Hospitality Tips...

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Romans 12:10-12

Over where I'm MomE & Loving It, I mentioned that we are having company tonight. I so enjoy practicing hospitality. I learned many things, at a young age, from my mother. Growing up as a Pastor's daughter, our home was always full of visiting missionaries, family and church family. My mother is a great planner and before I learned to cook it was my job to set the table. She trusted me with her gorgeous stem wear (I get that when you croak, right Mom?SMILE)...and I still find delight in setting the table. Today the Sweet Boobahs helped me set the table, talk about who was coming, make place cards, and welcome cards.
There are several things that I do when planning for company that ease any stress. I clean early in the week. Okay, yes...I'm very regimented and do things on specific days. Grocery on Monday, bathrooms on Tuesday, laundry on Wednesday, floors on Thursday, cook on Friday...company is always on Friday or Saturday. See!? Seriously, it really does set me up to not have a TON to do all on one day.

Establishing the menu early (always done while making the grocery list) allows me to plan and prepare as much ahead as possible. Tonight we are having a Greek Feast! Gyros, Greek Potatoes, Roasted Garlic Tsatziki , lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh pitas, and Marvelous Mocha dessert! The only thing that I'll have to cook when/right before they arrive is the meat for the gyros. The Greek Potatoes go in an hour or 2 ahead...which is when I'll prep the meat. The Tsatziki, veggies, and desserts are all done and waiting.

My grandma (and Mom) maintain that a normally neat house is a good house for guests. If it looks squeaky clean (every thing exactly in place) people feel ill at ease. For me, that isn't a problem...my two Sweet Boobahs create a very "lived in" atmosphere. Cleaning earlier in the week allows me to not feel harried when company arrives too. I do have the kids TIDY their toys, etc about a half an hour before...but we aren't mopping, or vacuuming as people pull into the drive. I have my kids tidy for DadE each night anyway...poor guy doesn't want to walk into a nightmare of the toy jungle kingdom.

Aprons are a good thing...just remember to take it off. I worry it makes people think you're fishing for a cooking compliment if you leave them on after the meal has started. I have an old BRIGHT purple one...that belonged to my great grandmother. It NEVER matches what I wear...but I still love it....and so do my ungreased clothes.
I cannot find the recipe to Marvelous Mocha Pudding Dessert...so here's kudos to whoever did create this recipe...and I'll tell you really quick.

Ingredients:
1 chocolate pudding mix (serves 4)
1 1/2 c. milk
1 cool whip
12-14 oreos crushed
4-5 whole oreos
1/2 c. strong coffee (ALL coffee I make is strong)

Mix pudding mix with 1 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 c. coffee. Poor into four pretty glasses...leaving about 1/2 c. in the container leftover. Fold cool whip (all of it) into remaining pudding mixture. Put about 1/3 c. crushed oreos into each cup. Put cool whip mixture on top to fill cup. Refridgerate. Top with whole oreo when serving.

WFW: Ring, ring....

Prayer is so precious to me. Lately, the only way for me to have truly ALONE prayer time has been to get up at 5 and trudge downstairs before anyone is up. Of course, getting up that early meant changing prayer methods....cuz just closing my eyes would have resulted in ZZZZZ. I've prayer journal-ed from time to time...and it is really a great method for me. I find that I'm more deliberate with my wording and can't rush faster then my pen. My mind doesn't wander off (as much) either. My Dad suggested this method to me...and I think he writes in cursive to slow himself down. For me that would be reversed...I print to slow myself down.

I like thinking of my morning prayer time as an appointment...for a phone conversation with God. I loved this picture....and the verse is a great reminder that my God DOES hear me...and is sooo so worthy of my praise.

To join WFW...head over where Susan is Forever His!

Tube Tuesday: 40 Days...

Powerful WORD...

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
"The grinding power of the plain words of the Gospel story is like the power of millstones; and those who can read them simply enough will feel as if rocks had been rolled upon them."
G.K. Chesterton

Caffeinated Randomness: Introspective Winter Blues...

I've been doing a lot of random thinking lately. I'm a SAHM...*okay...pause*....quickly on my first random note.... that is a term I detest...I'm a domestic engineer, full time Mom, daugher, friend, wife, lover....SAHM...It makes me cringe...DO NOT refer to me as a stay at home Mom...cuz I'm much much more...and I might go freaking nuts on ya!

Okay, on we go...being with toddlers A LOT makes me "think in cartoons"...for example... I've noticed that I've always been sort of a Rabbit....
...ya know...very welcoming, a teeny bit know it all, friendly to a fault...
but lately...maybe cuz WINTER is sooooo loooonnnnngggg this year....I'm turning into a bit of an EEYORE....
...gloomy. Even on sunny days. Whatever can go wrong, probably will.... It was not a happy realization. "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." Phil. 2:14-16

So, then I realize that sometimes you can just spend too much time dwelling on things. Oh...how do I feel about this...oh, I feel down about that...AND...it's LENT...so, I should be focusing on CHRIST!
So, now we're to the end of my CR...very very random but basically...no matter how I'm feeling or not feeling...if I'm going to introspect it better be Christ focused and not me focused!

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31

Lenten Rant...

I was just thinking that my practice of Lent is going to be very different from what some people think of...okay, most people.

I'm not giving up anything for starters. And...while I'm there...I'm getting a little frustrated reading about people giving up things and calling it fasting. Fasting is giving up food...or sustenance. What these people are actually doing is called abstaining.

I'm not thinking that temporary behavior modification is necessarily the direction I want to go...with giving things up. I'm more interested in personal spiritual reform...changing something...maybe actually doing what I should do even if it causes me discomfort because it's better for me in the long run.

Also, one of the points I was trying to make yesterday was that the practice of these important things...should go beyond the traditional celebratory time. Meditating on Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection should go beyond the 40 days of Lent.

I'd also like to point out that NOTHING you could give up for 40 days (or forever) would even come close to Jesus' SACRIFICE for our SINS! That's where some of my Catholic friends kind of irk me. You're giving up Ranch Doritos, huh? Seriously?? You love Ranch Doritos so much that you consider it a sacrifice, that you'll need to rely on God to get you through for the next 40 days? Maybe that's why I've not even investigated Lent before. So many people are just making it a mockery and missing the whole point anyway.

I guess it kind of comes down to two things...that you should really be checking all the time...

HONESTY--God, how are things between us?

BALANCE--not attempting to work my way to heaven, and not copping out on doing the good works He's prepared ahead of time for me to do. It's like my anniversary...a time where I get to focus my attentions, devotion, reflect on our past and future, and communicate my feelings to my Loverbrains. God created a relationship with Him...and after man screwed it all up...he restored it through the death of His son, Jesus...

"Lent should be a period of preparation that includes reflection and penance." Okay, I just wrote that and now I'm thinking...the time restriction is a problem. I love some of what I've read about people feeling tempted to eat/do what they'd given up for Lent so use those times to pick up their Bible, read it and pray. Um...hmmmm? Shouldn't I always be putting God's Word first...above anything else....EVERYDAY? I mean, after Lent when you can eat Doritos and drink Diet Coke...and read Fiction...whatever...afterwards...will you still be reading God's Word and praying?

Don't justify giving up something because you need to draw you closer to God because said item X was between you and God. If there is something between you and God...get it right...REPENT...and give it up for EVER...not for ty days!

Sorry for the rant...but I felt I needed to clarify some stuffs...

Word FILLED Wednesday: Lent...

As many know, our family has enjoyed taking the entire month of December to celebrate Advent and teach our children (& remind ourselves) about Jesus' birth...and why He is THE special gift to us.

So, we were thinking that we would like to use the celebration of Lent to teach our children about Jesus' sacrifice for our sins. We want to take an entire month to reflect...

...because, as the verse above points out...without His raising from the dead...what is our faith but vain preachings anyway?

I know many consider this un-protestant of us. But I love the words of Samuel Johnson,
“The Church does not superstitiously observe days, merely as days, but as memorials of important facts. Christmas might be kept as well upon one day of the year as another; but there should be a stated day for commemorating the birth of our Saviour, because there is danger that what may be done on any day, will be neglected.” I am trying to take every opportunity to instill in my children the great truths of Christ...his coming, his horrible death for our sins, and his wonderful resurrection from the dead...as he conquered death; What HOPE it brings! I want to hear my Savior say, "Well done." I don't want to neglect teaching anything.

Many consider Easter (ahem...Resurrection Sunday) as the cornerstone of the Christian faith...but most only spend one day (a long day...starting with a sunrise service) celebrating it. I encourage you to try Lent with us this year. I hope you will be blessed. Consider it a new teachable moment.

Janna at Mustard Seeds has been kind enough to share ideas and literature with me...I hope it benefits you too. We will be using Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter.

If you'd like to join in WFW today...head over to Critty Joy!