I started singing in the church choir this year and we had our Christmas concert on Sunday morning and again on Monday evening. My family attended on Sunday, but not on Monday. I told several friends about the concert, but for many reasons, they were also unable to attend the concert on Monday night. So as I am looking out over the crowd and not seeing faces I had hoped for, the pity party began. You know the one. "All those plays, concerts, and games I go to and my kids won't go to 2 concerts for me. Nobody cares enough to come to MY concert! blah, blah, blah". Did I mention my husband asked if Iwanted him to come, but I said, "No. It's fine. You don't have to come, no big deal."?
So then that voice in my heart reminds me I started singing in the choir because I enjoy it and I wanted to participate for years. Also, the music is beautiful (I could listen to that Irish pipe for hours!) and there was a nice crowd including some other people I knew. Most importantly, God was there and I needed to sing the best I could if only for an audience of One.
Isn't that a picture of what mothering looks like most of the time? Picking up crumbs, cleaning toilets, cooking dinner, driving kids to and from activities day after day with little to no recognition, let alone thank you. After all, that is my job as a mom, right?
No matter how many times we recognize something in our head, sometimes our hearts have to be reminded that whatever we do: singing, writing or mothering, we are to do it for God. We are to be obedient to what He wants of ut and He sees what we do and loves us. He is the Ultimate Audience of One.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Thanksgiving Thoughts
Welcome to the Third Thursday Blog Hop with Hearts at Home!
Hearts at Home
We are supposed to share our thoughts about Thanksgiving today. First of all, I love the idea of Thanksgiving, giving thanks to God for all His blessings and being purposeful in our gratitude. I wish Thanksgiving did not get lost in the commercialism of Halloween and Christmas. I also feel convicted that I do not always stress the importance of gratitude to my children or set the best example at times.
Growing up, I mostly remember getting together with my grandparents, aunts and uncles on Thanksgiving Day and eating lots of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. My grandmother would also have creamed onions and mincemeat pie, but I never liked them much. I prefer the broccoli/cheese casserole and sweet potato casserole. I remember Thanksgiving being a day to hang out with the extended family. It might be the only time I got to see some of my aunts and uncles and cousins that year.
Even now, it is one of the few times I get to see several members of my extended family. I love how the only real expectation of the day is to share fellowship with friends and family over a big meal. We usually have the big meal early in the afternoon and stay together until later in the day, when we can get out some of the leftovers. My children look forward to the week of turkey leftovers the week after Thanksgiving. My husband introduced me to turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce on them. Yum!
This year, I pray we can all enjoy the time together, since you never know what the next year may hold. I am so beyond blessed to still have 3 living grandparents, and I cherish the time I have with them.
Blessings to all and give thanks to God for them!
Hearts at Home
We are supposed to share our thoughts about Thanksgiving today. First of all, I love the idea of Thanksgiving, giving thanks to God for all His blessings and being purposeful in our gratitude. I wish Thanksgiving did not get lost in the commercialism of Halloween and Christmas. I also feel convicted that I do not always stress the importance of gratitude to my children or set the best example at times.
Growing up, I mostly remember getting together with my grandparents, aunts and uncles on Thanksgiving Day and eating lots of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. My grandmother would also have creamed onions and mincemeat pie, but I never liked them much. I prefer the broccoli/cheese casserole and sweet potato casserole. I remember Thanksgiving being a day to hang out with the extended family. It might be the only time I got to see some of my aunts and uncles and cousins that year.
Even now, it is one of the few times I get to see several members of my extended family. I love how the only real expectation of the day is to share fellowship with friends and family over a big meal. We usually have the big meal early in the afternoon and stay together until later in the day, when we can get out some of the leftovers. My children look forward to the week of turkey leftovers the week after Thanksgiving. My husband introduced me to turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce on them. Yum!
This year, I pray we can all enjoy the time together, since you never know what the next year may hold. I am so beyond blessed to still have 3 living grandparents, and I cherish the time I have with them.
Blessings to all and give thanks to God for them!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Take as Directed
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.
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.
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.
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