Monday, January 23, 2012
40 Days of Prayer for Congress
In the current political climate, we who spend our (what seems like) 200 nights watching the Republican "debates" are easily discouraged or frustrated. Here is the most fundamental "activism" we can engage in.
40 Days of Prayer for Congress
Take a look and please join us in prayer for our country's leaders!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Children in Worship
I have my dad to thank for Eli's fascination with the wall vent in our living room. After retelling the story of Stephen using a pen to create "music" on a vent during our first Sunday at a new church (this was 16 years ago), Eli has caught on and will scrape any toy he can find against the vent. Yesterday it was a Fisher-Price tractor.
The story dad tells of his "training" each of us to sit quietly through church never meant as much as now, as we prepare to train Eli--quite a formidable task. One in which Michael and I are continually reminded not to take too seriously as Eli is still young and largely ill equipped to obey our command to "SHH!"
I took heart, though, in a recent article written by George Grant about children in worship. Being among the ranks of Sunday morning sweating, nervous parents myself, I can agree about one thing. The sounds of other children's whines, coos, fusses, etc. have never been more beautiful to me!
Here's the article... definitely worth the read.
The story dad tells of his "training" each of us to sit quietly through church never meant as much as now, as we prepare to train Eli--quite a formidable task. One in which Michael and I are continually reminded not to take too seriously as Eli is still young and largely ill equipped to obey our command to "SHH!"
I took heart, though, in a recent article written by George Grant about children in worship. Being among the ranks of Sunday morning sweating, nervous parents myself, I can agree about one thing. The sounds of other children's whines, coos, fusses, etc. have never been more beautiful to me!
Here's the article... definitely worth the read.
Contentment in the New Year
Because I couldn't have said it better myself, I will refer you to a convicting post about contentment in the New Year... because that was one of your resolutions, right?
Nancy Wilson wrote it, and here it is.
On a completely unrelated but equally newsworthy note, Eli decided to prove his cynical mother and father wrong by learning to walk before Christmas. Michael described him as akin to one who's been riding a horse too long, but in the last week or so he's really been bending those knees. Yikes, and hooray, for my little walker!
And as I've said before, my son does wear pants. Most of the time.
Nancy Wilson wrote it, and here it is.
On a completely unrelated but equally newsworthy note, Eli decided to prove his cynical mother and father wrong by learning to walk before Christmas. Michael described him as akin to one who's been riding a horse too long, but in the last week or so he's really been bending those knees. Yikes, and hooray, for my little walker!
And as I've said before, my son does wear pants. Most of the time.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Eat Mor Chikin
In our current economic climate, there is little territory that isn't tainted by the government's hands. We hear the word "regulation" repeatedly used by politicians in Washington, some of whom use it as an expletive, some as a boon.
But, there's one business that the government would do well to leave alone--one that is universally loved and visited. Michael and I have gotten quite good at justifying the decision to eat there, even when we know it's financially wiser to eat at home. Chick-fil-A is a perfect picture of what businesses in the private sector are capable of accomplishing when God's authority over all of life is acknowledged. Despite the decision to close on Sunday (excellent decision, but it in no way diminishes my ardent desire for Chick-fil-A on Sundays), Chick-fil-A is "on the eve of being debt free" and there's no sign of the restaurant losing its loyal consumers.
This is a great interview with Truett Cathy's son Dan about the restaurant. It's been condensed, but still worth the read!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Silly Presbyterians...
It's a chilly fall afternoon and soccer practice begins with intense warmups, stretches, and drills. The dynamics of this particular team are interesting, with a wide array of talents, skills, and dispositions among the players. The coach watches the team as they prepare for the big game taking place the next day. This is it--the pinnacle of their season, their chance to display what kind of team they really are. The game against this rival will require everything from them--their physical strength, their mental strength, and their emotional strength. They will at last have an opportunity to put to use all that Coach has taught them.
As the coach studies each player, he observes one player who, while admittedly possessing relative skill in the game, is exerting little effort and showing little enthusiasm for the intense training taking place. He is a forward (we will henceforth call him Forward), a vital element in this team's offensive line, and the coach knows he will need Forward's everything when the game begins, but Forward is overtly ignoring the coach's instruction about specific maneuvers and why these maneuvers are important in the game.
Coach keeps Forward after practice to question his lackadaisical and altogether negligent behavior at practice. Why, Coach asks, are you not concerned with improving your knowledge, understanding, and implementing of these skills? With a look of utter confidence, Forward replies scornfully: "Coach, I'm not concerned with being a good forward, I'm concerned with being a good soccer player."
The obsurdity of that statement is self-evident and, hopefully, deserves no explanation. Sadly, though, there are those in the Presbyterian world who make the same claims about their own "Presbyterian" beliefs, as if being a "Christian" is an entirely different identity than being a "Presbyterian." For those who value the historically Reformed, Presbyterian understanding of Scripture and who seek to be semper reformanda, such a minimization of identifying oneself as a Presbyterian is an insult.
Mysteriously, many Presbyterians have been scolded, spurned, and stranded in tems of their love for the truth because it is presumptious or judgmental. Admittedly there are those (in any denomination) who cling to the truth like it's a secret not meant to be shared or like it's a valuable possession that other people aren't worthy of also having. But to work under the assumption that all Reformed Christians who give two flips about theology are somehow therefore arrogant is foolish and would do well to consider carefully the accusations they are making.
If we seek to live in obedience to all of God's word, we must not neglect His command in each of the gospels that we love Him with all of our "heart," "soul," "mind," and "strength." By loving Christ in each of these capacities, it is then that we are being faithful, including loving Him with our intellects. Why, then, do so many "students" of theology--the ones who seek holiness in all things--become the subjects of villainy in the very circles they should be welcomed in? A healthy desire for theological growth and purity ought never to be discouraged. They are merely fulfilling the Greatest Commandment of all.
This goes without saying also that without love and compassion, knowledge is nothing. But could that also be reversed? Why, when one has to suffer, is it always knowledge? These are things we ought seriously to consider as we seek to live out our worldview day to day.
As the coach studies each player, he observes one player who, while admittedly possessing relative skill in the game, is exerting little effort and showing little enthusiasm for the intense training taking place. He is a forward (we will henceforth call him Forward), a vital element in this team's offensive line, and the coach knows he will need Forward's everything when the game begins, but Forward is overtly ignoring the coach's instruction about specific maneuvers and why these maneuvers are important in the game.
Coach keeps Forward after practice to question his lackadaisical and altogether negligent behavior at practice. Why, Coach asks, are you not concerned with improving your knowledge, understanding, and implementing of these skills? With a look of utter confidence, Forward replies scornfully: "Coach, I'm not concerned with being a good forward, I'm concerned with being a good soccer player."
The obsurdity of that statement is self-evident and, hopefully, deserves no explanation. Sadly, though, there are those in the Presbyterian world who make the same claims about their own "Presbyterian" beliefs, as if being a "Christian" is an entirely different identity than being a "Presbyterian." For those who value the historically Reformed, Presbyterian understanding of Scripture and who seek to be semper reformanda, such a minimization of identifying oneself as a Presbyterian is an insult.
Mysteriously, many Presbyterians have been scolded, spurned, and stranded in tems of their love for the truth because it is presumptious or judgmental. Admittedly there are those (in any denomination) who cling to the truth like it's a secret not meant to be shared or like it's a valuable possession that other people aren't worthy of also having. But to work under the assumption that all Reformed Christians who give two flips about theology are somehow therefore arrogant is foolish and would do well to consider carefully the accusations they are making.
If we seek to live in obedience to all of God's word, we must not neglect His command in each of the gospels that we love Him with all of our "heart," "soul," "mind," and "strength." By loving Christ in each of these capacities, it is then that we are being faithful, including loving Him with our intellects. Why, then, do so many "students" of theology--the ones who seek holiness in all things--become the subjects of villainy in the very circles they should be welcomed in? A healthy desire for theological growth and purity ought never to be discouraged. They are merely fulfilling the Greatest Commandment of all.
This goes without saying also that without love and compassion, knowledge is nothing. But could that also be reversed? Why, when one has to suffer, is it always knowledge? These are things we ought seriously to consider as we seek to live out our worldview day to day.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
One Year is Like a Day!
I would be remiss if I didn't dote on today's very special occasion... our firstborn's first birthday! One year ago today our lives found their higher purpose in becoming parents to little man. He came two and a half weeks early and one day after our niece Claire's baptism (I know the timing was providential!), and God was about to teach us things that nothing else can teach you. We're so thankful for the past 365 days that He has given us with Eli.
It is no thanks to us that Eli is prospering--our Father in Heaven knows Eli's frame and has been faithful to grow him into one altogether adorably healthy toddler (I guess we can call them toddlers now?). While we aren't hoping to go Duggar-style and have twenty--yes, TWENTY! She's pregnant again!--we do hope the Lord continues to bless us in the way He has historically blessed his covenant people: granting us more little souls to nurture and more little diapers to change. Although the latter is something I won't particularly miss.
The image above is courtesy of Tara Molles, my dear friend whose work never fails to delight me! Shortly after this was taken, we let him dig into his little birthday cake; it also made for some fabulous shots!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Stewardship in Our Shopping
As a follower on the "Southern Savers" website, I found a post from a few days ago that I found really helpful in determining how much money you actually save buying in bulk. In our efforts to imitate the Proverbs 31 woman, it is wise to consider frugality and stewardship of our money--no matter how much of it we have. It just so happens that right now our family has no choice: faithful use of our resources is a necessity! Here's the article and the accompanying chart which really helped to visualize money spent vs. money saved.
Note: The prices listed for warehouse stores (BJ's, Sam's Club, Costco) do not take coupons into account since BJ's is the only bulk store that accepts manufacturer's coupons... it's worth noting that in some cases, it looks like it's still cheaper to buy from the grocery store than to use coupons at a place like BJ's.
Reposted from Southern Savers:
I get asked a lot: “What about warehouse clubs?” I fight the urge to answer back with a quick “you aren’t saving anything”. Personally I haven’t found much that makes the cost of a membership worth it. The biggest reason being that you can’t use coupons at most warehouse clubs (BJ’s being the one exception).
In an effort to put numbers behind my personal feelings, I went recently to my local warehouse club and got the price of 30 items from all over the store. In case you are wondering, I compared prices for the same product and brand in each category.
Here are the prices broken down by price per size.
A few things that stand out to me:
I know for some of you looking at the price per ounce, you are thinking “that’s only 5¢ more and I don’t have to use coupons”. Remember that’s 5¢ per ounce and really in the end will make the product twice the cost over using a coupon and catching the sale in the grocery store.
Okay all this said, there are some that love to buy in bulk versus watching sales and clipping coupons. You are saving money over the full retail price in a grocery store, so I’m not trying to rock your boat. I want you to see how much you could save though if you put a little time into figuring out the whole coupon “thing”.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope this helps!
Note: The prices listed for warehouse stores (BJ's, Sam's Club, Costco) do not take coupons into account since BJ's is the only bulk store that accepts manufacturer's coupons... it's worth noting that in some cases, it looks like it's still cheaper to buy from the grocery store than to use coupons at a place like BJ's.
Reposted from Southern Savers:
I get asked a lot: “What about warehouse clubs?” I fight the urge to answer back with a quick “you aren’t saving anything”. Personally I haven’t found much that makes the cost of a membership worth it. The biggest reason being that you can’t use coupons at most warehouse clubs (BJ’s being the one exception).
In an effort to put numbers behind my personal feelings, I went recently to my local warehouse club and got the price of 30 items from all over the store. In case you are wondering, I compared prices for the same product and brand in each category.
Here are the prices broken down by price per size.
| Item | Regular Store w/ coupons |
Sam’s Club |
|---|---|---|
| Boneless Chicken Breasts | $1.99 /lb | $1.97 /lb |
| Split Chicken Breasts | 99¢ /lb | $1.78 /lb |
| Bacon | $3 /lb | $2.96 /lb |
| Canned Tuna, 5 oz | 50¢ per can | 78¢ per can |
| Ketchup | 1.6¢ /oz | 5¢ /oz |
| Mayonnaise | 3¢ /oz | 9¢ /oz |
| Mustard | Free | 8¢ /oz |
| Salad Dressing | 3.7¢ /oz | 12.6¢ /oz |
| Popcorn (microwave) | 60¢ ea. | $1.31 ea. |
| Soups, 15 oz | 40-60¢ per can | $1.31 per can |
| Soft Drinks, 12 oz can | 18¢ per can | 27¢ per can |
| Iced Tea Bags, family size | 3¢ per bag | 19¢ per bag |
| Butter | $1.80 /lb | $1.06 /lb |
| Cheese | $2.50 /lb | $2.66 /lb |
| Eggs | $1.19 per dozen | $1.44 per dozen |
| Milk | $3.19 per gallon | $3.32 per gallon |
| Sour Cream | Free-1.8¢ /oz | 8.9¢ /oz |
| Spaghetti Sauce | 3-4¢ /oz | 63.7¢ /oz |
| Spaghetti Pasta | Free | 96¢ /lb |
| Brownie Mix, 18-20 oz | 40¢ | $1.86 |
| Cake Mix, 18-20 oz | Free-50¢ | $2.40 |
| Cereal, 18-24 oz | $1.25 or less | $3.49 |
| Sugar | 32¢ /lb | 69¢ /lb |
| Baby Diapers | 9-15¢ per diaper | 20.8¢ per diaper |
| Foil | 1¢ /sq. feet | 9¢ /sq. feet |
| Freezer Bags | 4.5-6.7¢ ea. | 4.8¢ ea. |
| Paper Towels, roll | 43¢ ea. | $1.62 ea. |
| Sandwich Bags | .9¢ ea. | 1.7¢ ea. |
| Toilet Paper, roll | Free-29¢ ea. | 55¢ ea. |
| Trash Bags | 10-13¢ ea. | 11.1¢ ea. |
| Dishwasher Detergent | Free – .8¢ /oz | 13¢ /oz |
| Glass Cleaner | 4¢ /oz | 9¢ /oz |
A few things that stand out to me:
- I remember at one point getting a membership just for paper goods, thinking that I had to be saving money getting a 40 roll paper towel pack. The cost difference on paper goods was the most striking though! Using store sales and coupons (normally in the drugstores) we are saving a ton over the “bulk price”!
- The second reason folks get memberships… diapers. Yep, not saving there either.
- Dairy was the one department that did show savings. I don’t know if you can eat enough butter and cheese to make it worth the savings and extra trip, but their prices were lower than the grocery stores.
I know for some of you looking at the price per ounce, you are thinking “that’s only 5¢ more and I don’t have to use coupons”. Remember that’s 5¢ per ounce and really in the end will make the product twice the cost over using a coupon and catching the sale in the grocery store.
Okay all this said, there are some that love to buy in bulk versus watching sales and clipping coupons. You are saving money over the full retail price in a grocery store, so I’m not trying to rock your boat. I want you to see how much you could save though if you put a little time into figuring out the whole coupon “thing”.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope this helps!
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