Random Thoughts by Jewels: Movie Reviews, Voice of Truth and Cajun Shrimp Casserole

Movie Reviews

I love going to the movies so I was really excited to be able to see two of them this past weekend!

Garrison and I had a "date night" Friday and I took him to see Rise of the Guardians. Click here to watch the trailer. This movie was SO cute! And the coolest thing was I noticed a lot of symbolism throughout the movie so when Garrison asked lots of questions after it was the perfect opportunity to talk about Jesus with him. I was able to explain the Holy Trinity to him using the characters in the movie and I was able to explain faith and why we believe in things we can't always see. It's so cool to see understanding in his eyes when I am able to talk to him about faith and Jesus. Love it!

Garrett and I were able to get a date night on Saturday night and we went to see Red Dawn at Studio Movie Grill. What's better than being able to eat and have a couple drinks while you watch a movie? You can watch the trailer here. This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. And I'm not gonna' lie - Chris Hemsworth made it even better!

The Voice of Truth

I love the song, "The Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns. You can watch the video below.

It's so easy to let this world get us down and make us feel like we aren't good enough. I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of God's purpose for my life and sometimes I wish I was stronger and had more faith in myself to fulfill that purpose. God is constantly telling me (and all of us) we are strong enough and we are good enough to do what He wants us to do. This song is a good reminder of that for me!

Life is hard and we have to make really hard choices that might separate us from the "norm" and allow us to follow Jesus.

Sometimes I am so tempted to just be selfish and live for myself. Isn't that what the world tells us? Marriage is hard and I sometimes think it would be so easy to just follow the world's view of marriage and that is that divorce is always an option. But God tells us that divorce is not an option (except of course in certain situations).

Sometimes I get so annoyed and frustrated with people that I want to just blow them off and avoid them at all costs. But God tells us that we should love everyone like we love Him.

Most of all I avoid getting into His word and reading devotionals because I know that He will likely tell me to do something I don't want to do or that I will go through something really hard even though I know it will bring me closer to Him (happens every time). But John 8:31-32 tells us this about getting into His word: "Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

I hope to teach Garrison and Ethan one day that they can't let the voices of this world bring them down. They have to constantly be listening to the voice of truth, His voice, for reassurance that they can do all things through Him who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13)

Cajun Shrimp Casserole

I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it Friday night - delicious! You can make it less spicy by skipping out on the cayenne pepper. I modified a bit so the below recipe is how I made it. Also, this made a lot so you might want to cut it in half... or just have leftovers like we did!

Ingredients

2 pounds large frozen cooked shrimp (Usually around $6 at Wal Mart)
1/4 cup butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce (I forgot this but you can try it... haha)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (leave out if you want it less spicy)
3 cups cooked long-grain rice (I used two boxes of the Rice a Roni)
TOPPING: 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or enough to cover the top)
Garnishes: quartered lemon slices, fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs

Preparation

Thaw and take tails off shrimp.
Melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice and salt; sauté 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in soup and remaining ingredients (not the cheese) until blended. Pour into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Garnish, if desired.

Picture of shrimp mixture before mixing with remaining ingredients