Teaching What Is Good

The gift of singleness

Kate — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:01:55 +0000

(image courtesy of imagerymajestic/Freedigitalphotos.net)

Singleness is a GIFT!

Over the years I’ve counseled many women who were distressed at their singleness. It seemed that no matter how old (or young) they were, they were dissatisfied with their unmarried state. Some of these women filled their time with planning events where men would be. Some of them looked at every man as if he were a prospective item on a shopping list.

I have written 2 articles that you might be interested in. One is about becoming the woman a godly man would marry and the other is from the guy’s side: becoming a man of God (but it can also be a help for what a godly woman would be seeking in a husband).

But the question remains: should we seek a spouse? 1 Cor 7:27 encourages us not to seek a spouse, if we are single. Now this doesn’t mean that we can’t desire to be married. BUT it does mean that putting our energy into finding that spouse should not be our goal. We can trust God to bring a spouse for us. After all, He went to a lot of work to create just the perfect wife for Adam. He can certainly order the circumstances in our lives to unite us with a husband.

However it works out, every woman will be single for some period in her life. How should she use that time?

It’s important to remember that these days are not just a holding pattern until LIFE finally begins. Life HAS begun! You have the opportunity to serve God with a whole and full and unfettered heart and mind. You can drop everything and minister to a friend in need at 3 am when you might not be able to with a family of your own. You can move to become part of a church plant at a moment’s notice. You can live on practically nothing while serving others. Here are some thoughts on how rich your life can be, you can be involved in:

ministry
study of the Word
learning homemaking skills
mentoring/discipling women
becoming financially free (if you aren’t)
outreach
care for widows
care for orphans
character development
education
job skills
being an entrepreneur

How about YOU? If you are single are you viewing this time as a PRECIOUS GIFT from God to devote yourself to service for the Kingdom? What things is God building in YOUR life during your gift of singleness?

An InLinkz Link-up

Blogs I might be linking to:
Menu Planning Monday, On The Menu Monday, Erin Branscoms, Mommy Mondays, Marital Oneness, The Better Mom, Multitudes on Monday, Hear it On Sunday, Sharing His Bounty, What Joy Is Mine, Playdates at the Well, Making Your Home Sing Mondays, Domestically Divine Tuesdays, Time Warp Wife, Funky Planet Frequent Flier Club, Encourage One Another, Walking Redeemed, A Wise Woman Builds Her House, The Welcoming House, Legacy Leaver Thursday, What’s Up Wednesday, Thought Provoking Thursday, Hearts 4 Home, Thankful Thursday, Thankful Thursdays, Thankful, Thankful Thursday Brown-eyed Bell(e), Big Family Fridays, Faith Filled Fridays, Feasting In Fellowship Friday, Fellowship Friday, Homemaking Link-up Week-end, A Little R&R, Pieces of Amy, Homeschool Mother’s Journal, TGIF Bible Love Notes

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Menu Planning Monday

Kate — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:07:00 +0000

Well, this has been one whirlwind of a day!! 13 hours pretty much non-stop at my computer catching up on administrative work. PHEW! And I thought I was tired after getting home from traveling!

So, here is my menu for the week. Granted it is late, but at least it is done. Last week I COMPLETELY forgot!! Kevin goes to NM for a high school choir reunion (he should have TONS of fun and will be with his 2 brothers and even get to see his mom) from Thurs-Tues. Hannah and Bethany are gone from Thur-Sun to a bridal shower Jacob’s family is throwing for her in Ohio. They should have fun. So our week-end will be much quieter and will allow me to get some serious candle making done!

Here’s the menu. You know the drill: fruit with breakfast, raw veggies with lunch, cooked veggies or salad with supper. Download my Menu Planner Page for free to help with your own menu prep.

Purchase my e-book
“Cut It Out! How I Feed My Family of 10 for $500 a Month Without Coupons“.

The post Menu Planning Monday appeared first on Teaching What Is Good.

Weddings are a joy!

Kate — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:07:55 +0000

I was delighted to be able to return back home (to Rhode Island) for the wedding of my niece. Hanging out with my family was such fun! I really miss them and was reminded how really wonderful my family is. Here are some photos. (did I mention we had clam cakes at the wedding!?! Joy, Rapture!)

My niece and (new) nephew: Amanda and Paulo – the bride and groom

Me and my siblings.

The cousins of the bride

My brother and sister-in-law: parents of the bride

The men of the family (brother, in-laws, nephews)

Blogs I might be linking to:
Menu Planning Monday, On The Menu Monday, Erin Branscoms, Mommy Mondays, Marital Oneness, The Better Mom, Multitudes on Monday, Hear it On Sunday, Sharing His Bounty, What Joy Is Mine, Playdates at the Well, Domestically Divine Tuesdays, Time Warp Wife, Funky Planet Frequent Flier Club, Encourage One Another, Walking Redeemed, A Wise Woman Builds Her House, The Welcoming House, Legacy Leaver Thursday, What’s Up Wednesday, Thought Provoking Thursday, Hearts 4 Home, Thankful Thursday, Thankful Thursdays, Thankful, Thankful Thursday Brown-eyed Bell(e), Big Family Fridays, Faith Filled Fridays, Feasting In Fellowship Friday, Fellowship Friday, Homemaking Link-up Week-end, A Little R&R, Pieces of Amy, Homeschool Mother’s Journal

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Chicken fajitas

Kate — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 13:01:15 +0000

(image courtesy of Taste of Home, used with permission)

I’ve tried numerous chicken fajitas recipes and this is BY FAR our family’s favorite! Easy, tasty with just the right spicy kick. I found it (and modified it just a bit) from Taste of Home (where you can find the original recipe). We have to double or triple this recipe because we always run out. I like to serve rice and salad on the side.

I think the seasoning mix is the key:

seasoned salt, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika and red pepper flakes.

It gives it such a great KICK yet is not overwhelming. I leave out the lemon juice, which makes the marinade much less liquid so I have nothing to discard. I put all the marinade and chicken in the pan to cook.

Check out the recipe at Taste of Home and ENJOY!!!

(Originally published as Chicken Fajitas in Taste of Home August/September 2000, p8)

Blogs I might be linking to:
Menu Planning Monday, On The Menu Monday, Erin Branscoms, Mommy Mondays, Marital Oneness, The Better Mom, Multitudes on Monday, Hear it On Sunday, Sharing His Bounty, What Joy Is Mine, Playdates at the Well, Domestically Divine Tuesdays, Time Warp Wife, Funky Planet Frequent Flier Club, Encourage One Another, Walking Redeemed, A Wise Woman Builds Her House, The Welcoming House, Legacy Leaver Thursday, What’s Up Wednesday, Thought Provoking Thursday, Hearts 4 Home, Thankful Thursday, Thankful Thursdays, Thankful, Thankful Thursday Brown-eyed Bell(e), Big Family Fridays, Faith Filled Fridays, Feasting In Fellowship Friday, Fellowship Friday, Homemaking Link-up Week-end, A Little R&R, Pieces of Amy, Homeschool Mother’s Journal

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God’s Mighty Deeds

Kate — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:19:06 +0000

This is a republishing of one of my earliest spiritual posts – from August 2005. It’s exciting to see that what God was showing me 8 years ago is still so relevant today!

Source

I’ve been reading in 1 Chronicles lately and one of the things that God really placed on my heart was the power of telling His stories about His mighty deeds. My children all made a profession of faith when they were very young (3 or 4) and therefore didn’t have the more dramatic conversion testimony that I have (having come to Christ when I was 19). Their young spiritual lives have been more solid and stable than mine was, but it has also been less dramatic. I have been convicted about the absolute necessity of my passing down my stories of His mighty deeds for the strengthening of their faith.

God is always reminding the Israelites to pass down their stories from generation to generation. He even arranged for 66 books to be written to do that very thing and they have been preserved for thousands of years. Those stories serve as reminders to us of His will and desires as well as His judgements and discipline. But they have always shown us His power and mighty majesty.

In my early Christian years God revealed Himself in miraculous ways on an almost daily basis.

When we didn’t have money for rent it would appear as if out of the blue, when there was no food in the house bags would show up on our doorstep.
There was money under our feet at isolated gas stations and money found in desk drawers immediately after praying to purchase a replacement bible when one had been given to a new believer.
We’d get apartments by the Lord having the lot fall on us and we’d get little red houses by praying Psalm 34.

It was an expectation in our lives that the Lord intervened in the lives of His children who were beloved to Him. We lived with expectation and hope: of His continued blessing and of His imminent return. Any thunderstorm could be the signal of His coming for us and we were in a constant state of awe.

My children miss this and somewhere along the way my heart has fallen into mundaneness and I am now feeling the loss. My reading in 1 Chronicles (of all places) has challenged me to renew the message I am teaching to my children. I want their hearts to be filled with zeal and passion for His Name but how can they know that if they do not see it modeled in my life?

We have begun a daily time of testimony where we pray and share demonstrations of His mighty deeds. I pray that as I share His stories of wonder and might that my children’s hearts will quicken as they pray – developing a heart to expect to see Him, knowing His faithfulness through all of history.

How are YOU building a spiritual heritage of God’s mighty deeds into your children’s lives? Share your stories and encourage us!

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Travel organization

Kate — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:09:58 +0000

(image courtesy of: by artur84 – Freedigitalphotos.net)

I’m off to Rhode Island early in the morning to attend my niece’s wedding. While I’m very excited to see my family (being 1000 miles apart makes frequent visits difficult), traveling is not a favorite of mine. Add to this the fact that I am NOT an organized person and NOT a list maker, there is a recipe for disaster bubbling just below the surface.

Here are some of the things I’ve learned in the past few years that make traveling much less stressful.

pack early, pack light

I generally take 1 small carry-on, even if I’m going for a week. Often I can pack everything (including a laptop) in a backpack! Of course, the fact that our family has a very pared down wardrobe helps a great deal here. I make sure the morning before that my laundry is all done, rolled and ready to be packed. (yes, I roll my clothes for the suitcase…this was how I have been able to pack all 10 of us into 1 large suitcase when we travel as a family!) This also gives me time to add items to it I might have forgotten early in the day.

meal planning

Using a system of meal planning really helps the rest of the family deal with meal preparation when I’m gone. Of course, this was the first time in MONTHS that I didn’t plan a menu on Sunday night. However, I spent just a few minutes planning meals through the day after I return and have all the groceries and recipes with children’s names next to them for who is responsible for which meal.

cleaning

I love, love, love to leave a clean house in the HOPES that I’ll return to one! When everyone chips in and we all clean one room at a time and all together, generally within 15-20 minutes we have the entire house cleaned, tidied and vacuumed which relieves a lot of pressure from me.

food

I always try to take some food with me on the trip. You never know if there will be problems or delays and having food reduces stress and the need to spend money (another way to reduce stress). I also take an empty water bottle (or soda bottle) with me. You can’t take liquids through security, but you CAN take empty bottles and fill them at the water fountains on the other side, saving $2-4 for bottled water!

mental check lists – Check!

I DO have a mental check list of the things I need to accomplish and it really helps encourage me to write an item and then Check when it is finished. I often post these to Facebook and share with those I love about my plans.

ticket, please

I always get nervous (you know those kind of dreams) that I’ll show up at the airport and be asked for my ticket only to find a blank sheet of paper. So, I check-in online as soon as possible, print out my boarding pass and immediately put it in my purse. Ticket? Check! (phew!!)

How do YOU organize traveling, with or without your family?

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The World Has Yet To See..

Kate — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:00:38 +0000

Today is Guest Posting Day at Blogathon. I have the privilege of swapping with Jen from Ponderings of an Elect Exile. I’ve gotten to know her and see her passion and love for Jesus on her blog as well as another online group, and she is an absolute DELIGHT! I was very blessed and challenged by her post today and I KNOW you will be too! Please share it on Facebook and Twitter and leave a comment welcoming her. You will want to go and check out her blog for yourself!

If you want to go over to her blog and read my post, you can find it here.

“You just never know who you are impacting and how. You just keep smiling and being kind and loving and doing what you know God wants you to do, and He will use you.”

I had walked up in the middle of a conversation between my 11-year-old daughter and a dear 70-something-year-old friend. It’s one of those relationships that I treasure for my children as much as they treasure them themselves, partly because of conversations like this one.

I look back on similar conversations with dear older friends in my younger years…conversations I doubt they remembered for weeks, much less the years I’ve carried them in my mind and heart, and I realize that our dear friend’s words are true: “You never know who you are impacting and how.”

That seems to be a theme running through God’s lessons for me recently: “You never know who you are impacting and how.”

He’s shown that very clearly through two other recent encounters. The first was an unlikely conversation with a young man at a convenience store. He didn’t look like someone well-versed in the Bible, but he shared a reminder I definitely needed to hear that day about God’s sovereignty in every tiny moment of our lives.

The second was an unplanned visit with another dear older friend. We jumped into some rather deep discussion in the few minutes we spent together, and she kept saying, “You just have no idea how much I needed this talk.” What she didn’t realize was that I needed it as much as she did, and that our conversation would change the direction of my entire week and then some!

Keep Doing What You Know God Wants You to Do.

The second part of my daughter’s conversation with our sweet friend has also been a recurring theme recently: “Keep doing what you know God wants you to do.” (Or perhaps, “start doing what you know God wants you to do!”)

She continued, “We already know some of what God wants us to do. We know He wants us to be kind, to be loving, to obey. We need to do what we know He wants us to do, and then He will reveal to us more of what He wants us to do.”

Last night we heard a sermon that said very much that same thing: “What is wrong with our churches today is that we aren’t doing all that God has said. We need people…who are living what they are taught…We tend to take a little of what God said to do and then put our own spin on it, instead of doing everything to the letter of what He said and then trusting Him to do what we can’t.”

I don’t know about you, but for me, that was a great, big ouch.

We need to spend less time trying to figure out what God wants us to do and more time doing what we already know He wants us to do.

Or put another way, If there is any revealed truth in our life that we aren’t acting on, we need to act on it before we expect more.

The World Has Yet to See…

As I’ve been pondering that this week, I was reminded of this quote: “The world has yet to see what Almighty God can and will do with, for, through, in, and by a man wholly and fully yielded to Him and to His service.”

I’ve always heard those words attributed to the great evangelist D. L. Moody. As I researched them a bit more, however, I discovered that they were actually spoken to Moody by British revivalist Henry Varley, who had taken the young Moody under his wing. What I found particularly interesting was that while those words had a tremendous impact on Moody, when he later asked Varley if he remembered sharing them, Varley said he didn’t remember the particulars of the conversation. Yes, we never know who we are impacting and how!

As You Are Going…

I was reminded again Sunday night that the “Go ye therefore” in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) in the original language is actually “As you are going…”.

We are to teach and make disciples “as we are going”. As we are going about life, wherever we are, whether at home or work or play, in our hometown or across the world, we are to teach and make disciples. Just as that unlikely convenience store theologian did, just as our sweet friend did with my daughter, we are to share Jesus and what He has done for us wherever we go with whomever we encounter.

We are to do what we know He has told us to do, and we are not to worry about the results. He is the one who does the work. We may never know who we are impacting and how…we are simply to take joy in our obedience and trust Him to work in and through us.

How do you share Christ and disciple others “as you are going”? Who has impacted you in a significant way that may not have any idea of their influence? Is there someone you need to thank?

Bio: Jennifer is a simple wife and mom with an extraordinary God! She is the blessedly spoiled wife to Billy and mom to four crazy, highly creative, sometimes cranky, but always amazing children. Her heart’s desire is to steward the story God has given her well. She blogs at Ponderings of an Elect Exile about “Family, Friends, Learning, Books, Music, Photography, Food…and the Ramblings of a Wife and Mom Daily Amazed by the Grace of an Awesome God!”

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Encouragement link-up

Kate — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 05:01:25 +0000

I love having the opportunity to read all the posts you share here. I am always blessed and encouraged by your wisdom, humility, insight, transparency, grace and love!

Things are quiet at my house this week with the 3 … um … louder children away on a missions trip. Our 4 older ones tend to be quieter and our youngest plays quietly (albeit often talking to himself).

(the 3 children gone on the missions trip)

It’s amazing what a difference only having 5 children in the house can make!!

Come join Women Helping Women link-up with any of your blog posts to encourage and bless others!

An InLinkz Link-up

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The wedding dress is finished!

Kate — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 01:45:55 +0000

Well, we picked up my daughter’s wedding dress today. I was very blessed to be able to barter for the dress and the alterations. It was such a delight and the dress is gorgeous and fits Hannah’s personality perfectly.

Lovely. Elegant. Simple yet gently adorned.

She tried it on with her shoes and jewelry for me and 2 of her sisters (sorry Elizabeth, but you were gone). Now it is hanging in what passes for my closet.

Also, her flowers came in today. A friend helped her order artificial flowers – they are very lovely.

Hard to believe that in less than a month my baby will be getting married. It seems like only yesterday:

when she wrote her first play (age 4) with Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Daniel and a witch
or was cutting up out magazine models to make more paper dolls
or organizing her siblings to put on another play
or swinging in the orange swing in our ND tree
or learning how to roll a ball out on the lawn as we wait for Airforce 1 and President Reagan to land at Purdue
or getting her glasses at age 5
or at 22 months was learning not to pick her baby brother up by his neck

Time has gone by much too quickly.

I’m so very excited for this new adventure in her life, but I also miss the baby girl God blessed me with. Now we enter new joys, new journeys with God and her sweet husband-to-be.

Thanks, Lord, for the adventure!

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Rain

Kate — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:43:36 +0000

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