Do you have a collection of quotes about courage? Let me ask you this, do you have courage? Are things happening in your life or are they just going with the flow? If you’re finding yourself on a hamster wheel day after day, you might need a little courage to change it up a bit. You’ll be surprised how a few good words make a difference in your life. Check out my favorite quotes about courage and get three bonus tips!
Let’s face it; if you don’t have courage, you’re not going to go anywhere. Round and round we go, over and over, and we wonder why we’re stuck where we’re at. It’s because we haven’t ignited the courage in us!
Courage gets us places. It makes our dreams come true! Yet courage can look pretty darn scary. Well, friend, it’s time to look up and put on some courage today.
Remember this: People can encourage us or they can tear us down. If you are surrounded by depressing people, couch potatoes, and hamster wheels, it’s time to make a change. You have dreams, and I know you want to achieve them, so do something about it today.
3 Tips on Courage
Tip One
Tip #1: Go to the Bible and get to know Jesus. The more you know about Him, the more he can open doors and guide you. If anyone has the courage it’s Him! He is the perfect example of how to have courage and how to trust in God. Read through the Gospels to see how he did it. Seriously, Jesus is the way to go. I have more tips at the end of this post.
Tip Two
Tip #2: Go out and find someone who will encourage you. Encouragers are people who have a genuine interest in you and your future. These people hang out at church; yep, back to Jesus. They can also be a friend, or a family member, or you can seek to hire a coach. Whoever that may be, connect with them on a regular basis.
Tip Three
Tip #3: If you don’t have someone in your life who encourages you to take that first step or simply want to try it on your own, read quotes from people who’ve been there and done that. Digging into some books that pertain to the dream you want to go after is a good route too.
Encouraging quotes along with quotes about courage are kind of like affirmations; they inspire us, they help us believe in ourselves, and they give us hope. With a little inspiration, belief, and hope anything is possible. Head over to my Freebies to download some affirmations today.
10 Quotes About Courage
Here are some of my favorite quotes about courage that may help you achieve what you put your mind to.
The secret to happiness is freedom…and the secret to freedom is courage. – Thucydides
Have courage and be kind. – Cinderella
Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day, saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher
Make sure you don’t die waiting for prosperity to come. – Lee Iacocca
Courage is spreading your wings without looking down. – Christy Troy
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. – James Baldwin
Every great warrior must learn to endure and overcome the adversities of life. – Lailah Gifty Akita
All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. – Walt Disney
It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. – E. E. Cummings
Be fearless in who you are. – Christy Troy
The Bible is not that scary
There are no better words than what is in the Bible. The book may be intimidating but it is the most liberating. It’s hard to know where to start. And it’s easy for me to tell you to start wherever. Personally, go for the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Then maybe dive into the shorter books like James, Ephesians, Galatians, Philippians, and 1 Peter. Take it a step further and go to the Concordance in the back of the Bible and look up a word you may be struggling with, for instance, “courage”, then look up the verses that pertain to that particular topic. This method has really helped me! As for what version of the Bible? I personally like the NIV Study Bible.
Thank you God for your Words, for it is filled with words to live by, with genuine love, protection, courage, and instruction. Help us find the right words, and the right people, to have the courage to keep moving forward. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Wrapping it up
Keep shining your light. I believe in you. Seek the words you need to hear to help you move forward. Have courage friend. Here’s another post to help you: How to Reduce Stress in Your Life: 10 Breakthrough Tips. You got this!
Gameday simple sloppy joe recipe at your service. Whether it’s basketball, football, baseball, or table tennis, this is by far my favorite sloppy joe recipe. Not only is it super easy, but it has simple ingredients. It’s perfect after a long day at the field, and it’s excellent for watching the big game. Have a party or family get-together? These sandwiches are a great dish to serve! Try them in slider buns. Full of flavor and super easy to make.
Come NCAA Final Four Basketball or Super Bowl Sunday, this recipe will be sitting in my Crockpot. Heck! Take this recipe to the summer cookout or the campground too! So what’s in it? First of all, let me tell you what’s not in it. My sloppy joe recipe doesn’t have any high allergen ingredients, that’s right, it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, grain-free, egg-free, nut-free, and soy-free.
My choice of protein is venison, but if you’re not a fan, go for beef. I haven’t tried it with turkey (because I am allergic to turkey) or chicken, but I think it would work minus the ketchup. You’ll have to experiment if you want to go the fowl route.
What’s so good about venison?
Venison is open-range, free-range, organic, plant-fed protein. Venison is lean, there is hardly any fat, and it’s low in calories. It’s full of iron, B6, B12, riboflavin, niacin, and thiamin…essentially many B vitamins. Which are super important for your body and brain to function properly.
Oh, if you didn’t know, venison is deer meat. Yes, yes, a “Bambi”, but not all deer are “Bambi’s”. In some parts of the country, the deer have destroyed habitats for other animals by eating foliage from the ground up. It’s a problem! Not to mention farmers’ crops and our simple home gardens.
Beef
For this recipe, you can substitute ground beef, which is very good. But! Be sure to get the lean ground beef, like 90/10. Plus, you’ll have to fork over some coins for the organic grass-fed kind. You pick, this recipe isn’t picky.
As for sides, I like a little crunch. My favorite side is low-salt potato chips. I also like something green on my plate, like steamed broccoli, green beans, coleslaw, pasta salad, or a fresh spinach salad. Adding a slice of cheese to your sloppy joe makes it more of a meal, but I’ve also had sloppy joe on its own, no bun included. When I do this, I combine my joe with roasted butternut squash! So yummy.
This recipe is passed down from my dad. He is a rock star at making this. And it's so delicious! Please note, my dad can only make pancakes, so if you can do that, you can do this recipe!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword bbq, burger, easy meal, sandwiches, Sloppy joe
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 3 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Servings 12people
Calories 645kcal
Cost $15.00
Equipment
Frying pan
Crockpot
Ingredients
3 tbspOlive Oil
2lbsLean burger or vension
1largeSweet onion choppedAbout 2 – 3 cups worth
1/4 cupWater
3tbspApple Cider VinegarI usually only put 2 tablespoons in.
2cupsCatsupI like the Simple kind without High Fructose Corn Syrup.
2tbspMustard
1/4cupBBQ sauceUse your favorite. I personally like the kind that doesn't have High Fructose Corn Sysrup.
1/2 cupBrown Sugar
Instructions
Warm the frying pan and put the olive oil in the pan
Immediately put in the ground beef or venison and brown it.
Add the onion at the same time…I know it's weird, but that's how my dad does it.
Drain any excess fat and grease.
Add to the crock pot
Add the water and the vinegar
Add the ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, and sugar
Mix together
Cover and set to high for 2-3 hours
Stir occassionaly
Add bun and eat!
Notes
When the sloppy joe is done, you can eat it alone or with a bun of your choice! I personally like to add cheese…in my case, it’s fake cheese.Delish!The calorie, cost, and servings are all an educated guess.
Pull up a chair and let your Crockpot do all the cooking. This is a slam dunk, touchdown, and homerun of a game-day meal! Your kids will love it. Be sure to check out my other recipes and health tips!
Before you go, here are some of my family favorites!
God has some mysterious creations, the lightning bug or firefly is one of them! To this day I still get awestruck at this tiny bug that emits light in the darkness. The firefly is my favorite bug if anyone were to ask me, “What’s your favorite bug?” With that said, I wanted to look deeper into the firefly and came across some cool facts I thought you’d enjoy and share with your family. Enjoy and be gentle!
Firefly Fact #1
There isn’t just one kind of firefly. There are more than 2000 species of fireflies in the world! That’s a lot of light.
Fact #2
Speaking of natural light, the firefly light is the most efficient light in the WORLD! Yep. Bug light is the best light in the world…natural light. The sun doesn’t count. Let’s face it, what other bug or animal produces its own light?
Actually, there are some other bioluminescent species that exist on this planet, however, most of them live deep in the ocean.
Fact #3
What else is cool about the firefly glow? Not all light from the firefly is the same color. The glow can be yellow, green, orange, or blue! How cool is that? Way cool.
Firefly Facts #4
Their handy blink and frequency of the blink are how fireflies communicate with each other. I kind of like to think of them using the Morris Code. They also use their light as a mating signal. Oo, la la!
Fireflies do not taste good. If I were you I’d cancel that side of firefly and stick with your kale. Fireflies are actually poisonous to some animals if they eat them. When the firefly is attacked it releases a little blood. Ew. But the blood contains a chemical that creates a bigger taste and emits poison! It’s how they protect themselves.
Fact #6
Okay, this one is super important. Firefly numbers are reducing in the world. Some of this is due to climate change, but another reason is because of their habitats. The healthy living environments are being destroyed; not to mention, they are also being ‘harvested’ for their luciferase (their glow substance). Luciferase is used for scientific research forensic tests and food safety. They do have a way to make this stuff synthetically, but people still kill these amazing bugs (beetles) for the natural stuff…
Fireflies love to eat snails, worms, and slugs. Where there are snails, worms, and slugs, you’ll likely find fireflies. A garden is a perfect place for fireflies to enjoy life. Firefly larvae enjoy a good pile of wet leaves. It is suggested to make a compost pile of leaves and to keep the leaves moist throughout the year. The leaves will attract the slugs, and the baby fireflies will eat them as they grow. In the Spring, put some of the leaves in your garden as compost. Do this every year and watch your firefly population grow!
Fact #7
Fireflies also enjoy these plants: Passionflower, Morning Glory, Goldenrod, Asters, and River Fern. They also like trees! Good choices are Sycamore, Cottonwood, Elm, Bur Oak, Dogwood, and Trumpet Creeper.
How do we safely catch them?
We can catch them carefully. When they land you or when you gently catch them, simply put them in a glass jar with many holes punched through the top for oxygen. Place a damp paper towel in the jar to prevent them from drying out. Put a slice of apple in there for them to munch on. Please only keep the fireflies for 1 day. They only live for two-three months, so let them be free and enjoy life.
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Want the glow to last longer?
If you want the fun glow and blinking to last longer, first let the fireflies go, then buy fairy lights and put them in a jar. I personally love these lights. The solar-powered ones are pretty cool, I keep them up all year round.
That does it on firefly facts! Hope you learned something new. Be sure to download my free Firefly Fun Sheet! Thanks for visiting!
Road trip essentials make the journey not only easier but more fun. What items are considered essentials? When it comes to road trips there are two things that make it great: being prepared and memories. I like to think of it as if I were on the road and got stuck, would I have all I need to get by.
Whether we’re going to Florida for Spring Break, heading to a campground across multiple states, or simply hopping in the car en route to the nearest metropolis, I’ve got a list you’re going to want to check…literally, check.
If you’re a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of cat this post is not for you. But if you enjoy being prepared, but not overly prepared, this is the post you’ll want to pin or better yet download my Independent Road Trip Check List. For more great free downloads, sign into my Freebies!
Road Trip Essentials
1. Car Insurance and Registration
Check to make sure your car insurance and registration are current. There is nothing worse than getting pulled over in another State and you can’t find your registration or you happen to see that it expired. This happened to us. Ouch.
2. Sunglasses
Sunglasses! Make sure you have a pair of sunglasses for everybody in the vehicle. Not sure your dog needs them, but everyone else should have their own pair.
Phone Charger/USB Cord. Now that paper maps are on the way out, and GPS on our phones are an essential app, make sure you don’t run out of phone battery. Need a USB cord? Check out this one from Amazon.
4. Umbrella
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Umbrella. Simple, yet super important, especially if you’re changing a tire in the rain. Been there, done that.
5. Blanket, but not just any blanket.
Blanket. I always have a blanket in my car, specifically a Mexican blanket because they are super warm and durable. Not only it is there for emergency slide-offs, but the dog can sit on it, the kid and use it, or I can sit on it.
6. Water.
Water. When we road trip, we simply buy water bottles at the grocery store. It’s so much cheaper and easier to hand someone a water bottle when they need it.
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7. Hand Sanitizer and Extra Face-Masks
Hand sanitizer and extra face masks. These two items are not only essential during virus outbreaks, but they help us tremendously in the Rest Stop bathrooms. The mask helps with blocking the smell, and the sanitizers give us a little extra germ protection. Hey, I found these awesome disposable black masks on Amazon.
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8. Emergency Kit
Roadside Emergency Kit that includes Jumper cables and First Aid Kit. There is a kit that is easy to use. You can check it out here.
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9. Portable Air-compressor
Portable air compressor. I love this thing. Not only does it help with tire pressure, but if you’re camping it’s great for basketballs, air mattresses, and beach floats. This has been so handy on the road and off! A portable air compressor is the way to go. No more searching for air!
10. Towel. Don’t use your blanket.
Towel. Unlike the blanket, the towel is great for unexpected spills or a quick dry-off running through the rain…when you don’t want to bother with your umbrella. It’s also great for Fido to sit on.
11. Tissue.
Tissue. I can’t count the number of times I’m using a tissue to blow my nose. Make sure you get some before you leave the house. Napkins or even a roll of toilet paper works well too. Another good one to add here is butt wipes.
12. Snacks.
Snacks. This is essential. Snacks save you money and they save you from gorging on your next meal. Some great road trip snacks include trail mix, grapes, cereal mix, popcorn, meat sticks, or celery sticks.
Paper and pencil/pen. As a passenger, I’m always thinking of my to-do list or my next great idea. Have paper and pen ready to jot down your thoughts.
14. Games!
Road Trip games. If you have kiddos and don’t want them to get tech-neck, grab a few games. Of course, the Alphabet game is super fun for everyone. There are three versions. The classic version is to find the letter of the alphabet in any form. The second is more challenging, find a word that starts with each letter of the alphabet…good luck on Q and Z. And the last version is to find an object that starts with the letter…this is super hard. Don’t forget to add Corn on Cob Song Fun to the trip!
15. Snow Scraper and Mini Shovel (weather dependent).
Depending on where you are going, you better throw in a snow scraper, a mini snow shovel, and a small bag of kitty litter. When I was in college and traveling out to Colorado, I always had my portable mini snow shovel in my trunk, and I used it! You never know when you’re going to hit black ice and end up in a snowbank or ditch. Mini snow shovels work a lot better than your hands!
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16. Weapons!
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Weapons. Yep. I said it. At least carry a pocketknife or pepper spray, heck, get a taser. A pocket knife is good to have on hand for lots of reasons. Pepper spray buys you some time, as does a taser. As for handguns, it depends on your opinion of them, where you’re going, knowing what States allow them, having your permit, and understanding the safety of them. Be smart, not stupid
All in all.
That does it! It sounds like a lot but it isn’t really. Most of the stuff is already in your vehicle. It’s always best to be prepared, rather than getting stuck and depending on some creepy guy. The best advice I have to offer any road tripper is to simply be aware of what’s going on around you. Pay attention to the road, know what’s happening around you when you make a rest stop, and be safe. Use that head of yours at all times!
Be sure to download my free Independent Road Trip Checklist, for more great (and free) downloads join my e-mail list and you’ll have access to all my freebies! Get access to my Freebies here.
Salmon is one of those fish that can be prepared in various ways. It’s so versatile and delicious, not to mention, good for you! I’ve eaten salmon baked, broiled, grilled, poached, and pan-fried. What’s my favorite? For me, it depends on the time of year. And this time of year is a great time to use a skillet to cook your fish. Even though it’s in the dead of winter this fish will taste as if it came off the grill.
My salmon in a skillet recipe is super simple, clean, and easy to make. It only has three ingredients: olive oil, salmon, and salt (seasoning of your choice). That’s it! Unless you have a fish allergy, this fish is good for everyone.
What’s salmon got to do with it?
Before we get to cookin this salmon in a skillet, let’s look into this delicious fish. In the summer of 1995, my sister and I drove up to Alaska and spent the summer in a fish processing plant. Well, most of the summer. It was an amazing experience! We camped on the beach, worked in yellow slicker gear, and ate salmon cooked in foil, dressed with butter…baked over the campfire I must say. Besides eating halibut cheeks, this salmon was AMAZING!
While at the fish processing plant, I learned a great deal of knowledge. For one, I learned that fish eyeballs can stick to you. The second lesson I learned was that you could make a box of macaroni and cheese in the microwave. Yes, it’s true! The third thing I learned was how to clean a fish! And probably the most important piece of knowledge I learned was the different types of salmon that I had to sort on the sorting table.
Me in my slicker gear
During this particular season, we had five types to sort: the King or Chinook, the Sockeye or Red, the Coho or Silver, the Chum or Dog Salmon, and the lovely Pink salmon. Each had its distinct features and, yes, we had to smell them. If the fish didn’t smell good, it got a bad grade and was probably sent to a pet food plant…I don’t really know.
Alaska salmon the best?
Good question. I have no idea. Salmon aren’t just in Alaska. They are in the Atlantic Ocean and even some freshwater lakes and rivers. For instance, every fall we go fishing in Michigan for Steelhead. They are not as tasty as Sockeyes, but they still have great benefits.
My son’s Steelhead. So HUGE! We did not eat this one…too old.
What about the health benefits?
The health benefits of salmon are amazing! They are filled with good fat. This kind of fat won’t make you fat. The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon help reduce inflammation in your body. And when inflammation is reduced, the less likely you’ll get sick, and I’m not talking colds, I’m talking about the big stuff. It’s also really good for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) like Crohn’s or Colitis. Here are some other great benefits:
Okay, that’s salmon in a nutshell. I didn’t cover everything about his amazing fish, just gave you a taste (no pun intended). Let’s get to the salmon recipe!
The is hands down one of the best ways to make salmon. Crusty outside, flaky inside, and served with easy mashed sweet potatoes. This recipe is super simple and amazingly delicious. One of my favorites!
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword fish, panfry fish, salmon
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 8 minutesminutes
Servings 1
Calories 400kcal
Cost 4.00
Equipment
Cast Iron Pan
Ingredients
1filletSalmonTake the skin off if it isn't already, check for bones.
1tbspOlive OilPut this in the pan while it's heaing up
1tbspLemon Pepper Seasoning or SaltYou can use any seasoning of choice.
Instructions
Warm up the cast iron pan on medium heat and put the olive oil in the pan.
Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. This will prevent splattering when salmon is placed in the pan.
Gently place salmon in the cast iron pan and shake your seasoning on top.
Set timer for 4 minutes. Look for HALF of the salmon to turn a light pink.
Flip salmon over after the 4 minutes and let cook for another 2 minutes.
After 2 – 3 minutes, removed salmon from the pan. Turn off the stove.
Notes
The calories are based on the salmon and the olive oil. This goes great with mashed sweet potatoes. Simply bake the sweet potato at 350 degrees for about 50 – 60 minutes. When they are soft, take them out and peel the skin off. Place in the bowl and mix them with butter. Add a pinch of salt and dive in!
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Why Cast Iron?
A cast-iron pan really does make a difference, plus it’s SUPER easy to clean, no soap required. Seriously, no soap, you’ll wreck the ‘seasoning’ of the pan if you use soap. I highly recommend getting one, even if it’s the small one. I use cast iron for everything! You can find them on Amazon.
Wrapping salmon in a skillet up
The wild-caught salmon is preferred over farm-raised. It’s just best to eat “organic” fish versus ones that are raised in a fish tank. Would you rather eat a fish from a large body of water or one from a small fish tank? Think about that for a minute.
Whether you want a different protein, want to balance out the weekly menu, or if you’re looking to get healthier, salmon is here to serve you. You can also check out my pan-fried walleye recipe. Enjoy!
Be sure to check out my other simple and delicious recipes!
