Prayer Journal November 5, 2009

Something that I think is a great idea is to keep a prayer journal.  You may be thinking, “Not another journal.  I keep so many already and never write in them!”  But if you take the time each week or so to write down a quick prayer, you will see many blessings in your life.  Imagine being able to open it up in a year and see the prayers you wanted answered.  And just imagine if God answered them all!  What a blessing!

You can either buy a journal or make one of your own.  Here is my favorite way to make a journal.

Materials:
Composition notebook
Large pieces of scrapbook paper (1 for the front, 1 for the back, and any others you might want for decoration)
Ribbons (opt)
Stickers (opt)
Buttons (opt)
Pictures (opt)

Directions:
1. Cover the front of your notebook completely with glue stick glue.  Make sure it is thick and all over.  Do not apply glue to the binding on the outside.
2. Line up the paper with the binding line and press it down on the glue.  Use a ruler to flatten it out.
3. Do the same with the back.  Press the notebook under a heavy book or object for an hour or so.
4. Cut the edges of the paper small and fold them on the inside of the notebook.  Use glue to keep them folded over.
5. Use anything you would like to decorate the front.  Be creative and have fun with it!

Definition of Christianity November 4, 2009

(Note, Olivia shared this with me, and I thought it was beautiful! Enjoy ladies! ).

Definition of Christianity

When I say that ‘I am a Christian’, I am not shouting that ‘I am clean living.
I’m whispering ‘I was lost, but now I’m found and forgiven.’

When I say ‘I am a Christian’ I don’t speak of this with pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’ I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’ I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’ I’m not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’ I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’ I’m not holier than thou,
I’m just a simple sinner who received God’s good grace, somehow!

NaNoWriMo November 3, 2009

Are you a big fan of writing stories? Perhaps you’ve already heard of NaNoWriMo and are participating this year! Perhaps you haven’t and want to know more! I bring you this special post to let you in on the fun! NaNoWriMo stands for: National Novel Writing Month. It takes place every November and is a kind of contest: All you have to do is write a 50,000 word novel in JUST the month of November. That’s about 2,500 words per day! Can you do it? It’s not as impossible as it sounds! All of us authors have tried our hand at NaNoWriMo in the past…and some of us have even completed it! There’s no prize at the end, other than the ability to boast of being one of those few who dared to try and actually suceeded! It is a challenge, true, but it’s a fun one! If you wish to know more about NaNoWriMo and are interested in signing up, the website to read that information as well as to sign up is: nanowrimo.org. Join in on the fun!

~*~

 

It can be hard to go through each day, trying to get your daily amount of words…it takes great determination to complete it sometimes! Over the four or five years that I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo, I’ve come up with little ways to help spur me on, enabling me to get past the days when I have writer’s block.

~ Quotes. Quotes are great fun, especially if they’re hilarious ones. I’ll write down any great quotes I hear while watching movies, and refer to them whenever I’m stuck in my story. I’ll simply choose a quote and challenge myself to somehow place it into the scene I’m working on. It can result in hilarious, fun scenes that get you past being stuck!

~ Word wars. Also great fun! Find a friend who is also doing NaNoWriMo and have a word war with her/him. A word war is very simply. You have a timer (five minutes is a great length of time to start out on…if you’re confidant enough, you can always move it up to 10 minutes…whatever works best for you and your friend.), and both you and your friend start writing in your story as soon as the timer is set. When the timer is up, you both count the words you wrote. Whoever wrote the most during that time is the word war winner. Now, do another word war! And another! And another! Soon you’ll find that you’ve completed your word goal for the day!

~ Throw in a completely different loop! I love to write mysteries…I find them easier to write for NaNoWriMo, because whenever I’m stuck, I can simply add in another loop to the mystery to get me past a difficult part. And most times, that extra loop works out great for my plot and moves the story along at a faster pace, making it more intriguing, suspenseful, and interesting! So if I’m stuck with a boring scene about two characters having dinner, and I don’t know what to do next, I’ll throw in that one of them gets a call that his/her friend has been kidnapped! Or a stranger comes knocking to the door! Or a rock shatters the window! Or the stove explodes! The list of ideas is endless! Nothing is too exciting in a mystery!

Don’t be daunted if you get stuck in your story! It happens to us all! Just scribble down the first thing that comes to mind and get past that rough patch…NaNoWriMo isn’t about writing a GOOD story, it’s about being able to write a story in just a month’s time. Period. It doesn’t have to be a Newbery Award, it doesn’t have to be perfection…just write! And have fun!

 

~*~

NaNoWriMo

Thoughts a muddle
Pen in hand
Brain’s all a puddle
Trying to make the demand

Time running out
Words to choose
Almost time for victory shout
But what words to use?

Tick tock
Less and less
On goes the clock
And your page is a mess

A scrabble, a scribble
There, all complete
A dabble, a dibble
And you rest back in your seat

The clock touches midnight
The morning has come
Victory is in your sight
You’re finally done.

WWJD November 2, 2009

How many times have you seen the initials W.W.J.D.? Amongst Christians it’s become a very popular slogan, displayed on everything from coffee mugs to t-shirts to doormats. We think that we know what it means- What Would Jesus Do? But do we really? If we were really asking ourselves what Jesus would do in our situations, don’t you think we’d live a little differently?

It’s interesting to me when I have a customer come in to where I work, and they’re wearing a shirt with a “Christian” slogan on it. At first, I get excited: but then I see them cussing with their friends, goofing off with their boyfriend/girlfriend, or acting sullen and unhappy with their parents. Go figure, right? I think we’ve become too comfortable with our little slogans and sayings, touting them proudly as though wearing something with Christs’ name on it makes us more like Him. But what would happen if we started really thinking about them, started really living like we mean them?

What would our lives look like if when we questioned whether something was correct, instead of asking ourselves “Should I do this, or not do this? The Bible doesn’t say anything about this-so what do I do??”, we instead asked, “Would Jesus read this book? Would Jesus watch this movie? Would Jesus go online right now, when He hasn’t done his personal devotions yet? Would Jesus laugh at this joke?” How would our attitudes and actions change, when viewed through the perspective that Jesus is standing right beside us, watching our every move? Would we snap at our younger siblings? Gossip about co-workers/friends behind their backs?

Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in “thinking things out logically”, and coming up with our own conclusions as to why certain things are right or wrong. Wouldn’t it just be so much easier if we just asked the simple question: What Would Jesus Do?

White as snow… October 29, 2009

Oh, precious is the flow

That makes me white as a snow

No other fount I know

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

As I write this, I look out my window and see little white flurries blowing around.  I know many people who do not like snow–it is cold, wet, and makes icy roads.  But who can contradict the fact that snow makes anything beautiful.  A yard of brown grass can become a blanket of white.  Piles of dirt become mounds of snowflakes.

Jesus’s blood can do just the same thing.  His saving grace, His love for us, and the sacrifice He made are all like snow–they can completely cover the old, dirty, ugly things in our lives.  But it does not just happen in the blink of an eye.  We need to really understand and appreciate God’s forgiveness.  I see so many people who do not want to accept Jesus because it would mean accepting that they are not the highest power in the world, that there is Someone else who is higher than us.  And that Someone chose to forgive us for the wrong things we’ve done and we will do.  That forgiveness is like snow.  Pure, clean, and sent from above.   Whenever I see snow, it reminds me of God’s forgiveness and His love for me.

Create! October 28, 2009

Talents are one of those things which most of us think we don’t have, and no matter what people tell us we do well, we won’t REALLY believe them.
Now, God has shown me that you don’t have to be a super piano player to have talents, but that is a subject for another day. Today I want to talk about doing things that don’t necessarily need natural talent.

I find crafts fun, because I don’t need natural talents to learn them. And I’m here to pose the idea to you that everyone needs to find something they can create without having to get all upset about not having talent.

Here’s some ideas (Add on your own ideas too!! These are just some that I like to do! ).

Scrapbooking – A picture, a pretty piece of paper, and some stickers stuck on can make a really pretty scrapbook. Not much talent needed here, just imagination! (Card making goes along with this!! Paper and some stickers make a really cute card, or if you like to draw, a pretty picture on the front! ).

Knitting – I only know a few knitting stitches, but I still really enjoy making lots of things, such as shawls, dishclothes (with pretty patterns), purses, and you can do things like knit squares and make a blanket, or learn to make a sweater. Again, not much talent needed, and there are great knitting videos online that make it easy to learn!

Crocheting – I personally don’t know how to crochet, (and it looks hard to me!), but many people who do know how say it’s really easy, and fun!

Doll making – This is a particular favorite of mine. Doll making is surprisingly easy, if you find a good pattern! I use Simplicity’s rag doll pattern, and add my own special touch by embroidering the face on instead of drawing, and doing different hair styles (see picture above). I love to watch it turn into a doll as I work, and when I’m done I have a beautiful piece of work. Now, this craft does take time and work, but it is fairly easy, and really fun to see the outcome! (Not much talent needed either! ).

Beading – Another thing I don’t do, (although I have), some people find this really enjoyable, and create beautiful things!! (Makes good gifts too! ).

So, go out and create!

Can’t! Can! Can’t! Can! October 27, 2009

Instead of giving myself reasons why I can’t, I give myself reasons why I can. – Author Unknown

We all have times where we want to give up…whether it be in school, projects, work, chores, even our walk with God. Maybe you’re like me, and give excuses as to why you can’t keep on going. “It’s too hard. I can’t do it by myself.” “No one appreciates me when I do this!” “I’m too tired to think right now.”

The list goes on and on and on and on… But today, I encourage you to try something new with me. Instead of coming up with reasons why you can’t do something, come up with a reason why you CAN.

It may be too hard to do alone…but God gives us the strength to “do all things”. No one may appreciate us, but God blesses us when we do the little things cheerfully and willingly! School may be so hard to understand…but you CAN do it, if you would only stop complaining and set your mind on overcoming the problem! Chores may seem to last forever, and they certainly will if we just stand around groaning about all that we have left to do! That project may seem to keep messing up and not turning out right…and it will never turn out right, if we keep on giving up!

Don’t give up! Don’t think up excuses why you should give up! Today encourage yourselves to strive, work, and THINK better! Remember that annoying, little train phrase? “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…” (Drones on and on doesn’t it? *wink*) Well, maybe you don’t have to repeat that over and over to yourself, but get that general thought into your head. Don’t let the phrase, “I can’t do it, I can’t do it, I can’t do it…” go on and on in your head. Push it out for a day, and KNOW that you CAN do ANYTHING with God’s help! Don’t let it be “can’t” today, but “can”!

Homemaking: Menu Planning October 26, 2009

At the girls’ camp I go to each year, the classes focus on practical homemaking skills, and this year I took the Home Hospitality class. As Christians, we’re commanded to extend kindness to all, but especially to display Christ’s love to those we allow inside our homes. What better way to win someone for Christ than through showing them how you live out your faith on a normal day, when company’s around?

I know it’s not always easy to be hospitable- especially if company drops in without any warning! But we should do our best to show Christ’s love to everyone that enters our home, whether it’s Dad’s co-workers or the kids down the street.

Probably the most challenging part of homemaking/hospitality is planning the menu. Each day in class, we had to spend some time writing out detailed menus for various events, and I found it was harder than I thought! We didn’t just plan out whatever we wanted-we had to plan according to what we had in our “pantry”, according to how many guests we would have, and whether we had any money we could spend to buy extra ingredients. That exercise definitely gave me more of an appreciation for what my Mom does on a daily basis!

So, here’s what I want you to do. I’m going to give a list of ideas, and you choose one to try out. You don’t have to report back or anything like that, I just want you guys to have some fun, and see kind of what our Moms do. If you want to tell me how it went, I’d love to read your comments!

#1- Try planning out a day’s worth of meals (breakfast, lunch and supper, plus one snack). Go through your pantry (see the link below for a list you can use to help!) and see what you have. Then, use ONLY the items you have in your house now to come up with your menu for your family. Use whatever cookbooks your Mom has, or your imagination, to come up with ideas, but just keep in mind that you need to vary the ingredients (you can’t use all of something in one day-otherwise you won’t have any for the rest of the week!).

#2- Try planning a holiday meal (Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July, etc) using what you have in your pantry, plus you can use $15 to buy other things if you need them (if you have sale papers you can look in those for prices, but if not, just ask your Mom-she’ll definitely know! ). Also try and think about how you’d like to arrange the table, and if you’d like to do any activities/games.

#3- Plan a tea party that you can host soon! Pick a theme, and then plan from there. You can use what you have already, plus $25 to buy extra ingredients/other items you’ll need.

#4- You could also try planning a whole week’s worth of meals for your family, using what you have in your pantry. It’s challenging, but once you’ve done it it’s a lot of fun!

To help, here’s a link to a master pantry list. You can use it to mark off what you have, so when you’re planning you don’t need to keep running to the cupboards to check.

http://www.stallionstore.com/index2/pantrylist.htm

I know most of us are years away from actually running our own homes and using this on a day to day basis, but I think it’s important to learn now how to be a homemaker, and to help our Moms! Hopefully this will give you a greater appreciation for all she does, and maybe you can even help her out by giving her ideas for meals. My Mom gets frustrated often in trying to come up with a menu that will suit all the different likes/dislikes in our family, so when we give her ideas it really makes her happy.

Have fun with it!

Our Winner! October 22, 2009

We have selected a winning verse for our first competition!  Marea submitted the winning verse for our website. 

Collossians 2:2
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ Jesus.

Autumn Desserts October 22, 2009

White Hot Chocolate

Serves about 5

6 ounces white chocolate, divided
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 quart milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Coarsely grate 1/2 ounce of white chocolate, for garnish. Set aside. In a small mixing bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form; set aside. Chop remaining chocolate into chunks. In a medium saucepan, chocolate and milk. Over medium heat, stir constantly until chocolate is thoroughly melted. Remove from heat and stir in amaretto or almond extract. Pour into 5 mugs and top with a dollop of whipped cream garnished with grated white chocolate.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Serves about 12

1 (16-ounce) package white pound cake mix
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (16-ounce) can pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl on low speed, combine cake mix, 1 egg, butter and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice until crumbly. Press into bottom of 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, remaining 2 eggs, pumpkin, remaining 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and salt. Mix well. Pour over crust, sprinkle nuts on top.

Bake 30- 35 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature, then chill in refrigerator. Cut into bars