Happy Saturday morning! It's a bleak day here in Kansas, but I'm enjoying the stillness of the house in these early morning minutes. I'm not a sleeper... sure, I fall asleep with much ease, purely out of exhaustion of having discipled my three blessings throughout the day. But when my body is awakened before its time, I'm in for a long morning of tossing and turning if I choose to lie in bed instead of hop out and prepare for the day. Such is the case this morning. Even on a Saturday, I woke up at 4:50 am and tried desperately to sleep longer. After an hour of off and on idleness, I decided to get up and make the most of a quiet morning.
So, what are weekends for? Around here, we run errands, do house projects, bake bread, play with the kids, run a load or two of laundry, dine with friends, and participate in corporate worship at our church. Sometimes I get these ideas that weekends are supposed to be completely different from the weekdays, but as I'm getting older (and perhaps wiser?!?!), I see that Saturdays are an extension of my "work" week at home, only Ben is here with me (most of the time) to round out the family. It's a joy for me to have him home on the weekends, and sometimes, I'll expect more of the time that we're together than just simply enjoying the fact that our family is complete.
It's a hard image to put into words, but I fall prey to thoughts of doing grand things on the weekend or stuffing it so full of "to dos" that my attitude sours and family unity quickly dissolves. The Lord is teaching me that Saturdays are a day for me to get things done, but they're more importantly about our family being together all day, doing life in a way that honors Him. There He goes again... pushing my agenda aside and nudging me in His direction. It's hard, at times, to simply enjoy the day, whatever may come.
Sundays are uniquely precious as we worship our amazing God with our church family and slow down a bit from the tasks to focus on the Person. Although we're at church all morning and return for evening activities, there's no place I'd rather be on Sunday than with my family, lifting praises and learning more about the character of God. He's given me the weekend... the privilege of being home and of coming home to Him. Hallelujah!
Have a blessed weekend!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Shakes!
Happy mid-week! You'll have to excuse my short post today. With much reservation, I jumped into working out again. I just completed Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred DVD, level 1. When we were first married, I ran daily and loved it! I was in great shape... well, almost 9 years of marriage and 3 kids later, and I am finally starting to get back on the exercise bandwagon. I've been exercising most of the past several years, but during this last pregnancy and after Daniel's birth, I've been sporadic at best in terms of doing anything! I've finally had enough so I restarted Jillian's Shred. If you don't have those workouts and want something effective and non-time-consuming, get that DVD. Amazing, even though my arms feel like jello and I can barely type! HA!
Ben and I have started reading a new book for our "beccafest." It's entitled, Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs. We've wanted to read through this book for a while so I'm glad that we're finally getting around to it! Good start to the day with this reading... very easy to read and personable.
The only thought I'd like to share today (before my arms scream) is that it is my responsibility, as a wife, to show unconditional respect to Ben. That's it. End of story. In response to that respect, he pours forth the love that I so desperately need. It sounds so easy and yet SO difficult at times. I'm excited to read about the how-tos and the Biblical perspective since he takes the passage from Ephesians 5:33 to make his whole point!
I do respect Ben for all that he does for this family and for the man that he is, but my actions AND my words oftentimes do not reflect those thoughts. This is going to be a fun ride... I'll keep you in the loop as we read through this book and I become, Lord-willing, a more respectful wife!
Blessings!
Ben and I have started reading a new book for our "beccafest." It's entitled, Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs. We've wanted to read through this book for a while so I'm glad that we're finally getting around to it! Good start to the day with this reading... very easy to read and personable.
The only thought I'd like to share today (before my arms scream) is that it is my responsibility, as a wife, to show unconditional respect to Ben. That's it. End of story. In response to that respect, he pours forth the love that I so desperately need. It sounds so easy and yet SO difficult at times. I'm excited to read about the how-tos and the Biblical perspective since he takes the passage from Ephesians 5:33 to make his whole point!
I do respect Ben for all that he does for this family and for the man that he is, but my actions AND my words oftentimes do not reflect those thoughts. This is going to be a fun ride... I'll keep you in the loop as we read through this book and I become, Lord-willing, a more respectful wife!
Blessings!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Questions and Commands
"Questions cause children to think. Commands cause children to resist." Choose thinking kids over resistant kids! Well that's a "duh" statement, but boy, have I really been challenged to evaulate my parenting style! The weekend flew by, and I didn't have a chance to blog; yesterday ended in a rush so it's Tuesday, and I'm going to write about my musings and my tutoring all rolled into one!
So, as many of you can probably guess, I tend to be a "strict" parent. Do what I say without question or there'll be a consequence. They can question me later when I teach them how to question in a "good way." But, really, is that the way it's supposed to be? I do truly believe that parents should expect first-time obedience from their kids; they're not our slaves or lackies, but they are under our God-given authority. I heard someone say once that it's important for our kids to obey the parents they see becuase if they can't do that, they'll never obey the God that they cannot see. True!
To encourage my point, I turn to my parenting expert John Rosemond. Love his writings! They make such sense. If you've never heard of him, Google his name and read up. He is inspiring and makes parenting sound "easy." It's not that it is (as he'll readily admit), but our society has really fallen off the deep end with the psychobabble that's out there in terms of how to raise kids. He cuts through it all and just tells us to raise kids like grandma would have - or maybe great grandma!
I enthusiastically follow his leadings because he ties them into Biblical principles, too. But where I struggle is with the whole empathy thing. I get so caught up in my children's misbehavior that I flip out! He tells us to remain calm and let the actions speak for themselves. But how!?!? I'm a mess of hormones! Well, a good friend of mine referred me to a book entitled Love and Logic. Wow! It dovetails so nicely with Rosemond and perhaps gives a softer edge to disciplining kids. While I don't agree with every single thing in the book, it has helped me to see that I need to show more empathy in my discipline. And do you know what, it works!
Instead of telling J or K to brush teeth, I now say, "Would you like to brush teeth before you get dressed or after you get dressed?" It's still accomplishing the task of brushing teeth, but the tone of voice is so different and the smile on the kids' faces in choosing is wonderful. I cannot possibly summarize the whole book in one blog posting, but the quote I started with at the top of the blog is the gist of the book. So, even this hard-nosed mom can still be taught something new!
Blessings!
So, as many of you can probably guess, I tend to be a "strict" parent. Do what I say without question or there'll be a consequence. They can question me later when I teach them how to question in a "good way." But, really, is that the way it's supposed to be? I do truly believe that parents should expect first-time obedience from their kids; they're not our slaves or lackies, but they are under our God-given authority. I heard someone say once that it's important for our kids to obey the parents they see becuase if they can't do that, they'll never obey the God that they cannot see. True!
To encourage my point, I turn to my parenting expert John Rosemond. Love his writings! They make such sense. If you've never heard of him, Google his name and read up. He is inspiring and makes parenting sound "easy." It's not that it is (as he'll readily admit), but our society has really fallen off the deep end with the psychobabble that's out there in terms of how to raise kids. He cuts through it all and just tells us to raise kids like grandma would have - or maybe great grandma!
I enthusiastically follow his leadings because he ties them into Biblical principles, too. But where I struggle is with the whole empathy thing. I get so caught up in my children's misbehavior that I flip out! He tells us to remain calm and let the actions speak for themselves. But how!?!? I'm a mess of hormones! Well, a good friend of mine referred me to a book entitled Love and Logic. Wow! It dovetails so nicely with Rosemond and perhaps gives a softer edge to disciplining kids. While I don't agree with every single thing in the book, it has helped me to see that I need to show more empathy in my discipline. And do you know what, it works!
Instead of telling J or K to brush teeth, I now say, "Would you like to brush teeth before you get dressed or after you get dressed?" It's still accomplishing the task of brushing teeth, but the tone of voice is so different and the smile on the kids' faces in choosing is wonderful. I cannot possibly summarize the whole book in one blog posting, but the quote I started with at the top of the blog is the gist of the book. So, even this hard-nosed mom can still be taught something new!
Blessings!
Friday, March 5, 2010
BBQ Beef Brisket in a Crock
Foodie Friday here I come... I've been excited to share this recipe with you since Tuesday (when we ate the brisket)! We don't do a lot of red meat in our house, mainly for the cost, but I broke down and bought a nice 3 pound beef brisket the other day. We had invited our mentoring couple over for dinner so I wanted to do something easy yet yummy in the crock pot. It was a new recipe to me, but I always like to try out recipes on other people!
BBQ Beef Brisket
2 cups BBQ sauce (whatever kind you like)
3 beef bouillon cubes
3-4 pound beef brisket
1-2 onions, cut into wedges
3 bay leaves
rolls, split and toasted
1. Put 1 cup of BBQ sauce in the bottom of the crock pot. Add the 3 bouillon cubes and the onion wedges. Stir a little bit - not necessary to break up the cubes.
2. Place the brisket on top of the sauce.
3. Put the 3 bay leaves on top of the brisket.
4. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Remove the fat "layer" of the brisket and then shred the meat with two forks in the crock pot.
5. Add 1 cup of BBQ sauce and stir to combine. Heat on high until heated through.
6. Serve on toasted buns. I also had slices of smoked gouda cheese on the rolls which added to the flavor.
Next time I'll probably add a little cumin as I love the smokey flavor. This came from the Fix-It-and-Forget-It cookbook. It's awesome and was devoured by the kids (even D at 15 months!) and our guests. Yum-O!
Enjoy!
BBQ Beef Brisket
2 cups BBQ sauce (whatever kind you like)
3 beef bouillon cubes
3-4 pound beef brisket
1-2 onions, cut into wedges
3 bay leaves
rolls, split and toasted
1. Put 1 cup of BBQ sauce in the bottom of the crock pot. Add the 3 bouillon cubes and the onion wedges. Stir a little bit - not necessary to break up the cubes.
2. Place the brisket on top of the sauce.
3. Put the 3 bay leaves on top of the brisket.
4. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Remove the fat "layer" of the brisket and then shred the meat with two forks in the crock pot.
5. Add 1 cup of BBQ sauce and stir to combine. Heat on high until heated through.
6. Serve on toasted buns. I also had slices of smoked gouda cheese on the rolls which added to the flavor.
Next time I'll probably add a little cumin as I love the smokey flavor. This came from the Fix-It-and-Forget-It cookbook. It's awesome and was devoured by the kids (even D at 15 months!) and our guests. Yum-O!
Enjoy!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Showers and microwaves
It's late on a Thursday evening, but it's still Thursday so I wanted to write about two transformational "things" in our home for the week! Drum roll, please... Ben finally finished installing our new shower surround in the master bathroom!!!! [applause here] We've been showering in the kids' bathroom for over 2 months and although the jaunt down the hall isn't awful, it's nice to be back in our own room when the alarm rings at 5:25 in the morning. The kids seem to be sleeping better, too, because they don't hear the shower!!! I had forgotten what it's like to take a shower without mold and odd smells contaminating the "clean feeling!" It's great! And so far, we haven't seen any water spots in the ceiling in the kitchen... the shower is directly above an area in the kitchen. Let's keep hoping and praying that we don't! He did an amazing job so I'm confident that we're good to go.
And we've gone almost an entire week without a microwave - yes, gasp, it's possible! Our 2 1/2 year old microwave just up and went kaput on Sunday morning as my oatmeal was nearing the end of its boil. The timer kept going, but the oatmeal stopped and left me with an almost cooked bowl of yummy goodness. We think it was a circuit, but due to Sharp's maintenance and money kahoots, we can't open the back of it to check. So this fairly new microwave is now a really good paperweight in Ben's shop. Instead of rushing out to buy a new one, we decided to see if we could go for a while without one. And to tell you the truth, I haven't really missed it! Yes, I had to reheat leftovers for lunch on the stove, and I did borrow our neighbor's microwave to thaw some frozen bananas for banana bread. But all in all, it's been a good week.
We'll probably end up getting one soon, but it's been a fun week of trying to remember how to live without such a convenience in our modern world. It's stretched my brain in determining how to time meals differently and not have food ready right at my fingertips. Mostly, it's allowed me to see that we really didn't rely heavily on the microwave when it was working! And I've been extremely calm through its absence... growth! If this had happened to me maybe even a few months ago, I probably would have flipped out and purchased one that afternoon. I seem to be calmer and showing signs of going with the flow. Must be God working on that whole "peace" thing that seems to allude many of us.
Nothing profound today, but I've enjoyed letting you see into my week for a brief moment!
Blessings!
And we've gone almost an entire week without a microwave - yes, gasp, it's possible! Our 2 1/2 year old microwave just up and went kaput on Sunday morning as my oatmeal was nearing the end of its boil. The timer kept going, but the oatmeal stopped and left me with an almost cooked bowl of yummy goodness. We think it was a circuit, but due to Sharp's maintenance and money kahoots, we can't open the back of it to check. So this fairly new microwave is now a really good paperweight in Ben's shop. Instead of rushing out to buy a new one, we decided to see if we could go for a while without one. And to tell you the truth, I haven't really missed it! Yes, I had to reheat leftovers for lunch on the stove, and I did borrow our neighbor's microwave to thaw some frozen bananas for banana bread. But all in all, it's been a good week.
We'll probably end up getting one soon, but it's been a fun week of trying to remember how to live without such a convenience in our modern world. It's stretched my brain in determining how to time meals differently and not have food ready right at my fingertips. Mostly, it's allowed me to see that we really didn't rely heavily on the microwave when it was working! And I've been extremely calm through its absence... growth! If this had happened to me maybe even a few months ago, I probably would have flipped out and purchased one that afternoon. I seem to be calmer and showing signs of going with the flow. Must be God working on that whole "peace" thing that seems to allude many of us.
Nothing profound today, but I've enjoyed letting you see into my week for a brief moment!
Blessings!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Priorities as a wife
I'm tired... yes, I admit it today! But I can't help to be encouraged by the sunshine streaming in the windows this morning. It's nice to see blue skies and the hope of spring!!!!
Last night, Ben and I met with a younger couple that we're mentoring. They've been married for 2 1/2 years and are expecting their first child in May. It's exciting to be used by God in this way. The topic of discussion last night was mainly about priorities... how we align our priorities as individuals within the marriage covenant. That's a hard line to decide in this day and age of "blur."
The author of the marriage book (Better Love Now by Tommy Nelson) lists eight possible areas of priorities to put in your marriage. The first one listed was "individual quiet time with God." I asked the couple which priority (of the list of 8) they thought was the most important. I immediately followed up the question with a flippant statement that said, "The Sunday school answer is 'quiet time with God.'" Well, that was foolish of me. Both of them said that they wanted to say that answer because it was an area that they were working on in their marriage.
Now that I think about it more, I should have been more sensitive to their needs. It might have been the Sunday school answer, but it's also the most powerful priority that we need to place in a Christian marriage. Once that is in place, the other priorities fall into place. I've struggled, over the years, to have a consistent time of the day where I have Bible study. Distractions abound!!! I usually "fit" it in some time during the day, but I missed that regular appointment; now that the kids are getting older, I am able to reset my schedule to place the Lord at the beginning of my morning. It works for me because I'm a morning person. And I realize that the time spent with the Lord is precious and strengthening to my marriage because He brings to light many areas that need work in my own life in order to maximize our marriage all for His glory!
Next time, I'll think more about speaking out about the "Sunday school" answer because getting back to the basics is sometimes the hardest thing to do!
Blessings!
Last night, Ben and I met with a younger couple that we're mentoring. They've been married for 2 1/2 years and are expecting their first child in May. It's exciting to be used by God in this way. The topic of discussion last night was mainly about priorities... how we align our priorities as individuals within the marriage covenant. That's a hard line to decide in this day and age of "blur."
The author of the marriage book (Better Love Now by Tommy Nelson) lists eight possible areas of priorities to put in your marriage. The first one listed was "individual quiet time with God." I asked the couple which priority (of the list of 8) they thought was the most important. I immediately followed up the question with a flippant statement that said, "The Sunday school answer is 'quiet time with God.'" Well, that was foolish of me. Both of them said that they wanted to say that answer because it was an area that they were working on in their marriage.
Now that I think about it more, I should have been more sensitive to their needs. It might have been the Sunday school answer, but it's also the most powerful priority that we need to place in a Christian marriage. Once that is in place, the other priorities fall into place. I've struggled, over the years, to have a consistent time of the day where I have Bible study. Distractions abound!!! I usually "fit" it in some time during the day, but I missed that regular appointment; now that the kids are getting older, I am able to reset my schedule to place the Lord at the beginning of my morning. It works for me because I'm a morning person. And I realize that the time spent with the Lord is precious and strengthening to my marriage because He brings to light many areas that need work in my own life in order to maximize our marriage all for His glory!
Next time, I'll think more about speaking out about the "Sunday school" answer because getting back to the basics is sometimes the hardest thing to do!
Blessings!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Passion
I simply cannot believe that I have been so negligent in my blogging of late. Life has been a little busy, but more than that, I feel that God is trying to unshuffle a lot of stuff in my heart. It's all good, but my thoughts get jumbled and I feel paralyzed when writing about it. Today's post will combine my "Monday Musings" with "Tutorial Tuesdays" because it's a lesson that I'm learning on a continual basis.
I'm doing a Tuesday morning Bible study at our church right now. Beth Moore fans will know the power of her "Breaking Free" study and that is the one that I'm doing. I've gone through 4 or 5 of her studies and always feel challenged, convicted, blessed, energized, and so many more emotions after listening to her speak and participating in the Bible lessons. I've never done her Breaking Free study so it's especially great as I go through her updated version of it.
This week's quote that really had me thinking was the following: "Between every unfaithful generation and faithful generation is one person determined to change... Maybe you would like to be a link that takes your family line from an unfulfilling life of religion to a passionate life of relationship with Christ." For me, this was a big statement.
Having grown up in a Christian home, I have not been exposed to some of the horrible things that can happen in generations of sinful behavior. I'm not immune to heartache, though, and have been privy to things that have been passed down to me that aren't particularly bad or good - just in the middle. But that apathy has caused me to think a lot about the vibrancy of my faith. Now, more than ever, there is a call for Christians to stand up and speak the loving Gospel with more clarity and conviction than ever before. Our culture is in darkness and bondage, and I want to pass down to my kids and grandkids a PASSION to live out their faith with a life of intimacy with Christ.
In our homeschool classroom, there is no greater lesson that I can teach than to love Christ and love others with a genuine faith that will stand the tests that will come. It's not about rules or regulations or even how often we attend church; it's about the relationship with Jesus that will cause others to see Christ in us. I know all of this information, but the way it was presented to me this week in the Bible study impacted the "freshness" of the message.
Perhaps you will be encouraged by this post to be the link in your own generation that will pass on to your kids and grandkids a passion-filled life of loving Jesus. I pray that it is so!
Blessings!
I'm doing a Tuesday morning Bible study at our church right now. Beth Moore fans will know the power of her "Breaking Free" study and that is the one that I'm doing. I've gone through 4 or 5 of her studies and always feel challenged, convicted, blessed, energized, and so many more emotions after listening to her speak and participating in the Bible lessons. I've never done her Breaking Free study so it's especially great as I go through her updated version of it.
This week's quote that really had me thinking was the following: "Between every unfaithful generation and faithful generation is one person determined to change... Maybe you would like to be a link that takes your family line from an unfulfilling life of religion to a passionate life of relationship with Christ." For me, this was a big statement.
Having grown up in a Christian home, I have not been exposed to some of the horrible things that can happen in generations of sinful behavior. I'm not immune to heartache, though, and have been privy to things that have been passed down to me that aren't particularly bad or good - just in the middle. But that apathy has caused me to think a lot about the vibrancy of my faith. Now, more than ever, there is a call for Christians to stand up and speak the loving Gospel with more clarity and conviction than ever before. Our culture is in darkness and bondage, and I want to pass down to my kids and grandkids a PASSION to live out their faith with a life of intimacy with Christ.
In our homeschool classroom, there is no greater lesson that I can teach than to love Christ and love others with a genuine faith that will stand the tests that will come. It's not about rules or regulations or even how often we attend church; it's about the relationship with Jesus that will cause others to see Christ in us. I know all of this information, but the way it was presented to me this week in the Bible study impacted the "freshness" of the message.
Perhaps you will be encouraged by this post to be the link in your own generation that will pass on to your kids and grandkids a passion-filled life of loving Jesus. I pray that it is so!
Blessings!
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