Help Me Obey
How many times have I asked God to help me follow him? Wendy Horger Alsup, in a recent blog post, reminded me of this. I’ve been thinking about her post, and more importantly, about how God parents me and how through his example, I can parent my boys. Trust me, you’ll be chewing on this for days (and hopefully for the rest of your little babes lives – if you have them).
For the link, click here.
Recent Pics
Me n' Benny
My cutie pies
Yep. So cute. Gosh, I love 'em.
Being pushed around the house by Michael...
Jude's 2nd Birthday: Waffles, peaches, and whip cream for breakfast
Jude's 2nd Birthday: A fire truck bed!
Jude's 2nd Birthday: And then there was cake...
Yes!
On Prayer
I’m just about finished with Wendy Horger Alsup’s book Practical Theology for Women. Last night I came across this in chapter thirteen (Prayer is our Means of Conversing with God):
When we are overcome with fear and worry, how often do we seek out friends, family, or church leaders to unburden ourselves? We feel this overwhelming need to pour out our hearts to someone, but we so often ignore the One to whom we should be pouring out our hearts. Pouring out our requests before God is the number one way to deal with our burdens. But few of us act as if we believe Scripture about this. Remember Paul’s words in Philippians 4:6-7:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This is not a trite, feel-good saying. It is the truth of God. We need to think through Paul’s exhortation and evaluate our lives to see if we live as though we believe it is true.
How true! I tend to lean toward calling a friend (calling anyone, sometimes) before stopping and thankfully praying. And if I don’t talk to someone, often hours can go by before I approach the Lord. I’m convicted repeatedly about this. Some questions that arise: Where do I get the notion in the first place that Jesus is at a distance and isn’t already aware of my needs? Why do I think a friend can encourage me more than the Lord? Is it because approaching the Lord is more intimate and I tend to shy away from that? Interesting.
Yet when I imagine my “ideal” prayer life, I picture myself praying ceaselessly (1 Thess. 5:17), not just when I’m anxious. As Paul writes, we are to thankfully make our requests known to God. Not only does He accept my requests, but he desires my praise, and that can create a lifestyle of prayer, too. Instead of just pouring out prayer requests to friends and listeners, I can call specifically to praise and give glory. More often than not, that will be a natural overflow of already having lifted my requests to the Lord. His peace ultimately follows. (Wendy writes about this so much more articulately. I encourage you to read her book!)
In my mind, it’s like this: I’m having coffee with a believing friend. We talk about everything under the sun, including the difficult things going on in our lives. Then we part ways, not having prayed about anything we discussed. Our time together feels incomplete because the main thing that joins us together (Jesus) has not been hailed as both the healer of our struggles nor the grantor of our joys and friendship. Sure, we can both leave knowing that we’ll be praying for the other or that we’re both Christians and both love the Lord. But through prayer, God desires…more. Actually, He desires what is best. What’s happened in mine and my friend’s conversation is maybe a lot of emotionalism and most likely, understanding, but the incompleteness of the conversation comes from not submitting, together, to our common Lord. Why wouldn’t we end our time in prayer, every time? I guess that question would lead to a further evaluation on the scripture “…when two or more are gathered…”
In the same way, when I don’t submit to the Lord in prayer – regularly and quickly – an incompleteness arises. Wendy also writes:
Praise of him must precede our petitions for ourselves. But he does invite our requests! He wants us to lay our burdens at his feet and allow him to carry the heavy weight of our baggage, and he promises supernatural peace that passes our ability to understand when we present our request to him with praise and thanksgiving. (132)
So maybe what I’m getting at is that this incompleteness is a lack of peace, stemming from not approaching the Lord – be it with a believer or alone. Both ways, relationships are enriched through prayer. Relationships with each other and with the great King. Of course He would ask us to obey him by praying ceaselessly. That our souls may be at rest and we may sincerely rejoice, “It is well with my soul!”
Rush, Rush, Rush
I have a busy week ahead. Not a hectic, crazy, why-do-I-do-this-to-myself kind of week, but a full, fulfilling one. Even so, knowing all that’s coming up, I feel like I rush, rush, rush to the next thing. Rush to fold the clothes on the couch. Rush home from a friend’s this morning. Rush through Job. Rush through unloading the dishwasher. Rush playing trucks with Jude. After hastily getting ready this morning, letting Ben take a nap, getting them both dressed and in their stroller for a spontaneous visit with a friend downtown, I realized once home that I didn’t enjoy the leaves on the walk back or how this is another perfect fall day. Instead, I thought, How am I going to get Jude into bed now that he’s fallen asleep in the stroller. *gasp* What will I do while the boys are in bed? Fold the laundry? Clean the kitchen? Work on the monthly newsletter? *double gasp* So much to do! So little time!
This is ridiculous.
Part of the process of this thing called life is simply enjoying. Enjoying the silence. Enjoying my children. Enjoying caring for my family by caring for our home. God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him. What I’m finding is I’m satisfied with myself when I accomplish my to do list. In that, folded laundry is futile. Being content in the Lord means being content in all things, right? Which makes the rush,rush,rush pointless because he is the same regardless of what I do. So whether I complete a to do list or not, my contentment should remain the same. Instead, I expect it to fluctuate, or be more so, because I (again – emphasis on me) have accomplished something. Interesting. Not that rushing to finish things in itself is bad, but rather the idea that once I do them, I will have arrived. Therein lies the problem.
Both boys are asleep. I’m going to begin a book loaned to me by a friend. I’m going to read 1 John 1. And I’m going to enjoy every minute of it. I’m going to slow the rest of the day down, both in action and thought.
Thank you Jesus for life. Your life given and your life in me. Thank you Jesus for little boys. For Jude who sings sweetly to you. For Ben who adores his big brother and won’t stop staring and smiling at him. Thank you Jesus for your Word that guides and stills my soul. Thank you for a beautiful day, a beautiful life, a reason to live and hope.
Cooking for a Crowd: Grilled Cheese
Grilled cheese. A no brainer, right? (And a serious time saver when you just don’t feel like cooking. Just pop 10-12 on a baking sheet, bake at 375-400 degrees for about 8 minutes, flipping once.) This is what I made this past week and it was a hit! Why? I used my homemade french bread, cut nice think slices, and added pesto! PESTO! I was inspired by my Better Home and Gardens magazine this month which had several different takes on plain ol’ grilled cheese. My favorite way? Adding fresh basil leaves and tomato slices. Unfortunately, basil is pretty spendy this time of year so I settled for a $5 container of pesto instead, and I only ended up using barely a quarter of it. A little goes a long way. I served tomato soup and a “Casa Mia” salad (lettuce, sliced olives, and lotsa mozzerella cheese) with the sandwiches.
Happy cooking!
Halloween
At his first house...
We took Jude trick-or-treating last year, but of course he was too young to really do it. (And we looked like we were out for free candy.) Since Jude’s walking now, we still get free candy, but he can get it for us. Ha! We took the boys around our neighborhood with some neighbor kids on our street. Jude didn’t quite get it at first. What are they putting in my bucket? he wondered from probably house one to house five. But he finally got the hang of it and was saying trick-or-treat by the end. Good times. Next year Ben will be walking with him! Can’t even imagine that one. It was so much fun!
Cooking For a Crowd: French Bread
I make this french bread nearly every week. It’s soooooo yummy. This last Thursday, I added fresh rosemary and minced garlic to the flour before adding the liquid. I think you could even use this bread as a sweet bread, if you wanted. Maybe throw in some cranberries and orange zest, then brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar before baking.
French Bread (Makes 3 Loaves)
7 c. bread flour (all-purpose flour works too)
5 t. yeast
1/2 t. sugar
1/2 c. warm water (I turn my hot water on as hot as it will go and use that…seems to work just fine)
2 T. sugar
2 T. softened butter
2 t. salt
2 c. water
Directions: (The fool-proof part of this recipe is the kitchen aid. You can’t go wrong with that wonderous bread hook.)
Add flour to mixing bowl. In a pyrex or medium mixing bowl, combine 1/2 t. sugar, 5 t. yeast, and 1/2 c. warm water. Dissolve. Add 2 T. sugar, 2 t. salt, 2 T. butter and 2 c. warm water. Whisk/combine well. Using dough hook, turn kitchen aid onto stir and pour entire contents of liquid mixture into flour. Add extra warm water if needed so that the sides of the bowl come clean and the dough doesn’t stick to the bottom. Turn kitchen aid to setting 4 and mix for about two minutes. You want the dough to be pretty smooth. Place dough in greased bowl, then turn once. Cover and allow to rise for about 45 minutes, or double. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Punch down dough and divide into three. Roll each ball into a 12×15 inch rectangle. Roll up on the longest side as tightly as you can. Pinch seams. Place seam side down (all three loaves) on a cookie sheet. Cut 3-4 slits on the top of each and dust with flour, if you like. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Immediately pull loaves off of cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy!
Morning Glory
I love waking up to a rainy day. It’s as if the rains says, “You can stay home today.” With that, I’m more than happy. A day in? I’ll take it. And every morning that begins this way, I’m reminded of Christmas. Is it the cold? Is it the darkness? Is it the gray? Whatever it is, my soul sings at the thought of roasting a turkey and letting Jude decorate our Christmas tree. I love the holidays. Can you tell?
Maybe it’s the enormous latte I just drank, or maybe it’s from hearing my little man laugh hysterically at his giant dancing Elmo doll, but I am so excited for this day.
Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know, I know, He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives
All glory to Jesus this day, for he makes the sun rise and the sun set. He gives me joy. He gives me hope. He speaks audibly through the laughter of my son, through leaves turned red and yellow, and through a husband who couldn’t love me more. Blessings, blessings, all around.
Cooking for a Crowd: Split Pea Soup
ingredients (serves 24)
- 14 cups water
- 6 14-oz. cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 3-4 lb. smoked ham hocks
- 9 cups dry split peas, rinsed and drained
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram, crushed
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 3 cups chopped carrots (3 medium)
- 3 cups chopped celery (3 medium)
- 3 cups chopped onion (3 medium)
- Salt and ground black pepper
directions
1. In a 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven combine water, broth, ham hocks, split peas, bay leaves, marjoram, and pepper. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover; remove ham hocks and chop. Return meat to pot. Stir in carrots, celery, and onions. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Remove bay leaves; discard. Stir to combine (mixture may appear separated). Serve immediately or cool for 30 minutes.
Notes: Go easy on the water. My soup ended up being just a little too watery. Also, you can make this with bacon too. What I did last night was divide the recipe in half and used two pots, instead of one. I made three loaves of french bread and a friend brought the salad.
Happy cooking!
Recipe courtesy of Better Home & Garden cookbook (a staple cookbook for me!).
