Not Gold!!

We are in the third year of fixing up the 20 year old home we bought when we moved to Athens. It is a spectacular home, just a little outdated. I have finally come to the place where I am ordering custom drapes made for my living room windows. So pumped about this, something I have never been able to do before. I found a wonderful custom designer with a fabulous installer and both have remarkable references. It has been a process of weeks with her taking measurements and bringing samples by for the rod and for the fabric. I settled on the perfect rod that wasn't gold cause I really dislike all of the gold accents in our home and am slowly replacing them with oil rubbed bronze or black wrought iron. I told her that most of the accents in this home were put here in the 80's when the previous owner built the house and most everything down to the faucets were gold. Well all I can say is the only thing I liked from the 80's was the hair! The rods I chose are very durable and I should never have to purchase rods again for this room. Well needless to say my wonderful designer showed up today with her installer to install the beautiful, stately rods I had chosen and with much anticipation and excitement I waited for her to open the box so I could behold them with my own eyes. I felt like Ralphie in the Christmas Story when he finally got his Red Ryder BB Gun.  She opened the box and removed the brown paper and in a second my excitement turned to huge disappointment. I felt like I had shot my eye out!! The rods, brackets and rings were gold!!! I could not believe this was happening. I looked at her with what I can guess was an anguishing look. She said Uh, Oh what's wrong. I preceded to tell her these were not the rods I had ordered and proceeded to show her the ones I had ordered. Well they were the right rods just the wrong finish and boy was it the wrong finish! I thought she was going to faint. She preceded to appologize as she wrapped the rods back up and placed them back in their box. I helped her take them to back to her car. She looked as disappointed as I felt. She let me know that she will make it right and get the right finish on the rods. Which made me feel a little better but as I walked back into the house, I felt really frustrated and heard myself saying " I really deserve much more than this, can't one thing go right on fixing this house up! Arrggh!!! When I am angry I have a tendancy to growl! Later on, while folding laundry and dwelling on the mornings disappointment, possibly growling in the process, I was trying to remember my bible study I was listening to this morning and couldn't remember the verses from Titus that I listened to, so I went back to the Bible and read them again: Titus 3:4-7 -4But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Not on the basis of deeds I have done, but according to His mercy, being justified by His grace just jumped right of the page. Praise God I am saved by mercy, and not by my deeds, because I know what I have done and I know where I have been and I really deserve to spend eternity in hell. How often I forget that blessings and gifts He gives aren't given on merit or are they given in order of if they are deserved. I truly need to be thankful that I have windows and the fact that my husband has a job to buy me rods for those windows. I am sorry Father please forgive me for my attitude of pridefulness and ungratefulness and help me to acknowledge everyday that I have been saved by your mercy, not by my deeds.  Like DC Talk's song says " This only serves to confirm my suspisions I am still a man in need of a savior!! Thank you Jesus!


Loving me some comfort food today!
Chicken Pot Pie Filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders, cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic granules
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 chicken bullion square
8 ounces of frozen mix veggies (I use green beans, peas, carrots and corn)
3 tablespoons of flour
2 cups chicken broth or stock

Heat olive oil in Dutch Oven on medium heat, add in chicken, onion, garlic and poultry seasoning. Cook until chicken is cooked and onions are tender. Break up bullion square over chicken mix and mix thoroughly. Add in the frozen veggies and cook until the vegetables are cooked. Stirring frequently so mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle flour over mixture and mix throughout. Pour in broth and stir until all flour is dissolved and broth has thickened. Your pot pie mix is done.
You can either ladle it over a baked potato which is quite yummy. I also make individual pot pies by filling small ramekins and cutting a thawed puff pastry into a small square and placing it on top of the mix and place ramekin on a cookie sheet and put  in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. You can also put all of the pot pie mix in a casserole dish and place the full thawed puff pastry sheet over the top and bake for about 30 min. The Chicken Pot Pie filling also freezes quite well so you can double the batch and freeze half for another day.