Quote from Forum Archives on August 2, 2004, 11:27 am

Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>

HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for YOU with LOVE by Lois Breneman

 

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8/2/04 FRUIT, CAMPOUTS, TIPS, HURRICANES, WALL, LETTING GO, GROWING OLD

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CONTENTS:

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

COOK-AHEAD CAMPOUTS (WITH RECIPES)

HOUSEHOLD TIPS

HURRICANE READINESS

JEFFERSON'S FAMOUS MIS-UNDERSTOOD WALL 

TIMELY SCRIPTURE

LETTING GO

GROW OLD TOGETHER

 

 

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

        One reason the Heart to Heart Newsletter ever came into existence is because of a godly woman, other than my own mother.  Living three hundred miles from my family, I was grateful for the Lord bringing Phyllis Brokaw into my life.  She mentored, taught, loved and prayed for me as a young mother, along with other young moms, as she taught a Bible study in her home for fourteen years, with a rich prayer time and lunch to follow, while our children were being well taken care of by a precious servant, Cindy Arrington.  You read about that Bible study in the Welcome Letter or a past newsletter. 

        This week I visited Phyllis Brokaw in her home to take a card, a letter of tribute and a gift to her for her 81st birthday.  While she read my letter, I copied the words to a beautiful cross stitch hanging on her wall that sums up what she taught us in her home.  My prayer is that Galations 5:21 and 22 would be lived out in my own life for others to see and follow, and most of all, to glorify God.  The cross stitch read:

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is Love ...
Joy is love singing.
Peace is love trusting.
Patience is love waiting.
Kindness is love speaking.
Goodness is love acting.
Faithfulness is love enduring.
Gentleness is love touching.
Self-control is love restraining.

 

 

"If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today."  -- Unknown  ~ Contributed by Barb Campbell of Mississippi

COOK-AHEAD CAMPOUTS
By Rachel Paxton ~ Used by permission

When you're out in the woods spending some quality time with your family, the last thing you want to do is spend a lot of time cooking and washing dishes. I've found that the best way to make the most of your campouts is to cook some of your food ahead of time, and to make the cooking you have to do as easy as possible. 

Fish can be wrapped in a double layer of aluminum foil and cook in the coals of your campfire. Potatoes and corn on the cob (still in the husks) can also be wrapped in foil and cooked in the

coals. Spread the coals around your packets of foil as evenly as possible so the food will cook evenly. Corn will take 10-15 minutes to cook, and potatoes about a half hour. The fish doesn't take long at all --15 minutes or less depending on the thickness of the fish. And don't forget the hotdogs! We always bring along some hotdogs or sausages to roast over the fire on a stick. Watermelon can be brought along and kept cold in a cool shallow creek.

The following recipes are great to prepare ahead and take with you. The chicken you can eat cold and the shredded roast beef you just warm up in a pan or in foil and serve over hamburger buns.  The fruit salad keeps well for a couple of days in a cooler. Yum!

OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN
3 pound fryer chicken, cut up                 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup shortening                                   Salt and pepper
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash chicken and pat dry. Melt the butter and shortening together in the oven in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together flour, salt, and pepper. Coat chicken pieces in flour and arrange skin side down in the baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over and cook for another 30 minutes.

EASY ROAST BEEF
6 lbs. rump or chuck roast                 3 tbsp. vinegar
1 (14-oz.) bottle ketchup                    2 tbsp. salt
3 onions                                              1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 stalk celery                                      1 tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. BBQ sauce                            3 c. water

Cut onion and celery in large pieces. Dump all ingredients in large roast pan. Bake in oven about 6 hours at 300 degrees. Add more liquid if necessary. When beef if done it should pull apart and shred easily with a fork. (It seems like there is a lot of liquid, but when you pull apart the meat it absorbs most of it). Serve on fresh buns that won't fall apart easily.

FRUIT SALAD
1 cup mandarin oranges, drained         1 cup cottage cheese (optional)
1 cup pineapple chunks, drained          1 cup miniature marshmallows (optional)
1 cup sour cream                                   1 cup coconut (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and refrigerate.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom. Visit her site http://www.organized-mom.com,  featuring the Easy Organizer, loaded with tools to help you plan, schedule, remember events, keep in touch, get your family on an organized schedule, prioritize, and more.    

 

 

HOUSEHOLD TIPS

All except the first two tips came from The Dollar Stretcher ~ www.stretcher.com ~ Used by permission

 

Ant Remedy ~ For years now I have sprinkled laundry detergent on ant beds to kill the ants.  I buy the cheapest detergent I can find -- usually at the dollar store.  Cover the bed with the detergent and leave it alone.  This has worked for us and is safe for pets and children. ~ Barb Campbell

 

Heavy Watermelon ~ This idea came from a grocery store employee where I bought an immense watermelon!  If you purchase a huge watermelon, too heavy to comfortably carry into your house, cut it in half while still in the car trunk, with a plastic bag to protect your car from juice.  Put both halves into double plastic bags to carry into your house.  Then if you lack enough room for it in the refrigerator, seed the watermelon or part of it, while in your kitchen sink, saving only the fruit.  No need to fill your fridge with all that rind if there's no space! ~ Lois

Handy Chicken ~ When I find chicken breast on sale, I go ahead and buy in bulk.  I then proceed to boil them and wrap and freeze each one individually and then put in a zip lock bag.  This way I now have chicken to use in many recipes that call for cooked chicken and very little preparation time. I thaw as many pieces as I need in the microwave and cut it up for the recipes.  I can sometimes use it in recipes that call for uncooked chicken depending on the recipe.   I then cool my broth and skim off fat and freeze in 8oz. yogurt containers I have saved to use in recipes that call for chicken broth or use for soups. ~ Penny, GA
 
Food Storage Containers ~ Most 'fast food' fried fish outlets and donut shops, sell the large white shortening containers for as little as $.50 each.  They require a little extra hot water and vinegar to remove all traces of oil, but they close tightly and are sturdy enough for many uses. ~ Wynona
   

More is Less? ~ When buying roll-on deodorant and comparing prices, be sure to compare the volume of the contents in the bottles too. I was wondering why certain brands seem to last much longer, even though the bottles were identical in size and shape. It turned out that some contained almost twice as much liquid.  A leading brand had almost half the amount of the others, despite having the same size bottle - so in effect, one was paying nearly twice as much for that deodorant as for the others. So, when comparing prices, be sure to compare content volume, EVEN if the containers look identical (different companies often buy their packaging from the same packaging manufacturer), or you may end up buying a lot of fresh air. ~ Dana
 
Free Stuff ~ Here is a way to get free products.  Almost any packaged item you buy - cleaners, ice cream, hair products, have a consumer 800 number on them.  They ask for feedback or comments.  A one minute phone call will get you a completely free additional product.  I have personally done this for Suave Shampoo, Tilex Cleaner, Haagen Dazs ice cream and others.  They ask for your comments, ask for the bar code number, then ask for your mailing address.  A  week later, you have a free coupon to use for the same product.  I love free stuff!! ~ Regina

Longer Lasting Light Bulbs ~ This strategy requires an initial cost that is greater but provides savings in the long run. As a senior citizen with many ceiling light fixtures, I am becoming unable to climb ladders to replace bulbs. I have found that if you use 130 volt (not watt) bulbs they last much much longer than the usual 110 v bulbs. They may be a little hard to find, but they are certainly worth the effort in time and effort of replacement. You'll reduce your cost also, in the long run. ~ Jeanne N

(Note from Lois: My husband has done this for years.  He finds 130 volt bulbs at a local lighting supply house.)

 

Increase the Life of Outdoor Treasures ~ My mother-in-law keeps a spray can of matte (not shiny) urethane on hand to spray all the items she puts outdoors each summer that may rust: windchimes, small lawn ornaments made of metal, and wooden objects that may rot: bird houses, etc. This really increases the life of these treasures. ~ MJG

 

School Supplies ~ After you have bought all your school supplies for your kids, go back to the stores and take advantage of the clearance specials for school supplies. The stores will be eager to get rid of their large supply and they will be marking them down real cheap. Buy extra for yourself and your children's classrooms (teachers will really appreciate this). Make a birthday or Christmas present out of art supplies, or just stock up for your home so your kids will always have supplies on hand. ~ Melissa of Shelton, WA
                        

I Hate Ironing ~ Both my wife and I hate ironing.  Particularly since we have to set up the ironing board in our kitchen any time that we need to iron. Well, we find an inexpensive (read: no-cost) way of handling even the worst of wrinkled clothes without ironing at all!  In fact, we haven't used our iron in years.  Simply take a spray bottle and fill it with water.  Put on your outfit, and spray yourself with the water so that your clothes are barely damp.  This should dry wrinkle-free within a few minutes.  Thicker clothing, or extremely wrinkled clothing may take a second application. It works, and saves time and money (electricity to run the iron). ~ Ryan 

(Note from Lois: You can also pour about 1/2 cup liquid fabric softener into a spray bottle and fill it with water for a short cut to wrinkle-free clothing - for most things.  When taking a shirt or pair of pants out of the dryer, hang them on a hanger and spray all over lightly with this mixture and most of the wrinkles will vanish.  A few shakes will help more wrinkles fall out.  When I take things from the dryer, I restart it again so the other clothes won't wrinkle while I hang up that item, then open the dryer to get another item.  That saves a lot of wrinkles too.  For clothes that don't need washed after each wearing, simply spray out the wrinkles with this mixture and let dry before putting them back into the closet and they're ready to go!)

 

Closet Cents ~ I have found that most of my dresses and blouses often fall off of regular wire and plastic hangers. Padded hangers keep the clothes on the hanger, but they are pretty expensive.  Instead, I bought a square piece of felt with peel-off backing on it for $1.79 at a local discount department store. I cut the felt in narrow strips and peeled off the back of it. Then I carefully placed it over a wire hanger on each side, pressing the felt strips securely around the wire (no need to put felt at the bottom of the hanger, for me anyway!)  Presto!  Instant non-sliding hanger for a fraction of the cost of a padded hanger! ~ Camille P.
 
Hidden Files ~ If you don't have room for a business type file cabinet in your home, I've got a solution for you! I saw this on an interior design show. A woman bought an old used footlocker. Then she placed wheels on the bottom, added a bit of foam on the top and sides and covered it in the same upholstery as her chair. She then placed hanging file folders inside. Not only did she have a nice looking ottoman for her living room, but she also had a nice, neat place to store her files out of sight! She kept the ottoman storage space open with one of those locking arms. ~ Dana, GA.
 

HURRICANE READINESS

This article from a "Heart to Heart" friend gives tips on how your family can be safe and prepared for hurricanes

By Debbie Klinect of Florida, co-author of an e-magazine for Christian women ~ "Along The Journey." 

To subscribe: [email protected].  The next issue will be sent out in September. ~ Used by permission 

 

        Do you know what season this is?  If you said "summer," you are right.  But that isn't the season I am referring to.  It is officially hurricane season.  Yesterday is rained off and on all afternoon and evening.  I decided to watch the evening news to see what the weather man was going to tell me about the rest of this week and it was more of the same.  Apparently there is a disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico causing all of this and it will be here for a few days.  He said that the hurricane center is not calling it a depression but they are watching it to see what is going to happen.  This brought to my mind a conversation that my husband and I had a few years back and so I thought I would take this time and share our conversation with you and what has come out of that conversation.
        Like so many Floridians, a few years back I had a very cocky attitude about hurricanes.  Living in the Orlando area, I just didn't see the reason for all the fuss - we never get hit by hurricanes here.  I have experienced a hurricane before in September, 1979 - Hurricane David.  We were in Merritt Island when David hit the Cocoa Beach area.  I was 5 months pregnant with our first child.  Kurt decided that he had heard enough and we sat down for a serious talk.  He wanted me to understand that it was a fact that we, in Central Florida, would probably never get hit by a hurricane.  BUT, we had other serious issues of concern.  Winds from the hurricane can be over 50 miles an hour as far inland as we are AND hurricanes are famous for spawning tornadoes.  We live in an area with many old oak trees and with winds at that speed, that was a great concern.  Also tornadoes cause so much damage, taking out homes, power lines, and busting water lines.  So even though we don't live on the coast and have the potential of hurricane damage, we do need to be wise and prudent.  That year I got out the hurricane check off list and went shopping.  I took $5.00 a week from our paycheck and bought canned and boxed goods one week, disposal dinnerware and things another week and so on.  Hurricane season is from June 1st through November 30th so I had many weeks of collecting things.  If we were blessed to not have to use the food items I bought, we would donate them to the homeless shelter here in town during their Thanksgiving Food Drive.
        I'd like to share with you what we have done over the last few years.  We have a hall closet that we have dubbed the Hurricane Supply Closet.  We don't use the entire closet, just the bottom floor area.  Like I said, starting the beginning of June, I start purchasing items from the Hurricane Supply list put together by Channel 9.  We get paid every other week so I take $10.00 out of that money and get canned and boxed goods and batteries, and whatever else is on that list.  Coming out of our paycheck like this isn't the big blow that it usually is to people who are running to the grocery store to get whatever they can when they hear a storm is on the way.  Another thing we have done is when we are finished drinking our milk and large bottles of juice, I immediately clean out the plastic container and fill them 3/4 full of water.  We have a water purification system in our home so we fill the jugs with purified water.  I then put these containers into my freezer.  This way we have lots of frozen jugs of water that can be used for drinking.  They also act as ice packs for our coolers when we need to keep perishable foods cold.  Over the years I have come up with recipes that would be good food for my family and also something that can be stored well.  Just going out to buy canned goods isn't any good if you don't have a plan for them.  I'll include my recipes at the end of this article for you.
        Being a homeschool mom I got to thinking about how the hurricane season could affect my homeschooling.  As far as school goes, I am one of those moms who likes to have all her ducks in a row at the beginning of summer. I know what books I'll need and what we will have on hand.  Since there is still the possibility of us in the Central Florida area having to go to a shelter of some kind I decided that I needed to have a homeschool moms supply list.  I presently homeschool two lower elementary children but have also had high schoolers in the last few years.  Through much sitting, pondering and prayer I found a solution to this potential problem.  I have a medium sized suitcase with wheels.  I looked at our school books and supplies that I had on hand for the upcoming school year and decided to go ahead and pack everything in this suitcase.  This way I could take it with me and not worry about having to replace anything if we had to evacuate.  My reason for this was to not have that added expense of having to replace everything. I also have an old diaper bag that I have kept from our last child, that I fill with small travel games, coloring books, colored pencils, plain paper with clip boards, and some fun books to read.  This would be used to keep my kids occupied.  I don't let them pack electronic games because these take batteries that might be needed elsewhere. 

 

Tips on Saving Time and Money:

* Start to buy things from the check list a little bit at a time.  A downloadable guide can be found at www.wftv.com/hurricanes.

* If your child is in diapers or pull ups, start to put aside a few of those each time you purchase a package of them. This way you won't have that huge expense if a storm is on the way.  Stock up on extra formula.

* Clean out your old milk jugs and large juice bottles.  Fill them 3/4 full and freeze them.

* Buy an extra pound of ground beef when you are grocery shopping.  Brown it and freeze it.

* Look at your school supplies and have them in an area where you can grab them quickly if needed

* Fill an old diaper bag or back pack with games, coloring items, puzzles and paper and have it in an area where you can grab it quickly

* Make sure that you have an ample supply of needed medicines on hand.  Stock up an extra month's worth if you can.

* Keep your gas tank about half full at all times.  Those gas lines are horrible if you are trying to get gas in order to get out of town and it won't cost you as much to fill your tank.

* Start to put away two or three dollars a week in a Hurricane Cash Can.  Money is always needed at this time and you might not be able to get to the bank to get the cash you need.  Purpose not to spend this money until hurricane season is over. 

 

Hospitality - It is not healthy, nor is it thinking of others to have the attitude about hurricanes that I once did.  I have come to learn that not only is it a good idea to be prepared but that the Lord could use me in the lives of others during this time.  Several of our friends and family live along the coast of Florida and there are times that we have extended the invitation for them to come and stay with us when a storm seems to be approaching their area.  Opening our home that the Lord has given to us has been a huge thing for our family.  We LOVE having visitors!!  To help with sleeping arrangements, we have purchased a couple of full sized blow up mattresses and since we have 8 in our family, we have many sleeping bags.  If in the event that a family needs to come stay with us, I do request that they bring their own pillows, since we don't have an abundance of those.  If your house has five bedrooms like ours does, or it is small and has three bedrooms, the Lord can still use you to have a safe refuge for those needing it.  Be in prayer about what the Lord would have you to do to keep your family prepared and a refuge for others who may need your help. 

 

Recipes - In One or Two Pots

If you have frozen meat in your freezer, you'll want to use this meat up first.  Here are a few recipes for your frozen meats.  I'll add meatless recipes afterwards.  We have a camping cook stove with propane cans that we keep ready during hurricane season.         

 

Chili and Brown Rice ~ Two cans of spicy chili beans, two cans of Great Northern Beans, one large can of diced tomatoes, one pound of browned ground beef.  Put all this in a pot and cook over medium-low heat.  In another pot, boil two cups of water.  When water is boiling, add one cup of brown rice.  Cook covered for 45 minutes on low heat.  Serve the chili over the rice to make a filling dinner.  Feeds 6

 

Spaghetti ~ Cook a 16 ounce box of spaghetti according to directions on the box.  Drain the spaghetti and add a pound of browned ground beef and one or two cans of already made spaghetti sauce.  (I use canned during this time so we don't accidently break any jars).  Feeds 6.  Serve with any bread you have available.

 

Autumn Chicken ~ Brown chicken breasts in a little bit of oil.  When browned on both sides, drain off the oil.  Put chicken back in pan and top with a can of green beans and a large can of sweet potatoes (drain half the liquid first).  Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat.  Serve with any bread you have available. 

 

Beef and Broccoli ~ Slice roast beef into strips and brown in a little bit of oil.  Add two cans of tomato soup, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, stir well.  Add the broccoli flowerets and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring often.  Serve over brown rice.

 

Black Beans, Rice, and Chips ~ In a pot, bring two cups of water to boil.  Add one cup of brown rice, cover and cook on low heat for 45 minutes.  In another pan, brown chopped onion, diced green pepper along with 1/4 tsp. of celantro and 1/4 tsp. cumin.  Add two cans of black beans and one can of corn, drained.  Stir and cook over medium/low heat for 20 minutes.  When the rice is done, put a small pile of it on a dinner plate.  Top rice with black beans.  Top this with salsa.  Eat with Taco Chips. 

 

Cowboy Soup ~ In a large pot put a large can of diced tomatoes, small can of tomato sauce, four cups of water, two cans drained potatoes/green beans, two cans drained corn, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, dash of pepper.  Cook over medium/low heat for 30 minutes.  8 servings.

 

Some Canned Goods I Also Buy: ~ Campbell's chunky soups, Ramen noodle soups, tuna, Ravioli, peanut butter, honey, crackers of all kinds, dried fruit, bagels, canned nuts (unsalted), juice in boxes, snack bars (Balance Bars, Cliff Bars from health food stores).  Add to this list whatever your family likes.

 

(Note from Lois: To save 45 minutes of extra cooking during a power outage, a large pot of brown rice could be cooked ahead of time and frozen in freezer bags to be even more prepared for an emergency.  After thawing, plain brown rice can be heated by frying it in a little olive oil, if a microwave isn't available, as in a storm.  For even tastier rice, saute fresh garlic, lots of onion and grated carrots in olive oil.  Add cooked rice, dried green herbs (sweet basil, tarragon, marjoram or others), and salt. For a natural yellow tint and extra flavor, add about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. tumeric.  When I make this for our family, I brown the rice a little with all of the ingredients, before freezing it, then just heat it in the microwave when ready for a quick and easy dish, providing there is no power outage.)

 

JEFFERSON'S FAMOUS MIS-UNDERSTOOD WALL 

Written and revised by Tom Taylor of Virginia, for "Heart to Heart" from his Letter to the Editor

 

Many of the liberal persuasion applaud the federal courts in their on-going destruction of America's Judeo-Christian heritage.  Frequently they will remind us no less an authority than Thomas Jefferson himself described the First Amendment of the Constitution as building "a wall of separation between church and state."  So Judge Blow  was correct, they say, when he struck down the graduation prayer, or the mealtime prayer at VMI, or the Ten Commandments display in the state courthouse, or…etc. and tragic etc.  They parade Jefferson's "wall of separation" as if that settles the question, as if nothing further can be said.

But of course more can and should be said.  We should note that Jefferson was not an author of the Constitution.  He was serving as ambassador to France when that document was being hammered out in 1787 - 1789.  To find out what the Constitution's actual authors intended by the First Amendment, Judge Blow should read the Founders' own words in The Journals of Congress.  He will encounter no "wall of separation" there. Rather, as Chief Justice William Renquist wrote in a 1985 opinion, "there is simply no historical foundation" for the idea the Constitution's authors wanted to erect a wall of separation between church and state.  So it seems, incredibly, today's liberals and activist judges have reached out to a phrase written thirteen years later by Jefferson, a member of the executive branch who wasn't there, and have given it the force of Constitutional law. 

 Having misappropriated Jefferson's wall, today's courts go on to assume it means government and public institutions can have no connection with Judeo-Christian influence.  But a look at history shows Jefferson himself saw no such meaning.  In 1816 he wrote a book, "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth," and had copies distributed to members of Congress as a guide to ethical behavior.   During his administration the largest church service at the time in America was held each Sunday in the Capitol building itself, and he attended regularly.  Also, when Jefferson served as Chairman of the District of Columbia public schools, he authorized use of the Bible and a Christian hymnal as principal reading texts. 

So what did Jefferson mean by his "wall of separation" phrase?  A look at the context in which he wrote it may be instructive. In 1801 a committee of Connecticut Baptists wrote to President Jefferson complaining the Connecticut legislature had passed laws (unspecified) governing religious matters: a practice they termed as making "laws to govern the Kingdom of Christ."  They acknowledged Jefferson could do little to help them (since the federal government at that time had no authority over state laws,) but asked for his moral support in their struggle for religious freedom.  Jefferson gave them his support in his famous 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in which he agreed in general terms the legislature should not govern over religious matters, and quoted the First Amendment as "building a wall of separation between church and state."

So, in context, Jefferson's wall is to prohibit the government from interfering with the church or religious practice.  In no sense does it mean Judeo-Christian influence and principles must be separated from government.   In fact, Jefferson, like the other Founders, staked the survival of American liberty on a continued religious influence over the nation and government.  He wrote, "Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we remove their only firm basis – a conviction in the minds of the people that their liberties are a gift from God?" 

In the context of history, it's absurd to think the words of Jefferson or any other Founder would authorize the eradication of the Judeo-Christian religion from America's government, schools, colleges and public life as is being perpetrated by today's renegade judges.

TIMELY SCRIPTURE ~ Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!  Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! ~ Isaiah 5: 20-21

 

LETTING GO

By Scott Fowler, talking about his baby boy.  Scott sings with Legacy Five, a quartet that glorifies the Lord in their music.  Used by permission from Scott.

        I was holding Preston this morning and was reminded again of what a strong grip the little fellow has.  He got ahold of my hair and WOULD NOT LET GO!  I'm not sure he COULD let go.  I had to pry his hands off.  When I finally got his death grip broken and cleaned my hair out of his hands, I put him on the floor to watch him crawl immediately to his toy box.  I watched as he entertained himself there for about an hour.
         After he had all the toys out on the floor and had put every one of them in his mouth, I watched with great interest as he tried to pick up a certain toy.  He was in trouble immediately because he already had one item in each hand.  He could not figure out why he couldn't get the one picked up that he wanted.  It never occurred to him that he must first drop the toy he had before he could pick up a different one.  He tried and struggled with it for about 15 minutes before he gave up with a loud, frustrated scream of protest!  I finally helped him.  One day ... he will learn.  I hope soon ... because I hate to see him frustrated and defeated.
         It made me wonder how often God, my Father, watches with great interest as I labor and struggle with letting something go.  Does He wonder when I will get it?  Does He wonder when I will just "let go?"  I need to be more like Moses ... as soon as God says turn loose of the stick ... turn loose and watch God do His mighty work.
         I hope I will learn soon ... I have a feeling that God doesn't like to see me frustrated and defeated.   What "stick" are you holding on to?  Throw it down. It's not your stick ... It's God's stick.

 

 

GRANDPARENTING, LETTING GO AND GROWING OLD TOGETHER

By Lois Breneman ~ July, 2004

 

        While on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with our family for a week in July, it was so much fun watching our sixteen month old grandson, Justin Daniel, toddling out to the ocean with excitement!  That will be a treasured picture!  He laughed and squealed with delight as the waves came and washed over him, sometimes splashing in his face.  With all the sunscreen on his slippery little body, I got a real good grip on him, hoping he wouldn't slip out of my hands!!   In this case, I'd better not "let go!"

        Justin surprised us with two new molars during vacation!  One day at the beach, after being splashed by the ocean waves, he sat right down to play in the sand at the edge of the ocean.  Soon the waves filled his diaper with grit and all of a sudden, he let out a blood curdling scream to let us know that he was in pain!  He had diaper rash, which came along with the molars as often happens, and that gritty sand didn't feel too good against diaper rash!  After a quick bath in the ocean, Desitin, and a dry diaper, he sat on a quilt with his mommy and grandma under the canopy his parents brought to shield him from the sun's rays.  He just loved playing in such a big sandbox!

        Soon he was dipping a little green sprinkling can that I brought for him into a bucket of salt water, then pouring the water into the sand.  You should have seen Justin's eyes the first time he poured water in the sand and the water instantly disappeared!  That didn't stop him though!  He was so fascinated with that procedure that he dipped and poured for over an hour, as his daddy, mommy and I kept refilling his bucket!

        Another day Justin and I walked along the beach as he picked up seashells. When he found another shell, he'd "let go" and drop the one he was already holding.  After encouraging him to give me the shells to save for him, we had his very first seashell collection for Mommy to save or add to his sandbox at home. 

        Ladies, I know many of you are "letting go" for the first time as your oldest child goes off to college.  Seeing your child go off to kindergarten can even be very difficult.  Some of you are seeing your last child leave the nest.  Don't lose heart though.  This can be a wonderful time in your life, as your children hopefully chose to live out what you have taught them.  I pray whatever transition your family finds itself in, the Lord will give you His wisdom and peace. 

        Regarding your present or future empty nest, may I suggest that you and your husband work at rekindling your marriage relationship?  Find something special to do together and work at making your marriage a growing and content relationship.  Hopefully you already have at least one common activity to do together before your children leave home, but if not, find at least one now.  A special ministry done together is a wonderful option - pray, teach or go on visitation together.  Play table games, put puzzles together, or look to gardening, remodeling, walking, hiking, exercising, tennis, sailing, golfing, painting, wood crafts, refinishing furniture, antiquing or a host of other activities.  Some couples read books together, by taking turns reading aloud and discussing the contents.  The important thing is to find time to do something together, enjoying each other's company and having fun doing it.  Incorporate "dates" into your marriage.  Why not make a date to do some of the activities above?

        Make a list of those qualities in your husband that first attracted you to him.  If he doesn't look like he did when you first met, remember that goes both ways!   Be accepting of each other, and remember your marriage commitment and all the good family memories the two of you have built together with the Lord's help.  The marriages of far too many couples fall apart after their children leave home, sometimes because the couple was much too busy didn't spend time valuable together, but instead they engaged in their own separate activities.  Change that possibility and work at growing old together with your husband.  You will find helpful suggestions at www.family.org, www.familylife.com and w.iwanttomakemymarriagework.com. 

 

With love from your "Heart to Heart" friend, Lois

The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to bring godly and practical encouragement to women through creative ideas for the Christian family – regarding homemaking, marriage, children and much more.  You may receive this bimonthly newsletter by sending your name, city, state, country and the name of the person who referred you to Lois Breneman at [email protected].  To unsubscribe, please e-mail to the same address.

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