Monday and Quick Meal Plans… July 21, 2009

Josh and I enjoyed a great dinner and it took less then 20 minutes from start to finish. So I thought that I would share it with you.

It is appropriately called 10-Minute Salmon and the recipe is as follows:

2 (6 oz) salmon steaks

Preheat the broiler. Cover the broiler pan with foil and lightly grease it with butter or vegetable oil cooking spay. Place the steaks in the pan and broil for 5 minutes. Turn the steaks carefully and broil for 4 to 5 more minutes, or until the fish is firm to the touch but still springy and slightly translucent in the center. Serve immediately topped with sauce. There were three sauce choices, but we decided on the Tomato Corn Salsa.

 

Tomato Corn Salsa

1 plum tomato, chopped

1/2 cup canned water-packed corn, drained

3 green onions, green parts only, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Place all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Serve at room temperature alongside salmon!

 

We had corn and black beans on the side. Everything was delicious, and it came together quickly! I hope that you enjoy it as well.

PS. This recipe came from The Working Stiff Cookbook by Bob Sloan. I picked it up off a clearance rack and it has by far been the best cookbook for quick and delicious meals. I found it on Amazon used for 10 cents!

Picture of me and the little buddy, Ashton

Just a recent picture that my step-mom took while they were in town. Looking forward to putting some up on the wall!

Sunday “Morning” Review July 19, 2009

This past Saturday Josh and I had the pleasure of attending Revolution! It was great to come back from vacation, through a crazy sand storm, in enough time to go to church. It was an awesome reminder that we love our church and it put into perspective all that we have gone through to get Revolution off the ground.

Now onto Saturday night’s festivities:

The whole evening was driving by some fun video driven stuff that Jonathan and Paul did an awesome job putting together! Josh was incredible as the TV evangelist. (Very funny, great hair!)

This was followed by the serious part of the night, Dave Ramey’s talk: Breaking the Bondage of Debt. He presents financial truths in a way that is funny and light hearted, yet honest and very straight forward.

He talked about how a borrower is a slave to the lender and that the bondage can be broken when you get out of debt. Imagine if you had no payments how much you could save, give, invest and blow! His whole series is a fresh perspective on finances that will make you think about how you spend money. Definitely worth the listen. Enjoy!

Visiting the Golden State July 15, 2009

This week I have been taking some time off of blogging and twittering, partly because I am on vacation, but also because I get terrible phone reception and I am exhausted. So instead of boring you with words, I will post some recent pictures!

Perception is a person’s reality… (A Belated Sunday Morning Review) July 14, 2009

Last Sunday, while on vacation, Josh, the kids, and myself visited a church. A few things stuck out. Now let me start with a disclaimer that I am very judgemental of churches that I visit; knowing that the first impression of a church is huge to draw people into the family of God, or create another bad experience that echos what they already believe about church.

 

Two things really stuck out to me…

1. After we arrived at the service and the greeter said hello and pointed us in the general direction of the Children’s Ministry it took about 10 minutes for someone to genuinely greet us and say hello. This is surprising because we had already signed in both Gavin and Ava and the teachers were not welcoming or helpful in getting the kids nametags etc. The perception was that we and our kids were not wanted or valued in their community.

2. About halfway through the service I needed to feed Ashton some banana and cereal and I thought that it would be too distracting to feed him in the service. So I walked out onto a breezeway and got to the business of feeding him, so as to not bother the service. While feeding him and sitting there I noticed 5 ladies in my general area. One lady was walking up and down the hall trying to get her infant baby to sleep, one lady was sitting quietly with her son trying to glean what she could from the service, and 3 other women were huddled together talking in hushed exaggerated tones. When I had walked into the breezeway the “3 ladies” looked up, but did not invite me to join them or even smile at me. This rubbed me the wrong way… not only because I felt rejected, but also because they seemed to have nothing better to do then talk about so and so and their situation, all the while sending a message to myself and I assume the other women there that we were not to be included in their group. The sad thing was that the women with the son, I found out later, had only been attending for a month and is new to San Diego. I am sure that she is looking for some other moms who are in her stage of life.

 

An observer’s PERCEPTION, whether true or not, dictates his/her reality.

How are you perceived when you go to church. Do you go to catch up with your friends, but neglect the people who may have stepped into a church for the first time, or for the first time in a long time? Do you have time to show people the God that you follow, or are you to preoccupied with making your time at church all about you and your friends, in essence a Christian country club.

 

A Challenge: My heart has recently has been opened to how available I am to people before and after the service. Trying to balance where my kids are at and what needs to be cleaned up; I try to make myself available to people. I am also learning that I may need to schedule another time with people that I already know, so that I can reach out to those who I don’t know. It can be hard to do that. *Try to engage someone you don’t know in a conversation this week.* Try to have 3 – 5 questions ready to ask in case you need to carry the conversation. Don’t give up after the first question, try to stick it out and let the person you are talking to know that you are there and you care about them. Good luck. I would love to hear any stories of reaching out. Was it hard not talking to your friends? Let me know.

Does going on Vacation take more work? July 11, 2009

Josh mentioned off-handedly that it takes a lot of work to go on vacation. There ARE quite a few details that need to come together for a family to go on vacation. Let me just give you the short list for our trip to San Diego next week:

• Do every piece of laundry in the house, including cloth diapers, sheets and towels.
• Make sure they are folded and put away so I do not come home to piles of laundry.
• Clean and organize the house so that it is clean when I arrive home, so I can dump piles of dirty clothes and luggage into my clean house upon return so that I can turn around and do it all over again.
• Finish making meals for our family for this week and plan and make meals for us while on vacation.
• Pack two coolers; one with frozen food and one with snacks for the trip.
• Make and deliver a meal for Sarah, a friend who had a beautiful baby girl on Wednesday.
• Pack clothes, diapers, wipes, sippy cups, bowls, lids, spoons, paper towels, crayons, books, cars, dolls, towels, suits and everything that we can fit in or on our van!
• Clean our van, wash the car seat covers, and return all seats to the van
• As you know this list could go on for pages… but before I finished this list and all of the items on the list, we got a call from Point Loma letting us know that we could come out a day early. I was excited for 30 seconds until I realized what all needed to happen before we left the next morning! Needless to say the list did not get completed, but with the help of Josh, my husband, and the kids taking naps we were able to leave Friday morning without any bumps. Along the way we have realized that we forgot a few key items, like deodorant, that would not have been forgotten had we the additional day to prepare, but nothing that is irreplaceable! Now we are enjoying the beautiful weather of San Diego, CA. We are staying right on the tip of Point Loma, in a two bedroom apartment. Sleeping arrangements have been a little on the tricky side (Gavin will not sleep with Ava in the room, so we have to put him down and then wait a hour then let her go to sleep). We will try to keep you updated with the fun that we are having. This morning we went to Ocean Beach and walked the pier, then Josh took Ava and Gavin to the edge of the water, Ava was brave enough to get in up to her waist. She says she wants to swim with the fish, but I don’t think she really knows what that means!

Please do not call me… July 8, 2009

For those of you who do not know, my full name is Katherine Sarah (Cogswell) Reich. When I was in seventh grade at West Middle School in the creative and performing arts program I had a history teacher who insisted on calling my Kathy. Why, I will never know, but to this day when people call me Kathy it feels like rough sandpaper to my delicate feminine skin. So do not be surprised if I ignore you if you accidentally call me Kathy.

Support the Man in Your Life. July 7, 2009

Earlier this week I posted all of our small group questions and I wanted to follow up with some discussion our small group had. As the ladies of the group we discussed how the old testament roles of men, particularly husbands/fathers, apply to today. But we also took it a step further and talked about how we can encourage these attributes in our men. Check out Josh’s Blog for his thoughts on The Role of Men in the Family.

• Personally modeling strict personal fidelity to Yahweh;

First, you need to make sure that you are growing in your relationship with God. Who knows, your man may be inspired by the work that God is doing in your life. Instead of expecting your man to connect with God in the same way you do, be open to him forging his own way. Allow room for him to have his own journey, and become his his biggest cheerleader. When he sees your respect and admiration for who he is becoming, he will naturally want to become more of that man. Figure out how best to communicate your admiration to him. Many of the ladies in our small group found The Five Love Languages book very helpful in learning how to communicate to their men. Stay away from nagging your man, he will start to resent the nagging and then start to resent you.

• Leading the family in the national festivals, nurturing the memory of Israel’s salvation;

Help to remind him of what God has done in your life together. One thing that I have been working on for a while now is our “Stones of Remembrance”. Meaning that just like the Israelites had to take 12 stones out of the middle of the Jordan river as they were passing into the promised land to remind them of what God had brought them to, our family is putting together a visual montage of specific times God has come through for us and our family in big ways. Do you have a physical reminder of how faithful God has been to you?

• instructing the family in the traditions of the exodus and the Scriptures;

This is something that as a couple with no kids you get to do together. Figure out how you as a couple connect with God, and how you as individuals connect with God. Then work on discovering how you can both pass this on to the rest of your family.

• managing the land in accordance with the law (Leviticus 25);

Make sure that you are pulling your weight around the house. As women I am sure that you tend to be more concerned with the house then he may be, but look at your home as a place to minister to your husband. Does he come home after work and have to step over toys or laundry just to get in the house? How you take care of your home speaks volumes to what you think of your husband. Also, don’t nag at your husband to remember to put away his dirty dishes or laundry. By all means ask and remind him, but instead of getting frustrated with him leaving the lid off of the toothpaste, take a moment to remedy the problem and say a prayer for him or remind yourself of a sweet and precious thing that he has done for you. Try to make your home a place that he wants to be so he does not feel the need to find appreciation and respect in someone else.

• providing for the family’s basic needs for food, shelter, clothing, and rest;

This one is huge for me; I need the security of knowing that I am going to be taken care of by my man, and his identity and fulfillment come from providing for the family. Because a man’s identity stems from his job, what are you doing to make sure that he is fulfilled at work? Do you pack his lunch? Put a note in his work bag? Thank him on a regular basis for all that he does in helping to provide financially for you and your family? Have you thought about the impact that it would make if you were willing to follow your man anywhere in the world so that he could find his calling and fulfillment in his job? Take a moment to thank the man in your life for all the hard work he does, he will appreciate it.

• defending the household against outside threats (e.g. Judg. 18:21-25)

Obviously you do not have lions or many wild animals trying to get into your home, but there are things that you can do to protect your marriage and your family. One of that things that Josh and I did and encouraged our small group to do was talk about boundaries in their relationships, especially boundaries when it comes to the opposite sex. Take a few minutes to talk with your man about what is appropriate behave for you and him around others. Let him know when what he does around other women makes you uncomfortable. Josh and I also, make sure that we do not use the computer late at night with the door to the office closed, and we both have access to each others accounts. Are you allowing your man some man time? Time for him to spend in his “man cave” or with other guys. Make sure that he is spending time doing something that he enjoys. We all need boundaries in our lives, to make sure that we have a way to release stress. What is yours? One last thing: sex. Are you having regular sex with your husband? Please take time to care of yourself, and make sure that he is being fulfilled within your relationship. In the book, Every Man’s Battle, I learned that a man has a need for release every 72 hours. Maybe take time to put on your pearls and pursue your husband tonight!

• serving as elder and representing the household in the official assembly of citizens (Ruth 4:1-11);

Enough cannot be said about encouraging your husband when he does take steps to pursue a life chasing after God. When he picks up a book, prays out loud, or makes a great decision for the family, take time to notice and tell him. Encourage him to use his gifts for and in the church.

• maintaining family members’ well-being and the harmonious operation of the family unit; and

Try to make sure that you are taking care of yourself so that there will be less emotional meltdowns and blowups. Have you taken time with God? Do you have any hobbies or things that you do that you use as a release valve? Make sure that you publicly take your husbands side, and that you NEVER speak ill of your man.

• implementing decisions made at the clan or tribal level.”

We kind of drew a blank on this one…

Continue to be creative on how you support your man. Think of ways to surprise him with your respect for him, and he will start to become all of the man God intends him to be.

 

A final note: We ended our discussion of supporting our men with the thought that this is what submission is. I know that word has many negative connotations, but for a husband and wife to truly be fulfilling their purpose, the man has been given the role to sacrificially love his wife and be ultimately responsible to God for how his family runs, and the woman is there to support and respect her husband, so that she can see her man become who he is intended to be. Please try not to take control from your husband, but give it to him. He may not always do things the way you would, but it does not mean that he is wrong.

Chapter 5 discussion of God, Marriage and Family

Below are the questions that we used for small group last night. It promoted a great discussion about how we as ladies can support and encourage our husbands to become all that God has intended for them to become. (PS. We are going through God, Marriage and Family by Andreas J. Kostenberger.)

1. How do you feel about Kostenberger’s definition of a family? “Building on our definition of marriage in the previous chapter as a sacred bond between a man and a woman, instituted by and publicly entered into before God (whether or not this is acknowledged by the married couple), normally consummated by sexual intercourse, we may define “family” as, primarily, one man and one woman united in matrimony (barring death of a spouse) plus (normally) natural or adopted children and, secondarily, any other persons related by blood.
2. “[L]ike most Near Eastern cultures, Israelite families were… patriarchal (the father was in charge of the household). Like the spokes of a wheel, family life radiated outward from the father as its center. The community was built around the father and bore his stamp in every respect.”
   1. What was your father like? Was he a good example of what you want to be like or the kind of man you would want to marry?
   2. How does his example, good or bad influence your family life/marriage?
   3. What does respect look like toward your parents today?
3. “Block lists the following nine primary responsibilities of the father in ancient Israel:

• Personally modeling strict personal fidelity to Yahweh;
• Leading the family in the national festivals, nurturing the memory of Israel’s salvation;
• instructing the family in the traditions of the exodus and the Scriptures;
• managing the land in accordance with the law (Leviticus 25);
• providing for the family’s basic needs for food, shelter, clothing, and rest;
• defending the household against outside threats (e.g. Judg. 18:21-25)
• serving as elder and representing the household in the official assembly of citizens (Ruth 4:1-11);
• maintaining family members’ well-being and the harmonious operation of the family unit; and
• implementing decisions made at the clan or tribal level.”

How does this translate into the role of a father/husband today?

(Men) How does this affect how you look at your role as a husband/father? What are some practical things that you can start doing in your life to fulfill these responsibilities?

(Women) How does this affect how you view the man in your life? How can you support/encourage (without nagging) your husband to fulfill these responsibilities?

Additional questions… How has your relationship with your parents changed since getting married? How are your in-law relationships? Is there anything that you need to do to repair/show respect in either of these areas?

 I hope that this gives you something to chew on!

Monday and Money Saving! July 6, 2009

So, last week I saved 77% at Albertson’s Grocery and I thought that I would share some of how I try to make our dollar strech a little further by clipping coupons. First, I decided that I am not going to pay anyone to tell me where to get cheap deals. I tried out Grocery Game for their trial period and found it not worth my time. It was supose to make it easier and put all of the deals in one place, but for me it did not work. Second, I subscribe to the Arizona Daily Star for the weekend. We were always forgetting to go out on Sundays to pick up the paper, now for $5 a month we have it delivered to our door. I make up that in a shopping trip so the convenience is worth it. Third, get a great mother-in-law and have her clip and send you her coupons in the mail! You may not have family who is willing to clip coupons for you, but it is helpful to have multiple coupons to save MORE money. Fifth, I just started following Jill Cataldo, a coupon-workshop instructor, writer and mother of three. Through one of her articles I found out, that most food items rotate on sale on a three week basis. So if something is not on sale wait a week or two and then pair a coupon with it to get maximum savings. Also, you can usually use two coupons on an item if you have a store and manufacturers coupon. Target just sent me some store coupons so I am excited to save double. Lastly, you need to buy stuff at its cheapest price point and then keep it until you need it, instead of just running to the store for the things that you need.

PS. Check out P&G Saver, Cellfire, and Shortcuts to load coupons onto your fry’s or safeway card.