I have always wanted to write a book.I didn't have The Great American Novel in mind, just a book. Something inspirational. Or life-coaching sort of thing. Maybe I thought it would be cool to see my name in print. Or maybe I wanted to polish my autographing skills. But mainly I think it's cuz I have so much to say! I am not an expert on anything but that never stops me from having an opinion. On most everything. I never could understand how someone could NOT have an opinion! (Right about now you are expressing sympathy for my husband. Duly noted)
A few years ago, it dawned on me that I was probably never going to write that book. I was whining to myself about that fact and trying to use the excuse of being a busy Mom of 4. A busy wife of a busy husband. A Bible study writer/teacher. On and on ad nauseum. (I chose to ignore those amazing women that can do all I do and more....and still publish books by the truckload.) So anyway, in my state of complaining and denial, I took it up with my Boss. And He had the coolest answer. He told me that I was writing a book already! In fact, 4 books. They were not completed but were already published as works in progress. Being read widely. And, although editing is continuous, the reviews are favorable. Yeah, I may never write a book that is available on your Kindle, but make no mistake - I am an author. The apostle Paul shares my confirmation in 2 Corinthians3:2-6 "You are our letter(s), written in our hearts, known and read by all men, being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts, and such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves but our adequacy is from God." I am a contributing editor to the Katie book, the Mary book, the Chip book, and the Betsy book. And my heart hopes that I have written some lines in the lives of some other folks!
Lately, I have been bitten by the blog-bug. I have joined the flood of folks that just have to get their thoughts in print, one way or the other. In spite of my cyber-illiteracy (that's what children are for, right?), I plan to use this forum to share my heart, my thoughts and ideas about "Living Letters", writing into the lives of others. So, if you are a woman and you want to write on hearts, come join me. Share your story. And let's write living letters together!
Homemade granola bars
Several of you have commented that you have tried some of the recipes we shared on here and you love them. And lots of you are trying some of the "less is more" tips. I am so glad!! Kudos to you all for making strides towards reducing excess, cutting costs, learning greater contentment, and experiencing the joy of giving. Keep those stories coming!!!
My friend Morgan recently asked me for a granola bar recipe that wasn't crumbly. She is pursuing cost-cutting and hoping to be healthy about it. I directed her to a couple that I repinned on Pinterest. Those are great but Morgan's inquiry sent me to the kitchen - I wanted one just a bit differnt than ones I had tried. I found some recipes and tweaked them to likings of my family. Here's the result. Hope you enjoy!!
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup coconut/wheat germ/flaxseed mixture
- 1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease or spray a 7 by 10 3/4-inch nonstick baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg, then stir in the brown sugar, peanut butter, and honey.
- Add the melted butter, oats and nuts and any additional healthy options.
- Stir to combine, then add the chocolate chips.
- Spread mixture into the baking pan, press down very firmly to form an even layer.
- Bake until the edge of the mixture begins to brown, approximately 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. They harden as they stand.
Less is More - GIVE
Wow. What a journey we've taken! Hopefully, you have cleared out some things you can do without, learned some new skills (laundry detergent, anyone?), and made some strides in taming the "gotta have" monster that visits us all. My prayer is that you have experienced a new level of contentment and even excitement over not having to have more "stuff"!
So, what else do we do with this new approach to life? Give. By learning to live with less, you have freed up more that can now be given. Your time. Your talents. And your treasure. GIVE it away.
Someone once said "it is impossible to outgive God". I can attest to that as a solid truth. Luke 6:38 says "GIVE, and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you in return."
I love what John Wesley, the great preacher of the 1700's, said - "When I have money, I give it away quickly , lest it find a way into my heart. "
Spend less. Save. Give more. Then give some more. Again. You will always be glad for what you have given away.
So, what else do we do with this new approach to life? Give. By learning to live with less, you have freed up more that can now be given. Your time. Your talents. And your treasure. GIVE it away.
Someone once said "it is impossible to outgive God". I can attest to that as a solid truth. Luke 6:38 says "GIVE, and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you in return."
I love what John Wesley, the great preacher of the 1700's, said - "When I have money, I give it away quickly , lest it find a way into my heart. "
Spend less. Save. Give more. Then give some more. Again. You will always be glad for what you have given away.
What is a servant?
Matthew 20:28 says "even as the Son of Man came to serve and not to be served but gave His life as a ransom for many".
What does it look like to serve instead of being served? I think we grasp that pretty well. Most of us Christ-followers "get" it. And, honestly, I think we do a pretty good number of acts of service.
But I don't think that is sufficient to consider ourselves "servants".
Recently, I was around a couple of folks that caught the attention of my spirit. I know this couple well and have always loved and admired them. But my recent encounter was one of those "aha" moments. I watched them interact with others and I was struck by something that I couldn't identify for a long while. What was it that was different? What was I seeing in their lives that so intrigued me? We were in a group of people that all were there to serve. And we were indeed serving. This couple was different, though, and my spirit was finally able to articulate the difference to my mind.
"Servanthood" is not the same thing as "acts of service". These two people were servants. They weren't just performing acts of service.
Here are some of the things that stood out to me -- the things that set them apart as Christlike -
1. They had no desire for recognition or appreciation. In fact, they were genuinely shocked to receive it - as though any credit for their acts was unmerited. This was not false humility (I can smell that a mile away, can't you?). They were not only not seeking to be noticed or thanked; they were truly surprised to receive any attention at all.
2. They live, not out of a self-benefitting mindset but rather their compassion for others is evident. Their service consistently requires major sacrifices of comfort, money, time, and convenience.
3. They choose to associate with the indigent, orphans, and prisoners instead of "the beautiful people". In spite of the fact that "the beautiful people" are attracted to them. This doesn't seem to impress them at all. In fact, I don't think they even notice "the beautiful people".
4. They possess the training and the talent to live a much more comfortable lifestyle than what they have chosen. Instead, they pour their resources into people that cannot benefit them at all.(see #2 and #3)
5. There is no trace of self-pity or self-admiration for their choices. Instead, an obvious joy and deep satisfaction.
Most of us perform acts of service. Few of us have the mind
" which also was in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:5-7).
I pray that I would live more like these friends of mine. More like Christ.
What does it look like to serve instead of being served? I think we grasp that pretty well. Most of us Christ-followers "get" it. And, honestly, I think we do a pretty good number of acts of service.
But I don't think that is sufficient to consider ourselves "servants".
Recently, I was around a couple of folks that caught the attention of my spirit. I know this couple well and have always loved and admired them. But my recent encounter was one of those "aha" moments. I watched them interact with others and I was struck by something that I couldn't identify for a long while. What was it that was different? What was I seeing in their lives that so intrigued me? We were in a group of people that all were there to serve. And we were indeed serving. This couple was different, though, and my spirit was finally able to articulate the difference to my mind.
"Servanthood" is not the same thing as "acts of service". These two people were servants. They weren't just performing acts of service.
Here are some of the things that stood out to me -- the things that set them apart as Christlike -
1. They had no desire for recognition or appreciation. In fact, they were genuinely shocked to receive it - as though any credit for their acts was unmerited. This was not false humility (I can smell that a mile away, can't you?). They were not only not seeking to be noticed or thanked; they were truly surprised to receive any attention at all.
2. They live, not out of a self-benefitting mindset but rather their compassion for others is evident. Their service consistently requires major sacrifices of comfort, money, time, and convenience.
3. They choose to associate with the indigent, orphans, and prisoners instead of "the beautiful people". In spite of the fact that "the beautiful people" are attracted to them. This doesn't seem to impress them at all. In fact, I don't think they even notice "the beautiful people".
4. They possess the training and the talent to live a much more comfortable lifestyle than what they have chosen. Instead, they pour their resources into people that cannot benefit them at all.(see #2 and #3)
5. There is no trace of self-pity or self-admiration for their choices. Instead, an obvious joy and deep satisfaction.
Most of us perform acts of service. Few of us have the mind
" which also was in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:5-7).
I pray that I would live more like these friends of mine. More like Christ.
Less is More...for good
We are almost at the end. We have examined our hearts, learned some new tips, and rid ourselves of alot of excess. Way to go!!! Take a moment and celebrate, however you like to celebrate. Personally, I am going to have a cold one. Tab, that is.
Now the challenge is to maintain our progress. Being likeminded with your spouse about living a life of frugality is optimal. But it will still be hard. I recommend you ask a friend to hold you accountable. Someone you can swap frugal ideas with. Someone like my friend Dianna who thinks this is as fun as I do! An adventure! A challenge! Woohoo!!
Then explain to your kids that this is a new way of life. You're still going to order water when you eat out. (If you ever do....) Gifts will still be kept to a minimum (remember you gotta talk to extended family in July ) You are committed to refrain from replacing the excess you just got rid off. And to continue to "shed" things consistently.
To quote my friend Tracy "Living lean is living large!"
Good luck!
Now the challenge is to maintain our progress. Being likeminded with your spouse about living a life of frugality is optimal. But it will still be hard. I recommend you ask a friend to hold you accountable. Someone you can swap frugal ideas with. Someone like my friend Dianna who thinks this is as fun as I do! An adventure! A challenge! Woohoo!!
Then explain to your kids that this is a new way of life. You're still going to order water when you eat out. (If you ever do....) Gifts will still be kept to a minimum (remember you gotta talk to extended family in July ) You are committed to refrain from replacing the excess you just got rid off. And to continue to "shed" things consistently.
To quote my friend Tracy "Living lean is living large!"
Good luck!