Oct 22, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, On Faith.
Isn’t it great–I mean, soul-soothing, flower-smelling, song-singing great—to know that God has so much planned for your life? We start life with our own designs, our blueprints, if you will, and He comes along as the professional and lets us know what will work and what won’t.
And here’s the thing. He’s right. Because He can see the whole neighborhood we’re trying to get into. He knows the structure, the elements, how close it is to the convenience store, and which stores we shouldn’t be close to.
Yeah. That’s our designer, God.
We want our spiritual home on earth to be everything He needs it to be for us. But it won’t stay the same. There will be renovations. Heck, maybe even a move or two. If you’re a nomad, maybe God will ask you to show up in the park but not stay too long.
“For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.”
~Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT
I like to capture this verse when I’m overwhelmed, or worse, feel trapped. I know things will change. That knowledge causes me to recognize the everyday glories, and exhale the momentary dissatisfactions.
Life itself is fleeting, and we never know when God’s plans for us will shift.
We should always leave the porch light on and let Him enter at will. He doesn’t care about the mess. He cares about the people living in it.
Give Him the chance to redecorate your life, and give Him your ear when He tells you when it’s time to fix the cracks in the pavement.
Frankly, On Faith: Have a Firm Foundation
TWEET THIS: Fluid Blueprints with a Firm Foundation @MollyJoRealy #faith #asformeandmyhouse
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Oct 21, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Are you serving up your media with flavor?
I know, you’re thinking, “What the heck is that?!”
Lemme tell ya with an example.
We all (okay, not all-all, but mostly-all) like coffee. But we don’t all like it the same way.
I sometimes take my coffee flavored. I sometimes drink it black.
ELF takes his with sugar.
Gibbs takes his coffee with coffee. (He’s Gibbs. He can do whatever he wants.)
The thing is, when it comes to reaching your audience, you need to think of yourself as a barista. You can serve it up your style, but for your customers, you need to know how they take it. Right?
Coffee is the starter base for what we do. It’s what we add to it, and how we serve our guests, that determines if they come back for more. The same for social media.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Now Serving With Flavor
There’s a lot that goes into being a social media barista. You must have a knowledge of where your customers hang, what they like to drink, and how they like to drink it. I’m not gonna tell all y’all to drink your coffee black. Neither am I gonna strip down my posts to info-only-no-personality-please. That’s equivalent to water without fruit infusion. It’s good for some peeps, but not for my crowd.
Now, if you’re Gibbs, I’m adding coffee on coffee on coffee. If you’re ELF, I’m gonna put a small coffee in a large cup and just add sugar. And if you’re me, well, I’m just gonna smile and ask what kind of mood you’re in.
My point is, wake up, smell the coffee, and serve it to your people in the style you’re all accustomed to. Ain’t nothing better than a fine cup of joe with your peeps. Unless it’s a fine cup of joe with your peeps, and pie. Am I right?
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Goes Well With Coffee
TWEET THIS: Social Media Saturday: Now Serving with Flavor @MollyJoRealy #socialmedia #coffee
With a big mug and a clean apron,
Happy serving!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Oct 20, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday
Ah, the sounds of baseball and crunchy leaves. The feel of a cool breeze and warm coffees. The taste of chestnuts, roasted apples, pumpkin anything . . . What have I missed? It’s the most wonderful time of the year, before the most wonderful time of the year. Am I right? I think I’m right.
Social media is already abuzz with changing weather, pre-holiday plans, and the color orange. I mean, who can resist? It’s like you just speak the word “autumn” and the Fall Fairies fly out and populate everything into a cozy dreamland.
One of my favorite benefits of this time of year (and I know I’m not alone, y’all) is soups. Ohsomany delicious, hearty, smooth, or chunky moments of hot bliss when the world pauses long enough for you take a sip or a spoonful of pretty much any flavor you want.
Some of my favorite restaurant soups include Olive Garden’s Gnocchi Soup, Marie Callendar’s Potato Cheese Soup, and Mamnoon’s Red Lentil Soup. But I can’t always fly to Seattle when I’m craving some warm goodness, so I turn to my own kitchen more often this time of year.
Whether it’s slow cooker style or stove top friendly, soup is both a main entree or a side dish. Don’t believe me? Try any of these for lunch, dinner, or even a late night snack. Want the recipes? Click on the title links.
- Cheesy Potato Soup. You can make this hearty dish with large or small cuts of potatoes and vegetables. It’s up to you. I like to mix up the cheeses now and then. Gruyere adds a nice flavor, smoked Parmesan too.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Cheesy Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup. This is a recent addition to my recipe planner. It’s easily modified for sweetness and texture, by adding more or less cream and spices, and by pureeing your vegetables before adding them into the soup.
Frankly, My Dear . . . Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
- Homemade Chicken Soup. This is not only a great recipe for soup, it’s also a great starter for freezer broth to add to later soups and casseroles. It’s incredibly easy, aromatic, and the health benefits are amazing. Your momma always told you to eat your chicken soup, didn’t she?
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Chicken Stock and Soup
- Chicken Soup with Rice. So, this is a little cheater recipe, using most of #3 above. But that’s the beauty of soups! Y’all can fix them to your own, uh, tastes. [See what I did there?]
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Chicken Soup With Rice
- Baked Potato Soup. This reminds me of the egg gravy recipe I’ve loved since, well, forever. Add some green onion and bacon and potato skins. Hulloh! Deliciously perfect. I mean it. Try it. It’s *awesome*.
Baked Potato Soup, from Laughter is Louder with Good Food Cookbook
I’m sure within the week I’ll have more wonderful soup recipes ready to share. How ’bout you?
TWEET THIS: Autumn means soups. What are your favorite flavors? @MollyJoRealy #foodie #flavors
With a a bowlful of warmth and a heart full of joy,
Happy eating!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
