Christian Homekeeping

I haven't been taking food pics all of the time but I did for a few new meals we've recently made and I really want to get back to sharing food pics and recipes more often:

Southwest Turkey Skillet

Sheet Pan Jambalaya 

You may remember that a tumor was found on my optic nerve in my eye/brain and I started a regime of 12 servings of vegetables and fruit and the tumor was smaller on the next scan.  Well, I haven't been as diligent with my veg/fruit servings and I'm hoping the scan this week doesn't show a growth.  It's hard to eat that many vegetables and fruits every day!  Here's some pics of how I've been getting the servings in:

This is my 4th post from the series and you can find the 3rd one here - it was a past post from 2020 that fit well within the parameters of the theme.

Living holy lives gets a bad rap in the modern Christian world today from those who want to claim Christ but don't want to obey Him.  In an American society where seemingly even $100K salary isn't enough to survive on, we see poverty-stricken women adorning themselves in everything from face creams to rouge to designer wear.  You see, men think that they can't afford a wife and kids on $100K but the truth of the matter is, they can't afford the women's vanity and covetousness.  I'm well aware that men can be covetous as well, if not more so, with their wants out of control, but this is a blog aimed at women.

Take a normal American woman today with her mani's and pedi's, salon visits, weekly clothing purchases, beauty creams, anti-aging potions and makeup galore - she is sure to break the bank of most men.  She's painted up like a plastic Barbie and forever worried about her image.  It's called idolatry and she worships at her mirrored and selfie altar.  Not only is this an expensive sin but it is a demeaning one.  She can't bear to be unmasked, as she is truly in a prison of fake.

Now take a woman living the holiness lifestyle with a Godly heart.  She is shamefaced, so she has no need for makeup.  She isn't worshipping her own image, so there is no mad rush to buy every product to stop aging.  She is natural and doesn't add on fake additions to her appendages.  She is modestly dressed and doesn't buy clothing to show off, so she doesn't spend her weeks shopping for more and more clothes.  Bottom line - she is affordable!

Holiness living is conducive to "making it" in our American society.  It not only saves you a ton of money but it saves the planet a ton of waste.  As my last section shows on The Law of Blessing From Obeying Gender Roles, a wife at home is a valuable asset.  She is home practicing frugality as needed within her husband's wages and she looks after the household budget and has time to pray and think about purchases.  She is truly a manager of the home and finances and saves the family an enormous amount through her wise meal planning and homemade cooking; and saves the family's health in most cases!

Can America really afford to go without a wife at home?  It sure doesn't seem so because just this week it was revealed that the average American family needs $270K to make it!  Yet, most of us live on $60K or lower, and that with children.  People are so far removed from the cost of their ways that they have gone mad.  The spirit of never enough has enamored the masses in their own prison, of which they will never escape until they cast aside its tentacles of control.

• I ate 4 meals a day - yes MEALS; not snacks - I kept food going in every 3-4 hours up until 2 hours before I slept to repair my metabolism and keep my body well fueled.  
• I only ate 12 hours of the day, for instance I ate either from 10-10, 11-11 or 12-12 - it all depends on my sleep or what time I finally eat breakfast. So, say I eat breakfast at 11am, meal 2 would be at 3, meal 3 at 7 and meal 4 at 11pm. This not only helps your metabolism and blood sugar but it will keep you FULL and you won't need to snack in between; if you are eating enough at each meal.
• Each meal contained a protein, fat and carb.  I ate 50% carbs, 30% fat and 20% protein on average, though sometimes my carbs were higher.
• I aimed to get 4-6 vegetable servings a day and 1-3 fruit servings.
• I strived for at least 30 grams of fiber but usually it was 35g+ most days.
• I ate mostly complex carbs - 100% whole wheat bread, brown basmati rice, 100% whole wheat tortillas, beans, etc. (See list below)
• I ate 80% healthy foods and 20% other foods to keep life happy!
• I didn't eat fake stuff like all those nasty sugar alcohols (I used real cane sugar and raw honey for my sweeteners) and I eventually stopped eating those high fiber wraps that are just full of added fiber that wasn't naturally occurring.  I also didn't do any of those high protein gimmicks - you can't possibly metabolize more 30 grams of protein in one go!  Skip these fad things that will ultimately tax your liver and kidneys.  I stayed away from "diet" foods.
• I drank at least 8 cups of water daily and made this a priority and I also made sure I took my vitamins and supplements.

Here are some examples of actual meals I ate:

I had always been a mostly healthy eater but I also had treats and ate fast food often but still, nothing that made sense as to why I was obese besides the medications and a decade full of surgeries, trauma and miscarriages.  To my surprise, I was only eating 900-1300 calories a day and maintaining on that and I chucked it up to menopause slowing my metabolism down.  (I had a hysterectomy in 2015 and went through what felt like menopause a few years ago.)  I thought well, there's no way I could lose weight because I'm already eating so little and this is just the way I'm going to always be.  At least hiking helped me lose 15 pounds but it had now been 3 years and no more weight had come off.  By the way, the doctor said I now had the heart of an athlete from my 3 years of hiking!!

I joined Weight Watchers in late May of 2022 the week of my daughter's high school graduation to just give it one last try and I was in a size 18 skirt and 2X/3X top.  I seriously thought it wouldn't work and expected this would be my last hoorah showing that I'm doomed to a menopause body forever.  That first week I ate ALL my points, tons of zero foods and ALL my weeklies - I thought you had too LOL!  I remember cramming my face full and feeling like I was going to be sick from all the food and I spaced it into 4 meals a day to get all that food in.  I thought there is NO WAY this is going to work.  To my surprise I dropped 2 pounds that first week.  I figured that was just water and eventually this wouldn't work.  Well, it worked every week!  I also started weight lifting after being so inspired at the weight loss and because I was adding in more exercise, I earned even more points and I ate all those too!  I was living in some kind of dream - eating MORE and losing weight!?  I was now eating an average of 1500-1600 calories and losing weight.

In 14 weeks I had transformed my body into a size 6!  

Some verses of note from the Bible:

Luke 3:14  And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

Phil. 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

1Tim. 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

Hebrews 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Notice, we are given examples to be content with our wages, learn to be content in every state of life, be content with our needs being met and let our life be without covetousness - this spirit of never enough - and be content with what we have!  Satan wants you to get on the treadmill of never enough and it isn't just because he wants to bankrupt you financially but he also wants you to to go hell.  Covetousness is a sin and you won't enter heaven (1Cor. 6:10), so we should be very aware of this spirit that is destroying many Americans like a cancer.

My guest speaker for this podcast is my husband and he is admonishing women to build their house. We have to realize the enormous impact that we, as women, have on our homes and specifically our husband.

- practices greediness (Greek)

- an over eager desire of the wealth of this world, envying those who have more than we (Matthew Henry)

- The covetous man is ever running out into futurity with insatiable desires after secular good; and, if this disposition be not checked, it increases as the subject of it increases in years. Covetousness is the vice of old age. (Adam Clarke)

My husband let me know today that he is going to be doing a podcast shortly.  I'm so excited about this and I hope it will be a blessing to you all as he shares what is on his heart and mind with my readers/listeners.  We need to hear a man's side and I'm confident that my husband will be one of the greatest assets to this series.

This may change as I go along but here is the outline of what I plan on talking about in this series and some of you that listened to my podcast may see an overlapping on some posts:

1. Defining the Spirit of Never Enough
2. Living a Life of True Contentment
3. The Law of Blessing From Obeying Gender Roles
4. Holiness Living is Conducive to Making It

For almost an entire year, my husband was a full-time Pastor and he definitely worked full-time!  I remember being amazed at seeing him in what he was always meant to do with his day.  He studied the Bible for hours, spent a lot of time in prayer several times a day and started writing a book that God directed him to write and all this for 8+ hours a day.  We went about our normal day as he worked for the Lord.

I saw my husband become the most spiritual I'd ever seen him before and believe me, he was before!  He was so confident in leading our church and the Bible studies began to take on a full course meal (and still do).  No doubt he was ready for whatever the next step was but you already know from part 1 that it didn't come.  However, we have since had very odd things happen showing us just what it was that God had intended and what we were waiting for.  I keep praying but I know that just because someone didn't do what God directed, that doesn't mean our story is over!  

God sent us to this city and we obeyed.  God worked out anything and everything out of the both of us and just like Paul, God took us through training.  I have no doubts in my God!  Whatever He says, He knows we will do and if it is just living the wonderful, peaceful and happy life here that He has given us, then so be it. 

This book that my husband has been writing for over a year now - there is nothing like it.  When he told me what it was about and showed me a preview of the table of contents, I was speechless.  I also believe this book will be a valuable addition to the church.  My husband is probably the most humble man you will ever meet.  He has no ambition, no desire for fame, money is not something he has EVER loved... I could go on but let me tell you, He is a true man of God and Satan knows that!

I taught all the Pauline epistles the past few months to my son and had such experiences that I don't want to forget.  It is something when you, as a mom, are teaching your child the Word of God and then the Holy Spirit moves and the next thing you know you are either shouting or praising or weeping.  I can relate so well to Paul - it is comforting to me to know what truly following God's Will comes with - as all who live Godly WILL suffer persecution and we our afflicted on every side.  Paul got it.  Paul didn't need the church to validate him - God took him and taught him and God still does that! 

I'm thankful for 2023 and I wouldn't take it back for anything.  Our marriage was solidified like it had never been before and I got to spend the year with my husband and he got fit - physically and spiritually - like never before.  So, the jokes on Satan - He thought he'd destroy us but instead we became stronger!  He may be successful in hindering God's plan but God always has another plan for those who are willing to obey.

*For all the mockers out there: we had NO unemployment pay, NO government assistance and NO debt taken out for last year.

At the start of 2023, after receiving his largest bonus ever, my husband got laid off after 17 years with a heartless call and abrupt goodbye.  This is how corporations work nowadays and they call it restructuring but it is all based upon greed.  In this event, they eliminated certain positions, not even looking at the people that filled them.  It was probably the worst move for the company in my opinion, as they lost some of their best and loyal employees but they'll soon find that out, if they haven't already.  It's their loss because I know how valuable my husband is!

It came as quite the shock to us but mostly my husband.  We had never gone through this before.  We'd always had security and never experienced a layoff.  It shook me to my core really, and not because he lost his job, but what he said God was wanting him to do afterward - of which, is why I'm writing this post.

My husband prayed for direction from God and he received something along the lines of: I'm going to bless you, it will come to you.  He was to do nothing but wait on God.  I really tried at first to believe this but let me tell you, I definitely quoted the scripture about don't work, don't eat and providing for your own LOL!  Not too long after the layoff, a LOT of job offers literally came to my husband!  Without any of his own doing, calls came in offering him some great jobs.  The big boss from the former company also called trying to get him back in some fancy corporate positions.  I thought, wow, see, God is so good, it literally came to him.  But... My husband kept saying, no, that isn't it, as each offer showed up.

After about the 5th offer and my husband saying it wasn't the one God was sending - I thought to myself, ok, there'll be another coming.  There wasn't and for 11 months we waited.  Every time my husband prayed, God said it is coming.  God worked so much out of ME as each month passed by.  We lived like we'd never lived before - spending the year under the poverty level and watching ALL of our savings run out - waiting.

The most unsettling part was I found out that nobody (except parents) cared for us!  No friends or family came to help, no offers of assistance, no food, no nothing!  No one cared; for real.  I remember craving certain foods so bad I felt like I was going to go out of mind.  I remember hatred and bitterness inside of me against church people that claim to be of God and knew my husband was laid off and offered nothing at all, not even a question about if we were ok.  I had to pray through all that and FORGIVE people in my mind.  But it taught me something - it taught me that 1. I haven't surrounded myself with God's true people and 2. I care more for others than they do for me.  I saw the selfishness of people and lack of care for others as God commands in His Word.

But God kept us.  We never starved!  Somehow, someway, God gave me wisdom with the food budget and I made it work.  We didn't have what we wanted but we had what we needed.  I was even able to find a medical clinic that saw us for free that was based on our income, which was ZERO!  We eliminated so much from our budget and found out what it's like to live bare bones.  Poverty in America looks way different than other countries but it is very uncomfortable when you've had everything all your life (needs and some wants) and to go to barely surviving with no hope on the horizon.

We trusted what my husband said God said to do till the end but nothing ever came.  My husband felt like a failure and started doubting so much.  By that point, I KNEW beyond ANY doubts that he was following God and although I couldn't explain why IT didn't come - I knew my husband and I knew we did what God said and waited.  People said so many cruel things to us, mostly to ME because they didn't have the guts to say it to my husband.  Forget that I have brain damage and can't handle much - they didn't care - they had to say their Job's friends' speeches to the weakest link.  I forgave them and my response to them was always that of faith in my God.  I wasn't going to waver and I stayed steadfast.

In many prayers to God, I kept getting the SAME response: Someone didn't listen.  SOMEONE didn't do what God told them to do in 2023 involving us.  Knowing this, at first I was furious, who is this someone that held our year in their hands and ignored what God told them to do!?  Then, it turned into deep sorrow because (and listen close) - by this person not doing what God told them to do involving my husband, they are going to suffer.  So, I prayed for that person.

By year's end, my husband quickly got a great job and how that came about was a miracle in itself.  He is making more money, working less hours and comes home happy.  We're enormously blessed with money running over but I'm changed forever.  I've always looked to the things of others and given to those in need but now more than ever, my mindset is altered and I hate the greed, covetousness and selfishness that has taken over so-called Christians and the church.  

God sometimes has to reroute His plan for us because of man.  God can't make anyone do anything, we are given a freewill.  Look at what your freewill in not doing what God told you to do can do to a family!  But no worries, God not only restored ALL of our savings in just 2 months but He is pouring enormous blessings on us that I'm now having to figure out what to do with it all.

Read Part 2 - The Blessing of 2023 here.

Now, we are facing an economical attack on the family that could become successful during my lifetime of making it almost impossible for Americans to live on one income; that is, if you keep the American mindset of what normal is.  Americans think that we all must have our own house, fully furnished and eat meat at every meal and anything less is poverty.  No wonder the world scoffs at us when we talk about hardship!  

Is it really impossible to live on one income in America today?  Let's see what you can do going forth to be obedient to God rather than make excuses for your disobedience:

1. Multigenerational family living - Women will disobey God's Word of being a keeper at home because she deems it necessary due to her husband's low wages, when she hasn't even considered multigeneration living with her parents or in-laws or even her adult children.  More and more Americans are starting to do what the rest of the world has always done, living in a multigenerational home.  I would rather share a home with my adult daughter and her family than her (or even me) forsake God's commands and God forbid work on a job to have a singular family home.  When push comes to shove - do you look for alternatives or are you quick to rebel against God's Word?
2. Extreme frugality - I see it all the time, women think if they can't get their nails and hair done, eat out everyday and shop for clothes every week, then they are struggling.  God has to be nauseated at the American lifestyle!!  Practice a little frugality to bring yourself down to earth and have some discipline.  Eat meat only a few times a week and learn how to make good, nutritious meals with beans and other meatless options.  Not only is this good for your wallet but it is very good for your health, not to mention your waistline.
3. Giving up American luxuries - Most Americans don't view things such as high speed internet, new cars, name brand clothes, cell phones and eating out as luxuries but they are!  You could could cut out your high speed internet and downgrade to a cheaper plan or get rid of home internet altogether and use the library public Wi-Fi and computers that tax dollars pay for.  Buy cheap, used cars and keep up on the maintenance to help them last longer.  Shop thrift stores and yard sales for clothing or just make what you have last longer by taking care of it.  Cut out expensive cell phones and plans and go with a cheaper option or get rid of your cell phone or landline altogether and just have one.  Stop eating out and spare yourself disease that restaurant food attributes to and cook healthy food at home.  This king of goes hand in hand with #3 but we tend to view these luxuries as necessities and it just isn't so.
4. Sell things - As a wife, you could possibly find time to sell your crafts or goods online or at fairs.  You could also resell things from second-hand shops on eBay.  It's an option and one that I personally feel is acceptable if it doesn't take you away from your responsibilities.
5. Move and live where you can afford - If you can't make it where you are, don't stay there after exhausting the above list - MOVE!  Many cities and small towns in America are affordable, just pick up and move.

I don't normally read the Christian Post but I just happened to come across it and saw this:

Doing these monthly meal plans really frees up time for me throughout the month!  For some reason, I'm craving a lot of chicken and so, I planned a lot of chicken meals this month.  My daughter cooks half the meals usually, so I don't have to cook every day thankfully when she's available to help.