1.11.2012 | By: Morgan

How to stick with lifestyle changes

From Time-Warp Wife

How to Make Lifestyle Changes and a Titus 2sday Link up!


It's January 9th today which means that some of us who vowed to make change in 2012 are still pressing on while others have already thrown in the towel. Throwing in the towel is something that most of us can understand. Some call it giving up while others call it yielding to the flesh.

This isn't a new concept by any stretch of the imagination. In fact Paul wrote about this very thing in his letter to the Romans, chapter 7.
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ~ Romans 7:14-15, NIV


I can relate. I always have the best of intentions when it comes to my life, but as sure as the day is long, I succumb to the flesh and give up. I don't even bother making resolutions any longer, because I know that I'll feel like a failure by January 3rd. As soon as the going gets tough, I jump ship.

So how do we overcome our desire to serve the flesh? The answer is found in Romans chapter 8, which is a complete contrast to chapter 7. We live by the Spirit:
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ~ Romans 8:5, NIV
Now I understand that some of you must be totally confused. How can living by the Spirit release us from our bondage to the flesh?

Jesus is the one who releases us from the bondage of sin and death. And there is nothing that we can do to earn that for ourselves. Salvation is a gift. But as long as we're living in this earthly temple, we will constantly face temptation and a desire to serve the flesh. That's what I'm talking about today--the flesh. While we're here on this earth, we have a choice, we can yield to the flesh and go through that cycle of guilt and a feeling of failure time and again, or we can start walking in freedom.

Walking in freedom is two-fold:

1. We allow the Spirit to transform our mind, so that we live according to our convictions.
2. We are willing to sacrifice our desires to live a life that God desires for us.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~ Romans 12:1-2, NIV
What really makes the difference in ones life is merely wanting to do something vs. living by conviction. If you keep on stumbling in an area such as weight loss, housekeeping, or good Bible study habits stop and ask yourself the reason that you're making this change. Is it merely because you want to, or is it because you feel that this is anecessary step for you to take.

Take out a paper and write down each one of the reasons that this change is important to you. Because unless you have a valid reason, you probably won't stick to the plan. Once you have decided that this is a good change for you and one that is pleasing to God, then get down on your knees and pray.

Praying is one of the best ways that we can renew our mind. Each and every time we pray, we are emptying ourselves before God so that He can work on transforming our minds. 1 Peter 1:13 talks about preparing our mind for action so that we can live holy lives until the coming of our Lord.

There is so much more I could share on this topic, but I'll stop here and save it for another day. Until then, ladies--choose well!

You are loved by an almighty God,

Darlene

If you'd like to leave a comment, visit Time-Warp Wife on facebook:Click here

If you would like to have Time-Warp Wife delivered to your inbox daily, simply click here: Subscribe to Time-Warp Wife

Linking up with: Narrow Way Wife

And:





Today and every Tuesday, I want to invite bloggers to link-up any blog posts that will encourage women to joyfully live out their roles as wives and keepers of their homes I'm looking for posts on marriage, parenting, housekeeping, or recipes.

1. Enter the direct link from your post into the linky tool below!

2. Please link back here with the {TITUS 2}SDAYS code (below)so that other bloggers can join in too!

3. Enjoy each other's fellowship, and have fun!

FAQ:
Can I use an old post, or do I need to use a current one?
You can absolutely use an older post if you feel that the post is a great fit for this meme. Have fun!

Meal Ministry

Meal Ministry Monday! Serving Missionaries.

Hi Ladies! I have a very dear friend here on the blog today…please welcome Joy Forney from Grace Full Mama. Her and her family are missionaries in Indonesia…I “met” Joy through our blogs, but then had the amazing opportunity to be roomies with her at the Relevant conference. I felt as though I had known her forever…she is by far one of the most sincere and Godly women I have ever met. There aren’t enough kind words to say about this girlie.

I asked Joy if she could ever use a meal ministry? She hesitated, but then mentioned that it would be a nice treat to have a few things from America… At the top of her list? Taco seasoning, Kool aid, and gum. Bless her heart.


Joy, her husband and children- aren’t they stunning? What a beautiful family!

Joy Writes:

Living overseas is a privilege and our family wouldn’t change what we do for the world! We are called to live a different life, in a different place! BUT, there are those days where we all really miss home (the U.S.). There are days where we would give anything for a trip through the Taco Bell drive-thru or a walk down a spacious aisle at the grocery store.

Here, where we live in Indonesia, there is little or no American food. If we want pizza we have to make it from scratch! If we want pepperoni on it, we have to have it sent from the US. Tacos? We have to rely on someone sending Taco Seasoning. Even making chocolate chip cookies involves having someone send both vanilla and chocolate chips! You can see that cooking or baking comfort food can be challenging!

Don’t get me wrong, we love Indonesian food, there are just times when something from home sounds, well, comforting. That’s why it is so wonderful and amazing when we receive special packages from friends!

Recently Janelle and her sweet family sent us a fabulous package and we were all so thrilled to open it! It was like Christmas!!

Here is a video of my kiddos excited about all the goodies Janelle managed to stuff into one package! She is amazing!

Ministering with food doesn’t have to mean cooking a meal for someone, it can be sending a package across the ocean! Is there someone in your life that might enjoy receiving a special package?

~Joy

Seriously- can her children get any cuter? I wish I could just jump through this screen and squeeze them!

Meal Ministry photos:

Here is what I had put together for the Forney family…I was not able to fit everything into the USPS box. A GREAT tip? Go to the USPS FIRST and get a box from them to fill at home. You can also take items out of their packaging to fit more into the box!

My hubby thought Joy’s hubby would like these. He is an outdoorsie kind of guy, lol.

Thought this might be nice on those hot days?!

More helpful hints? Jim from Missionary Blog Watch asked missionaries to write about what they would appreciate getting in care packages…

Things that might bless an overseas missionary family:

  • (Sugar free) Koolaid packets
  • (Sugar free) Jello packets
  • Envelopes of prepared mixes (sloppy joe, taco seasoning, salsa mix, ranch dressing, Italian dressing, gravy, so on)
  • Instant cooking things (ex: Shake and Bake)
  • Other dried foods, like cereal, oatmeal, or poptarts (Here in Taiwan, we have a good supply of oatmeal and cereal, but in other countries these things are not so easy to get a hold of.)
  • Extra-active yeast (for making bread)
  • Hair stuff (clips, barrets, pony tail holders)
  • Candy (things like Jolly Ranchers, Starbursts, Twizzlers, Smarties)
  • Sugar Free candy (Lifesavors, things like that)
  • (Sugar free) Chewing Gum (in Taiwan we have trouble finding Spearmint and Cinammin flavors, I’m sure children would appreciate strawberry or grape bubble gum)
  • Magazines in English (My grandmothers occasionally send me copies of Woman’s World and Reader’s Digest)
  • Scented/Smell good things (for example: small candle, potpourri, or Plug-ins, with the plug-in device unless you know they already have it. Scents are so important to me now. Especially at the holidays it is nice to have a “smells like Christmas” feel in my home. But, something like plug-ins might not work in other countries, Taiwan has the same electricity system as the US)
  • Decorations for holidays (holiday plates and napkins, even something like a paper 4th of July table cloth could be fun. My grandmother also once sent me Easter clingies to put on my windows.)
  • Other holiday related items sent near that holiday (like an Easter egg dying kit before Easter or candy canes near Christmas).
  • Things that are “American” or “Canadian” or in my case “Texan” . . . you get the idea. (I loved it when my mom sent a very Texan “fixin’ do list” pad and some chili mix.)
  • A memento from their fave sports team
  • DVDs (especially for children, might want to ask if they have a Region 1 DVD player if you are sending DVDs from America)
  • CDs but itunes credit would work too
  • Books in English
  • Tampons
  • Razors
  • Deodorant
  • Mascara
  • Socks
  • Over the counter meds (cough drops, coldeze, aleve)
  • Children’s books in English, small toys (match box car or stuffed toy), or things like fruit roll ups or gummy bears (IF they have children)
  • Hobby supplies (things for scrap booking, quilting, cross stitch, card making or stamping–IF they have those hobbies)
  • Small games (new card games or logic puzzle to solve)
  • Online gift certificates (amazon.com and landsend.com both ship overseas)
  • My friend even suggested a including a list of websites or blogs they might want to check out when they have online time. She said she doesn’t have time to search and find good sites, but loves being encouraged by sites that do get recommended to her.

Tricks and Hints

  • You don’t have to send a lot to mean a lot. A small envelope with a few packages of gravy mix and a card would mean a lot.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask the missionary specifically for help. For example, “I’d like to send you some reading material is there a book or magazine you’ve been wanting to read?” OR “We are wanting to send you some personal items, do you need razors or deodorant? If so, which brands and scents could we get for you?” By asking specifically, it helps us not be so shy in telling you what we need. It is really hard to answer the question “what do you need us to send you?”
  • If they have children, try to include at least something small for them. It is nice for them to know that they are remembered too.
  • The USPS has an international shipping envelope–Priority Mail International–that up to 4 lbs costs a flat rate. Each country is different–to Taiwan it is $9. If you ship this way, you can send it on Monday, and we will have it by Friday. Wow! That is awesome. They also have a box with a variable charge rate, but it costs more.
  • If you are sending big packages, consider sending it by ground and not by air to save on shipping.
  • You can cut and paste the address in the country’s language–ask the missionary for an image of their address (well, if they are computer savvy). Just add in all caps the name of the country in English underneath the foreign language address. (This is how my family sends me stuff.)

Ladies, I hope this motivates you to send a care package to a missionary that you may know (or you don’t know!) They are true Heros in every sense. What a blessing it was for me to serve this amazing family.

10 kitchen tips and rules

From Time-Warp Wife

10 Rules & 10 Tips for the Kitchen


Are fruit flies swarming your kitchen? The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the home and due to the nature of food preparation can be the dirtiest. There are several habits that should be part of your life to avoid having the health department condemn your kitchen, and to make it a happier place.

Ten Rules for the Kitchen
  1. When you get something out, put it away. The same rule that should be applied all over the house is of course just as important in the kitchen. This must be taught to your children when they are young so that they understand that food left out spoils.
  2. While working in the kitchen, fill the sink with hot soapy water. As you finish with a cooking utensil toss it in the sink or grab the washing cloth and wipe down the appliance you were using. Water is the supreme solvent and washing things before the gunk gets hard as a rock saves time later. It’s efficient.
  3. The same principle applies for the countertops and stove, wipe them after each mess that you make. It takes seconds to wipe and rinse the cloth in the sink full of hot soapy water; it takes minutes of scrubbing after spills have become cemented on.
  4. When preparing food, get out all the ingredients, appliances, and utensils first. As soon as you’re done and the dish is cooking put these things away again. Don’t leave to do another thing, finish the work you started.
  5. Keep the dishwasher unloaded. What good is it to you when it is full of clean dishes? You can’t put anything dirty in so it collects in the sink and on the counters taking up valuable workspace. It takes less than five minutes to unload it. Race the clock. Assign a child to be the unloader. Take out the knives first and even a two-year-old can unload the silverware. It might not be perfectly sorted but it’s teaching them to help and preschoolers love to help. Crack the door to let it cool off for five minutes then call the unloader to the job.
  6. Don’t put your dirty dishes anywhere but in the dishwasher. This is more sanitary and efficient. It keeps the countertops clean and attractive. It is inspiring to walk into a clean kitchen; it is depressing to have to do a deep clean before food can be prepared for the next meal.
  7. If you don't have a dishwasher, give yourself the "Rule of Ten": If there are ten or more things to wash, do it now. Never have more than ten things waiting to wash. If you have a dishwasher, apply this to those items that you have to hand wash.
  8. Wipe the sink after every meal. Start at the backsplash, work your way around the sink, do the faucet, then wipe the bowl, empty the strainer and rinse it.
  9. Sweep the floor after every meal. If you don’t do this, the crumbs get picked up on feet and spread throughout the house making the other floors dirty. Crumbs underfoot are annoying and they attract ants. It takes just a few minutes to sweep and saves time later. Assign one of your children to this chore. Less than perfect is better than nothing.
  10. Use your time with Godly wisdom. Put a scripture verse over the sink to memorize while you wash dishes. Pray for the food to be a blessing while you make it. Pray for the people who are going to eat it.
Ten simple habits. Thank God for the ones you are already doing! Now, add the rest starting with the next step you take into your kitchen. Print this article, put it in a page protector, and hang it in a kitchen cupboard. Check through the list after each meal until it all becomes ingrained in your life and has become your own personal kitchen habits.

Ten Tips to a Tip-Top Kitchen
  1. To help clean a scorched pan, scrape off what you can and put enough water in to just cover the bottom, then add a bit of automatic dishwasher detergent and let set overnight.
  2. To get rid of foul smelling odor from plastic containers, rinse them with vinegar.
  3. To rid your kitchen of fruit flies, remove every single food item (hide them in your refrigerator), set out a glass of sweet pickle juice or wine overnight to attract and drown them. The ones that remain become very lethargic due to starvation and are easily swatted.
  4. To clean dried on gunk, squeeze water over it and let it set for several minutes to soften, then wipe.
  5. Take your falling-apart cookbooks to Staples and get them punched and comb bound.
  6. Use vinegar for an inexpensive alternate to rinse agents in the dishwasher.
  7. Pour boiling water down the kitchen drain to keep it running free.
  8. To remove the smell of onion from your hands wipe the flat side of a stainless steel knife blade over them.
  9. Set out a lemon to come to room temperature before squeezing to get more juice from it.
  10. Put frequently used items within easy range (hip to shoulder height) for movement efficiency. Keep this in mind for children also if they are the ones to unload the dishwasher and set the table.
________________

Thank God for dirty dishes,
They have a tale to tell;
While others may go hungry
We’re eating very well.
With home, health, and happiness,
I shouldn’t want to fuss;
By the stack of evidence,
God’s been very good to us!
~ Anonymous ~
________________


Blessings,

Kim Brenneman

Organizing on a Wee Budget

From Time-Warp Wife:

Use The Space You Have

At what point in our lives did we grow up and stop having fun? When did we change?

When my daughter was handed her seventh-grade locker combination, the first thing she asked was, "When can I decorate the door?"

I was taken back to those mornings at Glenlawn Collegiate when I'd tape up the last of my posters before the first bell rang. My locker was small, but it was my own corner of the world where I was free to decorate as I pleased. I'd often clip photos from teen magazines, or jot down Bible verses on pretty stationery, so I'd have something new to look at each week.

After coming across this photo by Country Living, I realized that I have similar decorating space in my kitchen that's waiting to be creatively used--interior cabinet doors.

What a great place it would be to hang a small calender, or a photo of my latest heart throb, Michael (*wink*). It would also be a fun place to tape artwork that that kids give me or pretty Bible verses that I want to remember. The insides of our cupboard doors give us extended wall space, where we can get creative and make our mark on the world without breaking the budget.

"Guess what, kids? Mom has a locker too!"


Look For An Alternative Use

Look what putting up a simple magazine rack on the wall can do to clear up space in your entrance. This photo from Desire to Inspire, shows us that it doesn't have to cost all that much to add storage space, as long as we're willing to use our imagination.

When I'm shopping at the thrift stores, I'm always looking at items wondering what alternative use they might have. For some reason shoe storage has been a big one for me this year!

Take a look further down the checkerboard hallway, and you'll see that the decorator has put hooks on the wall to hang purses. What does that cost? Maybe $3.00 each?

Group "Like" Objects Together

And finally, this is a cute idea (below) that I found through Better Homes and Gardens.

This look can easily be achieved by picking up a group of small baskets from Walmart or the dollar store and adding a printed label to each one. Of course the painted cupboard undeniably adds to the charm. But lining up baskets like these would give any shelf an instant face-lift, don't you agree?

You'll also notice that they have used a group of three planters on the top shelf. I'm guessing that these would be inexpensive, and placing one alone on the shelf wouldn't give us nearly the same affect that grouping a few together does.

A tight budget is often a blessing in disguise. It moves us to be creative with the resources we have, and in doing so we'll often come up with some awesome ideas!!

Drawn from my archives



You are loved by an almighty God,


Darlene