Watching the Scale

Well it is that time of year that is very difficult for me and also the time of year that encouraged me to become more healthy.  Yes, it is the season when the busy schedule can crowd out exercise and the gatherings with all their goodies can really disturb my weight.  I know it is that time because I woke up on Friday morning, hopped on the scale ... and there was that number!  Yes, I have a number (about 5 lbs above my desired weight) and if I reach or exceed it, then I omit treats for awhile, redouble my efforts in exercise, and start cooking with more thought to calories and fiber.  It all started about a year after I got married.  Within 15 months of that exciting day, I had gained 20 lbs.  This was not going to bode well for me since I plan to be married a LONG time.  With hubby's support, I found a regimented eating plan that taught me how to eat sensibly and helped me to lose 35-40 lbs in about 2 years.  Not only did I lose the weight, but I also have less back and joint trouble.

Hubby has helped me realize in that time, that my gluttony (yes, I call it what it is) is a sin.  I do not drink or smoke because my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, ... but will I wear it down by taxing my bones and my internal organs with excess weight and junk food with no nutritional value?  I am to be a good steward of the finances God gives me.  So will I squander my money on medical bills incurred because I did not take care of my body?  I am so thankful that I was exhorted in this area before the habits were even more difficult to break.  I am glad hubby loved me enough to encourage me and to stand by me in my quest to become more healthy.

In light of the season and the struggles that I will face particularly in the next month, I quickly searched for my "light" recipes again.  I chose a Pinto Bean Stew for dinner on Saturday night.  Hubby wasn't so sure when I mentioned Pinto Beans, so I called it Mexican Soup!  The stew took a lot of cooking time, but the manual labor was slight.  It was warm and hearty and very good with a simple wheat roll or wheat crackers.  If you are not needing light options, you could also serve with a topping of cheese and a side of tortilla chips, or add a little ground meat.

Pinto Bean Stew

1 c dried pitno beans

2 c cold water

1/2 c chopped carrot

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

dash of cayenne pepper

1 pack (16 oz) frozen corn, thawed

1 large onion, chopped

1 mediumm green pepper, chopped

1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

2-3 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp sugar

Place the beans in a alarge saucepan; add water to cover by 2 in.  Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1-4 hours or until softened.

Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid.  Return beans to the pan; add cold water, carrot, garlic, chili powder, salt, and cayenne.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until beans are almost tender.

In a nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute the corn, onion, and green pepper until tender. (I deemed this step optional and just through them in the pot.)  Add to the bean mixture.  Cover and cook for 45 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, vinegar and sugar.  Cook 5 minutes longer or until heated through.

Yield 6 - 1 cup servings (1 cup = 214 cal)

I Corinthians 6:19-20

What? know ye not that your body is

the temple of the Holy Ghost,

which is in you, which ye have of God,

and ye are not your own?

For ye are bought with a price:

therefore glorify God in your body,

and in your spirit, which are God's.

The Day After

It has been a busy week here as I am sure that it has been in your home.  I love holidays - the gathering with friends and family - the rememberance of God's goodness.  I feel I never get enough of thanking on Thanksgiving.  I am trying to think of some ways to have even more focus on the Provider next year and not just the provision.  Do you have a great tradition that leaves you focused on the Lord?  If so, let me know!

I am thankful for another beautiful day here.  It is cool again, but the sun and the wind have made the clothes dry so quickly outside today - 3 loads done today!  I also enoyed a walk home in the crisp air after my lessons.  Tomorrow I hope to get a LOT of raking done along with the house cleaning.  The kitchen is especially in need of some attention.

I am 5 minutes away from a loaf of bread and the Turkey just found his spot in the oven.  Since we didn't have our meal at home yesterday, I am making a small Thanksgiving meal today so that we can have some leftovers (besides sweet breads and desserts).  I love turkey sandwiches and so does hubby. 

Tonight we are heading to the Messiah as performed at the college here.  We missed it last year, but it is a pleasant tradition that we enjoy continuing since our 3 performances out in Seattle by the Seattle Symphony.  My violin teacher informed me that a school south of here is also performing it this year in the middle of December - maybe I will get to hear it twice this year.  There is nothing like that majestic music and the words of the Prophecy and Fulfillment of Scripture all fused together to praise the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  My favorite song is "Worthy is the Lamb" - WOW!  BTW - we wore out our last CD collection of Handel's Messiah - if any of my readers can recommend a great version - leave me a comment - if not, we'll just make a stab in the dark or try the version that we last owned.

Have a great weekend!  Enjoy your time in Church - I know that I will.

Top 10 Countdown of Thanks

I am thankful for 10 students

with which to share my love of music -

who can choose to serve in their local church -

now and in the future.

I am thankful for 9 trees that line our rental property.

This is the first time that we have had any land -

ground to garden, yard work, leaves to rake, space for picnics.

I am thankful for 8 (or 8.6) miles to church.

This is the closest we have ever lived to our church

and we have been so blessed and challenged

this year at Manna.

I am thankful for 7 tools needed to start a garden.

I loved container gardening in Washington,

but it was so much fun to plant a "real" garden this year

and to reap the harvest.

I am thankful for 6 semesters instead of 8.

The school granted hubby 22 transfer credits

which will shorten his time in school.

I am thankful for 5 speeds on our little Focus.

Our car was a miracle and blessing when

God gave it to us 5 years ago and

it continues to meet our needs.

I am thankful for 4 strings on the violin.

After years of desiring to play a stringed instrument

and 2 years looking at one in my home,

I finally have a teacher and am learning to play!

I am thankful for 3 people in the trailer next door.

It has been such a blessing to have friends close by.

I am thankful that 2 are better than 1.

I am thankful for a godly husband

who leads our home,

who encourages me to be the best wife I can be,

who sympathizes with my struggles.

I am thankful for 1 mighty, faithful God

who knows the plans that He has for me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I Thessalonians 5:16, 18

Rejoice evermore.

In every thing give thanks:

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus concerning you.

A Merry Heart

I am baking a batch of rolls right now for Thanksgiving dinner. I have done quite a few sweet breads as well tonight.  I love the warmth and the smells of fall baking.  Unfortunately the pear bread overflowed its pan and the burning batter did not smell so good.  We are still getting rid of the smoke.

Chapter 2 of Created to be His Helpmeet was on a merry heart.  The author believes that many marriages fall apart because the wife loses her joy.  There is no smile for the hard working husband, no playful interaction reminiscent of the times before the wedding ceremony, no approving or admiring smile that encourages the leader in the home.  I was convicted to consider my disposition each day - especially when that alarm clock goes off!

I looked at all of the times joy appeared in the Bible and came up with this summary.  Our joy comes from recogniziing who God is, recognizing His work, and recognizing the godly actions of fellow-believers.  Joy is not a result of circumstances, so nothing can take it from me.  Joy is a choice.  I choose how I will spend my day and how I will relate to my family. 

Next week ... a thankful spirit.

Proverbs 15:13

A merry heart

maketh a cheerful countenance:

but by sorrow of the heart

the spirit is broken.

The Forgotten Holiday

Psalm 107:8 (15,21,31)

Oh that men would praise the LORD

for his goodness,

and for his wonderful works

to the children of men!

Psalm 107 repeats this refrain four times as it recounts all that the Lord had done for the nation of Israel.  I am often guilty of reading this Psalm and wondering how the Israelites could complain after the Red Sea, manna, quail, water from a rock, water made sweet, the pillar of cloud and fire ...  

But am I so different then the Israelites.  Here we are at Thanksgiving and it is a holiday that is forgotten between October 31 and December 25.  My God is so good to me, to America, to the World.  May I be more careful to thank him and may this verse not be said of me - this week or throughout the week.

A Week of Thanks

Usually I post a recipe on Monday, but my one adventuresome recipe this week was a flop.  It was a vegetable split pea soup.  Some of you are saying, of course that was a flop because the thought of a thick green soup turns your stomach.  I really like regular split pea soup, since hubby introduced me to it about 7 years ago.  I really missed the ham in the experimental recipe this week.

There will be a lot of cooking this week,without a lot of experimentation.  It is a week of tradition.  I do have a few new sweet breads that I am going to try and may pass along one of those recipes next week.  This week I want to be thankful.

I am thankful that God is true, that He does not lie, that His plan works.  I left church last night with a new thought about where God might lead us.  You see, right now hubby is studying to be a pastor, but without children we see ourselves Biblically as unqualified for that position.  Many would disagree with that and we won't argue about it, but it is the Bible as we see it right now.  Anyway, an opportunity that looked like something that hubby would be suited for was presented.  When I mentioned it on the way home, he was floored.  You see, it would involve a sacrifice that he was not sure that I would ever be willing to make, so he never even approached the subject.  Anyway, he woke up this morning in a very good mood and we both thought it might be related to the fact that there was a "reason" to go to school this morning.  I have often heard that a wife is a thermostat in the home and this morning I saw how my response affected my home.

Since I usually put a recipe here, I will also say that I am thankful for God's provision of food.  My cupboards are full and my freezer is full.  God uses so many ways to meet our daily needs.  My parents brought us food from NY, fellow gardeners have shared of their abundance, we learned to garden, friends and neighbors have shown us where to find good deals, internet resources show us how to use sales and coupons to get good deals, God has taught us to be content with what is provided (don't be picky), and we are learning to say no to the flesh when we are not really hungry.

Psalm 37:25

I have been young, and now am old;

yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,

nor his seed begging bread.

I choose differently.

I Timothy 6:17

Charge them that are rich

in this world,

that they be not highminded,

nor trust in uncertain riches,

but in the living God,

who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.

The end of another busy week.  It is good to look back and see some yard work completed.  It was fun to visit with some neighbors this week.  It was good to have a mix of sunshine and rain.  It is nice to look forward to the Thanksgiving holiday next week.  God is good to give us so many things to enjoy.  I am waiting on some laundry to finish this morning and to get it on the line before I head out on my weekly (sometimes every other week) shopping trip.  Turkeys are 40 cents a pound at Walmart this week - Hubby picked up 2 on his way home yesterday and I have an assignment to get 2 more.  We love Turkey, and turkey sandwiches, and turkey pot pie, and turkey biscuit bake ...  yum.  Oh!  and I have the promise of another decorative pumpkin that will be in my freezer after Thanksgiving.  No violin lesson today, but I have learned another few keys to play in this week.

I have been thinking much about choices.  I mentioned the sermon on "I will" on Sunday - determining to do right.  It has caused me to think on something that my parents used to tell us.  They instructed us to never say "we can't afford that."  You see, the truth was, if we chose not to participate in an activity or chose not to purchase something, it was not that we couldn't afford it, but rather that we chose to spend our money differently.  The principle applies to both time and money.  We have choices - some choices are difficult and some are easy.  I choose to make laundry soap, because I want the funds to stop for an ice cream treat once each week (it may not be that frequent, but almost).  I choose to pack hubby's lunches because I want to have a pot roast on Sunday.  I choose to do all my shopping in one day, because I want to have gas to drive into the country for a hike with my sweetheart.  I choose to dry clothes outside, because I want to have a few degrees more heat in the trailer this winter.   When I consider this, it also helps me to avoid judging.  My choices may not be right for everyone, each person has different priorities.

Life is about choices and I pray that I am making wise decisions that will be a testimony to my Savior and a credit to my husband.  How will I spend my time today?  Will I take time to enjoy my family?  Will I take time to make a peaceful home?  Will I take time alone with my Lord?  or will frivolous activities steal from my day what really matters?  How about my shopping trip?  Will I choose healthy food or just expensive convenience?  Will I keep to the budget, or be swayed by a tempting display? 

It is my choice. 
     God has given me time and riches.
          I am his steward. 

Changing Seasons

This morning as I look at the leaf-littered lawn and the reds and oranges on the Bradford Pear trees, I am so thankful for the changing seasons.  I love the colors of the autumn leaves, the scent of the fallen leaves as I stroll through the woods, the crisp mornings and warm afternoons.  I love winter with its "sweater weather,"  the brilliant white snow, the rest from the yard work.  I love the color of spring.  The new growth on the trees, the first tulip or daffodil to poke through the earth, the warmth, the excitement of planting a garden.  AAHH, and summer - the fresh fruits and vegetables, the warm weather, the days of vacation.  I love that my God is creative.  There is something for everyone and variety to our year. 

And God said,

Let there be lights in the firmament

of the heaven ... for seasons,  

...and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:14, 18

I am a GIFT!

There are no clothes blowing out on the line this morning.  It is a "drippy" morning, but a warm soy bead burner is filling the trailer with the scent of Hazelnut.  I have a warm maple milk beside me and the Bradford Pear trees outside seem a little brighter against the gray clouds.  I am not much for the rain, but I have been refreshed by the past few days of Sunshine.

I am not sure what "woman's work" I will do today.  I finished weeding the walkway and the garden, but the driveway is far from finished.  That will not happen today.  We did get trees trimmed yesterday.  Hubby requested a pumpkin pie, so that will help warm the house later today.  We went to Hobby Lobby last night so I could buy supplies for making Christmas cards - I could do that this afternoon.  I am excited that I have an idea, material, and time this year - BEFORE Thanksgiving!  I love making Christmas cards but usually stress myself in the weeks right before Christmas.  I also have a crocheted dishcloth to finish up and today might be perfect for that as well.

I am more excited about my study of Created to Be His Helpmeet.  Chapter one is entitled "God's Gift."  I was first challenged by the word "help meet."  It is one word in the Hebrew and only refers to the wife in Genesis 2:18,20.  I am to help, protect, aid, succour my husband.  What surprised me is that this same word is used about God throughout the Bible - particularly in the book of Psalms (ex. Ps. 121 - I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help).  I am to help my husband as God helps me.  Wow!  That is some standard of excellence!

I was also challenged by Proverbs 12:4 "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband:..."  A crown is an ornament or a sign of power.  How can I do this?  I came up with a list based on the traits of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31.  A crowning wife has mental vigor, is pious, is active in the service of her family, is strong and willing to work, is full of moral goodness, is prudent, supports and keeps up her husband's authority, is ingenious, is useful, is industrious, is submissive, is faithful, is trustworthy, is resolute - firm and steady, teaches her children submission, desires to know her husband better, is wise, is gracious, is modest, cares for her husband, is grave, is discreet, is busy, and builds up her husband's reputation.  Just a little overwhelming, isn't it?

I was created for my husband.  I Cor. 11:8-9 "...neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man."  I am his helper.  I was blessed by an article by Mrs. Camp, the wife of one of hubby's professors,  this week.  It was about the responsibilities of a ministry wife and applies to all wives.  So often we are overwhelmed by what is "expected" of us, but we need to step back and see that our first priority is the care of our husbands, children, homes and then extra service.  If my home is not in order, my husband's ministry will fail or he will be disqualified from his service.

Lofty goals today ...
     ...but if you aim at nothing, you are bound to hit it. 
               Aim High!

Good and Pleasant

Psalm 147:1

Praise ye the LORD:

for it is good to sing praises unto our God;

for it is pleasant;

and praise is comely.

Good, pleasant, and comely.  How often can you say that about an activity?  Sometimes it is something good to do, but is not pleasant (like exercise or cleaning).  Sometimes it is pleasant, but not good for me (like a triple scoop of ice cream).  Praising the Lord is an encouragement ...  it will never leave me regretful ... it will only improve my day.

I praise the Lord for some more beautiful days this week.  Hubby built my flower bed yesterday afternoon.  It looks GREAT!  I filled it full of bulbs and now I have only to eagerly wait for Spring to see all the beauty there.  I am anticipating the bright splash of color in the early spring with tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths.  The glads and irises from NY will give us some color through the summer as well.  As hubby worked, I praised the Lord for the strength, knowledge, and determination he has given my sweetheart.  He was moving some pretty large planters full of dirt without complaint and working diligently to make sure that the flower bed was level and properly constructed. 

Yesterday I wrote about determining to do right.  I determined to be virtuous (not only diligent but full of moral goodness) and the Lord provided an opportunity to prove me.  I struggled, but the Lord is faithful.  I am so thankful for being reminded that I have to make the choice each day, each hour, each minute to do right.

Today I have some more weeding to do.  I guess weed is much like determining to do right, it seems to be an endless process, for as soon as one part is finished another part screams for attention.  I finished about half of the garden and 3/4 of the walkway leading to the trailer yesterday.  The driveway needs weeding once more as well.  Hubby is going to trim trees today.  I think I like my outdoor work better than the indoor work :)

Have a pleasant day -

 fill it with praise for our wonderful Lord!