Page 73 : This is my favorite Crock-Pot recipe, and my small group girls LOVE it.
• 2 pounds ground beef (you could use turkey or chicken too)
• 2 cups diced onions
• 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans
• 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
• 2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
• 1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional
• 1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
• Corn chips
• Grated cheese
• Chopped green onions
• Chopped jalapenos (fresh or pickled—whatever you like)
Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in the slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours. (I don’t like olives, so I don’t include them. Sorry ‘bout it.) When I serve it to the girls, we put a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Then I set out sour cream, cheese, green onions, and jalapenos and let the girls add what they want on top. We never have any leftovers. Ever.
Page 78: There are lots of amazing books on prayer, but these are a few of my favorites.
• The Power of a Praying Teen by Stormie Omartian
• Praying God’s Word by Beth Moore
• Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge
• Passion for Jesus by Mike Bickle
• The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson
Page 81: New worship albums are released all the time, but these are a few that I am going back to over and over again.
• Worth It All by Meredith Andrews
• Enter the Worship Circle (any of them!)
• The Loft Session by Bethel Music
• Reason to Sing by All Sons & Daughters
Page 124: If you find yourself in a situation where you need to put out a grease fire, you are probably cooking in the kitchen. So for starters, DO NOT POUR WATER ON IT.
Instead:
• If the fire is small, cover the pan with a lid and turn off the burner.
• Throw lots of baking soda or salt on it. Never use flour, which can explode or make the fire worse.
• Smother the fire with a wet towel or other large wet cloth.
• Use a fire extinguisher.
Also, if you are a victim of bullies, I think this could be a good read for you: Mean Girls by Hayley DiMarco.
Page 140: Seriously. This is the MOST DELISH french dip recipe in the world. I make it and share it all the time.
Ingredients
• 1 3-lb. boneless chuck roast
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 t. rosemary
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 8 french rolls
Place roast in crock pot. Add water, soy sauce and seasonings. Cover; cook on high 5–6 hours or until tender. Remove meat from broth. Shred with forks and keep warm. Strain broth and skim fat. Pour broth into bowls for dipping sandwiches. Serve meat in french rolls.
Page 163: Here are some nonprofit organizations that are doing great work around the world.
• Compassion International (www.compassion.com)
• Food for the Hungry (fh.org)
• Free the Birds, an organization that helps those caught in human sex trafficking (helpfreethebirds.com)
• International Justice Mission (ijm.org)
• Blood: Water Mission (www.bloodwatermission.com)
• End It Movement (enditmovement.com)
• Help Portrait (help-portrait.com)
Also check out What’s Your Mark by Jeremy Cowart (and me!)—it is full of people doing cool things with their voices.
I love working with the Mocha Club. Join me and donate to education projects in Africa, like New Dawn High School in Kenya. (Go to www.themochaclub.org/artists/anniedowns) If you join, we’ll mail you a free copy of my first book, Perfectly Unique. I’ll even autograph it and put a scoop of glitter in the package. It’s my favorite thing to do.
Page 164: I love going on mission trips. Most of the trips I’ve been on have been with my church, so check with your local youth group or your pastor first. But here are a few awesome mission organizations:
• Adventures In Missions (www.adventures.org)
• Youth With A Mission/YWAM (www.ywam.org)
• Young Life International (www.younglife.org/International)
Page 167: I’d like to thank the following musicians for playing through my earbuds at some point during the writing process:
• Sarah Jarosz
• Taylor Swift
• The Lone Bellow
• Cavetime
• Elenowen
• Imagine Dragons
• Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors
• Downton Abbey soundtrack
• Foster the People
• Bon Iver
• Bebo Norman
• Leagues
• All Sons & Daughters
• Justin Beiber (the acoustic album … duh)
• The Alternate Routes
Page 185: Want to read more about the Welsh Revival? Check out these resources:
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1904-1905_Welsh_Revival
• The World Aflame by Rick Joyner
Page 202: Want to work on believing truth? Might I suggest my first book, Perfectly Unique? We spend a lot of time talking about that in there. Other suggestions:
• Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyers
• The Lies Young Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Dannah Gresh
Page 218: My friend Constance Rhodes runs Finding Balance, an incredible ministry for women that supports them as they work through eating issues and their self-image. Check out her website (www.findingbalance.com) for tons of great resources.
Also, my nutrition counselor had me read Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.
There are lots of online resources for healthy eating, but I would start at Constance’s website. You can trust the links she shares.