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The Wives of Excellence Newsletter?? |
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We're taking Homemaking to a "Higher" level! |
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Published on the first of every month
ISSN # 1550-1698 |
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01/01/2005 |
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Volume 4, Issue 1 |
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Visit us on the web Christian-Homemaking.com |
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Inside This Issue |
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From Martha's Home to Your's |
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A Note From Martha... |
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Devotional |
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Do You Need to Make a U-Turn? |
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What We're Reading This Month |
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"It's Not About Me" |
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Recipes |
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Meatball Mania! |
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What's New at Christian-Homemaking.com |
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Read the latest articles on our web site... |
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Web Poll |
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Do you plan to make any New Year's resolutions? |
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Martha Recommends... |
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The HOPE Worldwide Disaster Relief Fund |
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Want to sign up for the Wives of Excellence Newsletter?
Go to our
Newsletter Management page.
NOTE: To start or stop your subscription please use the link above. |
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From Martha's Home to Your's |
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Greetings in Christ:
2004 has certainly been a year of change for Christian Homemaking and the Wives of Excellence Newsletter. In April we took the newsletter from a text only version to a HTML (graphic) layout. In November we commissioned the creation of a new logo to represent all that our ministry embraces. Then in the same month we unveiled our completely revamped web site. The new design was created to make room for the features and resources we are planning to release throughout 2005.
We are continuing the momentum this month with a switch to a new emailing service for our newsletter. I am very pleased with the flexibility that this new service offers and I am especially glad to be rid of the Yahoo ads that were added to the top of our newsletter. You never
knew what they would be about. Some of them were quite a surprise!
On a more serious note, we are all deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life from the earthquake and tsunami that took place in Indonesia on December 26th 2004. If you have not done so already, please pray for the people of this area. Pray that the survivors will receive the medicine, supplies, food and water that they need. Also pray that the door to their hearts will be open to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
If you would like to help in the relief effort, please read the "Martha Recommends" section for information on how you can help.
Have a Happy New Year! I wish you and your family a wonderful 2005. Until next time...
Love and Blessings,
Martha Matthews, Executive Director
Christian
Homemaking |
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"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." |
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Write to Martha here. |
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Pass it on...
Please share this newsletter with a friend or family member by forwarding it to them. They'll appreciate the thought. |
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Are you Discouraged about your Family's Budget? |
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Get you finances under control once and for all with the BudgetMap system.
It is easy to use. No complicated software. It accommodates any type of transaction.
Compare it with any other budgeting system. You??ll be impressed!
BudgetMap |
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Stayin Home and Lovin It! |
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Stayin Home and Lovin It! is an amazing team that is dedicated to helping people find the quality of life that they are looking for. We believe in working from the comfort of our homes and enjoying the important things in our lives. No large investment. No selling, stocking or delivering products. No pressuring people. No complicated paperwork. No collecting money or placing orders for people. NO RISK!!
http://www.northerndreamcatcher.com email address: stayinhomejen@hotmail.com |
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Devotional |
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Do You Need to Make a U-Turn?
By Martha Matthews
Joel 2:12-13 ???Even now,?? declares the LORD, ???return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.?? Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.??? (NIV)
How did you do in your walk with the Lord this year? Did you fall down a few times? Did you drift away from Him? Maybe you made some bad choices that left you wondering if God would turn a deaf ear to your prayers. If you had a spiritually challenging year and are feeling distant from God, take a moment to learn how you can make a spiritual u-turn.
Are You Stalled?
Whenever
I feel distant from the Lord I can usually attribute it to two things: I stopped praying and I began relying on myself. It is interesting how closely these two things are linked to one another. When things are going well and I get busy with my life, I think that it won??t matter if I put off praying for just one day. Pretty soon that one day turns into a week and eventually I find that my faith has completely stalled.
When my life starts to spin out of control, I find myself doing what I refer to as a ???Martha??? impersonation. That??s where I act like a martyr as I snap at my family (particularly my husband) for not doing what I think they should be doing to help me. Not a pretty sight!
When I finally come to my senses and realize that I need to stop the insanity and pray, I feel like
I have no right to ask God for help since I have been ignoring Him for so long. So, I find myself falling farther and farther into the pit of faithlessness; far away from the One who can help me.
Putting On the Brakes
1 Peter 5:6-7 ???Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.??? (NIV)
When things are this bad, how do you put the brakes on your faithless decent? The answer lies in a humble prayer. If we are honest with God about how we have blown it and that we have been relying on ourselves, He is ready to listen and eager to help. Remember the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:13). Jesus said that the tax collector went away justified
because he had humbled himself before the Lord.
What??s Fueling You?
2 Corinthians 5:14 ???For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.??? (NIV)
Getting on your knees to pray can be difficult when you are weighed down with the guilt of your sin. One of the hardest things to have faith in is God??s grace when we have drifted away from Him. Don??t let your sin keep you from the peace that comes from God??s forgiveness. Remember that when Christ died for you it was to cover all of your sins, not just the ones you had committed before being saved. Let Christ??s love and sacrifice be the fuel that restarts your faith to walk with Him again.
What??s that Knocking Sound?
Revelation 3:17-21
???You say, ???I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.?? But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.??? (NIV)
It is easy for me to think ???I am rich (can do it on my own) and do not need anything (God??s guidance and help)???, but the fact is that I am wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Whenever I try to take control of my life, I mess things
up by going in the wrong direction. Eventually God helps me realize that the only way I can change course is to repent of my self-reliance and let Him do the driving.
If you??re going the wrong way it??s not too late to change your direction. Do you hear someone knocking? It??s the Lord. Give Him back the wheel so He can help you make a spiritual u-turn. It??s never too late.
Heart Challenges
1. Do you feel distant from God? Spend 10 minutes on your knees in prayer. Tell God you are sorry for drifting away. Confess your sin(s) and ask Him to help you make a u-turn. Give thanks to Him for the opportunity to repent.
2. Do a Bible study on God??s grace and compassion. List as many scriptures as you can find that describe God??s abounding love.
3. Start a
prayer journal. Write out your prayers and list the victories that God has accomplished in your life. |
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Would you would like to help support the Christian Homemaking ministry? |
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If you would like to help support this ministry please visit the link below to find out more information.
Support Christian Homemaking |
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What We're Reading This Month |
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"It's Not About Me: Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy "
by Max Lucado
"IT'S ALL ABOUT ME."
They all told us it was, didn't they? And we took them up on it. We though self-celebration would make us happy...
But believing that has created chaos-noisy homes, stress-filled business, cutthroat relationships. We've chased too many skinny rabbits, says Max Lucado, that we've missed the fat one: the God-centered life.
If you want to shift into high gear with purpose, this is it: Life makes sense when we accept our place! Our pleasures, our problems, our gifts and talents...when they're all for the One who created us, we suddenly gain what we've been missing and find out what we've been seeking.
Let Max Lucado show
you how to make the shift of a lifetime. How to bump your life off self-center. How to be changed and experience the meaning-charged life you were meant to have. Your discovery starts here. It's Not About Me |
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Get inspired and motivated. Share what you know and get the answers you need
Christian Homemaking Discussion Group
Christian Homemaking Forums |
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Recipes |
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Meatball Mania!
By Deborah Taylor-Hough
(Recipes adapted from "Frozen Assets: How to cook for a day and eat for a month.")
Cooking up a large batch of meatballs in advance to store in the freezer goes a long way toward establishing a supply of quick and easy meals. And if you take advantages of sales on ground beef and stock up, this can be a tremendous boon to your family budget, too.
In addition to stirring meatballs into spaghetti sauce, you can also use them in soups, serve them on skewers (kids love this!), or heat in brown gravy or a warmed can of cream of mushroom soup served with mashed potatoes.
The following recipes prepare a large batch of freezer meatballs and also include examples of ways to use frozen meatballs. The sauces require some
preparation, but the meals go together quickly with your stockpile of precooked meatballs in the freezer.
MILLIONS OF MEATBALLS
(this makes a lot -- at least four dozen, depending on size)
12-ounces tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoons salt, optional
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
4 pounds ground beef
In a large mixing bowl, combine first eight ingredients. Add ground beef and mix well. Shape into meatballs (use a small cookie scoop if available) and place on broiler pan so grease can drain while cooking. Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven
for 30 minutes. Divide into meal-sized portions. To prevent
from freezing into a solid meatball-mass, freeze individually on cookie sheets and then place in freezer bags. Label and freeze.
To serve meatballs, thaw completely, and reheat with your choice of sauces (six sample sauce recipes follow).
SWEET-N-SOUR MEATBALLS
(5 servings)
1 (14-oz) can pineapple tidbits or chunks, undrained
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce (or more to taste)
1 family meal-sized portion of freezer meatballs
1 (5-oz) can water chestnuts, drained and thinly sliced
1 green pepper, cut in strips
Drain pineapple tidbits, reserving syrup. In medium saucepan, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Blend in reserved syrup, water, cider vinegar and soy sauce.
Cook and stir over low heat until thick and bubbly. Carefully stir in meatballs, water chestnuts, green pepper strips and pineapple. Heat to a boiling. Serve over hot cooked rice.
CHILI-DAY MEATBALLS
(5 servings)
This recipe sounds a little strange (chili sauce and grape jelly?), but it tastes like burgundy sauce (only without the wine)
1 (12-oz) jar chili sauce
11-oz. jar grape jelly
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cube beef bouillon dissolved in 1/2 cup water
1 family meal-sized portion of freezer meatballs
Whisk together chili sauce, grape jelly, lemon juice and bouillon, breaking up all clumps. Simmer on low heat until sauce starts to thicken. Add freezer meatballs; cook in sauce until meatballs are fully thawed and heated through. Serve over
hot cooked noodles or rice.
MEATBALL SANDWICHES
(6 servings)
1 family meal-sized portion of freezer meatballs (approximately 4-5 meatballs per person)
6 hot dog buns (or hoagie rolls)
6 thin slices mozzarella cheese
2 cups prepared spaghetti sauce
Thaw meatballs and spaghetti sauce (if using frozen). Place both in medium saucepan. Heat until hot. Place meatballs into warmed buns. Ladle small amount of spaghetti sauce onto each sandwich; place mozzarella slice onto each sandwich.
TOMATO-SAUCED MEATBALLS
(5 servings)
1 (10 3/4-oz) can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 family meal-sized portion of freezer meatballs
Mix together soup, water and Worcestershire sauce. Place meatballs in a medium
sized saucepan; pour soup mixture over meatballs. Simmer until meatballs are heated through. Serve over hot cooked rice.
MEATBALL STROGANOFF
(5 servings)
1 (10 3/4-oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 cup mushrooms, sliced and cooked in butter until soft
1 family meal-sized portion of freezer meatballs
In medium saucepan, mix together mushroom soup and sour cream. Gently stir in mushrooms and meatballs. Simmer until meatballs are heated through. Serve over hot cooked rice or over egg noodles tossed with melted butter and chopped
parsley.
CATALINA MEATBALLS
(5 servings)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 bottle Catalina salad dressing
1 family meal-sized portion of freezer
meatballs
Saute' onion slices in olive oil until softened. Place frozen meatballs in medium skillet. Pour dressing over meatballs. Cover skillet and cook over low heat until dressing caramelizes on meatballs and onion, and the meatballs are fully thawed and heated through. Serve over rice.
About the author
Deborah Taylor-Hough (free-lance writer and mother of three) edits the Simple Times and Bright-Kids e-newsletters. She's also the author of several books including Frozen Assets, Frugal Living For Dummies(r), and A Simple Choice: A practical guide for saving your time, money and sanity (recently featured in Family Circle magazine). Browse Debi's books and subscribe to her free email newsletters at: http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/ |
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What's New at Christian-Homemaking.com |
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These articles and many others are accessible from our web site at Christian-Homemaking.com
See what's new on the web site...
- Successful New Year's Resolutions (Back by popular demand)
- 10 Steps Toward a Debt-Free New Year
- Freecycle: Learn how give-away recycling can benefit you
- Protecting Our Children: Keeping Your Home a Safe Haven
- Snack Ideas for Kids That Won't Wreck Mom's Diet
- Family Game Night Is Great for Bonding and Fun
- Five Easy Ways to Give Your Kitchen Designer Wow!
- Heirloom Bonnet and Poem
- Winter Care of Garden Fountains & Accessories
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Web Poll |
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Last Month??s Poll Results
Do you make a menu plan for your meals on a regular basis?
I plan my menu weekly (50) 49%
I plan my menu monthly (10) 10%
I decide each day what I will make (33) 32%
I do a lot of take out (0)
Planning? What's that? (10) 10%
103 total votes since 12/01/04
This Month's Web Poll
Do you plan to make any New Year's resolutions?
Sound off here: Web Poll |
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Martha Recommends... |
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HOPE Worldwide Disaster Relief Fund
If you would personally like to help in the victims of the Indonesian earthquake and tsunami, please consider sending a donation to the Christian humanitarian organization, HOPE Worldwide.
As the death toll rises above 100,000, HOPE Worldwide is providing food, water, shelter, clothing, medicine and medical teams to villages and towns in India, Sumatra, and islands off the coast of Sumatra.
You can read more about what they are doing in this relief effort as well as make a donation to their Disaster Relief Fund at their web site: HOPE Worldwide |
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Reprint Information
Copies of this newsletter may be forwarded to non-subscribers, without alteration. Subscribers may keep copies of the information in this newsletter for their own personal use but under no circumstances is it to be used commercially. If you would like to use one of our articles please contact us
This newsletter may not be reproduced in part or as a whole without prior permission from
Christian-Homemaking.com??. |
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Want to Advertise in The Wives of Excellence Newsletter? |
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Find out how
Christian-Homemaking Advertising |
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Paid Advertising Disclaimer
Martha Matthews, The Wives of Excellence newsletter and Christian-Homemaking.com do not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the advertisements above or the quality of any products, information, or other materials displayed, purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any ad. We encourage you to do your own due diligence before purchasing any product. |
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Email Privacy Policy
You will only receive this newsletter, web site updates and special communication from our editor, Martha Matthews. We will never rent, sell or trade your address. |
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?© 2002 - 2005 Christian-Homemaking.com?? All rights reserved |
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