When chips aren’t, a chat with Rhonda Stoppe, and getting our praise on!

Welcome, y’all. Shellie here, in this week’s episode of All Things Southern, I’ll be visiting with Rhonda Stoppe, also known as the No Regrets Woman. Rhonda and her husband, pastor Steve Stoppe, have released a new book called The Marriage Mentor, “Becoming the Couple You Long to Be”. It’s a valuable resource and Rhonda is a great communicator. You’ll enjoy her!

 

Of course, I’ll also share from the All Things Southern kitchen and I’ll close with a few devotional thoughts. By way of reminder, this is a transcribed version of the weekly podcast, excluding the interview. You can find the entirety of the podcast on iTunes or you can listen via the audio link included at the bottom of this post.  And now, let’s chat…I want to invite you to join me for Giving Thanks, a Christmas Adventure!

Does that title throw you? It sounds like I’ve smushed Thanksgiving smack dab into Christmas, doesn’t it? I’ll explain.

For years now, I’ve been on a quest to learn how to live Christmas with Jesus instead of doing Christmas the way the world does. Many of you have been sharing that journey with me through my Advent devotionals. During that time, you’ve also joined me in another passion of mine, 30 Days of Thankfulness. It’s been such a privilege to have y’all, my readers, join me for more than a decade of Novembers, reaching out to those around us with tangible expressions of Thanksgiving. No doubt, we’ll have 30 Day drives again in the future. This year, however, I’m inviting you to join me on an entirely new adventure, a Christmas adventure. Our goal will be the same, to say an emphatic “no” to commercialism and a passionate “yes” to His Presence. Only, this year we’ll do it by focusing on living gratefully.

Indeed, it may seem ironic for our gratitude march to begin in December rather than November, but it makes perfect sense once you think about it. The more grateful we live, the less susceptible we’ll be to the Christmas Crazies. We’ll have two weeks of daily devotionals that will begin on the first day of Advent, December 2^nd, and culminate on Dec. 15^th.  By then, we’ll be knee-deep in the season, and hopefully, well-positioned to live it out gratefully.

I actually wrote our gratitude study a few years back. Around that same time, a brilliant wordsmith was releasing a book on the topic that blessed many readers around the world. So, with the exception of sharing with the girls at my home church, and writing a few blog posts on the subject, I kept my findings close. The lessons I took away from that study, however, continue to challenge me—and change me. The good news? When I remember to breathe in and be grateful for this moment without trying to live in the next one, I get to drain the sweetness from precious moments, and I can sense God tempering the pain of the hard ones. The bad news? I’m a remedial learner.

Like an addict recognizing the need for accountability, I’m spilling my guts towards the goal of recovery: I can still use the moment I’m in like a holding cell.  I’m guilty of short-changing now with thoughts of later. Sometimes it’s over the excitement I feel about something good I’m anticipating, other times it’s dread, but both can make me miss the now.

I remember when I first became intrigued by the Greek word “Eucharisteo.”  At its core, the word speaks to me of a way of life I began calling Living Thanksgiving, a grateful acknowledgment to God of this moment, right here and now. I began whispering these words in good times and in bad, “Thank you God for this moment, right here, right now.” It has helped me establish the habit of Living Thanksgiving, but frankly, I need a refresher course.  I do.  So, I’m going to walk back through my notes. Should you want to spend some time embracing the idea of Living Thanksgiving, subscribe for the daily emails by leaving your sweet email address in the popup or at the bottom of the landing page!  Each morning I’ll have a short devo for you. No homework, no memorization. Just a few daily words of encouragement. So, go ahead, sign up and let’s walk into the season with a grateful heart instead of a grasping one!

And speaking of gratitude…Have you heard? Pringles is back this year with their Thanksgiving dinner flavored potato chips.  Sigh…must history repeat itself? Longtime listeners will remember that strange back and forth I had several years back with that Jones Soda Company. If you missed that, I’m talking about the company that sent me those weird soft drinks, all free grata, as if I, your southern hostess, was going to recommend Turkey and Gravy Soda to another living soul.

I told y’all way back then that not being wasteful is so engrained in my DNA I had a hard time throwing those nasty soft drinks away. I confessed to keeping those silly things in the door of my fridge for months like I half-expected someone to drag themselves into the kitchen, prop their weary selves on my snack bar and say, “I’d give my last dollar for a swig of Green Bean Casserole Soda!”

Of course, that didn’t happen, but Jones Soda, persisted with their gift-giving madness. Kudos to them for tenacity.  Eventually, their curious gift boxes quit coming, and I heard they were no longer producing their Holiday Packs because it wasn’t economically feasible. I can’t imagine that was a big newsflash to anyone, anywhere, and yet, here’s Pringles, again, with similar nonsense for the second year in a row.  Last year they offered a full Thanksgiving meal with all the flavors, but this year they’re already down to turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie chips. Some people are slow learners.

Finding a gratitude angle on this story wasn’t easy, but here you go. Pringles’ offering was limited and by the time you hear this, it’ll be over— for another year, anyway. Happy Thanksgiving!

BUMPER

Interview with Rhonda Stoppe *you’ll find this on iTunes (you can subscribe for free!) or you can listen through the audio link at the bottom of this post. Just look for the audio bar and hit the play button!

BUMPER

Hey folks! Welcome back to the All Things Southern kitchen. I’ve never been a fan of the molded cranberry, but I’ve always had it on my Thanksgiving table because my dear Papa is a guest and he is a fan of the canned stuff. However, a couple Thanksgivings I started whipping up a cranberry relish of my very own to serve alongside it! Blame it on Sandra Lee, Bobby, Giada and the rest of ‘em. Yep, I was watching the Food Network again and I had to try my hand at my very own cranberry relish. I took a few ideas from this one and a couple from that one– VOILA! It was a huge hit at our house. We found it to be delicious with the turkey and with the rolls, and I’m thinking it would be even tasty with chips! I’m always on the lookout for a new dip, you know. Listen in and I’ll walk you through my steps!

Cranked Up Cranberry Relish

2 cups canned cranberries (not molded)
3 jalapeño peppers seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt

This is incredibly simple. I take two cups of fresh cranberries in a can, not the molded ones. I send them though the food processor to break them down. Then I combine them with chopped bell pepper, seeded and diced jalapenos, and chopped white and green onions. Season with chopped cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt and sugar. Once everything is combined, chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving—and enjoy! That’s my Cranked Up Cranberry Relish and it’s mighty good eating from the All Things Southern kitchen to yours!

BUMPER

Southern Comfort

Let’s open the Word together before we go. Psalm 95:2 reads, “Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.”

I sent the following story to my immediate family group text recently. I loved it so much I went on to post it on social media and now I want to share it with y’all!  Dear family, I wrote. This morning I ran across the story of a man from the early 1800’s named Edward Caswall…Dear Edward wrote a hymn called “May Jesus Christ Be Praised” …But, the thing is, he couldn’t seem to finish it. Over the course of his life Edward added 28 more stanzas to his song!  May we be so overcome with the Presence of Jesus today that we can’t quit adding to our praise! Love y’all!

That’s it for this week, folks. Until next time, may the Good Lord bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you, and give you peace. This is Shellie with hugs for all~

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