FROG for Peace

Thank God It’s Friday!

Mags — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:48:10 +0000

THANK – Count you blessings! No matter what you are experiencing, if you take the time to stop and think about all the positive things in your life, you will most assuredly realize that God has blessed you in immeasurable ways. They may not be obvious at first, especially if you are facing difficulties or struggling with some particular trouble in your life, but I promise, the blessings are there.

GOD – He loves you, He cares about you, He is right by your side. You are never alone! You were created on purpose, for a purpose. And even if you feel like no one “gets” you or could possibly love you if they really knew you, God does. He is always with you. He weeps when you weep, He laughs when you laugh. He will never leave you.

IT’S – Not it was or it will be. It is! Much time can be wasted fretting about mistakes of the past or worrying about the future. Take the time to look around you and take in the present. What matters the most right now? Don’t miss out on all life has to offer today by looking to the past or the future. Stay in the moment. Carpe diem … sieze the day!!

FRIDAY – Enjoy the weekend to the fullest! Relax. Let go of the stresses of the week. Set your “To Do” list aside for once and just enjoy the break from all the hassles you may be experiencing at work. Do something good for yourself and don’t feel guilty about it. Enjoy the season, get back to that hobby you love, read a book, take a bubble bath!

Have a blessed weekend everyone!

Attitude of Gratitude

Childlike Wonder

Mags — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:45:14 +0000

When I was a little girl, I lived in a rural farm community just outside Cedar Rapids, IA. I spent a lot of time wandering through the fields which surrounded our house and one of my favorite things to do was to pick fluffy dandelions and make wishes.

I would close my eyes tightly for good measure, make a list of things I hoped and dreamed for, and, after inhaling as deeply as possible, I would blow with all my might. I remember watching with great anticipation as my efforts were rewarded by the sight of a thousand wishes scattered on the wind.

I was thinking today how unfortunate it is that as adults we often become so burdened with the responsibilities of life we lose touch with that childlike wonder. In fact becoming childlike in thought or behavior is often frowned upon.

It seems our whole life we are taught to grow up and become responsible adults who lead mature lives and exhibit sound judgment. I mean, when was the last time your boss called your team into his office to play a game of leap frog?

We are so conditioned toward maturity and achievement in every aspect of our lives that we can easily lose sight of the wonders of childhood. Boring, boring, snore, snore. How much richer is life when we take the time to play and laugh and daydream!

Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
~Robert Fulgham

When was the last time you spent an afternoon lying on a blanket just to search for animal shapes in the clouds, or threw a handful of maple tree seeds into the air to see how far your “helicopters” would fly, or sent a rock kerplunking into a lake to watch the ripples form?

Does the mere thought make you cringe? Seem irresponsible or immature? Do you find yourself asking who has time for such frivolous things? C’mon! Get out that sidewalk chalk, blow some bubbles, chew a whole pack of bubble gum just to see how big a bubble you can make. You might just find that tapping into some childlike wonder is what you need to bring some much needed balance into your life. Besides, I dare you. No …I double-dog dare you.

No related posts.

Attitude of Gratitude

Mags — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:38:04 +0000

Do you ever find yourself surrounded with so much negativity that you just want to scream, “Stop the madness!”? It seems that we are bombarded with messages of doom and gloom everywhere we go and through every form of media. It doesn’t take long in listening to the news, or talking with co-workers, or even just visiting with a friend, for conversations to become a dialogue of all that is wrong in the world and life in general. Add to that the fact that some people seem to only be content when finding something to be discontented about and it can make for quite a challenge to stay positive and keep smiling.

At times like these, it is helpful for me to remember that an attitude of gratitude can go a long way in keeping things in perspective. I can’t control people, places or things. As hard as that is for me to grasp, sometimes, it is simply that simple. It’s easy for me to take the weight of the world on my shoulders and even to feel responsible for the happiness of others. So much so, that I often let the mood or attitudes of other people become my own in an effort to take their burden from them. Newsflash to me: It doesn’t work!

What I can do, however, is check my own thoughts and attitudes and make changes where needed. I like the passage of scripture in I Thessalonians 5:16-18 which states:

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

It’s a great reminder that I really can find something to be thankful for no matter what my circumstances and no matter what the attitude of those around me might be.

I often make being grateful much more complicated than it really is. To simply stop at any point in my day and say, “I’m thankful for…” is usually all it takes to change my attitude from negative to positive. It’s surprising how once I choose to start counting my blessings the negativity spinning around me just quiets down. I like it all peaceful and quiet so much better!

Love Wichita

Mags — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 01:00:37 +0000

There is nothing that inspires me more than to see people of all denominations united, laying their differences in theology aside, and working side by side toward a common goal. On Saturday, April 25th, here in Wichita, exactly that will take place as churches from all over the city come together for one common purpose: To Love Wichita.

There’s still time to register. Check it out and get involved!!!!

A Taste of Home

Mags — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:47:20 +0000

There’s nothing quite like the aroma of homemade apple pie baking in the oven. The smell of baking apples and cinnamon is just one of those nostalgic aromas that always seems to trigger warm and fuzzy feelings of goodness and thoughts of family, togetherness and home.

Apple pie is definitely the most requested dessert by my friends and family and being my husband’s absolute favorite, I have tried several recipes over the years in an effort to find the perfect blend of spices and flaky crust. My discovery? Less is more!

No matter how complicated I’ve tried to make it, trying different blends of cinnamon, ginger, mace, nutmeg and allspice, or adding different fruits or nuts, the unanimous favorite amongst family and friends is my mother-in-law’s simple, simple, super easy, no fuss Apple Crumb Pie made with my mother’s pie crust recipe. Mother really does know best!

Below are the recipes for this yummy-licious, ever popular, Apple Crumb Pie along with some tricks I’ve learned along the way to make it absolute perfection!

Mom’s Flaky Pie Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Dash of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Assemby

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour and salt. Add a dash of baking powder for extra flakiness. Cut in shortening till pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture; gently tossing with a fork. Push to side of bowl and repeat until all is moistened. Form dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, flatten dough slightly with hands. Roll dough from center to edge, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry around rolling pin. Unroll into a buttered and floured 9-inch pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold extra under pastry and edges as desired.

Tips

Use butter flavored shortening
Handle the pastry as little as possible to prevent toughness
Use a floured pastry cloth and rolling pin sleeve
Rolling the dough thinly makes for a more flaky crust

Apple Crumb Pie

Pie mixture:

5 cups tart apples
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Crumb topping:

1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
6 tablespoons butter

Assembly

Pie mixture:
Peel and core apples and cut into fourths. Arrange in an unbaked pie shell. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over apples.
Crumb Topping:
Mix 1/3 cup sugar with the flour. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples in pie crust.

Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Tips

Use more than one variety of apples (I use Granny Smith and Golden Delicious)
Sprinkle a bit of lemon juice on apples to reduce tartness
Cover edges of pies crust with foil for the first 30 minutes to prevent over-browning

Bon Apetit!!

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The Joy of Puzzles

Mags — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:05:32 +0000

For as long as I can remember, I have been crazy about puzzles. Words, numbers, shapes … it really doesn’t matter what form the puzzles are in, if it involves logical thinking skills and problem solving, and I’m exposed to the challenge of it, I become intrigued.

The latest “puzzle” I’ve become fascinated with is web design. It began when I decided to bite the bullet, so to speak, and start this personal blog. There was quite a bit that went into getting this site up and running and fortunately I had a great techno mentor in a family friend to help with all of the initial set up. I decided to follow his advice of using a self-hosted blog platform for more control and flexibility in my blogging, to have the freedom to tweek my site as desired, and to actually own the content. This involved purchasing my own domain name through Go Daddy and arranging hosting for my site which I did through ANHosting.

It didn’t take long for my wheels to start spinning and I began asking, “What if? How? Why?” as it pertained to all the different elements of my blog. I soon realized one of the benefits of a self-hosted site … the opportunity to tap into my creative side and begin to make my blog uniquely mine.

Because I set up a self-hosted site, I had the option of making my blog look anyway I wanted. Since I’m new to all of this, I found a fast and easy way to get started with the appearance of my blog, was to download a free web design theme from WordPress. Once the initial set up for my domain was complete and the WordPress theme of my choice was installed on my site … ta da! I was up and running … an “official” blogger.

Hackers “R” Us

My first official “hack” involved re-writing the little blurb in the upper right corner under the About section. It originally contained a few lines of Latin. Obviously, I wanted it to say something different, so I entered my site as the administrator, accessing the guts of my blog, and began exploring. Once I found the section of code that contained the section of Latin, I was able to delete it and add instead what you see written there now.

Plugins

For the first few weeks I was content to have my blog up and running, and simply enjoyed having an outlet for my writing. I was able to add to the appearance and features of my blog by simply installing ready made plugins, such as the coolest thing evah … the Thought Sphere seen in the sidebar on the right. (Seriously, you know you visit my site just to play with it and get lost in it’s spinningness. Okay, maybe that’s just me.) Yet, I was still bothered by a few minor things about the appearance. I realized that if I was able to hack into the code and change the little Latin blurb, that must mean I could make other changes as well.

Hooked

Oh, goodness, gracious, me! I’m now addicted and working on learning CSS and HTML code, which it appears my site is basically built with, along with PHP, to understand website design and build my own. Fascinating stuffage and one of the most exciting puzzles I’ve come across. I’ve started hacking the code for the theme of this site in my own little workshop. Very crude hacking, mind you, with little concern about the appearance. I’m just trying to understand all the elements of this theme’s design.

Is that cool or what!!!

Entering the Blogosphere

Journey On

Mags — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:10:32 +0000

One of the most challenging times in life can come when, either anticipated or not, you find yourself standing at the proverbial crossroad to the path on which you are walking. It can come unexpectedly when you experience the loss of a job, a death of a family member, or receive an unfavorable medical diagnosis. It can be completely anticipated and the end result of a lot of hard work and meeting your goals such as high school or college graduation, achieving a promotion at work, or entering into retirement. Sometimes you find yourself standing at a crossroad simply because of the progression of life as in entering adulthood, approaching “middle-age”, or living out the golden years.

All of life’s crossroads bring with them a unique set of challenges, stressors and emotions and choosing amongst the paths set before you can seem like an overwhelming task.

So, when standing at a crossroad, how do you keep yourself from getting stuck and giving in to the temptation to plop yourself down in the middle of the road and stop the journey altogether? Here are just a few things that have helped me in my life to move past or to choose a crossroad in order to journey on:

Acknowledgment

Sometimes acknowledgment of where you are in life can be the first step toward getting unstuck. Call a friend, talk to your spouse, write in a journal, blog about it. Whatever it takes to get the reality of your situation “out there” in the open where you can look at it honestly. Are you excited for the change, afraid of failure, feeling a sense of loss? Share your thoughts and feelings and begin asking questions. Simple acknowledgment can go a long way in helping you sift through the facts about your situation and keeping you in the present where you can make accurate judgments and decisions about your circumstances.

Assessment

Ask yourself what your options truly are. Write them down or discuss them with a trusted friend. A lot of time and effort can be saved by taking an accurate assessment of your options in moving forward rather than daydreaming about the “if only’s” or lamenting the past. By the same token, a lot of time and effort can be wasted if you are spending all your time looking at options that aren’t a reality for your situation.

Weigh the Pros and Cons

Take an honest look at each of your options and make a list, literally, of each of the pros and cons relating to those options. Again, you might find it helpful to talk to family, friends, or co-workers through this process, but remember that the pros and cons of any given choice can be extremely different for each individual. Ultimately, the path you take is yours so consider them in light of your personality, skill set, preferences, and support network. This process can go beyond the obvious of uncovering the benefits and disadvantages of each of your options. It also is a very enlightening process that helps you discover where your passions, values, strengths and weaknesses, and individual talents lie.

Seek Advice

Ask, ask, and ask again. This may sound simple, but if you’re anything like me, pride can often get in the way of admitting when you need help or seeking advice from others. However, hearing from those who can say, “Been there, done that”, is invaluable. This can be as simple as having a conversation with a co-worker or spiritual mentor or getting online and doing a bit of research. Of utmost significance in this process is, of course, the element of trust. Ask yourself, do I trust the words, experience and wisdom of the person or source? And, don’t be afraid to filter as you deem necessary. Even the best advice from those who have experienced what you are going through, may just not apply to you. That’s okay, take what works, and leave the rest.

Take the First Step

Ultimately, a choice will be made regarding the path you wish to pursue. However, if you stop at simply choosing a path, and never step foot on it, you might as well join the other undecideds and plop down in the road alongside them. All the acknowledgment, assessment, weighing pros and cons and seeking advice … even making a decision about where you want to go …is futile unless you take that first step on your chosen path and begin to journey on. Everything leading up to making a choice can seem like a cakewalk compared to actually taking action. Remember, however, that life’s sweetest moments, excitement, rewards, and joys are never found by sitting in the middle of the road, but rather in the journey itself.

Remember You’re Not Alone.

More than likely, you are surrounded by people who love and care about you and your well being. It can be tempting to isolate from your support and/or social networks, especially amidst the challenges of change. Don’t do it! Use those networks, no matter how big or small, for support, feedback, continued advice and/or accountability. Connection with your friends, family, spiritual mentors, co-workers, and even online communities as you face and make changes in your life will not only help you realize there are others who have gone through similar challenges, but might also serve as the encouragement and stress relief you need to keep on keeping on.

Let Go and Let God

The foundation underlying all of the above, is my fundamental belief that God is in control, He knows whatever it is you’re facing, and He “will never leave you nor forsake you”. Jeremiah 29:9 states,

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

It is because of this, you can rest with peace in the knowledge that you don’t have to make the perfect decisions at the perfect time in the perfect way to move forward. Simply “do your best and leave God the rest.” Becoming consumed with doubt about the direction you’ve chosen can keep you from experiencing all of the blessings to be found along the way. So, once you’ve chosen a path and have started walking, look forward, not back and leave the outcomes in God’s hands … and journey on!

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Love Is in the Air

Mags — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:00:23 +0000

Is it just me or is it incredibly difficult sometimes to love others? It can be so much easier to stand in judgment of, respond in fear to, gossip about, or go on a fault finding mission with our friends, family or co-workers. Judging others is simple because all it takes is a trusted rule book and black and white thinking. People are either right or wrong, ~~right?~~ correct? And if they’re wrong, well, someone needs to show them the error of their ways.

Responding in fear is convenient. If we don’t understand someone, have never been exposed to someone’s ethnicity or culture, or disagree with them politically, we can hide behind our fears and therefore, not learn about our differences, or dare ourselves to grow in understanding. (Read: Run away! Run away!).

Just attach the suffix “phobia” to whatever unsettles us and it can be glorified as a “condition” and all of a sudden we are a victim and we can therefore take minimal responsibility for our responses.

Gossiping about others can be oh, so satisfying. Especially when cutting others down or telling a juicy secret gives us power or makes us feel “better than”. And it’s okay as long as we do it under the guise of “asking for prayer” for others, right? Bahaha!

Along the same lines of gossip is the tempting mission of fault finding that is so easy to launch in our minds. We might certainly justify it as being okay because we keep it all to ourselves and God. Again, so simple to do. And it can give us the mistaken feeling of being in control and/or feeling more worthy of a gold star than the screw-up on the other side of the room. If they are so messed up, I must be a better Christian, parent, spouse, employee, friend, etc., etc.

But what if, only for a day, we tempered every response with love? That can be a tricky thing to contemplate, I mean, what is love?

We’re certainly bombarded by messages from Hollywood, multi-media of all forms, and even childhood experiences that can shape our beliefs about love.
Love = glamor and beauty and gifts of material things. Love = happiness and joy and feelings of wedded bliss. Love = attention and acceptance and sex.

If we base the concept of love on feelings rather than facts, it’s tempting to only be satisfied when we feel “love is in the air” and to become restless or unsatisfied when blown away by the winds of change.

It can be a sobering revelation when we learn that love takes great effort and commitment. And it is often more about hard work and dying to self than feelings of butterflies and flying sparks. The apostle Paul wrote about love in his first recorded letter to his friends in Corinth and he emphasized the significance of having a spirit of love toward others. He wrote:

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Each and every day we have a choice in how we respond and react to others. Just for today, and one day at a time, I will try to choose love.

Be Still

Mags — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 08:43:08 +0000

I have to say one of the hardest things for me to do is to be still. Not so much slow down physically…I probably do a bit too much of that. But rather, to slow my brain down long enough to just be quiet, to stop all the thoughts and conversations in my head and sit with God.

I’m reminded of one of my favorite songs from childhood, “Cats in the Cradle” which was co-written by the late Harry Chapin and his wife, Sandy, and released on his 1974 album Verities and Balderdash. Although it was Chapin’s only #1 single, it quickly became one of the most notable songs in the folk rock genre, and is still the work for which he is best known. Inspired by the strained relationship between Sandy’s ex-husband and his father, “Cat’s in the Cradle” contains the poignant message of the importance of taking the time out of our busy schedules to make time for those who are most important to us.

I’ve long since retired, my son’s moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, I’d like to see you, if you don’t mind
He said I’d love to Dad, if I could find the time
You see my new job’s a hassle and the kids have the flu
But it’s sure nice talking you Dad, it’s been sure nice talking to you

That can be quite the challenge can’t it? Juggling church, work, community, school, and family schedules can leave a person exhausted and feeling overwhelmed. And it may seem impossible to carve out time in our day to connect with our spouse, our children, or our parents. How much more difficult is it to slow down long enough to spend time with God? Not just prayers in passing. But to be still long enough to hear from him. I find that connecting with God through prayer isn’t as challenging as mediation. I can pray while I’m walking or driving or cooking or shopping. I can even say when I’m done, “It’s sure nice talking to you “Dad”, it’s been sure nice talking to you.” But, that’s the problem. I’m the one doing all the talking!

I think it’s significant that God gives us this reminder in Psalms 46:10: Be still, and know that I am God.

God loves me so much, that he doesn’t want to merely hear from me from time to time or to even hear from me constantly through prayer. He genuinely longs to spend time with me so that I can hear from Him. He wants to quiet my fears and whisper words of encouragement and guidance. He wants me to know Him and hear His direction for my life. He wants me to simply take the time to be still.

Lord, Teach Me To Pray

Heavenly Treasures

Mags — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:09:29 +0000

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19

Stop Don’t Stop