new video card. It should be here Friday, until then my computer will sound like a Cessna at take-off.

Of course this could not possibly be the end of my problems. Oh no, my printer had to decide to give me grief as well. How do you spell PAPER JAM? Oh, I guess I just did. More papers, books, coffee mug, pictures among other things were quickly moved so I could pull out the printer and access the rear panel in order to remove the stuck paper. I swear I pulled gently, but the paper tore anyway. With a little bit of work the paper was freed and the printer was back in action.

So I am out 40 bucks on the new vid card and consider myself lucky I am not buying a new printer as well. Now I just have to clean up the mess left behind from the mess I relocated from my desk. It might be a few days...

Direction

In the beginning of this blog I had anticipated using this as a means of sharing devotional thoughts on at least a weekly basis. As you can see, this did not happen, and in fact the blog posts were few and far between.

I am thinking of taking this blog in a new direction. While posts may include an occasional devotional thought, I hope to share more of my experiences as a husband and father, random thoughts of just about any topic (if you know me well, this could prove to be quite interesting) and the occasional what is on Jeff's desk?

Photo credit: http://www.emich.edu/

New post coming soon

Stay tuned.... new posts coming soon

'First' Communion

Interesting visual lesson from Daddy this morning.

Today was the first Sunday since my youngest daughter asked Jesus into her heart. She was excited about taking communion and was talking quietly as the trays were being passed. She was saying the bread is the broken body of Jesus and the juice was His blood. The trays came to our row and I began to take a cup for myself and one for her. Next thing I knew I was spilling grape juice all over her pretty white dress. There was a look a shock on her face and I was feeling terrible that I had just done this. We finished communion and then she went to her class. My wife brought me the outer, white part of her dress and I went to wash it out. The stain came out. I was relieved. As I was taking the previously stained clothing to the car it was as if God, Daddy, was saying, "How did you like the lesson? Share it with her." So after church, I showed her the dress. I told her sin is a lot like the stain, it damages us, but Jesus makes us clean by taking our sin.

Thought I would share this simple, yet profound lesson. It is one I have know for many, many years, yet today, it was if it was new. Sometimes I forget and it takes a simple lesson like spilled grape juice to remind me to not take His love and sacrifice for granted.

Ants

We have ants. Those pesky little sugar ants to be exact. I can't stand them. They arrive like the plague and it is difficult to get rid of them. Grrr... they really bug me. No pun intended.

Usually, we keep our counter pretty clean, or at least try to anyway. But Wednesday of this week we pretty much slacked off and let dishes pile up in the sink (well, ok they were over the sink). Dishes were on the counter too. I walked into the kitchen to start making lunch when I noticed them, hundreds if not thousands of ants marching to and fro across out counter. "Oh my goodness! It's an invasion!" I grabbed the bottle of Windex and started spraying. This stuff is awesome let me tell you, it pretty much kills them instantly. I then proceeded in cleaning up the large mess. And it took a good deal of time and effort. Definitely more than had we actually cleaned up the mess right away. But I got it clean and the ants have mostly disappeared, but still it was not fun.

If you think about it this is not much different than our lives. We try to keep our heart clean, yet we stumble and fall. We sin. Things get messy, and we leave it this way. Then evil begins to consume us, it covers us, it devours us. Then there is Jesus, He forgives, He cleans us up and makes us presentably to the Father. Jesus also shows us how to keep our hearts clean through the Word. We are to study and meditate on the Bible, and then to live it out. This is how we keep our hearts and lives clean and pure. Scripture tells us:

When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation. Matthew 12:43-45 (NLT)

The problem is not that the house was clean and in order. The problem is the house is left unoccupied. Our spiritual lives may be cleaned up and left in order, but left unoccupied will once again be filled with the mess of sin. Protect yourself from the evil one, occupy your heart with God's word.

Photo Credit: http://www.entm.purdue.edu/ants/research.php

Happy Birthday

First of all... yeah, yeah, it's about time. It is true that I have neglected my commitment to write in this blog at least once every new moon, or something like that. But here I am, with some great news.

Today, started out well. I got up early and drove across town to have my car serviced by a good Christian friend. While waiting for my car I got a call from my wife and she stated she had something to say about our youngest daughter (4 years old). She had come to my wife and stated, "Mommy, I asked Jesus into my heart, but I didn't see Him go in." Cute. Later when I got home I sat down and talked to her. She told me she asked Jesus to live in her heart. I asked her why?

"Because I love Him."

"Why do you love Him?" I asked.

"Because He loves me."

"What did He do to show that He loves you?"

"He died on the cross for me." She responded.

"Why did He do that?" I asked.

"Because we sinned."

"What is sin?"

"It is when we are very bad."

"And sin keeps us away from God, right?"

"Yes, and Jesus wants us to be with God."

"So Jesus died for us."

"He died on the cross, and was put in the cave, and then He walked out, and then He went to heaven and is building us a house."

We talked a little more, re-enforcing that she really knows and believes Jesus died for her sins. She is a bright little girl and today is her spiritual birthday. Thought I would share this awesome little story.

Identity

You've no doubt heard recent headlines or news stories regarding identity theft. One's life can be thrown into complete chaos in a matter a few keystrokes. Bank accounts are drained, credit is ruined and life becomes more of a struggle. One's identity can be put back in order after it has been stolen. But, it takes hard work, great expense and determination.

Have you had your identity stolen?

Think about it carefully. Mine has... and so has yours. A master thief has stolen your identity. In fact, he has stolen the identity of every person whoever has been on this earth. Through our sin we have had our identity stolen by Satan. Satan then wants you to believe this identity is now tarnished, destroyed and utterly worthless. If you believe this, then he wins.

So what do we do with our seemingly worthless identity. We take it to Jesus. It takes hard work to bring about changes in one's life. It takes determination to live out this changes in every day life. It also comes with great expense. When we take this broken and tattered identity to Jesus for Him to fix, He takes it to the cross. It is at the cross our old identity dies, it is at the grave it is brought to new life. But something changes, it is no longer our identity alone. We find that now our identity is with Christ, so that when others see us they see Christ. It is this new identity that God the Father sees when He looks at us. Christ paid the cost -- His life -- so that our stolen identity is made better than brand new. If you believe this, then you win.

Where is your identity?