Newsletter
Information:
This is the current issue of our
monthly newsletter, "News from the Nest." If you enjoy it and would
like to receive it by email each month, please sign up below.
This free email newsletter goes out at the first of each month. Each issue
contains a devotional, household tips, recipes, updates and events, as well
as ways to pamper yourself.
A Woman of Noble Character
This book shows practical ways of keeping house, while also focusing
on Godly character for women.  |
|
News From the Nest
August 2008
If this
month's devotional looks familiar to you, it is because I wrote it several
months ago for my column on the Positively Feminine site.
Daily Bread
What could be better than filling your home with the aroma of fresh bread
baking in your oven? Just last week I was on the phone with a friend who had
just taken a fresh loaf of bread out of her oven. She commented on the
wonderful smell that was filling her house. She had gotten a starter from
one of her friends, and after a couple of days of preparation, it was
finally time for baking.
Since the Bible talks quite a bit about bread, I would like to look at some
of its different aspects. First of all, you can't talk about bread without
mentioning yeast. In most areas of the Bible, yeast represents sin. However,
in Matthew, yeast is an important component.
He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of Heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all
through the dough." Matthew 13:33
In the parable, the yeast causes the dough to increase and rise. The kingdom
of Heaven is also that way. Although it started small in number, it
continues to increase. As Christians, the Holy Spirit allows us to be a part
of this process. When we witness in the world, we are working the flour and
increasing the dough.
During the Israelites' exodus, they had to escape in the middle of the
night. God had just protected their firstborns with the Passover, and now He
was telling them to leave immediately. He had ordered them just the day
before not to use yeast in their bread. Looking back, you can see His
purpose in these directions; if they had used yeast, the bread would not
have been ready for the long journey ahead of them. This bread became a
symbol of the protection of His people.
As the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years, you can imagine how
scarce food was. As He always does, God still provided for them. This time,
He gave them manna (Heavenly bread) to meet their needs. The amazing thing
about manna was that it came directly from the Lord, and it was a daily
thing. God gave them strict orders NOT to store it up. There was nothing
they could do themselves to make this bread; they could only trust God for
it. God is still the same today. He provides for our physical needs on a
daily basis, but we have to trust Him for it.
In the book of John, Jesus miraculously fed the 5000 with a few loaves of
bread and some fish. The very next day, the crowd searched for Him so they
could see another miracle. He explained to them that they should "Not
work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life," John
6:27. He explained further that "the Bread of God is He who comes
down from Heaven and gives life to the world," John 6:33. In the same
way that He meets our physical needs, He is also there to meet us
spiritually. In fact, He puts the eternal before the temporary. As our Daily
Bread, He provides spiritual nourishment and protection if we will just
trust Him for it. When we trust Him and allow Him to work in our lives, the
dough will begin to spread and others will be affected. Have you accepted
the Bread of Life? If you have, is there a sweet aroma filling your life? If
not, allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life so you can be a part of the
kingdom's increase.
Let the sweet aroma of these dinner rolls remind you of our Daily Bread.
Easy Dinner Rolls
1 Cup of warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 Packages of Active Dry Yeast
1 Stick of Melted Butter
½ Cup of Sugar
3 Eggs
1 Teaspoon of Salt
4 - 4 ½ Cups Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour
Additional Melted Butter (optional)
Directions:
Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Let the mixture stand
until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in butter, sugar, eggs, and
salt. Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is too stiff to mix (some
flour may not be needed). Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. (It can be left
for up to 4 days at this stage).
Grease a 13 X 9 inch baking pan. Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly
floured board. Divide dough into 24 equal-size pieces. Roll each piece into
a smooth round ball. Place balls in even rows in the prepared pan. Cover and
let dough balls rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until rolls are golden brown, 15-20
minutes. Brush warm rolls with melted butter, if desired.
*************************************************
Positively Feminine Column
Here lately, I have really come to appreciate the friends in my life. My
July article is about the blessings of friendship. I also included my pound
cake recipe in the article.
http://www.positivelyfeminine.org/domestic/ss/friends.htm
**************************************************
"I loved the fact that it wasn't my responsibility to change somebody, that
it was God's, that my part was just to communicate love and approval."
Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz, p. 221
**************************************************
Just for You!
* Find a Concert in the Park to attend. Most of the time there is no
charge for these. If you live close to Rockwall, Texas, every Thursday night
they have a concert at the Harbor. You can sit in the grassy amphitheater or
anchor a boat close to shore.
**************************************************
Upcoming Events
Women's Expo
The annual Out of the Nest & Beyond Women's Expo is in the planning stages.
Each year it tends to grow even more. I have already had businesses contact
me about booth space this year. If you are interested, please email me soon.
The event will be:
Saturday, October 11, 2008
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Crossroad's Mall in Greenville, Texas
The cost of booths during early registration will be $60.00.
If you are interested in exhibiting, please contact me. If not, mark your
calendars to attend. Each year the exhibitors are so sweet and offer unique
items and ideas. If you come, you will be blessed.
**************************************************
Updates
Football Camp
I have to start by thanking everyone who donated or helped in any way for me
to be able to send one of my students to the Jay Novacek Football Camp this
summer. He really had a good time.
As much as I wanted to be the one to go pick him up from camp and get all
the details while they were fresh on his mind, his mother took a vacation
day to go get him. She invited me to go with her, but I knew that it would
really be neat for them to have a day together, just the 2 of them. He did
call me on his way home and shared some of the excitement. I had never heard
him as animated yet mature while he was telling me about his experiences.
Despite the extreme heat and a little homesick feeling, he really had a
great time. They had 3 (2hr.) practices a day with professional football
players. The players also gave motivational speeches at least twice a day.
He told me of all the "famous" guys he met, and of life in a dorm room. This
experience was a completely new one for him.
We have not gotten the pictures back at this point, but I am anxious to see
them. I am also anxious to see how the Lord will use this experience to
bring about a change in this kid's life. I am still praying expectantly for
that. Again, thanks to everyone who prayed, contributed, or had any part at
all.
*****************************************************
Tips & Ideas
Family Tip
Some time ago, I was told of a study/survey that was taken among death row
inmates. They were given a survey with around 200 questions on it. Out of
all of the questions, there were 2 things that almost all of the inmates had
in common. First, they did not grow up eating meals as a family, and
secondly, they did not play games together.
I have looked for the documentation or research, but cannot find it. I know
that the person who told me was with Homemade Gourmet, but I still have not
been able to get my hands on it. If anyone has heard this or knows where I
can get the information, please email me.
Whether I have the documentation or not, the idea of eating and playing
together is still a good one. It all comes down to spending time with your
family!
Food Tips
*Place food in a cooking bag before cooking it in
your slow cooker. When it is finished you just take the bag out and there is
no clean up. (Submitted by Marcia Boswank.)
*Here is a quick & easy way to cook corn on the cob, from Deidra Floyd:
FRESH CORN ON THE COB (MICROWAVE)
Cook fresh corn on the cob in microwave with husks and silk intact. They
will cook in their own natural moisture. If your microwave doesn't have a
turntable, turn ears over and rearrange after 1/2 cooking time.
Cooking Timetable:
1 ear - 1 1/2 minutes
2 ears - 3 to 4 minutes
3 ears - 5 to 6 minutes
4 ears - 7 to 8 minutes
6 ears - 8 to 9 minutes.
When ears are hot to the touch, remove and wrap in kitchen towel or foil.
Let stand at least 5 minutes. Remove husks and silk (which is easier than
when cold) and serve salted & buttered.
To go to Deidra's Blog, click below.
http://deidrasheart.blogspot.com/
*****************************************************
Recipes
Summer Desserts
Creamy Fruit Salad
This great recipe is taken from Old Timey Recipes, from the Happy
Homemakers of Rains Co., Texas, 1986.
1 Can of Mixed Fruit in Lite Syrup
1 Can of Pineapple Chunks in it's own juice
1 Can Mandarin Orange Slices, Drained
2 Bananas, Sliced
1 Package of Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix, Dry
Mix all ingredients together and chill.
Easy Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
(Colleen Smith's Recipe)
3 Cans of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Quart of Heavy Cream
Milk (Enough to finish filling ice cream freezer)
1 t. Vanilla
In a bowl, mix together the sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and
vanilla. Pour into an ice cream freezer. Add milk until the mixture reaches
the fill line. Freeze according to the freezer directions.
Tasha Tudor's Hot Fudge Sauce
(See Tasha's Website Below-One of my favorite artists)
1/2 Cup of Butter
1 Cup of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 T. Corn Syrup
1 Cup of Evaporated Milk
2 Cups of Confectioner's Sugar
1 t. Vanilla
Place everything except vanilla in a medium sauce pan, over low heat. Stir
frequently as it melts and continue until it has a silky texture. Whisk all
together to ensure a smooth mixture. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat and
cook for 5 minutes. Do not let it get to a rolling boil. Remove from heat
and stir in vanilla. Pour into jars or serve over a really good ice cream.
http://www.tashatudorandfamily.com
**************************************************
New Ebook
PURE Manual
It is finally here! I have written a book with a couple friends of mine
(Cathy Garner & Venita Hickman), explaining some reading strategies that we
have been using successfully for years. When we first started, we only had
in mind our state standardized testing. These strategies do work great for
standardized tests. In fact, over a period of years, our percentage passing
went from 61% to 95%.
We have also found these strategies beneficial for reading in general. They
show systematically what good readers do. In fact, within our district,
teachers are using the "PURE" method in the younger grades, before
standardized testing even begins. Just recently we were presenting this to
the high school ELA teachers. A new teacher in the group made the statement
that she wished she would have known the strategies before she took her
Teacher EXCET tests. She said it would have really helped her.
If you homeschool, teach publically, or are taking classes yourself, the
PURE Manual can help bring about great results. The link below will take you
to the ordering page. If you would rather order a printed and bound book,
email me.
http://www.outofthenestandbeyond.com/pure.htm
*******************************************************
Vacation Idea
My husband and I have the worst time trying to find vacation ideas that are
nice but inexpensive. We were looking for a place like this last week. A
friend of ours recommended Hot Springs, Arkansas. For us, the trip would
only be about 4 hours. We had never been, so we got online and looked at
some of the places to stay and things to do. It turned out to be the perfect
getaway for us.
They had such a variety of places to stay. However, I would like to share
about the 5 Points Cabins where we stayed. We were looking for a remote area
with the comforts of home. That is exactly what we found. These cabins were
adorable! The cabin we stayed in had a living room, breakfast stocked
kitchen, bathroom, and large bedroom that was surrounded with windows. The
area was covered in trees, and just a few yards away from the lake. There
was a large gazebo, a little waterfall going into a pond, a swimming area,
and boat slips to keep your boat docked. Not only were they were family
friendly, they were pet friendly too. Did I mention that Wal-Mart was only 1
mile away?
The owner, Skip, was extremely nice and would do anything to help you. His
prices are unbelievably reasonable! We are already planning a trip with the
whole family and the little dogs for next year. If you are looking for a
place to go just to get away, take a look at his website below The cabin
that pops up is the one we stayed in.
http://www.fivepointslakehamilton.com
********************************************************
Free E-Magazine Subscription
A Woman of Worth - Quarterly Journal & Cookbook
Melissa Ringstaff has generously offered her Spring issue of this beautiful
e-magazine to us as a free download. I haven't had a chance to read all of
it yet, but it is filled with interesting articles, ideas, and recipes. You
can download the issue at the link below.
If you like the issue, you can email Melissa to get a free year's
subscription ($12.95 value). She is only offereing this for a limited time.
Email her at awow@avirtuouswoman.org. Type "A Woman of Worth Free
Subscription" in the subject line, and put your email address in the body of
the message.
Take a minute to check out her other sites:
http://www.AVirtuousWoman.org
http://www.TheVintageHomemaker.com
http://www.CedarTreePress.org
http://www.Proverbs31Books.com
Click Here for the Free Download!
***************************************************************
Recommended Read
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
This book tells of the author's experiences with Christianity and life. He
shares his views and feelings on different aspects of Christianity. It is
sure to make you think!
I have read several other books this summer - lots of children's novels.
(Walk Two Moons, Pictures of Hollis Woods, & currently Make a Difference:
The Power of Connection). Please share what you are reading or any
recommendations. I will compile a list and share in next month's newsletter.
http://www.bluelikejazz.com
*****************************************************************
Featured Ministry
Rachel Starr Thomson
Rachel Starr Thomson is a homeschool graduate and writer. On her new Web
site, www.rachelstarrthomson.com, you'll find encouraging reads for the
whole family -- many of them free! Read "Journey," a Pilgrim's
Progress-style allegory of the Christian walk, the discipleship-focused
essays of "Letters to a Samuel Generation," articles on various aspects of
life, art, and loving God, or Part One of "Tales of the Heartily
Homeschooled." "Worlds Unseen," a fantasy novel which will appeal to fans of
Narnia and Lord of the Rings, can be downloaded in its entirety.
Rachel's books are also available for sale through her Web site. Stop by,
leave comments, and enjoy browsing!
Rachel's Website -
http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com
*******************************************************************
The Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:8
**********************************************************************
|
