2009 is almost done! Today is the last day and tomorrow will begin a new year. I am hoping for great things in 2010! I can't wait to ring in the new year!
A recap of my last year:
moved into our new home in Feb.
lost a baby to m/c in March; broke my heart..:(
went through a very hard emotional trial that lasted almost all year..left me more broken..
got pg again in August..so blessed!!!
was surprised with a brand new bike from my dh
started a new exercise with my family; bike riding on the trail near our home
continued with my weight loss until August
begin attending home fellowship in April
learned alot about myself; not all of it good but not all of it bad
learned alot about friendship and what I want and need in a friend
let the L-rd G-d change me in some areas
made new friends!!
went to Chicago for the first time!!
fell more in love with my dh!!
went to MN and saw our dear friends!
started a new curriculum in homeschooling
have an 18 yr. old, 13 yr. old, 11, yr old, 9 yr. old, 4 yr. old, 2 yr. old, 7 yr. old, 6 yr. old, and 12 yr. old; all new ages this past year..
started feeling baby ahava move
belly grew
started co-leading a homeschool group
met wonderful homeschool mamas
finally feel like I have come home; love it here!
dh got a new work vehicle from his boss
went to MI for a weekend camping trip
found out my teeth need lots of work and it will cost way too much money!! :(
started our homeschool schedule 3 weeks on 1 week off; it's working great!
learned more about Torah
learned more about Yah!!...he is healing my heart!
celebrated chanukah for our 8th year
made lots of new memories; some not so great and others..WONDERFUL!!
read new books and gained more insight
reconnected with old friends
There's my list..what's yours??
Happy New Year!!!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Mexican Lasagna
Tonight for supper I made mexican lasagna. A dish I created as we LOVE mexican dishes here in our home!
prep..
simmering the meat mixture
(Sometimes I use
ground turkey and other times I use chicken; I used chicken tonight)
Layering the dish..
meat mixture, corn tortillas, cheese and repeat..ending with cheese as your top layer
finished meal: mexican lasagna..goes in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes..
prep..
simmering the meat mixture
(Sometimes I use
ground turkey and other times I use chicken; I used chicken tonight)Layering the dish..
meat mixture, corn tortillas, cheese and repeat..ending with cheese as your top layer
finished meal: mexican lasagna..goes in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes..
Monday, December 28, 2009
Multitude Mondays; Gratitude
11. internet; library at my fingertips
12. clothes that make me feel pretty
13. easy hairdos
14. sweet 4 yr. olds
15. the smell of babies
16. fuzzy socks
17. motherhood
18. comfy couches to lay my tired body
19. prayers for patience
20. knowing I have come home....
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Junk Food Day and What I Have Been Learning..
Yesterday was a great day! We don't celebrate christmas but my dh has it off so we have made a traditional junk food day on Dec. 25. :)
We don't eat much junk food around our house so on this day we get all sorts of junk type foods and put them out buffet style and eat all day. We also watched several movies and played games into the wee hours of the morning with our older kiddos. One of the movies we watched was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It was such a great movie. We had it watched years and years ago and I had forgotten much of it. I really liked it and it was great seeing a clean movie that we could all enjoy.
My children are a great bunch of little and bigger people and I enjoy their company so much! We always have alot of fun together and spend so much time laughing and having a good time!
Today was a restful Shabbat day. :)
This evening we relaxed around the house and Gabriellia made cookies. I took a quick minute to trim ZaraLayna's bangs. You can see her eyes so much better now.. :)
I also got my chili in the crockpot for tomorrow and just have to remember to turn on the crockpot before going to bed.
Thursday my dh surprised me by staying home! I didn't know he got the day off! It was so nice having him home! He took the littles with him for a trip to Walmart so I could get schoolwork done with the other children which helped me alot. Then he came home and we headed to the shop so he could show me his new car. My dh's boss bought a used car that the owner no longer wanted because he didn't want to fix it. He bought it with the sole intent to give it to my dh! I was surprised and thankful! My dh's car is on it's last legs and needs alot of fixing so this car was definitely a need! Hashem sure does surprise me in the way He works and who he works through..:)
:):)
Thursday afternoon after we got back home I got the children's school work from last week filed away and was able to get new school work up on our Wall of Fame that I made in the dining room for the children so they could show off their work. I love it when they come and point out their school work! They are so proud that it's on display. :)
What I have been learning...
The L-rd has really been working on my heart and showing me how important training my children to be good helpers is.
It has taken me many years to feel in my heart it is alright to let my children do things around the house to help me. I always felt that if they did things for me and I wasn't doing it all that I wasn't being a good mama. BUT now I see how important it is to train them in the art of helping and having the heart of a servant.
My children have always been trained to do chores and work hard but my heart never felt right about it because I felt like if I didn't do it all then I wasn't being a *good* mama. What nonsense I allowed myself to believe!!
It is a direct reflection on the mama if her children are seen helping and working in the home. Children should be trained and taught in service to others. If they don't learn it first in the home then they won't serve others out in the world. How will a child know how to do the basic things needed in life if they aren't taught these things in the home by their mamas? (and even daddies!) Our homes are a training ground for our children..and so often the L-rd uses it to train us also as their parents!
Blessings to you as you train your children! :)
We don't eat much junk food around our house so on this day we get all sorts of junk type foods and put them out buffet style and eat all day. We also watched several movies and played games into the wee hours of the morning with our older kiddos. One of the movies we watched was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It was such a great movie. We had it watched years and years ago and I had forgotten much of it. I really liked it and it was great seeing a clean movie that we could all enjoy.
My children are a great bunch of little and bigger people and I enjoy their company so much! We always have alot of fun together and spend so much time laughing and having a good time!
Today was a restful Shabbat day. :)
This evening we relaxed around the house and Gabriellia made cookies. I took a quick minute to trim ZaraLayna's bangs. You can see her eyes so much better now.. :)
I also got my chili in the crockpot for tomorrow and just have to remember to turn on the crockpot before going to bed.
Thursday my dh surprised me by staying home! I didn't know he got the day off! It was so nice having him home! He took the littles with him for a trip to Walmart so I could get schoolwork done with the other children which helped me alot. Then he came home and we headed to the shop so he could show me his new car. My dh's boss bought a used car that the owner no longer wanted because he didn't want to fix it. He bought it with the sole intent to give it to my dh! I was surprised and thankful! My dh's car is on it's last legs and needs alot of fixing so this car was definitely a need! Hashem sure does surprise me in the way He works and who he works through..:)
:):)
Thursday afternoon after we got back home I got the children's school work from last week filed away and was able to get new school work up on our Wall of Fame that I made in the dining room for the children so they could show off their work. I love it when they come and point out their school work! They are so proud that it's on display. :)
What I have been learning...
The L-rd has really been working on my heart and showing me how important training my children to be good helpers is.
It has taken me many years to feel in my heart it is alright to let my children do things around the house to help me. I always felt that if they did things for me and I wasn't doing it all that I wasn't being a good mama. BUT now I see how important it is to train them in the art of helping and having the heart of a servant.
My children have always been trained to do chores and work hard but my heart never felt right about it because I felt like if I didn't do it all then I wasn't being a *good* mama. What nonsense I allowed myself to believe!!
It is a direct reflection on the mama if her children are seen helping and working in the home. Children should be trained and taught in service to others. If they don't learn it first in the home then they won't serve others out in the world. How will a child know how to do the basic things needed in life if they aren't taught these things in the home by their mamas? (and even daddies!) Our homes are a training ground for our children..and so often the L-rd uses it to train us also as their parents!
Blessings to you as you train your children! :)
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Granola
Today my one main goal besides getting homeschooling done with the kiddos was making granola for my family to enjoy! I had planned on making it weeks ago but becoming pg and then sick until 17 weeks pg put a damper on all my best laid plans.. so we have been without granola for breakfast for a bit. Today though I got it made and plan to stay on top of it now that I am feeling better and hopefully things will stay at a more
normal pace..
ETA: How I make my granola:
I start with rolled oats, not quick. I then add diced dates, papaya, (any dried fruit tastes great!) coconut and walnuts. (nuts of any kind work well)
I also add powdered milk. I then melt crunchy peanutbutter with olive oil and pour over the oat mixture. I also added sucanat crystals, agave nectar and a little bit organic cane sugar as my sweetener.
I mix this all together and then put on cookie bar sheets and toast at about 250 degrees for 20 minutes. I then cool and put into a sealed container. This keeps well and taste superb!! :)
Monday, December 21, 2009
My gratitude to the One who deserves the glory
My list of gratitude and thankfulness to the One...
1. the newest blessing in my womb..my ahava (love)
2. my sweet dh who has grown more wonderful with every passing year
3. lovely books that challenge me to grow to be more like Messiah Yeshua
4. My children who bring much adventure to my life
5. knee high pantyhose
6. warm maternity shirts
7. rekindling old friendships
8. a cozy home
9. baby movements
10. good food
pictures...
My oldest dd and I went to India Garden for her b-day Friday evening. The above picture is what we ordered...mango chicken. It was delish!! :) And of course my dd Morgan-Britney above also...
Here are some pics of last week and our Chanukah baking days!
Self Punishment
(I get these in my email inbox and wanted to share this one with you..I know I have had to deal with this and thought it might bless someone else! )
Va-Yiggash
For the week of December 26, 2009 / 9 Tevet 5770
Torah: Bereshit / Genesis 44:18 - 47:27
Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:15-28
Some of us, when we realize that we have done something wrong, get very upset with ourselves. The details of the event play over and over again in our minds. We try to think how we could have done it better. We earnestly apologize again and again, but never feel forgiven. Others may feel just as bad, but deal with it differently. Instead, they internalize their sense of guilt and shame and never talk about it, allowing it to fester inside of them.
Joseph was concerned that his brothers would be too hard on themselves for how they had treated him. They certainly had done him wrong. Enraged with jealousy, they wanted to murder him, but in the end sold him into slavery. We can hardly imagine what the subsequent years for Joseph were like. Even with how things turned out in the end for Joseph - after years of slavery and imprisonment, he was promoted to second in command in Egypt - few people would have what it takes to console the very ones who were the cause of their years of suffering. Yet he does console them. Joseph's understanding of what God was doing through his terrible circumstances gave him perspective and the ability to not obsess over his brothers' wrongdoing.
Joseph was not saying that they didn't do wrong. He wasn't saying that they didn't need to face their guilt and deal with it before God. What he was trying to do was share with them a godly perspective to keep them from mishandling their guilt.
When we do wrong, we are guilty. We need to deal with that. How we deal with it is another thing. Punishing ourselves, which is what Joseph was encouraging his brothers not to do, doesn't do anybody any good. It doesn't change what happened or appease the one we have wronged. All we can do for the wronged party is express regret through a sincere apology and make restitution if the situation warrants it.
Self punishment shifts the focus of our wrongs to ourselves, which is most likely how we created the problem in the first place. Wallowing in failure may give the impression that we are taking the situation seriously, but actually prevents us from effectively dealing with our guilt.
Joseph's perspective on his situation is the key to being free from self punishment. Without saying that his brothers were free from any responsibility for their wrongs, he understood that ultimately God was in control of their lives.
Some may think that to accept what Joseph was saying regarding how God used his brothers' wrongdoing for good purposes would lead to their not taking their wrongs seriously enough. Perhaps they would start to think that there is no such thing as evil, since God uses everything - including jealously and murder - for his purposes. This certainly wasn't Joseph's understanding. Later on he would say to them, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Bereshit / Genesis 50:20). The key to freedom from self punishment and from the guilt that spurs it on is to understand the relationship between our actions and the God who rules the universe. Do we really think that we control the destiny of others? Beating ourselves up for our wrongs furthers the lie that somehow we rule over life, when God, the Master of the Universe, is always in control. Once we accept that, then we can face our wrongs properly.
Self punishment completely missed the point. Wrongdoing is fundamentally an affront to our Creator. Apart from apologies and restitution, we can only be free from guilt through the forgiveness of God. So many of our misdeeds can never be resolved through anything we say or do. But God has made provision for our guilt. Through the sacrifice of the Messiah and acknowledging the seriousness of our wrongs, we can be free from guilt. The Messiah was severely punished on our behalf. So, stop beating yourself up!
Torahbytes.org
Va-Yiggash
For the week of December 26, 2009 / 9 Tevet 5770
Torah: Bereshit / Genesis 44:18 - 47:27
Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:15-28
Self Punishment
And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. (Bereshit / Genesis 45:5; ESV)
Some of us, when we realize that we have done something wrong, get very upset with ourselves. The details of the event play over and over again in our minds. We try to think how we could have done it better. We earnestly apologize again and again, but never feel forgiven. Others may feel just as bad, but deal with it differently. Instead, they internalize their sense of guilt and shame and never talk about it, allowing it to fester inside of them.
Joseph was concerned that his brothers would be too hard on themselves for how they had treated him. They certainly had done him wrong. Enraged with jealousy, they wanted to murder him, but in the end sold him into slavery. We can hardly imagine what the subsequent years for Joseph were like. Even with how things turned out in the end for Joseph - after years of slavery and imprisonment, he was promoted to second in command in Egypt - few people would have what it takes to console the very ones who were the cause of their years of suffering. Yet he does console them. Joseph's understanding of what God was doing through his terrible circumstances gave him perspective and the ability to not obsess over his brothers' wrongdoing.
Joseph was not saying that they didn't do wrong. He wasn't saying that they didn't need to face their guilt and deal with it before God. What he was trying to do was share with them a godly perspective to keep them from mishandling their guilt.
When we do wrong, we are guilty. We need to deal with that. How we deal with it is another thing. Punishing ourselves, which is what Joseph was encouraging his brothers not to do, doesn't do anybody any good. It doesn't change what happened or appease the one we have wronged. All we can do for the wronged party is express regret through a sincere apology and make restitution if the situation warrants it.
Self punishment shifts the focus of our wrongs to ourselves, which is most likely how we created the problem in the first place. Wallowing in failure may give the impression that we are taking the situation seriously, but actually prevents us from effectively dealing with our guilt.
Joseph's perspective on his situation is the key to being free from self punishment. Without saying that his brothers were free from any responsibility for their wrongs, he understood that ultimately God was in control of their lives.
Some may think that to accept what Joseph was saying regarding how God used his brothers' wrongdoing for good purposes would lead to their not taking their wrongs seriously enough. Perhaps they would start to think that there is no such thing as evil, since God uses everything - including jealously and murder - for his purposes. This certainly wasn't Joseph's understanding. Later on he would say to them, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Bereshit / Genesis 50:20). The key to freedom from self punishment and from the guilt that spurs it on is to understand the relationship between our actions and the God who rules the universe. Do we really think that we control the destiny of others? Beating ourselves up for our wrongs furthers the lie that somehow we rule over life, when God, the Master of the Universe, is always in control. Once we accept that, then we can face our wrongs properly.
Self punishment completely missed the point. Wrongdoing is fundamentally an affront to our Creator. Apart from apologies and restitution, we can only be free from guilt through the forgiveness of God. So many of our misdeeds can never be resolved through anything we say or do. But God has made provision for our guilt. Through the sacrifice of the Messiah and acknowledging the seriousness of our wrongs, we can be free from guilt. The Messiah was severely punished on our behalf. So, stop beating yourself up!
Torahbytes.org
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