by Kimberly | May 5, 2010 | Uncategorized
In light of the title of the book, Collaborate is a collaborative effort by many ministers in the field of children, family, and student ministry to bring the best of the best of their ideas to the table. Chanley, at Southeast in Louisville, KY, put together these short chapters filled with excellent events you can do at your church to help bridge the gap that is evident in ministries and families across America.
Good things about this book:
1. Rob Rienow’s chapter. I had read a bulk of the material for since I am familiar with Rob’s writings, but it was a good reminder of WHY we do family ministry and WHY THERE IS A NEED for family ministry. The reason this chapter, for me, was the best out of this book is because it is the only one whose main focus was the theological reason behind family ministry. Others definitely drove Deut 6.4-9 into the ground and used that as an imperative for ministry – but Rob opened up the biblical mandate for Family Ministry and parenting and the church and the gospel. Theology, I know, wasn’t the main point of this book. And Chanley and others definitely succeded in the aim of this book. (That’s why there are multiple books out there, each with its specific niche.)
2. Rob Bradbury encouraged me by his list. Not only will this chapter be helpful as people sit down to plan out events – but he started with the most important, yet most often overlooked element. PRAYER. He listed prayer before advertising. How often to do plan, advertise, talk up, poster-up, get volunteers – even before we pray. At the church I serve, we have even noticed that this is not as big of a focus as we need it to be. So, we are taking many efforts to strengthen our prayer times in staff meetings or in our lives personally. Today, even, stopping in the middle of staff meeting to pray for a lady who walked through our doors during Joy Prom and said she had never (in 62 years, in the South) walked into a church. These are the things that need praying for.
3. Short chapters. I like books with short chapters because I feel like I can plow through a book without having to sit down and read for 2 hours straight. I like being able to end at a chapter, not in the middle of one.
4. Very practical. If you need ideas, or are stuck and uncreative (like I often am), this book will help bring some fresh new ideas from literally around the world to you.
One word of caution with this book: Picking up this book would lead some to believe that is all about activity – or events. Family Ministry is not event driven. It must NOT be. It has to be theology and gospel driven. God can and does use events to draw people to themselves (take Joy Prom for example, or youth camp, or VBS, or Family Fall night, but if it is event driven, we will just fill up a calendar and spend money. If it is gospel-driven – then hopefully God will use the church to make an impact in the lives of families. You can’t get your people on board with events unless they know the why behind what you do.
That is my daily challenge. May it be your’s as well.
by Kimberly | May 2, 2010 | Uncategorized
I did a pre-lim menu last Thursday – but then I started a new whole month challenge (no processed foods). So, it will look a little different.
I think oats will be on the menu every day for breakfast – with milk and all-natural peanut butter
Lunches: lentil/chicken soup (all natural), chickpeas and salad with veggies, yogurt and mango, orange, celery, carrots and mustard.
Dinner: oats, salad, brown rice and tomatoes,
Wed night heading out with one of my girls. Thursday hitting up tea with some friends in Durham. Friday lunch is lunch with a friend. Saturday is traveling to Charlotte and will probably eat at IKEA (because a friend wants to eat there). May be Sonnys as well which will definitely be easier to do whole foods…
by Kimberly | May 1, 2010 | Uncategorized
I love LOCAL. I wish Raleigh had more eat local restaurants – but alas, will have to keep making the drive to Durham and Chapel Hill.
Watts Grocery is on Broad Street – near the 9th Street district and one of Duke’s campuses. This wasn’t here when I lived in Durham and worked near the spot of the restaurant. My friend Kristin recommended this place and it was a winner.
They are only open for brunch for a few hours on Saturday. We got there about 25 minutes after they opened and we had a 20 minute wait. But, the line kept building, so this place has earned quite a reputation.
All local farms provide the food for this restaurant.
I had
Little Red Wagon Farms granola (from Chapel Hill) – but Louisville people – you can buy it too! Yogurt was delicious – a vanilla kind maybe from
Chapel Hill Creamery, or another local farm. Topped with blueberries, raisins, and strawberries and pecans. Very good. House made english muffin with fresh butter and blueberry preserves. Good local eats.
Kristin had the huevos rancheros – made with red beans for a slight change. She said hers was great too!
Will be making another trip: the blood orange mimosa sounds good and the toasted pimiento cheese sandwich or the strawberry caramel filled french toast. How can you go wrong?
by Kimberly | Apr 30, 2010 | Uncategorized
Praise God April is (almost) over. Its been a great month, but not for the eating/exercising/weight part of it. May will be different!
I love starting new things, having goals, etc.
Happy Herbivore is doing this and when I saw it – I thought I could do this. It is not RAW, but unprocessed – I think there is a difference.
My friend Sarah is doing it and she has made her own tweaks to make this be balanced and work for her.
So, this month:
1. Going to keep a food journal and really assess how easy or hard it is to eat whole, unprocessed foods (with receipts).
2. Going to apply this wholly while I am at home, but slack some while at restaurants. Try to eat as whole as possible out, but knowing I can’t control everything on a menu.
3. Will keep up with my recipes from magazines and will try to just bake then I can give them away and not eat them. I don’t have any whole, unprocessed magazine recipes.
4. Will post the highlights and lowlights each wknd for the month of May.
Looking forward to the challenge. Are you up for it?
by Kimberly | Apr 29, 2010 | Uncategorized
Italian food. Comfort food.
There is
a small, local Italian place within a 1/2 mile of home and I finally had a chance to go tonight. Definitely had to make reservations and had great company.
I tried to be a little on the healthy side – so I didn’t have any ooey gooey cheese – will have to go back and try something that has cheese!
Good:
1. The hospitality. Like an Italian family dinner table. They were excited we were there, people in white chef’s coats brought out our food, and they were very welcoming even when we were leaving. They weren’t shoving us out of there and couldn’t care less about how long we stayed and talked.
2. The meatballs. Perfectly seasoned and not dry at all – that’s what I like. Maybe I need to go back and get a huge meatball sub!
3. Option for whole wheat pasta. I went for the whole wheat penne – I could be a little healthy.
4. The tomato sauce. Not too spicy, not too chunky. Perfect for a pasta sauce. Right on!
5. My friends enjoyed their meal: chicken parm and stuffed shells. They both said they were great.
The Wish Was Better:
1, The bread. Definitely dig any other Italian place’s bread better than here. Dry and not too flavorful.
2. The bruschetta. They were cheap (which was good for an appetizer) but neither were really that good: blue crab on one and chicken liver pate on the other. I could have passed on both.
3. The non-descript salad. Yes it was good. But there was nothing special about it.
Would I go again – yes, definitely trying something cheesy this next time.
Would I make it my go to Italian place? Not yet – and definitely the chains are better so far.
Have heard amazing things about their pizza – so may hit that up soon!
by Kimberly | Apr 28, 2010 | Uncategorized
Most people would not pick up this book and think of a seminary text book on theology (for example: Grudem, Erickson) – but this book is just as potent – just in paperback form!
Having the opportunity to work with Dr. Ware at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was definitely a highlight for me during my time there. Seeing the humility and focus on the gospel in which he and his wife lived their lives was a light. The best part of the book, in a way, was the forward which was written by Ware’s daughters. They provided insight into long road trips and family dinners they had with their Dad. Dr. Ware lives this theology book. He just doesn’t teach it in the classroom or preach it from the pulpit; he and his wife model it for their children, even now as they are grown women. They have had a godly example from which to pattern their lives after and as they raise their children by teaching them Big Truths for Young Hearts.
There are multiple uses for this book (and no, one of them is not hand it to a 10 year old and have them give you a book report on it in a month):
1. Read it. Especially if you are a new believer, or know new believers, Dr. Ware puts many difficult theological concepts in terms and with illustrations to make them easier to comprehend.
2. If you are a Dad: read it, share it with your family – even a chapter a week – at family devotion time. It would be a source of encouragement and edification for you. Read the chapter (short 2-4 pages mostly), then have discussion. Makes family worship easier. The end of each chapter even has questions for discussion (so you don’t have to come up with those on your own either). This would be a great tool for Family Worship.
3. Praise. Many times at the end of each chapter, Dr. Ware breaks into a doxology of sorts. The idea that he models here for his readers is that knowing who God is (and Christ, the Spirit, the Church, Man, Salvation, End Times) should warrant our utmost praise! Maybe even break into song!
What I loved about this book is that it gave me broad segments of theology, didn’t try to cover everything, was readable, had Scripture within the text, and gave me many “pierce the heart” moments of conviction. Here are some:
“How foolish we are when we forget to read and study this book. But how wise and blessed we are when we go to this book constantly for instruction, guidance, correction, and help with living life as God wants.” (p 23 – The Bible)
“A grumbling spirit is sinful, because it fails to recognize God’s goodness and kindness in providing for us every good thing in life that we enjoy.” (p 69 – God Provides)
“If our punishment is a small thing, then when we learn that Jesus took our punishment upon himself, we think little of this. But, when we see our punishment as the great and weighty and horrible thing that it is, then it becomes a wonder and a marvel to us that Jesus took that punishment upon himself for us.” (p 99 – Punishment for Sin)
“The Spirit will have a great influence and will provide more direction in our lives as God’s Word “dwells” more and more within us. Our reading of his Word, our time spend memorizing and meditating on Scripture, is one of the main tools that the Spirit uses to help us think, feel, speak, and act in ways that are more and more pleasing to Christ.” (p 167 – Spirit)
“We love many things in this world that we shouldn’t love, yet we don’t love God as we should.” (p 171 – God’s Kindness and Wisdom)
Believe me, there are many other sentences and paragraphs underlined in my copy. Read it. May it be an encouragement to you and may it be a tool you can use to help lead your family in knowing God deeper.
