It's Time for AM~Erica to Shift Mindset

So anyway...

We have celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday, this week (reminder HERE), and we have wrapped up the Carnival season with Mardi Gras, yesterday. We got to celebrate mostly like I'd hoped (how I wanted to HERE), however there were a couple of changes...

In the wearing of some Mardi Gras colors, I didn't quite get even my own parade done. However...we did do our shrimp & sausage boils, including potatoes & corn:

Since the kiddos don't do seafood or potatoes (whiners), we boiled the shrimp & potatoes in Zatarain's

and then, in a separate pot, boiled turkey & beef sausage with corn in a creole seasoning

...along with some red beans & rice (plus some plain white rice for the kiddos):

Hubby & I mixed the shrimp & sausage boils to have served with the red beans & rice. YUM!

Then we got to follow the evening up with King Cake & Hurricane Mocktails (aka - non-alcoholic):

And guess who got da baby!

One of the babies that was sent to me.
I set the baby back in my cake for a quick pic.
It was actually further into the piece, originally...

~ SIDE NOTE: Lil Guy now wants King Cake for his birthday next year. Hey! It's during carnival season...
OK, back to regularly scheduled programming...

While we enjoyed our King Cake & Hurricanes, I turned on some Mardi Gras music on TV. We have AT&T U-Verse, and this is a provider that uses Music Choice. Their Sounds of the Seasons station was labeled as "Mardi Gras". That was exciting! However, much like their Halloween music, about a quarter of (...like a French quarter of it *snort*) was decent. But we were having fun.

I picked up some things from the Dollar Tree to help out with this celebration, as well as future ones!

Much of that came from the dollar store! Only 2 of the masks were gotten, quite some time back, from Party City for about $4-6. And...some of the stuff in the pic came in the same packaging together! It was a major score! So we have stuff to decorate (even ourselves) with for upcoming years during Carnival & Mardi Gras!

Wanna know what else I got from the dollar store? The hurricane glasses! Yep...they are actually small hurricane vases, but how perfect to use? I also found a package of the super long, super colorful, super bendy straws, too. It was a great trip!

I also imagined what it would have looked like if I had my own All AM~Erica Krewe parade of 1. So...I bring you more AM~Erica Silly-Selfies: Mardi Gras. You're welcome:

Imagine the All AM~Erica Krewe Parade...yeah...it might be something like this
with toy & classroom instrument jazz accompaniment.

Also, a page on Facebook, and also has a Twitter account, called 'Unvirtuous Abbey' (check out the page HERE) that has a geeky & pop culture take on religious thought. It's very well done!

Yesterday, Unvirtuous Abbey brought this up :

"For those trying to figure out what wine goes best goes best with pancakes, we pray. (Hint:  red, white or rose!)"

Then a favorite wine shop of mine, Cork & Barrel in the Englewood district, had a fabulous post about Shrove Tuesday (the same day as Mardi Gras):

"Today is NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY! Time for a celebration don't you think? Come on in and get you some...wine that is. Wine for your pancakes, wine on your pancakes, wine between your pancakes. Oh forget the pancakes...just have the wine."

Well, it got me thinking...what if I had a pancake or two...and make a syrup with Antioxidant-Fortified Jesus Water? So I did! We had just a smidgen of AoFJW left in a bottle, plus a smaller smidgen of coffee left in the coffee pot. I put those in a pot with some sugar & boiled it to make a syrup! Yes. I. Did.
So...I enjoyed a pancake to try my syrup with. I may want to make a larger batch of that syrup!
Mmmmmm...

Since it's also National Pancake Day, IHOP does offer a free shortstack on Shrove Tuesday. Just FYI for the future...

Pancakes for breakfast, a whole array of NOLA fare for lunch/dinner, King Cake & Hurricanes...no wonder it's Fat Tuesday!

~~~~~~~~~~

Now that we have fattened our selves up, and we now finished with major festivities...it's Ash Wednesday. Time to dial it back, bring it down, and turn the focus on a solemn & prayerful time. It's a wilderness we enter on the way to the cross. It's about focussing on the stripping away of something that turn our attention from God to replace it with the focus on God, or adding in something that will help us keep focus on God to get us thru our journey.

It's a 40-day journey (not including Sundays). It's a spiritual penance we take during this time. It's not a society-driven practice. Click HERE for my other thoughts on Lent.

Today is Ash Wednesday. Many will have that dark smudge on their forehead or hand. It's usually in the shape of the cross as it's our focus on Christ's destination that saved ALL of us.

Catholic churches do the imposition of ashes thru the day; then there are Protestant churches that may have an afternoon &/or evening service for Ash Wednesday to kick off Lent, and will more than likely include the imposition of ashes on the forehead or hand.

I am one that looks forward to the refocussing. I've already been called for some other things after I entered into a wilderness (reminder HERE).

Well, I'm headed on journey, my friends. I invite you to come with me on it. And, on Easter, it will culminate into the amazing glory of the Resurrection! I take my first step today...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Has a Pondering Moment for Blogging

So anyway...

I was reading a daily devotional today, and it was about Jeremiah being told to write down what God was telling him! And it was more than just to show up in scripture...

It's Ash Wednesday, everyone! It's the beginning of the Lenten season. It's a time to ponder about our faith & how we can grow in it. I have TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE, as well as HOW IT SHOULD BE HANDLED along with THINGS YOU SHOULDN'T DO FOR LENT.

Because of that, I won't discuss what I am doing or not doing or whatever during this time. I pray on it & it's between me & God. If I went all Pharisee on you, you would totally laugh at how holy I was trying to make myself sound...or how big of a victim or martyr. Any way you look at it, it would look, sound & be ridiculous!

However, I noticed in the reading of Jeremiah 30:2 (what the devotional was based on today), it talked about making sure to write down His words. It struck me. It struck me because the devotion talked about how we all have such short memories. We need to write things down to go back & remember!

Humans have this really weird way of misremembering things. The story gets mixed up, or we forget it even happened. You know...like going to the store to get a few things, but going without a list. You might remember a few things, but forget others...or just happen to remember something you "need" but really didn't. Yeah...kind of like that.

So, it made me think about my blog. I can tell you that it's something I probably could not give up at this point. Why? Well first off, my brain might explode. We can't have that, now can we? I have a whole lot rolling around in there & getting crowded. But it also allows me to share memories. I have actually gone back over past postings, and been amused at the stories I had forgotten I had told.

God wanted Jeremiah to write down His words so that people would remember! They were going thru a difficult time, and they needed to remember that so they could grow from it...as well as tell the story for history's sake, too.

Yes, there's a lot more to that story, but it's kind of what the devotion spoke to me about. It told me that I needed to just keep blogging. If you all enjoy it &/or get something from it...then...great! But I need it for me. I need it to see my growth, and to help me continue to grow as a person in my faith & in everyday life.

Plus, it will help me keep track of the memories I want to share at another time. They can be pretty amusing.

So there...something to ponder. What a beautiful start to a blessed journey we are beginning for another year...
Who's joining me?

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Will Be Your Coffee Surrogate

So anyway...

Today is Ash Wednesday. We begin our journey to the Easter season.

I hope everyone has recovered from Mardi Gras & has prepared to begin their resolve for Lent. (I heard it put that way & love it!)

Let us not forget what Lent is about & some things we can do to help us thru the season for the right reason.

With that being said, I will be happy to give some ideas of things I have done in the past.

* I have given up chocolate before. That was torture & back in a time when I didn't fully understand giving something up for Lent.

* I gave up ALL caffeine one year. That was an ugly, Ugly, UGLY year! I don't think God really wanted that for me. Again, it was before I fully understood the full meaning of Lent.

* There was the year I gave up caring. I wish I was kidding about that. I'm not. I guess you can tell that this was also before I really understood the whole Lent thing.

* Oh! I gave up meat one year. Not so bad, but there was a misunderstanding with my hubby where he thought I said he should give it up to. But it wasn't clear why he was mad, so I would save up my dinner meat, hide it in the fridge & eat it on Sunday. Not the best approach either. Still...not the understanding of Lent then, either.

During those times, I was like many, many others announcing what I'd given up for Lent like I was a saint, martyr, or victim. All the wrong, Wrong, WRONG approach to take!

So, I do plan to offer some help. For anyone who is giving up their coffee (hopefully for the reason that you felt it draws you away from your Christ-focus & it is truly a spiritual decision), then I have been known to step in a few times for those, for various reasons, who need a jolt of coffee/caffeine & cannot consume it right then. I, essentially, become a Coffee Surrogate. If you are in need of my services, please Facebook message me, direct message me on Twitter, or email me (erica.williams74@gmail.com). Do NOT comment on your needs here or on my Facebook wall. I will keep your needs secret & am always happy to step in with some coffee for you.

If it is not coffee you are resolving to give up, then I hope you prayerfully enter your resolve to bring you closer to God. In secret...as possible.

Have a blessed Lenten season, all. Enter in for the right reason.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Gives a Lenten Reminder

So anyway...

As you know, Mardi Gras celebrations are going on right now. And...Mardi Gras is actually Fat Tuesday, which is...THIS TUESDAY!

So let's do some planning ahead & thinking as we prepare for Ash Wednesday & the Lenten season.

Last year, I put out there what Lent really is & why we give things up. You can read it as a reminder.

But, I want to add something to that: it's sometimes more that just giving something up. There are times when part of what you do thru the season is adding something to do that brings you closer to Jesus thru the Lenten journey. Sure, it can totally be prayer, but I challenge you to do this anyway.

So, if you add daily prayer on top of whatever it is you are going to sacrifice or add to your daily life through Lent that brings you closer to Christ, then you are truly participating & in the understanding of what Lent is truly about. You can even change it up week-to-week. Just do it for the right reason.

It is a holy season. It is NOT a mainstream, society-based thing you do. There is a purpose. If you want to take part in it, then GREAT! But do it with understanding of why you are doing what you are doing.

Have a fun & safe Mardi Gras. And refer to my other post as to what Lent is truly about.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica on Lent

So anyway...

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras...Fat Tuesday! It's the day that is supposed to be your last big shot at the stuff you love to do or eat before Lent kicks off with Ash Wednesday the following day.

Lent is a season of preparation in Christianity to get ready for the culmination of the prophecy of the Christ on Easter - it lasts 40 days, minus Sundays. It's the time when we remember that Jesus [the] Christ sacrificed himself for the sins of ALL people. It's a solemn season where we fast/sacrifice something to focus on Christ in meditation & prayer instead of the consumption of whatever it is that takes our focus away from Him.

Now here's my reminder:
Everyone tends to make a big deal about what they are giving up for Lent. Some people even give something up without even knowing what Lent is about. It's a spiritual thing & not meant to be a popular society-trend tradition of "something you're supposed to do." With this in mind, there is no need to announce & make public what your personal sacrifice/giving might be. When we do that, we have become like the pompous Pharisees that told everyone what they were doing because they were so "holy". Do NOT be the Pharisee, but instead make it known to only you & God. If it is something that you need to let someone else know because it is for dietary reasons, etc., then do NOT make it a big ordeal; instead quietly make your current needs known when necessary. It might effect dinner with the family, or watching a TV show with friends. But keep in mind the true reason of the piety behind what you are doing instead of turning into a Pharisee during the Lenten season.

I hope everyone has had or is having a fun & safe Mardi Gras, but remember what Lent is truly about. And may you truly have a thoughtful & blessed Lenten season.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica