What's it Mean to Serve?

Today our country is celebrating Veteran's Day - a day we are supposed to reflect on the great service provided by men and women in the Armed Forces, present and past.  How often do any of us actually stop and remember the purpose of this day?  Not very.  It becomes like any other holiday - a day we sleep in, relax, shop, and eat.  Unless you're a veteran, or someone like me who lives with a veteran.  As I think about Charles' service to this country, as well as that of my dad, grandpa, uncles, brother, cousin, and friends it makes me think.  What does it mean to serve?  What does service mean to me? 

Serving is not the most glamorous job in the world.  Whether you choose to serve through military service, or you choose to serve as a waitperson, housekeeper, sales associate,  babysitter, or parent you're not choosing an easy path.  There is nothing more frustrating (or rewarding) than working with people.  I enjoyed waitressing, but it was not an easy job.  You often get to see the ugly side of normally nice people, simply because they see you as insignificant and unimportant compared to themselves.  Why is this?  Why do we look down our noses at people who have chosen to take a position that makes our lives easier?  Jesus chose a life of service and people looked at him the same way.  He's asked us Christians to follow his example, so Christians should be the best customers and servers out there, right?  I wish.  I'm sad to say that my worst tippers, and often rudest customers were people I knew to be Christians.  We have somehow managed to ignore that facet of Jesus' personality and focus on the "easy" things instead.  What we need to remember is this: service of others is what Jesus is about.  His life was lived in the service of his fellow men, and he expects the very same thing of us.  He expects us to be the first ones available to help during a crisis, and the first ones there to help when a brother or sister is having problems. 

So how do I serve?  What is my role?  I am to serve in any way I can.  Personally this means I lead Bible studies, write, and raise my family to know Christ.  It means I help out when someone is in need and lend an ear when a friend needs me.  It might mean cooking a meal for a new mom or watching someone's kids when they need help.  It means doing something good for someone even when I know it won't be appreciated, and doing it even though I know they won't say thank you or recognize my service in any way.  It means serving because Jesus would, not because it will make me feel good about myself or make me look good to others.  It's not an easy attitude to have, and it's one I have a lot of work to do on, but I'm going to keep plugging away at it.  Imagine what our world would look like if we all decided to serve like Jesus and made it happen.  Our churches would overflow and our world would know what Christians are all about!

Hard Times

We've had a few rough days at our house this week.  This election has been a difficult one and I really expected the American people to make a better choice.  Tuesday night I couldn't sleep due to the sinking feeling deep in my soul.  I've never had this kind of reaction to election results before.  Of course, America has never made such blatant choices against God as a nation before, either;  Legalizing pot for fun, legalizing gay marriage, choosing to let the government control more and more of our lives, and the list goes on.  What is this country coming to?   I continued pondering on the situation yesterday while I was writing my Bible study and came across some great passages in the Bible that helped me find some peace with the situation.  I thought I would share them with you today so that God can share His peace with you as we move forward as Christian Americans in a fallen country.

Psalm 119:25-32

25 I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word.26 I recounted my ways and you answered me; teach me your decrees.27 Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.29 Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through your law. 30 I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws. 31 I hold fast to your statutes, O LORD; do not let me be put to shame. 32 I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.

 

Do any of you have a weary soul right now?  Are you laid low in the dust?  It's time for us to lay ourselves at His feet.  He will strengthen us!  There is great freedom to be had in giving your heart to Christ.  Just imagine for a moment - if you've filled your heart with God and His precious word how much room is left for despair?  He is ready and willing to fill those spaces for each one of us, and there is such comfort waiting for us when we make that decision!  

 

Matthew 5:1-12

1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying: 3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

I think this is a good time for us to remember the Beatitudes.  You might notice that nowhere does it say "Blessed are the happy people with no problems..."  This doesn't mean we can't receive God's blessings when things are going well.  It means we are going to encounter difficulty living here in the world and we have a Savior who is here for us when we do.  Are you mourning?  Let Him comfort you.  Are you hungry for His righteousness?  Let Him feed you and fill you up.  Are you being treated badly by people around you?  Rejoice in it!  You're walking a path that many have before you and you're storing reward in Heaven for yourself. 

Passages like this one put my situation in perspective.  Think about the world early Christians lived in.  Instead of Sunday afternoon football, people would go watch Sunday afternoon Christian vs. Lion battles, and those contests were rigged - the Christians never won those "games!"  They, too, lived in a fallen world surrounded by people who rejected God and were slaves to their base natures.  But, they didn't quit and neither can we. 

 

It's time for Christians to take back our country and it's going to be hard.  I saw an interesting segment on Hannity last night.  He was talking with a guest about why Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan didn't win, and they made a really good point.  One side was offering the "easy" solution - let the government take care of it for you.  Let the government pay you instead of getting a job, let the government regulate your food so you'll quit getting fat, let the government tell you what medical care you're allowed to have, and the list goes on.  You don't have to take responsibility because the government's going to do it for you.  On the other side you had guys with big ideas, but they all required work from each one of us.  They had answers to fix the economy, but those answers required change - change in entitlements, change in programs, etc.  It wasn't going to be easy, but they could have fixed the damage that's been done to our economy and healthcare system.  Sean Hannity likened their stance to the parent that makes you take responsibility for your actions - very necessary, but not near as appealing to the masses who have become dependent on the government for their survival.

 

We, as Christians, need to decide where we're going to put our faith.  Are you going to put your faith in God, the Creator and Savior of all?  His way isn't the easy one, either, but it's full of more benefit than you'll ever find here on Earth!

 

 

Where's My Inspiration?

It's a cold and cloudy day here in Maryland and I am low on energy.  I've been pretty productive today - got some laundry done, cleaned the basement, cleaned the living room and bathroom, but I'm done.  The weather makes me achy and I'd much rather go back to bed for a few hours.  Instead I get to straighten up my kitchen, bake bread, and start soup for dinner before taking the girls out for trick-or-treating tonight.  I promise I'm not complaining - a few days ago I thought that I'd be doing all of this without power!  I am so thankful that we came through Hurricane Sandy with a little roof damage and leakage and power on!  Last year after Hurricane Irene paid us a visit we went almost a week without power.  So, as I sit here struggling with a topic, where's my inspiration? 

Some days the words come pouring out of me at a rate that's almost scary.  I might work on a Bible study lesson, a book idea, blog posting, and an article in the same day.  I love those days!  Even though the housework might lag a bit, I feel productive and fulfilled.  Days like today where the menial stuff gets done, but my creative juices are a bit dry bug me.  I feel irritable and annoyed that I can't get the words right.  This is not a day to sit down with my new book idea and play - all my efforts would end up in the garbage. 

What do you do when you lack inspiration?  Do you have a tried-and-true method that pulls you out of the mess and gets your brain working again?  I have to find a way to end the funk when I'm stuck - usually reading some of my Bible reading plan will help, as well as sitting down and forcing the issue.  I can always work on my blog if my book's not cooperating, or start researching for my next Bible study lesson without actually writing the text out yet.  How often do I actually do that?  Unfortunately not as often as I should.  I'm much more likely to let myself get distracted with other things: reading a good book, checking Facebook, playing games on the tablet, and so many other things. 

I think the answer for most of us is finding a good balance.  I can't write 24/7.  It's not practical - I have a very busy, active family that needs my attention a good chunk of the time, and a home that demands attention from me on a regular basis.  I can, however, make the time that I have to write count instead of hemming and hawing and distracting myself with other things.  I also have to remember to sit down and pray about it - how do I expect to share any of God's words if I don't ask Him to help? I always find it funny when I finally remember to pray about it because the words and ideas start coming... most of the time!  There are some days I think His message to me is, "Stop already - it's not the right day for writing!"  I'm just a bit slow on the uptake and don't get it right away. 

I encourage you to keep trying even when the inspiration well is drying up.  Say a quick prayer and see what God has in store for you today!

Dinner for a Few Dimes

I love fall and winter!  I love nothing more than curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee while the snow (or rain) is falling outside.  All the great flavors come out during this time of the year, too: pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggnogg, etc.  It's also the time of year for soup, chili, and fresh bread.  Yum!  Is it any wonder we tend to put on a few pounds during cold months?  We have so many carbs and sugary treats to choose from!  It's very easy to get caught up in the fun of the season and lose track of the budget while shopping for all these tasty items.  It got me to thinking about some of my favorite, budget-friendly winter meals.

Put On a Pot 'o Beans
I put a pot of mixed beans on yesterday morning before we left for church.  The plan was to have it for lunch, which didn't happen.  I thought 4 hours on high in the crock pot would have done it (yes, I pre-soaked Saturday night), but they were still little rocks when we got home.  We ended up having them for dinner instead, and they were delicious!  I took a simple bag of mixed beans (the bean soup blend), sliced onions, and ham chunks from the freezer and threw it in the crockpot.  Budget-wise, you don't get much cheaper.  The bag of beans was less than $2, and the ham was left-over from a spiral I bought months ago.  I always save the bone and odd chunks that don't get sliced when we get a ham, and then take out pieces as I need them.  The downside to this meal is you do have to plan ahead a little bit, but it can all be done in a day if you choose the "Quick Soak" method over overnight soaking for the beans.  One bag fed six people - 4 adults and 3 kids - so if you have more people in your family you'll probably need another bag of beans. 

Homemade Soup
Charles LOVES soup.  I think he would be fine if I made soup once a week.  Unfortunately for him, I don't.  But, as fall rolls around I do get to hankering for some tasty soup and I go recipe hunting.  There are tons of resources available these days for finding recipes: websites, friends, mobile apps, or even cookbooks!  My process usually starts with an ingredient - I have chicken and need a soup that works around that and doesn't require a trip to the store.  Budget-wise it's always easier if I can avoid extra trips!  One of the best soup recipes I have found in the last year is for Chicken Tortellini Soup.  I found it on Betty Crocker's website when I was looking for something to do with leftover Turkey.  One thing I should admit to now is I rarely follow a recipe as it is written - I'm a big substituter.  As I was looking at this recipe I figured my leftover turkey would go perfectly in this soup.  I happened to have some tortellini in the freezer, and the rest is history.  It was a family hit - no leftovers for us that night!  I will include it here in case you would like to give it a try with your family: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/chicken-tortellini-soup/9b4cfb75-f88b-4c88-93a3-a0f9ecde2519
If you don't have a recipe, or just want to experiment, vegetable beef (or chicken, pork, or turkey) is so easy!  As long as you have canned or frozen veggies and some meat, you have the base for a soup.  Charles' mom and dad will often cook up a roast in lots of broth, then add a ton of veggies and let it cook the whole day.  They will then eat on that same soup the whole week.  I like to bake up a loaf of homemade bread to go with mine, but it's good just with crackers, too! 

Chili 'n Cornbread
Chili is a staple in most homes in the US, I think.  It's different everywhere you go, but everyone has a chili recipe that they love.  Chili is another thing that I like to tweak depending on the ingredients I have available.  I've been known to use ground beef, ground turkey, leftover chicken, or leftover sloppy joe meat to make my chili, as well as a variety of beans.  Some nights we have kidney beans only, others it's black beans or pintos, and others it's a combination of all of them.  Chili is a pretty forgiving medium, too.  If you need more "sauce" add some canned tomatoes, pizza sauce, or salsa if you like spice!  I wish I had a great chili recipe to share with you here, but mine is different every time.  Pop a batch of cornbread in the oven and you have a nice, hot tasty dinner on a cold, rainy night!

Mostly, I just try to have fun with whatever I'm fixing.  When winter hits I don't mind having the oven on in the house and it's time for cooking!  Have fun with it - try new things and don't be afraid to mess stuff up.  We've all made the meals that no one wants to eat.  We just have to learn from our mistakes and keep trying! 

Hurray for Holidays!

As a mother of school-aged children I sometimes get a little tired of the random holidays they give our kids throughout the year.  Some months I don't think they attend a full week of school because of all the extra time off!  However, there are times that these days come right when we need them.  As I write this, three very happy girls are downstairs playing Barbies in the "village" they created yesterday.  They've been at it since before Daddy and I got up this morning, which is even better.  I love it when they get the opportunity to play like this and potentially spend the whole day in their pajamas if the mood strikes. 

As much as I love holidays, they can't be the blueprint for how our family functions on a daily basis.  I find it interesting that the girls need structure.  Anytime we have an extended holiday - Spring Break, Christmas, Summer Break - we have to space our do-nothing days with productive time.  They do better when we have some structure followed by some fun.  For instance, during Summer Break we often take the morning to clean, then spend the afternoon playing.  When they have too many days playing with no chores they become moody, whiny, and short-tempered... and the house gets crazy. 

I, too, need that structure in my life.  Do-nothing days aren't fun for long when you run out of clean laundry and your kitchen is overtaken with dirty dishes.  Life becomes chaotic and things start to fall apart.  My spiritual life works pretty much the same way.  When I don't perform regular "maintenance" - prayer, Bible reading and study, etc. - my spiritual self suffers.  Little bumps in my life's road become huge obstacles and the big things completely do me in.  It's a pretty easy fix: even on my do-nothing days I spend some time with God.  I might do some Bible reading or work on a writing project, or just spend some quiet time talking to him in prayer.  I find that these small things make a huge difference when life picks back up to a normal pace.  Give it a try and see if your life changes! 

Creative Halloween Solutions - Mommy Style!

As Halloween creeps in on us, we are having the usual costume challenges at the Peterson home. Fortunately, the girls are all pretty even keeled, so there haven't been any hysterics or tears, but we've had to make some compromises. You see, unfortunately for my children, we are trying hard to stick to a budget which means homemade costumes. So all these great magazines with fun pictures of Superheroes, Princesses, and Action Figures are really nothing but torture devices for us. This whole situation is forcing me to be much more creative and crafty (making crafts, not being sneaky) than I've been in quite a while.  

I am actually having fun planning these costumes, and I think we may be starting a new tradition. Crazy, right? I like to think it's crazy-creative! My girls will have unique costumes - how many Indian Archer Princesses or Roman Archery Princesses will there be marching around at school? Emily chose to be Katniss from the Hunger Games, so she will probably have company, but she will still have our own unique take on the outfit! They will get the fun of having creative input on their costumes as well as some hands-on experience. I can promise I'm not doing all the beading and fringing on Morgan's costume by myself! 

This will be a great opportunity to teach my girls about being creative with a budget. They need to see that being on a budget doesn't mean you don't have fun - you just do it a little differently! They will also get to learn the enjoyment to be had in making something yourself as opposed to buying it off the shelf.

So, what does it take to create a do-it-yourself costume? 

1.   Try to have a picture of the costume in your head. The evil costume catalog has actually been a big help with this - Abby and Morgan pointed out what they wanted, and I set about figuring out how to make our own. I also got on the internet and did some research. There are several sites with excellent costume ideas and great pictures!
2.   Raid their dress-up bins. You might be surprised at what can be re-purposed. We are re-using an Egyptian "base" dress from a costume used a few years ago for Abby's Roman princess. You can often find accessories to go with costumes, as well. 
3.   Raid your own closet (and your husbands)! Our Indian Princess dress is going to be one of Charles' brown Army t-shirts. It's the perfect size to be a dress on Morgan, and it will cost us nothing to fringe the edges and add some beads. Abby's shoulder drape will be one of my scarves.
4.   Raid your kids' closets. Our kids can often use existing pieces of clothing as parts of their costumes. Emily is going to wear her own boots and black jacket to be Katniss. We will have to buy her a black t-shirt and some cargo pants to round out the costume. These are all things she will wear at other times, so the cost can easily be absorbed into a clothing budget. Last year, Morgan's Plum Pudding costume consisted of leggings and a purple shirt that she still wears today. 
5.   Have fun with it! Don't stress yourself out over it. Halloween is one night out of the year that really doesn't mean much in the scheme of things. The idea is to have fun with some dress-up and collect way too much candy. Don't let it get you down! 

God, What do I do??

Do you ever have those moments when all you can do is ask God, "What do I do?"  There are times when we don't have the answers within ourselves.  Maybe we're facing a difficult situation with friends or things are falling apart at home, but we find ourselves floundering.  What do we do then?  We have a couple options: we can assume that God isn't speaking to us at the moment and try to figure things out on our own, or we can lean on Him and His eternal wisdom - fall to our knees and ask for help. 

When I run into this situation in my life I have a passage that never fails me: Psalm 91.

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.9 If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the LORD, who is my refuge-- 10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

This passage speaks to me on so many levels.  When I was a teenager I read a book titled "A Thousand May Fall," by Bodie Thoene and I was intrigued by the title.  I looked up the passage in my Bible and it hit me for the first time that this is how God looks out for ME every day in every situation.  Ever since then it has been my go-to Psalm when times get tough.  I love the fact that you get to hear God's perspective as well as the psalmists'.  There's something really comforting about God telling you that He will be with you in your time of trouble.  The imagery in this psalm also gets me every time.  I can just see God spreading HIs protective wings over me when I'm at my weakest.  And, boy are there times I need that image.  I need to know that He is in my corner blocking arrows and pestilence! 

What is your go-to passage?  If you don't have one, I highly recommend finding one.  God wants to share His comfort with you, and sometimes His word is the best place to find it.  We should be actively praying, of course, but I think we do ourselves a great disservice when we neglect to search the BIble for help.  The Bible is as relevant today as it was back when it was written!  It amazes me how much I can find in there that applies directly to my struggles today.  We always assume that the Bible was written to people "back then" who didn't deal with the same things we do.  But, the more I read the more I find that they were dealing with the very same stuff we do - it took different forms, and technology has certainly made our world different, but overall we are facing the same spiritual battles today that our early Christian fathers did.  We should take comfort in the fact that the same God who helped them through their troubles is ready and willing to help us through ours... if we will just ask!