Monthly Archives: February 2012

Contest Winner Announced!

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Wow!  I almost wish that the contest hasn’t come to a close.  All of the tips shared by the entrants were fantastic, and I enjoyed that everyone seemed to enjoy them as much as I did.  Our lucky winner was Mary Beth Stevens!  (No known relation to my husband’s family, as I need to receive an e-mail with an address to send the book her way.)  Thank you again  for your great tips and enthusiasm for the contest. 

Our family (now, more specifically me) is dealing with a little illness.  Once I am feeling a little better, I will start up the second contest for the Dining on a Dime Menus book giveaway.  Start thinking about that ever faithful meal that you know you can always count on to feed yourself or your family (or even company). 

If you didn’t win the book, you can still purchase the book from www.livingonadime.com . 

Have a great week!  God bless you all – Kandy

The comfort in the words of a song

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For the book contest, please see the February 15 blog.

My sweet pastor often tells of how he does his best thinking in the car. I have never really confessed to him that my most ardent grieving happens in my van as  I  really listen to the words of songs on Christian radio. Sometimes the songs remind me so much of someone or some situation that I have to pull over and simply cry. I am not so self-centered to believe that God gave those folks the lyrics for me, but often, it does feel that way.  Such is what happened one day when I heard the words to Aaron Schust’s My Hope is In You. 

I love God and I am humbled to know His ways are so much higher than my own.  This time, he knocked it out of the park for this little girl.  The first time I heard this song was shortly after receiving some not so pleasant news from the Mayo Clinic.  Even though many believe that Sawyer is completely healed, the Mayo doctors know differently (and so does our checkbook).  We ran into some complications, and it hit me so hard.

“God, why this? Why now? They told us four years, and now, they are telling me possibly many more. Hasn’t he been through enough?”  If you aren’t sure that God is big enough to take my questions, read Psalms 88.  He didn’t answer right away, but a few more miles down the road, on came My Hope is in You.  “Okay, God, I get it.  Yes, I will wait for you! I won’t be shaken by drought or storm.  And thank you for sending me the peace that passes understanding.”

My second thoughts reminded me when I heard the story of the origin of the song, It is well with my soul.  Horatio Spafford’s faith is one that amazes me, and to think he wrote a song that has timelessly comforted grieving people is a blessing straight from God.

As preparations for the last Reed’s Run begin, we have really wanted to have a theme that won’t be easily forgotten.  A theme that leaves people with the memories of what the event was all about for the four years.  As a family, we chose, “To rise from tragedy, cling to hope.”  Then another one of those van cruising days (of which I have plenty) happened, and again, God gave me this song.  Cue the big light bulb above my head, “How about not only theme words, but a theme song?  And THIS song is it!” 

It defines Team Stevens.  If quit isn’t in our vocabulary, HOPE definitely is!  And one of the goals of Reed’s Run has always been to “Reach Others for Christ”.  Sometimes what a hurting world needs is the knowledge that there is a colossal hand that is reaching out to grab yours before you fall. 

Later that evening after the epiphany moment, I went home and searched for the music video.  What I saw brought my eyes to tears and my knees to reverence of God’s love.  We are not alone.  Others have walked our path through the valley of the shadow of death.  And others too want people to know that only God knows the ending of the story if we just reach out and hold on. 

So even though I am certain that Aaron Schust, the artist, or his videography team know absolutely nothing about Team Stevens, I am equally certain that God does! 

If you would like to see for yourself, you can find the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugD0i5Y3cw8 It is now the official song of the 2012 Reed’s Run.  Personally, I cannot think of a better send-off reminder.

A letter to my son

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For the book contest give-away, please see the February 15 post.

Reed  – I can hardly believe four years ago at this hour, I was still trying to figure out where you were.  No answers were coming, and my heart was frantic after seeing the story in another mother’s eyes.  Yet, I clung to the hope only found in Jesus that you were okay.  I simply didn’t (and still don’t) know any other way to operate.  And even though, Daddy and I (along with Sawyer, Erin, and Cloie) didn’t receive the news we wanted, God still provides!  He provides the blessings of friendships, memories, hugs, and sometimes more than anything else, rest. 

 

In these four years, we have tried our very best to remember and honor your most important legacy of loving God with all our hearts, souls, and minds.  And I think that you would look down and smile at the ripples in the pond that your death created not only in our lives but in the lives of family, friends, and strangers. 

 

Just to give you a quick update of those ripples:

 

  • Many have shared that because of the faith of one sweet little redhead that they got right with God and are DEFINITELY going to see you in heaven now.  (Even if we never know the full story this side of heaven, this news is incredibly comforting.)
  • Your dog and best friend continues to touch the lives of others when he goes to visit friends at nursing homes.  The love you poured into him through the countless hours spent together shows in the way he gingerly and tenderly gives back.
  • The best friend who you spent most hours with is an awesome guy who I know you would still be proud to call your friend.
  • The best friend who shared your faith is probably one of the most live out loud Christians I know and is also a tireless worker at Reed’s Run.
  • The best friend who shared your church has grown into the most amazing prayer warrior and quiet leader.
  • Many other friends continue to share the difference that you made simply by being you, and now they, too, are making their own ripples.
  • Your love of reading lives on in a reading program up north at a daycare we chose to adopt. 
  • Your love of Star Wars is known far and wide.  People still joke and laugh about your send off.

 

Things are not always rosy. But when we feel sad and blue, some sweet person will send us a tangible reminder of God’s love, or we will hear that beautiful cardinal sing.  It’s then that we know that God is present in the here and now, and He is big enough to withstand our doubts, worries, and grief. 

 

When I look at your siblings, I am often reminded of the tangled web of emotions that you shared with each of them.  Those unique relationships are the impetus of your legacy cheetah program.  I can tell you that Sawyer’s comedy routines have only gotten better with time, and that you would hate them (because he still gets big laughs around here).  Erin has moved a long way past her first days of learning to shoot hoops.  She no longer has a “Laura, Mary, Carrie wind-up” to just be able to get the ball through the hoop.  And yes, we still cheer just as loud as we did back in the driveway with the “Ingalls” girls.  And Cloie, oh Reed, you would not believe how much of you is a part of her.  Her passion for learning and her heart for loving others are identical to yours.  She even has your penchant for opening the wrong side of the parmesan cheese.  Oopsies! 

 

Reed time doesn’t heal all wounds.  Despite what some think, we have closed on houses and business deals, but we will never close on our children.  With that said however, each and every day that we miss you, we know that God knows exactly what it is like to lose a Son.  He knows our pain intimately.  This past year we have decided as we bring a close to Reed’s Run the theme will be “To rise from tragedy, cling to HOPE.”  Every day, we choose to do exactly that, knowing in heaven to you it will be a blink of eye when you see us again.

 

Always proud to be your momma! Now and forever, clinging that HOPE!

 

Give us this day our daily bread

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For the book contest, please see the February 15, 2012 post.  Thank you!

When I was a young bride, Daniel & I attended the same lovely little church where we were married.  As Easter grew closer, I was approached by one of the sweet little blue hair Jesus ladies (as Dave Ramsey would call them).  She inquired if I would be interested in assisting with the blessing of breads service.  Having grown up in another denomination of faith, I had no idea what that entailed, but being passionate about serving the Lord, I agreed.  What came next was a copy of a recipe followed by precious and loving instructions on how to make unleavened bread.  The idea was that women of the church would make enough bread for each family in the church to take home a loaf to have for their Easter celebrations. 

The recipe wasn’t that challenging other than the fact that it made loaves and loaves . . . and loaves of bread.  At one point, I began to think that it was some type of miraculous fish and loaves recipe.  Every once in a while, we make this bread as a family, and it always brings me back to that rite of passage of being “grown up” enough to be asked to cook for my church family. 

Wow!  I have come a long way since then.  And many loaves of bread later, I am struck by how this one cooked food is chronicled through the ages. Bread is the one food that every culture on the globe seems to have in common.  Despite all of our differences which are numerous, there seems to be one commonality that binds us all together. 

Similarly, I recently made a comment about paint colors for my house that got some notice.  I am the large box of crayolas kind of girl while my husband might be okay with the 8 crayola primer.  Isn’t it amazing that we were all created uniquely but yet one coloring page, bread recipe, or planet is large enough for us all? I stand in awe!

The recipe below is not the Easter loaf (I will post that closer to the glorious holiday), but is the one that I have been tweaking for awhile.  For my facebook group  Kan-Do! A Cooking Community to Meal Plan, Share Recipes and Feed Our Kids, this is the recipe for bread in the crockpot.  If you are interested in joining that group and have facebook, just reply to this post and I will add you.

Finally my bread “experiment” is ready to share! 

(Caveat: For my gluten-free or gluten-sensitive, I do limit gluten in my own diet, but do not do so for my family.)

Healthy Whole Wheat Bread (Recipe credited to Esther Becker of Gordonville, PA in the Fix-it and Forget-it Cookbook)

2 cups warm reconstituted powdered milk (I LOVE powdered milk)

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/4 cup honey or brown sugar (I used honey)

3/4 tsp. salt

1 pkg yeast

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups white flour

1. Mix together milk, oil, honey or brown sugar, salt, yeast, and half the flour in electric mixer bowl.  Beat with mixer for 2 minutes.  Add remaining flour.  Mix well. 

 

 

2. Place dough in a well-greased bread or cake pan that will fit into your slow cooker.  This was my problem before.  My pan was too large and I had to lean it and the dough spilled out the side.  So I finally found a pan that fit.  This isn’t an advertisement for that store, but I had to go to Sioux Falls to find a bread pan to fit in my crockpot.

 

 

Cover with greased tin foil. Let stand for 5 minutes.  Place in the slow cooker.

 

 

 

3. Cover cooker and bake on High 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  Remove from pan and uncover. 

 

 

 

Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve warm.  (I served with honey butter.) For those that know me well, I never can follow a recipe exactly.  Hence, I added 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds to this recipe with the second half of the flours.  It made the perfect textural addition of just a bit of crunch. This smelled so good when we arrived home after church! Enjoy!!!

 

A really good read and contest

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Last week, I wrote about my best friend and our phone call concerning crockpot liner bags.  Today, I am lingering over a memory of another one of those moments that we shared.  Long ago, we shared nursery duty at our church on Wednesday nights.  One of those nights, she came bearing gifts.  She had the opportunity to purchase some books through her workplace, and she bought this great cookbook.  After reading through it, she realized that it was one of the best cookbook/hints book she had ever come across.  So through love she decided that I couldn’t live without this book either.  And she was right, second only to the Bible, that book Dining on a Dime is most used book in my house. 

Over the Christmas holidays, I was bored one day.  (That was painful to even write, but it was an exceptionally quiet day at our house.)  I knew that there was an order form sheet in the front of the book; so, I wondered if the Dining on a Dime folks have a website.  I was not disappointed.  By looking at the website, I found that I had more in connection with the authors (Jill and Tawra) than I had differences. 

From the moment, I received the cookbook, I poured over its pages, and I found I was doing the same thing with the website.  (What a way to fill a “boring” afternoon!) I also found that strong connection I felt had to do with where our mutual hope was rooted rather than where our stomachs and grocery budgets lie.  That strong connection is what I feel with most of my closest friends.  It is the acknowledgment of the blessing of friendships. 

I have never met Jill or Tawra (but hope to do so someday), but today, I have the opportunity to review one of their books, Penny Pinching Mama: 500 Ways I lived on $500 a month.  The good news for my readers is that you have the opportunity (through my blog) to win the book.  After receiving the book, I wasn’t prepared for how much it would touch me. 

I will be honest.  I had a hard time putting it down.  Despite being a hints and ideas book, the advice is given with heartfelt honesty and hard-hitting integrity.  While telling of a painful life story, Jill goes on to share not what she did, but more what she had to do to survive and to keep her family afloat.  Yet while going through these tough years, she clung to her faith which is evidenced throughout the book in her anecdotes and story-telling.  Throughout the pages, she tells of the personal circumstance and the tips that helped her in those moments.  Trust me I took good notes on many of the tips.

Now I will be brutally honest.  After finishing the book, the first thing I did was pray and thank God.  It was a good book, but the gratitude came from the fact that I have never been forced in life to live on nothing financially.  I realize that I had to dig deep from the well of faith in the tragedy that befell our family, but I have never walked in Jill or Tawra’s shoes, and for that, I am truly thankful. 

I am guessing that Jill would deflect compliments of amazing and inspirational.  I am equally certain that she would agree with my newest favorite quote, “I am convinced that “strong Christians” just know where to run in times of trouble.” 

If you would like to learn more about Jill and Tawra’s books, check out their webpage www.livingonadime.com .  To win a copy of Penny Pinching Mama, you must post a reply to this blog and share a money saving tip (of any kind) in your response.  Replies without tips will not be considered for the prize.  I will give one week for entry replies and from those participating; I will draw one name to be the winner.  I will use a random name generator (aka a clean sock and slips of paper at our house) to “scientifically” choose the winner.

Looking forward to the responses and great ideas!  Today, be thankful for the blessings BIG or small, because I know I will be.

The Value of Friendships

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Imagine a late summer day, my kitchen is steaming from the canning of tomatoes.  The phone rings, and the caller id says it is my best friend.  She is 430 miles away “delivering” her oldest to college in North Dakota.  I knew from hello she had something exciting to tell me.  “You know those crockpot liner bags that we’ve been dreaming of?  Well, I have finally found them. Woo hoo!”  Now let me tell you something about that moment.  It takes a real friend to know that you are going to get “jump and down excited” over that news.  And I did!

Yet, this friendship like most of my closest friends also has had to endure life’s challenges and hardships.  We have weathered the loss of grandparents, parents, and children; job changes, house relocations, illnesses in our children, and everyday hurts and disappointments. There are those people who will drop everything to come running when you need help.  And she has on more than one occasion.  

Incredibly, I AM SO BLESSED because I can make a list of  friends of that have loved me beyond measure.  Friends who appear in the line at your son’s memorial service and tell you that you are going to sit down and eat something – not because you want to but because you need to.  Friends who call you because God has laid you on their heart and they don’t know why.  Friends who offer to take your kids so that you can have some peace and quiet.  Friends who remind you that you cannot do everything, and they hold you accountable.  Friends who keep your traditions when you are so exhausted that you cannot. Friends who love you even if you are a maniacal sports mom, and they cheer with you.  Friends who call and tell you that you have incredible kids because they caught them in the act of doing something wonderful.  Friends who know that you will answer the phone in the middle of the night and who will cry with you.  Friends that  get your sense of humor and laugh with you in a lightning storm on a football field. Friends who share the coveted title of mother on her son’s wedding bulletin.  Friends who live far away but use technology to keep in touch and to encourage you. Friends who defend you when others don’t know what you are going through.  Friends who are praying for you, even though you didn’t ask. Friends who remember the little things and send a card, e-mail, or letter.  Friends who encourage you to be so much more than you think that you are, but yet who God designed you to be.  I have all these friends, and yes, I AM TRULY BLESSED!

It was a phone call recently that prompted me to pause and really think about friendships. Her words were like a soothing balm to me.  “I just had to call you because you would get it.” The short version is that through a previous conversation, she was thinking about something she wanted to share with me and some other friends,  but what she wanted to give us wasn’t readily available.   Then in a series of everyday events, the speaker she was thinking about was on her radio.  She just had to call to say that God was amazing, and that a little flip of a radio channel was the bolstering that she needed to go forward. 

 She was right! I did “get it”.  I shared a similar story of the friend where God laid me on her heart and her faithfulness to reach out.  God blessed her with a radio channel, and for me, it was recently a text message. With God, there are no concidences.  The same is true with friendships.  With God, there is no friendship too proud to get excited by crockpot liners, too humble to encourage a friend (even if you don’t know the circumstances), too busy to serve in love, too complacent to say thank you, or too blind to love beyond our shortcomings. 

God has used  spiritual spittle – manifested as the tears of my eyes – through life’s difficulties to wash away the dust cloud of doubt.  He has shown me that He has surrounded me with all sorts of friends to be the living, breathing reminder of the friendship that I share with His son, Jesus.  Through each of my friends, I have come closer to Jesus because each embodies a part of Him that I so desperately need. 

As an “older” Girl Scout, I keep hearing our old meeting song in my head . . . Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other gold.  With all the friendships I have been given by God, I am truly swimming in heavenly gold.

What good can come from there?

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I distinctly remember in the spring of 2004 having a conversation with my son, Reed.  We were listening to all the hype surrounding the NFL draft.  Most of the “talk” revolved around one young man, Eli Manning.  Reed was dismayed to hear all the analysts talk so poorly of a guy who was predicted to be (and later was) the #1 draft pick.  Most of the talk went something like this, “Well, he’s good, but he’s no Peyton.  He will be an NFL player, but he will never, mark my words, never win a Super Bowl.  He just doesn’t have that kind of talent.”

I remember how perplexed Reed was by all these not-so-nice comments.  Reed and I had a long talk about how controversy creates buzz, and buzz sometimes creates dollars in this world of instantaneous entertainment.  I also told him that I believed that the Manning family members are Christians that as Christians we don’t have to believe what our world is telling us.  We also said that we shouldn’t define greatness by the world’s standard.  Reed’s heart was cheering for one whom many perceived as the understudy, and he didn’t like that he was being beaten down when he hadn’t even started his NFL career.    

Unfortunately the talk surfaced again, when older brother Peyton and his team (Indianapolis Colts) won the Super Bowl in 2006.  “Blah, blah, blah, it’s too bad that little brother Eli (of the New York Giants) will never have a Super Bowl ring like his big brother.”  And on and on, it went.  That is until two years later, when the little brother and his team won the 2008 Super Bowl. 

I was so glad that Reed was still alive (as it was his last Super Bowl to watch on earth) to see that win. Despite all the dire glass-ceiling predictions about Eli, he had the kind of fortitude to just keep showing up and using the talents that God has given him. 

Last night’s victory led by the “lesser talented” Manning must have made one little red-head in Heaven laugh out loud.  Not only did Eli win a Super Bowl in 2008, but he and his teammates went for an encore performance four years later, winning in 2012. 

Recently, as I have been reading through the Bible, I came across a verse that made me sit up straighter and do a double take. 

John 1:43 – 46 (NCV)

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip was from the town of Bethsaida, where Andrew and Peter lived. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the man that Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about him. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” 46 But Nathanael said to Philip, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Oh no – he didn’t! But, yes, he did!  Can anything good come from Nazareth?  You have to be kidding . . . but he wasn’t.  This Jesus couldn’t be as good as Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, and all the other prophets. Nathanael then finds out that Jesus is the real deal, but his initial thoughts were simply on this rival town and nothing good comes out of that.  After learning the truth by meeting Jesus, Nathanael becomes one of the disciples and follows him. 

There are other countless examples throughout the New Testament of Jesus standing living and breathing right in front of people, yet they would not believe that he is the Messiah.  At times even his own family doubted him.  The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the high priests, the government officials, and just average people – all doubted him. 

He continued to walk humbly and serving God his father, and people doubted and diminished his works.  People denied his abilities, and denied the prophetic claims that he was the one true Son of Man.

I, in no way, wish to imply that Eli Manning be equated with godliness, but I do want to parallel how we all have the tendency to miss the boat. This Jesus cannot be who he claims to be because it just doesn’t fit our (historically and now) idea of greatness. 

The Savior of the World, this Messiah, should be powerful, debonair, suave, magnanimous, and larger-than-life goes our thinking. He would deserve a 60 second Super Bowl ad.  A loving, caring, and humble servant does not seem to fit the picture of the “idols” we have today.  But oh, we would be so wrong. 

The hands that cradle us in our weakness were strong enough to take the nails for the sins of the world.  The heart that loves us despite our flaws (and right we are in life) was large enough to take on a burden that no other ever would be willing to take.  No, nothing good ever came out of Nazareth, but something absolutely, positively SUPER did!