title

Fruit Trees in the New Land

February 26th, 2010 Filed under Uncategorized 1 Comment

One of my favorite things about the Bible is that it is so RICH!!  No, this is not about prosperity preaching but rather the wealth found in the Word of God.  One can be a disciple of Christ for years and have read a verse a dozen times and each time the Holy Spirit reveals something new.  A rhema word.  A fresh revelation.  A deeper understanding.  The author of Romans said it best, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!” (Romans 11:33 NIV)

One of my 2010 goals is to read the Bible through in a year.  My pastor, Gregg Matte, has said that Leviticus is the graveyard for many “read the Bible through in a year” plans.  Well, this is exactly where I am right now in my reading, Leviticus – the book of the Law.  However, this morning, the Word almost jumped off the page at me.  It was one of those rhema moments!!

Nestled between the law on having sex with a slave and to not interpret omens are these three verses:

When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, then you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten.  And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. But in the fifth year you may eat of its fruit, to increase its yield for you: I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:23-25 ESV)

During the first three years of living in the new land, the Israelites had to plant the seed, tend the sow, pull weeds, pray for rain, pray for sunshine and then at the harvest time, I guess, they threw the fruit away.  In the fourth year, same amount of work but now instead of throwing it away it is given to the Lord as a praise offering.  Then finally, the fifth year comes and they are able to reap what they have sown.

How does this apply to me today as I sit in the middle of the 4^th largest city in the US and don’t even have a yard let alone a garden to tend?  Spiritually, there is ground that my forefathers and I have surrendered to the enemy.  As I walk out the statues of God in love for Him, I am gaining back this ground.  I am coming into new lands.  There is great celebration in the victory but for me to have FULL ownership of the land, to no longer be under guardians (see Galatians 4:1-4), there is work to be done.  And this work is hard and long.

I am willing to do the work to gain that full ownership.  Willing to wait a long time between sacrifice and blessings.  I don’t just want to be a squatter on the Promised Land the Lord has granted me but I want full ownership.  The full inheritance!!

How about you?  First, are you even seeking to take back surrendered ground?  To enter into the Promised Land?  Secondly, Have you gained some ground but grown lazy in the labor?  Have a hoe but are just too tired to deal with the weeds?  Finally, are you willing to wait for the fullness of time?  A mark of spiritual maturity is how long you can wait between obedience and reward!

Oh the depths of the riches of God’s Word!!  I don’t understand the law two verses later that says ” do not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard” but I do know that God has a reason for it and in the fullness of time I will know.  However, in the meantime, may I tend my lands well!

Time at LifeHouse

February 22nd, 2010 Filed under Uncategorized 4 Comments

Life has been a bit challenging for me lately.  Here is a quick update on what is happening… After much prayer and counsel, the Lord has confirmed that my time at LifeHouse has ended.  I resigned on the 10th of February and my last day will be March 31st.  There is much sadness in my heart but I have full assurance that this is the next step I am to take.

Recently, a dear friend of mine shared a word with me that has given me a great comfort for me these last few weeks.  ”Obedience is more important than understanding.”  As I have been walking this path these last few months, I have often asked the Lord, “Why?” and He has not answered.  He has simply said take the next step.  He truly is only revealing to me my next step and it is long after the sound of the previous foot fall fades that I hear, turn to the right or turn to the left – walk this way.

Praise the Lord that He has taught me to live a very frugal lifestyle and to live debt free.  Because of that, I have the ability to take the time after my last day at LifeHouse to wait, pray, study, rest, etc. so that He may reveal to me the next step.  I don’t know what the future holds but I do KNOW these things:

1.  He holds the future.
2.  He loves me BIG.
3.  This path is for my good and His glory for if there was a better path for me to walk He would have taken me down that path rather than this path.
4.  He who began a great work in me will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.
5.  The plans He has for me are to prosper me and not to harm me; to give me hope and a future.
6.  The plan is much bigger than I can imagine and there is excitement in that.

As the Lord brings my name to your mind, please pray for me as I walk through this new season in my life.

Every Need is Not a Personal Call

February 20th, 2010 Filed under Uncategorized 2 Comments

Recently, I wrote a guest blog for a friend’s website (www.RussMasterson.com) for a series he is doing called Lies Overheard in Church.  Here is what I shared:

Lie:  If you hear of a need, you are called to fill it.

As the two women walked into evening worship, one looked frazzled and exhausted – definitely not the countenance one would expect on the Sabbath.  “Jessica, are you ok? Why the downcast face?”  “Oh, Karen, 3 year old choir this afternoon was crazy.   My ears are ringing from the decibel level of the kids’ singing and my knees hurt from sitting in the baby-bear chairs.”  “Jessica, you barely liked your kids when they were three – why in the world are you doing preschool choir?”  “Well, Karen, if I don’t do it, no one will.”

There are countless frazzled and exhausted Christians serving in churches who are serving only because they believe the lie that by hearing a need they are the ones who are to fill that need.  Even, the great evangelist D.L. Moody believed this lie for many years.  Every need is not a personal call for you or for me.  Nor is it even for God…  In Genesis 2, God sees that it is not good for man to be alone but instead of filling that need with Himself, God creates Eve to meet that need.

Too often we will start doing Kingdom work and then ask God to bless it.  That is kind of like a private in the army making plans for the day and asking the commanding officer to make available the needed supplies.  Instead, we need to listen for a personal call from the Lord and then respond in obedience with full assurance that God will provide the necessary supplies – emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually.

• Are you exhausted in the “work”?
• Do you dread doing the “work”?
• Are you drained after finishing the “work”?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, I am not saying you have missed the call of God but it would be the first place I would look.  What lies do you hear at church?

February’s Menu

January 31st, 2010 Filed under Uncategorized Comments Off

Well, the challenge this month is to get the grocery and eating out budget under $200 for the month!!!  So far so good as my recent shopping run that covered 90% of my groceries for the month only cost $82!!  Here is what I got:

You may be asking, “How can that little bit of food feed you for a month?”  Well, I am glad you asked… Here is what my meals look like for this month:

Breakfast is almost always strawberry/banana smoothie (made with diet V-8 splash, frozen bananas and strawberries), a boiled egg and oatmeal.

Mid-AM snack is an apple and mid-PM snack is homemade yogurt.

Lunch will be vegetable lasagna or veggie chili (still have 3 or 4 packets left from last month) with brown rice.

Dinner will be spinach topped chicken, turkey meatloaf or autumn glazed pork chops (also left from last month) with brown rice and frozen veggies.

Once I planned my month and took out the meals where I was out of town or already had commitments (i.e. church dinner), I needed 17 lunches and 17 dinners. The lasagna and spinach topped chicken each make 12 servings.  Since the chili, meatloaf and pork chops are left over from last month I am pretty much good to go with what I already had in the freezer. I will need to go back and probably get another gallon of milk and fruit but for the most part I am covered.

I spent about 3 hours this afternoon preparing the chicken and the lasagna but it means that I am done cooking for the month.  I freeze everything in single serving sizes so I just check my calendar and see what I planned and pull it before heading up to bed.  This has saved me so much money and calories!!

What are some ways that you save money and/or calories?

Vegetable Lasagna

January 31st, 2010 Filed under Uncategorized Comments Off

This recipe is wonderful because I love all of the veggies.  I can use a ton of them and feel full but not have all the added calories.

Vegetable Lasagna

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

½ cup diced onion

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 ½ tablespoon Italian Seasoning

½ tsp basil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

14 oz. can chopped tomatoes

6 oz can tomato paste

12 lasagna noodles

4-6 cups Chopped Vegetables (peppers, squash, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, etc.)

1-10 oz box chopped spinach, thawed and drained well

3 cups grated mozzarella cheese

16 oz skim cottage cheese

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In 6 qt stockpot, sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender.  Add seasonings, canned tomatoes and paste.  Cover and simmer 40 minutes stirring occasionally.  (This makes a great marinara sauce as well.)

Chop 4-6 cups assorted vegetables.  I used yellow squash, onions, mushrooms and a bag of frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot medley).  Add chopped vegetables to sauce mixture the last 10 minutes and cook until vegetables are crisp tender.  (If using frozen vegetables, thaw beforehand and only add the last few minutes.) Set sauce aside.

Boil 12 Lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Drain and set aside. Drain spinach (press out excess water) and set aside. Spray bottom of 13 x 9” pan with cooking spray.  Place 4 noodles across bottom of pan. Top with 1/3 of sauce/vegetable mixture.  Spread 1/3 cottage cheese on top and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with 1/3 Parmesan cheese.  Top with 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.  Spread entire box of spinach evenly over cheese.  Repeat noodles, vegetable and cheeses 2 more times ending with mozzarella cheese on top. (I actually was only able to do this noodle process twice so I just made a smaller lasagna using and 8×8 pan and cooked it alongside the other dish.)

Bake at 350 degrees 30-40 minutes or until light brown on top and bubbling on sides.  Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.  Serves 12

Nutritional Information: 284 Calories; 9g Fat (27.1% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 19mg Cholesterol; 678mg Sodium.

Spinach Topped Chicken

January 31st, 2010 Filed under Uncategorized 2 Comments

This recipe is VERY flavorful and the chicken is extremely moist.  I freeze one in a sandwich size zip lock bag and the toppings does fine when I thaw to eat.

12 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 ½ lbs)

3 egg whites

¾ cup Italian bread crumbs

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

½ cup sliced green onions

1 Tbl minced garlic

2 Tbl butter

2 Tbl flour

1-cup skim milk

1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

4 oz pancetta ham, diced

Preheat oven to 350° F. Slightly beat egg whites in small bowl; set aside. Combine bread crumbs, cheese, salt & pepper in shallow dish. Dip chicken breasts in egg whites; roll in bread crumb mixture and arrange in 9×13-inch baking dish. Save remaining crumbs.  In a saucepan, cook green onions and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour.  Stir in milk all at once.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir one minute more.  Stir in spinach and ham.  Spoon spinach mixture over chicken; sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.  Bake uncovered 40-45 minutes or until done. Serves 12.

Nutritional Information: 211 Calories; 5g Fat; 31g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 79mg Cholesterol; 391mg Sodium.

I Love Seamlessness!!

January 15th, 2010 Filed under Uncategorized 4 Comments

It is amazing what we can do today with the advances in technology!!  The “Living Out Loud Intentionally” blogradio interview I did the last Wednesday in 2009 is a perfect example of that.  I was sitting in a Suburban in a shopping mall parking lot in Buford, Georgia using my cell phone (I was suppose to be on a LAN line so don’t tell the shows producers.)  Meanwhile, Dr. Carolyn was in Houston, TX uploading this live interview to the world wide web.  Click here to hear the interview.

The most amazing part of the whole thing is the seamlessness of it all.  It was as if Dr. Carolyn and I were sitting across from one another; both to us and the listeners.  Yet, we were hundreds of miles apart!!  Because of the seamlessness of syncing my iPhone calendars, contacts and tasks I switched to a Mac platform.  Now I can schedule an appointment or save a phone number and never worry about remembering to plug in my phone to my computer.  It happens automatically!  Oh, for all of my life to be as seamless!

What are some of the things you do to make your life more seamless?

Getting It Done Intentionally! Part 2

January 7th, 2010 Filed under Uncategorized 4 Comments

Earlier, I shared about how to set up your values which will drive your goals.  Once values are laid out then you set up goals that will make those things happen. Using the examples the previous post – your husband might be like a friend’s husband and want his dinner on the table when he comes home from work so your goal is to have a home cooked meal prepared by 6 pm. Being cheerful – memorize an appropriate Scripture each week; always speak kind words to cashiers; etc. Being fit – lose 10 pounds; walk 4 times a week; etc.

Then you take your goals and drill them down into daily activities. Again using the above goals – go grocery shopping on Thursday; plan your weekly meals on Wednesday; be home at 4 o’clock each day; etc.
By having the plan based on values, the mundane and monotonous things we do in life suddenly have value. There is a sense of urgency about what we are doing.

I would suggest that you take just one value – Christ-follower; husband; father; wife; mother; volunteer; etc. – and work on that one for a month or two than add another value, goal and daily tasks.

How do you know which one to start with? Ask yourself where you have the most “pain” – emotionally, mentally, spiritually or physically. Since I minister mostly to woman I can tell you that 99 times out of a 100 married women need to start with being a wife. As long as being a Christ follower is pretty solid the next step will be there. Even if you have an over the top marriage, there are always things you can do to make it better. Do that then move on to the next step.

For me the biggest challenge is to work the plan after I have planned the work. This is a great verse to motivate you on the path…

And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 2 Corinthians 8:10-12 (English Standard Version)

May we all finish well in the end by finishing well each day!

Getting It Done Intentionally! Part 1

January 5th, 2010 Filed under Uncategorized 4 Comments

Several have asked how I set my goals and plans so I thought I would share with you how I do it. First, you begin with what your values are… what matters most in your life… what you want people to say about you at your funeral… what you are willing to die for. For example a value might be to be an I Peter 3 wife or to love your wife as Christ loves the church or to be cheerful or to be physically fit. Here is my mission and values:

Mission:
Because of the love of Christ, my mission is to see the Kingdom of God advanced especially in the areas of personal financial giving and discipleship by using my gifts of communication and leadership skills.

Value #1:
I love Christ – I spend quality one on one time with Christ and share Him with others. (Phi. 3:8)

Value #2:
I have integrity – I live a life above reproach both morally and emotionally. (Psalm 15:1, 2)

Value #3:
I am cheerful – My attitude is upbeat and encouraging to others. (I Thes. 5:11)

Value #4:
I seek Truth – Only true understanding will set anyone free from bondage. (John 8:32)

Value #5:
I love my friends – I nurture the relationships with my family through prayer, contacting them and sharing with them. (Psalm 55:14)

Value #6:
I love my family – I nurture the relationships with my family through prayer, contacting them and sharing with them. (Joshua 24:15)

Value #7:
I strive for excellence – I do my best in all things so that God can be glorified. (I Cor. 10:31)

Value #8:
I am financially secure – Money is a means to an end and I handle money frugally. Debt is none or a minimum. (Proverbs 31:16)

Value #9:
I am an influencer – I seek to positively influence all those around me to either show them Christ or to bring them closer to His presence. (Matt. 28:19, 20)

Value #10:
I am productive – My works will demonstrate my faith. (James 2:18)

Value #11:
I am physically fit – I avoid bad habits (i.e. fried foods) and practice good habits in eating and physical exercise. (I Cor. 6:19, 20)

I will follow up with Part 2 of Getting It Done Intentionally on how to turn these values into Goals and Daily Task.

How I Plan My Meals

January 2nd, 2010 Filed under Uncategorized 6 Comments

As I have mentioned before, gluttony is one of my “regular” besetting sins.  To help me in this area I have to make a plan for my meals and then execute the plan.  I begin with reviewing my calendar and determine when I will not be eating out and plug it into an excel spreadsheet.   (I usually do just two weeks at a time but since I will be out of town for a week in January I went ahead and did the month.)  Then I determine how many meals I need – this time I needed 23 breakfasts, 20 lunches and 17 dinners.

Using some old recipes as well as new recipes I then start plugging meals into the spread sheet (breakfast usually doesn’t change.)  Here is my spreadsheet with a few days plugged in:

The recipes I used this time were Lime Chicken (4 servings), Easy Turkey Meatloaf (8 servings), Mexican Chicken Casserole (8 servings), Autumn Glazed Pork Chops (4 servings) and Vegetarian Chili (15 servings).  Once the spreadsheet is filled out, I can then make my grocery list.  After going to the grocery store on Friday night, I cooked Saturday morning and  made yogurt, the five recipes, bag of brown rice above as well as eight smoothies.  All are frozen in single serving sizes and I will thaw each out as I go through the month.

By doing this I save LOTS of money, calories and stress.  Let me know if you try doing this as well.