2012 February

Back to the Family Table

February 29, 2012

Written by monthly Titus 2 contributor, Mrs. Faye Henry

The family home today is a very busy place. Perhaps both parents are working outside of the home and the children may be involved in extracurricular activities. The trend toward either just eating and running or else setting ourselves in front of some entertainment while we gulp down our food is on the rise.

Let's consider the importance of getting back to the table:

Dining together provides so many benefits for helping your family grow into the strong loving unit that the Lord intended. It can be a special time daily for you as a family to consider one another. Each day is full of highs and lows and your dinner table can be a place of encouragement and support...A wonderful time of laughing together... It can also be a lovely way of teaching your children manners, etiquette, and even leadership and hospitality skills.

If mama can make at least one meal a day a happy family time then it will prove to be time of blessing and memory making, and well worth the investment of time and effort.

Frugal tips for setting your dinner table:

In the photo above are two tea towels which were only one dollar each, divided into two place mats and four napkins.
Cut one tea towel in two for place mats and the other one into four napkins. I did sew the edges but perhaps you don't really need to...smile...
The place settings are just thrift store finds.
Blending the colors can make an attractive but frugal eclectic table.
Cutting off the two sides of this three dollar vintage table cloth made two table runners, and then I divided the middle into four napkins.

The place settings are two small sets of thrift store vintage dishes blended together to make one large one. We don't need fancy tables all the time, but it is lovely once in a while to have a special family meal.

One last frugal and decorative tip is to collect vintage silverware. It does not need to match and it will add style to your eclectic table settings! Check my site HERE for a green and frugal way to clean your silverware.

Children can help make meal times special by helping mama with the preparations. Helping to cook the food and setting the table can be fun and creative; girls might like to create a centerpiece, and boys can fill water glasses and arrange the chairs or cutlery.

Then, as a family sit down together, holding hands and thanking the Lord for the blessings of food and fellowship.

Remember, sweet mamas, that these lovely days of family pass all too quickly... let's count our blessings and head back to the table!

Mrs. Faye Henry has been married to her sweetheart for over 41 years and together they own a lovely shop in New Brunswick, Canada. She also leads many young ladies, wives, and mothers in "Keepers of the Home" classes that she facilitates in the local community. She has a heart for mentoring younger women and fulfilling the Titus 2 mandate! Won't you pop over and visit Mrs. Henry at The Blessed Hearth? Pour yourself a nice hot cup of tea and stay for awhile. The fire is lit and burning brightly and the candles smell heavenly. Biscuits are in the oven...

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Filed Under: Budgeting & Frugal Living, Contentment, Frugal Living, Homekeeping, Hospitality, Kitchen Tips, Nurturing Family, Simple Pleasures 17 Comments

What We’ve Been Up To (…or, when the entire world came to a complete stop again)

February 27, 2012

I remember when my husband and I were in the very early stages of our relationship; it felt as though the entire world came to a complete stop when we were together. Time would fly by, we'd forget about everything and everyone else, and we would just soak in the feeling of simply being together.

As years pass, those moments tend to slip away. Not that you love each other any less, mind you, but the relationship changes... you shift from betrothed, to wife, to mommy, to housekeeper, to nurse, to accountant, and the list of the many hats we wear grows longer. From one hat to the next, on we go.

Sometimes you have to intentionally carve out a portion of time, allow time to stand still again and the world to come to a stop, where there's nothing and no one else in the world except you and the God-given love of your life. Maybe it's only for a few days once every few years, maybe it's spent at home or on a vacation, maybe you do nothing but stay in bed all day or maybe you spend every day out exploring... but you should find a way make it happen. In your own way, in your own time, it's important to be intentional about staying in love with the one you love. It's important to still be wife and lover, to be young at heart and passionately in love, regardless of how long you've been married, how many children you have, or how many hats you might wear.

We had one of those weeks recently on the Love Like You Mean It Marriage Cruise. My sweet parents kept our children and my husband and I spent five amazing days together on a cruise geared specifically toward strengthening Godly marriages, and we savored every minute of it. We enjoyed seminars and sermons from respected ministers and authors, laughed at silly comedy skits, and got up close and personal with talented musicians like Sanctus Real ("Lead Me" -- one of my favorites!), Matthew West, Michael O'Brien, and more. The Kendrick brothers from the movie Courageous were there as well.

There was a blogger meet-and-greet one morning, and I was able to sit down and have coffee with Tracey Eyster from MomLifeToday, Crystal Paine of Money Saving Mom, and a few other ladies. Another morning my husband and I met with Crystal and her husband Jesse for breakfast -- they are truly wonderful people, just as they appear to be on her site.

All in all, the week was amazing and we feel so blessed to have been a part of such a great event!

When the cruise was over, my parents and our boys met us in Orlando and we spent the next week focusing on creating special memories together with them. We rented a house with my family, then spent two days at Disney and other days relaxing, swimming, and soaking in sunshine. It was a much needed time of rest!

We're back now, and we're refreshed and inspired with many plans for upcoming months. I have some posts that are simmering in my head (and heart!) that I can't wait to share with all of you.

It was a wonderful trip, but there's no place like home! xoxo

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Filed Under: Marriage, Nurturing Family, Simple Pleasures 5 Comments

From Clay Pits to Flower Beds

February 21, 2012

By Contributing Writer, Rachel Coltharp

“Lovely flower-beds.” That's what my husband told me this clay and rock-infested patch was. Lovely worm pit was more like it. I looked with suspicion into the eyes of The Great Fisherman (also known as Husband Dear) as I poked at it with my finger. Was this a ruse to start a free bait farm? "Just close your eyes and imagine it filled with roses," he said, and then he whispered some of my favorite words, “Which I will gladly purchase for you."

I closed my eyes and sure enough there before me was a rose bed filled with fragrant flowers. Many a happy hour was spent pouring over the Jackson & Perkins rose catalog. Ahhh, how lovely it was going to be. At last spring arrived; I purchased a book on roses and was surprised at how fragile the little boogers can be. Till in the soil amenities, check the ph balance, dig a humongous hole, use gravel for drainage, take care of the root ball, spray for bugs, watch for leaf mold, water only in the morning, and on and on the list went.

Undaunted, I began the work of turning the clay pit into a rose home. Let's just pull the curtain of mercy over the actual amount of work and money and pain that went into it. A word to the wise... use gloves. The thorns are not there to add textural interest. And NO, you are not careful enough to prevent getting snagged. Another word to the wise... don’t do your tilling or digging with sandals on.

It took us three years to get it all right. Too little fertilizer and they are puny. Too much fertilizer and they burn up. Too little water and they burn up. Too much water and their roots rot. It’s a constant fight between you, the leaf mold, the bugs, and the thorns. But at last, at long last the rose bed is filled with fragrant roses. They climb up and over and around the deck beams and are a thing of beauty. Mission accomplished. But the most beautiful thing about it was not the roses... it was the labor that went into getting them there, for by my side each laborious step of the way was my daughter.

At the tender age of 3 she helped to dig in the sand and soil amenities. She helped pick out the plants. She shared my disappointment as they promptly wilted and died. The next summer she helped weed, plant, and prune new ones. Together we sheltered them from the winter winds with rose cones she learned to anchor. The following summer, as we dug up the ones that didn't make it, she insisted on funerals and burying them with dignity. Finally, by summer #3, we enjoyed the fruits of our labors and celebrated the fact that they all survived and even thrived. And we did it all... planning, planting, pruning, digging, weeding, de-bugging and finally cutting bouquets... together.

A Christian life is like a rose garden, for it is a constant work in progress. It begins with the Master Gardener walking around looking at barren clay pits thinking “That is a lovely flower bed,” for He doesn’t see us as we are; He sees what we can become.

He pitches the idea to us: the trade of abundant life from our infertile existence. And step by step, together, we work to make that vision a reality. We dig out the old infertile clay of self and sin and add in life-producing soil of God's Word. We carefully plant good works and deeds, weeding out old habits and sinful human desires that tend to rear their ugly heads daily. Through the spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible study we guard against any fungal growth of bitterness and mold of pride.

We prune, cutting out self-will, selfish ambition, and non-productive growth from our lives. When chilling, killing winds blow our way, as they certainly to do for everyone faces winters of the soul, we are sheltered under the protection of God's promises.

Some things die in our lives, and we are faced with the ugly bare branches of failure. Sometimes it was for reasons beyond our control, but sometimes it is through our own actions. The valuable lesson to be learned is in facing the failure and determining what, or if, we can circumvent it from happening again. Some of life's most valuable lessons are learned through failure. Some of the most beautiful things in life are direct results of learning what didn't work the first time.

And when our seasons have drawn to a close, when we look back over our years of toil, our seasons of planting, pruning and growth we won't glory in our efforts. The beauty of our accomplishments will pale in comparison with the beauty of working with Him. While we are indeed a work in progress, there will be a harvest day for us all. Then, transplanted into the Heavenly garden, we will bloom free of all the pains and toils of earth, forever to bloom beside the Rose of Sharon.

Rachel Coltharp is a pastor's wife of one and mother of four. She is fluent in four languages: Infantese, Toddlerspeak, Teenlingo, and Husbandism. She is a writer and public speaker who shares from her real life experiences, mostly mistakes and do-overs. She is a passionate follower of Jesus Christ and an avid disciple of the the Apostolic doctrine. Find her sharing devotions at The Write Word and all things domestic and re-purposed at Galaxy Coltharp.

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Filed Under: Practicing Faith 5 Comments

Oh, My Darlin’, Valentine

February 8, 2012

By Contributing Writer, Lori Wagner

Cards. Candies. Flowers. Sure! Bring them on! Let’s celebrate love. Love is, after all, the greatest virtue. As February 14 approaches and we prepare to remember the special ones in our lives—somewhere between the cherubs and chocolates let’s take a moment to look at the obscure yet fascinating beginnings of what we know as Valentine’s Day.

THEN

The origins of Valentine’s Day are shrouded in mystery. Three notable men in history were named Valentine. One was a priest who was said to have secretly performed marriages in Rome after Claudius II outlawed marriage to “improve” his crop of soldiers. Valentine was reportedly discovered and put to death—a martyr for love’s sake. Another version of his story suggests that Valentine was executed for his efforts to help Christians escape the tortures of Roman prisons.

A second man named Valentine is a party of a legend with a surprising twist. In this tale of old, the first-ever Valentine card was said to have been sent by Valentine to himself while he was in prison. He fell in love with the jailor’s daughter and allegedly sent the note in hopes that he might have a visit from her before his death. It was signed “from your Valentine,” a phrase popular on cards today.

Little is known about the third man, Valentine, except that he was buried on February 14. Although unproven, the legends of Valentine’s Day appeal to our senses of nobility—to heroism and romance. Of course we love this stuff. What woman doesn’t appreciate a romantic hero?

NOW

Like lovers of days gone by, today people exchange notes and tokens of affection on Valentine’s Day. Did you know an estimated one billion Valentine cards are shared each year? And God only knows how many boxes of chocolates and stuffed animals.

As I was thinking of the river of affection flowing on Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t help but reflect on the most wonderful Valentine of all time. Still preserved in integrity, even after all these years, this “Valentine” is more than a card, but an entire love story written by a groom for his fiancé. It’s so intricate and involved that it begins with the details of the bride’s birth and watches as she grows from infancy to maturity and prepares for her wedding day. You might have guessed, but I’ll make it plain: I’m talking about Jesus and His bride. His message of love is written for all to read in the Bible.

When I look at the Bible, I really do see a love story. During Creation, God stretched out a canopy over the earth (Genesis 1:6; Isaiah 40:22). Canopies aren’t just set up anywhere and for no good reasons. The Earth was established as a special place, and God was preparing to do something wonderful beneath the starlit covering. This makes me think of a Jewish wedding and the canopy (chuppah) the bride and groom stand beneath for the ceremony.

Now, back to the beginning. Just imagine the flowers and beauty this incredible Groom presented in the Garden of Eden. It was surely a riot of color and glorious blooms. And we’re not talking stuffies, here—a plush teddy bear to squeeze at bedtime. No. He gave them live animals! Those were some exotic gifts.

Things were going along great. The lovers were having nice walks and talks in the Garden in the cool of the day, and they were chilling with the critters; but then this outsider got involved and planted seeds of discontentment. You know what happened next. Adam and Eve, the first “cells” of God’s “Bride,” became contaminated by disobedience. But God loved them so much He couldn’t just write them off and look for another. Oh no. He’s faithful, even when people like us mess up.

After Adam and Eve sinned, well, a lot of things changed, but not God’s love. He made a way for the contaminated to be in relationship with the holy, and He did it through a covenant—that’s also a part of a Jewish wedding (the ketuba, or contract). There, outside Eden, even knowing his beloved’s warts and failings, God made a covenant with them. Throughout time, He’s renewed and expanded that covenant with Noah, Abraham, Israel, etc. As His Bride grew and developed, she had some wayward teenage years—some rebellious, selfish times—but through it all, her Lover never gave up on her.

In God’s love story, we are now in a chapter of developing maturity. The “Bride” has grown from a sacred “mitosis” that began with Adam, then split off to Eve, and has continued to grow throughout the pages of time. There’s way too much to cover in one short article, but I just wanted you to get a glimpse into the sacred love letter of the ages. From Genesis to Revelation, the story unfolds. It is a story of a wedding all set to take place…and we’re all invited!

Throughout the Bible, God uses the analogy of a bride and groom to give people a picture of the relationship of Jesus and the church. In the same way a groom pledges love to his fiancé, Jesus made a commitment to His beloved—and that promise is extended to you and me. When we answer “yes” to Jesus, we become His betrothed—we enter into a covenant relationship with the Lord of glory. How cool is that?

RSVP

Like the origins of Valentine’s Day, the Bible has its mysteries, to be sure. But there is no mystery in its overarching theme—it’s central message. God made the earth. God made you. He wants you for His own.

He’s issued His invitation. It’s up to us to RSVP. The way to do that is found in the Bible, too. It’s like those cards that come pre-stamped and self-addressed when you get a wedding invitation in the mail. The person extending the invitation makes it easy to respond.

When Peter was asked “What shall we do?” he gave the answer in Acts 2:38. Think of it as the language on the RSVP card: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” When I read this verse in the Amplified version, I came up with a little acronym.

Repentance = Receiving deep inside ourselves God’s beautiful plans for our lives, allowing them to supersede our own limited ideas and motivations.
Surrender = Living our lives in agreement with God’s plans instead of our own agendas and desires, knowing that His ways are best and in our best interest.
Vision = Understanding our value, our hope for the future, and accessing new spiritual life now. After all, eternal life includes today!
Purpose = Determining to do whatever it takes to be ready for that great wedding day (Revelation 19:7).

When we truly understand our value, our worth, God’s purpose and plans for our lives—our hearts just might warm up enough to melt a box of Valentine’s chocolates. Mmmm. We can sweeten up our world with a heart full of oozy love! And that’s my prayer for you today: that your heart is warm and full, overflowing like a chocolate fountain with joyful songs of love, acceptance and purpose.

Did you RSVP yet?

Mrs. Lori Wagner is a gifted author, communicator and speaker. In 2006, she founded Affirming Faith to provide resources that educate, entertain and encourage Christians of all denominations. In the past six years, she has published twelve books, including the record-breaking "The Girl in the Dress." In addition to Affirming Faith activities, Lori also serves as the Michigan State Coordinator for the National Day of Prayer and as an elected precinct delegate in her community. She loves to worship and share with others the goodness of God and rich treasures found in His Word. She and her husband Bill live in Michigan with their children and one spoiled dog.

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Filed Under: Biblical Womanhood, Modesty & Femininity, Nurturing Family, Practicing Faith 4 Comments

Enter to Win Accordance 9 Bible Software (Library Introductory Level)!

February 7, 2012

Whether you're a minister, student of the Word, homeschool mom, or lifelong student, you and your family will love Accordance Bible Software!

It's designed for Mac, but you also use it with a PC if you download the Mac Emulator for PC.

Why Accordance?

Accordance is the program of choice among top Bible scholars since it was first released in 1994. Features which are now commonplace among high-end Bible programs, such as graphical searching, statistical analysis of search results, instant parsing, and diagramming were all pioneered by Accordance.
Accordance was also the first Bible program to offer grammatically-tagged editions of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Mishna, Aramaic Targums, Pseudepigrapha, Hebrew Inscriptions, and other Ancient Near Eastern texts.
Accordance is remarkably easy to use (remember, it was designed for Mac!). The Accordance interface has been designed to help you focus on the text of the Bible without getting in your way. Whether you need advanced research tools or basic Bible study help, Accordance makes it easy to deepen your study of the Bible.

Their Library Introductory Level is the perfect tool to get started! If you were to purchase all of the resources in print, this would cost you over $1400 --- but they package it into their introductory package for only $149. And one blessed LABB reader will win it FREE in this giveaway! What a generous gift they are giving to one of our readers!

Here's what Accordance has to say about it:

"The Library Introductory Level contains everything you need to begin studying the Bible with Accordance. Priced at just $149, the Introductory Level includes 11 Bibles and a collection of study aids worth more than $1400 in print. Includes such best-selling resources as the New Living Translation, KJV with Strong's, Unger's Bible Dictionary, Life Application Study Bible, Experiencing God and Experiencing God Day by Day, and much more. When you're ready to expand your Accordance library, you can add more Bibles or upgrade to Standard or Premier level simply by purchasing unlock codes."

Lastly, if you have an iPhone or an iPad, you can go to the Apple app store on your device and type in "Accordance" to get a free download of their mobile device (iOS) engine and a number of free books right now!

Would you like to enter to win Accordance 9 Bible Software, the Library Introductory Level? Here's your chance to enter the generous giveaway!

Giveaway time!

Accordance has generously offered their Accordance 9 Library Introductory Level Bible Software one LABB reader!

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Comments on this post will not be counted as entries.

If you have not yet signed in to the new Rafflecopter forms, use either your Facebook account OR your name and email address to sign in. Click “Do It” for instructions on how to complete each entry.

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Filed Under: Giveaways/Reviews 3 Comments

Enter to Win an Embellished Hoodie by Evy’s Tree!

February 7, 2012

If you haven't been introduced to Evy's Tree yet, you're in for a treat today!

Evy's Tree specializes in creating fun, embellished hoodies that have garnered quite a loyal customer base. I especially love the shop owner, Amy --- she is a sweet friend and you'll find her a pleasure to get to know! She's married to a minister, understands the importance of femininity, and has worked hard to build this quality clothing brand from her home with little ones underfoot. God has blessed her efforts and her shop! When you take a peek around, you'll understand why.

Here are just a few of her beautiful things: