Minnesota Wild

Kidlet One and Favorite-Son-In-Law gave a fun Christmas present to each member of our family. We each received a ticket to a Minnesota Wild hockey game. The Wild had been on a losing streak but the night we attended, they won!   We just never get sick of hockey!

The game was played in the Excel Energy Center...

Kidlet Two, Kidlet Three and Kidlet One all in a row...

Kidlet Three and Kidlet One...

Kidlet One and Favorite-Son-In-Law...

The Husband and I...

Intent on the game...or NOT...

The game...

The Wild win!  A 4 to 3 victory!!!

Even Charlie Brown loves the Minnesota Wild.  See, Charles Schultz, the cartoonist behind Charlie Brown, was from The Frozen Tundra so Charlie Brown and Snoopy can be found in several places here.

Here was my favorite sign of the night.  A message just for me:  HOCKEY MOM!!!

The next video could possibly make you sick to your stomach.  If I could edit a video, I would have edited this one because I seemed to wave the camera all over the place and NOT in a smooth motion.  However, you do get to see the sing-a-long during the Wild game.





We had amazing fun together.  If you've never attended a professional hockey game, be adventurous and check out a game.  They sure are fun.

Entertainment During a Doctor's Appointment

 How does a 14-year-old

 Keep himself entertained in a doctor's office?

Let me show you how...

 

 Very ingeniously...

With intent...

 With motivation...

 Very much effort...

 Using scientific skills...

All in about 15 minutes!  We didn't have to wait long but the time sure went fast with Kidlet Three entertaining The Husband and I!

Finding entertainment in a doctor's office is amazing!  Leave it to Kidlet Three to find something fun to do.

Ultimate Chicken Fingers

A recent supper of homemade french fries (baked), broccoli and Ultimate Chicken Fingers was enjoyed by Kidlet Three and I.  If you'd like to try a healthier version of chicken McNuggets, give this easy recipe a try.

2/3 cup Heart Healthy (Gluten Free or Original) Bisquick
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. paprika
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 T. butter, melted

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Line cookie sheet with foil.  Spray the foil with cooking spray.

Mix Bisquick, cheese, salt and paprika in a 1-gallon resealable bag.  Dip half the chicken strips into egg; place in bag of Bisquick mixture.  Seal bag and shake to coat.  Place chicken on cookie sheet.  Repeat with remaining chicken.  Drizzle butter over chicken.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes.  Cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center.

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These are actually fun to make and eat!

They Won!

Kidlet Three's team won the game last night.  For the most part, the players behaved and, Praise God, no one got hurt!

Now, on to the weekend hockey tournament where, believe it or not, the two teams could face each other again.  Back to my praying position I go!

The Big Game

Tonight is The Big Game.  The Big Hockey Game.  When Kidlet Three's hockey team was formed last fall, an equally talented team was also formed.  One team is called The Red Team and the other is The Black Team.  Boys that have played hockey with each other for years are now playing against each other. 

The first time we played The Black Team it was a very, very close game and Kidlet Three's team won by one or two goals.  But, many boys got hurt during the game because it got physical.  These boys tend to get aggressive when they are playing against friends.  There is a penalty in hockey called "charging".  This means a player skates with intent more than three steps toward a player who doesn't have the puck.  And the charging player body slams the other player.  That happened to Kidlet Three in that game.  He was charged and ended up with the wind knocked out of him and with bruised ribs.  He missed school for a day and we spent money at the doctor with x-rays and a chat with the doctor.  All because a hockey player was frustrated that his team was losing.  And Kidlet Three happened to be in his way.

Side note:  I understand the need to check in hockey to get possession of the puck.  That is part of the game.  There is a fine line, however, between playing the game and having intent to hurt someone.

Well, the second game of the season happened in a tournament after our team had played three games of hockey and our boys were pooped (Frozen Tundra language for tired).  The other team had played two games and skated better so they won.

Tonight is the play-off game.  Here it is at 6:30 in the morning and I woke up praying about this game already.  I just don't want anyone to get hurt.  I want to watch a good game of hockey and not watch Testosterone-Filled Boys flailing each other around like rag dolls. 

It is The Big Game.  Little do the boys know I've already invited God's Heavenly Host to fill the arena and to be on the ice all day long.  I've asked God to allow those Heavenly Beings to remain there as bumpers for the boys so that no one gets hurt.  And I'm praying for the referees to have eyes to see any penalties.  And that the coaches would consider this Just A Game and not a revenge game.  Included also in my prayers are the players and the parents.

God told us we could ask Him for anything.  So I do.  I love that about Him.  He is so interested in everything and every part of our life.  Even hockey.

He is amazing.  Tune in tomorrow to find out the score of The Big Game.

Moms in Prayer

I belong to a group called Moms In Prayer.  The group used to be called Moms In Touch.  Here is a quote from the founder of the International group:

“Yes, Moms In Touch has changed its name to Moms in Prayer International! Don't you love it? The name clearly and simply says what we do. We pray! No explanation is needed. We believe this new name will bring greater unity worldwide.”— Founder / President Fern Nichols

Two times a month our little group meets to prayer, out loud, for each teacher, staff, and student at the school where our children attend.  We don't just pray for our own kids.

We realize that there just may be kids and families at that school that don't have anyone praying for them.  So, we open the student/parent directory and we pray blessings over each and every student and their parents. By name.  We pray for each one of them by name. 

I totally believe in this organization and I totally believe in the power of prayer.  Unfortunately there have been many physical fights in the Kidlet Three's school this year.  Since our little group started praying through the directory and at each and every meeting we pray for peace in that school, I haven't heard reports of fights.  Praise God.

Moms in Prayer.  We might as well be called Mighty Warriors for the Kids In Our City! 

If you would like to join a group in your community, or if you'd like to become more familiar with the group, click the link here.  Moms in Prayer International.  This is an amazing opportunity.  And you are never too late to join.

Don't Chase Blessings

Copied from Starting Your Day Right. Devotions for Each Morning of the Year by Joyce Meyer.

Blessed is the man whom You choose and cause to come near, that he may dwell in Your courts!  We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple.  Psalm 65:4

Instead of chasing blessings, we need to chase after God.  If we chase God, He will chase us with blessings.  That is why the kingdom of God is sometimes called "the upside-down kingdom."

God's economy doesn't work the way we think it would.  First is last, and last is first.  If we want more, we are to give away some of what we have.  To be great in God's kingdom, we must serve the needs of others.  And if we want blessings, we must get our mind off of them.  God knows what we want and what we need.  He wants to give us blessings that we haven't even verbally asked for.

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I love what Joyce Meyer wrote for my January 19 devotion.  The only thing we should be chasing after is God.  Amen.  Period.  I have heard people say we are going after such and such anointing/blessing.  Ouch!  When I hear that it is like a sword pierces my very spirit.  Our energy should only go toward chasing after God and not His blessings.

Dear Ones, let us hold each other accountable for what we are pursuing. 

Don't chase blessings. 

Chase God!