MAKE IT! You won't regret it.... (unless of course you don't like chicken. Or tortillas. Or soup.)

I've got three words for you... coffee intravenous drip. WAIT, no, that's not it... oops... (but really, Christmas wish list, anyone??)

andddddd it's Chicken Tortilla Soup.

I seriously love this stuff... it's so good! Chicken, beans, tomato, corn... add in some cheese and tortilla chips; and voila! Delicious and nutritious (Relatively...just stand while you eat it and the cheese and tortilla calories won't count ;-) ). PLUS it helps that all the ingredients are 'staple' and so I'm typically well stocked for the end-of-the-month-getting-tight-on-my-grocery-budget-blues. I've found several recipes for this fill-your-belly comfort and have combined them to suit my family's tastes. 

Stuff you need:
-Chicken (imagine that... but really, I typically use a chicken breast per person or a bunch of tenders)
- Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning 
-Olive oil (I prefer the extra virgin variety)

and then for the soup:
- Carton of Chicken broth (homemade or not;; my go-to is the Aldi brand! Yummy AND affordable)
- Can of diced tomatoes (or 2... one of the recipes I saw used 2, but I like to switch out one with a can of rotel... cause green chilies make everything better!)
- Can of Rotel (Again, I go with Aldi... it's substantially cheaper and still delicious)
- Can of black beans (Or 2... we LOVEEEE our beans. )
- And a good bit of corn (I kinda just open the bag and pour until I'm satisfied)

And that's it. That's all the ingredients. You simply rub the chicken down with Tony's, a little olive oil, and bake it on a pan at 400 degrees for 20 or so minutes. When the chicken isn't pink on the inside, it's done. Side note; while I do most of the cooking, I often make my hubs check my chicken. He worked for Chickfila and I recognize his astuteness at chicken-making. :-) Then shred your chicken into a pot, toss in the diced tomatoes, rotel, beans, corn, broth, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve up with shredded cheddar and chips!

Quick note:: My hunk of sweetness isn't a big fan of chunks of tomatoes, so I usually blend the diced tomatoes (but not the rotel) so they're not as chunky and cook down a little more.  OH! If you don't have Tony's for the chicken; it'll still taste great with just salt and pepper... but really, you should try it. Come to my house, and I'll share mine! I married a man who's lovely mama is a cajun and so he's grown up with it. I tried it once, and I was hooked.

I posted a picture of it on facebook with my blog link (sans the cheese... cause you don't need to know EVERYTHING about me.)


 xoxoxoxo Mrs. Pickles

Confessions of Motherhood... #644936

Reasons I love MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)
- I get to drink coffee and eat breakfast foods. (Getting to enjoy an entire cup of coffee while it's actually HOT ??.. it's  a beautiful thing in mommy world.)
- Chatting with other ladies who are in the same phase of life. (Your 2 year old JUST started sleeping through the night?? I thought 11 months of constant wakings and sleep deprivation was rough....)
- And of course, doing those two things while a wonderfully fun and responsible adult takes care of my child. For free. (I had to search around for one that had responsible free childcare.... but they're out there!)

Seriously though, if you're a momma of youngons and haven't found an avenue of support from like-minded mamas, check out your local group-- it may be well worth it.

SOOOOOOO... my 'confession' of motherhood?

This past Thursday I had MOPS. I had an awesome time connecting and chatting with ladies about everything you could imagine while slowly sipping on my *hot* coffee and enjoying every precious second of it. (I also enjoyed **cough, cough** like 3 donut holes from Dunkin.... okay it was 4. I had 4. And they were delicious. Every single one of them.) It was wonderful. I left feeling refreshed, encouraged, and ready to tackle the rest of my day. That is, of course, until it all came crashing down. 

The details of the situation aren't as important as just to say that I had words spoken to me about my parenting that just slapped me in the face (and the back of my head, and my arms, and legs, basically blue all over) like a MACK truck barrelling down the wrong side of the highway. (Yea, so maybe that's overdramatic, but you know you've also been there when just a few simple words hurt you to your core.) 

I went from feeling encouraged and excited, to tears streaming down my face as I called my husband asking him if I was really that terrible of a mother. Naturally he tried his best to lift me up; but let's just be honest, the damage was done and a few sweet wonderful words from my hubby weren't going to be enough. (Although seriously, he's the best thing ever.) What was going on with me? Why was I letting something so silly bring me down so much? And why did I at all care what someone else, who doesn't live with me, who isn't parenting my child, who has absolutely no say in how we raise her, had to say? I don't know. Maybe because they were right? Nah... probably not. Maybe because I'm insecure in what I'm doing? (Well, let's be honest, sometimes parenting is just going through an arsenal of ideas and tips and tricks... but that still wasn't it) 

I sat there trying to compose myself while baby girl just stared up at me with those pretty little eyes. She's got the prettiest little eyes- and that smile? Oh...it can just light up a room. 

And that's when it hit me. I was once again reminded, God picked ME to be her momma. I tell myself this often when I'm struggling in mommyland. The Lord knows all. He knows all my insecurities and doubts in parenting. He knows my occasional wins and pretty constant struggles. He knows my heart. 

He also knows the areas where I still need work. He knows where I need to be refined both as a mother and a wife......and a believer. He knows my heart... all of my heart. Which reminds me of the things I know.

I know I need the Lord. I know that without His guidance, I can't be the mother and wife he has called me to be. I know that I am a sinner and need grace. Truly though, morning by morning new mercies I see. I recognize how faithful He is, and how faithless I can be. I know that I need to constantly and consistently seek my identity in HIM and not in motherhood, or parenting, being a perfect wife or any part of this earthly life. It sure can be tough sometimes to remember that. However, I am finding that the more completely I seek Him in all aspects of my life, the more I turn to Him first before turning to emotions and reactions, and the easier it actually does become to turn to Him sooner and more thoroughly. 

So. Confession of motherhood?

Sometimes mommyhood can be truly disheartening; and I have to just choose not to let it define me. I have to choose not to fall prey to satan's whispers of failure and doubt, but rather lift my eyes and keep them focused on the Lord from the very beginning. 

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxo. 
~Mrs. Pickles

Flight Attendant?.... for now. :-)

Next month will mark a year since leaving my jobs at The Church of Winchester and Shenandoah University, and heading off to Dallas, Texas for a grueling 2 months of flight attendant training (basically Safety Barbie Boot Camp) to pursue a life-long dream (20 years is a long time to dream).

I've now been flying for 9 months; quickly approaching my one year anniversary and absolutely loving my job. I love the chaos yet consistency at the same time. I love flying to 5 or 6 different states across the country in less than 2 days. I even like the sore feet that can bring me to my knees because I've been on them for a solid 15 hours. I love getting to share my life and love for the Lord with coworkers, even when I don't anticipate it. (Trust me, it's not that God doesn't give us opportunities to share... it's more that we don't recognize the opportunities when they're right in front of us.) I love meeting thousands of new people from all over the world. I love getting to serve and take them to where ever they are going. I love seeing the faces of the family members and friends that are waiting beyond security as they catch that first glimpse of their loved one and start to swell up with tears of joy and excitement. I LOVE having random trips with my hubby. I love my job. I love my life.

But I am not a six year old girl anymore.

While it's an amazing thing to fulfill your dreams and reach your goals, turns out a funny thing happens as you grow. You change. Imagine that...haha. The older you get, the longer you live, the more your thoughts, ideas, dreams, priorities, and desires change. They especially begin to change when you decide to trust the Lord as pilot of your life. I have truly felt the Lord's blessing over pursuing my dream job, but I recognize something now that I didn't before. 

When I was a kid, I dreamed I would become a flight attendant, and live my life, and that was kinda the end of the dream. As I draw closer to my one year anniversary I'm quickly realizing that the dreams and hopes of that 6 year old, are different from the now 26 (ALMOST 27, SHUT THE FRONT DOOR) year old lady. Because now, my hopes and dreams are to be a good Godly wife to my husband (I GOT MARRIED...how crazy is that?), one day raise children with him, and continue the ministry that the Lord placed upon my heart several years ago, and serve the children I love so much to work with. 

At the beginning of the whole flight attendant thing, I'll be honest, I never thought I'd get this far. But I knew that if there was any time to do it, it was now. So with the blessings of Ethan, my family and friends, I went through and lived my dream of walking across that stage and having my precious silver pair of wings pinned onto my uniform.

So all this to say?

I love my job. Just as I have loved every job I have had before it. (No joke, I've legitimately loved every job I've every had). It is just that though; a job. While it brings me joy and happiness to fly, nothing brings me as much joy and happiness as just hanging out with my husband on a Saturday morning eating cinnamon rolls and watching movies; or taking a nice long walk on the boardwalk by the bay. Nothing brings me to my knees like when I think about the way the Lord love me.  I'm not the person I was when I dreamed of flying around the world as a jetsetter. Honestly, I don't know how long I'll be a flight attendant. Might be another year. Might be another 5 years. But what I know is that...

I'm different. 

And that's ok.

It's okay for your dreams to change. It's okay for YOU to change for the better. 

Last weekend my sister-in-law was telling me how it's been fun and interesting to watch me change (Carrie and Fil have been married for 4 years, so she's seen a lot of me.. ;-)) through growing, and getting married, and having a husband. And while the stubborn part of me wants to grunt like scrooge and say, 'I haven't changed!'... I know it's true. So SO SOOOOOO true, and I'm incredibly thankful for it. 

So here's to an abundant life lived in Christ. 
Here's to growing old with my amazing husband.
Here's to realizing that the Lord has changed my dreams.
Here's to enjoying every second I get of this marvelous job and the killer perks.
Here's to the grace the Lord pours over all my stupid mistakes and selfishness.
Here's to His plan for my life. 
And finally, here's to being open to the Lord's changing of my plans, and continuing the work He has given me, in whatever capacity it is, where ever it is, how ever it turns out. 

Being a believer?
#BESTJOBEVER

Mrs. Pickles ;-)

Easter Issue Pickles Patch

I still remember it like it was yesterday. Easter morning we would wake up extra early, put on our Easter outfits; complete with the pretty new knitted white sweater and brand new sandals. Next we’d all pile up into the car and drive the short few miles up to campus where we’d soon see our church members piling into the back of Old Main.

If you’ve ever been to Alderson Broaddus, you’ll know exactly where I talking about, but if you haven’t; let me draw you a picture. In the back of the Old Main building (now called Burbick Hall); there is a patio. It’s large and made from beautiful stone. When you stand on the patio and look out, you have the absolute most perfect view of the entire city of Philippi. The city seems to sit perfectly nestled into the hills of West Virginia. It’s on this patio, or right inside the doors to the patio that every year we would have our church’s Easter sunrise service. As a child I remember listening to our pastor or a speaker as they would recount the Easter story and speak on the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Without fail, at the exact moment that the speaker would start talking about the early morning when Mary Magdalene went to the grave, the sun would beg for attention as we watched it peer its head through the clouds over Philippi and light up the sky. It was a very sweet moment that would help us reflect on how wonderful it must have been on the morning that the grave was found empty. Then we would sing a few songs, pile back into the car and head to church. Soon after would follow a fellowship breakfast, the annual egg hunt, and the Easter church service. For years that was what I knew Easter to be. I knew the traditions of celebrating Easter, and that Jesus died for my sins. However, it wasn’t until later in life that I truly began to understand the importance of Easter.

As a child, I knew and understood the importance of Jesus dying on the cross. I knew that because God loved us so much, He sent His son to die on the cross for our sins so we wouldn’t have to. What I didn’t recognize was the importance of the resurrection.

So why is the resurrection important? (Have your Bible ready to fill in the blanks!!)

1.

First of all, it proved that He was, in fact, who He claimed to be, and fulfills Biblical prophecy. Jesus had claimed to be the Son of God, and many people not only didn’t believe Him… but wanted to kill Him because of it!

b.

Psalm 49: 15 “But as for me, God will redeem my ______. He will snatch me from the power of the _______.”

c.

Romans 1:3-4   “The Good News is about his _____. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, and he was shown to be the ____ of_____ when he was raised from the dead by the power of the _____  ______. He IS Jesus Christ our Lord.”

2.

Next up, it shows that because He saved us from death from our sins and hell; we can now have life! And live it abundantly through Him!

a.

Romans 5: 9- 10  “And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the _____ of ____, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since your friendship with God was restored by the death of his ____ while were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the _______ of his Son.”

b.

John 10:10  “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have _____, and have it ____________.”

3.

Lastly, it’s part of the saving faith that we have in Christ.

a.

Romans 10:9-10 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is ____ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the ______, you will be ______. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and is it by confessing with your mouth that you are ________.”

As you celebrate Easter this year; I hope you not only have joy in knowing that Jesus died for your sins; but also REJOICE that because He LIVES- we can face tomorrow! I leave you now with words from one of my absolute favorite hymns…

God sent His Son,
They called Him Jesus!
He came to love, heal and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives I can face tomorrow-
Because He lives all fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives!

Life... is about to completely change-- yet again... ;-)

One year. I have now lived in Winchester for an entire year... the most exhausting, strenuous, trying, convicting, incredible, humbling, amazing, spiritually growing, inspiring, eye-opening, wonderful, ABSOLUTE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE. 

And my friends, it's slowly coming to a close. 

Just a simple 6 months ago I had a completely different idea of what today would look like... and then the Lord closed some doors and began opening others; and here I am today. 

So what exactly is going on and where am I going next? 

Well... I'll start from the 'beginning' of it all... 

About 4 months ago one of my absolute best friends Sammi-Jo got married. A while before the wedding she informed me that her fiance-at-the-time wanted to 'set me up' with his best man... thinking this was a terrible and awkward idea, I brushed it off as hodge-podge and made different plans. However... God has a way of laughing at my plans... ha... 

The wedding came and I was introduced to a tall, dark, and incredibly handsome fella. At first, I thought, yea... this is awkward... and then I started talking to him... and next thing I knew; I REALLY wanted to get to know him better. We went on a date to D.C.... and the rest is history. ;-) He is quite amazing... loves the Lord with all his heart.. smart.. mature... handsome.... sweet... hilarious... handsome... haha... (ok, ok, I'll stop... ;-)) 

In the meantime of this new development; I began evaluating the past year and seeking what I needed to do with the place I was. The past year of ministry and working full time has taught me that I have a lot to learn... it reignited the desire to go back to school (I've actually missed it) and to pursue a masters in ministry. (Due to my schedules I had not yet been able to begin.) However, knowing that I would not be able to keep both jobs; it soon became evident that I would have to start making some tough decisions. At that point I realized that it was time to resign from my position as the children's minister at the church. With that being said though, I also quickly realized that with Ethan living 2 hours away; I really wanted to be a little closer... and now comes part 3 of my upcoming journey... prepare yourselves--- it's a doozy.

I needed a new job.

Long, long, LONG ago; I dreamed of one day becoming a flight attendant. I never imagined the dream could, let alone would, come to fruition. One night as I pondered my current stage in life, I realized it would be the perfect time to try. So I did. (And to spare you the boring details; I'll just skip to the end). On March 16th (one day after my birthday); I will be flying to Dallas, Texas; to begin my 8 1/2 week long training with American Airlines as a flight attendant. Lord willing, I will be able to be based out of D.C.

So... that basically brings you up to speed... there's so much more I would love to say; but honestly, I'm tired at the moment; so I won't... but I'd love to get a cup of coffee and share all the amazing things God is doing in my life in more detail!

There are still a lot of questions and 'what-if's''... but I'm choosing to trust in God and His sovereignty... living each and every day to the fullest--seeking to glorify God in what I do, and praising Him for His endless grace and constant blessings.

In Christ,

Kristina (Miss Pickles) Vlasic

Just a tad bit early...

Sooo I realize it's a little early... but it's for the Christmas issue; so just pretend it's December.. ;-)

CHRISTMAS TIME IS FINALLY HERE! The leaves of spring have sprung and withered away. The summer sun has warmed us and now provides us with just a fraction of the heat as the cold winds of winter and snow slowly blow over our homes and towns signaling the arrival of that glorious time of year. Not only do we get to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ; but we get to have fun doing it! One of my many favorite things about Christmas is the lights. I absolutely love Christmas lights. To be completely honest, I keep some sort of Christmas lights up all year long (and believe me, a lot of my friends have made fun of me for it). I simply love the twinkle of those little lights as they dance along my walls. Have you ever just sat and looked at a Christmas tree all lit up and seen how truly beautiful it is as each bulb on a strand weaves in and out of the branches? I love how even the smallest strand of lights can fill an entire room with feelings of comfort and warmth. But most of all; I love that a single strand of lights can completely pierce the darkness no matter what the circumstances.

Part of the reason I keep my lights up all-year-round is that they remind me of the best Light of all; the LIGHT to the dark world we live in. In John 1 it says, ‘In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (vs 4-5). Jesus is the light that God sent to shine bright in the darkness of the world, and the best part is that no matter what, no matter how hard it tries; darkness will never ever be able to overcome the light of Jesus. Jesus is the light of our lives; His word (the Bible) is the lamp unto our feet. The light of Jesus and His word show us how to live a life pleasing to Christ, how to love the people around us, and how to be a light unto others.

There is an old song that you probably know by heart- and it goes a little like this…

‘This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine! This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!’ Some of you might even remember singing it at this past summer’s convention. Not only did God give the world Jesus, but He lets us have the light of Jesus in US so that WE can shine it the rest of the world making Jesus shine even brighter and brighter. Think about this for a moment… did you know that the moon (that big bright shining thing in the sky at night) doesn’t actually glow on it’s own? Did you know that the brightness that we see at night is actually the reflection of the sun? That’s kinda how we as Christians work with the light of Jesus. Alone, we are nothing… but when we have Jesus in our hearts we reflect His light to the rest of the world. Because of that light; other people get to see Jesus.

So as you gaze upon the lights that decorate your houses and streets and towns; I hope you will remember the most important light of all. I pray that you remember that no matter what; darkness and sadness and hard times will NEVER overcome the Light of Jesus. Lastly, I hope and pray that you will keep Jesus in your heart so that you can be a light to the people and world around you.

Until we meet again my wonderful friends; Merry Christmas!

Miss Pickles

Ouch...

Listening to a podcast today on resting; I found something so simple-- to be ridiculously profound... 'When you hurry; some relationship is damaged-- somewhere' And almost immediately my sinful nature wanted to get defensive and quickly pull up excuses or try to defend my often too-busy life... but the truth is... if I'm honest with myself; the only reason I want to argue it- is because I know it's true, and I just don't want to be held accountable to it... or 'deal with it'.

Ironically, my next instinct was to start thinking of the people in my life who I feel have done that to me... those who in the hurry and busy of their life; have neglected our friendship or shown their lack of care by not reaching out... and once again; conviction struck deep...

How many times have I not called back because I was just too busy...
How many times have I not texted back because I was just too busy...
How many opportunities to life an abundant life have I missed because I was just too busy just living...
How many times have I missed the change to share the Gospel; because I was just too busy...
How many times have I missed the cry of a friend; because I was just too busy...
How many times have I let a friendship deteriorate because I was just too busy...
How many times have I neglected my own family.... because I was just too busy...
How many times have I gotten so 'busy' 'doing ministry'; that I've neglected God; Himself... and forgotten WHY I do ministry in the first place.
And how many MORE times will I hurt those around me; because I choose to be 'just too busy'...

I am the chief of all sinners.

phew... that was a painful punch in the gut...

Today; I'm thankful for my family and friends who have shown so much grace in all those times... but moreover;

I'm beyond grateful and humbled by my God who daily pours out grace that I will never be able to fully comprehend.