I love Amish Friendship bead. It's great for breakfast, company, gifts, etc. Most of us who have delt with that famous 1 gallon ziplock bag, however, will admit that we cringe a little when our starter bag is "gifted" to us. I immediately think "Can I find four people who really don't mind doing all the work and will I just get a bag back in 10 days?" So...I got creative.
On Day 10, the first step of instructions tell us to add another helping of sugar, milk and flour. I did this and discovered that in doing so, I now have 6 cups of batter. If I have to give four cups away, then I now know that each batch begins with 2 cups (aren't you proud of my math skills!!) So...instead of giving away the four bags, I filled containers with 2 cups of batter and put them in the freezer. When I'm in the mood for more friendship bread, I simply take out my frozen batter, let it thaw and add the ingredients from day 10! No more never ending cycles of batter to pass around and no more counting days to make sure I don't miss a day. The best part is that I can make another "starter" batch and do the same thing again if I need to! I've come to the conclusion that I would rather keep my friends and bring the BAKED loaf of bread to their door and have a great cup of coffe rather than create more work for them.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Celebrating the Little Things
Skylar loves using our China dishes. She loves being "fancy" and having her own goblet to drink from. She loves eating by the glow of our hurricane lanterns and feeling grown up enough to be able to use the "good" dishes. This summer, she was given a set of her own China dishes from a kind lady who just felt that God was telling her to do this. A small set of tableware for 4 - in a blue flower pattern rimed with silver. She was soooo excited!
We used to have a tradition of using the china when Kenton finished planting his last field and when he finished harvesting his last field. We try to demonstrate that we celebrate the importance of Kenton's work and how much it means to us. Of course we use our fancy dishes for holidays and (now) even birthdays. Tonight, Skylar added a new reason to celebrate...The End of Summer Special Meal! We broke out her small set of dishes for...grilled hamburgers, mac-n-cheese, iced tea and brownies from a box! She prances around the kitchen, talking to herself about how to set the dishes in the right order and what is going to go in each one. She proudly collects the "good" silverware from it's box and asks in eager tone if she's set the table correctly. We love to hear her giggle when Kenton walks in for supper and she swings her arms with granduretoward the table and says, "Look at our fancy table, Dad!" We gush and ooooh and aahhh and she giggles even more.
So...what do you break out the china for? What small things are you celebrating? Do you eat on China dishes when your kids get 100% on the spelling test? How about using them when mom or dad comes home from a long trip? Skyar reminds me that life holds lots of reasons to celebrate them, but we push them aside because it's too much work and we're too busy. Take the time to celebrate and break out the China dishes!
We used to have a tradition of using the china when Kenton finished planting his last field and when he finished harvesting his last field. We try to demonstrate that we celebrate the importance of Kenton's work and how much it means to us. Of course we use our fancy dishes for holidays and (now) even birthdays. Tonight, Skylar added a new reason to celebrate...The End of Summer Special Meal! We broke out her small set of dishes for...grilled hamburgers, mac-n-cheese, iced tea and brownies from a box! She prances around the kitchen, talking to herself about how to set the dishes in the right order and what is going to go in each one. She proudly collects the "good" silverware from it's box and asks in eager tone if she's set the table correctly. We love to hear her giggle when Kenton walks in for supper and she swings her arms with granduretoward the table and says, "Look at our fancy table, Dad!" We gush and ooooh and aahhh and she giggles even more.
So...what do you break out the china for? What small things are you celebrating? Do you eat on China dishes when your kids get 100% on the spelling test? How about using them when mom or dad comes home from a long trip? Skyar reminds me that life holds lots of reasons to celebrate them, but we push them aside because it's too much work and we're too busy. Take the time to celebrate and break out the China dishes!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Worship
Today's post might be a little bit scrambled as I don't have all of my thoughts totally collected, but feel the need to get something out of my head before it explodes! I've been thinking a lot about worship...what it means...why we do it...how we do it...when we do it.... It seems to be that I'm more aware about what worship is not. Here's the list I've come up with so far:
Worship is NOT:
1. ...the 1st 15 minutes of a Sunday morning church service (specifically music) - the Bible is full of examples of the people worshipping God and some of them do include music, but many do not. In my limited knowledge, I've observed that worship from people in the Bible included a protrate position, some type of alter and usually prayer. Not ALL cases are like that, but those are the first that come to my mind. I can think of many stories of people in worship and I keep remembering phrases like "...and [someone] fell down in worship..." or "...and [someone] built an alter to worship God..."
So from the above non-descript examples and my own vague memory I would venture to suggest that:
Worship IS:
A heart or mindset in which one encounters God and it becomes a moment of one-on-one time with Him who created us! In my own experience, I am so weighted down by the presence of something within a worship setting that I physically cannot stay upright. It's almost like enterting the throne room of the king and having him shut the door for a private audience. What a concept that is!!!
Worship is NOT:
2. ..some emotional high that only happens on special occasions. In reading through the Old Testament, there were many command given by God in terms of how people worshipped. What they brought to the Temple, when they brought it, how it was used, who blessed it, etc...were all specifically laid out for the people. However, these commands were to be observed by everyone, every day, all the time...daily, weekly, monthly, in times of celebration and in everyday life. The people brought what they had...it was not prefabricated, they didn't wait until it was "just right"...they just obeyed and came to bring their offering of worship.
So again, I would venture to suggest that
Worship is: ...coimng to God with my gifts and talents to offer them in service to God. For me, that includes offering back to God a gift of music and organization. For others, it could include administration, teaching, cleaning, finances, decorating, etc. There is no limit to the gifts that God has bestowed upon us to use in service for Him. It helps me to keep in mind that the custodian of our church is 'worshipping' everytime she cleans the bathrooms. The secretaries are 'worshipping' every time they create a bulletin. The people who beautify our church with decorations are 'worshipping.' Can you imagine how much the church would change if everyone had this mentality?!?! What would happen in our churches if we did our jobs - not with human preferences in mind - but with the concept that the King of Kings is going to "see" this?!
I've written a book today.... I have a few more thoughts, but need to get them a bit more organized. At least now I can think more clearly about them since I've emptied my head! Thanks for letting me get this out and hopefully, something I've written will be food for thought!
Worship is NOT:
1. ...the 1st 15 minutes of a Sunday morning church service (specifically music) - the Bible is full of examples of the people worshipping God and some of them do include music, but many do not. In my limited knowledge, I've observed that worship from people in the Bible included a protrate position, some type of alter and usually prayer. Not ALL cases are like that, but those are the first that come to my mind. I can think of many stories of people in worship and I keep remembering phrases like "...and [someone] fell down in worship..." or "...and [someone] built an alter to worship God..."
So from the above non-descript examples and my own vague memory I would venture to suggest that:
Worship IS:
A heart or mindset in which one encounters God and it becomes a moment of one-on-one time with Him who created us! In my own experience, I am so weighted down by the presence of something within a worship setting that I physically cannot stay upright. It's almost like enterting the throne room of the king and having him shut the door for a private audience. What a concept that is!!!
Worship is NOT:
2. ..some emotional high that only happens on special occasions. In reading through the Old Testament, there were many command given by God in terms of how people worshipped. What they brought to the Temple, when they brought it, how it was used, who blessed it, etc...were all specifically laid out for the people. However, these commands were to be observed by everyone, every day, all the time...daily, weekly, monthly, in times of celebration and in everyday life. The people brought what they had...it was not prefabricated, they didn't wait until it was "just right"...they just obeyed and came to bring their offering of worship.
So again, I would venture to suggest that
Worship is: ...coimng to God with my gifts and talents to offer them in service to God. For me, that includes offering back to God a gift of music and organization. For others, it could include administration, teaching, cleaning, finances, decorating, etc. There is no limit to the gifts that God has bestowed upon us to use in service for Him. It helps me to keep in mind that the custodian of our church is 'worshipping' everytime she cleans the bathrooms. The secretaries are 'worshipping' every time they create a bulletin. The people who beautify our church with decorations are 'worshipping.' Can you imagine how much the church would change if everyone had this mentality?!?! What would happen in our churches if we did our jobs - not with human preferences in mind - but with the concept that the King of Kings is going to "see" this?!
I've written a book today.... I have a few more thoughts, but need to get them a bit more organized. At least now I can think more clearly about them since I've emptied my head! Thanks for letting me get this out and hopefully, something I've written will be food for thought!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
out of the mouthes of babes
So I'm feeling a bit like a dishrag today...all wrung out and used up. Sounds depressing, huh? I was feeling discouraged and downright mad. I said to Kenton this morning, "What did I ever do to God to have to deal with this?" Of course, that question is quite stupid and I KNOW the answer, but just wanted to grumble a bit. So...I grabbed my coffee and headed to the car for the morning commute to work and school.
Now...Skylar was given a little devotional book last year when she graduated from kindergarten and she's taken to reading to devotions to us on the way into town.
"Ready for da'votions?" she asks.
"Um..sure, Honey. Go ahead" I turn off the radio and mentally focus on the words I know she'll not know. And what hits me??? "I need to love other's because God loved me. I was selfish and mean, but God loved me anyway, so I need to love other people the same way that God loved me."
"Okay, Lord. I get your point." I say.
The rest of the commute was rather quiet as I'm SURE the Lord was giving me opportunity to let his Spirit speak to me. So while I still feel little like the dishrag...at least I know that I've been washed clean by God's grace. I know that I have a purpose, but that sometimes it requires "getting dirty" for the Lord. And mostly...I'm thankful for the little girl who sits in the back seat and reads me "da'votions" in the morning. I'm thankful that she looks up each verse in her Bible when she's done and reads it outloud. I'm thankful that God's word is timeless and necessary and that even the mouthes of babes are used to speak God's word to me!
Now...Skylar was given a little devotional book last year when she graduated from kindergarten and she's taken to reading to devotions to us on the way into town.
"Ready for da'votions?" she asks.
"Um..sure, Honey. Go ahead" I turn off the radio and mentally focus on the words I know she'll not know. And what hits me??? "I need to love other's because God loved me. I was selfish and mean, but God loved me anyway, so I need to love other people the same way that God loved me."
"Okay, Lord. I get your point." I say.
The rest of the commute was rather quiet as I'm SURE the Lord was giving me opportunity to let his Spirit speak to me. So while I still feel little like the dishrag...at least I know that I've been washed clean by God's grace. I know that I have a purpose, but that sometimes it requires "getting dirty" for the Lord. And mostly...I'm thankful for the little girl who sits in the back seat and reads me "da'votions" in the morning. I'm thankful that she looks up each verse in her Bible when she's done and reads it outloud. I'm thankful that God's word is timeless and necessary and that even the mouthes of babes are used to speak God's word to me!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
updates
So I guess it's been a while since I've been on here! Since my last post our lives have changed so dramtically, that it would take several updates to fill you in. Soooo...I'll just try to give you the highlights!
Summer: Tyler and Kayleigh were married July 11th in Zenia Ohio. They now live in Nashville and are loving life! We took a quick trip to the Big Horn mountains for vacation and met up with our great friends, the Ziebarth Family. We took Sammy Olson into our home and have been educated about the wonderful (abiet turbulent) years of teenagers.
Fall: Harvest went really late this year. We had over 12" inches of rain in Octber and November. Kenton finished his last field the day of our 5 day Christmas blizzard. We thank God we were able to get everything in. There were several farmers who were still trying to harvest their crops this spring! Skylar is in the 1st grade and LOVES her new teacher. She was a part of the "Little Eagles Cheerleading" during the basketball season. I stayed busy working in town at Agribooks, shuttling the girls to school and church activites.
Winter: Snow, Snow and more snow. Enough said....
Spring: So, now we're facing another planting season. Several of our fields are wet due to all the moisture from last fall and the snowy winter. We absolutely hate the windy days, but love them too since they are drying out fields and allowing us to get into our fields much sooner. Skylar started Gymnastics right after Easter and just loves it. She wants to do the summer session as well. I'm glad she enjoys the active lifestyle. Sammy has brought a lot of joy to us, but she will be returning home to live with her dad after the school year is done. We're glad she was a part of our lives for this year. Not much has changed with my schedule, but I'm thankful that God has kept us safe during all of our travel.
So...now your up-to-date and I'll try to be more faithful about writing! Keep in touch!
Summer: Tyler and Kayleigh were married July 11th in Zenia Ohio. They now live in Nashville and are loving life! We took a quick trip to the Big Horn mountains for vacation and met up with our great friends, the Ziebarth Family. We took Sammy Olson into our home and have been educated about the wonderful (abiet turbulent) years of teenagers.
Fall: Harvest went really late this year. We had over 12" inches of rain in Octber and November. Kenton finished his last field the day of our 5 day Christmas blizzard. We thank God we were able to get everything in. There were several farmers who were still trying to harvest their crops this spring! Skylar is in the 1st grade and LOVES her new teacher. She was a part of the "Little Eagles Cheerleading" during the basketball season. I stayed busy working in town at Agribooks, shuttling the girls to school and church activites.
Winter: Snow, Snow and more snow. Enough said....
Spring: So, now we're facing another planting season. Several of our fields are wet due to all the moisture from last fall and the snowy winter. We absolutely hate the windy days, but love them too since they are drying out fields and allowing us to get into our fields much sooner. Skylar started Gymnastics right after Easter and just loves it. She wants to do the summer session as well. I'm glad she enjoys the active lifestyle. Sammy has brought a lot of joy to us, but she will be returning home to live with her dad after the school year is done. We're glad she was a part of our lives for this year. Not much has changed with my schedule, but I'm thankful that God has kept us safe during all of our travel.
So...now your up-to-date and I'll try to be more faithful about writing! Keep in touch!
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