Quiet Time Tips: S.O.A.P. Study in Colossians

I have been doing the Good Morning Girls study of Colossians for two weeks now. The only tools I need are my Bible and some printouts available through GMG. That's the kind of study I like!! Nothing to purchase. Just delve into the precious Word of God.

Don't you  just love my Colossians Notebook?!

For those unfamiliar with this study, they are using a great 'tool' called S.O.A.P. which stands for Scripture, Observations, Applications, and Prayer. What I do each morning is: 

1. Write out the scripture passage for the day, 
2. Write down 1 or 2 observations from the passage, 
3. Write down 1-2 applications from the passage, and 
4. Pray over what you learned from today's passage. I write my prayer out.

These are the printouts.
I complete one each day, Monday through Friday.

I'd like to share with you how easy this is to do!! Maybe you have young children and struggle with having your daily Quiet Time with the Lord. Maybe your children are grown and you struggle 'just because.' 

Your Quiet Time is the most important moments of your day!! If you neglect your time in the Word, you are neglecting the most important time of your day. I will be sharing a series of posts on the Quiet Time (coming soon) and thought this would be a way to introduce an effective method of study. 

I like to copy verses that speak to my heart. I mostly just write out the verse without adding my thoughts about the passage. I have said before, I am no theologian. I have used this same method with some of the verses from my systematic reading through the Bible. 

What follows is simple, not complicated or heavy. I thought it might encourage those of you who are like me that meditate deeply without being able to convey the depth that the Living God brings each day to uplift your heart. 

And like I said, 

if you have slipped from the habit of spending time with the Lord daily, 

hit refresh!!

Week 1: Monday

Scripture:

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, 

and Timotheous our brother,

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse; 

Grace be unto you, and peace, 

from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

praying always for you.

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, 

and of the love which ye have to all the saints.

~Colossians 1:1-4~

Observation:

• Paul is in the will of God.
• The saints and brethren are considered faithful.
• They live in Colosse.
• Paul greets them, wishing them grace and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Two persons of the trinity are named.
• Give thanks and prays always for saints.

Application:

• I should be in the will of God.
• I should be faithful to God.
• God wants me to have grace and peace.
• Give thanks always.
• Pray always.
• Love the saints.

Pray:

Dear gracious heavenly Father, be with my bloggie-friends today and help them to abide in You and do Your will. Help these precious ladies to discern what You would have them do today once they are done with their time with You.  Help each lady reading this post to be faithful to You today. Bring them into contact with people who live in their town and enable them to reach others for Christ. Give them grace and peace for whatever circumstances arise. I thank you for each woman who takes the time to read my blog, thank you for her husband and children. I pray for her today, that she would have strength for doing her housework, homeschooling her children or strength for her job, loving her husband and children. Help me to remember to pray always for these ladies as well as others in my life. Allow each lady to grow in her love for believers in her church family and other believers she knows. In the precious Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.

I hope this has encouraged you to seek God with all of your heart. There is nothing on earth that compares with Him. Nothing. As you hold your precious baby, toddler, or child, you are shaping an eternal soul. Your home reflects your mood for good or bad. Take the time each day to start it with Jesus so you will face your day in His strength and not your own.

I'd LOVE you to leave a comment!!

Since I live out 'in-the-sticks'... friends, like you are a long ways away!!

Sooo, I'd love you to follow me on: 

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In Christ Alone,

~Judith~

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Taming Mt. Never-Rest: Seasonal Clothes Storage

Did you want to know how to tame Mount Never-Rest?? Mount Never-Rest resides in your child's dresser and closet; not just in the laundry basket!!

Photo Credit

Swapping clothes for the season helps to save space, which for many young moms with several to many little ones can prove helpful. Many moms just don't have the space to keep both winter and summer clothes in a small room with two, three, or maybe even four children!!

You might be like me and have two to three children sharing ONE dresser with only a little closet.  When my children were little, there were three boys in one room and three girls in another, and two parents and a baby in yet another bedroom. It wasn't until they were older (and much bigger) that they were able to share a dresser with just one other person or better yet, have their very own. 

Each year, year after year, I changed UP the clothes of my children. Before April 1st for summer clothes and before October 1st for winter. It was a big intense job but one all my children really loved. They would try on clothes to see which ones would fit for the coming season. We'd call it a "Trying On Party" which kept their interest and enthusiasm until, well, they grew out of the party as well as the clothes!!

If you have never done this before; follow these random steps. They might not exactly be in sequential order. I guess they would be if I were writing a book!!

• Store ALL clothes in plastic bins to protect them from dampness or summer heat.
• Bring ALL the clothes down from the attic (or wherever they are stored) so you don't overlook an item that will fit ONLY this year (been there done that!!)
• Do NOT put out-of-season clothes away BEFORE removing ALL clothes from storage. Keep them in a separate area so as not to mix them up.
• Go through EACH item. 
• Have two boxes or bins labeled: Give-a-way and Store-a-way (return items child will not need yet to storage AFTER all clothes are removed from storage. I canNOT stress this enough!!
• Put clothing items in piles for each child as you determine that the item fits. 
• Go through dresser drawers and closet of each child to be sure everything still fits, removing out-of-season clothing, or out-grown clothing. This way, you won't end up with clothes that are too small for more than about a six month period.
• GIVE-A-WAY clothes the child doesn't like. This is not a battle to die over!! If the child doesn't like it; they're NOT going to wear it without a fight. Believe me!! Even a two year old often knows what they like. Use discretion here...like if your child doesn't want to wear dressy clothes on Sunday...Then you'll just have to remember who the parent is. NOT your dear little child!!
• I always tried to do this when my husband was at work and have it done before he got home. Usually it didn't quite come together but it was close.
• I didn't leave piles of clothes for another day. The household was UPsideDOWN for just ONE day.

Was this easy peasy?? 

Not exactly but I much preferred doing this all in one shot rather than a procrastinated mess that never got finished until summer ended. I was always bone tired when the job was done; but oh so satisfied in a job well done. 

Here are some additional tips:

• Have your children help. Involve them. It is good for children to be busy. Playing is over-rated and too much doesn't teach them skills they will need as an adult. 
• Plan an easy peasy supper!!
• Make SURE that all give-away clothes are IN the car/van when you are done. It tidies up the house, AND it ensures that you don't mix-up clothes that are for keeps. One year I lost a favorite skirt because it got in the give-away pile. I was 'sick' because a sweet friend had given it to me.
• Throw moth-balls around plastic bins NOT inside!! Don't use moth-balls inside clothes-bins unless you really HAVE TO as they make the clothes stink so you have to wash them before wearing them. In trying to keep work to a minimum, we wear the clothes before washing unless they really, really smell musty.
• You can put piles of clothes in age order to help keep track of who's who's.
• Don't store clothes that are dirty. Stains will appear from NOWHERE!!
• Remember, if the whole idea is over-whelming to do this in ONE day...divide the job UP.

Changing UP the clothes sounds very time-intensive but in the long-run it actually saves time:

• Children (or mom) aren't digging in a drawer full of sweaters to find that summer outfit when it's 100*F !!
• Two year old Suzy won't show up in that corduroy jumper and flannel blouse with knit tights and snow boots, scarf and woolen hat on July fourth!!!! Sounds funny?? I could tell you some stories!!
• You won't be giving away baby and toddler outfits when your last children are teenagers...don't believe that could happen?? A friend gave me clothes from her girls when they were mid-teens!!

That about sizes up how I Changed-UP the clothes when my children were little. I didn't hoard clothes from my oldest boy to the next three boys as there was seven years difference. If someone could use it: I had to trust the Lord to provide rather than hoard.

When my first daughter was about three, I felt that the Lord was asking me to give all her cute little dresses away. I did. The little girl who got all those dresses really, really needed them. 

We suddenly had another little girl soon after that and the Lord provided more than enough. He always does!!

"And why take ye thought for raiment? 

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;

 they toil not, neither do they spin."

~Matthew 6:28~

How do you deal with seasonal clothing?? Do you change it UP?? I know, I know, someone is going to leave me a giggly comment telling me it is always summer where they live!!!! 

Love you ALL!!

~Judith~

I'd LOVE you to leave a comment!!

Since I live out 'in-the-sticks'... friends, like you are a long ways away!!

Sooo, I'd love you to follow me on: 

Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

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WholeHearted Home Wednesdays LINKUP #10

FAVES!!

1.  Never Give Up!! 

This is Wendy's testimony over at 
Encourage One Another

I hope you take the time to listen to this. This will help you pray for the prodigal in your life and not give up!!

2.  Whatever

Auntie Em's Guide to Life and Other Musings

"I’ve been as guilty as anyone else about complaining about all the bad language and filth in movies and TV, but then going on and watching..."

3.  Little Birdie's Blessings

Scripture Thursdays: Day by Day

I know I should only list two FAVES...

But I just LOVE the old hymns!!

For those of you that can't understand that...

because you aren't familiar with hymns,

Read the words carefully and sing a hymn each day even just once.

Hymns have so much Spiritual truths within the words.

You learn theology just through singing them.

The words draw you to Christ in worship.

We are forgetting the old hymns 

as the newer songs too often are written without

the depth of meaning that once was prevalent in hymnology.

WholeHearted Home Wednesday 

Linkup #10

Time has flown by and it's time to share again!!

I love reading the posts you link, so hurry, hurry, hurry and linkup.

Keep your posts family-friendly on topics such as:

Mothering

Marriage is for Keeps

Homemaking

Homeschooling

From Your Kitchen

Organizing your Home

Gardening

Mom's Sharing Jesus

And any way you have

WholeHeartedly served Christ in your Home

1. Post as many posts as you'd like.
2. Remember the purpose is for community; and women love conversation!! So, please visit at least one blogger who posted on my Linky Party :-)
3. Keep each post honoring to God.
4. Be sure to link back using a text link or use my button below.
5. You may use a 'word' link or my WholeHearted-Home Wednesday's button or link back to WholeHearted Home on your blog or post :-)
6. Thank you from the bottom of my heart as each of your posts are always such an encouragement to me and other ladies. Happy linking!!

Thanks for dropping by!!

Grab My Button!!

Menu Planning Mania: Behind the Curve Ball!!

Yesterday was Monday (you didn't know that, did you?!) and I had no idea what was for supper other than chicken. You'd think that I would be motivated by the concept from Menu Plan Monday...or by my own post about the 30 Meal Deal!! 

Procrastination seemed to be the name of the game for me and I had my feet headed in the wrong direction this week!! I should do what I blog just as much as we should do our pins. If we don't, we are not redeeming the time!!

Of course, I have a good excuse (don't we all!!) since my oldest son drove 16 hours to get home for a long weekend. We were all still enjoying him. 

So, I made a salad.

Then, I threw corn into a pot. I was really behind the curve ball because it needed to be DONE but it was supposed to cook 4 hours in the crock pot!!

My sweet 19 year old daughter came to the rescue when I discovered that I had run out of oil. No miracles here. I had neglected to buy it...but have plenty of food in the house. It is cheaper at Sam's Club would be my excuse. She suggested that she would make Chicken Fingers instead of a recipe which called for oil. 

So, I thought you'd like to have these delicious recipes to add to your Menu Planning while I sit down and make out my dinner menu's for this week. It's Tuesday, and like I said, I am behind the curve ball!!

Cheesy Corn

From Emily over at Honeymooning Hargetts

3 16oz. packages frozen corn

8 oz. package cream cheese, cubed

1/4 cup butter, cubed

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons sugar

6 slices American cheese

Directions:

Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ultimate Chicken Fingers

From Naomi Anna over at Starlight and Sunshine

2/3 cup Bisquick Mix

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt/garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2" strips

1 egg beaten

3 Tablespoons of butter, melted

Directions:

Mix Bisquick, cheese, salt and paprika in 1-gallon-re-sealable bag. Dip half the chicken strips in egg, place in bag of flour mixture. Shake to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken. 

Bake 12-14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes, till no longer pink in center.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is easier for me to operate without a plan and it takes a real effort for me to sit down and menu plan. When I do, I find so many benefits, how about you? 

Do you plan your menu out? Do you take the time to read blogs that encourage you to to menu plan?

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

~Colossians 3:23~

I'd LOVE you to leave a comment!!

Since I live out 'in-the-sticks'... friends, like you are a long ways away!!

Sooo, I'd love you to follow me on: 

Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

In Christ Alone,

~Judith~

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NINE Decades for Jesus!!

I can't imagine being married for almost 70 years, can you?? We need all the examples and encouragement we can find to make sure our marriage is for keeps.

These are my parents who are actively serving the Lord at 90 and 91. Isn't it right that we should serve the Lord all the days of our life?! Here is an article written by my father. I thought I'd let him tell his story as he can do it much better than me. 

You might want to check out the engaging books he wrote on China and the Jack and Jenny Mystery Series that my father wrote for children.

NINE Decades for Jesus!!

By Anthony Bollback

Special to Assist News Service

NINE Decades for Jesus (ANS) - Sixty-nine years ago I got off a bus in Bradford, Pennsylvania to become the youth pastor of the Bradford Alliance Church. This month I turn ninety years old and I am still very actively involved in Kingdom work. What fantastic years these have been as I have served as pastor, missionary and finally district superintendent of the Mid-American District of The Christian Missionary Alliance.

When we retired after 50 uninterrupted years of active service with the C&MA in 1993, my wife Evelyn and I knew that our ministry was far from over. I was honored to be granted a Minister-at-Large license and to carry on through an exciting ministry in 10 very blessed interims in Florida, Hawaii and Arizona during the next decade. China Clippings, a monthly report I write about God's miraculous workings in China, came into existence during this period as I began to share about our 24 years of experiences in China and Hong Kong.

It has been the vehicle God has used in a marvelous way to keep churches informed of what God is doing in China in spite of the Communist takeover. Circulation has steadily grown until today more than 4,000 copies are sent out monthly. With my youngest son Jonathan, now serving as the Director of Spiritual Life at Dalat International School in Penang, Malaysia, we incorporated this China ministry and called it Church in China, Inc. to receive tax-deductible contributions for China that has now reached approximately $70,000.00!

Now as both of us have entered our 90th year of life, we praise God for the unusual strength and energy He has given to us so that we can still carry on active ministries for His glory. But we're not don  yet! In June, since our church is presently without a pastor, I was elected Associate Pastor for Prayer Ministries which involves speaking every Wednesday night as well as leading t he church in prayer ministries. Evelyn heads up Stamp Ministry for the church and village where we live which collects used postage stamps that are processed and sold to raise money for Spanish literature used in South America.

When we began our ministry together in 1943, we determined that as long as we lived, we would serve the Lord wholeheartedly, and today at 90 that passion has not diminished one bit.

Anthony Bollback's e-mail letter called CHINA CLIPPINGS which can be subscribed to free of charge by contacting him at agbollback@ChurchInChina.com

** You may republish this story with proper attribution. Please contact Anthony Bollback for permission.

Jack and Jenny Mystery Series by Anthony Bollback can be ordered here.

Here are four other books by Anthony Bollback: Order directly through him here.

"To China and Back" - $10.00 plus $3:50 postage and handling

"Red Runs the River" - $12.00 plus $3.50 p&h

"Exiles of Hope" - $12.00 plus $3.50 p&h

"Surprised by God" is $10.00 plus $3.50 postage and handling.

Linked This Week With: Fresh Brewed, Hear it on Sunday, Marital Oneness Mondays, Monday's Musings, Making Your Home Sing Mondays

     

      

         

           

             

Easy Peasy Pot Pie

Summer is definitely over in the Poconos!! And I have found that I need to shift my cooking habits that reformed over the summer. No menu planning, no shopping list, and an empty fridge and pantry after getting back home from the Outer Banks!! It took me two shopping trips to restock the house with delicious selections (of chocolate chip cookies, pop tarts, and ice cream, and other nutritious meals) before my children returned from their missions trip!!

Many of you cook for less than NINE (yikes!!) and for me, cooking for two for a month was an adjustment. This is a delectable meal to add to your menu as you think about getting out of that summer rut. Adjust the recipe to fit your family size as this serves 3.

My Adjusted 'Take' on Betty Crocker

1/2 cup canned condensed cream of chicken soup 

1/4 cup milk

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 cup cut-up cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup Bisquick 

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

1. Heat oven to 400F. In ungreased (I always grease mine, just to be sure)stir together in bowl the soup and 1/4 cup milk; stir in vegetables and chicken. 
2. In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour over chicken mixture.
3. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

When I used to make this for my family of nine, I used to make the mistake of majorly NOT measuring. It would sometimes turn out too dry as I added everything in huge amounts. Sorta emptying the fridge!! Now, we only have 5 of us home, so I doubled the recipe and we had a little leftover. 

Measuring the ingredients out has made the inside of the pot pie turn out delectably dependably delicious for those devouring family members!! I have also made my own pie crust and also most of the time make my own Bisquick. I use whole milk and whatever brand of veggies.

Happy cooking, ladies.

What changes have you made to your cooking now that the weather is signalling that Fall is coming??

I'd LOVE you to leave a comment!!

Since I live out 'in-the-sticks'... friends, like you are a long ways away!!

Sooo, I'd love you to follow me on: 

Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

In Christ Alone,

~Judith~

Keeping Healthy with Gratitude

Keeping healthy is much more than eating a pile of cookies or keeping away from those carbs and calorie rich snacks. Exercise is good for the body; but isn't enough as God's ways are most often opposite from our fleshly way-of-thinking.

You can diet, do body cleanses, jog, swim, jumping jacks, and a cardiovascular workout for an hour each day but that isn't enough!!

WHAT, you say?!

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 

(I Timothy 4:8)

Now there's a verse to claim if you're NOT into exercising!! 

If you remember the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus, only ONE came back to thank him!!

Gratitude is something that is too easily forgotten whether by a healed leper or by me!! It is a powerful tool for spiritual warfare that heals the most discouraged person who has the least to be thankful for. We mostly have an abundance to be thankful for even when life brings us lemonade and it seems sour.

I am responsible for my responses in life. It is up to me (or you, my friend) to choose gratitude or attitude. Too often we snap at our children and feel the stress rising like an ugly face as the stressors of life turn our hearts cold and eventually into bitterness. 

I have found when I have gone through terrible circumstances that when I don't choose to start thanking the Lord for things...any thing...that I can't smile, I have no joy, and that I start to spiral down into the pit of despondency. When I start looking for things (any thing) to be thankful for to the Lord, my husband, my children, or anyone or anything else, it takes so little time until I start to pull out of that feeling of despair.

God is so faithful and through the hard and difficult times of our life He can become so real if we just let Him work. 

"In everything give thanks: 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning YOU." 

(I Thessalonians 5:18)

Since I live out 'in-the-sticks'... friends, like you are a long ways away!!

Sooo, I'd love you to follow me on: 

Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

In Christ Alone,

~Judith~

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