Monday, November 30, 2009

Not Me! Monday

Are you feeling guilty for failing to return that great magazine that the mailman accidentally put in your mail box rather than your neighbors? Hoping that nobody is waiting for that library book you've had for three months? Then Not Me! Monday is just for you. It's a time for all of us to confess our shortcomings laugh with each other.




It was not me sitting at the organ yesterday ready for my roaring organ intro to "Come Ye Sinners Lost and Hopeless" ....





who realized after two measures that she was playing the tune of "Love Divine All Loves Excelling."




I did not immediately break into a sweat as the singers looked over at me in utter confusion.





And my face did not turn as red as my sweater as I smoothly transitioned to the correct melody. I am always well practiced, cool, calm and collected.





Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Surviving the Holidays with Food Allergies: A Guide for the Host


"Oh dear, coconut is a nut?"


Um, yes. And I've actually heard that - several times.

I have food allergies and often cannot eat at the parties we attend, and therefore always eat first. However, I have found that this seems to offend many hosts. I would like to say up front that I never expect hosts to prepare a menu just for me. Quite the opposite, I would rather eat at home and then come enjoy the company and not worry about the food. However, this has yet to work. I usually end up trying to explain to a frazzled host why I can't just pick the slivered almonds out of the green beans.

With the holidays parties just around the corner it seems like a good time to blog about the perils of food allergies.

Today I am going to focus on peanut/ tree nut allergies since they are very common and are often most severe.

A person with a nut allergy may have reactions ranging from hives and sneezing to anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a sudden, potentially life-threatening reaction that can make someone's throat swell shut and blood pressure drop. An anaphylactic reaction can be fatal if the person isn't able to get to a hospital soon enough. Having an EpiPen helps, but it is not a substitute for an emergency room and may not be enough to stop the reaction.

While I'm always careful to tell the host/hostess ahead of time about my food allergies, one would be surprised how often it is a problem. It's never that a bowl of nuts is sitting on my plate. Most of the major reactions I have had are because people don't pay attention to ingredients. Chocolate that contains hazelnut paste will cause a reaction. Almond extract comes from almonds. Peanut butter is made from peanuts.

A dear friend of mine once went out of her way to make Special K bars with creamy peanut butter instead of chunky, since she knew I was allergic to peanuts.

Another friend offered me cookies that she said had no nuts. Being unconvinced that they were safe, my husband tried one first...

and bit into a nut. Her response: "Oh, that's a walnut, not a nut." True story, folks.

But the single biggest problem seems to be cross-contamination. Which brings me back to the beans with slivered almonds. Even the slightest trace of the nut can cause a reaction. Nut-free cookies on the same plate with peanut butter cookies are dangerous. Cashews cannot be picked out of the salad, the whole thing is contaminated.

I've found it's been helpful to have people think of nuts as poison. Would you expect your guests to pick cyanide out of their salad? Would you put cyanide on the same plate with the sugar cookies? Would you handle cyanide and then chop fresh vegetables without thoroughly washing your hands first?

To people with food allergies it really is poison. It is serious.

So what can you do?

- Ask you guests about food allergies. Most often guests with severe allergies will tell you, but ask just in case.

-Ask your allergic guest to bring a dish and/or dessert that they can eat. It will guarantee that there is something for them and it will be one less thing for you to prepare.

-If you a serving a large group clearly label the food items that contain common allergens. This is particularly important if it is not obvious. Earlier today I was at the Thanksgiving fellowship meal our church has every year. There was a dish of what looked like squash. Fortunately there was a sign on the dish that read "CONTAINS PEANUT BUTTER." I would have never guessed that.

-Read food labels. The FDA now requires food allergy information to be included on food labels. Please check the ingredients list.It will usually say what allergens it contains. If it says "manufactured on shared equipment that also processes nuts" (cyanide) this could be a problem.

- Remember that things such as hazelnut paste, almond extract, almond bark, and peanut oil are all made from nuts/ peanuts and will cause reactions.

- If you are serving dishes or desserts that do contain nuts please keep them safely away from the other food. If your guest is severely allergic, it might be best to avoid it all together. Even shaking hands with someone who just ate a couple of peanuts can be harmful.

-All of these things can also apply to other food allergies. Someone who is allergic to shellfish cannot pick the shrimp out of the pasta.

-And please, please do not be offended if they only eat what they have prepared. For those with severe allergies, it is the safest way to enjoy the holidays.


I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season.


Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Formula for a Peaceful Weekend


Philippians 2

1Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ,
if there is any consolation of love,
if there is any fellowship of the Spirit,
if any affection and compassion,


2make my joy complete by being of the same mind,
maintaining the same love, united in spirit,
intent on one purpose.


3Do nothing from selfishness
or empty conceit,
but with humility of mind
regard one another as more
important than yourselves;


4do not merely look out
for your own personal interests,
but also for the interests of others.


5Have this attitude in yourselves
which was also in Christ Jesus,


6who, although He existed in the
form of God, did not regard
equality with God a
thing to be grasped,


7but emptied Himself,
taking the form of a bond-servant,
and being made in the likeness of men.
 
 
_______________________________________
 

For a great sermon on these verses click here.
   

Friday, November 20, 2009

Coffee Anyone?


One of the things that I most appreciate is a good cup of coffee.

I freely admit that I am a coffee-aholic. But a very picky one - not all coffee is alike. For as much as I like a good cup of coffee

I also hate waste. Working alone means either making a whole pot of coffee only to drink one cup (wasteful) or buying a cup of coffee - financially wasteful. Of course, if I buy a cup of coffee I also buy a donut to go with making it even more expensive to my penny-pinching self.

Instant coffee?

Ugh. Yuck.



Until now.

I recently discovered Starbucks VIA. I'm hooked. It's true. There is a GOOD instant coffee to satisfy my caffeine needs.

It's bold. It's flavorful. It tastes like real coffee.

I promise not to make this a product review blog, but as a sat down to enjoy my second cup today, I just had to share my coffee joy.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Us

Colossians 2:6,7

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness
.





I am so thankful for US. Mr and Mrs K.

I'm thankful that God gave me a wonderful husband who is strong when I am weak, who is patient when I am not, who makes me laugh and lets me cry. I love (and hate) that he always does the right thing rather than the easy thing.  I love that he is firm with the teen when I would give in.  I appreciate how he pushes me to be better than I am.

I would not be the person I am without him.


What are you thankful for this week? Check out Welcome to the Nuthouse for other thankful thoughts.



Monday, November 16, 2009

Not Me! Monday



Are you feeling guilty for failing to return that great magazine that the mailman accidently put in your mail box rather than your neighbors?  Hoping that nobody is waiting for that library book you've had for three months? Then Not Me! Monday is just for you. It's a time for all of us to confess our shortcomings laugh with each other.





This is certainly not my messy office.





And this is not the salad dressing I brought to work a week ago. And, of course, it has not been sitting on my desk all this time.



I would never leave expensive sound equipment or projectors on the floor. And that is NOT a pitcher of water next to the electronics.


Don't worry, this giant mess at work did not happen because I was sick all week but too stubborn to stay home. (Not to worry, I work alone so there's no one else to give my germs to)

And I'm not pretending not to notice it today because it just seems like too much of a mess to even begin to tackle!









Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Friday, November 13, 2009

2 Timothy 2:23, 24




I had nothing to blog about today.


I thought about it....


I prayed about it....

And I just had nothing.


It's been a long and tiring week. I've been terribly busy at work (both jobs) and there have been lots of decisions to be made. And even in ministry work, that means quarrels. Sometimes over the smallest of things.
If you want to see the congregation split over a decision all you have to do is ask what color the sanctuary should be painted. As a PK and as church staff...trust me on this. It can get ugly over the most trivial of things.


So, being completely exhausted and having given up on blogging today, I sat down and picked up my notes for a book review I'm writing. A couple of days ago a had scribbled on the bottom of the page 2 Timothy 2:23. To be honest, I don't even remember writing it. But I looked it up and here it is:



23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels 24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.


Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments. Really, how bad is it when we as Christians quarrel over the size of a font on the the new ministry website? Does it matter?



How about at home. Does it really matter if your husband wants the thermostat set 3 degrees cooler than you? Or who walked the dog last time?



What do these silly quarrels look like to our unbelieving friends?


So this weekend, by God's grace, I will make an effort to really let go of the little things. I will aim to avoid foolish arguments.




I'll even turn down the thermostat and put my new thrift store sweater on! Yes, the same one from yesterday...


Thursday, November 12, 2009

Thankful Thursday

Colossians 2:6,7

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness
.



My inlaws (who I am very thankful for) had this beautiful book wagon custom made for me.
I'm thankful for inlaws who care enough to do something so thoughtful,
and I'm thankful for skilled craftsmen who make such beautiful things.


I'm thankful for...






Thrift store sweaters!



And I'm very thankful for my sweet little nephew




And that I was there to see  his first steps on Friday night.



What are you thankful for this week? Check out Welcome to the Nuthouse for other thankful thoughts.





Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Family History


Family history.  It's a gift to each of us. A glimpse into our past, into the lives of our ancestors.

This is the first page of a family Bible that has been in our family for several generations.




The binding is loose...




and the cover is worn.




Our family has been here long enough that none of us speak or read Dutch anymore, but still I love to gaze at these pages and imagine generations of mothers reading these words to their children.





Or imagine those children staring at the beautiful pictures in awe.


What stories would these pages tell?

Would they tell of a ship crossing the ocean?

Or a journey across the prairie in a covered wagon?

If those who owned this Bible believed it's words, I'll be able to hear those stories for myself in heaven.

This week I'm taking part in "Tuesdays Unwrapped", a time to slow down and notice the gifts around us.
A time to reflect on the small things.

What gifts are before you today?
Check out www.chattingatthesky.com to see what others have to share.





Monday, November 9, 2009

Proverbs 31 Woman





  10 Who can find a virtuous wife?
      For her worth is far above rubies.
       11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
      So he will have no lack of gain.
       12 She does him good and not evil
      All the days of her life.








This weekend our family gathered together in Northwest Iowa to celebrate the 80th birthday of my grandmother, Theora DeWaay.




My uncle Wayne read the words from Proverbs 31 that so accurately describe Grandma Theora.


She was born and raised on a farm near Archer, Iowa. After she married my grandfather, Harold, they remained on the farm where they raised their five sons in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord.




Grandma Theora loved, served, and honored her husband until his death in 2001. He was well respected in the community as school board superintendent, county commissioner, Shriner, and church member, but she really was his crown jewel.


I have very fond memories of Grandma Theora teaching me to sew, paint, cook, and garden during many many trips to the farm as a young girl. Grandma, I still need help with pie crusts - I never did quite get that mastered.


Grandma Theora also taught me the importance of community service.  Often times she had me along as she volunteered at the county fair or at a local art show. 


If there was an event at that church, we were there - with a casserole and dessert of course.


Thank you, Grandma, for modeling for me what a true Proverbs 31 woman is in how you have lived your life.


Thank you for honoring and serving Grandpa Harold all of his life.


Thank you for raising well disciplined children, one of whom I am fortunate enough to call dad.


Thank you for the loving the Lord and teaching your children and grandchildren to love Him too.


Thank you for teaching all of us granddaughters how to be real women in this career-driven world.


Thank you for loving and praying for your 5 children, 11 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. We are all so blessed to have you in our lives.


I love you, grandma.









Friday, November 6, 2009

Comfort

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
-Lamentations 3:22-25

These words were penned by the prophet Jeremiah after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. For forty years he had warned the people of coming judgment and was scorned by those who heard him. That judgment finally came and Nebuchadnezzar took the Israelites captive and utterly destroyed Jerusalem and burned the temple.

Yet while looking upon the ruins of his beloved city, the prophet was able to say "Great is your faithfulness" and patiently wait upon the Lord.

It seems that there are so many people suffering right now. Health problems, marriage problems, the loss of a job.

In these very difficult times, it is my prayer that all of us will be able to say "Great is Your faithfulness" and patiently wait upon the Lord. His compassions are new every morning and take comfort, the Lord IS good to those whose hope is in Him.

Have a blessed weekend.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Thankful Thursday

Colossians 2:6,7

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness
.

 This week I am very thankful to have a wonderful, godly husband who cares so deeply for me and T.




I'm thankful to have Wednesday evening to spend with my mother-in-law studying God's Word.






I'm thankful that I live in the beautiful state of Minnesota where views like this are just a short drive away.



What are you thankful for this week? Check out Welcome to the Nuthouse for other thankful thoughts.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Not My Teen!

Me: "T, why are you still in bed, you're going to be late for school."






T: "I'm too tired to get up, I lost an hour of sleep last night."






Me (a little confused): "How did you lose an hour of sleep?"






T: "Because of daylight savings!"




Me: " Ummm......... That was Saturday night and you gained an hour, so get up!"






True story, folks.