Stay-at-home Saturday: A Tip and a Recipe

TNT: What to do with leftover celery (and other produce conundrums)

Remember that chicken and rice soup from a couple of weeks ago? It called for a stalk or two of celery, but I had to buy a whole bunch of it. Not one to just throw out perfectly good celery, yet unwilling to eat raw celery, I needed a plan. I did a little research and it turns out that you can freeze celery to use in another dish!

Here are the steps:
1. Wash the celery
2. Cut it up into desired size (I will use it in soup, so I cut it into bite-sized pieces)
3. Spread out on wax paper that is placed on a large baking pan (please ignore the Krispy Kreme boxes in the background. Thank you.)

4. Freeze for a few hours.
5. Scoop into labeled bags or containers and store in freezer.

The reason you do it this way is to avoid freezing your celery into a great big lump. When the pieces freeze unattached they won't stick together in the bag. That makes it easy to measure out what you need! (There's no need to thaw before you use it again.)

I've done this with bananas, onions and strawberries. However, with onions, I don't freeze the pieces individually. I just measure the onions according to what I usually use, which is 1/4 and 1/2 cups, and freeze them in a baggie. When I'm ready to use the onions I just dump them into my pan or pot. This is an excellent way to put your freezer to work for your budget!


Caramel Popcorn

This recipe is an oldie from an old church cookbook and let me tell you, it is soooo good. It's not healthy and it's not fancy, but it's a crowd-pleaser every time. This Friday Movie Night recipe is always a hit. And if you're making it just for yourself on a Tuesday night, that's okay too! Just halve the recipe (or not) and dive in!

-5 quarts popped popcorn (Let me just say that I have no idea how much this is. If you have an air popper then maybe the bag of kernels will tell you. Otherwise just buy plain, unsalted microwave popcorn and start with two full size bags.)
-1 stick butter
-1 cup brown sugar
-1/4 cup clear Karo syrup
- 1 pinch of baking soda (literally, just get a pinch out of the box)

1. Melt butter, brown sugar and Karo syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Boil one minute, stirring now and then.
3. Add baking soda and stir (call the kids in for this - it foams like a science experiment!).
4. Pour over popcorn and stir.
5. Devour!

Wednesday In The Word

The news in my town and stories from friends has prompted me to write a little word of encouragement to you today. In the past week I have heard of a man that lost his job coming home and killing his wife, a thirty something woman overdosing on drugs, people scared out of their minds because of the swine flu and this week alone we have suffered the most intense casualties in Afghanistan. It is easy to become so consumed by what is going on around us that we loss perspective and hope.

We have to remember that the Bible says that in the world we will have trouble but God has overcome the world.

This passage may gives us direction and hope:

The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Psalm 145:14-18

From the rooftop:

The Lord will pick you up if you fall

If you bow to Him He will raise you up

The Lord will give each one of us all we need when our eyes stay on Him

The Lord is near

Are you broken hearted, defeated, discouraged, aimless or without hope?

Dear friend bow your knee and lift your eye toward heaven and call out to the One that made you, God Himself. Share your heart with Him. He will hear you and he will comfort you and give you the direction you need.

I am praying for you.

I love you,
Glenda

Train Up Tuesday: Sitting Still in Church

One of my joys as a mother is seeing my children learn to obey and to behave and (can I be honest?) hearing comments when others notice as well. We are still in the training process with all of this - which I don’t think ever ends - but already my 4 year old has brought me and my husband “delight” as he is learning through our disciplining (that is training) him (see Proverbs 29:17 ). One way that he brings us “delight” is the way he is able to be with us during worship services at church and keep quiet and relatively still. I have had many take note of his ability to behave in church. I assure them that what they observe is the product of over a year of training.

When we first started, I used a “reward system” of giving him stickers that he could hold onto during the service but taking them away if he acted up. For us, this didn’t work so well, because taking the items away resulted in more cries and problems. Then, we offered stickers for a chart at home depending on how well he behaved with a big reward once the chart was completed. That was a good start. He was thrilled to go to lunch at a fun place of his choice once that happened. However, once I knew (and he knew) that he could behave in church, we opted to discontinue the “reward system” because as parents, we wanted him to learn that being able to go to church and worship is a privilege (and fortunately a right in our country) and not something to be dreaded or just tolerated.

Shortly after that point in the training, my sister gave me a magazine (Above Rubies). In it was an article with from several ladies across the country submitting their personal advice and techniques. (You can read it in it’s entirety here.) I used it to supplement what we were already implementing. First, we had periods at home to try training our son to sit still and quiet and listen in a controlled environment. Usually, this was during a family devotional. We started with a small, reasonable amount of time - 5 minutes. I also learned along the way that we as parents have the right to expect our children to do well (with our guidance and teaching, of course). That helps a child know that they are capable of doing what we ask.

Next, in our training journey with “Sunshine” we began telling him what we expected of him during church time - to sit still and quiet during church - and what would happen if he didn’t - immediate discipline by taking him out during the service. We would tell him this before church, when we had his focused attention. Let me tell you, it wasn’t fun for a few months. My husband often had to take him out of the service.

During the service, sometimes we have notepads, chewy fruit snacks, a picture Bible, or a small, quiet toy. I’ll be honest, though; in our experience, our son seems to behave better when we bring nothing. Perhaps it’s the fewer distractions that help him as well. You may have a different experience where having small objects or coloring sheets are helpful to you.

Finally the training has paid off! The times we have to take him out are very rare now. He enjoys being in the services with us. People often comment to us and to “Sunshine” that he is well behaved in church. To God be the glory!

....now, we have an 18 month old son that will soon begin to partake of this training process. ;-) We pray that he also will be a “delight” to his parents.

Be encouraged on your training journey!

-Ashlie

Stay-at-home Saturday: Cleaning Day. Ugh.

You will not find anyone that hates cleaning the house more than I do. No one. Anywhere. I hate it. It seems pointless to me because as soon as I clean something, it gets dirty again. And the house is never totally clean. There's always something dirty. Even if I've done all of my regular cleaning and the house is sparkling, my baseboards are there to remind me that I've never cleaned them. Ever. My blinds can say the same thing. Ugh. I know, I know, I just wrote a post on the importance of keeping your kitchen sponge clean. There is no explanation, except to say that e.coli scares me. Mildew in my shower does not.

To make things more manageable, I try to employ the same cleaning technique as the Carolina Clipper - a little each day goes a very long way (I just made that up!). I'm okay at this, but not great. However, there are some tasks that MUST be done that I cannot ignore forever. For example, cleaning the bathroom. I can only ignore the bathroom for so long before the pink ring around the drain stares back at me everytime I brush my teeth.

For this reason, I started timing some of the tasks I do the most. When I look at them time-wise, they seem a lot more manageable. It turns out that cleaning the master bath only takes 13 minutes (this does not include the shower; that's a different day because I hate it so much). Unloading the dishwasher usually takes 5 minutes. Vacuuming and dusting the downstairs? A mere 30 minutes.

Looking at my tasks this way helps me muster the energy to tackle something. Now if someone could just show me how to keep the clutter off the floor so I could actually vacuum it . . .

Love,

Amy

Thrifty Thursday ~ Shopping Lists

Now that we've organized our coupon box it's time to create a shopping list! The key to HUGE SAVINGS is to match store sales with coupons that you already have. Do you have time to do all that research? No!!! I don't either. That's why there are saints who do this for us. It really is as simple as clicking a button to create your list. First, understand that store sales begin on Wednesday each week. So, Wednesday morning:

1. Go to Southern Savers. There are plenty of blogs that match up deals but this is by far the easiest to use!

2. Use the menu at the top to select your store (Bi Lo, CVS, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, etc).

3. Use her amazing tool to check the items you plan to buy to create a printable shopping list.

TIP: After printing my list I put it on a clipboard to make writing and viewing easier while shopping.

Advanced Couponers: You can go to Hot Coupon World and select a grocery store to see deals. The format is not as pleasing to the eye, but it is the best place to find out about deals before the general public. For example, you'll know that a triple promotion is coming prior to the Wednesday when the promotion starts. They'll even do match ups so you can prepare your list and coupons ahead of time!

Now that you have your list you need to get those coupons in order!

1. Create Shopping Envelopes. My Oxford divider tabs came with a built in plastic envelope on the back. A regular envelope would work just the same! Label each envelope: Grocery, Drugstore, Refile, Use.

2. Pull Coupons. You have two options:

• Pull every coupon you plan to use on your shopping trip and put it in either the Grocery or Drugstore envelope. OR
• Bring your coupon box and pull the coupons as you shop.

The coupon world is very divided on this issue. My sister pulls her coupons prior to her trip, while I choose to pull them as I shop. I found that I spent time at home pulling the coupons, then I'd have to sift through them while in the store, and I'd end up having a big refile stack because the store would be out of the item or the item was more than I wanted to spend. We both save huge amounts of money so I think it's a personal preference thing.

3. Shop. Regardless of your preparation choice, ALWAYS bring your coupon box with you! You never know when you'll find something on clearance or come across a deal you missed while making your list. While shopping, place your desired item in your cart and immediately put the coupon for that item in your "use" envelope. Obviously, if you have coupons that you will not use place them in the "refile" envelope.

4. Pay. When you've found all your items I suggest putting your coupon box on the bottom of the cart and only holding your "use" envelope when you approach the cashier. Give them five coupons at a time. This way you can make sure they ring up properly. An organized shopper = a happy cashier = saving more money!

Wednesday In The Word: Psalm 139

I love Psalm 139, I have memorized most of it and said it over and over to myself on many occasions. I have found this one passage of scripture to be encouraging at times and comforting at others. Yesterday this scripture took deeper hold of my heart and began to develop even deeper meaning in my mind.

Yesterday, I sat in a doctor's office in total awe and amazement as my daughter's inmost being was projected up on a screen to determine the health and sex of her babies. That is right, not just one baby but two. What we saw would make the hardest heart melt. We actually witnessed two eight ounce little people interact with one another. First, baby A kicked baby B. Then baby B sat on the head of baby A and baby A tried to bite baby B. I kid you not, this is the truth.

What we saw brings this scripture into complete focus:

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139: 16-18

From the rooftop:

The babies I saw are already known by God because He created them.

God already knows their personalities as we are just beginning to know their personalities.

These babies are not hidden (neither are we) but fully known by God.

These babies days are already planned by their maker and so are all of ours.

We can turn to the ONE that knows us completely because HE ALONE knows what we completely need.

I want to thank my daughter and her husband for allowing me the privilege of being a witness to this miracle. I understand so much more about God and His Word because of what I saw.

It is so easy to forget in the middle of busy schedules and the chaos of the world, where we actually came from and who is in complete control. But the One that had each one of us in His mind before we were born is still watching over each one of us until we ultimately go to be with Him. May we all find comfort and strength in that fact.

I Love You,
Glenda

Train Up Tuesday: The Joy of Delayed Gratification

This past Saturday, we celebrated the upcoming 4th birthday of my son, “Sunshine”. We had been planning for a Candyland themed party for several months, collecting things on sale, rummaging through Christmas ornaments, and even making decorations for this festive feast for the eyes and tummy. For months, “Sunshine” would tell everyone he met about his “upcoming” Candyland party and would often ask me how much longer until the special day. I have to confess, it was even difficult for me to hold back all my secrets for the party. I was so excited to share each stage of preparation with him, but my husband displayed wisdom in encouraging me to wait on letting our son “in” on all the surprises. I’m so glad that he did!

Most of us have been there, teaching our children to wait for a special event. Children need plenty of opportunities, now more than ever, to learn the joy of “delayed gratification”. You can Google that phrase and see pages upon pages on the research and blogs on the topic. Our society has become one engorged with instantaneous satisfaction coupled with entitlement mentality.

The party provided another memorable opportunity to teach this lesson. Our 3 year old had never chewed gum (don’t get crazy, now! He’s had plenty of other candy and sweets!). We didn’t think he was ready (or that I was ready to clean it out of hair and carpet) and we thought it would be a great way to teach him how to look forward to something...even a small something. He was so looking forward to turning 4 and chewing gum! At the party Saturday, he wore a necklace made for keeping treasures (made by Nikki Mans’ daughter). He chose to put a gumball in it in expectation for this “milestone”.

During the party, he did indeed get his chance to chew his gum. He popped it into his mouth and just looked around at us. Someone asked, “Well, how is it? What do you think?” He simply said (shrugging one shoulder), “It’s pretty good” - as if to say “What was all the hubbub about?”. Oddly enough, I think he got more out of waiting and anticipating the moment he would chew the gum than he did from actually chewing it. I’m okay with that. I think sometimes, that’s the more important lesson to learn. I would rather him learn that now with small...and maybe silly....things than learn the hard way with “bigger” life lessons.

How are you dealing with “delayed gratification” in your life and with your little ones? Do you have any memorable moments?

Much love,

Ashlie

Stay-at-home Saturday: Chicken and Rice Soup

Note: After making this soup tonight, I think you should lean toward starting with 3 quarts of water, not 4. I think 4 would make it more like broth with chicken and rice, instead of the thick, creamy soup it's supposed to be.

I don't know about where you live, but in my hometown we've had a burst of autumn weather. To me, that means soups, stews, and chili! I love this recipe. It is thick and creamy and hearty enough to be served with a salad and bread, or alongside of sandwiches. I am making this tonight and will serve it with pimento cheese sandwiches and salad. Also, if you're short on time, use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and skip steps 1-3. Throw in an extra chicken bouillon cube and you're good!

I am going to double this recipe, I think, and freeze the rest for another meal. I just put the leftover soup in a plastic storage bag, lay it flat, and put it in the freezer. When I'm ready to heat it up, I'll either defrost it in the fridge or run the bag under hot water. Then I'll reheat it in a pot and just like that - dinner!

Chicken and Rice Soup
Serves 4

3-4 chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. pepper
2 bay leaves
2 chicken bouillon cubes (or a tsp. of chicken base)
1 c. uncooked rice (I do not use instant rice, so that isn't what I mean here)
1 carrot, grated
1 Tbsp. butter
1 can cream of chicken soup

1. Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in 3-4 quarts of water. Cook until chicken is cooked through and tender (try 30 minutes?).
2. Remove chicken and bay leaf (throw out bay leaf).
3. Strain broth; add some celery and onion back in, if desired.
4. Bring broth to boil with bouillon cube.
5. Stir in rice, carrot and butter. Cook for 20 min. or until rice is done (time varies for white and brown rice). While rice cooks, shred chicken.
6. Add in cream of chicken and shredded chicken.
7. Salt to taste.

Love,

Amy

Thrifty Thursday ~ Coupon Box

After six months of using a coupon binder I switched to a coupon box. This was a big step for me because I had already spent money on the binder supplies and I'm not great with change. But, something had to give because I was DREADING filing each coupon into the little baseball card holders. After three weeks of letting coupons build into a massive messy pile (and very little savings because I couldn't find anything!) I knew I needed a different system. Enter- the amazing, wonderful, time saving COUPON BOX!!

SUPPLIES:

1. Plastic box with handle and lid. I got the above Sterilite container from Target for under $10.

2. Divider Tabs. I got the plastic Oxford divider tabs because they are more durable, but you could use index cards.

3. Envelopes to hold coupons.

4. Zipper pouch with calculator, scissors, stapler, and pen.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE:

1. Create Divider Tabs. Click here for a complete list of Divider Tabs and their Subcategories. Write each underlined word from the list onto either a plastic divider tab or a large index card. For example: Drugstore, Health & Beauty, Produce, etc. These categories are in the order of grocery store isles.

2. Create Subcategories. Write each subcategory on one envelope. For example: the subcategories of Pasta, Sauce, Rice, and Boxed Meals would be on four separate envelopes. I wrote each name on an index card and stapled it to the envelope in a staggered fashion so the names would be raised for easy viewing (see above picture). Place these envelopes behind the Pasta & Rice divider tab. Obviously continue this until all divider tabs and subcategory envelopes are complete.

3. Cut and File Coupons. Click here for easy how-to instructions. This is the main time saver with the box!!! Once coupons are cut and sorted you just drop them into each subcategory envelope. Quick and easy!

Wednesday In The Word: A Word From A Friend

I received a letter from a friend recently and I just wanted to share it with you because I think it speaks volumes to all of us:

Have you ever been running on empty and didn't know it? I don't mean driving your car on empty. I am referencing your physical body and spirit. Are your running on empty today?Do you feel tired, weary, and far from God? Do you miss His voice? Do you miss His presence and glory in your life? Do you feel like you don't have anything to give others? If you are like me, you like to stay busy and don't feel like you are accomplishing anything when you are sitting idle, and at times can even feel guilty for taking times of rest. During Jesus's life on earth, He regularly withdrew from the multitudes/people and set aside time to be alone with His Father. We too need this time alone with God and He is teaching me that it is crucial to my condition, my physical health, and my ministry. If your answer was yes to any of the above questions, I want to encourage you to find a day, or morning, or afternoon, or evening, to just BE alone with Him....sit in His presence, talk to Him, worship Him, praise Him, soak in His love, and medidate on His word and listen to what He is saying to and about you. I'm not talking about your daily devo time. This is a special "date" that you make with Jesus. If possible, do it in an unfamiliar or different setting/place than you have your devo times.

If you need to be refreshed, recharged, refueled or just desire to fall back in love with your "first love", then perhaps a retreat with Jesus is all you need.

I think this is a wonderful way to express what it means to get back in touch with God.

I love you,
Glenda

Train Up Tuesday: Intentional Teaching Moments through Family Devotions

It’s not a topic that hasn’t already been discussed on The Roof (see this and this for some great resources), but in light of a recent discussion in a young couples’ small group I feel the topic of “family devotions” bears repeating.

We are all well aware that this generation (and rising generations) of young parents weren’t necessarily brought up in solid Christian homes (or even families that attended church on an infrequent basis). That being said, the question has arisen in the hearts of parents who have come to Christ as “first generation” Christians of “what does a Christian parent look like and how do you do devotions?” While there is no one answer of how every family should “do devotions” (every family has it’s own personality and each child has his own learning style), I do believe one must be intentional. I heard my husband say recently “you never accidentally become a mature believer just as you never accidentally get in shape physically.” We’ve talked about “teachable moments” in recent weeks, but I don’t think you can get more “intentional” with these moments than teaching the Word in your home. So, parents, it is up to us to disciple our precious little ones. That all begins with a good foundation and knowledge of God’s Word.

Talk with your spouse (it is ideal that the Christian husband lead - see Ephesians 6:4) and your children. Be intentional about a regular time and place to have devotions. Perhaps it’s first thing in the morning at breakfast. Maybe you prefer to hold it at the dinner table. Or you may enjoy ending your evening in your bed with the little ones as my family does with a devotion, songs, and prayer.

Be willing to change up your routine, especially if this is new to you. Your may need to be flexible (especially if you have toddlers!) about time, duration, and method of learning God’s Word. When we first started family devotions, it was maybe a couple times a week for about 5-10 minutes a lesson. I would find a simple Sunday school type lesson for toddlers either from a book or the internet. As my toddler and I would work on a related activity, my husband would read the lesson and perhaps play a short video or song found on the internet as well. This year, however, we have been working through “The Book of Life” series by Newton M. Hall & Irving F. Wood. It’s an older series (bought in the late 1970’s!) that my parents purchased but we never actually went through. It has been quite a treasure to go through it this year with my family. Next year, we may do something entirely different. The point is that there is no one way to do this. There are benefits of teaching topical lessons (especially when children are young to draw on their immediate interests) and expository lessons (going through large passages of scripture a little at a time which helps cover many topics). Whatever way and whatever time of day you choose, come to it with an open heart to hear God’s Word and to relate it to your family.

How are you currently having family devotions? What do you like best about it? What about your children? Do you have any suggestions for resources or tips for making the most of these times?

Stay at home Saturday

TNT Tip: Kitchen Sponge

There is someone in my life that I love very much, but her kitchen sponge is disgusting. I have had the (dis)pleasure of doing dishes at her house multiple times and it always grosses me out to use the pitiful excuse of a sponge that sits in her sink. You know the type: it's one of those sponges that is attached to a handle that is supposed to dispense soap when you press the top. The sponge is brown, the green scrubby part is falling apart, and it looks like an e.coli accident waiting to happen. (Shudder.)

I have always been somewhat obsessive about keeping my kitchen sponge clean. This may seem silly, but think about it: you slide this thing along your counters and dishes, which eventually come in contact with your food. Important stuff! According the November edition of Good Housekeeping magazine, the most effective way to clean your sponge is to soak it in a mixture of 3/4 c. bleach and 1 gal. water for 5 minutes. The runners up? 1-2 minutes in the microwave or throwing it in the dishwasher (I personally do 2 minutes in the microwave). By the way, you're supposed to replace your sponge when it starts looking shabby. I highly recommend the sponges at Aldi. You get 2 for $ .99 and they work great.


Savory Smackeral: No Peep Stew (courtesy of my friend, Andrea)

Do your prep work for this delicious cold weather meal on Saturday night (except the potatoes), then assemble and pop in the oven early Sunday morning. By lunch time you'll have a heavenly dish that screams to be served with big, fluffy yeast rolls. Mmm . . .

1 1/2 -2 lbs. stew beef
1/2 onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce (I use a large can because I like it more "stew-y")
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. tapioca (granules, not pudding! Find near the pudding mixes)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

1. Mix sugar, tapioca, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Mix vegetables in an oven safe pot.
3. Sprinkle 1/3 seasoning mixture on top of veggies.
4. Put meat on top of veggies and cover with remaining seasoning.
5. Pour tomato sauce on top.
6. Cover and cook at 250 degrees for 4-5 hours. Enjoy!

Love,
Amy

Free-for-all Friday: DIY Family Rules

You may remember a post that Angela did over the summer about Family Rules. Many of you inquired how you could get this wall hanging that someone had given her.

Look no further, Ladies. You can have one for yourself AND it's DIY (Do it yourself)! Keep in mind, if you happen to be a crafty type and a non-crafty friend is interested, this could really be a WONDERFUL gift for you to give.

A fellow blogger, Nikki, that we've actually featured on this Mommy Marketing Moment recently tackled a crafty project with a similar concept. Nikki saw this project on the Pleated Poppy.

She painted the edges of a canvas.

Then, cut down 12 x 12 paper down to 11 x 4 strips. She made the height 4 inches so it would be easier for printing.

Nikki used mostly the same rules as Pleated Poppy but also added some of our own. You could do it with the rules that Angela listed, too. Get creative!

If you want some great fonts for this project..or any project... Nikki got her fonts from Kevin & Amanda. They have great, FREE down loadable fonts! After she printed all the strips of paper, she cut some of down in height more so they would all be random and varied heights. She then used Matte Modge Podge to glue each strip down, then put 2 coats of Mod Podge on the whole thing to seal it.

Voila...finished project!!!

Well done, Nikki!!! Thank you for the idea and the step by step tips. RWAVers, if you tackle this project, send us pictures!!! We want to see YOUR creativity. :)

Wednesday In The Word: Psalm 71

Where do you go when you don't know where to turn and everything just seems to be going haywire, inspite of all your efforts to keep it together? You know, I have lived enough life to know that women are professionals at keeping it all together. We know that it just is not true that we are able to keep everything in total order and control. What if we spent as much time getting to know God as we do on appearances?

I love this scripture that I came across:

I run for dear life to God, I'll never live to regret it.
Do what you do so well: get me out of this mess and up on my feet.
Put your ear to the ground and listen, give me space for salvation.
Be a guest room where I can retreat; you said your door was always open.
You're my salvation—my vast, granite fortress

Psalm 71:1-4

From the rooftop:

Are you running for dear life in some area of you life?

Run to God

You will not regret it

Put your ear to the ground, listen for Him speak or whisper to you

He will give you space to say to Him whatever you need to, you will not surprise or hurt Him

His Door is always open

Walk into His room of safety

He will be your salvation

Today I heard a young man say that He was alone with God for about an hour. Finally he said, "wait a minute, God you haven't said anything to me." He said it was if God said, "I just want you to be quiet and spend time with ME."

What could God be saying to us? May we all run to Him and spend time with Him.

I love you,
Glenda

Training Up Tuesday: Memory Boosters

I’ve heard it said that “you retain 10 percent of what you hear, 25 percent of what you read, 50 percent of what you study, 100 percent of what you memorize and meditate on” (from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Christian Life & Witness Course). That alone should be a great motivator for memorizing scriptures and teaching our children to do so at the earliest of ages.

My 3 1/2 year old, “Sunshine”, recently joined our church’s AWANA group. Only 4 weeks into it, he has already memorized 8 verses -including where the verses are found (that’s the part I almost always forget!). You are no doubt somewhat familiar with this group. Children earn patches or stickers for memorizing key Scriptures. Of course, as our son is learning these verses, Mommy and Daddy are as well. We’ve learned some of them “straight”, and we’ve learned some of them with different rhythm patterns (like a cheer) or hand motions to help as “triggers” when reciting the verses. You may have done something similar in school to learn multiplication tables, historical facts, or poems.

It’s fairly easy to teach young pups new tricks....but what about those of us who aren’t regularly being challenged to learn new things (That’s my way of avoiding referring to any of us as “old dogs”.) Recently, I became introduced to another wonderful technique for remembering chronology of the New Testament and the Life of Christ. I attended a Walk Thru the New Testament seminar. In five hours one Sunday afternoon, my husband and I, along with other church members, learned 77 hand motions for 77 key people, places or events of the New Testament. We learned about why there are four gospels - their purposes, their intended audiences; we “walked” with Christ during His time on earth; we saw with fresh eyes how the New Testament “fits together”. We thought we had really accomplished something until a stage filled with children entered the room to show us what they had learned during that time - the same 77 hand motions!

The following Monday, my husband ran into a coworker he had invited to the seminar but who was unable to attend. His friend shared his regrets of not being able to attend, asked to be invited for future events, and then shared this - his family had attended the Walk Thru the Old Testament four years prior....and they all still remembered each of the hand motions as a result of practicing them together! How encouraging!

Why am I sharing all of this today? Not only to encourage you to check out these ministries (which I hope you do), but to challenge you as a parent to learn scripture with your child in whatever way that looks like. It may be as simple as writing out verses or rote memorization that helps it sink in. That’s great! But know that it’s okay to use other study techniques, too. Is your son into music? Make up songs! Does she like to cheer? Use clapping rhythms! Maybe your little one is a story teller. Use hand motions!

What are some creative or fun ways that you have for learning scriptures or Bible facts?

Frosty Trick-or-Treat Gift Books at Wendy's

If you love a Wendy's Frosty half as much as I do, then you'll want to check this out! Wendy's is selling Trick-or-Treat Gift Books that include 10 (yes, 10!) certificates for a free Jr. Frosty--and for ONLY $1! To show you how good I am at math, that is only 10 cents per certificate. A dime!

Another thing that is so exciting about this dealio is this, which I am quoting straight from the inside cover of one of the books I've already purchased: "Ninety cents of every $1 booklet sold between 9/18/09 and 10/31/09 will be donated to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption in support of its signature programs, including Wendy's Wonderful Kids."

Furthermore ... and because this explains everything so well ... the inside cover continues to read: "Not only is it a great way to provide kids in your neighborhood with delicious Wendy's Jr. Frosty treats, but you are also helping to support the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. For more than a decade, this non-profit, public charity has been dedicated to helping connect families with waiting children. We also work to make the adoption process easier and more affordable for anyone wanting to adopt. With your donation, we help build forever families."

How cool is that? Not only do you get a yummy Frosty at a great price, but also you are helping a wonderful cause. These certificates make fantastic gifts for trick-or-treaters, students, schoolmates, family members, neighbors, etc. If you're planning a party, they're perfect party favors, too!

P.S. The coupons are valid from November 1, 2009, through February 1, 2010, at participating Wendy's restaurants.

Free-for-all Friday: Entertaining Ideas

2 Corinthians 9:12 " The service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but it is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God."

This is a great time of the year to have others over to your home for dinner or dessert. Since our two year old came along, it is easier to meet at our or other's homes for dinner rather than going out to eat. I have had so much fun pulling out all my cookbooks and deciding on new things and themes to have. I have a couple of cute books from William Sonoma, one being on fountain drinks and the other on pizzas. By pulling these out and having the family look through them, you can really include everyone in the event.

Here is a sample menu that we came up with from both books. I hope you can find some of these treasures in your own homes!

Soda Night - These will be served at a game night that I am hosting.

Black Cows - 1 1/2 tsp of chocolate sauce, root beer, and vanilla ice cream

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches - Fresh chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream.

I will also offer a variety of sodas for floats, YUM!

Pizza Night!

Roasted Bell Pepper Pizza - 2 red bell peppers, 2 yellow bell peppers, 2 cloves of garlic, flat leaf parsley, 2 TBSP of olive oil, 1 cup tomato sauce, 2 cups of sliced tomatoes, 6 oz. of mozzarella cheese, salt, and black pepper. We get our dough from Trader Joes.

Topsy Turvey Cherry Tomato Pizza - Great for kids! - 3 TBSP of olive oil, 5 cups of cherry tomatoes, juice of one lime, 2 tsp of fresh mint, salt and pepper. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and arrange insides down on the dough

Have fun and please post ideas from books that you have around your homes so we can share in the fun~

Love,
Imogene