Real Hot Cocoa: My Shortcut Just in Time for Sledding Season

Snow season! Yeah! Here in Northern Indiana we’ve already had a 9” snow fall and more will come tonight.  

Here’s a quick view of our yard last week.  

It’s reading season, time to stay in and get some schoolwork done in the morning.  Afternoons are a great time for a group read on the couch with a fire and...

In honor of this beautiful time of year to be a family, I’m sharing my new Hot Cocoa Tip with you.   We’re cocoa snobs and those little packets that you add water too are going to pale in comparison with what you can do, for less, and better.   We use regular unsweetened cocoa and the recipe on the side of the Hershey’s can.  Here’s the problem we were having.  Often we’d make a batch and have leftovers, which if you’re short on milk, may keep you from a great cup with your afternoon read.

Here’s how I’ve solved that....

Hot Cocoa (Make Your Own Syrup Method)

Here are my directions:

In a small saucepan, mix:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa

Dash salt

1/3 cup hot water 

Stirring with a wisk, mix until thoroughly heated.  

Let this mixture cool and stir in the 3/4 tsp. vanilla.  

Keep in a small container in your pantry.  Don’t add the milk until you are ready to use.  Then, just pour a little of your homemade syrup into a cup of hot milk.  It can be toddler or teen size, but you never make more than you need and you can add as much or as little as you want. 

Peace to your family from ours, Anne

Recipe Feature: Poppy Seed Dressing for Turkey Day!

In 20 years, I’ve only made one bad turkey, a little underdone.  That HAD to be one of the rare years I hosted for my husbands family, so I’m blessed that they are giving me some grace and venturing to our house again.  Needless to say, I’ll be up early tomorrow.   

I’d love to hear if anybody is doing anything different this year, or about great traditions you have.  We’re starting something new this year, a conversation starter bowl.  Everybody was asked to come with three questions that would not come up in our usual conversation.  Personally, I hope to get to know our family better and give my kids some history to look back on.   They always have questions, so with guidance, it could be good.  

To get you into the cooking spirit, I’m going to share my poppy seed dressing recipe with you.   It uses raspberry vinegar, which is available in most grocery stores and that gives it a nice fruity flavor.

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

In a shaker, combine the following:

1 1/2 tsp. onion juice or finely grated onion (a lemon zester works well)

1/3 c. white sugar (I’ve tried honey, but it complicates the raspberry flavor)

1/3 c. White Balsamic Raspberry Blush Vinegar (or other fruity vinegar)

3/4 c. light olive oil or salad oil (I mix the two)

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Choose your favorite greens and try some of these toppings or your own favorites with the dressing just before serving:

Mandarine oranges and/or strawberries

Slightly chopped pecans

Raisins

Sunflower seeds

Pine nuts

Onions

2 Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Discipline - What Is It Teaching Our Children? Part 1

After the day I had today, trying to bake ahead for Thanksgiving, fitting in a good amount of schoolwork in the morning and delegating housework in the afternoon, the only topic on my mind tonight is DISCIPLINE.   We all need it, some wonder where it went, some aren’t sure they’ve ever done any, but overall, without it, chaos rules and kids run amok.  

Over the years I’ve been to some great conferences and listened to a lot of speakers on this subject.  I’ve read books from Creative Correction, by Lisa Welchel, to the collection of James Dobson’s books.  Everybody’s got an opinion on this subject.  A meeting of the mom-minds while kids play is another great source of information, just be sure to pick moms whose kids seem to be more disciplined than yours do before you adopt their methods.  Another thing to consider when taking parenting advice, is the faith of the giver.  Some discipline purely from a behavioral standpoint while others have the goal of great character in their vision.  Character is key, but for the Christian child, learning to imitate Christ is the ultimate disciplinary vision.  I’m writing this as I am formulating my own list of consequences (visible on a chart) for my kids.  

These things are not punishments, but grooming techniques.  I’ve heard that the punishment ought to fit the crime, but the “crime” is really a weakness your child is struggling with.  Of course, I could also say it is a weakness I’M struggling with.   Each time the child misbehaves, the cause of the misbehavior should be analyzed before the re-training begins.  Anyway,  in the next few weekss I will be working on a chart (that I will publish) that shows ways to combat heavy problems of discipline and respect with faith and character building techniques.  

Before you read that, think about what discipline is, Jesus had disciples, who followed him, learning from him.  When I looked up the word discipline on Websters it had over 12 variations of meaning, but one was thought provoking, “a branch of knowledge or teaching”.   A follower of a movement or philosophy is a disciple.  So, we are not teaching behavior, we’re teaching kids to evaluate why things are important.  The ultimate goal is for them to know believe that you are teaching them good things for a good reason.   Although you may feel like it at times, you aren’t just the neighborhood nag.  (Today I could really empathize with that.)  No, you are a chief engineer and developer of a future nation of passionate disciples who follow something to somewhere for some reason.  Now, wouldn’t it be wise to know what the something was, where it was going and why you’re doing it?  It’s also a lot easier to stick with a method of discipline if you are convinced of those three things.  I’ve certainly tried discipline methods that I was not convinced were from a source worthy of my time or attention, but desperate parents do those kinds of things.  

I will pre-advise you that my discipline chart will not be just a number of spankings or minutes in the corner for a certain offense.  It will be meant to inspire you (and me) to be the mentor  our children need to know why we behave as Jesus commanded (and mom, when they don’t know enough about that).  Stay tuned.  I am anxious to share my methods of inspiring discipline with you as you learn to seek truth instead of punishment. 

If you have great ideas that have produced great kids, please feel free to email me with them.   There’s nothing like sharing our experiences and learning from one another.  

Blessings, Anne

Crap In, Crap Out: Getting More of God Into Your Family Life

Phillipians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

There are many people who don’t think they need the body of Christ to have faith, but this blog is to share how important it is to knit faith into our everyday conversation and to surround ourselves with people who encourage us to greater levels of understanding about what God expects for us.  Knitting is one of my hobbies.  While showing a friend my latest hat project I was talking to her about why I was using wool and that, even though it is a little itchy, it holds up better and repels more water than cheaper yarns.   We are both visual people so I was telling her about my favorite knitting book, Knitting Rules, by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, It doesn’t dwell on counting stitches, but rather says, “Just hold the hat up to your head and knit until it covers an ear, then change to stockinette stich.”  That’s my paraphrase.  I knit a few stitches on this hat while she browsed through the book and read a phrase aloud, “Crap in, crap out.”  

Later that evening, we were talking about life and ways that we could work talking about our faith into our kids lives.  The verse above, Phillipians 4:8 came up.   If you have taken note of what Jesus says in the Bible, he’s really concerned about how we live our lives, right down to our thoughts and our minds.  What we let into our world, put before our eyes and allow ourselves to hear all make up who we are.   This single passage can change your life if you get that’s it’s really saying just what my knitting book said, “Crap in, crap out.”  If we allow things that are not praiseworthy to fill our time, if we let our kids be influenced by things that don’t fit what is pure, lovely and admirable, what can we expect will come out of them?  

As parents, we wonder why kids make bad decisions.  They are kids! A popular answer, but that isn’t the excuse that fits as they mature and learn to make decisions about their actions.  We all make mistakes, but the skills needed to test and approve what God wants for us is rooted in this passage Paul wrote (Phil. 4:8 again).  

One good example of input we talked about was television.   Have you ever wondered what makes your kid tick?  Sometimes we just don’t know our kids, nor how they think and what appeals to them about what they do.  Pick a show your kids watch that they are smitten with.  Take a half hour to sit down with your child and watch it with them.  While your watching, ask your child questions about what they like about that show.  Why does it appeal to them.  Conversely, interject some things you notice like, “Gee, they sure put a lot of emphasis on what people wear.  It’s too bad they don’t understand that God wants us to value what’s on the inside more than what’s on the outside.”  Get the picture.  Continue this narrative as you watch t.v. together.   Believe it or not, God can work through you and your kids will wake up to the “Crap in” principle.  I know of many kids that ultimately choose to eliminate that show from their list of life activities.  (If after a few times, they don’t, you may cut it out, explain why and then move on to joint analysis of another show, pointing out common themes.)  With the information you’ve gained, you may find a more positive substitutions that encourage their interests.  

I encourage you to print out Phillipians 4:8.  Just click on the verse for a link to Bible Gateway.  Here you can read any version of the Bible at any time!  It’s the antithesis of “Crap in”.  Cut it out and tape it to your television.  In fact, tape verses all over your walls and door frames to remind you of what God wants your life to be like.  Life is an adventure in joyful living when you adopt this motto for your family, “God in, God out.” 

The Mission Statement and God's Position on Your Board

If you have any MBA graduates or management types in your family, you may hear talk of a mission statement.  It’s a vision for the company they are leading.  Every board has to decide on a vision for the organization they are directing.  Why?  It’s not a new concept.  In fact, it was God’s idea long before it was taught in any management school or seminar.  Solomon said it in the book of Proverbs, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”  Other ways of saying this include, “If you don’t now where you’re going, it doesn’t matter which direction you will go.”  “You’re going nowhere, fast.”  “Where there is no direction, there can be no progress toward it.”

In light of this great wisdom, many companies have formed large organizations and profited by keeping true to their mission.   Is work the only place you need to have a vision?  

God has a mission.  In Matthew 28 Jesus, the greatest visionary and leader in unconventional wisdom of all time, said this to those he led,

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,^[b^] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

His disciples knew their mission, and because of it they did more than obey, they lived their mission and they died for it.  They did it understanding the guarantee of their leader.  In my words, 

“Introduce them to me, show them my nature and who I am.  Show them what it is like to follow me by your example.  Bring them into our family and have them confess their allegiance to my way by having them stand before men and state it in public.  I’ll reward them by cleaning up the mess they’ve made of their lives, show them that living for Me is like taking a bath in clean water.  The difference is that one washing is all it takes.  Don’t worry, no matter what happens when you follow my lead, I’ll be with you, forever, always.” 

So, your family is important to you, right?  Some people put God first, but most would put family first or second.     If family is a priority, why give the development of your family less intentional thought than your job?  Do you have a vision for your each of your children’s lives?  Do you know where you are heading in your leadership of their lives?  Each one of them is unique, and made for a different purpose.  Do you know what it is?  Most of us just wonder, but the reality is, that this knowledge is available through God!

The reason I stated above that Jesus is the ultimate visionary is that he did nothing that did NOT fit into his mission statement.  Everything he is about is for the mission he was sent to do.  He intentionally picked a bunch of difficult people to do his work and patiently waited for them to “get it”.   Are you one of those people who still needs to get it?  

God gives us kids and tells us to “train them up in the way that they should go, and they will not depart from it.”   If you have a mission for your company, which is lower on the list, do you have one for your family? 

When you look into their future, what do you want them to become?  Sometimes this question leads people to stress about college funds or academic achievement, but in the scheme of life with God, do you have a vision for them?  I guarantee that God, their designer does.  He knows why he gave them their personality and their gifts.  How will you know this if you don’t seek God and ask him to show you what it is?  The real mission God has for every Christian is the same one Jesus left for his disciples.  Show them how to KNOW me.  Show them how to SERVE me.  Reveal to them who I am, so they can blossom and be who I created them to be.  

Great leaders are charismatic.   The fire they have spreads to those around them.  We all lead by our example, but where are you leading them TO.  Are you showing your kids Christ by your choices and daily activity?  Kids are smart, intuitive, gifted and if you have passionate faith, they will catch it!  Sadly, many of us take our kids to church, trust the Sunday School leaders to “educate” them in God’s ways, but nothing in our daily life is any different than our neighbor’s because of Christ.  No one will catch anything from you that you don’t have, not even your kids. 

Do you want to raise kids who know Christ, or who just know ABOUT Christ.  Eventually, someone may tell them about what Jesus did for them, maybe on a street corner as they hand them a tract.  Do you want to leave them to this fate?  YOU have the opportunity to put Christ, the only way to real peace and joy (not to mention heaven), right IN FRONT of them for 18 years before the world gets them and sees your handiwork.  What are you doing? 

Spend time in prayer and do more listening than talking, then write down what matters to you, and whether that Christian title is talk or a LIFE you intend to live.  Trust me, your kids know the difference. 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

What do you want for your children as they grow into adulthood? When you envision them in the future how do you see them? As a Christian homeshooling family, the vision we have for our children's future affects everything we do, every book we read, what we choose to learn, every show we watch and every decision we make about how to spend our time.

A year ago, after I had spent time in prayer seeking what God wanted for my oldest son, I wrote this letter to him. He's 10 now and nearing the time when he may be ready to read it. Here is my faith prayer for my son. (I omitted the name so you could more easily envision your own child as you read it.)

My Dear Son,

As you develop into the person God created you to be, I pray you would open your heart to God's leading in every moment, that your will and your attitudes would be in submission to the LORD. As we learn together daily about the way God has directed life on our earth and every movement of every atom, may you know his plan for you is more than you can ever imagine it to be. It's bigger than the biggest idea you've ever had. Your talents have more potential than you will ever use, because we are so limited by our own lack of vision and true faith.

Now I see you serving God each day in your heart, but stumbling over small things as you get to know yourself. You were fearfully and wonderfully made, Son. There is no mistake in any part of your creation. As we spend each day together I hope to help you find out how to maximize your potential to do great things for God.

Through prayer, I hope you will quiet yourself to listen, and not always be talking.

Through solitude, I hope you will find a place to calm your soul and your
emotions.

Through scripture, you will fill yourself with the knowledge of what God has done and what he will do and with the passion God has placed inside you.  You will fill the world with joy and ignite a vision for what God can do in the lives of others.

Through serving others, you will be the hands and feet of Christ and know the greatest fulfillment, more than any gadget or toy can bring. I know you know that already, for I've seen you sacrifice something easily when you learn it will not please God or help you become closer to him.

When you face trials, you'll remember the struggles we shared daily and our talks about how just putting a foot forward and taking a step in faith will change every circumstance and help you bring your thoughts back into the obedience of Christ.

Prayer should be a continuous conversation with God. With your every thought, may you walk side-by-side with Him through His spirit. Spend your every moment in continuous conversation with God and you will always hear his voice. When you face the trials that will perfect your faith, face them on your knees with his Word in front of you. Don't let Satan's lies cloud who you really are. Believe in what God will do through you, even when you have tears blinding you.

God gave you to me for a short while. My job was to guide you and love you. To show you that an imperfect mom can love you a lot, but not nearly as much as the one who planned every atom of your being and every desire of your heart. Every day you grow and move closer to God as your guide and further from me.

What will you be like as an adult? I pray you will know who God created you to be so that your gifts will be a blessing to the world. Whatever you do, may you always know that loving people is important over all other things. Money is a blessing and a responsibility. If you strive for it, don't do it out of a lust for things, but out of a lust to give it away. God says we are to enjoy life, but the greatest joy is in seeing people connect with God and find their place with him. You will be able to show them that steadfast faith. Your faith will overcome the thorn you struggle with, because God is able to do all things and you'll believe that.

Love, Your Mom
*********************

You are welcome to adopt my prayer for my child for your own child. I encourage you to pray for wisdom to recognize the unique passions and gifts God has put into your child, for they are the key to seeing what he or she may become. As you come to better understand your child's unique personality and gifts, you can direct him or her in how to use them to bless the world and write them their own prayer letter. This letter is to my oldest. This would not be the same letter I'd write to my other children, who have their own unique passions and abilities. They each bring their own unique joy to my life and I love them all.