I have a good combination that I always like to use that I wanted to share with you all:

Chicken/Beef Stirfry

Sauce:

1.5 cups olive oil

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

4-5 minced fresh garlic cloves

2 tsp ground ginger

3 tbsp.  ses. seeds

Vegetables:

1 cup sliced celery, slice down the rib and slice in half

1 cup julienned carrots

1 cup sliced red or white onion

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1 cup green beans, washed and ends cut off

1/2 cup peas, drained

4-5 chicken breasts

Fruit:

1 can pineapple chunks

(Optional) 1 can mandarin oranges

Cook chicken breasts in 1 tbsp of olive oil for about 6-10 minutes until cooked through and browned on the outside.  Add green beans, onions, carrots, broccoli, and any other vegetables you wish.  Mix together.  Mix sauce and pour over the vegetables and chicken after the chicken is cooked.  Make some rice in the pressure cooker, in a pot, or in your rice cooker and enjoy this yummy stir fry piled atop a mountain of steaming rice.

His words resound through my ears over and over and over. “You are a fool. You are a fool. You are a fool.” I was utterly convicted and guilt ridden. But that wasn’t enough. True repentance is not just a feeling of guilt and conviction but an act. We must act on repentance. We must or we will be destroyed. The ultimate Pharisee is the fake Christian who says one thing and does the exact opposite.

I’m always telling myself that I need to redeem the time for the days are evil. I need to make use of every precious second, minute, hour, day, month, year, and years of my life. But I don’t usually seem to want to follow up. “I get distracted.” is my poor excuse. I like to go off on bunny trails and then I just can’t seem to remember what I was doing the second before.

Yesterday, my father, leader, and pastor did a powerful exhortation on using our time wisely, expressly on the computer and even more expressly on the internet. The internet is such a huge waste of time for me. Sometimes, I think to myself that I would be better off with not having any internet at all. But the things is, would I ever learn to use it wisely? Would I learn to make good use of my time on the internet and to desist from using it when I don’t need it? Would I learn self-control and discernment? I need to follow the example of my mother and father who have the self control to use it only when needed and refrain until that time.

My father particularly emphasized spending time watching dumb movies on YouTube, which I have done, mindlessly looking through streams and streams of blogs, checking your email every 20 minutes, and doing other things that you like to do to fill in empty space on the internet, but are not necessarily needful. He emphatically said that if you do these things, you are a fool. I felt like he was looking straight at me, and I knew that I’ve made halfway commitments to use the internet properly and wisely, but I haven’t really lived up to them.

I want to be wise when I use the internet. I want to have self-control, and I pray as I walk the road to repentance and using this dangerous tool for good, that God would help me and instruct me along the way. The internet is so corrupted. Evil men use it to their own evil purposes and ends, and many children are especially drawn in by it. They are drawn into spending 4 hours+ on their Facebook account or spending endless hours chatting their friends while they try to get something done. (Don’t worry. I’m doing somewhat of a description of myself here.) But we must overcome this, or the world will destroy us with its many wiles and temptations.

We must overcome the desire to be apathetic in our fight for God’s kingdom. We can not truly take dominion and conquer our sins and the wiles of the devil when we sit around, comfortably “surfing” the internet on the living room couch. We must put aside our laptops and go out to study God’s Word, encourage people, sharpen others, and destroy our flesh. Will you join me brothers and sisters in this fight for the kingdom? I am in it to the end as the Lord continues to make my hand wield the sword of the Spirit.

The Power of Friendship

In the past few weeks since a very thought provoking sermon my father gave a couple of Sundays ago on the power of friendship, specifically the powerful story of the friendship between Jonathan and David. This story is such a precious story of dedication, sacrifice, brotherly love, and kindness. It is a powerful story of how friendship can affect one’s life and shows just how much it affected David and Jonathan in the ultimate sacrifice they made for each other, Jonathan saving David from imminent death at the hands of King Saul. But this sermon provoked thought in that I began asking myself many questions.

The first question that I asked myself was, “Would you sacrifice your life for your friend?” I wondered if my friendships in the church and with those Christian friends around me were precious enough for me to be willing to give up my life freely and without question for these dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Have I shed enough tears on their account? Am I willing to sacrifice my own interests for theirs? Our life was given to us at the first day of the world when God ordained that we would be born into the world. It is a precious gift and giving it up for others is the ultimate sacrifice. I tell myself, “Why would I die for him or her?” I don’t want to die now. I want to live life to the fullest. But if you do make that sacrifice and give up your life, whether it be in a physical way or spiritual way, the Lord will reward you for wanting to give up of yoursel.

The second question that I asked was, “What makes a true friend for life?” Is it friends who give gifts to each other every 3^rd weekend or a tiny little card saying, “Thnak you for being my friend” or is it the old men sitting on the porch, reminiscing over the many hardships they have endured together since their childhood and they still remain friends. They have born through the hard times and have enjoyed the good times together. Even when someone gossips about “Jo” they take it with a grain of salt. They don’t go to wrong assumptions but instead, they think of and remember that person in love.

Do you wonder? Who are my friends? Are they just superficial friendships or do we really get into the deep issues of life and discuss them lovingly with grace towards each other? Would you cry if you would hear that they were deathly ill or had been seriously injured in a car accident? Or would you just brush it off and forget about it? If you would then you are not a true friend. A friend will give up his life for his brother in Christ and selflessly love Him in spite of his faux pas and imperfections.

So my resolution this year is to work on my friendships. I don’t want them to be fluffy cotton candy but dense chocolate cake. I don’t want them to be friendships that I forget about after I get married. I want them to be friendships that last till my final breath on my death bed. Over the next year I will learn what it truly means to sacrifice for my friends and that does not mean giving them a piece of my gum or sharing my chips with them. IT goes far deeper than that. It means sacrificing your opinion on something or graciously conceding to them when you know you are wrong. It means that I am willing to say I’m sorry and to forgive them 7×70000000 times for their sins. A friendship will no longer be a superficial thing but a deep meaning that I keep stored in the depths of my heart till the day of life. I will always, as long as I live, strive to sacrifice my interests and my life for my friends because I love them, and am trying to imitate the powerful examples of Jesus and his disciples and David and Jonathan.

Place desired amount of eggs in small pan of cold water.  Bring water to boil and boil eggs for 15 minutes.  Take them out and pour out hot water.  Rinse eggs with cold water and slice lengthwise in half.  Scoop out cooked egg yolks and mix with mayonnaise and relish.  Refill egg halves and sprinkle with paprika.

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Ants on a Log:  These treats are great for children.  They are both fun and easy to make.

Ingredients:

3 celery sticks

peanut butter

craisins or raisins

Cut celery sticks into 3-4 sections each and fill each with peanut butter.  Then top with craisins or raisins.  Place on plate for children to enjoy

Dips:

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip:

Serve this hot with crackers like whole wheat thins or triscuits.

1 1/2 c. artichoke hearts

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/2 c. sour cream

5 oz. frozen spinach (drained and chopped)

3/4 c. Parmesan cheese

3/4 c. mozzarella cheese

1 tsp. roasted garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients together until thoroughly blended.  Bake for 22 minutes at 375 degrees or until slightly brown.  Garnish with chopped tomatoes, parsley, and additional parmesan cheese (optional)  Serve with panetini or other crackers.

Tomato Salsa:

Serve this chilled with tortilla chips.

10 roma tomatoes, diced

1 white onion, diced

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, diced

1 bunch cilantro, chopped fine

1 tbsp. salt

3 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. garlic powder (fresh garlic is preferred)

1 tbsp. lemon juice

Mix all ingredients, gently in a large non-metallic bowl.  Adjust salt, garlic, lemon juice to personal taste.  Let set 1-2 hours before eating.  You can also put all ingredients in blender for 2-3 minutes.

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Seven Layer Bean Dip:

Refried Beans

guacamole

salsa

sour cream

cheese

tomatoes (& lettuce)

black olives

Layer in order.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Sweet Breads/Muffins:

Chocolate Banana Bread

½ cup butter, softened 1 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups (3) ripe bananas 2 eggs

2 cups all purpose or wheat flour

½ tsp. salt/ ½ tsp. baking powder/ ¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp vanilla/ ¾ c. chopped nuts/ ¾ c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins or cake pans. Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add mashed bananas and vanilla. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; stir jut until mixed. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes til golden brown. For dark pans bake on the top shelf at 325 for 20-25 minutes. Make 18 muffins. For a 13×9 cake pan bake on the top shelf at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. This is what I use.

Cream/Chiffon/Fruit Pies:

Lime Chiffon Dessert

1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers (about 24 squares)

1/3 cup sugar

½ cup butter or margarine, melted

FILLING:

1 package (3 ounces) lime gelatin

1 cup boiling water

2 packages (one 8 ounces, one 3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Combine the first three ingredients; set aside 2 tablespoons for topping. Press remaining crumbs onto the bottom of an ungreased 13-inch x 9-in x 2-in baking dish; set aside. In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water; cool. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar. Add vanilla; mix well. Slowly add gelatin until combined. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. Yield: 12 – 15 servings.

Strawberry/Blueberry Pie:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees farenheit.

Ingredients:

pate brisee for 2 round cursts

2 tbsp. flour

4 c. blueberries - rinsed

2 c. strawberries - roughly chopped

2 tbsp. cornstarch

3/4 c. sugar& some for spirnkling

2 tsp. vanilla

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

The dough should be in a ball in wax paper for 1 hour in the fridge.  On lightly floured surface roll out half the dough, 1/8″ thick to fit a 9 inch pie pan.  Chill the shell while assembling the filling.  In a large bowl, combine fruit, sugar, flour, cornstarch, lemon zest, and spices.  Stir until combined.  Remove pie shell form fridge and pour in filling.  Roll out other dough ball.  Cut into strips and make lattice over pie.  Crimp edges and sprinkle sugar on lattice.  Bake for 20 minutes then reduce to 375 for 40 minutes.

Bars/Brownies:

Blonde Brownies

These blond beauties are beautiful to look at and delicious to eat!

Ingredients:

1 c. butter

2 2/3 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

4 eggs

3 cups flour

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 c. chocolate chips

Instruction:

Soften Butter. Mix butter, brown sugar, and eggs. Add vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on medium. Add chocolate chips till mixed in. Spread in 9×11 pan. Bake at 375 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Lemon Bars:

From: Heidi Roach

Ingredients:

1 c. flour

1/4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. butter, cold      1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs         2 tbsp. flour

3/4 c. sugar        3 tbsp. lemon juice

Instructions:  Sift together flour and powdered sugar.  Cut in butter till mixture clings together.  Pat into ungreased 9×9 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  In mixing bowl beat eggs - add sugar and lemon juice.  Beat until slightly thick&smooth (8-10 minutes)  Stir together 2 tbsp. flour and baking powder.  Add to egg mixture.  Blend just until moistened.  Pour over baked layer.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Sprinkle powdered sugar over top.  Cool and cut into squares.

Sandwich Cookies/Regular Cookies:

Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies

These dark cookies are very easy to make and the result is satisfying.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. white flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/3 c. Hersheys cocoa

1 c. oil

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. water

2 eggs

2 c. chocolate chips

Beat oil, sugars, and vanilla together. Add eggs. Combine. Add in all dry ingredients. Add water, then chocolate chips. Spoon cookies onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Fruit/Chocolate Cakes:

Cinnamon Apple Cake:

From the kitchen of: Heidi Roach

1 3/4 c. sugar, divided         1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 cup butter        1 tsp. vanilla

6 oz. cream cheese   2 eggs

1 1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

3 c. chopped, peeled apples (about 2 large)

Beat 1 1/2 c. sugar, melted butter, vanilla, & cream cheese until well blended.  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Beat on low speed until blended.  Combine 1/4 c. sugar&cinnamon then add to batter.  Pour into greased bundt cake pan.  Sprinkle remaining sugar on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr., 15 minutes or until cake pulls away from side of pan.  Cool cake on wire rack - cut using serrated knife.  Yield: 12 servings.

Rhubarb Pudding Cake:

1 c. sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp. butter

2 c. flour

1 c. buttermilk or 1 tbsp. vinegar added to 1 c. milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda         1 tsp. baking powder

1 c. diced rhubarb

Topping: 2 tbsp. butter, melted, 1/2 c. white sugar

Vanilla Sauce - 3/4 c. sugar, 1/2 c. butter, 1 can evaporated milk,

1 tsp. vanilla

Blend sugar, egg, and butter.  Beat in buttermilk until smooth.  In other bowl, stir dry ingredients.  Add to wet ingredients.  Stir in rhubarb.  Pour into 9×9 baking pan.  Sprinkle topping on batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Then mix sauce in pan.  Boil for 1 minute, stirring.  Then add vanilla after removing from heat.  Pour over cake.

Chocolate Fudge Cake:

From the kitchen of: Megan and Heidi Roach

2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

12 tbsp. cocoa - divided

4 tsp. baking powder

2 1/2 c. hot water

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. milk

4 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

Serve with whipped cream, milk, etc…  Preheat oven to 350.  Combine flour, sugar, 4 tbsp. cocoa, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth.  Spread in ungreased 9×13 pan.  Combine brown sugar and remaining cocoa.  Sprinkle over batter.  Pour hot water over all and do not stir.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-50 minutes.

One of the many evils this modern world has ingrained into us is discontentment about how God has formed us. Mass media inevitably has an overwhelming influence in many girl’s lives–if you look at a magazine, just glance at the TV screen as you pass by, read the newest book with its cliche heroine, or even browse the Internet, you’re almost certainly going to learn the predominating idea of the “ideal woman.” If these standards came from the Bible and encouraged us to become like the “holy women . . . who trusted in God” (1 Pet. 3:5, KJV), great–sadly, today’s culture rather endorses the flirtatious, “[subtil-hearted]” (Pr. 7:10) girl. We’re thus constantly tempted to dislike how God has made us, since we never match that deceptive, Photoshopped picture of a girl anyway. How does the BIble teach us to see ourselves, then?

If I said that we are to love ourselves, maybe it would sound conceited. However, God does indeed want us to love how He has created us, and to do otherwise would show rebellion against his will. We need not constantly worry if we look attractive to others, since we can have confidence in our Maker, who has created us beautifully. In Matthew 22:39, our Lord commands us to “love [our] neighbour as [ourselves].” Loving ourselves means to love how God has created us–”fearfully and wonderfully” (Psa. 139:14) in His image and for His glory! Only then can we learn to properly love others. Our attitude to ourselves shouldn’t be governed by society’s standards–in one culture, skinny is called attractive, in another, larger women are praised.

Our main concern shouldn’t be how we look outwardly, but whether we have a proper relationship with God. A heart that is focused on appearances will eventually come out in all its ugliness. It’s surprising how much difference a girl’s attitude makes on her looks.

Should we then completely disregard how we looks as vain and worldly? Of course not! Too often Christian girls use the excuse that “God cares about the heart” to justify their immodesty or even their reluctance to exercise. Our clothes, style, and the way we carry ourselves all reflect our hearts. Our bodies will testify who rules our souls–this is why we try keep fit and eat healthily. If we truly love God, we will honor him outwardly as well as spirit.

Ultimately, then, we can praise God for how beautiful he has made each one of us. Let’s not abuse our bodies as the world advises–we should strive to care for the temples (1 Cor. 6:19) our loving Father has given us and manifest the quiet assurance we can have in Him.

Baking Substiutes

Healthful Cooking - I’m sure many of you girls love to cook good, healthy meals for your families, meals packed full of nutrition, not full of empty carbs and sugars. I have some simple tips to make your cooking more nutritious or if you run out of an important staple while baking or cooking.

Sugar Substitutes - Instead of using the processed beet sugar you can use rapadura (measure for measure), honey (use 1/2 the measure of the sugar called for), crushed fruit (measure for measure), or stevia. (I got this info from http://www.livrite.com/sweeten.htm)

Butter Substitutes - You can use oil although this might make it a bit denser. (measure for measure or less if it makes too dense) You can also use mashed bananas (at least 3/4 of the butter asked for) or applesauce (measure for measure). (Reference: Google)

Egg Substitutes - You can use bananas, applesauce, or tofu(You’ll have to get creative and estimate amounts needed to substitute).  However these only work in baking recipes.  You can also use the Egg-Citing Flaxseed Mixture from “From the Kitchen of Two Sisters” cookbook by Danielle and Lindsay Voeller.  Put 1/2 c. flaxseeds and 2 cups water in blender and blend till thick consistency.  A 1/4 of a cup equals 1 egg while 1 cup equals 4 eggs.  I tried using this as a substitution for eggs in macaroni and cheese and it worked wonderfully, although the flavor was a bit nuttier.  Source: vegetarian.about.com, “From The Kitchen Of Two Sisters cookbook”

Flour Substitute - You can use wheat flour, a healthier alternative, or use rice or potato flours for a gluten-free flour.

Olive oil - While cooking, instead of using other types of oil that have a lot of saturated fat, use olive oil. Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat, something that has been said to reduce the chances of coronary heart disease. It is also beneficial to the heart in several other ways.

NOTE: Never reuse polyunsaturated vegetable oils (such as canola oil, flax seed oil, soy oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, etc.), if you must use them at all. Reusing such oils has been proven to lead to numerous serious illnesses. (Reference: Google)

Cooking and Recipe Links
Cooking and Recipe Links

Saveur - Overflowing with gourmet recipes for every kind of cuisine this is the website you will want to visit when you make the special mother’s day dinner for your mom this weekend.

Taste of Home - When you’re at the end of the day and dinner still isn’t on the table, the laundry’s not done, and your toddler needs a diaper change don’t stress out. Taste of HOme has your answer. Full of easy, simple recipes to gourmet dishes you can find what you want in a matter of minutes. Go to tasteofhome.com today!

Cooks.com - Go to Cooks.com to get a recipe for a delicious healthy dessert or a scrumptious breakfast casserole. I have used several recipes from their site and have found them to be very delicious. It has all you need right there at www.cooks.com.

Few other websites - www.cdkitchen.com, www.allrecipes.com, chefnatalie.blogspot.com, www.foodnetwork.com, www.epicurious.com, www.iloveinns.com, www.joyofbaking.com, www.epicurious.com, www.recipeland.com, www.recipetrove.com, http://www.northpole.com/kitchen/Cookbook/

My Favorite Cookbooks:

America’s Test Kitchen - This is a cookbook that comes from a different aspect of cooking.  It studiesmore of the scientific aspect of why the recipe really works.  All the recipes have always worked for us and been delicious!

Taste of Home Yearly Cookbooks

By

A. Gibas

A Builder built a temple, he wrought it with grace and skill;

Pillars and groins and arches all fashioned to work his will.

Men said, as they saw its beauty, “It shall never know decay;

Great is thy skill, O Builder! Thy fame shall endure for aye.”

A mother built a temple with loving and infinite care,

Planning each arch with patience, laying each stone with prayer.

None praised her unceasing efforts, none knew of her wondrous plan,

For the temple the Mother built was unseen by the eyes of man.

Gone is the Builder’s temple, crumpled into the dust;

Low lies each stately pillar, food for consuming rust.

But the temple the Mother built will last while the ages roll,

for that beautiful unseen temple was a child’s immortal soul.

Hattie Vose Hall

For years I have loved this poem… and yet, I am not a mother. I hope one day, in the Lord’s perfect timing, to become a wife and mother and bear as many children as the Lord sees fit to bless me with. But even now I can be learning how to be the godly Mother described in the poem above. A few years ago I realized that the way I treated my siblings was one day going to be the way I treated my own children. Now that was a scary thought. Ever since I was a little girl I’ve been taught that children are a wonderful blessing, and I desired to one day be a godly mother for my children. My future husband and I would together be expected by the Lord to love them, serve them, teach them His ways and His word, win their hearts, forgive them, discipline and disciple them, home-school them, show them who Jesus is by our example, clean up after them J, teach them to work, enjoy playing with them and a thousand other things. Then it hit me, why not practice and learn those things right now with my siblings? I could learn how to be a godly mother by being a godly sister right now! I knew that I wasn’t their mother, nor would I ever be able to take the place of my mom, but I could at least be a Christ-like example for my siblings and learn how to love and care for children. I could still serve them, be patient and forgiving towards them, open up my heart to them, encourage them and build them up. I realized that they needed to become my best friends. That is what they should be, isn’t it? Just like our children some day.

My Heart ~

The Lord has blessed me beyond anything that I could possibly deserve - I shake my head in wonder every time I ponder His incredible gift of blessing me with so many brothers and sisters. I am the oldest of 10 children. I have 2 sisters (5th and 7th born) and 7 brothers. I love ALL of my sweet brothers and sisters so very much! We all would be thrilled if the Lord saw fit to bless us with another little brother or sister someday, but we are content if that is not His will and we already feel like we are full to overflowing with the blessing and joy of children in our home. Through the years I‘ve tried, and all-too-often failed, to care for my siblings the way I hope to care for my own children someday, but the Lord has been gracious in spite of my sin, and they have truly become my best friends.

Before I share with you some of the practical things that the Lord has shown me to do to build my relationships with my brothers and sisters, let me just say this. Deep down in my heart I love my siblings so very, very much. I can’t imagine loving them more, but my actions don’t always show it. I am far from perfect, and I’m still learning every single day how to love my brothers and sisters and how to serve them, and how to deepen my relationships with them. I am on this journey too, and I have by no means arrived, nor do I think I ever will. J I have been tremendously blessed to have grandparents and parents who love the Lord and are very relational people. And yet, I still have a long way to go! If you don’t believe me, just ask my siblings. J Dear sisters in Christ, we are walking this road together, and though I’m thankful to have the opportunity to share with you some of the things the Lord has taught me, I have by no means mastered the art of sisterhood! The important thing is that we keep fighting, that we run this race, and even if we fall down a few times – or a thousand times – we get back up and keep running. Every step of the way our Lord is with us, and His strength is ours if we but ask Him. Sometimes God’s assignments for us may seem huge, but His rewards, on earth and in heaven, are even bigger. Let’s run to win the trophy of His smile

The Decision ~

I remember about 10 years ago when I was nine or ten, that I decided I had HAD ENOUGH. I was sick and tired of fighting with my brothers. At that time I had 3 brothers, and my sister was only 2 years old. I wanted to be done with the anger, and resentment that arose in my heart and speech every time my will was crossed by my siblings. The Lord says in His Word that a gentle answer turns away wrath, the tongue of the righteous is as choice silver, the mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, death and life are in the power of the tongue and that the wise woman opened her mouth in wisdom and the teaching if kindness was on her tongue. (Proverbs) I wanted my words to bring life and healing to my family, but instead most of the time the words I spoke were harsh, like the thrusts of a sword. I realized that the Lord wanted me to love my siblings and speak to them the way He would speak to them, love them the way He loved them and have compassion on them the way He had compassion on me. I no longer treated them as if they were enemies, but God wanted me to go farther than that. He opened the eyes of my heart to see that they were gifts and when someone gives you a gift you treasure it. I needed to treasure my siblings and make them my BEST FRIENDS. I knew that if I wanted them to become my best friends, I would need to speak to them, spend time with them, forgive them and love them more than myself –things that were easy to do with my friends, but hard to do with my family.

There really isn’t a complete “formula” to transform your brothers and sisters into best friends. If there was a “formula” or a “list of rules” to follow, it would be too easy. The Lord wants us to work at this and sweat a little and plead with Him for help. If relationships were easy, we’d be tempted to think that we could do it on our own. But the reality is we can’t even breathe on our own. We need our heavenly Father’s strength in every area of life. Christianity is about relationships, not formulas. The struggle of building relationships draws us closer to our Father and to each-other, and that closeness is a beautiful gift.

Brothers ~

Each person is so different and unique and has varying needs and desires. For example, boys are different than girls. For those of you who haven’t noticed, boys are very, very, very different than girls. J I love my brothers and wouldn’t trade them for a thousand girls… and I love my sisters and wouldn’t trade them for a thousand boys. God created us male and female for a purpose and it is good. Men’s and women’s roles are not identical, but they are equal in importance, and the Lord loves each of His children so very much. I have been deeply thankful for my brothers and the opportunity that the Lord has given me to learn how to relate to men. I hope that one day the Lord blesses me with many sons. This world needs more godly men! I have watched as my brothers have grown from little boys into men, and I soon realized that when they turned about 11 or 12, they needed me to not only be their friend, but they also craved respect. At that age they are starting to become men, and any encouragement and honor that we as sisters can give our brothers blesses them. At times they don’t act like men, but I know the Lord still wants us to honor them, just like they still need to love us girls even when we aren’t being so loveable. Really, it’s great practice for being a wife someday; the way we serve and honor our brothers and fathers now, is the way that we will one day treat our husbands.

Sisters ~

My sisters don’t need respect, so much as they need love. They just want to be with me, and work with me. They try and mimic most everything I do – my words, my tones, my actions - and it scares me! There is so much sin in me that I don’t want them to copy, and yet in many ways it’s a good reminder that any sin that I commit doesn’t just affect me. My sin hurts my sisters and is a bad example for them, and in the long run, it will hurt my descendants and their descendants. It is so important for me to be a godly example of a woman after God’s own heart for my sisters. I have to be very diligent in encouraging my little sisters that it is a beautiful thing to be a girl, a daughter, a sister, and someday a woman, wife and mother. It is true that people listen to our actions more than our words. Our sisters watch how we live, and if we show them by our example that being women of God, homemakers, daughters and sisters are beautiful things, they will believe us. Caley (11), Mackensi (7) and I find that because we are together almost 100% of the time, we have to strive diligently to work together in unity and love. I do have some authority over them because I am so much older, but they need to see me being a servant and know that I tell them to do things because I love them, not because I want to be a big boss. They in turn get the opportunity to learn submission and servanthood as well.

Building Friendships ~

One thing that seems to greatly help me build my “friendship” with my siblings, is doing something with them that they like to do. Although we don’t do this too often, they love to go out for ice cream or lunch, and afterwards help me run errands. Those “outings” provide good opportunities to talk. Our family loves to read, so oftentimes, we’ll pick a book, and I’ll read it one on one with a sibling. We usually read at night before bed, and sometimes I’ll make hot chocolate for us to drink in my bed as we read. It usually takes us a few weeks to get through the book depending on how long it is and how often we read together, but it makes that sibling feel so special and loved. I just finished reading a book to my brother Bradley (13). Spending that time with him greatly deepened our relationship and gave us opportunities to talk and laugh together. I give four of my siblings piano lessons every week, and that has taught us many character lessons as well as brought us the pleasure of learning how to glorify the Lord with our music. We also enjoy playing a game together one on one or as a group, although that is not quiet as personal.

Again, each sibling is different and they have different needs at different ages. They each desire love and encouragement in different areas, and we should be sensitive to those needs and figure out the best way to serve them and uplift them. The little boys, Paul (5), Timothy (3) and Joel David (1), just love to be held and cuddled. They enjoy short stories as well, or just getting on the floor and playing and laughing together. Little children, and really every family member, brings so much joy, if we remember to LIVE life with them and not just go through the motions. I also have tried to learn to be consistent in disciplining the little boys and teaching them the ways of the Lord. (1 Thess. 5:14-18) Sometimes I’ll build a fort in my room and sleep in it with Peter (9), Paul and Timothy (or at least try to sleepJ). I also do that with the girls, and we’ll read a book, have a tea party, paint our toe nails, or have a tickle war. A couple of years ago I tape recorded myself reading the book of Psalms, Philippians, Colossians and 1 John for my sisters to listen to as they fell asleep every night. I wanted them to get in the habit of listening to, quoting and meditating on scripture as they fell asleep, and I thought they might enjoy it more if they listened to my voice instead of some stranger’s. I think my little brothers would enjoy listening to the Psalm tapes as well, but they enjoy their time with their big brothers before bed

Building Closeness as Brothers and Sisters in Christ ~

Recently, I have been trying to pray with each sibling on a more regular basis, but I still need to learn to be more faithful in that area. I normally try to go in and talk to each sibling at least once or twice a month at night as they are falling asleep. That time seems to work the best because the house is quiet and neither of us have any distractions. I then share with them what the Lord is doing in my life, and what I’ve been struggling with. I ask them if they see anything in me that they think I should be working on, and I ask how I can pray for them. Basically, I just open my heart and ask them to do the same with me. Usually our conversations will last at least several minutes and oftentimes for hours, and it is so good for all of us to learn how to share our hearts. My father and mother are very good at sharing their hearts and being relational, which is something all of us children are grateful for! After years of talking and opening up our hearts, especially between my oldest two brothers and l, we have very close, trusting relationships with each-other. I love it! And it gets better every day, because now I am not only close to Tyler (17) and Daniel (15). As the rest of my siblings grow older it is getting easier for me to build that sweet friendship with them as well. It is such a blessing to be able to have my closest friends living in my home with me. We know each-other so well, and we love each-other so much! These friendships are a precious gift, and it is well worth all the years of hard work trying to build close relationships!

True Love – Dying to Self ~

I think one of the main things that we as sisters need to learn is to love our siblings even when we feel they don’t deserve it. We are sinners too, and yet our Lord shows us so much grace and loves us even though we NEVER deserve it. I know we would all say that we love our brothers and sisters, but do we really love them? Would we give our lives for them? I think most of us would say, “Of, course!” But, we don’t really live that way do we? If we truly loved them, we would die for them – every day. We would die to our flesh and choose instead to live to serve them, love them, honor them, clean up after them with an uncomplaining heart and build them up in the Lord. Dear sisters in Christ, our brothers and sisters need our encouragement! People usually live up to the expectations of others. If we expect our siblings to be failures, then we will probably convince them that it must be so. We need to encourage them even in the little things that they do right. We need to have faith that the Lord will use them in mighty ways someday to build up His Kingdom, and that they will be remembered as one of the great heroes of Christian history. We need to tell them these things often, challenge them, uplift them and help them see that by God’s grace, they will become conquerors. (Romans 8:35-39)

Press On! ~

May our Lord Jesus give you strength, dear sisters, as you seek to love and treasure your brothers and sisters. Remember, we never know when it will be the last time we will have a chance to say “I love you” to someone. Let’s not waste these precious years we have with our brothers and sisters. Now is the time to build these relationships so that we can enjoy the blessing of them being our best friends for the rest of our lives!

“And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all theses things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:12-17

Homemaking Tips 101

Cooking and Baking Tips -  These are tips that I have always found helpful for my cooking and baking that I do in the kitchen every week as assistant home-maker.

#1 - Firstly we must always start with the basics.  Never ever leave anything that is cooking on the stove unatended even for a few minutes.  This can tend to burnt food and many other disasters that by all means should be avoided. By Emily Swanson

#2 When putting something in the oven always remember to set the timer and keep a close watch on your baking.  Always stay close by so you can pull the baking out of the oven on time.  Using this tip has saved me a lot of trouble and clean-up many a time and I’m sure it will help you in the same way. By Emily Swanson

#3 When cooking or baking I’m sure you all have had to clean up the large mess that accumulates before calling the project finished.  I have found a lot easier way to resolve this is to clean up while cooking or baking so you will have a much smaller job in the end.  It is an easy and efficient way to make clean-up quick and efficient. By Emily Swanson

Laundry Tips

#1 - One tip that has really helped me in doing laundry is separating the clothes into different color categories.  I’m sure probably a lot of you use this but I thought I would just share it.  Normally I would separate the clothes into darks, light colored clothes, and whites.  This way you have no color mixing and your clothes remain the same color.

Cleaning Tips:

#1 - Assign the children to rooms so they know what they are supposed to be doing and this makes it a lot easier for both parent and hcild.

#2 Another good idea that helps make cleaning a lot faster and easier for the children is posting lists in each children’s assigned room that state the necessary tasks that must be completed before the room can be considered completed.

#2 Set time limits.  This really motivates the children to do a fast and efficient job on their assigned rooms and cuts the cleaning time in half.  It is a tip everyone will love.