~
There's JOY in the Kitchen ~
~When we realize that ~
Train your child in the way in which you know you
should have gone yourself.
C.H. Spurgeon
__________________________________________________________________
A weekly newsletter from Sarah's Tent, an
online ministry tailored towards Pastor's Wives.
_______________________
Isa 51:1-2 / Isa 54:2-3 / Heb 10:24 ,25
______________________
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 'THEM' AND 'US'
By JoyfulArt
Since last years multi-neighborhood garage
sale, my children ages 8 & 10 have been
looking forward to this years event. Saving up
things to sell in bags, and old boxes for months,
they were ready and waiting when the big event
came this past Saturday.
Flyers had been sent out and advertisements
placed in the newspaper by the organizers of our
subdivision's yearly happening. Visions of
thousands of cars driving slowly by their table
laden with goodies, my children dreamed of fist
fulls of dollars and pockets full of change. If I
wasn't mistaken, I think I saw dollar signs
instead of blue and green iris's in their eyes as
I helped them set up their table.
What concerned me was this time last year the
neighborhood was filled with activity of all our
neighbors setting up their wares and cast offs
for the sale. Signs were everywhere you looked,
leading many cars up our cul de sac and past the
front of our house, something my little
entrepreneurs were counting on for this year.
Only this year, not a sale was to be found on our
block. No cars came up our way, and no signs
pointed in our direction.
Silently I worried that my children would be
terribly disappointed, and wrestled with the idea
of preventing them from setting up at all. The
last thing I wanted for them was to go to all
that trouble setting up, only to find that this
years garage sale was already a flop. Every time
I opened my mouth and tried to think of a tactful
way of discouraging them, the Lord would put a
check in my heart. I reasoned His doing this as
His way of telling me that they had to learn the
hard way how life really was, and that
disappointment was all a part of it.
Nine o'clock rolled around. This kids had
finished labeling their wares, had gathered their
snacks and drinks and were finally settled down
to 'rake in the bucks'. I called out the window
to see if they would like to bring their things
in since no one was out today. The answer was
shouted back at me that it was too soon and knew
someone would come.
Nine-thirty came and went, I couldn't bear to
watch. Finally some cars started driving up the
street, although none stopped. Again I called out
the window and again the answer came, "Not
now MOM!! They're just now coming!" I
couldn't take it anymore. Retreating into the
basement to chat with online friends while doing
laundry, I resigned myself to just allow them to
sit in the hot sun and sweat, they would learn
sooner or later. To make a long story short, the
day ended with them selling enough to buy some
very thrilling 'finds' and to have enough change
to make a rattle in their pockets. They put away
their wares happy and anxiously waiting for next
years sale. Already they are planning what they
will sell then!!
The thing is, I had thought of doing that sale
for months before now, but life had just gotten
so busy that I didn't have time to get anything
ready. When I saw that there were no others doing
a sale on my block I had decided that it wasn't
worth it, that I didn't have enough to sell
anyway, and it certainly wasn't worth my time to
even try.
Just like church. Empty seats painfully remind
you that those around you had 'better' things to
do with their time, so why even try? Why try a
building program, why cells? Why retreats,
fellowships or better children's programs? No one
is there now, and no one is coming, why waste our
time? Why receive anything from the service in
fact, it's too discouraging to think that what is
being taught is really going to make a
difference, it's obvious that it isn't working
for anyone else.
Jesus said in Matt 18:3, "Assuredly, I
say to you, unless you are converted and become
as little children, you will by no means enter
the kingdom of heaven." All the grown up
reasoning in the world didn't do a thing for me
receiving the blessings that my children received
so freely last Saturday. I made no preparation to
receive. In fact, I didn't even give room to the
possibilities!!
That's the difference between "THEM and
US".
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As a Christian, my job is to take care of
the possible and trust God with the impossible.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Take out time to enjoy your family this
summer. There will never be another summer like
this one! That special moment with your loved one
will never come again. Oh there will be new
ones,but none like the one you might miss if you
are not looking! To put time and love into those
who are dear to you are eternal things. To work
another day, clean house another day, or chat
online just 'one more' minute..are temporal
things. Go for the eternal!!
Children spell "love" T-I-M-E".
Dr. Anthony P. Witham
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT WHAT
YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CHILDREN!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
POT LUCK!
Sent in by Lambiee
Obtained from the Disney site: Disney
Food Fun http://family.disney.com/Categories/Food/
3/4 cup no-salt-added chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
Vegetable cooking spray
8 6-oz. halibut fillets
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small
saucepan; stir well. Bring to a boil; cook 1
minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Stir in parsley, salt, oregano and rosemary; set
sauce aside, and keep warm.
2. Prepare grill. Coat grill rack with cooking
spray and place fillets on it; cover and grill 6
minutes on each side or until the fish flakes
easily when tested with a fork. Serve with warm
sauce.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and
2 tablespoons sauce).
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
CALORIES 197 (19% from fat)
FAT 4.2g (sat 0.6g, mono 1.1g, poly 1.4g)
PROTEIN 35.6g
CARBOHYDRATES 1.7g
FIBER 0g
CHOLESTEROL 80mg
IRON 1.5mg
SODIUM 251mg
CALCIUM 87mg
For more recipes, check out these sites! Doffycook's
Nethome
For even MORE recipes, click on these!! More
Recipes and Once-a-Month
Cooking (OAMC)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
And they that know thy name will put
their trust in thee; for thou, Lord, hast not
forsaken them that seek thee. Psalm 9:10
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
NEEDING PRAYER?
Contact Sarah's Tent at SarahsTent@aol.com
, and not only will we pray, but your request
will be sent to the proper prayer chains as well.
Just be sure to send your praise report when God
moves on your behalf!!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
CHUCKLES
Sent in by Justaservn
When my daughter was about five years old we
came out of church on a Sunday morning into quite
a summer storm. Most of the congregation was
huddled together on the front steps of the church
when to my great chagrin my daughter says in a
loud and melodious voice, "Look Mommy ...
it's raining like hail!"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
After church on Sunday morning, a young boy
suddenly announced to his mother, "Mom, I've
decided I'm going to be a minister when I grow
up.
"That's okay with us," the mother
said, "But what made you decide to be a
minister?"
"Well," the boy replied, "I'll
have to go to church on Sunday anyway, and I
figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell
than to sit still and listen.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A heavy snowstorm closed to schools in one
town. When the children returned to school a few
days later, on grade school teacher asked her
students whether they had used the time away from
school constructively. I sure did, teacher,"
one little girl replied. "I just prayed for
more snow."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Three small boys were bragging about their
fathers. The first boasted that his dad owned a
farm. The second said his dad owned a factory.
The third boy, a pastors son, replied:
"That's nothin'. My dad owns hell."
"No way," another boy scoffed.
"How can a man own hell?" "Sure he
can," the preacher's son said. "My mom
told my grandma that the elders of our church
gave it to him last night."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
On vacation with her family in Montana, a
mother drove her van past a church in a small
town and pointing to it, told the children that
it was St. Francis' Church. "It must be a
franchise," her eight year old son said.
"We've got one of those in our town
too."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Bouncing out of her first day in nursery
school at Mount Moriah Presbyterian Church in
Port Henry, New York, a 3 year old girl gleefully
informed her mother: "We had juice and Billy
Graham crackers!"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Rev. David A. Stammerjohn, pastor of
Laboratory Presbyterian Church, Washington,
Pennsylvania, spent a week at the Synod school
with his two children. The school's theme focused
on Moses and the Exodus. When they returned home,
his 5 year old daughter excitedly greeted her
mother: "Guess what, Mommy. We made unleaded
bread!"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A mother overheard her little girl
praying:"Now I lay me down to rest. I pray I
pass tomorrow's test. If I should die before I
wake, That's one less test I'll have to
take."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A little boy went to dine with his parents at
the home of an elderly gentleman. After watching
the old man bow his head and speak in a soft
voice, the boy asked his mother: "What did
Mr. Bryan say to his plate?"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A Jewish boy in grade school was listening to
his Hebrew teacher quoting Scripture. "The
Lord our God is One," the teacher declared.
"When will He be two?" the youngster
asked.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jr. associate editor Rose Samra was putting
her 4 yr. old son Luke to bed when he exclaimed:
"I'm exhausted!" "Exhausted?"
she said. "Who says that?" "John
Michael." replied Luke, who had been
listening to a cassette by Christian singer John
Michael Talbot. "You know the song that
said, 'Be exhausted, O God, among the
heavens."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
After church one Sunday morning, a mother
commented: "The choir was awful this
morning." The father commented: "The
sermon was too long." Their 7 yr. old
daughter added: "You've got to admit it was
a pretty good show for a dime."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Little John was bothered with a question that
he had to ask his Sunday school teacher.
"Miss Darvis, are there any animals in
heaven?" "I'm not sure, Johnny,"
answered the teacher. "The Bible doesn't
tell us of any animals in heaven." "Oh,
there's got to be animals in heaven."
insisted Johnny. "What makes you think
so?" said the teacher. "Well, every
time there's a thunderstorm, my father says
it's raining cats and dogs."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Benjamin Leese, fifteen,
who teaches Sunday school class for the 3rd
graders at Trinity Lutheran Church, Pennsylvania,
asked his students: "What is a
prophet?" One young boy quickly replied,
"When someone makes a good investment."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Pattie's Picks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WEB SITES FOR THE WEEK
Online
Ministries
(http://www.discoverynet.com/~toblkhm/)
OnLine Ministries is "a group of people
dedicated to furthering the cause of Christ
across the internet as well as the physical
world. . . . It is our hope that they help you
grow closer to our Father." This ministry
offers e-mail devotions and Bible studies, as
well as a "Kid's Zone" with Percy the
Penguin that's really cute. The site was
recommended to me by a friend of mine, and I'm
glad she did! Check it out!
You've
got the "Reitz" page!
(http://members.aol.com/PattieRWR/index.html)
All right, I know I'm not supposed to brag or
anything, but . . . I'm pretty proud of my new
web site pictures! So if you want to see what I
look like "with skin on" as well as see
adorable pictures of my family, then check it
out, sign the guestbook, oooh and aaah over my
cute little girl, etc. =)
For those of you who are really into cooking,
well, do I have a list for you!!! Carol
(Justaservn), a dear online friend and one of our
staff members, has sent me a whole slew of
cooking web sites too numerous to even print here
. . . so if you're a cook or just like to hang
out in the kitchen, please e- mail me with a
request for the list and I'll send it right away!
PattieRWR@aol.com
If you have any web sites you would like to
recommend, please send them to PattieRWR (Pattie)
We'll be happy to write reviews for the
newsletter! _________________________
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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