The Proverbs 31 Woman...
*Pursues an ongoing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
*Loves, honors, and greatly enriches the life of her husband, encouraging and supporting his leadership within his family and his church.
*Nurtures the next generation, shaping and molding the children who will one day define who we are as a community and as a nation.
*Creates a warm and loving environment for family and friends.
*Is a faithful steward of the time and money God has entrusted to her.
*Speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction as she encourages others and develops godly friendships.
*Shares the love of Christ by extending her hands to help the poor and opening her arms to the needy.
Proverbs 31 is one of my favorite passages from the Bible. Becoming a mom, especially a stay-at-home mom, has been life altering. Growing up I never wanted to be a mom and definitely did not want to end up being a stay-at-home mom. However, God changed my heart and has now given me insight into how important my daily job is. I am not receiving a paycheck every two weeks, but am still receiving rewards! These seven principles listed above explain exactly what I am striving for in my life. I am right on target with some of them, and others I need to buckle down and work at more. The world would tell me that what I am doing is insignificant, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Busy day canning turkey
"She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family". Proverbs 31:15
I got up early this morning to get a 22 lb turkey in the oven. It was the first time I have EVER baked a turkey. This may surprise some as I love to cook, but my husband ALWAYS handles the turkey every Thanksgiving. I have never had to worry about it. So, I was a little nervous today hoping that I could pull off a great tasting turkey. It ended up tasting very good. My oldest was a little concerned about the baking turkey asking me "Momma, is this turkey dead?" I had a good chuckle out of that one!
This was also my first day of canning all by myself. My parents came to visit during the month of January and Mom and I did some canning. However, it has been over two months ago and I hoped that I could remember all the necessary steps. I did call Mom before I started to make sure that I remembered how to do it. I had enough meat to do 13 pints which will in turn feed us for 13 meals. The best part is that I got the turkey on sale at the commissary for $9.50.....the cost breakdown per meal is .73 cents which is so affordable!
I have really loved having canned meat in my pantry the past few months. There are so many benefits.
1)The meat is already cooked and is recipe ready! It is great for those days when you don't have a lot of time and need to cook a meal fast!
2)Pressure cooking the meat makes it super tender. For example, you can buy cheaper cuts of roast and it comes out so yummy and shreds easily.
3)I am able to take better advantage of store sales. I can stock up on meat when it is at the cheapest price.
4)Canned meat doesn't take up any space in my freezer!
5)Canned meat lasts a long time. It is so well preserved that you have a year to use it.
6)Canned meat provides a plentiful source of protein for my extended food pantry. My goal is to have three months worth of food on hand.
I'm sure that there are many more benefits but these are the main reasons why I am starting to can meat. I'm really looking forward to berry season this spring and want to try my hand at homemade jellies. Strawberry season is just around the corner! I can't wait!
All but one of my jars sealed so I consider this a great first effort. I will have to use this unsealed jar this week so that the meat doesn't go to waste. Overall, I am pretty pleased with how the day turned out and am thankful that my first canning experience was a success.
I got up early this morning to get a 22 lb turkey in the oven. It was the first time I have EVER baked a turkey. This may surprise some as I love to cook, but my husband ALWAYS handles the turkey every Thanksgiving. I have never had to worry about it. So, I was a little nervous today hoping that I could pull off a great tasting turkey. It ended up tasting very good. My oldest was a little concerned about the baking turkey asking me "Momma, is this turkey dead?" I had a good chuckle out of that one!
This was also my first day of canning all by myself. My parents came to visit during the month of January and Mom and I did some canning. However, it has been over two months ago and I hoped that I could remember all the necessary steps. I did call Mom before I started to make sure that I remembered how to do it. I had enough meat to do 13 pints which will in turn feed us for 13 meals. The best part is that I got the turkey on sale at the commissary for $9.50.....the cost breakdown per meal is .73 cents which is so affordable!
I have really loved having canned meat in my pantry the past few months. There are so many benefits.
1)The meat is already cooked and is recipe ready! It is great for those days when you don't have a lot of time and need to cook a meal fast!
2)Pressure cooking the meat makes it super tender. For example, you can buy cheaper cuts of roast and it comes out so yummy and shreds easily.
3)I am able to take better advantage of store sales. I can stock up on meat when it is at the cheapest price.
4)Canned meat doesn't take up any space in my freezer!
5)Canned meat lasts a long time. It is so well preserved that you have a year to use it.
6)Canned meat provides a plentiful source of protein for my extended food pantry. My goal is to have three months worth of food on hand.
I'm sure that there are many more benefits but these are the main reasons why I am starting to can meat. I'm really looking forward to berry season this spring and want to try my hand at homemade jellies. Strawberry season is just around the corner! I can't wait!
All but one of my jars sealed so I consider this a great first effort. I will have to use this unsealed jar this week so that the meat doesn't go to waste. Overall, I am pretty pleased with how the day turned out and am thankful that my first canning experience was a success.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Tonight I taught a class on how to make homemade laundry detergent. Several of my friends have asked for the recipe. I've been using it for about two weeks and have been very pleased. My clothes are coming out just as clean as they did when I used store bought detergent. In fact, yesterday Kyleigh came home from preschool with a giant red drink stain on her white shirt. I got her home and immediately stain treated it and washed it.....the red drink completely came out! I was so thankful.
A SIMPLE RECIPE
Each batch yields 16 ounces. I made four batches of this recipe and store it in an old #10 can. You could also store the detergent in large yogurt containers.
• 1 bar of Fels-Naptha
• 1/2 cup of borax
• 1/2 cup of washing soda
Use a knife to chop Fels-Naptha into small chunks. Add some of the washing soda and Fels-Naptha chunks into your food processor or blender. If using a blender, use the pulse button. Mix all ingredients and thoroughly stir together for 5 minutes and enjoy the results! For normal loads use 1 TBSP (yields 32 loads) and for heavily soiled loads use 2 TBSP (yields 16 loads).
All ingredients can be purchased at Publix on the southside. Here is a cost breakdown:
Borax $3.99 for 76 oz box......cost per batch: .21
Washing Soda $2.29 for 55 oz box......cost per batch: .17
Fels Naptha $ .99 for 1 bar..........cost per batch: .99
Total cost per batch is $1.37. Regular loads cost .04 and heavily soiled loads cost .08! This is very inexpensive considering most store detergent costs around .20 a load.
Many have asked about High Efficiency (HE)Front Load Washers:
You may have been told you need to use “special soap” for your HE front-load washing machine. Let me enlighten you as to why. HE front-load washers require “special soap” for one reason and one reason alone…low suds; because they use less water, they require soap that is less sudsy. The good news is, the homemade detergent in this recipe is VERY low suds. Just make sure you use the recommended amount of detergent. The HE designation is just another advertising mechanism the industry is using to try & swindle consumers into buying “special soap” that they charge unnecessarily exorbitant prices for.
A SIMPLE RECIPE
Each batch yields 16 ounces. I made four batches of this recipe and store it in an old #10 can. You could also store the detergent in large yogurt containers.
• 1 bar of Fels-Naptha
• 1/2 cup of borax
• 1/2 cup of washing soda
Use a knife to chop Fels-Naptha into small chunks. Add some of the washing soda and Fels-Naptha chunks into your food processor or blender. If using a blender, use the pulse button. Mix all ingredients and thoroughly stir together for 5 minutes and enjoy the results! For normal loads use 1 TBSP (yields 32 loads) and for heavily soiled loads use 2 TBSP (yields 16 loads).
All ingredients can be purchased at Publix on the southside. Here is a cost breakdown:
Borax $3.99 for 76 oz box......cost per batch: .21
Washing Soda $2.29 for 55 oz box......cost per batch: .17
Fels Naptha $ .99 for 1 bar..........cost per batch: .99
Total cost per batch is $1.37. Regular loads cost .04 and heavily soiled loads cost .08! This is very inexpensive considering most store detergent costs around .20 a load.
Many have asked about High Efficiency (HE)Front Load Washers:
You may have been told you need to use “special soap” for your HE front-load washing machine. Let me enlighten you as to why. HE front-load washers require “special soap” for one reason and one reason alone…low suds; because they use less water, they require soap that is less sudsy. The good news is, the homemade detergent in this recipe is VERY low suds. Just make sure you use the recommended amount of detergent. The HE designation is just another advertising mechanism the industry is using to try & swindle consumers into buying “special soap” that they charge unnecessarily exorbitant prices for.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Personalizing Psalm 91: A Psalm for Soldiers
We talked about Psalm 91 at the Hope for the Home Front Bible study tonight. It was brought to my attention years ago by my dear friend, Melissa. This Psalm has provided a lot of comfort to me over these past few deployments. My Mom always taught me to personalize God's word as it makes it so much more meaningful. I shared this tonight with the ladies. So, here goes my personalized version of Psalm 91:
Kelly who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Kelly will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Surely He will save Kelly from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover Kelly with his feathers, and under his wings Kelly will find refuge; his faithfulness will be Kelly's shield and rampart.Kelly will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at Kelly's side, ten thousand at Kelly's right hand, but it will not come near Kelly. Kelly will only observe with his eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
If Kelly makes the Most High his dwelling— even the LORD, who is his refuge-then no harm will befall Kelly,no disaster will come near Kelly's tent. For he will command his angels concerning Kelly to guard Kelly in all his ways; they will lift Kelly up in their hands, so that Kelly will not strike his foot against a stone. Kelly will tread upon the lion and the cobra; Kelly will trample the great lion and the serpent.
"Because Kelly loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for Kelly acknowledges my name. Kelly will call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy Kelly and show him my salvation."
This passage of Scripture is FULL of God's promises and is especially meaningful to those of us who have sent our husbands to fight battles overseas.
Kelly who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Kelly will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Surely He will save Kelly from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover Kelly with his feathers, and under his wings Kelly will find refuge; his faithfulness will be Kelly's shield and rampart.Kelly will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at Kelly's side, ten thousand at Kelly's right hand, but it will not come near Kelly. Kelly will only observe with his eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
If Kelly makes the Most High his dwelling— even the LORD, who is his refuge-then no harm will befall Kelly,no disaster will come near Kelly's tent. For he will command his angels concerning Kelly to guard Kelly in all his ways; they will lift Kelly up in their hands, so that Kelly will not strike his foot against a stone. Kelly will tread upon the lion and the cobra; Kelly will trample the great lion and the serpent.
"Because Kelly loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for Kelly acknowledges my name. Kelly will call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy Kelly and show him my salvation."
This passage of Scripture is FULL of God's promises and is especially meaningful to those of us who have sent our husbands to fight battles overseas.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Ready or not...here comes kindergarten!
My oldest daughter, Kyleigh, will be heading off to Kindergarten this fall. I've been amazed and overwhelmed by all the school choices. Our traditional public schools are not good and most people choose to send their kids to private schools. Another option is to send them to a magnet/specialty school. In the past two months I visited numerous open houses at both private schools and specialty ones. I've filled out several applications, had pre-kindergarten testing done, and talked to other parents to get their opinions. The specialty schools are all based on a lottery system.
I found out last week that Kyleigh got into the newest Montessori school in the area. Their lottery is six weeks earlier than all the others. This school was one of my top two schools but I have to preregister her by next week or forfeit her slot. I really wish that I knew what our other options were, but will most likely go forward with this Montessori school.
I had the opportunity last week to go do an observation at her prospective school. It is mandatory for all parents to see the Montessori classrooms in action before their child can be accepted. It was really interesting to see because it was SO different than anything I have ever experienced. There are no orderly lines of desks. No chalkboards. Instead the room is bustling with a dozen different activities. The children are constantly moving and interacting with each other. They get to choose the activities they want to do. The teachers work 1:1 with the kids and little structured group instruction is done. The students are different ages....Kyleigh's kindergarten class will have kids who are ages 4, 5, and 6. The older students master certain 'works' or activities and then learn to mentor and teach the younger children. The classrooms are amazingly calm and quiet for so much activity going on. There are no report cards and the children aren't given grades.
The thing that I am most excited about is that the Montessori schools really encourage children to be self-motivated, organized, self-controlled, and teaches self discipline. I really hope that this school is a good fit for Kyleigh. The other thing that really excites me about this school is that there is a strong community between parents, teacher, and the children. Parents are required to volunteer 60 hours every year. I'm so thankful that I will be able to have such an active role in Kyleigh's education. I've been really impressed with the school principal too. She meets 1:1 with all prospective parents. I am sure that this takes up a lot of her time...this really impressed me.
Ready or not, here comes kindergarten!
I found out last week that Kyleigh got into the newest Montessori school in the area. Their lottery is six weeks earlier than all the others. This school was one of my top two schools but I have to preregister her by next week or forfeit her slot. I really wish that I knew what our other options were, but will most likely go forward with this Montessori school.
I had the opportunity last week to go do an observation at her prospective school. It is mandatory for all parents to see the Montessori classrooms in action before their child can be accepted. It was really interesting to see because it was SO different than anything I have ever experienced. There are no orderly lines of desks. No chalkboards. Instead the room is bustling with a dozen different activities. The children are constantly moving and interacting with each other. They get to choose the activities they want to do. The teachers work 1:1 with the kids and little structured group instruction is done. The students are different ages....Kyleigh's kindergarten class will have kids who are ages 4, 5, and 6. The older students master certain 'works' or activities and then learn to mentor and teach the younger children. The classrooms are amazingly calm and quiet for so much activity going on. There are no report cards and the children aren't given grades.
The thing that I am most excited about is that the Montessori schools really encourage children to be self-motivated, organized, self-controlled, and teaches self discipline. I really hope that this school is a good fit for Kyleigh. The other thing that really excites me about this school is that there is a strong community between parents, teacher, and the children. Parents are required to volunteer 60 hours every year. I'm so thankful that I will be able to have such an active role in Kyleigh's education. I've been really impressed with the school principal too. She meets 1:1 with all prospective parents. I am sure that this takes up a lot of her time...this really impressed me.
Ready or not, here comes kindergarten!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Hope for the Home Front
Several months ago I felt God calling me to lead a Bible study for military wives. I felt that it would be especially timely as a deployment was on the horizon for the military families in my area. My friend, Marybeth, had sent me a copy of "Hope for the Home Front" during the last 15 month deployment and the book blessed me in so many ways. It deals with the emotional and spiritual battles that military wives face. I found out the there was an accompanying Bible study book and so it all began!
I have been incredibly blessed by the ten or so wives who are doing the study. We finished our sixth week tonight and every week I leave feeling so encouraged. The study is taking us all over the Bible as we learn about how to handle our fears, deal with anger, overcome temptations, etc. It has impressed me that many of these ladies have opened up and shared their hearts...so we all can learn from one another. I love these gals and am so proud of the common bond that joins us together.....we are all military wives!
It is such an honor and a privilege to be serving alongside these ladies as our husbands fight overseas. These ladies serve with extraordinary bravery and strength....and I'm so blessed to see God working in their lives. These ladies are living out God's command:
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go"
There are a lot of unknowns in military life but we can be confident that God is with us wherever we go!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Freedom from Worry
I am a worrier...I can over think even the most simple things. I have always been plagued with worry and anxiety. It often results as my need to control the situation. This is an area of my life that I am really trying to work on. It seems like every time I turn around God is talking to me about fear, worry, bitterness, etc....these are just some of the emotions that threaten to steal the peace in my life. So, it seemed fitting that I walk into church yesterday, open my bulletin, and see that the Pastor would be preaching on being "Hostage to Worry". I immediately sighed and thought 'oh no, not again!'
Worry is an old English word meaning "to choke or strangle". This definition pretty much summarizes what worry does to me. It causes me to lay awake at night, steals my joy, takes away my peace, makes me scared, and even angers me at times. My pastor shared that worry is the sin of not trusting the promises and power of God. Ouch! I mean, I knew that worry was a sin....but to put it so bluntly that my worry was a total lack of faith...that really made me think. My worry has kept me from focusing on God and it has affected some of my relationships.
My biggest fear right now is my future. I won't go into all the details, but the future is unknown and very scary to me. I've tried to look at all the options, make up my Plan A and Plan B...but my plans have achieved nothing. My Pastor then went on to say that when we worry, we are trying to take God's place...it is saying that we don't trust Him to take care of us. We falsely claim that we know more about our situation than God. This is so untrue!
At the end of the service the Pastor had us write down what worries us on an index card. I had the opportunity to seek forgiveness and to rip up my card and lay it at the wooden cross that stands at the front of the church. It felt so liberating. I know that my struggle to worry is far from over, but will be a daily process of making sure that my burden are kept with God and not on my own shoulders.
There were several scriptures that really spoke to me..some I had heard many times before and some were new to me:
*2 Corinthians 10:5~ this verse talked about "taking captive every thought (even worrisome ones) and making it obedient to Christ."
*Psalm 145:15-16~ this passage claimed that "God satisfies the desires of EVERY living thing"....this includes trusting God to meet all material and physical needs.
*Phillipians 4:6-7~ this is a familiar one to many:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. The peace of God, which transcends ALL understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
This week I am praying for God to renew my mind and when I start to worry, I am going to immediately pray. I want to take the focus off myself and put it in its rightful place...on God! I always find that God uses deployments to really speak to me...the past few months He is really challenging me to get rid of the junk in my life that is weighing me down and keeping me from fulfilling His plan for my life.
Worry is an old English word meaning "to choke or strangle". This definition pretty much summarizes what worry does to me. It causes me to lay awake at night, steals my joy, takes away my peace, makes me scared, and even angers me at times. My pastor shared that worry is the sin of not trusting the promises and power of God. Ouch! I mean, I knew that worry was a sin....but to put it so bluntly that my worry was a total lack of faith...that really made me think. My worry has kept me from focusing on God and it has affected some of my relationships.
My biggest fear right now is my future. I won't go into all the details, but the future is unknown and very scary to me. I've tried to look at all the options, make up my Plan A and Plan B...but my plans have achieved nothing. My Pastor then went on to say that when we worry, we are trying to take God's place...it is saying that we don't trust Him to take care of us. We falsely claim that we know more about our situation than God. This is so untrue!
At the end of the service the Pastor had us write down what worries us on an index card. I had the opportunity to seek forgiveness and to rip up my card and lay it at the wooden cross that stands at the front of the church. It felt so liberating. I know that my struggle to worry is far from over, but will be a daily process of making sure that my burden are kept with God and not on my own shoulders.
There were several scriptures that really spoke to me..some I had heard many times before and some were new to me:
*2 Corinthians 10:5~ this verse talked about "taking captive every thought (even worrisome ones) and making it obedient to Christ."
*Psalm 145:15-16~ this passage claimed that "God satisfies the desires of EVERY living thing"....this includes trusting God to meet all material and physical needs.
*Phillipians 4:6-7~ this is a familiar one to many:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. The peace of God, which transcends ALL understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
This week I am praying for God to renew my mind and when I start to worry, I am going to immediately pray. I want to take the focus off myself and put it in its rightful place...on God! I always find that God uses deployments to really speak to me...the past few months He is really challenging me to get rid of the junk in my life that is weighing me down and keeping me from fulfilling His plan for my life.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Adventures in Frugality
I LOVE A GOOD DEAL! I love being a frugal person! This is not to say that I don't like nice things because I do, but I love getting nice things at a low price. I dropped the girls off at the CDC this morning and had SIX blessed hours to myself. I went grocery shopping by myself and went to some yard sales. I was so excited to find a 4 quart pressure cooker/canner. It is not big enough to do canning, but I figured that I can use it to quickly cook meats. The instructions came with it and I'll be excited to try out some of the recipes. I also got several books today...many of them by Christian authors. I am always looking for a good book to read and go through them so fast. I went to Publix today. They were having a Kellogg's cereal sale. They were 50% off and I had coupons for every single box. I got 9 boxes of cereal for $8.01!!!!
I shared my good deals with Kelly this afternoon while we were talking on Skype. He told me that he really likes it when I save money. This surprised me a little because he always seems so unenthused when I go on and on about all the money I am saving. I think that he really appreciates that I am a good steward of the money that he works so hard to make. He also commented that he knows that I've been able to save for our future. It is my dream to be able to retire early, live comfortably, and live a life of service to others! Anyhow, his comment really made my day and affirmed to me that I am doing a good job with our family finances!
It was so nice to get a break from the girls today. Even just a few hours a part will give me a fresh perspective and I come back excited to see them. The girls had a great day at the CDC and I decided to take them to Lake Mayer to play on the playground. Kyleigh talked me into getting some ice cream and so we picked up some to take home. It was such a beautiful day out....a perfect spring day. The girls were really tired tonight and went to bed easily. I am waiting for my two loaves of bread to come out of the oven and I'm going to watch "The Time Traveler's Wife". I rarely watch movies these days and hope that this is a good one!
Good Night!
I shared my good deals with Kelly this afternoon while we were talking on Skype. He told me that he really likes it when I save money. This surprised me a little because he always seems so unenthused when I go on and on about all the money I am saving. I think that he really appreciates that I am a good steward of the money that he works so hard to make. He also commented that he knows that I've been able to save for our future. It is my dream to be able to retire early, live comfortably, and live a life of service to others! Anyhow, his comment really made my day and affirmed to me that I am doing a good job with our family finances!
It was so nice to get a break from the girls today. Even just a few hours a part will give me a fresh perspective and I come back excited to see them. The girls had a great day at the CDC and I decided to take them to Lake Mayer to play on the playground. Kyleigh talked me into getting some ice cream and so we picked up some to take home. It was such a beautiful day out....a perfect spring day. The girls were really tired tonight and went to bed easily. I am waiting for my two loaves of bread to come out of the oven and I'm going to watch "The Time Traveler's Wife". I rarely watch movies these days and hope that this is a good one!
Good Night!
Friday, March 5, 2010
My first entry into the world of blogging...
Here it goes......I'm an official blogger. There is a lot on my heart and mind these days and I want to share some of it. The topics will vary as there is a lot going on right now. I am four months into a year long deployment....struggling to be a great mother and wanting to rise above mediocrity. I'm dealing with yet another military separation from my husband of almost twelve years. I'm striving to become a Proverbs 31 Woman. The past few months I have felt compelled to return to simpler times.....cooking from scratch, building an extended food pantry, and improving my family's nutrition. I am continuously trying to find ways to be a better steward of our money and am enjoying the new realm of couponing and other money saving tools! Most importantly, I am on a journey this year to really grow spiritually. God is using this deployment to teach me some very important lessons. I hope that some of what I share will be an encouragement and a blessing.
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