Kathi Lipp's Blog, page 115
August 13, 2013
Kid Bible Memorization Tools
Teaching Children Bible Memorization
Proverbs 22:6
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
The Bible instructs us to teach and to train up children according to God’s will and verse memorization is part of that. We are to think on what is good and pure as Paul instructs us in Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
So what are great ways to teach children Bible verses? I asked the question on my Facebook page and so many responded with great ideas. Music was by far the most recommended way to get the Bible into their cute little minds. Here are some reader suggestions.
Cyn Rogalski
“MUSIC! Set the words to music, even Twinkle Twinkle, it really helps them to remember.”
Heather Van Nortwick Faulkner
“When we were doing AWANA and my kid’s had to memorize a verse each week I got a little voice recorder (from Target in the toy section). They said the verse into it and would listen to it over and over and say it along with it.”
Carol Daniels Boley
“Definitely music. Even in high school when they had to memorize verses in Bible class, we would pick tunes that fit. Did you know Esther 4:16 works perfectly with “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina?”
Randi Schmid Seeds
“Family Worship CDs are awesome; we use those to memorize (without them realizing it!) and then we memorize the old fashioned way too just writing it down and saying it every day until we memorize it.”
Murphy Baumann
“In my classroom, when we had a long passage, I would give each child one word written on a small dry erase board and then have them get in order by saying the verse with them. I would have them change words with someone and do it again. After a few times I would time them to see how quickly they could get in order. For individual memorization it helps to have the words on paper. Have the child cut the words out, mix them up, and then put them back in order a few times. This could work for adults too!”
Sabrina Martinez
“I post a sticky note on their bathroom mirror with a scripture every day. With 3 girls getting ready in there, at least one of them is likely to memorize it.”
Stephenie Hovland wrote a blog post memorizing scripture. May be something some of you could use Faith-Filled
Teresa Svatos Drake friend in Washington created a wonderful book for kids called Alphabet of Promises. The story behind the book is precious, as well.
Ronda Jones Doug Jones Knows the creator of Memlock and she says his system is awesome!!
Be sure to check out my Pintrest Board for other resources and great ideas on how to memorize verses and get your kids excited about it.
Calling All Writers (or Maybe You Just Want to Be…)
At almost every event, wome
n have come up to me and said, “I want to do what you do!” And I want to help. I’ve want to coach, I want to encourage.
And then life and family hi and my best of intentions go out the window.
But now, thanks to my amazing co-author, Cheri Gregory, there is a way you can see what the process of writing a book looks like from every angle.
“Write Beside You” is your chance to hang out (albeit virtually) with me and Cheri as we write The Good Girl’s Guide to Breaking Bad Rules.
You’ll have access to a secret Facebook page where we’ll regularly post status updates about their progress. We’ll share what we’re learning about the writing process (i.e what’s working well and what’s not!)
You’ll be able to ask your questions about writing, speaking, platform-building, marketing, etc. and receive specific answers.
Plus, you’ll be hanging out with a bunch of like-minded women who will (we are confident!) become a source of support, brilliant ideas, and even accountability.
You can participate as much or as little as you like. All we ask is that you be respectful of everyone in the group and keep everything confidential.
If you’re interested, fill out the application here and you’ll hear from us soon!
July 31, 2013
Need Some Organization Inspiration?
Need Some Organization Inspiration?
Today and Friday on Focus on the Family – The Get Yourself Project
This is one of my favorite broadcasts on Focus. We talk about all aspects of organizing your home – and what happens when the President of Focus on the Family throws away his wife’s Bed Bath and Beyond coupons…
Listen to the broadcast online at: Today’s Broadcast
Too Much Paper?Download Your Free Copy of the Life Organization File
Everyone is drowning in paper. If you spend more time moving piles off your kitchen counter than you do preparing food on it, go on and download your free copy of how to create your own Life Organization File.
Head over to my website to get your free copy: THE LIFE ORGANIZATION FILE
July 23, 2013
Summer Sizzle!!!! Keeping Your Marriage and Your Dinners HOT! – 2 of Kathi’s Books for $15
Looking for a few ideas on how to keep things hot in your meal planning and your marriage?Need some summer inspiration for your meal planning? 
First, go to our Summer Sizzle Page and get 5 of our favorite summer recipes!!!
Do you need to spice things up in the midst of the summer heat?
Take advantage of the Summer Sizzle Pack! A copy of The What’s for Dinner Solution and The Marriage Project. Signed (if you’d like!) Sealed and Delivered for $15 plus shipping. (Use the code SIZZLE to receive your discount at checkout! This is good through August 1st.
The What’s for Dinner Solution has all of my family’s favorites – and I’m sure you’ll find a few that will be part of your dinner menu as well.
The Marriage Project is a great read for anyone who wants a few ideas on how to have a closer, more connected relationship with their mate.
Summer Sizzle!!!! Keeping Your Marriage and Your Dinners HOT! – 2 of Kathi’s Books for $15
July 21, 2013
Reader’s Favorite Chicken Marinades
Reader’s Favorite Chicken Marinades
Reader’s Favorite Chicken Marinades
Most of us eat chicken and it is probably the animal protein we eat more than others. So it is no surprise that it can get to be a dull and boring dinner dish and before you know it we are cooking the same chicken dishes over and over again. Over 40 of you responded with great recipes when I asked what your favorite chicken marinades are. Bev Galema got busy and blessed us with 4 great recipes. I have posted her and a few others below. This should help you with the menu planning for the next week and you have the answer for “What’s for Dinner?” Bon Appétit
Teriyaki Dump Chicken
Suggested by: Bev Galema
1 clove garlic crushed
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 T cider vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1/2 T minced ginger
1 1/2 lb’s chicken pieces (5-6 boneless skinless breasts)
Directions:
Place all ingredients into a gallon sized freezer bag, seal and gently shake to blend. Label and lay flat in freezer.
To make dinner from the freezer meal: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. To cook in Crockpot, pour contents of freezer bag into Crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours or until done.
To bake in oven: bake at 350 degrees in baking dish 30-45 minutes or until done.
These would be great on the grill as well!
Caribbean Dump Chicken
Suggested by: Bev Galema
8 oz. can pineapple chunks with juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
Optional: 1/2 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (5-6 boneless skinless breasts)
Directions: Place all ingredients into a gallon sized freezer bag, seal and gently shake to blend. Freeze laying flat.
To make dinner from the freezer meal: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Place all ingredients in Crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours or until done.
To bake: Bake in oven in baking dish 350 degrees 30-45 minutes or until done.
Chicken in Mushroom Sauce
Suggested by: Bev Galema
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine soup and sour cream; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender. Sprinkle with bacon. Yield: 4 servings
BBQ Chicken
Suggested by: Bev Galema
4-6 Chicken Breasts
12 oz bottle of BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/8 t of cayenne pepper
1 t garlic powder
Once the chicken is cleaned, I like to rub it with the Cayenne Pepper. But, if you’re in a hurry you can just add the Chicken to a freezer gallon Ziploc bag and then add the rest of the ingredients. Once bag is closed, use your hands to mash all the ingredients together! To cook: Take the freezer meal out of the freezer and hour before starting OR run it under some room temperature water for about 30 seconds. Dump meal in a Crockpot and cook on Low for 4-6 hours!
Sweetened Wine Chicken
Suggested by Jennifer Huffman
1 bottle Marsala cooking wine (small bottle, usually with the vinegars in the salad dressing aisle)
1/2 cup honey
4 cloves grated or crushed garlic
Whisk ingredients, together and coat chicken pieces thoroughly. Marinate for a minimum of 4 hours. Cook in skillet or grill over medium heat.
Herb Chicken
Suggested by Liliana Toler
Put your chicken pieces on a Ziploc bag add
2 T of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic minced,
1 t of 4 of each of your favorite Italian herbs fresh is best , but dry can be use as well
1 T of balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper mix the ingredients and put to oven to oven 350 for 20 min or so or best grill or skillet is delicious and you will enjoy it!
Blackened Chicken
Suggested by Kristen Williams Reichert
My father in law owned his own chicken restaurant for years and his secret is the brine. For every 2 pounds of chicken use
1 T of salt
1 t of garlic powder
Place in a bowl of water left overnight in the fridge. Then add whatever spices you like before cooking. I like balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey and rosemary.
Blackened Spice Mix for Chicken
Suggested by Susie Neiger
I keep a spice-mix in a jar, and sprinkle it on boneless chicken when sautéing…
Here’s the spice mix:
Blackened Chicken Spices (enough for 5-10 lbs of chicken … use sparingly unless you want it really spicy!)
4 T paprika
2 T onion powder (or dried minced onion)
2 T garlic powder
2 T pepper
1 T salt
1 T oregano
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Mix and store in a jar. Use a little or a lot, (depending on how spicy you want it) – sprinkle on boneless chicken when sautéing in a little oil in a skillet.
July 17, 2013
Reopening a Can of Worms (Thoughts on Yesterday’s Post)
So in yesterday’s post, provokingly titled Let Me Tell You Why I Unfriended You On Facebook I talked about the need to filter some of the people in your life if you’re struggling in areas.
While the reaction on Facebook was overwhelmingly positive, enough issues were raised that I would love the chance to clear things up.
I didn’t unfriend you on Facebook, I promise. I didn’t. I’ve unfriended exactly two people in my life, and they both were for extreme kinds of things that I promise you you’ve never done. They both know that I unfriended them, and they both know why. I did, about 18 months ago, merge my Facebook Profile with my Facebook Page. I was getting close to maxing out on the number of friends I could have, and so I merged to a Page that has an unlimited number of followers. That killed my personal profile and i had to start all over friend-wise. Over the past 18 months, if you are someone I know in person and I’ve seen you on a friend’s feed and you’ve said yes to my friend request, or you’ve sent me a friend request, we are friends on my Facebook profile. Or you may be a follower on my page. Either way, I get to hear what you want to say, and try to respond as much as I can. That blog post was in no way telling a former friend here is why I’ve unliked you – because I haven’t. (I HAVE hidden a couple of people’s Facebook streams because of what I’ve talked about in yesterday’s post, or because of extreme religious and political views – but I usually unhide most people once elections are over.)
I wasn’t saying you should only post negative stuff. Somehow, that is how it got interpreted by a few people. I was asking for a little balance and reality. I love to celebrate your child’s good grade and your dog passing obedience school. As I said in the post – I also love when you, with humor and grace, share about a bad hair day.
My main objective was to help women feel permission to not have to read every status update. Facebook is a tricky place and by the number of Facebook comments I got yesterday, I can tell this is an issue for a lot of women. Some people said that they only want to be positive and post good stuff. That’s fine. I’m just saying, if you are doing more than posting encouraging updates, if you’re bragging on a day to day basis, I may hide your posts. You have the right to post what you want. I have the right to read what I need.
If yesterday’s post caused you to rethink a post today, I’m glad. If it gave you permission to hide, even for a day or two, somebody’s post that was dragging you down, I’m really glad. If you felt that I was trying to hurt a former Facebook friend, I am truly sorry. I promise you that was not my intention.
July 16, 2013
Let Me Tell You Why I Unfriended You On Facebook
Dear Super Amazing, Gifted, Friend on Facebook,
(And BTW – none of those things are sarcastic, I truly mean them,)
I am happy for you. I truly am.
I’m happy that your kids are all doing what they are supposed to be doing in life.
I’m happy that doors are opening and you are so darn grateful for everything that is happening in your life.
I’m happy that you and your husband are happy. That you rarely fight and that you wake up grateful every day for being in the same space.
I truly am happy for you. (You’re gonna think I’m not. But I promise you, I am.)
But…
But I can’t take it anymore. I promise you, I am not wishing you ill will. I want you to have those things. But here’s the thing.
I can’t hear about them anymore.
You (and a lot of people reading this,) are going to think that I’m shallow. If I could only get a little more Jesus, I could read your posts, your back door brags, every updating starting with the same phrase, “I’m so proud of___________ (insert child’s name here.)”. Maybe you’re right. But God and I are working on me, together. And one of the things I need to work on (big time) is actively working against discontent. And I’m working on it:
We’ve adopted a Compassion child (because who can sit in a place of discontent when you can take food in the fridge and a bed to sleep in for a given?)
Roger and I are purposely looking for ways to help people in our lives
I write a list of gratitude once a week
I look for things to thank God for, aloud, every single day
I’m working on it.
But every time I read a post about your seemingly perfect life, I go back to that ugly place. That gnarled, twisted ugly place where I think to myself “Why does God love her more than me?” (I told you it was ugly…)
It brings me back to 4th grade where my teacher, Mrs. B. took a weird dislike to me. (How anyone can randomly hate a nine year old is beyond me, but I digress.) Mrs. B. would pass out candy to the kids in class, but “run out” when it came to me. If a friend and I were caught talking, I would be sent to run laps out on the field, but my friend was excused. She tried to have me switched to the “Early Readers” (in other words, slow readers) class even though I was reading three grades beyond our level. I couldn’t understand why Mrs. B. seemingly liked all the other girls in class, but didn’t like me.
So I go along in my life, practicing my gratitudes. Not always getting it perfect, but definitely making progress. And then I run across a post from a friend who talks about their poor choice, or the poor choice of one of their kids, and they do it with humor and grace (because the worst choices can make the best stories,) and it encourages me, and makes me want to rally around my friend and do the dance of the sister-in-arms – we may trip, we may stumble, but because we are linking arms, and loving each other, we will not let each other fall. And I keep dancing.
But when I come to your post, about your child’s perfect grades, and this post is identical to the six posts before it, showing me the shiny side of your life? It brings me back to fourth grade. And let me tell you – once was enough for fourth grade.
I need to read your highs and your lows. I need to know that you get it. No – I don’t need your family secrets. I do need to know when your hair looks like Don King, or when you bought the ice cream after your son’s team lost the soccer match. Brag on your kids – yes – let me celebrate them with you. But balance the victories with the “growing opportunities”. Because we all have ‘em.
OK so I’m not blocking you today. I’m hiding your post for a while until I get a little stronger. Let’s check back with each other in six months. We both may be different then. Maybe I can hold you up when one of those “growing opportunities” comes along.
July 9, 2013
It’s All About the Husband Love (and 5 Chances to Win Kathi’s Books)
Today, Focus on the Family is rebroadcasting a show I did with earlier this year with Jim Daly and John Fuller (two of my favorite people to talk to in the world…) on one of my favorite subjects: How to Have a Happier Husband. You can listen here on Wednesday.
On that page you can download our fun 14 Ways to have a Happier Husband Cheat Sheet, and get a great discount on an assortment of my books about how to make that man happy.
But to give you some spot on encouragement, I want to do a give away for a little fun feedback. Tell me in the comments below what was the last thing you did to let your husband know you love him, we will randomly pick five winners to win the books featured on the Focus on the Family broadcast: 
The Husband Project and Praying God’s Word for Your Husband. Go, share, and win!
It’s All About the Husband Love (and 5 Chances to Win Kathi’s Books)
July 3, 2013
Praying God’s Word for Your Husband Ebook for Just $1.99
July 2, 2013
How to Make Homemade Blue Ice
How to Make Homemade Blue Ice
My hubby Roger has been having some foot trouble lately. I think it is from an over abundance of Disney walking. So while Roger wants to have happier feet, he is not willing to give up our Disney trip in November. He is launching a full footal assault (sorry, couldn’t help it…) to restore himself to full podiatric health.
One of the recommendations by his doctor was to use blue ice on his foot several times a day. Our doctor gave him the recipe to make blue ice at home:
Homemade Blue Ice
1 part water
1 part rubbing alcohol
a little blue food coloring… just so people know it’s not drinkable water
Mix in an empty bottle or double bagged Ziplocs (be sure you leave a little “squish room” in the baggies.). It will not freeze solid. That’s the point of the rubbing alcohol. It will get crazy cold. But it won’t burst the bottle.
Warning: Science Stuff… The alcohol lowers the freezing point of the water so it won’t freeze. You can also use 2/3 water to 1/3 alcohol to save money. The mixture will freeze a little bit and expand, so fill the bottle a little less full.
We found out about this just in time for all our summer chilling needs. Great for those long trips in the car while packing a cooler, in a lunch thermal bag, or keeping drinks cool when you go to the park.
You can also wrap the lid of the water bottle with colored duct tape in order to make them “toddler-proof”.
Do you have any great summer ideas? If so, tell me about them in the comments below. If we post one on the blog, you can choose any one of my books to be sent to you!
