Reshaping My Heart

Let NO man deceive you

2012-05-24T10:14:00.001-07:00

This has weighed heavy on my heart and mind for a week now. I am by no means a Bible scholar, but when I have questions, I ask God to open my eyes and mind to the knowledge of the truth and He never fails to enlighten me. Studying the Bible isn’t hard, but it does require diligence and an earnest, seeking heart before the Lord for that knowledge and truth.

I’m appalled by what I see happening today. Sheep are being led astray by lies and untruths. It is disturbing to me that some are blinded to the devil’s tactics, but it doesn’t surprise me. It is time for us (me included!) to wake up. We cannot allow ourselves to be lulled to sleep while sitting on a church pew.

We are living in the last days, and everything that can be shaken will be shaken. I don’t want to be deceived. I want to know the truth, because it is the truth that makes me free (John 8:32). How can I know the truth? Through prayer, fasting, and studying the Word of God. That is the only way.

I want to share something with you today because what I heard said last week was not the truth. I’ve heard a lot of things for some time that have not been truth. I do not come to you with this is a haughty or prideful way. Let the Lord be the judge of my heart. I come to you humbly, wanting to encourage you to get in the Word of God. Read it and study it for yourself. Don’t take everything you hear for solid gold. The Bible says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

Let no man deceive you

2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJV): “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;”

Let’s take a look at this. “…for that day shall not come…” What day is Paul referring to here? He’s talking about the rapture of the church of God. So we know that one day, the Lord will return for His church.

BUT…

Paul goes on to say that day will not come, “except there come a falling away first…” What does he mean by a “falling away?” The original Greek word here is “ajpostasiva”, transliterated being “Apostasia.” The definition of apostasia is, “a falling away, defection, apostasy.” (Click on any of those words or the definition to read it for yourself. Don’t take my word for it.)

Let’s dig a little deeper. Webster defines “defection” as: conscious abandonment of allegiance or duty (as to a person, cause, or doctrine). Apostasy is defined as, “a total desertion of or departure from one’s religion, principles, party, cause, etc.”

Now let’s plug all this into what we’ve read in the scripture, based on what we’ve learned so far. Paul is admonishing that we do not be deceived by any means. He wants to remind us that God is returning for His church one day. We cannot grow slack or lazy or fall asleep, thinking it won’t be any time soon. We must keep ourselves prepared and ready, waiting for that day (Matthew 25).

Paul goes on to say that before the rapture of the church, there will, “…come a falling away first.” First a falling away. Then the rapture. What is the “falling away” then? Look at that scripture again. Re-read it again.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJV): “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;”

Let’s consider now what we’ve learned about the apostasy, or the “falling away” that comes first. “Falling” here does not mean the rapture. Just the phrase itself seems to have a negative connotation. But let’s look at this, inserting what we learned from looking up the Greek original. Personally, I can understand better sometimes if I plug in definitions that I learn about specific words. It brings greater meaning.

[My insertion of definitions are in brackets (and parentheses) below.]

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the rapture of the church] shall not come, except there come a falling away first [a conscious (knowingly, willingly, voluntarily giving up everything you know to be true—principles, standards, holiness, everything) abandonment].”

“Falling away” means people will know the truth, but they will consciously and willingly give it all up and turn away from every principle, every truth, all knowledge they’ve given allegiance to. When this happens, “that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition [utter destruction (the destroyer of souls)]”.

The “falling away” here is not referring to the rapture. The falling away is refers to saints of God who are defecting from the faith they’ve always known and the God they’ve always believed in. This is why we cannot be deceived. We must hold fast to the Word of God. We must study and know the Word (2 Timothy 2:15). I pray for our eyes to be opened, that we will be ready, watching and waiting for that day when He splits that eastern sky and we are finally called away to be with Him forever.

Update: 5/29/2012

I felt it necessary to update this study to include another note on this topic. There is a difference between the “falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and the church being “caught up together” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, KJV).

¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

In this passage of scripture in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, Paul ends this letter by encouraging saints that those who have died an earthly death are only sleeping, and that one day when the trumpet of God sounds, they will rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Then he goes on to say that those who are alive and remain on this earth will be caught up, along with the resurrected dead, to meet the Lord in the air and be with Him forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

In this passage, Paul is talking about the rapture of the church. This (1 Thessalonians 4) should not be confused with the passage in which Paul refers to the “falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). The Amplified Version breaks down 2 Thessalonians 2:3 like this…

Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the ^[a]apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great ^[b]falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition),
a. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 A possible rendering of the Greek apostasia is “departure [of the church].”

b. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 A possible rendering of the Greek apostasia is “departure [of the church].”

Final Word/Thought

To close out this study, I would like to offer this final thought. If you are unsure of anything, take it to God in prayer. Don’t allow confusion to consume you, because confusion is not of God (1 Corinthians 14:33). Ask God to open your eyes to understanding of His word. Then dig into the Bible. I assure you, He will give you understanding you seek. His word will not change (Psalm 119:89). He is the same today, yesterday, and forever (Hebrews 13:8 ).

3in30 update {October 2011}

2011-10-15T02:47:00.001-07:00

I’ve sort of gone a little astray so far this month. I started out with a bang on my daily TO DO lists. But life happened and I got a bit sidetracked. So I’ll be working on prioritizing better in the coming days.

I woke up early this morning, so I used my quiet time to go ahead and prep for today. Nothing like beginning the day with a hot cup of coffee and list making. :)

October Goals {3in30}

2011-09-30T14:39:00.001-07:00

After months of not setting any goals for myself, I’ve decided to give 3in30 a try again. Right, now I’m desperately feeling the need for some focus and simplicity and stability. I’ve been so consumed with school the last few months that everything else has sort of just been “making do.” I don’t like living like that.

With that being said, I’ve decided to use Tsh’s book One Bite at a Time to help me get back on track. Click here to visit Simple Mom.

This month’s focus: Organizing my mind.

Regular brain dumps. I’d like to do this daily, but for now, I’ll shoot for at least weekly. The basic idea is to put on paper what’s on my mind, to be more focused when it comes to taking action.
Create a daily to-do list. Again, this is something I used to do without fail on a daily basis, but I’ve let it go. I need my lists. So I’ll be making a greater effort this month to get back to my daily lists.
Carve out intentional down time. This is the one goal that will most likely be the toughest for me. But I know I need it. As I get closer to finishing college and becoming a teacher, I know I can’t keep putting myself last. I have to make time for me.

Failed. (again) Part 2

2011-09-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

It’s really funny that I had that little moment of revelation. Funny, in a relieving sort of way. Because now that I’ve uncovered (I think) the source of my issues, maybe just maybe I’ll be able to do something about this.

And funny in a sad kind of way, because I understand now that I’ve been covering up that pain with food. And it’s only made me more miserable.

I’ve only slowly started sharing bits and pieces of my story lately. And it’s only because I believe my life and story has meaning and purpose, and God can use my pain, if I allow Him, to reach and minister similar needs of others hurting.

Maybe the reason why I’ve never been able to pinpoint this until now is because for years I’ve attempted to gloss over lots of issues. I never want anything I say or do to be hurtful to anyone. But in an attempt to protect everyone, I’ve battered myself.

Wow.

That is deep. Even for me. But so true.

I’ve always done what I thought was expected of me. Always tried to do the “right” thing. Always make excuses for those who did not have my best interest at heart. Always been the hero. Except to the one who needed a hero the most. Me.

Failure, meet Opportunity.

So now that I’m realizing what I’ve been doing all these years, and why this struggle with food has been so consuming and overwhelming at times, I’m thinking the star of opportunity is shining on me right now.

This could quite possibly be my fork in the road. I can’t learn something new, then not use that knowledge to be better…do better.

So now I think my responsibility is to take this and work it out. I know in my head that stuffing myself with junky food will never make me feel better about not feeling loved by the one I’ve wanted to accept me my whole life.

I can’t keep medicating (isn’t that a crazy-funny word in this context!) that hurting little girl inside me who feels rejected and unloved with gobs of food. It’s time for me to coax her out of hiding and nurture her with the love she needs.

{Side note to family or friends reading this who think you know me and are now thinking I’ve fallen off my rocker…I haven’t. Don’t feel the need to call me with well-meaning words. It’s all good. I’m good. }

Failed. (again)

2011-09-14T15:47:00.001-07:00

After quite a few months (okay, who am I kidding, it’s been since Easter) I’m finally breaking down and admitting that I’ve failed. Yet again. Weight Watchers works for me. This, I know. But I haven’t worked Weight Watchers.

And so the vicious cycle begins.

In the last 2-3 months, I’ve gained 10+ pounds (yes, I know exactly how many that “plus” equals, but I’m not telling you {wink} ). Over the last couple of weeks I’ve just totally allowed myself to eat whatever and as much of anything I’ve wanted.

And that’s been a whole lotta bad stuff. Bad. (chocolate-covered doughnuts, iced oatmeal cookies, Crunch & Munch, Snickers blizzards…but who’s counting)

Cue sappy violinist…

The pain remains.

Every day (literally) for the last few weeks, I follow the same routine.

Wake up. Drink coffee. Have a talk with myself.

“Self, today’s a new day. You can do this. DO THIS.”

If only it were that simple. Or easy.

And then my sweet friend sent me a link to Can You Stay For Dinner. I read this. Then this. But this one was what yanked me in and stopped me in my tracks.

It was like a light switch flipped on. And I see.

I’ve always know that I’m an emotional eater. Always have been. I’ve always know I self-medicate with food. Always have. But I never have been able to drill down and figure out the why behind this issue.

The “WHY” is bigger than the what.

Maybe I’ve always known the why. Maybe I just didn’t want to acknowledge it. In fact, the more I sit here and contemplate this, the more I’m inclined to believe that’s precisely the reason why I never got it until now.

Because very much like her, I’ve been obese and fighting this fight with food for all these years because I’ve been in pain. I’ve been telling myself that I’ve moved past the pain. The pain is healed. Gone. Ta-da!

But it isn’t. And I didn’t put this 2 and 2 together until just today.

The pain is still there. Still very real. And the fact is, it will very likely always be there. Because it’s part of me. Part of who I am. Yes, in many ways, I have healed and moved on and grown. But in other ways, the pain was sort of mixed into the concrete and poured into my foundation. It’s there. It ain’t going anywhere any time soon.

So I have to learn to deal with it.

Pizza Pie {recipe}

2011-09-13T14:44:00.001-07:00

For a quick, throw-together lunch today, I made this pizza pie. My kids love this and my husband did, too. Super easy!

Pizza Pie

Ingredients:

1 can reduced-fat crescent rolls
1/4 cup pizza sauce (or as much as you like)
1/2 shredded mozzarella cheese (or as much as you like)
Optional: turkey pepperoni, beef, onions

Directions:

Roll out crescent rolls into 8” pie dish (or a small, oblong casserole). Press seams together with your fingers and shape into the base of your dish, pressing dough up the sides for a crust.
Spread pizza sauce.
Top with shredded cheese and other toppings.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

Enjoy!

I’m back

2011-09-13T14:22:00.001-07:00

I never intended to cut loose and leave the crickets chirping here. After the first B90Days challenge I did at the beginning of this year, I was a little out of sorts and trying to sort through some things. So this blog got put on the back burner.

I’m realizing that I actually need this space more than I thought I did. I need a quiet spot to sort my thoughts and do some personal blogging.

So I’m back. Not sure how often I’ll write, but I’m here. :)

Bible in 90 days successfully completed

2011-04-02T11:55:00.001-07:00

I actually finished reading on day 86, but today’s the official 90th day. I can’t even begin to tell you how rewarding this challenging has been for me. Yes, it’s been a tough one, but I finished, and I received so much more out of this than I ever expected to.

Amy, at Moms Toolbox asked some questions on today’s celebration post, so I thought I would give my thoughts on those. If you’ve ever considered reading the Bible in 90 days, I encourage you to do it. This is not an easy reading plan, but it is so worth it!

Why I accepted the challenge

Truthfully, I joined this challenge on a whim without giving it much thought. In my heart, I wanted to do this, but in my mind, I doubted my persevering power to actually follow through with it.

I’ve never read the entire Bible through, from start to finish. This was the main reason I wanted to read with the B90Days group. Knowing I would have the accountability and camaraderie of other participants helped.

How this challenge has impacted me

I’ve given this some thought and here are the main ways I feel this has touched me:

It taught me to become a wiser steward of my time. You can’t accept a challenge like this and not manage your time wisely, because it is a big time commitment.
It taught me to persevere, no matter what. I fell behind on schedule a couple of times. The second time was just a couple of weeks ago, when life got crazy and I got almost a week behind. It seemed almost impossible to catch up…until I reminded myself that with God, all things are possible. And so I read until I got back on track.
It taught me the importance of partaking of the daily Bread. This is, without a doubt, the most wonderful lesson of all that I’ve learned. I think a lot of us take the Bible for granted and do not recognize the life-giving power it holds.

How I kept reading

The creation of a daily habit of reading was challenging for me. Again, this reading plan requires time. It isn’t optional. There’s no way you can expect to speed through it.

I had to figure out what time of day was best for me to read. It was (is) impossible to read after 3 pm. My house is alive and kicking in the evenings. So the best time for me was either (super) early mornings (3-4 am) or during the day while my son was at school.

Another thing I did from time to time was read ahead. Especially during the Psalms, I found I read much quicker, so I would read ahead if I finished early or had more free time. That really helps, too!

How I caught up

As I stated above, I did fall behind two or three times. It happens. The first thing I decided was that I would not beat myself up about it. That wouldn’t help anything.

To get caught up, I forced myself to sit and read when it was quiet. I used every spare moment. The last time I fell so far behind, I did have a moment of panic. But I decided I was going to finish, whether I finished on time or not. I sat down that Saturday and read almost all day long. By Sunday afternoon, I was all caught up (from nearly a week behind) and was current.

Catching up is difficult, but possible. If you have a hard head like me.

What got in my way

This might sound awful, but the only thing that really deterred me was family. My husband works a lot, so when he has a day off at home, I tend to let everything else go and just spend time with him.

My next steps

Now I’m back in my daily Bible. It is the New Living Translation and is set up with daily readings for a year. Each day contains some Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and a Proverbs. Very easy to read. I need a slower pace right now, so I can make notes and write and dig deeper into the Word as I read. I also want to make sure I maintain this new habit I’ve created over the last 3 months.

Want to join the next challenge?

If you are interested in joining the next Bible in 90 Days challenge, you can visit Moms Toolbox for more information. The next challenge will begin July 11th, so you have plenty of time to prayerfully consider and sign up.

Photography Contest {Animals}

2011-03-12T04:52:00.001-08:00

My second entry in the current contest at Pixosphere is in the Animals category.

Is there anything cuter than a puppy dog who falls asleep while waiting in the car rider line at school for kids? I think not. :)

Food photography contest

2011-03-12T04:48:00.001-08:00

Just for fun, I thought I’d enter Pixosphere’s photo contest. This month my entry is in the Food category.

My kids love monkey bread. This batch was too yummy-looking not to capture it with camera. Believe me…it tasted as delicious as it looks!

Today was a great homeschooling day

2011-03-11T11:14:00.001-08:00

Days like today make me happy I’m homeschooling my daughter. We’ve had plenty of rough days and tears, but then when you leap over those hurdles and start moving at a more balanced pace, things get better. My favorite quote from today’s homeschooling:

“You don’t learn this stuff in regular school…and I like learning about stuff like this!” (early apostles and persecutions of early church)

Menu Plan for 3/13-3/26

2011-03-11T02:14:00.000-08:00

I built this 2-week (dinner) menu based on what I already have stocked. I’m also going to see if I can start a routine of certain things on certain days.

Sundays are always pizza days for us. Lots of church and no cooking on Sundays. I’d like to attempt to do crock pot cooking on Mondays. Mondays are usually rough because it’s back to school and cleaning up the weekend mess. Wednesdays will be leftovers day, since it’s church night. (Will make my life easier.)

With these ideas in place, I’m hoping to see things run a bit more smoother this time around. I’ll update you at the end of the two weeks to tell you how it goes!

March 13-19

Sunday – pizza
Monday – pinto beans, cornbread muffins, mac ‘n cheese
Tuesday – squash casserole, mashed potatoes, rolls
Wednesday – leftovers
Thursday – chicken enchiladas
Friday – tuna salad sandwiches
Saturday – sausage in a red gravy w/ rice, turnip greens, corn bread muffins

March 20-26

Sunday – pizza
Monday – corn chowder
Tuesday – meatball gravy with rice
Wednesday – leftovers
Thursday – white beans
Friday – Mexican cornbread
Saturday – leftovers

Simplification

2011-03-09T06:27:00.001-08:00

I’ve been talking to you a lot lately about reducing clutter and getting organized so I can become a better steward of all things. I’ve felt this urge to simplify—myself and my family.

When this first started a couple of weeks ago, I thought it meant simplifying in the physical sense. Home. Closets. Cabinets. I’m finally coming to the understanding I need to simplify much more than that.

I need to simplify my mental clutter, too.

And I’ve been asking myself questions like:

What’s most important to God?
What’s important to me?
Will it matter, in the grand scheme of things, if I don’t do X-Y-Z?
How will this affect my family?
Is this the best decision for me?
Does God find this acceptable?
Am I walking in accordance with His purpose and will for my life?
Am I numbing myself with the Internet?

Tough questions. Some answers not so pretty. But I need to get real with myself. I want to be transparent before my Savior and be able to say I’m following His lead.

I’ve slowly been trimming away the fat. I’ve greatly reduced the amount of time I spend on Facebook. (I’m working on Twitter.) I’m also cutting away at my RSS feed. (If I unsubscribe from your blog it doesn’t mean I don’t love you.)

These aren’t easy things to do, but they’re necessary. I want to embed myself at the foot of the cross. If I’m being pulled in hundreds of different directions all day, how can I be present in spirit?

In time, some of this might change. For now, though, please know that my absence is God-led. I’m still here. You’ll still hear from me. Just not as much.

I close with the video of a song that I feel perfectly sums up this post. It’s a new season. It’s a new day.

Taking Stock & Re-organizing

2011-03-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

Last week I shared with you that God has been nudging me to give menu planning another try. Then I talked about my new approach to doing this. A week later, I can tell you that this will be a work-in-progress. It won’t be something that will automatically change in a day or two. It’s something I need to work on, but I’m willing to do that.
I didn’t grab a “before” shot of my cabinets because it appalled me, so I wanted to save you the scare. ;) I set up the card and grabbed my notebook. I wanted to start easy, so I did the boxed/dry goods first:

Next, I pulled out the canned/jarred stuff:

By this time I had a huge mess all over the counters, here:

And here:

(See that blue bucket? Well, yeah...I got even more productive. I figured since I already had a mess everywhere, I might as well make the most of it. Fixed me some "cleaning water" and scrubbed the cabinets--inside & out--while I was at it.)

When I finally finished going through everything and recording my inventory, this is the end result:

We live in a very old house, and cabinet space is sparse. I did have coffee cups and other drinking glasses in this little cabinet. But I swapped everything around and here's what that cabinet looks like now:

(I have tons more coffee mugs...so that can only mean it's time to unload the dishwasher!)

I'm worn out from doing this, but I'm glad I tackled it this morning. It feels great to walk in the kitchen and not dread looking in the cabinets. ;)

Best part of all this is that now I know exactly what's in there. I ended up with 3 pages of inventory. I used a printable page and realized half-way through taking inventory that it isn't suitable for me. So I'll probably make myself a new pantry inventory page customized for what I need.

This is going to go a long way towards helping me on my menu planning!

{March ‘11} Week 1 check in

2011-03-04T10:22:00.001-08:00

I’m not going to beat around the bush or try to fudge on this one. I’ll tell you straight up, I haven’t even thought about my goals this week.

Last week I was so excited about the start of a new month. I was ready for a clean slate. A new beginning. Fresh goals.

What I really should have focused on were those baby steps again.

So here’s my update from this week:

Blogging Goal – {Continue community-building at Mending Hope.}

I continue to blog.
I’m developing a simple plan to start outreach.

Personal Enrichment Goal – {Read one book this month; share a review of it here.}

I won a copy of Warrior Prayers, by Brooke McGlothlin. This is next on my TBR list. I’ll post my review of it on this blog when I’m finished reading through it. (I snuck a quick peek at it last week and already love what I’ve seen. Can’t wait to dig into it!)

Spiritual Goal – {Spend time in the Word; develop a more consistent, focused daily prayer regimen.}

I’m 2/3 through the Bible in 90 Days challenge. (Am deciding what my reading plan will be when this is done, but I think I already have a pretty good idea.)
Last week someone shared on Twitter (forgive me, I can’t remember who—if it was you, please let me know!) that she has an alarm set to go off at certain times during the day. When the alarm beeps, she prays. I thought that was a great idea, because those special prayer moments could be filled with praise, worship, or requests, and it’s special snippets of time throughout the day, separate from personal prayer time. I have an alarm set on my iPhone now, which goes off three times during my day. So far I’ve done well with this, but there have been a couple of days when I reset the alarm and went on about my busy-ness. (Shame on me!) Will continue to work on this one harder in the coming days.

Words of Encouragement

If you’re still thinking about joining 3in30 but haven’t done it yet, why not?? Who cares if you missed the first of the month. Start NOW.

If you’ve been with 3in30 since January, but feel like you’re getting nowhere and maybe even thinking about quitting—because what’s the point?!—I urge you to take a step back and breathe. We’re all human. Sometimes we make plans and they get all messed up.

It’s okay.

Seriously. Just start new today. Right now. Do what you can with today. Then tomorrow, wake up and do the same thing again.

At the end of the day

2011-03-02T15:43:00.001-08:00

Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/malikdhadha/

This week has been a strange one. It started out a little bumpy but has progressively gotten better. (The main problem was ME.)

As I reflect this evening on the last few days, I ask myself, ‘What have I learned so far this week?’

At the end of the day (week…month…year), I want to know that I’ve learned something—anything—from my experiences. I wrote today about the importance of living in the moment, and reflection is a part of that for me. If I haven’t learned anything, am I truly living?

Looking for simple joys each day helps me slow down and appreciate simple things. Searching for eucharisteo, that hunt for God gifts, opens my heart and eyes to blessings I’ve otherwise overlooked for all these years.

At the end of the day, I must earnestly search my heart. Have I honored God with praise today? Have I served others, sharing the gifts bestowed to me? Have I been a blessing, to God…my family…others?

My new approach to menu planning

2011-02-28T04:04:00.001-08:00

Click here to read Part 1.

One of the major issues I’ve had with menu planning is that I have a picky eater. So more often than not, I end up fixing two meals for dinner, instead of one. This has led to me not wanting to put any thought or effort into planning dinners. What’s the point, if the entire family won’t eat what I prepare?

This, by the way, goes back to the whole (false) idea that if I don’t give him what he wants, I’m a bad mother.

So the first step to my new approach to menu planning is to not give my picky eater a choice. He’s stubborn (wonder where he gets that from??) and I’m sure we will have plenty of arguments, but this is the way it will be. He has to at least try what I cook, before he can decide he doesn’t like it.

This will, by far, be the toughest challenge for me. Mostly because no matter what I cook, if it isn’t something he’s familiar with, or likes, he immediately launches into, “That stinks!” or, “I’m not eating that!” or, “Ewww! That looks nasty!”

Second, when I say “menu” planning, what I really mean is “dinner” planning. Generally speaking, breakfast and lunch aren’t issues here. It’s the last meal of the day that becomes stressful and ridiculous. Since I’ll only be planning our dinner menus, this will help remove some of the stress (hopefully).

How I made my menu plan

I grocery shop every two weeks, so my menu plan consists of two weeks. Sunday is our pizza day—quick and easy. Wednesday is also a church night, so we’ll have leftovers on Wednesdays. I’m also leaving flexibility for leftovers on a second night of the week (never two nights in a row). That leaves 4-5 days for me to plan dinners.

First, I made my list of 21 dinners we typically eat. Next, I asked both kids what their favorite dinners are that I cook. Lastly, I hunted down some new recipes online to try. (I get tired of cooking the same things all the time.) I took all those lists and made out a 2-week dinner plan.

Something I didn’t consider

After I had my meal plan, I wrote out my grocery list, according to my plan. Then I had a meltdown. My grocery list was nearly twice as long as normal. This menu planning was supposed to be helping me, not hurting me! After a chat with my sister, I realized I was approaching this all wrong, at least to begin with.

To start this off on the right foot, I need to make my plan based on what I already have in the pantry. Then as I start using our stock, I can start adding in some new and different meals.

With this in mind, I sat down with my notebook again and made out a new plan. I felt much better after this was done, and my grocery list was lots better, too.

Ultimately, one of my goals in doing this is to cut our grocery bill down to $75 or less per week. Right now we spend about $150 per week. I know this can be done. It’s just going to take diligence, planning, and frugal-thinking on my part. With God, all things are possible!

Do you menu plan? I’d love to hear your thoughts or suggestions on cutting corners and frugal shopping!

{March 2011} 3in30 Goals

2011-02-28T00:56:00.000-08:00

This month I’m changing up the way I set my goals just a tad. We were encouraged to set a blogging goal for this month, and that encouraged me to think about two other areas I wanted to work on this month. I think I’ve been setting my goals sort of “nilly-willy”; just throwing three things out there. This month, I want to be more focused. I want my goals to be more focused.

That said, here are my goals for March:

Blogging Goal – Continue community-building at Mending Hope.
Personal Enrichment Goal – Read one book this month; share a review of it here.
Spiritual Goal – Spend time in the Word; develop a more consistent, focused daily prayer regimen.

I’m so excited about all the progress I’m seeing around the blogosphere through 3in30. It’s amazing how setting three little goals each month can lead to such great personal and professional progress!

If you’re just learning about the 3in30 challenge, it’s never too late to join in. Click on the 3in30 button and get started this month!

Why I’m willing to give menu planning another try

2011-02-27T12:10:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was re-inspired and motivated by MamaHall to give menu planning another try. I’ve tried this a couple of times before but never was able to figure out how to make it work for me. (Still not sure “why.”)

Before I share my plan with you, I thought I’d first share a few points on why I even reconsidered doing this. In so many ways, this is spiritual. God has been giving my heart a huge work-over lately. As I’ve become more purposeful in my relationship with God the last couple of months, my eyes have increasingly opened to the fact that I’ve been wasteful in so many ways:

My canned/boxed good pantry is full-to-overflowing, and yet “I never have anything to cook.” I’ve been grocery shopping and cramming things into cabinets. What a waste! I want to be a wise steward of God’s food supply.
Piggy-backing off of the point above, I keep spending money on groceries, when I already have a well-stocked pantry, and semi-stocked freezer. It’s a waste of money for me to keep doing this. I want to be a wise steward of God’s money.
There was a time when I cooked every single day of the week, save Sundays. It was never a burden; we ate good. In fact, we had a lot less, in the way of finances, back then and yet still managed to have hot, home-cooked meals almost every day of the week. (I wasn’t obese back then, either. Go figure.)

A few things changed that for me: 1) I got tired of cooking the same things all the time, 2) I grew weary of feeling like I had to cook a separate dinner for my picky-eater (because I’d be a horrible mother if I didn’t fix him something he wants to eat, right?), and 3) I became slothful, plain and simple. I want to be a wise steward of my home and family.

I assure you, sharing these things with you isn’t easy for me. It’s embarrassing, to expose myself to you in this way. But I am determined to change these things, and I know I can, with God’s help.

There are so many things that are beyond my control. As I recognize these personal flaws and have the ability to change them, I would be remiss to not follow where God leads me. I’m thankful to new friends, like MamaHall, who provide encouragement and support.

Tomorrow, I’ll share more with you about my approach to menu planning this time.

Feb 2011 3in30 {Week 3}

2011-02-18T09:05:00.001-08:00

I feel like I’m sort of forgetting, or losing sight, of my 3in30 goals for this month. I haven’t really forgotten them, they just haven’t been on the forefront of my mind. I’ve sort of been focused on my school work and the changes I am seeing within my own self, and so I haven’t been in a “goal getting” frame of mind.

That’s not to say I haven’t achieved anything, though. Here’s where I’m at:

Weekly planning – Nope. Hasn’t happened. Last week I was pretty frustrated about this, but I’m learning to embrace and accept what is, and figure out creative solutions. So for now, I’m using snippets of time to plan as much as possible. Not going to stress over it.
Write 30 minutes, 5 days/week – On track with this one. I’m pretty sure I will carry this goal forward into March, taking it to a different level. More on that later!
Complete Tasks 2 & 3 of FST4 – DONE!!! I completed both tasks and they were accepted, so I’m done with that class. I have one more class, and 4 tasks, to finish out this term. (Hoping to finish early next month so I’ll have a full month to start working on math…Lord knows I’ll need it!)

Join me at Mending Hope

2011-02-14T07:35:00.000-08:00

I have a new website/blog and wanted to share with you, in case you haven't already heard me talk about it.

If you've known me for some time, you will probably remember the first e-zine I published, called Cup of Hope. (I eventually compiled my essays into a volume called "Cup of Hope", available on Amazon.)

Some time has passed since I decided to stop writing Cup of Hope. But God has been scrubbing away at my heart and soul the last couple of months.

I feel led to minister to other ladies who are feeling a bit of hopelessness in their life. Feeling hopeless is just about the worst feeling in the world. For Christians, this feeling usually leads to you thinking there must be something wrong with you spiritually, or you wouldn't feel that way. That couldn't be further from the truth.

I think you will enjoy this new blog and I'm very much looking forward to walking with you and speaking in the truth, as God directs me. More than anything, if you feel hopeless, I want you to know you are not alone. That can change. God is the Restorer of hope!

Here's the link, if you'd like to visit: http://mendedhope.com. Bookmark it, or subscribe, so you don't miss anything. I'll see you there!

Book Review: Think And Make It Happen, by Dr. Augusto Cury

2011-02-12T06:14:00.001-08:00

Do you feel like your life is spinning out of control and there’s nothing you can do about it? Have you ever watched other people rise to success and fortune, then wonder why that doesn’t happen for you? Think and Make It Happen will prove you can take control and become proactive in your own life. Stop allowing life to happen to you; stand up and make things happen.

My thoughts…

I love non-fiction books, but more specifically, I enjoy reading a book that I learn from and can apply those lessons practically in my own life. This is one of those books for me.

As I read through each page, I found myself highlighting passages that spoke to me. I have always believed that our minds are our most powerful weapons. Dr. Cury further proved this to me as I read this book. Cury takes the professional knowledge from his profession as a psychiatrist, and relates it to Biblical examples. This isn’t a too-far-out-there book that uses hyped-up catch phrases to feed you pie in the sky. This is a well-thought out book that takes you by the hand and helps you discover that you can become and do anything you set your mind to.

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books, in exchange for honest reviews.

3in30–February 2011 Week 2

2011-02-10T13:54:00.001-08:00

It’s time to check in with my 3in30 goals! This month is already half-done…hard to believe. So here’s a quick check-up with how I’m doing this month:

Weekly planning – This one isn’t going like I want it to. I’m getting in snippets of time to plan, but my intention is to set aside an hour or two one day each week to sit down and really plan.
Write 30 minutes, 5 days/week – Doing great on this one. In fact, I’ve been sneaking in much more than 30 minutes of writing time each day. :)
Complete Tasks 2 & 3 of FST4 – I completed Task 2 and passed. Yay! Still need to get to Task 3, though, so I can move on to my next class. Term ends March 31st, so I need to get busy!

I’m featured on ReArtingDotNet’s Mosaic Monday

2011-02-08T04:50:00.001-08:00

I have always loved being creative. Art has been a stress-reliever for me over the last year. I do it for myself, but I’ve made mixed media pieces for special friends and family. I never really thought anybody else might like what I create, though.

You can imagine my surprise this morning when I opened my email and saw that a spread from my current art journal is featured in a Mosaic Monday. I’m honored, and humbled. And this totally made my day. :)

To see my page, “Love” click below. Scroll to the bottom of the first mosaic. My page is the last one at the bottom, just above the pink square. You’ll know it when you see it because the word “Love” is written across both pages. :)

Thank you, to ReArtingDotNet Blog for featuring my artwork!

Listening for His voice

2011-02-07T08:19:00.001-08:00

Life is demanding. We all struggle with our own problems and situations. Sometimes the hum of all this “stuff” becomes so loud that we can’t hear anything above it.

When I get to this point, I usually make mistakes. I act of my own accord, instead of seeking His will. It’s a dangerous place to be stuck in, and if I’m not careful, I get caught in this web of ignorance and can’t break free from it for a period of time.

This morning I found myself almost heading back to this spot. Seeking to do His will, I became sidetracked by what I thought I needed to do. Thankfully, I realized what I was doing, and stopped to pray before I acted. And I’m glad I did, because the answer I heard in my heart was not the direction I was about to take.

When we listen, He does speak. Sometimes He answers with a reply. Sometimes His answer is silence, for various reasons. But we must be listening.

How do you listen for the voice of God in your life?