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The Wives of Excellence Newsletter?„? |
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Brought to you by... |
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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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03/01/2005 |
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Volume 4, Issue 3 |
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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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It's Not About the Bunny |
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What We're Reading This Month |
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He Chose the Nails |
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Recipes |
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Resurrection Sunday Dinner |
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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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Through which medium would you prefer to learn more about managing your home? |
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Martha Recommends... |
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ForKeeps.org |
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Want to sign up for the Wives of Excellence Newsletter?
Go to our
Newsletter Management
page.
NOTE: To stop your subscription or to read the archives,
please see the subsciption management box at the end of this newsletter. |
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From Martha's Home to Your's |
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Greetings in Christ:
???May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests.??? Psalm 20:4-5 NIV
A few months ago I mentioned that an article I had written would be coming out in Today's Christian Magazine. Well that day is finally here! The article, entitled "Losing My Identity", will appear in their March/April issue.
I am so excited about this because it represents God??™s fulfillment of a desire that He put in my heart to be a Christian writer. God is amazing!
Three years ago God put a desire in my heart to start this newsletter. I had no idea where it would lead. I never
thought that it would turn into a ministry and I certainly could not have imagined seeing something I wrote in a national magazine. When God says He knows the plans He has for you, you can believe it!
Would you do me a favor? As most of you know I am working on an e-book for Christian Home Managers. I am learning that there are different mediums that are helpful for different learning styles. Won??™t you please take a moment to complete this month??™s poll so that I can understand what would be helpful to you?
Are you ready for spring to come? I am. It has been wet and raining here in Sacramento for too long! The first day of spring is right around the corner; March 20th to be precise. Easter is on the 27th this
year so we have several articles in this issue and on the web site to help you have a joyful, Christ-focused celebration.
Have a lovely March. 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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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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Work at Home, Involve your Kids, Keep your Priorities Right! |
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Are you like me, a stay-at-home mom who desires a fun and simple business opportunity, while still maintaining your family values and priorities?
I discovered Mia Bella Soy Candles and a company that embraces family values & involvement. Now I have a successful business I love, and my children and I are having fun building a "family enterprise" together!
Retailing, Wholesale, Fundraisers. Visit my website, Win a *Free* Candle!
http://www.soyhomescents.com |
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Devotional |
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It's Not About the Bunny
By Martha Matthews
1 Peter 1:3-4 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade??“kept in heaven for you..." (NIV)
My son and I were at the drugstore when he noticed a bunch of big Easter baskets perched high on a shelf. The store manager had placed them there while the employees where moving out the Valentine??™s merchandise.
With great excitement he exclaimed, ???I want one of those, Mommy, pleeeese!??? The colorful baskets wrapped in shiny cellophane and filled with chocolate eggs, a fluffy white bunny and assorted toys
was very enticing to my four year old. Then he said something that stopped me dead in my tracks. ???Mommy, Easter is when the Easter Bunny comes.??? ???What did you just say???? I asked him. ???Easter is when the Easter Bunny comes,??? he repeated. Oh no, I thought. This is NOT good. I didn??™t want him to think that an overgrown bunny bringing baskets of candy and eggs is what Easter is about. It was time for him to learn that Easter isn??™t about the Bunny, it??™s about the Lamb.
Setting the Record Straight
Many people are not aware that Easter has its roots in pagan religions. Hundreds of years before Christ appeared, Easter was celebrated as a festival honoring pagan fertility gods and the coming of spring. In fact the word ???Easter??? is the English translation of ???Eostre??? which is
the name of an ancient Saxon fertility goddess. According to church historians, it wasn't until the second century that the rituals of these pagan festivals were altered and incorporated into a celebration of Christ??™s resurrection.
Today, when many Christians celebrate ???Easter??? their intention is that it be a celebration of Christ??™s resurrection. Yet with the growing trend toward secularizing Easter, many Christians are finding it difficult to keep their children from being influenced. This was the case with our son. One of the things we have done to combat this pressure is to start referring to Easter as Resurrection Sunday. We feel that by calling it by a Biblical name that it will help us keep a spiritual focus.
Recounting the Story
An important part of our
Resurrection celebration is the recounting of the Resurrection story. Because our son is young we have decided to read the story to him from his children??™s Bible and use puppets to re-enact the event.
If your children are old enough to comprehend more detailed information about the resurrection, they might enjoy doing a Bible study. Have them read the following passages and make notes on what they learn.
Starting the Friday before Resurrection Sunday, read about the Last Supper and the betrayal of Jesus. Luke 22: 7-54. Then read the Crucifixion account. Matthew 26: 47 through 27: 55
On Sunday read about the Resurrection: Matthew 27: 57 through 28: 10
Send the Bunny Packing
Since we wanted the Lamb of God to be the center of our Resurrection celebration,
we decided to give the Easter Bunny his walking papers. We wanted our son to understand that this celebration is about Christ and not a floppy-eared rabbit. By eliminating the Bunny we can then focus his attention on Christ, where it rightfully belongs.
Keep it Fun
Easter, especially in America, has become very commercialized. Stores carry Easter baskets filled with chocolate eggs, peeps (marshmallow chicks) and fluffy stuffed animals as early as the week after Valentine??™s Day. The appeal of these secular items is that they are fun.
When we made the decision to do away with the Easter Bunny we didn't want to do away with the fun. Our intention was to emphasize the real reason for the holiday. So we decided to incorporate activities that were fun while at the same
time teaching the Resurrection story.
Because children learn not only from verbal instruction but also from what they see and experience we decided to do some hands-on lessons. On the Saturday evening before Resurrection Sunday we thought it would be fun to spend some family time making Resurrection Cookies and Resurrection Rolls.
Make it Memorable
Symbols are a great way to enhance the teaching process. Instead of giving our son an ???Easter Basket??? we decided to give him a ???Resurrection Basket??? filled with things that relate to the Resurrection Story. If you are interested in doing this, below are a few examples of
what you might put in a basket:
- a small stuffed lamb (Jesus the Lamb of God)
- a chocolate cross
- candy ???stones??? (similar to jelly beans) that represent the rock that rolled was rolled away from the tomb
- a packet of seeds to represent the new life that Christ offers
- bubbles to represent the angel that heralded ???He has Risen??? to the women at the tomb (Matthew 28:5-6).
- Christian coloring books
- a Christian Children??™s books about the Resurrection
- the Resurrection Story on Video or DVD
Another thing we plan to do is make our own homemade version of the popular Resurrection Eggs and have an egg hunt. This activity is similar to a conventional egg hunt but instead of hiding hard-boiled eggs you hide twelve plastic eggs filled with scriptures and items that represent different stages of the Resurrection story. After they are all retrieved, you open each egg and discuss the scriptures and the contents.
For centuries Christians have given eggs as a symbol of the new life that Christ offers. Today this symbol is still used to teach children about the greatest gift, salvation through Jesus Christ.
If your children enjoy coloring eggs try
this idea. Decorate your eggs (the hard-boiled kind) by drawing Resurrection symbols and sayings on the eggs with crayons before you color them. Then when you dip them in dye, the wax resists the dye and your images show through. Some examples of sayings you can write on your eggs are: ???He has Risen!???, ???Lamb of God???, ???He Lives??? and ???New Life???. Some symbols are: a cross, a lamb, and an empty tomb.
You could also have a scavenger hunt using a list of articles that represent the resurrection. Children can fill their list from things they find at home.
Celebrating the Resurrection should be about the joy and excitement of Christ??™s victory over death, not about a bunny that delivers eggs and candy. I hope you??™ll try some of these ideas or create traditions of your own. After all, Easter
isn??™t about the Bunny it??™s all about the Lamb. |
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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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"He Chose the Nails"
by Max Lucado
The wood. The thorns. The nails. Christ's sacrifice has defined the very essence of mankind's faith for the past 2000 years. Max Lucado invites you to examine the cross, contemplate its purpose, and celebrate its significance with "He Chose the Nails".
With his warm, caring style, Max examines the symbols surrounding Christ's crucifixion, revealing the claims of the cross and asserting that if they are true, then Christianity itself is true. The supporting evidence either makes the cross the single biggest hoax of all time, or the hope of all humanity.
Perfect reading for Resurrection Sunday!
To pick up your copy of this book visit: He
Chose the Nails |
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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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Resurrection Sunday Dinner
Roast Leg of Lamb with Mustard and Garlic
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
1 leg of lamb, about 6 to 7 pounds
1/3 cup prepared mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 large clove garlic, crushed and minced
1 teaspoon thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions:
Place leg of lamb on rack in roasting pan. Roast uncovered at 325?° for 1 hour. Combine mustard, soy sauce, garlic, thyme, and ginger; spread mixture over leg of lamb. Roast leg of lamb for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer, or until done. Baste leg of lamb with drippings a few times during baking.
Scalloped Herbed Potatoes
Serves 4 (can be doubled)
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1
teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups thinly sliced red potatoes
1/2 cup minced onions
2 teaspoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons shredded extra-sharp, Cheddar cheese
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-inch round no-stick cake pan with no-stick spray. In a small bowl, combine the thyme, rosemary, salt and nutmeg. Layer the potatoes and onions in the baking dish, sprinkling each layer with the herb mixture.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour; cook and stir for 2 minutes (the mixture will be dry). Gradually add the milk; increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, whisking constantly, for 3
to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Pour the sauce over the potatoes.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender. Sprinkle the cheeses over the potatoes; bake for 10 to 12 minutes more or until golden brown. Cut into wedges; garnish with sprigs of rosemary.
Broccoli with Lemon
Serves 4 (can be doubled)
Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, about 2 small to medium lemons
Directions:
Trim outer leaves off broccoli and remove tough ends. Wash broccoli well. Cut slits in stalks more than 1 inch in thickness. Cook broccoli in a small amount of boiling salted water for 12 to 15 minutes, just until crisp-tender. In a small saucepan, melt butter; add lemon juice. Mix well;
pour over hot broccoli just before serving.
Saut?©ed Green Beans with Portabella Mushrooms, Garlic and Pancetta
Serves 4 (can be doubled)
Ingredients:
1/2 pound sliced pancetta, cut into thin ribbons
1 fresh Portabella mushroom, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (15.5 ounce) cans French cut green beans, drained
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Place pancetta into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and reduce the heat to medium. Let cook for a few minutes to soften the mushrooms. Stir in the green beans and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Daffodil Cake with Boiled Lemon Frosting
Ingredients:
1 angel food cake
mix
Boiled Lemon Frosting
1/4 teaspoon yellow food coloring, or enough to reach desired daffodil color
1 teaspoons water
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
dash salt
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Directions:
Prepare angel food cake mix as directed on package. Combine yellow food coloring with the water. Spoon half of the cake batter into a separate bowl. Fold yellow food coloring water mixture into half of the batter until well blended. Spoon batters into an ungreased 10-inch Angelfood cake pan, alternating white and yellow batters around the pan. Swirl the batters with a knife. Bake cake as directed on package.
Invert and cool as directed.
Prepare frosting. In top of double boiler combine egg whites, lemon juice, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat for 1 minute with electric mixer. Cook over boiling water, beating constantly until stiff peaks form. Fold in marshmallows and zests. Frost cooled daffodil cake. |
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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...
- Resurrection Rolls
- Resurrection Eggs
- Are Warehouse Store Wearing Out Your Wallet?
- Should I Declare Bankruptcy?
- Recycle that Roast!
- Budget Kitchen Makeover Ideas
- Flowers and Butterflies: The Perfect Combination!
- How to Make Your Own Rooting Hormone
- An Overview of Home Cured Modeling Clays
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Web Poll |
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Last Month??™s Poll Results
How often do you grocery shop?
Once a week (32) 46%
Twice a week (4) 6%
Three or more times a week (1) 1%
Every two weeks (11) 16%
Once a month (4) 6%
I don't have a set day. I shop whenever I need to (17) 25%
69 total votes since 02/01/05
This Month's Web Poll
Through which medium would you prefer to learn more about managing your home?
By hearing a tape or CD
By reading AND hearing a tape or CD
By watching a demonstration video
Attending a workshop
One-on-one mentoring
Sound off here: Web Poll |
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Martha Recommends... |
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ForKeeps.org
ForKeeps.org is a ministry is dedicated to helping infertile
couples, couples coping with miscarriage or infant loss, and couples struggling in marriage. They also minister to spouses who have been hurt by adultery, lust, and other addictions. By providing encouragement and support, this ministry endeavors to help marriages thrive during these difficult times. You'll find articles, Bible studies, a discussion forum, prayer ministry, and a weekly email newsletter. |
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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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Find out how
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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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Subscription Management
To start or stop your subscription to Wives of Excellence, go to
Newsletter Management
To read back issues of this newsletter go to
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Email Privacy Policy
Your privacy is important to us. We will never rent, sell or trade your address. You can expect to receive this newsletter, occassional web site updates and special communication from our editor, Martha Matthews. |
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