Hope & Healing

Maybe you have come to Jesus and you have asked for healing but you feel you have been ignored.

 Tony Hudson goes on to say in KINGDOM WOMAN that there are 4 types of healing

1. He can supernaturally heal you
2. He can use human means to remedy your condition
3. He can give you strength to handle your condition until He corrects it
4. He can enable you to persevere through the pain on earth until your full healing is made manifest in Heaven

Our desired type of healing and God’s can be quite different at times.

A young girl prayed for her grandmother to be healed from a serious illness and when she died, the girl grew bitter at God.  She thought that God had ignored her request.  What she didn’t realize is that God had answered her prayers.  Her grandmother had no more pain, no more sickness and was with the Father that loved for and cared for her more then anyone could possibly care.

 God may teach you something through your trial.  He may bring you closer to Him through it all.  He may bring others to Him through you.  The most important thing is to have spiritual healing and to have peace that no matter what happens, no matter what trial you are going through, that God is in control. Come to Him, let him handle your trial and thank Him for the outcome.

 “I want to encourage you to hang in there. A Kingdom woman sets her eyes on Jesus, and He strengthens her to be all she was created to be.” – T.H.

HOPE

I am reading KINGDOM WOMAN by Tony Hudson and his daughter Chrystal.  It’s been encouraging as well as helpful.  This is partially where “Being More Productive by Doing Less” came from.

This week we are going to talk about HOPE.  If there is something that seems to be lost in our world it is Hope.  The world pretends to provide it but more and more we see less and less of it.

This book has been so helpful, that I want to share a summary of the "Hope” chapter.  I feel like it could help someone today.  You may be down, and discouraged.  The same issue or trial that you have faced has been with you for years and you can’t seem to fight it off.  There is Hope and His name is Jesus.  Here are some thoughts…

When Cinderella and the Prince fell in love, he didn’t leave her with her evil step-mom, he took her out of that bondage and to his castle. Jesus wants the same for you…

“He doesn’t just want to bring His money to you, His castle to you, or His chariot to you. He wants to bring you to Him. He wants to take you out of the bondage and let you live in the freedom of His presence and provision. He wants to show you your new position and your new glory. He wants to get you out of a spirit of slavery. He wants to give you hope.” – T.H.

 “Before you give up, look up”... “It isn’t summed up in just going to church more or doing more good things.  It’s about connecting with the One who gives hope.”

Tony goes on to tell us about the lady in Luke 13 who was crippled; she was in church when she met Jesus, she probably had attended that church for 18 years, singing, giving, and praising God, but she wasn’t free.  Church in and of itself does not help, but Jesus does.  Where everyone had dealt with the fruit of the problem, he dealt with the root.  Her issue was not the crippling but that she was bound by the devil. I t was deeper then what people saw.

The reason why so many people end up bound by issues is that they try to address the circumstances rather than appealing to the One who can address the root.” – T.H.

In the book, he talks about the immediate change and what took place.  Jesus told the lady to “come to Him.”  She had to leave what she was doing, the people she was with and come to Him.  When she did, she received freedom from her issue.

Friends, JESUS WON.  He conquered the devil and death itself.   I’ve read the last chapter.  We will win.  Yes, the devil has power (too much) but Jesus has more.  There is HOPE and His name is Jesus. Go to Him today.  “Cast your cares on Him, for He careth for you.” - Rejoicing

Snow-Dipped Oreos

This is a super easy, fun activity for your kids, during this cold, snowy season. How did this come about? Well that is good question. :-) Our church had a ladies cookie exchange over Christmas and since my kitchen floor was being redone, I had to come up with a creative way to make cookies without baking. So here it is...

What you need...
1. Oreos
2. White Chocolate
3. Sprinkles


What you do...
1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. (Read the instructions)

2. Stir up the chocolate

3. Dip the Oreos half way into the chocolate, or spoon on the chocolate

4. Sprinkle!!!

This is fun, festive and EASY!

COOKIE EXCHANGE

We all love variety and especially at Christmas.  I love when a friend or neighbor gives us a plateful of different cookies.  When we were kids we would go to my grandma’s house and she would bring out a huge tray of a variety of yummy cookies and candy.  It was a yearly highlight.

 We would all love to spend time baking, but sometimes, we just don’t have the time.  Plus, we may have decided to do less, so what do we do?  Here is a GREAT idea.  I was invited to a cookie exchange about 10 years ago and I have loved the idea ever since.

 What do you do?

1. Invite 12 friends/church members to bring 12-dozen (or ½ dozen) of their favorite cookies.
2. Everyone tastes a few of their favorite cookies and then
3. They all exchange 1 dozen
4. Voila. You get 12 varieties of cookies.

You can box the cookies up and give to neighbors, co-workers and family. It makes your baking REALLY easy. You only have to make one kind. It makes it simple and productive. J - Rejoicing in the Present

 P.S. Last year, I didn’t have a kitchen since my floor was being worked on.   So I made snow-dipped Oreos.  (Oreo’s Dipped in white chocolate, sprinkled with sprinkles) See recipe tomorrow

Christmas Productivity

Ok, so it’s almost CHRISTMAS and we have a house to decorate, presents to buy, parties to go to, parties to throw, food to shop for, cookies to make, and all the while remembering and honoring the true meaning of Christmas.

SCREECH! PUT ON THE BREAKS!!!!  What is the goal for your Christmas?!?  What is the point to Christmas?  What do you want your children to come away with this Christmas?  “We got the most presents?”  “We had the most memories?”  “The food was yummy.”  “Mom was stressed.” Or “Mom was not stressed”

So ask yourself some questions again.

1. GOALS
1. What do you want accomplished this Christmas?
2. What can be crossed off the list?
3. Is it about Jesus’ Birthday or Christmas Holidays?
2. Who can help me?
1. How much can you actually afford without hurting your finances?
2. Can you hire someone to help with the workload and spend less on presents and decorations? Thus giving the gift of a stress-free mom. :)
3. Check at church and see if there is a responsible teenager or college students that wants some spending $$$.  They will do more for less $$.
4. What can the children do? What can dad do?
3. What can your friends do?
1. What are your talents? Can you share talents?
2. Maybe you’re a better decorator and a friend is a better cook. Your friend can make you some freezable yummy dishes for the holidays while you come over and decorate her house.
3. Maybe you can take her kids while she does some shopping for you.
4. Decorations
1. What is the point? Do you want to give the house a warm holiday, Christmas feeling or do you have to have “the house” on the street?
2. Are you focusing on the manger and the true meaning of Christmas?
3. Just because you were given all those decorations by your dear relative does not mean they all have to be put up.
5. Presents
1. How much do you have to spend financially?
2. How much do you need to spend?
3. Do you really need to buy all of those family members and friends a present?
4. MAKE A LIST OF THE "YES" PEOPLE and write ideas and then what you have already ,bought so that you can remember everyone. Organization lessens stress.
5. Can a friend or teen wrap your presents?
6. COOKIES
1. HAVE A COOKIE EXCHANGE (We will talk about that tomorrow J)

Make a list and then stick to it.  Cut out and delegate as much as you can.  Dip into your gift/decoration $$ and get help.  It will be the memories your children share with you, that matter 15 years from now, rather than the presents you bought or having the #1 house on the street.  Do less and have a better time.  Include your kids on cooking, cleaning and decorating.  Give them some great memories this year. - RITP

Being More Productive by Doing Less Part 2

So how as a mother, wife, and/or employee can you be more productive?  Yesterday, I gave my testimony of being productive while doing less.  Today, we are going to ask some questions that might help us be more productive.  It’s Christmas and thus we need to get more done;  but can we do less?

Ask yourself some questions…and make a list

1. Does your house always need to be spotless?
2. Can you make freezer meals?
1. Take a day and cook for the whole month so that you have home-cooked meals in less time?
2. Do you have a friend who loves to do what you dislike doing?  You can trade talents and energy by doing what you like to do most.
3. Where do you need to save your energies?
1. Time with your husband?
2. Playing with your kids?
3. Devotions/Walk with the Lord?
4. What are your goals for your husband, children, yourself?
5. What ministries can you teach others to do?
6. Can your children help with some chores?
1. Can you teach them to more them make their bed and clean their room?
2. What talents has God gifted to your children? Can they decorate?  Clean?  Are they detail- oriented?  Can they baby-sit the other children? 
7. Where has God gifted you?
1. What talents are very obvious that you need to use for Him?
2. What does He want you to do?

Now, take your list and sit down with your husband.  Ask him the questions, help him make a list and compare.  Talk to your kids as well and ask them where they can help.  You can make a list you can try to live by.

Yes, it can be hard at first.  There will be mistakes.  Everything won’t be perfect from the first day.  In fact, it might be a bit more stressful at first, but I can promise you that it will pay off.  You will be training othersand spreading your work load out so that you can do what you do best and get your family's goals accomplished.

Your list may look like this:

1. I will clean the kitchen 3x 2x a day
2. I will do only 1 load of laundry every day
3. I will Each child will clean one room in the house a day
4. I will pick one Saturday a month and our family will make the meals for the whole month
5. I will volunteer to help out at the community center
6. I will not use any type of social media from 6pm-9pm so I can spend time with my family.  
7. I will give 2 3 nights a week to my husband to talk once the kids are in bed
8. Friday nights WILL be Family Night
9. I will give 1 hour to each child per day for 1-on-1 time
10. I will work the nursery, sing in the choir, teach Sunday School and help out with the teens

Your list needs to look like your family. I t will depend on the age of your kids, what talents you all have and what goals you have as a family.  Spread the load-- it will help more get done with less work.

“Wisdom entails recognizing what season you are in and living according to that. Never be ashamed to admit that you can’t do it all. The main thing is that you keep God first and foremost, and His strength will give you what you need to make decisions that will glorify Him.” – Tony Hudson (Kingdom Woman)

(Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord.) Psalm 121:1-2 – Ask God for your help!  Tomorrow we are going to look at Christmas and ask some questions that might help us make Christmas more productive. – Rejoicing in the Present

Being More Productive by Doing Less

That title may seem to NOT make sense, but it really does.  As a pastor’s wife, a mother, a friend and a lover of the ministry, I can get booked up way tooooo fast.  In fact, I seem to always look forward to the next season; when I get there I realize that it’s crazier then the one before.  I take on too many projects and do not seek enough help.

 My husband has been preaching this message to me since we got married but I only learn the hard way.  Recently, I learned how productive I can be when I hand out more of the projects.  More gets done and done right.  One of my husband’s many hats is to run the children’s programs; on Sunday Nights we have a program called Kids4Truth that is a lot like Awanas except with more emphasis on doctrine.

I was running the program, leading the music, teaching one of the classes, and running the games.  Well, recently, my husband became freed up and was able to take the program back over and also started sharing the load.

 

So with the many changes I have been able to share the load.  Hubby runs the games, I lead the music but have other teachers help lead the songs.  I have my sweet co-teacher teaching the lesson and I get to sit down. YAY!

Our little family went on a vacation this fall and I felt great about leaving. I knew that our staff could handle it because many of them had been taking over where I was stepping down.  In addition, they were learning and becoming better teachers and leaders themselves.  This fall, I came to my sweet co-teacher and asked her to teach this fall and I would sit and help with class-control as well as teaching the verse.  She consented and has done a wonderful job.  I can see her growing as a teacher and it made me so glad to have encouraged her that she could succeed.  Over and over I see our staff growing in their abilities because I have done less and allowed them to do more.  All in all, it’s made our team better equipped, especially for days when we go on vacation or I get sick or another teacher gets sick.  Our staff is definitely more productive.

Tomorrow we will talk about the HOW-TO’s of making your life more productive. – Rejoicing in the Present

2 Timothy 2:2 " ...teach others also."