Pot Luck

Drat! I had just gotten home from my weekly shopping trip when I was reminded that our "Small" Bible Study Group has pot luck tomorrow after worship. Drat. I didn't get anything to make while I was shopping.
Well... I scoured the pantry.
I found:
1/2 box elbow macaroni,
spaghetti sauce,
 a pound of beef,
tomato sauce, and
 Italian seasoning. (If you're in my Life Group, shhhh...).
 So, Out of my pantry comes what has become "Family Goolash". Brown the beef, add spaghetti sauce, and since it's for more than just our family, stretch it a bit with the tomato sauce and seasoning. Add to it the macaroni. (I've been known to use the noodles out of the mac & cheese boxes too. Save the cheese sauce, buy just plain noodles at the next trip to the store, and, wahlah!) Perhaps some chopped up pepperoni. Throw it all in a slow-cooker, top with mozzarella cheese, and, there you have it, quick, out-of-the-pantry-not-the-budget potluck dish. Everything I usually have on hand. Day saved! I may have one of the kids make a pan of brownies, if we have time in the morning. If not, oh well. I'm sure someone else will bring plenty of desserts.
So, what do you have in your pantry that you can whip up into a quick dish to share? I'll bet, with a little bit of creativity, you could come up with something in a pinch. And, best of all, stay within the budget. Bonus!!

What Can You Give?

I may have written about this before, but it's on my heart and mind, so here goes...
Many of us work because we have to, not because we really want to. I'd much rather be home or doing things on my own time. Teaching is tiring, often leaving me with little energy left for the family. Yes, I love teaching, but given a choice, I'd rather not. But, teach I must. There are bills to be paid, and medical insurance is a must with me and my crew, no matter what the government says. So, work I do. Money is tight. With four kids, and the cost of living sky-rocketing, there's not much left at the end of each month. So, between energy, time, and money, there's just not much left. I don't say all this to make you feel sorry for me, but to explain my newly found nugget of wisdom.
I was raised going to church. I've heard all the sermons, lessons, and read all the scriptures about giving. I get it. God wants us to give of what we have, with a cheerful heart. I really do understand that. But lately I've felt really guilty. I just don't have much money to give. I have chosen to have four kids, two of whom cost a lot of money to adopt from Ukraine. I choose to teach at a private Christian school, which can't afford to pay me what I was paid in the public system. Both my choice. I get that. So, there's just not much cash left. I feel bad about that.
 BUT, keep reading. I have recently come to realize a few things. First, those who are able to give much more, and often do give, don't always have the heart that God calls us to have. So, their giving may help the local church do the great things it does, but it doesn't really help the bigger picture because our HEART is so much more important than our wallet. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking down on any one person, I'm just saying what I've observed. So, if I give out of guilt, I'm not doing what God really wants anyway.
The second point is this: I give of what I have. I do have a heart for kids. I spend endless hours preparing lessons and materials for Bible Class. I give those little rascals my love and attention, not just 45 minutes on Sunday morning, but every time I see them running around. I love baking and cooking. I bake bread frequently, much more than my family eats. So, when the Youth Group cooks a meal for the needy in our community each month, I raid the freezer and pass along the extra bread that I've made. Occasionally, especially during the summer or while on school breaks, I make a meal for someone.
So, I'm not saying this to toot my own horn, but just as an example of one person's ability to give. I can't put much in the collection plate as it passes by each week, but I can give in so many other ways. And those ways often come so naturally to me that I don't realize it. I just do it because it's what I enjoy doing, and what I feel I should do for other people.
The moral of this is, give what you are able. Yes, give as much as you can, financially, but find other ways to give as well. And, whatever you give, do it with a cheerful heart. Find what you enjoy. What God has given you the talent for. Then, go out and use it for Him and for His glory. It's not about me, it's about how I can show Him to others.
Now its time to put grades in the grade book, read for school, and then go work on my Bible School lesson......

Humor

The other day The Hubby asked The Boy to throw something in the "Dirty Clothes Hamper."
The Boy quickly replied..... "Instead of the Clean Clothes Hamper????"
Too Funny! 

Bite By Bite

Here's a little quiz for you. I've mentioned it before, let's see who can remember:

Question: How do you eat an elephant? 

Answer: One bite at a time! 

Last night I finished filing my 2011 taxes. I started about a month ago. I took one bite at a time. The first night I collected all of my statements and receipts. As I did this, I took the time to write down my totals for things that I know count as deductibles: Medical Expenses, Teaching Expenses, etc. Disclaimer here: I am NOT an accountant, and don't claim to be. This is just what I do for me and my family's taxes. Anyway, I made a list, and 2 piles. One small pile was my tax forms, W-4s and those other things that come in the mail that I know I need. The other big pile was all of my statements from the year. That pile fits in a grocery sack, which I keep close by until I finish filing my taxes. I might need to refer back to it. 

The next step that I did earlier this week is to look back through my computerized check book for things I might have missed in my paper files. I pay a lot online, and this is my one place where it's all collected. I filled in the gaps on my list from earlier with this. 

The final step was to go online and use the tax prep program that I've used for years. In the past I bought it on CD, but this year it was all on line. I won't give the name here, I won't advertise for them, but I've had no problems with this particular program, and have used it for about 15 years. (Last year we went to a real accountant, we had completed an adoption, which made our taxes trickier that year, and wanted the pros to handle it, this year, back to normal). Anyway, this program walked me through the process, one step at a time, including deductions. I expected to start last night and finish up today, but it was so easy that I just kept going. And, wahlah! A couple of hours later, Uncle Sam is taken care of for another year. By the way, but itemizing, my tax rate was actually -1.7% this year. Yes, Uncle Sam paid me a tad bit, instead of me paying him a single penny. SWEET!!! 

So, the moral of the story is, if a task seems too daunting, take it one step at a time. Spread it out over a few days if needed. It will make the task much easier to swallow. Jesus tells us,

"And Jesus looking upon them said to them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26). He doesn't say it will be done instantly, He just says it is possible.

So, take a bite today, and see what you can accomplish with God on your side!

Simplify

Jeff Shocklee, the Youth Minister at the Madison Street Church of Christ in Clarksville, TN, gave a great lesson this past Sunday morning. He called it, "Simplify." In a nut shell, he talked about all the things we try to cram into one day, filling our lives with activities and stuff. The world wants us to think that busy is better, and more stuff is better.
But really, does having a cell phone make life any easier? I have to say yes on that one, only because I have two pre-teen daughters, and like to know where they are. But really, they don't have phones, and this weekend they went back and forth to the grandparents' house (about 1/4 mile away), with no problems, with very few phone calls. So, thinking seriously about it, not really any easier with the cell phone.
So, the big question that Jeff asked was this, Does my life look like a person who is desperately pursuing a deep, intimate relationship with God? Do I really look like the deer in Psalm 42, who is panting for streams of water in the midst of a drought? Look at Matthew 6, am I seeking His kingdom first and foremost?
Some more thoughts: Psalm 46: Be still and know that I am God. We had a minute of silent reflection in the middle of worship. Just one minute out of a busy day to BE STILL and think of the Creator. Wow! What do you think about in those moments? It is so hard to put aside the thoughts of "What are my kids doing right now? Are they messing around? When am I going to get the laundry done? What will I fix for dinner? What about lesson plans for this week? etc, etc, etc" But, that is what God has called us to do.
So, to simplify. Jeff used the Richard-Foster Principles of Simplicity:
1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than for their status. If you need a new shirt, go ahead and get one, but if you just want it because that's the latest fashion, skip it.
2. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you. Cut back on those things that get between you and God, and that just don't benefit you. If you think you just can't live without it (favorite TV show, coffee, chocolate (ouch!!)), get rid of it. It might very well be getting between you and a relationship with God.
3. Develop a habit of giving things away. This includes your time.
4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry. You don't have to have the newest iPhone. Really. You don't.
5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them. This includes your time. Just yesterday I decided to not become involved in planning a ladies retreat. I can go and enjoy the weekend without heading it up. Someone else has the talent to plan it, I will let them.
6. Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation. Turn the TV off and go outside. Go for a hike or a walk.
7. Look with a healthy skepticism at all "buy now, pay later" schemes. Enough said.
8. Obey Jesus instruction about plain, honest speech. If you say you'll do something, do it. Don't speculate, keep your word.
9. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others. Are your shoes made by children on the other side of the world? Be sensitive to where your "stuff" comes from.
10. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first God's kingdom. Be diligent and deliberate about seeking God.

Remember the key question: Does my life look like a person who is desperately pursuing a deep, intimate relationship with God?

Thanks, Jeff, for your challenge this week!