by Joey | Nov 7, 2016 | Real Life
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, be prayerful and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6
Leaving my steady day job to pursue using my gifts and talents daily has been the most wonderful but hardest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve worked harder, cried harder, and been more scared in the last five months than ever before. With the successes we’ve weathered the failures. We’ve faced months without an income. Month after month, I’ve watched my savings drain.
And yet the conviction is in my heart that I’m doing the right thing. Be patient is constantly being whispered in my ear. Have faith. Trust.
I spent Saturday full of anxiety, pounding out work for the biggest project I’ve ever worked on in my life (yes, even bigger than my book). I felt worried about money. Scared about failing. And worst of all, I worried what if after it’s all said and done I’m really just a fraud, pretending? What if all the wires got crossed, and I wasn’t actually meant to leave my job? What if I’ve been selfish? What if it’s time to go back to a soul-sucking day job?
I woke up Sunday morning energized. I’d worked faithfully through my Saturday, and I was pleased with the results. The fear was still in my heart somewhere, but it no longer consumed me. And as I sat in church, they played a playful song meant to be silly and energize the crowd.
It takes a little time sometimes
but baby you’re not going down.
It takes more than you’ve got right now
give it, give it time.
Amy Grant
I know it was no mistake. The reminder I desperately needed was being served to me on a silver platter. God had lifted the worry from my heart overnight, and designed the service to speak to me, remind me, reassure me.
Earlier in the week, I met with Zack from CLTivate to brainstorm content, strategy, and his holiday marketing efforts. I enjoy those meetings so much because it’s where I feel I’m most helpful. I can see the difference Bliss is making in CLTivate week after week, and it serves as a weekly reminder that this is what I’m called to do.
We came up with #ThanksgiveUP for his holiday campaign, encouraging all of you to give something up for 2017 that’s getting in your way. You can read more about the campaign here, and I’d really encourage all of you to participate. He’s doing awesome, meaningful work, and he could really use your support.
Saturday morning, my friend asked what I was going to give up, but I didn’t have an answer for her.
As service closed out on Sunday with the verse from above:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, be prayerful and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6
My answer came to me. I’m giving up. I’m giving it all up. I’m giving up my self-doubt. I’m giving up my insecurities. I’m giving up my worry and anxieties. I’m giving it all up to God.
At the end of 2014, I opened my porch door to a broken husband, let go from the job that sustained us. Everything we were, everything we had, relied on that job. And in an instant, it was gone. In that moment, without question or hesitation, I made the decision to put it all on God. That was so unlike me; I’m a flawed believer. But I knew on my own, I was not strong enough to endure what we were about to face.
I was not strong enough for the anxiety and worry that would inevitably follow. So I put it on God, and He never let us down.
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
Hillsong United
Happy #thanksgiveUP
by Joey | Nov 3, 2016 | Real Life
This year has been all about growth for me. A lot has happened in the last twelve months that’s required me to grow up seemingly all at once. I never understood when adults would tell me as a child that you don’t ever really feel like a grown up. I get it now. But they must not have lost a parent yet. Because that shit will make you feel like a grown up pretty dang fast.
In the last year I lost my dad, quit my job, launched a company, and turned 30. I can’t deny my adulthood anymore. And while many of you might still be resisting the urge to accept it in its full glory (I mean, I get it, once you get past the drinking and no one telling you what to do thing, it seems like a real drag), it does have some real perks. Like giving yourself permission to quit.
This last year has taught me to quit. That’s right, I said it. It’s time for you to quit shit.
I quit doubting myself. People will do that for me. And honestly, it’s one giant waste of time. Tell me, if you can’t believe in yourself, who will?
I quit following someone else’s rules & guidelines for my life. People are full of opinions. Everyone loves telling you what to do. Stop listening to that shit. You’re the only person who knows what’s right for you and your life.
I quit caring what other people think. My tribe became damn evident over the course of events the last year. I care about those people and what they think of me and my decisions. And the list stops there.
I quit censoring myself. This might be a side effect of leaving my job where I worked with children, but either way, I’ve let my authentic self hang all out. And I’m totally okay with it.
I quit setting myself up for disappointment. I started believing people when they would show me who they really were: for good or for bad. I stopped expecting anything from people who have disappointed me in the past.
I quit surrounding myself with negativity. I’m a firm believer that negativity breeds negativity. You don’t need that shit. Find yourself some people who support you and hang on to them for dear life.
Quitting has never felt better.
There’s some kind of magical juice in the adult world where you suddenly just stop caring about things like you used to. A year ago, two years ago, it would have felt near impossible to let go of any of these things. But when your reality gets rocked to its core and your life comes screaming into view, you’ll be shocked at how quickly your priorities realign.
I spent a lot of time obsessing over things that ultimately did. not. matter. at. all. And I’m willing to bet that there’s one thing or another you could afford to quit at this very moment that will free up your head and your heart to make room for something better.
What is it?
by Joey | Nov 1, 2016 | In the kitchen
Here’s the thing: date nights can get unnecessarily expensive. Think about it: the booze, the appetizers, the entrees, dessert. And that’s just dinner. I don’t know about you, but we’re saving to buy a house. I cry over my dollar bills when I exchange them for a glass of wine more expensive than the bottle I have sitting at home. Don’t judge, I like cheap wine.
But date night is still important even 6.5 years into our marriage. It’s easy to fall into routines. It’s even easier to fall into the exhaustion trap (question: are our thirties for the exhaustion because holy cow). But it’s hard to commit $100+ for a meal with a guy I know is going to take me home at the end of the night (that’s right, I said it).
We love Italian food, but buying an Italian entree at a restaurant makes me cringe a little. Delicious or not, those little nuggets of dough get dang expensive. But nothing says romance like a glass of wine and some delicious pasta. Am I right?
So Sunday night, I turned on the tunes and whipped my man up a delicious pasta dish that cost less than $15 to make.
This is where The Pioneer Woman steps in. Confession: I’ve never made one of her dishes. Double confession: I saved this recipe from a little video tutorial that Whitney posted on Facebook a million years ago.
Penne a la Betsy a la The Pioneer Woman
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Penne cooked Al Dente
- 1 lb Shrimp peeled & deveined
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic: minced
- 3/4 cup white wine (1 3/4 if you want to drink a glass ;))
- 1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Basil leaves (I left these out)
What to do:
- Heat butter and oil in pan on medium or medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook until pink (a couple minutes). Remove them from the pan and let them cool for a minute. I used small shrimp, but I still cut them into smaller pieces. Set them aside.
- In the same pan, add the onion and garlic and sauté for three minutes. Pour in the wine and let it reduce for a few minutes. You can use chicken or seafood broth if you’d prefer not to use wine.
- Add the tomato sauce and stir until combined. Cook for 3 minutes then stir in the heavy cream. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the shrimp and reduce the heat. Let simmer for a few minutes.
- Stir in pasta, add basil if you prefer, and top with parmesan cheese if you’d like!
Finally, serve with wine over candle light, and you’ve got yourself a pretty swanky at home date night on the cheap!
Pin and share for an easy, cheap at home date night!
by Joey | Oct 31, 2016 | Loves
Things I didn’t think I’d have to deal with anymore once I became an adult:
Turns out I was wrong. Way wrong.
- Drama knows know age limit. Cool.
- I was put under curfew mere weeks ago thanks to the Charlotte Protests.
- I still have acne. At thirty freaking years old.
I honestly didn’t think I’d be buying acne face wash alongside my wrinkle cream. I mean, does that even seem fair? I don’t think so.
I get those deep-rooted-painful-monster-cystic-breakouts. And besides being totally unsightly (hello, horns growing out of your face) before you manage to kill them, they also always leave me with super attractive dark spots: acne scars.
Enter: The Marry Mask
The mask so good you’ll want to marry it.
DIY Face mask for Acne Scars:
What you’ll need:
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1/2 tablespoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 tablespoon Nutmeg
Full disclosure: I typically eyeball the ingredients. The more nutmeg, the better exfoliator. The more cinnamon, the more it’ll burn.
What to do:
Mix all your ingredients together in a small dish or ramekin then spread evenly on your skin. Avoid your eye area.
For best results, you’re meant to do the mask about twice a week for twenty minutes at a time. It might burn a little, so obviously take it off whenever you feel like you can’t take it anymore.
I typically like to do the mask at night because I do experience some residual redness for a little while after I remove the mask. Don’t worry, it goes away.
Obvious disclosure that I’ll regret if I don’t post: if you’re allergic to any of these products, be smart and don’t smear them all over your face.
Skin Benefits:
HONEY is naturally antibacterial so it works well for acne treatment and prevention. It’s also hugely moisturizing and soothing, so your skin will be left with a beautiful natural glow. It’s also packed full of antioxidants so it’s great for anti-aging! Betcha didn’t know all that!
CINNAMON cures acne. That’s right, it gets rid of pimples. It’s also a great complexion enhancer and alleviates fine lines while also soothing dry skin.
NUTMEG is anti-fungal and full of antioxidants. It heals acne, fights skin infections (yummy), and will leave you with healthy, glowing skin. My favorite part? It acts as an awesome exfoliator when you scrub the mask off!
I’m always totally skeptical of these types of things. You know, those HUGE CLAIM OMG WHY HAVEN’T YOU BEEN DOING THIS ALL YOUR LIFE kinds of posts.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried something from pinterest and thought halfway through I must be on candid camera somewhere because now I’m sitting here with a random collection of crap on my face for what seems to be no apparent reason. Does anyone else ever feel like Pinterest is one big practical joke sometimes? Just me? Oh.
So when this mask made it onto my radar, I was hugely wary and pretty certain it would be like every other mask I’ve tried: a total waste of time. So trust me when I tell you, if you do this mask regularly (once/twice a week), you’ll see results.
That’s the thing, though. This isn’t a one-time fix-all kind of thing. So just keep that in mind.
Now go and rub a random assortment of kitchen products on your face and report in.
by Joey | Oct 27, 2016 | In the kitchen
Okay, if I’m being totally honest, I’m in a food rut 99.9% of the time. I have a slight addiction to eating out. And I also tend to toe the line of hangry before I finally start to make any food decisions. That’s not a recipe for success I tell you.
I don’t necessarily mind cooking, but like I said–I typically wait too long and then end up in that annoying place where I’m incapable of making decisions.
Meal planning is my friend.
Can I get an AMEN?
I love to eat. So for a recipe to make it into my regular rotation it doesn’t just need to be easy, it has to be packed full of flavor. And if it can resemble something that I could possibly order off a takeout menu, all the better.
Spicy Cheddar Ritz Cracker Chicken
What you need:
- 2-4 chicken breast cut into tenders
- 1 sleeve of ritz crackers
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1-2 teaspoons of Tony’s More Spice (more if you like extra spice)
- Dash of salt & pepper
- 1-2 eggs
What you do:
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees & spray a baking sheet. Bonus tip: I line my baking sheet with aluminum foil
- Place the sleeve of crackers into a large Ziplock bag and pound the crap out of them. This is your chance to get some aggression out. Someone pissing you off? Good. Even better. You want a fine crumb-like texture. Some bigger bits are okay, too.
- Add the cheese, Tony’s, and salt & pepper in with the crumbled up crackers and shake it up! Bonus points if you dance.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl wide enough to coat your chicken in.
- Bathe each piece in the egg wash then roll it in the cracker mixture. I actually place the chicken ON the mixture then burry it, pressing the mixture down into the chicken.
- Lay chicken on baking sheet
- Bake for 35 minutes.
The first time I made this I accidentally overdid it with the Tony’s, so I’ve learned less is more and that I can always add more later. Obviously, you can spice this however you want–we’re just big fans of spicy!
I usually make this with Idaho instant mashed potatoes because I’m super duper classy (four cheese for life), but I didn’t have any this week so I relied on an old favorite (pour a can of green beans and a can of sliced new potatoes into a pot with some butter, salt, peppper & garlic powder and boil until all the juices evaporate). Probably not the healthiest but as I always say–it’s still better than a Mcdonald’s drive thru (or at least that’s what I tell myself).
Pin it and add it to meal plans!
