From the Heart, Slow Cooker Creamy Tuscan Chicken AND Early Mother's Day Picnic at the Park

Good Thursday morning!

From the Heart - I have a fun fact for ya! I love Mother's Day sermons.

For me, they tend to be both encouraging and a big reminder I am human...

I am beyond flawed...

And no matter how hard I try/tried, my best efforts aren't/weren't enough.

God has got to be in the parenting of our kids, the grandparenting of our grandchildren, and so on and so on and so on.

I am just going to share a little bit of Bro. Steve Gaines' sermon from this past Sunday...

"These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:6-9

On your hands - It should govern everything you do.

On your head - It should govern everything you think.

On your doorpost - It should go with you every time you leave the house and return home.

On your gates - It should be on your gates for the whole world to know you belong to Jesus Christ.

And then Bro. Steve gave two practical ways to teach your children the Word of God...

1. Put scripture in every room of your house (pictures, plaques, painted on the walls, etc.). Make sure your children have scripture around them at all times in your home.

2. When you find out you are expecting, start praying scripture over the unborn baby (and continue to pray scripture over your children as they grow).

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - I have added a list of just some of the verses you can use to pray over your children.

Rejoice before God that all of your child’s days have been ordained by God (Psalm 139:16). Acknowledge to Him that your child's days belong to Him, from the first to the last and every day in between.

Ask God for your child to have a close relationship with Him as he/she abides in Christ (John 15:7-9).

Claim on your child’s behalf the truth that God has not called him/her for impurity, but in holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

Pray that God would give your child a heart that trusts in Him, leaning not on his/her own understanding, but acknowledging Him in all things. (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Ask God to grant your child a biblical fear of the Lord, an awareness of His holiness and His power, and a reverence that inspires obedience. Pray that your child will know God intimately in his/her life, and that the fear of God and the knowledge of God would lead your child to wisdom and insight (Proverbs 9:10).

Pray that your child would develop self-control, thus securing his/her testimony before others (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). Ask God to help him/her renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live a self-controlled, upright and godly life in the present age (Titus 2:12).

Recount back to God that your child’s worth is more than that of many ravens, and that He is the only One who can provide for his/her needs (Luke 12:24).

If you have ever wondered as a Christian parent what to teach your children (at any age)...

Get the Word of God in their hearts now.

Don't hesitate. Don't delay. Don't take a break.

The Word of God is THE tool you need to use every single day when raising your family.

Slow Cooker Creamy Tuscan Chicken

You will need the following:

1 tablespoon butter
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
2 (15-ounce) jars Alfredo sauce with roasted garlic
2 (3-ounce) packages slivered sun-dried tomatoes (NOT IN OIL)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach leaves

1. Melt butter over medium-high heat in a nonstick pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan and cook until browned on both sides. (About 2 minutes on each side.)

2. Place chicken in a lightly greased slow cooker.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together Alfredo sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.

4. Pour mixture over chicken. Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours.

5. Open slow cooker, mix in spinach. Cover and cook 5 more minutes. Serve over noodles.

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - I always tell you when something is good, but this is a new favorite, and if you would like to try an Italian dish that is a little different, this is the one for you. It is delicious!

RANDOMNESS - Early Mother's Day Picnic at the Park - Our original plan was to have a picnic dinner at a park in Cullman the Sunday before Mother's Day. Things changed a bit, and we ended up going to a local park in Gardendale.

We were a little concerned at first because two out of three pavilions were being used for BIG birthday parties, but then we found out the third pavilion was empty...

And a grill close by wasn't being used...

And the park was plenty big enough to accommodate our 11 family members and two giant birthday parties at the same time.

In other words, it worked out really well!

Here are some swingin' pics...

And here are a few of the twirly thingy pics...

And, of course, the slidin' pics.

We'll end this little photo blitz with the always popular hodge-podge pics!

If you were wondering why Austin was the adult assigned with pushing and twirling kids, you can now see Josh was slaving over a hot grill.

Everybody had a job!

This is clearly not the best pic The Chick and I have ever taken together...

And I am going to have to take 100 percent of the blame.

Maybe this one will do from a few weeks back.

Y'all have a delightful Thursday, and I will be back before you know it!

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

P.S. Here's a little preview from the next post...

HINT - I was just a little ill when this pic was taken on our anniversary weekend a few months back.