Why We Allow God to Plan our Family Size

Why we allow God to plan our family size

 Guest Post by Hindsfeet

( Allow? Allow God? Who am I to allow God? )

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5, 6

Sometimes people ask me what scripture we base our family size on.

“ME” TIME

“ME” TIME
Guest Post by L. Elizabeth Krueger from Raising Godly Tomatoes

I was about to write that I just got up to a nice quiet house and was sitting in the sun, looking at the lake and enjoying my morning cup of coffee (ok, it's really a chocolate diet shake – I don’t drink coffee), ALL ALONE....but then I realized that I'm not alone. My 24yo son was already at the table when I got here and we just had a nice conversation about toasting my homemade bread and about the sad state of affairs in Detroit when they want to elect a basketball player to be mayor. Hmmm. I guess what I'm trying to say is that apparently I've learned to enjoy "solitude" even when I'm not technically alone.

Victory Over Depression

Victory Over Depression

Guest Post by Iora M.

When I was in high school, I was very wacky. I used illegal drugs to self medicate; usually I used uppers to maintain the "maniac" phase of a "bi-polar" disorder. The maniac phase always seemed better to me, even though I was off the wall with running/racing thoughts, and crazy behavior. I hardly ever needed to sleep, and was always going somewhere.

Interview with Betty Weinberger

Interview with 

 

Betty Weinberger

Many, many moons ago, I had the privilege of getting to know the Weinberger family. As a teenager, I occasionally would babysit their boys during one of the meetings at their home, or while David and Betty went on a prayer walk together.  There was something "different" about their family that really drew me to them!  As I grew older, I began to see Betty as a mentor, and I have been so grateful for her input in my life. 

Are Mothers Called To Minister Too?

One of my dear friends recently asked me how I felt my "calling as a missionary" related to my "calling as a wife and mother".  I pondered this question, answered her email, and decided to expand my answer into this article.

Anyone who knows me in real life would easily affirm that I definitely feel my #1 ministry is in my home, to my children and my husband, and to support my husband in whatever he is doing, in his calling in the Lord as well.  In recent years, there has been a lot of teaching in the church about focus on family and the godly priorities of raising godly children and building strong marriages. And how necessary these teachings have been!  Our families are the cornerstone of our society, and of the church as well. We cannot have strong churches without strong families, and we cannot have a strong society without strong families. I have known parents in full-time ministry that have sacrificed time raising their children "for the sake of the call", and the results were not good!   However, I have been realizing something else too.

Night Owl or Early Bird?

One night we had a provoking talk at our church, for ladies, about women being "busy at home", from Titus 2.   The thing that stuck out to me most, that night, however was this little quote, by Martha Peace:

"I have heard of women who pride themselves on being "night people". That means they have trouble getting up in the mornings because they come alive at night. They may stay up till all hours reading, watching television, or pursuing some sort of interest.  They next morning they are too tired to get up and care for their family... these women are not "night people". They are lazy and selfish.

Easy Granola Bar Recipe

 If your family is anything like mine, then you can go through a box of granola bars pretty quick! We love granola bars! I was thinking one day that I should start making them myself so that I could make them a little healthier than the store bought ones.

Taco Seasoning Recipe

Instead of buying those little packets of taco seasoning, why not make your own? 2 tablespoons is enough to season 1 pound of meat, so I make enough for 12 batches at a time, and store it in a glass canister on my counter.

How To Make Your Own Yogurt/ Greek Yogurt, without a Yogurt Maker

How To Make Your Own Yogurt/ Greek Yogurt, without a Yogurt Maker

Yogurt is easy to make, and an interesting process. I like "back to basics" type of activities - and I like to show my children where things come from, other than the store! We don't always make our own yogurt these days, but we do when we can. It is cheaper than the store, and you know *exactly* what is in it this way! Everyone knows yogurt is healthy, but a lot of people don't realize that if you buy those little pre-sweetened packages of fruit-flavored yogurt,

Best Mostaccioli Recipe

Mostaccioli

1 box Penne noodles -cooked

1 stick Butter softened

1-16 oz. container sour cream

Monthly Shopping

Guest Post by Megan, oldest of eight children in her family

 

When I was younger, our family was small enough that shopping trips were rarely organized: we would go several times a week and were constantly running out of things.  We would always grab some meat, some vegetables, and a long list of oddments we were out of.  As this began to tie up more and more time, we realized something had to change.  Dad - a manufacturing expert - first came up with the solution of making only four shopping trips a month: one really big one and three little ones.

How to Teach Your Child to Stop Screaming

Guest Post by L. Elizabeth Krueger of Raising Godly Tomatoes:


Here's my "Hand On/Off" trick for teaching little children to obey their mom's direction and stop screaming defiantly for no good reason:

When a child is screaming for NO GOOD REASON (usually just because he's mad) and does not respond favorably when I tell him to stop, I scoop the child up, set him on my lap facing outward, and hold him there securely by placing my left arm over his arms and around his waist.

It's Not About Spanking!

Guest Post by L. Elizabeth Krueger of Raising Godly Tomatoes:

For some unknown reason, some people, even after reading my book multiple times, think it's all about spanking. No matter how many times I say that if they're parenting the right way they will only need to spank for a short period of time in the beginning, they are still spanking the same kids for the same offenses year later - and thinking this is the right way to parent! ACK!

Meal Lists - Ideas for Supper

I keep a running list of meals that our family enjoys, so that if I can't think of anything to make when I fill in my weekly calendar, I can refer back to it. I keep it in the back of my organizer/binder.  I seem to get stuck in ruts when it comes to making supper, so it helps to have this list handy.  I omitted a few ethnic dishes that most wouldn't know what it was or where to find the ingredients for, but I am posting the rest in case you need an idea. :)  And I would LOVE it if *you* would post your favorite meal ideas too!

Pass the BUTTER.... Please

Pass The Butter .... Please.  

      

Margarine  was originally manufactured to fatten  turkeys.  When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put  all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their  heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get  their money back.  It was a white substance with no food appeal  so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter.  How do you like it?   They have come out  with some clever new flavorings..