Emily Cook's Blog, page 43

True Beauty

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Childlike Gifts

 When I was a child, and the offering plate was making its way towards us, my mom would hand me a dollar from her purse, and I would put it in.  I'm sure, when I was young, I was quite proud to do this.
As I grew, it became a little awkward. “Was it really a gift for God if it wasn't at my own expense?” I wondered. I knew that God loved a cheerful giver, but shouldn't the giver have to make some sort of sacrifice for the gift to count?
Soon I grew big enough to have my own job and my own money. I could put my own dollar in the plate, and I felt better about it, knowing it was the fruits of my labor that I had given to the Lord.
As I joined the workforce, I became responsible, competent, and proud.  I received wages as my due, not a mere handout from my ever-giving mother.  The list of things that I understood to be mine, by right, grew longer.  And I shared my wealth with God, a dollar here and a dollar there, and with good cheer. I was such a big girl.
Then, I became a mother. And I felt small again.  Surrounded by needs, and feeling only my lack, I saw myself as unable to fill all the holes around me. I could not imagine ever finishing this “job,” or doing it so well that I had a credit in my account at the end of the day. On top of this, was I expected to have something left over for God, too? Impossible.                       And yet, as I tearfully questioned him in the rocking chair, he gently asked me, “Daughter, what do you have that you did not receive?”  And I began to see. It was all grace: the energy to work, and the wages collected; the gift of marriage and children; the gift of service where I am right now. My hands doing dishes—even the dishes are grace.
Again, I am that child, whose empty hands receive what she needs.  He provides for myself and my family until we are full and running over. He is the cheerful giver.  He gives to me, and I turn around and give back to Him what he has given.
As the years pass, I feel less like a big girl.  My sacrifices, my efforts, my pride, my rights- these are nothing compared to the love of God in Christ. I receive what He gives, and He gives generously.  Though my muddy fingers stain His perfect gifts, He washes the stains with the blood of Christ, and He covers me in His righteousness.  He receives my feeble offerings of His gifts back to Him, and He calls me good.
Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15


We give Thee but Thine Own
We give Thee but Thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
May we Thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive,
And gladly, as Thou blessest us,
To Thee our firstfruits give.
O hearts are bruised and dead,
And homes are bare and cold,
And lambs for whom the Shepherd bled
Are straying from the fold.
To comfort and to bless,
To find a balm for woe,
To tend the lone and fatherless
Is angels’ work below.
The captive to release,
To God the lost to bring,
To teach the way of life and peace—
It is a Christ-like thing.
And we believe Thy Word,
Though dim our faith may be;
Whate’er for Thine we do, O Lord,
We do it unto Thee.

Turkey (or Venison) meatloaf

Turkey Meatloaf
from Michelle Heaps Wietbrock
A staple since it's a quick prep and can be made as big as needed!

1lb ground turkey (as lean as possible)
1 cup oats
1/2 small onion (i use the whole thing)
1 egg white (or whole if u want)
Garlic (chopped or garlic salt)
Salt & Pepper as needed
Light bbq sauce on top.

Mix and bake like usual.
(350 degrees for approximately one hour)
(Emily here- This should also work with ground venison!)


Come back next Tuesday for another great recipe!
Weak and Lovely- Read the series hereJoin our facebook group for extra support!

Weekly Challenge: Chill

Woah, has this house been ransacked by bad guys looking for launch codes?

Nope. Mom just made dinner.

I tend to do things in a hurry. Everything.
If a have a moment to get something done, I need to do it in a hurry, before I get interrupted by the needs of a child. And so, I hurry. I hurry through everything.

This picture above is no joke. I really do serve dinner with the kitchen looking like this. (Drives my OCD husband and kids nuts, by the way. So they close the doors for me, eventually. In this way, their quirks enable my quirks to continue. It's a nice setup, really.)

Is this a picture of my mental state?
Is this a clue that I'm a little frazzled? A little rushed?

At the table, I'm out of breath.  And then, finally, finally everyone has what they need, prayers are said, and we eat. And I eat. In a hurry.

I really didn't know how bad I was about this until I noticed myself doing it one night when I was on a date with my husband. We were at Olive Garden, enjoying a relaxed evening together, but as soon as the food came, I started to hurry my way through it.

I was practically out of breath from eating so fast.
When I realized I was almost done and he had only had a few bites, I stopped myself.
Nobody is going to steal this food from you, self! Nobody is going to interrupt you needing a nose wiped or a diaper changed! Seriously, you need to just chill out!

Why is this so hard for me?
But it is!

A few weeks ago, someone in the Weak and Lovely facebook group mentioned that her goal for the week was to finish her meal after her daughter. (and this is quite a challenge, she said, as her daughter practically chews her milk!)

What a great idea! I thought.
How impossible! I thought.

So this brings me to your weekly challenge (and mine:)




Turns out this is important.
Here are just a couple reasons:


 It takes approximately 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to send out signals of fullness.

(In fact, wolfing down meals could be enough to nearly double your risk of being overweight, according to a previous Japanese study.)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2064544/Why-eating-quickly-fast-track-early-grave.html#ixzz2KQvbFWXT
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook)

If you eat slow, you might notice the other people eating with you, and have a conversation, even before your plate is empty! (How weird, I think!)


Read more:
Livestrong: Benefits of eating slow
Slow down you eat too fast

Weak and Lovely- Read the series here
Join our facebook group for extra support!

Do you find it hard to eat slowly like I do?


photo credit minimalWall

A refuge or a place for junk?

This makes me think twice about making our bedroom the place where I throw all the stuff I don't feel like putting away right now:
The bed is the heart of the home, the arena of love, the seedbed of life, and the one constant point of meeting. It is the place where, night-by-night, forgiveness and fair speech return that the sun may not go down on our wrath; where the perfunctory kiss and the entirely ceremonial pat on the backside become unction and grace. It is the oldest, friendliest thing in anybody’s marriage, the first used and the last left, and no one can praise it enough.
(Capon, as quoted in Feminine Appeal, Mahoney, p 97)

No, this is not our bedroom. It's hers. But I am inspired.
I think I'll put this quote on my flylady cleaning list!
photo credit A Stroll Through Life

Surround them with Truth. A guest post. (Growing up with my 'tween)

Loved and lovely. Our little girls are loved and lovely, indeed.But do they know it?


We can help them know it.
Today I welcome my friend Angie, who gives us an easy and wonderful way to help ground our little girls in God's word and God's love.
(and ourselves, too.)

Surround them with TruthGuest post by Angie Durnil
Why did I write these verses and phrases down for my little girls and post them above their mirror?
I want them to see the words in front of them, as they get ready for the day.  I want them to read the words and commit them to memory and to heart.  I want them to recite them every time they look in the mirror.  I want them to believe the words as their own truth, because that is what they are.  The truth.    Their truth.  Our truth.
I want their habit to be a good one.  Not a bad one, like mine.  I want their self esteem to be lifted and not fallen like the heavy snow.    I know what that is like and I want more for them.   
This is especially important to me right now, because I have a tween growing in beauty and intelligence every day.    I want this lovely tween to know that true beauty comes from within and not from the cosmetic counter.  I want both of my girls to know that they were loved before they were even born.  I want them to feel it too.   I want them to know that the Lord has a plan for them and that He will continue to love them, no matter what. 
And maybe, when I have them convinced, I might even start to believe it myself.  But, when this happens; when I become weak and start to believe the lies that fill my head, I know that I am still loved.



Would you like some truth for your mirror? Help yourself to the images below!



Do you have a favorite Scripture you would add?

Growth Unseen. And so we wait.

...we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18


There are few things so satisfying as a messy room turned clean. I often enjoy the finished product so much I light a candle to celebrate. When things look, smell, and feel clean, I feel accomplished. My work here is done.

How often does that happen in my job as a mother? How often do I see a heart messy, or emotions tangled? Often. But do I get to be the one to clean, untangle, perfect, and celebrate? Rarely.

Yet those unseen things are important, more important than the earthly part of my job. And as I do them in God's strength, He will surely bless the sowing of His Word. 

I just wish I could see it sometime, don't you?
But we can imagine it.  


Consider this:

When Jesus sat in the boat teaching, the power of what he spoke was invisible. Who could see that the mountains of ignorance were removed, that the flinty hearts were made like butter by contrition, that the new, immortal spiritual life of faith was coming into existence, that the frightful, crushing guilt and sin were blown away as far as the east is from the west? Spiritual things are invisible, nobody’s eyes see that they are wrought.  Therefore even preachers often think that their work is in vain. And how could Peter and the apostles face Judaism and paganism with absolute assurance of victory when they had only the Word? Here was the visible answer: the nets full of fish caught at Jesus’ word, and at that word alone.  (Lenski commentary on Luke, p.281)

You may see nothing but rotting vegetables, but be assured that God is growing fruit through His Word as you share it with others.
Just wait and see.


Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven    and do not return there but water the earth,making it bring forth and sprout,    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;    it shall not return to me empty,but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Ash Wednesday: Death on the Face

And so, Lent begins, with the unusual Christian ritual of looking death in the face, and wearing it on our faces.  I find it hard, but necessary and good. It is a reminder to me, that life will not always be this way.


Death is real. But God is good. 
God's children turn their eyes to Him during this Lenten season. We remember the unseen things, the eternal things, and their importance over that  which is earthly.
We remember our lost condition, we feel the reality of our sin, and we ache with the need for a Savior. 
Darkness gathers, around us and within us. We strain our eyes to see the light, and that Light is the Life of the World.
We look to Him, our Jesus, who suffered for us.  We crawl up into Him, and we hide in Him, and we abide in Him.  And He who overcame the grave holds us fast in His grip.

I shall lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.Psalm 4:8



You may also enjoy:
Beautiful are the handsAsh WednesdayHard on a mother's heartOn fasting
photo credit : Time

Love. Young.

Elementary school.

I’d go off into the woods all by myself with a journal.I was young, yes, but there was always a boy with his initials on my heart. There was always someone to whom my thoughts would drift on the long car ride to the cabin or in the evenings, watching campfire smoke float into the starry sky. When my little body rested, my little heart dreamed dreams, and dreams always contained a smile of some little boy.

I’d go in the woods to write and dream alone. I wanted to hide, but I wanted to get it out of my heart too, and so I shared my hearts dreams with the paper and the trees. I wrote his initials on the log on which I sat. Then I worried that mom would see them, so I put leaves on the branch.His cute smile or flippy hair took many of my thoughts.
The next month when I returned to the cabin, I returned to the tree to see if my secret was still there. It was, and it was not hidden by leaves. But the tree no longer held the truth, no longer displayed the initials on my heart. I peeled the bark from the tree, and I updated my secret with a new set of initials.
Do you remember the wonderful agony of childhood love? 
Do you remember longing to be chosen? 
Do you remember wanting to be loved and to feel lovely?
I have two daughters, and as I watch them I remember the flutters and aches of a young girls heart. It is terrifying and beautiful all at once, and it moves me to prayer.
In this house, as often as we can, we color the word “love.” It includes the colors of a marriage full of love and grace. The heart of Love is bright red with the love of our Savior for us.
Valentine’s Day is here again, and again we will sit down with our elementary school children who look lovely and remind them that they are lovely, that they are loved. 

Read more about our tradition here:

Coloring Love: Valentine's Day Tradition

and check out our dinner-time conversation starters:


Does mom love dad? How do you know?Does dad love mom? How do you know?Look at the brother or sister sitting to your left. Name something about that person that you think their future spouse will like.If Jesus would tell you who you are going to marry some day, would you want to know? What would you ask him about that person?If God would answer one request about your family in the future- what would you ask him?Do you hope your future spouse has lots of money?  Why or why not? Would you marry someone that was rich but unkind?Do you want your future spouse to be kind?  How will you know if he/she is?Would you marry someone that was kind but refused to do any work?  Would you marry someone that was kind but simply could not do work?If God doesn’t send you a spouse, what else might you do when you grow up?Would you marry someone who was kind and smart but always smelled like bacon? Or green beans?Would you marry someone who wants to have 20 children? Would you marry someone who hates children?What would you do if God sends you a spouse that works in another country?What do mom and dad do for fun? What do you think you will do for fun with your spouse?When you are old enough to have a house, what kind of house do you want?Do any of the kids in your class have girlfriends or boyfriends? What do you think about this?Has anyone ever told you that you are pretty or handsome? Do you like when people say this?Do you think your family will be like ours if you have children? How might it be different?Name a gift that mom has that makes her a good mom.Name a gift that day has that makes him a good father.Name a gift that dad has that makes him a good husband.Name a gift that mom has that makes her a good wife.What will you do when you meet someone and you are not sure if they are the one for you?
Do you have any fun Valentine's Day traditions?Other questions to suggest?

Monday's Challenge: Be the Queen of Your Kitchen

Meet my lovely friend, Jenny.She is a fellow writer and mother who blogs at Coffee on the Porch at jennysollberger.wordpress.com.
Isn't she lovely? (And her family is, too.)

Today, Jenny is going to make our home-cookin' lives a whole lot easier, if we only will heed her advice.  
Why You Should Have a Menu Planby Jenny Sollberger
Oh I hated the idea of having to cook supper.  Why?  Did I hate to cook?  No.  Did I not know how to cook?  No.  Did I hate to eat?  Definitely no.  So what was the problem?  I wasn’t prepared.  I didn’t plan ahead and then when it came time to make the meal, I was a panicky, stressed, cranky mom.  Ick.  So I thought I’d try what it seemed everyone else was already doing: menu planning.  And you know what I found out?  I love it!  And I’ll tell you why:It saves me from the 4:00 headache of “Oh no!  What am I making for supper?!?”It saves money on my grocery bill.  I (usually!) buy only what I need for the meals I am making.It’s easier to control what my family eats.It’s easier to prepare things in advance.  When I have some time I cook rice ahead of time, make tortillas, bake…whatever might need to be done.It just feels good knowing when I’m having my morning coffee that my meals for that day are already decided.

Here is how I did mine, step by step. [image error] This is the fun part, I think.  Create your menu board!  There are so many ways to make one and Pinterest has tons of ideas.  You can simply use a sheet of paper, or note cards stuck on the fridge or you can get a little more creative.  Here’s mine:






It’s not beautiful like some I see on Pinterest, but I like it and it works for me.  I picked up this frame at Goodwill for about $5.  It’s perfectly square which is great because I can just slip in new scrapbook paper whenever I want to change it up.  The sticker letters I had on hand and just pieced together what I needed from the sizes I had left.  As you can see, some are lower case and some are upper case.  Still cute though, right?  And the “t’s” were made by trimming other letters because I had run out of the letter “t”!  Let your creativity shine through!  I use a white board marker to write directly on the glass. It wipes off so easily that I wish I had used this method sooner.Now we work.  Make a list of meals your family will eat.  I would suggest making a list for every meal your family will eat together.  For example, my board has breakfasts and suppers on it because my boys are in school five days a week.  On the weekends, I feel I can wing it for lunches just fine.  If you homeschool or have little ones at home, you might want to include lunches on your menu.  When I first started a menu board, I planned only suppers.  That time of the day was hardest for me to concentrate because the boys were coming home from school and everything was chaotic.  But then I started noticing our breakfasts were consisting mostly of cold cereal and I wanted to change that.  The best way I knew how to do that was with a menu board.Keep that list somewhere handy. I keep mine in my family binder.  That way I know where it is every week when I sit down to plan my meals.Take stock of your freezer inventory.  Use that, and the grocery ads, to plan your week’s menu. 


This white board used to be my menu board.  I had grand plans once upon a time.  They never happened!  So now this white board sits above my freezer chest and tells me what’s inside.  Very helpful.Now just plug in the meals where you want them to go.  Make use of a crockpot meal on a busy night.  Plan something extra special for Friday. Cook the roast one night and have beef sandwiches later in the week.  But remember to be flexible.  Just because it’s written on the board, doesn’t mean it needs to stay there.  If something unexpected comes up, just change things around. 

Be the Queen of your Kitchen and rule confidently over your domain!  Don’t be a slave to kitchen confusion!  Try a menu plan for just two weeks and see what happens.  I bet you’ll love it, too.
---------Your challenge this week:
PLAN!If you never plan, make it a goal to plan SOMEthing- just dinners, or just your own snacks, keeping in mind your healthy-living goals.
If you already plan dinners (like I do), let's take it up a notch! Plan breakfasts or snacks, and try it out for a week. See if it doesn't make your life easier. And see if you don't enjoy being the Queen of your kitchen!

Do you plan the meals for your family? Any tips to share?