Homegrown Faith

In Search of Rhythm

2012-02-09T20:41:00.000-08:00

I've got rhythm... or, at least, I used to. In the past, I have persevered through various living conditions and seasons of life to find that personal prescribed fashion of living a fulfilling life that best fits me and my family. It hasn't always been easy to find my own or my family's natural cycle of harmony- but for me it has always been something worth pursuing.

See, I've tasted the benefits of having a space and time to call my own each morning... a time uninterrupted to pursue the presence and plan of God for my day. I've reaped the blessings of establishing regular times of prayer, conversation, and devotion with my children and my husband. I know the peace that accompanies my days and my ways as I walk in step with that rhythm. And I know what I'm missing if I don't. This is why my search for rhythm has been so intense. This is why, for me, I am participating in the Hello Mornings challenge. I desperately need to find that rhythm again- for my sake, as well as my family's.

Over the past year, I worked really hard to develop strong personal care habits such as taking better care of my physical body through eating better and exercising regularly, as well as having a daily time of prayer, bible study, and planning. In creating these habits for myself, and even in beginning to cultivate them in my children as well, I have found such a positive change in my daily life and in the atmosphere of my home.

Lately, however, fatigue has been an ongoing foe of mine. A lack of balance and lack of personal restraint have made this momma hard-pressed for time, energy and, worse yet... joy. My rhythm has been rocked by one circumstance after another, and the real test of faithfulness has begun... and, unfortunately, so far, I haven't been faring too well.

A few months ago, we made the decision to buck-up and finally take the plunge into homeschooling... While this decision was not made lightly, it left a heavy weight of responsibility on my shoulders as I added a special feather to the hat of "teacher" I already wore... in addition to the many other hats I wear as a mom. I began to spend hours upon hours researching methods, curriculum, and strategies. And, because of our financial reasons, this time spent was priceless... since our budget for homeschooling was pretty much nil. Side note: God has been so good to help me find so many free and inexpensive resources for educating our children!

While so grateful for the rewarding experience of schooling and ~~disciplining~~ discipling my children at home, lesson planning and managing the onslaught of emotional and physical drain that homeschooling days brings was an ongoing struggle. After a couple of months of experimenting with what a rhythm for our family might look like and, after feeling like I had finally found a rhythm worth spending my time settling into, enter amazing opportunity: a job offer for me to work part-time at my church, City Bible Church North Sound, as our Connections Department Director.

I was beyond thrilled at this opportunity for many reasons and felt it was a door the Lord had opened for me and my family. While it was an open door for me to fulfill my dream of working in ministry, we'd also actually been praying since earlier in the year for a part-time job for me to enable us, through extra income, to complete our house faster. Upon accepting it, however, I knew that, once again, our family rhythms would need to change.

My husband and children have been amazing through this transition over the past couple of months. Their support of me and of the natural home-life changes that we've worked through upon me starting to work outside the home have been such a blessing.

And then... enter housebuilding project: plumbing. Yes, don't forget we are indeed still housebuilding... although for a few short months, as I frolicked in dreamland of getting to finally live my dream of working in ministry, I had almost forgotten about that fact. Yeah, remember the reason for the income of the job? Hello.

As far as plumbing goes, let me just tell you that this was not one of my favorite projects. Everything in both of our living spaces had to be moved and rearranged... completely. We would be isolated to our main living space. My husband and I took to the sofa-sleeper and the kids had their beds moved to be just behind the couch- with about one foot of space to spare them and our dining table and make-shift kitchen space. Reminded me a lot of our days in the fifth-wheel. Let me just say that this living-sleeping-eating-all-in-one-space arrangement is not so good for a momma who likes to rise early before her family to get a jump-start on the day and have some alone time with the Lord. The shower became my new prayer closet. Thank God for headphones, mp3s, DailyBible app, and podcasts.

Throughout the noisy, messy, hectic, sawdust and dirty-laundry-and-dishes infested process of plumbing installation, I was very happy to now have a place to go outside my home to escape... to my office at work. And I brought my children along with me to work too. I was also very happy to be homeschooling as our schedule (and home!) had been turned upside down and there would be no way I'd have been able to take my children to school every day... that is, unless I took them to school sleep-deprived and without clean clothes or their homework done. So we did that at home instead. And my children didn't get in trouble for it... and neither did I.

As we finished our plumbing project (ok, well most of it- until the plumber returns in the next couple of weeks to finish the rest!), we started the work of clean-up and attempting to get things somewhat back to a semblance of "normal" before Christmas... we were so excited to have my in-laws, Grammie & Grandpa, join us for an extended stay with their two great Danes. We made it... barely... just as they reached our doorstep in fact. All the hard work was worth it though. We enjoyed a lovely, relaxing, refreshing time together. And I hoped to God that this would be our last Christmas in the midst of the construction process.

Just before Christmas, however, we received news that our dear children's ministry directors at our church were moving out-of-state... and with that news, I was offered the privilege and honor of taking over their responsibilities in addition to my existing ones. Again, it was another open door I felt was God's plan for me in ministry, especially after my past experience in launching a children's ministry in our last church planting assignment.

As I worked through the many of the changes in my responsibilities and schedules yet again, enter my next rhythm-interrupter.... this time in the form of a crisis. One of my dogs, Gracie, began having seizures during the time of month that she normally has them... only, over several days they increased tremendously in quantity... and intensity. After a couple of sleepless nights, I made an appointment at the vet and we discovered through a series of ~~expensive~~ tests that she has idiopathic epilepsy. Basically, that is a doctor's way of saying that she has seizures and they don't know why. ~~Glad I payed for those tests.~~

As she began medication which needed to be administered twice daily at exactly 12 hours apart, I felt trapped. Trapped. Trapped. Trapped. For many reasons. I felt trapped in a repeated cycle of chaos... of one drastic change to my schedule after another, after another, and another of unexpected crises and messes... crises which are difficult for me to recover from and messes which take me seemingly forever to clean up. I felt trapped to my home and to new time-frames for all of our activities based on the important daily appointments of 9:30AM and 9:30PM with the addition of this new medication.

I was on the verge of a total meltdown as I dealt with hopelessness for several days... pondering whether or not my life would ever return to "normal" or if "normal" even existed for me and my family anymore... it had been forever it seemed since I had had a regular, predictable pattern of time to myself to soak up the presence of God through His Word and prayer and I was feeling parched and discouraged as to whether or not I'd ever be able to walk in the consistency of a regular rhythm again... and then, enter: God's mercy and grace.

I have felt Him sweep in and cover me and my family through this season of chaos as the sweet melody of a familiar worship song has washed over my heart recently and reminded me that not only do I find God in the quiet and stillness, but that He is also present with me in moments of chaos and confusion, in the moments of my weakness... and that I can find that He is still Sovereign... and that He gives me the grace I need for each moment to do His will. And it's been in those moments where I realize that it's not really the rhythm I'm seeking, it's Jesus.

I want the peace of His presence more than I want the peace and quiet of my home... I want my life to bring Him praise more than I want my life to bring me comfort... I want my life to be marked as one moving consistently to the rhythms of His grace and not according to the regiments of a predictable routine... I want to feel refreshed and cleansed in His daily mercies and for my home to be a place where His presence dwells more than I want my home to be spotless. What I want, and what I've discovered I'm really seeking, is none but... Jesus.

Only Jesus can bring order to chaos. Only Jesus can speak His word and transform chaos into a beautiful creation. And so the creation awaits... in eager expectation, in hope, in faith... to see what beautiful glory awaits it... and in the meantime, we will dance. We will dance in perfect rhythm to the song He sings over me and for me... a wordless song he hums that resonates with the unsung melodies of my heart. And with every breath I'll utter His name... the precious and powerful name of Jesus. The sweetest and most beautiful name that is music to my ears and brings rhythm and joy to my soul.

For Further Reading: Romans 8:18-28

Do you have a family rhythm? A personal rhythm?
What has helped you to maintain a faithful pursuit of Jesus?
What has hindered you?

Facing the Real Me

2012-02-06T04:22:00.000-08:00

There are people in this house. There are even people in this room. These people happen to be my family. My husband. My two children.

There are other people in this house. There are even other people in this room. These people are my friends. All 570 of them... well, make that 798 if you count the 228 that just follow me around. Well, then there's the 451 that I follow around. Amazing how we all fit in this same room together, isn't it? Well, the fact is that we don't quite fit... actually. My family will be the first to tell you that there's not room for all of us.

I sure do like these other people though.

I like it when I get a notification that they decided to write on my wall... and I always make an effort to be as quick to comment as possible- to respond with kindness and courtesy. And, of course, I also always try to respond quickly when they send me a message.

My daughter once decided to write on my wall too... with crayons... and yet another time with pen. I didn't like that so much. In fact, I was so angry that I'm pretty sure my comments to her didn't contain even an ounce of courtesy... or kindness.

My son's been trying to send me a direct message for a few days now. He's been sending out all kinds of signals to try to get my attention. Recently, he's just decided to handle things himself by shutting my laptop... on my fingers. And, let me tell you, I ~~reacted~~ responded quickly. Probably too quickly. Probably not in a way that he liked... or I liked, for that matter.

I like it when these other people follow me. They even keep ~~retweeting~~ repeating and sharing some of the things I say. They must like me, I think. It sure feels good to be liked... wouldn't you agree?

My son used to follow me around all the time. He always wanted to be doing whatever Mommy was doing. And he still does... even though there are times I wish he wouldn't have followed in my steps... there are just some trends I wish I hadn't set.

My daughter used to love to quote and repeat my words... and still does. Even the not-so-nice ones that slip out sometimes. I sure don't like it when she does that very much.

You know, there's also me in this house too. And, even though sometimes I may fool myself into thinking there are two sides me -one side for my family to see and one side for the other people to see- there's really only just one me. That's right... one. It's time to face the facts and get a clear picture of what my profile really looks like and what my status really is... with my family.

There may be other people who are similar to me, but the fact is that there is no other me in this house. And no other people in this house will see more of my personal profile or have a clearer picture of who I really am than my family. My family sees more of my profile in everyday moments than other people think they see in scattered status updates. I hope and pray that the real me is worth liking and following... and that I'm not just seen as a face in this house, but as a friend, wife, and mother.

Let the Challenge Begin!

2012-01-12T12:33:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to be participating in my first Hello Mornings Challenge! I came across Inspired To Action several months ago- just a few days too late to register for the Fall Session of the Hello Mornings Challenge last year. I couldn't wait to participate in the next one! And, what better time, than the new year... not only the does the beginning of this challenge coincide with our church's corporate 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting, but I've also got some new goals and aspirations I'm working toward this year... so this challenge really couldn't have come at a better time. I can't wait to amp up my morning schedule again after trying to adjust to the many, many (did I mention many?) changes in my family's schedule recently.

This year, in addition to diving into the realm of homeschooling my kiddos for the first time (after having been a public-school-raised girl, myself!) I also recently accepted a part-time job at my church, City Bible Church North Sound. I have been a stay-at-home mom/wife for the last 8.5 years. While I haven't had a paid job in what seems like a very long time, I have been hard at work, however, as a volunteer for various church plants my husband and I have been a part of since our kiddos were babies. Not to mention the fact that we've also been hard at work building a house out-of-pocket by ourselves for the last 5.5 years... and yes, we're still smack in the middle of that process.

SO... this new season of life has been a huge adjustment for our family (especially for me!) and, while cultivating a personal devotional life didn't seem too difficult for me in the past, things just aren't as simple as they used to be. While the added complexity of responsibilities I've been entrusted with has helped me to be more efficient with my time and have shaped me more into who God has called me to be, I have had many days recently where I've been sapped of strength simply because I've not necessarily kept everything balanced or prioritized the way I should. And, let me tell you, the enemy has used this against me... and the results have not been pretty.

I can't wait for the Hello Mornings Challenge to begin on January 16 to help me get some more balance in my life and to help me be more intentional about how I am spending my days so that they are a better reflection of my priorities... I am looking forward to the added bonus of accountability working in tandem with the encouragement provided in this challenge to help me get back on track. Hopefully, come April 15, I will have a better idea of how to "Maximize My Mornings" in this new season of life to help me prepare for the next one!

Let the Hello Mornings Challenge begin!

{Advent Reflections} He's Here...

2011-12-01T08:28:00.001-08:00

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. " Revelation 3:20

He's knocking on the door... a gentle, quiet rapping... a sound that would be almost lost among the dissonant droning of life's daily demands. It's faint, yet noticeable, as He knocks on the hollow surface of our hurrying and hustling...

He's here... He's knocking... He's waiting... all the while, ironically, we are anticipating Him, trying desperately and frantically to be as prepared for His arrival as possible.

"Oh no, He's here," I mutter to myself as I hear Him faintly knocking while I am frantically washing dinner dishes still left in the sink ~~from two nights ago~~.

"Just a minute... I'll be there in a minute," I call back. Over time, I've come to discover that, although I have every intention of using the word, "minute," in its original, sixty-second definition, I usually use the word to encompass a much broader derivative which ranges in definition to be anywhere from three to thirty minutes of actual time.

The rapping stops... silence ensues as He waits. And wait, He does. Quietly. Patiently.

I bustle about my important task which, of course, I assume will only take me just a few minutes longer. I just need to finish this one last thing so that I can move on to another... "Just a few minutes... He can wait just a few more minutes... A few minutes won't hurt... He'll understand... He'll wait," I think to myself as I load the final dishes in the dishwasher and remember that I left a pile of laundry on the couch which I had planned on folding before He arrived.

Several minutes later, I am startled as the knocking resumes. Startled, not because of the knocking, but because I realized that, not only am I still finishing folding laundry to get it off the couch, but that in doing so, I noticed the kids had left their lunch dishes on the coffee table (at my request) because I had restricted the use of the kitchen table so that I could set it with linens and the "special dishes" earlier in the day, and because my sink and counter tops were so flooded with dishes and food preparations that I couldn't bear to add any more mess to them at the time my children had finished eating their ~~microwaved~~ lunches.

All that aside, I am startled at my lack of hospitality in that, not only does my home still feel unprepared for my Guest's arrival, but I am startled more by my lack of time management actually causing me to neglect to actually invite my Guest in! I am notorious for underestimating how long it takes me to actually accomplish anything... assuming I can get things done in far less time than it actually takes... I haven't decided yet if my faulty assumptions are centered on a false reality of how long ~~I think~~ the average Jane takes to accomplish certain tasks or if my faulty assumptions lie in my ~~perceived~~ superwoman powers. Perhaps I just plain make too many assumptions altogether.

Now, with the load of laundry to put away, and yet a few more dishes to wash and load in the dishwasher.... internally, I am fuming. "I just need a little more time!" I say to myself, now frustrated by my overzealous preparations which are now causing me to run behind on schedule. I'm running behind ~~like I always do~~... and, of course, there's always a cost to my procrastination and inefficiency in time management!

While frustrated with myself as I hurry about my last-minute preparations, I silently hope, "Surely, He won't mind a few more minutes." I begin to justify my obsessive ~~yet ridiculous~~ behavior, "I want it to be nice for my Guest when He comes in... not a thing left undone, not one thing out of its place, so that I can easily focus my undivided attention on Him. I don't want Him to see my mess or be able to notice any traces of my ~~habitual~~ disorganization or ~~internal~~ chaos. I want to be able to present myself as cool, calm, and collected... with a place for everything and everything in its place."

I still can't believe my neglect. What horrible hospitality! I can't believe I haven't yet invited Him in. "I'm so sorry," I call, "just a few more minutes!" The knocking again subsides for a few more minutes as I quickly dash to dust one last surface, and rapidly reorganize one small area of our sitting room, which, while it didn't bother me before, all of a sudden is now a completely pressing matter. "I want it to look nice for Him," I tell myself, "I don't want Him to see my mess." I quickly wrap my excuses with a shiny red bow, "He'll understand."

As I justify my neglect for the sake of preparation, a sense of guilt begins to wrap itself around my heart like a damp, heavy blanket as I imagine Him standing just outside the door... in the dark, out in the cold, yet, patiently waiting... hoping I will let Him in soon... all while I persist in making sure my home is spotless, without any blemish He might notice if I let Him in. The heaviness of my guilt is almost suffocating and I try to brush it off... yet still, it lingers... just as I know He is lingering. I know He is still there. I can't believe I am making Him wait so long... so long... just so that I can ~~try to~~ have everything perfect before I invite Him in!

"I'm coming, " I call. Quickly I garnish the fresh fruit platter, hoping my embellishment will disguise the fact that I had bought a ready-to-serve fruit tray from the grocery store. I'm still frustrated that, for lack of time, I didn't actually get to hand-pick my own and carefully cut it up into beautiful shapes to create an extravagant display like I'd originally hoped to do myself at home. I've been so busy, so busy... with work demands, home demands, husband's demands, kids' demands, and so many, many other demands of my time, energies, talents, finances, and attention... and, of course, I've gladly met them... hoping to please everyone. Yet, now I fear, because of the fact that I've given so much and done so much to please everyone else, I may actually be hurting the One Person, I am now realizing, is the One I had wanted to please the most.

I quickly glance at the ~~store-bought~~ cookies next to the fruit platter which I placed on one of my beautiful heirloom plates hoping He will enjoy them... and not be able to tell how busy I have been that I didn't have time to bake them from scratch... or that my husband got into them yesterday before He realized they were for our Guest.

The tea kettle whistles as I make my way towards the door. I rush to place it gingerly on the dining table which I had spent so much time decorating earlier to make sure it was just right... hoping to impress Him. I make one quick glance around the room to make sure everything is tidy... only to discover I missed yet one small toy I had meant to put away. I quickly tuck it away in an impromptu hiding place as I make my way to the door. With a deep sigh, I tell myself, "It'll have to wait. That'll have to be good enough." I try to encourage myself to have a firmer grasp on reality, "He probably won't even notice. After all, I can't keep Him waiting so long."

With yet another sigh, I take a deep breath and collect myself... straightening my dress, smoothing my disheveled hair to conceal any evidence of my frazzled persona... I prepare to open the door, anticipating how I will find my Guest on the other side... fully aware of my guilt and fully aware of my need to apologize for my neglect. "At last," I think, "I'm finally ready... ready enough anyway. After all, He is here."

Monday's Meal Plan- Week 5: Plan-It, Don't Panic Meal Planning Challenge

2011-10-24T22:03:00.001-07:00

Checking In...

Yes, I didn't post my meal plan last week... shame, shame, I know. Don't disqualify me from the challenge just yet though... I was actually so busy with executing a plan for a package of gluten-free freezer meals for a family of 6 who is expecting a new baby that I just plain didn't have time to post. As I made this rather large package of freezer meals, it actually made our meals a snap- I simply made duplicates for my own family at the same time which we ate all week long. There were, however, a few exceptions... like when we planned to go out for dinner one night to celebrate the siding being put on our house... or for our "Soul Surfer" themed Family Fun Night where we decided to order a takeout Waikiki pizza and Boogie Board sandwich from a local Pizza chain called Coconut Kenny's.... and lastly, another night was planned to eat dinner at a wedding. So there ya have it.

{What's on the Menu?}

October 24-30, 2011

MONDAY

Leftovers... clean out the fridge!

TUESDAY

Homegrown Corn and Potato Chowder, Rolls, and Salad

WEDNESDAY

Roast Chicken and Homegrown Root Vegetables, Salad

THURSDAY

Old-Fashioned French Onion Soup, Homemade Bread, and Salad

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

My Husband's Choice- I'll be at Women of Faith!

SUNDAY

All-Day Fix & Forget Chili and Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread at our church's Harvest Party

Have a great week! Happy cooking!

Monday's Meal Plan- Week 3: The "Plan-it, Don't Panic" Meal Planning Challenge

2011-10-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

Checking-in after Week 2...

I can't believe that at the end of this week we will already be at the half-way mark of Keeper of the Home's 6-Week "Plan-it, Don't Panic" Meal Planning Challenge! This last week, I made a big comeback from last week. In fact, by the end of the week, I really felt like I definitely had my head back in the game. I wrapped up the end of my week with accomplishing a ton of prep-work for my meals this week.

This week was a smash hit, as far as my meal plan went. We enjoyed quite a few of our family favorites this past week: Creamed Ground Beef, Chicken Enchiladas, Potato Soup, and lots of fresh-baked sourdough bread. In case you missed it, you can read here for my recipe links.

Credit: Elisabeth Spring

I have to say, I am super excited to finally have found an excellent recipe for sourdough- one that is just as good in my bread machine as it is when I have time to make it by hand, as I did this week. I think I was just as excited by the discovery of how easy and inexpensive it is to make our own cultured butter. It was also a great excuse to try out the glass-bottled, cream-topped milk and cream from a local dairy (Twin Brook Creamery) I've been eyeing for some time now. And... the word is... we're not going back to anything else!

When I initially made our meal plan for this week, it was planned completely around the anticipated reality that I would not be able to use our kitchen all week. We had scheduled a plumber to come out and do the plumbing for our house and I knew that without the ability to use running water or to use my kitchen, I would need to plan and prepare well so that we could stick to our goal of eating well... regardless of circumstances. My plan was to do as much prep as possible and to keep things as simple as possible since I knew I would be doing the cooking in our in-laws' motorhome. Not that I couldn't handle that or anything- what with our experience of living in 5th-wheel trailer for 4.5 years...

Anyway, although I anticipated all of this, after a reality-check conversation with my husband this weekend- and after I had completed several meals and packed them in my freezer to pull out later in the week- he informed me that he decided that having the plumbing done right now would not be a good idea for a number of reasons. Many of them boil down to the fact that we are just plain not prepared enough for it right now. Honestly, we are still trying to recover from the stress of our previous inspection and several life transitions right now, and although we were pushing hard to make it happen, the reality was that there are some more important things that need to be attended to right now.

So, things will now be very simple and easy this week... we've got plenty of simple casseroles and other ready-to-heat-and-serve staples from our freezer and fridge. The question for me immediately became... what to do with all of my extra time?

It's amazing to me how all of this has worked out, actually. God has been so good to direct and redirect my plans to line up with His. Even though I prepped all of our meals in anticipation of something that will no longer be a reality, it has now freed me up this week to be able to accomplish something that has been on my heart for some time now, but that I'd been lacking the time and other resources to work on: ministering to a family who is expecting a new baby very, very soon. I'll be preparing a pack of freezer meals for them to enjoy after their new little bundle of joy arrives. I hope to get to posting that plan later on... and it'll be gluten-free to boot!

This week, you'll notice my meals aren't assigned to an individual day but are in list form. I go back and forth with assigning my meals to days anyway- unless I know that I want to use a particular preferred cooking method on a specific day for the sake of convenience... e.g. fix-&-forget crock pot meals are perfect for busy days! And, I'll just throw it out there that it's also not uncommon for me to switch meals around mid-week either.

{My Notes For This Week's Meal Plan}

{Prep Projects}

My Prep Projects this week are pretty much rolled up into one task that I will spread out over this week and next, whenever I have time. I'll be assembling a Gluten-Free Freezer Meal Pack for an expectant family that includes 5-6 dinner recipes, 1 breakfast recipe, and 2-4 desserts.

{Special Breakfast}

Our Special Breakfast last week got flip-flopped with this week's when I originally planned not to be able to utilize my kitchen next week. So, looks like this week's Special Breakfast will be to pull some muffins out of the freezer that I made last week and heat them in the oven- of course, we'll be enjoying these with our homemade cultured butter!

{Cooking with Kids}

This week my kiddos will learn, through cooking a meal for someone else, that God wants us to be filled with compassion towards others and to answer His call to serve those in need... to find a need and fill it. It is my hope that they will experience the joy that is found in serving others and in knowing that God can use them - even at their young age! - to do His work! I'm anticipating several teachable moments as we learn about those with gluten intolerance and work together to prepare and assemble our Gluten-Free Freezer Meal pack for our friends.

{Friday Family Fun}

Unfortunately, I'm a bit behind on planning our Friday Family Fun Night due to all that has transpired over the weekend. However, I've chosen to go with the theme of Kung Fu Panda for this week. We'll be fixing some Asian-inspired fare together which I already prepped last week: Gingered Beef & Broccoli, Steamed Brown Rice, and, of course... Noodles! I am still working on figuring out whether or not we will eat our noodles in soup or not, since one aspect of the plot is hinged on a "Secret Ingredient Soup" made by the main character's family-owned noodle house... that doesn't really have a secret ingredient after all. I definitely plan on accompanying our meal with tea- traditional green tea, of course. Now, I just need to decide on a fun dessert... maybe homemade fortune cookies or almond cookies?

{What's On The Menu?}

October 10-16, 2011

BREAKFAST CHOICES

Cereal with Milk
Plain Yogurt with Honey or Unsweetened Applesauce
Whole Grain Toast (topped with either butter & honey, apple butter, or jam)
Steel Cut Oats (w/chopped apples, organic brown sugar & cinnamon)
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Bananas, Oranges) and/or Nuts

LUNCH CHOICES

Peanut Butter & Jelly (or Honey) Sandwich
Garden Salad with various toppings
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Bananas) with whole grain crackers and/or sliced cheddar cheese
Unsweetened Applesauce (may be sprinkled with cinnamon)
Veggie Dippers (Carrot, Celery, Summer Squash, or Zucchini Sticks) with Ranch
Leftovers

SNACK CHOICES

Celery Sticks with Peanut Butter (& Raisins)
Carrot & Celery Sticks with Ranch
Sliced Apples & Peanut Butter
Whole Grain Crackers, Sliced Cheddar Cheese, & Raisins
Unsweetened Applesauce (may be sprinkled with cinnamon)
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Bananas)

DINNER CHOICES

Leftover Smorgasbord- Clean out the fridge!
Gingered Broccoli & Beef, Noodles, Steamed Brown Rice, Garden Salad
Yellow Squash Casserole, Garden Salad, Sourdough
Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole, Sauteed Zucchini, Garden Salad
Zucchini Soup, Buttermilk Cornbread, Garden Salad
Black Bean & Corn Quesadillas, Garden Salad
Sliced Hard-boiled Eggs on Toast with Butter, Salt, & Pepper; Cream of Tomato Soup

Have a great week! Happy cooking!

Monday's Meal Plan- Week 2: The "Plan-it, Don't Panic" Meal Planning Challenge

2011-10-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Checking-in after Week 1...

We are now on our second week of Keeper of the Home's 6-Week "Plan-it, Don't Panic" Meal Planning Challenge! I have to admit, I am thoroughly enjoying the many aspects of this challenge. I love planning to eat well... which in our case, eating well on a tight budget definitely takes quite a bit of planning... however, I also have to admit that my week last week didn't exactly go according to plan. And, you know what? I'm ok with that. My plan is made to serve me and my family... not me and my family made to serve my plan. Had that been the case, my husband and I would have missed out on the opportunity this past week for a much-needed date night with some friends... my kids and I would not have benefited from some much-needed rest and relaxation after attempting to get back on track after a stressful couple of weeks... and we all wouldn't have been able to take advantage of an opportunity to celebrate a special person in our lives.

Things don't always go according to plan. But you learn to work with it... to listen closely to God's voice and to work with His plan for your day, for your meals, for your family... day by day... moment by moment... to be flexible, yet focused, when facing unanticipated circumstances or challenges.

When I planned my meals for last week, I didn't for a moment consider that I still wouldn't have my range hooked back up until Thursday. However, instead of being stressed out and frustrated by my lack of ability to prepare our meals, I worked with the situation by shifting my meals around a bit. You can imagine how delighted I was when an impromptu opportunity arose to go out to dinner with some special friends who just had a new baby. Instead of pushing hard to keep to my plan, I was much more inclined to go with the natural flow for that particular day... because, I realized, maybe God thought that I needed to catch up with some dear friends and also catch a break from the chaos of the past couple of weeks ...That perhaps the break in routine was more of what I needed than going the extra mile to make things work to cook our dinner. Just maybe. Could I have planned any better for that to happen? Probably not. But a true 'planner' like myself isn't supposed to tell you that... so, shhh... that'll be our little secret.

Granted, there are times when you have to just buckle down and stick to your guns- after all, that's what overcoming challenges are all about sometimes. And then, there are other times when, to do so would basically mean shooting yourself in the foot... times when you have to be a bit more discerning in your decision-making... because sometimes things get overlooked, go unaccounted for, or just plain emerge unexpectedly... the kinds of things only God knows.

You see, when planning my 3 {Prep Projects} and 2 {Cooking With Kids} projects for last week, I also didn't happen to take into consideration whatsoever the emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion I would experience from trying to catch up with my household and homeschooling plans after my husband's return from a week-long trip for business which also happened to be a stressful week of anticipating our latest inspection in our housebuilding process (which we PASSED, by the way! YAY!).

For some reason, I think I must have had some sort of identity crisis when I made my meal plan last week... I think I must have thought I was Wonder Woman or something. When I resigned myself from those ridiculous thoughts- both the ones about trying to squeeze myself into spandex AND the ones about trying to squeeze so much into our schedule while being stretched so thin- it became much easier to resign ourselves to what we truly needed instead.

Instead of time spent making cultured butter and baking with my kiddos, we enjoyed time reading and napping together. And, you know what? I think that is perfectly fine. I accomplished my goal of spending time investing in the health of my kids- just in a different way. And, yes, butter and bread are definitely projects that can be worked in on another day... in fact, this week, I hope!

So, in this week's meal plan, you might notice quite a few repeats from last week. And honestly, I'm not ashamed of that. In fact, in my mind it means that I didn't skip a beat in my planning because I still have every intention to fulfill what I originally set out to do. I'm remaining flexible, yet still maintaining my focus on what I am trying to accomplish in our family meals. I haven't scrapped my plans and I'm definitely not going to let a few minor 'setbacks' stop me. In fact, because I don't believe in wasting anything, I refrain from planning any new meals and shopping for additional ingredients until after I use up what I already have. This mentality really helps alleviate stress when plans suddenly go awry, helps keep our budget as on-track as possible, and it helps build my faith too.

{My Notes For This Week's Meal Plan}

{Prep Projects}

For this week, I'll be catching up on projects I had planned to accomplish last week but didn't end up making it to. I'll be doubling my batch of Spanish Rice, tripling a batch of sourdough rolls, and making a double batch of Buttermilk Cornbread. My plan is to actually make the Cornbread at the same time I am making pancakes on Saturday morning, since they share some of the same ingredients. As usual, I'll also be assembling our meal for Sunday earlier in the week as much as possible- hopefully on Friday- so that I can spend Sunday afternoon relaxing with my family and not stressing about what we're going to eat when everyone is starving after church.

{Special Breakfast}

Since we didn't end up making our buttermilk last week to use in our recipes for the weekend, I'll be having a go at it this week instead. I'll be measuring out ingredients for Whole Grain Pancakes at the same time I measure out ingredients for my batch of Buttermilk Cornbread. I'll then pop the pan in the oven and bake itahead of time for Sunday's meal while I am flipping flapjacks. My hubby, son and daughter will be in charge of making scrambled eggs as well as washing and slicing our fresh fruit to accompany this week's breakfast.

{Cooking with Kids}

We still have gobs of zucchini we picked last week from the garden (if you're local, please come and get some from me!) and will hopefully make it to our project we didn't make it to last week: baking LOTS of homemade zucchini bread for breakfast and snacks. My kids will help measure and mix ingredients. Our other project we didn't make it to last week which I was really bummed about is making our own cultured butter from scratch. We'll be enjoying the fresh better as well as the buttermilk in our recipes for Whole Grain Pancakes and Buttermilk Cornbread.

{Friday Family Fun}
It's finally time for {Friday Family Fun} nights! I can't wait! On Fridays, my family and I will be preparing and eating our meals together... all centered around a fun theme. This week's theme features a film about a furry French rodent who can cook... you guessed it, it's none other than the fabulous, French-cuisine-infused Disney/Pixar film, Ratatouille. In a post later this week, I'll be including some ideas to help inspire you to plan some fun with your family.

{What's On The Menu?}

October 3-9, 2011

BREAKFAST CHOICES

Cereal with Milk
Plain Yogurt with Honey or Unsweetened Applesauce
Whole Grain Toast (topped with either butter & honey, apple butter, or jam)
Steel Cut Oats (w/chopped apples, organic brown sugar & cinnamon)
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Grapes, Oranges) and/or Nuts

LUNCH CHOICES

Peanut Butter & Jelly (or Honey) Sandwich
Reheated beans
Garden Salad with various toppings
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Grapes) with whole grain crackers and/or sliced cheddar cheese
Unsweetened Applesauce (may be sprinkled with cinnamon)
Veggie Dippers (Carrot, Celery, Summer Squash, or Zucchini Sticks) with Ranch
Leftovers

SNACK CHOICES

Celery Sticks with Peanut Butter (& Raisins)
Carrot & Celery Sticks with Ranch
Sliced Apples & Peanut Butter
Whole Grain Crackers, Sliced Cheddar Cheese, & Raisins
Unsweetened Applesauce (may be sprinkled with cinnamon)
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Grapes)

MONDAY

Leftover Smorgasbord- Clean out the fridge!

Use leftovers to assemble Chicken & Pinto Bean Soft Tacos

{PREP PROJECTS} Set out Sourdough Starter from the fridge and feed

TUESDAY

Creamed Ground Beef
Skillet {Homegrown} Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli
Fresh Fruit or Garden Salad

{PREP PROJECTS} Make Honey Mustard Dressing, Feed Sourdough Starter

WEDNESDAY

Cream of {Homegrown} Potato Soup
Garden Salad
Fresh-Baked Sourdough Rolls

{PREP PROJECT} Triple Batch- Freeze 1 extra batch, reserve other batch

{PREP PROJECT} Pull Out Pinto Beans from Freezer for tomorrow
{PREP PROJECT} Roast chicken for recipes

THURSDAY

{COOKING WITH KIDS} Zucchini Bread
{COOKING WITH KIDS} Cultured Butter
Chicken Enchiladas
Spanish Rice

{PREP PROJECT} Double Batch- Freeze extra batch

Pinto Beans

From Freezer Supply

Garden Salad

FRIDAY :: {Friday Family Fun}

Theme: Ratatouille

What’s Cooking? A Cookbook for Kids

By Thomas Keller

Gusteau’sRatatouille –Pg. 41

SteamedBrown Rice

A Classic Baguette– Pg. 30

Lemony Caesar Salad

Dessert: ChocolateBouchons – Pg. 59

SATURDAY

{SPECIAL BREAKFAST} Whole Grain Pancakes

Scrambled Eggs
Fresh Fruit

{PREP PROJECT} Make Buttermilk Cornbread; freeze one batch, reserve remaining batch
Yellow Squash Casserole
Garden Salad
Buttermilk Cornbread
Fresh Fruit

SUNDAY

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Using homemade cream of chicken soup

Garden Salad
Sourdough Rolls (Already Reserved from Wednesday)
Fresh Fruit

Happy cooking! Have a great week!

Monday's Meal Plan- Week One: The "Plan-it, Don't Panic" Meal Planning Challenge

2011-09-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

Today is officially the first day of Keeper of the Home's 6-Week "Plan-it, Don't Panic" Meal Planning Challenge! My meal plan for this week features 3 {Prep Projects} and 2 {Cooking With Kids} projects. Check out this post for more information about these.

{My Notes For This Week's Meal Plan}

{Prep Projects} :: THIS WEEK

For this week, I will be planning ahead to make additional side dishes to freeze for use with future meals. This week's projects are all batch-cooking, which require no additional effort, other than packaging these goodies for the freezer. My plan this week includes tripling my batch of Sauteed Apples (or asian pears, whichever I can find when I shop), doubling my batch of Spanish Rice, and making a double batch of Buttermilk Cornbread. My plan is to actually make the Cornbread at the same time I am making pancakes on Saturday morning, since they share some of the same ingredients. With no extra effort this week, 2 batches of sauteed apples/pears, 1 batch of Spanish Rice, and 1 batch of Buttermilk Cornbread will be added to my freezer! One last project will be to assemble our meal for Sunday earlier in the week- on Friday- so that I can spend Sunday afternoon relaxing with my family.

{Special Breakfast} :: THIS WEEK

While I am busy measuring out ingredients for Whole Grain Pancakes, I'll be combining this time with measuring out shared ingredients for my batch of Buttermilk Cornbread which I will throw in the oven and bake ahead of time for Sunday's meal while I am flipping flapjacks. My son and daughter will be in charge of making the scrambled eggs and washing and slicing our fresh fruit to accompany this week's breakfast.

{Cooking with Kids} :: THIS WEEK

Making our own homemade peanut butter last week was a smashing success! No pun intended. This week we have gobs of zucchini from the garden and will enjoy fixing some homemade zucchini bread for breakfast and snacks together. My kids will help measure and mix ingredients. One other project we will be doing, which will be really fun, is making our own cultured butter from scratch and then, along with enjoying the fresh better, we will also be using the buttermilk in our recipes for Whole Grain Pancakes and Buttermilk Cornbread.

{Friday Family Fun} :: COMING SOON!!

Beginning in October, our family will be resuming our {Friday Family Fun} nights. This feature will be available on my Menu Plans starting in October.

{What's On The Menu?} :: THIS WEEK

September 26 - October 2, 2011

BREAKFAST CHOICES

Cereal with Milk
Plain Yogurt with Honey, Unsweetened Applesauce, or Granola
Whole Grain Toast (topped with either butter & honey, apple butter, or jam)
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Strawberries, Oranges) with Nuts

LUNCH CHOICES

Peanut Butter & Jelly (or Honey) Sandwich or Quesadillas
Cheese (& Bean, Leftover Veggie, or Leftover Meat) Quesadillas, Wraps, or Burritos
Green Salad with various toppings
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Oranges, Peaches, or Melon)
Unsweetened Applesauce (may be sprinkled with cinnamon)
Veggie Dippers (Carrot, Celery, Summer Squash, or Zucchini Sticks) with Ranch
Leftovers

SNACK CHOICES

Celery Sticks with Peanut Butter (& Raisins)
Carrot & Celery Sticks with Ranch
Sliced Apples & Peanut Butter
Whole Grain Crackers, Sliced Cheddar Cheese, & Raisins
Unsweetened Applesauce (may be sprinkled with cinnamon)
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Oranges, Peaches, or Melon)

MONDAY

Leftover Smorgasbord- Clean out the fridge!

TUESDAY

BBQ Slow-Cooked Ribs
Roasted Homegrown Fingerling Potatoes
Corn on the Cob
Sauteed Apples (or Asian Pears)

{PREP PROJECT} Triple Quantity and Freeze Extra Batches

WEDNESDAY

Zucchini Oven Frittata
Basic Sourdough Bread
Spinach, Strawberries, Walnuts & Feta Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing

THURSDAY

{COOKING WITH KIDS} Zucchini Bread
{COOKING WITH KIDS} Cultured Butter
Swiss Chard with Pinto Beans & Goat Cheese
Whole Grain Pasta
Garden Salad
Sliced Oranges

FRIDAY

Creamed Ground Beef
Skillet Homegrown Potatoes
Steamed Green Beans
Fresh Fruit
{PREP PROJECT} Assemble Sunday's Yellow Squash Casserole

SATURDAY

{SPECIAL BREAKFAST} Whole Grain Pancakes

Scrambled Eggs
Fresh Fruit

{PREP PROJECT} Make Buttermilk Cornbread; freeze one batch, reserve remaining batch
Shredded Chicken & Pinto Bean Bean Soft Tacos
Garden Salad
Spanish Rice

{PREP PROJECT} Double Quantity and Freeze Extra Batch

SUNDAY

Happy cooking! Have a great week!

Monday's Meal Plan: It's an EASY Week!

2011-09-19T02:24:00.000-07:00

Why Easy?

This week is kind of a big week for my family... we have a major inspection to get through in our housebuilding process on Tuesday (please pray for us to pass!) and with my hubby away on business most of the week, I have to admit it was tempting to just eat cereal all week. But, while my kids would have been perfectly content with that, I decided that it is important that we continue to eat healthy, balanced meals even in his absence. Because, even though it is tempting to be more relaxed while he is away and my children would live off of peanut butter and jelly and cereal if I'd let them, I know how much better we all feel (and even act!) when we are eating well. Not only do I know how important it will be to balance my energy levels while I am missing my other half by eating good food, exercising, drinking plenty of water, and getting plenty of rest, I have also realized how much these habits tremendously help my overall mood... and that of my kids!

So, I decided to take the time to plan some meals this week that were not only healthy but that would be easy to prepare. All these meals take is some initial time to plan well and prep well in order to eat well. Not only will it be important for this week, but in the weeks to come. In fact, I even chose to add in some additional easy, extra meal prep- knowing that if we DO pass this inspection (PLEASE, God!) we will once again be back full-swing into construction mode... and FAST! ... upon my husband's return. I know I will definitely appreciate some time-savers in my freezer like pre-cooked beans and rice. I like to call these, my {Prep Projects} and I'll be featuring them each week in my meal plans. It's crazy, how, in less time than I spend on Facebook in a given day, I can actually fit in a {Prep Project} that will help me tremendously to reach my goals to save more of my time, money, and health. This is why it is my goal to accomplish 1-2 {Prep Projects} each week. Simple enough. Easy enough. And all in the amount of time it takes me to check my Facebook.

And How, Exactly, IS It That Easy??

You probably didn't believe that last statement, now, did you? Well, let me explain. The common misconception about making meals from scratch and about 'squeezing' in extra time to prep our meals in our already jam-packed schedules is that we think those things take up so much extra time. But really, I like to think of it as a trade-off.

I will gladly trade 1-2 of my "just checking-in" times on Facebook for a little extra time to check-off a {Prep Project} on my meal plan.

It takes hardly any time to dump a few cups worth of dry beans in a bowl and cover them with water and a towel before going to bed at night... and then to rinse them upon rising, dump them in a crock pot, cover with water (and add a pinch or two of salt!) and let them cook all day on the low setting... at the end of the day, all that's left is then packaging them up- right along with that night's leftovers after dinner. Not only is it a trade-off, some of it is just plain no extra time or effort at all. Take batch-cooking, for example. It's actually pretty effortless to measure out double or triple the amount of rice I'm already making for dinner on Wednesday night and to package the rest to go in the fridge or freezer as I am packaging up the rest of our leftovers that night after dinner. All it really takes is just a little planning... That's all. Really, the actual 'work' of it all is easy.

{My Notes For This Week's Meal Plan}

Free-Choice Picks

Our breakfasts, lunches, and snacks on weekdays are, for the most part, free-choice. I usually pull from a list of staples based on everyone's personal likes and schedule needs (i.e. eating fast at home, vs. needing to take something to-go). This week is fairly simple since it is just me and the kids. I usually fix myself and my husband eggs in the morning, but with the stove/oven out of commission this week, things are a bit different...

Thinking Ahead For Fresh Bread

You'll notice in this week's dinner menu that I still even included a few recipes of fresh, made-from-scratch bread. While I love making bread the traditional way, there comes a time where I still want fresh bread with our meals but just don't have the time to devote to traditional methods. Have I mentioned how much I really love my bread machine? It takes, literally, about 5 minutes to dump in ingredients and it does the rest! It really is great on busy days... which is, in fact, why all of our bread this week will be made by this lovely little appliance instead of by me. I'm even starting up a new batch of sourdough starter this week just for this purpose- which I'll add, takes about 5 minutes initially as well! Then it's just letting it do it's thing on the counter until it's time to package it in a glass jar... then off to the fridge it goes. As easy as that. Then off it will go to our Sourdough recipe in the bread machine on Sunday- which I'll start before we go to church. Because there's nothing better than coming home to the smell of fresh-baked bread after you've been to the House of Bread.

{Prep Projects} :: THIS WEEK

Now, to make the rest of this week's meals go super easy and fast, I took about an hour this weekend (while our dinner that night was already baking in the oven and I still had out my cutting board and knife) in order to get lots of fruit and veggies washed, chopped and sliced for our whole week. Getting the sharp knife and cutting board out once instead of several times this week saved me time and energy. Being in a mode of repetition (wash, wash, wash... slice, slice, slice... chop, chop, chop) and not multi-tasking (wash, chop, check on something else... wash, chop, do something else... wash, chop, etc.) actually goes really fast. This week's Saturday {Prep Project} will be slow-cooking two crock pots of dry beans which I will soak the night before. Making sourdough starter this week is another project that will be quick and easy to tackle- plus the kids think it's cool to watch the starter bubble!

{Special Breakfast} :: THIS WEEK

Assuming we are not knee-deep in a construction project, I like to cook what we call a {Special Breakfast} for my family on Saturday mornings; and usually try to double it to stretch through Sunday mornings when we are in a rush for church. This week's {Special Breakfast} will be more simple than usual, as I am cooking out of my toaster oven for this week and can't make muffins, or pancakes and eggs like I'd like to. On less busy Saturdays, we enjoy sleeping in and having nice breakfasts together since we are not usually afforded that opportunity on weekdays. It's a relaxing start to our weekends before the rush usually begins.

{Cooking with Kids} :: THIS WEEK

While my kids love to help rub a chicken with spice rub or dump ingredients in the slow-cooker, I've got a special cooking project planned to do with them this week. We are going to be making our own homemade peanut butter for the first time with a peanut butter maker! I was given the machine for Christmas and have been dying to use it since. This week I finally scored some organic peanuts at the Co-Op and we are going to have lots of fun salting, sweetening, and sampling our very own freshly-ground peanut butter to use in our snacks and sandwiches this week.

{Friday Family Fun} :: COMING SOON!!

Beginning in October, our family will be resuming our {Friday Family Fun} nights. With my husband's change in jobs and lots of changes that have been happening in our schedules, these special nights have been on hold for us for a bit. It will feel SO good to finally have a night back where we can focus on building fun memories together as a family... and, of course, there will be food involved! This feature will be available on my Menu Plans starting in October.

{What's On The Menu?} :: THIS WEEK

So, without further ado, here is our meal plan for this week... while it may appear complicated, it's really all very easy. And I know, at the end of the week, it will feel good to have eaten well. You can find my meal plan, along with a shopping list and applicable recipes, by visiting my allrecipes.com profile page if you are a supporting member.

September 19-25, 2011

BREAKFAST CHOICES

Cereal with Milk
Plain Yogurt with Honey, Unsweetened Applesauce, or Granola
Whole Grain Toast (topped with either butter & honey, apple butter, or jam)
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Oranges, Peaches, Melon) with Nuts

LUNCH CHOICES

Peanut Butter & Jelly (or Honey) Sandwich or Quesadillas
Cheese (& Bean, Leftover Veggie, or Leftover Meat) Quesadillas, Wraps, or Burritos
Green Salad with various toppings
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Oranges, Peaches, or Melon)
Unsweetened Applesauce (may be sprinkled with cinnamon)
Veggie Dippers (Carrot, Celery, Summer Squash, or Zucchini Sticks) with Ranch

SNACK CHOICES

Celery Sticks with Peanut Butter (& Raisins)
Carrot & Celery Sticks with Ranch
Sliced Apples & Peanut Butter
Whole Grain Crackers, Sliced Cheddar Cheese, & Raisins
Unsweetened Applesauce (may be sprinkled with cinnamon)
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Oranges, Peaches, or Melon)

MONDAY

{COOKING WITH KIDS} Peanut Butter Project
Garden Salad with chicken, feta, walnuts, chopped dates, & Poppy Seed Dressing
Sliced Peaches

TUESDAY- Inspection Day!

Leftover Smorgasbord- Clean out the fridge!

WEDNESDAY

Roasted Lemon Herb Chicken
Garden Salad
Brown Rice

{PREP PROJECT} Triple Quantity of Rice and Batch-Cook for Fridge & Freezer

THURSDAY

{PREP PROJECT} Sourdough Starter
Summer Vegetarian Chili

Use pre-cooked beans instead of canned.

Super Easy Rosemary Bread Machine Bread
Garden Salad

FRIDAY

Homegrown Baked Potatoes with Butter, Sour Cream, & Shredded Cheese
Garden Salad
{Leftover Chili}
{PREP PROJECT} Soak Pinto & Black Beans in Slow Cooker for Next Week

SATURDAY

{SPECIAL BREAKFAST} Biscuits with butter, honey, & jam
{PREP PROJECT} Cook Pinto & Black Beans in Slow Cooker for Next Week (And Package)
Slow Cooker Ground Beef
{Leftover Rosemary Bread}
Oven Baked Zucchini Fries
Sliced Apples

SUNDAY

Zucchini Oven Frittata
Basic Sourdough Bread
Garden Salad
Fresh Fruit (Apples or Oranges)

Have a great week! Happy cooking!

Can Food and Faith Mix? Meals with a Mission

2011-09-16T05:30:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be participating in Keeper of the Home's 6-Week "Plan-it, Don't Panic" Meal Planning Challenge! For the most part, I am fairly consistent in meal-planning for our family- it's been imperative for some time for multiple reasons, but two main reasons being that we are on a very tight budget while building our house and the other being the importance of reaching our health goals while on a busy schedule. What I am looking forward to most about this challenge is the ability to gain additional insight and inspiration from other participants. If there's one thing I know, there is always room for improvement and something to learn! I can't wait to discover additional tools, tips, and methods to help equip me to be more effective at meal-planning as well as to find new recipes.

If you'd like to join me on this journey, there is still some time left to sign up! The "Plan-it, Don't Panic" Meal Challenge begins Monday, September 26, 2011. You can find out more by visiting this post. The challenge features a great way to network with other participants by providing a Facebook group (which I am a part of!), an opportunity to link up your meal plan on your blog, as well as a network of Tweeps to stay connected with via the hashtag #mealplanit. (You can find me Twitter here.) I am super excited about all of these offerings as I know how valuable accountability and encouragement can be. Not only has this network already inspired me with my meal-planning, it has also inspired me to be more consistent with my blog!

In fact, in response to this challenge, you can expect some exciting new things here at Homegrown Faith! I will be posting my weekly meal plan to my blog each Monday, and I will do my best to also make it available (along with most of my recipes) on my AllRecipes profile. I hope you'll join me in becoming a better steward of the many resources of our home: time, money, energy, food, and health!

What You Can Expect From My Meal Plans

Just as I am passionate about producing a homegrown organic faith in my own personal life as well as that of my family's, I am just as avid about incorporating these same principles into my cooking... did you know that cooking can help grow your faith? It can! So much about food and cooking pertains to our faith- it's integrated into our daily lives just as our faith should be. I personally believe that the meals I prepare for my family are used to help accomplish an important mission given to me by God: to increase my family's overall potential for good health, while doing my best to protect them from food-borne (and induced) illnesses and diseases, so that their bodies might be well-equipped and well-functioning with the energy and health they need to carry out God's purposes for their lives.

I thoroughly enjoy the creative process of cooking and enjoy including my children in my food endeavors... just as I believe our Father likes to involve us in His creative process and include us in feeding people- both spiritually and physically. And, even as new as we are to the wonderful world of homeschooling, I honestly believe that teaching my kids about the importance of healthy foods and proper nutrition (with a perspective they wouldn't get if they were in a public school) is an invaluable asset to their education. I want to share with you a little more about who I am as I wear the hat of the 'chef' (sounds much more prominent than 'cook,' don't you think?), amongst the many other hats I wear on a daily basis. Here's a little more about what you can expect from me, as well as from my meal plans.

1. There is something about creating a personal connection with your food that brings it to life; it provides you with a deeper sense of appreciation and satisfaction with it that you would not otherwise have known.

There is a greater chance of kids eating something they've helped to grow themselves or have had a hand in helping to prepare. I have read these facts in several places and have experienced it firsthand with my own kids. This is true of both food... and faith. Children are naturally inquisitive and curious... Getting them in touch with their food not only fuels their fascination with food and its origins (along with the origin of everything else), it also gives them a taste of the satisfaction that comes from investing themselves in something worthwhile, the sense of accomplishment that comes from completing a little hard work... and getting to reap the harvest of the fruits of their labor (no pun intended). In fact, this curiosity and quest for satisfaction and accomplishment is really in all of us if we would be so bold as to admit it. This is a big reason why, in addition to building our home, we are also working on gradually becoming a family homestead. In the meantime, becoming "locavores" has been a priority of ours and we are taking great strides in being able to pride ourselves in sourcing our food from local farms. We do not use processed commercial food products- we make our meals from scratch with quality organic ingredients as much as possible.

I find it a bit ironic that my daughter, who is currently in the process of coloring a picture of a cow with a brown crayon as I write this blog, just asked me, "Mom, why do all the kids at school really think that chocolate milk comes from brown cows?" I think it's really clear (and sad!) how, as a culture, we have become completely disconnected with our food on multiple levels. While half of this belief about chocolate milk may be true- brown cows do make milk, people add the chocolate- it still is a perfect example of the many half-truths we have chosen to believe as a culture... leading to gaps in our (kids') knowledge and the many harmful results it can cause for our health and well-being... AND our faith. No wonder our country has such a big debt problem with so many kids (and adults!) who seem to think money grows on trees... but that's a WHOLE other post in itself for another time!

Let me just say that I have not always been this way, nor was I raised this way. Don't get me wrong- my mom is a great cook and I know she always tried to include a salad (and/or other vegetables) in our meals as well as fruit. But, when it came right down to it, I was just an average American girl eating Hamburger Helper, Rice-A-Roni, and lots of fast food. AND I had a bad habit of sneaking the Zingers, Ding-Dongs, and sugary granola bars (ok, and anything else sweet!) that was stashed in one of our upper cabinets when no one was looking. And this was really all I knew about how families (especially busy ones like our active family of 7!) "should" eat. Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas were always my favorite since everything was made from scratch... and just plain tasted SO much better!

This journey of curiosity I have been on over the last several years in the area of food is just one of the many ways I have seen God growing my faith at home in practical ways. I have had to learn to trust God to show me, through both personal revelation and other information, how to best care for and nurture my family with nourishing food that I now know is so vital for our health and well-being... while also being a good steward of our time and financial resources. God has truly opened my eyes about food in SO many ways over the past couple of years: from discovering new truths, lots of misinformation, myths, and even bold-faced lies about food and nutrition; to teaching me about the best foods to fuel my body AND my family's; to the emotions I've struggled with for years that I didn't realize were attached to food (in more ways than one), and on and on and on. There are also many chronic illnesses in the history of my family such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer, to name a few, which I am fighting hard to avoid- I believe God has given me a personal revelation that how we eat as a family will be a huge part of the solution to avoiding these illnesses... and give my kids an even better fighting chance than I have. Why? Because we are what we eat. Not only is this true of our food... but it's also true of our faith.

2. Healthy cooking and healthy eating are a part of our lifestyle... and we want it to be something that we pass down to our children to give them a better chance of living healthy, happy lives.

No, we're not perfect at it yet... but we are trying. Yes, we slip up and do even eat out sometimes... but even so, we are constantly working on ways we can be more intentional about our chosen lifestyle. It's the same with our faith. We are not perfect; we are in process. With our food, this means that we are now in the process of being just as intentional about where we go out to eat (looking for restaurants that supply their ingredients from local farms) as we are about what we order off the menu. It only took one time of watching the film, Food, Inc. and we were cured for a lifetime from the lure of McDonald's. In fact, this film was really the catalyst that inspired us to make some drastic changes to our family's food and, if you haven't already, I highly recommend watching it- especially as a family. However, if you have smaller children you may need to monitor a few parts as they may be disturbing. You can find Food, Inc. on Netflix as well as many other valuable documentaries about the predicament our country finds itself in because of our industrialized food system.

Ralph Anderson

In fact, a big way I've learned to combat those take-out temptations is to learn alternative methods of meal preparation like freezer-meal cooking, batch-cooking, make-ahead cooking, and mastering my slow-cookers (yes, I have more than one- Goodwill special baby!- and it makes it great to be able to leave a homecooked meal with someone in need) and my bread machine. I plan on sharing some recipes that can be used with these methods. With fall now upon us and increasingly busy schedules, I've been switching up my game to include many more of these kinds of meals in our meal plans.

So, as I mentioned before, you won't find processed, commercial food products as ingredients in our food- and we use fresh, quality organic ingredients with an increasing focus on what's affordable and what's in season. I do not consider myself a gourmet chef, but I do love good, quality ingredients and great-tasting, nutritionally-packed food as much as I love a good bargain. And I DO love to maximize my budget.

In light of this, you can expect some prep work in lieu of modern conveniences, but I do recognize that, in the case of busy moms, labor isn't free or cheap. I realize that sometimes it's tempting to justify that extra cost in purchasing convenience food items... but there is a greater cost that is not always considered: the cost to your health and the cost to our planet's health since it requires many more resources to process and package those kinds of foods. So, in light of this, I hope to include some tips in my meal plan each week that will help cut that particular week's prep time down to a minimum. Who knows, if you don't already, maybe you'll even learn to enjoy (and even make time for!) the thrill of smacking a clove of garlic with your knife blade to make it easier to peel or marvel at the magic of how bread rises... and maybe you'll even find out that your food even begins to just plain taste better than convenience food.

Scratch-cooking (and baking!) doesn't have to be complicated and grueling. It just takes a little more thought and preparation... maybe a little more determination... and the willingness to get a little messy. The dividends are great though- it terms of the money you save, the health that you save, and the personal satisfaction you give yourself! As with any new habit, it takes some time to settle yourself into it... to enjoy the creative process... and to work with it instead of against it. There is always something new to be learned, so no need to stress... just relax and enjoy what you are learning... and watch as it naturally becomes a part of your lifestyle.

What's most important to us about this healthy lifestyle of cooking and eating (and faith!) is that it's passed on to our kids. Otherwise, we haven't really accomplished our goals as parents. The best way to pass it on, I believe, is to integrate your children into the process. Even now, at the ages of 5 and 7, my own kids have been learning about the values of organic food and about the more nutrient-dense food available in locally-sourced ingredients... and are always my warmly welcomed little assistants in the kitchen. My hope and prayer for them is that they will not only see us modeling this lifestyle as parents, but that they actually come to understand it and value it for themselves as it is intentionally imparted to them... and in the process establish a lifelong habit of good health- both physically and spiritually speaking.

3. I plan on including some additional food-related tips and ideas on my blog over the next 6 weeks to help make shopping for, preparing, and eating food more fun... AND a family affair.

Food IS FUN! It's only a chore or a stress if you think of it that way... as are many things... prayer lives and bible reading included. You are only a slave to your kitchen if you choose to be! I don't want my kids to see healthy eating or cooking as something I dread, complain about, or stress about. Instead of it being something I portray to them as I 'have' to do, I'd rather impart the attitude that it is something I 'get' to do. The 'burden' then becomes a 'blessing' ... and one that is better when shared! After all, what kid ever wants to do something they 'have' to do? Or even us grown-ups for that matter?? If healthy eating as a lifestyle is truly something we hope to pass down to our kids, we know the best way to make that possible is to make it something we all enjoy... together. When it comes to both food and faith, they really are better together.

How about you? Have you ever thought to integrate your faith into something as practical as food? What do you value? How are you intentionally imparting your values to your kids?

Monday's Meal Plan: Featuring Fresh, Local Ingredients!

2011-09-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend my kids and I had an amazing time shopping at local farms for ingredients in our meals this week. We are so excited to use our local finds! We scored some organic fresh-picked salad greens, fresh-picked strawberries, melons, apples, and tomatoes in addition to some of our own garden's bounty. What I am personally excited about it is finally finding a local farm that produces quality grass-fed, organic meats! I hope to share more about our locavore learning adventure later, but here's a look at our meal plan for our family's dinners this week. My meal plan and shopping list is available on AllRecipes if you have a supporting membership. It's amazing how staying in touch with your food and where it comes from brings so much inspiration and motivation to eat healthier and make more effort to plan nourishing meals for my family!

Monday
Summer Vegetarian Chili
-Featuring our homegrown veggies
Green Salad
-Featuring freshly harvested salad greens and nasturtiums from Bellingham Country Gardens
Jo's Rosemary Bread
-Featuring flour from Fairhaven Flour Mill
Fresh Fruit
-Sliced Zestar Apples from Cloud Mountain Farms

Tuesday
Bacon Cheese Frittata
-Featuring bacon from Farmer Ben's
Roasted Squash & Zucchini
-Featuring our homegrown veggies
Sliced Melon
-Featuring assorted melons from Cloud Mountain Farms

Wednesday
Roast Sticky Chicken
-Featuring chicken from Farmer Ben's
Steamed Wild Rice
Green Salad
-Featuring freshly harvested salad greens and nasturtiums from Bellingham Country Gardens

Thursday
Hungarian Goulash
-Featuring a beef chuck roast from Farmer Ben's
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
-Featuring our homegrown potatoes
Green Salad
-Featuring freshly harvested salad greens and nasturtiums from Bellingham Country Gardens

Friday
Easy Cream of Chicken & Rice Soup
Green Salad
-Featuring freshly harvested salad greens and nasturtiums from Bellingham Country Gardens
Fresh Fruit
-Featuring fresh-picked strawberries from Bellingham Country Gardens

Here's some of my notes about this meal plan:

For Meatless Monday, take advantage of your veggie prep time in the morning and chop additional veggies (and wash & chop/slice fresh fruit like melon, strawberries, etc.) for later in the week: i.e. extra zucchini and the squash for Tuesday's Roasted Squash & Zucchini, lettuce, tomatoes and other greens for salads, etc. You'll find yourself motivated to eat healthier throughout the week with all that prep done! Start your Rosemary Bread in the bread machine in the morning along with the other ingredients you'll be popping in the slow-cooker for the chili, and after all that fruit and veggie prep you did in the morning, dinner will be ready in a snap! Wednesday is another make-ahead day- instead of baking your chicken in the oven, you can also roast your chicken all-day on the low setting in your slow-cooker. Reserve some of the chicken and chicken broth to be used in Friday's "Easy Cream of Chicken & Rice Soup" to save both time and money. On Thursday when you throw your beef in the slow-cooker in the morning, wash (and peel, if desired) your potatoes for "Garlic Mashed Potatoes" and keep them in a large covered pot with water in the fridge. Later, you can just pull out the pot, boil, and mash fast!

Hope you enjoy!

So I'm curious... What motivates you to eat healthy foods?

Making the Call

2011-08-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

"I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies."

2 Samuel 22:4

Is there an area in your life you seem to continually struggle in? Haven't yet tasted the sweetness of victory?

Calling on God's power and strength is an act of worship- a form of surrender- that will bring you victory against many enemies... even if your greatest enemy seems to be yourself. As you humble yourself by exalting Him in the areas of your weakness, you will have won a major victory in the battle for your heart.

“For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.”
Psalm 149:4

The enemy wants nothing more than to steal your victories by stealing your trust from God- to make you question His authority and power, to doubt His goodness, His love, His unfailing mercy. If he can make you fear, or doubt, or worry, instead of worship, he knows you'll never walk in the victory God desires for you. If the enemy can make you question God's sufficiency and power, he'll have you right where he wants you- ineffective, frustrated, and powerless as you try to work things out unsuccessfully in your own futile wisdom, inadequacies, and imperfections... not getting anywhere fast and definitely not walking in the fullness of all Christ desires for you.

When you set your sights and trust in God in areas of your weakness- when you worship Him in those areas- you provide Him with opportunities to reveal to you that He really IS Who He says He is: He is our "All in all." That is, He is all the things we need in all situations, at all times.

Praise God for Who you need Him to be in this season of your life. Perhaps you need a Deliverer... a Fortress... a Rock... a Shield... a Refuge... a Savior... a Conqueror... Someone to trust... Someone to love you... Someone to protect you... Someone to carry your burdens. God delights in revealing Himself to you... each and every facet of His glorious character.

Focus your heart humbly upon Him and you'll find a greater victory than you could ever hope for.

What Are You Building?

2011-07-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

"...the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself."

{Hebrews 3:3}

They say building a house will either make or break your marriage. This statement has both intimidated and challenged us over the past 8 years as we have spent the majority of our marriage building our house. Both processes have taken lots of hard work, love, sweat, and tears to form solid, firm foundations. Those foundations have both been built with Jesus Christ as their Cornerstone. It has taken time and wisdom to learn how to build according to His plan and a whole lot more hard work to turn those plans into reality... to build a strong, sturdy shelter that will withstand the storms of time and outside forces beyond our control.

Sure, we've made our mistakes through these processes... and many costly ones at that. But, that doesn't mean we'll ever stop building. No, we'll hopefully learn from those mistakes and be able to do a better job of building in light of them.

Building is a loud, messy, difficult, and even painful process. We continue building because we look forward to living in what we will have built over time. We've made a decision to go at it again and again until we get it right. We don't want our home to just be a 'livable' one; what we want is a beautiful, healthy, thriving one. If we are going to work hard at something, we want it to be the best it can be; something that will show off Christ's handiwork in us, something to be admired and something that we can be proud of.

It takes time to build something right... time and lots of hard, messy, even painful work. While it may be difficult, the reward of building something beautiful to live in and pass down over generations is worth the difficulties of the process.

Every day my husband and I have been learning to live out our marriage mission statement by making the Father's "joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind." {Philippians 2:2} . We're definitely not perfect at it, but we're learning. We're committed to seeing this thing through to the end... 'til death do us part.

Building a solid marriage isn't easy, but it's SO worth it... and today we're celebrating what we've built so far!

For Further Thought:

What kind of marriage are you building? What kind of home do you want to live in?
Are you committed to working hard in your marriage to build something that will withstand and outlast the tests of time? Will your marriage be something that you will be proud of as you leave behind its legacy to your children?
When times get tough, do you have a tendency to stop building? Or do you keep moving forward?
What have you learned from the mistakes you've made along the way that will help you build better, stronger and smarter next time?
Do you need to seek advice, counsel, or wisdom in how to build a better marriage? Do you have a good plan? A good model?
Do you have a mission statement for your marriage?

Courage For Today

2011-07-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."

{Hebrews 3:13}

I wonder what would happen if we, as Christians, truly took this scripture to heart... and practice. What would our relationships look like? In light of this verse, we should be some of the best people to be around- after all, who wouldn't want to be around someone who was consistently giving out encouragement every day?

The truth is, most of us are too busy trying to get encouragement instead of trying to give it.

... And we wonder why we are so discouraged all the time? ...It's because we've got it all backwards! God's economy is so much different than the world's. The world says you need to get more to prosper... God's Word says you need to give more to prosper. Proverbs 11:25 says it this way:

"A generous person will prosper;

whoever refreshes others will be refreshed."

You see, we can't expect to enjoy an abundant harvest of encouragement without first sowing a whole bunch of encouragement "seeds." Want to be encouraged all the time? Who wouldn't?! Sow encouragement into the lives of others on a regular basis and you'll begin to be encouraged on a regular basis.

Encouragement should not be seen as something to be given out as a one-time event. After all, how would we feel if we only received encouragement as a one-time event? The truth is, we all need it much more often than we'll ever realize or even vocalize... otherwise, I don't think Paul would have exhorted us to give it out daily!

Today, your uplifting words have the power to make all the difference in the world to someone.

And the good news is, not only will they make all the difference in the world in someone else's life, they'll also make all the difference in the world in your own.

Want to feel loved today? Express love to someone else. Want to be stronger through seasons of trials? Sow words of strength into the life of someone you know who is going through trials of their own. Not only will their burdens seem lighter, but your own will too.

Encouragement comes in many forms and is much easier to give out than you think. A quick note, a quick call, a quick email or text message... a hug, a smile, a hand to hold, a helping hand... a "Thank you," an "I love you."

Not only will someone else enjoy the refreshing waters of encouragement as they flow freely from your lips, but you will too. The very courage you give someone else in the battles they face today will give you strength and courage for your own.

For Further Thought:

Who could use a word of encouragement from you today? Your spouse? Your children? A co-worker? A stranger?
How could your friendships benefit from a regular practice of giving more encouragement?
Who could you show support today? Maybe with a meal? A kind gesture? A helping hand?
Who could use some help or motivation? A timely and thoughtful gift? A kind word?
How can you express your gratitude to someone who has blessed your life?
Who would be blessed to know that you are praying for them?

Dear Abby

2011-07-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

“Give sorrow words. The grief that does not speak whispers the o'er-fraught heart, and bids it break.”

–Wiliiam Shakespeare

Today's post is in honor the unborn child we loved and lost in a miscarriage a year ago from today's date.

Dear Abby,

My dear beautiful daughter, your Heavenly Father whispered your name to me before your father and I could ever whisper it in your little ear…. Abigail is your name. Abigail is the word we exchanged for the intense sorrow and grief our broken hearts experienced a year ago… the day you left my womb and took a piece of our hearts with you. While I didn’t know it at the time, Abigail, you see, means “the Father’s joy,” and it is truly the Father’s joy that you added to our lives.

Through you, Abigail, I was able to experience the Father’s joy so much more fully than I ever would have without this experience of intense grief and sorrow. Perhaps, Little One, the Father used your death as much as your life to teach me… Although you never experienced the beauty of the world when you would open your eyes for the first time, you opened the eyes of my heart to so much… to the fullness of love, hope, and comfort afforded me in depths I would never otherwise have known except through the unknown depths of pain, suffering, and sorrow I plummeted into.

It was you Little One, my Abigail, that the Father used to clearly illustrate to me the principle of exchanging death for life…

... of exchanging the ashes of my brokenness for the hope of what beautiful things God might create with such unconventional elements…

... of exchanging my tears of grief and morning over your death with the ointment of joy over the Life still within me- the Life you and I share- and the joy that, despite these mere moments we are apart, we will soon be together in the present reality of eternity…

...of exchanging my spirit so heavy with despair with the light and beautiful garment of praise for a Sovereign and trustworthy God - praise which, when wrapped around my heavy, hurting, disappointed, and grief-laden heart, slowly began to lift me in the reality and peace that you are wrapped in our Father’s arms, just as you always were... and as I always am.

Through your brief life and even in your death, God used you to birth new things in me, Abby. I have been inspired to live a little more… laugh a little more… give more of myself to the things that really matter and let go of the things that don’t. You taught me to more fully appreciate the miracle of life all around me... to treasure the gifts of each day, each moment, to be spent with the precious lives of those around me.

It was you, Abby, who God used as a light to reveal treasures to me that I didn’t even know I had or was even looking for… treasures that I would only discover in the darkness of an abandoned womb... an empty tomb in my body which will forever echo in my heart with the good news of an empty tomb of long ago... of one our Savior once abandoned. That, my dear one, is an amazing legacy to have left in my heart for such a short life you lived... for you have taught me all that I ever hoped to teach you. You lived your life fully, my Little One, and I am forever grateful.

Little One, my Abigail, you are my treasure forever laid up in my heart and in heaven. I love you.

For Further Reading: Isaiah 61:1-3

First Thought, First Choice

2011-06-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

"You shall bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of the Lord your God."

{Exodus 23:19}

What was your first thought when you woke up this morning? Can you even remember? Recently, I heard a startling statistic from a recent poll which really shed some light on the state of our culture and the role that technology plays in our lives:

"...Thirty-four percent of women aged 18-34, roughly a third of the women polled, have admitted to Facebook being their first thought when they woke up; many said they check Facebook before doing anything else in the morning, including going to the bathroom."

Wow. In light of this recent survey, it got me thinking:

What are my first thoughts each morning?

Now, take that a step further in light of the fact that our actions stem from our thoughts:

What is the first choice I make with my time, mental energy, and physical efforts each day?

The great thing about thoughts is that we have the ability to choose whether we will entertain them or not. I wonder what would happen if we chose to intentionally entertain certain thoughts and chose to decline others.

Are you quick to look for nuggets of wisdom or truth from social media outlets before plugging yourself into the wisdom found in the Word of God and prayer?
Are you quick to approach your computer or your Creator?
Are you quick to send a status update or to savor time with the Savior?

Tweets and status updates may appear to be short and sweet but the reality is that, if we're not careful, what might start out as a few minutes of 'short and sweet' reads has sucked us in for more time than we should be devoting to the higher priorities in life. Twitter wisdom and savvy status updates may be quick to tickle our ears and give us food for thought, but the important question is, after they've gotten our attention for any length of time do they really have the power to add value and meaning to our lives or sustenance for our souls? ...Or are they just another fix for our flesh's 'sweet tooth?'

Ok, so maybe you're not like 34% of women who struggle to keep social media in its place... maybe your first thoughts in the morning are completely unrelated to social media. What do you turn to first to satisfy the needs and cravings of your soul?

Do you tend to reach for devotionals, self-help books, email newsletters, or blogs in hopes of receiving some inspiration or motivation before reaching out to God in His Word and in prayer?
Turn pages of the newspaper before turning pages of Scripture?
Getting busy with your to-do lists before taking the time to be still in the presence of God?
Bogged down by worries or concerns before you've given any thought to bringing them to a Sovereign Lord who cares and is capable of handling them all?

Just to be clear, please don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not knocking any of these things but merely posing questions for your consideration as well as mine... BECAUSE... I wonder what our everyday lives would look like if we worked hard to establish a good daily habit of making our first conscious choice to put our highest priority first... starting in our minds and then in our actions.

What do you think?

For Further Reading: Psalm 104:34, Proverbs 13:16, Luke 8:18, 1 Corinthians 15:34, Philippians 4:8, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 6:33-34

For Further Thought:

What was your first thought this morning?
What do you want your first thoughts to be each morning?
How can you make an intentional effort to change your first thoughts each day?
How is your first conscious choice a reflection of your first thoughts each day?
What can you do to make your first thoughts and first choices of the day line up with your priorities?

First Line of Defense

2011-06-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Today I offer a few empowering and encouraging reminders for those not-so-gentle days filled with drama, doubt, or discouragement... for days you are filled with confusion or when life feels out-of-control... or when life has taken you off-guard. It is my prayer that you will be built up in your defenses and become more alert to attacks that you might walk in the fullness of life and victory that Christ paid to give you!

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith..."

{1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV}

Through Christ, you are empowered to resist, withstand and overpower ANY resistance you may be facing from the enemy...

Every line of scripture is your first line of defense. Speaking it enables you to stand strong in the struggles you face. It has power as a prevailing, conquering force in both heavenly and earthly realms.

Confessing the word of God grounds your faith... guards your heart... and enables you to hold your ground.

Christ didn't pay so great a price or fight so hard for your life only to have you sit down, back up, or shut up. When you feel weak or when life feels out of control, look to God's Word to encourage you. His Word is what feeds our faith and it is important to learn how to take the time to encourage yourself and build up your faith if it's faltering.

Don't ever let the enemy convince you to shut up, back down, or give ground. You are worth far too much for that! Think about how much Christ resisted for your sake and for all that He stood for to be able to give you. If you shrink back from the battle, you allow opportunities for oppression... opportunities for your life to be destroyed or devoured.

I pray you feel empowered and encouraged today to stand your ground in the battles you face and remember to wield your weapon... the Word!

"But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back... But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved."

{Hebrews 10:38-39 NIV}

First Response

2011-06-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

“My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.”

{Ephesians 3:17-19}

There are many people I know who have been experiencing really difficult life situations recently. They've shared their story, revealed their burdens and asked for prayer. When you see someone going through hard times, it's hard not to want to be a part of their solution... to offer physical help, ideas, solutions, etc. I'm not negating that we are never supposed to offer help in those ways, but there are times when we forget what our first and best response should be: prayer.

Respond to the needs of those around you first with prayer.

There are all kinds of prayers you can offer, but offering to pray not only for someone but with someone will many times accomplish exactly what is needed most. I don't know about you, but I tire of hearing the phrase thrown around in the Christian community, "I'll be praying for you." There are times when what I really want and need is for someone to pray for me right now. Things can be settled in both heart and mind instantly through prayer... in both the physical and spiritual realms as well. Many times our best intentions to pray for someone who really needs prayer go unfulfilled unintentionally because of our lack of first response. And I'll be the first to admit that I'm guilty of it.

This week I'm going to make an intentional effort to make my first response to be one of immediate, on-the-scene prayer. How about you?

How does it feel when someone agrees with you in prayer?
How do you feel about offering to pray with someone who expresses a need to you?
Do you have any unfulfilled intentions when it comes to your prayer life?
Do you need to ask someone to pray for you?
Ask God to use your prayers as a first response for someone else this week.

Further reading: Philippians 4:6-7, Jeremiah 33:2-3, Matthew 18:18-20, Romans 8:26, Psalm 68:19, Galatians 6:1-3

Sweet Surrender

2011-05-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

"Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?"

{Matthew 9:5}

There are days, and we all have them, when we just can't seem to get anything right. Yes, even I fall down and make mistakes. I sin, you sin. We all sin. It is an inherited condition we cannot escape. The sin-nature of our humanity cannot be avoided.

The thing about sin which is often easy to forget, is that its outward evidence (our behavior) is proof of a deeper, inner problem. It is easy to get caught up in frustration that we cannot seem to get free of a behavior; even more frustrating when we cannot seem to ascertain what issue of the heart is causing the behavior in the first place.

Delving further into the depth of 'why' we do what we do (or don't want to do) is a daunting task. Those unknown depths can be dark and scary. However, it is gravely important that we move beyond the surface of our behavior and begin dealing with those heart-issues therein. Why? We can pick the fruit off the tree all day long, but until we deal with the issue at the root, we can expect to continue dealing with the same ol' fruit.

There are all kinds of causes as to why we may struggle with certain sins more than others. Your entanglements may be different than mine, but we all have those 'certain' sins that we seem to get caught up in more than others. If we were honest enough with each other, I think we'd all admit that there are days when we're ready to just give up and throw in the towel... days when we're at our wit's end in daily struggles against that ol' schemer who suckers us in (yet again) to that sin that so easily entangles us. Have you ever been there? I know you know what I'm talking about... those days when all the right buttons have been pushed, when you just can't seem to get the upper hand, when you have slipped and fallen more times than you care to count... days when you find it difficult to stand firm where you are, let alone try to keep moving forward...

It's days like these that we need Jesus the most, but oftentimes we find it difficult to even seek Him out. Perhaps we are paralyzed with fear or condemnation, or have succumbed to the shame of our seemingly helpless condition. Our unending struggle has moved us beyond aggravation and frustration to becoming just plain tired and weary. We find it difficult to find the words to pray or even find the strength to fight the battle any longer.

On these days, when we are worn and weak, it is crucial that we remember to get ourselves to a place where we can hear the words of Jesus. Read your bible, have a time of worship, listen to a preaching podcast, go to church, get around other strong believers who will lift you up and not put you down, seek prayer... etc.

Jesus is never at a loss for words and always knows how to speak directly to those needs we cannot even begin to articulate. His word speaks to those deep and dark scary things in our hearts that are hidden from us but are plain in his sight. His word penetrates our hearts and has the power to get to the point much faster and better than we can. God knows us better than we think we know ourselves and He provides us with great comfort and rest as we put our faith in His word.

He alone knows exactly what will be fitting for us to hear in that (sometimes scary) moment when we surrender our weakness and inabilities to His power, authority, and ability. He knows whether we need to hear the sweet comfort of His words reminding us, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or whether it will suffice for Him to say with great encouragement and confidence, "Get up and walk." What is He saying to you in your areas of greatest struggle when you surrender? Whatever it is, be confident that you can take Him at His word.

Have you noticed something in particular you seem to be easily enticed and entangled by? Do you have a negative behavior you struggle with on a regular basis?

Have you ever allowed your struggles with sin to paralyze you with fear, shame, or condemnation that have kept you from Jesus instead of drawing you to Him? Have you ever felt so weakened or tired from the battle that you could hardly pray?

What area of weakness do you need Jesus to speak to? Be honest and talk to Him about it. Use your bible concordance, or use a website like BibleGateway to look up verses related to those areas and begin letting Him transform you with His word from the inside out. Meditate on and memorize those scriptures and use them often to pray for yourself.

For Further Reading: Matthew 9:1-8 , Luke 6:44-46 , Proverbs 24:16 , Psalm 37:23-24, Psalm 119:27-29, Isaiah 40:28-31, Romans 8:26-28, Hebrews 4:12-13

Vitality of Vision

2011-05-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

^{Vitality of Vision}

photo courtesy http://darrenhardy.success.com/2010/11/vision/

"Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he."

{Proverbs 29:18 AMP}

Having a hard time maintaining focus or lacking energy? Struggling with a lack of fulfillment or sense of worth? Spinning your wheels but not getting anywhere any time soon? Feeling like you've lost your mind? Well, perhaps you have...

...or perhaps you've just started losing your vision.

Vision is important. The bible says that without it, "people perish." Ever feel like you are dying on the inside? Or put another way, ever feel lethargic or apathetic towards life?

Vision is a vital sign indicative of life. It brings with it an energy and exuberance that fuel us from the inside out. It is a driving force and fervor that propels us into our God-given destinies.

Another version of the bible says,

"If people can't see what God is doing,
they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals,
they are most blessed. "

{Proverbs 29:18 MESSAGE}

Something inside of us wants to be able to see... not only to be able to see, but to be able to see clearly. If this wasn't the case, optometrists would have been put out of practice long ago. I believe our spiritual eyes desire to see just as clearly as our natural eyes... although sometimes it can be more difficult to diagnose a spiritual-sight-deficiency.

It's clear to see why we want to see clearly, in both the natural and the spiritual senses: if we can't see clearly, we deal with a lot of problems. When living with visual challenges, life is lived with much more strained effort and difficulty. Identifying and safely navigating around obstacles is just plain challenging. Naturally, when you can't see where you're going, you'll inevitably stumble and fall... or at the very least, bump into a few unsuspecting people and/or objects.

Other difficulties stemming from a sight deficiency include not being able to read, being unable to properly distinguish or identify people, being unable to find things, etc. And, perhaps the most painful disability related to a lack of vision, is just plain not being able to observe or witness the joys and beauty of life.

Vision is essential to living a fully blessed life. Not the vision itself but, as the Message translation reminds us, the attending to what God reveals is what allows us to live a most blessed life.

This week, take some time to examine your vision. Do you like what you see? If not, ask God for healing; to restore your sight so that you can begin to make an intentional effort in attending to what He reveals to you.

May you have a most blessed Monday and week ahead!

Do you feel connected to your sense of vision?
Have you asked God for vision for today? For this year? For your life?
How do you identify a lack of vision?
What can you do to make sure you maintain clear vision?

{Advent Reflections} Making Room for Him

2011-05-18T08:35:00.001-07:00

"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

{Matthew 6:6 NIV}

It’s no wonder Jesus told us to“go to your room and shut the door” when He gave us instructions topray... He was very much aware of the constant distractions in "other rooms" that can quickly disrupt or even dissolve our priceless time of individual communion with Him.

In essence, He was saying, “Get away from distractions. Shut yourself away from the noise and busyness of life. Shut the door tothe outside world so that it’s just you and Me. Make room for me in your life... in your daily living. Make room for the two of us to just be together... to enjoy uninterrupted, intimate times of companionship and close communication... in both an inward and an outward space that is free from other vices vying for your focus and attention.” What He desires is our complete andundivided attention. And why? Because He values us- He values time spent with us as His beloved. And because He has very important things to say to us that will change our lives- both inwardly and outwardly.

What must we do to make room in both the spaces of our hearts and our homes which clearly expresses our desire to enjoy the presence of Jesus? He desires room in our lives- a space which is both an outward and inward expression of our desire for Him... of our desire for His love and for His living and active presence in our lives. He desires room to move, room to transform, room for His provision, and room to display His power and perform the miraculous.

Shut the door to the kitchen with its dirty dishes.

Shut the door to the office where there remains unanswered emails, work to be done, unread status updates, tweets, and blogs ... and shut the laptop too.

Shut the door to the bedroom where there are the comforts of a warm bed, a soft pillow, and a snuggling spouse.

Shut the doors in your mind and your heart to whatever distracts your attention... the day's plans, mental to-do lists, shopping lists, harbored hurts, pressures, guilt, resentments...

...And open the door and make room for Him!

"What a man desires is unfailing love..."

{Proverbs 19:22 NIV}

Your utmost desire, is My love. All the desires in your heart can be fully satisfied with just One thing... One thing alone. You were created with this desire. All of humanity struggles daily with this inherent desire and tries intensely to quiet its constant demanding and its craving for satisfaction. Counterfeit substitutions are not so easily exposed... may times they are not discovered until their telltale effects have left you feeling empty, hungry, thirsty...

Come to Me, my beloved... find ultimate satisfaction in My unending love. Counterfeits are easily and quickly emptied and used up, available in only limited supplies... and are worthless because they can never satisfy you. They lose their luster in the glorious light of My love.

My love is unfailing... limitless... always readily available to you... never-ending... I have plenty of it to satisfy not only you but also all of humanity each day of your brief and present lives on earth... with much more in store for you to enjoy through all eternity! What you desire is not more time, more energy, more resources, more finances, more friends, more things... these are merely masks which try to cover up your desire for more of My love... and, of its supply, there is more than enough.

Confident Trust

2011-05-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It doesn't fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

{Jeremiah 17:7-8}

Trust does not fret or falter- trust is rooted in faith. When we trust God in the dark soils of adversity that surround us, our faith germinates and takes root. It grows as it strains and reaches toward the Source of Life, storing up the life-sustaining nourishment provided. Faith is content with the ample nourishment available for times of growth as well as with the sufficient sustenance supplied for times of survival.

Faith thrives, regardless of the season, because no matter how much it taps into the rich reserves of the Lord's goodness, faithfulness, and lovingkindness it never exhausts them.

Complete trust in God leaves no room for fear because it fears God more than any other facet of life. This trust must be firmly rooted in the identity and sovereignty of God. When we develop a a deep inner root of confidence in the character of our God, we begin to fear external circumstances and the tough seasons of life less and less. As our trust in God is further developed and shaped over time, it accomplishes a quiet, steadfast confidence in us that cannot be disturbed by the changing of seasons. We will find ourselves being supported and sustained by this inner confidence from the inside out.

Consider the proven character of Who you are trusting: your Creator, Savior, Father, Friend...

a God who created you with a specific and unique plan and purpose in mind...

a God who loves you so much He died for you...

a God who lovingly and compassionately guides you as a Good Shepherd...

a God who safely holds all of your secrets and who loves you nonetheless...

Take time to tap into the Lord and develop that trust. When you know more about Who it is you're trusting, you'll find that trust comes much easier. Who you trust, without fail, in the One who never fails and you'll find yourself blessed by the fruit of your faith.

Do you trust God?
When do you find it easiest to trust Him? When do you find it more difficult to trust Him?
How has your trust (or lack of trust) in God shaped your faith over time?
In what (new) ways can you begin to express your trust and confidence in the character of God?

HELP!

2011-05-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

"I lift my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will never slumber..."

{Psalm 121:1-3}

Sometimes we need the reminder that we do need help sometimes.

In our relationship with the Lord, asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of surrender to the sufficiency of His strength as well as a declaration of our dependency on Him.

Other times, we need the reminder that God does want to help us.

He doesn't despise our asking for help... on the contrary- He delights in it! He is overjoyed to supply us with strength in every moment of surrender and takes great pride and pleasure in amply supplying our needs out of the abundance of His storehouses- both heavenly and earthly.

This week, do yourself a favor: don't forget to ask for help!

When we shift our focus and secure our trust completely in our unchanging, competent, and capable God who keeps us in His watchful care, it does much good for our heart and mind. Not only does it put our worries and fears to rest, but our bodies can rest at ease as well knowing that we are safe in His sufficiency and that He'll never fall asleep on the job.

In what areas do you struggle to ask for help?
Do you have more trouble with asking for help or in receiving it?
What do you need help with right now... are your needs spiritual or physical?
Do you trust God to meet those needs?

Still In A Storm?

2011-04-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they TRUST in you."

{Isaiah 26:3}

Storms are unavoidable and emerge unexpectedly.

However, the next time a storm hits, instead of asking the Lord to still the external circumstances, ask Him to still you from the inside out- to calm your quivering heart and anchor your anxious mind...

Make a conscious decision to secure your trust in Him alone, standing steadfast in His perfect peace.

"Trust Him and find out you ARE safe." Patsy Clairmont

In His peace we can rest safely, even as Jesus did, in the midst of fierce storms that would try to sink us or rock our boat.

(Isaiah 26:3/Luke 8:23-25)

Ponderings on Perfectionism & Procrastination

2011-03-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

Some of my ongoing goals are to take better care of myself and my family; namely, to focus on implementing and improving my time, health, spiritual, and household management systems. This is a quite a process, I realize, and one I've actually been working on actively for the last couple of years.

Self-Discipline and Self-Control: agents of change.

One major discipline each of these areas boils down to that I've been working on is that much-dreaded discipline of self... otherwise known as self-discipline or self-control. Recently I've uncovered some bad mindsets I've had about the concept of self-discipline.

Yes, I've beat myself up in my mind for not having more of it, yet somehow I'm not sure if the 'beating' is doing me much good. One thing I discovered in berating myself for my lack of this highly-esteemed discipline is that my struggle was not so much with the lack of progress I was making in each of these areas, but more with my perfectionism. Initially, it doesn't seem to make sense that a perfectionist would struggle with self-discipline, but let me explain.

While perfectionism has always been a driving force in my life, it's not always driven me in a good way. In fact, a lot of times, when I know I can't do something "perfectly" I end up not making any attempts to do that thing at all... or, I'll put off doing it until I feel I can do it "the right way." Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. I'm sure you've done something similar, especially if you are a woman. However, something I've noticed is that, more often than not, those opportunities to later do something "the right way" never seem to present themselves.

One other thing I've noticed about perfectionism is that it has a tendency to feed my struggle with procrastination as well. Many times, when we realize we cannot attain perfection, it is easier to sulk in our disappointment than to attempt to do anything great at all. Notice my train of thought here... my desire for perfection was wrapped completely around myself.

Perfectionism and Procrastination: partners in crime out to rob you of productivity.

Perfectionism is focusing on ourselves and not on God. Self-discipline, otherwise known as the fruit of the Spirit called 'self-control,' is not something we can produce on our own. It can only evidence itself through our dependence on the Holy Spirit... by wrapping ourselves around God.

Here's the point I'm trying to make; please grab onto this:

Self-Discipline and Self-Control: fruit of the Spirit, not the flesh

In fact, it can actually work against attempts at self-discipline. It stems from self-centeredness and self-sufficiency which are both far from godly attributes.

If that doesn't do it for you, let me define self-discipline and perfectionism.

self-discipline
noun
the ability to control one's feelings and overcome one's weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.

perfectionism |pərˈfek sh əˌnizəm|
noun
refusal to accept any standard short of perfection.
• Philosophy a doctrine holding that religious, moral, social, or political perfection is attainable, esp. the theory that human moral or spiritual perfection should be or has been attained.

Perfectionism and Procrastination can prohibit progress and productivity.

I'm coming to the point where I have decided that it doesn't matter if I can do what I want to do perfectly or not; I'd rather try and fail than to not make any progress at all. I'd rather please God with my progress and not try to please myself so much with my perfection. I don't know why I think I can actually attain perfection anyway... of course, no one is perfect... we've all missed the mark! (See Romans 3:23)

Rather than complaining and grumbling about my imperfections, I am trying to focus more on my attempts at progress instead. Grumbling to myself or having a bad attitude about my imperfections only impedes my attempts at progress. However, when I maintain a positive attitude of gratitude for the fact that I am at least trying to head in the right direction, appreciating each step of the way in my progress, I find more instant gratification and am propelled to keep on keepin' on.

Let me encourage you with your goals: don't give up... but don't rely on your own strength either. Brush off any negative attitudes and mindsets (like those of perfectionism and procrastination), and keep on trying. Choose each day to rely on the ever-sufficient grace, mercy, and love of Christ. Let Him have His way in you, that you might curb your fleshly desires and appetites. Each day is a new day with fresh opportunities and possibilities. If you didn't quite measure up yesterday, it's not too late. Try again today. Abide in Him; allow His Holy Spirit to accomplish the fruit in you that you cannot create for yourself.

21 Random Things About Me

2011-02-26T12:27:00.000-08:00

I am currently reading through the book, Chocolatherapy: Satisfying the Deepest Cravings of Your Inner Chick, by Karen Scalf Linamen with a fabulous group of women that attend a group I lead called, Girls' Night Out. This group is open to all women... please feel free to join us in person or as a part of our online community on Facebook.

In the chapter of the book we read this week entitled, "Visibility," the author discusses her decision to discover more about herself by putting together a list of 21 Things about herself. I highly encourage you to do this. It's truly amazing how much we lose ourselves and our identities along the rocky road of life. It's really easy to do, especially as women, with all of the different roles we play- think: wife, mom, team mom, businesswoman, carpool driver, volunteer, etc. With that, I have decided to share my list with you all. Hopefully you'll learn a little something about me and allow it to inspire you to learn a little something about yourself!

1. I love reading, especially with/to my kids. Love our regular trips to the library, daily reading and daily devotion time.

2. I love fresh flowers in my house, although I don't have them often. The best are the ones I have grown myself in my garden.

3. I love animals- I have 2 amazing dogs & 2 horses. I used to think I wanted to be a vet or work in a zoo when I grew up. Now I've realized I LIVE in a zoo sometimes.

4. I've learned a lot about life and have had some of my best ideas & conversations with God while shoveling crap err... I mean, mucking out my barn.

5. I could spend hours reading and studying the bible. It's my favorite book. I'm like a sponge: always ready to soak up its words of life and knowledge so that I can pour it into my life and the lives of others.

6. I relish alone time and have been known to get up (or stay up!) at ungodly hours to make sure I have it regularly.

7. I enjoy working with my hands whether it is to build, cook, or garden. I think I really just enjoy creating... not just that, but I love to give away whatever I create.

8. I have a fetish for graphic design. I love designing logos, flyers, ads, etc. I'm not sure where this came from, other than the idea mentioned in #7.

9. My husband and children are the biggest blessings I have ever received- all 4 were unexpected (yes, including my baby who has preceded me in going to heaven!)

10. I have a fetish for names. I love the meaning of my own & how it relates to my life and identity. I also love learning about the meaning & history of the names of others as well. I read the Baby Names Book from cover to cover- twice.

11. Recently, I've rediscovered my affinity for the warm glow of candlelight (especially on a blustery day) and classical music. SO relaxing and calming.

12. I am a recovering workaholic with perfectionist tendencies. 'Nuff said. I'm sure that doesn't surprise any of you...

13. I find it difficult to contain &/or purge clutter- mostly because of my disability to accurately differentiate what's really worth holding onto.

14. I like to write but put off doing it because I don't feel that I do it well- I really have to work at it and the process of working at it frustrates me to no end. Like I said, I've got those pesky perfectionist tendencies...

15. I have the most amazing family, including all of my in-laws... they support me, love me, pray for me... I really am SO blessed.

16. I love soaking in a hot bath but can never seem to stay in for more than 10-15 minutes- can't decide if I can't handle the heat for that long or being faced with my (fat) birthday suit for that long. I've discovered a nice 'blanket' of bubbles helps with the latter.

17. I have a pretty all-consuming passion to achieve a purer, simpler way of life. This includes eliminating toxins in my physical, mental, & spiritual health (and my household's). I could write a book on this journey... and I had planned to until my perfectionist tendencies got in the way.

18. I love seeing lives changed by the message of the gospel and by the fruit of faith. I love hearing stories of personal challenges & obstacles being overcome- especially those told by women.

19. I love my hair- not in a vainglorious type of way, but because I have finally found a hairstyle that fits my lifestyle... thanks to my amazing stylist!

20. I dream of traveling the world someday... there are SO many beautiful places I'd love to see and experience firsthand.

21. I am also a recovering Facebook-a-holic... it is my calorie-free, yet unhealthy substitute at times, that aids me in my craving for 'escape' and 'community.'

Advance!

2011-02-22T07:02:00.000-08:00

There are many of us who, through some marvelous moments of motivation, have determined to set goals for ourselves. Perhaps, like myself, you set some January 1 of this year. Or perhaps you set some long-term goals quite some time ago. I've been spending some time recently evaluating my progress with some of my personal goals. Unfortunately, as I've checked my behavior to see how well it matches my goals, I haven't really liked what I've been finding: not all that much progress has been made. I would venture to say that I'm not alone... I wonder how many other people are out there who, like myself, have not quite been measuring up with their goals... and are ready to throw in the towel.

At this point, it would be really easy to give up on a few of my goals, but something inside me tells me that even a few steps taken in the right direction are better than none taken at all... and are certainly better than steps taken backward in the wrong direction.

Now, for the questions at hand: Do I choose to continue moving forward? To stumble my way toward what I initially believed could be achieved? Do I dare to press on?

There are times in our lives when we have to decide that we have reached the point of no return; that we will press on and not give up, no matter what. We have to reach a point where we sink our teeth into something and decide that we are not going to give up any more ground but will instead begin to take ground. We must decide that the battle is worth fighting, that there are some things worth standing for.

What areas are you determined to see growth or achieve progress in? Has discouragement or fear prohibited you from making further progress? Or do you have marked determination that will see you through to the end?

I've noticed an interesting thing happens when we fail to pick ourselves up and move forward: we end up moving backward whether we realize it or not. Sure, it starts with a few moments of stagnation, but those moments can quickly turn into a monument of our impending destruction.

“But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved."

{Hebrews 10:38-39}

DON'T GIVE UP. You've come too far to give up now. If you've fallen, pick yourself up and go at it again. You can do it... with God's help, with strength only He can provide. Continue to advance and you will accomplish much in your battles for better health, a better marriage, better kids, better finances, or better business. You can overcome any obstacle in your way if you will only have faith and move forward. Just put one foot in front of the other and you will advance.

"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall."

{Psalm 18:29}

Mission: Memorization

2011-02-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

Memorizing scripture is something I have done for a long time. When we memorize scripture, we are literally tucking God's word away into our hearts. Psalm 119:11 says:

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

If you are anything like me, my bible is not always at arms' length to turn to for the hope, encouragement, or strength I need at the very moment when trials or temptations strike. Naturally, these are the times when I need those words the most. This is why it is critical to have God's word tucked away in the recesses of my heart to pull from during those times. In fact, I still find myself pulling words from my heart that I memorized many years ago... even back to the first one I memorized at age 5 when I was a Sparky in Awana: John 3:16.

There are many ways to memorize scripture, but here a few ways I find most helpful:

1. Write verses in permanent marker on an index card and mark them permanently on your heart. I suggest making a few copies. The act of writing the verse several times is helpful in memorizing it too. Our teachers knew what they were doing back in school when they asked us to write our spelling words five times each- it helped us to memorize them. Usually, after I've written out the verse on my second card, I've found I can already remember at least part of it.

2. Next, hang those cards in places you 'stand around' or 'sit around.' For instance, hang them in places like above the kitchen sink, in the living room (close to the TV), over your washer or dryer or other area where you fold laundry, in the car, by your bed, etc. Every time you see the cards, make it a point to read the verse- not just in your head, but out loud. There is so much power in the spoken word. In Genesis we find this simple yet solid foundational truth clearly demonstrated in Genesis. God created things from nothing by the power of His spoken word. God's Word has the power to transform our world as we speak it, just as it had the power to transform our world at creation.

3. Turn your verse into a tune. I know this may sound corny to some, but hear me out: Isn't it amazing how we remember a simple jingle we heard many years ago advertising a store or product? Do the terms "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz..." (Alka Seltzer) or "I wish I were an Oscar Meyer wiener..." (Oscar Meyer) ring a bell? What about "Like a good neighbor" (State Farm) or "give me a break" (Kit Kat)? I would venture to say those marketing reps were on to something. In much the same way, songs have the ability to cement and solidify a scripture in your heart- for life. Great news though-you don't have to be a songwriter to benefit from memorizing scripture with a melody. Did you know that many classic hymns are saturated in scripture? What a great way to get God's word in your heart and out of your mouth (where, again, it holds transforming power) than by singing it! Did you know there are actually scripture memorization CDs out there as well that have put scripture to music? Take a look at your favorite Christian bookstore or google some online.

4. Look for opportunities to allow the scripture to 'sink in.' The best way I've found to memorize scripture is to pick an area where I am personally in need of transformation and to then use a concordance or an online bible searching website to help me find a related verse. The key is then to look for ways to apply what I've learned. A great site I use is: www.biblegateway.com. Then, I soak my mind in it as I meditate on it and ask God to saturate my life with its truth as I pray it into my life.

5. Memorize with someone! This could be your spouse, your kids, a friend, a mentor, etc. Check in with each other and quiz each other from time to time. Work towards an incentive together and celebrate your progress along the way! You can memorize the same scriptures together or each choose different ones. Taking the time to share with someone else how the scripture you are working on has saturated your life and cemented itself in your heart. Over the last 2 years, I have had the mission to memorize 26 verses with my kids: one for each letter of the alphabet, each verse starting with a corresponding, consecutive letter of the alphabet. We memorized them each day as we were on our way to school, with one letter/verse per week or every other week, depending on their pace. I was amazed at how much and how quickly my then 3 and 5 year-olds could learn! It was a great encouragement to me that I was sowing these words not only into their hearts, but into mine as well. Now, over a year later, we still go back to those same verses during some of our teachable moments with them!

If you are looking for someone else to join on this journey, please feel free to join me! I'll be posting the verses I am memorizing each month on my Facebook in a note entitled, "Verses to Memorize this Year." I'd love to hear your stories of how God has transformed your life through His Word and to hear any additional tips you may have to offer in how you memorize scripture.

Prepare for What?

2011-01-01T10:05:00.000-08:00

What if there is more to this year that meets the eye? What if there is more than we could have ever planned for, expected, or attempted to reach for in 2011? For me, there is only one way to find out. For the next couple of days, I plan on starting out this new year, this new season of life, with fasting and prayer.

Jesus, prior to entering into his public ministry and living out the calling for which He was sent to this earth, spent 40 days of fasting and prayer after which he successfully triumphed over the temptations of the devil. Before Jesus ever healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, sent the lame walking, or set us free from sin and death, he made preparations for His passion by His persistence to tap into the power and purpose of the one who sent Him. Just how exactly did he do this? Take a look at Matthew 4.

Jesus who was now filled with the Holy Spirit, was ‘led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.’ (Matthew 4:1). He was taken to a ‘training facility,’ to a proving grounds, so to speak. It was there that I believe His purpose was refined and that He was able to tap into the power with which to accomplish it.

Jesus was tempted and proved victorious in 3 places: a desert, a mountain, and at the highest point of the temple. I wonder if, perhaps, we are tempted and may prove ourselves victorious in those 3 types of places too... when we are at our lowest, driest, and hungriest; when we have ascended to great heights and are prone to fall; when we have reached the pinnacle of a divine situation or a holy, sacred moment or position.

Why are we tempted? We are tempted not only to sharpen us and prepare us to reach our destiny, but to realize that the power with which we need to get us there is not our own. We are tempted that we might utilize that power and enjoy sweet victory.

I wonder how many opportunities we miss simply because we are unprepared- whether intentionally or unintentionally. Consider the 2 farmers suffering from a drought yet hoping for a harvest... only one showed his expectation of rain by taking initiative and preparing his fields for the opportunity to meet the rain when it fell. He actually planted his seed while the other one did not. It is obvious which farmer enjoyed enjoyed the abundance of his harvest. Jesus Christ prepared for the opportunity of His lifetime through taking the time and initiative to cultivate the necessary determination, physical and spiritual discipline, and strength required to accomplish the harvest He expected.

As you craft and work towards your goals and resolutions for the New Year, I challenge you to take some time in prayer and fasting in order to align yourself with the One who can provide you with the power to achieve dreams and provide you with providential opportunities to propel you toward your destiny. You never know what you may be in for this year...

PART 2 Faith: Wring Out The Old, In With the New

2010-12-31T08:23:00.000-08:00

In my last post, we found that faith is defined as “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” Trust is the cornerstone of all healthy relationships. Think about it: every healthy marriage, every healthy friendship, every healthy parent and child relationship... what is it built and hinged on? Love would probably be your first answer, but dig a little deeper than that... it’s trust isn’t it? Trust is the ultimate expression of love, the bond that holds two hearts together.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is literally impossible to please God without faith... or, in other words, without the actions our trust in Him causes us to make. Faith is trust in action. It’s the ‘why’ and ‘how’ we express our love for God. It’s the express train, so to speak, that gets us to our destination.

So, just what does this ‘trust in action,’ or ‘faith,’ look like? Well, in my experience, it looks rather bleak initially. It means putting my neck on the line or putting myself in impossible situations where I think to myself, “God help me!” The end result, however, is glorious... not because of what I have done, but because of what He does.

Trust takes time to be established. It is a constant ebb and flow of time mingled with the experiences in our relationships. To place confidence or trust in someone, you generally want to know their character and track record, which are both equally established over time as well. Thankfully, our Creator and Redeemer God has had plenty of time to establish both.

Why in the world do we struggle so much to trust Him then? Not only that, but to trust Him enough to put that trust into action? I think the problem has more to do with us than Him. Time and again He has clearly proven His worthiness of that trust... Time and again, He has proven His capabilities, His character, His power, His love.

I think we’d agree that the most obvious problems we seem to have that hinder our faith are forgetfulness and fear. We are not far off from the Israelites in their journey from captivity to the glorious Promised Land... with the Lord constantly reminding them ‘do not forget’ and ‘do not fear.’ However, there is a bigger problem I think we can have: the problem of being so stuck in our past, being so caught up in our old stories of faith and favor... that we neglect to take the steps to create new ones.

“This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

{Isaiah 43:16, 18-19}

I’ll be the first to admit that I am guilty of it. I’ve held onto and dwelled on so many of the things that God has brought me through in my past that I’ve yet to take steps into a new chapter in my life. I’ve been so guilty of this, in fact, that my blog has actually sat dormant while I’ve tried to figure out better and more creative ways to tell the stories of my past, instead of focusing on the work God is doing in me right now... How ridiculously pathetic that is!

While trust is indeed established over time, God is not bound by time and doesn’t want us to try to bind Him to it. He’s a God who was not only with us in our past, but He’s with us in our present and will be with us in the time to come. He was with us in the stories headlining our history, but He’s also with us in what’s fresh, what’s new, and what’s happening right now. He’s the Leader in breaking news. And, you know what? Nothing comes as a surprise to Him; He already knows what’s just around the bend.

Don't ever believe that God must remain confined to the stories of your past. When we limit Him to the past, we limit Him in our present and our future. Instead, we need to choose to use our past, rather, to boost our confidence and trust in Him to guide us in the present and to fuel us to actively pursue new things in the future. Allow limited mindsets to be dissolved so that there might be room to dream bigger dreams and imagine more impossibilities. God loves to do the unimaginable, the impossible, the unthinkable. He is just waiting for the opportunity to prove it.

This New Year’s Eve, may you wring out the old year for all it’s worth and prepare to ring in the new works and the new things which God has planned for you. Let today be a day in which you savor and celebrate the goodness and faithfulness of God in your past and acknowledge His presence guiding you in the present toward the triumphs of tomorrow. May your new year be a year for creating fresh and new stories of faith and triumph as you walk confidently and assuredly of Who is with you.

This Thing Called "Faith:" PART 1

2010-10-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

What My Faith Didn’t Tell Me

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” {Hebrews 11:1}

There are some things in life that just don’t seem to make any sense. Why in the world would we want to leave the “Golden State,” a beautiful new home, lots of family and friends, and a successful business behind? ...And at that, to move to a state known for rain (Yes, now I know why it is able to be called the "Evergreen State!"), to a town 1% the size of our city, where we knew hardly a soul and would be without any prospects of jobs or a place to live? Some might have thought we we're crazy. Some still think we we're crazy. I call it faith.

So, just what is faith? Over the past few years, I have had many opportunities to contemplate this very question. Faith is defined as, “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” Let me tell you, when you and your husband pack up all your belongings, move over 1,000 miles while being nearly eight months pregnant and with a toddler in tow, not knowing much at all about where you’re going or the full extent of why you are going there, I think that pretty much qualifies as “faith.”

We trusted God. We didn’t understand completely, but we knew He said “Go,” similarly to how God told Abraham to “Go.” Also, like Abraham, we weren’t given all the pieces of the puzzle as to where exactly we were going or why exactly we were going until we got here. Honestly, we still don’t have all those pieces, but I’d like to believe we’ve discovered a few more of them along this journey. The point is, we knew what God was telling us... that even though there were only a few pieces of the puzzle we knew at the time, God said, “Go,” so we went. We moved in complete trust; confident that God had something great in store for us.

What we didn’t know was the extent of what this calling was going to look like once we got here. We didn’t know that...

...our house we were in the process of selling in California when we moved wouldn’t finish closing escrow until several months after it was scheduled to, leaving us without the ability to move forward in finding a new house.

...or that my husband wouldn’t be able to find work for over a year after we moved.

...or that we’d end up with an overgrown, empty piece of land instead of a house of our own. or that we’d use the last of our savings to purchase a fifth-wheel trailer to live in for the next four years, completely pioneering these four-and-a-half acres from square one.

...that we’d not only start out here without a house, but with no electricity, no well or septic system to boot.

My faith also didn’t tell me that I’d experience what it was like to be without running water for over a year or that I’d be toilet-training both of my children at some point during that time. I had no idea that for our first winter living in our trailer we’d experience what was said to be the worst winter in our county in years, with an absurd amount of snow and temperatures consistently in the single digits. Let me tell you, this was no comfy, cozy time for our family. You have all kinds of problems with a trailer in those conditions... frozen water pipes (think: no shower, no brushing your teeth, no washing dishes), frozen potty (umm... I’ll let you think on your own on this one!), critters invading to escape becoming frozen (yeah, I’ll let you think on that one too!)... you get the picture. Conditions grew so bad that we ended up ‘wintering’ with friends and family for several months until things ‘thawed out,’ and conditions improved enough so that we could return and carry on.

My faith didn’t tell me that I would have to watch my husband struggle to balance his day job, family life, and ministry, and manage to work on projects on our land that we desperately needed to get done in order for our living conditions to improve. I had no idea that I would witness him spending a grueling year of drilling for water on our land, to no avail... or that we would constantly struggle to make ends meet, let alone have any extra money to work on moving forward in preparing to build. My faith also didn’t clue me in that we would be completely devastated by not being able to qualify for a construction loan after working on our land for two years.

Raising a family is no easy task. Yet, my faith hadn’t told me that we'd be rearing our baby and toddler in close, confined quarters; in such a small, and, at times, oppressive space... It didn't tell me how in the world to keep our family organized and sane through the many challenges we faced as we attempted to keep moving forward. I had no idea that I'd struggle with ongoing bouts of depression and discouragement or that I’d have times when I felt our world would come crashing in at any moment... that we’d end up with no choice but to sheepishly return to our hometown... broke, defeated, and beyond humiliated.

But, let me tell you, there’s a whole lot more that my faith did tell me. It told me that it didn’t really matter how situations appeared and that I didn’t have to be overcome by the overwhelming circumstances and emotions I experienced. It told me that not only did God love me and accept me for who I was, but that I would have people surrounding me who would be a physical extension of that unconditional love. My faith told me that I didn’t have to be bound by obstacles that were in our way. It told me that if I really trusted God, I mean really trusted Him, I could have peace of mind and of heart. Not only that, but that God would use the people of His church as His body to be meet our ongoing needs of provision. My faith is what gave me hope and kept me going through the times when I thought, surely, I couldn’t go on another step. But step after step I began to take... until my faith became something that I walked.

My faith told me that I could trust God; that I could really trust Him. Time and again, as I took God at His Word, trusting Him to do what I’d seen Him do in the Bible and in the lives of other believers I knew, as my own trust in Him was tested, I found that He was so faithful! I discovered that He had gone before me, was walking beside me, and was even covering my tail! My trust in Him, this thing called faith, increased as I watched Him provide for us in miraculous ways, beyond anything I could ever imagine: groceries, gas, outstanding debts paid in full, clothing, and so much more! My faith began to take root and was nurtured each time I trusted Him and began to see the fruits of my faith.

The roots of my faith have spread more deeply now. I’ve discovered that faith becomes rooted in my belief that God has compassion on me, that He understands and cares about how I feel; in this, I find such great comfort. I can have faith in Him because I have come to understand that He is familiar with my suffering- the stress, the desolation, the anxiety, the exasperation, the pain, the loneliness. There have been many times when I believe He has cried with me, held me in His arms, and reassured me with gentle whispers of His love. Faith becomes firmly rooted when I've realized that this amazing, Creator God, this Master of the Universe, not only can see beyond what I can see, with a much bigger and better perspective, but that this same God, loves me... He has good plans for me... He holds my best interest at heart! He has more than earned my trust... He really is faithful!

This thing called “faith” works. In my next few blogs, I want to explore the subject of faith on a down-to-earth, practical level and talk about its applications and implications in our lives as believers. I’ll share some specific experiences with you in hopes that you might be encouraged and enriched in your own faith, and in hopes that you’ll join in the conversation with your own thoughts and do the same for other readers and myself.

Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch...

2010-10-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

Hello, my long-lost readers!

Since my last post nearly six months ago, I have had my life pretty much turned upside-down... 2 weddings, 2 trips to California (1 of which was for a family emergency), 1 new nephew (partially the cause of said family emergency), a pregnancy, a move (into the basement of our new house!), a miscarriage, and MUCH more. My life has been completely stirred and shaken up over these last several months... I've been swept off my feet, knocked down on my face, and flying by the seat of my pants!

Now that school has started and life seems to be settling into somewhat of routine (a busy one nonetheless!), I hope to be able to pick up where I left off in sharing some miraculous testimonies as well as head into a new direction with my blog.

So stay tuned, friends... I'm just getting started!

10 Minutes

2010-04-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

10 minutes... Whew... Is that really all the time I have to attempt blogging in my seemingly jam-packed schedule? As I am writing this, multiple things are demanding my attention... thoughts of what I should be doing, thoughts of what I could be doing... even the little dog that has crawled up into my lap and positioned herself between me and the computer screen, looking at me intently with her ‘sad li'l puppy dog eyes,’ demanding my attention as well. Yet, I press on... The question that remains is: What could I possibly write in a matter of 10 minutes that would be worth reading?

10 minutes... 1/6th of an hour... 1/144th of my day today... Is that all the time I can spend working towards my dream of making a difference in the lives of others through, what I hope to be, powerful and inspirational words? Yet, I take a step forward... even if it is only a small one with these next 10 minutes. Perhaps my perspective would be altered if I asked myself a better question: What could God possibly have to say to me in these next 10 minutes? Can I really even trust Him to speak to me in these 10 minutes of my day... something worth hearing and worth sharing?

10 minutes... 1/10,080th of this week... 1/40,640th of this month... What could I possibly do with these next 10 minutes that would be worth anything? Or even...What should I do with these next 10 minutes that would be worth anything? 10 minutes doesn’t seem like much... Can an impact really be made in a matter of 10 minutes?

10 minutes... 1/108,000th out of 2010... 1/13,140,000th out of the life I’ve lived up to this point... 10 minutes doesn’t really seem like much in the scope of things... especially not in light of eternity.

I beg to ask the question, though: What if 10 minutes wasn’t as it seemed?

What if...

    ...Someone I dearly loved was laying on an operating table, desperately awaiting the arrival of a heart- transplant?

10 minutes... each second like an eternity... doctors and surgeons rushing about the operating room could not work fast enough to hush my heart...

What if...

    ...I were watching helplessly while rescue workers attempted to find and save my drowning child?

10 minutes... each second slipping away faster and faster... just as my child's chances of survival and the hopes of holding my baby in my arms again...

10 minutes...

What if...

    ...in these next 10 minutes I had opportunities that I would never have again?

Opportunities to do the things I could have done... to do the things I should have done... to hear something worth hearing, or to share something worth sharing.

Then, perhaps, at the end of the hour... at the end of the day... at the end of this week... this month... this year... this life... perhaps, even as I pass into eternity... I will see the impact that was made in a matter of 10 minutes.

Perhaps, then, I won’t look back with regret and say things like...

“Oh, I wish I had just 10 more minutes to spend with them! Then I could have told them I loved them... told them I forgive them... told them I cared about them... told them how much they mattered to me!”

“Couldn’t I have spared 10 minutes to be more kind to them? To put their needs above my agenda for the day? To lift them up even though I was feeling down? To care more about what they were trying to say but couldn't? To give them my full, undivided attention?"

10 minutes...

What will YOU do with them? Who is waiting for you to do something with them? What you do in these next 10 minutes could very well be a matter of life or death, a blessing or a curse, not just for you, but for someone.

Give God at least 10 minutes each day and see what He does with them. It just might change your life.

Rainbow Bright

2010-02-19T13:26:00.000-08:00

The Pacific Northwest is notorious for its dreary weather. As much as we might like to sing,"Rain, rain, go away," it keeps on coming even when we tell it to "come again another day." Living here has been a huge adjustment for my husband and I who are both native southern Californians. I have come across research that has proven that a lack of sunlight can affect you physically and mentally, but I can personally attest that it can affect you spiritually as well. Only since living in the Pacific Northwest have I ever heard of things like SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and Vitamin D deficiency, both of which are silently debilitating the general public. After living here for four years now, I have come to realize just how much I've taken the sun for granted.

Over the past couple of years I've discovered that the sun was not the only thing I took for granted. I took things like having an endless supply of running water, or even an abundance of running hot water for granted. I took for granted the fact that my water pipes never froze, that I had a dishwasher saving me lots of time and energy. I took things like having a spacious house in a relatively close proximity to family and friends for granted... things like having enough money to pay my bills for granted. Being involved in a thriving ministry under anointed leadership which experienced the favor of God... all taken for granted. So many, many things... all taken for granted. It seemed my life was always filled with "sunshine" and I soaked it up without realizing just how fortunate I really was.

What can happen over time, however, when the sun is shining all the time? The sun itself can be a good thing, however, even too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Think about it: When the sun is shining all the time, with no rain, it can kill you. Heat-stroke, drought, famine. Yeah, it feels good for a while, but there comes a time when you just plain need some rain. Without rain, nothing can grow, nothing can thrive. Things become desolate, barren, and empty. Before you know it, you've got yourself a desert.

Perhaps I was getting to a point in my life if I kept living life "in the sun," it was going to kill me. Perhaps I was all too close to becoming a desert. Perhaps part of God's purpose in His direction for moving us to a place that experiences an excessive amount of rain wasn't just so that we could experience it in the physical realm but also in the depths of our hearts as well.

Well, let me tell you, we've experienced a lot of rain here in Washington... both in the literal and the figurative sense of the word. More than I would prefer, for sure. The little glimpses of sunshine when they come now mean so much more than they ever did when my life was continuously filled with sunshine. In fact, now that I experience rain more often than not, the scarcity of the sun's light and warmth has made it that much more satisfying. Every time it shows its face, I am more apt to express immediate gratitude instead of my previous unappreciative expectation.

One thing is for sure... I have also seen way more rainbows in the past four years here in Washington than I ever had in my entire life while living in California. I'm talking probably close to twenty in the last four years of my life, compared with maybe 4 in the first twenty-or-so years of my life. As I shared this fact with someone recently, she was very quick to point out, "Well, maybe that's because you never saw as much rain in your life until you moved to Washington!" Boy, isn't that the truth! Point well-taken. You can't have a rainbow without some rain!

Wikipedia's description of rainbows is fascinating...

"The most spectacular rainbow displays happen when half of the sky is still dark with raining clouds and the observer is at a spot with clear sky in the direction of the Sun. The result is a luminous rainbow that contrasts with the darkened background."

Even more fascinating is the science behind why a rainbow occurs...

"The light is first refracted as it enters the surface of the raindrop, reflected off the back of the drop, and again refracted as it leaves the drop. ... A rainbow does not actually exist at a particular location in the sky. Its apparent position depends on the observer's location and the position of the sun. All raindrops refract and reflect the sunlight in the same way, but only the light from some raindrops reaches the observer's eye. This light is what constitutes the rainbow for that observer."

As believers and biblical scholars, we know that there is so much more to rainbows than science. The first rainbow appeared to Noah after the flood in Genesis 9. You see, the rainbow is not just a natural wonder but it is also a supernatural wonder. There was a purpose behind its presence in the natural world. It became a way to connect what is happening in our natural world to what is happening in the supernatural... to understand that whatever is happening in our natural world, God's supernatural plans for us can supersede it... that although the skies may be gray and the rain may be pouring, His light can reflect and refract through it to create something beautiful... that we can have hope for tomorrow because we are blessed with the assurance that God is working all things together for our good, just as He did in the case of Noah and the flood.

^"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. "

{Romans 8:28 NIV}

God truly made a statement with the rainbow... a statement painted in vivid color with the observer in mind... a stark contrast for the one who had seen so much darkness, so much dreariness, so much hopelessness, that it would appear that no amount of light could ever fill their world with color again.

There may be times when our obedience to God puts in a place where it appears dark and gloomy, perhaps even for a very long time. There may be times when it seems like the rain will never stop falling. There will be times when our his willingness to humbly obey God's directions will put us in an uncomfortable position.

However, because of our willingness to obey... to do the work set before us... waiting in expectation for deliverance... enduring the rain without any assurance of when it will let up... we will be perfectly positioned in just the right place to see God do something amazing. When we are in just the right place at just the right moment, facing the right direction, we have been perfectly positioned to observe the miraculous... of God shining forth His light through the rain, through the darkness and dreariness of our lives, revealing His glory in vivid color! ...Not only does it position us to personally observe this wonder, but it positions others as well! I've never known of anyone who doesn't stop in their tracks to observe the wonder and majesty of a rainbow.

Not only do we become positioned, we also become postured. We become postured to see His glory... and to receive His blessing! As we observe His glory and receive His blessing, we become postured in humble gratitude. He protects us and provides for us in the times of rain when it seems the whole world is pouring down on us, wanting to drown us and rock our boat... He holds us tenderly in His care, completely at His mercy bearing in mind what we can handle... all of these facts should be enough to draw us completely to our knees in humble appreciation!

God's covenant with us, sealed with a visual reminder of a rainbow, means that we can have hope. We can have hope that although the storms may rage and we cannot see His light, it is there. We can have hope that although the rain falls it will never be the death of us. We can have hope that although the skies may be gray and dreary, He can use them as a canvas to paint a bright and beautiful picture with brilliant colors that displays His glory.

Remember that His love is with you in the rain just as much as it is when the sun is shining. His love is unchanging and can anchor you in a world that can quickly change and rock your boat. His love is constant even through the winds of change. Remember that even though you cannot see Him through the dark clouds, the Son is there, waiting for just the right moment to reveal His glory to you and the world around you that is watching and waiting.

As I write these final words, I am reminded of a song by Mercy Me called, "Bring the Rain." The song was written as the members of the band encountered a season full of storms yet chose to focus on God's glory through it all. I encourage you to follow the link below and allow the words and images to penetrate your heart. May they bring you hope in a season when all you can see is rain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU

You're Welcome!

2010-02-03T18:01:00.000-08:00

"So... Do you want to come to my.... uh... er... trailer?"

I nervously twiddle my thumbs and bite my lip, awaiting a response. It's usually difficult for me to find the right words to use when extending an invitation to what we call “home." After all, just how do you make a fifth-wheel trailer sound appealing or convince someone that it's a place that will be worth their time to come to? Trying to get others excited about it is a whole other issue when, half the time, it’s not exactly the type of place I look forward to coming home to myself!

Granted, our living conditions are definitely not what I would consider ideal for entertaining. How can you get excited to make a gourmet meal for friends and family on a small three-burner stove and tiny one-rack oven, not even big enough to fit a cookie sheet? Well, that’s just the half of it, really. The truth is, a twenty-nine-foot-long abode doesn’t afford many luxuries for guests to enjoy. Yes, I admit it... there’s not really much here, folks.

Often, I succumb to a fear of an anticipated response after describing my living conditions that I neglect to extend a hospitable invitation altogether. The countless frustrations I’ve incurred both from my attempts, as well as my lack of attempts to entertain in my small space, has often left me feeling guilty, unfulfilled, and lonely. So... just what do you do when your living conditions are not exactly ideal for extending hospitality? These have been my musings over the last three-and-a-half years while trying to make friends in a new community. Here are some revelations that I’ve discovered over the last couple of months.

Be willing.
   It doesn’t matter what you think you have to offer.... what matters is that you are willing to offer what you have. Jesus was able to feed 5,000 men, not counting multitudes of women and children as well, just by one little boy being willing to share what he had: five loaves of bread and two small fish. Not only that, but they had leftovers to spare! (See John 6:1-13)

Make yourself available.
   Make yourself available to meet others’ needs as they arise. Don’t put it off, because you may not have another opportunity. Yes, it is possible it may inconvenience you. However, if you are flexible, you won't get bent out of shape. Don’t ever be too busy, too broke, or too tired for others, or you may find that others will become too busy, too broke, or too tired for you. (See Galatians 6:10, Ephesians 5:15-17, Colossians 4:5, Luke 6:38)

Do what you can do... out of the power of Him Who is in You.
   See a need and fill it... feed the hungry, encourage the faint, comfort the sick, inspire the timid, house the homeless, mother the motherless, father the fatherless, befriend the friendless, show kindness to the widow, include the outsider. Find the hurt and heal it. You can offer a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, heartfelt compassion and prayers, words of wisdom, a hearty meal, or even a healing dose of laughter. As Jesus gave to you, you also can give to others because He is in you. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, 1 John 4:4, Isaiah 61:1-6, James 1:27, Proverbs 17:22)

Remember... you are doing it for Jesus!
   What we choose to do, or even don’t do makes a difference in your life and in the lives of others. Do things out of a desire to please God and be careful not to become a people-pleaser. Don’t be driven by perfection or think you have to have it all together to be used; it's really quite the opposite. The more cracked your vessel is, the more He can come through... That should be our ultimate goal anyway! Love extravagantly because you can never love too much. How we choose to invest our time, energy, and resources will prove where our treasure is... what Jesus treasures is completely counter cultural! (See Matthew 25:31-46, James 4:17, Hebrews 13:2, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Colossians 3:23-24)

Here at my home, however imperfect or messy it may be, whether ready or not, here you can come. We have an open-door, open-heart policy. What you see is what you get. We are real people just like everyone else, with real joys, real hurts, and real passions, who serve a real, good God.

Don't this little twenty-nine-foot fifth-wheel trailer fool you... our treasure is in heaven! What we are building there will be far greater than what we have here on this earth. While we don't have a cute little doormat saying "Welcome" and while our home doesn't always appear the most welcoming, our door is open and you are welcome. Come on in and find Jesus... He lives here too!

A Word of Prayer

2010-02-01T18:30:00.000-08:00

Father,
As I set forth on this journey as both a speaker and a writer, professions entirely dependent on the use of words, I am reminded of the impact words can have... more importantly, the power of Your Word...

You formed the entire universe as Your thoughts and plans came to be formed on Your lips...

Your Word came to this earth in a living body, with flesh and bone... alive and active...

Your Word came to penetrate our thoughts and attitudes... to divide soul from spirit...

Your Word came as flesh to be a lamp for our feet, a light for our path, revealing to us the way to live life, and life more abundantly...

Your Word came to move mountains and speak things into existence which were not yet in existence...

Your Word came to prove its power to heal the sick, bind up the brokenhearted, give sight to the blind, and open the ears of the deaf...

Your Word came to proclaim good news, to announce freedom to all captives, and to pardon all prisoners...

Your Word came to turn the tables of the self-righteous, wreak havoc on hypocrisy, and paint the ultimate picture of love...

Your Word came out of love for all of humanity... it was put to death by all of humanity, who did not understand it... yet, it conquered sin, death, and hell so that all of humanity might have the opportunity to abide in You on this earth and for all eternity!

Your Word came... a fulfillment of a promise... exhibiting the fullness of grace and truth... to write itself on human hearts... to change the world forever.

Your words are everything, Jesus.
My words are nothing, if they are not filled with Your Spirit.

Let this be a place where You speak, where Your words are heard...
loud and clear...

words that will change hearts and lives...
words that will change families and communities...
words that will rock this world and forever change the generations to come...

For NOTHING is impossible with Your Word... and "blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

...Amen!