Reliable

My husband and I have been enjoying watching Burn Notice (old ones, on Netflix). The main character is a spy who was blacklisted by the government. He opens in a monologue in which he says, "When you're burned... you rely on anyone who's still talking to you - a trigger happy ex-girlfriend, an old friend who used to inform on you to the FBI, family too- if you're desperate."

On what or whom do you rely?  This question has been going through my mind alot in recent months.  What does it mean to rely on something?  The dictionary defines rely as "1: to have confidence based on experience (someone you can rely on) 2: to be dependent (the system on which we rely for water)."
 
We attended three funerals in the first three months of 2013.  It got me to thinking about what things are secure in my life.  What things can I count on?  As I have pondered this I have come up with quite a list of things I count on to be consistent and stay in place in my life.

I rely on:
* my beliefs, my church, my family and friends
* a working car
* operating refrigerator, freezer, oven and dishwasher
* furnace and hot water heater that heat
* shelter
* electricity, computers, internet, email, free tv
* cell phones
* employment, income, insurance
* basic health and relative safety
* security, privacy

On a bigger scale, we hope we can rely on:
* completing marathons without being bombed
* doctors following a code of ethics
* our rights
* leaders to be not corrupt

How realiable are the things on my list?  Maybe you have guessed that they aren't 100% reliable.  There is always a chance of failure or breakdown.  In recent weeks we have had several cables go bad and need to be replaced for some of our electronic devices.  Even as I type this, I am not using my normal computer - my normal laptop is misbehaving and being extremely uncooperative.  The fuel pump went out in my car - thankfully the problem revealed itself while we were in a parking lot rather than on the road.  One morning a while ago the furnace kept blowing without making the house any warmer.  Our family has been dealing with quite a round of springtime colds.  The local news has been full of house fires and traffic accidents. 

Last week I worked with a lady and we talked about recent thunderstorms.  She shared that lightning had taken out her weather radio.  There's something ironic about that.  Even our safety measures aren't safe. 

My free tv is suddenly not so free anymore. 

Our family has realized too deeply that family members are not around forever. 

So, is there anything that can be relied upon?  Is there anything that is secure?  Anything that lasts? 

The Bible tells us that God is eternally reliable. He was and is and always will be.  His Word will stand and His love endures forever.   In times of discouragement, I can go on knowing that God is with me.  In times of hate, God's love remains.  God's plans cannot be thwarted by evil.   I can rely on God for hope and strength.  I can rely on God regardless of circumstances.  The things of this life will fade away, but God will remain. 

If you are frustrated with relying on temporal things of this world, I encourage you to learn more about the eternal God.  If you wonder why your possessions break down and fail to fulfill your needs, consider turning to God to fulfill your needs.  Find a Bible to read, find a friend who can answer your questions, find a church that will teach you how to find a more reliable life. 

"'I am the Alpha and Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.'"   Reveleation 1:8

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  Hebrews 13:8

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."  1 Chronicles 16:34

"The plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations."  Psalm 33:11

"The word of the Lord stands forever."  1 Peter 1:25a

"The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.  He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice.  The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you."  Psalm 9:7-10

It's Raining, It's Pouring!

It's spring!  It's raining!  I spend time outside in the rain.  My girls walk to school - rain, shine, snow or mud.

I thought it'd be fun to share a few observations about rain gear.

1) Few people can successfully use umbrellas.  Children are not usually among those few. Hats are safer  - for everyone.

2) Rain boots help keep ones pants dry.  Rain coats or water proof jackets help keeps ones arms dry.  Legs might not be so lucky, or backsides.  I am reminded of a time when I was young and visited Niagara Falls with my grandpa and other relatives.  We rode on the Maid of the Mist.  We wore rain coats as we rode under the Falls.  Everything under the coat stayed dry, but I had a lovely ring of water on my backside when I stood up.  I was mortified, but my grandpa assured me I would be okay and my shorts would dry.  They did.

3) Snow pants are not necessarily water proof against pouring rain.

4) If you don't wear boots and you have to sit on the floor with wet feet, you might get wet pants.

5) If you don't wear boots, you might kick water and mud up onto the back of your legs. 

6) Puddles are fun to jump in.  I am not a fan of jumping in mud however because mud gets down inside the boots and is hard to clean out.

7) Bikes in the rain?  This is a frequent debate.  My solution:  when it is drizzling on and off, bikes are allowed but a drying rag kept in the backpack is strongly encouraged.  I wouldn't want to sit on a wet bike seat, but the kids don't seem to mind. 

My mornings have been a little rough with all the recent rain.  First it's hard to get up when it's dark and rainy.  Second, it's hard to dress professionally and figure out how to stay dry while working outside as a Crossing Guard.  But those minor difficulties aside, I like the rain.  The grass is nice and green, flowers are growing and the ground is being prepared for a future vegetable garden.  Dress smartly for the weather and enjoy the rain!

When my strength is failing - Alice's music

My mother-in-law passed away unexpectedly last Monday.  She was a wise woman for sure! 

There are many things  I could say about her, but instead I want to focus on one thing - her love for music.  Love for music is a family thing.  My husband and his family sang together as he was growing up.  As time went on and her children got married and moved out on their own, Alice continued singing with her husband and in her church.  More time passed and my mother-in-law aka Alice aka Grandma also sang to her grandchildren. 

Alice also enjoyed listening to her family sing! She encouraged the grandchildren to sing songs they were learning for others.  It seems fitting that my youngest is processing recent events through music.  This morning my girl was singing a unique composition about the events of last week.  She started with a borrowed phrase, "It's so hard to say good-bye" then played the piano freestyle and sang several lines about the funeral service and ended with a chorus of, "And I will miss her very very much!"   

While Alice loved music, she was selective about her music.  She was partial to the old hymns and not so fond of contemporary Christian music. If you listen to family reminiscence long enough you may hear tales of contraband music, but you didn't hear that from me!  In recent years, Alice has been spending multiple weeks per year at my house, where I would only listen to Christian radio stations.  On various occasions she questioned the music to which we were listening - a wise move.  It is wise to know what you are listening to and to be sure you agree with it.   It is unwise to fill your mind with songs that contain questionable messages or inappropriate lyrics.  Give this some thought especially if you have young children. 

Alice's last months were affected by a second stroke.  Her ability to speak was greatly affected and likewise her ability to sing.  We didn't hear her sing as much.  But she still enjoyed listening to music and would quietly observe as her granddaughters practiced music for church.  One song in particular seemed to become a favorite.  She didn't talk about it and state it as a favorite, but it was one of the few songs I actually heard her sing along with when it came on the radio.  The song is 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman and ends with these lyrics, "And on that day when my strength is failing, The end draws near, and my time has come; Still my soul will sing Your praise unending..." 

I am thankful for those girls who practiced the song enough for Grandma to learn it.  And I am thankful for a mother-in-law whose soul kept praising even when her speech and strength were failing. 

No matter what circumstances come in 2013, will you be able to keep on praising?  The song also says, "Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the evening comes."  May that be true in my life... 

"Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise."  Psalm 48:1a

Five Quick Kitchen Storage Tips

A friend posted something on Pinterest and of course, I had to check it out.  It led me to a website which led me to a mailing list to get weekly emails to help with home organization.

Now, I am not calling this a New Year's Resolution.  And I'm not going to pretend that I will keep up with the suggested daily chores.  But at the time it seemed like a helpful tool as I worked to recover for the holiday chaos.  I use the word chaos with love.  No matter how well I plan and prepare, four gatherings of just over 20 people in a week's time leads to chaos.  I love the people and our time together, therefore I love the chaos.  But once school starts up again and the Christmas decorations get put away, I find it helpful to take a few steps to regain some order. 

The focus last week was on the kitchen.  (You can see what it's all about here:  http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/declutter-calendar.html).  As I was working in my kitchen, straightening up and cleaning things out, I smiled as I realized how many previous attempts at order had worked well and survived the test of time.

Today, I share with you Five Quick Kitchen Organization Tips:

#1 - Office desk drawer organizers work equally well as Kitchen drawer organizers
The compartments are nice sizes for small lids, medicine cups, snack bag clips, mini containers, reusable popsicle molds, straws, etc.  This drawer has space around the outside of the organizer for jar lids.

#2 - After YEARS of fighting with my serving spoons, I realized that they look nicer and it is easier to find the right piece if they are stored on their side.  The small space above contains dessert servers, large spoons, regular serving spoons, slotted spoons, plastic spoons, and meat forks. I save time finding the right piece, not to mention the reduced frustration level!

#3 - After my success with keeping serving spoons on their side, I realized water bottles are also easier to keep on their sides.  We can easily grab the one we want without moving any ones in the front out of the way.  They are all visible.

#4 - Corral small items within bigger boxes.  My kitchen does not have enough drawers for my liking.  So I have had to improvise.  I have a spice rack, but it does not hold all of my spices.  After trying several systems that fell short of ideal, I realized I could put an unused container to use for my spices.  When I need one of those spices, I pull the box down (almost as easy as pulling out a drawer) and use what I need.  I am currently using this method for tuna pouches as well.  In the past this system has worked for taco seasoning packets (before I started making my own), soup packets, etc.

#5 - I saved my personal favorite and most long-standing trick for last.  Does anyone recognize these shelves?   We incorporated two similar styles of shoe storage into our kitchen!  The two horizontal shelves are one unit and they work for cookie sheets, baking stones, muffin tins, etc.  The 12 cubbies are a different style of shoe storage and they contain: loaf pans, aprons, a mini bar pan, the power cord for an electric griddle,  boxes of baggies and wraps, a hand mixer, mini loaf pans, water bottles, and recycled kleenex boxes for storing smaller items.

I hope you will find something helpful in these ideas that will work for you.  Do you have a kitchen tip that has been a success for you?

Tuna Casserole without Cream Soup

Tuna Noodle Casserole Revamped

One of my husband’s favorite meals is Tuna Noodle Casserole.  Two of our daughters and I like it really well too.  However, at one point I noticed I hadn’t been making it as much since evaluating the health value of store canned cream soups.  It’s a good way to get healthy fish in our diets, so I began considering ways to replace the cream soup from our traditional recipe.

When a Sunday Night Noodles recipe came through my email from Mr. Food, I thought, “Aha!  Maybe this will work with tuna!”

I tweaked Mr. Food’s noodle recipe some to accommodate what I had on hand and to make it more like Tuna Noodle Casserole.  I made a few adjustments after the first few trials to make it more to our liking and here is what we now use:  A Tuna Noodle Casserole without canned cream soup.

Ingredients

• 1 pound medium egg noodles
• 6 oz sautéed button mushrooms, sliced or chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped and sautéed
• 1 cup cottage cheese (I pureed mine due to a picky eater in our house)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 cup chunked Butter Cheese
• 1 family size soft pack of tuna (consider pureeing this for non tuna lovers)
• 1 cup chicken broth or stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

I followed Mr. Food’s instructions fairly closely, making the appropriate substitutions and additions. 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
    
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles to desired doneness; drain.
    
3. In a large bowl, mix tuna, sauteed vegetables, cottage cheese, sour cream, Cheddar cheese, Butter Cheese, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir in noodles then spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.  Drizzle with chicken stock.
    
4. In a small bowl, combine melted butter and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over noodle mixture then bake, covered, for 45 minutes.
    

I have made this half a dozen times and now our non-fish eater will even eat it - and sometimes asks for seconds!

If I don't have mushrooms, I substitute celery or something else to be similar to cream of _____ soup (use whatever you like).  I have also had success with using cream cheese in place of the cottage cheese, although cream cheese provides a richer flavor and fuller texture.

I buy Butter Cheese at a bulk foods store in Bremen.  It melts down smoothly and has a mild yet pronounced flavor that complements the tuna and noodles well.  While the total cheese used in this recipe may seem like a lot, our first attempts with less cheese were a bit dry.  

This makes a simple weeknight meal.  Enjoy!  

How does your family like to include fish in your meals? 

 

What kind of woman are you?

At a recent Bible study we discussed the qualities of a Biblical woman.  It was a good reminder to me.  I have been thinking about it especially at this time of year when I am tempted to try to "do it all" and keep up with everyone else in decorating, gifting and celebrating.  I cannot do it all.  I am glad for the reminder to keep things in perspective and only do the truly important things.

Here are some ideas of a Biblical woman that we came up with (this is not an exhaustive list):

• love God
• fear God
• be self-sacrificing
• be concerned about your family
• care for your own personal spiritual development
• care for your children's spiritual development
• pray; depend on God
• love your husband
• submit to your husband
• accept and appreciate your role as a wife and mother
• be kind and loving 

I know these ideas aren't popular, but I hope they give you some things to think about at this busy time of year.  Who or what is controlling your schedule? your purchases? your family time?  Are your words and actions God honoring?  Or are you bustling around too busy to say a kind word?  Are your Christmas celebrations reflecting Christ and His love? Strive to grow in wisdom even as you celebrate Christmas.

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."             Matthew 1:21

Stained!

A theme for me today was working on stains.  I began the day mending my stained record for turning in a time card on time.  Grrr...

Next I worked on removing stains from laundry.  I remember my mother naming me The Queen of Grass Stain.  I now pass that title to my middle daughter.  In addition to grass stains there are food stains, grease stains, sweat stains, and the list goes on.  Treating this, scrubbing that - not really my idea of a fun time.

I finally got around to processing our one and only home grown pumpkin.  It has a few spots that needed to be cut off; stains that needed treatment.

Of course, no mother's day is complete without washing some dishes.  Wiping away crumbs, brushing dried on food, scrubbing tougher spots.

I confess I get weary of doing these tasks.  But it got me to thinking about my heart and how stained it is.  And I am very thankful for a God who does not grow weary of cleaning me up.  I am thankful for His Faithfulness and His Love.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.  Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.                                 Psalm 51:7-12