Earlier in the month I mentioned that to build more family time into our lives, we decided that in 2008 every Sunday night was set aside to be a 'family night'. Each member of the family gets one Sunday out of every month to plan the activity. Only one Sunday per month can the activity involve an expense. Here are some ideas that were a hit in our house in the month of January.
On my assigned Sunday, I held a cooking class. I delegated a dish for each member of the family to prepare while I was there to answer questions and help where needed. We then savored our mouth watering creations.
Milo's night involved having an INDOOR camp out. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows in the fire place. Later we decided that it would have been fun to set up the tent in the living room with the lights out by the fire and share spooky stories. After dinner we played a game of pool and darts. The losing team had to do 10 push-ups. May I mention that Madison and I did not break a sweat.
Kennedy's night involved a Wi games tournament. She made tournament brackets and awarded home made metals and a grand prize of a Recess Crunch candy bar, one of our families favorite. The competition was fierce and Madison came out the Wi games tournament champion.
Madison's night was dinner and a movie. She set the table with our china and had lit candles for dinner. We ordered take out from our favorite Chinese restrurant. We then adjourned to the living room for popcorn, pop, and candy while we boogied down to the movie, 'Hairspray'.
It has been a great addition to our lives. Each week, we hear "I can't wait for family night."
More ideas to come in February!
Jill
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Ideas for Living a more Balance Life
One of the things that has helped me acheive a more balanced life is developing my next day's plan before I go to bed. I have found that knowing what my feet are going to do when they hit the floor from sun up to sun down maximizes my ability to get a lot accomplished during the day!
We are all given the same number of hours and minutes.
What we do with them determines a large part of our success.
Now not all days go according to plan, however I have discovered through trial and error that they are much more productive if I have a plan in place. A plan to me means that on one sheet of paper I have listed all of my activities, appointments, down time, kids activities, errands, phone calls in the order they will occur from the start of the day until the end of the day. Scheduling time for daily devotions and prayer, as well as exercise and proper nutrition. If I have a plan in place I am less likely to eat poorly or forget that I do need some down time every day.
We can run ourselves ragged with commitments, but being able to have a visual picture of each days events allows us the opportunity to make sure we are leading a balanced life.
Jill
We are all given the same number of hours and minutes.
What we do with them determines a large part of our success.
Now not all days go according to plan, however I have discovered through trial and error that they are much more productive if I have a plan in place. A plan to me means that on one sheet of paper I have listed all of my activities, appointments, down time, kids activities, errands, phone calls in the order they will occur from the start of the day until the end of the day. Scheduling time for daily devotions and prayer, as well as exercise and proper nutrition. If I have a plan in place I am less likely to eat poorly or forget that I do need some down time every day.
We can run ourselves ragged with commitments, but being able to have a visual picture of each days events allows us the opportunity to make sure we are leading a balanced life.
Jill
The Dream Team
In Luke 5, Jesus is standing by the lake of Ganezerath. People were crowding around Him and listening to the Word of God. He saw at the edge two boats, left there by the fisherman who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon Peter and asked him to pull out a little from shore. He sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When Jesus had finished teaching, He said to Peter, “Let's go fishing.”
I think it is pretty cool that Jesus preached and went fishing in the same clothes. Jesus hung out with the ordinary people of life. If Peter had been a truck driver, he would have said let's go for a drive. If he had been a CEO, Jesus would have said let's go grab a cup of coffee. But he was a fisherman and Jesus said, let's go fish.
Peter replied, "You want to do what? Listen. We just got done fishing. We fished all night. We are tired, frustrated, and right now is not a great time to fish. Now you are a carpenter and I respect that. You are a Rabbi and I respect that. But the truth is you know preaching and I know fishing."
Ever felt like Jesus knows all the spiritual stuff, but when it comes to everyday life stuff, we got it covered?
Also Jesus wasn’t talking about a little fishing outing with a cooler of Pepsi and a bobber. These guys were commercial fisherman and they were worn out and frustrated. Their boats were heavy, their nets were heavy, and they had just finished picking out all the weeds and rocks that they had scooped up from the bottom of the lake.
They had just finished cleaning their nets and Jesus said lets go fishing and dirty them up again.
In verse 5, Simon answered. "Master, We have worked hard all night and have not caught anything."
But this is a key phrase here, BUT BECAUSE YOU SAY SO, I will let down the nets. Peter is a pro. He knows the lake. He knows fishing. He knows the odds of catching any fish at this time of day. Never the less, he has seen Jesus in action. He would not do this for anyone else and says, "because it is you we will go."
Have you ever see the movie, Princess Bride? Farm boy, Wesley is deeply in love with Buttercup. However, he never says I love you, he instead he says ‘as you wish’.
Peter would learn that this was the key to life.
Then look what happens next. Peter goes out into the deep waters and drops the net out of courtesy for his new fishing buddy. He starts to pull up the net and all of a sudden his muscles start flexing, his eyes start bulging, and a smile begins to flash across his face. The nets begin to tear as he yells for his partners. They begin to pull up so may fish that they are spilling out of the nets and the boats are starting to sink. It was then that Peter falls on his knees in a pile of slimy fish and cries out, "Just go away from me, I am a sinful man." In that moment, he sees Jesus for who He really His, in His purity, His wholeness, His power, and goodness. Peter says, "I don’t deserve to be in the same boat with you."
Jesus says in verse 11. "Don’t be afraid. From now on you will fish for people." So they, meaning James, John, and Simon pulled their boats on the shore. They left everything and they followed him.
Jesus said, I choose YOU! I want you guys to help me rescue people. They left everything including their record catch and they turned to their dad and said ‘All yours Zebedee, gotta go, can you believe it, Jesus wants US!'
Jesus choses the ordinary guys running the family business with their dad. Can you imagine how it made them feel? Jesus saw potential in people like nobody else and He used them to rock the world.
I want to see people through the eyes of Jesus, don’t you? And I never want to forget the impact of being chosen.
Can you imagine how those guys felt? When Jesus said, I want YOU! There is just this unexplainable feeling that comes over you, when someone wants you. Doesn’t it make you feel awesome? Have you ever been picked last for a team, not chosen at all, or sat by yourself in a large group of people.
It is a great feeling to feel wanted. When someone says, I want You. I love YOU. You may be feeling rejected, unwanted, not worthy, but God wants to pick YOU and use your life. God thinks highly of you.
Eph. 1:4 – 6 "Long before He laid down the earths' foundations. He had US in mind and had settled on US as the focus of His love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt US into his family through Jesus Christ and what a pleasure he took in planning this."
Jesus was a dream releaser. That is why people flocked to hear him. He takes the down and out and makes them into the up and coming. He gave them dreams of a better life, not necessarily an easier one but a better one AND a better place.
Jesus recruited people like Peter, James, and John and on the same team, he put Matthew who was an IRS agent for the Roman government trying to collect taxes on these guys. Guys that nobody else wanted.
I want to be a dream releaser, don’t you? I want to help people see their potential. I want to help people see more accurately who they are in the eyes of God. I want to help them paint a picture of what they actually could be in their life.
There is power in a dream. When someone releases a dream in you, you know that somebody in this world needs your unique contribution, your unique giftedness, your personality, your talents, and your experiences.
Jesus put together this rag tag band of unique people with glaring weaknesses and He simply astonished them with their strengths.
Peter never knew he could preach like that.
John never dreamed he could love like that.
James never knew he could lead like that.
About three years later in the book of Acts, which details the history of the early church, Peter, John, and James are the stars of this book. They were brought before the council for preaching about Jesus.
Acts 13 says, "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men; they were astonished and they just took note that these men had been with Jesus. "
God wants the same thing for YOU
Jesus invested in these guys for three years. He poured His life into them and later He would pour His Holy Spirit into them.
Who has made a big investment in your life? Who can you think of that has just poured their life into you and really made a difference; may be your mom, dad, coach, teacher, friend, brother, or sister?
Who has invested their life in you because they believed in YOU? Who is investing their life into you now and whose life are you investing into now? It is all leaders and followers.
SI Milican tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to a particular college. Her heart sank when she read the question on the application form that asked ‘Are you a leader?’ She was honest and she wrote, NO, and she returned the application expecting the worse. Much to her surprise, this was the response she got from the college.
Dear Applicant.
A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1452 new leaders. We are accepting YOU because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower.
Great followers make great leaders. And those great leaders invest in great followers, who become great leaders, and on and on and on.
When you dare to invest your life in people, it is a risky business. Remember these guys were not A-team that Jesus chose. These were ruff edge, raw, potential guys that many times frustrated Him. Not because they were so incapable, but because He could see their immense potential. They had a hard time realizing what they were capable of .
I am sure many times Jesus may have thought; if they would just stop arguing about who’s on first and lose their pride and egos. If they would learn to serve each other, they would learn that it is really more fun to give than to receive. If they only stopped worrying about material possession. If they would only walk in faith, totally dependent on God for every single need in their life, they would become amazing people. Yet, He never stopped believing in them.
Was Jesus ever hurt by these guys? Absolutely!
He was seconded guessed, ridiculed, doubted, denied, and betrayed. I am sure there were times he felt disappointed, frustrated, fed up, and under appreciated.
May be you can relate. You spend you whole life investing your time and energy into people, only to get disappointed.
Investing in people is always risky. Peter reached for his potential and found it. Judas reached for a rope and hung himself. Jesus took a risk in choosing falliable people with a free will. Why? Because the risk was worth it.
Who are you raising up today? Who are you sharing your faith story with? Who are you breathing belief and love into today?
You just never know the impact it could have on someone. Never, never stop believing in someone and always allow them enough time to show you their good side.
Blessings.
Jill
When Jesus had finished teaching, He said to Peter, “Let's go fishing.”
I think it is pretty cool that Jesus preached and went fishing in the same clothes. Jesus hung out with the ordinary people of life. If Peter had been a truck driver, he would have said let's go for a drive. If he had been a CEO, Jesus would have said let's go grab a cup of coffee. But he was a fisherman and Jesus said, let's go fish.
Peter replied, "You want to do what? Listen. We just got done fishing. We fished all night. We are tired, frustrated, and right now is not a great time to fish. Now you are a carpenter and I respect that. You are a Rabbi and I respect that. But the truth is you know preaching and I know fishing."
Ever felt like Jesus knows all the spiritual stuff, but when it comes to everyday life stuff, we got it covered?
Also Jesus wasn’t talking about a little fishing outing with a cooler of Pepsi and a bobber. These guys were commercial fisherman and they were worn out and frustrated. Their boats were heavy, their nets were heavy, and they had just finished picking out all the weeds and rocks that they had scooped up from the bottom of the lake.
They had just finished cleaning their nets and Jesus said lets go fishing and dirty them up again.
In verse 5, Simon answered. "Master, We have worked hard all night and have not caught anything."
But this is a key phrase here, BUT BECAUSE YOU SAY SO, I will let down the nets. Peter is a pro. He knows the lake. He knows fishing. He knows the odds of catching any fish at this time of day. Never the less, he has seen Jesus in action. He would not do this for anyone else and says, "because it is you we will go."
Have you ever see the movie, Princess Bride? Farm boy, Wesley is deeply in love with Buttercup. However, he never says I love you, he instead he says ‘as you wish’.
Peter would learn that this was the key to life.
Then look what happens next. Peter goes out into the deep waters and drops the net out of courtesy for his new fishing buddy. He starts to pull up the net and all of a sudden his muscles start flexing, his eyes start bulging, and a smile begins to flash across his face. The nets begin to tear as he yells for his partners. They begin to pull up so may fish that they are spilling out of the nets and the boats are starting to sink. It was then that Peter falls on his knees in a pile of slimy fish and cries out, "Just go away from me, I am a sinful man." In that moment, he sees Jesus for who He really His, in His purity, His wholeness, His power, and goodness. Peter says, "I don’t deserve to be in the same boat with you."
Jesus says in verse 11. "Don’t be afraid. From now on you will fish for people." So they, meaning James, John, and Simon pulled their boats on the shore. They left everything and they followed him.
Jesus said, I choose YOU! I want you guys to help me rescue people. They left everything including their record catch and they turned to their dad and said ‘All yours Zebedee, gotta go, can you believe it, Jesus wants US!'
Jesus choses the ordinary guys running the family business with their dad. Can you imagine how it made them feel? Jesus saw potential in people like nobody else and He used them to rock the world.
I want to see people through the eyes of Jesus, don’t you? And I never want to forget the impact of being chosen.
Can you imagine how those guys felt? When Jesus said, I want YOU! There is just this unexplainable feeling that comes over you, when someone wants you. Doesn’t it make you feel awesome? Have you ever been picked last for a team, not chosen at all, or sat by yourself in a large group of people.
It is a great feeling to feel wanted. When someone says, I want You. I love YOU. You may be feeling rejected, unwanted, not worthy, but God wants to pick YOU and use your life. God thinks highly of you.
Eph. 1:4 – 6 "Long before He laid down the earths' foundations. He had US in mind and had settled on US as the focus of His love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt US into his family through Jesus Christ and what a pleasure he took in planning this."
Jesus was a dream releaser. That is why people flocked to hear him. He takes the down and out and makes them into the up and coming. He gave them dreams of a better life, not necessarily an easier one but a better one AND a better place.
Jesus recruited people like Peter, James, and John and on the same team, he put Matthew who was an IRS agent for the Roman government trying to collect taxes on these guys. Guys that nobody else wanted.
I want to be a dream releaser, don’t you? I want to help people see their potential. I want to help people see more accurately who they are in the eyes of God. I want to help them paint a picture of what they actually could be in their life.
There is power in a dream. When someone releases a dream in you, you know that somebody in this world needs your unique contribution, your unique giftedness, your personality, your talents, and your experiences.
Jesus put together this rag tag band of unique people with glaring weaknesses and He simply astonished them with their strengths.
Peter never knew he could preach like that.
John never dreamed he could love like that.
James never knew he could lead like that.
About three years later in the book of Acts, which details the history of the early church, Peter, John, and James are the stars of this book. They were brought before the council for preaching about Jesus.
Acts 13 says, "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men; they were astonished and they just took note that these men had been with Jesus. "
God wants the same thing for YOU
Jesus invested in these guys for three years. He poured His life into them and later He would pour His Holy Spirit into them.
Who has made a big investment in your life? Who can you think of that has just poured their life into you and really made a difference; may be your mom, dad, coach, teacher, friend, brother, or sister?
Who has invested their life in you because they believed in YOU? Who is investing their life into you now and whose life are you investing into now? It is all leaders and followers.
SI Milican tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to a particular college. Her heart sank when she read the question on the application form that asked ‘Are you a leader?’ She was honest and she wrote, NO, and she returned the application expecting the worse. Much to her surprise, this was the response she got from the college.
Dear Applicant.
A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1452 new leaders. We are accepting YOU because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower.
Great followers make great leaders. And those great leaders invest in great followers, who become great leaders, and on and on and on.
When you dare to invest your life in people, it is a risky business. Remember these guys were not A-team that Jesus chose. These were ruff edge, raw, potential guys that many times frustrated Him. Not because they were so incapable, but because He could see their immense potential. They had a hard time realizing what they were capable of .
I am sure many times Jesus may have thought; if they would just stop arguing about who’s on first and lose their pride and egos. If they would learn to serve each other, they would learn that it is really more fun to give than to receive. If they only stopped worrying about material possession. If they would only walk in faith, totally dependent on God for every single need in their life, they would become amazing people. Yet, He never stopped believing in them.
Was Jesus ever hurt by these guys? Absolutely!
He was seconded guessed, ridiculed, doubted, denied, and betrayed. I am sure there were times he felt disappointed, frustrated, fed up, and under appreciated.
May be you can relate. You spend you whole life investing your time and energy into people, only to get disappointed.
Investing in people is always risky. Peter reached for his potential and found it. Judas reached for a rope and hung himself. Jesus took a risk in choosing falliable people with a free will. Why? Because the risk was worth it.
Who are you raising up today? Who are you sharing your faith story with? Who are you breathing belief and love into today?
You just never know the impact it could have on someone. Never, never stop believing in someone and always allow them enough time to show you their good side.
Blessings.
Jill
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Ideas for Creating a more Balanced Life
With the start of 2008, brought time to reflect on 2007 and to set goals. This year, I want to leave you with ideas that have worked for me in creating a more balanced life.
At the conclusion of 2007, Milo and I decided to work on improving our communication. Too often it is just the quick overview of the day's events as we were both falling asleep at night and never any quality discussions.
A few weeks ago we sat down and discussed the many aspects of our life including health, relationships outside our family, our marriage, immediate family relationships, finances, careers, and spiritual growth. We both wrote down and shared our feelings and goals in each area for 2008. Each Friday night, we have set aside time to discuss and catch up for the week in all of the above areas and talk about upcoming events, purchases, challenges, and achievements. We call it our 'date night'.
In the area of family we decided that every Sunday night would be designated as a 'family night'. Each Sunday, one family member gets to select an activity for the whole family to do and only once a month can the activity be something that would entail spending money. I have the first Sunday, Milo the second, Kennedy the third, and Madison the fourth.
To kick things off, this Sunday I held a 'cooking class'. Each family member was assigned a particular dish to make. Milo had chicken enchiladas, Kennedy had home made ice cream, and Madison had Rice Krispe bars. I was kitchen supervisor and was there to field questions and offer assistance.
The girls got to set the table and we had a 'picnic' theme, so that supper dishes could be 'thrown away' at the conclusion our dinner. Each person was asked to serve their prepared dish and while we waited for the enchiladas to cook, we played 'I am going on a picnic and I am bringing.....'. We brought down our clock radio which has nature sounds and it was just like we were outside.
It offered for great conversation and lots of laughs. The favorite dish was the ooey, gooey, rice krispe bars as they were still warm and soft! Kennedy was determined that we could easily cut the 9X13 pan in four and each have a square!
The girls were so excited that both were sharing secrets about what they were planning for their assigned family night!
Great fun was had by all and a great start to the week!
Look for more balancing life ideas to come in the weeks ahead!
Jill
At the conclusion of 2007, Milo and I decided to work on improving our communication. Too often it is just the quick overview of the day's events as we were both falling asleep at night and never any quality discussions.
A few weeks ago we sat down and discussed the many aspects of our life including health, relationships outside our family, our marriage, immediate family relationships, finances, careers, and spiritual growth. We both wrote down and shared our feelings and goals in each area for 2008. Each Friday night, we have set aside time to discuss and catch up for the week in all of the above areas and talk about upcoming events, purchases, challenges, and achievements. We call it our 'date night'.
In the area of family we decided that every Sunday night would be designated as a 'family night'. Each Sunday, one family member gets to select an activity for the whole family to do and only once a month can the activity be something that would entail spending money. I have the first Sunday, Milo the second, Kennedy the third, and Madison the fourth.
To kick things off, this Sunday I held a 'cooking class'. Each family member was assigned a particular dish to make. Milo had chicken enchiladas, Kennedy had home made ice cream, and Madison had Rice Krispe bars. I was kitchen supervisor and was there to field questions and offer assistance.
The girls got to set the table and we had a 'picnic' theme, so that supper dishes could be 'thrown away' at the conclusion our dinner. Each person was asked to serve their prepared dish and while we waited for the enchiladas to cook, we played 'I am going on a picnic and I am bringing.....'. We brought down our clock radio which has nature sounds and it was just like we were outside.
It offered for great conversation and lots of laughs. The favorite dish was the ooey, gooey, rice krispe bars as they were still warm and soft! Kennedy was determined that we could easily cut the 9X13 pan in four and each have a square!
The girls were so excited that both were sharing secrets about what they were planning for their assigned family night!
Great fun was had by all and a great start to the week!
Look for more balancing life ideas to come in the weeks ahead!
Jill
It's a Mini Miracle!
In our house we have the saying, "It is a mini miracle!" It is our way of thanking God for helping us with the 'little things' of life.
During the Christmas break we are blessed with a few extra days to catch up on those projects around the house that just never get done. I was busy undecorating the tree and Milo was changing out the dead blot on our front door. A mishap that occurred this fall after he locked himself out of the house. He was in route to a Packers game, when he realized that his tickets for the game were still in the house and three hours later was with the locksmith drilling a hole in our lock.
Milo is always eager to jump into a 'do-it-yourself' project leaving the directions to fall to the bottom of the pile of nuts, blots, and screws. During this particular project, I could sense from across the room that the tension was rising and frustration was increasing. Once the lock was in place, one could easily unlock it from the inside, but when trying to unlock it from the outside, the dead blot would not move. With each new attempt at installation, shouts of frustration rang through the house. "This piece of crap." "What could I possibly be doing wrong." "I am sick of this." Then finally, "This is the last attempt that I am making!"
That attempt being #5.
As I chuckled to myself, not wanting to add any additional fuel to the fire or offer any suggestions. I silently prayed. "Lord, please give him the wisdom to identify what piece he is missing. Help him to successfully install the lock."
After the 'last' attempt was made, he shouted, "Jill, come over hear and see how this piece of crap is not going to work, AGAIN!" He turned the dead bolt from the inside and as usual it worked.
He then marched with great determination to the outside lock, key in hand, and eager to prove his theory once again. He inserted the key, turned it once, and the lock worked. He then turned it again and it worked! He turned it one more time and it worked AGAIN!
Amazed at his accomplishment, he opened the door and I smiled and said, "It is a mini-miracle!" I shared that I had prayed before his 'final' attempt and had asked God to show him the piece he was missing.
I asked, "Did you do something different this time?"
He replied, "Yea, I added this little plastic piece and I turned it right side up."
I just turned and said, "God is good!"
I smiled and hoped that God was chuckling with me, at the thought of it being upside down and where were the directions?
Even in the tinest, things of our life, God is at work! He can take a simple 'do-it-yourself' home project and turn it into an opportunity to THANK Him for our blessings.
When was the last time YOU witnessed a mini miracle?
Jill
During the Christmas break we are blessed with a few extra days to catch up on those projects around the house that just never get done. I was busy undecorating the tree and Milo was changing out the dead blot on our front door. A mishap that occurred this fall after he locked himself out of the house. He was in route to a Packers game, when he realized that his tickets for the game were still in the house and three hours later was with the locksmith drilling a hole in our lock.
Milo is always eager to jump into a 'do-it-yourself' project leaving the directions to fall to the bottom of the pile of nuts, blots, and screws. During this particular project, I could sense from across the room that the tension was rising and frustration was increasing. Once the lock was in place, one could easily unlock it from the inside, but when trying to unlock it from the outside, the dead blot would not move. With each new attempt at installation, shouts of frustration rang through the house. "This piece of crap." "What could I possibly be doing wrong." "I am sick of this." Then finally, "This is the last attempt that I am making!"
That attempt being #5.
As I chuckled to myself, not wanting to add any additional fuel to the fire or offer any suggestions. I silently prayed. "Lord, please give him the wisdom to identify what piece he is missing. Help him to successfully install the lock."
After the 'last' attempt was made, he shouted, "Jill, come over hear and see how this piece of crap is not going to work, AGAIN!" He turned the dead bolt from the inside and as usual it worked.
He then marched with great determination to the outside lock, key in hand, and eager to prove his theory once again. He inserted the key, turned it once, and the lock worked. He then turned it again and it worked! He turned it one more time and it worked AGAIN!
Amazed at his accomplishment, he opened the door and I smiled and said, "It is a mini-miracle!" I shared that I had prayed before his 'final' attempt and had asked God to show him the piece he was missing.
I asked, "Did you do something different this time?"
He replied, "Yea, I added this little plastic piece and I turned it right side up."
I just turned and said, "God is good!"
I smiled and hoped that God was chuckling with me, at the thought of it being upside down and where were the directions?
Even in the tinest, things of our life, God is at work! He can take a simple 'do-it-yourself' home project and turn it into an opportunity to THANK Him for our blessings.
When was the last time YOU witnessed a mini miracle?
Jill
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