Mother of Seven

Season your own Sausage

2012-01-27T06:00:00.010-06:00

When Alex was little his body couldn't tolerate most additives and preservatives. Thus began my journey to making many foods from scratch. The recipe book Whole Foods for the Whole Family put out by La Leche League International was a huge help to me. Even though his body now tolerates these substances, we still use many of the recipes I discovered during that period of time. Thought I would post our favorite Breakfast Sausage from this cookbook with our one added alteration.

Easy Breakfast Sausage

1/4 to 1 t sage (I use 1/2 t)
1/4 to 1/2 t marjoram (I use 1/2 t)
1/4 to 1/2 t thyme (I use 1/2 t)
1/4 to 1/2 t coriander (I use 1/2 t)
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes (we added for extra spice)
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1-3 T water
1 lb ground pork

Sprinkle seasonings and water over ground meat; knead until blended.

Shape into patties or meat loaf. Refrigerate in airtight containers for 2 or 3 days to allow flavors to blend. (I mix it together then freeze it until I'm ready to use.)

If you plan to use the sausage immediately the spices will not be as strong. May substitute ground beef for ground pork. ( I make it into patties for frying or I simply brown it like hamburger to make sausage gravy.) Yield: 1 pound.

Before the Father

2012-01-24T21:10:00.003-06:00

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Heb. 4:12,13

An inner voice prods

"Kneel"

I protest

"But it's not comfortable"

"It's just not my style"

The gentle voice rebukes

"You know that's not the issue"

PRIDE

It rears its ugly head

Jesus knelt

He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but your be done." Luke 22:41, 42

Paul knelt

"For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name." Eph. 3:14,15

All will kneel

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death —
even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Phil. 2:5-11

To Kneel is

to humble oneself

to acknowledge the power of another

to show respect, reverence, and honor

Father, forgive me

"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care." Psalm 95:6,7

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Giving up Control to Gain Control

2012-01-22T17:24:00.001-06:00

I have a confession to make. I am a control freak. Ok, that was a little hard for me to say. But now you know. I wouldn't want to be the captain of a boat during a storm and have to rely on the lighthouse signal to keep me safe. That would make me feel like things were out of my control.

Parenting can be difficult for control freaks. (Actually, that is probably an understatement.) Somehow children are born with wills of their own. They are all about being in control themselves. So comes the clash of the wills. Is the parent or the child going to get their way? Having a child with RAD whose main struggle is to fight for control of everything, has brought this control freak to her knees.

This past week I spent each day praying and asking God to help me give my son more control of his actions so he can learn to choose correct behaviors for himself.

One challenge that came my way was the feeding of the dog. It has been his chore for the past five months. It is to be done right after breakfast. But someone always forgets and has to be reminded. He was told, "It is your responsibility to feed and water the dogs right after breakfast. However, I can't make you. It's your choice. Just remember, you must live with your choices. If you choose to forget, you will only get a glass of milk, an apple, and piece of toast for lunch. That way you will understand how the dogs feel when they are hungry."

I had to bite my tongue when the dogs weren't fed three days in a row. I quietly fed the dogs, made no comment, and set out the chosen lunch on the table when mealtime rolled around. On day three, he sent his brother down to tell me he wouldn't be eating lunch. Knowing he was listening in the stairwell, I said that was his choice. However, he did decide to come down for his apple and toast after we were cleaning up, and I had to tell him, "Sorry, but you made the choice to skip lunch. You'll have to wait until supper." That wasn't easy.

What was surprising for me in these instances is that I did not have an angry boy with a rebellious spirit. He accepted the choices he made. He did try to work things around and make mom feel guilty, but it just backfired on him.

Typically when I tell him to feed the dog, I'm often met with an attitude. The "you can't tell me what to do" attitude. Or the "I'm doing it, but I don't like it" attitude. Then there is the battle of wills or the battle over respect or the lectures about everyone in the house doing their part. None of it was fun, and ultimately I realized he was just controlling me. Not something a control freak likes to recognize.

Thursday first thing my son hops up from the breakfast table and feeds the dog. He then proudly informed me three times throughout the morning, "I get to eat lunch today." And the first thing he told his dad when he came in the door for lunch was, "I get to eat today." He was proud of having made a good choice. And though he had a memory lapse again on Friday, he's been successful the past two days. He may grow up not wanting to eat another piece of toast or an apple, but I think he's learning a valuable lesson.

And this control freak...well, she's learned sometimes you have to give up control to gain control.

Lunch on the Go

2012-01-20T06:00:00.001-06:00

I have a hard time coming up with food that is easy to pack in a lunch for the times we have to be on the go. We get tired of sandwiches. Wraps have become a favorite option.

Here's how we make them:

Take a tortilla shell (whole wheat preferably) and spread it with cream cheese.
Lay a piece of thin sliced deli meat or cooked chicken pieces on the tortilla. (Some of mine leave this out and just eat a vegy wrap.)
Place other ingredients of choice on the tortilla. Options include thin sliced cucumbers, peppers, pickles, black olives, lettuce, and tomato.
Roll up tortilla.
Wrap in plastic wrap and place in cooler until ready to eat. (If it will be a long time until eating and it's convenient, I just take the ingredients with us and assemble them when needed because the tortilla shells can get soggy.)

What are some of your ideas for lunch on the go? I'd love to hear from you.

A Prayer

2012-01-18T18:00:00.003-06:00

A prayer from Mary Jean to the Father Above. It is a comfort to know that there are godly women lifting our children up in prayer.

For the Children

Image: Vlado / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Heavenly Father,

I praise You for Who You are,

my Lord,

my Savior,

and my God.

What an honor and privilege to come to You.

I so want to worship You and love You more.

May my words and thoughts be directed by You,

by Your Holy Spirit

to lift up Your Son, the Lord Jesus.

As a Grandmother,

I thank You that You say I can "cast my care on You for You care for me."

I ask for health as I grow older,

a mind and heart that is clear that I may intercede for my daughter,

my grandchildren,

and the many other youth of today.

You say in Your Word that our children shall be taught by You

and great will be the peace of our children (Isa. 54:13).

I confess, Lord, at times I do not see the peace in our young people today.

Lord, You know the temptations,

fears and pull of the world they are facing.

Please put a hedge of protection around them.

Those who have learned Your word as young children,

bring the precious Word back to their remembrance as they grow into teenagers.

I pray for godly witness for those

who have not heard the truth of Your love and forgiveness.

May they know the conviction of Your Holy Spirit,

the gift of repentance,

the peace of forgiveness,

and the joy of knowing You.

May our youth also know the happiness of obedience to Your will in their lives.

In Jesus' name,

Amen and Amen.

To Pray

2012-01-17T18:00:00.021-06:00

Before the New Year I began what I plan to make a series of posts about what older women in the faith have taught me. The first post was entitled "To Love Their Husbands."

Today I want to tell you about a sweet lady who has taught me "To Pray." Mary Jean and her husband came to the congregation where my husband serves about the same time we did fifteen years ago. This bubbly little lady always has a smile. Nothing seems to slow her down. Sometimes I think she is the Energizer Bunny. Even though she is well into retirement she continues to faithfully teach the children and ladies at church.

Mary Jean has ministered to me so many times over the years. She's the minister to the minister's wife. I never before had felt very comfortable praying out loud or in public. I didn't know what to say. But I had shared some burdens with Mary Jean and she said, "We need to get together and pray!" As a minister's wife I didn't very well feel like I could say "no". What would she think! Thus began our times of praying together.

Here is what I've learned from Mary Jean:

Don't talk about it. Pray about it.
Come before the Lord boldly and claim his promises.
Pray the Scripture.
Pray anywhere.-- Over the phone line or in an e-mail will do if need be.
Pray together.-- It is part of bearing each other's burdens.

Mary Jean strives to live the verse in Philippians 4:6 which says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

The promise to claim in the following verse is evident in her life. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil.4:7) The peace, joy, and love of God radiates from Mary Jean's life.

I'm grateful to Mary Jean for taking me under her wing and teaching me to pray.

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Disconnected

2012-01-15T20:00:00.009-06:00

Image: Sura Nualpradid / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sometimes I feel like I'm living disconnected in a connected world. We have access to much entertainment, information, education, and even socialization through just a click of a button in the on-line world. We are connected to anything and anyone in less then a second of time.

But I find my thoughts throughout the day going something like this:

"Break time from school. Yes! I'm just going to take a second and check my Facebook page. Then I'll get that load of laundry started." Next thing I know 15 minutes has passed and I'm scrambling to get the kids back to work and, oops, the laundry gets forgotten.
The kids are busy working on seatwork. Papers need graded, but "I'm just going to take a second and check if my friend answered my message. Oh wow, look at all the responses to my post." Soon voices of children break into my world. I tell them just a moment so I can finish reading. Then I scramble to get my mind focused on what we're supposed to be doing next in school.
Lunch is on the table. I'm waiting for my husband to get home. Better check my e-mail. "Oh, there's one I'd better answer." Forgot to stir the chili keeping warm on the stove. Kinda scorched it to the bottom of the pan. Guess maybe I should have left the e-mail for later.

It's like the on-line world is a magnet. It consumes my thoughts and every free minute. I'm always wondering who might have written me. I'm wondering what friend posted new pictures of their baby. I even wonder how many "page views" my blog has had for the day.

I read an article last week entitled, "Does Life Online Give You 'Popcorn Brain'?" After reading it I thought I might need to curtail my on-line activity. My brain is constantly jumping from things I need to focus on to "when can I get on the computer next." But I made no clear commitment other then, "I'll try to do better."

The very next morning during our morning family devotions my husband read this verse, "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." (I Pet. 4:7) I felt instant conviction. I thought, "Lord, it's fine to step on my toes, but did you really have to stomp on my foot like that!"

Notice the end of the verse, "...so you can pray." I'd like to be able to say, "It will influence my ability to pray if I don't get a handle on this." However, if I'm completely honest it is already affecting my ability to pray. My lack of self-control is cluttering my mind and making it unfocused so that I'm anything but clear-minded. As a result it is affecting my relationship with God not to mention my family as well.

Pray for me as I set up new boundaries in my life. Prayer is the pathway of communication with God. I want to live connected with my Savior. All the connection with the rest of the world will matter little if I lose my connection with him.

Will you join me in my effort to be clear-minded and self-controlled?

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These Five of Mine + 2

Knowing God's Word

2012-01-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

Guest Post from my daughter, Kaytlin

"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God my be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16, 17

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11

For as long as I can remember, my family has always done family devotions in the morning. I have to admit that sometimes I wished I could skip it. Often I was just anxious to get on with the day and did not want to listen to Bible stories that I had heard countless times before. However, I am now very thankful for family devotions. Most of what I know about the Bible I learned in our family devotions, and I still continue to learn from them.

As a part of our family devotions, or "Bible Class" as we call it, Dad would often have us memorize scripture. One of my favorite sets of verses that he had us quote were the "A, B, C verses," which I still remember to this day.

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

"for All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." Ephesians 6:1
"Do everything without complaining or arguing." Philippians 2:14
"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." Proverbs 30:5
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
"Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13
"Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." Ephesians 5:11
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said, 'Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.'" Hebrews 13:5
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as we see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25
"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1
"Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they though best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." Hebrews 12:10
"Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18
"A Quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated." Proverbs 14:17
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4
"But Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33
"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5, 6
"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." Proverbs 127:1
"Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die." Romans 5:7
"Finally, brothers, Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Philippians 4:8
"Follow my eXample, as I follow the example of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1
"You have heard that it was said, 'eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Matthew 5:38, 39
"Never be lacking in Zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Romans 12:11

If you do not already do so, I would encourage you to start your own personal or family devotions in the morning. Work on memorizing Scripture. When we start our day out by reading God's Word, we honor him by putting him first in our daily routine. Also, it prepares us for the day. With God's Word fresh in our minds, we are better equipped to resist temptations. His Word will guide us throughout the day.

Happy Birthday

2012-01-11T06:00:00.008-06:00

Dear Michael,

Today is your 11th birthday. I remember when we first met you at just age five. You had a twinkle in your eyes and a light sprinkling of freckles across your nose. You ducked your head down, peeked up at me, and then gave me a shy half smile. On the ride home, you were quiet, playing contentedly with a toy car. Your brother, Troy, talked and talked, and your sister, Amber, cried and fussed. But you just quietly took it all in.

We soon learned that our little boy was resourceful and curious (and not so quiet). Even though you were small, you accomplished whatever you set your mind to. You took many things apart just to see how they worked. If they didn't come apart easily, you still found a way. Of course, we never could put them back together again.

And boy were you determined. That served you well when it came to riding a bike, skating, or playing ball. However, it wasn't the best when you were determined you were going to do what you wanted. Your dad always tells me, "Michael is just like you. He's stubborn and so are you. That's why God put you together."

You know, daddy's right. I am stubborn and determined. My love for you is something I've determined will always be. I love you with my whole heart and that just isn't going to change.

January 2010

You have given me the greatest gift anyone can give another. You have given me your love. I treasure the times you say, "Guess what, mom? I love you!" And the time you wrote "I love you!" on the kitchen window. And the times you write me notes that simply say, "I love you!" Sweet boy, I love you, too. I don't tell you that enough.

So for my birthday boy today, I pray you will always know our love. I pray it is a special day for our special boy who is heaven's gift to us. And most of all I pray you will know God's great love for you.

Love,
Mom

Reactive Attachment Disorder

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When we adopted we were told that Michael had been diagnosed with RAD, but we were given little other information. At first I felt like this was a mistaken diagnosis. Soon we were to find out that it was not. We were in no way equipped to handle this challenge. It has been a "live and learn" experience for us.

We have not had professional counseling for Michael because what is available in our area is primarily individual. From my reading it seems that family and parent counseling is the best option in dealing with RAD. I have read and read and read to find information and answers. We try some things and they work. Other things we try are complete failures.

The method of parenting that we have found to be most helpful with RAD is described in the book Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay. It has helped teach Michael cause and effect. It has aided him in learning that he has choices and control over many things. Love and limits seem to be the crucial needs of a RAD child. This book gave us the tools to offer both of these to Michael without making it a continual battle of wills.

Michael has made remarkable progress. It used to be that we could go down the characteristic check-list, and he fit every category with the exception of one or two. We praise the Lord that we are now only dealing with about five of the characteristics. God is good!

Below you will find more information about RAD. It is not a condition that is apparent to those outside the immediate family. This is one of the things that makes it so challenging to work with. People see a charming and loving child, and so the parents and especially the mother can feel alienated and alone. Please take the time to read and then say a prayer for these special hurting children and their families. God is the Great Physician.

DEFINITION OF RAD from Mayo Clinic

"Reactive attachment disorder is a rare but serious condition in which infants and young children don't establish healthy bonds with parents or caregivers.

A child with reactive attachment disorder is typically neglected, abused or orphaned. Reactive attachment disorder develops because the child's basic needs for comfort, affection and nurturing aren't met and loving, caring attachments with others are never established. This may permanently change the child's growing brain, hurting the ability to establish future relationships."

CAUSES OF RAD from Mayo Clinic

"To feel safe and develop trust, infants and young children need a stable, caring environment. Their basic emotional and physical needs must be consistently met. For instance, when a baby cries, his or her need for a meal or a diaper must be met with a shared emotional exchange that may include eye contact, smiling and caressing.

A child whose needs are ignored or met with emotionally or physically abusive responses from caregivers comes to expect rejection or hostility. The child then becomes distrustful and learns to avoid social contact. Emotional interactions between babies and caregivers may affect development in the brain, leading to attachment problems and affecting personality and relationships throughout life."

CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN WITH RAD (most common characteristics from multiple sources)

Superficially engaging and charming
Indiscriminate affection toward strangers
Lack of affection toward parents on their terms
Little eye contact with parents, on normal terms
Persistent nonsense questions and incessant chatter
Lying about the obvious (crazy lying)
Stealing
Destructive behavior to self, others, material things (accident prone)
Abnormal eating patterns
No impulse control (Frequently acts hyperactive)
Lags in learning
Abnormal speech patterns
Poor peer relationships
Lack of cause and effect thinking
Lack of conscience
Cruelty to animals
Preoccupation with fire, blood, gore
Control issues

Summer Sausage

2012-01-06T06:00:00.003-06:00

I like to have some meat on hand to pack in lunches when we have to be on the go. Here is an easy recipe that I use. The kids love it.

I was doing some price comparing to see if it's worth the time to make. I can make 6# of summer sausage for about $3 per pound if I buy the hamburger for 2.50 per pound. However, I usually use half ground deer burger which brings down the price to around $2.50 per pound of summer sausage. Tender quick is the only other pricy ingredient, but a 2 lb bag of it will last for many batches of summer sausage. Tender quick is around $7 a bag.

Summer Sausage

5 to 6 # hamburger ( I like to use half deer burger for a leaner sausage.)
1 T liquid smoke
1 1/2 t. garlic powder
1 T coarse black pepper
2 1/2 c water
6 T tender quick
3 1/2 t whole mustard seed
2 t crushed red pepper (hot)

Mix together. Form into rolls. Let stand 24 hours in refrigerator.

Bake on broiler pan on tap rack of oven. Bake at 250 for 2 hours. Turn rolls over half way through cooking time. After cooling, I place the rolls in freezer bags and freeze until I'm ready to use.

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Grab My Button

2012-01-04T06:00:00.005-06:00

My son, Ryan, re-designed my blog button. The flowers in the background are some that my husband brought me one day. Ryan thought the flowers would make it special. He was right, but it's also special because he spent his time designing it for me. So a big thanks to Ryan!

I'd like to invite any of my fellow bloggers to "Grab My Button" in the column to the right. I honestly didn't begin blogging in an effort to gather a readership, but if you have readers who might enjoy following along feel free to spread the word.

Thank you and God Bless!