• 10.31.2007 O…P…Q.
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    Back to the ABC’s… Q is for Quiet Time. For this particular instance, I’m referring to the “quiet time” we have with our heavenly Father as followers of Christ. (I do wholeheartedly advocate down time, or quiet time reading and playing alone, for children as well!) If you struggle to have a disciplined time with God as an adult it is probably as a result of not having a routine, yet meaningful quiet time with the Lord. Some ways I am trying to teach my young children to have a personal quiet time: 1. Listening to audio Bible CDs. (Kids have an amazing knack for audio learning.) 2. Listening to Bible verses set to music. 3. Copying a Bible verse out of his own Bible after reading a passage. 4. Keeping a prayer journal. Pictures are okay…they understand what they’ve drawn! 5. Talk to them about the “why” and not […]

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  • 10.30.2007 Squash and Quinoa Pie
    Squash and Quinoa Pie
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    I first saw this wonderful fall dish in a Martha Stewart Living magazine last year, but have since misplaced the magazine and reconstructed this recipe from memory… Quinoa (keen-wah) is a super nutritious versatile grain. Unlike many other common grains, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it exceptionally complete in nutrition. That means, unlike with wheat proteins, you don’t need to supplement your diet with legumes (which contains other amino acids). Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest. In this form it is suitable as a hearty side dish or a vegetarian main course. Nutty, rich, savory, fragrant…fresh! Enjoy. 1 cup quinoa 2 cups chicken broth swig of olive oil 1 cup diced yellow onion 2 cups diced butternut squash, plus 4 thinly sliced rings of squash (from the bottom) 2 cups shredded parmesan 2 tsp. dried sage salt and pepper Preheat […]

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  • 10.29.2007 M is for Money. N is for Nagging.
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    N is for Nagging. May I encourage you—don’t do it. Nagging is continuous urging to the point of irritation. When has that ever produced the results or the attitude we desire in our children? This is how I try to lead my children to obedience: 1. Assess what I’m asking for. Is it reasonable, right, and righteous (Biblical)? 2. Communicate my request (not just demand, but explain). 3. Communicate the consequences for disobedience (both physical and spiritual), and communicate to my child the joy of trusting his parent to know what’s right. 4. Follow through with my guidelines; don’t nag. M is for Money. All of us desire for our children to be responsible with money, to grow up to be debt-free, to give back to the Lord, and to be generous. Though honorable, none of these aspirations preclude our children from being lovers of money. Our children will learn […]

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  • 10.27.2007 L is for Legumes.
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    L is for Legumes. Back to food again, legumes are plants of the pea or bean family (that splits into two valves with the seeds attached to one edge of the valves). Think peas, beans, sprouts, soybeans, chickpeas, peanuts, lentils… Why should they be part of our child’s diet? They are low in fat and high in protein. They have folate, potassium, iron and magnesium, which are all good for his body. They keep your digestive system healthy and prevent diseases. Bet you didn’t know they were so important! Here are some ideas for your kids: hummus and flatbread, peanut butter and apples, black bean dip with quesadillas, ham and cheese lentil stew, soynuts instead of potato chips. For some recipes and more information, look here. K is for Kaleidoscope. Like the changing reflections in a kaleidoscope, we can show our children various ways of looking at the many colors […]

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  • 10.26.2007 Reconciliation
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    Taking pause from the ABC’s, I must spend a moment to respond to what the Lord is teaching me on the gift of reconciliation… There is no feeling like the punched-in-the-stomach pangs of knowing someone is angry with you. Equally as painful is being angry yourself while having an unresolved conflict with someone you care about. Both are concomitant with broken fellowship. More than once I have been tempted to hedge myself in and never risk, confront, share, or love that I might not have to ever experience the sickening sensation of conflict again. Hedges may keep others out, but it also keeps you in. Yet: “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, that wants it down.” (Robert Frost, Mending Wall) That is where reconciliation comes in. I suppose I should say that reconciliation enters when pride slips out the back door. You can’t really make it right with […]

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  • 10.25.2007 G…H…I.
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    I is for Instruments. Whether your personal preference in music is jazz, classical, pop, or country, there is no denying that life would unbearable without musical instruments.  Instruments are voices of expression that require skill to communicate.  It used to be that all children learned at least one instrument at some point in their childhood; but not so today.  Many of today’s children are missing out on the discipline and enjoyment of learning an instrument.  Don’t you look back and wish you knew how to play the piano, or the sax, or maybe the celtic flute?  Let’s encourage that side of creativity in our kids. H is for Hide. “I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11) The New American Translation uses the word “treasured” instead of hidden, so you see the idea: value, cherish, treasure, meditate on the word of […]

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  • 10.23.2007 The Best Homemade Granola
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    So…after much experimentation and research, I present to you our family’s favorite homemade granola. I’ve got it packed with fiber and have perfected the recipe to yield crunchy clusters, like store-bought, minus all the additives. Fiddle with your own add-ins…and as usual, my cooking style is less than scientific. Enjoy! Ruth’s Granola 8 cups multi-grain oats 1 cup flax meal (ground flax seed) 1 cup flax seeds 1 cup oat bran 1/2 cup oil 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup hot water 1/3 cup honey 1 1/4 cups dates 2 ripe bananas 1 cup dried apricots 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 cups or so cranberries 1 cup sliced almonds 1 cup shredded coconut Preheat oven to 300F. In a blender, puree banana, apricots, and dates. Add hot water, vanilla, honey, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Puree until smooth. Combine oats, flax, and oat bran in large bowl. Coat throughout […]

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  • 10.23.2007 F is for Fiber.
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    F is for Fiber Yup…it’s not just for the old folks. Our kids need it for digestive health and for qualitative & quantitative eating habits. Ways we sneak it in at our house: add ground flaxseed meal and wheat germ to oatmeal for breakfast make homemade granola serve only whole wheat (introduce it early and they won’t ever know what they’re missing!) make smoothies with a scoop of psyllium husk at breakfast offer trail mix and dried fruit instead of chips and cookies Green Juice and Garden Patch at Trader Joe’s For more information and inspiration, look here. E is for Enthusiasm. Sometimes I find myself saying “uh-huh” blithely to my kids as they circuitously describe their latest discovery or Lego creation…while my mind wanders off to what I’m fixing for dinner. Then it hits me: Enthusiasm encourages; indifference extinguishes. Let’s help keep the fire lit in our children. D […]

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