The Lunch Delimma

Packing a lunch for school is a really painful task in our house.  One doesn't mind sandwiches but hates soup while the other likes soup and only likes Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches. 

The other day we sat down to discuss the lunch subject.  I asked each child what they wish I would pack for them.  I gave them a couple of stipulations:  it can't be the same everyday and it has to be somewhat healthy.  I got a list out and took notes.   We covered sandwich types, soups, etc then went on to snacks.  I was encouraged that my soup hater is now back in soup liking mode.  (so they say!)

The kids I babysit said they get a Lunchable every Tuesday - great idea.  Friday at our school is Pizza Day.  So, really, I just need lunches Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. 

I got some great tips from thelunchtaker.com. 
you can freeze sandwiches for up to two months

• If you like mayo on your sandwich, we found that Miracle Whip freezes better. It doesn’t get grainy when it thaws like mayonnaise can.
• Never freeze lettuce, pickles, tomatoes or other veggie toppings. Pack them separately just like you would for a freshly-made sandwich.
• Freezing works best for basic lunch meat and cheese sandwiches, or things like tuna salad or ham salad.
• Yes you can freeze peanut butter and jelly!
•  The tip: spread BOTH sides of the bread with peanut butter, and put the jelly in the middle.

I also checked on Pinterst for some ideas and came across all kinds of lunch ideas just by typing in "Lunchbox"

This also led to a small bit of guilt when I realized how lame in the lunchbox department I have been!  Once I started reading what other "Super-mom's" do for their kids lunch pails I was SHOCKED!  It's like there is a lunch pail war going on out there.  I do not wish to compete, however, there were some cute ideas out there I just may try. 

Here are some of my favorite lunch ideas I will try: (we'll see how the kids like them, ha!)

• Fruit, meat and cheese Kabobs
• Apple sandwiches.  (core an apple, and slice into rounds.  dip in a little lemon juice.  smear nutella or PB and oats over it and top with another apple slice!)
• Pinwheel sandwiches.
• Veggies and Humus
• Yogurt & Berries, Big Pretzel Sticks

It never hurts to do a little research on even the simplest of subjects.  We all can use a change now and then.  I'm ready to kick off the new School year with a new arsenal of lunch ideas! 

 

A Priceless Gift

I sure do love my children.  I want the best for each of them.  I want them to be smart, kind, polite and have a quality filled childhood.  Memorable in all the good ways. 

I spend time with them.  I tell them I love them, hug them, kiss them.  I tell them I'm proud of them.  I pray over them and with them.   I read God's word to them so they can hide it in their hearts. 

(insert my many imperfections because I am human of course)

Something I don't spend enough time doing is praying for their teachers.  My husband and I are just 2 influences of many in their lives. School teachers leave a lasting impression on those little minds and hearts.  They are trusted with educating our children with useful information that will hopefully stick with them their entire lives.  A good relationship with their teacher is imparitive for healthy growth. 

As I was thinking about this I decided to look around to see how I could best pray for my children's teachers.  I found a great little list to give me a good start. 

Let me share it with  you so you too can pray for your children's teachers. 

Prayers for My Teacher(s):

*For their protection:

-That God would protect our teachers from danger such as accidents and illness (Philippians 4:6)
-That the Lord would be their stronghold in the day of trouble (Nahum1:7)
-That the Lord would keep them from the evil one. (John 17:15)
-That God would give his angels charge over them to keep them in all His ways (Psalm 91:10,11)

*For their relationships at school:

-That our teachers would be gracious, full of compassion, and slow to anger, having great mercy. (Psalm 145:8)
-That they would learn that a soft word turns away wrath. (Proverbs 15:1)
-That they would be content with such things as they have knowing God will never leave them or forsake them. (Hebrews 13:5)
-That they would not be envious but respect one another. (Proverbs 14:30)

*For their relationship with God:

-That our teachers would come to know and believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father but thru Him. (John 14:6)
-May our teachers walk by faith and not by sight. (2Corinthians 5:7)
-That our teachers would ask God for wisdom which He has promised to give us liberally. (James 1:5)
-That their lives would shine out light into a dark world (2Cor. 4:6)
-That they would come to hate sin. (Psalm 97:10)
-That they would allow God to accomplish His purpose in their lives. (Philippians 2:13)

*For their teaching:

-That they would come to love and enjoy their students.
-That they would be excited about teaching.
-That they would be just or fair in their grading and testing of students.
-That they might be sensitive about how much homework to give.

Prayers for My Principal and other staff members:

-That the Principal would set a standard based on high morals and godly principles.
-That all the staff would seek God and His purposes for their lives.
-That God would give them wisdom when making decisions for the school .
-That the staff would treat students with respect and truly care about their well-being.
-That God would give the school a spirit of unity and cooperation.
-That Parents would be willing to work with the School to make it a great place to learn.
-For the Principal to have good communication skills and to be able to work well with others.
-For their physical safety and good health.

"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. Psalm 145:18s


I hope this guide encourages you to pray for those molding our little ones minds as much as it has me.   It's a priceless gift. 

Are You Organized And Ready For Back To School?

A fresh new school year.  A great excuse to do some organizing.  I'm thinking along these lines: 

• What is going to make the mornings go smoother than last year? 
• School Lunches
• Quick, Healthy Breakfast Ideas
• What can I do now to anticipate the craziness of pre-suppertime when children turn into 4 eyed food vacuums, frothing from the mouth looking for their next crumb to devour.  (Food Prep)
• When and where will homework happen? 
• Chores? 
• How much TV time is acceptable? 
• Preparation for the next morning? 
•  How much of this is my job and how much of it should be the personal responsibility of the child - something to start teaching now if it hasn't happened yet. 

Let's focus on just one today.

Smooth Mornings.
Is that possible?  I'd say it can be, but it really does start with the parent(s).  We as parents HAVE to get up early enough to get ourselves ready first and then help get the bambinos out the door. 

Start figuring out how much time you need to get ready.  For me, if I shower at night, I can get ready in 15mins.  But if I get a shower in the morning, (ideal) I need a good 45 mins to 1 hour.

Then there is time with God (always a great start to any day).  How much time I need depends on what I plan on doing but let's say I would probably need 15-30 mins. each morning to start the day out right.   I can always add more later too, I just need to get on the right page first thing. 
So I need to get up at least 1 hour before my family needs to start getting ready. 

An evening routine would be ideal for a good start on the morning.  Like having clothes already picked out, ironed if needed.  Backpacks all packed except for lunchbags.  Homework books all signed, not to mention homework done!  My kids all get baths/showers the night before. I just can not add that to the morning...there's too many of us. We'd all have to get up by 4am just to make it to school on time. :)   All the kids would have to do is get up, make their beds, get dressed, deal with the teeth, face and hair, eat, grab and go!  (Sounds smooth and easy doesn't it?! We'll see.)

This year, I would like to try to fit in morning devotionals with the family.  We usually read the bible and pray together before bed, but seeing that connecting with God in the morning is a great, fresh start to the day, I figure the kids should get to do this too.  So, maybe when I get them breakfast, we can do a quick morning devo together. 

School lunches are a subject all on their own, however, in thinking about lunches I decided part of a smooth morning is good prep for lunches the night before.  I just bought some new plastic storage containers knowing I am going to need them for certain things I will send with my kids to school.  I even took a moment and labeled them with my name in hopes that if a container goes MIA they'll have at least a name to associate it with. 

Well there you have it.  My thoughts on what the ideal morning should look like.  Can't say that everyday will be a smooth one, but one can sure try planning ahead!

A Fresh Start

Cause me to hear Your loving kindness
in the morning, For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I
should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.
            Psalms 143:8 NKJV

It's been so long since I've last posted.  Between my computer being out of commission for almost a month and the busyness of summer I just haven't been able to connect with you.  The great part is that routine is around the corner and I've got lots to say, Ha ha. 

 

The verse above is one I memorized as a teen and have loved it ever since.  It's a good reminder for me to start my day with God and ask Him for direction for the day.  Too many days I get up with no aim for the day, yet lots to do.  I tend to touch on a few  things of unimportance  in the scheme of Eternity (like doing dishes and mopping a floor) and spend little or no time with God asking Him what today should look like.  By the way, when my "tasks" over take the day without consulting God, I find my days slip away, my importance seems small and smooth is found no where within that day. 

 

Try starting your day out with God.  This morning I opened my bible to the Psalms and read all the underlined verses that have meant something to me over the years.   What a great reminder of who my God is and what He has done. 

My life unwired

Man, I don't know why I've had such bad luck lately with computers but I have.  My Toshiba laptop has bit the dust a second time in only 11 months.  I can't say that this makes me happy.  It is covered by warranty, but I can't say that I was satisfied with their customer service and the $25.00 they make you pay to send it to them.   That would be $50 more that I'm out of pocket because their product keeps failing.  Not good.    I have to say, when I am not connected to the Internet, my life unwired, I feel disconnected and out of touch.  I want to share with you what's going on in Camp Chaos and encourage you in your endeavors, but with no computer, no connect-y! 

So, wondering why I'm online now?  Remember that big ol dinosaur of a computer I had to "declutter" a couple of weeks ago?  I have resurrected it!  I stashed it in the attic of the garage because I didn't know how to get rid of it (can you just throw these things in the trash?) and the last time I thew away a computer in our weekly trash someone picked it and told me about all the pictures on it that I didn't remove.  (of my kids and life....scary!)
The computer is slow, unreliable and uncomfortable to use as I perch it on top of a table and sit erect at a non-desk, but I'm online, so I shouldn't complain.

My laptop should be back to me in a week or so, so hang in there, I'll be back at it full force soon enough.  I'm sure I'll have lots to share! 

Blessings to you all. 

Summer Survival with Kids

Summer was approaching and I knew that if I didn't come up with a plan to make it fun, it would slip by without any special memories and I would be a frazzled freakshow rocking in a corner somewhere saying "find a happy place, find a happy place." 

I decided that trying to make everyday wonderful would be a really ambitious goal, ha ha, and I probably would run out of ideas and not only fail my kids but I would feel I had failed myself as well, so I deemed every Friday this summer to be "Adventure Friday." (surely I can handle that, right?!)

Anyday I can sprinkle an "extra something"  in, even something as simple as sidewalk chalk, makes my kids smile, which in turn makes me smile.

Our  kids are young still and easy to please, so it's fun to do the little things with them.  I live in Maine, so some of these things are Maine-related. Feel free to come up with your own local fun! 

Here's my "Summer Survival with Kids" list.  The red ones mark the fun we've had so far!
(If you have older kids, it may be harder to make these "simple little things" work.  There has to be something "out there" that you can do with them to make memories.  Any suggestions are welcome, please comment!)

• Set up a painting station outside. (painted rocks, scrap wood, firewood - my daughter painted a flag on the butt end of a piece of firewood  - it turned out GREAT!)
• Go on a picnic somewhere. Basket, blanket and all! Bring a kite, some bubbles and a soccer ball. 
• Take the kids to a camp on the lake for the day 
• Write a letter and send stickers or something to a friend or family member 
• Go on a moose hunt in Baxter State Park 
• Take a drive to the Alagash and check it out
• Start reading a kids book series 
• In the fall, visit a corn maze 
• Make a trash can drum set out of 5 galon pails
• Yardsale 
• Do something special for a friend
• Blow up balloons, put notes in them and give them to friends or neighbors 
• Visit a zoo 
• Make a treasure hunt
• Go Camping 
• Take a Horse Carriage Ride 
• Mini Golf
• Go to the movies
• Set up a sprinkler
• Build a tree house
• Family game night 
• Go to a museum 
• Plant flowers from seed 
• Throw a party for no reason
• Tie dye t shirts
• Start a collection of something
• Go to uncle willys candy store
• Roast marshmallows on a campfire....even if it’s during the day!
• Redecorate bedrooms
• Homemade playdough
• Have a sleepover in the living room with a tent
• Water balloon fight
• Make something for a local charity
• Learn to facepaint
• Bird watch/feed birds
• Get a bike go for bike rides
• Legos or duplos or the other kind
• Sidewalk chalk grafiti
• Make some pintrest crafts
• Wash the car together
• Watch the clouds
• Crochet, knit or make braclets
• Star gazing
• Dress up fashion shoot/old time photo shoot
• Set up a progressive supper with other families
• Hang out in a hammock and laugh a little
• Get dollar store creepy crawlers and put in a sand box and have the kids be great explorers discovering fossils
•  Put streamers on dowels and turn on dance music for the kids to dance to
•  7 day club with the kids?

Working through it

Ever hear a bible story a gazillion times in your life but for some reason this one time stood out like a pimple on your cheek?  You couldn't just leave it alone, had to mess with it.   This is how I felt when I heard the parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25:14-30. 

It's crazy how much this parable chapped me this time, but in the end, I was reminded of something so important that I was so glad I wrestled with it.

I always took this passage to simply mean "be a good steward" and "don't hoard your wealth for yourself" and I could agree with that. 

When it was presented to me (in church) the pastor pointed out the the Master didn't give equally to each Servant, he gave different amounts.
¹⁴ “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants^[a] and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents,^[b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

Which leads me to the first irritating rub. Why wouldn't he have given equal amounts?  I relate this to the North American life I live in - there are very poor people and there are very rich people.  And I relate this to Christians in the North American way of life compared to many other countries like Haiti, Africa, Bolivia, etc.  why don't we all have the same to work with?

"Each according to his ability" We all have different strengths and weaknesses, if we were all the same, it would be quite boring, I guess.  (AND You'll find in many cases that the Christians that don't have much of anything are MUCH less distracted and able to focus more on Jesus....who's better off?)
My conclusion had to be "this is just the way it is.  We're not all equal.  That's life here on earth."

The next part really made me think.  The guys with the 5 talents and 2 talents "went at once and put his money to work" and gained double. 
My question was....what did they do to "put it to work"?   Some versions said they "traded with them." Traded what?   I chewed on this part for a while too.  I want to "put it to work" but what does that look like?

This is where my pastor reminded me that we tend to focus on the money portion, but this also pertains to every good gift the Master (God) gives. Talents - physical abilites, intellect, spirtitual gifts AND money are to all be used to the best of our abilities. 

1 Talent guy burried his.  Ah, smart guy!  Can't lose the money that way.  (so I thought)  Nope.  He got a major tongue lashing and was cast into the utter darkness.  WHAT?!  What did I miss? 

 "Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, ²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground."

One of my pastors (after I emailed them both on this for more info) pointed out that the 1 Talent guy was condemned for fearful inactivity.  With help from the Intrepreters Bible he said "This guy obviously doesn't know the merciful, gracious, generous heart of the Father or His Son, Jesus...Many religious types today don't either, and will have received their best blessings only here on earth (their talent cautiously buried), while being thrown 'Into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth' awaits their eternal destiny."

We could hammer this part to death, but the gist of what I got out of it was don't keep what God has given you out of fear of losing it, rather use it to it's full potential for God knowing he will bless it.

This is where the light bulb moment was for me.  I have a hard time remembering that this passage isn't just about money.  So after I chewed on it for a few days God showed me just how wealthy we are by having 4 little talents (our children) to invest into so they will in turn bring forth a harvest for the Master.  When I was finally able to see this, I was both elated in how much God has entrusted us with and at the same time am humbled by where we need to pick up the pace of our efforts. 

It may look differently for you, but whether you have lots of money to work with, children to invest into or a brian that barely fits your head, we are called to work it to it's fullest potenial for God's purposes, not our selfish gain. 

I hope you can look around you today and see how much the Master has entrusted to you today and I encourage you to use it wisely.  Every good and perfect gift comes from above.  Count your blessings...name them one by one!  Your cup will overflow when you do this, I promise.