Ever notice the instructions on a bottle of medicine? It usually says "Take as directed". I could not help but think about this as I read my Joyce Meyer devotion this morning about the gift of healing. She said, "Healing can be a process that works somewhat like medicine. It is necessary to receive it by faith and believe it is working."
If we do not follow the directions for the medicine, it will not work. Having Advil in my cabinet does me no good when I have a headache, if I don't get it out and swallow the pill. If you do not take the full course of antibiotics, you run the risk of the bacteria coming back even stronger.
Jesus did heal instantly in some cases, but sometimes He gave extra instructions or forgave first. Every case was unique as the person being healed. I think Jesus said it best when He told the woman with the issue of blood "Go, your faith has made you well."
I believe the same is true for our own healing. God's Word gives us the instructions we need for all sorts of healing - physical, emotional or spiritual. We will only get the full benefit though if we "take as directed". We need to read the Bible's instructions, follow the directions, believe in the power and receive by faith. And it does not always happen instantly. Praise God, there are still amazing miracles of healing today, but often it is a process over time and sometimes the healing is not the way we want.
I have been working for years now on losing weight and strengthening my back. I avoided surgery, am pain free and close to my goal weight. I believe God is the ultimate healer and He could have healed my back and sucked all the extra fat off overnight, but I would not have the habits of exercise and healthier eating and muscle tone I have now. I have also learned to seek God for satisfaction, not food (although dark chocolate can work in a pinch!).
God knows what we need and if we will take His Word as directed, life goes much smoother.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Kids and Money
It is the Third Thursday and time for the Hearts at Home Blog Hop!
Hearts at Home
I am finally remembering to include that in my post. And I figured out how to put the little picture in my blog, too!!! Just a quick side note, this is a big deal, because I am not the most technologically savvy person. God gifted me in other areas instead.
The topic this month is how we teach our kids about money. I would love to say that we have an awesome system and our kids are so responsible about tithing, saving and spending, but the Bible says the truth shall set you free. So for the sake of freedom, this is not reality.
Fortunately, for all our "opportunities for growth" in this area of parenting, I believe we have done some things right. My husband felt very strongly that our children not get an allowance. They have to earn their money. They have many opportunities to earn money around the house and at some of the businesses my husband has. We also pay them to read (we got the idea from John Maxwell), a penny a page for easy math. My oldest daughter is a voracious reader and got some pretty good paychecks over the summer with this one. They do not get credit for required reading at school, though. We have also let them decide where to invest some money in the stock market. My husband was given stock as he grew up and always loved getting dividend checks, even if they were for $0.32! They all have stock in Disney and some other companies that kids would love.
One of the other things we have done is my children are responsible for their own cell phone. Too many kids get put on mom and dad's plan and run up crazy bills or break their phone so they can get a new one. My kids saved up to get a Tracfone and then were responsible for buying their minutes. Keeps the texting and phone calls from being excessive when they get low on minutes.
We have had the charts, clear money jars, goal posters and such over the years. Mostly we include them in some discussions on money and give them opportunities to choose how they want to spend their money. We give them a set amount of spending money on vacation and they are responsible for any souveniers, gifts, or treats they want. One time our son got angry, slammed a door and broke the glass. He learned how much it cost to replace and took quite awhile to pay it off in installments.
We have tried to teach our kids how much things cost and how much work is involved in earning that money. The money tree in the backyard still has not sprouted $100 bills. Drat!
Hope some of these ideas help and check out more resources for even better information.
Have a blessed day!
Hearts at Home
I am finally remembering to include that in my post. And I figured out how to put the little picture in my blog, too!!! Just a quick side note, this is a big deal, because I am not the most technologically savvy person. God gifted me in other areas instead.
The topic this month is how we teach our kids about money. I would love to say that we have an awesome system and our kids are so responsible about tithing, saving and spending, but the Bible says the truth shall set you free. So for the sake of freedom, this is not reality.
Fortunately, for all our "opportunities for growth" in this area of parenting, I believe we have done some things right. My husband felt very strongly that our children not get an allowance. They have to earn their money. They have many opportunities to earn money around the house and at some of the businesses my husband has. We also pay them to read (we got the idea from John Maxwell), a penny a page for easy math. My oldest daughter is a voracious reader and got some pretty good paychecks over the summer with this one. They do not get credit for required reading at school, though. We have also let them decide where to invest some money in the stock market. My husband was given stock as he grew up and always loved getting dividend checks, even if they were for $0.32! They all have stock in Disney and some other companies that kids would love.
One of the other things we have done is my children are responsible for their own cell phone. Too many kids get put on mom and dad's plan and run up crazy bills or break their phone so they can get a new one. My kids saved up to get a Tracfone and then were responsible for buying their minutes. Keeps the texting and phone calls from being excessive when they get low on minutes.
We have had the charts, clear money jars, goal posters and such over the years. Mostly we include them in some discussions on money and give them opportunities to choose how they want to spend their money. We give them a set amount of spending money on vacation and they are responsible for any souveniers, gifts, or treats they want. One time our son got angry, slammed a door and broke the glass. He learned how much it cost to replace and took quite awhile to pay it off in installments.
We have tried to teach our kids how much things cost and how much work is involved in earning that money. The money tree in the backyard still has not sprouted $100 bills. Drat!
Hope some of these ideas help and check out more resources for even better information.
Have a blessed day!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Fall recipe
We were asked today to talk about our favorite fall recipe. With the cooler days, school, sports, dance and other activities I turn to my crock pot, soups and leftovers. I have a "Fix-it and Forget-it Diabetic Cookbook" that stays on top of the microwave and I pick out 1 or 2 recipes a week to try and mark if we like them. I also have crock pot liners in the pantry now. (My children love them! They did not like hand washing the crock pot. and that is an understatement.)
With all the raving about my crock pot, though, I think one of my favorite fall/winter recipes is our Roast Turkey Soup. My kids look forward to leftover turkey because of this soup. It is a little bit of work with all the chopping, but well worth it.
1 box wild rice (6 oz)
1 Tblsp oil
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 large onion (chopped)
1 large carrot (chopped)
1 large celery (chopped)
1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp thyme
2 cans chicken stock (15 oz each)
2 cups water
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
3 cups leftover turkey
Prepare rice according to box directions. Set aside.
Heat oil in large stock pot. Saute garlic and onion 3 minutes. Add vegetables. Stir fry 5 minutes, then add flour and spices. Cook 1 minute.
Add liquids and bring to boil. Reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes.
Add rice and turkey to serve.
Enjoy!
With all the raving about my crock pot, though, I think one of my favorite fall/winter recipes is our Roast Turkey Soup. My kids look forward to leftover turkey because of this soup. It is a little bit of work with all the chopping, but well worth it.
1 box wild rice (6 oz)
1 Tblsp oil
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 large onion (chopped)
1 large carrot (chopped)
1 large celery (chopped)
1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp thyme
2 cans chicken stock (15 oz each)
2 cups water
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
3 cups leftover turkey
Prepare rice according to box directions. Set aside.
Heat oil in large stock pot. Saute garlic and onion 3 minutes. Add vegetables. Stir fry 5 minutes, then add flour and spices. Cook 1 minute.
Add liquids and bring to boil. Reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes.
Add rice and turkey to serve.
Enjoy!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Some cheese to go with the Whine
God sure does like to drive a point home hard sometimes. I read several devotions on obedience and felt like I needed to work on not complaining. Apparently praying for help in not complaining is like praying for patience. Don't ever resolve to reduce complaining on a day you have to go to the doctor. After going from one doctor to the next to the next for an entire afternoon, just to get a simple problem started on the path of being taken care of, you get lots of opportunities to be irritated and frustrated. I told the receptionist at one office I thought about using a rubberband on my wrist to snap when I complained, but that would probably give me a bruise and something else to complain about! My praise is that I was nice to all the people I dealt with and never completely lost my sense of humor during the test.
The next day I was feeling stressed over getting things done and putting things in my file cabinet that is so full it has no room for a single piece of paper (yet another thing on my to do list!) and dear hubby has something to tell me, "because he loves me and wants to help me be better" (ever heard that one before? Make sure you take a deep breath before they speak.) He felt I had been complaining about some small things instead of being grateful for the nice things he had done. GRRR.
This morning, the devotion says "Do not quench the Holy Spirit by complaining." OK OK, Uncle!
Now, do I go for a nice Havarti with dill or maybe some baked Brie?
The next day I was feeling stressed over getting things done and putting things in my file cabinet that is so full it has no room for a single piece of paper (yet another thing on my to do list!) and dear hubby has something to tell me, "because he loves me and wants to help me be better" (ever heard that one before? Make sure you take a deep breath before they speak.) He felt I had been complaining about some small things instead of being grateful for the nice things he had done. GRRR.
This morning, the devotion says "Do not quench the Holy Spirit by complaining." OK OK, Uncle!
Now, do I go for a nice Havarti with dill or maybe some baked Brie?
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Lessons from Bad Girls
Just finished a book called "Bad Girls of the Bible" by Liz Curtis Higgs. I knew about Liz as a Christian speaker and comedian, but I had never read one of her books. I enjoyed it.
I will admit I basically consider myself a "good girl" most of the time. Yeah, I mess up and have never claimed to be perfect, but by the world's standards, I'm pretty good. Then you read about Jezebel, the ultimate Bad to the Bone Bad Girl, Lot's wife, Eve and more and the lessons learned and questions at the end of the chapter struck much closer to home than I wanted. I wanted to read about all these bad girls and feel good about myself. But God would not let me revel in self rightousness. He reminded me that we all sin and we all need a Savior. I am special, but not exempt. How often do I allow discontent, selfishness, doubt, blame, and disobedience to seep into my life? More often than I would like.
There have been times when I wish I had one of those stories with a big, dramatic transformation when I came to Jesus and turned my life around. But I don't really want to go through what people had to go through to have that story, so I am grateful for that. Then I realized one time, that most people don't have the made for tv story and that my everyday struggles and variety of crisis can be just as powerful a story. God is there in the big tragedies and also in the dirty diaper, carpool moments of life. That what makes Him such an awesome God.
I still wonder what sort of an impact I have or will have on the world around me, but more and more God is showing me that I need to focus on Him and Him alone. So whether I am being a Good Girl or a Bad Girl at any given moment, what I want most is to be God's Girl.
I will admit I basically consider myself a "good girl" most of the time. Yeah, I mess up and have never claimed to be perfect, but by the world's standards, I'm pretty good. Then you read about Jezebel, the ultimate Bad to the Bone Bad Girl, Lot's wife, Eve and more and the lessons learned and questions at the end of the chapter struck much closer to home than I wanted. I wanted to read about all these bad girls and feel good about myself. But God would not let me revel in self rightousness. He reminded me that we all sin and we all need a Savior. I am special, but not exempt. How often do I allow discontent, selfishness, doubt, blame, and disobedience to seep into my life? More often than I would like.
There have been times when I wish I had one of those stories with a big, dramatic transformation when I came to Jesus and turned my life around. But I don't really want to go through what people had to go through to have that story, so I am grateful for that. Then I realized one time, that most people don't have the made for tv story and that my everyday struggles and variety of crisis can be just as powerful a story. God is there in the big tragedies and also in the dirty diaper, carpool moments of life. That what makes Him such an awesome God.
I still wonder what sort of an impact I have or will have on the world around me, but more and more God is showing me that I need to focus on Him and Him alone. So whether I am being a Good Girl or a Bad Girl at any given moment, what I want most is to be God's Girl.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Favorite Summer Recipe
I don't know about you, but different seasons lend themselves to different types of food. For my family, Thanksgiving and Christmas are not the same without turkey, stuffing, broccoli casserole and pumpkin pie. Winter is good for all kinds of soups. My crock pot gets a real workout then. Summer is good for grilling out, corn on the cob, tomato sandwiches and my favorite...
Curried Cranberry Chicken Salad
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp lime juice
3/4 tsp curry powder
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken**
1 medium apple, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
3/4 cup craisins
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 Tblsp thinly sliced green onion
Combine mayo, lime juice and curry powder in a large mixing bowl. Stir in remaining ingredints. Cover and chill. Best prepared and served within 8 hours*. Makes 5 cups.
*To make a day ahead, stir dried cranberries, pecans and green onions into the salad mixture up to 8 hours before serving.
**I make it real easy on myself and keep short cuts chicken on hand in the freezer when they go on sale or in the fridge.
Enjoy! And let the summer fun roll!
Curried Cranberry Chicken Salad
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp lime juice
3/4 tsp curry powder
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken**
1 medium apple, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
3/4 cup craisins
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 Tblsp thinly sliced green onion
Combine mayo, lime juice and curry powder in a large mixing bowl. Stir in remaining ingredints. Cover and chill. Best prepared and served within 8 hours*. Makes 5 cups.
*To make a day ahead, stir dried cranberries, pecans and green onions into the salad mixture up to 8 hours before serving.
**I make it real easy on myself and keep short cuts chicken on hand in the freezer when they go on sale or in the fridge.
Enjoy! And let the summer fun roll!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Fun Saturday...not
My husband went out of town for a long weekend and I had the kids by myself. I don't begrudge my husband this trip. I usually travel more than he does and he really enjoys this trip. It is good for him.
Things were going along fine, other than missing him, and I decided I would take the kids out to the barn on Saturday. I am thinking he will be so happy to have the fields mowed and I will be happy to have the tack cleaned. We have done these things before and should have no problems. We get out there and realize the tractor does not have the bush hog on it, so Gabrielle cannot take care of the back field. Graham, my son, can still use the mower to take care of barn area and smaller field, so we go to Plan B and decide to get rid of the manure pile. Then the tractor will not start at all. My daughter checks, re-checks, tries again. Not happening. So we decide to shovel by hand and with 3 of us working, it shouldn't be so bad, Plan C. Things go along relatively smoothly and I am thinking, this is good. We are getting some stuff done and won't my husband be impressed that we did this by ourselves.
Right about now, those of you with any intuition are thinking... uh-ohh, something is about to go wrong, and you are right. Ever read the Proverb that says "pride goeth before the fall"? We are about to wrap up and get ready to leave, when I notice my son walking up from the back field. Did I mention that I had the whole day planned out with barn in the morning, time for lunch, Grace's ballet practice in the afterrnoon, time for a shower, a wedding reception early evening and a school benefit show that night?
My son, with all the wisdom of a 13 year old boy, decided not to mow the small back field, but the swampy trail back in the woods. (The one where he has gotten the ATV and Go-Kart stuck on multiple occasions.) The mower is stuck in deep mud. We try the wench on the ATV (after I drive back to check things out in the mini-van and the little dog breaks her collar and chases me), not working. I leave Gabrielle and Graham while I take Grace to ballet, call someone to pick her up, call a friend to help with the mower and get my husband's truck (it has a bigger wench). Truck is at the dealership getting fixed, can't use it. The tractor is strong enough... still won't start. Brother in law with his truck...out of town. Neighbor has a tractor...he's not back yet. Friend is there to help, but PT Cruisers are not much good at pulling mowers out of mud in the woods so they are really more moral support at this point. Finally the neighbor gets back and after 3 hours, multiple failed plans and many prayers of "Please, God, give me a break here!", we get the mower out.
The saga continues. I am late to the wedding reception, but things are okay, until I noticed 2 missed calls from home. Not a good sign. My daughter can't get her music on a CD for the benefit show. I race out of the reception after stuffing my cake down my throat, drive to the store for an I-tunes card, give my son the code and get home as fast as the speed limit will allow. I get home to discover my son still doesn't have the music on a CD because that computer hasn't been used for ITunes before and he can't remember the security questions and he has answered them wrong so many times, he locked out of his account. I call a friend who has to have her daughter help with passwords, finally we get the music on a CD, I drive across town and get the music to my daughter. (She sang beautifully.)
I could regale you with a much more detailed and animated version of the story, but the long and short of it is no one was hurt and I can celebrate the victory that I did not have a nervous breakdown. God can grant you the grace to focus on solutions, not problems and hold you together when everything else seems to be falling apart.
Things were going along fine, other than missing him, and I decided I would take the kids out to the barn on Saturday. I am thinking he will be so happy to have the fields mowed and I will be happy to have the tack cleaned. We have done these things before and should have no problems. We get out there and realize the tractor does not have the bush hog on it, so Gabrielle cannot take care of the back field. Graham, my son, can still use the mower to take care of barn area and smaller field, so we go to Plan B and decide to get rid of the manure pile. Then the tractor will not start at all. My daughter checks, re-checks, tries again. Not happening. So we decide to shovel by hand and with 3 of us working, it shouldn't be so bad, Plan C. Things go along relatively smoothly and I am thinking, this is good. We are getting some stuff done and won't my husband be impressed that we did this by ourselves.
Right about now, those of you with any intuition are thinking... uh-ohh, something is about to go wrong, and you are right. Ever read the Proverb that says "pride goeth before the fall"? We are about to wrap up and get ready to leave, when I notice my son walking up from the back field. Did I mention that I had the whole day planned out with barn in the morning, time for lunch, Grace's ballet practice in the afterrnoon, time for a shower, a wedding reception early evening and a school benefit show that night?
My son, with all the wisdom of a 13 year old boy, decided not to mow the small back field, but the swampy trail back in the woods. (The one where he has gotten the ATV and Go-Kart stuck on multiple occasions.) The mower is stuck in deep mud. We try the wench on the ATV (after I drive back to check things out in the mini-van and the little dog breaks her collar and chases me), not working. I leave Gabrielle and Graham while I take Grace to ballet, call someone to pick her up, call a friend to help with the mower and get my husband's truck (it has a bigger wench). Truck is at the dealership getting fixed, can't use it. The tractor is strong enough... still won't start. Brother in law with his truck...out of town. Neighbor has a tractor...he's not back yet. Friend is there to help, but PT Cruisers are not much good at pulling mowers out of mud in the woods so they are really more moral support at this point. Finally the neighbor gets back and after 3 hours, multiple failed plans and many prayers of "Please, God, give me a break here!", we get the mower out.
The saga continues. I am late to the wedding reception, but things are okay, until I noticed 2 missed calls from home. Not a good sign. My daughter can't get her music on a CD for the benefit show. I race out of the reception after stuffing my cake down my throat, drive to the store for an I-tunes card, give my son the code and get home as fast as the speed limit will allow. I get home to discover my son still doesn't have the music on a CD because that computer hasn't been used for ITunes before and he can't remember the security questions and he has answered them wrong so many times, he locked out of his account. I call a friend who has to have her daughter help with passwords, finally we get the music on a CD, I drive across town and get the music to my daughter. (She sang beautifully.)
I could regale you with a much more detailed and animated version of the story, but the long and short of it is no one was hurt and I can celebrate the victory that I did not have a nervous breakdown. God can grant you the grace to focus on solutions, not problems and hold you together when everything else seems to be falling apart.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)