Created to Be His Help Meet: Chapters 1 & 2

A few weeks ago a good friend was telling me about the book Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl.  My friend said that, in addition to the grace of God, reading the book literally saved her marriage.  I told her that I would be interested in reading it, and she offered to let me borrow her copy of the book.

In a few of the online groups I have been part of over the years the Pearls have stirred up some negative emotions for some of the women.  I had never read any of their books, and I like to keep an open mind.  I finished reading the book yesterday and I have to say that it really challenged me.

So, in order to better process what I read I thought that I would go back through the book and outline the chapters.  I started with the first two today.  I will just share the key points and verses that I want to study more.  If you have any insight or comments on this topic I would love to hear what you have to say.  (Anything taken directly from the book is in quotes.)

Chapter 1-God's Gift

• "You don't just marry the right man and then live happily ever after."
• Husbands and wives are both sinners.
• "A good marriage, just like anything worthwhile, takes doing the right things every day...every hour...every moment."
• God gave Adam a gift-a woman.
• "If you successfully do the job of leading the family, you will not find satisfaction in it.  It is far better that the job be done poorly by your husband than to be done well by you."
• "The role of being a perfectly fit helper does not make one inferior to the leader."
• "God's perfect will for my life is that I be a help meet to my husband."
• Genesis 2:18
• Proverbs 18:22
• 1 Corinthians 7:34
• Proverbs 12:4
• 1 Corinthians 11:8-9
• Question:  "If God created a special woman, perfectly suited to be your husband's helper, would you be that woman?"
• "Think of ways you can be a helper to your husband.  Start today."

Chapter 2- A Merry Heart

• "Stand by your man."
• "God's perfect will is that I learn to be the best help meet possible."
• "God's will is for a wife to have a merry heart, a cheerful countenance and a glow that will refresh the most stressed and tired husband on the planet."
• Joy is written 167 times in the Bible.
• Smile!
• "Make a habit of praise and thanksgiving."
• Proverbs 17:22
• Proverbs 15:13
• Song of Solomon 8:6
• Psalm 107:22
• Psalm 100
• Question:  "What can I do today that will make him (my husband) smile?"

I hope that by writing out these key points that I will be able to not only better understand what I read, but also to be a better help meet to my husband.

I am linking this post with Motivate Me Monday at The Fifth Street Palace. 

Created to Be His Help Meet: Chapters 1 & 2

Menu Plan for the Week of February 7th.

I thought I would start today's menu post by sharing some photos of my daughter making her first pie.  Julia is 10 years old and is such a big help around the house.  However, learning to cook is something she has only recently wanted to know.  So, this weekend we made a pie.

Around Thanksgiving my sister-in-law let me borrow her new cookbook.  It was The Amish Cook's Baking Book.  I enjoyed reading the cookbook and loved the little stories that were shared along with the recipes.  My daughter and I copied a few of the recipes we wanted to try.  One was the Pat-a-Pan Pie Crust recipe and another was a recipe for Chocolate Chip Pie.  The crust was very easy and we just mixed all of the ingredients right in the pan. 

 

Then we mixed up the ingredients for the filling and it was ready to pop into the oven.

 

Once the pie cooled she and I tried it.  (Someday she won't be happy I posted a picture of her with food in her mouth.)  The pie was very rich and very tasty.  Of course, Joshua couldn't have any because of his allergies and my husband was good and didn't eat any because of his diabetes.  This might be the kind of pie to take to a carry-in.  We had a fun time together and I was happy to share this time of learning with my daughter.

I am going to start just posting our supper menus since I don't plan our breakfasts and lunches usually.

Supper Meal Plan

Sunday-Leftovers
Monday-Tacos or Taco Salad, Orange Slices, Chips & Salsa, Carrot & Celery Sticks
Tuesday-Baked Chicken, Butternut Squash, Cheesy Broccoli, Peaches, Biscuits
Wednesday-Macaroni & Cheese with Hamburger, Cooked Carrots, Tossed Salad, Pears
Thursday-Baked Tilapia, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Fruit Cocktail, Bread & Butter
Friday-Creamy Chicken & Rice Medley, Applesauce, Cooked Cauliflower, Bread & Butter
Saturday-Chili Soup, Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Carrot & Celery Sticks, Apple Slices

I am linking this post with Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan for the Week of February 7th.

Baby, it's cowl-d outside! (AKA a Crocheted Cowl)

I was trying to be cute with my title, but decided I better add what it was I was actually posting about lest anyone think I don't know how to spell.  Anyway...

I decided that while I was in the crocheting mood I would make myself a cowl.  I had seen several free patterns and decided upon one from Confessions of a Compulsive Crafter. I am not sure why I like the idea of a cowl so much, but maybe it has something to do with being tall and having a long neck. 

I used some yarn that was given to me in a ball with no wrapper.  Therefore, I had no idea if there would even be enough.  (I think the yarn is called Homespun.)  Thankfully, I had just enough to finish the project as evidenced by the picture above.  My sons enjoyed playing with the little bit of yarn that was left.  

The cowl stitched up quickly and the directions were easy to follow.  I have never worn one before, but I think I like it.  I apologize for the worn-out mom photo that my son took.  This has been a long week of minimal sleep due to my oldest two boys' sicknesses.

I do like the fact that it can be worn like a hat/scarf/hood combo, but I am not sure I will use it that way.  Either way it was a nice break from all of my hat crocheting and it used up some yarn in my stash. 

I am linking this post with Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple.

Baby, it's cowl-d outside! (AKA a Crocheted Cowl)

Recycled Crayons Valentine's Day Idea

Check out the fun and frugal craft I just posted on my preschool blog.  Pocketful of Posies

Recycled Crayons Valentine's Day Idea

The Climber

My five year old son has always been a climber.  I realized this when he had just turned one year old.  I was cooking and had turned my back on him for a just a minute.  When I turned back around he was standing on the table.  This was the first of many climbing adventures with Joshua.  It just seems natural to him to climb on everything from the furniture to even the walls. 

 

This is a prime example of what I am talking about.  He had absolutely no help getting up there.  While he was up there I figured he could hang on a few more seconds while I snapped a picture.  :-)

I later started thinking about what this climbing might mean for my son as he gets older. Joshua is the kind of kid that you never have to wonder what he is thinking.  He is always quick to share his opinion. He is strong in his stance and often won't waiver.  We are trying to teach him to know and love God, and I pray that the strong character traits he possesses now will mean that he will stand strong in his faith no matter what happens in his life.

While I can find the positives to these character traits (others might call them flaws), I am here to say it can be hard to parent him some days.  When our wills clash it is easy to get frustrated with him.  I want him to learn to obey and know right from wrong.

However, there is something about Joshua that I don't ever want to discourage--his love of climbing.  I don't mean this in the literal sense like in the picture above.  (I hope he outgrows this before he is big enough to pull the molding down.)  What I mean is that I want to encourage him, and all of my children, to rise above the things of this world and always strive to do God's will.

May we all be climbers..

¹ If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  Colossians 3:1-2

I am linking this post with Motivate Me Monday at The Fifth Street Palace.

The Climber

Menu Plan for the Week of January 31st.

I did a little experiment last week.  I didn't print out my menu and post it on the refrigerator like I had during the first three weeks of January.  I had to check my computer each day to see what I was supposed to make. 

We all felt lost without the menu being in plain sight.  I think I can officially say that after a month of menu planning it has become a habit.  YAY!  How did I ever survive without menu planning?  

Below is our menu for this week.  I am still trying to use up things from our freezer and pantry.  We didn't do as well as many of the ladies doing the pantry challenge last month, but it did help me make sure we are using all of the foods I canned and have frozen. 

January 31st-Lunch at my parents.  Leftovers for supper.

February 1st-Smoked Sausage, Fried Potatoes, Cooked Carrots, Bread & Butter, Peaches
 

February 2nd-Turkey, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Orange Slices, Biscuits
 

February 3rd-Zucchini Casserole, Corn, Pears, Bread & Butter
 

February 4th-Deer Roast with Tomatoes, Peppers & Onions, Mashed Potatoes, Apples, Bread & Butter
 

February 5th-Homemade Pizza, Tossed Salad, Fruit Cocktail, Breadsticks
 

February 6th-Ham and Bean Soup, Cornbread, Carrot & Celery Sticks, Applesauce

Breakfast and lunch are still not planned, but I always have something available.  Here are some of the things I generally fix for those meals.

Breakfast-Toast, Cereal, Oatmeal, Scrambled Eggs, Fried Eggs, Bacon, Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, Homemade Granola 

Lunch-Leftovers and Sandwiches

I am linking this post with Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan for the Week of January 31st.

January Giving Totals

Today I wanted to share my January total for giving.  I am not talking about monetary giving.  I wouldn't share something like that on this blog. Also, I debated sharing with you about giving because it felt like I might be bragging or insinuating that I was such a great person for what I am doing.  That is far from the case though.  I share this to not only encourage you to give to others, but to encourage you to get things out of your home that are not benefiting you or your family.

Anyway, some of you may remember that I started the year by setting a goal of giving for 2010.  I made a goal of giving away 730 items this year.  None of it could be trash, but all of the items I give must be usable. Clearing my home of excess stuff will do two things.  It will help us to have a more clutter-free home and will hopefully help others in need.

Well, I have kept a running tally and here is the total number of items that have left our home this month.

239!!!

I almost couldn't believe it when I just counted all of the tally marks.  I am very happy to have made this much progress, but I have a long way to go to make our home clutter-free.

I almost forgot the most exciting part.  A friend from church instant messaged me on Facebook last week.  She is due to have a baby soon and I asked her what she still needed for the baby.  She said she needed to get a car seat, but that she was good other than that.  Well, I told her not to buy one because ours was still in good shape and doesn't expire until her baby would be out of it.  I was so glad to help her out.  Isn't it great how things like this work out?  My dad calls them God-incidents instead of coincidents.

I also set a goal of crocheting 50 hats to help keep others warm.  My January total is 27.  I can't believe that I have had the time to make that many this month.  I guess I have done more sitting than I thought.  (Here is my post about the first 19 hats I crocheted this month.)  

I also found three hats that I made last year that I can give that will bring my total to 30.  I also didn't even count all of the hats in my January giving total.  I guess I will keep that total separate until the end.

Giving to others and ridding my home of excess clutter truly is a finer thing.  I am linking this post to The Finer Things in Life.

January Giving Totals