Oprah, what are you thinking?

Stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.

They are contemptuous of this great Message I’ve been put in charge of by this great God.Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever. ( 1Timothy 1:1-11; 15-19 The Message)

So for those of you who know me personally know, when the subject of Oprah and her new study of “A Course In Miracles” has come up, I have been leary to say anything. I do not like to just pass hearsay, or get caught up in others fears of such things. However the following video revealed her heart to me (and broke mine for her) that she does not believe that Jesus Christ is the only way. She is clearly teaching against the Word of God, and is very much deceived. Oprah has had (and still does have) such a huge impact in women around the world. Those of us who have grown up with her have seen how she has led women to care for themselves, expose things that mothers, wives, and women struggle with, and has been a dynamic minister ESPECIALLY to women. I respect, honor, and am in awe of all she has accomplished and given back to the world.

So I will be praying for Oprah. and I ask you to do the same, but also be aware of the false doctrine she is preaching right now. Paul tells Timothy in 2Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” It is easy to be deceived if we do not rightly know the word of God for ourselves. In Genesis when Satan tempted Eve he did not just lie, he simply questioned and twisted what God said, and that is what He still does today. For instance the bible says that Jesus is the light of the world (When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12) and that we are to be as the light. Jesus said we are to be the light of the world, and we are full of the light because we have him shining through us. “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Note that we are not God, but instead we are to bring light in order to show the way to God. Yet in this video he has twisted this verse to say that we are the light, we are the “consciousness” that is God. Small twist of the scripture creates a very false doctrine. But don’t take my word for it, listen to this video. Then go to your bible, or biblegateway.com, and do a search for “Light” and see how it lines up.

Again let me say, I love Oprah, and love that she is a giver in a taking world, thus the reason it is on me to pray for her.

Put Your Order Where Your Disorder Resides

Do you have a place in your home that collects stuff. The mail on the dining room table, the shoes by the front door, the back pack on the kitchen floor. We typically either pick up the things ourself, have to take the time to call the kids (or the husband 🙂 ) back into the room to collect their things and put them in there place, or we simply become frustrated with the collection of clutter.

Well there is a simple solution…

Put your order where the disorder resides. If you find shoes collecting by the door, place a shoe organizer, or bin/chest by the door. Then when they come in where they normally throw their shoes, now they can put them where they go, not one step further. If you have a table that collects the mail and papers of the day, in that room place a small basket that can catch the mail. You may think “Well, the mail does not belong in the dining room. Why put a basket in that room?” Well you may be right, you may even have a home office where those things go, but is it getting there now? See, where the clutter is landing is the most natural place for the family to place them. Therefore instead of frustrating yourself with the clutter embrace the fact, and create the order right where it lands. The point is … the clutter is not on the dining room table when you want to eat dinner, and now you can actually use that table for its designed purpose, to eat on! 🙂

Remember this important point, creating order in your home and in your life is finding what works best for you! You may have to put an office armoir in the dining room because the stuff lands on the dining room table, and that is the only way to keep it off, that’s o.k.! Because it works for you! The entire family’s shoes may land in a chest by the front door, that is o.k. If it works, and it keeps the order, that is what is important.

Happy Spring Cleaning, and organizing!

Recipe: Pan Glazed Chicken with Basil

From one of my favorite recipe books, Weight Watchers 5 ingredients 15 minute Cookbook, I have found another great recipe. The best part is how easy it is!

Ingredients:

4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast

salt and pepper

2 tsp. olive oil

2 tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 tbs. Honey

2 tbs. chopped fresh or 2 tsp. dried basil

Directions:

Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, add chicken. Cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn chicken and cook 6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in honey, vinegar, and basil, cook 1 minute.

Side Suggestion: Cous Cous, baked or sweet potato, broccoli, salad, or Asparagus.

It is so easy, so good, and good for you. (Only 161 calories, 3.7 grams fat, 4.6 carbs, 26 grams of protein, or 4 points for WW fans.) I love that most all the ingredients can be found in your pantry at any time. It makes it easy to pick up a pack of chicken, and you have dinner!

The Genesis Principle of Organization

Last week I had the chance to meet a lady who had some fabulous tips on order. She has written a book called “The Genesis Principle” It is The ABC’s of Throwing Disorganization, Procrastination, and Personal Humiliation Out of Your Life Forever!

A former cluttered mess, for years I struggled with hidden disorder and chaos. The junk lurking behind closet doors, underneath my beds, in drawers, cabinets, and storage rooms robbed me of inner peace. My life was totally out of balance and my priorities were a mess. I was humiliated. I felt as though as my life was impossible. A crisis in my life compelled me to get on my face before God. In the light of His presence, I began to that the external clutter in my home and office was directly related to the internal clutter of my heart. I looked to God’s Word for help and discovered biblical principles of organization. As I implemented these principles, my life dramatically changed. ~Patty Chirico

She has found a pattern in the bible for organization. In Genesis Chapter 1 God uses four principles to organize the entire creation of the heavens and the earth. Patty has discovered these principles and applied them to her own life, as well as others (as a personal organizer) I want to share a few of them with you today.

The most important secret for getting organized and staying organized is to accomplish these steps in order:

1) Separate (Whether you start in your closet or your cabinet you must separate everything into these categories)

a ) Keep

b) Give Away

c) Throw Away

2) Combine

a) Identical and similar items

b) Items into categories

c) Items often used together

3) Evaluate

a) High and low priority

b) High and low usage

c) No more usage

4) Assign a Place For Everything

a) Putting high usage items into high usage spaces

b) Putting low usage items into low usage spaces

c) Customizing what works best for you

Find out more by getting this book. It is so easy to read and follow, and it will do more than just help you clean up your house. If you are struggling with bringing order to your life you will love this book.

Click here to learn more about how you can get “The Genesis Principle”.

His Only Weakness is You…

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

In Greek mythology when you read about the Greek gods, you will always find that while each one has a great power, they also have a great weakness; a human trait weakness. Aphrodite while beautiful (the goddess of love) is also characterized as vain, ill-tempered and easily offended and jealous. Zeus, who is the “king of the gods” is known for his erotic escapades, and affairs. Achilles was a great warrior who’s weakness is in his heel. He was killed by an arrow in the heel. Thus the reason a person’s principal weakness is known as his “Achille’s Heel”. (ok stick with me, there is a good point 🙂 )

From the beginning of time, Jehovah God has had all that He created worship and bow to him. He has a great assembly of angels that praise him all day long, for eternity. Yet he longed to have one with a free will who wanted to worship him, and wanted to be with him. One who would love him because they chose too, not because they had too. Maybe after Lucifer’s uprising and exile was when he began wondering “if one had a choice would they choose to love me”. (Haven’t we all been there? You wonder if any man will love you, then you get married and wonder if he would really choose you over something else important to him?…)

…So God created us, one that could choose freely. Then, through deception, men and women did in deed break God’s heart. But God was so in love with us, and wanted to be with us that He was willing to do anything to find a way back to us. Anything to keep us from being separated from him; after all we are His true love. So he made covenant with a man named Abraham, and through Abraham’s love and willingness to give anything to God (including his son; his one and only son Isaac) God could and would do the same. Because while He loved Abraham and the Israelite people, it wasn’t enough for Him; He wanted full access to all our hearts.

He sent Jesus (God’s one and only son) perfect in every way (no human weakness), and asked him to take our place of judgment, and true love prevailed. See this weekend as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, we need to remember that this is a love story. One that crosses all time, and that even death could not stop.

You are God’s only weakness, He loved you so much He gave His son for you! No matter where you are today, whether single, happily married, or struggling in your marriage, He wants you to know that He is your “Knight in Shining Armour” who slayed the dragon. He has made the ultimate sacrifice to have the right to be the lover of your soul. And not even death could separate you from His love.

The First To Share The Good News!

…The women deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell his disciples. Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. “Good morning!” he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet and worshiped him. Jesus said ” You’re holding on to me for dear life! Don’t be frightened like that. Go tell my brothers that they are to go to Galilee and that I’ll meet them there”
(Matthew 28:8-10 Message)

This Sunday Christians all over will be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.  I am reading all the gospels accounts of the week of Passion to His resurrection. We have even read it in Emily’s children’s bible, so that she and Anna are able to participate.

While the versions, and even the 4 Gospels themselves, vary in their accounts of the details there are constants that do not change. Obviously they all agree on the fact that the tomb is empty, and that the disciples were in hiding. (I used to think how could they, but then again the man who could call down angels had just been violently murdered, if they could do that to Jesus what could/would they do to his followers? ) They all agree that Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish council and believer in Jesus, took his body and buried it. And that it was “quite a few women” who followed him to the tomb and watched from afar. It was the women who returned to the tomb after sabbath to bathe him in perfumes. It was the women who met the angel and heard of the good news and believed. They wasted no time to run and tell the disciples the good news.

I ask myself, why did God choose to share the resurrection of Jesus Christ first with women? Yes, it may have been the custom for women to perfume the body. Maybe they were simply being faithful to their duties. Yet God knew who would be the first to the tomb, and the angel of God sat waiting. (One account even shares that the angel came down and removed the stone after the women arrived) Then Jesus chose Mary Magdalene to be the first he appeared to. How significant! Nothing in the Bible, I believe, is by accident.

Mary Magdalene was not only a woman, but also a delivered prostitute. Representing the sinner who has been freed. Women for so long had been oppressed, but Jesus broke the curse of sin, and women are freed from that oppression through Him!

Even though we often talk about doubting Thomas, as I read the accounts none of the disciples believed until they saw Jesus. Doubting Thomas just happened to be the last to see. Even when Jesus appeared to them as he had Mary Magdalene they still thought he was a ghost, and he had to eat something and let them touch him before they believed. But oh, how the women did believe, and did not doubt! Mary Magdalene could not even touch Jesus because he had not ascended to the Father yet, but she believed and ran to tell the disciples, she had already told them once when the other women from the tomb arrived.

These women were the first to believe and “spread the gospel”. As mothers, we are the first to teach our children who God is, being the first to spread the good news to the next generation! So “go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life…”

(Matthew 27:55-56, Matthew 28:1-6, Mark 15:46-47, Mark 16:1-11, Luke 23:55-56, Luke 24:1-11, John 20:3-18)

Happy Easter!

Recommended for Your Little Princess or Prince

During my mom’s groups last week we began discussing teaching our children about self-image, purity, and God’s love and purpose for them. Through our discussion, we each shared some really great books to help introduce our little princesses and princes to these great qualities.

The Book I most recommend:

Every little girl dreams of being a Princess. And for the one who trusts in God, the world heralds a most beautiful truth: She is the chosen daughter of the King of all Kings. She is a true princess!

Emily loves this devotional for Princesses. “His Little Princess…Treasured Letters From The King” by Sheri Rose Shepherd. She learns everyday that she is a true Princess, because she is a daughter of the King Jesus. Each devotional is written as a love letter from God, starting with “Dear Princess” or “My chosen daughter”. It teaches her the character of a true princess, and many other great lessons of learning to be a lady of character, strength, and purpose. Of course each letter has a scripture at the end, and a prayer for her to pray. It has allowed me to teach her that the entire bible is a love letter to us, telling us how much God loves us, and what He has done for us. She loves it, and it is great to read before bed time prayers. It is a short page.

These were the books recommended by my friends with little girls or boys:

Long ago, in a wonderful castle on a mountain of splendor, a beautiful princess was born. Her parents were the king and queen of the mountain and all the green valley below.
The king and queen loved the little princess even before she was born. On the day she came into the world, the royal couple gave their daughter a very special gift from God – her first kiss. While the princess was growing up, the king and queen kept this precious gift safe in their care.
When the princess was finally grown, the king and queen called her to their side.
“We have something very special to give you,” said the queen.
Up, up, up the royal family went to a secret room in a tower of the castle. On an elegant table in the center of the room was the same gift given to the princess long ago … the kiss. Excerpt From “The Princess and The Kiss”

The second book is “The Princess and The Kiss” by Jennie Bishop. A loving king and queen present their daughter with a gift from God – her first kiss – to keep or to give away. The wise girl waits for the man who is worthy of her precious gift. Where is he and how will she ever find him? The surprising answer in this marvelous parable will touch the heart of parent and child alike.The Princess and the Kiss beautifully portrays the ageless message that “love… comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5 NIV)

Don’t worry there is one for little boys too! Teaching your young girls of God’s love, and being pure before God and for her prince is important, but they need little men who are truly going to treasure that gift! So Jennie Bishop has written for our little men as well. “The Squire and The Scroll”…. “This captivating adventure follows a young squire who travels a long, dangerous road beside his brave knight, on a quest for their king. The action builds until the final face-off with the monstrous, evil dragon. Only then does the squire learn of the secret beyond the cave that ends in a joyous celebration for the entire kingdom.Children will gain valuable insight as they learn, along with the young squire, what it means to face the dangers of temptation, and what it takes to guard one’s heart from all that is impure.”

Emma’s Thoughts

The following is a letter my husband’s aunt Emma, and dear friend, sent to her family and friends in 2005. She was killed in a car accident not even 2 months later. Reflecting on this letter was so bitter sweet, and full of the hope and encouragement that Emma would have said to us had she been standing there herself.

As spring is arriving, it has caused me to remember her, and this letter. I post it every year about this time, yet it never seems to lose its impact. It is timeless. I pray that this will spark hope in those who need it, and reflection for others.

March 28, 2005
To My Dear Friends,

Easter is a time of year when a newness of life is “springing up” all around us. Nature seeming to flaunt its ability to come back from the dead to life with glorious displays of color. Hope seems to be renewed all around. The grip of winter is slipping but winter does not give up without a tremendous fight. The severe weather we are having is evidence of that battle between the forces of weather patterns as our earth moves in its appointed path. All of this reminds me of how our human nature tries to keep a death grip on us even as the new life given by the risen Saviour is taking over our hearts, minds, and spirits. The war never stops once we make the decision to walk after the Lover of our souls, Jesus. But, He promises us victory if we battle through to the end, all the while holding on to Him and His grace and strength for this battle for new life.

For my dearest friends, I pray as the battle rages within and without, you are holding on to Him as He shows you the sun shining ahead. The most difficult part of a battle is keeping hope when all seems dark. It may be hard to see the light of hope. But it is there waiting for us. Those who love us are bringing in reinforcements and are cheering us on. Nothing is too big or small for Him to take care of for you. Allow His Love to overtake you and hold you close, to give you the assurance that all is well and you will finish this race you have set your heart toward. He will complete the good work He started in us all. He began it on the cross and He is finishing it as we battle from our winter to our spring.

I am thinking of you all and how my heart has been changed because of knowing you. Thank you for your love and care toward me through the years. You have believed in me and that has helped me to believe. You are faithful friends always and I love you so.

I pray your Easter season has been and will be blessed and you have a renewed faith and hope in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~Emma

Faithful or Foolish?

It’s not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena … who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. – Theodore Roosevelt.

Anytime I read a book, or listen to someone of success (especially that of great success) the core of their message is overcoming the fear. You will never know what you could do or be until you decide to not let the fear of failure rule you. You will never know the taste of victory until you get over the possibility of defeat.

There is absolutely a balance of living with wisdom, and trusting God to help you take risks in life. However, Jesus does challenge us to be willing to step out of the box, take risks and realize we will never have all God wants for us if we do not overcome the fear of failing. While the fear of failure may come partly from being afraid of not having what you need, I found that my “fear of failure” was mostly due to being afraid of what others would think of me if I lost my home, or simply was not successful. What I came to realize is that I cared more about what God thought of me, and that was doing all I could to do what I felt Him leading me too, than I cared about others.

“I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant.” Revelation 3:14

Most all of us know the Parable of the talents in Matthew 25. The two servants who used the talents the master had given them to bring increase. But then there was the one. The one who was afraid of failure, afraid of what the master would think. By not stepping out he hurt himself more than if he had lost everything.

The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent. “The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest. “Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’
Matthew 25:24-30 The Message

In the last year or two I have had many moments of seeking God and saying “Lord, are we being faithful or foolish?”. As many friends close to me can attest to. We have not always known where God was taking us, but we knew God had more for us that the status quo. Many times we could have walked away from what God has put in us and easily found safety and security, very tempting when we have faced losing everything and thinking “God why would you let us go through this if this is your will?”. Yet, in the end our hearts would ache at the thought of giving up. In asking God the question, yet again, am I being faithful or foolish, I read a passage from Joyce Meyers in her book “I Dare You”, I realized God is taking us through the same experience.

“For six years we needed financial miracles almost every month just to be able to pay our bills. New clothes, car repairs, entertainment, and other stuff were extras we only had when God supernaturally provided. I am glad to say He always made provision, but I would not have considered myself prosperous. We never had anything over and above our basic needs, and I will admit it confused me because I felt we were giving more than ever and yet our finances were not as abundant as they were before I obeyed God and quit my job. Have you ever obeyed God expecting to be blessed and yet it looked as if you went backward instead of forward? Those times are testing times for sure.”

We have not lost a thing, by the way, though we faced it many times. Even in the “looming face” of recession and foreclosures here in America, God has provided every need. We have always been provided for, and taken care of and always in a way that we could not have accomplished on our own.

Know that God will never stop pulling you away from your comfort zone, no good parent let’s their child crawl forever. And if you are going through a time of believing for miracles, especially if because of obedience to Him, that He will come through for you too!

A Challenge: Get Out of Your Rut

As moms we can very so often get into a routine and rut. Even those who say they do not like routine can still get into rut. I do love routine, structure, but I do not like to be stuck in a rut. Doing the same thing over and over. Laundry, cleaning, cooking, errands, and so on. We sometimes use the excuse of mothering and being a spouse as an excuse for not doing more, but at the end of the day if we are bored and unsatisfied whose fault is it really?

My sister and I had a discussion about our ideas of being stay-at-home moms. She said “When I quit working I thought I would have time to go have lunch with a friend, and do more things, but everyone is too “busy” to go have lunch and hang out. This is true, as I have experienced it myself, but yet we complain about being lonely and bored. The problem is we get stuck in a rut, and even though we hate our rut, it is comfortable. So when there is an opportunity to do something different, some tend to stick with the rut.

Joyce Meyers says in her book “I Dare You” that “Even though I am in the center of God’s will for my life and I have definitely found God’s purpose for me, I still have to do things to keep myself from feeling stagnant and dull.” You can absolutely be thrilled to be a mom and/or a wife, whether a working one or Stay at home, and still be dissatisfied and bored with your life. If we do not take the time to try new things, and shake things up we will be bored no matter what we are doing or where we are in life.

If you have found yourself stagnant in life you may not need a major change, but simply a little shaking. Try actually going to lunch with a friend, fix your hair and put on your makeup for the day and feel good when you do. Can’t afford a nice lunch, go get coffee! (Get creative, not expensive. Mommy’s Morning Out programs, I have found take drop – ins. Which means you do not have to take them every week, but you could take them once a month! $15 for 4 hours in our area. Isn’t it worth it? You could not take your kids through the drive through once, and be able to afford that.) Don’t have a MMO in your area, here is an idea to get rid of being stagnant, start one! Most are done in a local church, you would be a blessing to other moms, you would have something productive to do, make a little extra cash, and have a great place to bring your own kids when you needed that day out.

Change up what you do on the weekend. Plan a date night, maybe a double date. Keep your marriage from being stagnant by not doing the same old thing. If you can’t afford an expensive date night, don’t make that an excuse. There are many options. 1) Do something nice at home, after the kids go to bed. Go sit out side under a blanket instead of in front of the t.v. or computer. You will get much better conversation out of him this way. Play a card game together, or whatever. Have another couple over for dinner. It saves money and you can put the kids in bed and then have better conversation. 2) Some churches and other places like “Little Gym” etc. are offering “Parents date nights” Which is as inexpensive as MMO. 3) Share a babysitter if you are going to go on a double date. Split a meal with your spouse when you go out to eat. Restaurants give you way too much food anyway. This is a great money saver for me and my hubby. 3) Again, coffee. A babysitter for 2 hours, you are talking about $15 -$20. Go to a coffee house, and sit. Enjoy the peace and quiet. and splurge $10 on coffee (or hot tea for those of you who do not like coffee)

If these things do not fulfill you find something in your community to volunteer, or even work part time, to do that would be a fun outlet to use your individual talents. I have for awhile now thought about going to work at Starbucks part time, only because it looks like fun to me. I like the atmosphere, and Lord knows I would “make” money by getting free coffee, and I love retail/customer service like that. Before I did though, I found another part time job which allows me to have a lot of contact with adults and other interesting people, and yet still do most of my work from home. Plus, my church started a small coffee shop where I now volunteer a few hours a week, and I love it! It is so much fun!

Of course the best way to fight stagnation and dissatisfaction, is to be thankful. When you begin feeling like life is not as good or as exciting as someone else’s, instead make a list of all the things you are blessed with in your life. Healthy children, a home, a car, a good husband, friends, family, you could go on all day if you really try.

I am as guilty as the next person about not doing the things to keep life interesting. But when I start becoming dissatisfied with myself, I know that it is not because I do not enjoy the parenting, and being a wife, etc. It is simply not getting outside myself, out of the boat, to do new things to keep life fun. John Ortberg, in his book “If You Want To Walk On Water (You’ve Got to Get Out of The Boat)” Said…

There is a danger in getting out of the boat, but there is a danger in staying in it as well. If you live in the boat (Whatever your boat might be), you will eventually die of boredom and stagnation.