This morning as I was working, my four year old came in singing the little song, "Seek ye first." I love to hear her sing and the words got me to thinking about how we can really make God first in our lives. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you..."
It's easy to say that we want to put God first, but in everyday practice, it's easier to see Him slip to second or even third place. Putting God first requires thoughtful planning ahead. If I want to put Him first each day, I have to start the evening before by getting to bed on time so that I can get up and spend time with Him.
Sometimes we make excuses about how we didn't have time for prayer or Bible reading in the morning, but the truth is that we always have time for the thing we do FIRST! Of course, I know from much experience that there will always be unexpected things that come up that can legitimately distract us, but as a regular pattern, seeking God first in the morning requires that we plan for that the night before.
If I want to seek God first in any area of my life, it always requires planning ahead. For me to put God first on Wednesday evenings when our church has Bible study, requires my planning on Wednesday morning so that the meal will be ready on time in the evening and things run smoothly so that we get there on time (and hopefully with a smile on my face and in my heart). If I want to honor God on Sundays, I have to plan ahead on Saturday so that clothing is ready, food is prepared and everything is set to go.
It looks a little suspicious when we can get to most events and get there on time, but when it is time to spend time with God whether it is our own personal devotions or in corporate worship, we always have excuses for why we couldn't do it or why we couldn't get there on time. The fact of the matter is that those events we get to on time were a priority, and those that we don't get to on time or not at all were just not prioritized. Often we salve our conscience by searching for some half -way legitimate sounding excuse, but if we were really to be honest, our hearts would tell us that we just hadn't made it a priority. If we were even more honest, our hearts might even tell us why we didn't make it a priority!
It sounds like a lot of work at first glance, but for me it is a way of conveying my love to God. I show God that I love Him by getting to bed on time so that we can have our visit in the morning. It shows Him that I value what He values by arranging my schedule so that I can put His things first. After all, when one falls in love with another, they don't mind arranging their schedule and planning their day around an appointment with the one that they love! Why should we offer anything less to the One that we are supposed to love with all our heart?
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God" is more than just words we have grown accustomed to saying and not applying in everyday life. It's a way of daily expressing our love to Christ by letting Him know that He is worth planning our day around. Somehow I think it expresses our true love for Him far more than just words that don't add up to actions. If we truly want to seek Him first, we have to let all other priorities fall in line behind the priority of actively seeking Him.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Friday, June 20, 2014
Make Ahead Egg Muffin Sandwiches
Looking for an easy way to make breakfast ahead of time? Look no longer! These sandwiches are easy to make and heat up.
Ingredients:
English muffins
Eggs
Sliced Cheese
Meat if desired
Salt and Pepper
Jumbo Muffin pans--normal cupcake pans do not work as they end up too small
Procedure
Toast muffins in the broiler.
Spray jumbo muffin pans with spray oil
Place one egg in each muffin holder and gently prick with a fork to allow the yolk to spread a little.
Salt and pepper eggs
Bake at 375 until eggs are set.
Place eggs on toasted english muffins and top with a slice of cheese.
Wrap with aluminum foil if reheating in the oven. (large quantities)
Wrap with plastic wrap if reheating individually in the microwave.
Place them back in the muffin bag they came in, label, and freeze.
Place them back in the muffin bag they came in, label, and freeze.
If reheating in the oven, I like to turn the oven on the lowest setting of about 170 degrees a while before I'm ready to serve. Then, whenever I get around to it, they are ready. If I get distracted, they just keep warm rather than burning:)
Tips for making large batches.
Start with toasting all the muffins and set aside in proper pairs.
Start your first batch of eggs baking.
While eggs are baking, tear off appropriate-sized aluminum foil sheets and place in a line on counter.
Go ahead and place english muffins in the center of each aluminum foil sheet.
Place cheese slices on muffins.
When eggs are finished, place on muffins and start the next batch. If you have a couple of pans, you can easily make a large batch of these. Wrap them in the foil, place them back in the muffin bag they came in, label them and relax for breakfast!
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Living a Significant Life
I've been to a several funerals in the last few years, but one funeral gave me a lot to think about. Generally, when I go to a funeral, grief is evident everywhere while treasured memories of the deceased are shared among family and friends.
At this funeral, however, the one feeling that I carried with me as I left the church was that it appeared that
almost no one was sorry or sad. I saw very few tears and really, the whole occasion just seemed to be an effort at how quickly everyone could get done with the event and go home.
I knew the deceased, and I knew that he was not "bad" in the sense that everyone was left with bad or abusive memories. Rather, although he was quite successful in many business areas of life, he had apparently not been a significant person in the lives of those around him. While he had left an inheritance of money and possessions, he had apparently not left a lifetime of relationship memories. Somehow he had failed to be significant in the lives of those around him while still being successful in the business world.
He had long since retired so very few if any of his business associates attended his funeral. Rather, it was his close family and friends, and of those who attended, it seemed to be apparent that his life had not centered around them.
I don't like to cause people grief, but I do want people to be sad at my funeral. I want them to feel they have suffered a great loss. I want them to be joyful because I have gone to heaven, but I want to be such a significant person in many people's lives that there is great sorrow when I'm gone. I want to be a friend and a mother or a daughter or sister that is missed, because it is a tragedy--even a wasted life--if at the end of life, no one is sorry or there is no loss felt. What is a life for if when it is done, no one cares if you are gone?
Being significant comes from everyday choices--choices to be involved in the lives of others rather than spend time on myself. It comes from giving up what I want to do to be with others and do what they want to do. It comes from spending less time, energy and money on things, and more on people. It comes from the example of Jesus who gave up his whole life to invest in the lives of others and brought significance to the world through his life. I pray that God will help me live my life so that many will feel they have lost someone very significant when I'm gone!
At this funeral, however, the one feeling that I carried with me as I left the church was that it appeared that
I knew the deceased, and I knew that he was not "bad" in the sense that everyone was left with bad or abusive memories. Rather, although he was quite successful in many business areas of life, he had apparently not been a significant person in the lives of those around him. While he had left an inheritance of money and possessions, he had apparently not left a lifetime of relationship memories. Somehow he had failed to be significant in the lives of those around him while still being successful in the business world.
He had long since retired so very few if any of his business associates attended his funeral. Rather, it was his close family and friends, and of those who attended, it seemed to be apparent that his life had not centered around them.
I don't like to cause people grief, but I do want people to be sad at my funeral. I want them to feel they have suffered a great loss. I want them to be joyful because I have gone to heaven, but I want to be such a significant person in many people's lives that there is great sorrow when I'm gone. I want to be a friend and a mother or a daughter or sister that is missed, because it is a tragedy--even a wasted life--if at the end of life, no one is sorry or there is no loss felt. What is a life for if when it is done, no one cares if you are gone?
Being significant comes from everyday choices--choices to be involved in the lives of others rather than spend time on myself. It comes from giving up what I want to do to be with others and do what they want to do. It comes from spending less time, energy and money on things, and more on people. It comes from the example of Jesus who gave up his whole life to invest in the lives of others and brought significance to the world through his life. I pray that God will help me live my life so that many will feel they have lost someone very significant when I'm gone!
Monday, June 16, 2014
Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag
If you are looking for a fun recipe for a picnic or camp out or even a church event, try this homemade ice cream in a bag.
Place ice cream mix in a sandwich sized ziploc bag. Then place filled bag into a larger quart sized bag and surround with ice and3/4 Cup salt. Seal both bags securely and shake for about 5 minutes. Your ice cream will solidify as you shake it. Enjoy!
Ice Cream Mix
Combine and mix well
1 Cup Whole Milk
2-3 Tbls Evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 Cup sugar
Strawberries or other fruit
Serves one
For making large quantities, use this recipe. Serves 80
4 Gallon Whole Milk
4 cans evaporated milk
1 1/4 Cup vanilla
16 Cups sugar
Fruit of your choice
Plenty of salt for the ice
Monday, June 9, 2014
Remember the Bad Days--they won't last forever
This past week, I was visited by a stomach virus, and as I lay in bed, I had a few thoughts that I decided I would share especially with young mothers. Now considering that these thoughts came to me during my fight with a stomach bug, one might think that they wouldn't be unusually profound, but hopefully they will bring
some encouragement to someone today.
Recently, I read Deuteronomy chapter 8 in my devotions, and a particular truth stood out to me. Moses is giving advice and warnings to the people of Israel in chapters 6 through 8. He is also reminding them of their great journey through the wilderness and all the great things that God did for them as well as all the difficult things that He brought them through. He reminded them of the miracles that God performed for them in providing food and water and protection for them. He also reminded them of the dangers they faced as well as the difficulties they encountered. Then he encouraged them to never forget God as they continue their lives. One might even say it was family story night as they recalled their lives together.
As I lay in bed in bed trying to sleep away the sickness, my husband came in and took the baby monitor so I couldn't hear the baby when she woke up, and my older children got the younger ones dressed and took them to the park. I was able to recover fairly quickly as I had uninterrupted recovery time in my quiet room. As I lay there, I remembered that it wasn't always this way.
My mind went back to the long, often discouraging days of young motherhood. If I were to look back and find my darkest days in life, many of them would be found in those early days of motherhood. Although I have many wonderful and cherished memories of when my first children were young, I also remember the difficult days. I remember days when I struggled for weeks and months on end with an condition that took years to get properly diagnosed. During those days, I had little help. I lived far from my mother. Rick had a job that kept him away from home. On those days when I really struggled with my health, the baby still needed cared for and naps were often just not a possibility. I know from experience that little, energetic children don't slow down just because mom needs to! They don't make their own meals when mom's having a rough day, and they still need drinks every three and a half minutes it seems...
Yes, I remember those days when I enjoyed that season of life and the little ones that God graciously gave me, but the actual working out of those days in my life were often difficult and dark days because I often was weary and not feeling well.
God encourages us to remember those days as well as the good times. Why? I think He wants us to thank Him for the grace and strength that He gave during those times, but He also wants us to remember those around us who are currently going through the same challenges.
This morning, I want to encourage those of my friends who struggle--perhaps with very little help or encouragement. Things will get better. Those little ones who needed a drink every three and a half minutes will lightly tap on your door with a cold drink. The ones who couldn't fathom why you didn't want to go to the park will bless you with extra care as you recover.
This past Mother's Day, my children bought me a garden fountain which I thoroughly enjoy. It is situated outside our bedroom door where I can hear its noise as I go to sleep at night. It more than makes up for all the sleepless nights I endured, and all the naps I missed during those darker days. It's not worth it because of the beauty of the fountain, but because of their love that it reminds me of every time I see it.
If you are having a rough day, be encouraged that dark days don't last forever. In order to appreciate the light at the end of the dark tunnel, one has to be in the dark for a while. If you can always see a little ray of light while you are going through a dark tunnel, you can't appreciate the light. But if you walk in the dark for days and days trusting that someday the light will reappear, you know the joy of seeing just that one tiny spot of light. Hopefully this little post today will be a tiny ray of light for your day!
Recently, I read Deuteronomy chapter 8 in my devotions, and a particular truth stood out to me. Moses is giving advice and warnings to the people of Israel in chapters 6 through 8. He is also reminding them of their great journey through the wilderness and all the great things that God did for them as well as all the difficult things that He brought them through. He reminded them of the miracles that God performed for them in providing food and water and protection for them. He also reminded them of the dangers they faced as well as the difficulties they encountered. Then he encouraged them to never forget God as they continue their lives. One might even say it was family story night as they recalled their lives together.
As I lay in bed in bed trying to sleep away the sickness, my husband came in and took the baby monitor so I couldn't hear the baby when she woke up, and my older children got the younger ones dressed and took them to the park. I was able to recover fairly quickly as I had uninterrupted recovery time in my quiet room. As I lay there, I remembered that it wasn't always this way.
My mind went back to the long, often discouraging days of young motherhood. If I were to look back and find my darkest days in life, many of them would be found in those early days of motherhood. Although I have many wonderful and cherished memories of when my first children were young, I also remember the difficult days. I remember days when I struggled for weeks and months on end with an condition that took years to get properly diagnosed. During those days, I had little help. I lived far from my mother. Rick had a job that kept him away from home. On those days when I really struggled with my health, the baby still needed cared for and naps were often just not a possibility. I know from experience that little, energetic children don't slow down just because mom needs to! They don't make their own meals when mom's having a rough day, and they still need drinks every three and a half minutes it seems...
Yes, I remember those days when I enjoyed that season of life and the little ones that God graciously gave me, but the actual working out of those days in my life were often difficult and dark days because I often was weary and not feeling well.
God encourages us to remember those days as well as the good times. Why? I think He wants us to thank Him for the grace and strength that He gave during those times, but He also wants us to remember those around us who are currently going through the same challenges.
This morning, I want to encourage those of my friends who struggle--perhaps with very little help or encouragement. Things will get better. Those little ones who needed a drink every three and a half minutes will lightly tap on your door with a cold drink. The ones who couldn't fathom why you didn't want to go to the park will bless you with extra care as you recover.
This past Mother's Day, my children bought me a garden fountain which I thoroughly enjoy. It is situated outside our bedroom door where I can hear its noise as I go to sleep at night. It more than makes up for all the sleepless nights I endured, and all the naps I missed during those darker days. It's not worth it because of the beauty of the fountain, but because of their love that it reminds me of every time I see it.
If you are having a rough day, be encouraged that dark days don't last forever. In order to appreciate the light at the end of the dark tunnel, one has to be in the dark for a while. If you can always see a little ray of light while you are going through a dark tunnel, you can't appreciate the light. But if you walk in the dark for days and days trusting that someday the light will reappear, you know the joy of seeing just that one tiny spot of light. Hopefully this little post today will be a tiny ray of light for your day!
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Start Your Day the Evening Before
Spring is finally coming to North Carolina, and one of the highlights of spring for me is being able to get up early, start the day, and enjoy some time working
outside in my yard and garden. Many times, I have not been able to enjoy the early mornings during the spring of the year because early morning rising has been interrupted by a difficult pregnancy or a newborn. This year, however, I am enjoying the smells and sounds of spring as well as uninterrupted devotion and worship with the Lord, early in the morning.
This morning when I got to my chair, I saw a chapter of my husband's new book, "Morning Momentum--How to Wake Up, Get Up, and Start your Day Right!" He had placed it there for editing, but instead it became a part of my devotional time with the Lord. I think you would enjoy a small paragraph that I found especially challenging as a busy mother.
"Giving God the 'first fruits' is the starting place for Biblical money management. But I believe it also applies to time management. As we discovered in the last chapter, seeking God is a 'big rock' that has to come first, or it never seems to fit in. As a rule, getting it in the soonest possible slot after you are dressed and alert is the best strategy.
Not giving Him the first fruits means we are leaving God our leftovers. Maybe you've had the experience of opening the refrigerator and seeing something green. The problem is it wasn't green when you put it in there. It is a leftover, and leftovers are never as good as first servings. Sometimes we even feed them to the dog.
Rising early to meet God may require sacrifice on your part. If it does, you will be in good company. King David, who wrote, "O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee" also said he would not make an offering to the Lord "of that which cost me nothing." II Samuel 24:24 Surely God is pleased when we love Him enough to 'sacrifice' an extra hour of sleep to spend time with Him!"
You can also enjoy those early minutes with the Lord before so many other things begin clamoring for your time. The only way that I am able to get up early in the morning is to begin the evening before. After our evening meal, I begin planning for bedtime. What time do I need to get the children in bed so that I can get to bed on time? When do I need to start bedtime routines in order for this goal to be accomplished?
By purposely avoiding beginning late night projects or last minute shopping trips, I convey to the Lord that He is more important to me than anything else as I plan for my most important appointment of the day by beginning the evening before. Going to bed early does cost me something. It costs planning and arranging my day to fit in the most important events and leaving off everything else. It means choosing to not do some things in order to do the most important thing. It means that my whole day revolves around getting ready for that early time with God the next day and guarding it carefully so that it can happen. "Morning by morning new mercies I see--Great is thy Faithfulness!"
If you want to get more ideas on managing your time, like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LifeChangingSeminars
This morning when I got to my chair, I saw a chapter of my husband's new book, "Morning Momentum--How to Wake Up, Get Up, and Start your Day Right!" He had placed it there for editing, but instead it became a part of my devotional time with the Lord. I think you would enjoy a small paragraph that I found especially challenging as a busy mother.
"Giving God the 'first fruits' is the starting place for Biblical money management. But I believe it also applies to time management. As we discovered in the last chapter, seeking God is a 'big rock' that has to come first, or it never seems to fit in. As a rule, getting it in the soonest possible slot after you are dressed and alert is the best strategy.
Not giving Him the first fruits means we are leaving God our leftovers. Maybe you've had the experience of opening the refrigerator and seeing something green. The problem is it wasn't green when you put it in there. It is a leftover, and leftovers are never as good as first servings. Sometimes we even feed them to the dog.
Rising early to meet God may require sacrifice on your part. If it does, you will be in good company. King David, who wrote, "O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee" also said he would not make an offering to the Lord "of that which cost me nothing." II Samuel 24:24 Surely God is pleased when we love Him enough to 'sacrifice' an extra hour of sleep to spend time with Him!"
You can also enjoy those early minutes with the Lord before so many other things begin clamoring for your time. The only way that I am able to get up early in the morning is to begin the evening before. After our evening meal, I begin planning for bedtime. What time do I need to get the children in bed so that I can get to bed on time? When do I need to start bedtime routines in order for this goal to be accomplished?
By purposely avoiding beginning late night projects or last minute shopping trips, I convey to the Lord that He is more important to me than anything else as I plan for my most important appointment of the day by beginning the evening before. Going to bed early does cost me something. It costs planning and arranging my day to fit in the most important events and leaving off everything else. It means choosing to not do some things in order to do the most important thing. It means that my whole day revolves around getting ready for that early time with God the next day and guarding it carefully so that it can happen. "Morning by morning new mercies I see--Great is thy Faithfulness!"
If you want to get more ideas on managing your time, like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LifeChangingSeminars
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Mobile Apps for Family Organization
If you want to get organized in the New Year, consider the benefits of SkyDrive for keeping your family organized. If you are not familiar with Microsoft's SkyDrive, it is basically a free site where people can share files with others. It is used for many different purposes. Schools and churches use it to share files with their members or students. Businesses and organizations also use it to easily allow employees to access files from any location.
Families can easily become more organized by combining the power of mobile devices such as phones or ipods/ipads and Sky Drive. For example, you can access a sample copy of our family's grocery list at this link. https://skydrive.live.com/edit.aspx/Public/Shopping%20List--Sample?cid=8f67e
aa3276e47ba&id=documents?& Both my husband and I can share this file as well as our older children that have mobile devices. When I need an item at the store, I can check it off on the list and it automatically synces with everyone's mobile devices. An easy way to accomplish this is by using the free One Note App from Itunes.
If someone buys the item while at the store, they can mark it off and again, it automatically updates again on everyone's devices.
By combining One Note and SkyDrive, your family can stay up to date in a multitude of ways. Let us know if you have found ways to stay organized using your mobile devices!
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