Lessons From Ivy Is Moving Excited and Sad At The Same Time

I have been planning this post now for about a month, and I've been putting it off  dragging my feet while kicking and screaming.

So where is "Lessons From Ivy" moving?

Lessons From Ivy is actually staying put.  All the posts will stay, you can still pin, share, or tweet any of them.  But if you're a subscriber I've already transferred my mailing list to KMLogan.com so you won't miss a beat.  I'll also be sending you (another) free eBook in the next few days that you can download if you want.

I LOVE this blog, I named it after my oldest daughter so it's a little hard letting it go. God has used this  blog to lead to 5 best-selling eBooks on Amazon, many new friends, inspiration for me to be a better mom, and inspiration for me to draw closer to the Lord.

But after reading the book Blog at Home Mom by Christin Slade God confirmed in my heart what I've long known.  It's time to focus my blogging and switch to a new blog entirely.  I know this won't be the right choice for everyone but it definitely was the right choice for me.

Exciting things are happening.  Craig and I are applying to a mission board, God is moving, and we're just trying to follow and seek His guidance.

I invite you to stop by KMLogan.com and say hi.  Subscribe even, exciting things are coming!

A Mystery Party, and Pin My Post Friday

Happy March! It's time to get your green on.  In honor of St. Patrick's day coming up, 

I'm hosting a Lilla Rose Mystery Hostess Party.  

That means if you sign up for our party and order something, you could be selected as the hostess and get all the great hostess gifts!

(If you already have a Lilla Rose Consultant, you can contact them to host your own party)

Here's what you do: 

1) Sign in to the Mystery Hostess Party as a guest.

2) Shop for fabulous products.

3) Place your order

4) Share this post with your friends 

(the more orders the better the hostess gifts)

5) Order by Thursday 11:59 pm March 7,

 then I'll randomly select a hostess and contact you.

***Make sure you provide an e-mail you regularly check, so you can let me know what your selections will be for your hostess gifts****

Here are some more of the lovely things you can order.

       

Head on over and sign up so you can get the chance to be the mystery hostess!

Now it's time for Pin My Post Friday!

As a thank you for linking up I'll be sure to pin your posts to my pinterest boards. 

Be sure to follow me if you don't already.

*Note I'm still working to pin all of last months links, but I will make sure I get them all shared for you*

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A Psalm for the Depressed and Grieving

I started out today wanting to make a blog post and an info-graphic of Psalm 42 verse one which reads "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God."

I found a picture of a beautiful stag and I started researching fun factoids about deer to include in today's devotion.  I wasn't sure who wrote the Psalm so I started researching that as well.  Come to find out the only real information we know about who wrote this Psalm of the Bible was that it was written by someone who was struggling with depression.  The direction of my post completely changed.

I've received a handful of e-mails over the past week from women struggling from depression and my heart beaks for them.  What breaks my heart even more is that these women have been told to "snap out of it" by family and friends.

Sadly, grief is not something you can snap out of.  Clinical depression is not something you can snap out of.  As I read this Psalm, I can almost feel the writer telling himself to "snap out of it."  He knows in his mind that God is his rock (vs. 9) but he still continues mourning.

This Psalm doesn't have a step by step cure for those with heavy hearts, but in it we can see a person whose depression was used for the Glory of God.  We can see that despite, great pain and heart-ache, this Psalmist still chose to Praise God.

Praising God when we ache is never easy, but sometimes that's all we can truly do.

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God" Psalm 42:11

 I encourage you to read the whole chapter today.  What passages of scripture have blessed you in times of sadness.

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Slow Cooking Tips

I made this image with slow cooker (crockpot) tips for my pinterest page but figured I share it here too.

For those of you who can't see the image. Here are the tips.

Low=200

High=300

Add these at the End

-Herbs

-Dairy Products

-Tender Vegetables

What are your best slow cooker tips?

Foods on the bottom cook faster

If you don't want something simmering in the juices, cook it in a foil packet. 

1 Hour on High = 2 Hours On Low

If your sauce is too thick remove the lid and turn the crockpot to high for the last 1/2 hour of cooking.

What Are Your Best Slow Cooker Tips?

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Pin My Post Friday

Last Week I started a Pinterest Board for Christian bloggers/authors.  It's so we can get a little more exposure to a larger audience for our own work but so that we can also share blog posts/books that have blessed us by others.

If you've never been a part of a group board, this will be the perfect one to get you started.  The only "rule" is whatever you pin must be by a Christian writer.

How To Join:
1) You must follow me @ http://www.pinterest.com/lessonsfromivy
2) Leave a request in the comments with your pinterest user name.
3) I'll add you some time this weekend and then you can start pinning to your hearts content.  Easy Peasy!

Now it's time to link up your most popular posts so we can all pin them! Feel free to link up your PINTEREST PAGES too, just include Pinterest page in the title of the post : ) 

I hate picking favorites so.............

I will do my best to pin each of your posts this week as a thank you!

Here are the rules:

1) Share this post somehow, take two seconds to pin it, or use one of the buttons below to share on facebook, twitter, or whatever.  Or you can always just link back on your blog.  Bonus points if I get a place on your sidebar : )

2) Visit at least 3 posts and Pin them!

3) As a thank you to me for hosting the link-up (it does cost just a little money) Promise to give me your first born  sign up for FREE e-mail updates using the form at the bottom of the post so you can get your Free eBooks, and so you don't forget about the party next week.

*Note since this party is still growing I run the link-ups for several weeks that way everyone's posts get more exposure.  Just be sure to visit the posts towards the bottom too!*

The Continuing Pain Of Miscarriage

The Kindle Version of Honoring a Child Born to Heaven is FREE today on Amazon.

1 in 4 pregnancies will end in miscarriage, there are so many women who need Hope.

Would you share this on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter?

Today in my inbox I got this letter I wanted to share it with you because I know so many women feel the same way:

I just downloaded your book. I haven't read it yet but imam thrilled a book is written for those who suffered miscarriage. I also like how it has some spiritual parts to it because I have had a next to non existsnt realtiinship with God since then. I am so angry that he took my baby and that he teased me with one just to take it. I hope your book helps.

Here was my response: 

I'm so sorry.  I've always had what others would consider a "close" relationship with God and it still took A LOT of time to deal with the loss of three pregnancies.   Years later I still deal with trusting God fully.  I hope you find peace for the moment, which is all any of us can hope. 

I know how hard it is to seek God after a loss, and anyone who tells you just to "get over it" doesn't understand.  Push through the pain and pray.  Push through the pain and read your Bible.  The book of James says "Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you."  If you're seeking Him, you'll find him.  God is the ultimate author of peace and hope.

There is always a hope that you will see your baby in heaven if you have Christ in your heart.  Even though your baby was taken away in this life, a precious soul was still created.  

I'm just a mom trying to muddle through things, God is my rock. I hope you're blessed by what you read and I hope it draws you to him.

Do you ladies have anything else to add?

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Reader Recipe

I was so blessed to receive this piece of encouragement in my e-mail inbox last week from Grace a reader of mine. Here's what she had to say:


I loved your ABC's of Freezer book! Don't apologize for recommending making the same recipe! That is why I loved your book. I have tried so many freeze ahead plans that left me exhausted  I wanted to make a bunch of something that used one kind of meat. So your practical ideas encouraged me to re-think the cooking for a month. 

You asked for ideas. One thing I have done is that when I am cooking chicken breasts I go ahead and season a bunch of them, may be 4 meals worth (garlic, salt, pepper) and get them browned in a bit of oil. Then when they are cooled I bag them. They are ready for any number of sauces like Hoisin, Teriyaki or Bar-B-Que. If I freeze chicken breasts raw with sauce they don't taste as good as this way.

When I do a beef batch I have a real good way to make ahead a stir-fry meat. This I freeze raw and freezes well. I cut up in thin slices enough beef for 4 - 8 meals, about 1/3 - 1/2 lb each baggie. It is not a lot because I am going to add lots of veggies when I cook. I mix all the cut up beef in a mixture of 

• 2 T. soy sauce 
• 1 t. sugar 
• 2 T. cornstarch dissolved in 2 T. water 
• 1 T. oil
• I put the meat in this marinade and then divide and freeze. Just thaw when ready to use. It is very tasty and has a nice texture.
• It can be used with a Beef broccoli dish. A good sauce over this would be
• 1/2 c. soy sauce 
• 1 T. cornstarch 
• 1/2 c. water 
• 1 tsp of garlic 
• 1 t. sugar 
• several drops of sesame oil (optional) 
• 1 T. Oyster sauce (optional)

I also use this meat in a Chinese Noodle dish, using Ramen noodles. I use one pack of meat that I cook first, then I cook veggies while I am boiling a couple of packes of Ramen. 

For this noodle sauce I use one of the packets of seasoning with soy sauce, corn starch, a tad sesame oil, sugar and water. I boil this so it is thick. Taste to see if it is how you like it. I pour this sauce over the dish when it is on the serving dish. If you cook the meat and the veggies in the sauce it seems to make everything soggy.
I have been known to use this meat in fajitas as well. : )

I am glad you are helping moms to re-think the meal routine. My kids, eventhough they are teens still love to have the same meals over and over. 

Grace

Thanks so much for the recipes Grace! If you haven't gotten a copy of The ABC's of Freezer cooking yet it's only $2.99 on Amazon.  (PS if you've read it and enjoyed it a review would bless my socks off!)

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