God's Valentines
Retail stores try but they can’t do it. Heart-printed silk boxers or Valentine’s Ale can’t change the fact that Valentine’s Day is all about women.
It will always be about women because we are the ones craving love. Craving romance. Guys should get a holiday called Deference Day, where all the women in their lives respectfully defer to them for one day. We’d serve them bacon and steak and beer for all three meals, listen to their ideas and say, “Wow! That’s great!”, rub their feet while they watch sports, cheer for them while they shoot a wild animal, then finish the day off in bed. Can you imagine how happy they’d be? The whole world would get the day off.
But until then we are left with Valentine’s Day. And no matter how hard we try, Valentine’s Day will continue to be about the men showing love, romance, and affection to the women. Women love it.
Except for the ones who don’t have men.
Or the ones who have men mean as snakes.
My original post for today was a shortened version of our story, When God Broke My Heart. It’s a joy for me to re-read because it reminds me of God’s faithfulness, and of my man who still holds my heart 9 years later. He continues to romance my heart and there’s no one I’d rather spend my life with than him.
But I believe the spotlight belongs somewhere else today.
On the women for whom God has a special love. God’s Valentines.
What is a Valentine anyway?
val·en·tine
[val-uh
n-tahyn] noun: a sweetheart chosen or greeted on this day.
Who has God chosen today to shower with His love? All of us, in some measure. We each woke up with breath in our lungs, a heart that beats, and a roof over our head. Whether or not someone was beside us in bed we all received the gift of His love this day. And I’d venture to say He will lavish all His children with grace-gifts today if we look closely and pick them out in the details of our life.
What if, today, we accepted the fact that this day is all about women? A day to show women they are loved beyond measure? Sure, it’d be wonderful if our husbands took us out to dinner, but what if Valentine’s Day could impact the world in a greater way?
I must admit, I spent this morning in tears because of a broken heart.
Why? Because there are millions of women starving for the love–any love–and do not know the measureless love of Jesus Christ. Will you watch this with me?
I believe with every ounce of my being that God has a special love for women. Throughout His word, over and over and over, we find His special care for the widow, the fatherless, the orphan. He took special care of Ruth, a widow, left destitute and picking up leftover grain in the fields. He took care of Rahab, a prostitute, who’s backstory we do not know but God blessed her with favor. And Jesus Christ himself, in his last moments on the cross, ensured that his own mother would be cared for after His death.
But God isn’t the only one giving women attention.
The enemy gives them plenty of attention as well. He wants nothing more than to destroy the crown of God’s creation. The wondrous creatures who reflect the beauty of God. And his diabolic work is alive and well, especially in Asia, today. Consider these stats:
- Young girls throughout Asia are ravenously abducted and forced into a life of prostitution with every agonizing day one step closer to an early death from AIDS.
- Widows in India bear the blame for their husband’s death. They’re shunned by their communities, rejected by their families and forced into an inhumane lifestyle. Tens of thousands take their own life just to end the pain.
- Every year in India more than 7,000 women are doused with kerosene and burned to death—by their husbands. The wife’s crime: an insufficient dowry.
It is no surprise that the suicide rate among young women in India is ten times higher than the world’s average.
And these are the women God loves. I wonder if, today, we might consider blessing THEM with a Valentine’s Gift. The gift of prayer. The gift of hope. $30 sends a female-missionary to tell them about Christ. $85 gives them a sewing machine so they can be freed from the ravages of poverty and oppression.
If anything, please just be aware of the beautiful women in our world who want to be loved and romanced just as much as you do.
Let’s ask God if perhaps He would use us to love them…
{You are loved. Happy Valentine’s Day and thanks for reading…}
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*Also, looking for ways to give more to women like these? Wednesday, Feb. 15th, 6pm in Beaverton, I’m doing a workshop called Faithfully Frugal, easy ways to steward God’s resources and live simply, healthfully, frugally. It’s FREE and includes dinner and childcare. All are welcome, invite your friends. I’d love to see you there!
KATU Frugal Family Meal Plan {& Frugal Workshop}
For those of you visiting from KATU, welcome!
And for those of you Portland-friends who are interested, our little family will be on KATU Channel 2 tonight at 5pm and 11pm sharing our journey into frugal living.
*Also, Portland-area readers: This Wednesday night, Feb. 15th at 6:00 I’m teaching a workshop entitled Faithfully Frugal — how to live more and spend less. Beaverton SDA church is hosting this event as part of their weekly family night. Dinner and childcare are provided, and the event is FREE. (Such a deal!) Perhaps you might want to join me there? (14645 SW Davis Road, Beaverton)
As most of you know, I’m a bit of a frugal-living enthusiast, not as a goal in and of itself, but as one way to faithfully steward the resources God has given to us.
One of our greatest privileges, as Christ-followers, is getting to give our earthly resources to join in God’s Kingdom work. Making small, frugal choices in our everyday lives is one way we can free up finances to give more for the glory of God. This is why being faithfully frugal is different from just deal-hunting. We’re not striving to get more we’re striving to give more. We’re not just looking to score the greatest deal, we’re looking to live simply and freely, giving generously, sacrificially, and joyfully.
Lots of our budget line-items are fixed. But household/groceries is one area where we most likely have wiggle room. About a year and a half ago our family did a little Food Stamp Challenge. We wanted to see if it was possible for a family of 4 to eat fresh, local, mostly organic food on a food stamp budget ($275.53). Turns out, it is! This was exciting to me because it gave hope that we can bless our families with nutritious food and bless God’s work with all the money we save.
Now, please hear my heart: I am no master chef and I’m no dietition. I’m a wife, mom and follower of Jesus Christ seeking to feed my family well and faithfully steward the finances and bodies God has given us. Nor am I telling you what your grocery budget should be. There are lots of ways to honor God, so I’m not prescribing a lifestyle for you but describing what we’ve found on our little family’s journey these past few years.
1. A few principles to remember:
- Convenience is the budget – and health – killer. Organic whole foods are not that much more expensive, but organic convenience foods are very expensive. If beans are in a can, you’re paying for the work they did to put them there. If they’re in a bag or in bulk, you’ll save lots. This is most clear with veggies. Whole organic carrots are $.60/lb at Costco. But baby peeled organic carrots can be $3-$4/lb. You do the peeling, you save the money. Same goes for oatmeal, homemade bread (easy with a bread-machine). Cutting packaged convenience foods is the easiest way to build health and reduce cost.
- Be choosy with organics. You don’t have to buy everything organic. See the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen. The key is this: It doesn’t make sense to buy organic processed food. If a food is processed (think goldfish crackers), then none of the original pesticides (or nutrition!) are left so it really doesn’t matter. If you can only buy a few organic items, choose the non-peelable fresh fruits and veggies.
- Part of the challenge is going without. Sometimes we just have to tell ourselves no. And here in America, in the land of plenty, that is not a popular thing to do. But it’s so good for us!
So do we all of a sudden turn our whole diets and budgets upside down on their heads? Perhaps, but maybe a more gradual approach will set you up for success. Consider these five simple ideas:
2. Five Simple Ideas for a Healthy Frugal Diet (click links for more info)
- Simple Step 1: Eat oatmeal.
- Simple Step 2: Simplify snacks!
- Simple Step 3: Think whole.
- Simple Step 4: Simple Lunch.
- Simple Step 5: Make Dinner Happen.
3. Meal Planning and Recipes
Meal-planning made it that much easier to take the Food Stamp Challenge and really give our budget and diet a handsome makeover. For us, to maximize our budget and keep things simple, we just have 10-12 meals and eat each one twice a month. A switch things up with the seasons but keep things pretty simple. I’m not winning any culinary prize, but my family’s healthy and fed and we have extra dollars to give away. That’s all the prize I need.
**On Friday we’ll talk more about developing a menu plan that’s custom-made for your family.
**ALL the recipes below (and more!) can be printed here for free.
Here is a sample week’s menu of dinners, with price/serving:
Monday: Whole Roast Chicken ($6 total), Organic green beans ($5 for 5 lbs. at Costco), homemade bread (pennies). After dinner shred and save 4 cups of chicken. Make stock overnight or the next day.
Tuesday: Hobo Dinner ($6 total). One pound local, grass-fed beef ($4.50 at Afton Field Farms), one pound organic potatoes, one pound organic carrots ($5.99 for 10 lbs. at Costco). Brown and season beef, slice potatoes and carrots, layer in Dutch oven and bake until potatoes are soft. Serve with ketchup.
Wednesday: Chicken Rice Bake ($4 total), Organic peas ($5 for 5 lbs. at Costco)
Thursday: Tortilla Soup ($4 total)
Friday: Quick and Easy Pansit ($4 total)
Week’s dinner cost: $24 total. $6/person. Less than $1/day per person. (Scroll to bottom for grocery-shopping list)
If these recipes aren’t your cup of tea, here are a few other great ones:
Barley Risotto ($3 total)
Baked Mac ‘n Cheese ($6 total)
Delectable Banana Bread ($1.50 total)
And more ways to use any extra chicken stock:
Herbed Chicken and Dumplings (Just use the shredded chicken (from above) and this comes together in a flash.
Tarragon Chicken-in-a-pot Pies (With or without tarragon this is delicious. This is also a great way to use that frozen zucchini from last summer!)
Chicken Vegetable Soup (I skip the parsnips and turnips. The leeks make this delicious! Just use shredded chicken (from above) and your homemade stock.)
Winter Lentil Soup (You can tweak this soup to use anything. I don’t usually use tomatoes, and often substitute frozen spinach if I don’t have kale on hand–and who usually has kale on hand? I always add chopped carrots or carrot puree.)
Feeling overwhelmed? Check back with the Five Simple Steps and choose just one to do this week. Or, simply try the 5-day Meal Plan listed above and see how much you save. It’s amazing how a few simple changes can revamp our budgets — and diets — in phenomenal ways.
Thanks so much for visiting, hope to see you again soon!
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5-Day Dinner Plan Shopping List
(Assuming basic cooking staples are already in your pantry. Please check recipes to be sure you have these on hand. Also, I rely on FrugalLivingNW for the latest updates on deals around the Portland area.)
:: Thriftway, Azure Standard, online, or other grocery source:
- 1 Whole chicken (Draper Valley & Zaycon are quality, affordable choices)
- 1 lb. local grass-fed beef (Afton Field Farm $4.50/lb.)
- 1 lb. Organic potatoes (Azure)
- Organic Fuji apples (Azure)
- 5 lb. bag organic green beans
- 5 lb. bag organic peas
- Yeast (if making homemade bread)
- 10 lb. bag organic carrots
- 5 lb. bag organic corn
- Whole-wheat flour
- Tillamook Cheese
- Bananas
- Organic Brown rice
- Onions
- Taco seasoning
- Dried black or pinto beans
- Whole-wheat or brown rice spaghetti noodles
*More Links:
Week's end with thanks … {the sickness edition}
Good morning, friends, it is 5:30am on Saturday morning. It has been a week. I have not written a single post (this week’s posts, thankfully, were written ahead) because I’ve had two very sick little children and haven’t felt so great myself. Jeff teased me that the last few days on the “Best of My Days” chart have been blank …
I took it as a challenge. Are there blessings in a week of sickness and blahs?
- The bedtime battle is non-existent. They beg for their beds and are almost asleep by the time I walk out the door.
- I only cooked one meal all week as all they had was fluids and fruit-sicles. Jeff and I were happy as clams with salads and freezer-soups.
- Last night I ran the dishwasher for the first time all week.
- There are no toys scattered on the floor.
- We’ve snuggled, literally for hours and hours and hours. When I think of how I’m getting nothing done I remind myself we’re tying heart-strings.
- There’s still nothing as wonderful as rocking a child.
- Falling asleep beside them in bed.
- Not much laundry when they stay in jammies all day.
- A week of cancelled plans can actually be a blessing.
- A husband who is amazing and gets up over and over and over at night to soothe coughs, get drinks, pray, and snuggle back to sleep.
- A warm, cozy home and a humidifier that works.
- Curled up on the couch holding kids, listening to Jeff read Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Dutch, droopy-eyed, fighting sleep to listen intently.
- Blessed Danielle bringing over movies. Cars 2 saved the day when I was about to smash our few movies that had been played way too many times.
- Her minestrone soup.
- Azure’s raw honey soothing coughs and throats and sweetening Mama’s tea.
- Tea, tea, tea.
- On Friday finally escaping through the front door for an almost-5-mile run. Sooooo tired but it felt so good at the end!
- More time than usual to just sit, watch them chests rise and fall, study their faces, kiss their cheeks and the tops of their heads. They look so small when they are sick … such precious bodies, thank you Lord.
- Thanking God again and again that they are alive.
- Watching the miracle of our God-given bodies fight viruses and heal themselves.
- Praying lots.
#16 Schedule Regular Date Nights {52 Bites}
Yes, yes, the holiday of love is looming right around the weekend’s corner. Are you running for cover or making grandiose plans? You’ve probably picked up by now I’m not much of a roses-and-chocolate girl. I love my man who knows how to scrub toilets and take out trash. For me, the ultimate romantic gesture can be summed up in one sentence, “Babe, today while you’re writing and I’m taking care of the kids are there any chores you’d like me to do?” I melt.
We all know by now that we each have different love languages, right? And no two couples are the same. But whether you’re a gifts girl or crave nothing but quality time or even if, like me, you don’t care about leaving the house you just want the house that you’re in to be clean (!) — we all still need purposeful time alone with our spouse. Why? Tsh shares some great reasons:
- We get to speak in complete sentences. (This week I attempted to make plans with Jeff for a family vacation while speaking to his back as he bathed both kids. I have no idea what we agreed upon.)
- We get to be people other than parents. (Confession: I am a different person when we go out without kids. I even remember how to flirt!)
- We get to talk about important stuff. (Not that “Do you need a lunch today?” isn’t riveting conversation, but date-night talk dives into the stuff of dreams and desires. It’s fresh breath for our souls.)
- We remember that we like each other. (This is the kicker for me. Jeff and I truly have a blast together. He’s my best friend. I just forget sometimes because life is a whirlwind and we’re running fast, each holding a kid. But when we stop and I kiss that rough, whiskered cheek, I remember — he’s the one I want.)
- Home Date-Night. We plan weekly date-nights but only go out once-a-month. Our “Date Night” is often also “Family Night.” Family night lasts until the kids go to bed and then Date Night begins. Call it lame, it’s good for us. But I’m not a big “go out” girl and we live on a sweet little budget, so it works. We thrive on popcorn and scrabble sitting in bed. We’re simple folk, I know. Maybe your home-date-night is a glass of wine by the fire. Or a fancy dessert from a bakery cut in two. What would you both enjoy?
- Childcare Swap. For our monthly out date-night we have a date-night swap with another family. Each month we watch their children one night and they watch ours. So, the whole arrangement is free and it holds us accountable to going out on the town. We use gift cards from Christmas and birthdays and enjoy a nice dinner (I love anything that I don’t have to cook!), or sometimes we just run errands and get ice cream. It’s just fun because we’re together, and don’t have to be back by 7:30 bedtime. We rarely spend extra money on date-nights, but we do have some budgeted in so we have the freedom to if we want.
- Look your best. It is ridiculous to me that I get more dolled up for Tuesday morning Bible study with the ladies than I do for a home date night with my man. What’s wrong with this picture? Because I have a sweet man who loves me in sweats, it’s easy for me to be lazy about my appearance. But girls, show your man some love by taking a shower and doing some lipstick or earrings or something? It’s easier than we think…
- Don’t use it as a time to communicate your gripes and honey-do list. I mean, sure, if there’s stuff that needs to be said, prayerfully consider sharing those things in a loving, respectful manner, but we’ll talk later about scheduling weekly meetings with your spouse, a time to talk business and schedules and download your frustrations and feelings. Let a date be just that– a date. Enjoy each other. Laugh. Be silly. If you can’t remember how to do that, just think back to whatever you did before you got married and go from there…
- Remember what your husband wants and needs. I won’t elaborate…
*FYI: Wednesday, Feb. 15th, 6pm in Beaverton, I’m doing a workshop called Faithfully Frugal, easy ways to steward God’s resources and live simply, healthfully, frugally. It’s FREE and includes dinner and childcare. All are welcome, invite your friends. I’d love to see you there!