New Tidbits for a New Year
Good Evening! The second semester of school begins tomorrow. So here I am popping in for a few moments to share a few quick thoughts as well as share about some new reads for those who reserve the month of January as their special reading time.
First off, if you have an idea, do it. Don't research how others have done it, change your idea, and then do what others have done. Do your idea first. Then if your idea didn't turn out as planned research what others have done and make adjustments to your original idea. This tip brought to you courtesy of a second failed attempt at making homemade French onion dip. Next time I am using my own idea and see if that is what I'm looking for. Because mayo does not belong in French onion dip. Period. No matter how many recipes call for it.
Secondly, and this is by far the most fun, if you have the option of playing poker with your sons or folding laundry, play poker with your sons. Best choice of the new year. Just don't expect to win.
And now, on to the new reads.
Now for a parenting tip: Do the hard stuff of discipline as early as possible in your child's life. The earlier they learn obedience and other basic life lessons, the less painful it is for both them and you. By all means love them, love them, love them fully. Just know that love says no and follows God's instructions in training and teaching. Love isn't always cotton candy and toys. One of the kindest lessons they can learn is to receive a no with grace. Start teaching them grace in unpleasant situations young, really, really young. To balance that tip out: ENJOY YOUR CHILD/CHILDREN!!! They are a gift from God. He intends for you to enjoy them. Do so without feeling guilty. Just don't forget they will be more enjoyable if they have been taught grace, love, and mercy towards others.
If you have been travelling through an extremely hard season of life filled with battles on every front and now find you forgot to teach some of your children some very important lessons don't worry. God has this. He is more than able to lead and guide all of you into ALL truth. Yes, it may be more difficult now than it would have been earlier, but God is able and with Him ALL things are possible, even teaching children what they ought to have been taught a long time ago.
Sometimes even children who were taught righteousness make decisions they were taught not to make when they are "on their own". If that happens, do what you did when they were little and they made bad choices. No, not administer physical discipline. Hunker in to God and seek Him first. Trust Him to not only save them but keep them. He is faithful. He is able. He loves them and wants them safe and well even more than you do. Trust Him. He is bigger and His goodness is more powerful than your parenting failures. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Nothing. And when the hard season has passed you will find yourself giving extravagant praise to our extravagant God for His extravagant love He has lavished on us all.
Back to the kitchen. Cast iron is the preferred pot for frying in our kitchen. Use what you have, but if cast iron is an option, go for it. You will be glad. Cast iron also creates the flakiest pie crust. So, try a rustic elegance next time you make a pie. Your mouth will thank you. So, there you have it. Cast iron is the pot/pan of choice.
Another tip: homemade potato chips are worth the extra effort even if the French onion dip does have a mayo taste to it. And they are best fried in a cast iron pot. AND if there is an influenza/pneumonia epidemic in town and you don't want to go in to town unless absolutely necessary, even mayo-flavored dip is better than nothing. The caramelized onions are delicious in the dip. Definitely caramelize the onions. It is 30 minutes well spent. If you want to slip in a bit of beef broth when caramelizing, go ahead; you won't be sorry. Yay! I was able to move past the mayo flavor onto something positive like the onions! Victory!
This post may be the most random one Abundance House has published yet. Thank you for hanging on for the crazy mixed-up ride. We're being totally us and enjoying each other tonight. Lots of real life and learning the fullness of love in every situation has been going on since spring of 2015 or 2016. For better or worse, rich or poor, in sickness and in health love being given and received. The end of 2017 was a bit on the wild side, but God has brought us into a new year. We are giving Him thanks and praise for a much calmer, restful 2018 filled with healing, provision, and complete wholeness in He who has called us out of the darkness into His glory and light.
As we enter a new year and a new season our hearts are resting in the love of our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God. He is good and His mercies endure forever. He is worthy of all our praise. To Him be the honor and the glory and the power forever and ever. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Just to show you how totally us we are being around here tonight we'll end with a little something thrown in just for fun. The following quote was donated by one of my daughters via Pinterest.
My jeans say "No more Christmas goodies", but my leggings say, "We got you girl!"
Live, Love, Laugh it brings God glory. He gave us life and desires for us to enjoy the life He has given us. Let's oblige Him by doing so.
Love and prayers,
Abundantly Blessed
First off, if you have an idea, do it. Don't research how others have done it, change your idea, and then do what others have done. Do your idea first. Then if your idea didn't turn out as planned research what others have done and make adjustments to your original idea. This tip brought to you courtesy of a second failed attempt at making homemade French onion dip. Next time I am using my own idea and see if that is what I'm looking for. Because mayo does not belong in French onion dip. Period. No matter how many recipes call for it.
Secondly, and this is by far the most fun, if you have the option of playing poker with your sons or folding laundry, play poker with your sons. Best choice of the new year. Just don't expect to win.
And now, on to the new reads.
- Remodelista the Organized Home: Simple, Stylish Storage Ideas for ALL Over the House by Julia Carlson and Margot Guralnick with the editors of REMODELISTA.
- The Passion Translation of the New Testament, Psalms, Proverbs, and Song of Solomon
- The Lifegiving Table by Sally Clarkson
Now for a parenting tip: Do the hard stuff of discipline as early as possible in your child's life. The earlier they learn obedience and other basic life lessons, the less painful it is for both them and you. By all means love them, love them, love them fully. Just know that love says no and follows God's instructions in training and teaching. Love isn't always cotton candy and toys. One of the kindest lessons they can learn is to receive a no with grace. Start teaching them grace in unpleasant situations young, really, really young. To balance that tip out: ENJOY YOUR CHILD/CHILDREN!!! They are a gift from God. He intends for you to enjoy them. Do so without feeling guilty. Just don't forget they will be more enjoyable if they have been taught grace, love, and mercy towards others.
If you have been travelling through an extremely hard season of life filled with battles on every front and now find you forgot to teach some of your children some very important lessons don't worry. God has this. He is more than able to lead and guide all of you into ALL truth. Yes, it may be more difficult now than it would have been earlier, but God is able and with Him ALL things are possible, even teaching children what they ought to have been taught a long time ago.
Sometimes even children who were taught righteousness make decisions they were taught not to make when they are "on their own". If that happens, do what you did when they were little and they made bad choices. No, not administer physical discipline. Hunker in to God and seek Him first. Trust Him to not only save them but keep them. He is faithful. He is able. He loves them and wants them safe and well even more than you do. Trust Him. He is bigger and His goodness is more powerful than your parenting failures. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Nothing. And when the hard season has passed you will find yourself giving extravagant praise to our extravagant God for His extravagant love He has lavished on us all.
Back to the kitchen. Cast iron is the preferred pot for frying in our kitchen. Use what you have, but if cast iron is an option, go for it. You will be glad. Cast iron also creates the flakiest pie crust. So, try a rustic elegance next time you make a pie. Your mouth will thank you. So, there you have it. Cast iron is the pot/pan of choice.
Another tip: homemade potato chips are worth the extra effort even if the French onion dip does have a mayo taste to it. And they are best fried in a cast iron pot. AND if there is an influenza/pneumonia epidemic in town and you don't want to go in to town unless absolutely necessary, even mayo-flavored dip is better than nothing. The caramelized onions are delicious in the dip. Definitely caramelize the onions. It is 30 minutes well spent. If you want to slip in a bit of beef broth when caramelizing, go ahead; you won't be sorry. Yay! I was able to move past the mayo flavor onto something positive like the onions! Victory!
This post may be the most random one Abundance House has published yet. Thank you for hanging on for the crazy mixed-up ride. We're being totally us and enjoying each other tonight. Lots of real life and learning the fullness of love in every situation has been going on since spring of 2015 or 2016. For better or worse, rich or poor, in sickness and in health love being given and received. The end of 2017 was a bit on the wild side, but God has brought us into a new year. We are giving Him thanks and praise for a much calmer, restful 2018 filled with healing, provision, and complete wholeness in He who has called us out of the darkness into His glory and light.
As we enter a new year and a new season our hearts are resting in the love of our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God. He is good and His mercies endure forever. He is worthy of all our praise. To Him be the honor and the glory and the power forever and ever. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Just to show you how totally us we are being around here tonight we'll end with a little something thrown in just for fun. The following quote was donated by one of my daughters via Pinterest.
My jeans say "No more Christmas goodies", but my leggings say, "We got you girl!"
Live, Love, Laugh it brings God glory. He gave us life and desires for us to enjoy the life He has given us. Let's oblige Him by doing so.
Love and prayers,
Abundantly Blessed