learning as I go along August 28, 2010

I have recently finished reading Spiritual Mothering: The Titus 2 Model for Women Mentoring Women by Susan Hunt. It has given me a renewed vision for seeing Titus 2 lived out in my own life & in the lives of my sisters in Christ. This book is not a long or difficult read, but most certainly challenging & one which I highly recommend regardless of your age or “stage” in life. The following are some of my favorite quotes:

“…my working definition for the spiritual mothering relationship is this: When a woman possessing faith and spiritual maturity enters into a nurturing relationship with a younger woman in order to encourage and equip her to live for God’s glory.” [author's emphasis]

“‘In the beginning God created’ is both a fact of history and a principle for life. God is the source of life and the model for living life. A proper approach to any situation or topic begins with God.”

“But the problem is that women will never come together purely and simply for the benefit and good of others because of the self-centeredness of our sin nature. The what’s-in-it-for-me mentality forbids such selflessness. However, Christian women, because of the power of grace, can overcome their self-centeredness. Christian women can manifest the other-centered virtues that characterize spiritual mothering.” [emphasis mine]

“That love must be taught is foreign to much of what we hear and see of love today. …Biblical love does not come naturally. Biblical love is produced by the Holy Spirit. We must be taught what love is and how we are to manifest it in our relationships and conduct… A reverence for God (the first virtue Paul tells Titus to teach older women) which produces a Biblical view of life is an essential prerequisite for training in love. Love demands dying to self, and this makes no sense until one has come in reverent submission to the authority of God. Love means taking enormous risks, and this surely makes no sense unless one has yielded to the sovereignty of God.”

“We must instill in women a vision of enduring relationships and reflecting Christ in our relationships. …Older Christian women must communicate a vision of the beauty of a marriage that endures. We must tell younger women that the most powerful that they can do for their children is to love their daddy, for in this way they will show them day in and day out…in good times and bad…for better or worse…what commitment looks like. …Only a passion for God’s glory can overpower our self-interest. Submission is simply being empty of self, and this is the key to enduring relationships.”

“Focusing on God’s glory gives beauty and depth to the spiritual mother-daughter relationship. The mutual desire to live for God’s glory makes the relationship work. There are basically two approaches to life: self-centered or God-centered. Since both Mary and Elizabeth had embraced God’s glory as the intensity of their lives, they shared a common purpose. This freed them from the self-centered approach to life and relationships. It doesn’t mean they ceased to struggle with self-centeredness. Surely these women were not immune the the internal sin-struggles that plague us all. They were not oblivious to self-centeredness, but they were obedient to God’s Word.”

“Encouraging and eqipping are necessary for effectual spiritual mothering. The two go together; to separate them diffuses both. Encouragement is the context in which equipping can take place. To equip apart from an atmosphere of encouragement is rigid and formal, impersonal and cold. Entering into a ministry of encouragement is not just an exercise in fluff. The ministry of encouragement is hard work and can only be carried out properly if it is based upon sound doctrine. We must understand what Scripture says about encouragement in order to be encouragers.”

Again & again this book turned me back to Scripture, back to Christ, back to the power of the Gospel. But it is not simply a book of theory. The rubber meets the road in the examination of real life relationships both today and in the Bible.

I am so thankful for the spiritual mothers that the Lord has been so faithful to provide in my own life. I have by no means “arrived” and I am certainly learning as I go along, but I hope that He will give me the strength & the willingness to model for women younger than myself the things He teaches me.

Sweet Potato Soup with Parmesan & Basil August 25, 2010

1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed (2 in.)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 Tablespoons dry minced onion [-OR- 1/4 cup onion, minced]

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon sugar

4 cups water retained from boiling sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1 – 12 ounce can evaporated milk

Parmesan & basil

1. boil potatoes until tender, reserve & salt 4 cups liquid.
2. saute in oil – onion, garlic & sugar until softened. [Note: if using dry minced onion & garlic, rehydrate with a tablespoon or so water beforehand]
3. add to potatoes & reserved liquid. Simmer 5 minutes.
4. puree until smooth.
5. add milk & simmer until heated through.
6. top with Parmesan & basil after serving.

30 – 45 minutes from start to finish. Serves 4.

Pairs perfectly with a fresh loaf of homemade bread. A new favorite at our house!

find the original source recipe by Robin Miller at the Nest.com.

making baby food August 17, 2010

I have nothing against Gerber or Beechnut, etc. In fact, I bought baby food on a regular basis when we traveled out of town. However, I found that there are many advantages to making your own baby food & it is a whole lot easier & much less time-consuming than you might think.

Some of the advantages that I found to making Nate’s baby food myself included the following:

• cost: buying fresh, frozen, or even canned fruits & vegetables costs less than all those jars. [click chart at right] And, at least for me, it takes a lot less extra time in the grocery to just add some extra of things that I already buy than it does to stand in front of all those little jars trying to read the tiny labels & find the ones that I’m looking for.
• variety: While store-bought baby food have a decent amount of variety, you’re still fairly limited based on what the manufacturer and your grocery store decide to offer. Making your own provides opportunity to expand your baby’s horizons by introducing different things. It also becomes very easy to give your baby meals that you prepared for your family already. In my opinion, this made it much easier when the time came to transition Nate to table food b/c he was used to a wide variety, to trying new things, and to eating the things that I cook.
• nutrition: As with any food preparation, the fresher, the better. Balancing your baby’s diet doesn’t have to take much effort. During the first stage of introducing solids & being on the look out for allergies or sensitivities, your baby is still getting the most nutrition from your milk or formula. By the time you are preparing full meals, it becomes quite simple to just feed baby what the rest of the family is eating [provided, of course, that you are feeding the rest of your family healthy things ;o)]
• texture control: Using your own blender means that you can make your baby’s food as soupy or as thick as needed & you can make a smooth transition from one stage to the next without suddenly jumping from smooth to chunky.

I’m not interested in reinventing the wheel, so in the interest of time & simplicity, here are a few websites that I have also found to be helpful.

• Wholesome Baby Food.com This site is a great resource complete with charts to let you know what foods to introduce when, plus easy recipes & nutrition information! Indispensable.
• Baby Center.com