Category: Lifestyle

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How to Read Through Your Bible Without a New Year’s Resolution

Does the thought of committing to daily Bible reading send dread down your spine? Or maybe it stiffens your back because of those “legalistic-perfect Christians”. Oh, friend, I hope it doesn’t, but I understand if it does.  The guilt I used to feel every time I missed a day or got so behind I just stopped reading altogether was enough that for many years I barely opened my Bible other than on Sunday.  I wouldn’t commit to reading because I was just so tired of failing.  

Part of my struggle was I wasn’t sure where to start.  I knew I could start with Genesis and go book by book, but that just felt overwhelming, and I didn’t always understand or have any context for what I was reading.  Not understanding can make the word of God feel very remote and dry.  

I also had trouble “catching up” or feeling behind if I missed a day.  In my mind, I had to follow a specific plan to read a certain amount, on a certain day, at a certain time. And if I missed a day I felt as though I needed to read the previous day before I could read the current day.  And if I missed multiple days?  Two choices: binge-read or give up.  I have chosen both in the past.

Can I give you a bit of encouragement, sister?  Reading your Bible doesn’t have to be a burden.  In fact, I’ll dare to say it SHOULDN’T be a burden.  God didn’t give us His word just to add work to our day. Reading our Bible isn’t what saves us or makes us better Christians. But reading our Bible WILL help us as we function as believers.

How much easier is it to trust someone that you know personally?  

How much easier to follow someone when you know where their heart is?  

How much more likely are you to have faith in someone when you have seen and understand how they have handled themselves in the past? 

The Bible tells us in Matthew 4:4, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’ “ NASB

Reading our Bible helps us to know and see God in a very real and life-altering way–if we can just get past our issues first. I’m going to share a few things that have worked for me and I think maybe they can help you as well.  

The first thing I’m going to encourage you to do is kick your preconceived notions of “the right way” to the curb! Other than with an open heart and a teachable spirit, there is no “correct” way to read the Bible.  God isn’t timing how long you spend reading or keeping track of what time of the day it was.  He doesn’t care what order you read the books in or if you highlight and write in the margins.  He doesn’t require that you read from your favorite Bible, or even READ at all. I promise God isn’t grading you on your Bible time.  He just wants you to spend time in His Word and with Him.

Maybe you don’t have an hour or two to dedicate to the Word every morning, but I bet you can grab 15 minutes here and there throughout the day.  You might be surprised how many verses can be read in just 15 minutes. 

Don’t rely on the fact that you have your phone with you all the time, we’re too easily distracted by social media and the internet.  I can’t tell you how many times I pick up my phone to turn on music and then wonder half an hour later how I ended up on Facebook without any music playing! 

Try keeping an inexpensive Bible in multiple rooms of your house.  Did you know you can buy a  paperback Bible on Amazon for about $3.00?  The words in the cheap paperback are the same as the ones in your favorite leatherbound Bible.  Consider keeping a paperback one in your kitchen (read while you’re eating breakfast or sipping coffee).  You can keep another one in your car (read while you’re waiting on your kids or husband).  The best place to keep one is probably in your *gasp* bathroom!  Start leaving your phone behind and browsing the Bible instead.

I just recently learned that Jews view scripture as food and they “eat their portion” daily.  I love that image.  A bite here, a full meal there, and a snack for good measure adds up to nutrition.

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on Him God the Father has set His seal…Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.

John 6: 27, 35 ESV

Remember, there is a difference between READING scripture and STUDYING scripture.  Both are important, and each produces fruit differently.  I will never discourage you from doing a deep dive into God’s word to study it–cross-referencing, reading commentaries, making outlines,  and listening to lectures, but if you’re already struggling to be in the Word on a regular basis, maybe it’s time to scale back a bit and do the basics.  Much can be learned by JUST READING.  Don’t even highlight or write in the margins if you don’t want to, just read straight through like you would any other story. Do the best you can, until you can do better, but don’t do nothing just because you can’t do it all. 

For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it produce and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it. 

Isahah 55:10-12 NASB

Ask God to give you a love and a hunger for His word. Sometimes, when I was making an effort to be in the Word, I didn’t enjoy it.  I was tired, it was dry, I wanted to be sleeping…lots of reasons.  So I confessed that to God (I’m pretty sure He could already tell) and I asked Him to please help me love it–to place a desire to read His Word in my heart.  And before I begin reading, I ask Him again.  I also ask the Holy Spirit to open my mind and heart to help me understand what I’m reading.  God is faithful and He will help you.

Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight to my heart; For I have been called by your name, O Lord God of hosts.

Jeremiah 15:16 NASB

Take advantage of technology.  Somewhere I heard about an app for my phone called ReadScripture.  It’s a year-long reading plan that can be started at any point in the year. (I just happen to like to start things at the beginning of something; like a Monday, or the first day of a new month, or maybe even January 1st!) You can read it at your own pace or their recommended pace.  There’s nothing revolutionary about that though, that’s how it is with most plans.  

What I LOVE about the ReadScripture app is that it’s meant to help you see the Bible as a whole story and to see Jesus as the running theme throughout.  At the beginning of each book, there is a short video that gives you an overview of the book, along with information for context and how it fits with the big picture of the Bible.  Occasionally, throughout the book, there may be other videos explaining different things.  ReadScripture pairs with BibleProject.com where you can sign up to have the reading plan and videos emailed to you instead, in addition to a blog and podcasts. I come back to my ReadScripture app every time I start a new Bible study so I can rewatch the overview video as well as any other videos they have included.   While I prefer to read my actual Bible, rather than on my phone, I do keep track of what I’ve read in the app.

LISTEN!  Remember how I said you don’t even have to READ the word? Listening to it counts as well, friend!  I remember my mother had all the books of the Bible on tape and it was in this huge hard-back case that weighed a ton.  Now, you can listen to scriptures from your phone or computer with just a few clicks–and often for FREE.  My favorite is an app on my phone called Dwell.  It’s not free, but I love the different ways it can be customized.  You can change the speaking voice, add music in the background, and there are multiple plans to choose from.  You can also listen to “playlists” set up by other users.  It has been well worth the $30.00 a year I paid for it.  

Bible Gateway also has a free audio version. 

I listen while I’m cooking or cleaning.  Sometimes I listen when I’m driving somewhere or as I fall asleep at night.  

Talk about what you’re reading or learning with a friend. This doesn’t have to be something formal or in person (unless you need an excuse to get together!) and they don’t have to even live in your town.  Shan and I live 2500 miles apart and have begun having a weekly phone call to talk about what we’re reading.  Sometimes it’s the same thing, other times we are each reading something different, but it’s so fun to see how often God is showing us similar themes.  Some weeks we have to shift our call to another day or skip that week completely.  We just pick up wherever we are when we do get to chat. Be warned though, if you are like Shan and me, your phone conversation could take up a good portion of your day.  (And that’s the very best part for me!) 

To Plan or Not to Plan? You don’t have to follow a reading plan if that’s not your style.  Some people like the structure, some people do not enjoy being told what to do (or read)!  The point is to do what works FOR YOU, in this season.  I just came out of a season of just randomly reading different books in the New Testament.  It was great, but now I’m ready for a little structure again.

If you’re the type of person who likes to have a reading plan in place and like to see yourself marking off the chapters, some of the apps I mentioned above will provide the ability to mark off and track what you’ve read.  You can also go old school and print a paper copy to manually mark off.  A quick search on Pinterest will give you MANY options!

There is more than one style of reading plan as well.  Most of us are used to the “reading straight through” plan.  Start at the beginning of Genesis and just keep reading in order until the end of Revelation. 

Another option is the “chronological” plan.  It might come as a surprise to learn the books of the Bible are not placed in the order in which they happened.  If you want to read the Bible like a timeline, look for a chronological plan. You may find chunks of certain books are moved in within other books to create a full, chronological story.  

The “five-day plan” divides the Bible up so that instead of reading seven days a week you are reading five. This might be a great plan for you if you like the idea of having two days to catch up if you get off track during the week.

If reading only in one Testament at a time is not your cup of tea, look for an “Old Testament/New Testament” plan. Each day you will read selected passages from both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

A plan I hadn’t heard of before is called the “M’Cheyne plan”. Each day you will read two passages from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, and another from either the Psalms or the Gospels. When you finish the plan (a year if you follow it as given), you will have read the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice.

Whether you choose a plan or not, DO NOT GIVE UP, friend! You’re going to miss days or maybe even weeks.  You’re going to not understand some things.  You’re going to want to skip entire books in whatever plan you’re reading (ugh–Job!!).  But whatever happens, just pick up your Bible and start where you were at the next time you can.  God will still be there.  His Word will be the same.  You don’t have to be perfect because He has already filled in the gaps of our humanness. 

I love the way Psalms 1:1-3 tells us that for those who delight in and meditate on  the law of the Lord (night AND day), “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.”

Our earthly lives are about seasons, my sisters.  Some seasons are dry, some are rainy, and some are beautifully sunny.  Some bear rest, some pain, and some work, but all seasons result in fruit–in its time. 

Remember, whatever season you are in, it is a GIFT from God.  Acknowledge it.  Sit in it.  Soak it up.  It is God who will produce in us.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Phillipians 1:6 NASB

Happy New Year and God Bless,

Doe

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10 Tips to Make Menu Planning Less of a Chore

Picture it.  My house, about 5:30 pm, every night… 

My husband walks in the door after work and finds me standing glassy-eyed, staring into our pantry, trying to figure out what to cook for dinner.  Finally, I decide on spaghetti.  Again.  But the ground beef is frozen and when I go to grab the jarred sauce while the pasta boils there is only one jar.  Not enough for a family of seven for sure.  Do I have a plan B?  Do I run to the store really quickly to grab another jar?  Do I dare ask my husband to go back into town to grab another jar?  Panic.  None of these are ideal solutions.  I eventually sort it out, but now it’s past 7:30 and we are just sitting down to eat.  The kids are tired.  I’m tired.  My husband is tired.  And we are ALL grumpy. 

Does any of this sound even a tiny bit familiar to you?  If so, I may have something that can help you out a bit. It’s Menu Planning.  Stay with me here.  Menu planning is not a contract and it doesn’t have to be an ordeal. It’s not a miracle cure, (or even the answer for everyone), and it does require some sit-down time in advance for planning, but it can be done fairly simply and quickly with a few tips and tricks I’ve learned. Menu planning isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok!  But it has made a huge difference in dinner time around our house and if you struggle with deciding what to cook at dinnertime, it might be worth giving it a try for your house as well.

Menu planing was a novel concept for me, my mom did not make a formal menu of any kind while I was growing up. But I had a friend who made had been making a menu for as long as I could remember. Just watching her make her menu is what got me started thinking it might be a good option for us.   

One thing you’ll need to decide before you sit down to plan your menu is how far out you are planning.  Do you like to do things weekly? Do you want to consider paydays and budgets?  There were times we were paid once a month and I planned that entire month of meals all at once.  Other times I planned from the 1st of the month to the 15th and then the 15th to the last day of the month.  Now I tend to plan just one week to a week and a half at a time.  There is no right answer and it may take some trial and error to figure out what works for you.  It may also change from one month to the next.  Don’t give up, keep tweaking to figure out what works for your family.

I’ve been making a menu fairly regularly for nearly 15 years now.  But it wasn’t always perfect or pretty in the beginning–for a while there it was pretty hit and miss.  Some weeks I would put together a menu and other weeks I would skip it and I’d be right back where we started.  Other times I’d make the menu,  but never make it to the store for the ingredients to make the meals.

Which leads us to tip # 1. The first thing I learned was to keep ingredients for some “Quick & Simple” meals on hand at all times.  Things like chili and cornbread, spaghetti and green beans, tacos and refried beans, frozen pizza, and fish sticks and macaroni and cheese.  They are simple meals and work in a pinch, and I had almost a whole week’s worth of ideas to get me by.  If I was sick and my husband needed to cook he had some easy options he could throw together quickly.  If my day went sideways or I simply didn’t plan well, I could always pull out a faithful standby and have something hot on the table shortly after my husband got home. And believe me, we ate some variation of those items quite often for a while.

One I started using a menu, I dreaded dinner time a little less.  But it would still drive me nuts when I would get asked multiple times a day, “What’s for dinner?”  I was already writing my menu out on paper so all I needed to do was post the menu somewhere everyone could see it.  This actually benefited us in two ways: people could answer their own questions, and I would see the menu hanging on the fridge and that would remind me to pull whatever needed to thaw out of the freezer! I started out scratching my menu out on whatever scrap of paper was available but pretty soon I started using pretty notepads or lots of colored pens to brighten up my menu.  Now, I write my menu in my day planner along with reminders for when to take things out to thaw.  I’ve created two printable menus you can download and print out for FREE.  One has WEEKDAY HEADINGS and starts on Monday.  The other is BLANK and you can fill in whatever days work for you.

If you’re alive in this world today, (man, woman, mother, father, working, staying-home, whatever), then I know you are BUSY!  Let me encourage you to make friends with your slow-cooker and/or instant pot.  I intentionally plan at least one “set-it-and-forget-it” type meal each week.  This has saved my sanity on several occasions.  From breakfast casseroles to baked potatoes to cooking a frozen roast in your instant pot, Pinterest has a plethora of recipes to try out.  

In addition to slow-cooker meals, I intentionally add no-cook nights to each menu. We almost always have some leftovers after meals and most things reheat beautifully, either on the stovetop or the microwave.  But they don’t always get eaten before they go bad.  By adding nights that I don’t cook to the menu I force myself and my family to “forage for food”. If the leftovers get eaten before our planned no-cook night, hallelujah!  We transition to a ”whatever-you-can-find-for-dinner” night.  This might be macaroni and cheese, top ramen, hot dogs, peanut butter sandwiches–anything my family can prepare on their own.  (Sometimes we even just have a bowl of cereal! Breakfast for dinner anyone?!) Bonus tip–on no-cook nights, use paper plates.  It’s a win-win all around. 

When you are planning your menu, pull out your family calendar, and plan around your schedule. The first thing I write on my menu is anything I need to know about the upcoming week.  Kids work schedules, birthdays, date nights, sports, church events, etc. Then I fill in meals based on those events.  Maybe your kids are involved in an activity that takes you away from home one night so you purposely plan to have some kind of portable dinner that can be made earlier in the day, like sandwiches.  Or maybe your husband will be out of town and so that’s when you plan your no-cook night and everyone indulges in cereal.  Perhaps you will be the one gone for the evening so that’s when you plan a slow-cooker meal.  Knowing what’s happening in your week will help you make choices about what to cook when.  

Sometimes it feels like the choices for what to cook are overwhelming.  If that’s where you find yourself when sitting down to make your menu, one tip that might be helpful is to stick to a pattern and use a template to help make deciding easier.  Something like Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Slow-Cook Wednesday, Left-over Thursday, Pizza Friday, can help you narrow your meal choices into categories.  Again, arrange your template to work with your family’s basic schedule.

The thing that made the biggest difference for me when putting together my menu, especially when I was doing two or more weeks at a time, was when I put together a Dinner Docket.  A docket is a list of things to be considered.  I used to pull out every cookbook I owned and also pull up Pinterest when I started planning.  It was not only a mess, it slowed me way down.  I would forget to add meals I knew my family enjoyed and instead ended up with a list of more complicated meals with ingredients I was usually missing. Finally, I sat down and started a list of all the meals my family likes, sorted by category: chicken dishes, ground beef dishes, meatless dishes, etc. I would add one or two new meals from Pinterest or a cookbook I wanted to try. Then as those new recipes proved to be delicious, I simply added them to the Docket.  When it’s menu planning time I look on my Docket and check my “list of meals to be considered.”  My Docket is written in the back of my planner, but I’ve created two printable versions that you can download for FREE.  One has CATEGORIES already written in.  The other is BLANK for you to write whatever category you’d like to sort your Docket by.

If you are still feeling overwhelmed with choices, you can always ask each person in your home what they would like to see on the menu.  There are seven of us in my family so I would get quite the list of suggestions.  I didin’t always put everyone’s suggestion into one week, somethines I would make note of them for later menus, but it was nice for each person to see their favorite meal pop up on the upcoming menu.

A menu plan won’t do you any good if you never have time to make it to the grocery store to do a full-on shopping trip.  Be kind to yourself and utiize online shopping and grocery pickup whenever you can! Look through your pantry and refrigerator first to see what things you already have or what needs to be used up and then as you make your menu and find things you need, add them to your grocery cart right then and there. Schedule your pick up and you’re good to go.

Remember, a menu is not a contract.  It’s a proposal.  Feel free to shuffle your meals around as life happens and things come up. Some days I wake up and I just have no desire to make what I planned that night for dinner, so I don’t.  Because my menu is not the boss of me.  Maybe I’ll swap it with another night, maybe I’ll cook one of my pantry standard meals, maybe I won’t cook at all!  I can push that meal off to another day or even next week or month.  One of my friends plans a menu, but instead of puting them on specific days, she just writes them on index cards and shuffles them through the week as her life goes along.  She still has a plan and all the groceries at her fingertips, but she’s tweaked menu planning to fit what works for her.

Shannon and I talk a lot about learning to live prepared rather than reactionary and a menu is a great tool that helps me do that in one area of my life.  When I have a plan my afternoons and evenings go much more smoothly, I’m tempted to eat out less often–which really helps the budget, and we tend to sit down at the table together as a family more often. 

I’m curious if you make a menu?  If not, what holds you back?  I hope you find these tips helpful and that you’ll give menu planning a try. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments and I’ll share any wisdom I may have.  Don’t forget to download and print out your FREE Menu Worksheet and Dinner Docket (links below).  Take a picture of your upcoming menu and shar it with us in Instagram, be sure to tag TheSweet Tea Sisters so we don’t miss your post!

XOXO,

Doe

Weekly Menu with Day Headings

Weekly Menu Blank

Dinner Docket with Categories

Dinner Docket Blank

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Remember, Trust in God: Holding Our Own Plans Loosely

Trust. The  Webster dictionary defines it as “the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of something or someone.  One in which confidence is placed.”

Lately, it doesn’t seem like there is much to put our trust in. Certainly, doctors, our government, media, just about everyone, all seem to have lost credibility. We don’t feel we can trust anyone or anything they say. We trust only ourselves and what we can see and touch. What our minds can grasp and understand. What we can plan for ourselves.

We are Lord and Master of our fate. Even as Christians we struggle in this area. When things are going well, right on our schedule, following our plan, we often see little need for God and think we’ve got it all under control.  Right up until we don’t. Plans change. The diagnosis comes in. The job is gone or maybe a Pandemic comes along and changes everything.

And we forget. We forget the God we serve. The God we say we trust. The One, we believe in. We forget His power, His goodness, His faithfulness, His strength, The Truth of who He is. But we aren’t the only ones. The Old Testament is full of the stories of Israel forgetting.  

Psalms 78 is a call to Israel to remember God. A call to repent of their doubt. It recounts all the ways God delivered them from Egypt. The signs and wonders He performed on their behalf. How he cared and provided for them all the years in the desert. How He brought them into the very land He had promised the ancestors. And yet, they forgot all this and continued to grumble, complain and doubt.

Verse 22 says “for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance.” Youch. It wasn’t that they didn’t believe there was a God. They believed. They just didn’t believe IN Him. They doubted His ability to provide and care for them. They doubted His goodness. His character. They doubted His strength. And many times we do the same.

This year has been one of constant change, upheaval. Things we took for granted as normal daily occurrences like work, school, shopping, or meeting friends, came to an abrupt stop. Over and over again what we thought we knew was challenged and cast aside.  Many times, I’m sure we felt like all we knew was tossed out the door and we were left to pick up the pieces. Everything changed in a moment. Everything that is, except God. He stayed exactly the same. We just forgot.

I had to work through my own doubt and fear earlier in the year when the airline industry was hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Being a Flight Attendant meant that since fewer people were flying, there were fewer flights, and so, fewer of us were needed. Many of us took the unpaid leaves that were offered in hopes of keeping mass furloughs from happening down the line. 

One thing this affected was when I was planning to retire. The plan my husband and I had made was to retire in 3 years, together. That would give me the time needed to keep my flight benefits. Something we’ve come to enjoy and rely on to visit family and friends scattered across the country. Now that plan was in question since being out on leave would mean I would need to work longer to make up for the time I was out. Maybe even as much as a year longer. And what about the possibility that the industry wouldn’t recover. What if I lost my job altogether? What then?

I wish I could tell you that I handled this well and I put my full trust in God immediately, but I didn’t. There were many anxious hours and sleepless nights spent with the what if’s running rampant through my mind. I had forgotten, too. Forgotten who really is in charge of my life. Who I can trust and put my full weight on.

Psalms 37:23 says that ‘The Lord directs the steps of the godly, He delights in every detail of their lives.”  And Colossians 1:17 reminds us “He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.” 

Did you see that? He’s holding it all together. Not me. I don’t need to come up with a new plan, I just need to trust His plan. Because He is trustworthy. He is faithful. He is able to provide for all my needs. He’s done it every year for the 59 years of my life. Over and over again He’s shown me in countless ways I can trust Him.

And, while I can’t even begin to imagine what surprises 2020 has yet in store for all of us, I do know with all my heart that if I can trust Him with my eternity, I can certainly trust Him with this day.

I pray that same assurance for you, my friend. That you know without a shadow of a doubt that you can put your full weight on Him. He is worthy of your trust. He will never leave you. He will never let you down. You can trust His plan for you.

XOXO,

Shan

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When is Enough, Enough? Finding Rest in an Extreme World.

There are a lot of messages we receive from culture today and it seems as though most of them are extremes, with a right vs wrong mentality.  Right vs Left, Legalistic vs Freedom, Black vs White, Conservative vs Liberal, Sinner vs Saint, Chosen vs Not-chosen. Think my way? Two thumbs up for you. Think differently? You’re canceled.

One of the most popular extremes I’m seeing right now is the idea of “enough”.  Society is waving a banner that screams “YOU are enough! Don’t change for anyone! God loves you just as you are!” And Christians are jumping on board with both feet.  On the surface, it feels like a great place to land.  What could be wrong with accepting ourselves and each other without judgment and condemnation? A few things, actually.

For one thing, there is no growth in the “I am enough” attitude.  If you are enough as you are, right now, there is no need or desire to do or become better as human beings for yourself or the good of society as a whole.  But secondly, the truth is we aren’t enough.  And we can’t be.  If we were, we would be sinless and Jesus wouldn’t have had to come to die on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. It would be so simple for us to fix all the things wrong in the world if we were enough.  But if no one needed growth or to do better would there even be things wrong in the world? The idea of a personal “enough” is a trick of Satan to keep us from facing sin head-on and growing in our faith. 

And here is where the other extreme of “Enough” comes in.  The pendulum swing to the opposite side. The voice that  says, “You are not enough, you will never be enough, nothing you ever do will be enough, you are worthless.”  This is where Satan keeps you mired down in a stagnant swamp of self-loathing and doubt, your thoughts held captive in a lie that prevents you from even trying to find hope and help because you believe you do not deserve it.  

I don’t find either of these ideas in the bible without taking verses out of context. It’s been my experience that the answer to most hard questions rarely lies at one end of a pendulum.  Most often, in my opinion, we find our answer, Jesus, right in the middle of all the mess.

When I bought into the idea that  I was enough, it was a double-edged sword. One edge left me exhausted; cut, and bleeding in an attempt to prove I WAS, in fact, enough. Prove I didn’t need help from anyone, that I could do all the things on my own. When I couldn’t do all the things I just kept thinking I only needed a better system; surely it was a time-management thing.  Or I just needed to understand my personality better. Maybe it was that I just needed a better weight loss program.  I lived swirling around in the idea that if I could just change this or that, things would finally be under control.  But no matter how hard I tried, no matter what things I tweaked, I just couldn’t do it.

The other edge of the “I am enough” sword was dull and it lazed about in the idea of being accepted just as I was, and if there was fault found in something I did or said it had more to do with an issue in you than with any issue with me. Excuses abounded and any change needed, in action or attitude, was all the burden of the other person. My pride was excused as a moral high-ground.  My laziness was rebranded as the time-off I deserved.  My selfishness was disguised as self-care.  My harsh words were called “just speaking truth”. I needed no self-improvement and people could take me or leave me, it mattered little.  This thinking left me spiritually out of shape and bruised by life and in this place, my faith and character saw little to no growth.

I’ve wrestled and fought with all the aspects of “enough” and no matter which lie I was stuck in I ended up ashamed and depressed, feeling like a failure in every aspect of my life.  Until a friend reminded me of Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  

Rest is what I longed for, what my soul craved. I needed a rest from the world–all its demands, all its lies, and all its extremes.  But how does one find the “sweet spot” of resting well and enough? I don’t have it mastered yet, but I’ve found the sweet spot of Godly rest lies somewhere in the middle of enough and not enough. Knowing I am not enough, bringing it to Jesus anyway, resting in Him to help me, and seeing first-hand that He IS enough.

Jesus tells us in Matthew to ”come to {Him}”. That’s where we start.  Not with us.  With Him.  “I’m enough” is true when it’s the idea that I don’t have to “get myself together” before I can come to God.  He already knows that we are weary and burdened. I don’t have to bring my best all shined up pretty for Him to love and accept me.  I get to come to Him in all my weakness, all my ugly, all my sin. He asks us to bring all to Him and then He will give us the rest we so desperately desire. “I am enough” is true, but it’s also incomplete. 

When we come to Him we exchange our yoke and our burden for His. A yoke rests on one’s shoulders and one takes direction from it.  And a burden is still something we have to carry.  This is not a work-free zone. I’m not free to let someone else carry my burden, but remember, He promises His yoke is easy and His burden light.  Our rest comes because where we are weak He is strong.  Where we fall short, He fills in the rest.  He shines up our rusty places and presents them as perfect and new. Where “I am enough” fails, Jesus does not; He is always enough. 

Resting doesn’t mean not changing, not growing though, and growth isn’t always easy or painless. In rest, there can be discomfort sometimes, but there is also healing.  When I receive the gift of a massage, I am prepared to enjoy quiet and rest all the while knowing my therapist is going to find each painful knot in my back and poke and prod until they become soft and relaxed under her fingertips. The momentary discomfort gives way to increased movement and blood flow later.

When I sit in the salon chair to receive a refreshing pedicure, sometimes the nail technician has to cut out a bit of tender, ingrown nail that has made it painful to walk.  I grip the armrests as they dig and cut, my toe smarting from their tools, but knowing later I will enjoy the benefit of not only lovely toes but more importantly, walking with ease.

So, where do we get our ideas about resting, enough, yokes, and burdens?  We “learn from {Him}” and “{He} is humble and gentle in heart”.  To learn from Him, we have to study Him, and we do that by spending time in the Bible, God’s holy Word. 

When I was in high school, I had a Sunday School teacher who often talked about the theory of “garbage in, garbage out”, meaning what we consume will be what spills out of us later. We can fill up our minds and bellies with the “truth” we find on social media and the news; we can carry their burden of enough and take our directions in life from them, or we can spend time with Jesus and get our truth and direction from what He tells us in the Bible.

I was talking with my youngest daughter one day after having recently spent the weekend with my sister who lives on the other side of the states.  Whatever comment I made was  accompanied by a facial expression and my daughter’s eyes got wide, and she laughingly said, “That was Aunt Shannon, right there!”  What a great compliment to me!  

Do I act and sound like my sister because I’ve lost myself?  Is it because she demands I do?  Of course not.  It happens naturally because I love her and whenever the opportunity arises, I spend time with her.  I’ve known her for a while now, and because I’ve spent so much time with her, I have unconsciously picked up some (ok, many!) of her mannerisms–so much so it spills out even when we are apart. 

The same thing happens when we spend time in God’s word. We grow to love Christ more.  We want to spend more time with Him and slowly, we begin to look and act more like Him.  The things that matter to Him matter to us and the things that grieve Him grieve us.  We begin to see the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, grow in our lives. Not out of compulsion, because we have to, but because we just can’t help it! We have filled ourselves up with His wisdom and truth, learned His attributes, resulting in His wisdom, truth, and attributes later spilling out of us–no matter what the world bumps into us with.  

Much like being with my sister brings rest to my heart, spending time with Jesus brings rest to my soul. I know my sister loves me and wants the best for me, so she gets to speak the hard truths to me.  And because I know God loves me and has the best plans for me, I can trust when He begins pruning away at things that are unnecessary and not beneficial for me.  I allow His word to speak hard truths into my life and know it is for my good.  I can rest in His care.

We come to God and He works to TRANSFORM our lives and our desires.  He does the heart-changing.  Resting doesn’t mean striving in our own strength and on our own works for what only God can do. Our rest rests in His strength and what He has already accomplished through the finished work of the cross. Come to Him, learn from Him, and He will give us rest.  

When we sleep at night, our body is busy repairing itself from the efforts of the day–it’s our body’s own little “sabbath” if you will. And when everything is in-tune and we have rested well, we awake alert and strong, ready to face the day. 

I’m learning, when my face is turned toward God, He won’t abandon me to get fat and lazy, neither will He work me unmercifully.  Little by little I’m learning to rest well, by resting only in HIM.  In His word. In His truth. In His power and might.  I’m hanging on while He cuts and prunes at my tender spots, knowing the resulting fruit will be sweet and plentiful. I endure the growing pains as my roots grow deeper and my footing steady and sure, even when things around me blow wildly out of control.  

So, when I feel like the things I’ve picked up in my day to day life are too heavy to bear or like I can’t go a step farther, I remember that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  When I start to slip back into the patterns of “I am enough” I begin asking myself questions.  

  • When was the last time I spent time with Jesus?
  • Am I carrying His burden and wearing His yoke or one I picked up elsewhere?  
  • Have I come to Jesus for help or am I trying to bear them on my own?
  • Am I spilling out God’s truth or the truth I find on social media?
  • Am I being honest with myself?
  • Will the choice I’m making right now help me serve others better?
  • Will this help grow my faith and dependence on Jesus?
  • Is what I’m consuming nutrient-dense or is it an empty calorie dessert?  
  • How is my daily diet balanced?

I don’t have any of this mastered, but If I answer these questions truthfully, I can usually figure out what burden or yoke I need to bring back to Jesus to exchange.  

Friend, if you are weary and in need of rest, bring your burdens to Jesus and trust that He cares for you.  You are not alone.  You have a friend like no other who loves you enough to give you life-changing rest.

When is our enough, enough?  When it’s found in Jesus.

XOXO,

Doe

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Favorite Things–“Put Your Warrior Boots On”, by Lisa Whittle

Have you ever read something and just knew you had to get it into the hands of everyone you know?  That is exactly how we feel about Lisa Whittle’s book “Put Your Warrior Boots On, Walking Jesus Strong Once and for All”.

Warrior Boots is the second book we’ve read by Lisa. We call her Lisa like she’s one of our BFFs because we’re pretty sure if we actually met her she would be.  Here’s what we love about Lisa’s books: she is relentless about pointing out how important it is for us to study, know, and believe the Bible–for ourselves. She reminds us that when we study, know, and believe God’s Word, our lives will be changed and the way we live and interact with people every day will be impacted.

Now, here’s a little warning in case you are easily offended by straight talk. Lisa does not tip-toe around issues.  Oftentimes her points are not soft words of encouragement we can curl up with by a fire to ponder. Usually, they are words of exciting conviction that spur us into action. Warrior Boots covers God-ish lives, spiritual weakness, commitment, standards, accountability, and love.  That’s just in the first two chapters! We nod our heads so often as we read it’s a wonder we don’t have neck troubles. The highlights in our books are blinding.  Listen, we love this book so much we are starting a Podcast just so we can discuss it more!

Warrior Boots was published in 2017 and yet its message is both timeLESS and timeLY.  She notes in the introduction, “As I write this book, even now, hard things in this world keep happening, and sometimes I feel like I can’t write fast enough to help us through.  But then I remember that God being God hasn’t changed. He is the Savior, for now, for then, forever.  And so I write with urgency and the great understanding that God runs this thing…”  

She goes on to say, “…there’s a difference with being burdened and being hysterical.  This is not a book born of hysteria; it is a manual born of urgency.  Those are two very different things.  Hysteria says to panic.  Urgency says to prepare.”

“This book offers an alternative to living insecure, panicked, and scared, rather than accepting it as the norm.

This is a book of straight talk and strategy, since we are desperate to know the how-to pieces in our everyday.

This book reminds us of our spiritual power in Christ and defines the importance of making declarations over our lives as a means of taking hold of that power promised to us.

This is a book of absolutes that lead to joy, peace, hope, and clarity to help de-complicate our lives.”

And because this book is based on her study and belief of the bible, and because this book continually points us back to the bible as our compass, it does what she says it does.

You can read Warrior Boots on your own, with a friend, or in a group.  Lisa offers free 15-minute video teachings that accompany each chapter on her website and has included a study guide as well (all for the low, low price of $10.79!) 

As much as we wish we knew Lisa personally, we don’t.  She doesn’t know us and she certainly doesn’t owe us anything.  She has no idea we are promoting her book like a black-market Rolex-salesman. So when we tell you we think this book is so great we’re going to give away 4 copies over on our Instagram page you’ll know the only thing we’re getting out of it is MORE PEOPLE TO TALK TO about the amen-truths written in this book.  Be sure to head to the post today (Wednesday the 9th) and enter to win.  

And we really aren’t kidding about starting a podcast.  If there is something we have in abundance it’s opinions about all manner of things and we are happy to have a place to share them!   We’ve begun the process, and a process it is!  We will let you know on our blog and on our Instagram account when our first episode is ready to go live!

This book has motivated us to get into better shape spiritually and we think you will come away feeling energized and empowered after reading it.  We hope you’ll pick up a copy and dive in. We’d love to know what you’re reading and what’s impacting you right now.  Share in the comments–we’re always looking to add to our bookshelves. 

XOXO,

Shan and Doe

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25 Ideas to Add to Your Fall Bucket List

Sometimes we forget that hospitality begins at home with the people closest to us. Fall is creeping up on us and while many places may not be as accessible as we are used to there are still LOTS of ways we can make this season special. We’ve made a list of 25 simple things you can do to wow your family as the weather cools off.  

We’ve even put them into a cute Fall Bucket List for you to print and mark off as you go.  As you check off your adventures, be sure to take some photos.  You’ll want to remember this season for sure!  Be sure to share your favorite photos to Instagram and tag thesweetteasisters in your post.  We can’t wait to join in the fun!

Make a thankful-for list

There is always something to be grateful for no matter what the circumstances we may find ourselves in. Why not take a few moments and jot down just a couple of the things that come to mind.

Jump in a pile of leaves

Rake them up in your back yard or head to a park and pile them up there! This is a great activity to do with the kids and the perfect opportunity to take some fun fall pictures.

Make caramel apples

When was last time you sunk your teeth into a sticky, yummy, caramel apple? Make some with your kids or grandkids and be sure and let us know how they turn out!

Go for a scenic drive

Take the back roads and enjoy the beautiful fall colors in your area.

Make chili and cornbread

Whether it’s canned or from scratch, serving your favorite chili paired with some delicious hot out of the oven cornbread will make for a fun family meal.

Buy a new fall scented candle or make your own

There are so many delightful candles out these days, you’re sure to find just the right one for your home. If you’re feeling crafty you could even make your own! Bonus points if you drop one off on a friend’s doorstep to brighten their day!

Volunteer at a soup kitchen

Is there a soup kitchen in your area where you and your family can serve? If not, consider making a donation to your local food pantry. 

Try a new soup recipe

Fall is the perfect time to try out a new soup, if you enjoy baking maybe try making homemade bread to go with it!

Plant bulbs for next spring

Take a few minutes to plant those bulbs now and you will be able to enjoy some lovely spring blooms later!

Roast marshmallow over a campfire

Can anyone resist roasting a marshmallow over a roaring campfire? Step things up a notch and make your favorite S’mores recipe!

Buy matching cozy socks for your whole family

A new pair of cozy socks will keep your toes toasty! Or do a sock swap with your best girlfriends as a fun way to welcome in fall!

Have a family game night

Try out a new game or maybe a family favorite like Charades, Old Maid, or Monopoly! Don’t forget some fun snacks!

Bundle up for a picnic in the park

Get your warm sweaters and boots on, grab a big blanket, pack up a lunch, and head to your favorite park! Enjoy the changing colors and brisk fall air!

Make your favorite quick bread

Have a recipe you’ve been wanting to try? Maybe Pumpkin, Zucchini, or Applesauce? This is the perfect opportunity! 

Parking lot tailgate party

Grab some friends, pack up your lunch or dinner, lawn chairs, tables, and meet up in a local park or store parking lot for some tailgating. Just because we have to physically distance doesn’t mean we can’t be social! 

Make apple crisp and have a movie night

Enjoy your favorite Apple Crisp recipe or search the web for a new one, settle down with a cozy blanket, and watch an old black and white movie. Charades, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Rear Window are all wonderful old movies. 

Help a neighbor rake their leaves

Grab your rake or leaf blower and help your neighbor clear their yard of leaves. Blow or rake them into a pile and JUMP in!

Hang a fall wreath for your front door

Pinterest has lots of great DIY wreaths you can try, but if crafting isn’t your style check out a local hobby store. Be sure to take a picture to share on social media.  Be sure to tag us so we can see!

Learn how to knit

Fall is the perfect time to learn something new and who wouldn’t love a handmade scarf just as the weather gets cooler.

Have a fall photoshoot

Go with a professional or snap some with your phone and a tripod. Check out Pinterest for some fun photo booth prop ideas! 

Make a scarf out of an old sweater

Do you have some old sweaters lying around? This would be a great way to upcycle them. YouTube has some great tutorials for this!

Put together a fall puzzle

Puzzles are a fun way to get the whole family involved in an activity. Walmart and Target have a variety of puzzles for all different skill levels, or Amazon can deliver one right to your door!

Read a book by the fire

Curl up with a nice warm blanket and a book by your favorite author and enjoy some much-needed downtime. Make it a family event and do a chapter book read-aloud all month.

Go for a fall hike and collect leaves

Take to the local trails and collect some of the falling leaves for a lovely fall centerpiece.

Have an outdoor movie night

Invite a few friends over for a physically-distanced, outdoor movie night. Check out some of the ideas on Pinterest to make this happen in your backyard!

Don’t forget your FREE printable Bucket List here.

XOXO,

Shan & Doe

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A 2000 Mile Journey to Home

Welcome to West Virginia

I’ve dreamed of owning a historic home with a front porch for as long as I can remember.  At age 44 I had pretty much accepted a front porch was not in my future and was working on digging out any roots of bitterness and envy I might have had when God flipped my world on end, brought my family and me out of rural Idaho to “Almost Heaven” West Virginia, and gave me a front porch. The journey to my porch wasn’t direct, rather it came by way of a 25-foot travel trailer and a whole lot of faith. 

I wouldn’t say my husband and I are the most adventurous people.  We’re pretty content to have a nice, quiet routine consisting of morning coffee, a little work, dinner at home, and restful weekends with family.  We might throw in an impromptu date night, live musical, or weekend away to keep things from being too sedentary, but we aren’t typically known to throw caution to the wind and fly by the seat of our pants taking great big chances.  If you think that makes us sound a bit like Hobbits you aren’t too far off. 

Our first big step of faith came when I quit my job.  There wasn’t really a plan to replace my income, more like eliminate the need for it. We decided that selling our house and shop on five acres was where we should start, so we began making some long overdue home improvements to get it ready to be put on the market. 

Our next exercise in trust came when my husband began to feel he had advanced as far as he could at work and decided to cast his net a little further out in the water.  We prayed for God’s leading as I updated his resume, posted it online, and he began applying for jobs–even those across the country. I think we were both thinking this was simply a fishing expedition and not much would come from it. **Spoiler Alert** It wasn’t and much did.

Amid interviews and home improvements, we learned that my unborn grandson was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and would require open-heart surgery soon after his birth. We began pleading with God for this little boy’s life and making plans with his parents for what his birth might look like, all while trying to figure out if this curveball was a sign that God did not intend for us to move after all. **Spoiler Alert** It wasn’t.

Shortly after my grandson was born, my husband accepted a great position with a company that offered more opportunities to advance, both personally and financially. The kicker?  It was 2000 miles away from everything–my children, my friends, my church. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was, in fact, strong enough to leave our two oldest daughters and a medically fragile grandson in Idaho.  By the grace of God, I was, but it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

Leaving ID for WV

The old hymn, “He Leadeth Me” could have been my theme song for 2019.  Most of the time I had no idea what we were doing or where we were going.  I just knew that God was in control and it was my job to take the steps of faith–even if it meant living in an RV for an undetermined amount of time.

Much like the Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years before they could enter the promised land, I, along with my husband, 20-year-old daughter, 16-year-old son, 12-year-old daughter, a 70-pound black lab, and cat, lived for 4 months (which seemed like 40 years) in a new-to-us recreational vehicle. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as it might sound. I could have done with better internet and cell phone coverage, stronger AC, and not lumping dirty clothes once a week to the laundromat–first world problems, for sure! But we survived and aren’t too worse for the wear–us or the travel trailer!

When it finally came time for us to start looking for a house, my husband and I each had a list of hopes and dreams, along with a few hills-to-die on.  As you can guess, my hill was a porch.  It didn’t have to be big.  It didn’t have to wrap around.  All I asked was room for a porch swing and maybe some rockers.  We looked at a few great options and even considered making an offer on some, but until I scrolled past that yellow house on Zillow, none of them cried out “you’re home!”  like this one.  So here I am, now 45 and guess what? My porch is big and it wraps around. My rockers are comfy and I hope to have a porch swing up soon. Yes, the house is old, it creaks a little, and some work needs to be done to bring her back to her glory days, but I can relate to that so she and I are in this thing together. 

Front Porch Scale and Fern

The year since our move has been as crazy and unpredictable as the year leading up to it, but I trust God has a good plan for whatever lies ahead. I haven’t quite figured out my place in this new world yet. 2020 has put a damper on reaching out, making new friends, and experiencing new environments, but joy abounds in hope and I can call this place home. There is room on my porch, so pull up a rocker and get comfy; I can’t wait to chat with you!

XOXO,

Doe

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A Flight Attendant and Her Farmer

I never thought I would google something like “can a chicken get an egg stuck?”or “how much does a duck poop?” But here I am!

My husband and I made the decision to move from the suburbs out to what we considered the country 21 years ago. At the time we were looking for a little more room to stretch out, not feel so closed in by our neighbors, and have a space large enough inside to accommodate our large extended family. What we ended up with is a whole lot of animals.  We didn’t acquire them all at once but gradually over time, each one needing a new home.

The exception to that would be our horse Watson and we did get him on purpose. Actually, we had three horses in the beginning but circumstances changed and two of them went to live with people who actually had the time to ride them. A couple of years later we added 2 goats to the family and I thought… Well, certainly that’s the end of the animal acquisitions! 

Watson in Barn

However, for a long time my husband had been wanting to add chickens to the mix but I was not on board; I thought they would be loud and stinky. I lost the battle however when last year our granddaughter informed him that a  real farmer had chickens. So while my sister and I were away on a girls’ trip the two of them went and got six baby chicks. I can tell you that  was quite a surprise to come home and find! Fortunately, all my fears were for nothing and now we have delicious, farm-fresh eggs every day from our hens: Esther, Della, Big Red, Lucy, Goldie, and Oprah.

The latest addition to the farm has been five ducks. A friend of our daughter needed to rehome them as she was moving. Of course our daughter thought Papa’s Farm would be the perfect place and so ButterCup, Petunia, Momba, Dennis, and Claire joined the family. Of all the animals they have probably been the most work.  Farmer Greg is still fine-tuning their pond and I think will be for the foreseeable future. There appears to be quite a balancing act between water and duck poop proportions to keep everyone happy.

Overseeing all of this are our two dogs, Winchester (Springer Spaniel)  and Trooper (Bernese Mountain Dog) who seem to take each new addition in stride and wait for the day someone leaves the gate open long enough for them to slip into the pasture and they can live out their fantasy of being herd dogs.

Right now our son has taken the opportunity to move home temporarily to help out with farm projects as the college where he  teaches is doing online classes this semester. With him came his dog Jack (King Charles Cavalier/Shih Tzu mix) so now he is part of the herd too.   

Girl and Animals

Our 7 year old granddaughter, Olivia probably loves Papa’s Farm the most. I’m sure if you ask her she’ll say we bought it just for her 14 years before she was born. Before the days of Covid 19 she could hardly contain herself waiting for Papa to get home from work so they could do farm chores together. Now that he’s working from home she feels as if he’s there just for her and they should be able to be out on the farm all day. Of course her idea of farm work is driving the tractor around the pasture while Papa does the real work. She has turned into an excellent egg gatherer and now most eggs make it into the house without incident. She loves animals and is the chief reason we have so many. I’ve no doubt that she’ll be able to get Papa to come around to her way of thinking about getting that sheep she has her heart set on.

We’ve had many wonderful times here with family and friends over the years. We’ve hosted little league parties, rehearsal dinner, graduations, showers, birthday celebrations, bible studies, and potlucks galore. Being able to share our home with others has blessed us in ways big and small. There is nothing that means more to me than to be able to share our home with others. Something magical happens to people when they sit down at a table with others over good food. Walls come down, guards are dropped, and true fellowship can happen. Is there anything better than hearing people laugh together? 

For me our little farm is the place I can hear Jesus speak loudest. It’s a place that makes me slow down and listen. Pre-covid19, you would have found me 35,000 feet above the ground flying the friendly skies! For the past 7 years I’ve been a Flight Attendant and getting my wings was one of the happiest days of my life. Exploring new cities, meeting new people and experiencing new things are all things that bring me great delight, but nothing beats home. This place has become a sweet retreat from a world that seems to have gone mad. It’s a quiet place to block out all the noise and confusion that seems to be everywhere these days. 

Because of the virus my airline has asked as many as possible to take a leave of absence in an effort to cut costs and hopefully prevent mass furloughs, I was in a position to be able to do that so I have been grounded since the Middle of April and likely won’t go back to work until April of 2021. While I miss flying and my co-workers, I feel like I have been given a once in a life gift of something incredibly precious…time, time without many commitments or obligations. Time to pray, read, think, listen. Time to just be still.  It’s something I didn’t even know I desperately needed. But as always God was 25 steps ahead and He knew exactly what I needed. Nothing is ever wasted with him, even down time in a worldwide pandemic. I’m excited and looking forward to what he has in store for me. I know He is good and can be trusted.

XOXO,

Shan