A Humbling Experience

Interviewing with churches for potential ministry positions is quite unique.  In no other situation, that I can think of, is the entire family part of the interview process.  For whatever reason I had taken particular care this week to make sure everyone was dressed appropriately and that we had all the extras for the kids like snacks, juice boxes, distractions for during the interview etc.  I had spent a lot of time in prayer for James, the sermon, and the congregation throughout the week, but I had also spent time taking care of things that would allow us to make a general good first impression.  We left quite early Sunday morning to allow for a long commute and plenty of time before Sunday School began.  All seemed to be going well as we spotted the church without a problem and had time to spare.  Then as we pulled in to the church parking lot a car sick child vomited.  Marissa emptied  the contents of her stomach, and everyone except the baby ended up with some on them.  We needed our extra time to change the kids clothing and get ourselves and the car cleaned up the best we could.  It was a humble reminder for me that many of the things I had spent time on this week didn't really matter and that the situation was completely in God's hands.  The message brought from God's word was excellent even if the man brining it still smelled a bit like soured milk, and I have nothing but peace about the situation now. 

Easy Alfredo Sauce

This is a very easy and very yummy recipe for an Alfredo sauce.  It can be modified to use low-fat cream cheese and milk to be healthier.

Ingredients

• 4 oz. Cream Cheese
• 1 Cup Milk
• 3 Tbsp Parmesan or other hard cheese (We've use mozzarella too.)
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 1 Tbsp Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Parsley
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil

Directions

Combine in Blender until smooth. Warm in sauce pan for 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring as needed. Cook for last 2 1/2  minutes on medium high heat for a thicker sauce, stir continuously.

Other Notes

Fresh or dried herbs can be used.  This recipe provides plenty of sauce for a half pound of pasta which is what we use for two adults and two kids. Additions make it a more nutritionally complete meal.  We've used this recipe with chicken, canned tuna, chopped bacon, and spinach. Breadsticks make a nice addition to get all the sauce off your plate, and trust me you'll want to get all the sauce off your plate.

Time Management Part 2: Rising Early

Rising early is often proclaimed to be one of the keys to getting the most out of your day.  We see the examples of rising early in the Bible by the excellent wife of Proverbs 31 and Jesus.

She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household.(Proverbs 31:15)

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.(Mark 1:35 ESV)

One of of the chapters in Shopping for Time is entitled Joining the 5 AM club.  What I appreciate about this chapter is that it acknowledges that rising early is going to look differently for those in different places in life.  Getting up at 5 AM is no where near practical for me.

With three children under the age of three, it is not unusual for me to have been up with one or more children in the night.  My husband is often up late working or studying, and I almost always stay up with him.  In the past, we have put our children's bed time later to accomodate daddy's work schedule while making sure the girls have gotten to spend time with their daddy.  I am not a morning person, and it is not and ideal time for me to do serious Bible study or prayer.  Rising early for me is going to mean getting up at a consistent time, before the kids, so that I'm ready to start the day practically and spiritually.  While I'm not going to do my meatier Bible study when I first get up, I am going to spend some time in the Word to get my day off on the right foot.

Things to Consider About Choosing a Waking Time

• What do you want to have done before your children rise?
• How long do you anticipate those activities taking?
• What time can you get up that allows for adequate sleep?
• What waking time will best serve your husband and family over all?  (Starting your day at 5 AM simply because it is early does not glorify God.)

TIme Management:Part 1

I've never gotten into creating new year resolutions, but the starting of a new year provides a great opportunity for reflection.  One thing I have been convicted about is better managing my time.  James beginning classes, homeschooling, and other coming changes in our lives will make it even more necessary that time is well managed.  There are many scriptures that speak to managing our time and work.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16, ESV)

I received Shopping for Time by Carolyn Mahaney and daughters for Christmas, and this was the theme verse for the book.  A review of the book is available here.  As part of my planning or "looking carefully"  of how to manage my time I am considering the methods layed out in Shopping for Time as well as Managers of Their Homes by Titus 2 Ministries.  I have used Managers of Their Homes and the companion book, Managers of their Chores, successfully in the past.  Both are wonderful resources for Christian women and are full of scripture to guide you.  Shopping for Time lays out Biblical principals while acknowledging that they'll look differently in the day to day lives of individuals.  Managers of Their Homes (MOTH) walks you through creating a daily schedule that allows you to block out time for everything you need to get done.  You'll need to be very disciplined to succeed with your MOTH schedule, but the reward of doing so is great.  As I decide how we move forward, I'll be sharing along the way in hopes it will be a blessing to you in your own journey of walking wisely. 

My First Etsy Purchase

After admiring items on Etsy many times, I finally made my first purchase.  For those of you who don't know, Etsy is an online marketplace to buy and sell handmade items.  I am very much for the idea of buying local rather than supporting large companies such as Wal-Mart, but it can hard to find items locally made or even items just sold by locally owned companies.  The internet makes it possible to support small businesses and individuals even if they are not literally just around the corner.  Etsy is particularly neat because items are handmade.  There are a myriad of items available on Etsy, from wooden toys to stuffed animals to clothing to decorative items.  It is surprising what is available.  I ordered a set of ponytail holders with decorative fabric buttons shown in the photo.  I told James, "They're ponytail holders for grown-ups."  Shipping was quick and I even received a personal note with a silver plated bookmark for being the seller's one thousandth customer.  Before you run out and purchase something from a large corporation, why not see if its available on Etsy.