Wow! August has been an extremely busy month! I can't believe this is my first post for the month and it is already the 22nd! So much is going on and there just hasn't been time to put thoughts into type lately. Gardening, babysitting Amelia, teaching children's church, and going to Oklahoma for Bob to candidate at a church where he had his first pastorate has been using all my computer time. Also, we had our cell service down for almost two weeks which meant having to drive up the road to make calls or send texts!!! Anyhoo, that is just a light catch up for my life.
Have been thinking lately and heard a sermon about the story of Mary and Martha. Not the one where their brother Lazarus dies but the one where Jesus comes to their house to visit. Mary sits at Jesus' feet and worships and listens while Martha is "cumbered about" doing things and making everything just right because Jesus is coming and is there. She gets upset that Mary is not helping her and even asks Jesus about it and tells him to tell Mary to help her. Jesus replies that (paraphrasing) she is too worried about the serving and that Mary has chosen to do the one thing that is needful...to choose to worship him.
I have heard lots of lessons on this passage from ladies at retreats or meetings and have heard preachers preach on it too. I think lots of applications can be made and learned from the passage. However, one thing that I think is overlooked as a point to be made and learned, that I don't think I have ever heard taught, is this...If you are going to serve and do for the Lord, then just do it. Do it with a humble and serving heart and do it heartily as to the Lord and not to impress people around you. Don't worry about what others are doing and how they are serving...Just serve!
It is easy to allow ourselves to get "weary in well doing" and gripe because "no one else is helping" in this area or that area. ---Been there! I believe we are all guilty of this at some point once in awhile. But this poor and prideful (yes prideful) attitude will rob us of rewards and will also create anger and bitterness in our hearts. It will also cause us to not give our 100% in the area we are serving. We may start doing with a half-hearted will and the fruit of our work will then show this half-hearted attitude. Not as much time and effort will go into cleaning, teaching, cutting the grass, or even door knocking.
In reality, scripture tells us to do all to the Glory of God and to do all heartily as to the Lord. It doesn't matter what others are doing. Just do it!! Your reward depends upon you and your attitude!
When I was reading in my Bible this morning, I was in the passage in Acts where Paul is being taken to Rome for judgement and the ship is wrecked near the island of Mileta. I read the verse that told the men who could swim to jump ship and head to land and then the rest clinged to boards and broken pieces of the ship and all made it safely to shore. It struck me as I read, that often times it is the broken pieces we cling to that get us through. Sometimes they can be our life line, our buoy that keeps us afloat.
When things in our lives are shattered, sometimes all we can do is pick up those pieces and start trying to put them back together. This alone can help distract us from the tragedy of the moment and help to stabilize us for a time. Some of those pieces may be pictures, memories, possessions, treasured keepsakes, relationships, etc. Clinging to these can help our hearts and minds to heal as we go about our daily lives. When my mom died three years ago, pictures, memories in my mind, letters and cards in her handwriting, home movies were and are some of the things I cling to that help keep me afloat. I also have my niece Amelia that is a joy to be around but also is bitter sweet because I often watch her and think how much my mom would have loved her. Staying busy with day to day chores help to keep me afloat as Bob and I wait out this time he must be away to work. I feel very broken these days but have ever since April. Even though life has gone on (as it always does no matter how badly you want it to stop for awhile), I still don't feel quite stabilized and like my feet are back under me firmly. I still feel a little lost but I am doing my best to rely on the firm foundation of God and His Word. Still, clinging to the broken pieces floating around my life helps me.
Another thing I'd like to address is that broken pieces of anything can sometimes be sharp and dangerous and possibly even be something to let go of and not cling to so that you don't have further breakage in your life. We must decide what things are worth hanging on to and what things are not. Sometimes this decision is hard. People for the most part do not like major change. ...Even though we women do get bored with ourselves and our houses and routines at times and go for the makeovers or rearranging the house or whatever, we still don't like change that comes suddenly and that we haven't chosen!
If you have recently had some shattering in your life, cling to the things that help keep you afloat.
Just wanted to blog about what is going on with me lately. Regular readers (which are few - some may wonder why I even bother with this blog since I do have such few followers but it is an outlet for me...that's all I can say) anyhoo, those who do follow know that there has been alot happening in our lives since April. We closed our church, started attending another church in the area until we understand God's Will for our next step, and spent time grieving this and trying to press forward. There was alot to do to empty the church building and finalize the closing. Because the church closed, we lost almost half our monthly income. We were given something as sort of a severance pay that helped keep us going until recently. Because we are in somewhat of a different situation than the average person who just lost a job...Bob couldn't just go get another secular job to replace the church income. Bob is burdened to be in the ministry and serving God in a pastoral capacity. This means he must find a way to earn money and still have time to apply at and candidate at churches that are seeking pastors. He MUST have this freedom. He didn't want to get a job and quit right away if a church called him as pastor or be tied down so that he couldn't have time off to candidate. He is an electrical lineman by trade and decided to go back to doing line work through contracted union labor. This means leaving home and going on the road traveling wherever the work is. He is currently 10 hours away from me in Ohio. It was 2 weeks yesterday since he left. The good thing about it is that the pay is good and will help us get back on our feet and caught up on bills AND it is easy to just decide to quit and go home when he feels it has been long enough or if a church calls him. That is how lineman contract work is. People come and go from jobs on a regular basis and as long as you keep your "dues" paid up, you can accept or decline work as it is offered. It gives you some freedom and good pay. The drawback is the being away from home and the usually always long hours. He is currently working 10 hours a day 6 days a week!
Of course, military wives, truckers' wives and oil workers' wives also deal with those same issues of husbands being gone, so I am not trying to "boohoo" here, just going to write about what this is like for us. Military wives being the ones whose job is the hardest for it is for much longer periods of time than the others and with less contact by phone or mail or whatever too. Often they are in another country on the other side of the world. I applaud you for your sacrifice of giving them up for my safety! (clap clap clap)
It is hard bearing all the load and burdens on the home front when a husband is gone. You cling to the idea of when they get back and that helps you get through each day. And IT IS day by day!!! If kids are there it can be in some ways easier because they are a daily distraction but it also means you assume full responsibility of their care...24/7. If you are an empty-nester (as I am) there is more lonely time to fill.
You are taking over the "home duties and responsibilities" that the husband normally does. ...grass cutting, car maintenance, trash, home repairs, (and for me taking care of our large garden and harvesting it), etc. This may mean doing it yourself or being responsible to find someone else do it. It can become overwhelming when added to your normal daily chores that most women have. There is less laundry and less cooking meals so that burden gets cut as you take on the new ones.
Staying busy doing things helps to pass the time. When I stay idle too long I get sad and cry. I spend alot of time praying and asking God to keep Bob safe, his back and knees healthy and bring him home to me safe and sound asap. Line work is dangerous. You need the other people you are working with to be conscious of what they are doing and to KNOW what they are doing or you can get seriously hurt or killed.
The longer the husband is away, the bigger adjustment to daily life when he returns. It may be hard to understand but that is the way it is. You are both sooo happy to be together again but you both have gotten used to being alone and doing things in your own little ways and dealing with things and it just takes some adjustment to get acclimated again. For instance, the woman has had to make many daily decisions on her own without him. It may be hard to step back and let him take over the head reigns again if you do not work at it. It may take time to get used to sleeping in the same bed again after a long period of time (even tho you have waited and waited for that) because you have started sleeping stretched out all over the place.
I'm just stating facts here that are the way it is often times. I'm not trying to boohoo or complain or say it can't be done. It has been done by me before and by many others now and in the past. I'm just letting those who have never gone through it understand how it is and what it is like.
If you know someone who is going through this, please be understanding and lend an ear, a hand or just a respite out. Call and check on them so they don't feel so alone. Just wanted to talk about what is going on here and give some insight into what life is like when a husband has to be gone.
Just wanted to post about the influences surrounding us. Everyone has things and people that influence them. Everyone is an influence to others whether they want to or not and whether they realize it or not. You are always influencing for good or for wrong.
The Bible says: Romans 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
This verse tells us that we all have an affect on others around us.
This is why it is so important to protect ourselves from wicked influences. It is important to protect our eyes and ears and mind from what is taken in.
This is also why it is important to have a good testimony and be careful how we walk and talk and even dress. We are influencing others. For some people we are the only Bible they currently know. We are the only representative of God or Christ that another may know. If they see you living in sin, fretting over life's situations or being careless in our words, they will have a negative view of Christians and God. That is why so many people think that churches are full of hypocrits. --Because they SEE and HEAR them acting, talking, or living incorrectly to God's Word.
Children surely learn what they see in the adults around them. If they see and hear criticism of others they learn to be critical. If they see and hear negative view points all the time that is what they learn to focus on. If they see and hear parents praying, reading their Bible and statements about trusting God for the future and for daily provision they will grow up learning to do those things as well.
By the same token, if an adult surrounds themselves with people who are negative and gripe and complain about everything they soon learn to be the same way. Attitudes and moods are catching! Don't believe me?...See how fast a household gets out of whack when Momma is in a bad mood!
Just a post to remind you to be careful of the influences you allow near yourself and to be careful of the influence you are having on others around you.
Some of my facebook friends have been asking for my recipes for my stuffed zucchini boats. I have already posted on here a low-cal recipe but here are two more.
First of all, you can stuff any kind of vegetable with just about anything you like...zucchini, peppers of any sort, tomatoes, egg plant ... don't be afraid to experiment! Just think it up and try it!
Here goes... Select some zucchini and cut in half length wise. Scoop out the pulp or meat of the veggie. I chop it up (as coarse as you like it) and saute it in 1-2 Tablespoons of coconut oil (use oil or butter of choice or cooking spray). Coconut or safflower oil is usually my choice cuz it is extremely good for you despite the fact of some extra calories over margarine. I also saute the scoopings with chopped onion, minced garlic. You can throw in some chopped tomatoes too! When tender scoop into zucchini boat shells and then top with some Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 til shells are tender. I use Mrs. Dash seasonings and any other I feel a fancy to throw in and try for flavoring. These are very tasty and very low calorie and good for even the nutri-system diet. (Especially if you use spray to saute veggies)
Recipe number 2:
This one is not low cal at all but is extremely flavorful and a joy to eat!
Cut zucchini in half. Scoop out pulp and chop up. Get 1/2 to 1 lb Italian sausage or sausage of choice and brown with chopped onion and zucchini pulp til tender. Drain off grease.
In the mean time get a box of stuffing mix of choice (I use chicken flavor from Aldi because it is cheap and I think tastes better than Stove Top!) Make according to pkg directions. When done, mix stuffing, sausage/veggie mixture and some mozzarella cheese. Scoop into empty boat shells and bake at 350 until boats are fork tender.
***Note: do this in a casserole dish or 9X13 pan because there will be juice from the zucchini that builds up. It will not be wise to do on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. You will have a mess in the oven!
It is 2:30 a.m. and I am having trouble sleeping so I thought I would do some blogging. This subject has been on my mind a few days so I must be supposed to post about it.
I do not think that most Christians utilize their most valuable commodity which is prayer. Prayer is the one thing you can do that is constructive and powerful for it moves God (as long as it is within His will) and because of Jesus we in this day and age have bold access to the throne of God. Hebrews 4:16 tells us this! Prayer is a much more productive use of time than fretting and worrying. Both of these do nothing but cause anxiety, nervousness, raised blood pressure and other physical ailments.
Not only do Christians in general not utilize prayer but especially parents do not. The most important thing a parent can do for their child is to completely cover them in prayer...about everything. Parents, start when they are born and never stop! Pray for their health, for their safety, for God to use them, for their surrendered will to God. When my kids were teens I began praying that they never be allowed to get away with sin. I would pray "Lord, if my kids do something wrong, let them get caught". (I learned this idea from an article in a Christian magazine written by another parent) Pray for their character. Pray for their purity until marriage. Pray for their future spouses to be godly. Pray for their salvation from the time they are born until it happens. When they begin driving, pray for their safety. Pray for evil influences to be kept at bay (especially secret influences that they may try to hide from you).
Also, teach your child the power of prayer, of God's love, and a relationship with God. Teach them that God hears and always answers even if at times the answer is "no" or "wait for my timing". Lead by example. Let them see you praying other than at meal time. Pray with them, too, not just for them! Have times of a family circle of prayer. Prayer is sooo important. God tells us in the book of James that "ye have not because ye ask not". Let your kids know that nothing is too big or too small to pray about. My kids used to hear me pray over a new recipe I was trying. My daughter definitely has prayed over her own since becoming a new wife over the past year. I believe that was her seeing me do it. She trusted a small thing to God!
PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
Just wanted to share some homemade ideas and/or remedies...
First of all, I think I have been doing this since February of this year (2014). Coconut Oil makes a wonderful moisturizer for the face and neck! I read about it in a magazine and decided to try it as soon as my Oil of Olay ran out. I just put a scoop of coconut oil into the washed out container that the old moisturizer was in and it works great! I feel like my face is softer and has less lines than before I started using the coconut oil. The patchy dry and flaky spots went away almost instantly that were happening during the winter and early spring months here in Missouri. (We had such a long cold winter!)
**I love this recipe for homemade deodorant...
3 T. coconut oil
2-3 drops Tea Tree Oil
1/4 c. baking soda
1/4 c. baby powder or cornstarch (I use baby powder)
Few drops of essential oil of choice (I use peppermint and/or lavender)
Melt coconut oil in small sauce pan on low heat. Add rest of ingredients. Mix well until lumps are gone. Pour into small container of choice. Allow to harden at room temperature or in frig. Apply with fingers. In winter it is harder in the jar and takes some rubbing around to get onto fingers to apply to pits but in summer it is almost runny at times but still works the same. If you don't like it runny you can keep in frig or cool place.
(Commercial deodorants put aluminum into your body and that causes many health issues over a period of time) Do some research on your own.
**Using cider vinegar as a rinse makes the hair soft and shiny and brings out natural highlights.
**White vinegar is a great cleaner for nearly anything. You can dust with it, clean mirrors and windows, makes tile, wood or vinyl floors shine, makes marble and chrome shine, and is good to use from a spray bottle after the shower on the shower walls (works like the clean shower stuff only it is all natural) Mix with baking soda and you have a great "comet" type cleaner that bubbles!
**Honey is great for bee stings, allergies, and burns. Also, mix honey and cider vinegar and sip for sore throats.
**Alkaseltzer (I use Walmart brand) is a wonder cure for UTIs and sometimes yeast infections. (Not the cold med but the plain stuff for stomach pain). I used to get lots of UTIs and haven't had to be on antibiotics for over 4 years! I take one tablet in water at first signs of symptoms and it takes care of it. I have only had to take more than 1 tablet about 3 times in four years! Pretty good statistics if ya ask me!! :)
**Lavender Essential Oil is nearly the best thing to put on burns. Especially if blisters are present. Do not pop blisters but put the oil on and leave alone. If skin gets dry then add more throughout the day. Recently I had opportunity to try this after hot grease from a fry daddy splashed out on my hand and face. I immediately used cool water and then dried and put the essential oil on and kept it on for about three days. I had no pain and no scars! (Essential oils are expensive but worth it to keep around the house and they last forever!)
Hope some of these are a blessing idea for someone. I will only post things like this that I have tested. Seeing and experiencing is believing after all, right?
