Women of Wisdom

WOW!

(Women of Wisdom)

 He also taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live. 5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding. (NKJV)


"Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live!
Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding!
Don't forget one word! Don't deviate an inch!
Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life;
love her—she keeps her eye on you.
Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom!
Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding!
Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won't regret it;
never let her go—she'll make your life glorious. (MSG)


“Her words are ones that reveal wisdom and she provides positive and uplifting instruction with the words she shares"
WISDOM defined:

- the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; discernment, or insight.

- scholarly knowledge or learning: the wisdom of the schools.
-wise sayings or teachings; precepts.

-wise act or saying.

Many people define wisdom as the accumulation of knowledge, but it is just as important for us to APPLY that knowledge to our lives.

Proverbs stresses over and over how important it is for us to have wisdom.

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great as a knowing fool. But how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” Charles Spurgeon
　

So what are some ways we can get wisdom?

1. Block the negatives.

In other words, guard your heart!

Proverbs 4:20-27

20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.


The things that you put into your mind, your eyes and your ears will eventually take root in your heart. Seeking wisdom starts with feeding the right things into your spirit.

The words you allow into your heart will come out in the words we say. Your words have power, whether you mean them or not.

Proverbs 18:21

Words kill, words give life;
they're either poison or fruit—you choose. (MSG)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit. (NKJV)

James 1:26

If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.


　

What you allow into your heart and mind influences who you become.

“Whatever you hold in your mind will tend to occur in your life. If you continue to believe as you have always believed, you will continue to act as you have always acted. If you continue to act as you have always acted, you will continue to get what you have always gotten. If you want different results in your life or work, all you have to do is change your mind.”

We are bombarded every day by images, information and ideas. There is a lot that we don’t have control over, so we must be diligent to be careful about what we do have control over.

- Start your day with praise and giving thanks. Start out positive. Decide to wake up and focus on the good things God has done each morning.

- Refuse to yell. Speaking in a lower tone helps to lower your emotions. No one likes to be yelled at.

- Skip the sarcasm and insults. Be sincere or be quiet.

-Allow the Holy Spirit to be your filter. Allow Him to check your heart before you speak or act. Is what you are about to say or do pleasing to the Lord? WWJD?

- Turn off the news.

- Turn off negative TV shows and music. Stop watching things that make you angry, irritated or annoyed.

- Find new people to be around. Your friends influence you, no matter what your age or season in life.

- Think happy thoughts. Focus on your blessings.

　

2. Feed the positives

-Watch and listen to positive and uplifting shows and movies.

- Keep positive music in the background.

-Take a media fast. Take time to shut out the noise of life and focus on listening to God and what He has to say to you.

-Fill your home with positive quotes and sayings.

-Memorize a Scripture each month (or week).

-Be a reader. Read books that focus on areas you struggle with or want to learn more about.

-Keep a blessing notebook.

3. Seek Out Wise Counsel

Wisdom comes to people from all walks of life and all ages.

-Search for people that are speaking words that will build you up and grow you to the place you desire. Surround yourself with encouragers.

-Search for prayer partners. We need to have people in our life that will lift us up in prayer. The world seeks to crush your spirit, but prayer partners can serve as barriers to those things the world throws in your direction.

-Make time to visit with different groups. Create opportunities to meet new people and open up opportunities for you to grow from their wisdom.

-Watch your own words. The things you say reflect the things you are hearing.

-Be willing to move on. Just because you were a close friend to someone at one time does not mean that they need to continue to stay in your life as someone who influences you.

-Find a mentor. Look for someone who is where you want to be and let them help to pull you up to their level.

-Mentor someone else. Feeding someone else’s wisdom will help push you to feed your own wisdom as well.

4. Learn for Yourself

-Know what the Bible says for yourself, not just what someone else says.

-Take notes when listening to a preacher or teacher so that you can do more research on the topic yourself or ask questions if necessary.

-Spend consistent time in the word.

-Be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. Ask questions respectfully, even good teachers make mistakes.

-Listen to the Holy Spirit. He will speak to you and guide you if you will ask Him and listen.

James 1:5

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given him.”


5. Make Wisdom a Priority

-No amount of time spent watching TV, reading, or doing fun activities will be able to compete with God’s Word and spending time with Him.

-Ignore your excuses and choose to make getting wisdom a priority.

-Don’t look at the people around you. What does God expect from you?

-Look for opportunities. Where are you wasting time? What can you replace and use to spend time with God and His Word?

Make a schedule. Set a pattern.

Getting to an extraordinary life often comes by making exceptional choices.

To All the Moms

I saw this and thought is was so appropriate for women in every season of life. I am not sure who the original author is or I would give them credit.
I would also like to add that I am amazed by single moms out there. The few times that I have my husband gone and I have to take care of all my short people by myself have given me a great appreciation for the single moms that do it alone all the time.

"To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you

To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you

To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains – we appreciate you

To those who experienced loss this year through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away—we mourn with you

To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is.

To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you

To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you

To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children – we sit with you

To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you

To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we acknowledge your experience

To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst

To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve and rejoice with you

And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising –we anticipate with you

This Mother’s Day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you."

Life Doesn't Come With a Manual, It Comes With a Mother

With Mother’s Day coming this weekend, we turn our thoughts to our mothers and the role they played in our life. I was blessed with a godly mother who diligently taught me from the basis of Scripture and provided me with a solid Biblical foundation.

However, it is a sad fact that I am probably in the minority of children. Increasingly, the young people of our generation are left without the positive influence of a mother. Even if the mother is present in the home, many mothers have failed to pass on the torch of moral values and Christian standards to their children.

Think of this! We are among a generation that does not recognize what a mother is SUPPOSED to be! As young adults, is it now possible that when a mother shows up on the scene, they wouldn't know her? The lack of nurturing in their lives has serious consequences that cost us all. The media is filled with too many examples to name of women who do not set a positive example of what a mother and indeed, what a woman should be. They are critical but do not take correction. They want to lead in ALL they do but cannot follow. They spend tons of money but do not give. They criticize but cannot build anything. They want respect for themselves, but disrespect their husbands and fathers.
 

There is so much pressure on our youth to grow up too fast. Our girls are taught that they must be sexy with their clothes and makeup, have a cell phone, be on Facebook, and have a boyfriend, all before they hit puberty. Sadly, this is not an exaggeration.
 

Our youth are losing their innocence earlier and earlier. My heart has been broken so many time at the situations that our children, youth and young adults have to deal with. Not only are they abused in countless ways, they are exposed to adult situations and peer pressure that they are not equipped to deal with and they are faced with blatant as well as subtle attacks from movies, music, magazines, famous people, etc. that seek to break down families and the morals taught by the Bible. Lust, violence, profanity, taking God’s name in vain, substance abuse, dysfunctional relationships are not only a constant part of what is seen and heard, but these things are encouraged and celebrated. Is it any wonder that the people of this generation are lost and hurting?

There is a children's book entitled, "Are You My Mother." In this story, a little bird hatches and finds that his mother is not there. He does not know that she has gone to look for food. So he jumps out of the nest and goes to look for her. He ask different animals if they are his mother and of course, they are not. He is determined to find her. At the end of the story, a crane lifts him up and puts him back in the nest, where his mother soon returns. He recognizes her because she is a bird like him. 

We hear a lot of buzz about being a mentor. Lisa Bevere spoke at a conference that I attended a few years ago and she made a statement that has stayed with me. What I submit to you is that the people of this generation do not need mentors, they need mothers.
 

Mentors recreate themselves. Mothers invest their lives so that their children are better than themselves.

You cannot mother thousands. You can only mother how many you have capacity to invest yourself in. The sick heart of this generation needs mothers! Are you available?
What if we live our life as an example in front of them? What if when we are presented with an opportunity/invitation by one these un-mothered, we take the time and responsibility and privilege to mother them?

1. Mothers know their children.

Most of the time, I can look at my children or simply ask a question and know how they are feeling. Mothers can look at their children and tell when they are sick, even when other people could not.

You cannot invest in someone if you don’t know them. We need to know their thoughts and feelings. What makes them tick? We need to know them and be involved in their lives. Mothers are all about relationship. When you take the time to get to know someone, the message you are communicating is that you care about them.

Sometimes the people who need us to mother them are not the people we are the most comfortable with. They may not look and act the way we think they should. That is the very reason they need us! They need women who are living life God’s way to step and show them that there is a better way to live…God’s way.
 

In “Are You My Mother,”at the end of the book, when the baby bird meets his mother, he knows her because she is like him. They are both birds. It should be the same in the body of Christ. We should be known as mothers because of the fruit of our lives. We shoud be able to be trusted because we are exhibit love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, good wors, and faith in our daily lives.

2. Mothers set boundaries and limits.

Thinking back to the book, “Are You My Mother,“ we see some interesting parallels to real life. No one was there to keep the baby safe so he was free to fling himself out of the nest! He never saw his mom. How would he recognize what he has never seen? He jumped out of the nest because there was no one there to tell him not to cross the boundary line of the inside of the nest.
 

One of the things that I have read over and over in all of my parenting books is that even though they may act like they want to be able to do whatever they want, children crave and want limits. They want to know that there is a boundary line. It represents safety for them.
 

Similarly, we need to model a healthy Christian lifestyle before those that the Lord entrusts us with. We need to be the wives and mothers that the Bible tells us we should be. This is not saying that we have to do things perfectly, because all of us fail. But each of us should be able to bring someone along on our walk with Christ as we seek to know Him more.
 

We need to be unafraid to share what God’s Word has to say about situations that people are dealing with. We need to be lovers of the truth. People all over our nation have swallowed lies that the enemy has told them and our society is crumbling because of it. We cannot be ashamed of the Word of God and the truth that is in it. This is not to say that we need to stand on street corners and tell everyone that they are dirty, rotten sinners, because we all know that approach is only going to repel people. However, we need to confidently speak the truth in love, assuring our “children” that we are only telling them because we love them and want the best for them.
 

We also need to be consistent. Another parenting principle that I have read over and over is that children not only need boundaries, but they must be consistent. Our standards cannot change.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

 

3. Mothers take responsibility.

Then, this poor baby needed someone to look out for him, he was willing to let anyone be his mommy. No one was willing to take the responsibility of caring for him. Despite the constant rejection, the baby bird pressed on, unafraid to ask the next one, "are you my mother?". He was asking are looking out for me? Are you going to be there for me? Are you going to help me have the tools I need to succeed in life? Do you see anything in me worth caring for? Finally, one thing took the time to return the baby bird. The mother came back holding food.
 

My mother often says to me, “You are just like me! That is exactly what I would have said or done.” And just as often, if not more, my husband says about my little girl, “There is no doubt that she is your daughter. She does ___________ just like you do.”  She stays up late and reads books when she should be sleeping...just like me. She gets excited about a bargain...just like me. She loves the home shopping items and is convinced she needs them...just like me.  I learned behaviors from my mom and she is learning from me.
 

Let’s face it. The young of this generation are going to learn there morals and their values from someone. We are creatures of learned behavior. If their mother is not present, be it physically, emotionally, or spiritually, then they are going to find someone or something to take her place. The world is full of people and things who are willing and eager to shape the world view, morals and character of this generation. As the church, and as women, we cannot afford to pass the responsibility any longer. We must be actively seeking people to invest ourselves in.
 

Titus 2:1-5

Titus 2:11-15

Luke 17:2
 

The Scripture is clear that we have a responsibility to invest in, or disciple, the younger women. This is not only referring to those younger than us in age, but also to those who are younger than us in the Lord. Each of us has something that we can share.
 

You may say that you don’t have anyone to invest in. You may think that you don’t have much to offer. Ask God to send you people who you can mother and invest in. Each of us has something to offer. God will use us if we allow Him to.
 

We need to be speaking life. The world is filled with negative messages. We need to be the ones who are encouraging and building up the young around us.
 

I know I began by saying that life doesn’t come with a manual. Actually, it does. It’s called the Bible. However, it is urgent and imperative that we have mothers who will embrace their calling and show those entrusted to us how to use it. Let God use us to be the mothers He needs for this generation.

We Have a Garden!

A couple years ago, we tried to do a raised garden. We started to late in the year, and even though the plants bloomed, no vegetables grew. Well, a few yards away, a watermelon that we didn't plant grew, but we can't take credit for it.
This year, with the help of some wonderful friends in our church, we have attempted gardening again. The short people had a wonderful time helping plant the vegetables, so we will see how it goes this time. I am a little concerned because the day after we planted, there was a huge rain storm that left some large puddles on the sides of the garden. We will see.
So far, we have planted cucumbers, squash, snap beans, tomatoes, peppers and zucchini. I'll keep you posted!

Homemade Cream of "Something" Soup Base Recipe

I made this tonight and it came out great! So many of our recipes call for Cream of Chicken, Cream of Mushroom, etc. and yet I don't want to buy the canned products with all the stuff added in. So I made my own tonight with healthy and natural ingredients! I used whole wheat flour and organic ingredients. I wrote it down and added it to my recipe box. 

 "Cream of Something" Soup

Author/Source:

Kristi @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1/2 cup main ingredient, diced
• 1/4 cup butter or substitute
• 1/4 cup flour or substitute
• 1 cup milk or substitute
• 3/4 cup broth

Cream of Something Soup Base Table

Cream of Something Main Ingredient Table

Directions:

Saute garlic, onion and main ingredient (mushrooms, chicken, celery, etc.) and set aside. Melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add “milk” and broth. Add sauteed garlic, onion and main ingredient. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring regularly, until it reaches desired consistency (about 10-15 minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper and use as you would a can of condensed Cream of Something Soup in any recipe. If I make it ahead of time, I pour the soup into a pint canning jar and refrigerate it for up to four days.

Freezing Directions:

You can freeze these in batches in pint or quart size bags or use as you would a can of condensed Cream of Something Soup in any recipe and freeze that dish. A great way to keep “cans” at-the-ready for your CrockPot recipes is to make a quadruple batch and bag each “can” serving in a pint-sized freezer bag. Place those bags in a gallon freezer bag, label and freeze. When you need a “can” of condensed soup, pull out a bag, thaw, and drop it in your crock!

Servings: 1 “can,” about 1.5 cups

The Provident Housekeeper - Beginners Cleaners Ebook

I got this for free on Kindle the other day. It has a lot of great tips and ideas for recipes on making your own cleaning supplies at home. It's a great way to save money!!
http://www.amazon.com/Provident-Housekeeper-Beginners-Cleaners-ebook/dp/B00B88UGLQ/ref=cm_rdp_product

This short book is packed with information on how to make your own cleaning products at home. The author begins by sharing important safety instructions on what products you should not mix. She then gives a thorough list of the items needed to prepare. Details on essential oils, their fragrances, and uses are included which I appreciated since I don't know a lot about them.
Step by step directions are provided with pictures showing the end results of how well the products clean. The cleaning products are divided by what item is needed in each room of your home. There are even recipes for personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste.
I found the book to be very helpful and informative. I have used a couple of these recipes in the past and have been very pleased with the results! What a great way to get started saving money and still have a very clean home! I am glad I found this helpful guide.

Dark Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes

Tonight, Brad was going to go to a wildlife dinner. They were having an Iron Chef contest using the ingredient of bacon. I had seen bacon cupcakes on TLC one day and thought they sounded interesting. So I looked up this recipe on allrecipes.com and we used it.

Dark Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes

After cooking the bacon, we put it in the food processor, so that the bacon was finely ground into bits. I saved a little of it so that we could use it as a garnish on top of the frosting.

The recipe suggested using canned chocolate frosting, but I prefer to make my own. My family has loved this recipe for a long time. Here it is:

Ms. Betty Chocolate Icing
1 stick butter
1 cup Nestle Quick
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 box powdered sugar
Melt butter and Nestle Quick together. Mix until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.
*The recipe calls for 1/3 cup milk, but depending on how thick or thin you want it, you can adjust it as necessary.

I have to say, this recipe came out better than I thought it would. I may experiement with it and try using healthier ingredients and maybe add more bacon so that it has a saltier taste to it. 
Brad said the cupcakes went pretty fast at the event tonight, so it looks like other people liked them too!