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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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07/01/2005 |
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Volume 4, Issue 7 |
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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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The Lie, the Truth and Freedom |
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What We're Reading This Month |
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Classic Prayers for Children |
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Recipes |
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Frugal Microwave Cooking |
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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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What do you think is the most important thing you can do to be a great wife to your husband? |
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Martha Recommends... |
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How to Decorate Like a Pro for Pennies |
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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:
Well, the weather has finally gotten hot here in the Sacramento valley. We hit 100 degrees yesterday. Of course this is normal for us this time of year. We have stretches of 100 to 110 degrees for days at a time. How do we cope? Why we turn on the air conditioner and wait for fall (smile).
Summer is here and of course so is vacation time. You'll find lots of great articles in this issue to help you prepare for a great vacation. And speaking of vacations, I plan to take July off. I??™m not going anywhere special, just spending time with my family. But what that means for the newsletter is that I will publish an issue in August but I won??™t be writing my regular devotional. Instead, I will showcase a special guest author. Who that will be is a surprise
but I promise you won??™t be disappointed.
That??™s all for now. Have a great July. 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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Get Your Family's Budget Under Control for Good |
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Get your finances under control once and for all with the BudgetMap system.
It is so easy to use. No complicated software. Keep track of any type of transaction. See how your budget is doing at a glance. Finally you can get a handle on your spending!
Compare it with any other budgeting system. You??™ll be impressed!
BudgetMap |
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Devotional |
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The Lie, the Truth and Freedom
By Martha Matthews
Genesis 2:18 ???The LORD God said, ???It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.??™ ???
What thoughts come to mind when you think of the role of a suitable helper? Do you view it as a subordinate position? Does it make you think of a woman who is subservient to her husband? Is it unappealing to you because you think it means giving up your individuality?
Over the past five decades, the Feminist movement has endeavored to distort and redefine our God-given role as a suitable helper. In the 1968 feminist paper entitled ???The Women??™s Rights Movement in the U.S.A: New View???, the author, Shulamith Firestone sites the following words of Eleanor Flexner a leading
feminist of the 60??™s and 70??™s:
???Maybe none of the other causes listed, goes so deeply to the root as this one. Judeo-Christianity has always espoused the inferiority of women, pointing to Genesis for proof of women's temptress nature, her special role, her mission to be fruitful and multiply and after Eden, to multiply in pain and submission to man.
The family unit based on women's responsibility for child rearing, on male supremacy and thus her submission to male authority and the sexual double standard, was severely threatened at its core by any talk of change. After all, who could know at that time that the movement could be stopped with only partial or surrogate freedoms? They saw clearly, that to follow through on Women's rights would mean abolition of the traditional family
structure, which certainly gave these men quite a few advantages.???
It is no wonder that last two generations of women have come to associate being a helper (helpmate) with giving up one??™s identity and rights. Feminism has taught women that true happiness can only be attained through self-fulfillment. This attitude has permeated our society so deeply that it is now the norm rather than the exception.
What happens when we allow the world to define our role? We are tricked into believing one of Satan??™s biggest lies. The lie that says God is holding out on us. Remember Eve??™s conversation with the serpent in the Garden of Eden?
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from
any tree in the garden'? The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Satan planted a seed of doubt in Eve??™s heart. She wondered, ???Was God holding out on her? Did He want to keep her from being all that she could be? Was there something better out there for her???? Don??™t all these thoughts sound familiar? Aren??™t these the same things the Feminist are telling us today?
The truth is that God loves us and has great plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11).
He created us to fulfill a very special role. This is not an inferior role. We are not required to give up our identity and robotically live our lives for our husband. No! Our role is not at all like that. In fact our role is so special that Satan does not want us to understand what it truly means. He wants to trick us into believing that it is at best a burden and at worst slavery. Remember that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and he doesn??™t want us to know the truth because the truth will set us free. One of his most successful weapons against women is to get them to doubt God. He tried it on Eve and he is still trying it on us today.
Don??™t fall for Satan??™s lie. Here is what the role of a helper is really all about.
The word ???helper??? translated from the original Hebrew
text is Ezer
Ezer (Hebrew: noun, masculine) means ???one who helps, a helper in time of need or distress, a succor??? [1].
Succor: (transitive verb) to help in time of need or distress - aid; relief. [2]
Ezer is used only 19 other times in the Old Testament and each time it is used to describe God.
Here are two scriptures where the word helper is used to describe God:
Exodus 18:4 ?????¦and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, "My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh."
Deuteronomy 33:29 ???Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places.???
Psalm 118:7 ???The
LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.???
Why did God use the word ezer when he described our role? It wasn??™t a mistake. He intended for us to be strong and capable helpers, not weak, downtrodden servants. The Lord is our savior, our shield, our sword, our aid, our helper. God is all these things and yet He is also loving and kind. That is why we can trust in Him and depend on Him. It is these attributes that He wants us to imitate in our role as helper. The Lord made you to be your husband??™s strength, his aid, his suitable helper. What an incredible role!
With this new understanding of our role we can look at the Proverbs 31 woman and see what a wonderful example she is for us to follow. She was no doormat! She was a woman with incredible
strength of character. That is why God showcased her in the Bible. Let??™s take a look at what she was made of:
- She was strong: ???She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.???
- She was indispensable: ???A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.???
- She was competent: ???Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.???
- She was wise: ???She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.???
- She was responsible: ???She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.???
- She was resourceful: ???She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.???
- She was hard-working: ???She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.???
- She was devoted: ???She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.???
- She was spiritual: ???Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.???
All these attributes are positive. There was nothing weak about this woman. She was the strength her husband needed, a helper suitable in every way.
Now that Satan??™s lie has been unmasked do you still feel the same way about this role? This is not the low position that the world would have you believe it is. To the contrary, it is an incredible position that you can live out with pride and confidence. Now that you know the truth you are set free. Free to live as God created you to be; a strong and confident woman who is her husband??™s suitable helper.
[1] Edward W. Goodrick and John R. Kohlenberger III, ???Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance???
(Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1999).
[2] Webster??™s New World Dictionary, Pocket Books Paperback Edition, Copyright 2003 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, OH 44114 |
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Would you 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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"Classic Prayers for Children"
Are you preserving your children??™s spiritual heritage? We record our children??™s achievements and milestones in photo albums and scrapbooks, but what about a special place to record their first prayers, memory verses, and spiritual insights?
Now there is a special book to help you record your child??™s spiritual walk. It??™s called
???Classic Prayers for Children???.
Within the pages of this heirloom quality book you will find a beautiful collection of children??™s prayers and a journal, complete with bible verses, to record your child??™s spiritual walk.
This book??™s exquisite vintage artwork is truly inspiring and is sure to become a treasured heirloom to be handed down to the next generation.
To kick off this
book??™s launch the publisher is having a ???Christmas in July??? special just for Wives of Excellence subscribers.
During the month of July you can purchase this marvelous book for only $7.99 (plus S & H).
To get the Christmas in July special, you must mention that you read about it in the Wives of Excellence Newsletter. PayPal payments are available by sending an email to info@classicprayers.com
This is a great opportunity to set aside some meaningful gifts for Christmas. The matching bookmarks and note cards make nice stocking stuffers.
To read more about the book and see sample artwork, please visit http://www.classicprayers.com. |
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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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Frugal Microwave Cooking
By Cyndi Roberts
Microwave cooking can save you time and energy all year long. But it is especially nice in summer because it enables you to cook hot meals without heating up your home.
Microwave heat is produced only within the food, so the microwave oven stays cool and your house does, too, saving you money on your air conditioning bill!
In general, the microwave oven uses only one-fourth of the energy used by a conventional oven.
In order to get the most from using your microwave oven, remember these tips:
1. Covering most foods will speed up cooking.
2. Use round or oval dishes, instead of square or rectangle, for more even cooking.
3. If you are cooking two foods at the same time, choose
foods that take about the same amount of time to cook.
4. Heating continues after food is removed from the microwave oven, so allow time for this additional cooking.
5. Arrange chicken pieces so that the thicker, meatier portions are toward the outside of the dish and the thin, bony parts are toward the center.
6. Foods containing sugar and fats cook faster.
Many of your family's favorite recipes can be converted to a microwave recipe.
To figure microwave cooking time, start with one-fourth of the conventional time.
Always undercook--if more time is needed, you can always add another minute or two.
Use less liquid because there is not as much evaporation.
It may help to find a recipe that is similar to yours that is written especially
for microwave ovens and use it as a guide.
SWISS STEAK
3 tbsp. flour
1 lb. beef round steak, 3/4 inch thick
3 tbsp. dry onion soup mix - shake mix before measuring
1 tbsp. brown sugar
3 tbsp. water
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
Sprinkle half of flour on one side of meat; pound in with rolling pin or meat mallet. Turn meat and sprinkle with remaining flour; pound with rolling pin.
Cut into 4 serving size pieces.
Arrange in 8 inch round microwave baking dish.
In small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients, blend well. Pour over meat. Cover tightly with microwave safe plastic wrap. Microwave on medium for 12 to 17 minutes or until meat is almost tender. Let stand tightly covered for 10 minutes.
Serves
4
STEAMED VEGGIES
Vegetable (green beans, carrots, broccoli, whatever)
Small amount of water (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup)
Put veggies and water in a microwave-safe container and cover with microwave-safe plastic wrap, loosely, so steam can escape.
Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute at time, until done to desired tenderness.
MICROWAVE RASPBERRY CAKE
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves
1/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream butter and sugar in large bowl. Mix in preserves. Blend well. Add sour cream and eggs. Beat well. Blend together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add gradually to first
mixture, beating well.
Pour batter into greased 8-inch round microwave-safe dish. Microwave on full power for 4 to 5 minutes or until top springs back when pressed with finger.
Cool. Frost with Raspberry Frosting.
RASPBERRY FROSTING
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves
Combine butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract and preserves. Blend well. Add remaining 1 cup powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Spread on cake.
About the author
Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the bi-weekly newsletter "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another", bringing you practical, money-saving tips, recipes and ideas. Visit her online at
http://www.cynroberts.com
to subscribe and receive the Free e-course, "Taming the Monster Grocery Bill". |
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Be a "light" in the World with White Lily Candles! |
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Each SOY candle is freshly poured and highly scented. Mentor other mothers for additional income! You decide your hours. No minimums, quotas, or parties required! http://www.whitelilycandles.com/ssellers |
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Be a financial help-mate in difficult times. Proverbs 31:10-31 1-800-897-0406 http://www.enjoyingfamily.com |
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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...
- Packing Smart
- Organize Your Vacation
- Vacationers Home Check-List
- Blue Jean Book Bag
- How To Turn Yard Sale Finds into Home Decorating Masterpieces!
- 10 Tips for a Successful Day of Yard Sale Shopping
- The Value of Training
- Make a Spiderman Birthday Cake on a Budget
- Frugal Microwave Cooking
- Reducing My Spending
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Web Poll |
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Last Month??™s Poll Results
What do you think is the most important thing you can do to be a great wife to your husband?
Be a good listener (7) 5%
Be a good friend (28) 20%
Be supportive (60) 43%
Be a good homekeeper (5) 4%
Be loyal (16) 11%
Be submissive (16) 11%
Be great in bed (8) 6%
140 total votes since 06/02/05
This Month's Web Poll
If money was not an issue would you opt to work outside the home or be a stay-at-home wife/mother?
Sound off here: Web Poll |
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Martha Recommends... |
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How to Decorate Like a Pro for Pennies
"How to Decorate Like a Pro for Pennies" is an e-book designed for real people with real budgets.
This e-book will teach you how to:
Create unique accessories for your home adding warmth and personality.
Furnish your home for a fraction of what it costs your neighbors.
Dress your windows, floors, and walls with creativity, not *cash*.
Declutter and organize for maximum enjoyment of your decorating!
Decorate for the Holidays on a shoestring!
Give your kid's that fantasy dream room without teaching them materialism!
Outdoor decorating on the cheap!
This e-book comes with 5 BONUSES, including an e-book copy of the authors book, ???Quick Decorating Ideas Under $20: The Budget Decorator??™s Bible???.
The author, Kathy Wilson, is extending a special offer to Wives of Excellence subscribers. For a short time "How to Decorate Like a Pro for Pennies" is only $15.95...That's $5 off her normal price! She explains it all on her website, but remember, she is only extending this price to us for a little while!
Visit
How to Decorate Like a Pro for Pennies!" |
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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
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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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
Wives of Excellence Archives |
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Email Privacy Policy
Your name and email address will always remain confidential. It will never be used for any purpose other than delivery of this newsletter, web site updates, event information and special communication from our Executive Director, Martha Matthews. |
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?© 2002 - 2005 Christian-Homemaking.com?„? All rights reserved |
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