Merry Christmas...

 Wow, I've been busy...and I've been ill - holiday dinners and parties continue to be a source of hidden gluten (even though I'm assured my food is gluten free by well-meaning people) and dairy is no longer a friend.  So sad...

We frequently say in our family, "It is what it is!"  So, I will look for and be grateful for God's blessings and enjoy spending time with family this Christmas as we welcome our newest granddaughter the day after Christmas.  I'm so looking forward to meeting her!

Life goes on with its joys and difficulties regardless of the season.  So, I pray for all of us and all of you to be grateful for the blessings and moments of joy and to lean on our Savior, Jesus, who gave up Heaven to come to Earth so we can find peace and joy in this life when the inevitable turmoil happens.  May we all find rest and comfort in His wonderful love.

Joy to the world, the Lord has come!

A desperate mother...

November is here and I added the Thanksgiving decorations to the Fall decorations.  I love the history behind the holiday.  We were blessed to be able to take our girls to Plimoth Plantation in Cape Cod, Massachusetts when they were younger after reading The Light and the Glory, the true story of the small band of people who followed God's leading to the new land across the Atlantic.  They made major sacrifices so their families could have freedom to worship God.  If you ever get a chance to go, it is an eye-opening experience. 

Did you know that at one point during their first winter their food consisted of five kernels of corn each day?  The next spring, the nearby Wampanoag Indians taught them how to plant crops in the new land and showed them what was available as game to shoot or catch to feed their families.  The Pilgrims and these Indians enjoyed a good working relationship and the Pilgrims wanted to express their thanks to God and the Wampanoags by having a feast - thus Thanksgiving was born.

Many books picture the Pilgrims as stern religious people who only wore black and white.  But, in reality, they loved color.  Their clothes were colorful as were many pieces of furniture.  They also loved to sing and dance.  Doesn't sound very stern to me!


Jesus Cared About Women

There is a story in Matthew 15 about a Canaanite woman who approached Jesus.  She was desperate to get help for her daughter. 

Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David.  My daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.

This mother loved her daughter and was so desperate for relief for her that she approached this famous Jewish rabbi and begged Him for mercy. She had obviously heard of the miraculous healings He had performed.  That's what she wanted for her daughter and was desperate enough to be bold enough to take a chance that He would hear her and heal her daughter.

Jesus' disciples were offended that she would even approach Jesus and demanded that He send her away. Jesus told them something that seemed to infer that He agreed with them.  I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  But, I really think He was just trying to get the disciples to think outside the box.

The desperate mother approached Jesus and bowed down before Him.  Lord, help me!  Can you imagine the tears running down her cheeks.  If He wouldn't help her, there was nothing else she could do.  Jesus tested her by His answer to her.

It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.

She boldly answered, Yes, Lord, but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their master's table.  She knew she had no claim on His help, but desperate mothers do and say desperate things.

Jesus could have refused to help her, but He didn't.  At that point, He didn't see her as a Canaanite but as a woman who recognized Him for who He was. 

O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish.

And her daughter was immediately healed!

Do you ever see yourself as unworthy to ask God for help?  The key is not in our ability to be the right person or to ask in the right way.  The key is in knowing who He is - not just positionally, but relationally.  Do you know Him?  

Suffering from a hemorrhage...

This stack of painted pumpkins is at my friend's house.  So cute!  There's one just like it on the other side of the sidewalk.  They are faux pumpkins she purchased at Michael's.  She had her husband drill a hole and put sand in them so they wouldn't blow away in our lovely Panhandle wind.  Then she painted them.  She will be able to use them for many years to come. 
 ________________

As I began studying the different stories of Jesus' encounters with women, one of the first accounts that came to mind was about the woman who had suffered with a hemorrhage for twelve years.

Twelve years.  Think about it.  That would be like having "that time of the month" for twelve years!  Oh goodness!

The story found in Matthew 9 and Mark 5 records that she had been through many treatments at the hands of many physicians and nothing worked.  Nothing worked.

I've been down that road before.  Being critically ill and going from doctor to doctor, paying thousands of dollars for tests that were inconclusive - it can be so discouraging.  There were many times before I was diagnosed with celiac disease when I wished I could physically do what this woman did to be healed.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

She had evidently heard that if you wanted to be healed, you had to go see the rabbi Jesus.  You need to understand something.  This woman was considered unclean because of the hemorrhage.  The last thing she could expect would be for a rabbi to lay his hands on her or have anything to do with her.

She was so desperate for healing that she came up behind him in a crowd and touched the fringe of his prayer shawl, reasoning that just touching his garment would bring the relief she craved.

She was right!  She was immediately healed and probably quietly turned to head home even though she wanted to shout and dance. She almost got away with it. But, this is Jesus we are talking about.  He immediately sensed power flowing from his body.

He turned and gave her the opportunity to fess up.  "Who touched my garments?"  The disciples couldn't believe their ears and reminded Jesus that he was in a crowd...he was touched constantly. 

But Jesus knew this woman needed more than healing.  She needed an encounter with him.  He caught her eye and she fell down before him in fear, shaking because she had not had his permission to touch his garments.  Before she knew it, the whole story came pouring out of her mouth.  I'm pretty sure she was crying...

Jesus didn't get mad at her, or condemn her, or show disgust at her ailment or her daring action.  He listened to her story, then he called her Daughter.  Daughter.  Like a loving father.  And told her that her faith had made her well, that she could go with peace in her heart because she had been healed physically and could now live without any of the affliction she had suffered from for twelve long years.  You don't have to see the words on the page - you know she loved him for the rest of her life.

Jesus cares...

It's a beautiful rainy Fall morning, my favorite kind - no wind, just gentle falling rain.  It's the kind of rain that reminds me that God sees me, loves me and covers me with His grace...wonderful life-giving, freedom-endowing grace.


I'm teaching Grown-up Girls at a friend's house on Tuesday mornings.  It's a small group of gracious empty nest women who love the Lord.  I'm used to teaching younger women, so this has been a stretch for me.  However, it has been wonderful to connect with other moms whose children have their own lives apart from us.  There is comfort in our shared heartache.

This particular friend who hosts this group is a designer and her home is gorgeous.  Every week I come home and rearrange some little knick knack.  I learn from how she uses things in unusual ways.  One of the things that got some tweaking was the new blue tray on my coffee table that I found on the bottom shelf at T.J. Maxx.  It makes it so much easier when little ones come over to pick up a tray with all the breakables and put it up where they can't get to it. 

I gathered different fall items and things that fit into the color scheme of red, orange and brown (plus the one green bird planter) and arranged them on the tray.  I messed with it all day until I liked the look of the tray from all angles.  And, yes, I know it will look differently next year...

Jesus Cares About Women

We live in a world where still many times women are overlooked.  I saw a documentary piece about a culture where women still are seen as property.  I couldn't help but wonder what Jesus would do if He encountered those same women.  We will take a look at some of the stories in the Bible about some real encounters.  I hope you will be encouraged.

The first woman I looked at was the first woman in Jesus' life - His mother, Mary.  Luke 1:26-38 is the story of Gabriel announcing the Messiah's coming to Mary, who would bear Him in her womb, then give birth to Him, raise Him and see prophecy fulfilled in His death.

God announced the most important birth in the history of the world to a young woman first.  Think about that for a moment. 

She was also at the foot of His cross as He was dying.  I'm sure her heart was tearing into pieces as she watched His agony.  I can't imagine such a horrific thing.  But, Jesus loved her, looked down in His struggle, saw her and asked John to make sure to take care of her.  (John 19:25-27)

Abba, thank You for sending Jesus to be flesh-and-blood unconditional love for women, as well as men.  Help me as I teach to sound out that message loud and clear so those women who don't know or understand Your love will be set free to receive Your love and live in Your astounding grace.  Amen


Hummus

My honey doesn't like the sound of the name of this dip.  He thinks it sounds like someone clearing their throat.  That's not very appetizing!  So we call it Red Pepper Bean Dip.  Haha!

2 cans garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained and rinsed
3 roasted red peppers from a jar
3 cloves garlic
juice of one lemon
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
a few dashes of Tabasco
1/4 cup water

Put all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth.  If you like it spicier, you can add more Tabasco or some sliced jalapenos.  Refrigerate.

This "dip" is delicious with any cut vegetables, crackers or chips.

Pumpkins and apples...

As soon as we got back home from celebrating our youngest daughter's birthday and loving on our grandsons, I rearranged some of the Fall decorations with some new things I had purchased.  Have I told you how much I love Fall?  Ha!

Since menopause, I can't remember where I put the decorations the year before so it's like starting all over with new stuff.  Seriously...  If I didn't know how much God loves me, I'd be a little scared.  It also helps to have recently learned that it is completely normal and I can retrain my brain to begin remembering again.  Let's just say that I've gone through a LOT of sticky notes!

My favorite Fall decoration is the pumpkins stacked in the urn on top of a Walmart Fall wreath (on sale).  I purchased the faux pumpkins on sale at Hobby Lobby last year.  This year, I put the urn in my dining room.  I love the colors against the burgundy of the walls.

More Fall decorations next week...


Adjustments

Since eighth grade, I have wanted to be a published author.  So this summer, when my book Grown-up Girls came out, you would think I would be excited that I had finally reached that goal.  I was excited until I realized that women wouldn't just be reading the book and learning God's truth as they worked through its lessons; people would begin to expect things from me for which I was unprepared - like autographs and an instant off-the-cuff synopsis of the book.  I'm a writer.  I have to think about things and see them in print so they make sense in my brain before they come out of my mouth.  I probably looked like a deer in the headlights.  AH!!!!

I'm just going to be honest with you.  It kinda freaked me out!  I am naturally an introvert and my instinct is to hide away at home.  Looking back, I can see how I have intensified one of my coping behaviors to handle the uncomfortable feelings.  Sometimes, I do escape to a quiet place for a few minutes - usually a bathroom.  But, more often I just start chatting away to chase away awkward silence. 

Did you notice my absence from the blog?  Um...yeah - hiding...  I think I'm back, at least for a weekly post.

I've also encountered some spiritual warfare.  The enemy has attacked, while I'm sleeping, with my old fears, waking me in the middle of the night - reminding me of my old insecurities, telling me that I can't teach because I can't remember things.   

I'm so grateful that I can run to my Abba!  He has gently encouraged me that the message He has given me to share is not about me.  It's about how much He loves the women that will receive the message.  And He has assured me that He will use me if I'm just willing - insecurities and all.  I sure love Him!


Crockpot Oatmeal

I saw this recipe on Facebook and thought I'd give it a try since we like oatmeal.  Oatmeal is best if it soaks overnight, so this recipe seemed perfect for us.  We had it this morning and it was delicious.  It was so nice to come out to a healthy hot breakfast ready to eat.

Layer in the crockpot in order - DO NOT STIR:

2 large Granny Smith apples, sliced 
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups milk of choice
2 cups water

Cook overnight, 8-9 hours, on LOW

The sliced apples, syrup, cinnamon and salt:

All the ingredients in the crockpot ready to cook:

The cooked oatmeal - Yum!

Jesus and women...

The thought occurred to me that I had never studied the encounters mentioned in the Bible of women and Jesus.  Considering my ministry to women, I thought the information I would glean from such a study would be most helpful...and insightful...and wonderful.

I started with the most famous woman in Jesus' life - His mother.  There were three things that stood out when considering her life in the grand scheme of things. 

First, the person that first knew the Messiah was indeed coming and would arrive in around 9 months was Mary.  Gabriel didn't appear to politicians, rulers or rabbis.  He came to Mary, a very young woman, and announced that the seed of God had been placed in her womb; that she was chosen to carry and give birth to the Promised One. 

For the rest of her life, she had a relationship with the Messiah, whom she knew as her firstborn son.

Second, proper wedding hospitality was important to her.  She and Jesus were at a wedding where the wine ran out.  She knew Jesus better than anyone.  Why did she insist He do something about the situation?  Had she seen Him perform miracles as He was growing up about which no one else knew?  I don't think she was surprised when He performed His first public miracle and made the best wine served at the party. 

The third thing that really stands out is what Jesus did for her as He was hanging on the cross..in agony...struggling to breathe.  It is recorded in the 19th chapter of the book of John that Jesus saw her at the foot of His cross.  He was suffering a slow tortuous death and yet, He made sure to pass on His responsibility, as her first-born son, of taking care of His widowed mother to John. 

This same Jesus loves you and me.  Wow!  Take some time to think about that concept...


Fall

Ah...the heat of summer is almost gone and my favorite time of year is slowly unfurling into all its gloriousness.  I put out all my fall decorations a couple days before Labor Day.  We left town to celebrate our youngest daughter's birthday with her and I wanted to come back to a fall-decorated home.  It would be September, after all! 

I am praying for a beautiful fall this year - one where we can enjoy lots of patio mornings and evenings with family and friends...and mums...and various colored pumpkins...and pilgrims...with a focus on being thankful for both trials (for how they transform our lives) and blessings (for which we do nothing to deserve).

 (artwork by my first-born daughter - this is the mantel in her living room) 

Come on Fall...

Even though the temperatures outside don't reflect that it will officially be Fall in eighteen days, I couldn't wait to put out the Fall decor today.  I love Fall!  Fall means cooler temperatures (eventually), pumpkins, beautiful colorful leaves, golden sunshine, soups, sweaters, jackets and boots, Fall lifegroup classes and fellowships, and the promise of the coming holiday season.  Fall also means focusing on harvest produced by hard work, giving thanks to God for what He provides, and giving to others through hospitality.

I'm going to have a busy Fall this year.  My honey and I are teaching a 5 Days to a New Marriage class.  I'm teaching Grown-up Girls on Tuesday mornings and have two speaking engagements in October.  I'm also taking a genealogy class at our local public library.  It's a free class and the people I've met are most interesting.  I've learned a lot from the last class I took and discovered I still have relatives in Scotland.  I also discovered the military service of my great great grandpa for the Union in the Civil War.  It is so interesting to learn more about these people from which I came!  My honey asked me why I was so curious about my ancestors and I told him that besides loving history, I am searching for my spiritual heritage.  Who was it who first loved the Lord so that it was passed down through the generations?  I'll let you know what I find!

Depression...

Well, the best thing about depression is how grateful one feels when it has passed and one can begin to feel again.  And, yes, I'm speaking out of experience.  I don't like it when I'm depressed, but it is a part of my life due to celiac disease and Epstein Barr. 

So, what does God want me to learn from depression?  He wants me to know that He is always there and will help me remember truth so I can live in grace whether I'm depressed or not...so I can be grateful whether I'm blue or not...so I can extend grace to others who are experiencing depression. 

So when I'm singing the blues, I let my honey know that I'm depressed and it will go away eventually so he doesn't have to worry.  I spend extra time with my Abba.  I eat to feed the nutrient needs of my body and get healthful sleep and sunshine.  And I give myself grace...

Book signing...

Well, my book launch party is coming up in a few days.  Normally, I would be anxious about the details:  What should I wear?  What will I say to people?  How will I sign the books?  Will people like me? 

Wow!  I'm so glad those days are over!  My Abba Father has freed me of so many things I used to worry about.  The truth does set you free!  (John 8:32 - the reference I will put under my name when I sign books)

All three of my daughters were able to go shopping with me for my outfit for the signing, which is a very unusual thing that we are all together to go shopping for clothes.  I've learned a lot about buying clothes, but it was great getting their input.  They even talked me into buying wedges, which are surprisingly comfortable.  More on that...

This last week, God has really impressed on my heart and mind that the book signing is not about me or the fact that I wrote a book.  It is about the message He gave me that is in the book.  The book signing will be an opportunity for me to let women know that He loves them and wants them to live in His freedom. I can't wait to see what He does!!

I lived most of my life under the lie of perfection.  So, naturally, I was relieved when I had a nice outfit for the occasion.  And I felt like I would have enough time to get all the projects done around the house before the event.  Here's how God reminded me that it's not about me.  Last Saturday, I was getting into the shower and noticed a big spider just inside the shower door.  I didn't want to share my shower with it, so I stepped back out to get something with which to kill it.  Somehow, I missed the bath rug and stepped onto the smooth tile...with wet feet. There is a streak of toenail polish on the tile where my foot bent under as I slipped.

I was very grateful that my honey came home from a business trip an hour later.  He took me to the doctor where the x-rays showed torn ligaments and pulled muscles, but no broken bones.  I came home with a lovely boot and orders to stay off my feet.  So much for wearing my new shoes to the book signing...

Really?!  I have people coming from out of town for the event. I've been gone for five weeks helping my oldest daughter with her new baby boy and have weeds to pull, flowers to plant, there are cobwebs in every corner of the house and it is not "company ready"! 

I had an immediate peace that God would make sure everything that needed to get done would be done.  My two youngest daughters are here and they have stepped in and are taking care of the "company ready" details.  I've had time to address postcards for a mailout, reconnect with people and think and pray about the women that will be at the book signing. 

And He knew that I would have an injured foot and would have to wear a big bulky black boot...

So, I will trust Him and wait and see what He does.

Coffee in the rain...

I am sitting in the coolest coffee house with my youngest daughter.  And it's raining - God loves me.  God sees me.  God cares about me.  God uses rain to remind me of these truths. 

And we are enjoying a cup of coffee in this old house, with a beautiful garden, turned into a coffee shop.  What a great way to relish a rainy morning! 

I have been blessed to spend time this past month with all three daughters, my sons-in-law and our grandchildren - three, now, with the new baby grandson.  He is precious, by the way, and already knows his Nanna's voice.  And my honey got to fly in for Father's Day weekend, too.  I love these people, big and small!  It's so easy to tell them I love them and to show them with encouraging conversation, by changing poopy diapers, fixing meals, doing laundry, bathing preschoolers, cleaning my oldest daughter's house while she is recovering from a C-section, playing with blocks on the floor, drawing with chalk in the carport, kissing bo bos and precious faces, lots of hugs and going to bed exhausted and very content. 

As easy as it is to express love to my family, I am becoming aware that I need to do a better job of letting my friends know why I love them.  In the book, Bread and Wine, Shauna Niequist writes about the importance of telling our friends what we love about them.

The heart of hospitality is creating space for these moments, protecting that fragile bubble of vulnerability and truth and love.  It's all too rare that we tell the people we love exactly why we love them- what they bring to our lives, why our lives are richer because they're in it.  

She and her husband have a tradition of toasting their friends on their birthdays over a meal.

Each person comes ready to say something about what that person has brought to their life in the last year or a prayer for the year to come, and after dinner, we toast with those thoughts.

What a great idea!  I think my honey and I may have to start this tradition.  Shauna writes about an evening where they and a group of friends toasted another friend who is a great encourager to all of them.  She had asked his wife about foods that he liked or had special meaning to him to determine the menu for dinner.

The food was good that night.  I loved being able to serve foods that were meaningful to Nathan, that represented his story and history, and we had a great meal together.  But that night wasn't about the food.  The food and the table and laughter helped to create sacred space, a place to give someone the gift of words.  That's what the night was about - sacred space and words of love.

Before I went to Louisiana to help my daughter, my honey and I taught a 5 Days to a New Marriage class for our spiritual children.  The night before we left, we had the last class which began with a meal. Then we all enjoyed a time of telling each person in these three couples what it is we love about them - what each of their personal strengths are.   It was uncomfortable for each person as we all took turns expressing these sacred words.  But, each one left feeling loved and appreciated for who they are, with an understanding of the strengths in who God created them to be.

There is something about loving people over a table of delicious food in someone's home.  There is a connection made that can't be reproduced in a Sunday school room or a room at the church used by a life group, even if food is involved. We've tried, but it's not the same. It is a privilege to be hospitable in our home to express God's love to people.  The food doesn't need to be fancy or expensive.  It just needs to be tasty and nurturing, with the guests' tastes in mind. 

God reminds me all the time how much He loves me.  Now, I get to let my friends know how much and why I love them.  I've got some plans to make...

Hospitality...

My new grandson is just so precious!  And every time I've sat down to write a post in the last two weeks, I've had an opportunity to hold him, instead, so my daughter and son-in-law can get some sleep.  The sacrifices a nanna will make...  I woke up at 4:00 this morning, so I thought I would take advantage of the quiet to write about hospitality. 

My husband and I talked, before we got married, about how hospitality was going to be an important part of our life.  Both of us grew up in hospitable homes so it seemed like the normal thing to do and it has been an important aspect of our lives and ministry in our home; so much so that our daughters all practice hospitality in their homes, as well.

When our youngest daughter came to see her newest nephew, she handed me a book that a friend had given her and said that I would probably enjoy reading it.  She was right!  I am planning on purchasing my own copy of this delightful book - Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist.  It is full of honest stories of life and the importance of hospitality in ministering to herself, her family and other people along with recipes.  Here is a sample of her philosophy of hospitality:

I believe every person should be able to make the simple foods that nourish them, that feel familiar and comforting, that tell the story of who they are.  Each one of us should be able to nourish ourselves in the most basic way and to create meals and traditions around the table that tell the story of who we are to the people we care about.  And the only way to get there is to start where you are.

She goes on to encourage people who don't know how to cook to invite people over and order pizza.  Serve the pizza with bagged salad and bottled dressing. 

Focus on making people comfortable, on creating a space protected from the rush and chaos of daily life, a space full of laughter and safety and soul.

The next time or the time after that, try grilled flatbread pizzas, and make your own vinaigrette for the salad.  The next time, try a dessert and an appetizer, and little by little, build a sense of muscle memory, a body of knowledge, a set of patterns for how your home and your heart open and expand when the people you love are gathered around your table.

It takes some time to learn, to try and fail and make a mess and try again.  It takes even longer to get truly comfortable, to feel at home with a knife in your hand, to read through recipes as a guideline or set of ideas, to read through and add your preferences and tastes, your history and perspective.  But it's a lovely process, with not a minute wasted.  If you put in the time, the learning, the trying, the mess, and the failure, at the end you will have learned to feed yourself and the people you love, and that's a skill for life -  like tennis or piano but yummier and far less expensive.

I'm not talking about cooking as performance, or entertaining as a complicated choreography of competition and showing off.  I'm talking about feeding someone with honesty and intimacy and love, about making your home a place where people are fiercely protected, even if just for a few hours, from the crush and cruelty of the day.

 It's a perspective on hospitality that my honey and I practice - making people feel nourished in our home with food and love, providing a place where they can kick off their shoes and relax and talk about their struggles without judgment. You can provide that for the people you love, too.  Just simply start where you are. 

More to come:  hospitality and special dietary restrictions 

Grown-up Girls is here...

Wow, it's been almost a year since this project began and now it's a real live book!  I've told many people that I didn't write and publish this Bible study because I have a desire to be famous.  Yikes!! I am much more comfortable in my little private world at home. I have told God more than once, "Ok.  I'm done. I can't do this!"  But, when God puts a message on one's heart, one must obey!

He has been reaffirming to me that the message in Grown-up Girls is not about me.  It's about Jesus and what He has done and is doing in my life and other women through this message.  And God wants women to know that He loves them dearly and desires that they walk in the amazing freedom of His truth.

"And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man (woman) and teaching every man (woman), that we may present every man (woman) complete (grown-up) in Christ."  Colossians 1:18

What an adventure!  I can't wait to hear the stories...

Grown-up Girls is available at CrossBooks, Barnes & Noble and Amazon in a soft cover workbook.  It is also available in an ebook.

Bermuda grass...

I do NOT like Bermuda grass!  It sends out runners, is invasive and is not easy to pull out of the vegetable garden.  Now, the other weeds that have shallow roots or a single root are easy to pull and I don't mind them as much.  Of course, if I just stayed on top of the weeds in the garden, it would not be difficult to control them.  And the vegetables, strawberries and blueberry bushes would be beautiful things to behold!

Maybe because of the HOURS (well, it seemed like hours) spent hoeing the garden growing up, I have an aversion to weeding.  We planted a huge garden every year and enjoyed the fresh food.  Mom would can and freeze so we would have vegetables and pickles during the winter.  Planting the garden was a family affair.  Then my brothers and I would have the responsibility of controlling the weeds.  There was no such thing as sleeping in and if I drug my heels getting out to the garden, I would get too hot while hoeing and would begin to see stars. 

I'm sure all that fresh air and sunshine, along with all the fresh food, kept us healthy while we were growing up.  Plus, it was very tasty!  So, when I had my own family, we planted a garden of some kind every year.  And, yes, I made my kids weed!  The girls still joke about pulling bind weed in El Paso. 

I still have to be careful about staying out in the sun too long when I'm gardening.  If I get overheated, I'm done for the day and end up sitting like a lump on the couch.  My honey knows this about me and reminds me to drink water and take plenty of breaks. 

So this morning, as I was weeding, I thanked God for the overcast morning and was able to get the whole garden weeded so we can plant this weekend -except for a few patches of Bermuda grass.  Yay! 

As I was grunting and groaning trying to pull one of those patches of Bermuda grass, I thought about the curse that God spoke over Adam (and all men to follow) after he and Eve had eaten the forbidden fruit. 

Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.  Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field..."  Genesis 3:17-18

Then it hit me, wait a minute!  These weeds are man's curse!  I will have to tell my honey that it is biblical that he be the one to do the weeding!  I wonder how he will feel about that...

Hahahaha!

Almost finished...

I thought I was going to be able to sign off  on the proofs for my Bible study today.  The cover looked great and the two items that needed fixed were corrected.  Alas, three interior items missed the correction train.  So close...

Even so, it should be going to print next week!  By the time Grown-up Girls comes out, the project will have taken a year.  I had no clue it would be this much work, but I have learned so much.  I will enjoy the finished product for a little while, then get started on the next Bible study.  Hmm...will I rewrite Living Well With Illness or start on another project I've been thinking about?  Time will tell!

My honey and I have been teaching a new marriage class using the fabulous 5 Days to a New Marriage material by Terry Hargrave and Shawn Stoever .  We've read and taught a lot of marriage materials but this is by far the best.  It is built around a simple idea that pain we've experienced has caused us to believe lies about ourselves and we develop coping skills that cause our spouse pain.  That in turn causes our spouse to have negative emotions which they handle with coping skills that cause us pain.  It's called the Pain Cycle.  Understanding this cycle is life-changing in itself, but the material goes on to teach the Peace Cycle where we learn the truth about ourselves and then can respond to one another in a positive and loving manner.  The results are amazing!  And the really cool thing about it is that so much of what is taught in Grown-up Girls is reinforced in 5 Days to a New Marriage.

Hop on over to their website and check it out.

Rainbow of nutrients...

One of the tasks I like least, besides pulling weeds and cleaning toilets, is making a menu.  It used to be easy because I would just list the foods we liked best.  But now, I have to keep nutrition in mind and many of my old favorite recipes just aren't healthy.  Grrrr...

We have some new favorite recipes that I've found and use frequently, but it came to my attention recently that even though we were eating a more healthy diet, we probably weren't getting all the nutrients we needed to get from our food.  Hmmm...

I read an article about the importance of eating colorful foods, which we do - just not enough colors every day.  Then it occurred to me that I should use the colors of the rainbow as a guide when making a menu.  Ta da!  It made the task so much easier and I really feel like we will be getting more nutrients from a balanced menu.

(I had a really cute picture of colored pencils to insert here, but it wouldn't upload...)

I used these colors with a number for each one - red 1, orange 2, yellow 3, blue 4, green 5, purple 6

For example, here is a one day menu with all six colors:

Blueberry Muffins and peaches - 4,2
Red and Orange Stuffed Bell Peppers (rice, cilantro, tomatoes, onions, spices) - 1, 2, 3, 5
Salmon with stir-fried purple cabbage, yellow onion and spinach; green beans w/ pimientos - 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

I generally came up with an idea for dinner first, then added lunch and breakfast based on the colors I needed to round out the day's menu.  Who knew it could be so easy?!

Lovely foggy day...

I loved the summer I spent in England when I was in college.  It was foggy every morning until it would burn off around 9:30.  Everything just seemed greener and cleaner.  This morning, I awoke to fog thick enough to make everything wet outside.  Ah...

I was really enjoying the fog until I found muddy little dog prints from the back door, through the living room, into our bedroom on the carpet and on the tile in our bathroom up to the trash can by the toilet.  Grrr!

Sure enough, I looked out the back door and saw the garden gate wide open.  Those same muddy prints came out of the garden and up the sidewalk up to the back door.  I closed the gate because I didn't want to spend all day cleaning muddy prints off the floors and carpet. 

Sometimes I experience sin "prints" on my heart and mind because I ignore the need to close a gate to temptation or selfishness.  I've learned that it's much easier to close those "gates" as soon as I discover them.  And I am very grateful that I have an Abba Father who loves me and helps me clean up the mess. 

Now that the gate is closed, my little dog can go outside and not bring the mess inside.  And I can enjoy the lovely foggy day.

Subtle idols...

I have a confession to make.  I was in a foul mood yesterday (gasp).  But, I couldn't figure out why...until this morning when I had my quiet time.  A church handout with sermon notes from January 2011 fell out of my Bible when I opened it to read.  More on that in a minute...

We have been blessed in the last two months to spend a chunk of time with each of our grandchildren and their parents.  We also had a great time visiting my honey's mom, sisters and their families this last weekend as we celebrated my mother-in-law's 75th birthday.  As we drove home on Monday, I was quiet and my honey asked how I was doing.  I told him that I was fine and that I was getting used to leaving our loved ones.  But, later, I began to complain to God that I missed being around family that loves us and loves Him.  I know He listened to my whining, but I didn't hear anything from Him - no surprise there, we've been down this road before.  I'm grateful He's so patient...

Then the sermon notes caught my attention.  The title was Vintage: Idle Idols and the idol that smacked my heart was the Idol of Comfort, especially when I read the first point under this idol.  Serving this idol means that I don't have to worry about being stretched and challenged.   Oh...ouch.

I am very comfortable around my girls, their husbands, my grands and other family members.  It's chaotic fun and I love all the creativity, singing and hugs.  And we have fabulous discussions about Christianity and what that should look like in our lives.  Such great times!

Here's the kicker - God has not called my honey and me to be comfortable.  He has called my honey to be excellent at his job and has called me to be an excellent helpmate to my honey and to write what God puts on my heart.  God has also called us as a couple to be marriage mentors. 

Do these callings stretch and challenge us?  Yes!  Is it sometimes uncomfortable?  Yes!  Is it God's will for us?  Yes!  Does He give us what we need to be obedient to His will?  Do we experience rewards?  Yes, and yes! 

So, I will look forward to heaven where I will experience the ultimate comfort and enjoy the times of comfort I get while I'm still on this earth; considering them times of encouragement and refreshment to go and work out the calling God has given me. 

The resurrection...

In a recent interview, I was asked what the resurrection meant to me.  My answer...

Because of the resurrection, we can know that Jesus is who He says He is and that His Word is true. 

Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, we can know the truth and be set free from the power of sin in our lives.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32

Because Jesus set us free from the power of sin, we can know that everything that happens in our lives has purpose.  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28

Because of that freedom and purpose, we receive comfort from Him when life is difficult.  He then uses us to comfort other people because we understand what they are going through.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;  who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Because of the resurrection, I will get to spend eternity with God and my believing loved ones, never to be separated from them again!  And I get to do that with a new body, free from pain or disease!  Hallelujah!

Now, for the final pictures of our Easter treasure hunt goodies:

These raw items turned into these:

I can't wait to see how my grands respond to the treasure hunt!

He is risen...

Christ the Lord has is risen today!  Alleluia!

Are you singing yet?

This morning, I used my scroll saw to cut out 15 wooden eggs so I can make five sets of the eggs seen in the above photo for our Easter treasure hunt.  I haven't used my scroll saw in awhile and will have to spend a little more time with the sander...

More pictures of treasure hunt items to come...

Easter Treasure Hunt...

I'm excited for our Easter Treasure Hunt this year.  The grands are getting old enough that we can talk about the Easter story with them.  Today, I will share the details of the hunt with you.

Supplies you will need:
Miniature door (Hobby Lobby)          
Brown paper egg for each family (paint them red and Mod Podge a cross sticker on each one)
3 wooden eggs for each family(2-dimensional) one painted blue, one painted yellow, and one painted green  (Write "He" on the blue egg, "is" on the yellow egg and "risen" on the green egg)
Pink and purple plastic eggs stuffed with candy
Orange plastic eggs - one for each family
Golden rule plaque for each child
Growth stick for each family with a star glued to a clothespin for each child (can buy balsa wood pieces at Hobby Lobby)

Clues:
#1 - Jesus came down from Heaven and made Himself into a little baby.  Earth must have looked so small compared to Heaven.  Look for a very small door to find your next clue.
(Give this clue to one parent for each family)

Do you remember what the unfinished door looked like?  I painted the door green and everything else gray, then put a brown wash over the whole piece to "age" it.  Doesn't it look like a door into a secret garden?  This door will be attached to either the shed or the fence in the back yard.  The #2 clue will be in orange eggs by the door, one per family.

Clue #2 - "And the Child (Jesus) continued to grow and become strong..."  Luke 2:40.  Look for a long stick with your names on it.  Your next clue will be attached to the stick.  Your parents will measure you with the Growth Stick so you can see that you are growing taller.

Clue #3 - "And the Child (Jesus) continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him."  Luke 2:40.  Look for a painted piece of wood that has your name on it with the Golden Rule (Luke 6:31).  Hint:  it matches the colors in your bedroom.

Clue #4 - (tape this clue to the oldest child's Golden Rule plaque for each family)  "This is how much God loved the world:  He gave his Son, his one and only Son.  And this is why:  so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him anyone can have a whole and lasting life."  John 3:16 from The Message.  God did that for you!  Look for a red egg to see how God gave his Son to save us.

Clue #5 - (taped to red eggs/ one per family) After Jesus died on the cross to pay for all the wrong things we do and say, the disciples buried Him in a tomb.  BUT, on the third day, Jesus...  Look for a blue wooden egg.

Clue #6 (taped to the blue wooden eggs) On the third day, just as the sun was beginning to come up, some women came to the tomb, bringing spices which they had prepared to make the tomb smell nicer.  They saw that the huge stone in front of the tomb was rolled away, but when they went in the tomb, they couldn't find Jesus' body!  Luke 24:1-3.  Oh, no!  What happened to His body?!  Look for a yellow wooden egg.

Clue #7 (taped to the yellow wooden eggs) The women didn't know what to do or where to go to look for Jesus' body.  Suddenly, two men dressed in very white shiny clothes stood next to them.  They were angels!  They told the women some very important and happy news.  Luke 24:4-9.  What does your blue egg say?  What does your yellow egg say?  Look for a green egg for your answer to:  He is...what?

Clue #8 - (taped to the green eggs)  Yay!!!  He is risen!  Jesus showed Himself to his friends so they would know He was no longer dead, but very much alive.  Then after a few days, He went to a mountain with some of his friends and they watched Him go up in the air past the clouds to go back to Heaven.  He has been there ever since getting a place ready for every person who believes that He died for them to pay for their sins.  Some day, all of us who believe will get to go to Heaven and live there with Jesus and we will be happy, happy, happy!  That is such sweet news!!!  Here is your last clue - look for purple and pink eggs for something sweet to remind you that Jesus loves you.

As soon as I get at least one set of the items painted, I will post pictures.

Easter is coming...

Now that we have grandchildren, the backyard becomes the setting for an egg hunt each year at Easter.  The dilemma becomes whether or not this practice is Christian or pagan.  If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know my heart is to use any opportunity to teach the truth.  My grands are growing up in a world where the real truth is proclaimed less and less. 

So, of course, I will use the Easter egg hunt as a tool to teach my grands the truth of Jesus' death and resurrection.  Since they are still pre-schoolers, the clues and story will be fairly simple.  More clues and story details will be added each year as they get older.

This year, I want to start a new tradition of calling the egg hunt an Easter Treasure Hunt and we will be hunting for the treasure of truth using clues and items they are familiar with to understand the Easter story.  Next week, I will share the details with you so you can have your own Easter Treasure Hunt with your own kiddos, if you choose.

Today, I leave you with this hint - a miniature door.  Next time you see this little door, it will look like a door into an old secret garden.  Hmmm...

Say it ain't so...

Wow!  I can't believe it has been 6 months since I last wrote a post!  That's half a year...

My honey and I have continued to be busy with our lifegroup and mentoring, but that is not what has kept me from writing this blog.  Last June, God put an idea in my heart to write a Bible study for young married women based on the Proverbs 31 woman.  Since then, every extra moment I had after I finished household chores and that my honey wasn't home, was spent on studying, writing, editing, rewriting and rewriting.  Two of my young friends went through the Bible study with me once I felt it was ready.  Then, it was back to editing and rewriting with all the fall and winter holidays thrown in. 

Well, I am excited to let you all know that you will be able to get Grown-up Girls late spring or early summer from Lifeway Bookstores.  I'm especially excited that my daughter, Rachael, took the cover photo. Grown-up Girls exposes the lie that we, as women, must have perfect lives with perfect families, perfect homes, and perfect bodies; also discussing what makes us feel like broken little girls, instead of mature happy grown-up girls.  So many women I talk to are overwhelmed with lies and don't know the truth that sets them free.  Topics that are covered include:  value, marriage, work ethic, health, balance, attitudes and real happiness.

Grown-up Girls is also practical as helpful tips and forms are included for menu and meal planning, clothing, household chores and more.  Has it tickled your interest yet?  It's written in a format that would allow someone to go through the Bible study by themselves and it would also be encouraging to go through with some friends or neighbors.  I will also let you know when my author's website is up and running. 

As I have started writing the next Bible study, I will attempt to write at least one post weekly including all the same "goodies" you all have become accustomed to finding here at Nanna's Kitchen.