A few weeks ago, I had a sweet, dear friend e-mail me to say she really missed my "voice" on my blog. ~sigh~ She is such sweetness! I just love my Juliann! But I got thinking that maybe a few others of you have wondered where I have gone. (Hey, one can hope! STOP LAUGHING!)
After Christmas, I always slow down. Winter for me is like the summer break that most of you enjoy. It's a time when I stop all the running and craziness, and I just SIT DOWN! And by that time in the year, I seriously need it!
But another thing I do after Christmas is get ready for a few weeks of focused time with God. After the first of the year (when my brain is on slow down mode), I spend some specific time in prayer and fasting, seeking God for the things He would have me do in the year to come in every area of my life. It's also my time to get refilled and resharpened for the ministry to which I have been called.
God has shown me so many amazing things this year! I actually sat down the other night and wrote them all out in list form, just because it helps me to get a clearer picture that way, instead of trying to sort through the jumbled up MESS in my head! I seriously couldn't believe all the many things I wrote down on that list. I was floored when I saw all the ways God had worked on my behalf, and when I looked at all the things He has taught me over these last few weeks. But there is one thing specifically that He told me to do that I have been working on, which is why I have been absent for so long.
Most of you who regularly follow my blog know that I have a heart and a passion for children's ministry. Never thought I'd say that, but amazingly enough, God can change even the most stubborn heart! Anyways, now that Brient and I have been doing this for several years now, I just have such a desire to show other small, growing churches how important children's ministry is. The bigger churches "get it", but it seems like many of the smaller churches are stuck in the past where the thinking was that, if the kids are quiet in church, that's all that matters. They aren't old enough to understand the things of God and not important enough to worry with giving them something on their level that they CAN understand. I seriously want to change that!
So one of the things God told me to do to kick-start that effort was to start a new website. Yep! I have a new website!! YAY! I have spent the last several weeks on it, because, quite frankly, Wordpress is nothing like Blogger, so it has taken me a little time to get used to the new format. I seriously like the ease of my blog right here, but I needed something more for the website. So I am working through it, and hoping it all turns out looking good in the end. ANYWAYS.... Go check out my new website called The Children's Pastor. Just remember as you are looking, it is a work in progress. Bear with me. I still have quite a few posts to write and add to the site before it's right. And check back often, because I am pretty sure it will not stay the same. It's not in my nature to keep things the same for too long. (That drives my husband CRAZY!)
And if you are on Facebook, be sure to go "like" my page - The Children's Pastor. You lovely friends here who read my blog have always been so great and supportive. So I have another favor to ask. After you go "like" my Facebook page, would you consider sharing it on your Facebook? And if you know of small churches who are in need of some help, I would greatly appreciate you sending them to our website.
Oh and one more thing. I am also looking for a few small clients who might need a website built. If you know of a person or small business who is in the market for that, please point them my direction.
So that is where I have been. In prayer and fasting, and building a website. I will be back here regularly. I'm certainly not quitting my blog here! But from this point out, I will be putting all my devotionals and children's ministry posts on The Children's Pastor, and all of our homeschooling adventures, my homeschool curriculum reviews, and all things homeschool will be here.
So head on over and go check out the new website. Then jump on Facebook long enough to "like" the page and maybe post it to your wall. And then go send some of your friends our way!
Showing posts with label Nicole's Nonsense. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nicole's Nonsense. Show all posts
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Friday, December 9, 2011
Love is the Greatest
I have been slowly making my way through the book of 1 Corinthians. I wanted to be sure I fully understood and remembered what I read, instead of just reading through it quickly and not retaining any of it. This is one of those books I have avoided in the past, because, by reading through it quickly, I just end up getting bogged down and I don't remember a thing when I'm finished anyway so why bother. But I felt like God was telling me to give it another attempt, and so I began again.
1 Corinthians 13 is one of those chapters I have heard or read so many times I can nearly quote it for you. I caught myself beginning to read through it in a hurry, because, after all, I already know what it says. But I made myself slow down and read it verse by verse, line by line, word by word. And let me just say - WOW! God really showed me some things in that chapter. Here is what I learned.
Love is patient and kind. God is patient and kind. Am I always patient and kind? Hmmm... Patient? Not even close. I am rarely patient with anyone. I move fast, and I expect everyone else to move at my pace. And if you don't, I get very impatient. When I am teaching my kids math, patience goes out the window. I become impatient and just want them to hurry up and "get it" so we can move on. Am I showing God's love in that area? Not a chance. How about being kind? Do I always show kindness to others? My kids? Back to that math lesson, and impatience and unkindness go hand in hand. Am I kind to people who are different from me? Those who are unkind to me? Rarely.
Love isn't jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Those four things really go together, and I find that I fail in all areas. When I see others who have things (material or spiritual) that I don't, I tend to become very jealous. Why couldn't God give ME those things? Why did He choose to waste those things on the likes of THEM? Jealousy is a great evil, let me tell you! And when that jealousy takes over, I find myself boasting, or bragging, about the things I CAN do, because I want to make sure everyone sees ME, ME, ME! Pride wells up inside of me, and I begin to think that I am better than I really am, and I forget the fact that the only good things in me are from Christ. Apart from that, there is no other good thing. And that pride also makes me think I am all together better than anyone else, especially the person or people of whom I was jealous in the first place. And boy does rudeness seem to find its way in there at that point. Jealousy, boasting, pride, and rudeness are things I find I struggle with on a regular basis.
Love doesn't demand its own way, but I sure do! I want my way or the highway. If others don't see things the way I do, well, they are just wrong and should really come around to my way of thinking. Really, why would anyone bother having any other thought than the one I have. I want things MY WAY, and when I don't get it, I can become very unkind and rude. Am I showing love in that way? I think not.
Love isn't irritable and doesn't keep a list of past wrongs. But so often, when my husband does something I feel is unjust, I get completely irritable, and my memory becomes very vivid. I can remember all the things he has done in the past that were unjust and how he never did anything about it and how he never changes and I am just not happy about all of it. Do I keep lists? You better believe it!
What God showed me in reading those few verses was that, even though I had read that chapter so many times and I knew the right things to do, I have some serious areas that need some work. So I began praying over these things and asking God to help me in each specific area. I want God to show me how to love with a God love - His love! I want Him to teach me how to be patient and kind with others in all situations. Every time I become jealous, I want Him to show me clearly my sin so I can repent. And whenever I feel the urge to boast about things I've done or am doing, and any time I feel like being rude to others, I am praying God will put a lock on my tongue and shut it down immediately. I want my attitude to be in the forefront of my mind, keeping a check on it, so as not to become irritable with people, my husband, or my kids. I want to burn those lists in my mind of things people have done to wrong me in the past. I pray that God will help me to start each day new and not remember wrongs from yesterday. Because really, if people kept lists of things I have done to wrong them, those lists would be very long. I am thankful for the grace and mercy God shows me by not remembering my past sins, so I should offer that same grace and mercy to others by not keeping lists of past wrongs.
When I read the Bible straight through and quickly, there are often things I miss, things God may want to show me that I was in too much of a hurry to see. But by slowing down and reading His Word more carefully, God showed me some things He wants to refine in me.
Don't think that, just because you have read something many times, you have it all figured out. And remember that just reading the Word isn't the ultimate goal here. Reading it in such a way as to understand it and digest it is better! Is there an area God is showing you that needs some work? Leave me a comment and share, and I will pray with you over it.
1 Corinthians 13 is one of those chapters I have heard or read so many times I can nearly quote it for you. I caught myself beginning to read through it in a hurry, because, after all, I already know what it says. But I made myself slow down and read it verse by verse, line by line, word by word. And let me just say - WOW! God really showed me some things in that chapter. Here is what I learned.
1 John 4:8 says that God is love.
Love is patient and kind. God is patient and kind. Am I always patient and kind? Hmmm... Patient? Not even close. I am rarely patient with anyone. I move fast, and I expect everyone else to move at my pace. And if you don't, I get very impatient. When I am teaching my kids math, patience goes out the window. I become impatient and just want them to hurry up and "get it" so we can move on. Am I showing God's love in that area? Not a chance. How about being kind? Do I always show kindness to others? My kids? Back to that math lesson, and impatience and unkindness go hand in hand. Am I kind to people who are different from me? Those who are unkind to me? Rarely.
Love isn't jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Those four things really go together, and I find that I fail in all areas. When I see others who have things (material or spiritual) that I don't, I tend to become very jealous. Why couldn't God give ME those things? Why did He choose to waste those things on the likes of THEM? Jealousy is a great evil, let me tell you! And when that jealousy takes over, I find myself boasting, or bragging, about the things I CAN do, because I want to make sure everyone sees ME, ME, ME! Pride wells up inside of me, and I begin to think that I am better than I really am, and I forget the fact that the only good things in me are from Christ. Apart from that, there is no other good thing. And that pride also makes me think I am all together better than anyone else, especially the person or people of whom I was jealous in the first place. And boy does rudeness seem to find its way in there at that point. Jealousy, boasting, pride, and rudeness are things I find I struggle with on a regular basis.
Love doesn't demand its own way, but I sure do! I want my way or the highway. If others don't see things the way I do, well, they are just wrong and should really come around to my way of thinking. Really, why would anyone bother having any other thought than the one I have. I want things MY WAY, and when I don't get it, I can become very unkind and rude. Am I showing love in that way? I think not.
Love isn't irritable and doesn't keep a list of past wrongs. But so often, when my husband does something I feel is unjust, I get completely irritable, and my memory becomes very vivid. I can remember all the things he has done in the past that were unjust and how he never did anything about it and how he never changes and I am just not happy about all of it. Do I keep lists? You better believe it!
What God showed me in reading those few verses was that, even though I had read that chapter so many times and I knew the right things to do, I have some serious areas that need some work. So I began praying over these things and asking God to help me in each specific area. I want God to show me how to love with a God love - His love! I want Him to teach me how to be patient and kind with others in all situations. Every time I become jealous, I want Him to show me clearly my sin so I can repent. And whenever I feel the urge to boast about things I've done or am doing, and any time I feel like being rude to others, I am praying God will put a lock on my tongue and shut it down immediately. I want my attitude to be in the forefront of my mind, keeping a check on it, so as not to become irritable with people, my husband, or my kids. I want to burn those lists in my mind of things people have done to wrong me in the past. I pray that God will help me to start each day new and not remember wrongs from yesterday. Because really, if people kept lists of things I have done to wrong them, those lists would be very long. I am thankful for the grace and mercy God shows me by not remembering my past sins, so I should offer that same grace and mercy to others by not keeping lists of past wrongs.
When I read the Bible straight through and quickly, there are often things I miss, things God may want to show me that I was in too much of a hurry to see. But by slowing down and reading His Word more carefully, God showed me some things He wants to refine in me.
Don't think that, just because you have read something many times, you have it all figured out. And remember that just reading the Word isn't the ultimate goal here. Reading it in such a way as to understand it and digest it is better! Is there an area God is showing you that needs some work? Leave me a comment and share, and I will pray with you over it.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Christmas at Our House
Well, the tree is finally up! YES, I am just now getting around to it! If there is one thing you should know about me, it is that I am a terrible procrastinator. There, I said it. I feel better now, and we can move on.
Actually, this year Brient asked me if I would wait an extra week after Thanksgiving to put up the decorations, because then he can enjoy them for just long enough without being sick of them. I know, I know! I can hear all of you out there telling me, "We have ours up BEFORE Thanksgiving and don't take it down until sometime well into January!" Yeah well, we are not that kind of family. If they stay out too long, we all get a little crazy, because it's all over the place and I'm just ready for order to be back in my home. So I graciously went with his suggestion and waited an extra week.
So this past Monday, we pulled everything out of the closet, brought it into the living room, and went to work. It was so great watching ALL FOUR of my kids helping with the tree! The baby is now three, so she is really old enough to help AND enjoy everything.
Actually, this year Brient asked me if I would wait an extra week after Thanksgiving to put up the decorations, because then he can enjoy them for just long enough without being sick of them. I know, I know! I can hear all of you out there telling me, "We have ours up BEFORE Thanksgiving and don't take it down until sometime well into January!" Yeah well, we are not that kind of family. If they stay out too long, we all get a little crazy, because it's all over the place and I'm just ready for order to be back in my home. So I graciously went with his suggestion and waited an extra week.
So this past Monday, we pulled everything out of the closet, brought it into the living room, and went to work. It was so great watching ALL FOUR of my kids helping with the tree! The baby is now three, so she is really old enough to help AND enjoy everything.
They wouldn't let me put the tree up myself, because all four of them wanted to have a part in putting in the branches.
I started putting garland around the tree, but Little Sister jumped in and took over. Then the other two got in on the wrapping of the tree, and I was completely out of the loop.
Each year, my job is to pass out the ornaments and their job is to decorate the tree. I pass them out, because I keep all of my ornaments in a big box and they get a little tangled up. Plus, I don't really want any fighting over who gets to put what on the tree. It's just easier that way. They loaded the tree with all their ornaments that we have made together over the last several years. If you look closely at my tree, you might see a handful of store bought ornaments, but most were made by my kids.
That girl loves her brother!
And here is our finished tree. Absolutely beautiful! And all done by them!
Britches had a great time going all over the house adding Christmas touches here and there.
While we were decorating the tree, Baby Girl kept sneaking in the living room grabbing ornaments and heading to her room. I finally went to see what she was doing. She told me she was decorating her room! Very lovely!
And Britches and Little Sister made the last gingerbread house to add to the decorations.
Our house is finally decorated for Christmas. I had a plan to help the kids so that it would look really nice. You know, ornaments perfectly spaced on the tree and things put in just the right place. But then I remembered, this is about them! So I just backed up and let them decorate however they wanted, and I just took the pictures. And it was fun! And they love it! And I couldn't be happier about our Christmas decorations this year!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Little Sister's Pictures
A few days ago, Little Sister got hold of my camera. Look out world, she is taking pictures now! She cracked me up as she kept asking me all about how to use that thing.
I showed her how to turn it on, take a picture, and look at what you took. She was THRILLED! I made sure she had the strap around her neck, and I left her alone to take all the pictures of her lego creations that she wanted.
But when I came back later to check on her and see the pictures she had, this is what I found. Well, some of them anyway.
I showed her how to turn it on, take a picture, and look at what you took. She was THRILLED! I made sure she had the strap around her neck, and I left her alone to take all the pictures of her lego creations that she wanted.
But when I came back later to check on her and see the pictures she had, this is what I found. Well, some of them anyway.
That little stinker! I fear she has a bit too much of her mother in her...
Gingerbread Houses
Last year, a few days after Christmas, I was in Wal-Mart and saw they had their gingerbread houses on sale for A DOLLAR!! So of course I bought two of them! One pack had five miniature houses included, and the other had one house with a Santa sleigh. My plan was to pull them out one day this summer when we were bored. But that never happened. So there they sat for months.
Ever since Thanksgiving had passed, the kids had all remembered those gingerbread houses sitting in the cabinet, and they had been begging me to pull them down and put them together. So today was the day! After the older kids finished up their school work, we cleared off the table and pulled those boxes down. The house was just filled with excitement and anticipation!
Each of the kids picked which house they wanted, we divided up the candies, and the fun began. I was in charge of the icing, because, well, that goes without saying. I did give Britches the other bag of icing, because I trust her. But I wouldn't trust the other three as far as I could throw them. After "gluing" them together, everybody had such fun decorating their own house! Even Baby Girl got in on the fun! I was quite shocked and glad that she didn't try to eat any of the house or candies, because those things smelled like they had been on the shelf for, well, the last year!
Here are the pictures of our fun and our finished projects!
Ever since Thanksgiving had passed, the kids had all remembered those gingerbread houses sitting in the cabinet, and they had been begging me to pull them down and put them together. So today was the day! After the older kids finished up their school work, we cleared off the table and pulled those boxes down. The house was just filled with excitement and anticipation!
Each of the kids picked which house they wanted, we divided up the candies, and the fun began. I was in charge of the icing, because, well, that goes without saying. I did give Britches the other bag of icing, because I trust her. But I wouldn't trust the other three as far as I could throw them. After "gluing" them together, everybody had such fun decorating their own house! Even Baby Girl got in on the fun! I was quite shocked and glad that she didn't try to eat any of the house or candies, because those things smelled like they had been on the shelf for, well, the last year!
Here are the pictures of our fun and our finished projects!
This is my sweet Baby Girl decorating her triangle house and showing it off. She specifically wanted the "triangle". And when she saw me break out the camera, she said, "Mommy, take picture of me and my house!" She had so much fun doing this!
Little Sister had a great time decorating her house.
Little Man was very particular about his house, and even added sprinkle snow on the roof and a sprinkle sidewalk. The marshmallows around the house are snow.
And here is my Britches with her meticulously crafted house. She took the green leaf gumdrops and cut them into strips, so she could make the wreath above the door and icicles around the house. She is so patient to do that!
And here are all of our finished houses displayed on my hutch. Who needs the little miniature breakable houses when you've got such a fine array of gingerbread houses with which to decorate?
I hope you'll make some time this holiday season to do something FUN with your kids! Take a break from shopping and cooking and wrapping and whatever, and pull out a gingerbread house of your own or make some homemade ornaments or craft your own gifts for those you love. Christmas is more than just the act of opening presents on Christmas day. It's all the little things that you do leading up to the big day that are creating memories for you to cherish for a lifetime! Now go grab your kids and make some memories!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Called to Minister - Part 2
*Before you read any further, be sure to read Called to Minister - Part 1!*
So my story picks up where I left off a few days ago. It was Friday morning, and we had pulled out of our driveway heading west. We had borrowed Brient's parent's camper to stay in, so we had to drive a little slower and it took us a full two hours to get where we were headed. But right around lunch time, we pulled into our home-away-from-home for the weekend. It took us about 20 minutes to set up camp, and we headed back out for lunch.
After lunch, Brient called the pastor of the church where we would be working to see if anyone was there at the moment to let us in. He said there was, and we were welcome to come on. So we got to the church around 1:30 and began our set-up for the weekend. I had swiped all the things I needed from my children's room at my church, and we had to bring it all in. I had no idea that it would take nearly the entire afternoon to get it all together and ready. We were blessed to be able to use the youth room for the weekend, and for that, we were so thankful. Everything was finally ready, and then all I had left to do was sit back and breathe for a few minutes before kids started arriving.
The revival didn't start until 7:00, but about 6:30 the kids began pouring in. I found out earlier in the day that this church runs a bus ministry and brings in kids from all over, so I wasn't exactly sure what kind of kids I would be seeing. It didn't take me long to realize that these were not the same kind of kids I usually teach. These kids were hungry. They were hungry for love and affection, hungry for some boundaries and stability in their lives, and hungry for God's Word. I made my rounds and started meeting all the kids. One thing I try to do with every kid I meet is to put my arm around them and give them a squeeze as I introduce myself. All of these kids just loved the attention!
Before we got started, Jon (the youth pastor) started passing out some bracelets for each of the kids. You know the ones I'm talking about. They were the bracelets with the colored beads on them that tell the message of salvation through the colors. A little girl came up to me right away and asked me what that bracelet was for. For a split second, I was a little shocked, because I haven't had a kid ask me that in so long. But then just as quickly, I remembered that was the exact reason God had sent me there. And so I began to share the message of salvation with her in a way that she could very easily understand. At that moment, she just thought it was pretty cool and went off to play. But that was OK. I knew God would take care of it from there. I had done my part.
The night got started, and the kids were so excited to be there! They had so much fun playing the games and singing the songs. Generally, praise and worship time is a struggle for me, because the kids in my children's church hate it! HATE IT! (Still can't quite figure out why. It remains a mystery to me.) But these kids LOVED singing and dancing and praising God! They loved coming up on stage with me. And when we had sung three or four songs, they were still begging to sing more - even though I was completely out of breath!!
The theme of our weekend was "Be Like Jesus." I wanted to share with them some of the things Jesus did, so we could see HOW to be like him. So that first night, we talked about how Jesus healed the man's hand on the Sabbath, because He cared more about people than He cared about rules. I made sure to tell them how much Jesus cares about each one of them, because I really doubt there are too many people in those kids' lives who do care about them.
When the evening was nearly over, I had Brient play a slower song, and I had prayer time with them. I asked if any of them wanted to ask Jesus into their hearts, and I told them how to go about doing that. I told them that, if they had prayed that prayer, to be sure to come see me after services, because I wanted to pray with them. At the end of the night, FIVE KIDS found me to tell me they asked Jesus into their hearts - and one of them was the little girl I had shared the message of salvation with at the beginning of the night!! YAY GOD!
When the night was over, we went out to eat with some people from the church. It was loads of fun, but we were so tired! We got back to our camper and crashed at about 11:30 that night.
The next day, we played around town a bit, did a little shopping, took Little Sister to Build-A-Bear to spend a birthday gift card, and went to a hands-on science museum. Then we headed back to the church to get ready for the evening.
I had been in a mindset of prayer the whole day (yes, you CAN have a prayerful attitude even at a children's museum and while shopping!), and I just really sensed that God was telling me to change my lesson for the night. So I stepped out in faith and switched gears.
That night, the kids had just as much fun and excitement as the night before! They were anticipating what was to come. My lesson that night was about when Jesus told Nicodemus that the only way to see the Kingdom of Heaven was to be born again on the inside. When it came time for prayer, we had several kids who came up to pray. I was really thankful that my friend, Emilee, had come with her dad to the revival, and that she wanted to help out, because she was great praying with the kids! No new kids got saved, but we had quite a few that wanted to pray about something.
We made it back to our camper around 11:00 that night. Whew! I was glad that it would be time change that evening, because that meant an extra hour of sleep the next morning!
Sunday morning, we headed to church for the morning service. The kids got to do a song that we had learned in front of the whole church that morning, and they were really excited about that!
My lesson that morning was about Jesus and Zacchaeus, and how it didn't matter how bad Zacchaeus had been, Jesus still forgave him when he truly repented. I told them that sometimes we need to really tell Jesus we are sorry for things we have done, and sometimes we need to be like Jesus and forgive others who have done wrong against us. Sometimes that can be really hard! When it came time to pray with them, I gave them the chance to come and pray at the front, and it was such a blessing seeing all those kids pouring their heart out to Jesus! I could look at those kids and tell you there were people in their lives who had wronged them and who they needed to forgive. My heart just broke for them.
That evening, we played review games to make sure they remembered all the lessons we had learned. They had a great time playing. But by that point, Brient and I were worn out, and the kids were pretty much worn out, too.
After the service was over, we jumped in the truck and started on our two hour drive home. We pulled in to our driveway at midnight that night. We were all quite exhausted!
Here are some things that I learned from that weekend.
1. There really are kids out there who have really bad home lives, bad situations, and no one to love them. There were children every single service who came in crying because they were hungry. Their stomach hurt, because it needed food in it! There were kids there every service who came sick, because their moms knew that the church bus would come and pick them up and get them out of their hair for a few hours, so the moms didn't care. I had to take care of quite a few sick kids that weekend. But I didn't care. They are why God sent me there - to minister to THEM! So I loved on them anyway, and I just prayed and trusted God to take care of my health.
2. Ministry can be hard work, but it is more than made up for in the rewards you get from Almighty God! We were so pooped by the end of the weekend, we could barely get going Monday morning. In fact, it took me nearly all week to get my energy back and get it in one direction again. But my heart is light knowing that I made an eternal difference in those kids lives!
3. I need to always pay attention to God, and if He tells me to change my plan, He has a better one in mind. I was so thankful that I listened to God telling me to change my lesson for the second night. Those kids really needed to hear the message of how to get to Heaven. Because when I left there, all they would have is what I taught them. And I really wanted them to remember THAT! They don't need me to get saved. They only need to know how. So for the kids who didn't ask Jesus into their heart while I was there, that's OK. God will still work on them long after that revival is over. And I taught them what they need to know to do that. So listen to God if He changes the plan!
4. When I ask God to send me out to work for Him, when I am willing, He will answer and He will use me! I was so thankful for the things He did through me that weekend, and for the things He did in my own heart!
5. God made me EXACTLY the way I am for His specific purpose! He did not make a mistake when He made me with a gypsy spirit. He did not make me this way just to torment me by keeping me in one place for my entire life, even though some days it feels like I will never go anywhere. He gave me the energy that I have and the desire in my heart to GO so that I can be of use to Him. And I know that, when He says I am ready, He will send me again.
I am so thankful that my God allowed me to be used to do His good work that weekend. I am so thankful that He allowed me to get outside of the walls that I generally find myself in, and go outside of my comfort zone to reach kids who were unlike most that I am called to minister to. And I am thankful for the ongoing call He has put on my life at my own church to minister to the kids there that need teaching and training. I serve a BIG GOD, and He has a BIG PLAN for my life. I can't wait to see where He takes me next!
So my story picks up where I left off a few days ago. It was Friday morning, and we had pulled out of our driveway heading west. We had borrowed Brient's parent's camper to stay in, so we had to drive a little slower and it took us a full two hours to get where we were headed. But right around lunch time, we pulled into our home-away-from-home for the weekend. It took us about 20 minutes to set up camp, and we headed back out for lunch.
After lunch, Brient called the pastor of the church where we would be working to see if anyone was there at the moment to let us in. He said there was, and we were welcome to come on. So we got to the church around 1:30 and began our set-up for the weekend. I had swiped all the things I needed from my children's room at my church, and we had to bring it all in. I had no idea that it would take nearly the entire afternoon to get it all together and ready. We were blessed to be able to use the youth room for the weekend, and for that, we were so thankful. Everything was finally ready, and then all I had left to do was sit back and breathe for a few minutes before kids started arriving.
The revival didn't start until 7:00, but about 6:30 the kids began pouring in. I found out earlier in the day that this church runs a bus ministry and brings in kids from all over, so I wasn't exactly sure what kind of kids I would be seeing. It didn't take me long to realize that these were not the same kind of kids I usually teach. These kids were hungry. They were hungry for love and affection, hungry for some boundaries and stability in their lives, and hungry for God's Word. I made my rounds and started meeting all the kids. One thing I try to do with every kid I meet is to put my arm around them and give them a squeeze as I introduce myself. All of these kids just loved the attention!
Before we got started, Jon (the youth pastor) started passing out some bracelets for each of the kids. You know the ones I'm talking about. They were the bracelets with the colored beads on them that tell the message of salvation through the colors. A little girl came up to me right away and asked me what that bracelet was for. For a split second, I was a little shocked, because I haven't had a kid ask me that in so long. But then just as quickly, I remembered that was the exact reason God had sent me there. And so I began to share the message of salvation with her in a way that she could very easily understand. At that moment, she just thought it was pretty cool and went off to play. But that was OK. I knew God would take care of it from there. I had done my part.
The night got started, and the kids were so excited to be there! They had so much fun playing the games and singing the songs. Generally, praise and worship time is a struggle for me, because the kids in my children's church hate it! HATE IT! (Still can't quite figure out why. It remains a mystery to me.) But these kids LOVED singing and dancing and praising God! They loved coming up on stage with me. And when we had sung three or four songs, they were still begging to sing more - even though I was completely out of breath!!
The theme of our weekend was "Be Like Jesus." I wanted to share with them some of the things Jesus did, so we could see HOW to be like him. So that first night, we talked about how Jesus healed the man's hand on the Sabbath, because He cared more about people than He cared about rules. I made sure to tell them how much Jesus cares about each one of them, because I really doubt there are too many people in those kids' lives who do care about them.
When the evening was nearly over, I had Brient play a slower song, and I had prayer time with them. I asked if any of them wanted to ask Jesus into their hearts, and I told them how to go about doing that. I told them that, if they had prayed that prayer, to be sure to come see me after services, because I wanted to pray with them. At the end of the night, FIVE KIDS found me to tell me they asked Jesus into their hearts - and one of them was the little girl I had shared the message of salvation with at the beginning of the night!! YAY GOD!
When the night was over, we went out to eat with some people from the church. It was loads of fun, but we were so tired! We got back to our camper and crashed at about 11:30 that night.
The next day, we played around town a bit, did a little shopping, took Little Sister to Build-A-Bear to spend a birthday gift card, and went to a hands-on science museum. Then we headed back to the church to get ready for the evening.
I had been in a mindset of prayer the whole day (yes, you CAN have a prayerful attitude even at a children's museum and while shopping!), and I just really sensed that God was telling me to change my lesson for the night. So I stepped out in faith and switched gears.
That night, the kids had just as much fun and excitement as the night before! They were anticipating what was to come. My lesson that night was about when Jesus told Nicodemus that the only way to see the Kingdom of Heaven was to be born again on the inside. When it came time for prayer, we had several kids who came up to pray. I was really thankful that my friend, Emilee, had come with her dad to the revival, and that she wanted to help out, because she was great praying with the kids! No new kids got saved, but we had quite a few that wanted to pray about something.
We made it back to our camper around 11:00 that night. Whew! I was glad that it would be time change that evening, because that meant an extra hour of sleep the next morning!
Sunday morning, we headed to church for the morning service. The kids got to do a song that we had learned in front of the whole church that morning, and they were really excited about that!
My lesson that morning was about Jesus and Zacchaeus, and how it didn't matter how bad Zacchaeus had been, Jesus still forgave him when he truly repented. I told them that sometimes we need to really tell Jesus we are sorry for things we have done, and sometimes we need to be like Jesus and forgive others who have done wrong against us. Sometimes that can be really hard! When it came time to pray with them, I gave them the chance to come and pray at the front, and it was such a blessing seeing all those kids pouring their heart out to Jesus! I could look at those kids and tell you there were people in their lives who had wronged them and who they needed to forgive. My heart just broke for them.
That evening, we played review games to make sure they remembered all the lessons we had learned. They had a great time playing. But by that point, Brient and I were worn out, and the kids were pretty much worn out, too.
After the service was over, we jumped in the truck and started on our two hour drive home. We pulled in to our driveway at midnight that night. We were all quite exhausted!
Here are some things that I learned from that weekend.
1. There really are kids out there who have really bad home lives, bad situations, and no one to love them. There were children every single service who came in crying because they were hungry. Their stomach hurt, because it needed food in it! There were kids there every service who came sick, because their moms knew that the church bus would come and pick them up and get them out of their hair for a few hours, so the moms didn't care. I had to take care of quite a few sick kids that weekend. But I didn't care. They are why God sent me there - to minister to THEM! So I loved on them anyway, and I just prayed and trusted God to take care of my health.
2. Ministry can be hard work, but it is more than made up for in the rewards you get from Almighty God! We were so pooped by the end of the weekend, we could barely get going Monday morning. In fact, it took me nearly all week to get my energy back and get it in one direction again. But my heart is light knowing that I made an eternal difference in those kids lives!
3. I need to always pay attention to God, and if He tells me to change my plan, He has a better one in mind. I was so thankful that I listened to God telling me to change my lesson for the second night. Those kids really needed to hear the message of how to get to Heaven. Because when I left there, all they would have is what I taught them. And I really wanted them to remember THAT! They don't need me to get saved. They only need to know how. So for the kids who didn't ask Jesus into their heart while I was there, that's OK. God will still work on them long after that revival is over. And I taught them what they need to know to do that. So listen to God if He changes the plan!
4. When I ask God to send me out to work for Him, when I am willing, He will answer and He will use me! I was so thankful for the things He did through me that weekend, and for the things He did in my own heart!
5. God made me EXACTLY the way I am for His specific purpose! He did not make a mistake when He made me with a gypsy spirit. He did not make me this way just to torment me by keeping me in one place for my entire life, even though some days it feels like I will never go anywhere. He gave me the energy that I have and the desire in my heart to GO so that I can be of use to Him. And I know that, when He says I am ready, He will send me again.
I am so thankful that my God allowed me to be used to do His good work that weekend. I am so thankful that He allowed me to get outside of the walls that I generally find myself in, and go outside of my comfort zone to reach kids who were unlike most that I am called to minister to. And I am thankful for the ongoing call He has put on my life at my own church to minister to the kids there that need teaching and training. I serve a BIG GOD, and He has a BIG PLAN for my life. I can't wait to see where He takes me next!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Called to Minister - Part 1
I am a gypsy at heart. I am rarely happy being in one place for too long. Before long, I start to get antsy and just need to DO something and GO somewhere! Believe me, it is no fun living with me when I get like this, because I just completely wear everybody out with my whining about the need to MOVE! I don't mean like moving houses. I mean like getting up and GOING somewhere to do something! I have been this way since I was a kid. Always had my bags packed and ready to go to the next adventure. (For those of you who share my gypsy spirit, you will know what I'm talking about here. For the rest of you, I don't really expect you to get it. But keep reading anyway!)
Unfortunately for me, my husband does not share the same gypsy blood as I, and, quite frankly, I start to really wear on his nerves after awhile. He is perfectly happy staying put in one place for his entire life. In fact, he has moved more times in the last 14 years of being married to me than he ever has in his life. So this is usually a big issue with us.
In fact, it got so bad a few weeks ago that I was just wringing my hands together and had such a heavy burden on my heart that I just didn't know what to do. So I did the only thing I knew TO do. I cried out to God in my anguish. I began praying and seeking God. My heart cried out wanting to know why in the world He would make me with such a desire in my heart and then not allow me to go and do and move. I told God in my utter despair that I needed Him to show me in a tangible way why I was made like this and show me what He would have me do with this desire He put in my heart, or to completely take this spirit away from me. I just couldn't keep living like this, wanting to GO and having a husband who wanted to stay put. I also told God that I didn't just want Him to tell ME what I was to be doing with this spirit in me, but I wanted Him to confirm it to me through my husband. And so I prayed, and prayed, and prayed, and waited.
The coolest part was, I didn't have to wait long. I just LOVE it when God answers in a quick way. Generally, it is a very long process, with Him working things out inside of me while I learn to be patient and wait. But thankfully, not this time! Within about two days of praying and seeking God for direction, He answered - in a BIG way!
I got a call from this guy, Scott. I had never actually met Scott before that phone call, but I did know his wife. I had met her at camp over the summer. Scott was calling on behalf of his church, and they were looking for someone to come teach the kids at their church during their upcoming revival. They had heard about what we did with the kids at camp over the summer, and they thought we might be available. The pastor wanted to give all of their church workers a chance to sit in on the revival, so they needed someone from outside to come in to take care of the kids. Honestly, my first thought was, "There is no way Brient is going to go for this." The church is, after all, two hours away from our house. No, that's not really that far, but I still didn't expect him to want to go. So I told Scott I'd think about it, talk to Brient, and get back with him.
So I waited until a good time to talk to Brient (as in, I waited until the commercial came on), and I told him why Scott had called. He sat listening while I told him all the details. And when I finished, he looked at me and said, "Well, I think God just gave us an open door. I don't think we can do anything else BUT go through it." WOW! Is that direction WITH confirmation or WHAT!?
I was so thrilled I just could barely contain myself! For the next two weeks, I wrote out my lessons and got all my games together. We borrowed Brient's parent's camper, and got all of our things packed and ready to go. And when the weekend came, we pulled out of our driveway and headed West - to the next adventure God was calling us to.
For a really long time, I just couldn't understand what God was doing in me. I couldn't understand or put my finger on why I was made as I am. But when I needed some answers, I went to The One with ALL the answers. I asked God to give me direction and to confirm it through my husband, and boy did He ever answer. God didn't just tell me what was in store for my future, but He SENT ME somewhere to do work for Him. And he told Brient the plan, too. I was completely thrilled to be able to sit back and just watch as God moved and worked and revealed things. And I know - I KNOW - that He has even more things in store for us in the future!
In a few days, I'll write the rest of this story, and I'll tell you all about the ministry that went on during that revival. It was THRILLING! But then again, God is ALWAYS thrilling!
*Be sure to check out Called to Minister - Part 2*
Unfortunately for me, my husband does not share the same gypsy blood as I, and, quite frankly, I start to really wear on his nerves after awhile. He is perfectly happy staying put in one place for his entire life. In fact, he has moved more times in the last 14 years of being married to me than he ever has in his life. So this is usually a big issue with us.
In fact, it got so bad a few weeks ago that I was just wringing my hands together and had such a heavy burden on my heart that I just didn't know what to do. So I did the only thing I knew TO do. I cried out to God in my anguish. I began praying and seeking God. My heart cried out wanting to know why in the world He would make me with such a desire in my heart and then not allow me to go and do and move. I told God in my utter despair that I needed Him to show me in a tangible way why I was made like this and show me what He would have me do with this desire He put in my heart, or to completely take this spirit away from me. I just couldn't keep living like this, wanting to GO and having a husband who wanted to stay put. I also told God that I didn't just want Him to tell ME what I was to be doing with this spirit in me, but I wanted Him to confirm it to me through my husband. And so I prayed, and prayed, and prayed, and waited.
The coolest part was, I didn't have to wait long. I just LOVE it when God answers in a quick way. Generally, it is a very long process, with Him working things out inside of me while I learn to be patient and wait. But thankfully, not this time! Within about two days of praying and seeking God for direction, He answered - in a BIG way!
I got a call from this guy, Scott. I had never actually met Scott before that phone call, but I did know his wife. I had met her at camp over the summer. Scott was calling on behalf of his church, and they were looking for someone to come teach the kids at their church during their upcoming revival. They had heard about what we did with the kids at camp over the summer, and they thought we might be available. The pastor wanted to give all of their church workers a chance to sit in on the revival, so they needed someone from outside to come in to take care of the kids. Honestly, my first thought was, "There is no way Brient is going to go for this." The church is, after all, two hours away from our house. No, that's not really that far, but I still didn't expect him to want to go. So I told Scott I'd think about it, talk to Brient, and get back with him.
So I waited until a good time to talk to Brient (as in, I waited until the commercial came on), and I told him why Scott had called. He sat listening while I told him all the details. And when I finished, he looked at me and said, "Well, I think God just gave us an open door. I don't think we can do anything else BUT go through it." WOW! Is that direction WITH confirmation or WHAT!?
I was so thrilled I just could barely contain myself! For the next two weeks, I wrote out my lessons and got all my games together. We borrowed Brient's parent's camper, and got all of our things packed and ready to go. And when the weekend came, we pulled out of our driveway and headed West - to the next adventure God was calling us to.
For a really long time, I just couldn't understand what God was doing in me. I couldn't understand or put my finger on why I was made as I am. But when I needed some answers, I went to The One with ALL the answers. I asked God to give me direction and to confirm it through my husband, and boy did He ever answer. God didn't just tell me what was in store for my future, but He SENT ME somewhere to do work for Him. And he told Brient the plan, too. I was completely thrilled to be able to sit back and just watch as God moved and worked and revealed things. And I know - I KNOW - that He has even more things in store for us in the future!
In a few days, I'll write the rest of this story, and I'll tell you all about the ministry that went on during that revival. It was THRILLING! But then again, God is ALWAYS thrilling!
*Be sure to check out Called to Minister - Part 2*
Monday, November 14, 2011
And the Winner Is....
Congratulations go out to my good friend, Jessie, who is the winner of my blog give-away! Up for grabs was a year subscription to an AMAZING children's ministry magazine, K Magazine. Jessie will be getting her first issue in the mail soon, and I just KNOW she is going to LOVE it!
And for all of you sitting there reading this looking very forlorn about the fact that your name was not drawn, fear not! You, too, can have your very own subscription to K Magazine just by heading over to the KidzMatter site and signing up. The cost is less than $20 a year, and it is the BEST investment you will ever make in your children's ministry!
Thanks to all who joined in the fun! I can't wait to hold another giveaway!
And for all of you sitting there reading this looking very forlorn about the fact that your name was not drawn, fear not! You, too, can have your very own subscription to K Magazine just by heading over to the KidzMatter site and signing up. The cost is less than $20 a year, and it is the BEST investment you will ever make in your children's ministry!
Thanks to all who joined in the fun! I can't wait to hold another giveaway!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
K Magazine Review and Blog Giveaway Time!!
Children's ministry is something I am very passionate about. God called me to this ministry many years ago, but it has only been in the last two years that I have actually submitted to that calling and begun working as a children's minister. For awhile, I just sort of went on what I knew - things I had been taught as a child and things I had seen other children's ministers teach. But there came a point last year where I knew I was becoming stagnant in my children's church. I knew I needed to go beyond what I already knew, beyond my own thinking, and branch out to see what other resources and ideas were available.
A dear friend of mine, Larry (who happens to be the youth pastor at my church), suggested that I purchase a subscription to a children's ministry magazine. He told me about the magazines he gets that are geared for youth ministry, and thought I might benefit from something similar. So I looked online to see what was out there. There are so many things that one can find online that it can actually be a little overwhelming. Adding that to the fact that many of the ideas people are using are out of date and not nearly as effective for this generation of children, after all that searching, I didn't really come up with much. Then I looked for children's ministry magazines. There are only a hand full out there, and they each cost roughly $20 for a yearly subscription. I couldn't afford to get them all, so I had to pick.
The magazine that stuck out the most was called K Magazine, and is put out by Kidz Matter. I will admit, the title didn't look that interesting. But the more I thought about it and looked at some of the things they had in this thing, the more sure I was that this was the one I needed. It wasn't until I got my first issue that I was ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN this was the magazine that was going to provide me with the resources I needed to move me forward in children's ministry.
The theme of my first issue was "Leadership." That was something I had been trying to get some direction on, but didn't really know where to start. The articles were so helpful, and I have read most of them several times. I have plans to pass that issue on to others working in children's ministry in my church, but so far I can't come to part with it. I just keep picking it up and re-reading it!
The article that I enjoyed the most was titled "Full Steam Ahead," and was written by Tina Houser. Mrs. Houser talks about the power of momentum in your children's ministry, and how to go about fueling that momentum so that it is like a train that can't be stopped. She showed the importance of declaring your vision and sticking with it, jumping right into things rather than slowly getting into the race, and pouncing on opportunities that land in your lap. Being a step ahead of the game helps you to keep moving, instead of just coasting along in your ministry. She shows how to multiply your effectiveness by increasing your mass (people who work in children's ministry with you), how to set up wins for your team, the importance of plowing through obstacles that stand in your way, how to go public with what you are doing with your group, and the necessity of continually evaluating what and how you are doing. She hit the nail right on the head with that lesson on momentum.
Each issue is packed with so many great articles, it is hard to put the magazine down once I get started reading! And the articles are written by very experienced children's ministers such as Tina Houser, Roger Fields, Ryan Frank, Jim Wideman, Greg Baird, and so many more! You get great articles from experts in the field of children's ministry, ideas for ways to add some excitement to your lessons, decor, and overall ministry, encouragement for when you feel like things aren't going just right or like you're not making a difference, and loads of information on curriculum and products out there just for you! I am looking forward to the next issue, because the theme is "Creativity in Ministry." I need all the help I can get in that area! It's going to be a great issue!
If you want to check out this AMAZING magazine, along with plenty of other children's ministry resources, take a look at their web site! Or you can give these lovely people a call toll free at 877-568-2437. You will get to talk to an actual PERSON, and they are all very friendly! For $19.95, you get six completely PACKED issues!
BUT, I am so EXCITED to tell you that I am GIVING AWAY a full year subscription for my blog giveaway today! The good folks at Kidz Matter have graciously provided me with this prize, and one of my followers is going to win it! You are definitely going to want this prize! I promise!!
Here's how to enter. First, you MUST be a follower on my blog. So if you haven't clicked the "Join This Site" button on the right, go do that now. GO! GO! GO!! If you are a follower through another site, such as Google Reader, you need to leave me a comment and let me know. Everyone who FOLLOWS my blog gets entered automatically! YAY!!
If you would like to have an additional entry, here's what to do. Leave me a comment telling me why you want to win this prize, and/or if you would keep it or give it to someone else. Hey, I know all of you lovely people aren't children's ministers like me, and might not actually use something like this. But remember, kids ministry is a HUGE thing to God, and you could definitely pass this on to whomever has the privilege of being in charge of this ministry in your church! So whether you keep it or give it away matters not. You still REALLY want to win this!!
And for one more additional entry, post a link to this blog post on Facebook or Twitter telling all your friends about my prize giveaway! Then you need to come back here and leave me a comment letting me know where you posted the link.
Be sure to leave me your e-mail address in your comment, so I can contact you if your name is drawn.
So there you have it. You have three ways to enter. The contest will run until Monday, November 14, so you all will have plenty of time to enter.
This magazine has been so helpful to me in my children's ministry, and I just can't WAIT to give away a subscription to one of you!! And if you just can't wait until Monday, or if you want to go purchase a copy for someone else, head on over there to the Kidz Matter website and pick up a subscription. You will NOT be sorry!!
*And a BIG THANK YOU to Hip Homeschool Moms for letting me post my giveaway to their site!! Go check them out!
A dear friend of mine, Larry (who happens to be the youth pastor at my church), suggested that I purchase a subscription to a children's ministry magazine. He told me about the magazines he gets that are geared for youth ministry, and thought I might benefit from something similar. So I looked online to see what was out there. There are so many things that one can find online that it can actually be a little overwhelming. Adding that to the fact that many of the ideas people are using are out of date and not nearly as effective for this generation of children, after all that searching, I didn't really come up with much. Then I looked for children's ministry magazines. There are only a hand full out there, and they each cost roughly $20 for a yearly subscription. I couldn't afford to get them all, so I had to pick.
The theme of my first issue was "Leadership." That was something I had been trying to get some direction on, but didn't really know where to start. The articles were so helpful, and I have read most of them several times. I have plans to pass that issue on to others working in children's ministry in my church, but so far I can't come to part with it. I just keep picking it up and re-reading it!
The article that I enjoyed the most was titled "Full Steam Ahead," and was written by Tina Houser. Mrs. Houser talks about the power of momentum in your children's ministry, and how to go about fueling that momentum so that it is like a train that can't be stopped. She showed the importance of declaring your vision and sticking with it, jumping right into things rather than slowly getting into the race, and pouncing on opportunities that land in your lap. Being a step ahead of the game helps you to keep moving, instead of just coasting along in your ministry. She shows how to multiply your effectiveness by increasing your mass (people who work in children's ministry with you), how to set up wins for your team, the importance of plowing through obstacles that stand in your way, how to go public with what you are doing with your group, and the necessity of continually evaluating what and how you are doing. She hit the nail right on the head with that lesson on momentum.
Each issue is packed with so many great articles, it is hard to put the magazine down once I get started reading! And the articles are written by very experienced children's ministers such as Tina Houser, Roger Fields, Ryan Frank, Jim Wideman, Greg Baird, and so many more! You get great articles from experts in the field of children's ministry, ideas for ways to add some excitement to your lessons, decor, and overall ministry, encouragement for when you feel like things aren't going just right or like you're not making a difference, and loads of information on curriculum and products out there just for you! I am looking forward to the next issue, because the theme is "Creativity in Ministry." I need all the help I can get in that area! It's going to be a great issue!
If you want to check out this AMAZING magazine, along with plenty of other children's ministry resources, take a look at their web site! Or you can give these lovely people a call toll free at 877-568-2437. You will get to talk to an actual PERSON, and they are all very friendly! For $19.95, you get six completely PACKED issues!
BUT, I am so EXCITED to tell you that I am GIVING AWAY a full year subscription for my blog giveaway today! The good folks at Kidz Matter have graciously provided me with this prize, and one of my followers is going to win it! You are definitely going to want this prize! I promise!!
Here's how to enter. First, you MUST be a follower on my blog. So if you haven't clicked the "Join This Site" button on the right, go do that now. GO! GO! GO!! If you are a follower through another site, such as Google Reader, you need to leave me a comment and let me know. Everyone who FOLLOWS my blog gets entered automatically! YAY!!
If you would like to have an additional entry, here's what to do. Leave me a comment telling me why you want to win this prize, and/or if you would keep it or give it to someone else. Hey, I know all of you lovely people aren't children's ministers like me, and might not actually use something like this. But remember, kids ministry is a HUGE thing to God, and you could definitely pass this on to whomever has the privilege of being in charge of this ministry in your church! So whether you keep it or give it away matters not. You still REALLY want to win this!!
And for one more additional entry, post a link to this blog post on Facebook or Twitter telling all your friends about my prize giveaway! Then you need to come back here and leave me a comment letting me know where you posted the link.
Be sure to leave me your e-mail address in your comment, so I can contact you if your name is drawn.
So there you have it. You have three ways to enter. The contest will run until Monday, November 14, so you all will have plenty of time to enter.
This magazine has been so helpful to me in my children's ministry, and I just can't WAIT to give away a subscription to one of you!! And if you just can't wait until Monday, or if you want to go purchase a copy for someone else, head on over there to the Kidz Matter website and pick up a subscription. You will NOT be sorry!!
*And a BIG THANK YOU to Hip Homeschool Moms for letting me post my giveaway to their site!! Go check them out!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Gluten Free Living - Day 2
Today I had planned to go and visit with my sweet friend, Marci. I LOVE this gal! She and I are like soul sista's! We are both free-spirit, hippie, gypsy girls, and I think we could both travel the world together and never look back. So I was very excited about going to her house and enjoying lunch with her and the four boys. Then I remembered - I'm not eating BREAD! ACK! So I told Marci I would be bringing my own lunch, because I certainly didn't expect her to try to cater to me and my crazy stomach.
So last night, I stayed up a little late looking up gluten free bread recipes, and I came across some really great looking ones. I finally found one that I had most of the ingredients for - from the bags of "flour" that I had bought grocery shopping the night before. And for what I didn't have, I looked online to find a suitable substitute, which I DID have! (YAY for Google! I just LOVE the info I can find on the Internet!) Before I went to bed last night, I mixed up all the dry ingredients so I could have a jump on my bread making this morning before going for my visit. When I woke this morning, I went straight to my kitchen to finish up making my bread. All I can say is - WOW! It smelled WONDERFUL! I finally realized what it is that I love about bread baking in my house. It's the YEAST! It smells sooooo wonderful! I even topped this bread with some sesame seeds to give it a good texture and to make it look and taste more "real". I wrapped it up, and I was off to visit my friend.
Before lunch, I pulled out my electric knife and sliced it into sandwich sized pieces. Marci, Britches, and I were ready to try it. We all three took a bite and - well, it was... different. We decided it would be much better slathered in butter, so of course that's what we did! Bread without butter is just crazy! It was really pretty good with the butter on it.
For lunch, though, I had mixed up peanut butter and homemade muscadine jelly, and that's what went in my sandwich. I must say, with PB&J, that was a really delicious bread! And I am thinking it's going to be really great as French toast, toast and jelly, or just warmed with butter as a side for my left over potato soup tonight.
There are several other recipes I plan to try in the near future, but not until I finish this loaf. All in all, though, this recipe is a keeper. I really liked the way it rose, just like my normal yeast bread. It had a great texture. There was no soy flour in it, so it didn't have any funky taste I didn't like. And it held up well for my sandwich. I'm pretty sure I will be making this one again.
This really was a lot easier to make than my regular yeast bread, too, because you only mix everything once, put it in the loaf pan, and let it rise. There is no kneading and waiting and kneading and waiting.
If you are playing around with the idea of gluten free foods, here is the recipe - just to try. Remember, you don't have to commit to anything just by making something like this. Call it a science experiment, and be prepared to throw it out if you hate it. You don't have to be married to it forever. Just give it a try! I did substitute a few items, since I didn't have the other items readily available. I swapped the tapioca or potato starch for corn starch. Instead of millet flour, I used brown rice flour. And instead of xanthan gum, I used an equal amount of milled flax seed. I did use the 2 whipped egg whites, and it did work well.
So if you DO give this recipe a try, leave me a comment and tell me how it went for you. Tell me what you liked or didn't like about it.
And now, I'm heading off to reheat some left over yummy cheesy potato soup for supper! Can't wait to try it with my new BREAD!
So last night, I stayed up a little late looking up gluten free bread recipes, and I came across some really great looking ones. I finally found one that I had most of the ingredients for - from the bags of "flour" that I had bought grocery shopping the night before. And for what I didn't have, I looked online to find a suitable substitute, which I DID have! (YAY for Google! I just LOVE the info I can find on the Internet!) Before I went to bed last night, I mixed up all the dry ingredients so I could have a jump on my bread making this morning before going for my visit. When I woke this morning, I went straight to my kitchen to finish up making my bread. All I can say is - WOW! It smelled WONDERFUL! I finally realized what it is that I love about bread baking in my house. It's the YEAST! It smells sooooo wonderful! I even topped this bread with some sesame seeds to give it a good texture and to make it look and taste more "real". I wrapped it up, and I was off to visit my friend.
Before lunch, I pulled out my electric knife and sliced it into sandwich sized pieces. Marci, Britches, and I were ready to try it. We all three took a bite and - well, it was... different. We decided it would be much better slathered in butter, so of course that's what we did! Bread without butter is just crazy! It was really pretty good with the butter on it.
For lunch, though, I had mixed up peanut butter and homemade muscadine jelly, and that's what went in my sandwich. I must say, with PB&J, that was a really delicious bread! And I am thinking it's going to be really great as French toast, toast and jelly, or just warmed with butter as a side for my left over potato soup tonight.
There are several other recipes I plan to try in the near future, but not until I finish this loaf. All in all, though, this recipe is a keeper. I really liked the way it rose, just like my normal yeast bread. It had a great texture. There was no soy flour in it, so it didn't have any funky taste I didn't like. And it held up well for my sandwich. I'm pretty sure I will be making this one again.
This really was a lot easier to make than my regular yeast bread, too, because you only mix everything once, put it in the loaf pan, and let it rise. There is no kneading and waiting and kneading and waiting.
If you are playing around with the idea of gluten free foods, here is the recipe - just to try. Remember, you don't have to commit to anything just by making something like this. Call it a science experiment, and be prepared to throw it out if you hate it. You don't have to be married to it forever. Just give it a try! I did substitute a few items, since I didn't have the other items readily available. I swapped the tapioca or potato starch for corn starch. Instead of millet flour, I used brown rice flour. And instead of xanthan gum, I used an equal amount of milled flax seed. I did use the 2 whipped egg whites, and it did work well.
So if you DO give this recipe a try, leave me a comment and tell me how it went for you. Tell me what you liked or didn't like about it.
And now, I'm heading off to reheat some left over yummy cheesy potato soup for supper! Can't wait to try it with my new BREAD!
The Great Awakening
Music is a key to my soul. Music says things that I can't think to say, but echo the cry of my heart. This song is one such piece of music. The Great Awakening by Leeland is a simple yet amazing song that tells exactly what I feel. Here are the words of the song.
One man wakes, awakens another
Second one wakes his next door brother
Three awake can rouse a town
And turn the whole place upside down
Many awake will cause such a fuss
Second one wakes his next door brother
Three awake can rouse a town
And turn the whole place upside down
Many awake will cause such a fuss
It finally awakes all of us
One man wakes with dawn in his eyes
Surely then it multiplies
Surely then it multiplies
One man wakes with dawn in his eyes
Surely then it multiplies
Surely then it multiplies
One thing I desire in this life is to be the one who awakens in a child the knowledge of the love of Jesus Christ. And then for that child to awaken his friend to the love of Jesus. Then for those two children to each share Jesus with another and another and another, until it turns the whole place upside down. And it will multiply on and on and on. I love to see a child wake "with dawn in his eyes" when he finally comes to understand the deep, deep love that Jesus Christ has for him. I want to be the one to share that with children. It is the deep desire of my heart.
Check out this amazing song.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Gluten Free Living - First Attempt
The more I research the different symptoms I have with my stomach, the more I am leaning toward gluten as being the final culprit in my long attempt to settle my tummy issues once and for all. So far, I have cut out all meat and pretty much all dairy (except for the occasional sprinkle of cheese on my bowl of potato soup!), and I have severely limited my caffeine and sugar intake. So my next step in finding out what all the doctors haven't been able to tell me is to try going gluten free - for awhile anyway.
This week, the plan is to eat completely gluten free in an attempt to give my tummy a break, try to pinpoint if that is indeed the case of my tummy problems, and to see if one actually CAN live without gluten. As I have said before, I don't mind giving up meat one bit, because I've never really been just crazy about the taste anyway. But homemade bread, on the other hand, is a different story all together! When I make a loaf and the smells begin to fill my entire house, I just long for the moment when it emerges from the oven and I can cut off that first heel slice, slather it in butter, and chow down! I love bread with my winter soups and with my everyday lunch sandwiches. We have biscuits with supper on occasion, and I sometimes fix toast with our breakfast. Several times each week, I make waffles and muffins for breakfast. I LOVE chocolate/chocolate chip/banana muffins made with half white and half whole wheat flour! The smell is intoxicating! And a homemade waffle slathered in peanut butter and drizzled with honey is just fantastic!
I have no idea how I am going to make it this week without eating these delicious foods! Bread is a comfort food to me, and it's a good filler. If I'm still a little hungry after eating, a slice of toast to finish off the meal usually does the trick. Plus, I have been making homemade cookies with the kids lately, and of course I want to try one when they are finished cooking! So I am not really sure how I am going to be able to resist the temptation. But I am going to try my best!
Last night we went grocery shopping. So in addition to all my veggie foods, I stopped by the gluten free section to see what was offered. I have never really given much more than a glance at those shelves up to this point, but last night I just stood there and looked at each and every item. I couldn't buy one of everything, and didn't really want to, for that matter. If they tasted terrible, I didn't want to waste a ton of money on things that would end up being thrown away. So I chose two packages of noodles, a few bags of different types of flour (brown rice and sorghum), a bag of gluten free oats, and one package of mixed flours that will make some yummy french bread. Hoping that bread looks as good in person as it does on the box! So I am now set for the week.
I started on this first attempt today. I call this my first attempt, because it seems that everything I try, as far as my diet goes, takes a few tries before I fully commit to it. I'm hoping that won't be the case with this, but I'm leaving myself a way out just in case! This morning for breakfast, I had cereal. That's pretty normal for me. But when we went shopping last night, I picked up a few boxes of Chex cereal, because most of their cereal is labeled gluten free. YAY for cereal! Topped with some delicious rice milk, I was set. For lunch, I made a crock pot full of cheesy potato soup. By the time we got home from church, it had the house smelling GOOD! This is generally a meal I would LOVE to have a slice of homemade bread with, because cheesy potato soup just SCREAMS "Eat me with bread!" BUT, I resisted. I ladled out a bowl for me and added some vegan cheese to it, topped it with a little veggie "sausage" (from Morningstar Foods), and I had a great lunch! I was actually glad I skipped the bread, because, after eating a whole bowl of that filling goodness, I was stuffed! But my tummy didn't hurt after eating, which is unusual. For supper tonight, I am making quinoa stuffed bell peppers. I'm using the recipe on the quinoa box, and it looks very yummy. It's vegan and gluten free, so we have a win-win meal here! And I'm planning to broil some fish for the rest of my bunch. All in all today, my tummy feels much better. No gluten for just one day has made a difference. I am hoping that, by the end of a week, I will be able to tell a tremendous difference!
My attempt will be to blog about my week at least every few days to tell things like how I feel, if I can see any changes, the different types of foods I am choosing, and anything else that comes up. Also, I'll let you know how those gluten free pastas really taste, and if the french bread turns out great or if it's a bomb! If you have any great gluten free cracker or bread recipes, PLEASE leave me a comment and include the recipe! I need all the help I can get right now.
This week, the plan is to eat completely gluten free in an attempt to give my tummy a break, try to pinpoint if that is indeed the case of my tummy problems, and to see if one actually CAN live without gluten. As I have said before, I don't mind giving up meat one bit, because I've never really been just crazy about the taste anyway. But homemade bread, on the other hand, is a different story all together! When I make a loaf and the smells begin to fill my entire house, I just long for the moment when it emerges from the oven and I can cut off that first heel slice, slather it in butter, and chow down! I love bread with my winter soups and with my everyday lunch sandwiches. We have biscuits with supper on occasion, and I sometimes fix toast with our breakfast. Several times each week, I make waffles and muffins for breakfast. I LOVE chocolate/chocolate chip/banana muffins made with half white and half whole wheat flour! The smell is intoxicating! And a homemade waffle slathered in peanut butter and drizzled with honey is just fantastic!
I have no idea how I am going to make it this week without eating these delicious foods! Bread is a comfort food to me, and it's a good filler. If I'm still a little hungry after eating, a slice of toast to finish off the meal usually does the trick. Plus, I have been making homemade cookies with the kids lately, and of course I want to try one when they are finished cooking! So I am not really sure how I am going to be able to resist the temptation. But I am going to try my best!
Last night we went grocery shopping. So in addition to all my veggie foods, I stopped by the gluten free section to see what was offered. I have never really given much more than a glance at those shelves up to this point, but last night I just stood there and looked at each and every item. I couldn't buy one of everything, and didn't really want to, for that matter. If they tasted terrible, I didn't want to waste a ton of money on things that would end up being thrown away. So I chose two packages of noodles, a few bags of different types of flour (brown rice and sorghum), a bag of gluten free oats, and one package of mixed flours that will make some yummy french bread. Hoping that bread looks as good in person as it does on the box! So I am now set for the week.
I started on this first attempt today. I call this my first attempt, because it seems that everything I try, as far as my diet goes, takes a few tries before I fully commit to it. I'm hoping that won't be the case with this, but I'm leaving myself a way out just in case! This morning for breakfast, I had cereal. That's pretty normal for me. But when we went shopping last night, I picked up a few boxes of Chex cereal, because most of their cereal is labeled gluten free. YAY for cereal! Topped with some delicious rice milk, I was set. For lunch, I made a crock pot full of cheesy potato soup. By the time we got home from church, it had the house smelling GOOD! This is generally a meal I would LOVE to have a slice of homemade bread with, because cheesy potato soup just SCREAMS "Eat me with bread!" BUT, I resisted. I ladled out a bowl for me and added some vegan cheese to it, topped it with a little veggie "sausage" (from Morningstar Foods), and I had a great lunch! I was actually glad I skipped the bread, because, after eating a whole bowl of that filling goodness, I was stuffed! But my tummy didn't hurt after eating, which is unusual. For supper tonight, I am making quinoa stuffed bell peppers. I'm using the recipe on the quinoa box, and it looks very yummy. It's vegan and gluten free, so we have a win-win meal here! And I'm planning to broil some fish for the rest of my bunch. All in all today, my tummy feels much better. No gluten for just one day has made a difference. I am hoping that, by the end of a week, I will be able to tell a tremendous difference!
My attempt will be to blog about my week at least every few days to tell things like how I feel, if I can see any changes, the different types of foods I am choosing, and anything else that comes up. Also, I'll let you know how those gluten free pastas really taste, and if the french bread turns out great or if it's a bomb! If you have any great gluten free cracker or bread recipes, PLEASE leave me a comment and include the recipe! I need all the help I can get right now.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
**It's Official**
Well, I finally decided to take the plunge. For several years now, I have been toying around with this idea, but never could seem to commit to anything. But I finally decided it's time. I am now officially going vegetarian! YAY for me!!
So why in the world would I do this? I have several reasons. But the one most prevalent is my stomach. I guess for about the last 3-4 years I have just had one stomach problem after another. My belly constantly HURT! I did TONS of research, and I realized that meat and dairy products are some of the most problem causing foods. One of the reasons meat can give you so much trouble is the simple fact that it doesn't digest well in your stomach. It just sits there for days before it passes out of you. Which means for me, it was sitting there causing my stomach to hurt for days. And every time I would eat more meat, it just compounded the problem. The thing, for me at least, about dairy is the protein that is found in cows milk. There is just an amazing number of people who have a milk protein allergy, and I happen to be one of them. Every time I would eat a bowl of cereal or chow down on some delicious dutch chocolate ice cream, the protein in the dairy would just make my tummy SCREAM! Once I gave up eating red meat and dairy products, my tummy was feeling much better - but not completely. About 2 months ago I decided to try going without any chicken to see if the complete absence of meat would make a difference, instead of just doing without the red meat. Now, my tummy is even BETTER!! (Oh and just so you know, pork is just as bad, only I don't eat it anyway because it tastes like DIRT to me. Probably because the little porkers live in it all the time!)
So here I am. No meat and no dairy, and I feel worlds better!! In truth, I am working towards a complete vegan diet, but as of right now, I'm not there yet. There are 2 main things keeping me from saying I am a vegan. The first is the fact that I still eat eggs. I get my eggs from my daddy, who happens to treat his hens like royalty. So I know these gals aren't being mistreated just so I can have an egg from them. And the second thing is that I am not giving up honey. I happen to be very good friends with my bee keeper (she and I have been friends since high school), and I know for a fact that she takes really great care of her hives. So I know eating her honey is perfectly great for me. Not to mention the fact that I LOVE the stuff, and it is quite medicinal, so I don't plan to stop with it. Those are 2 things that vegans don't consume, so I guess I'll just have to say I'm sticking with being a vegetarian. Oh and I also occasionally still sprinkle some cheese on my food. Vegan cheese is expensive, so I just don't use it often. But occasionally I just really want some cheese on top of my baked potato or soup!
And what am I supposed to eat?? Oh my goodness, there is a world of great food out there! When you eat mainly a meat centered diet, you seem to limit the "extra" foods you are willing to try. You just pull into the first fast food restaurant you come to and order the same thing - burger and fries - and you think that's all there is. Well let me tell you, there is so much more to life and eating than burgers and fries!
One of my favorite websites is Vegetarian Times. If you spend only a few minutes perusing their site, you will find a plethora of yumminess that you just must try! Even the most die hard meat eater will want to sample some of the dishes, if only as a side dish. Believe me, I didn't start out with eating like this completely. Everything I tried was considered a side dish, because I felt like, if it bombed, at least we had our other food to eat. But now I find myself making more and more great veggie dishes, and they are now my main course. And oh the variety!
A book that I read recently was The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. That is one AMAZING book, and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone thinking of a change in lifestyle where your diet is concerned, or if you're just curious about why anyone would choose to live a veggie lifestyle. You can also check out her website - The Kind Life - for more recipes, info, and anything else you may be wondering.
Also, vegetarian items are showing up more and more in grocery stores everywhere! I can get vegetarian meat from Morningstar Farms that is just fantastic! They have the greatest veggie burgers that are so full of flavors and variety. Meat pretty much has one flavor, but not these tasty veggie burgers! I buy Rice Dream rice milk and Almond Breeze almond milk to drink, both of which are at my local Wal-Mart. Both of these companies sell some of the greatest dairy free ice cream, too!! YAY for ice cream!
So I say all that to say, I am really excited about my new vegetarian diet! It's still a work in progress. The rest of my family is not going this route with me, and that's OK. I still cook plenty of meat for them. So all of you meat eaters out there, don't worry! You don't need to invite my husband and kids over for supper. I'm still feeding them! But I will say that veggies are becoming the bigger part of our meals, and meat is taking a back seat for everybody. And as long as I keep cooking really tasty foods, no one is complaining!
One more change I am heading toward but haven't reached as of yet is a gluten free diet. Even after cutting so much from my diet, I still find I have stomach aches often. Even though my tummy feels worlds different from when I ate meat and dairy, it still isn't enough. I have too much to do in this life to be held back because of feeling lousy. So I am leaning towards going gluten free. But for right now, I'm sticking with the newest changes I have made and just getting used to them for awhile. It's a process. Good health and changing a lifestyle of bad habits doesn't happen overnight. It takes time. This change has taken a long time. But here I am now, and I am feeling all the better for it!
Have you made any lifestyle changes where your eating is concerned? Have a great vegetarian or gluten free recipe you want to share to help me out here? Leave me a comment and tell me all about it!
So why in the world would I do this? I have several reasons. But the one most prevalent is my stomach. I guess for about the last 3-4 years I have just had one stomach problem after another. My belly constantly HURT! I did TONS of research, and I realized that meat and dairy products are some of the most problem causing foods. One of the reasons meat can give you so much trouble is the simple fact that it doesn't digest well in your stomach. It just sits there for days before it passes out of you. Which means for me, it was sitting there causing my stomach to hurt for days. And every time I would eat more meat, it just compounded the problem. The thing, for me at least, about dairy is the protein that is found in cows milk. There is just an amazing number of people who have a milk protein allergy, and I happen to be one of them. Every time I would eat a bowl of cereal or chow down on some delicious dutch chocolate ice cream, the protein in the dairy would just make my tummy SCREAM! Once I gave up eating red meat and dairy products, my tummy was feeling much better - but not completely. About 2 months ago I decided to try going without any chicken to see if the complete absence of meat would make a difference, instead of just doing without the red meat. Now, my tummy is even BETTER!! (Oh and just so you know, pork is just as bad, only I don't eat it anyway because it tastes like DIRT to me. Probably because the little porkers live in it all the time!)
So here I am. No meat and no dairy, and I feel worlds better!! In truth, I am working towards a complete vegan diet, but as of right now, I'm not there yet. There are 2 main things keeping me from saying I am a vegan. The first is the fact that I still eat eggs. I get my eggs from my daddy, who happens to treat his hens like royalty. So I know these gals aren't being mistreated just so I can have an egg from them. And the second thing is that I am not giving up honey. I happen to be very good friends with my bee keeper (she and I have been friends since high school), and I know for a fact that she takes really great care of her hives. So I know eating her honey is perfectly great for me. Not to mention the fact that I LOVE the stuff, and it is quite medicinal, so I don't plan to stop with it. Those are 2 things that vegans don't consume, so I guess I'll just have to say I'm sticking with being a vegetarian. Oh and I also occasionally still sprinkle some cheese on my food. Vegan cheese is expensive, so I just don't use it often. But occasionally I just really want some cheese on top of my baked potato or soup!
And what am I supposed to eat?? Oh my goodness, there is a world of great food out there! When you eat mainly a meat centered diet, you seem to limit the "extra" foods you are willing to try. You just pull into the first fast food restaurant you come to and order the same thing - burger and fries - and you think that's all there is. Well let me tell you, there is so much more to life and eating than burgers and fries!
One of my favorite websites is Vegetarian Times. If you spend only a few minutes perusing their site, you will find a plethora of yumminess that you just must try! Even the most die hard meat eater will want to sample some of the dishes, if only as a side dish. Believe me, I didn't start out with eating like this completely. Everything I tried was considered a side dish, because I felt like, if it bombed, at least we had our other food to eat. But now I find myself making more and more great veggie dishes, and they are now my main course. And oh the variety!
A book that I read recently was The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. That is one AMAZING book, and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone thinking of a change in lifestyle where your diet is concerned, or if you're just curious about why anyone would choose to live a veggie lifestyle. You can also check out her website - The Kind Life - for more recipes, info, and anything else you may be wondering.
Also, vegetarian items are showing up more and more in grocery stores everywhere! I can get vegetarian meat from Morningstar Farms that is just fantastic! They have the greatest veggie burgers that are so full of flavors and variety. Meat pretty much has one flavor, but not these tasty veggie burgers! I buy Rice Dream rice milk and Almond Breeze almond milk to drink, both of which are at my local Wal-Mart. Both of these companies sell some of the greatest dairy free ice cream, too!! YAY for ice cream!
So I say all that to say, I am really excited about my new vegetarian diet! It's still a work in progress. The rest of my family is not going this route with me, and that's OK. I still cook plenty of meat for them. So all of you meat eaters out there, don't worry! You don't need to invite my husband and kids over for supper. I'm still feeding them! But I will say that veggies are becoming the bigger part of our meals, and meat is taking a back seat for everybody. And as long as I keep cooking really tasty foods, no one is complaining!
One more change I am heading toward but haven't reached as of yet is a gluten free diet. Even after cutting so much from my diet, I still find I have stomach aches often. Even though my tummy feels worlds different from when I ate meat and dairy, it still isn't enough. I have too much to do in this life to be held back because of feeling lousy. So I am leaning towards going gluten free. But for right now, I'm sticking with the newest changes I have made and just getting used to them for awhile. It's a process. Good health and changing a lifestyle of bad habits doesn't happen overnight. It takes time. This change has taken a long time. But here I am now, and I am feeling all the better for it!
Have you made any lifestyle changes where your eating is concerned? Have a great vegetarian or gluten free recipe you want to share to help me out here? Leave me a comment and tell me all about it!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
As Silver Refined Book Review
Recently, I started reading a new book, As Silver Refined, by Kay Arthur. Here are my thoughts on it.
As Silver Refined, by Kay Arthur, is a very well written, very well researched book. I think Arthur put a lot of great information in this text regarding how to deal with difficulties and disappointments that come in life from a Godly perspective. I loved the way she talked about the Deadly D's that can cause one who experiences disappointments in life to spiral downward into despair and depression if you don't see those disappointments through the eyes of God. I especially liked the fact that she included a complete bible study at the end of the book for anyone wanting to dig deeper into the Word of God to discover more truths.
The downside to this book is probably just my personal preference here. But I got a little bogged down by all the many scripture references she used. I personally would have rather she had taken one or two scriptures per chapter or even per page and based her thoughts around that, instead of numerous verses. But as I said, that is just a personal preference. I tend to get bogged down easily with too many words going in what appears to be different directions.
One of my favorite quotes from Mrs. Arthur's book was found very near the beginning. She said, "Christianity doesn't exempt us from pain, from disappointment, from the hardships of this life. Nor does it demand that we deny or hide our pain or our disappointments. But it does give us One who promises a purpose, an end, and a benefit in it all."
This book came at a time in my life when I greatly needed to be reminded of the fact that, though pain and hardships come my way, God has not forgotten me, He is not asleep on the job, and He has a plan for me. He does care about me, and He is forming me and shaping me, through difficult circumstances, into His likeness.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever been disappointed, let down, discouraged, or in any other way hurt in this life, and have questioned why God would "let this happen." It is a great book that is very well written.
As Silver Refined, by Kay Arthur, is a very well written, very well researched book. I think Arthur put a lot of great information in this text regarding how to deal with difficulties and disappointments that come in life from a Godly perspective. I loved the way she talked about the Deadly D's that can cause one who experiences disappointments in life to spiral downward into despair and depression if you don't see those disappointments through the eyes of God. I especially liked the fact that she included a complete bible study at the end of the book for anyone wanting to dig deeper into the Word of God to discover more truths.
The downside to this book is probably just my personal preference here. But I got a little bogged down by all the many scripture references she used. I personally would have rather she had taken one or two scriptures per chapter or even per page and based her thoughts around that, instead of numerous verses. But as I said, that is just a personal preference. I tend to get bogged down easily with too many words going in what appears to be different directions.
One of my favorite quotes from Mrs. Arthur's book was found very near the beginning. She said, "Christianity doesn't exempt us from pain, from disappointment, from the hardships of this life. Nor does it demand that we deny or hide our pain or our disappointments. But it does give us One who promises a purpose, an end, and a benefit in it all."
This book came at a time in my life when I greatly needed to be reminded of the fact that, though pain and hardships come my way, God has not forgotten me, He is not asleep on the job, and He has a plan for me. He does care about me, and He is forming me and shaping me, through difficult circumstances, into His likeness.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever been disappointed, let down, discouraged, or in any other way hurt in this life, and have questioned why God would "let this happen." It is a great book that is very well written.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Ecuadorian Cooking Day!
This week in our homeschool, the kids and I have been visiting Ecuador! I know some of you are probably thinking, "I thought you were doing that MONTHS ago." Yes, it was in the plan to do this unit over the summer, but, well - welcome to my homeschool. Something ALWAYS happens, and things ALWAYS get pushed back. And this summer was no different. There were so many "things" that happened, I just didn't get to studying this country with the kids. But, here we are at last! And let me tell you, this country is AMAZING!
We learned so many things about Ecuador. The kids loved the videos we watched about the Galapagos Islands, and they did a great job sketching some of the animals on the islands. We talked about the government system in Ecuador, which is a democracy like ours. And then we talked about the many different governments all over the world. The kids decided that a democracy was the best way to go. We watched a soccer match on YouTube, because soccer is their main sport. The kids filled in a map of South America and also colored a picture of the flag of the country. But the thing we all loved was making bread babies!
Bread babies are nothing more than homemade bread shaped into the form of a baby. But it is something that these people use to celebrate one of their major holidays, El Dia de los Difuntos - The Ecuadorian Day of the Ancestors. This is a day where they remember family members who have gone on before them. And to celebrate, families take a meal out to the grave yard to eat on top of the grave of their family member. Bread babies are one of the foods they take.
So of course, the kids and I HAD to make bread babies! We just LOVE cooking day when we are studying a new country! Here is the recipe:
1 Pkg. active dry yeast
3/4 C warm milk (115 degrees F)
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 C flour
1 tsp. salt
2 lg. eggs
1/2 C butter melted
Mix together the yeast, milk, and sugar and let stand for 10 min. until it is nice and bubbly. Add the salt, eggs, and melted butter and mix well. Add the flour, mix well, and knead in the bowl a few times. Lift the dough, pour a little oil in the bowl, and then roll the dough around to get it coated well in the oil. This keeps it from sticking to the bowl while rising. Let rise for about an hour or until double in size.
Once the dough is ready, punch it down. Divide it equally among your kiddos so no one's bread baby is bigger than the others and no one fights over the dough. Let everyone have fun shaping it into the shape of a baby. Encourage them to be CREATIVE with their babies! You can even tint some of the dough, if you like, to use for decorations on your baby. Also, you can add cream cheese, jelly, or jam in your dough for a treat when you eat it. All you do for that is flatten the dough, put your filling in the middle, and pull the dough up around it.
When everyone has their babies like they want them, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and bake them for about 15 min. or until golden brown. Once they are cooked, you can add more decorations with icing if you like.
Here is our fun day!
We learned so many things about Ecuador. The kids loved the videos we watched about the Galapagos Islands, and they did a great job sketching some of the animals on the islands. We talked about the government system in Ecuador, which is a democracy like ours. And then we talked about the many different governments all over the world. The kids decided that a democracy was the best way to go. We watched a soccer match on YouTube, because soccer is their main sport. The kids filled in a map of South America and also colored a picture of the flag of the country. But the thing we all loved was making bread babies!
Bread babies are nothing more than homemade bread shaped into the form of a baby. But it is something that these people use to celebrate one of their major holidays, El Dia de los Difuntos - The Ecuadorian Day of the Ancestors. This is a day where they remember family members who have gone on before them. And to celebrate, families take a meal out to the grave yard to eat on top of the grave of their family member. Bread babies are one of the foods they take.
So of course, the kids and I HAD to make bread babies! We just LOVE cooking day when we are studying a new country! Here is the recipe:
1 Pkg. active dry yeast
3/4 C warm milk (115 degrees F)
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 C flour
1 tsp. salt
2 lg. eggs
1/2 C butter melted
Mix together the yeast, milk, and sugar and let stand for 10 min. until it is nice and bubbly. Add the salt, eggs, and melted butter and mix well. Add the flour, mix well, and knead in the bowl a few times. Lift the dough, pour a little oil in the bowl, and then roll the dough around to get it coated well in the oil. This keeps it from sticking to the bowl while rising. Let rise for about an hour or until double in size.
Once the dough is ready, punch it down. Divide it equally among your kiddos so no one's bread baby is bigger than the others and no one fights over the dough. Let everyone have fun shaping it into the shape of a baby. Encourage them to be CREATIVE with their babies! You can even tint some of the dough, if you like, to use for decorations on your baby. Also, you can add cream cheese, jelly, or jam in your dough for a treat when you eat it. All you do for that is flatten the dough, put your filling in the middle, and pull the dough up around it.
When everyone has their babies like they want them, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and bake them for about 15 min. or until golden brown. Once they are cooked, you can add more decorations with icing if you like.
Here is our fun day!
My gang getting their dough shaped.
My sweet Britches made her baby have pigtails in her hair. She added raisins for the eyes and buttons, and she put cream cheese and jelly in the body.
Little Man added raisins on the body of his, and put in cream cheese and jelly for the filling.
Little Sister decided to make an Angel baby, so hers has wings. She added jelly inside of each wing, and put raisins for the eyes, nose, and mouth. She had a blast with the sticky dough. She is my "messy" girl.
Even Baby Girl got to get in on this fun. She stuck raisins all in her dough and rolled it up in a ball. Of course, then she picked it up off the baking stone and reshaped and reshaped and reshaped it. She just had fun shaping it.
These are the finished Bread Babies. The ball on top of Little Sister's Angel is the halo. She said she needed that round circle thing on top of her head. We sat the babies aside to rise for about an hour.
While we waited on the finished babies, Baby Girl finished off her raisins.
This smelled sooooo good while it was baking. And when we pulled them out of the oven, this is what they looked like. Everybody got their own baby to eat, and that was lunch. Yes, that was all we had for lunch. But it was really delicious!
I have to say, after spending a week in Ecuador via the Internet, I really want to go visit that country. I want to walk through the Amazon Rainforest and see all the fabulous green everywhere. I wouldn't even care about the rain every day. I just want to GO! But then, at this point in my life, I'm ready to go anywhere and everywhere! And now that you know what Bread Babies are, go try them for yourself. Have some fun making these with your own kids. And then come back here and tell me all about the experience. You will love it, I promise!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)