My Infamous Baked Spaghetti

I have had a LOT of people asking me lately for my baked spaghetti recipe, so here ya go!

Here are the things you shall need:

Brown your turkey with garlic (we prefer quite a bit).  OPTIONAL - I add about 1/2 a teaspoon of coconut oil to this process since the turkey is so lean - it gives GREAT flavor.  

When the turkey is done, add both cans of soup to your skillet and combine.  At this point, I turn the heat off and let it sit a while.  

Boil your noodles according to directions.  

In a  9 X 11 dish (greased lightly with coconut oil), layer noodles, meat sauce, and cheese.  This will only end up being two layers.  You will end up with this:

 Cover it with foil.  

Cook on 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  The last five minutes of baking I remove the foil and, if I have it on hand, put Parmesan cheese on top and bake it off.

This is a really simple dish that your family will LOVE.  For my dairy-free friends, I honestly haven't found a dairy free cheese that will do this justice.  And for my friends concerned about the sodium in the Campbells Soup, well then consider this a "splurge" meal.   You won't regret it.

TIP:  If I have the time I like to make this the day before and put it in the fridge overnight.

Enjoy!

I wish so greatly that I could just stream my conscious succinctly here.  I use to.  I did.  And, now, for some reason I can't.  And, yet, here is what I will tell - God as usual is pushing me.  He is moving me.  He is a forward movement.  A catalyst of constant change.  Part of it I understand and most of it I do not.  I don't try to fight against it anymore.  On the flip side, I try to embrace it.  Figuring it out is not my motive anymore.  I just want to ride the wave and trust that it will bring me safely to shore.  It always has.  It always does.  It always will.

Like A Child

Craig Groeschel, pastor of LifeChurch.tv, has been teaching a series the past two weeks entitled Like A Child.  Last week's message was "God is For Me" (and, yes guys He is!).  This week's message was titled God is With Me.  Oh my goodness how I needed that reminder!  As I once again go through a season of being stretched, challenged, and trying to follow God's lead, it was so refreshing to be reminded of the simple truth that God is with me through each and every step of my journey.

I was so convicted by a statement Craig made that he "prays that we never become too 'intellectual, too 'mature' or too 'prideful' to remember the simple fact that God is with us.  Just like parents are always there for their children, so our God is always there for us.  The truth of the matter is that, just like our children are sometimes not connected to us, we are many times and likely most of the time, not connected to our Father.

As you start this week, I challenge you to take a moment each day to talk to God, and, even if you don't, remember He is still there with you.  And the best news is, He is for you!

Sorrow

This time of year brings about much happiness, gratitude and joy.  For me, those feelings also come with feelings of sorrow, grief and despair at times.   God called me into a "ministry".  That I am sure of.  Though I know I followed his calling, it has been a journey.  Helping and serving others is the easy part for me.  The "not-so-easy" part for me is seeing the constant subculture of people who are suffering.  And along with that, the subculture of people who are not suffering, yet abusing the system - the people who have found themselves in a pattern of living that they either cannot rise above or do not want to. There are little words for the things that I see sometimes in a day.  The people I want to help, but can't.  Reality is, I do not mean to whine.  I know that am called to and can find joy in all circumstances.  I know I am called to be a light.  I am called to do the best I can and to show the love of Jesus to everyone I encounter.  To swallow my pride.  To remember I am not "better", only different.  To remember that we are all children of God.  I feel as though I am failing.  I feel at times that I am becoming jaded.  I feel ungrounded as though, in my day to day job, I lose the "eyes of Christ".  Honestly, I feel sometimes completely adrift in a sea of different emotions. I don't want to become judgmental, hypocritical, unlike Jesus, a Pharisee, a person without His eyes.   So here I am back.  Blogging again.  Needing to type it all out so that I can make some sense of it all.

Does It Really Work?

For the past two months I have been reading over and through, and back over again, Ann Voskamp's book one thousand gifts.  

Giving thanks in all circumstances.  Searching out 1000 things to give thanks for.  Then finding more. 

It works.  As I have dealt with the loneliness for new friendships since our move, endure the neverending  drama of three teenagers, try and handle living life in an apartment, and mostly miss my husband as he travels so much this time of year, I have found that YES, it does work.  It's quite simple.  It is also everything I grew up learning from my parents - give thanks.  I am by nature a thanks giver, yet this determined act of giving thanks for at least three things each day is slowly causing a soul shift.  You see, the more I give thanks, the more things I find to give thanks for. 

1.   Three beautiful and awesome teenagers.
2.   A husband who runs all the grocery errands.
3.   The clouds in the sky today all melded together in oranges, and yellows and even blues.

Try it - I dare you!

So, I went to Haiti.....

It was comical.  Really.  Not kidding.

The week before I left for Haiti here is what happened - Biopsies for cervical cancer the day before I flew out, my car died ($1000.00 in repairs) and when we filed our taxes we found out someone had stolen my SSN and already filed a tax return in my name.   As you can imagine, I was mentally and spiritually exhausted.  I had never gone into a mission trip that way.  Yet, I thought I was "fine" and everything was just "okay".

Haiti was amazing.  It is impossible for me to explain to you the experience I had there.  The children, the school, the market, the "family" of people that were serving with me - all such an incredible experience.    Yet, I came back feeling defeated.  I wasn't a good witness.  I was not the "ball of fire" for Jesus that I wanted to be.

I did the physical labor and I think I did it well, but I was so spiritually dead the entire time, that I fell under attack.  I hope there are those of you who understand what I am trying to say.  The mission was accomplished, but I did not grow nor did I positively affect those around me.

And so, guess what?  God is good - and I came out the other side of this trip stronger.  

Just because I was on a mission trip did not mean I was a spiritual superhero - quite the opposite.  I learned that I am weak and He is strong.  I learned that His mercies are new every day and ultimately I learned that my call to missions still is strong and that this trip was a time for me to grow and learn.

Thank you all SO much for your prayers and support.  It was a chance of a lifetime and I we are now sponsoring a little boy there.  His name is Davidson.  Please pray for him.

I love you all and I love that God is a God of second chances.

Here are some photos:  Haiti 2012.

Also, there are some great photos of this trip on my Facebook Page - Melissa Shields Brown.

Love to you all!!!  Melissa

First Snow Day of the Year

Here is what the girls and I did this afternoon.  I get a little weepy thinking about how Jacob doesn't bake with us anymore.  He is 16 you know and much to old to do such things!  ;)   What a joy to spend a few hours with my amazing daughters making some snow day treats.  Click below and you shall see:

Monkey Bread and Butter Mints

As I gear up for my trip to Haiti, I am trying to clear my head of many of the things that have been consuming my time and energy for the last few weeks, months, geez - years!  (Good luck with that, right?)   I am fervently trying to just focus on the upcoming opportunity to help at the school in Fond-des-Blancs and let myself truly receive the experience.   So, with that being said, I am not worrying about finances, when we will find a house, how the kids are going to eventually adjust to this move, and all the changes I want to make in my life.  Instead I just want to sit back and watch, enjoy, experience, and feel.  And that's exactly what I am going to do.

Well, the hubby is traveling.  I pushed the kids out the door to youth and finally have some quiet time to myself.  (insert sounds of happiness here)


I have been putting some thought into my One Word for this year and believe that I may need to focus more on contentment than consistency.  Well, to be honest I need to focus on both.  Yet, it seems that the Lord is speaking to me lately to find contentment in certain things, such as my marriage and my finances.  NOT complacency.  No, the two are very different things.  I do not believe we are ever to be complacent, but I do believe we all need to seek contentment in certain areas of our lives.  In this culture, it is very hard thing to learn to be content.  We are constantly bombarded with things that will supposedly make us healthier, wealthier, skinner, prettier and ultimately happier.   Contentment is hard to find.  Yet this year I will choose to seek it out, search for it, hunger for it and hopefully learn how to live in it.  

One Word 2012

Consistency - "The achievement of a level of performance that does not vary greatly in quality over time."

My one word for 2012 is CONSISTENCY.  This is something I struggle with in so many areas of my life.  Maybe it is my "ADD" characteristics, but I am notorious for starting something strong and finishing it fairly weak.  This year I want to focus on consistency in my habits, my relationships and definitely my parenting.     It seems overwhelming for me to think about being consistent, since I am 41 and have not conquered it yet.  But, my God is a faithful God and I know He will give me the power to at least make a little progress in this area this year.  

Instead of making a New Year's Resolution, want to choose a New Year Word?  If so, my friend Alece's link is shown below.  Give it some thought, pick a word and go for it!!  :)

One Word 365

Prayer for 2012

Cross Point Church has a prayer for all of its campuses this year.   This morning, I chose to make it my personal prayer for 2012.

"God change us.  God grow us.  God connect us."

That about sums it up, huh?   Can't think of much more I would ask of God this year.  It is my heart's desire - all three.

God change me - change my bad habits, my bad attitude, my selfishness, etc.
God grow me - grow my faith, my knowledge of you, my marriage, my mothering.
God connect us - bless me and my children with godly friendships, connect us with our church family and knit me closer to my husband and children.

What is your prayer for 2012?

My Flesh vs. My Desire to Please God

Romans 7:15
I don't really understand myself, for I want to what is right, but I don't do it.  Instead, I do what I hate.  

This is a verse I have ruminated on quite a bit throughout the course of my life.  It convicts and haunts me because I feel like much of my life has been spent living out this verse.   I wonder quite often what it could have been Paul did that he hated.  I know the things I do that I hate - getting aggravated and yelling at my children, time spent resenting my husband for all his time on the road, taking steps backwards in my faith when all I want to do is take steps forward.  Then there are things like becoming impatient with people at work or impatient when people's conversations take longer than I want them too.  The problem is this, these seemingly small things end up breeding bigger things.   Trust me.

This is why it is so important to daily take our junk to the cross.   Take it there and leave it there.  It seems lately that I have been wanting to hang on to my junk and I HATE when I get to that point.  I hate when I get to the point that I think my junk it too much for Jesus.  Do you have junk you think is too much for Jesus?  I know I do.  But, reality my friend is this. Nothing is too big for our Saviour!  Cry out to Him.  Find someone to share your burden with.  He loves you and cares for you.  This I know. 

Fear

Pete (our pastor) delivered a wonderful message this morning on "Fear" (crosspoint.tv)  It was so interesting to find out that the only two fears we are actually born with are the fear of falling and the fear of noises.  It seems that all of our other fears are fears that are "learned" or that we are conditioned to. 

As I meditated on fear and how we are likely to stay inside our comfort zones, it really hit home with me that I am this way with my marriage.  After 20 years of togetherness, it is easy to build up walls between each other and I realized that I am scared most of the time to let those walls down.  Opening up and allowing myself to be vulnerable to someone I have known over half my life shouldn't be that scary, yet it is. 

I am not afraid to parasail, jet ski, ride on motorcycles or fly overseas to a country I have never been to, but am afraid of opening my heart up sometimes.   It doesn't seem logical, yet it is a fear and one that I need to have enough faith to overcome. 

What are your fears?

Serving Haiti

I have an amazing opportunity to serve this coming February in Fond-des-Blanc, Haiti.  John Lovelace (a friend and one of my personal heroes) put me in contact with a group of people who are going to to Fond-des-Blanc to help work on a school building.  After putting me in contact with the group, he then pledged money to help send me.  :)   After putting much thought and prayer into it, my boss then told me she wanted to pledge some money to help me go.  Then another individual pledged more money and then another.  SO, I decided to go to an informational meeting about the trip last night (which was exciting, sort of scary in regards to aspects of the trip, but all in all, the deciding factor for me to take a step out in faith and GO.)  So, after I raise the rest of my money to go (approximately $500), I will be leaving February 8th to head to Haiti!   Exciting, scary, and a little overwhelming.  Everyone who knows me knows that my heart is in missions and so this is a very happy and humbling opportunity for me.   If you are interested in helping me make my way to Haiti this February, please message me and I will give you more information as to the aspect of the trip.   Love and blessings to all ~  Melissa

What a beautiful day today with my family walking the woods at Radnor Lake.   I asked God this morning to show Himself to me today and also give me the eyes to see.  And boy did He.  He showed Himself to me while browsing all the beautiful pumpkins, vegetables and fruit at the Farmers Market.  He showed Himself to me in moments of silence af Radnor Lake, the noise of the birds and squirrels in the woods and  hugely through the occasional bickering and MANY moments of family gut-laughing.

I count my blessings today.   I may be living in a cramped apartment, missing teaching women's Bible classes and working with Youth, and lonely for new friendships, but I am so incredibly blessed by my God.  He shows Himself to me if only I choose to see Him.  No matter what the circumstances.  

Settled?  Well, yes in the physical sort of way.   Mentally and emotionally, um....almost.   We are getting there.   This move worked out so perfectly and was smooth in so many aspects, yet I feel an underlying current of "disconnect" and a sense of not quite knowing where we belong.   God is working mightily, yet I still am a little "out of sorts".   I am sure this is normal, yet want to feel rooted.   Yet, being rooted takes much time and that is something we have not had yet.   But, it will come.   We will root and we will grow and with God's grace we will thrive here.

"He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."   Jeremiah 17:8

I was at a ministry luncheon meeting yesterday afternoon and an older pastor there told me to try something out.  He asked me to pull out a measuring tape to full length and plot out where I was on the tape in regards to my age with the end of the tape being the end of my life.  He uses this technique to encourage people to see how much longer they may have left to live; and, therefore, to encourage them to GET ON IT.   Do what God has called you to do.  Don't hesitate!

I must admit that I came home and tried it out.  After I got over the initial shock, it really did encourage me to LIVE.   Try it out - see what you think.  ;)

It's Football Time in Tennessee

This time of year always does, and always will, remind me of my brother.   Some of my most favorite memories are watching UT games with him or talking "play-by-play" with him over the phone during the games.   I know if God gives us our favorite-colored mansion in heaven, that Jeff's is orange.

Here's to another season of Volunteer football and to the fourth football season without my brother.  Here's to singing "Good 'ole Rocky Top" and here's to another season of growing past the grief and growing deeper and deeper spiritually.

And here's to you Jeff - It's Football Time in Tennessee!  And "give. them. six.!"

James Franklin Shields, Jr.

So, this weekend I realized I have to go back......

back to these precious children who touched my family's heart so much!

Pine Ridge 2010 - click here.  :)

Life is Good!

Quick update from the Brown House -

Love my job!  Getting paid to help feed and clothe people everyday is pretty darn cool.  :)

Kids are adjusting VERY well to school and new area.  They miss their friends back home, but I think they love being back in Nashville very much.

Apartment life is very challenging but also very simplifying.   I have definitely learned to use space to the best of my ability and its potential.  :/

Chris - working hard as usual - I am blessed.

Melissa - so happy to be back near family and longing to meet some new friends and foster some intentional Christian community.  Blessed to be part of Crosspoint North!

Chris and Melissa - started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace and are on week 2.  Trying to save $1000 as quickly as possible for our emergency fund.  

Oh, yeah and we got finally got a Mac - see pic below!  :)