Proverbs: Points to Ponder

Kasey Johnson
www.smarter-moms.com

Each summer I try to choose a theme or goal for our family to work on together. This summer I'm challenging us to work through some of the scriptures ground in the book of Proverbs.

So for our Sunday Scripture Post I thought we could look at a few together that have really grabbed my attention and made me think.

I've begun to think about how truly straightforward and simply scripture can be when it comes to our life and heeding the wisdom and warnings found in the pages of our Bible.

Making It Routine

By Angie Ketcham

Everybody likes to take a break once in a while, but too much of a good thing over the summer days can become hazardous to the functioning of the home.  It has been shown in studies that children feel better and in more control of their selves when they have order and routine in their daily schedules.  In our early years of adoption, it was imminent for our household to put in order a routine that our children could expect.  Knowing what to expect and what is expected, along with consistency, provided security for our children that had so long been without any.  And, although our situation might have been a more extreme case, every child functions better when they know what to expect and what is expected of them.

Begin your routine with a flexible written schedule of how a typical day should go.  Although your child may be able to sleep in more than during the school year, it is still advisable to get your child up at a decent morning hour to begin their day.  It has also been proven that too much sleep can make one lethargic and less energetic to tackle their day.  Getting an early start allows your child to exercise their brain when it most alert.  Post the schedule wherever your child might benefit most from seeing it:  the bathroom mirror, kitchen, memo boards, the fridge.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words...

by Debi Baker

"¹⁸ ...let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions."

1 John 3:18 NLT

"I love you."  Those 3 little words are used all the time.  I think I hear them no less than 10 times every Sunday.  And...probably at least 2 or 3 times each day.  The words are easily spoken...I love you.  

This verse says that we are not to just give 'lip service' with our words but that we are to genuinely show our love by our actions.  It's been said that people will more quickly believe our actions than our words...boy, I believe that!  If I tell you I love you and then run around town gossiping about you behind your back, you would probably not believe the words but rather believe that I was your enemy.  Words are easy to say, showing the truth of our feelings is sometimes harder to display.

Chipping Away - Revealing the Masterpiece

By: Shari A. Miller

Last week was Journeys night at my son's school. All the rooms were filled to the brim with projects that the students had completed, everything from art projects, to science and history, as well as topics of the student's own choosing.

When I walked through the art room, I navigated my way through the maze of people, who were admiring the works of art. As I was leaving the room, my eyes caught a glance of a table filled with pottery. I stop and admired all the hard work, and I thought it would be so nice to create pieces like that.

Then it got me to thinking.....

These works of art are a lot like the Father's work in our lives. Just like an artist molds and shapes his work into the desired form he or she wants, so our Father sculpts away at our lives, molding us into His image.

"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is in the Spirit." 

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

"Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, your are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." Isaiah 64:8 (NIV)

Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes

By: Melissa Baker

Recipe courtesy of www.CarlsBadCravings.com

• Cheesecake Blender Ingredients:
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups milk (depending on how thick you like your pancakes)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 
  Dry ingredients:
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

3 Ways To Keep Your Sanity This Summer

By Angie Ketcham

Time to let the summer fun begin!  But before everyone is ready to jump in to summer activities, here are 3 things to keep everyone in the house sane and happy.  Before you know it, we'll be packing away those swim suits and heading off to another year of school, so let's make some happy memories along the way!

1.  Keep a routine

Kids look forward to the summer to take a break from the structure and routine of the school year.  Although it's nice to do this for a week or so, keeping a routine in the house will help keep everyone sane.  Whether your child wants to admit it or not, they thrive on routine and predictable days.  Sleeping in is nice, but doing this too often makes it set the day up for more sleeping and inactivity.  Kids need to keep their brains active and getting out of bed each morning will help motivate them to be more active.  Keep your children in the habit of personal grooming each morning.  Encourage healthy eating to start their day.  Be creative in keeping them busy throughout the day, keeping meals and activities fairly consistent throughout the week.  I'll share more ideas on keeping a routine in next week's Friday post.

Go...

by:  Debi Baker

"²³ …Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and
urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full."

Luke 14:23 NLT

We had a missionary at church last night.  It was a time where he shared with us some of what he does in the missionfield.  As he shared, I began to think about this verse in Luke.  Jesus is telling us to go out.  We aren't supposed to stay in our comfy churches and 'let God bless us.'  We are supposed to go outside the 4 walls and cause people to come inside the walls.  Then, when those people begin to serve Him…they are supposed to go out.  And so on and so on. 

Can you imagine how empty the churches of today would be if no one went out?  Jesus came into this world to "seek and save that which is lost." [Luke 10:19]  He came with a purpose; that purpose was to get the lost saved.  The Bible tells us that we are to be like Christ.  So, it stands to reason that if He sought out the lost; we should do the same.  That fact is reiterated in Luke 14:23. 

Broken

By: Shari A. Miller


I'm looking at a piece of history that I hold in my hand, a pocket watch that used to belong to my grandpa. He was a farmer in Kansas, during the great depression, a time when things were far from easy, and barely getting by was the norm.

The watch is now broken, it's been a long time since it told the farmer of long ago, how may hours his days would hold. I often wonder what he was doing when the watch stopped. Was he out working in the fields with the dust blowing thick as he worked the combine trying to harvest what little wheat his crop would bare. Or, was he in the comfort of his home, getting ready to lay his head down for a nights rest.

Was he happy? Was he content? Or was he broken in spirit, just like the watch that served him so well.

How about you friends? Are you happy and content? Or have you been broken and weighed down by the troubles of the world. Troubles so hard that they seem to suck the life out of you and break any chance of hope that might have been there.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."  

Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

Italian Meatloaf

By: Melissa Baker



Recipe courtesy of CookWoorld.Blogspot.com

1 lb. ground beef 

1/2 lb. ground mild Italian sausage

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 C. chopped bell pepper

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. parsley

1 egg, beaten

3/4 C. Italian bread crumbs

2 slices white bread, crumbled

1 T. milk

8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, reserve 3/4 C. for topping

1/4 C. parmesan cheese

1 C. marinara sauce, plus 1/2 -3/4 C. more for topping

3 Ingredients for a Lasting Marriage

By: Jenifer Metzger

This summer my grandparents will celebrate their 58th wedding anniversary, my parents will celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary and my husband and I will celebrate our 18th. So I have been thinking a lot about what makes a lasting marriage.  This day in age marriage is throw away.  Get marriage today and divorce tomorrow, no big deal.

A few years ago I asked on my Facebook page what people thought made a lasting marriage. Some of the answers I got were: forgiveness, determination to stick it out, and a Christ center marriage. I couldn't agree more with these answers!

My husband and I have had our fair share, and maybe more than our fair share, of disagreements. We come from completely different backgrounds and we married very young. We have had financial problems, trust problems and health issues with a child. All of these can break a marriage, if those three things listed above are not present.

We have to be forgiving. We take our loved ones, our spouses in particular, and expect perfection from them. Then when they let us down, we are so slow to forgive. My friend said we need forgiveness and a terrible memory. When your husband lets you down, and believe me he will, forgive. God forgives us so we are to forgive our husband.

We need to be determined to stick it out. Unless you are in an abusive relationship (in that case, seek help, if need be email me and I will help you find help) you need to keep a mindset of never giving up. Divorce should never, ever come out of your mouth.

We need to have a Christ centered marriage. Pray daily for your spouse but also pray that God will help you to be the wife He called you to be. Pray with your spouse, read the Word together, and attend church together. Always talk to God about your marriage and about what He wants you to do. Remain Heaven minded, even in your marriage.

I want, unless He returns, to celebrate a 39th anniversary and a 58th anniversary.  But to do that, I must remember these three ingredients for a lasting marriage.  The next time you pray, pray for these three things in your marriage.  The next time you and your husband have a disagreement, remember these three things.  Let's have marriages that honor God.

What other tips do you have for a lasting marriage?


*Updated repost from 2001.

Happy Endings

By Angie Ketcham

I'm not sure where other families are in their journey with education, but in the Ketcham household, we are running the Indy 500 to the finish line!  Forget education at this point.  All that can be picked from those brilliant minds are flip flops and sunglasses, slumber parties and swimming pools!  Every evening we seem to be out with graduations, end of year celebrations, and birthdays galore (is it just me or does it seem everybody has birthdays in May?).  There isn't much time to rest, but there is definitely an end in sight, right?

I can't help but think about how true that statement really is.  There really is an end in sight.  True, it doesn't feel like it when we're trying to "get it all done", but reality is that there is an end in sight.  It seemed so far away just 18 years ago when two starry eyed kids said "I do", but time plays its magic and here we are headed toward the finish line once again.

Why am I always tempted to sin...

by Debi Baker

"¹³ The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. 
And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. 
When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

We have all been tempted at one time or another in our life.  We are tempted to steal when we are a child.  We are tempted to cheat in school.  We are tempted to cheat on our spouse.  We are tempted, probably everyday.  Do we always recognize the temptation?  Probably not, but maybe.

The Word of God tells us that we are all tempted...just as everyone else is.  It also tells us that those temptations will not devour us.  We CAN resist them.  How do we know we can resist them?  Because in the very next breath, Paul tells us that God will NOT allow the temptation to be more than we can handle!  What?  Yes...there is no temptation in this world that God will allow to come upon us that He won't give us away out.

3 Steps to Joy

By: Shari A. Miller

This world is full of so many surprises and blessings.

It's also filled with trials and tribulations, as well as tears that can flow like a rushing river.

I don't know about you, but amidst it all, I'm always trying to find that balance, or rather that special something that takes my mind off the hardships and onto God's unending supply of joy.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13 (ESV)

Photo Credit: Sean via photopin CC,

I have found that if I continual call out to God for help and put these next 3 steps into play, more often than not, I find that joy will overflow into my heart and soul.

Earthquake Cake

By: Melissa Baker

Ingredients:

1 Cup Flaked Coconut
1 Cup chopped Pecans
1 Box German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Chips

Planting Seeds in Marriage

By: Jenifer Metzger

It is spring time. A time for planting. Planting flowers, fruits and vegetables. Even planting grass seed. I don't have a green thumb at all. Pretty much if I even look at it, it dies. My husband on the other hand, does very well with planting. He takes care of my plants for me and has even made us a vegetable garden a few years.

While my thumb is pretty brown, I do know one thing: in order to make something grow, you must plant the seed.

One year we bought several packets of tomato plant seeds. The packets sat on our kitchen counter for several months before I finally just put them into a cabinet. After about a year there, I finally threw them away. They couldn't possibly grow into tomato plants by sitting in the packet on my kitchen counter.

Hannah's Prayer On Mother's Day

Hannah's Prayer
By Angie Ketcham

As I began to write this blog today, to help us remember what a blessing mothers are to this world, I couldn't help but think of the ones that grieve during this difficult time of the year:  Those that have tried so desperately to be a mother, those that have experienced a miscarriage, or those who have known the joy of being a mother, only to lose their child to illness or another reason.  In this time, I am reminded of Hannah.

And Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in the Lord;

    my horn is exalted in the Lord.

My mouth derides my enemies,

    because I rejoice in your salvation.

2 

“There is none holy like the Lord:

    for there is none besides you;

    there is no rock like our God.

3 

Talk no more so very proudly,

    let not arrogance come from your mouth;

for the Lord is a God of knowledge,

    and by him actions are weighed.

4 

The bows of the mighty are broken,

    but the feeble bind on strength.

5 

Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,

    but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.

The barren has borne seven,

    but she who has many children is forlorn.

6 

The Lord kills and brings to life;

    he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

7 

The Lord makes poor and makes rich;

    he brings low and he exalts.

8 

He raises up the poor from the dust;

    he lifts the needy from the ash heap

to make them sit with princes

    and inherit a seat of honor.

For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,

    and on them he has set the world.

9 

“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,

    but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,

    for not by might shall a man prevail.

10 

The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;

    against them he will thunder in heaven.

The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;

    he will give strength to his king

    and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

I Samuel 2:1-10

Does anybody even care...

by Debi Baker

"The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever."

Psalm 121:8 NLT

Have you ever felt like nobody cares if you are here or there or nowhere?  Have you ever felt lonely in a crowd?  Have you ever felt like you could walk off the edge of the earth and nobody would even notice?  Oh, I've been there...more than once.  But it seems like when I get to feeling like this, God always whispers into my spirit that He is watching me.  He cares.  He knows where I am at all times.  He sees me when I come and go.  He sees me when it feels like no one else does.  And almost every time, He will send me an encouragement through someone.  It could be a card in the mail.  It might be a text from a friend I haven't spoken to in a while.  It could be anything...but whatever it is, I know it came from God.  And knowing that makes me smile and feel less alone!

A Prayer Walk Around Your Home

By: Shari A. Miller


One thing I have learned over my past 45 years of life is, things never quite turn out how you expect them to. Sometimes they turn out better than you could of ever dreamed, and sometimes...... not so much.

When the hard times smack you square in the face with such stinging force that you can barely breath, it can be extremely difficult to not question what is happening.

It can be unfathomable to comprehend how God works all things out for our good during these times.

The helpless feeling of seeming like you're out of control can be counteracted with only one thing.

Prayer.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

When these seasons take over my family's life, I have to continually remind myself to pray, not only for me, but for each member of my family as well.

I do this by going on a prayer walk around our home.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6 (NIV) 

Shredded Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa (Slow Cooker)

Recipe courtesy of ThisGalCooks.com

By: Melissa Baker

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp finely chopped chipotle chili in adobo sauce
• 1 C canned tomato sauce
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 bone-in split chicken breasts, skin and ribs removed and trimmed of all visible fat
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Salt and pepper
• Flour or corn tortillas

For the pineapple salsa

• 2 C ¼ inch pineapple pieces
• 4 tbsp fresh lime juice
• ¼ C finely chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

What Every Bride Needs To Know

By: Jenifer Metzger

Ah...wedding season!

Many brides choose to marry in the months of May and June. With such beautiful weather and flowers blooming, it's perfect wedding weather.

The list of tasks to complete before a wedding is crazy long. You have attendants to choose, location, minister, music, flowers, bridesmaid dresses, groomsmen attire, cake, food, punch, candles, guest book, the flower girl, the ring bearer, invitations, announcements, engagement photos, photographer, decorations, table centerpieces, plates and such for the reception, where to go on the honeymoon, shoes, mother of the bride/groom dresses, rings, and of course, the dress! Planning a wedding is lot of work. Important work. Work a bride loves.

But there is something even more important than planning a wedding. Planning the marriage.

Watch Your Mouth!

Watch Your Mouth!
By Angie Ketcham

Sometimes I'll just be going along, minding my own business, when out of nowhere this big, ugly monster called attitude comes creeping out of me.  No, not creeping.  More like rushing out of me like a flash of lightning!  And whoever it hits better hope they already ran for cover, because I know those words that flew out and hit that person I love (most usually that child that I love) right square between the eyes and they might be wounded beyond repair.  Ouch! Or maybe it's on that day when I know a little bit more about Sister Suzy's story, and before I know it, that volcano has erupted and lava is just spewing out all over the proverbial floor, burning every ear it touches beyond repair.  Come on, am I the only one?  Am I the only one that has to remind myself every minute of the day that my words matter?  If so, I'm going to preach to myself today! Ha!