What Can I Do Today?

Wednesday Giftables: Compound butters

2011-03-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

Today's idea was inspired from an article that I read before Christmas. I love gifting edible gifts because they are practical and everybody has to eat! Homemade gifts like compound butters are real treat because they are not widely sold everywhere and people today seem to busy to make it for themselves. Here are two recipes to bring a smile to anyone's face:

Honey-Walnut Butter
- this is great on quick breads or toast!

1 lb butter
1/2 C. honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 C. walnuts

Place all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Yields roughly 1.75 pints

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Transformation Tuesday: Raising the Praiser in a Party Pooper

2011-03-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

It always seems like winter is the most depressing time of the year. In fact, recently I have heard that January 17th is the most depressing day of the year. I often have wondered why. And now that March is here and Jack Frost playing pranks long before April Fool's Day has arrived, it is easy enough to spew negative commentary and pine for white sandy beaches.

Until this morning; as I looked out my window in disappointment, the television news anchor announced the tragedy in Japan that happened as I slept. How childish I've been because heaven forbid that I be incovienced by a small amount of solid precipitation. My healthy children bounded into our bedroom to usher in the morning of blessings. Our home has minor repairs and cleaning that needs to be done but through the Grace of our Lord, it is intact. The furnace, water, water heater, and all the major appliances are functioning. Both pantries are full of food; the freezers adaquately stocked. My loving husband, still in bed at that moment is healthy, compassionate, and home for the moment.

Father God, thank you for all the many prayers that You've answered- including the ones I never realized I needed fulfilled or the ones that I thought that I needed answered differently than your wisdom requires. Help me to focus on what I have rather than what I have not.

Make It Ahead Monday: French Toast Bundt Pan Breakfast

2011-03-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

This Make Ahead Monday is a favorite that I need to make more often because it is so easy and so tasty- French Toast Bundt Pan Bread! Since you start with frozen dinner rolls, there is no need to worry about killing yeast- something that usually inhibits me from making rolls and other baked goods of the same kind.

Rather than to post my recipes on the blog directly, I decided to publish them on via SpringPad because it is a little more user-friendly on mobile devices- specifically on an iPhone via the SpringPad application. This should make both shopping and preparation a snap. Enjoy! :)

Freedom Friday: Getting Frugal with Liquid Laundry Soap

2011-02-11T14:54:00.000-08:00

Today's post is inspired by my "In Between Paycheck Blues." As I reached for my laundry soap container this morning, I discovered that I was out. :( Years ago, I had researched the process of making my own laundry soap and had bought the Fels-Naptha Soap with the intention of following the recipe but never sold out on the concept enough to follow through. Many of my friends have recently begun making their own laundry goo and have been enthusiastic about their results so, I decided to give it another go.

I had heard rumors that the Duggar family had a recipe on their webpage so, I checked it out and as luck would have it, I had EVERYTHING mentioned in my house with one important exception: I did not have a five gallon bucket to store my newly honed concoction. In a panic, I began scouring my home looking for an acceptable alternative. Now, your first response might be to think that my recently empty container would be a logical choice but it was not even close. The capacity of that container would hold just under two 1quarts of fluid and the recipe yeilds nearly five gallons of soap! Fortunately, procrastination paid off. Somehow, I had another suds container that would hold 1.32 G- not exactly perfect but closer to what I needed. Then it occured to me that if I reduced the water, I wouldn't need such a large container and that I could just use less of the mixture than the original recipe suggested.

Click here to see the recipe and my notes about today's adventure.

Increasing Productivity in the Home Classroom

2011-01-21T19:12:00.000-08:00

I have tried my best to deny it and secretly fight it; the Winter Blahs have hit this home educator and her pupils. In desperate search of rejuvenation, I searched my mail archives for an idea that would spur the kids and I with excitement into spring. Among several ideas received, one of the best I encountered was the establishment (or rather re-establishment) of expectations and the clear communication of them. Here are some pictures of what I have developed:

Each of these documents has been presented to each child with a discussion, attached to a folder and preserved digitally for instant recovery in the event of loss. I am excited to see how this tools aids us in meeting our academic goals for the remainder of the school year; I'm not confident that the kids share my enthusiasm. ;)

The Misconceptions About The Darkness

2011-01-04T13:22:00.000-08:00

This week has been a difficult week and sadly- it's only TUESDAY!!!! My heart is heavy, broken and in a dark place due to a string of unfortunate circumstances. This morning I indulged myself and wallowed in self pity in the dark place; questioning why God hasn't championed me in my hour of need in the fashion that I way that I deem necessary.

Earlier this afternoon, I was reading a friend's page and stumbled across the web version of my favorite e-Bible which by default lead me back to Genesis 1:2-4:

"And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good..."

The fact is darkness is not entirely bad; it is full of potential. Darkness can be lonely and uncomfortable at times but it also has potential that creates anticipation and may be necessary to foster other vital elements in life. Darkness is necessary for various biorhythm to occur ensuring good brain health. Darkness can generate a deeper sense of gratitude in regard to the light. Time spent in the darkness may be a necessary time of rest and reflection. God's view of darkness can't be too dissimilar as well; He could have banished it at the time of creation but saw it's potential and simple tempered it.

So, as I trek through these darker days, I will seek the Lord and His will for this time; knowing that I am not alone and that because He is in control, brighter days are ahead and they will be my testimony. I hope that you are getting a fair balance of both light and darkness. :)

Lost Without Reason for This Season

2010-12-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

So like many people this week, I am fighting a loosing battle with my inner Scrooge. Echos of greedy children nagging recession ragged parents for iPads, iPhones, netbooks, and the like. Blue haired gangsters ready to run you down at a moment's notice for that coveted parking space three slots from the mall entrance to shorten their hike from the caddie. Arrogant sales people annoyed with countless consumer complaints regarding service, stock, sizing, and more to adnausium. The seasonal relative inquisition has begun; "When are you coming? What do you want? What is Joey's shoe size? Have you sent out your cards yet? Did you get mine?'
Then the added tasks to a full and hectic life: Christmas newsletters, gift shopping, cookie baking, "special" meal planning, concerts, gift wrapping... need I really go on? Probably not because even if you aren't suffering from ADHD like me, your head is in a tailspin headed down the drain and that was not is certainly not my intent tonight. No. Not today. Not ever.

Instead, I want to share with you the anthem that has been in my head as I battle. My darling children have been singing the chorus along with me all week. :) In Ephesians 6:9-11 we are commanded to appreciate who each of us are in Christ and to put on the full armor of God to endure battles against the enemy. So, as I evaluate each distraction, I choose to remember why we buy the gifts, endure the rudeness of others, extend ourselves a little to minister to our loved ones, and even take a moment to demonstrate a random act of kindness to a stranger. He is the one who has loved us first; long before we could even fathom that He would care for us. As we minister to one another this Holiday Season, let us pause one night for Jesus to remember the Holy Night when the world would be forever changed. One night to slow the pace so that we can be Holy People who are open to the direction of what the Holy Spirit would want you to take away this Christmas Season. After all, we know that the meaning of Christmas does not come from time honored traditions or material things; it comes from The Word that is love.

What Does It All Mean?

2010-10-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

Everyone want to know what does it all mean? Why are we here? It all comes from your perspective. For me, it starts with the love of Jesus. At the root of it all it is the mission to serve God Almighty. Last year, I made the decision to dissolve my home-based business after I finally chose to obey a call to give my first ministry the attention it deserved. My family needed me more than my clients and corporate America. My children were not receiving quality educations from the local public school system and my house... well, let's just say that it was severely neglected due to the crazy hours I had been keeping over the last four years and it was screaming for reform. ;)
So, as I began to disassociate myself from my former career, I kept thinking about how I could create a new identity that would reflect the rest of my life regardless of the season that I may face. While I have been called to take full responsibility of my children's education for the next nine years, it is still only a season. One day, I was listening to an Amy Grant CD and the medley "Jesus Loves Me/ They Will Know We Are Christians/Helping Hand" came over the speakers. One of the chorus lyrics asks the question, "Everybody needs a helping hand, take a look at your fellow man. Tell me what can I do today?" Every day I am given is a precious gift from God and what will I do to honor Him with it?
Oh sure, we need to read our Bibles and spend time with Him in prayer but we are called to for so much more. Some days we called to do something big and bold like chair a large charity event or lead a group of mothers with small children. But most days it's smaller simpler things like having patience with children who irritate you to the point of knowing why some animal mothers eat their young or being affectionate with a spouse who may have forgotten that you still need a date after years of devotion. Someday we are called to escape and be still while other days we are to become assertive, get messy, and get involved in conflicts and confrontation and there will be days that we are called to be humble and let God handle the battle.
Whatever the situation that you find yourself, I encourage you to stop atleast once a day and ask "Lord Jesus, what can I do today?"