We have always had to be careful with money as we have a very small income and inherited a great big debt with the farm. I try my best to get by on $600/month for groceries, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. This has to include our co-op budget, as with the many food allergies I can't just serve hot dogs and mac-n-cheese. So it has been quite a challenge, especially lately with food prices going up due to fuel and shortages. I know I love to hear about how others save money and still make good food (and by good I mean what our bodies really need and not 99 cent pizzas that go straight into the arteries). Buying in bulk is one of my best weapons, but sometimes that can be daunting as well.
One thing that I had some trouble adjusting to was chicken. I like the breast, whether it is baked, roasted, grilled, or in lunch slices. I have never really enjoyed dark meat. It is also much more fatty, and greasy dishes/hands stress me out. But white meat is suddenly the choice part. It used to be that the dark meat was everyone's favorite, but with the onslaught of diets and buffalo wings, white meat is now premium (price wise, too). So I just had to figure out a way to make the dark meat do-able. As I was prepping my chicken last night, I thought it might be of interest to someone else trying to stretch the budget by using cheaper cuts. Meats are not generally foods that interfere with allergen diets (unless you are super-sensitive to grains and then you have to find truly grass-fed meats). It is one of the easiest places for me to cut costs.
Making $4.00 of chicken last three meals
If you are very smart, you can find a better deal than even this. Stores have sales, or you can buy very large quantities for even cheaper. But we shop once a month, and until we get our barn built, have only the freezer space that is built into the fridge, so I'm going to go with the current price for leg quarters at $0.69/lb. Just for anyone who might not know (hey, we all start somewhere) the quarter is the drumstick and the thigh still attached. If we were going to splurge, I would cut them into pieces (which would be 5 drums and 5 thighs) and fry them for fried chicken. I take the skin off when I do this because the dark meat, plus skin, plus oil to fry it is way too much fat! Sometimes I will also bread them and bake for oven-fried chicken, thus saving even more grease!
But for this week, I had to stretch the chicken because we had another splurge for the holiday. I have a 6 quart crock-pot, which is perfect. Last night before bed I put the chicken in the pot and filled it to the top with water. I let it cook on high for 10 hours. This morning I took the meat out (which was slipping from the bones and so tender) and set it aside to cool. What was left in the pot was about 2 quarts of broth. But this is not just broth- this is extra strength broth. With all the bones present in dark meat and the fat in the skin and the meat itself, this broth would be way too thick and strong by itself. So I had a 1/2 gallon Mason jar that I filled half-way with broth. I fill it the rest of the way with water and let it cool. When cooled, I can put the lid on and put in the fridge (or in a freezer container to freeze if I am not planning to use it right away).
Next I added a quart of water to the crockpot to thin out the broth left in there. When the meat was cool, I divided it into three bowls- one for bones, one for fat and gristle, and one for meat. The bones are thrown away. If I had a grinder, I could make bone meal for the pets with them, but I currently don't have one. PLEASE don't ever give your poultry bones to cats and dogs. As I have recounted before, my dad watched a dog die when he was little because it got a chicken bone caught in its throat. Other bones are fine, but chicken bones splinter are are bad. The bowl of skin and gristle goes to the pets. This is especially good for them if you have to save money by buying cheaper pet foods (or if you are running a kitten orphanage like we are). The fat helps with their joints and skin.
What is then left is about 3 pounds of shredded meat. I put a pound in the crockpot for my chicken and dumplings. One pound is put either in the broth jar or a freezer bag for chicken noodle soup. One pound I put in the processor with onion, garlic, mustard, mayo, rosemary, and celery seed for chicken salad sandwiches. You may be thinking that one pound of meat is not going to go far. I serve 9 people with it. Americans are too used to making meat the main course instead of a garnish. Look around you- do you see anybody suffering from protein deficiency? I serve larger portions of vegetables or whole grain breads instead. This chicken salad will make 10 sandwiches. The pot of chicken and dumplings filled us up. We didn't even go for the optional fruit afterward. Just too full.
Making 3 meals out of a 3 pound roast
Nothing says farm life like beef stew and biscuits! To stretch out (and tenderize) a cheap roast, I first put it in the crockpot and cover with water. This usually gets cooked for 6 hours. If you don't have a crockpot, you can put it in the oven in a pan with water about half way up and cover with a lid or foil. It is really important to have both liquid and a cover in order to allow convection to tenderize the meat. If cooking in the oven, it is best to use low heat and longer cooking time. When the roast is done, I place it on my cutting board. From here, I have a few options as to which meals I want to make and in which order.
The broth in the pot is either a good stew base or great for making bean soup. I generally use the broth for beans and just use a bouillon cube and water to make the stew because the meat is there to fill out the flavor. I will cut the roast in half. One half can be served sliced thin for dinner with horseradish sauce, YUM! The other half is cubed and used for stew meat. The ends and bits are usually added to the bean soup, though the fat and broth left from the roasting are very good and don't need bouillon added to them. So from one 3 pound roast, I made bean soup, roast beef, and beef stew.
A few other odd-n-ends
Going with the idea that we do not need as much meat as we have been led to believe, I cut the meat portion in everything I make. I will buy a 3 pound package of ground beef and break it down to four blocks. I just take off the plastic, score the meat down the middle and across, and put each quarter in a freezer container. You really don't miss the little bit when you are making chili, tacos, or gravy, but it stretches the meat even further.
I will divide a gallon of whole milk (for the kids who can have it) into two gallon pitchers and fill with water. I get two gallons for the price of one. You can't even do this with skim milk in the store- two gallons of skim will cost more than one of whole. They swear they don't notice the difference. I do keep a gallon of full-strength milk for the daughter with anorexia because she needs the calorie overload.
Bacon can be expensive, and turkey bacon can be even more expensive. A splurge for us would be BLTs, which use up a large package of turkey bacon. But for breakfasts or club sandwiches, I cut the bacon in half and bake it in the oven on a cookie sheet, draining the fat into a small jar as I go. I then mix a little of the bacon fat into my mayo when I make it. You are not ingesting any more fat than you would have if you pan-fried the bacon. But the drippings have enough of the flavor to make the sandwich spread stretch the bacon taste. I also use the bacon grease instead of shortening in my breakfast biscuits and that gives them more bacon flavor without using as much bacon. The half-slices aren't even noticed!
The last little thing I wanted to add here is probably a given, but you never know! Often when a recipe calls for butter, I leave it out. When it calls for milk, I either use my diluted milk or substitute half the milk with water. I truly have never missed it. It saves calories and money.
Does this look familiar? Click on the comment link in any posting and leave us some feedback- we'd love to hear from you!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
How Should We Then Live?
(I know- I stole the title. I love the video series by Francis Schaeffer and this is very much along his line of reasoning). I found this to be a very interesting article! ;)
The H Word
by Fulfilled Prophecy Website
If you’re like me, you run for cover when you hear a verse like 2 Peter 3:11, “You ought to live holy and godly lives.” Sure, I agree that Scripture is absolutely right, but isn’t that asking a bit much?
Think about it. “Holy” means morally perfect, set apart, pure in heart. Even if it’s possible to live a holy life — and the apostle Peter seems to think it is (2 Peter 1:3-4) — why should we go to so much effort? We’re saved by grace, not by what we do, so maybe we should just coast our way into heaven. Is “holy living” relevant to those of us who need to get by in the real world?
You betcha. In fact, for Christians, holy living should be the meat and potatoes of our daily lives. We should live holy lives because judgment will come to “Christian” hypocrites, but rewards will come to believers who honor God with right living.
Getting Judgmental
Toward the end of his life, the apostle Peter sent out letters to the church to urge the believers to holy living and “wholesome thinking” (2 Peter 3:1). Specifically, Peter wanted to warn them about a group of false teachers who were pushing a libertine brand of Christianity.
These teachers were all about getting their kicks this side of heaven. In the second chapter of 2 Peter, they are described as following their sinful nature, despising authority, lusting, leading people into doctrinal error, partying wildly in broad daylight, exploiting the church and being greedy and prideful. Likewise, their messages appealed to the lustful desires of the listeners and promised them a false “freedom” — apparently the freedom to sin however they wanted to.
What was worse, these teachers who called themselves “Christians” seemed to go unpunished. They arrogantly slandered celestial beings (2 Peter 2:10-12) yet seemed to face no rebuke. Their message to the believers was something akin to, “You can be free like us to indulge yourselves and there will be no consequences!”
But, oh, how wrong they were. Like the destruction of the wicked in Sodom and Gomorrah or in the great flood, swift destruction would catch them (2 Peter 2:1, 17). Hypocrisy would not pay off in the end.
Reward Offered
Holiness, however, does pay off. And it pays well.
At the beginning of his letter, Peter spells out some of the Christian virtues that he associates with a holy life that pleases God: “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love” (2 Peter 1:5-7).
And cultivating those virtues was not without purpose. They were intended to give the believers fruitful lives, “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8).
As if a fruitful life of service to God were not enough of a reward, God promises us more. He promises us a place in His kingdom where holiness is not a strange thing, “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:11). Moreover, those who please God by cultivating holy living will receive a fabulous welcome into that kingdom, “For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11).
Where the Rubber Meets the Road to Heaven
The times we live in are similar to those in Paul’s day. It’s not hard to find people out there who call themselves “Christians,” but who don’t care a lick about holiness. And they seem to get rewarded for it. When we focus on them we can get jaded in our walk with Christ. We get tempted to believe the lie that holy living is pointless. But that’s not true.
Holiness hurts — our flesh at least. It costs us to live for heaven when everyone around us seems to be living for themselves. But God sees you, and He sees them. The day will come when His justice flashes forth.
Until then, fix your eyes on Him, and do something specific to take it up a notch to honor Him. For followers of Christ “holiness” shouldn’t be a dirty word .
The H Word
by Fulfilled Prophecy Website
If you’re like me, you run for cover when you hear a verse like 2 Peter 3:11, “You ought to live holy and godly lives.” Sure, I agree that Scripture is absolutely right, but isn’t that asking a bit much?
Think about it. “Holy” means morally perfect, set apart, pure in heart. Even if it’s possible to live a holy life — and the apostle Peter seems to think it is (2 Peter 1:3-4) — why should we go to so much effort? We’re saved by grace, not by what we do, so maybe we should just coast our way into heaven. Is “holy living” relevant to those of us who need to get by in the real world?
You betcha. In fact, for Christians, holy living should be the meat and potatoes of our daily lives. We should live holy lives because judgment will come to “Christian” hypocrites, but rewards will come to believers who honor God with right living.
Getting Judgmental
Toward the end of his life, the apostle Peter sent out letters to the church to urge the believers to holy living and “wholesome thinking” (2 Peter 3:1). Specifically, Peter wanted to warn them about a group of false teachers who were pushing a libertine brand of Christianity.
These teachers were all about getting their kicks this side of heaven. In the second chapter of 2 Peter, they are described as following their sinful nature, despising authority, lusting, leading people into doctrinal error, partying wildly in broad daylight, exploiting the church and being greedy and prideful. Likewise, their messages appealed to the lustful desires of the listeners and promised them a false “freedom” — apparently the freedom to sin however they wanted to.
What was worse, these teachers who called themselves “Christians” seemed to go unpunished. They arrogantly slandered celestial beings (2 Peter 2:10-12) yet seemed to face no rebuke. Their message to the believers was something akin to, “You can be free like us to indulge yourselves and there will be no consequences!”
But, oh, how wrong they were. Like the destruction of the wicked in Sodom and Gomorrah or in the great flood, swift destruction would catch them (2 Peter 2:1, 17). Hypocrisy would not pay off in the end.
Reward Offered
Holiness, however, does pay off. And it pays well.
At the beginning of his letter, Peter spells out some of the Christian virtues that he associates with a holy life that pleases God: “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love” (2 Peter 1:5-7).
And cultivating those virtues was not without purpose. They were intended to give the believers fruitful lives, “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8).
As if a fruitful life of service to God were not enough of a reward, God promises us more. He promises us a place in His kingdom where holiness is not a strange thing, “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:11). Moreover, those who please God by cultivating holy living will receive a fabulous welcome into that kingdom, “For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11).
Where the Rubber Meets the Road to Heaven
The times we live in are similar to those in Paul’s day. It’s not hard to find people out there who call themselves “Christians,” but who don’t care a lick about holiness. And they seem to get rewarded for it. When we focus on them we can get jaded in our walk with Christ. We get tempted to believe the lie that holy living is pointless. But that’s not true.
Holiness hurts — our flesh at least. It costs us to live for heaven when everyone around us seems to be living for themselves. But God sees you, and He sees them. The day will come when His justice flashes forth.
Until then, fix your eyes on Him, and do something specific to take it up a notch to honor Him. For followers of Christ “holiness” shouldn’t be a dirty word .
Making it from Scratch Monday
I have never done the themed days/memes because...well, none of them ever appealed to me. But I found this one from the Humble Wife, and it is so me, so I copied it! I'm going to try the date-setting feature the Berean Wife told me about, so if you are reading this on Saturday, I did it wrong!
My first will be something fitting from the weekend- breakfast smoothies! They sell pouches that you can use to make a smoothie, but they are just sugar and poisonous artifical flavors (plus, they cost too much). If you have very sensitive teeth like me, use water instead of ice.
Breakfast Smoothie
1 cup milk (depending on who you are in this house, that can be regular, goat, or Lactaid!)
1 cup ice cubes (or 1/2 cup water)
1 cup fruit (I like to mix strawberries and bananas)
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp flax seed
Blend together until smooth. Yum! These are low calorie but still have good stuff in them.
Modified Smoothie (for those with eating disorders), the point being to get as many liquid calories into the child as possible. Liquid calories are absorbed faster and are less likely to be regurgitated later. Sorry for the eeeww factor on that, but you never know when someone else might need the info.
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
2 tbsp coconut oil or coconut milk
2 raw eggs
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp cocoa powder
Blend until smooth. This is also good for anyone recovering from a major injury/illness. I got the idea when my dad was in the burn unit in 2003. They said his body needed extra calories to heal, so they would blend Ensure with peanut butter several times a day for him. The fats are also good for skin replacement, which he was facing. With our daughter, the same was true- she needed the most calories/fats in the most readily absorable presentation, and coconut is very soothing and healing to the stomach and throat, which are damaged by bulemia.
My first will be something fitting from the weekend- breakfast smoothies! They sell pouches that you can use to make a smoothie, but they are just sugar and poisonous artifical flavors (plus, they cost too much). If you have very sensitive teeth like me, use water instead of ice.
Breakfast Smoothie
1 cup milk (depending on who you are in this house, that can be regular, goat, or Lactaid!)
1 cup ice cubes (or 1/2 cup water)
1 cup fruit (I like to mix strawberries and bananas)
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp flax seed
Blend together until smooth. Yum! These are low calorie but still have good stuff in them.
Modified Smoothie (for those with eating disorders), the point being to get as many liquid calories into the child as possible. Liquid calories are absorbed faster and are less likely to be regurgitated later. Sorry for the eeeww factor on that, but you never know when someone else might need the info.
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
2 tbsp coconut oil or coconut milk
2 raw eggs
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp cocoa powder
Blend until smooth. This is also good for anyone recovering from a major injury/illness. I got the idea when my dad was in the burn unit in 2003. They said his body needed extra calories to heal, so they would blend Ensure with peanut butter several times a day for him. The fats are also good for skin replacement, which he was facing. With our daughter, the same was true- she needed the most calories/fats in the most readily absorable presentation, and coconut is very soothing and healing to the stomach and throat, which are damaged by bulemia.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Making a Difference
UPDATED: Pictures included. We are also STILL getting comments from people, and when we picked up a paper today (the one nobody reads) they had the parade results and third place float goes to "The Rotary Club introducing the Family of the Year (and our name)". Apparently those bubbles were so unique they were worthy of an award, because other than a few bales of straw and four flags, the only other thing on that float was us.
We’re home from a long but wonderful weekend. I don’t usually boast about my family because the Word says to let others boast for you and to only brag about the salvation you have attained, but what happened was a great witness to the joy that comes from following Yeshua.
I’ll have to start by saying that we were named the area Rotary Family of the Year in February. It is a great honor and it was such a blessing as we received a generous cash award. They used to plan a trip for the winning family, but it’s probably a good thing they stopped doing that, because can you image them trying to set up a vacation for a family of 9!?!? It would break the bank! Anyway, we were able to be a great witness because we wore our homeschooling shirts, and we were on the front page of the paper in them! It was also a good promo for foster/adopting families since that was mentioned in the article about us inside. We were also the only family there with more than 3 children, so it was a witness to the joy of large families. And we of course gave the glory to Yahweh for our family, so people had an idea why we were so happy and able to handle so many special needs kids.
Then in April, before any of us knew we were going to be in the festival parade, I wrote a letter to the editor of the paper about something that really drives me crazy. The easiest thing would be to reprint it here for you:
Dear Editor,
With spring finally and officially here, our thoughts turn to the activities of warmer weather, including the many holidays and the parades that accompany them. I wish to offer for consideration an alternative, though, to throwing candy for children.
Each year, children are killed when they are struck by parade vehicles while trying to retrieve candy that was not thrown far enough away from the parade path. With the cars and floats moving slower than normal, children have a false sense of safety in judging their ability to get in and out fast enough. It would be better to have parade participants walking along the edges of the road handing items to people. For those seeking election to an office or support for or an issue, this has the added bonus of being face-to-face with the parents of the children, who are the ones capable of delivering the desired outcome anyway!
But going even beyond the safety of throwing items as opposed to handing them out, perhaps even better would be to eliminate candy altogether. Our country is seeing an epidemic of childhood obesity. It is our responsibility to set an example for our children. What about pencils with a logo or emblem printed on them? The children would be able to use the pencils for schoolwork, bringing to mind repeatedly the respected public official or local entrepreneur who gave them the gift. Even less expensive are bulk character pencils or stickers.
By eliminating the candy, we are showing children that their health and safety are doubly important to us and that we value them immensely.
Sincerely,
Amy _____________
Now the fire chief had ‘outlawed’ candy throwing a long time ago for similar reasons. My brother, who is new to the department, was lamenting that discovery to me when we went out to dnner for Mother's Day, and I told him about my letter in the paper (which none of my family had read). But as far as there being a general town rule about candy, it's always been kind of a ‘do your own thing’. I didn’t have grand delusions of changing the whole thing in one year with a single letter to the editor, but was hoping at the very least to get some people to just understand. I have had arguments with complete strangers on the sidewalk of a parade because I would neither let my kids go get it or accept it from adults who would go get it. If you have read any of my foster/adopt entries, you know we have a problem with candy on a whole different level, anyway. But even just in general, I find it annoying. It detracts form the actual floats and entries, it leaves a trail of broken/smashed/melted goo when items are not thrown clear and get run over/rained on, and it is teaching kids to eat off the ground if we’re honest.
I remember the Memorial Day parade when I was young and how reverent everything was. There was always a Colour Guard and veterans from all the local posts as well as the High School Band playing patriotic songs and usually the town officials and public servants in fire trucks, ambulances, cars, etc. Today the Memorial Day parade includes boys on a float shooting the spectators with water guns and cheerleaders dong a virtual striptease to “Jump, Shake your Bootie”. While the festival parades are different, I have just lost interest in parades in general because it is all about candy and silliness. No one pays any attention to the detail and artistry of the floats. No one sees the routines that baton corps put HOURS into creating, learning, and perfecting (I was in one so I know).
So when the Rotary president called us a few weeks ago and asked us to be in the parade, I was less than excited. My first worry was that they would either ask us to throw candy (making me a hypocrite) or the driver of our float would be throwing candy with me in the back silently protesting. I was also concerned because I remembered the line-up and wait for my majorette/band/cheerleader/softball days and wondered how the little kids would handle it. But my dear friend Robin reminded me that Yahweh can use anything for His glory and that we were chosen as Family of the Year for a reason. I also repented of my sour attitude in light of what a nice honor we had been given and decided to make it a moment of joy.
So I started to formulate a plan in my head. Since we are farmers, and our adoption picture was the old-time clothes, we wore those for the parade. We were on a flat-rack sitting on bales of straw, so it was a perfect setting. We bought some medium-sized flags and put them in the bales so they stood upright. And then I bought bubble wands from Wal-Mart. Not the tiny little bottles of bubbles- the BIG wands that make lots of good-sized, sturdy bubbles. We would blow bubbles rather than throw candy. When we got to the parade line-up, the rotary president had a giant basket of candy waiting. I remebered thinking, "Doesn't anyone in this town read the paper?" My stomach started to hurt, but Gary asked him if we could decline, explaining why we were against it and that we had bubbles instead. He said OK, though he looked very skeptical. And the driver did not want to throw candy, so we were a sugar-free float!!!!! An answer to prayer.
As soon as we started down the road, I could see this was a good idea. The bubbles were large enough to float out to the people on the sidewalk, and with 9 of us blowing, there were so many (not an overwhelming amount) to make it almost surreal. It was awesome! Kids really liked trying to catch them. Many, many adults yelled to us, “That was a great idea”. The way the wind was blowing the bubbles would often go before us. People would see them and ask “Where are those coming from?” and then we would arrive blowing more. I honestly lost count of the number of compliments we got about those bubbles. People in the parade turned around to tell us they loved them. People in the store right after recognized us and said it was a wonderful idea.
So instead of just ‘complaining’ about sugar, we showed one VERY popular alternative to it. We were last in the parade (besides the horses) and kids with bags full of candy were dropping them to catch bubbles. Only one kid started into the road toward us, but he was little and his mom grabbed a hold of him. We also saw people walking NEXT to their floats with baskets of candy, stickers, pencils, etc. and handing them out. We made a difference. We didn't reach everyone (obviously as those close to us hadn't a clue!). It wasn’t blatantly spiritual, which is of course our fist goal, but it was secondarily because it demonstrated that we love kids and people in general and desire their best interests. Our large, mixed, happy family showed that Yahweh can make something amazing out of ANY situation if you let him. When we got to where the parade ended, the rotary president came over and said he just couldn’t believe what a great idea those bubbles were. He could hear people talking about them all over.
Incidentally, last week in the next town over, there was a festival and a parade. In what I have come to see as an increasing occurrence, float #1 threw out candy, though some of it fell in the parade path. Float #2, which had kids sitting on the edge all the way around, stopped because a kid ran out in the road to get the candy. Float #3 didn’t stop in time and hit the float before it, crushing one little boy’s legs. I’m certainly not telling this story to prove my point- who wants to be right in that kind of situation? But it opened some eyes as to the argument we presented and showed clearly that Yahweh and his people want the best for everyone. And if bubbles are the avenue that opened the door to the gospel because people wanted to know why we are so different..... Here Am I, Send Me! How dare I have grumbled about a chance to glorify Adonai?
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." Colossians 3:17
We’re home from a long but wonderful weekend. I don’t usually boast about my family because the Word says to let others boast for you and to only brag about the salvation you have attained, but what happened was a great witness to the joy that comes from following Yeshua.
I’ll have to start by saying that we were named the area Rotary Family of the Year in February. It is a great honor and it was such a blessing as we received a generous cash award. They used to plan a trip for the winning family, but it’s probably a good thing they stopped doing that, because can you image them trying to set up a vacation for a family of 9!?!? It would break the bank! Anyway, we were able to be a great witness because we wore our homeschooling shirts, and we were on the front page of the paper in them! It was also a good promo for foster/adopting families since that was mentioned in the article about us inside. We were also the only family there with more than 3 children, so it was a witness to the joy of large families. And we of course gave the glory to Yahweh for our family, so people had an idea why we were so happy and able to handle so many special needs kids.
Then in April, before any of us knew we were going to be in the festival parade, I wrote a letter to the editor of the paper about something that really drives me crazy. The easiest thing would be to reprint it here for you:
Dear Editor,
With spring finally and officially here, our thoughts turn to the activities of warmer weather, including the many holidays and the parades that accompany them. I wish to offer for consideration an alternative, though, to throwing candy for children.
Each year, children are killed when they are struck by parade vehicles while trying to retrieve candy that was not thrown far enough away from the parade path. With the cars and floats moving slower than normal, children have a false sense of safety in judging their ability to get in and out fast enough. It would be better to have parade participants walking along the edges of the road handing items to people. For those seeking election to an office or support for or an issue, this has the added bonus of being face-to-face with the parents of the children, who are the ones capable of delivering the desired outcome anyway!
But going even beyond the safety of throwing items as opposed to handing them out, perhaps even better would be to eliminate candy altogether. Our country is seeing an epidemic of childhood obesity. It is our responsibility to set an example for our children. What about pencils with a logo or emblem printed on them? The children would be able to use the pencils for schoolwork, bringing to mind repeatedly the respected public official or local entrepreneur who gave them the gift. Even less expensive are bulk character pencils or stickers.
By eliminating the candy, we are showing children that their health and safety are doubly important to us and that we value them immensely.
Sincerely,
Amy _____________
Now the fire chief had ‘outlawed’ candy throwing a long time ago for similar reasons. My brother, who is new to the department, was lamenting that discovery to me when we went out to dnner for Mother's Day, and I told him about my letter in the paper (which none of my family had read). But as far as there being a general town rule about candy, it's always been kind of a ‘do your own thing’. I didn’t have grand delusions of changing the whole thing in one year with a single letter to the editor, but was hoping at the very least to get some people to just understand. I have had arguments with complete strangers on the sidewalk of a parade because I would neither let my kids go get it or accept it from adults who would go get it. If you have read any of my foster/adopt entries, you know we have a problem with candy on a whole different level, anyway. But even just in general, I find it annoying. It detracts form the actual floats and entries, it leaves a trail of broken/smashed/melted goo when items are not thrown clear and get run over/rained on, and it is teaching kids to eat off the ground if we’re honest.
I remember the Memorial Day parade when I was young and how reverent everything was. There was always a Colour Guard and veterans from all the local posts as well as the High School Band playing patriotic songs and usually the town officials and public servants in fire trucks, ambulances, cars, etc. Today the Memorial Day parade includes boys on a float shooting the spectators with water guns and cheerleaders dong a virtual striptease to “Jump, Shake your Bootie”. While the festival parades are different, I have just lost interest in parades in general because it is all about candy and silliness. No one pays any attention to the detail and artistry of the floats. No one sees the routines that baton corps put HOURS into creating, learning, and perfecting (I was in one so I know).
So when the Rotary president called us a few weeks ago and asked us to be in the parade, I was less than excited. My first worry was that they would either ask us to throw candy (making me a hypocrite) or the driver of our float would be throwing candy with me in the back silently protesting. I was also concerned because I remembered the line-up and wait for my majorette/band/cheerleader/softball days and wondered how the little kids would handle it. But my dear friend Robin reminded me that Yahweh can use anything for His glory and that we were chosen as Family of the Year for a reason. I also repented of my sour attitude in light of what a nice honor we had been given and decided to make it a moment of joy.
So I started to formulate a plan in my head. Since we are farmers, and our adoption picture was the old-time clothes, we wore those for the parade. We were on a flat-rack sitting on bales of straw, so it was a perfect setting. We bought some medium-sized flags and put them in the bales so they stood upright. And then I bought bubble wands from Wal-Mart. Not the tiny little bottles of bubbles- the BIG wands that make lots of good-sized, sturdy bubbles. We would blow bubbles rather than throw candy. When we got to the parade line-up, the rotary president had a giant basket of candy waiting. I remebered thinking, "Doesn't anyone in this town read the paper?" My stomach started to hurt, but Gary asked him if we could decline, explaining why we were against it and that we had bubbles instead. He said OK, though he looked very skeptical. And the driver did not want to throw candy, so we were a sugar-free float!!!!! An answer to prayer.
As soon as we started down the road, I could see this was a good idea. The bubbles were large enough to float out to the people on the sidewalk, and with 9 of us blowing, there were so many (not an overwhelming amount) to make it almost surreal. It was awesome! Kids really liked trying to catch them. Many, many adults yelled to us, “That was a great idea”. The way the wind was blowing the bubbles would often go before us. People would see them and ask “Where are those coming from?” and then we would arrive blowing more. I honestly lost count of the number of compliments we got about those bubbles. People in the parade turned around to tell us they loved them. People in the store right after recognized us and said it was a wonderful idea.
So instead of just ‘complaining’ about sugar, we showed one VERY popular alternative to it. We were last in the parade (besides the horses) and kids with bags full of candy were dropping them to catch bubbles. Only one kid started into the road toward us, but he was little and his mom grabbed a hold of him. We also saw people walking NEXT to their floats with baskets of candy, stickers, pencils, etc. and handing them out. We made a difference. We didn't reach everyone (obviously as those close to us hadn't a clue!). It wasn’t blatantly spiritual, which is of course our fist goal, but it was secondarily because it demonstrated that we love kids and people in general and desire their best interests. Our large, mixed, happy family showed that Yahweh can make something amazing out of ANY situation if you let him. When we got to where the parade ended, the rotary president came over and said he just couldn’t believe what a great idea those bubbles were. He could hear people talking about them all over.
Incidentally, last week in the next town over, there was a festival and a parade. In what I have come to see as an increasing occurrence, float #1 threw out candy, though some of it fell in the parade path. Float #2, which had kids sitting on the edge all the way around, stopped because a kid ran out in the road to get the candy. Float #3 didn’t stop in time and hit the float before it, crushing one little boy’s legs. I’m certainly not telling this story to prove my point- who wants to be right in that kind of situation? But it opened some eyes as to the argument we presented and showed clearly that Yahweh and his people want the best for everyone. And if bubbles are the avenue that opened the door to the gospel because people wanted to know why we are so different..... Here Am I, Send Me! How dare I have grumbled about a chance to glorify Adonai?
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." Colossians 3:17
Friday, July 4, 2008
Free Indeed
Freedom does not mean the absence of obligation. Freedom is when we chose to whom or what we will make ourselves a servant. I gladly accept the bondage of my marriage covenant, motherhood, and betrothal to Yeshua HaMashiach and praise Adonai for the life of choice I have in this country.
"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." Romans 6:15-22
"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." Romans 6:15-22
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Adonai Elohim-Tzva'ot
As I discussed last year, I have come to almost hate the term 'G-d' because it can be so ambiguous. What I mean when I say that word is TOTALLY different than someone who is referring to their chosen Deity who is female. Or the guy who uses it as a four letter word. Or someone who believes God is in everything and everybody. I have found, instead, that the names He gave himself are so much more personal. And not only do the Hebrew names immediately specify which God you mean, but they are so beautiful and descriptive. As I have been reading through Isaiah this week, I have found myself crying. I know I say that I am not a weepy woman, but this year has been wetter than any I can remember.
To be honest, I had prayed for a change of heart, to make studying the Word pleasurable for me and not rote or compulsory. And this year I have felt that prayer answered beyond measure. I have been reading the Complete Jewish Bible every day, as that is the version I wanted to finish this year. The appeal to me is that it is translated by someone who speaks Hebrew and also lives and understand the customs and the meanings of the parables and the phrases. I also love that it uses the Hebrew names for people and places. The more I study and learn the more a part of me it becomes. I wanted to share some of those names and their meanings.
Abba- Father
Adon kol-ha'arets- the Lord of all the earth
Adonai- my Lord
Adonai Cether- the Lord my hiding place
Adonai Elohim- the Lord God
Adonai Elohim-Tzva'ot- the Lord God of Hosts
Adonai Nissi- the Lord my Banner/Miracle
Adonai-Shalom- the Lord of Peace
Adonai Shamah- the Lord is there
Adonai Tsuvah- the Lord of my salvation
Adonai Tzidkenu- the Lord our Righteousness
Adonai Yir'eh- the Lord will see to it
El Aman- faithful God
El-Berith- God of the covenant
El-Elyon- Most High
Eloheinu- our God
El Shaddai- God almighty
Hakkadosh- the Holy One
HaM'vorakh- the Blessed One
Jehovah- self-existing Lord
Jehovah-Jireh- the Lord will provide
Jehovah-Raphe- the Lord who heals
K'dosh Yisrael- the Holy One of Israel
Mashiach- anointed One (Messiah)
Rabbani- my Great One
Ruach HaKodesh- the Holy Spirit
Shaddai- the Almighty
To be honest, I had prayed for a change of heart, to make studying the Word pleasurable for me and not rote or compulsory. And this year I have felt that prayer answered beyond measure. I have been reading the Complete Jewish Bible every day, as that is the version I wanted to finish this year. The appeal to me is that it is translated by someone who speaks Hebrew and also lives and understand the customs and the meanings of the parables and the phrases. I also love that it uses the Hebrew names for people and places. The more I study and learn the more a part of me it becomes. I wanted to share some of those names and their meanings.
Abba- Father
Adon kol-ha'arets- the Lord of all the earth
Adonai- my Lord
Adonai Cether- the Lord my hiding place
Adonai Elohim- the Lord God
Adonai Elohim-Tzva'ot- the Lord God of Hosts
Adonai Nissi- the Lord my Banner/Miracle
Adonai-Shalom- the Lord of Peace
Adonai Shamah- the Lord is there
Adonai Tsuvah- the Lord of my salvation
Adonai Tzidkenu- the Lord our Righteousness
Adonai Yir'eh- the Lord will see to it
El Aman- faithful God
El-Berith- God of the covenant
El-Elyon- Most High
Eloheinu- our God
El Shaddai- God almighty
Hakkadosh- the Holy One
HaM'vorakh- the Blessed One
Jehovah- self-existing Lord
Jehovah-Jireh- the Lord will provide
Jehovah-Raphe- the Lord who heals
K'dosh Yisrael- the Holy One of Israel
Mashiach- anointed One (Messiah)
Rabbani- my Great One
Ruach HaKodesh- the Holy Spirit
Shaddai- the Almighty
Another Step!
Jews Inch Towards Their Temple
by Stan Goodenough
July 02, 2008
Another step on the long road towards the restoration of Temple Worship in Jerusalem was reportedly taken Monday with the opening of a new workshop in which robes will be manufactured for practicing priests.
According to a report in The Jerusalem Post Wednesday, a number of Kohanim, (Jews in the Cohen family line who trace their ancestry back to Aaron, the first High Priest) have already had measurements taken for the biblically-described vestments.
One of them is the well-known chief rabbi of Efrat Shlomo Riskin.
For the new garments, special flaxen thread is being imported from India, and worms from which just the right color crimson dye is obtained are being brought in from Istanbul, according to the report.
The new workshop was inaugurated by the Temple Institute which is situated in Jerusalem's old City, just a stone's throw from the Temple Mount - the site of the first and second temples and the place where, according to the Bible, the Third Temple will be built to welcome the Messiah.
Over the years the institute has worked to create - in strict accordance with the biblical pattern - many of the implements required for Temple worship, including the golden seven-branched Menorah, the Table for the Show Bread, and the Breast-Plate, Crown and Robe for the High Priest.
Fully one-third of all the commandments handed down to the Jews through Moses cannot be kept without a functioning Temple, said the Post.
Many Jews (and a growing number of Christians) believe that just as God is keeping His millennia-old promise to reconstitute the scattered people of Israel in their ancient homeland, He will follow through on His pledge to restore the Temple they have been without since Rome razed it to the ground nearly 2000 years ago.
This divine design will not be thwarted despite the fact that Islamic control extends over the Temple Mount to this day, and while Muslims the world over threaten violence and mayhem if the Jews try to build on the site.
by Stan Goodenough
July 02, 2008
Another step on the long road towards the restoration of Temple Worship in Jerusalem was reportedly taken Monday with the opening of a new workshop in which robes will be manufactured for practicing priests.
According to a report in The Jerusalem Post Wednesday, a number of Kohanim, (Jews in the Cohen family line who trace their ancestry back to Aaron, the first High Priest) have already had measurements taken for the biblically-described vestments.
One of them is the well-known chief rabbi of Efrat Shlomo Riskin.
For the new garments, special flaxen thread is being imported from India, and worms from which just the right color crimson dye is obtained are being brought in from Istanbul, according to the report.
The new workshop was inaugurated by the Temple Institute which is situated in Jerusalem's old City, just a stone's throw from the Temple Mount - the site of the first and second temples and the place where, according to the Bible, the Third Temple will be built to welcome the Messiah.
Over the years the institute has worked to create - in strict accordance with the biblical pattern - many of the implements required for Temple worship, including the golden seven-branched Menorah, the Table for the Show Bread, and the Breast-Plate, Crown and Robe for the High Priest.
Fully one-third of all the commandments handed down to the Jews through Moses cannot be kept without a functioning Temple, said the Post.
Many Jews (and a growing number of Christians) believe that just as God is keeping His millennia-old promise to reconstitute the scattered people of Israel in their ancient homeland, He will follow through on His pledge to restore the Temple they have been without since Rome razed it to the ground nearly 2000 years ago.
This divine design will not be thwarted despite the fact that Islamic control extends over the Temple Mount to this day, and while Muslims the world over threaten violence and mayhem if the Jews try to build on the site.
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