I usually cook a traditional soul food Thanksgiving dinner but this year I’m trying something new.
I’m preparing an organic chicken I bought at Trader Joe’s for my boys. I’m cooking up some mushroom apple dressing with wild mushroom gravy. I’m baking salmon with white wine and garlic sauce. I’m also making potato salad with vegan mayo and crab meat. For my other sides, I’m making baked yams and steamed brussels sprouts. I think it will be great. I survived the Fourth of July with this same mindset so yea, I’m kinda ready. 🙂 My girls will be OK with this meal because they went almost vegan with me. My boys had other food to eat for the Fourth made by my family, and I’m thankful that they will have the same thing today. We’re all getting together at my sister’s house for the family dinner but I always cook at home too no matter where else we go.
The changes I made in my diet has got me to trying new things and going beyond my old way of thinking, like, I don’t have to have a turkey and I don’t have to make enough food to feed an entire football team if it’s just me and my kids.
Are you doing anything different this year?
I find that if you are trying something new you have to be prepared to stick to your plan even when you’re tempted by other things. I’m sure I’ll be tempted by all the good food see today but I’m not going to indulge. Just like on the Fourth of July, I’ve prepared some things I love to eat plus all I have to do is think about what’s good for me and how the other food makes me feel – lousy.
It’s the same way I feel about doing the Called Conference.
It’s something new for me. God spoke to me a few years ago and said, I want you to call my daughters to step into my love, acceptance, and beauty so they can be who I called them to be with confidence and authenticity and living out their faith effectively. It was a tall order for me because I think when most women hear those words they think about external things. But God’s message is about so much more than earthly external things. He wants His daughters to be completely transformed in our hearts by stepping into a deeper relationship with Him and allowing His love, acceptance, and beauty to shape our identities and the way we live our faith.
Sometimes I feel like I’ve said all I can say but then the Holy Spirit then reminds me that I have only tapped the surface of all He wants to share with God’s daughters about the transforming power of His love, acceptance, and beauty to bring us through each season victoriously as He continues to write out stories and transform us into His image glory to glory. Though sticking to one message for so long and doing an entire conference around that message is new, I’m prepared to stick with it even when I want to quit because it’s good for me and you.
What has God called you to stick to that’s new?
I’d love for you to join us for the first Called Conference on January 6, 2018, here in San Diego, so I’m trying something new by offering a discount on tickets over the Thanksgiving weekend. You can go to kristpettiford.com/givethanks for more details and the links to purchase your ticket at a discounted price.
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