~
There's JOY in the Kitchen ~
~When we realize that ~
...Wherever you go, there are ideas (and friends)
waiting to be discovered. * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * *
FRIENDS . . .
By PattieRWR
Last night (last Monday) I was in the Joy in
the Kitchen chat room, for some fun and
fellowship. What I got instead was, well,
conviction. Sometimes God surprises us that way,
doesn't He?
The Michael W. and Debbie Smith song
"Friends" is one we're all familiar
with. The chorus goes:
And friends are friends forever, if the Lord's
the Lord of them;
And a friend cannot say "never," 'cause
the welcome will not end;
Though it's hard to let you go, in the Father's
hands we know,
That a lifetime's not too long to live as
friends.
It's a good song. It contains truths. I have
friends, but they all live far away!
So there you are. In the chatroom last night,
the topic digressed to friends. Many of the
ladies told me that they have friends to share
with and talk to. I have to admit that all my
friends and family are so far away we communicate
only by regular mail, e-mail, and/or phone calls.
Visits are rare. It's been this way for me since
college, which has been six years ago now. I am
ashamed to admit that this depresses me. It's so
easy for me to feel sorry for myself; "Poor
Pattie, all alone with no friends, boo hoo, and
her husband is gone a lot and her daughter says
little more than 'ba ba' and 'da da.' Poor
Pattie!"
For those of you who have been there, you know
that pity parties aren't any fun at all. Most of
the time they end in tears and frustration. So
why don't I just go make friends then?
As a young pastor's wife (and believe me,
there's another topic to talk about, so I'll save
it for another day!), I have been told by older
wives not to make good friends within the church,
because they can turn on you and use things
against you, or worse, your husband. I have
friends in my church, don't get me wrong. But
it's really hard to get close to them. For
instance, how can I complain about the dumb thing
my husband told me when he is their pastor? Plus,
age differences are hard too. There is no one in
my church that is my age. They're either younger
or older. Another thing that can get in the way
is children, or lack thereof. Before my daughter
was born, I heard a lot about other women's
children, and I felt left out (those of you
without kids are nodding your heads right now!).
Now that I have a baby, that's not such a
barrier. Still, how do I make a good friend?
Several of the ladies in the room last night
suggested I pray for a friend. There's where the
conviction comes in. Do I pray for a friend? Yes,
I have before. But for a soul friend? Someone
close by that I don't have to call long distance
or write to? Shouldn't I just be content with my
Lord, my husband, my daughter, my job, and my
church? Isn't Jesus the only friend I need? I
feel guilty for wanting someone more, someone
extra.
I'm currently reading What Every Mom Needs by
Elisa Morgan and Carol Kuykendall (those of you
without kids, please bear with me; it applies, I
promise!). They list nine basic needs for women,
one of which is intimacy. This is fulfilled with
friendships in addition to marriage. They suggest
that women friends are essential to maintaining
your sanity and fulfilling that need for
intimacy.
So where do I go from here? I am going to pray
for a good friend here in Arkansas. I am also
going to stop feeling so sorry for myself,
because I have friends in Missouri, Iowa, Ohio,
Illinois, Tennessee, and even Malaysia! Best of
all, I have friends in this group on-line, this
"circle of friends" called Joy in the
Kitchen!!!!! And a lifetime's not too long to
live as friends.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
For every one who keeps on asking
receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and
to him who keeps on knocking it will be opened.
Matthew 7:8 (AMP)
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Take first things first. That process
often reduces the most complex human problems to
manageable proportions.
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New Members This Week!
Because of our fast growth, I have developed
FOUR Buddy Lists! Please note what they are so
that you can order which you need, and any
corrections that need to be made. 1. Pastor's
Wives 2. Pastor's 3. PK's Pen Pals 4. Women
Ministers
Go For It! Please consider sending a brief
"Hello" to our new friends! Feel free
to IM a new Buddy and say Hi! You never know if
THIS friend will be your best. . . . . or THIS
friend just might have the answer to that nagging
problem you've been sweating over. . .
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
POT LUCK!!!
Cinnamon Muffins Great low-fat tasty muffins
in a flash!
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. maple syrup
1c. applesauce
1 1/2 c. spelt flour
1/2 teas. soda
1 1/2 teas. baking powder
3/4 teas. cinnamon
1/4 teas. nutmeg
1/2 teas. sea salt
1/2 c. raisins
1/4 c. chopped pecans
Mix oil, maple syrup and applesauce. Mix dry
ingredients. Stir oil mixture into the dry. Stir
in raisins and pecans. Place in oiled or lined
muffin tins. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 - 20
minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Every once in a great while, we ACTUALLY learn
something from our mistakes. Have you ever made a
decision, or judgement regarding an issue, only
to find out that you should have done something
else? These stumbling stones are building blocks,
if we will but learn from them. What else would
God teach us with but our own experiences?
How many times have you gone through something
and said to your spouse or to yourself, "If
only someone had told me about this." or
"I sure wish someone had told me what to
look for in this situation. . . "
Aw, come on now. . . . surely we ALL have said
this at one time or another! Okay, so what are
you going to do with what you have learned while
in the fire? (Let me give you a hint.) You are
going to write it down and send it to me, so I
can put it in this newsletter so that we may ALL
learn from you and from each other!
Here's one for you to think about which came
up in one of the chats, "How can we learn to
set boundaries without offending, and determine
what is "good soil vs. bad soil" to sow
our time into? In other words, what do you look
for in determining what is a teachable person
from a chronically needy one?"
What have you learned that you can share with
us? We're looking forward to your input! - -
-Shannon Parish
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It is only as we develop others that we
permanently succeed. - - - Harvey S.
Firestone
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Isa 50:4 "The Lord GOD has given
Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know
how to speak a word in season to him who is
weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, he
awakens My ear to hear as the learned. (NKJ)
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*
For your Exploring Pleasure,
click on these hyper links and find
something new to investigate! NEW!
Leadership
Journal Online site for one of America's
leading magazine for Christian leaders
(If you have discovered a web site that you
think others would be interested in, please let
me know, and I will put it in our newsletter.
Just click & drag the sight from your
Favorite Places and drop it into your letter.)
_______________________________________________________________
YOUR TAX DEDUCTIBLE GIFT to
Sarah's Tent is used for things such as
Scholarships for Annual Pastors Wives Retreats
across the U.S., Financial Aid towards Crisis
Counseling for the Pastors Family.
Make checks payable to Sarah's Tent and send
in care of LIVING STONES CHURCH / P.O. Box 964 /
Broomfield, CO 80038-0964 / USA ~ (Sarah's Tent
is a World Wide Internet Ministry hosted by
LIVING STONES CHURCH and as a co-operative effort
of churches and pastors throughout the United
States.)
__________________________________________________________________
Joy In The Kitchen is an extension of Sarah's
Tent An online ministry devoted to gathering
together God's silent warriors, the wives of
pastors and ministers of all denominations and
cultural backgrounds, as well as their families,
for fellowship, support, laughter and prayer. Isa
51:1-2 / Isa 54:2-3 / Heb 10:24-25
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