OH…..Just Another FROG!

Last Friday on “The Kitchen Table” fan page on Facebook, I posed the question “Did you ever really want something and God said, “No?” This was based on Tovah’s blog “You Can’t Always Get What You Wanted”. My response was….”Yes, a man. But God knew that he was a frog. Thank you Jesus!!” But I wasn’t alone in my response. There were others who were also thankful to God for saying, “No! Not Him.” The truth be told there are many of God’s daughters who are very grateful to His, “No” of protection and there are also many of His daughters who wished they had listened to Him. So today I want to talk about the Frogs versus Prince Charming.

The world always has everything backwards or upside down compared to God’s Kingdom. It has given us “Beauty and the Beast” “The Princess and the Frog” all stories where true love brings out the handsome prince. But since Jesus Himself warns us to…”Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves,” Matthew 7:15 (NLT) to me this is saying that you better watch out for the so called “Prince” because he could really be a “Frog”.

I am going to be focusing on men who are in the church buildings. I put it like that because everyone who is hanging out in the church building is not necessarily part of “The Body of Christ” and I don’t want anyone to be confused about that.

Once upon a time there was a 42 year old single mother of a 2 year old child who thought life would be perfect if only she could find validation by being married. Her heart was broken because the father of her child was off with another and had made it clear she would be on her own. It didn’t matter at the time that the Lord had made her a promise that if she had this child versus having an abortion He would forever supply all their needs and be with them always. Yes, that sounded good for a minute, but didn’t He see that she needed a husband?

Yes, it seems He did, because He sent her a “Prince Charming”. A man that looked good, smelled good, had a good job and excellent credit rating, generous with his money, talked the talk, looked like he was walking the walk, and to top it all off he wanted her and her baby. Wow!!! God is good! But wait! He was a deceiver and not really a man of God. Oh no….it turns out he was just another frog.

How did she find out? Well, the blessing in all of this was that this fair maiden had made the decision that she would never have sex again outside of marriage, before she met him. She had come to the conclusion that was a sin she was not having anything ever again to do with. And that one decision to obey God saved her. Even though she had run ahead of God, her desire to do things the right way, gave Him the opportunity to show her the truth (before she completely jumped off the edge) about what she had picked for herself. Because there was no soul attachment (the type you have when sexually involved with someone) she was able to call off the engagement, give back the big beautiful diamond and walk away. Was there pain involved? Yes. There was a time of mourning, for the death of her dreams and hopes with this man, but there was a celebration after her period of mourning because she had eyes to see what the Lord had done for her. And I have been grateful to Him ever since! ~Smile~

There is a seed that I have planted in Tovah and continue to water every chance I get, and that is….if a guy who says he loves the Lord is continually trying to get you to have sex with him on the guise of “If you love me, you will have sex with me.” Know that he is a frog and not for you! When a man loves God he is not trying to sin against Him. And if he loves you, he will not be about the business of trying to involve you in sinning against God.

Also there are a few other things to look for my dear sisters. How does he handle money? Is he always using credit cards or does he have cash? Has he asked to borrow money from you? Are you being foolish enough to offer him money or the use of your credit cards? What is his relationship with his mother? What is going on with his family? Does he have children? How many and with how many women? Are his actions really lining up with the Word of God? Is he busy wooing you so much that he is eating into your time with the Lord? If he is after you all the time, when is he spending time with the Lord? I hate to break this to you but….just because a man is interested in you, does not mean that the Lord sent him. And even if he is a true man of God who really is walking the walk, it still does not mean that the Lord has deemed you and him to be together. I know that is a hard pill to swallow for some, but nonetheless one that all single women in the Body of Christ should take. It will save you from unnecessary heartache.

2 Corinthians 6:14 tells us, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion hath light with darkness?” (KJV) But do you realize that you can be unequally yoked with someone who is in the kingdom of light? Well, yes you can. Will God have you unequally yoked? No! But we can put ourselves into a relationship that is unequally yoked. If you have been walking with the Lord for 15 years, why would you want to be yoked to a man who is just coming in from living a sin filled life in the world and can’t rub 2 scriptures together? How can he lead you? But in our desperation to be “Mrs.” we get ahead of God and try to make things happen in our own way.

The best thing you can do for yourself as a single woman in God’s Kingdom, is….5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge HIM, and HE will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. Proverbs 3:5-7 (NIV) Got that girls?! If not read it again, and again until you do. This is key to living the good life in Christ.

Now as for men you meet who are not even pretending to know the Lord, I can sum that up in four words. “RUN THE OTHER WAY!!”

My dear sisters, I pray that today’s blog has encouraged you to continue thinking about your life as God sees it. And the more we can do that, the happier and more fulfilled we become with who we are and where we are in this season of our lives.

So…the next man you meet (or it could be someone you know now) don’t forget to ask yourself, “Hum, is this just another frog?” LOL!!!



Blessings & Hugs
Ponnie

I'll be back with more on Wednesday, April 14th!



Thursday’s Blog: more humor from Cheryl, “Diary of Homeschool Mom”

MY UNSCRIPTED LIFE DEFINITELY COMES WITH SURPRISES!

Hello Ladies,

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about living life to the fullest. I pray you are doing your very best to live life to the fullest!

During the time the blog was posted, I was going through a “routine of busyness”. I had to go back and re-read what I wrote and put it into practice!
I first had to STOP and accept the fact that I was too busy and not having any family time or “me” time. I really had to sit down and write a list of priorities (re-prioritize) in my life! When I wrote the list, I said to myself, WOW, I didn’t think I was that busy, but in actuality, I was.

I realized not only my time was affected, but also my health was being affected. The doctor says I have gastric reflux and I have to follow a strict diet or take medication, but because I have been so on the go with my “routine of busyness”, I threw the diet plan right out the window. Because of this new change in my diet, my stomach has been really suffering. As of today (March 22, 2010), I’m going back on my strict diet and restore my health!

During this time of “routine of busyness”, my husband decides to give me a surprise…in the past, my husband can never keep a surprise from me. He would always end up telling me the surprise and ruining the moment. LOL…but this time was different. My husband and kids were keeping the surprise secret to themselves. That was so not fair! That day my kids were off to a birthday party at a friend’s house. My husband and I left to spend quality time as a couple. The surprise was…. Suspenseful huh?!?…. LOL…. He took me on the Port Jefferson Ferry Boat for the afternoon. I was so happy! The weather was nice and it was so peaceful, so quiet. Here is a picture of us on the boat…



It was so much fun; we went out to dinner, went to the local shops and had enough time to get back on the boat and pickup the kids from the birthday party. I’m so thankful for my husband taking me away from the “routine of busyness”. This is one of my examples when I can really say My Unscripted Life definitely comes with surprises! Until next time…


God bless you always,
Maria Guzman

Hope to see you on Tuesday, April 13th!

Wednesday's Blog: Ponnie, "Living Single & Loving It"


¡MI VIDA IMPROVISADA DEFINITIVAMENTE VIENE CON SORPRESAS!



Hola Mujeres,

Un par de semanas atrás, hable sobre viviendo la vida al máximo. ¡Estoy orando que ustedes están haciendo su mejor esfuerzo para vivir la vida al máximo!

Durante el tiempo cuando el blog fue publicado, yo estaba pasando por una “rutina de las ocupaciones”. ¡Tuve que volver a leer lo que escribí y ponerlo en práctica!

En primer lugar, tuve que parar y aceptar el hecho de que yo estaba demasiado ocupada y no teniendo tiempo para la familia o tiempo para "mi". ¡Realmente tuve que sentarme y escribir una lista de prioridades (re-priorizar) en mi vida! Cuando escribí la lista, me dije, WOW, no pensé que yo estaba tan ocupada, pero en realidad, si estaba.
Me di cuenta que no sólo el tiempo fue afectado, sino también mi salud también. El doctor dice que tengo el reflujo gástrico y tengo que seguir una dieta estricta o tomar un medicamento, sino porque he estado tan en el camino con mi "rutina de las ocupaciones", lancé el plan de dieta por la ventana. Debido a este nuevo cambio en mi dieta, mi estómago sufrió realmente. ¡A día de hoy (22 de Marzo de 2010), voy a volver a mi dieta estricta y restaurar mi salud!

Durante este tiempo de "rutina de las ocupaciones", mi esposo decide darme una sorpresa... en el pasado, mi esposo no podía mantener una sorpresa en secreto. Él siempre termina diciendo la sorpresa y arruinar el momento. LOL... pero esta vez era diferente. Mi esposo y los niños se mantenían en secreto la sorpresa para ellos mismos. ¡Esto no fue justo! Ese día mis hijos estaban fuera en una fiesta de cumpleaños en la casa de un amigo. Mi esposo y yo nos fuimos a pasar tiempo de calidad como pareja. La sorpresa fue.... Eh suspenso?!? .... LOL.... Él me llevó en el “Port Jefferson Ferry Boat” por la tarde. ¡Yo estaba tan feliz! El clima era agradable y era tan tranquilo. Aquí hay una foto de nosotros en el barco...



Fue muy divertido, nos fuimos a cenar, fuimos a las tiendas locales y tuvimos tiempo suficiente para volver en el barco y buscar los niños en la fiesta de cumpleaños. Estoy muy agradecida por mi esposo que me llevo lejos de la “rutina de las ocupaciones". ¡Este es uno de mis ejemplos, cuando realmente puedo decir que mi vida improvisada definitivamente viene con sorpresas! Hasta la próxima...

Dios te bendiga siempre,
María Guzmán

WEIGHING IN ......

Over the years I have tried many different diet plans...Weight Watchers, Physician’s Weight Loss, Atkins....and most have been successful as long as I stuck to the plan. However, the minute I got off track the weight came back plus some. Very frustrating! I have finally come to the conclusion that diets don’t work!

I’ve been doing a lot of research on developing a healthier lifestyle because while I want to lose the weight, I don’t want to diet anymore. I have also been doing a lot of praying about it. “Lord, show me Your Will and Your Way” has been my prayer. For years, I have tried to lose this weight on my own and in my own way. I never thought to ask God for help in this area before because I fell into the “get thin quick” mindset that the world has to offer. (Okay, Okay, I admit I have had the, “do it my way” mindset and forget to consult God first about many things...but TODAY, we are talking about dieting!!) Sure, I have asked God to help me with my appetite...or to take away the hunger pain when I was on a diet....and to not let me have a gain when I get to the Weight Watchers meeting after my big weekend binge. (LOL) The truth of the matter is....I am so, so tired of being a failure in this area and so I finally realized that I needed to totally surrender my will in this area to God’s Will. I cried out to the Lord this prayer....“Lord, show me Your Will and Your Way....I don’t believe it’s Your desire for me to be fat and unhealthy so please, show me how to do this”.

Soon after that prayer, a very good friend of mine posted a very inspiring blog about her son being diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and the path that God directed her and her husband to take in order for him to be healed from it. The Lord led them to Daniel 1:8-16 and long story short, they cut out processed foods from their diets and as a result, they have been able to see positive progress towards their son’s healing. I was so inspired by my friends testimony and it got me to thinking…God didn’t give us processed foods...could this be the cause of so many digestive diseases and obesity? In my opinion....I think it is. (A lot of research studies seem to support this theory as well.) Is this the direction that God wants me to take? I’m thinking it is!

Eliminate the processed foods....that’s it! It’s not the fruits, veggies or meats that made me fat...it’s the cookies, candy, PEPSI (my addiction), McDonald’s French Fries, Domino’s Pizza etc that made me fat! Eliminate these things and I will lose the weight. But wait a minute....isn’t this the basis of most diet plans? Well, yes....but to me, it just sounds better and it makes sense when it comes from God than from Jenny Craig…know what I mean? Plus, it just doesn’t sound as restricting when He points it out.

Since then, I have been trying to learn more about “unprocessed” foods. I’ve bought some natural food type magazines and I’ve been checking out a lot of websites in order to educate myself on healthier foods (ie herbs, whole grains, etc). I have to confess though...I haven’t successfully made the transition yet but I continue to pray and ask God for the ability to make these changes and for the wisdom to know what is good/beneficial for me to eat and what isn’t. With His help, little by little, I am making progress towards this lifestyle change.

My purpose in writing today isn’t to discourage anyone from following any particular type of diet plan. Many people have achieved weight loss success on all of the diet plans that I mentioned earlier...I’m just not one of them. My purpose is to encourage anyone who is struggling…like me, to find their way on their weight loss journey by first seeking the Lord and to trust Him to give you a plan. In fact, Sister, Trust God and surrender every part of your life to HIM. Surrender to His Will and His Way and He will direct your path. This applies to ALL areas of your life. God loves you and wants you to be successful...just ask Him to show you the path to take to reach that success and I promise you, He will do it!

One of the greatest discoveries that I have made since beginning this Fit by Forty journey is that life is so much easier and far more fulfilling now that I have totally surrendered every single part of my life to him....I hope that I can encourage all woman to believe that and to try it for themselves. *smile*



Until the next time,
Sasha

I'll be back Monday, April 12th!


Tuesday's Blog: Maria joins us with more "Life Unscripted"

WRITING AUDITIONS…for “The Kitchen Table”

Ladies, “The Kitchen Table” is accepting writing auditions for a couple of guest spots each month. If you would like to be a guest at our table please see the guidelines below:

Audition blogs are to be no longer than 900 words and no less than 650 words. This does not include your title and salutation. Any submission over the limit is automatically disqualified. We will be using Microsoft Word Count.

We suggest that if you have not been reading our blogs on a regular bases that you read at least a month of blogs to see the flavor of how we write at “The Kitchen Table”.

Our Mission Statement: The Kitchen Table is a daily blog comprised of Christian Women focusing on the common threads that we as women all share and experience. As Daughters of the Most High our mission is to encourage and inspire our Sisters to forge on and faint not in the every day struggles of life.

“The Kitchen Table” is a ministry and those who write for it, do so as a gift to God.

Things to keep in mind when writing:
Our blog is going to countries such as Norway, Australia, UK, Canada, Viet Nam, Philippines, Spain, Trinidad, Belgian, Dubai, Portugal, Mexico, Venezuela, Twain, and Copenhagen, just to name a few, and so we must keep in mind (if you are an American) that we are not just writing to Americans and the American culture. We are writing to our sisters in the Lord, about the common struggles that women have no matter what your race or culture.

Please no preaching and Christian denominational views of thinking. Our common thread is Jesus Christ, His death and Resurrection which bought us life everlasting. Do not use a lot of Bible verses or references. Reason being, people will not read them.

The best way to inspire others with the Love of God is to talk about yourself and the things He has done with the problems in your life. Because there is no problem that any of us have experienced that is not “common unto man”.

Your words should encourage, give hope, be humorous, informative, or food for thought on change. If your blog does not hit at least one of these criteria, please rethink what you have written and why.

Please do not use poems unless they are your own, and if submission is more poem than blog it will automatically be disqualified. “The Kitchen Table” blog site is not a forum for anyone to promote their website, blog, ministry or business.

Catagories:
Homeschooling, Health & Beauty, Family, Life Unscripted, Single Moms, Single Women, Adoptive Parents, Parents of Special Needs Children, Working Women, Stay at home Moms, Struggles of the Married Women, Caregivers, Parenting, Grand Parenting and Teenage life.
Please: No blogs on Easter.

Final Steps:
Send submissions to: thekitchentable2010@yahoo.com, put “Audition” in subject.

No attachments permitted: Please copy and paste your audition piece into the “Body” of your email. Do not attach! Due to the many different computer systems it is not always possible to open attachments. CC: Yourself to make sure everything comes through properly.

Please Allow 2 - 3 weeks for notification that your blog has been accepted. At that time you will be notified of the next step of when your blog will be posted. At this time you will requested to provide a phone number.

The sisters at the table are very excited about the auditions and what God has in store for us. We have many readers that are great writers and have a lot to offer in helping us keep each other encouraged and we can’t wait to read what you have to say.




Blessings and love to you all.
Ponnie, Ministry Leader


Monday’s Blog: Sasha is back to keep us on track taking care of ourselves with her “Healthy Lifestyles”.

You Can’t Always Get What You Wanted……….

Want: a) to desire greatly; wish for, b) to seek with intent to capture

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you were always thinking about it? It just consumed your mind and if you could get it then you would be completely happy. I struggle with this feeling pretty much every day of high school. “If I can just do better than this person on a test, I’ll feel satisfied.” “If I can just get this one guy to notice me then life will be perfect!” Sometimes it seems like you just won’t be happy until you get what you want, and this is something that we all deal with from time-to-time.

Why don’t I use an example to clarify? Last week my friends and I were in the cafeteria of our Physical Ed center and everyone was figuring out what they wanted to order. Now, the cafeteria has these large chocolate chip cookies that are absolutely delicious, but they only make about 3 of them a day, and this particular day there was just one left. So, there it was. That scrumptious cookie that had MY name written all over it…or so I thought. Just as I was walking over to claim my cookie, another girl from school snatched it up. Truth be told I wanted to pull a “Oh no you didn’t!” but I held it in. How dare she steal my cookie? That was SOOO my cookie! I wound up getting some other form of dessert but the situation bothered me for the rest of the day. Why did she have to take my cookie? And the sad thing is that the poor girl had no idea that I was so upset over this stupid cookie.

Okay, now you may be thinking, “Tovah, get a grip, it was just a cookie.” But seriously, we all have that little “cookie” somewhere in our lives. “He totally took my promotion.” “No she did not just pick up the last dress in my size!” “I was about to say something, but she just had to interrupt and steal my moment!” Why do we WANT things so much? And right after, “I want” there comes, “I need.” I didn’t just want that cookie, I NEEDED that cookie. In retrospect, I didn’t need the cookie, in fact I’m better off without it, but that didn’t matter at the time. One thing that I’ve learned throughout the past two years is that, when we’re too busy focusing on the things that we want, we tend to miss out on that which we really need.

Psalm 37:5 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Now don’t start jumping up down saying, “Sweet! If I show God that I’m happy all the time he’ll give me exactly what I want, YES!” Before you begin the happy dance, let’s look at the verse in context shall we? Psalm 37: 4-6 says, “3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this.” Now notice this verse does not say, God is going to give you everything that you want. It’s saying that God knows what is good for us and will give the things that we truly need. And I am not talking about that five hundred dollar Prada purse; chances are you probably don’t need that. ~smile~ What I’m saying is that God has so much more planned for us than we could ever want or imagine. Now this may be a hard concept to come to terms with, at times you may feel like, “God, why couldn’t I get this ONE thing that I really wanted, just this once, please!” While we may have wanted that one specific thing, we have to realize that God has something that is so much better in store for us.

I hope this blog helped you to realize that you don’t have to let that cookie ruin your day, because God has an even better “cookie” for you somewhere down the road. So in conclusion, “You can’t always get what you wanted, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.”




Love ya,
Tovah

I'll be back on Saturday, April 10th, until then Peace Out!


Saturday's Blog: One of my BFF's Lydia is up, "Eighteen"

Taking Care of Those You Love

My alarm went off at 5:15am, and I still didn’t have a clue as to what I would be writing about this morning. I realized last night that I was going to have to write a fill in blog, and that was okay because I’m ministry leader and I have to do what I have to do. But!!! What am I to write about? The evening is not my best time of the day; in fact I usually have two speeds…slow and stop. My creative juices are running at only half of its usual capacity (if that), but when the morning comes I am full of vim and vigor. So when my alarm went off, I said, “Okay Holy Spirit, what will it be today?” Hum, He didn’t answer. After waiting for over a half an hour I got up because time was of the essence. Well, it’s been over an hour since my alarm went off and I’m sipping on my first cup of coffee finally getting ready to pound it out!!! One thing for sure and that is, when God gives you something to do, He will always give you what you need to get it done. ~Smile~

The Kitchen Table’s mission is to encourage our sisters-in-Christ in their everyday struggles of life, and to let them know they are not alone in those struggles. This morning I have been led to acknowledge the women who are in a season of being caregivers.

I once walked in the shoes of caregiver and though my season was only for several months compared to a friend of mine who cared for a very sick husband for 18 years out of their 33 years of marriage, it was very challenging nonetheless. I remember my mother being in the hospital for 33 days and out of those 33 days I was there 31. My aunt gave me a break twice. My mother had been so sick that she could hardly hold a spoon to feed herself. At the time I had a boss who was very understanding and allowed me to redesign my work schedule so that I could be at the hospital to feed her dinner every evening and then bathe her. If you have ever had anyone that is in the hospital for any length of time, you do need to be there to manage their level of care. Then when she was discharged I had to run errands for her on my lunch hour (usually extended) and went to her house straight after work to fix her dinner, bathe her, wash her linens, vacuum and many other tasks. After that I had a young daughter to go home to. Phew, I was tired all the time. And my weekends were not my own either. My mother had two sisters who lived close by and I was not her only child, yet I had the bulk of her care and I worked a full time job. Was I resentful? Yes! How did I do it? By God’s grace and His grace alone. I was a new Christian and I was just learning what it meant to “Honor your Mother and Father.” That command is not based on how they have treated you or what they have done or have not done for you; and that was a hard one to swallow, but my desire to have a changed life carried me through.

God commands us to take care of our own. In fact if we don’t do it when we able the Bible says, “we are worst than an infidel (a nonbeliever). Wow!! Who wants to be that? And yes, when God gives us an assignment He always provides whatever it is we need to complete that assignment. But that still does not mean that along the way we will not become discouraged or resentful about it.

I was very resentful and felt my family should have done more than they did to help with my mother. But as I look back it was part of God’s big picture for my life. I had never taken care of anyone on the level I had my mom, and the truth be told, I was too selfish a person to ever think that I would be bothered wiping someone’s behind if it was not attached to a baby. So He used the opportunity to begin to grow me up as His child and prepare me for ministry work. Everyone’s circumstances are different so there is no need to compare, but there are common factors that caregivers encounter. The readjustment of your lifestyle for one, everything seems to change in an instant. Time for yourself or time with your family. Loss of freedom and the ability to just up and go is huge. Feeling tired and worn out (physically, mentally and spiritually). Overworked and under appreciated, isolated and lonely. And if there are others who could be helping and are not….Resentful! We might even have those days of “Woe is me” and “Life is so unfair.”

I mentored a woman who had to take in both her parents. Emotionally she was a wreck some days, but I would encourage her that it was for a season and if she would begin to adjust her thinking to that of a servant and find joy in being chosen (she had other sibs) by God for this very important task, her days would be better. Her father passed first and then her mother went into full blown Alzheimer’s disease. We prayed together a lot and I was there as a shoulder for her to cry on. But just as I was there for her to vent and express her true feelings without fear of judgment, so is God for us.

My dear sisters, do not despair in this time of your life and I know that for some it is very difficult. But God is waiting for you to give it to Him. Do not be afraid to shout out to Him that you are hurting, that you are angry, and that you don’t think it’s fair or any of the other emotions you might be experiencing but are afraid to say out loud to Him or anyone else. God knows our hearts so deeply that He has yet to expose most of it to us. So it will not be a surprise to Him that you are struggling with certain feelings.

Be encouraged that care giving is a big part of the life of a Believer. God has commands on it in the Old Testament and the New Testament, meaning He made provision in the beginning.

Father, my prayer today is that your daughters bring their heavy hearts to you. That they will be free enough to express how they truly feel about their season as caregiver. May they find freedom in trusting you to handle their situation and with this trust be able to enter into your rest. In Yeshua’s mighty name…..Amen!

Do not be discouraged my sisters for the Lord our God, will never leave you nor forsake you. He is the God that holds your right hand and has a plan for your life. And that plan is good.



Blessings & Love
Ponnie


Friday's Blog: Tovah "Life of a High School Junior"

How Do You Please Everyone?

As I lay down from a long days work my 5 year old Christina tucked me in and said “Mommy I will keep you company so you won’t be alone." I told her not to worry because mommy didn’t mind being alone. This display of affection did cause the wheels in my head to spin. I have 3 children ages 11, 5, and almost 3, so I have difficulty coming up with ways to spend time with all of them. Given the age of my oldest it is hard to find something to do that she can enjoy as well as the younger ones. My oldest and I hang out every Wednesday while the others are at my mom’s for an overnight stay. But with all three together it can be challenging.

Now that spring has sprung there are more choices and more options. Honestly nothing suits me better than a warm bed and a good movie when it is only 20 degrees outside. My youngest two don’t really understand the concept of seasons yet. If the sun is out then its playground weather, wind chill is not really a factor to them. In addition to actually finding something to do I have to make sure that whatever I choose does not break the bank. With three kids, outings can get expensive. This past weekend I took the kids to Longwood Gardens. For those of you who live outside of Pennsylvania, it is an agricultural site that sits on acres of land in Chester County. There is a conservatory filled with every flower you could imagine, there are acres of gardens, water fountains, tree houses, ponds, and other attractions. It was cost conscious too. We all got in for 28 bucks. There was so much to see, places to run, and flowers to smell. They all loved it and they learned while they were there and I even had AJ (the 2.5 year old) tell me the colors of different flowers. We have made plans to go back in May when the gardens will be in full bloom and the fountains will be on display. I am already thinking ahead of the next trip.

My oldest daughter always wants to go shopping at the mall. Thank God her Nana likes to do the same thing. I point Zoe in her direction for those trips. On our way to the gardens I stopped at Target in Concordville and the cashier said that after work she was going to take her son to Linvilla Orchards for some pie and a hay ride. Bingo! My next outing was planned. My goal is to get outdoors more this spring as I strongly dislike the humid summer days. There is a free kid’s magazine in my area called Metrokids and they have an excellent section with a calendar that outlines activities for children every day of the month and many of those activities are FREE (my favorite word). As I wrote in my previous blog we can go to God for anything and that also includes asking Him to lead us to fun economical activities for the kids. After all we have not because we ask not. Mathew 7:7 says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (NIV). To my single parents who are facing the same dilemma I would suggest checking with your local library, church bulletin, or local kid’s magazine for different ideas on how to spend time with your kids. Although I am constantly wishing my children into adulthood I know that the time I have with them as children is short, so I want to spend it the best way I know how.

Of course I forgot the camera, so the picture up top is from an outing on the 4th of July, 2008 at Longwood gardens. I know it's beautiful!



Peace & Love
Michele

Until next time....Wednesday, April 7th!


Thursday's Blog: Esther-Maria "Our world traveler" returns

What Happens When You're Sick With 11 Kids?

Have you ever been sick? Well of course you have, that was sort of a dumb question? BUT the real question is…have you ever been sick with eleven children and they were not sick? Well let me tell you the story of a mother, a mother that loves her children very much until she is sick and they are not.

Imagine the horror when I recently came down with a really bad cold and stomach bug. My first thoughts were, Oh Lord not me! I can’t do this, this week! Could we choose another week when things are easier to deal with? I’ll pick a week; just let me take a look at my calendar. Sorry to say that didn’t work and there I was sick in bed and not wanting to lift my head from the pillow much less parent or take care of a home! HOWEVER, the problem here was not that I was sick; the problem was the children were NOT. The children, in fact, all felt better than they had in months, there was snow on the ground and it was still falling and all they wanted was to play and have fun and not one of them wanted to do schoolwork, chores or anything else!

Though mommy was not feeling well and not wanting to budge, it still started off as any normal day, with children up and wanting FOOD NOW! Breakfast is easy; the children make it for themselves, so I thought I was safe. After breakfast its chore time and then home school. Now with mommy sick the children knew that meant NO SCHOOL and they thought that also went for chores and cleaning their rooms, and so it began……

“Mommy it’s snowing, can I go out and play?” “Um no, is your room clean? Are your chores done?” “No ma’am, but do I have to do them right now?” “Yes you do, or you will forget to come back and do them.” “I promise mommy I won’t forget PPPUUULLLEEEAAASSSE let me go outside and play in the snow for a little while? It is snowing really hard and I have never been out in a blizzard before.” (Okay so his idea of a blizzard was more than two or three snowflakes. I think there were maybe ten snowflakes falling at the same time.) But having to remain consistent I said, “NO! We have been through this before. When your bed is made, your room is straight and your chores are done you may go out and play while mommy is resting.” This went on for about five minutes until Mommy began to get angry, knowing we had come to the place where punishments begin, the asker went off to do his chores and straighten up his room, mumbling to himself the entire time. But did I care? No!

I laid back down only to hear a soft knock on my door, “Come in, Cora”, I said. Then I heard, “Mommy do you need anything?” “No I’m fine right now.” “Mommy are you going to be okay?” “Yes honey Mommy is just sick but I will be okay.” “Well just don’t die because then Daddy will be our mommy and he does not know how to cook like you do!” “Well okay I don’t intend to die today, so why don’t you ask the Lord to help mommy feel better.” To which we bowed our heads and this child began to ask the Lord to let me live a very long life or to please send someone to teach daddy how to cook something besides eggs, and cream of wheat!

With that taken care of I laid down once again, only to hear a louder knock on my door, Mari entered and said “Mommy, what do I feed Emma?” Now why this question struck me as funny I have no idea but all I could visualize was my baby girl, sitting and eating hay like the goats, but I said as patiently as I could, “Well Emma is not a baby anymore so why don’t you ask her what she wants for breakfast?” To which Mari informed still wondering why I was laughing, “I did and she said she wants a candy cane for breakfast.” “Well okay send her in here and I will see what I can do.” A few minutes later in walks my very precious 5 year old child that gets her stubbornness from who knows where and has the ability to drive an entire house of people out of their minds in 10.2 seconds! And yet she has a sweet loving nature, sweet smile gives huge hugs and kisses and has faith in God with abundant love. BUT today it was her stubborn side that we had to get past and with mommy sick, I did not feel like dealing with this.

“Emma, my love, mommy does not feel well so, you really need to tell Mari what you want to eat for breakfast so that she can fix it for you.” To which I was told with as much distain as a five year old can muster, “I told Mari, I want a candy cane for breakfast.” “Well, honey that is not breakfast and since mommy is home that will not work. How about cereal?” “Nope, candy cane.” “How about eggs?” “Nope, candy cane.” “Okay I have it, why don’t you have candy cane toast for breakfast?” “Hhhmmmm…Are you trying to trick me?” “Yes I am, but you will eat it or go to your room until you do.” “Okay, I’ll eat it, but I will be pretending it is a real candy cane while I am eating it!” And she stomped out of the room, making sure that I knew she was still getting her way even if it meant I got mine too.

I then instructed Mari to get out our candy cane cookie cutter and make some candy cane toast, to which Emma was so excited she ate four pieces, drank her milk and then even made her bed without a fuss. If only all of the problems in our house were this easy to fix.

Again I laid back down, got comfortable, and informed Rich that it was his turn to parent. I turned over, closed my eyes and tried to sleep; when came the sound, (A very odd sound) of someone crawling on the floor. I laid there for a moment, opened my eyes to look straight into the eyes of my 6 year old Cassie Joy. I tried not to scream, but there is nothing more startling than to open your eyes and a child’s nose, is nose-to-nose with yours. I took a deep breath and said, “Cassie honey you scared mommy to death.” “I didn’t mean to, but you don’t look dead.” “I didn’t say I was dead,” I said, “You scared me to death. Never mind what do you want honey?” “Mommy you have to come downstairs right now.” “Cassie, honey mommy is sick and I don’t feel like going all the way down stairs why do you need me too?” “It is a secret but you have to come downstairs RIGHT NOW!” If you have children then you know there are certain words or phrases that they can say and you instantly get fear in your heart. These were those words.

“Honey can Daddy come downstairs and see the secret?” “Nope. Only you can.” “Cassie Joy-Lynn I am going to ask you this one time and I want you to tell me the truth no playing, okay?” “Sure mommy what?” I sat up and struggled not to smile or frown at the same time, and asked “If I go downstairs, am I going to find something that will make me angry?” “NOPE HAPPY.” “Is it a big surprise?” “YES MA’AM IT IS A VERY BIG SURPRISE!”

So I dragged myself out of my bed and somehow followed this beautiful child with the corn silk hair, this child that looks like an angel but loves to put the fear of God into my heart. I followed her into my Mama’s room where I discovered that new baby kittens were in the process of entering our world. I guess for a six year old it was important enough for me to come down those stairs but as I stood there and watched the miracle of birth (for the one hundredth time, still a miracle but being sick not so much this time!) I thought, Lord I am so glad that you have joined our family together in your love. I am so proud of each child and their love for me and the rest of their family. BUT could they just for today not love me quite so much? LOL!!

The picture up top is of Cora's bedroom and her idea of clean! I love my children but neat is not in their vocabulary, not one tiny bit! LOL



God bless you all!
Rise'

Hope to see you in two weeks. Tuesday, April 3rd to be exact!


Wednesday's Blog: Michele, "Single Working Mom"

EMERGENCY!!! (Houston, we have a problem!)

Have you ever had one of those money emergencies that just takes your breath away? Not figuratively, but literally. I had that moment recently.

So FEMA remapped our area and has decided that we are in a high risk flood zone. So now we have to get flood insurance. So I’m thinking no big deal. It’ll probably be a fraction of the cost of Homeowner’s Insurance. Oh how wrong I was! To make a long story short, our Flood Insurance costs almost 1 ½ times the cost of our Homeowner’s Insurance! I was floored! How could this be? It seemed so illogical. It only covers water damage. Homeowner’s covers everything else. So I was officially speechless. And for those who know me, that is no small feat.

So I was totally freaking out for about 28 minutes. I spoke to the agent about increasing the deductible and not covering personal contents. I could not believe that this was being sprung on us in the middle of tax season (yes, we owe!) I’m trying to keep from crying as I think, “Who has over $1,000 just waiting to be spent?” And we only had 45 days to secure the insurance. Then that still, small voice reminded me of our emergency fund. We did have the money to cover this unforeseen event. And then I calmed down.

What started out as a def-con 4, full-fledged assault, turned into a minor inconvenience by simply being prepared. Yes, my first instinct was to freak out, but then I realized that following the Baby Steps had really paid off. Baby Step Three was to save three to six months of expenses in an Emergency Fund. Since we had done this, we were able to handle this emergency.

Then I began to imagine those people who received the same notice that we did, but are not as prepared. What will they do? Could you imagine your monthly escrow requirement increasing by $100 or $200 per month? Could you pay out $1,200 in 45 days if you needed to? If you lost your job, how many months could you pay for necessities before you began to fall behind?

Are you living paycheck to paycheck? If you are, I’m here to let you know that you are living on the edge. Or at least way too close to the edge. You need to have some sort of cushion between you and life. And this is what the Emergency Fund provides.

Ladies, let’s not live an over-extended lifestyle. Let’s not spend everything we make. Let’s live on less than we make and with wisdom plan for the future. Let’s change our family tree by changing our spending habits. “Wise people's houses are full of the best foods and olive oil, but fools waste everything they have.” Proverbs 21:20.




Peace & Blessings
Sharon

I will have more for you on Monday, April 5th! Until then keep working your plan for financial peace and freedom.


Tuesday's Blog: Rise'& her 11 kids.... "Wampler Zoo"

Just Let It Go.......

Philadelphia (the city in which I live) has been experiencing spring like weather for the past few days. It has been such a blessing and joy to have the sun every day and temps almost reaching 70. Of course we can’t pack away all the winter clothing just yet, it’s still March. And the month of March has been known from time-to-time to come in like a lamb and go out like a roaring lion. But none-the-less, God has given us a taste of what’s to come.

We easily embrace the change that comes with spring. We can’t wait to shed the boots, gloves, hats, and heavy outerwear. No one has to convince us that you don’t need to wear your wool coat when it is 75 degrees (Fahrenheit) it is something we so easily let go of. No one has to tell us to turn the heater off, or open up the windows to let fresh air in. It becomes a no brainer that you will no longer need a heavy comforter or electric blanket at night. No, letting go of the winter season and embracing spring is not something we have to be coerced into doing. But just think if we didn’t embrace letting go so easily how miserable we would be. Walking around in a wool coat when it’s so warm outside that you don’t even need a jacket would not be very comfortable. Trying to sleep with the windows closed and under a pile of blankets when it’s warm enough to have a fan on, would not make for a good night’s sleep. No way are we trying to hold on to the past season and not embrace the new. It just would not make sense. Yet we do it with the seasons of our lives. And just as not letting go of those things that help see us through the cold winter months and trying to make them work in the spring and summer would only bring misery, so is the same in our everyday natural lives.

As a counselor of women, over the years I’ve found that often we do not want to let go of past hurts. Why? There are many different reasons and I can’t go over all of them but I am believing that the Holy Spirit will guide me as to the most common to us.

I guess I have to start with childhood abuse. Abuse can wear a different colored coat but the effects are the same. Some women were sexually abused. That could range from being fondled to actual sexual intercourse. It could have been by one perpetrator or many. Or you might have been one that was beaten and battered. It could have been once a month or every day. You may fall into the category of being neglected, hungry and cold in the winter. Verbal abuse could have been your every day demon…”You ain’t blank, and you never will amount to blank, blank nothing!” As I said, “Abuse comes in many different ways, but the effects are the same.” The effects are good and the effects are bad. Now at this point I know that some of you are rising up and saying, “Good!! What good comes from abuse?! Lady, you don’t know what you are talking about!” Clam down and stay with me sisters, because through the Holy Spirit of God at the end we will be able to see how “Though the devil meant it for evil, God used it for good!”

When you are a child and bad things are done to you, it is not your fault and often you have no control over it. But there does come a time in your life that if you want to be free from the bad effects of your abuse then you have to stand up and take control of your life. The number one thing you have to do is begin the process of “Letting it go!” “But see you don’t understand” is what I so often hear when I counsel women about letting go. Why? I think because has humans we don’t like to confront the part we play in the poor decisions we’ve made in our lives, if it's easier to play the “blame game” and lay all our problems on the things that happened to us that were out of our control. And then sometimes it seems too painful to pull the covers off and really examine the rubble that lies within us. But we cannot get around it. With God’s help, we have to go through the mess.

A friend of mine has given me permission to use her life as an example. So let’s call her “Princess”. This woman came from a background of sexual abuse by a stepfather and a mother who after finding out chose to believe him (he didn’t do it) and allowed him to stay in the house. Yes, he continued. This same mother was also physically, verbally and emotionally abusive to her. So we have a girl child who grew up with very low self-esteem and self worth. And all of this was grounded in a deep root of rejection, and feelings that the only way for anyone to care for her was through sex. So thus began her life of poor decisions based on her childhood and emotional state. The world tells us that if you were abused, then you are going to be an abuser. If you were sexually abused that is why you are promiscuous. And now given with so many men in the spotlight being caught in a web of adultery, we now have that you can have a sexual addiction. The world always comes up with a way to justify its sin. But as for Believers there is something much better for us, and that is the healing grace of God! But you have to want it. How do you get it? You will have to confront the demons that have ruled your life and imprisoned you since you were a child.

Let’s get back to Princess, she was a woman who was very angry at life, but more so at her mother and at God. Because for the longest time she could not accept and understand that if God is so loving why did He allow her life to be so hard and so very miserable for so many years. And why did this God give her such a horrible mother? After all we do not have any say as to who our parents will be. And Princess will tell you that she hated her mother for many years. She made the declaration of her hatred to herself when she was 7 years old and her mother was pulling her by her hair because she wasn’t sitting still enough while she combed it. As a child she would lie in bed at night thinking of ways to kill her mother because she knew the abuse would stop if she were dead. Little did she know at the time that damage had already been done that would be with her for years to come. As a child Princess didn’t have a lot of friends and the children in her neighborhood often made fun of her and only added to the barrage of bad names her mother called her. She was told that she was ugly, worthless, stupid, cow dung, and any other thing you could think of. She never met her father and she was told most of her life that she lived with her mother, that he never wanted her and that he hated her. By the time Princess turned 18 and was legally old enough to leave her mother’s house, she was a mess being unleashed into a cruel world that would do its best to eat her up…..

I’m going to do something that I fussed with Ponnie for doing a couple of weeks ago when she wrote the two part blog “The Voice”. I’m going to stop here and pick it back up in two weeks. ~Smile~ I know it’s just starting to get juicy for some, but most of all; it is stirring up old emotions in others. I feel I’m being led by the Holy Spirit to stop now, and He knows better than I do. If you know someone who might benefit from what we will be talking about, please pass the blog on to them. If you are the one who will benefit, please do not run away. Stay with me as I help you to explore how to be free from the prison that abuse creates for those it has touched.

Know that I am praying for you.



Be blessed,
Pat

I will return on Saturday, April 3rd.

Monday's Blog: Sharon will be back with more great "Financial Wisdom" for us"

It’s Hard to Say Goodbye

Rita has recently taken on the role of caregiver for her mother-in-law who has suffered a stroke, and needs lots of love and care. This has forced Rita to reprioritize her life and that of her family. The Lord had given her the word that some things will have to be put on hold and others dropped. And I’m sad to say this all means she is leaving the table.

The sisters at “The Kitchen Table” would like to tell Rita how much we care for her. Many of you don’t know this, but we have great conversations behind the scenes with one another, and a few running group jokes. We have laughed a lot the past few months, and at times shared heartaches and pain with each other. And yes, there are days our inbox feeds on Facebook are just plain silly. We have all learned that though we may live in other states and cities, we are very connected to one another.

Rita we will continue to pray for you and your family and you will forever be in our hearts.

We admire your great strength in the Lord and your compassion for others. Your mother-in-law is very blessed to have you as a daughter. When we see the care you are giving, we can’t help but think of Naomi and Ruth and the deep unconditional love that was the basis of their relationship.

My dear sister, hold tight to the hand of our Lord, as you travel this new road of caregiver. Remember that no matter what each day may bring, that our God has given you everything you need to be successful and pleasing to Him in this season of your life.

Please join us in leaving a goodbye blessing in the comments section for Rita. I know that many of you have enjoyed reading her blogs.



We love you dear Sis!!!

Your Sisters at “The Kitchen Table!”

Friends Wanted.......

One day after school Chris, Brandon and I were walking to the store and on the way home we ran into a 1st grade buddy of Brandon’s. He asked Bran where he had been and why he does not see him in school anymore. Brandon replied boldly that he was home schooled. The other boy said Oh and began to update Bran on all the “news” of our local elementary school. They talked for a moment and we resumed our journey home. As we walked Bran said to me, “Mom, I like being home schooled.” I knew that a “but” was soon to follow; you see I detected a note of sadness in Bran as he talked with his friend. He then said. “But I do not have any friends.” As my heart was breaking I reminded him that he had a lot of friends and cousins that he hangs out with often. You see along with having 12 nieces and nephews (From both sides of the family) we have 8 god children and host of very close friends who have children in Brandon’s age range (he just turned 8 by the way). But this is not what he meant because he only sees them on the weekend. He was saying that with the exception of his brother he has no other children to socialize with during the week. Brandon was trying to say that he was lonely.

Do you know how hard it is to hear your child express that he is lonely? It was heart wrenching partly because as a mother you don’t want your child to hurt in any way and partly because I felt the same way. I too was feeling alone and isolated in this new thing we were doing.

When I stopped working outside of the house I went through moments of isolation, but it did not last long. At various times I had friends who stayed home with their kids and we would talk and occasionally get together. At one time we had two cars and Brandon and I (it was just him at the time) would go to the mall and have lunch. Sometimes I would leave him, not by himself of course, duh! Anyway I would go out with a friend. Later when Christian came along I started to work part time instructing Early Childhood teachers. I would have trainings a couple of days and evenings throughout the week. I had sufficient adult interaction as well as time with the kids, things were good, until…Home schooling put both Brandon and I in the same position, isolated and seemingly friendless. Here we are closed off from the rest of the world forced to live a life of solitude (okay I know but haven’t you guessed by now that I have a flare for the dramatic). How could something good leave us with feelings of loneliness? What can we do to overcome this?

For Brandon the answer was simple get him involved in programs to interact with other kids during the week. There are so many activities available for children being homeschooled, plays, ballet, trips snowboarding and the list goes on. So what does he do you may ask. Well he was already in basketball and Cub Scouts and those are good but it did not really help the need for interaction throughout the day. You see basketball meet Friday evenings and Saturday mornings and Cub Scouts meet Thursday evenings, I put in a request to a local internet home school group which gave me a good lead on a coop in my area. That ended up being a dead end because the coop was filled to capacity, no room at the inn. Is this how Mary and Joseph felt? Probably not. Then the sky opened and from the heavens came a wondrous blessing that left me speechless. Me, speechless, yeah right. Seriously a letter came in the mail about classes, FREE classes I may add given by the program that we home school with. The times are perfect as well as the location. Brandon now takes an Acting and Musical Theater class, he too is a little on the dramatic side. He also takes a Visual Arts class. All three classes are held throughout the day and he is with kids his age who are also being home schooled. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

So you may be wondering what about you? Well the solution for me is not so simple. To be honest I find myself waiting with baited breath for Brian’s arrival in the evening. I am excited when the weekend comes and at times I feel disappointed when Sunday comes to an end. I do at time feel isolated, not so much lonely anymore but just separated. And you know as I write this I realize that God calls on us to do things and at times he will separate us so He can perfect some things in us. So please do not feel bad for me because I am choosing to look at this time as a time of pruning and perfecting. He is transforming me into the person He can use from glory to glory. Is it good to have people around? Sure and I have people I can call on and spend time with when I really need a break.

I know I did not impart any great words of wisdom to you. And to those who may be going through what I am you may be saying is that it? Unfortunately that is all I have. I can however encourage you to try and find a bright side and I can offer prayer. So let’s pray.....

.....Father in Jesus’ name I thank You for another opportunity to come together. Thank You for every person reading this blog and every parent and grandparent who have taken the plunge to educate their children at home. Father as they go through this journey they may experience the feeling of isolation or even loneliness. Remind them, remind us that we are not alone, that You promised not to leave us nor forsake us. Help us to see this time as a time of restoring and perfecting. And Father I ask that You will send opportunities to gather with those who are in the same position as us. Help us to find avenues even for our children to be with other kids who are being home schooled. Thank You Father that You are concerned about all that concern us. You love us and care for us, thank You for Your eternal love in Jesus’ name Amen!



Hugs and Kisses,
Cheryl

Until we meet again on Thursday, April 1st, happy homeschooling!


Friday’s Blog: This will be Rita’s final blog with “The Kitchen Table. We will miss her great sense of humor and wisdom. Please stop by and say “Farewell.”

By George…..I Think She’s got it!!

My youngest daughter was invited to apply for a summer scholarship that would have given her 6 weeks at a college in New York, or Texas. When she first received the request and application in the mail, I was very hesitant about her applying. My baby away with strangers for 6 weeks! I didn’t know about that? And she wasn’t sure either about being so far away from home, but there was a part of her that sort of wanted to go for it. A true blessing of being in the Kingdom of God is that, when you don’t know what to do, you always have God to turn to. And that is exactly what we did.

The Lord has been dealing with me the past year about letting go of the apron strings and allowing Tovah to make mistakes and suffer the consequences for them. How else is she going to learn? And the truth of the matter is, she is either going to learn certain lessons now, or she will learn them later. Now is better, so I am following the lead of the Holy Spirit. Well, as much as I’m able to at this point…LOL!! We prayed to the Lord, asking Him to take care of the situation for us and that if it was okay for her to go, He would open the door, and if this was not where she should be this coming summer, then He would shut the door and she would not be accepted…. …Period, the end!

She had a month to read a book, write 5 essays, and fill out an extensive application. She filed everything a couple of days before the deadline…phew. It was a lot of work on her part, (as much as I wanted to help, I stayed out of it) and I only contributed information she needed for the application. This past Saturday she received a letter stating that she had not been accepted. When she came to tell me, she was sad and had tears in her eyes. Now as a mother you might be thinking how this was a moment to hug her and let her cry, but it really wasn’t. It was one of those GREAT teaching moments that could change her life. I was quick to remind her of the deal we had with God. (I think she had forgotten our original agreement on how we were going to handle this.) I reminded her that He said, “No,” not the scholarship community. If He had wanted her to participate in this program, she would have been selected. I did acknowledge her disappointment, but I reinforced God’s love and protection for her and that trumps anything we might desire. I could see the light go on as her expression changed and the glassy look in her eyes turned to a smile. It hit her!! God wasn’t denying her anything, He was protecting her. We have no idea what goes on in this summer program. It has been around for sometime and is stated as being very prestigious (by the world’s standards) yet; I could not find one person or even a person of a person who had participated or knew anyone who had participated in this program. We really had no choice but to rely on God for direction and the answer.

I am very grateful to God for this experience for both of us. For one it really jump started Tovah into writing college essays, it helped me to stand back as a parent and trust that even if the answer had been “yes” God had it all taken care of. But the biggest part of all of this is that at an early age (right before she is old enough to make decisions with or without my say) she is seeing that agreeing with what God says, (even when you’re disappointed with the out come) is the way to go. Understanding that God is our protector and really does have a plan for our lives is a wonderful life lesson to gain as early as possible. Her life will be so much less complicated and disappointing because of her trust in God’s ability to handle things for her. Tovah didn’t mope her day away, in fact once we talked, she was back to her happy go lucky self the rest of the day. And I’m pretty sure I saw a new confidence in her because she understood a great truth about her Father.

My dear sisters, this is one of the main reasons so many of us as single women, are not happy in the position of “unmarried”. But truthfully many of us as women period (single or married) are not happy because we have not come to the understanding that God knows best. We are not so quick to agree with His decision on a matter if it is not what we want. And the problem of not agreeing with God is, we can find ourselves moving from a place of disappointment, to envy, to jealousy, to discontentment and finally disobedience. It is a slippery slope at best.

In the natural, if Tovah had been accepted for the program it would have been a great experience, especially since she plans to go to college in 2011. It would have looked great on her college applications and all that good stuff. But God said, “No.” And the beauty of that is Tovah didn’t have to revert to thinking anything negative about herself. It didn’t mean she wasn’t good enough, or that her essays weren’t up to par, or any of the many things our enemy could have filled her head with. No! Because she had trusted God to have the final say before she even applied, the outcome had nothing to do with her performance. We know she was good enough based on the fact you had to be invited to apply based on a particular test score, but when it comes to the recesses of our mind, if she had been relying on self, that would not have beem good enough. The same holds true for us as grown women. God could have blessed you with looks, great education, good job, wonderful family and friends, house, car, good health and so-on and so-on. But let that one something not turnout the way we wanted, hoped for or even manipulated for an outcome in our favor, and the enemy of our mind will begin to beat us down about it. But when our hopes and expectations are in the Lord, that doesn’t happen, because the outcome is His responsibility, not ours.

I think we often forget that we serve a God who knows our future, and the future of this world. For everyone who has recently lost a job, it was not a surprise to Him. He knew how the economy was going to tank and that is why He had been dealing with many of us concerning our finances for sometime before it happened. He knew exactly what was coming down the pike. Some of us took heed and some of us didn’t. I know a woman who wanted to get a new car. Her husband said, “No, not now.” Since she worked every day and had her own line of credit and didn’t need him, she purchased it anyway. Three months later, she lost her job, and struggled for months to pay her car note and other bills she had made. Did he help her? Nope. So years later when the bottom almost dropped out of our economy (a year ago yesterday) she had money in the bank and is debt free. It was a hard lesson she had to learn because she did not listen to her husband. But she was better prepared in 2009. None of us knows what our lives or even what this world is going to look like 6 months from now. But we do know someone who does. Ladies, the more you put your trust in God, the happier you will be.

If you would spend the next 2 weeks looking at the parts of your life that you are not happy about (and especially if it stems from being “unmarried”) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you see them through different eyes. Judge this thing or things against the Bible and see if the root of the discontent and unhappiness lies in not trusting the Lord. If this is the case, then take it back to Him and start over. That is one of the many things I love about our Father….there are do-overs.

My dear sisters, life in the Kingdom is wonderful and too many of us are letting it slip away because we want something that God has yet to sanction. But He has sanctioned life and with that alone we should be joyous and content in that great gift!

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

I will have more for you on Wednesday, March 31st. Until then, enjoy each day as if it were your last. Because the truth is....it could be!

Thursday's Blog: Cheryl our resident homeschool mom is up with... "Diary of a Homeschool Mom"

LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST!

At times in our lives, we need to STOP and BE STILL and RE-FOCUS. We sometimes believe that life’s “routine of busyness” is what life is all about, but it is not. God has so much more for us! It is sad when I hear people say for example, they are too busy to say hello to a friend, or spend time with family, or pray, or read the Bible, and also fast. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit. We need to take care of ourselves; no one is going to do it for us.

“Restore our temples!” I think it is time to restore our temples to RE-FOCUS the dreams, goals, and purposes for our lives and live life to the fullest! It is a process, don’t get me wrong. It will not be easy, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can do this together. We can always ask God to help us through this. The Bible says that “all who are weary and carry heavy burdens to come to HIM and he will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28-30). Thank you God that we can come to you at any time in our lives and you can provide us rest! The Bible also tells us that “God never give us more that we can handle”, even though sometimes if feels that way (1 Corinthians 10:13).

God doesn’t want to see us stressed out, unhappy, moody, upset, feeling alone, feeling like you are the only one going through a process, or without passion for our lives. God wants to see us happy, joyful (1 Thessalonians 5:16), and living life to the fullest.

To live life to the fullest, these are some steps that you may want to take:
1. STOP. We need to stop and be still to realize that we are getting too busy and losing focus of what really matters in life.

2. RESTORE. We need to take time out of our busy daily schedules for ourselves to restore our temples of the Holy Spirit, which are our bodies. We need to pray, read the Bible, and fast. Remember the Bible says that “if we are lacking something to ask our generous God and He will give it to you” (James 1:5).

3. RE-FOCUS. During the restore process (Step 2), it will help us go on to this step (Step 3) to re-focus our dreams, re-organize our goals, and re-prioritize the purposes for our lives.

4. RE-CONNECT. We need to re-connect our relationships with God and others (family, friends, etc.) that we had put aside during our “routines of busyness”.

5. RE-GAIN. We need to re-gain our passion for our lives, our strength in God, and definitely our Faith. God will provide us the strength to continue on this journey toward a life of fulfillment. The Bible says “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

**Always remember during these steps, it is a process. It does not happen overnight. Certain steps may take longer than others for you, so please do not get discouraged. We all go through the process. Believe me, we are not the only ones.**

Dictionary Reference
The word “Live” in the dictionary means, to exhibit vigor, gusto, or enthusiasm in (living life to the fullest).

Bible Scripture Reference
Matthew 11:28-30, Philippians 4:13, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:16, James 1:5

Prayer Lord Jesus, We ask you to help us live life to the fullest as what you want us to have. Help us to restore our temples and renew our strength and focus in you. We know that it will not be easy, but we trust in you to help us through this process. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Question to ask yourselves: Are you going to live life to the fullest?




God Bless You Always, Maria Guzman



I'll be back on Tuesday, March 30th, and until then "LIVE!"


Wednesday's Blog: Ponnie "Single & Loving It!"




¡VIVE LA VIDA AL MÁXIMO!


A veces en nuestras vidas, tenemos que parar y estar quieta y volver a re-enfocar. A veces nos creemos "que la vida de la rutina de estar ocupados" es lo que es la vida, pero no lo es. ¡Dios tiene mucho más para nosotras! Es triste cuando oigo a la gente decir, por ejemplo, están demasiado ocupados para saludar a una amiga, o pasar tiempo con la familia, o rezar o leer la Biblia, y también ayunar. Nuestros cuerpos son templos del Espíritu Santo. Tenemos que cuidar de nosotros mismos, nadie lo va a hacer por nosotros.

"¡Restaurar nuestros templos!" ¡Creo que es tiempo de restaurar nuestros templos para volver a re-enfocar los sueños, metas y propósitos para nuestras vidas y vivir la vida al máximo! Es un proceso, no me malinterpreten. No será fácil, pero con la ayuda del Espíritu Santo, podemos hacerlo juntos. Siempre podemos pedir a Dios que nos ayude con esto. La Biblia dice que "todos los que están cansados y agobiados para llegar a él, y os haré descansar" (Mateo 11:28-30). ¡Gracias a Dios que nos puede venir a TI en cualquier momento de nuestras vidas y que nos puede dar descanso! La Biblia también nos dice que "Dios nunca nos dan más que podemos manejar", aunque a veces si se siente de esa manera (1 Corintios 10:13).

Dios no nos quiere ver estresado, infeliz, de mal humor, malestar, sentirse sola, sentirse como si fueras la única que pasa a través de un proceso, o sin la pasión de nuestras vidas. Dios nos quiere felices, alegres (1 Tesalonicenses 5:16), y vivir la vida al máximo.

Para vivir la vida al máximo, estos son algunos pasos que usted puede tomar:

1. PARAR. Tenemos que para y estar quieto y darnos cuenta que todavía nos estamos demasiado ocupados y perder el enfoque que realmente importa en la vida.

2. RESTAURAR. Tenemos que tomar tiempo fuera de nuestros horarios ocupados a diario por nosotros mismos para restaurar nuestros templos del Espíritu Santo, que son nuestros cuerpos. Tenemos que orar, leer la Biblia, y ayunar. Recuérdate que la Biblia dice “que si nos falta algo, pedir a nuestro Dios generoso y EL le dará a ti” (Santiago 1:5).

3. RE-ENFOCAR. Durante el proceso de restauración (paso 2), esto nos ayudará a seguir a este paso (Paso 3) para volver a re-enfocar nuestros sueños, reorganizar nuestras metas, y volver a dar prioridad a los propósitos de nuestras vidas.

4. RE-CONECTAR. Tenemos que volver a reconectar nuestras relaciones con Dios y los demás (familia, amigas, etc.) que había echado al lado durante nuestras "rutinas de ocupaciones".

5. RECUPERAR. Tenemos que volver a ganar nuestra pasión por nuestra vida, nuestra fuerza en Dios, y sin duda nuestra Fe. Dios nos dará la fuerza para continuar en este camino hacia una vida de plenitud. La Biblia dice: "podemos hacer todas las cosas en Cristo que me fortalece" (Filipenses 4:13).
**Recuerde siempre durante estos pasos, es un proceso. Esto no sucede de la noche a la mañana. Algunos pasos pueden tardar más que otras para usted, así que por favor no se desanime. Todos pasamos por el proceso. Créame, no somos las únicas .**

Referencias Bíblicas
Mateo 11:28-30, Filipenses 4:13, 1 Corintios 10:13, 1 Tesalonicenses 5:16, Santiago 1:5

Referencia en el Diccionario
La palabra “Vivir” en los medios del diccionario, para exhibir el vigor, entusiasmo, o el entusiasmo en (vivir la vida al máximo).

Oración
Señor Jesús, te pedimos que nos ayude a vivir la vida al máximo como lo que usted quiere que tengamos. Ayúdenos a restaurar nuestros templos y renovar nuestra fortaleza y enfoque en ti. Sabemos que no será fácil, pero confiamos en que nos ayuden a través de este proceso. En el nombre de Jesús, Amén.

Pregunta que debe hacerse: ¿Vas a vivir la vida al máximo?



Dios te bendiga siempre,
María Guzmán

Happy Birthday!!....much more than mere words!

Today is a very special day to me because it marks another year of life for a very special person in my life, my dad. Dad turns 68 years old today! (Happy Birthday Daddy!). I always tend to get very reflective and emotional during the days and weeks surrounding my father’s birthday. I praise God for my dad’s life and am so grateful that he is still here with me today because if it had not been for God’s Grace and His Mercy...my dad would not be here today. You see 5 years ago my dad decided that after suffering from depression for many years that he didn’t want to live any more and made yet another unsuccessful attempt to commit suicide...the 3rd time over a 3 year time period.

I want to take the time today to talk about a health issue that affects many women in the body of Christ but goes ignored because of the stigma that is attached to it....that health issue being “Mental Illness”. Specifically, let’s talk about depression. Depression has been called the “common cold” of mental orders and it has been estimated that it disrupts the lives of 15 million Americans each year. The majority of these people are women. Many of us have suffered from situational depression over disappointments in our lives and fortunately, we were able to “bounce back” from those moments. However, for some, depression can be a crippling disease most often brought on through clinical imbalances/biological causes and often times needing medication in order to help deal with it. Unfortunately, nearly two-thirds of women who do experience this kind (clinical depression) never seek treatment.

What are some of the symptoms of depression in Women?
*persistent sadness, anxious, or "empty" moods
*loss of interest or pleasure in activities, including sex
*restlessness, irritability, or excessive crying
*feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, pessimism
*sleeping too much or too little, early-morning awakening
*appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
*decreased energy, fatigue, feeling "slowed down"
*thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
*difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
*persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as
headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain

If you or someone that you love is experiencing any of the symptoms and the symptoms have persisted for more than 2 weeks or if the symptoms are interfering with your work, school or family life, you may be suffering from depression and should see treatment. Please don’t ignore it.

When my father made his first attempt at suicide, it was devastating for me. For the first time, I was forced into dealing with dad’s illness. Before “that day” I never took his issues seriously...in fact, there were times that I resented him because I couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t just “get his act together”. I couldn’t understand how he could spend HOURS in the bed at a time nor could I understand his lack of desire to interact with the family as he should. I couldn’t understand his irritability at times and his erratic behavior. I knew that he was depressed but I thought it should be easy for him to “shake it off”. Shoot, he just needed to spend more time in church, more time in the Word and he needed to pray without ceasing. Where was his faith???

I believe that it was through our prayers and our faith that my father is delivered (and I also believe that it was through those same prayers that I was delivered from such thinking)....but it was through MANY years of praying and keeping the faith...and many doctors and different medications as well. (Lord, I continue to Thank and Praise YOU!) Once we (my dad and family) came to the realization that this was a medical condition no different than diabetes, hypertension etc, then we could help my dad get the help and treatment that he so desperately needed. I believe that it was through our many years of fasting, praying and standing on our faith of who God is that God healed my dad by putting the right doctors and therapists in his life to treat him. I believe it was through our fasting, praying and standing on our faith that God gave them the wisdom and the knowledge to put him on the right medications and to successfully help him through this process. However, did you notice that I initially said that my dad attempted suicide 3 different times over 3 years? Goes to show you....it was a long hard road. But God is Faithful and He gave us the strength to endure. Thank you Lord!!

There may be someone who is reading this blog right now who is experiencing the kind of pain/depression/hopelessness that my dad once felt. Sister, don’t give up....know that God really loves you and wants you to be set free. He wants you to have the joy and the peace that you may have given up on. He has people already strategically set up all around you to help you on your road to recovery but you have to trust Him to do so. My prayer is that the Spirit of God will put into your mind the name of the person, church or facility that you can call right now to ask for help and that He will give you the courage to go to that person or to call that number and tell them that you need help, right now. I’m believing that God has that person on standby that He is giving them the wisdom to take the next steps with you.

There may be someone reading today who knows of someone who is suffering from depression. Don’t ignore it any longer! I pray that today is the day that God gives you the courage to go to that person and that He will also give you the wisdom and knowledge to find the resources that you need to help this love one. I also pray that you will not become discouraged and that your faith is strong to help you endure the process.

National Suicide Hotlines USA
Toll-Free / 24 hours a day / 7 days a week
1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
1-800-273-TALK(1-800-273-8255 )

Special drawing: for the book “Honestly” by Sheila Walsh. Many of you know her from the “Women of Faith Conference” or even as far back as a host on the 700 Club. Her book is about her journey and struggle to be free from depression. Please send and email your name, city and state to thekitchentable2010@yahoo.com by Wednesday, March 17th, 8pm ET USA. The winner will have to supply a mailing address for the book to be shipped directly to them, and you have 5 days to claim your prize after you are notified that you have won. The winner will be announced in Thursday’s blog


In Christ,
Sasha

My run is getting closer, so don't forget to keep checking in to see how things are going. I'll be back, Monday, March 29th. See you soon!!

Tuesday's Blog: Maria, "Life Unscripted"