Cars 3 Movie Review

I have been a huge fan of Disney/Pixar since day one. I remember when Toy Story came out. I was in sixth grade and I absolutely fell in love with the toys that came to life when Andy wasn't looking. 

Since then, we have seen some pretty amazing animation come from their studio and most of them I can say, have left me suspended in hopes that they come up with a sequel!!

Cars 3, however, left me a little sad. I am not the best at keeping the most important details secret, so I will do my best. 

The opening of the movie helps us catch up to Lightening McQueen's career since we left him and Mater in Cars 2. All is looking successful and reputable until during one race, a rookie car leaves Lightening in the dust!

We are introduced to a whole line of new technology cars that have the most advanced engineering for the best results on the track. Lightening, however, finds himself alone after watching his old friends be replaced by newer rookies their sponsors decide are better investments, and struggles to hold on to his position as the best racer of his time. 

Sold to a new sponsor, Lightening McQueen is uncertain, but hopeful that his

future will be better than before. As he begins to find his bearings, he is placed under the care of a new, much younger, trainer. She has state-of-the-art equipment that the faster rookies are using to train and this sends Lightening head over heels.

Everything looks exciting and promising until Lightening, and his sponsor, realizes that he just can't keep up. Nothing feels right. In his attempt to keep his sponsor interested in him, he places a deal on the table. He challenges his sponsor to allow him to train the way he wants to and then allow him to race. If Lightening wins, the deal is that he will quit when he wants to, but if he loses, then he agrees to RETIRE!

I could just feel my heart sink....I know right? It's just a cartoon! But this beloved character, I felt, was leaving us for good! He can't give up! He just can't retire!!

Through several adventures, Lightening and his new trainer experience highs and lows in racing, as well as, vulnerability to their pasts and dreams for their futures. In the end, the race's outcome will have to viewed by YOU, since of course there is a twist, but in my opinion, Lightening's luster lost a little of it's glimmer in this film. 

I left with a sense that there would be a fourth movie coming out in the future, but that Lightening will probably take a back seat, no pun intended. Ha ha ha. And I could be wrong, his glory didn't seem to be the same.

Morally, the story was good. You can teach your children about grace, compassion, truth and kindness; never giving up and being confident in who you are. However, there is a bar scene that in my opinion isn't that big of a deal, and a few inappropriate connotations that the kids won't necessarily read, but the adults will get them. Overall, these didn't take away from the movie, and the written connotations were very few in the credits.

In general, I enjoyed the movie, and of course who wouldn't love Mater -- in the few scenes he was in, but it left me disappointed because Lightening takes second fiddle. Yet, I want to see where the story of Lightening McQueen continues to lead. I am holding on to the hope that he returns no matter what his role is. 

The best judges are the kids, and my kids absolutely loved the movie. I will probably end up buying it. The humor was there, we all laughed! And the cuteness factor was definitely stamped throughout. Congratulations Pixar, you have done it again! 

Recipes for Ground Turkey that will satisfy the whole family!

A couple of great meals that I made for my family this week were: BBQ Meatloaf muffins and Swedish Meatballs. Today, I would like to share my recipes with you!

First: My BBQ Meatloaf muffins!!

This succulent meal was enjoyed by the whole family!! I served my meatloaf muffins with a side of mashed potatoes and green beans. The key to any dish, is to season it well with salt and pepper. These two sides are bland on their own, so even if you can't eat a lot of salt, you can use any herbs or spices to help you out in the flavor department. In either case, don't be shy!

To begin, the meatloaf:

Preheat oven to 450
1 lb Ground turkey
1 beaten egg
1 cup Italian seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Onion Powder to taste
2 cups white button mushrooms chopped and sauteed
1 medium sweet onion chopped and sauteed
2 tbs butter or olive oil

*You'll want to mix the first 7 ingredients in a bowl
*Sautee the mushrooms and onion in a pan until softened with either butter or olive oil, season these as well with salt and pepper 
(You want to make sure that every layer of the recipe is flavorful)
*Pull the vegetables off the heat and allow them to cool 
*Once the veggies are cooled enough to handle, mix them into the meat
*Spray the cups in a muffin tin with any kind of non-stick spray
*Divide the meat mixture into each muffin cup
*Place the muffin tin into an already hot oven and let the meatloaf muffins bake for 20 minutes
*Top each muffin with a thin layer of more bbq sauce and your favorite cheese (optional)
*Place back in oven for another 5 minutes until the edges of each muffin are crispy, the sauce looks sticky, and the cheese has melted

You will want to serve them hot! ENJOY!!

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Second: My Swedish Meatballs!!

This meal will take you over the top with flavor - of course depending on how much you season the meat. I placed the meatballs on a serving of buttered egg noodles (seasoned with salt and pepper of course) and added a side of sweet carrots. The carrots were just cooked in butter and brown sugar. 

This recipe begins with:

1 lb ground turkey

1 beaten egg

Onion powder to taste

Parsley for color

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

2 tsp poultry seasoning

*You'll want to mix all of these ingredients up in a bowl.

*Then roll the meat mixture into as small or as large sized meatballs as you would like. I believe I was able to make 18 total.

*Take a sautee pan and heat 2 tbs of olive oil

*Once the oil is hot, place each meatball into the pan carefully so you don't burn yourself

*Brown each side of the meatballs and keep them in the pan until fully cooked 

*Remove the meatballs from the heat and start step two:

2 tbs butter

2 tbs flour

2 cups milk

2 chicken boullion cubes

*Melt the butter in the pan the meatballs were cooked in

*Mix in the flour until well incorporated

*Then slowly pour in the milk while whisking

*Allow the sauce to come to a simmer and then add the bouillon cubes

*Let the sauce cook down some while whisking then add more salt and pepper to taste

*Place the meatballs back in the sauce, coat them and allow them to heat up again

*Turn heat off and serve over hot noodles

I could not get enough!! 

For more details to the recipes, give me a shout in the comments!!

Dad

I love to celebrate!! It doesn't matter what it is! I love getting gifts together or make the event special by going on special trips or errands. Then of course we have to include special FOOD!!

So, today I have decided to go ahead and begin celebrating my birthday a week in advance. HA! Tonight, Cars 3 is on the agenda and in 3D to boot! I plan on writing a review for anyone interested in knowing what the movie was about before going to see it. 

My son and daughter are super stoked and I thought it would be a perfect beginning to my special week! Plus we're going to see it at the Biltmore Park which I believe I spoke of in one of my earlier posts. This special place reminds me of a place stuck in time. 

Away from the hustle and bustle of traffic, the people shopping seem to have a confident sense of being there on purpose. It's a turn off the main road with a dead end to the shopping plaza, so unless you're meaning to be there, there really is no reason to stay which keeps throughway traffic to a minimum.

But, speaking of celebrations and the like, Father's Day is happening this weekend as well!! Father's Day I feel is a touchy day more than Mother's Day. All of us have both, but in more ways on the side of the Dads children have had painful experiences. 

So this post is for the Dads who stayed and the Dads who left. The Dads who are still living and the Dads who have passed. The Dads who are serving, working, honoring, and loving; and the Dads who are surviving, trying, searching, and hurting. 

Let me just say that WE (the community at large, and the Church as a whole) love YOU! We would not be here on this planet without you and whether you are walking with God or not, we NEED you.

The devil has done a pretty good job of lying to all of us when he says, "Being a dad is too hard", "It's too difficult", "Your family doesn't care about you", "They don't need you", "You aren't good enough", "What if you become just like YOUR dad?" But here's the thing, we as a society, have done a pretty good job at believing and enforcing those lies. 

God created a man first. That must mean that he was pretty important. Secondly, he made him to be a husband, and then thirdly a father. God has a plan for that piece of every man's life, and whatever someone else has done or didn't do, doesn't have to effect us in the long run. Neither does our past have to seal our fate. Today, is the day of salvation and God's mercies are new every morning!

YOU can change your future. Whether you had a dad that hurt you, whether your dad lost his life too soon, whether you never met your dad, or whether you want to be a better dad; you have the opportunity of getting to know THE Father who has all the answers to every question and every void that you might have. 

The Father, God, is LOVE. In the last two posts, this attribute came up as well. Love forgives the hurt and pays no attention to a suffered wrong. Love believes the best of every person. Perfect love casts out fear which means in every situation, we can go to Him for security, wisdom, and help.

Father's Day should be a day that we release the past and embrace the future. But it should also be a day that we take the time to praise and celebrate the men who have walked faithfully and left a legend within their family and community. Father's Day should be a day that we thank the Lord for being a good Father full of love to the point that He would adopt any of us who accept His Son -- Jesus. 

In the light of the up coming holiday, I encourage all of us to remember our true Father and spend time just telling Him how much we love Him. We need to let our earthly fathers (no matter the situation, as best we can) know how much we love them. And let's be a little easier on yourselves dads. You're being perfected in Christ, but we also love you just the way you are.

This may seem extremely simple as a blog post, but in all honesty, our minds can get in the way, making it more complicated, and when our spirit man wants to just love, we talk ourselves in to criticizing, hating, and holding on we can become frustrated at the whole situation. On the positive side though, we have some really great dads! Men of God, men protecting our country, men providing for their families, men leading the way. 

I am thankful for my Father who has taught me how to love. I can always count on Him in everything. I am thankful for my dad who raised me, loved me, and invested in me through out my life. I am thankful for my father-in-law who has adopted me as his own and taught me more than I could have every imagined. I am thankful for my husband who stays connected with our children and teaches them how to stay child-like (notice I didn't say childish 😁)while honoring God. 

My prayer is that you find something special within this Father's Day and celebrate it. Whatever might try to steal that away from you, don't let it. Hug your dad, meditate on that memory, find something good out of the ugly. God will help you and He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:17

Be blessed this Father's Day!

Leading Me

As a mom, my life takes twists and turns that can sometimes be predicted, but for the most part can't be foreseen. Today, I would like to touch on what the Bible teaches concerning parenting!

Hundreds of parents or guardians struggle with strong willed children or they struggle with how to handle discipline or the like, but again, just like in marriage, you find more parents lost, confused, and frustrated than actually experiencing the bliss that is possible while parenting. This is not how God intended for moms and dads to exist.

You might ask, where is she going with this? Stick with me for a minute. The twists and turns that I can't control will ultimately show where my peace lies. How I manage and react to stress, unforeseen situations, or hurt will show my children how they ought to respond. 

If I respond from these moments in an unhealthy, ungodly, unscriptural way towards my kids or even just around my kids, they will remember them as that being who God is and that they could be the issue. 

But if I manage my emotions and keep myself under control, by displaying my desperate need for God, then I will be showing my kids that we have a loving Father who receives us no matter what's going on and that mommy is vulnerable and human.

I have been doing research to help me grow in my own parenting journey, and in doing so, I stumbled upon some great statistics! One of those was that the number one way we as parents effect our children is by the way we manage our own stress. Can you believe that?! Not by punishment or discipline, but by how we manage our stress!!

I have some great resources for parents, and I will get into that another time, but what I have found is that the way my children view themselves, others and God all funnel from how I view myself, others, and God. My reactionary impulses, emotional meltdowns, frustrated fits, and angry arguments all effect my kids because they are watching, learning, and storing every memory their little brains can handle. 

These are the years that catapult them into their future. The first 18 or so years of a person's life will influence the other 102 or so (we are promised 120 in the Bible ;) ). We all experience disappointment and misunderstanding, but a parent's main responsibility is to be a human representation of the Lord in their life by expressing the Father's love through guidance, forgiveness, repentance, correction, and play by teaching the Word of God. 

The first thing is to quit so hard on ourselves. I am being perfected in Christ as I submit to His Word and the Holy Spirit, but we are never beyond mistakes or emotion. 

The second thing is to remember that your children love you for who you are not what you aren't. They love you before you have a chance to get your make up on and right after they get disciplined. All a child wants is your time, your attention, and your support. 

The third thing is we must allow ourselves to let go of the hurt that we may have experienced from our childhood so that we can raise our children with fresh understanding. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to change within us our definition of what discipline is and what is the best for our kids. The Bible is full of help!

How parents lead and manage themselves will ultimately direct and lead their children without too much effort. You will have to step in consistently, but you won't have the fight all through out their childhood when they are living under your roof. 

Even through rebellious and experimental stages will come and go, God is there to bring guidance to us in our parenting journey. Let's allow the Holy Spirit to bring clarity and help every day, whether we think we need it or not. 

Let me tell ya something, half the time I don't know what I'm doing and I need His help. The other half of the time, I think I know what I'm doing, but I can get off track quickly if I allow my intellect, emotions, or the advice from others to steer the ship. 

God's got your child in His hands, if you placed them there. He created them and He's a lot smarter than we are. Lean on Him. Trust in Him. Rely on Him like you've never done before. 

You'll find that He was a lot more involved and aware of what was going on than what you may have thought. His heart is for the family to function well. Love is who God is and love is the glue to our hearts with our children.

Let Him love you where you are and let Him love through you. You'll be totally glad that you did.

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

1 Corinthians 13:7

Comment suggestions:

How many kids do you have?

What is the hardest thing that you find about being a parent?

What questions do you have?

God's idea of marriage

Marriage is a beautiful union between a man and a woman, and God has a lot to say about it. I want to delve into this topic with our community because I believe that when we can understand how the marriage relationship is supposed to work, then we can truly understand it and experience the bliss that God intended for it to have.

My husband and I have been married for almost twelve years and I can say that we've had our share of ups and downs, easy seasons and hard, and marathons and sprints. From the beginning we decided to keep two things in the center; that Jesus is first and there is no other option than working things out.

When I see articles about marriage, it seems like we can tend to stay on the negative side because obviously, marriage is hard work! However, I cannot stress enough that if we only factor the hardships of marriage we can never rest our eyes on the blissful times of marriage. Of course, some of us have never experienced that, but if we can identify how God views marriage and what it's supposed to be, we can then put an expectation out there that will be realistic and that will work.

The ultimate underlying piece of marriage is love, and you might say, "well of course!" But I'm talking about agape love, the God kind of love. The love that says no matter how you treat me, I'm still going to love you. No matter what I need, I'm going to make sure to meet your needs as best I can. 

I will go ahead and admit, I am a work in progress, but for those of us who have declared Jesus as Lord and Savior, that kind of love resides on the inside of us and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are capable of loving this way. This kind of love definitely goes against the grain according to our cultural attitude, but it is the only one that Christ operates by.

To begin our study and fun concerning this topic, I want to drop some scripture off for your reflection: 

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 1 John 4:12

Love is a choice, but God gave us a guideline as to what love is. Allow the Lord to bring some things to light within you as you endeavor to grow in Him specifically in the area of marriage. And if you're not married, ask the Lord to help you in your love walk with others. How you treat others, will help you practice in how you treat your future spouse. 

Comment suggestions:

Are you married?

How long have you been married?

Do you have any questions?

Have an amazing Wednesday!! If you have a church that you call home, make sure to set aside time to go to service tonight -- if your church has a service tonight. Going to church will strengthen your relationship with your spouse as well as your personal growth, and the spiritual influence of your children. Your attendance will not only encourage your pastor, but will bring joy to those around you and will fill you up with the Word so that you can LOVE the community around you!

4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right andtruth prevail.

7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy ([a]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 AMP

My beautiful home

I love to travel! I don't get to do it as much as I would like, but we occasionally get away for a family vacation and frequently cross the North Carolina/Tennessee state line. 

I live in one of the most sought out places in the country, as I stated a few days back. We are surrounded by rivers and lakes like Glenville and Fontana Lake or Nantahala and Tuckasegee Rivers, but as far as tourist attractions go, Dillsboro, Sylva and Bryson City are full of quant little shops where you can find locally made chocolate, hand crafted art, and unique gifts for anyone. Bryson City in particular is home to the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad and white water for kayaking and rafting sport.   

Continuing in the direction of Tennessee, Cherokee and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park are also full of water attractions like fly fishing and tubing, but include so much history and wildlife that you'll want to spend the day shopping, picnicking, and taking in the view of the mountains. Visitor centers which include working farms and unique shops that offer baked goods and Native American gifts crowd the entrances to the national park.

Through out the park are dozens of hiking trails and waterfalls, as well as wildlife including turkey, black bear and elk, which can be seen in the early mornings and evenings. It's fun to watch a bear waltz across the road or climb a tree at record speed while also stumbling upon a herd of elk in the same day. 

Over the park, you enter into Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. These towns see enormous amounts of people who come to visit year round. With their Appalachian feel, you would find live banjo music on the sidewalks, unique gift shops and restaurants that you can't find anywhere else. 

My favorite spots in Gatlinburg are the Thomas Kincaid Gallery, Ripley's Aquarium, and Ripley's Davie Crocket Put Put Golf. In Pigeon Forge, I greatly enjoy the Old Mill shopping plaza, The Island shopping plaza, Tanger Outlets and Dollywood. Of course, being home to Dolly Parton, you'll also find the Dixie Stampede and many other attractions from her corporation. 

As you continue on towards Sevierville, you will find pleasant and breathtaking drives through Weirs Valley and Cades Cove. These are areas where you can see what the mountains were created to look like. Weirs Valley is residential, but for the main part is still untouched. Several cabin rentals, farmers markets, and homes pepper the hillsides, but are maintained as to attract tourists.

Cades Cove, however, is part of the National Park and is completely preserved for wildlife and history. This eleven mile loop allows you to take a tour in your car to view historic homes and churches while also getting a chance to see bear, dear and turkey; ride horse back; take a dip in the water; go on a waterfall hike; or just enjoy a car ride with a stop for ice cream on the way out. Camping and picnicking are also a treat available in this area of the park.

Now, back over to my neck of the woods. From Sylva, going in the other direction, Waynesville is about 20 minutes away. Again, quant little shops can be found on main street while progression can be found everywhere else with new restaurants and retail stores being built every year. 

Driving on toward the city of Asheville, you can find a wealth of locally owned stores and restaurants that offer hand crafted items and farm-to-table food. The Biltmore Park Shopping plaza, The Chocolate Lounge and Tupelo Honey Company are just a few of my favorite places to shop and eat, but I have to mention the Vanderbilt Family Home!! The Biltmore Estate!!

This attraction is the largest family owned home in America and is breathtaking with it's architecture and landscape. The property also includes gardens designed by the same person who designed central park, petting zoo, and exquisite food and boutiques. 

Asheville also contains all of your local chain restaurants and outlet malls, and being nestled in the Pisgah National Forest, the mountains and the elevation keeps the city cool and pleasant even during the summer months. You can find just about anything there.

Now, south of Asheville and in between Sylva, is a beautiful place called Highlands and Cashiers. These two towns are directly beside each other, and I would have to say, these areas of the mountains are literally my piece of heaven. 

With art work and pottery in every shop, locally owned restaurants, and beautiful spas and hotels, Highlands and Cashiers if the classiest area of the ones I mentioned. You can see the more expensive vehicles driving those who are wearing the more expensive outfits. The prices are average, but they offer a lot more of the higher end. 

All in all, where I live is full of fun, shopping, and eating. I failed to mention that 2 hours in the Tennessee direction is Knoxville and 3 1/2 hours south is Atlanta. Just 4 hours towards the East is Charlotte and of course beyond that is the beach! I love where I live and this is not even where I'm from!

Where do you like to travel??

Is there a vacation or trip that you took that leaves the best memory??

Tell me your story -- where are you from??

Of course, this post is not an all inclusive or fully exhaustive description of this area, but you can kind of get the idea of what's available. Some of my family and friends come to visit yearly. One friend in particularly has traveled and lived all over the world and has said that Western North Carolina is one of the prettiest places in the world. 

Come check us out! Until next time, be blessed ~~ 

To find out more: 

Sylva - http://www.mainstreetsylva.org/

Dillsboro - http://visitdillsboro.org/index.html

Bryson City - https://www.greatsmokies.com/

Great Smoky Mountain Railway- http://www.gsmr.com/

Cherokee - http://visitcherokeenc.com/#home

Great Smoky Mountain National Park - https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm

Gatlinburg - https://www.gatlinburg.com/

Pigeon Forge - http://www.mypigeonforge.com/

Wears Valley - http://www.aboutwearsvalley.com/

Cades Cove - https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/cadescove.htm

Waynesville - http://downtownwaynesville.com/

Asheville - https://www.exploreasheville.com/

Biltmore - http://www.biltmore.com/

Highlands and Cashiers - http://www.ncliving.com/cashiers-highlands-visitors-guide.html 

The essence of my day

You know, you can always do better. Better at work, better at play, better at life in general. One thing that I am striving to do better at is taking care of my health. 

Today, begins a new routine. I woke up early just to walk for 30 minutes. In just that short amount of time, I can tell that it worked me out! I sit for 8 hours a day for my job and so, finding time to work out in between errands and other responsibilities it tough to do. It is possible, but I like working out while I'm working or while I'm playing. 

I have done to formal workouts like P90X and 21 day fix. I like them because they do work, but after a while, my schedule and responsibilities start to take over again, and it become hard to manage. 

So, I began again with something easy and something that I really enjoy. I love walking. I enjoy that time, especially in the morning, to take in the creation around me. I take that opportunity as well to talk to the Lord, listen to the Word on my phone, or listen to worship music. It's a great start to my day before craziness happens. 

I have also decided to cook more at home instead of taking the easy way out of restaurants and fast food. Though, eating with friends is a great way to fellowship, if it becomes a regular routine, it starts to "weigh" heavy on the wallet and the waistline. For my family's sake and mine, cooking has always been more beneficial. Plus, you get leftovers most nights!

For Monday, I have chosen to write about health, music, and money. For me, these three I am striving to do better in and they carry a thread throughout everything that I do. Everything that I do either effects these areas of my life, or it's the other way around. 

Musically, I am a Contemporary Christian Music fanatic! I know more about the Christian artists than secular, even though some of the newer groups or singers have skirted out from under my radar. I also enjoy worship music and my instrument of choice is the piano.

I started taking lessons when I was just 8 years old and haven't stopped playing since. I lead worship for our church so it is a constant practice of mine. 

Some other genres of music that I enjoy are classical and smooth jazz. I just can't get enough of movie scores and Kenny G. I like to put it on when I've got work to do, but I need something to fill in the void that doesn't require me to process the words. 

So, what about money? And how am I going to discuss this topic since I am not an expert? Well, I like to talk about how money is a tool and can work for you. Biblically, God wants us to be free in our finances and so, we will be looking at spiritual and practical ways that we can become free as well as increase in this area. 

So let's bring about the discussion!

What healthy choices are you incorporating into your daily lifestyle?
What's new?

What genre of music do you like to listen to?
Do you play an instrument?

What are some tips that you have seen work in your life concerning money?
Do you have questions about what God has to say about it?

Please leave your comments! I would love to hear what's on your mind!

Have an amazing Monday!!