Serving up Mexican

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This week’s post is on the lighter side. I want to share with you a new recipe I discovered. It came about by accident.

Because I don’t live in a larger town, I am not connected to the gas main. I buy my gas from an older gentleman who very kindly delivers a bottle when I need one. This is usually every two months or so. A few weeks ago, I ran out of cooking gas in the house. I ran out on Saturday night too late to call. It happened after I finished cooking dinner thankfully. I did not want to make the gas man come out to my house on Sunday so I had decided to wait until Monday to call. That left me with a bit of a problem, Sunday dinner. I had planned to make enchiladas for dinner but they need to be baked and I had no gas for the oven. What to do? I decided to use the Slow Cooker.

If you as a single person do not own a Slow Cooker or small Crock Pot, go buy one! It has been a great investment since the moment I bought it. This appliance allows you to cook a delicious meal without having to stand over a stove or even be in the house. It is especially useful if you work all day and then have to fix dinner when you come home. It also comes in handy when you have no gas for cooking.

Photo Credit: I Believe I Can Fry via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: I Believe I Can Fry via Compfight cc

Here is my simple recipe for stacked enchiladas in the Slow Cooker. (Side note: I had already boiled the chicken to use in the enchiladas. So if you find yourself with no gas, you may want to go with other fillings besides chicken.)

Slow Cooker Enchiladas – 2l size

One package of 10 flour tortillas – 6” rounds or size to fit in crock of Slow Cooker

One 200g/8 oz package of cheese – cheddar is best but if you live in a country that does not sell cheddar, experiment a little. I used a three cheese mix that included cheddar.

One chicken breast cooked and shredded

400 ml/2 c of tomato paste

½ t cumin

2 t Chile Powder

2 t Garlic Powder

(I also added a bit of a Mexican spice blend that I can only find here, but the other spices will make a delicious sauce as well)

First take the tomato paste and add the spices to it with ¼ c of water. If your tomato paste is very thin then only add a little of the water. If it is thicker add more water. You want to end up with a paste that is the consistency of tomato soup.

In the Slow Cooker place a small amount of enchilada sauce. Just enough to coat the bottom of the Slow Cooker crock. Then place one flour tortilla, some cheese and chicken (or other fillings) layer one more flour tortilla, more cheese and chicken, and finally one more tortilla. It is like layering lasagna. Pour some enchilada sauce onto the stack and repeat the layering process. Continue in this fashion until you have run out of tortillas or have no more room in the crock. On top of your stack pour the rest of your enchilada sauce and top with a handful of cheese. Put the lid on top and cook on high for about 3-4 hours. What comes out are delicious layered enchiladas.

I put these on Sunday morning before I went to church and when I came back they were ready to eat. I made these enchiladas with chicken and cheese but you can use whatever fillings you can imagine. If you come up with something you like, let me know. I am always looking for variations on my favorite recipes.

Constancy

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This is a rather old word that means:

  1. Steadfastness of mind under duress:  fortitude b:  fidelity, loyalty
  2. A state of being constant or unchanging

This can sound stodgy and stubborn like a person afraid of change, but to me it sounds more of reliability. Something that is constant is reliable and dependable. It most closely reminds me of the verse:

For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Malachi 3:6

It is a comfort to me that God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Why am I writing about constancy? This is a follow up post to my end of year post about goals. Goals are something to which we should be constant. I imagine that constancy to a goal is difficult for most people. I know it is for me. In my dreams of married life constancy is not a problem. I have someone on whom I can depend to help me be constant. (

Not to mention the fact that I have promised constancy to this person.) However, having observed a few marriages in my life, I can say with some confidence that if you struggle with constancy to goals or commitments before marriage, then you will struggle with it during your marriage.

For the purposes of this blog, I will be talking about sticking to goals with constancy. Someone with more qualifications than I (i.e. someone who is married) can talk about constancy within a marriage.

Constancy comes down to discipline. UGG! I know it is a dirty word to some, but it is also a necessary word. Without discipline, the world would be chaos. Back to the dictionary! Discipline is defined as:

  1. :  training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character
  2. a :  control gained by enforcing obedience or order b :  orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior c :  self-control
  3. :  a rule or system of rules governing conduct or activity

 

There are other definitions but these are the ones we discussing today. Discipline can come from two directions, an outside force or an inside force. That is someone can impose discipline on you or you can impose discipline on yourself. The first can lead to the second.

The first type of discipline is what a parent does with a child and what the military does with its soldiers. In both cases, the outside force is trying to instill self-discipline. The parent knows that at some point and time, their child will leave the house and will have to function within societies norms. The child will have to keep himself from ‘transgressing’ the ‘rules’ of society. (Can’t you tell I am studying for my master’s in education!) The

military on the other hand is trying to keep its personnel safe by imitating the conditions found on a battlefield. They know those conditions are physically, mentally and emotionally demanding, so they try to instill self-disciple in their soldiers so they are ready to meet those demands.

Photo Credit: The U.S. Army via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: The U.S. Army via Compfight cc

The second type of discipline is self-discipline. This is the discipline that will keep an athlete practicing until he has perfected his sport. It is also the discipline that will help a soldier finish the mission even though there is no drill sergeant telling him, ‘GET IT DONE!’ This is the type of discipline that we as Christians need.

With Jesus as our Great Example, we should strive to be constant in all things. He, being God, never changes, always keeps His promises and is faithful till the end.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

Jesus set the goal then disciplined Himself to reach that goal. How can we do the same? Here are some things that have worked for me and I hope will help you.

Set a Schedule

Setting a schedule can help you be constant. This schedule should be realistic and flexible (life throws curveballs so you have to learn to duck!) The schedule you set could be daily or weekly or even monthly. It depends on how structured you want your days. My schedule consists of times for house chores, work periods and even times for rest. Sometimes I am able to stick strictly to the schedule. Other times, life interferes and I need to set aside my schedule for the interference. Sticking with a routine has helped me to become more disciplined in getting things done. One thing I have discovered is if you stick your routine you end up with a lot more free time than you thought you had.

 Be Accountable

Being accountable to someone can help you instill self-discipline. A couple of years ago, my sister and I agreed that we would give up sugar for 3 months and then have one week were we could eat sweet things as a reward. The first two weeks were the hardest. I craved sugar all the time. After that is was much easier. Having to be accountable to my sister helped me through those tough first weeks. It is ok to ask someone for help. Strength is not refusing to ask for help, strength is knowing you need to ask for help. It can also be the most difficult thing to do. We as humans hate to expose our soft spots. Too many times we have been hurt for doing so. However, asking help of someone you trust can be the best support to achieving your goals.

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Tomorrow is a New Day

 You know the old phrase, ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.’ This is something that can help with constancy. What?!? Failure can help with success? Thomas Edison was asked once about the failures he had before he succeeded at making an incandescent light bulb. He said, ‘I did not fail, I found 2,000 ways how not to make a light bulb.’ Persistence is also a part of discipline and constancy. So, you didn’t meet your goal for today, get up, dust yourself off and try again tomorrow. As humans, we can learn through failure and go on or we can wallow in our failure and become stuck in the mud of yesterday. If any of the great men of our past had given up at the first obstacle, we would not live in the world we live in today.

These are some of the things that help me be more constant. What works for you?

Dictionary definitions from the online Merriam-Webster dictionary

Serving Single: Amrei

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Today’s post is written by a friend who shares the same mission field of Portugal. Her name is Amrei. She is from Germany and is involved in may aspects of ministry but principally with Member Care. I asked her to answer one simple question. As you can see, she gave a simple and a not-so-simple answer. I pray that this post will bless you as much as it did me. 

Photo Credit: Julicious via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: Julicious via Compfight cc

Why do you serve God as a single person?

 What a question! My simplest answer would be: “I serve God as a single person because I am single!”, but that does not really help, right? Well, I guess I need to divide the question into three:

Why do you serve God?

To answer this question, I need to go back to my childhood. My mother says that, as a teenager I used to say I wanted to be a missionary. That is true, because when I was 11 or 12 years old, I discovered that Jesus was interested in me personally. I knew I was a sinner and there was nothing I could do to pay for my sins. Then I understood that He had given his life to save me.  So I gladly invited him to come into my life, to forgive me and be the Savior and Lord of my life. Even though I do not remember the day I made that decision, I realized back then the importance of the gospel message and I wanted others to discover this truth as well. So, around that time I found the purpose for my life, which I later stated as the following:

 “I want to go to heaven and take as many with me as I can!”

This is why I serve God. I count it a privilege to be able to do that as a full time worker. For many years I have seen myself as God’s servant, so there was kind of an obligation to go out, evangelize and disciple others. I became burnt out and completely unable to do any of these things. That was when I discovered God’s unconditional love for me. Today I say that I serve God because He loves me so much that He saved me. Serving God today might not look much different than before, but my motivation has changed completely. Now it is my response to Christ’s love for me.

 John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The second reason I serve Him is that I love people. I hate to see others run away from Jesus, who loves them so much that He gave everything to save them. I want them to experience His love, God’s justice and forgiveness, as I have experienced it and continue to experience it day after day. I know God loves people much more than I do, but my love for God urges me to love others.

Why are you single?

I am very thankful that I can honestly say that I am a happy single. Not that I never struggle with singleness, but altogether I am happy as a single and I consider this another privilege. I meet many singles who constantly struggle with this issue. Recently a married Christian counselor told me: “You are happy because you chose to be single.” I do not agree with her because I never made that choice. Actually, I always imagined myself getting married and serving God as a mother in an intercultural context. But I love God more than anything else and I know that He loves me enough to give me what is the best.

Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”

My way was going to Bible school, meeting my husband there, going to candidate school together and then leaving for the mission field on our honeymoon. What a dream!!!

Today I smile as I think about that, but it is true, I really thought that way. It almost became true when I was nearly engaged not long after finishing Bible school. When the relationship ended, this dream was shattered. However, I was not ready to wait to serve God until He sent somebody else along.

I have always been convinced of the fact that I am single today because singleness is the best for me. I would not be happier if I was married now. God could still change this, but it is not the purpose of my life to get married. My purpose is to love and serve God. This leads me to ask back:

Why not, serve God as a single person?

I see many “benefits” in serving God as a single. In Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians we read:

 Ephesians 3:17-19 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

In my life,I have seen this prayer answered because I serve God as a single person. There is no husband, child or other relative around to which I can turn to fulfill my need for love. This makes me turn to Christ, poor out my heart before Him and experience His fullness. The more I turn to Him, the more I get to know Him and His love. As a single, I can focus on my relationship with God. As I said above: this love is my motivation for serving Him. Some of my emotional needs are not met in my life, but they remind me thatI am not made for this life, but for eternity.

In serving God I have also found a new family, my brothers and sisters in Christ. I don´t need to constantly make a choice between spending time with them or with my family.

 Cultural adaptation and language learning was also much easier for me as a single. I could live with nationals and did not go home from language school to a place where I could speak my language and live according to my habits.

I can spontaneously adjust my life to whatever opportunities I have to be with and serve nationals, without having to consider the implications for the rest of my family.

I can dedicate my spare time to my friends, hobbies and to communicating with family in my homeland.

There are lots of ministry opportunities I can attend to because I am free to be away from home for longer periods of time.

So, can you tell me any reason, why I should not serve God as a single person?

 

 

New Year’s Resolutions?

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New Year’s Day has come again, like it does every year. New Year’s has come to mean a time to reflect on the previous year and make plans for the new one. We have come to call these plans, resolutions. However, when I looked up the word in the dictionary, (remember I told you I was a word lover) it has little to do with plans. Here is the dictionary definition:

Resolution: the act of finding an answer or solution to a conflict, problem, etc.: the act of resolving something: an answer or solution to something

You may think these plans are an answer to some problem in your life. Or you may simple be resolving to do something in the New Year. But so many times those resolutions are forgotten by the end of January. If you have this problem (and I freely confess, I have it), then why not try something new. Why not try setting Goals instead of Resolutions. A goal, by its very definition, is a process that requires effort be put into it.

Goal:  the end toward which effort is directed: something that you are trying to do or achieve

If you use the acronym SMART in connection with your goal, you might end 2014 saying, ‘I have accomplished … (insert here your desire for 2014).’ SMART means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. By applying these principles to your goal for 2014, your goal is refined and quantified. Instead of saying ‘I want to lose weight,’ SMART says, I will lose 20 pounds by the end of the year by joining a gym, going on a diet, etc. This goal incorporates SMART. (Here is a link to get you started.)

To help you stay on track with your goal, you should break your larger goal into smaller goals that also follow SMART. For example, I will lose 2 pounds every month by walking one mile every day. (I would urge you that if losing weight is your goal, PLEASE do this in a safe and healthy manner.) These small goals help you achieve the larger goal but are easier to handle. When I was a child, we listened to Patch the Pirate. In one of his Character Building Dramatizations was this song. ‘Little by little/Inch by Inch/By the yard it’s hard/By the inch what a cinch.’ This is exactly what those smaller goals accomplish. It is easier to stick to something small than a large project. If you don’t believe me, remember your broken resolutions.

Why am I going on and on ad nauseum about goals and resolutions? I am also trying this new approach this year. A couple of years ago, I made a trial run with this approach. My hobby is knitting and in 2012, I made a plan that I would knit one item off my personal wish list each month. I came very close to accomplishing my goal. I ended up making 10 ½ items off my wish list. Did I accomplish my entire goal? No, but I did more than if I had just stated I wanted to knit off my wish list in 2012.

One of the parts of setting goals is putting them down on paper. You may say I do not have time to write things out on paper. Here is my suggestion. Think about it for a few days. Really mull it over when you have a few moments to yourself. Then when you put it down on paper it will take no time at all.

Once you have your goals on paper, put it somewhere where you can refer to it during the year. If you lose paper easily, put it on your computer, tablet or phone. Just somewhere you will see it from time to time. If you think you may need someone to keep you accountable, find a person and give them a copy of your goals. Let them know they have permission to check with you from time to time to see where you are. (Just don’t give it to someone who will nag you. That will make sure you never accomplish your goals.)

Now every so often look at those goals. How are you doing? Where do you need work? Are you reaching your smaller goals? Does a goal need to be changed because of circumstance? (Really if you have broken your leg, how can you join a gym to lose weight?) If you have an accountability partner, talk these goals over with them.

Goals are necessary for life. Without a dream to follow, many people become overwhelmed and depressed. A goal gives us something for which to live. As Hebrews says,

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

Jesus who is our ultimate Example had goals as well. He knew the prize He was trying to attain and endure much to attain it. We should strive to please Him with our goals and seek to emulate Him by making and sticking to those goals. He did not turn back at the first sign of an obstacle. Let us do the same.

As for me, I am off to take my own advice. I would be interested to know if anyone wants to join me on this adventure in 2014. If so contact me by email at servingsingle’at’gmail’dot’com.

At the end of the year, we will take time to look back and see if we have met our goals or not.

Christmas – ‘Home Alone’? Or ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’?

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Christmas can be a lonely time for a single person. Usually they are away from family or even have no family. So far this blog has been concentrating on ways to spend the holidays and tackle that loneliness issue. However, someone recently reminded me that sometimes after the hustle of the Christmas programs and special dinners, a day alone is a restful thing.

Photo Credit: jamescharlick via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: jamescharlick via Compfight cc

Another friend told me recently that one of the best Christmases she had was when everyone forgot to invite her to Christmas dinner and she spend Christmas night at the airport. She took her Bible and some gospel tracts and spent time with the people who had no choice about spending time away from family. She said that the time spent in prayer and Bible reading fed her soul and the people working at the airport appreciated the company. She was able to witness to a few of them. She turned what could have a time of pity me into a ‘best Christmas ever’ memory.

Sometimes being home alone on Christmas can be a good thing. It can allow us to reflect on what Christmas truly means. I think of how Jesus must have felt. He came to Earth to do His Father’s will, but He was the only one who understood His purpose. Even His own family rejected Him. His parents were upset when He was caught teaching in the Temple. His half-brothers and sisters rejected His divinity until after His death and resurrection. His disciples deserted Him when He needed friends the most. However, He continued with His mission, to save the souls of men. It must have been very lonely at times but when He had time to Himself, He always sought to spend that time with His Heavenly Father. We can learn from His example. You know that old saying, ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.’? Well, when life gives you alone times, seek to use it in a manner that would glorify God.

Alone time can also be a time of renewal and refreshing. Many times in the Bible,we are admonished to seek time alone with God. Many of the heroes of the Faith were refreshed and renewed by alone time with God. Sometimes God had to shake them out of a pity party (I’m looking at you Elijah and Jonah) but time alone with God was instructive and refreshing. It gave the prophet, teacher, king, priest, and even the Savior a renewed sense of purpose and commitment. Elijah picked himself up and continued with his work and even Jonah eventually saw what God was doing in his life.

As to the title of this post, the kid in ‘Home Alone’ eventually got his family back and the hero in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ learned that no man is an island, no matter how isolated they feel. And yes, I firmly believe in happy endings. Only our idea of a happy ending and God’s idea of a happy ending sometimes differ. We look for everything to turn up rosy and God looks for the best ending, which is not always rosy. IMG_0457

So whether you are having a Home Alone experience or are feeling isolated this Christmas, remember God is walking with you and you are never alone. Use this time to get to know your Heavenly Father better.

Sharing Traditions

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This week my mother, Kathy, is my guest blogger. She is a missionary in Africa. As you will see, she taught me well.

As a single person you are out on your own. Working at a job. Doing things for yourself.  However, when the holidays come, what do you do? Well you could sit around and mope, get depressed and think of yourself only. On the other hand you could reach out and share your time with others.IMG_0391

Everyone has traditions they have grown up with. When and how to decorate the tree and house. Special cookies, cakes, or candies that are made or bought. There is no reason one could not continue these traditions. If you cannot be with your own family,  I am sure there are others in the same situation as yourself. Reach out and invite friends over to make those special baked goods. If you can’t cook, then invite them to help decorate your tree or home. Make a little festive party of it, put on Christmas music, get out the chips and dip, have fun. Get out of yourself and think of others at this time. Make some new traditions or celebrate with the old ones. You could always volunteer to help some couple by watching kids while they shop for gifts, or help out in a shelter or soup kitchen.

Reaching out is what Christ did for us. He reached all the way to earth from heaven to save and help us to the point of dying for our sins. He is the reason for the season. Make a new tradition of thinking of others at this holiday season. Let us forget self and reach out to those who have need of a friend.

“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”Philippians 2:4

In Celebrating, We Forget to Celebrate

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My sister is once again a guest blogger.

The Christmas greetings were mailed the day after Thanksgiving. Cookies are baked with dough made a month ahead. Gifts for all the principal people in your life were purchased and wrapped by June, carefully tucked away, and you remember where they were hidden. You had the menu, guest list and decorations planned for all your Yuletide events almost as soon as the bells finished ringing in the New Year. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day you have little else to do but enjoy your family, share the Christmas cheer with your grumpy neighbor, and watch reruns of It’s a Wonderful Life. If you are human, your holiday season is nothing like this fairytale!

Christmas

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Christmas has become a contest. Not between you and your neighbor, but between you and the home magazines, the Pinterest boards, the party planner books, and even the holiday portraits of how we think Christmas should look. We attempt to satisfy our vision or perception of how Christmas should look, feel, taste, and smell like, but still feel empty and disappointed. We have fooled our senses into thinking that unless Christmas smells like peppermint, tastes like fudge, feels like fur, and looks like freshly fallen snow, Christmas never really came. Unfulfilled expectations cause depression and self-hate that spills over into our relationships with others.

We like to over complicate things. We make to-do lists and to-get lists and to-make lists, then we check them more than twice. We feel like we have to perform or die! We must have a party. We must have piles of treats for all those people who might drop in. We must have hot cocoa with tiny gingerbread houses perched on the lip of each mug above the sea of snowflake-shaped marshmallows. We must watch a “Christmas” movie every night in December. Then, we must not forget to buy trinkets for the baker, barber, banker, butler, butcher, dentist, doctor, dog trainer, financial adviser, fish monger, manicurist, mail carrier, museum curator, massage therapist, psychotherapist, physiotherapist, pet therapist and waste management personnel. See what I mean by overcomplicated?

IMG_0389Simplify and save yourself a great deal of disappointment and heartache. Why do we, as Christians, celebrate Christmas? Compared with the world, we have the Greatest Gift and Bringer of LASTING Joy to celebrate! Focus on the simple gift of life that God gave us in His Only-begotten Son, Jesus. Not only His Son, but also each breath we take is a gift from God. Make the few years we have here on earth matter and spend the time with those you love.

So turn your Pinterest brain off and find joy in the simple things this year, and celebrate the life God has given you!

Come On Over!

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Entertaining on a single person’s budget can be difficult and somewhat restrictive. This can be especially complicated if you have little extra money after you have paid your bills. Yet hospitality is something that marks a Christian as different.

Use hospitality one to another without grudging. I Peter4:9

So how can we entertain or be hospitable?

First, we must find out what hospitality means. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, hospitable means – 1a: given to generous and cordial reception of guests, b: promising or suggesting generous and cordial welcome, c: offering a pleasant or sustaining environment, 2: readily receptive. (Sorry, I am a word lover so I put all of the definitions.) So hospitality is opening yourself to guests and providing them with a place they feel welcomed and refreshed.

Second, we need to figure out how to do this without breaking the bank. This is a process that will take more than one blog post. So, I hope to make it a regular segment here on Serving Single.

Photo Credit: simple tess via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: simple tess via Compfight cc

Budget

Money is always at the heart of anything we want to do. Doing things takes money. It is as simple and as hard as that. However, there are ways to entertain without having to spend a lot of money. It takes a bit of research and a bit of thinking outside the box.

One of the things you can do is to take a look at your budget. Do you have any wiggle room to add a bit for entertaining? What can you cut back on in order to be hospitable? This may entail eating scrambled eggs for dinner several times a week, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (although for me this is an extravagance, the price of peanut butter!) or cutting back on the number of lattes you have during the week. Only you know what you would be willing to sacrifice in order to be hospitable.

Something else you can do is to use things you already have in our house. Who said entertaining had to be elaborate! Invite someone over for some tea or coffee. Fellowship is the point of hospitality. So, look around at what you already have in the house. How can you use it to entertain guests?

Space

Space could become an issue if you want to start entertaining. Depending on where you live, your house, apartment or other living space may not be set up to receive guests. I am blessed to have a rather large living room, but not everyone has this blessing.

Look around your living area. Is it too small? Is it too cluttered? Do you have an area you can entertain in? What could you do to create the space you need?

Sometimes it is just a matter of providing a clean and neat area to have coffee. At other times, you may need to rearrange your living space. At times, it is a matter of keeping your guests to a manageable number. For example, I once had 21 people in my apartment. I will try never to do that again. My apartment is not set up to entertain that many people. It is a good thing we were all friends and that we remained friends afterward. So 20 is my max limit. However, I do know I can have a dinner for around 10 people in reasonable comfort.

Know your limits and stick to them. The goal is fellowship in a pleasant atmosphere. Not pile up on the couch.

Invest

My sister loves to entertain. She loves to set a beautiful table where everything matches. So, she has invested in some items that help her to set that gorgeous table. Tablecloths and napkins in a few different colors, a set of nice dishes (actually these were given to her by family), a set of chargers for under the plates and even some center pieces that can go from season to season. This does not mean she has spent a lot of money though. The tablecloths and napkins were bought at a thrift shop or were gifts. That set of nice dishes was a set passed down to her from our grandparents. The chargers she bought on sale. As for the centerpieces, I have known her to go into her back yard and come up with a beautiful centerpiece with what she found there. She has made these investments into entertaining.

You may not have the same style of entertaining as my sister, but there may be some things you need to invest in to entertain. Maybe your style is informal get-togethers. Invest in some games you can play. (I particularly like Uno, Phase10 and Bible Trivia.) Maybe your style is coffee or tea. Invest in a good tea or coffee service. (Keep your eyes open at thrift stores and flea markets. You never know what you will find!)

The main thing you need to invest in entertaining is time. Your time means a lot to someone who may feel overlooked and marginalized. When you invest your time with others, you are investing in eternity. You cannot take your money or possessions with you, but what you do for others will last for eternity.

He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. Matthew 10:40-42

The Giving of Thanks

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Today’s post is written by my sister, Rebekah. Her unique perspective on Thanksgiving is an encouragement to me. I think it will be a blessing to you as well.

There cannot be enough said about our generation’s lack of thankfulness. We cannot be reminded too many times of the gratitude we owe our Savior for what He has done and is doing for us. There are not enough articles on how to teach our children how to say “Thank you!” and mean it. All of these things need to be written about, but this article is about none of these. I want to share with you my journey to a thankful heart.

I began a tradition my junior year of college around Thanksgiving time. I had lived on campus since the summer before my freshman year and through all the summers in between! Like most college students at the beginning of the Holidays, I was severely homesick. I wanted to hang out with my best friend, my mother. The thoughts of all the things my mother has taught me; all she has done for me; and her enduring love, patience and friendship; flooded my mind. In a few moments, I opened a new email message and began my first gift of thanks. Then the following week I wrote one to my daddy.

We usually think of giving gifts at Christmas time but every year around Thanksgiving time I wrap a gift of thankfulness. I choose a person that has influenced me greatly and write them a thank you letter. With many tears of gratitude, I write a note of appreciation for what they have done and what they are to me. This gives back by reminding me of the love and friendships I may have taken for granted over the years. It reminds me that life is short and the person you are thankful for today may not be here tomorrow!

Photo Credit: Love is the key via Compfight cc

This year I have chosen to thank my siblings for the impact they have had on my life. My sister, Dawne Hart, invited me to right a piece on giving thanks for her new blog. Little did she know that I would be giving her a gift of thanks on her own blog for the entire world to see!

This year give a gift of gratitude to those who mean the most to you!

Dawne,

Thank you for being my sister. Some would say you did not have a choice, but you could have chosen to push me away and not love, teach, and endure the millions of questions I would ask you every night before we would go to sleep. You are smart – you were the “Google Search” of my childhood. Now that I have Google and Pinterest, I don’t bug you quite as often!

You are an amazing woman with a caring heart, an awesome talent, and an immense inner strength. We have always teased you about panicking at times, but you have the fortitude to endure difficulties and hardships. You have dealt with less than ideal circumstances without complaint. Thank you for encouraging me to endure the hardships I face in my life.

Your relationship with God is an inspiration to me. You have followed the Lord’s calling through many mountains and valleys. You have kept your commitment to God for many years and continue to do the work He has called you to with dedication rarely seen in our generation. Thank you for doing what you know is right and providing an example to me.

Thank you for the French braids, the manicures, the knitting help, the piano lessons, the clothing advice, the knitted treasures, and the long conversations while N was deployed. Thank you for the colorful knitted socks you made for me to cheer me and keep my feet warm after I broke my back. I am still wearing them SIX years later! God made you the sister He knew I needed.

I am proud to call you my Sister.

Your Inquisitive Little Sister,

Rebekah

Creating Traditions

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It’s that time of year again. You know the one I mean. The holidays! Just today I was preparing a shipment for my sister’s family in the States. A Christmas shipment filled with presents for the nephew and nieces. If I don’t send it now, it might not make it in time for Christmas day. In fact, it may already be too late. We will have to see!

Such emphasis is placed on Thanksgiving and Christmas and being with family. This emphasis makes it hard for those of us who are single and away from family. My least favorite Christmas song is ‘I’ll have a Blue Christmas’ and I LOVE Christmas songs. However, every time it comes on, I skip to the next song.

So what can we do for the Holiday Blues? (That sounds like it should be a song. A 1940’s song with a swing rhythm. Hmmm, that is an idea!)

How about creating your own traditions? One’s that take your focus off yourself and put it on someone or something else.

My brother inspired this blog post. He is a former soldier with at least two tours overseas and lives in a part of the US that is far from family. When I talked to him a short time ago I asked him, ‘What are you doing for Thanksgiving?’ He proceeded to tell me.

He will be following a tradition our family has had for many years.

This tradition started when my parents were in college. They invited single college students with no place to go for Thanksgiving. This tradition continued when we left for Portugal as missionaries. In Portugal we took in soldiers from a local air base, basketball players in a foreign country, British ex-pats, other American missionaries and anyone who needed the closeness of family.

My brother is following that tradition by starting his own.He will be inviting friends who have no family close, have no family or cannot travel to visit family. He will be creating his own ‘family’ for Thanksgiving.

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Photo Credit: knitting iris via Compfight cc

The holidays are hard for single people. Usually they are away from family and have no way to get home for the holidays. Their thoughts turn inward. ‘I am away from home.’ ‘I have no family around me.’ ‘I am by myself during the holidays.’ ‘Poor me!’ Instead, why not say, ‘That person has no family or friends and is alone on Thanksgiving (or other holiday), I will help him be less lonely on the holiday.’

If you are living in a foreign country, at least share the spirit of thankfulness. You never know who you can touch. This year, my co-workers and I are sharing our holiday with our church. We have made it a time of remembrance and thanksgiving for what the Lord has done this year.

Is this to say my brother and I are perfect and never get lonely on Thanksgiving or any other holiday? NO WAY! We are still people and people are people as the saying goes. We still feel the lack of our loved ones, but our focus is not on what we cannot have. Our focus is on what we can do for others. Having this view point takes courage and fortitude. It takes courage to turn your focus outward and fortitude to keep it outward.

So … what are you doing for Thanksgiving? What traditions are you starting? Where will your focus be during this holiday season? Remember God has placed you where you are for a specific purpose. There are people around you who need YOU! When you feel lonely or depressed at the lack of family, look around. With whom can you spend your holidays?