I’ve been having fun perfecting my Peanut Butter Banana bread recipe. This is amazing. Just the right amount of peanut butter and that little drizzle of honey makes it so yummy. I enjoy putting peanut butter on top of my banana bread so I don’t like to add too much peanut butter to the actual peanut butter recipe. Comment below if you try this recipe or how you adapted it. Its a great breakfast or quick snack option.
1 Cup Sugar or Sugar Substitute (I use Stevia)
1/2 Cup Butter
2 Eggs
2 Cup Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
2-3 RIPE Banana’s
1/3 Cup Peanut Butter
1/3 Cup Sour Cream (or Plain Greek Yogurt)
Drizzle Honey (1.5 TBLS or so)
1/4-1/3 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips *Optional*
Cream together soft butter & Sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in dry ingredients (I usually mix the dry ingredients separately and then add to the mixture). Add banana’s, sour cream, and peanut butter. Once everything is well mixed add drizzle of honey to the mix mix this in by hand or very lightly with mixer (don’t over mix). Place mixture in 3 greased mini loaf pans or 1 greased large loaf pan. Add mini chocolate chips to the top of each load. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes (for large loaf) or until done. Wait for 5 minutes or so until load is semi cooled then pull loaf from pan and cool on wire rack 1-2 hours.
This blog is in honor of Mothers Day. Let me preface this with the fact that I am by no means the model example of a great mother. Just ask my kids and husband! In this post I would like to share ways that I feel my mother made a HUGE impact on my life. As a mother I feel I should list some ideas of what I feel is important to be reminded. I like to say “progress NOT perfection”. If your standard is perfection then you might as well hand in the towel. Its like the person who goes on the strict diet and 2 days later throws in the towel. Diets don’t work because they are too restricting. You can’t be perfect so why try? This isn’t meant to be another blog about steps to take to be the best mom ever. Instead its simply my goal to focus on the things that will transpire time. What do you want your children to inherit from you? These are the things I’ve inherited from my mother and things I want my children to inherit from me. What an amazing legacy we can hand down!
Love for Jesus
I never questioned if my mother loved Jesus. I knew she did. She is a devoted follower. This is something that I too have devoted my life to. I inherited her love for Jesus. What an incredible gift?! There is no better gift. My prayer for my children has been that they would love the Lord with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their mind (Matthew 22:37)
Love for others
My mother was always sharing Jesus. She worked with many young people and they all loved her. She wasn’t always “preaching” Jesus (though she wasn’t hiding from her beliefs either). Her actions showed Jesus. People constantly commented that something was different about her. Thats what Jesus calls us to do 1- Love him and 2- love others. The word love is found in the Bible over 500 times! “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35. I love that saying “Preach the gospel and if necessary use words.” As christians it is our responsibility to live in a way that honors God and displays his love. Its God’s job to do the heart work. This is something I pray my children will live out.
Prayer
My mom prayed a lot. I remember several times that God used my mom’s prayers to heal. He also used her prayers for simple things like finding something that was lost. Whatever it was she was a prayer warrior. I know she believes whole heartedly in the power of prayer. I pray with my children before school each day, at dinner time and just before bed. I try to pray scripture over them as much as possible. My words fall flat and often I’m not sure how to pray so I ask the holy spirit to guide me and he does. Two scriptures I pray that are on repeat:
-“Lord go before _____ and behind ______.” Deuteronomy 31:8
-“I pray ______ would grow in wisdom, and stature, and favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52
Honesty
My mother was brutally honest and if she didn’t know she said she didn’t know. I respected that. I remember honesty was a core value my parents upheld. My parents were great at deception detection. I have found over the years however that if your not careful its easy to allow one lie to turn into a multitude of lies which eventually turns into something where you believe your own lies. Its a slippery slope. My prayer for my children is that the Lord would do whatever he needs to, to keep my children humble and honest.
Hard Work
My mother was a hard worker. She owned her own business for many years and managed a dairy queen for several years. They encouraged us to work from young ages. I remember having a paper route when I was in about 4th or 5th grade. When I was 12 I detasseled corn in the summer months (I did this for about 4 or 5 years). When I was 16 I got a my first real job at a nursing home as an assistant cook. I worked hard. Since I was 16 I didn’t ever not have a job. I always had work. I want to pass this along to my children as well. Hard work helps develop a host of work ethics that are important for success in life.
I love how Mary (the mother of Jesus) was described several times as having pondered or treasured moments. That is my prayer for you this mothers day. Whether you are a grandma with adult children, a mom with young children or a single mom. My prayer is that you will find time to pause in this season and ponder the beautiful moments. We can get so caught up in the pace of time and forget the importance of pause. May you find treasures in the pause this Mothers Day.
To all of the mothers out there. Happy Mothers Day!
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth”. 3 John 1:4
“My son, keep your fathers command and do not forsake your mothers teaching. Bind them always to your heart; fasten them around your neck.” Proverbs 6:20-21
“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19
“But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:51
Many of you know that I used to be a children’s pastor. My education was in family ministry and psychology. When God brought our family to Fargo to start a ministry caring for men and women coming out of prison I thought He was crazy. How could I go from one extreme to the other? Quite literally; prior to this move I was an Early Childhood Pastor and Preschool teacher. I ministered to the youngest most vulnerable people. Although my heart for children has not decreased my heart for the addict has defiantly increased. This post is something that has stirred in my heart as I think about what the addict has lacked in their life. I have learned where there is great pain and hardship there is also great insights. These characteristics are things that I have seen through working with BIG and small children. They (the addicts we work with) are currently learning the very things that I am trying to currently teach/instill in my own children. People who develop these characteristics are people who become successful, independent and ultimately happy individuals.
Humility
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (Proverbs 3:34)
Humility says I can’t but God can. It says “Anyone who wants to be first must be last” (Mark 9:35). Humility sometimes is looked upon as the cowards way but its actually the opposite. When I take my kids on bike rides I allow them to go first and I trail behind them. I am able to steer the ship from behind and they are learning their way around our neighborhood. If they make a wrong turn I can see it. When we have family gathering meals (such as at Christmas) we are all eager to get in line to eat first. Our stomachs direct us. Most of us think “if Im first I’ll get the best or the most” or “if I’m last I’ll be left with the crumb’s”. This is NOT how it works with God. When we choose to be last we get the best. If you think about it often times the people in the back of the line really do get the most or the best. Sometimes its because new dishes appear or certain dishes needed time to “rest” before getting cut into so the juices are evenly distributed or because those who are last have freedom to take more. You don’t have to look too far to inspire humility in your children.
2. Gratitude
Entitlement is the absence of gratitude. When we learn to be grateful we are given much more. The exact opposite happens as well. When gratitude is absent our lives begin to look quite bleak. We have seen individuals come through our ministry who come from very lucrative homes and those who have come from impoverished homes. Money has nothing to do with happiness. Happiness comes when we foster what we have and give God thanks for them.
One of the B attitudes that Jesus talks about in Matthew 5 is to “be poor in Spirit”. I love how Bill Johnson (in the book Momentum) explains this attitude. He says “Being poor in spirit is not being self-critical or condemning. It is the continual realization that every blessing in our lives is entirely because of God’s grace.”
Some practical ways that we teach our kids gratitude is:
We thank God at meal times, in the morning, and before bed at night. We thank him for everything from A-Z. The big things such as our house and health. As well as the small things like the ice cream we had, our bikes, a pet, etc. Nothing is off limits when it comes to gratitude.
We say thank you. We speak it- All the time. To everyone. Everywhere we go. It is our second language. Someone opens the door for us- “thank you”. I give a child something they asked for ( for example: a drink of water)- what do you say? “Thank You”. Everywhere you go you say thank you!
Express it. “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). When our hearts are filled with gratitude we can’t help but express it in word and deed. My kids love to write or color pictures. I myself am a giver. I express my creativity through gift giving. I love to think about what another person might enjoy or what might touch their heart/life. It doesn’t have to be an expensive or big thing. To be able to do things for others gives me great joy and honor.
3. Respect
This is an attitude. “R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me.” You all know the queen of pop Aretha Franklin. These words may sound sassy and thats exactly what respect is. Its an attitude. A mindset. “Respect is to consider worthy of high regard.” -Webster Dictionary.
Everyone has a differing view on respect. I probably would agree with most of them-to a degree. The saying “respect is earned”. If that is your philosophy I would challenge it slightly. I do believe there is truth to that however I do take a slightly differing approach. Respect is given until it is abused-is my philosophy (then it needs to be earned back). Everyone deserves respect. Everyone. UNTIL they have abused it. I won’t go too far down that rabbit trail. Instead I’d like to focus on the fact that respect has been almost completely lost in our culture today. I believe one of the biggest problems I’ve seen in our ministry to addicts is their lack of respect for authority or correction. As parents we need to show our children that we have respect for those that God has placed in authority. We display this through our mannerisms, words, and attitude. We also display this through correction. When we show our kids that we ourselves can and should receive correction then they also become more open to correction/discipline. One example is when we are wrong asking for forgiveness. AND then turning from that wrong action. There have been many times that my temper has gotten the best of me and I have gone to my children and apologized. The apology is just the first step in showing respect. The correction (turning from) seals that respect.
I show respect by these steps: Giving my focus/attention, seeking forgiveness when I have wronged someone, correcting what was broken (whether inside me i.e. spiritual/emotional or something in the physical).
Hebrews 12:11 says “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Respect is something we train ourselves to do. It doesn’t always come naturally. Are you a person open to correction? That is the first step in teaching respect.
4. Empathy
When my son was in preschool one of his teachers shared with us that Theo has so much compassion. She proceeded to tell us that one day when it was time to get on the bus one of his fellow peers was having a tough day. She was crying and did not want to get on the bus. Theo walked over to her and extended his hand and proceeded to walk with her onto the bus. He told her she was going to be okay, he was going to sit with her. This did my mama heart wonders! For all of the moments I felt like a failure of a mother this moment in time froze. I must be doing something right. Empathy. Its something that is caught, not taught. How do you practice empathy? Do you ask God to give you a heart of compassion? A heart to reach the lost and broken? If you practice this- believe me; your children will catch it. My daughter is not as compassionate as her brother. We continue to pray that she will grow in her faith and that she will mimic the fathers heart. This is another reason David and I are not shy about what we do. We often share with the kids about the lost individuals we work with. They see firsthand the work we do.
5. Kindness
Kindness is woven throughout all we do. Kindness is part of who we are. Its something that overflows from what we have in our hearts. Some of the men and women we serve have a seed of bitterness in their soul that has taken root in their life. When we hold onto the past or onto anger, it festers. In the end it leads to destruction. When we get our heart right kindness just flows.
6. Generosity (selflessness)
In my opinion this is one of the hardest, if not THE hardest thing to teach children. When I was an Early Childhood Pastor there was one room that I really didn’t care to work in. The toddler room. Toddlers are the epitome of the word selfish. The world revolves around the toddler. “Mine, Me, and No” are a toddlers favorite words. Its crazy to think this is exactly what I hear with many of our men and women at Redemption Road. Everything is inner focused. I’m not denying they have a lot of inner work to do. Addiction is a disease and needs to be treated as such. However I have learned through our work that the ones who find success have a pivotal moment where they choose to start looking outward. They choose to look at the world in a more pluralistic way. This is at the very heart of AA, NA, and Celebrate Recovery. Life together. The disease of addiction is one that happens in isolation. When addicts recover, they recover together. They focus on how they can use their life to bless another. That’s when you know someone has done a 180. They become generous with their time, money, and talent.
7. Responsibility
In the book Momentum Bill Johnson says “Whenever the passion for pleasure is stronger than the passion for purpose and responsibility, there will always be a drain on resources, regardless of the size of the wealth or how it was obtained.”
Jesus shares the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25. At the end of the story Jesus says “whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have will be taken from them.” He goes onto say (verse 30) “And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
For the longest time when I read that last verse I always thought that was so harsh.
James 2:17 says “In the same way, faith by itself, if its not accompanied by action, is dead.”
Our deeds are not what save us don’t get me wrong “it is only through grace that we have been saved so that no man may boast” Ephesians 2:8 However the fruit, the deeds, the action is PROOF of our salvation.
When our men and women grasp the truth that their life has meaning and purpose. We see great things begin to happen!
At home we use chore charts to help teach our kids responsibility. My daughter is messy. She’s such a free spirit and its beautiful but man its messy. So many times I go into her bedroom and all I want to do is quickly pick up and clean it. I can get it done fast and its the easy way out. Making her clean takes much more will power on my end.
One time this same little girl went to Walmart with me. I was so impressed by how she acted in the store. Once we got in the car I started to praise her and just as I was praising her for being so good I looked into the rear view mirror only to catch her eating fruit flavored tic tac’s. I was in a big hurry but this, this was a teachable moment that I could not miss. The easy thing to do would be to drive away and forget it ever happened. I could have reasoned it away. On the other hand how can I expect my child to become a person of integrity if I turn a blind eye to this? We walked into the store and I asked for a store manager. While they got the manager I shared with Lily that she will need to give the item back and say sorry. She did just that through lots of tears. Once back in the car I praised her for making amends for her mistake. I let her know that we all make mistakes. Its how we take responsibility for our mistakes that pleases or displeases God. We also talked about how she can avoid this situation altogether in the future. Mom and Dad: Don’t Take the Easy Way Out! It may seem easy now but it will create utter chaos later. Set your kids up for success which is also know as independence.
8. Tough (thick skin)
This was probably the hardest thing for me to learn personally. When I left home I was weak. I’ll admit it. Ministry has really helped toughen me up (maybe too much). Its important that when our kids fall we let them cry but then remind them to brush it off so they can get right back up and try again. Thick skin is important to foster so that determination can grow.
In closing
Everyday since my children were in the womb I have prayed this prayer over them: “Lord I pray my children would grow in wisdom, stature, and in favor with you (God) and man.” (Luke 2:52)
The verse just prior says “But his mother treasured these things in her heart.” This scripture is in reference to Jesus developing in these area’s and his mother treasuring the moments big and small. That’s how I want to live. I want to live knowing that my kids will find their way. They will become strong, independent, spiritual giants. They can not do it without God or the guidance and correction of a parent.
We are all eating at home a lot more often these days. Pretty sure I’m not alone in having some picky little eaters. Once upon a time I was making 2 or 3 different meals at a time for super in hopes to appease everyone. I have diet restrictions and the other 3 in my family are just plain picky. I could not keep up with this, obviously! I have since strategized. My strategy is this: 3-4 times a week I make things that I know the entire family will enjoy. 1-2 times a week I try something new or something that someone in the family may love but the others do not. I also try not to cook on the weekends. We eat leftovers, lunch/snack items, or we order out (limited to once on the weekend). If I make a meal that someone does not like I do allow them to make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. If its a new meal they are required to try it before they are allowed to veto it. No treats or snacks for the rest of the day until dinner is eaten. Below I have listed dinners that all 4 of us enjoy! Dinner Time WINS!
1. Spaghetti
Many of you I’m sure have this on your list and have your own favorite recipe so I won’t bother with a recipe here. I will say that our family always adds Mild Italian Sausage to our sauce. It gives the sauce just enough heat.
2. Ravioli
This is one of the easiest dinners I make. All I do is take my spaghetti sauce (made with the Italian sausage) and frozen Ravioli (our family prefers the cheese ravioli over the meat) and layer in a crock pot. Be sure to spray the pot before you add your first layer of sauce. Also make sure the sauce is the first layer on the bottom and last layer on the top. Slow cook on high 3-4 hours. About 45mins-1 hour before the ravioli’s are done I add a layer of mozzarella cheese to the top.
3. Cheeseburger Soup
This is a recipe that is more then a recipe. Every time I make this I’m reminded of how God provides. This is one of the meals that was brought to my family during a difficult season. When our son was born he was a preemie (and I was a first time mom) we were in and out of the hospital a lot. Several friends brought us meals. This is one of those meals. We enjoyed it so much David and I had to have the recipe. It has become a staple in our home ever since. I believe it will be a recipe that lives on long after I am gone.
Cheeseburger Soup (Recipe by Karen Christensen)
1 lb Hamburger
3/4 Cup Onion (diced)
3/4 Cup Shredded Carrots
3/4 Cup Celery (optional)
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Parsley
1 TBLS Butter
Sauté 5-10 mins then add 3 cups of chicken broth (I personally add a whole carton which is about 4 cups I do believe) and 4 cups of diced peeled potatoes. Bring to slow boil. Simmer 10-12 mins. Melt 3 TBLS butter add 1/4 cup of flour to butter add to the pot after the 10 min simmer. Cook for about 5 mins then add 8 oz of American Cheese (I only add about 6 oz of cheese). Add 1.5 cups of milk add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until potatoes are cooked but not mushy.
4. Burrito’s
This meal freezes well!! I usually prepare these in the afternoon and set aside a package for our dinner that evening and then put the rest in multiple freezer bags for another 2 meals down the road. We only use 1 can of refried beans, I add more chicken 4-5 cups, and only about 1-1.5 cups of shredded cheese. Also I do not add cheese to the top when I bake these. We serve this with Spanish Rice-a-roni or a Salad or tortilla chips and salsa.
The key ingredient in this recipe is definitely the fiesta ranch! Yum!! When I make this for us I cut the cream cheese in half (only 4 oz). Unfortunately Im the only one in my family who likes black beans so I trade the black beans in for pinto beans. Also I make sure to drain the corn and beans. I also cook the chicken in the crockpot before I add the other ingredients because I drain some or most of the chicken broth that forms. I do this so that our tacos aren’t too runny. I have noticed that the mix has plenty of liquid that forms without adding to it.
For this I use the recipe from our chicken tacos (the one above) and instead of draining the liquids I add all the liquids plus I add about 3/4 cup of water and 1-2 cups of chicken broth. It makes a really yummy soup!
7. Bacon Pasta Dish
This is our newest addition to the family favorite list. This is a Pampered Chef Recipe. I like it because I use 1 pot to make the entire meal. Easy to make and easy to clean up. I also love that I typically have all of the ingredients on hand. Some of the adjustments I make to this recipe: I use cavatappi or penn pasta instead of linguine. The directions on the recipe are a little confusing if you don’t have the pampered chef items. Like I said before I make it all in one pan. I use my large 12 inch skillet. I only use 1 can of diced tomatoes or 1 can of Rotel (kids don’t love tomatoes yet). I also don’t usually add the garlic. The kids aren’t big fans of garlic yet. I also usually use regular Kraft parmesan (what I have on hand).
This can be a number of things. My kids love it all except in the morning. They just aren’t that hungry in the mornings so we actually save breakfast for dinner and once in a while lunch or brunch on the weekends.
9. Chicken Dumpling Soup
This is a recipe that changes each time I make it. I put a little of this and a little of that so putting together a recipe here is tough for me but I shall try!
Chicken Dumpling Soup
3-4 chicken breast cooked & diced
1/2-1 bag mixed frozen veggies (can also use can or better yet fresh veggies)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can pillsbury dinner rolls
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup water
1/2 TBLS Minced Onion
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste
Add Chicken, soup, chicken stock, water, and seasoning to large pot. Simmer about 10-12 mins. Cut dinner rolls in small chunks add to the pot. I make sure the soup is simmering higher then usual to cook the “dumplings” well. Simmer for 5 mins or until your dumpling are cooked. Take off the heat and let cool for a good 5-10 mins before serving (dumplings will also continue to cook while it sits).
10. Meat Balls
This is another favorite of mine because I’m able to prepare these and freeze them. So I can get multiple meals out of one preparation time. I usually mix 1.5 lbs of ground beef with 1.5 lbs of ground turkey. We eat these in a couple of ways: with barb-q sauce (our favorite is Famous Dave’s Sweet and Zesty or Sassy) over the top as well as a Swedish Sauce or just brown gravy. Serve with mashed potatoes and your family’s favorite veggie.
Simple Hamburgers on the grill or Sloppy Joes. When I make Sloppy Joes sometimes I use manwich and sometimes I use my dads favorite Famous Dave’s Recipe.
Famous Dave’s BBQ Recipe:
1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 Cup Finley chopped Onion
1/4 cup Finley chopped green pepper
1 jalapeño Finley Minced (we usually omit this because the kids can’t handle this much spice)
1 TBLS Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne (another one we omit or only use 1/8 tsp)
I usually brown the ground beef and then add to a crock pot along with all of the other ingredients and slow cook for about 2-3 hours so the spices simmer together. Serve on Hamburger Bun.
13. Taco Bar
This is pretty self explanatory. We like to mix it up though. Sometimes we do hard or soft shell. Sometimes we do salad. Sometimes haystacks (load everything up over Frito corn chips). Sometimes taco in a bag (nacho cheese Doritos’).
14. Pizza
Same with the Taco thing. Sometimes we make our own pizza’s with English muffins or large Pillsbury biscuits. Some of our favorite frozen pizza’s: Jacks, Red Baron, and Pizza Corner. Keep it simple. Always serve with a salad.
15. Chicken Noodle Soup
This is very similar to my chicken dumpling soup except I put extra broth in it so its not quite as creamy. I also add celery to my chicken noodle soup. Add egg noodles instead of dumplings.
16. Chicken Salad
We love to cook the chicken on the grill (when possible) cut and serve over romaine. We do add other veggies to the salad but we allow the kids to pick the veggies they want to add to theirs so most of our veggies are served “buffet style”. Serve with favorite dressing and roasted & salted soy nuts (great source of fiber and protein and gives it a great crunch).
Remember these are recipes my whole family enjoys. These are not necessarily my personal favorite meals. Maybe on a future post I will share some of those. Feel free to follow me on Pinterest where you will find many of these recipes and more.
I hope you all had a great Easter. I’m sure for most of you it felt different. I know for us it did. It was the first major holiday that we spent at home. I have to admit personally it felt refreshing. I was able to spend some quality time with my family and with God. I had a profound yet simple thought that hit me like a ton of bricks. “This (this season/this pandemic) is NOT about me! Its about God!” Insert mind blown emoji. I won’t pretend that life has been easy or I haven’t had some really tough days but knowing that God has a PLAN and PURPOSE makes all the difference. I finished a book this week called “You’re Already Amazing” by Holly Gerth and in it she say’s “when we mess up, it can feel as if the sky is going to crash down around us. But as much as it may seem like it our lives are not about us. They’re about our maker.” I want everything I do to glorify him. I know for some of you that sounds like a lot of pressure right now. Let me ease your concern and tell you that God does NOT expect us to be perfect or to have everything together. You are HUMAN. You are not God. You are allowed to have a bad day! I want to share with you 5 ways that we can point to Jesus in this season.
Easter Sunday we did our usual family picture
Spend Time in Gods Word & in Prayer
If you don’t do another thing all day, do this! EVERY morning I have made this a priority. I spend about 30 mins on our 4 season porch with a cup of coffee and my Bible. This time prepares me for the day ahead. I have incorporated a time of Bible reading and prayer time with the kids before bed as well. My son Theo and I have been working through the Kids Bible App (YouVersion). Its a lot of fun. Its interactive so we get to answer questions and collect points, make characters do stuff. We’ve enjoyed it. The other night one of the questions that popped up was “Does God ever stop loving us?” Theo very abruptly says “NO! AND we never die, because Jesus died, was raised and now lives! So we never die!” He caught me by utter surprise but while I was still pondering what he just said – he was onto the next thing. I almost stopped him and paused the teaching so that I could explain more to him but the Holy Spirit gently told me NO! I was overcome with so much emotion at that moment. We think our kids don’t get it or that they aren’t listening BUT they are!! Not only that but they also have access to the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit didn’t just come to speak to us adults. He is living in our kids also. What great news?!
Bible App for Kids
2. Spread Joy
Ding Dong Ditch, Good old fashioned snail mail, a phone call, etc. Instead of sharing what we have done personally to spread joy (because I’m an avid believer in “not letting your right hand know what your left is doing”) I will share a couple of moments that have blessed my heart and my family during this crisis. In fact just as I am writing this post I heard the doorbell rang and outside our front door was a box of fresh fruit. Any day I would have been blessed by this kindness but especially now. Going to the grocery store these days are hard and very stressful for me.
Box of fruit left at our door
Recently also I had 2 friends send me encouraging messages (email and messenger). They really touched my heart. The messages were simple but made me feel like I was not alone I had friends who genuinely care. Moments like these give my soul fuel. This leads beautifully into my next point.
3. Be a Friend
We were never meant to do life alone! I know in this season the isolation can drive us mad. How can you be creative so that you can abide by the guidelines of social distancing but still let your friends know that they are not alone? The Bible verse that comes to mind here is Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “Two are better then one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help pick them up.” We can get caught up in the first part of that verse but I actually want to look at the end of that verse more closely. “But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help pick them up.” Friendships are an investment. A lifelong investment. In order to have a friend there to help you when your in need, you also need to be that friend. Proverbs 18:24 says “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin.” If you want a reliable friend you need to BE a reliable friend. How can you be a reliable friend right now? Make a phone call. Check in with your friends. Ask God “What does so and so need today?” We need each other. Life is hard. Be a good friend.
4. Make the Most of this Time
When this crisis first hit I was all like okay this sucks but I am going to make EVERY DAY Count!!! About 2 weeks in I hit a wall. I crashed. Hard. Yes, make this time matter but remember to give yourself grace (I will hit on this more later in the post). My new goal has been simply; NO REGRETS! We are living in historic times. We will forever remember this time. I want to look back on this time and feel proud. I want my family to grow closer to God and grow closer as a family. What are some ways that you can make this time special for yourself and your family? I’ve been trying to journal 1-3 sentences everyday. I’m also trying to build in special moments with the kids. We’ve done some special crafts, had more family game nights, baked and went on lots of walks/bike rides. Now is a good time to make some of those “special projects” that you’ve pushed aside happen. David recently added to our play structure outside. A project we’ve had on the list for over a year. Every family is different so our goals here will look different. That’s OKAY!
Play Structure got a swing added to it!
5. Give Grace
Give grace to your kids, husband, family, friends and MOST importantly YOU! Why is it that we have no problem giving the stranger at the market grace or a friend grace but we don’t afford ourself grace? Times are tough. Its hard. I told my husband this morning “people are finally seeing how hard it is to work from home when you have kids”. Something I’ve been doing for several years now. This time is still a challenge in that I don’t have outlets to go to and take a breath- like the coffee shop, target, Barns and Noble, or even the kids drop in daycare. Places I used to go to for a little reprieve. Also the level of workload I have has increased since the kids both started school this year. So having them at home all day everyday while taking on all of the new projects hasn’t been ideal. HOWEVER- I have learned to give myself grace. Im a work in progress. Some days I’m super hard on myself and other days I allow myself to cry and eat ice cream. I would say the same to you my friend. Allow yourself to cry and eat ice cream. Don’t do it everyday but DO allow yourself those moments. There is a podcast I recently started listening to called “The Lazy Genius.” Her philosophy is to be lazy about the things that don’t matter and productive with the things that do matter (my summary). Its a great podcast that I have found great freedom in. I am a perfectionist through and through but God does not require perfection. Perfection is a myth.
We need to extend grace to our spouse and kids as well. They are going to have tough days too. Give them the space they need. My son was having a tough morning with school work one morning and he tells me “your not my teacher, your not even my substitute teacher!” He’s seven- 1st grade. Although he’s adjusted well he also has moments of frustration. At first I wanted to laugh (if I’m honest) but I simply told him to go find his “calm” spot and take some time to cool off. He did just that and the day went off without a hitch. Allow yourself that same space. Its okay to not be okay. Don’t beat yourself up for not being “cupcakes and rainbows” everyday. We are living in dark, scary times. We don’t need to live in fear but we also don’t need to have it all together. “Progress, not perfection” it my mantra. I say it a lot because I know I need to hear it.
I would like to leave you with this:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of MANY kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Do you guys remember DC Talk – “Jesus is still alright with me”? Oh man I found the 90’s video on youtube and had a good laugh. “Laughter is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22) right?! What a great stroll down memory lane. Seriously though this is what I heard God whisper to me this week. I may have flaws and I may be an emotional basket case right now but He is still alright with me! Really- thats all that really matters.
I’ve had a rough week. Emotionally. So tough. Week 3 of quarantine and I AM LOSING IT! Like seriously losing it. I have to say I could get used to the no makeup and pj’s all day though! No but for real I feel like I have been on this emotional roller coaster. At times I’m finding absolute delight in seeing my children accomplish an academic goal or even learning to play together. The other day I was having a terrible time getting my son to do a certain school assignment and decided to give him the following days assignment instead. The following day we came back to that assignment and he not only did the assignment but he went above and beyond- he enjoyed it and wanted to keep going. It was such a proud moment for me (as the mom and now teacher). At other times I’m on the floor literally weeping for what seems like the entire day!! Maybe I’m falling into the trap of “unmet expectations” but lately I’ve been having these two major frustrations that seem to keep popping up.
Everywhere I look (social media mostly) all I see is JOY?! WHAT??!!
The church (by the church I mean Christians) continually telling me that my emotions will lead me astray.
These messages continue to make me feel even more isolated then I already am! I feel so alone in my feelings. Anyone else feel this way?
My goal in this post is not to debunk some of the truths that are certainly in Gods word! Such as Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful.” HOWEVER- God created us. He created us as emotional creatures! Jesus himself experienced great sorrow, anger, joy, and fear. Look at King David. How emotional was that guy?! All you have to do is read some Psalms and know that He was an emotional guy.
This week I reached out to a couple of people because I was really needing some encouragement. I did not get what my heart was longing for which was comforting words, companionship, encouragement. I received the messages (and this is my interpretation by the way) that I am over-reacting, that I need to have more faith. You know “faith over fear”. Here is the thing about fear- it is as REAL as the coffee I’m drinking this morning! Although I do know that the enemy uses fear I also believe strongly that God uses fear. Take for instance your child gets sick with 103/104 temp.. High temp! What emotion will that produce? Its likely to produce a lot of emotion but at the top of my list is fear. Fear drives you to DO something. Fear can go both ways. It can also drive you to RETREAT; like the Israelites did when Moses first led them to what was the promised land (see end of the book of Numbers & beginning of the book of Deuteronomy) and generations paid a big price for this as they wondered the wilderness for 40 years. Fear can also drive you to action! The key to ruling our emotions is checking in with God himself. Asking him- “God am I overreacting here?” “God will you help me to monitor my emotions”? “God will you help me navigate these feelings?”
What doesn’t help right now is all of the Christians screaming “FAITH over FEAR”. Look thats just really not helpful right now. Is it true? Absolutely but there is a time and a place to share this. Everyone is scared right now and for good reason. If we pretend like that emotion is not real or it doesn’t matter we are lying to ourself and we are brushing real issues under the carpet. Which is actually what the enemy also wants sometimes. He wants us to cower in Fear- retreat.
Social media has been super tough for me to understand also. Why is it that all we see are the fun happy family times? Why doesn’t anyone capture the child throwing the tantrum on the floor or the 5 year old holding the dog hostage while mom is in the middle of “working out” or the dirty house or the fight that broke out with your husband because your sick of doing it all and you need SPACE? These may or may not all be REAL examples (insert sarcasm laugh). I just wish I seen some REALness out there. I feel like a complete failure and just a big mess when I feel like I am the only one going through these emotions.
Below are some really good scripture verses that I have been pondering as I let my heart FEEL but also keep it in check with the Holy Spirit.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for EVERYTHING you DO flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” Psalm 51:10
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in Spirit” Psalm 34:18
The best thing you can do right now for yourself and your family is to set aside some time each day to pray and read your Bible. Sometimes all the other voices can start to crowd out what God says. I also want to encourage you that the two most important commandments that Jesus gives us start with the HEART: “1. Love the Lord your God with all Your HEART, with all your SOUL, and with all your MIND. 2. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-38).
God is not shocked by your fear, anger, sadness, pain or heartbreak. Your emotions matter to Him. This season is life is tough. I don’t think there is a single area of our life that COVID-19 has not affected in some way. What we do with these emotions can become evil and you can let those things carry you to the depths of despair (like the Israelites for example) or you can rise up, put on the FULL ARMOR of GOD (Ephesians 6:10-20) and fight like the woman God has made you to be. Lets not cower but lets use these emotions for Gods Glory. Mama Bear you are not ALONE in your pain!! I am here. God is here. We are right here with you!
My prayer for you (Mama) this week is this: “may the peace of God , which surpasses all understanding , guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
Now before you answer NO! Really think about this question. Are you loyal to a lie or a series of lies? I was loyal to the lie that I was not good enough. So loyal in fact that nothing I did was ever good enough. Unfortunately this is a lie that I still struggle with today. The worst part about it is that today I have a family that is also affected by this lie I have believed. My “perfectionism” has made it hard for those closest to me to feel valued. This is my WHY! I have to put this lie to rest! I can not afford to give it one more minute of one more hour of one more day to breathe or take up residence in my heart.
What does the Bible say about 1. Lies and 2. Our value? Proverbs 6:16 says “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes (pride), a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to run into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who sirs up conflict in the community (rumors). In Colossians 3:9 it says “Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices.” Two things that really stand out to me in these scripture verses. 1. God hates Lies. The Proverbs reference shares 7 things the Lord hates three of which include Lying! 2. Colossians describes an embracing of our new nature and a turning from our old nature. This convicts my spirit. It is SO hard to change. Seriously. When you tell yourself something long enough (whether it be truth or lie) you begin to believe it. This is where it all starts. In our minds. If we don’t change the way we think our hearts will be affected- gravely. “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” (Proverbs 4:23 GNT)
Take a serious look at this question again. Are you loyal to a lie? If so I challenge you to look to scripture. Challenge your belief (lie). Sometimes we lie to ourself to get away with something but if we really need to lie to ourself to “get away” we are only deceiving ourself. Better to deal with this pain now then 3 years from now or 10 years from now when it has taken root in our heart. If your confused whether your belief is a lie ask yourself if it lines up with what scripture teaches?
What does the Bible say about our value? The Bible has an exhaustive list of references pointing to how GREAT our value is. Now there is a trap here. Sometimes we can get so caught up in “our value” that it can become pride and that is exactly what happened to Lucifer. I believe however that in our world today and in our culture there is actually a lack of healthy pride. I believe the enemy loves to tell us how “unworthy we are” how God surly can’t accept us because of how “bad” we are. Its nothing new. He still uses this same lie and it is a trap! When Jesus was led into the desert and tempted by Satan the very first lie he crafted was Jesus’ identity. (See Matthew 4:3). Scripture says that Satan is the “father of lies” (see John 8:44). Don’t allow yourself to believe the lie any longer. Instead look to scripture for truth concerning your value. I love reading Isaiah because I find the prophesies are just so profound. Many of Isaiah’s prophesies have been fulfilled and there are still some to be seen. Isaiah 62:3 says “You will be a crown of splendor in the Lords hand, a ROYAL diadem in the hand of your God”. Another favorite verse of mine is Proverbs 31:26 “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” I want to challenge you to dig into scripture. Find some scripture that will combat the lies that you are struggling with today. I never read my Bible and later wished I hadn’t spent that time reading it. The Bible is our BEST weapon against the enemy schemes. Open it today and don’t allow yourself to be Loyal to a lie!
So on Wednesday last week we had quite the day. The quarantine has been hard on us all! The one thing that has been nice is that the kids have been able to go outside everyday for some play time (except Thursday it was a bit chilly with the wind). Well on Wednesday my husband came home during lunch time and allowed the kids to play outside while he was dinking around in the garage/workshop. Apparently he wasn’t watching the children too closely because they all came storming in the house. By the looks of it Lily had gotten into some acrylic paints. She was lathered from head to toe in it. We had just bought her a beautiful new NorthFace coat that we had gotten the week prior at the outlet store. It was a winter coat we were really trying to save for next year. Her coat had paint all over it (I was able to get it all out PTL). Her hair was a disaster too. It looked as though she was purposely trying to paint her hair whereas the coat just got splatters.
David came in apologizing profusely. While I was yelling at him Theo got in the middle of the argument and said “mom it was my fault.”
I said “oh yeah how so?”
He said “I was supposed to be looking after her.”
Oh my sweet sweet boy. All of this to say: we need each other right now. Especially now. We can still pick up the phone and make a call. We can write a letter. I know all very “old school” stuff. We need to check in on each other. There is a great app I like to use to do this. Called Marco Polo. Its a place where you can leave a video for a friend. Its a great app!
Lily’s Hair we scrubbed and did 3 or 4 washes-it came out!
Since for most of us school is now going to be at home (for a while anyway) I thought I would give you a list of some of the Apps/Books/Programs that I have either used personally or heard great reviews on. I will highlight each of the apps/programs I have personally used. That way you can feel free to message or comment any questions you have on those. I know right now there is an over abundance of resources. So many programs that used to cost money are now letting us join in for FREE (not all I list are free but many are)!! Don’t be overwhelmed. I’m putting these out there so that you have a reference point. I have been making it a goal to try 1 new thing each day. That keeps things fresh and fun!! I’m not sure what our distance learning plans will look like but these programs might be a nice complement. Enjoy. Be safe & stay strong!
Affordable or FREE Educational Apps/Books/Programs:
ABC Mouse
Scholastic Watch & Learn
Adventure Academy
Monarch Homeschool
Libby App (just need a library card to attach to account): this app allows you to Check out books online
Reading IQ (Another digital library app for kids)
Audible Books For Kids: I have experience with Audible but I have never used the kids version. I’m excited to check this one out especially since its my understanding that while school is not meeting audible will be free for kids and teens to use!!
Epic: Reading App with a huge library of kids books. Theo loves the read to me books and I like those too because the words are highlighted as they are read.
PBS Kids
Khan Academy
Foundations Memory Work: my understanding is the fee to use this is normally $15.99 but will be waved during the pandemic.
Abeca Classical Conversation App: 7 subjects- 24 weeks of learning
Freckle Education: this looks like its very user friendly and makes great progress charts for parents to monitor their child’s learning.
Teach Your Monster to Read: Another app that the fee is being waved right now
Familytime- we made leprechaun’s using the youtube -Learn to Draw
FACEBOOK:
Step2 FB Live Crafts, Fargo Park District: Live Take 5 Activities, Cincinnati Zoo: Home Safari, The Red River Zoo: Animal Encounters & Activities, Valley News Live FB Science Class with Hutch Johnson @ 2pm each day
Disney + has National Geographic!
Christian Learning/Bible Resources for Kids:
Adventures in Odyssey
Bible App for Kids
Superbook
Podcast: Kids Bible Stories
If you have a dollar store that is open and you feel comfortable going to- they have a ton of learning books I usually stock up on before summer hits. See top photo of some of my Dollar Store Finds.
Another idea is to have your children make cards for their friends and either mail them or drop them off at their friends homes. We all need each other right now. This may help your kids process this time as well (PBS has some great resources for parents on how we can talk to our kids about the pandemic). Include a little bubble gum or toy and do a “drop & dash”. Have fun with it. Try to think outside the box and still bless others during this tough season.
I hope this long list doesn’t overwhelm you. Take each day one step at a time. Feel free to email or comment on this post. Also don’t forget to subscribe so that you get email reminders when I write a new blog post! Thanks for your support and I pray God Bless and Keep you all healthy & STRONG.
The world seems to be spinning out of control right now with the COVID-19 Pandemic. I’ll be the first to admit a few weeks ago when this news came out my initial thought was “oh China, here we go again.” I really hadn’t given it more thought. Even when there was evidence that it was here (in the U.S.) I didn’t take it too serious. I realize now that I was in fact a skeptic. After having researched a bit and learned (what there is to learn) I realize there is cause for concern! When I scroll social media I also realize there are still SKEPTICS out there?! So much information at our finger tips and yet people still don’t believe! What?!
In my estimation there are two types of skeptics. There is the analytical skeptic and the ignorant skeptic. The analytical skeptic has a hard time believing the numbers or how the scientists have come to their conclusions they question everything. The ignorant skeptic has an attitude problem and doesn’t care to learn or even look at the research, he is basically lazy. Either way you look at it both skeptics are in the same boat because they don’t believe. This skepticism WILL cost people their lives. Its such a tragedy when we let ourself get in the way.
The Lord revealed to me today that this skepticism that I’m seeing in our world today is the exact same skepticism that Jesus and His Church has suffered since the beginning of time. There is SO much scientific evidence to prove several stories in the Bible. As well as numerous written accounts of people who seen and walked with Jesus after his resurrection. Yet so many are still skeptical. I highly recommend the book “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel if you are interested in reading from a very analytical perspective- this so good! Lee was an atheist who after investigating Christianity (to disprove it) became a follower of Jesus himself!
There are so many examples in the Bible of skeptics. Jesus’ very own disciples had at least moments of skepticism. One such moment: In Matthew 17 the story of a man who brought his son who was having seizures to Jesus to heal and in verse 16 it says ” I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” Later the disciples asked Jesus why they could not heal the boy and Jesus said “because you have so little faith.”
I’m not saying that skepticism is all bad. In fact if we believed everything we heard and didn’t question it we could be in serious trouble. The problem comes when our faith (or lack there of) is tested. Like in the world today for example. Will we use this time we have to hoard, stockpile, cling to/protect our own family or will we think of the needy, elderly, the sick/frail, and reach out? Some of us are facing other very tough situations. Marriages are falling apart, cancer is threatening your life, you’ve miscarried, your son or daughter is using drugs, etc. I’m going to a movie tomorrow that shares Jeremy Camp’s story-he lost is wife to cancer. So many desperate situations. Will you cling to the truth or will you allow the skeptic in you to take over and lead you down a deep dark path?
If you continue reading in Matthew chapter 17 verse 20 Jesus said to his disciples “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, MOVE from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” I’m a very visual person. I want to challenge you to do a little craft. Write that verse out on a piece of paper and either tape a real mustard seed to it or print a picture off the internet of a mustard seed and tape that onto the verse. Hang that verse up on your mirror, refrigerator, wherever you’ll see it everyday. Be reminded that your faith is being tested right now and if you can conjure just a teeny tiny amount of faith -your mountain WILL MOVE! There is this saying: “Jesus said it, I believe it and that settles it.” Lets not forget that we have a small part to play here. Its all for not if we don’t BELIEVE. I believe Jesus is going to show up and show off in these turbulent times. Do you believe it?
“Mama said there’d be days like this.” -Luther Dixon & Willie Denson
“In this world you will have trouble. BUT take heart! I have overcome the world.” -Jesus
YES, we were warned by Mom & Jesus! Life is not easy. Still, knowing this doesn’t make the process better. The pain lighter. What do you do when your world starts to crumble? When you come into a season that is heavy? I recently found out that my sister was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Processing this kind of information is tough. I just recently lost a friend to breast cancer. In fact there was only about 1 month between when my friend passed and my sister was diagnosed. After my friend passed I was having nightmares. My heart was heavy. I woke up from these nightmares checking my breast for lumps. I wasn’t sleeping well. I thought it was just my way of grieving subconsciously, and maybe it was.
When I found out my sister had breast cancer I didn’t initially believe her. When I finally did believe the news I felt guilty. Guilty for not believing it. There is much more to this story that I will not go into.
When pain strikes, when cancer hits, when life feels like its literally choking you to death, where do you turn?
There is a song by Cody Carnes called “Run to The Father.” The chorus goes like this:
“I run to the father
I fall into GRACE
I’m done with the hiding
No reason to wait
My heart needs a surgeon
My soul needs a friend
So I’ll run to the Father
Again and again
And again and again
Oh, oh, oh”
This is what we do. We go to the one who holds all the cards. Seriously no one can fight cancer alone. Jesus is the only one who concurred death. We can trust him whether we live or we die. When you can’t reason or logic just doesn’t make sense anymore- run to the father again and again and again and again!
