He Will Bless Us

“Every foundation stone that is laid for a Temple, and every Temple completed according to the order the Lord has revealed for his holy Priesthood, lessens the power of Satan on the earth, and increases the power of God and Godliness, moves the heavens in mighty power in our behalf, invokes and calls down upon us the blessings of the Eternal Gods, and those who reside in their presence” (George Q. Cannon, “The Logan Temple,” Millennial Star, Nov. 12, 1877, 743).

 

 

I could go on and on about the Phoenix Temple and how I love it so much already. Helping with the open house in October was such a blessing to me and my family. I wish I could do it again. Aching feet and empty stomach included.

The last few months have been tight financially for the Brown-Eyed family. I signed up for one shift to help at the temple, but when I saw that lots and lots of shifts were still open, I thought, "Well, we don't really have the gas money to drive out there so much."

And yet.

A little voice whispered that that was inconsequential. If we made the committment to serve, we would be blessed.

So I signed Mr. Brown Eyes and myself up for four more shifts.

 

I can't say anything miraculous happened. Money didn't pour down from the sky. We had to fill the car up with gas multiple times. We had to take money out of our savings account to pay our bills. We even accumulated extra bills when Baby Blue Eyes had to stay in the hospital for a few days.

And yet.

We had everything we needed. We didn't go hungry. Our children were happy. Baby Blue Eyes quickly recovered from her bronchiolitis. In the middle of all our stress, we felt peace.

If that's not a miracle, I don't know what is.

Already, before it's even dedicated, the Phoenix Temple symbolizes to me this truth: if we obey the Lord, if we serve Him, if we try our best to show Him we love Him, HE WILL BLESS US.

He wants to bless us.

He's aching to bless us.

We just have to let Him.


The Brown-Eyed Girl

Slow Cooked Beans

This is one of our favorite fall meals. Or summer meals. Or any time of year meals.

 

 



Although after making a huge pot of chili for our ward Halloween party and hardly any of it getting eaten, we've been a bit overwhelmed with beans lately.

 

Which, if you know my husband, is a very, very dangerous thing.  

 

So, we probably don't have plans to make this dish in the very near future. But it's scrumptious, full of flavor, and perfect with a side of cornbread.

 

We sometimes add pork because Mr. Brown Eyes is a voracious carnivore, but it's also delicious meatless.

 

And feel free to switch up the beans however you like. I think I've used a different combination every time I've made it. Just as long as you add five cans of beans.

 

As an added plus, this is possibly one of the easiest meals known to man. Chopping up the onions and peppers probably takes the most time. Then you just throw everything into the slow cooker and you're done!

 

Just, you know, beware the beans.

 

Slow Cooked Beans

• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 1 med green pepper, chopped
• 1 med sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
• 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 1/2 oz) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 1/2 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 1/4 oz) lima beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 1/4 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 1/4 oz) whole kernel corn, drained

 In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine the first 10 ingredients. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until the onion and peppers are tender.

Beans, beans, the magical fruit,
The Brown-Eyed Girl