Family Matters

 

Family Matters: To Friend or Not To Friend?  That is the Question.

By Amy Gentry

As parents we may have to guide our children on how to “unfriend” someone.  Not on Facebook (they could give us a lesson on that one), but here in the real world.  Not every friend that your child makes is one your child should be “doing life” with.  Not all school friends are afterschool friends.    

Proverbs speaks much about friendship.  Have your child ask themselves these questions:

·         Do I feel pressured to act differently to hang with this friend?

Proverbs 12:26 “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”

·         Who’s the wisest of the bunch?

Proverbs 13:20 “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

·         Do they take life and the consequences of poor decisions seriously?

Proverbs 14:6-7 “A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge.”

·         Do I want to develop their same type of character?

Proverbs 22:24-25 “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.”

·         What would Jesus do?  Would He consider this person a bad influence?

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

What to do? Teach your children to be gracious in setting boundaries with friends.  It’s not necessary to tell someone they are not in your circle of afterschool friends, thus hurting their feelings.  I always tell my kids that they are welcome to blame me all they want to: tell the friend that “my mom doesn’t let me do anything during the week except for homework,” or “my parents have to get to know your parents first.”  Let them down gracefully.

Take heart- true friendship is possible, Proverbs 17:17 “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”

GOING DEEPER: To take it a step further, mom, not all of your co-workers are after work friends.  Or not all of your church friends are after church friends.  Yikes!!!

February Book Corner

 

February 2013

Book Corner

Love and Respect
by

Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

If I had a nickel for every person who told me how much this book changed their view on marriage, I might not be rich, but I could at least go buy me a new Vera Bradley purse.

Give your husband the respect he needs and in turn he will love and cherish you for it. It seems so simple, yet so hard because that means giving up our pride and selfish ways to put our spouse first.

This isn’t a new book and neither is the message it brings to us. We can all use this reminder and T2W highly recommends this book for your marriage library. We suggest reading it together as a couple or taking a Love and Respect class together at a local church. Bless your Valentine with this book for a new year and a new marriage in 2013!

“Discover the single greatest secret to a successful marriage! Psychological studies affirm it, and the Bible has been saying it for ages. Cracking the communication code between husband and wife involves understanding one thing: that unconditional respect is as powerful for him as unconditional love is for her. It’s the secret to marriage that every couple seeks, and yet few couples ever find. Today, you and your mate can start fresh with the ground-breaking guidance that Dr. Emerson Eggerichs provides in this book. His revolutionary message, featured on Focus on the Family, is for anyone: those in marital crisis... wanting to stay happily married... who feel lonely. It’s for engaged couples... victims of affairs... pastors and counselors seeking material that can save a marriage.”

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Favorite Things

T2W's Favorite Things

I get so busy multi-tasking that I forget to preheat the oven to bake dinner - then you factor in cooking time and.... Oh well.... It's taco Tuesday night at Rosa’s Café.... again. What's the solution?

The Deep Covered Baker from Pampered Chef

So beautiful in cranberry!

Oven or microwave- You can bake a chicken or a casserole in the oven or bake fabulously in the microwave. Yes, it actually BAKES GOOD tasting food in the microwave. All you would have to do is taste the chocolate lava cake baked in the microwave to be a believer.

It is unglazed on the inside for perfect baking, glazed on the outside for perfect presentation. Lid inverts into baker for space-saving storage.  Orders can be places with your local Pampered Chef consultant. 

Winter Book Club Discussion: Margin



CLICK HERE to see our Facebook discussion on chapters 7 & 8 of the book Margin!

The Friday Focus

Walk with the Wise

All choices we make, but mostly the friends we choose, determine the path we take.

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20

How Do I Love Thee: Let Me Count the Ways?

How Do I Love Thee: Let Me Count the Ways?

By Amy Gentry

 

You may have read John 21:15-19 a hundred times and you may be very familiar with the Greek definitions and the difference between phileo and agape love, but have you meditated on the many possible lessons that can be realized through this passage?  I recently was reading this and saw this passage in a new light.  Jesus is very clearly asking Peter about the level of commitment that Peter will show in Jesus’ absence.  
 

¹⁵When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you AGAPE, unconditional love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I PHILEO, affectionately love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you AGAPE, unconditional love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I PHILEO, affectionately love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you PHILEO, affectionately love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you PHILEO, affectionately love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I PHILEO, affectionately love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

(John 21:15-17 emphasis mine)

Did you notice that Jesus asked Peter twice if Peter Agape loved Him and then on the third time He asked Peter if he Phileo loved Him?  I think that this change from Agape to Phileo shows that Jesus was satisfied, for now, that Peter could only love Him affectionately but not unconditionally.  In Peter’s own words, he said the Jesus knew all things and that Jesus knew that Peter affectionately loved Jesus.  Peter proved Jesus right soon after this when he denied Christ. 

But Jesus also knew, when Peter witnessing His crucificition, then discovering an empty tomb, and ultimately encountering the resurrected Christ in an upper room –  Peter would soon have Agape love for  Jesus.  He would Agape, unconditionally love Him all the way to the cross himself.

¹⁸ Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”

 ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.

Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

(John 21:18-19 emphasis mine)

CHALLENGE: Take stock.  At what stage of your life are you in?  Are you in the Phileo, affectionate love stage with Christ or have you been transformed into Agape, unconditional love stage with Christ?  What would Jesus say?

 

 

 

 

Witness Under Pressure

Scattering Seeds … Witness Under Pressure

By Carri Pratt

 “I’ve been laid off. Sorry to tell you like this, they need the phone back.”  This was a text I received from my husband on my way home from work Friday.  For a moment I couldn’t breathe.  I looked in the rear view mirror at my four year old son.  He was smiling and excited because we had planned on going to Chuck E. Cheese for dinner and that was all he could talk about for days.

When I walked into the house and saw my husband I immediately embraced him and told him everything would be fine.  We just sat there for a moment of disbelief.  I looked at him and asked what happened.  The next words that came from his mouth filled my spirit.  “My boss called me into his office and told me work was slow and he was being forced to lay me off.  He told me it wasn’t me and he would give me a great recommendation.”  “What did you do?” I asked.  “I told him it was ok.  God has always taken care of me and my family and I told him God has a plan for us.”

In that moment I was so proud of my husband!  What an incredible witness he was to his boss.  They say when you squeeze a Christian you should get Christ and that is exactly what my husband portrayed.  Jeremiah 29:11 has never been more precious to me, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” NIV

Challenge:  The next time you find yourself in a difficult situation meditate on Jeremiah 29:11 and truly realize that God will take care of you and has a plan for your life.

Purposeful Pinteresting

Purposeful Pinteresting

 



Simple, simple, simple!  Buy a cheap coffee mug from the Dollar Tree, use a Sharpie to write a personal message and then bake on 350 for 30 minutes.  Yes, you will bake the coffee cup, but by baking it you will seal in the Sharpie and the writing will not wash off. 

Where has this been my whole life???

For Christmas I made Quiet Time mugs for my co-workers.  I wrote a special scripture on the front of each mug.  Then prayed for each lady specifically and I wrote a note on the back of the mug letting them know that I had prayed for them and I added the date.

Other gift ideas:

Grandparent mug

Father’s Day mug

Friendship mug for a friend who is moving far away…

The Friday Focus

 

Make Morning routines fun!

Trade all of your morning frustration and impatience for jokes and fun. It works!

When getting my little boy ready for school, we joke around, a lot! I create distractions to keep him moving in the right direction, we tease around and quote books and riddles.

Ex:

When putting on his shoes I say, “One shoe, two shoe, red shoe, blue shoe.”  He usually repeats it with me or just smiles.

Or:

“Mommy is not going to put this sock on your foot but you are going to put your foot in this sock.”

I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live. Deuteronomy 30:19

www.titus2women.org

Love Language Test

Family Love Language Test

 

 

Print this test and spend some family time together tonight

getting to know how each member of your family receives love. 



A Prayer for Our Daughters

A Prayer for Our Daughters

By Stephanie H.

Sovereign, Almighty God, thank You for (your daughters’ name).

I come to you carrying my child and offering her to You.  She is Yours.  Thank you for trusting me to take care of her, love her and teach her more about You.  Thank You for teaching me about Your love through her life.  Thank You for blessing our family with more laughter, more joy and more love through her life.

When I fail to show her Your love, Your grace and Your mercy, please forgive me.   Please forgive me when I fail to look at her as you created her.

Lord,

I pray that she would come to know you in a real and personal way.

I pray that she would come to know You at an early age.

I pray that You would protect her and help her to know that You are always in control.

I pray that You would burden her heart when she is not in Your will.

I pray that she would seek to be the eyes, ears, mouth, feet and hands of Jesus.

I pray that You will equip her with a servant’s heart.

I pray that she would learn quickly from every trial having a repentant heart and that she would always reflect on your promises.

I pray for the man that You are preparing for her.

I pray that You will protect him and his family.

I pray that he has 2 loving parents that uphold marriage as a blessing from You and are teaching him about Your love through their love.

I pray that he comes to know You at an early age as well and that he will also know You in a very real and personal way.

I pray that when they meet You will help them always remember to seek Your wisdom and truths for their lives and to put You first.

Thank You for hearing my prayers and thank You again for the opportunity to partner with You in raising (your daughters’ name) to be a woman of God.  She is Yours.

Amen.

The Heart Stickers

The Heart Stickers

By Carri Pratt

“Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”. Matthew 22:37-39 NIV

Quite often the demands of life can become overwhelming, especially for our little ones.  It becomes rather easy to squeeze out daily ‘God Time’ and replace it with other important duties.

One of the best activities I have ever heard of has now become a Valentine’s Day tradition in my family.  This activity simply involves a sheet of heart stickers.  My children will gather around our Bible and my son will read Matthew 22:37-39.  We discuss how much God loves us and that He wants us to love Him in the same way. 

Each of the children then receives a page of heart stickers and they are set free to put them anywhere they want throughout the house.  Wherever they place the sticker down or see one, they say out loud, “I love You God or I love You Jesus.”  It is so very sweet to hear their little voices throughout the house praising God. 

We also talk about why they love Jesus and the many things God has done for them.  This family celebration makes the holiday very personal and awakens their little souls to new heights.

Challenge:  Purchase a sheet of heart stickers and try this exercise yourself with your little ones.

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Valentine's Day Recipe

Valentine’s Breakfast Cinnamon Rolls

 

You can use any brand of store bought cinnamon rolls for this recipe.

Preheat oven to temperature indicated on the cinnamon roll can
and grease your cookie sheet,

unwind each cinnamon roll into a long “V” shape,

the roll each side inward until they are touching,

form a point at the bottom.

Bake according to packing directions, and

then use icing included in the package.

Make them extra special by topping with red and heart shaped sprinkles.

Winter Book Club Discussion: Margin



CLICK HERE to see our Facebook discussion on chapters 5 & 6 of the book Margin!

The Friday Focus

If You’re Aiming to Hit Nothing, You Usually Will

Having ongoing, heartfelt talks with your teen about certain uncomfortable topics show them you really care. Set a clear, intentional and specific expectation in place by teaching them to stay away from all drugs, alcohol and premarital sex.

Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life.Proverbs 4:13

www.titus2women.org

Budget Unconscious

Budget Unconscious
by Jenn Vaught

Philippians 4:19 (NIV) And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

I am the worst at budgeting.  Half the time I don’t even keep up with our checkbook.  I know it irritates my wonderful hubs (who happens to work in the financial district!) when at times, I’m being budget unconscious.  He’s very patient with me about it he knows I have good intentions, but I’m the spender and he’s the saver.  A few years ago I saw that our church was giving a Crown Financial Class and I jumped at the opportunity to work on this (much lacking) part of myself.  It was great!  It really brought to light the reasons why I need to pay more attention to our finances and how I spend our money. 

I am much better today than I was before that class, believe it or not!!  Let’s face it, spending $ is F. U. N. and unfortunately our society and even our government promotes it and is a horrible example!  America is 16 Trillion (yes, that’s with a CAPITAL T) dollars in debt and that number is rising every single day.

Our God will truly meet all of our needs, maybe not all of our wants, but definitely our NEEDS!  When you are out shopping, wake yourself up and ask yourself, “Do I really NEED this?” or “Is this necessary in my life?”  Start keeping up with your checkbook and know how much you have before you go out of the house or only carry a budgeted amount of cash with you!  Don’t get into debt over something that only leads to temporary happiness. 

Finances are a huge problem in so many marriages today.  Don’t let it be a problem in yours.  There is a picture in my bathroom to remind me of this that says, “Thank God for what you have, trust God for what you need.”  Proverbs 22:7 (NIV) The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

CHALLENGE:  Make a point this month to keep better track of what you are spending….keep track in your checkbook of every penny.  If you need further help, think about taking a Dave Ramsey class online or at a local church. 

Q and A

Q and A

By Amy Gentry

 

Q: Are unicorns in the Bible?

A: Yes!  I have found references to unicorns 8-9 times in the Bible, but only in the King James Version.  In the American Standard Version the same word ‘unicorn’ is “wild ox.”

• "God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn." (Numbers 23:22)
• "God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn." (Numbers 24:8)
• "His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth." (Deut. 33:17)
• "Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?" (Job 39:9-12)
• "Save me from the lion's mouth; for thou hast heard me from the horns of unicorns." (Psalm 22:21)
• "He maketh them [the cedars of Lebanon] also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn." (Psalm 29:6)
• "But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of the unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil." (Psalm 92:10)
• "And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with their bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness." (Isaiah 34:7)

I know the idea of mystical unicorns that run wild with glitter floating from their backs and sliding down rainbows is beautiful, but I’m afraid that those are the images of legend.  Many historians believe that the unicorns from time of the Bible were wild, single horned oxen.  More like this image:

  

Not nearly as mystical, but a unicorn all the same.

Ministry: Marriage Encounter

Marriage Encounter

Need a good idea on a getaway for your marriage?  Take a weekend and go to Marriage Encounter!  Marriage Encounter is a weekend away from home, family and responsibilities.  Here in a comfortable, secluded environment, a couple is guided in the discovery of a new way of communication that will help them know each other better.  It’s not a retreat, but a program designed to give couples the opportunity to examine their lives together, their strengths and weaknesses and their attitudes toward each other and their families.  Marriage Encounter is based on the belief that the marriage relationship is the most significant, most intimate relationship on earth.  Don’t miss out on making a good marriage GREAT!  The next weekend here in DFW is April 26-28, 2013 at the DFW Marriott in Las Colinas.  For more info or find another one in the U. S. near you, go to www.agme.org

Love Can Build a Bridge

Love Can Build a Bridge
by Kim Hawkins

The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.  Proverbs 14:1 

Unconditional love is not as easy as it sounds, some people are easier to love than others. We all have at least one person in our lives that are very difficult to love, especially to love unconditionally!

We naturally tend to be selfish with our love. When withholding love for one reason or another, we are expecting that person to earn our love. How can someone earn another’s love? Is it even possible? How much is our responsibility in the matter?

Insult your dog in a happy tone and watch what happens. Her tail will still be wagging, she still trusts you, and she won’t run and hide.

I have been in a dog pound before and saw a dog in a cage that was labeled “Vicious”. It was such a terribly, sad sight because I knew that poor animal had been so hurt much that he couldn’t trust anyone who reached out to him.

I have mentioned my adorable dog, Lulu, before. She is so cute, fun, happy, affectionate and pleasant. Do you think it’s any coincidence that she is loved on, affirmed, and told she is all those things and more by all of us? No, Lulu does not understand English, but what she does understand is our time, attention, affection, tone of our speech, acceptance and so on...

My point is that our happy and joyful dog is a product of her environment which is pure unconditional love and acceptance.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

Challenge: Who in your life needs unconditional "Puppy Love" on a continual basis? What does that say about you if you cannot give it? 

www.titus2women.org

February Scripture: Psalm 139:17

The Friday Focus

 

Wag More, Bark Less

Every person we encounter is an opportunity to be a light and encouragement. Joy is contagious and spills onto others. Each day is a new beginning.

Smile, make eye contact, and be friendly.

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22