Welcoming Womanhood: Back to School Lunch Links!

Since this is "back to school" week here in Kansas (BOO), I decided to link up to some of my favorite back to school lunch ideas!  Click on the link above each picture in order to see the fabulous idea at it's original home!  Hope these ideas help you out!!!

Super Fun Sandwiches

from spoonful.com

Wholesome, Easy Recipes Your Kids Will Love 

from Real Food for Healthy Kids on Epicurious

 

 Budget Friendly Lunch Ideas

from foodformyfamily.com 


 Tons of Recipes Kids Will LOVE
at about.com



Creating Versatile Lunches Kids Actually EAT
from about.com

Welcoming Womanhood: Taco Soup

I thought I'd share a quick, easy, and OH SO GOOD recipe this week!  I love finding new recipes, and when my sister-in-law made this for a family dinner, I KNEW I would make it again and again!  We eat it about 2-3 times a month as it is a family favorite!  I've modified her version, though, so I'm giving you MY version! ;)

Taco Soup

 

 Ingredients:

5 cups chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes (keep liquid)

1 can corn

1 can black beans (drained & cleaned)

1 can kidney beans (drained & cleaned)

1/4-1 lb. cooked ground hamburger (we use less because of the beans)

OR

1-3 cups shredded chicken

1 packet taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients (MAKE SURE HAMBURGER IS COOKED AND DRAINED FIRST) into a large pot, bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips!

TIP: Make a double batch and freeze for easy lunches, another family meal, or to take for compassionate service purposes! :)

Welcoming Womanhood: The Need for Homemaking

 

Welcome to another week of Welcoming Womanhood!  Today I'd like to focus a little bit on homemaking.  I've become aware recently that more and more women are using the excuse of  "too busy" to neglect their duties at home pertaining to homemaking.  This is not good.  It took me about 3 years of marriage to get into my homemaking groove, but I will never go back.  In order to feel the Spirit in our homes, we must create a place for the Spirit to be comfortable.  We must use the temple as a guide.  

Here's what the Lord has to say on the matter of homemaking,  "Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God..." Doctrine & Covenants 109:8

If we are striving to become like our Father in Heaven, shouldn't our homes mirror His?  Some of you may be wondering exactly what  homemaking includes.  Well, we are so fortunate to have Church leaders who have expouned on this very thing!  Let's read what Sis. Julie B. Beck has to say on the matter.  


"Homemaking includes cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and keeping an orderly home. Home is where women have the most power and influence; therefore, Latter-day Saint women should be the best homemakers in the world. Working beside children in homemaking tasks creates opportunities to teach and model qualities children should emulate. Nurturing mothers are knowledgeable, but all the education women attain will avail them nothing if they do not have the skill to make a home that creates a climate for spiritual growth. Growth happens best in a “house of order,” and women should pattern their homes after the Lord’s house." 

Sisters, how can we accomplish this work if we are too focused on things outside the house?  How will our houses be clean if we allow other pursuits to take our attention away from them?  YES.  We need to be away from our homes at times.  YES. Children do need a few hobbies to be able to cultivate talents.  But when these things take precedence over the home, there is a problem

"NO SUCCESS can compensate for failure in the home." President David O. McKay

I sometimes hear people speaking of work with disgust and extreme loathing.  This saddens me!  What can be more fulfilling, more satisfying, more spiritually necessary than having a house of order?  It is not the accolades of the world that will give us a feeling of self worth, it is good old fashioned HARD WORK.  When you do your best to do the things the Lord has asked you to do, that is when you will feel your best and feel of the love of our Father in Heaven.  

Moving on, ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING.  You are the example for the children and other adults in your home.  If you love work, your children will love work and will be willing to help you.  Your children will be more willing to help around the house and your burdens will be lightened.  There are always age appropriate tasks for children to do.  It starts as a baby.  Show them how to put their toys away!  When they are able to put things into baskets, have them help you but the toys in the basket and over the top praise them! (You know how to do that, right?  Clapping, cheering, etc.)  If you start young, the pattern and habit is already in place when they get older!

Sister Flora Benson (wife of President Ezra Taft Benson) counseled the women of the church to, “Radiate a spirit of contentment and joy with homemaking. You teach by example your attitude toward homemaking. Your attitude will say to your daughters, ‘I am only a housewife.’ Or it will convey, ‘Homemaking is the highest, most noble profession to which a woman might aspire.’”

One last thought on your example, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

One word of caution--please make sure that the tasks you give to your children are age appropriate.  While a 9 year old may be able to cook and bake, it may not be the best for your child.  How mature are they?  A three year old can clean up toys, etc., but probably shouldn't be cleaning a bathroom.  A five year old, however, could scrub the sink after your put chemicals in it if you are watching him/her closely and reiterate the need to wash hands after the task is complete.  Make sure the tasks are age appropriate. :)

 So, let's recap, shall we?  We are to pattern our lives (and therefore our homes) after our Father in Heaven.  We need to keep clean, tidy, organized spaces.  If you don't know how to do this--LEARN!  Don't expect your visiting teachers or other sisters in the ward to come and clean your house during LIFE--this should be reserved for times of extreme trial and hardship.  Girls, life isn't easy--but our Heavenly Father doesn't ask us to do impossible things.  He knows we can do it!  Teach your children when they are young to help you in the home, and your burden and theirs will be lightened!


I hope that some of what I've said has helped you to have a firmer resolve to create homes that are havens from the chaos and clutter from the world.  It is not just about your family--it's also about YOU!  YOU will feel better as you magnify your most important calling--wife and mother.  Have a wonderful day! :)

Welcoming Womanhood: Self Worth vs. Self Esteem

Hello, girls! This is the first post in a series that I will be doing that focuses on issues that effect women.  Sometimes it will be as simple as an easy meal--we ALL need those!  Other times, I'll write my opinion about topics that effect each of us.  Oh, and I'll back it up with gospel teachings, too! ;)

This week, I have chosen to write about the difference between self worth and self esteem.  I'm sure some of you are probably thinking that I am splitting hairs, but I promise that I am not and that I have a point, so bear with me! :)

The world teaches women to have what they call "self esteem."  This means that women should put themselves above others and take care of themselves.  They should be skinny, well coiffed, and always speak their mind--it's their right!  That each woman is more important than those around her and should treat others this way--they should KNOW that, too!  In essence, it's modern feminism in action.  I won't be going into the reasons I believe modern feminism to be wrong.  Indeed, I believe that much of the early feminist movement was necessary for the progression of God's daughters.  But I won't go into negative thoughts.  Instead, I'd like to focus on the important opposite of self esteem--self worth.

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God."
Doctrine & Covenants 18:10

Self worth is based on the knowledge and understanding that we are daughters of a loving Father in Heaven.  It is rooted in the comfort that comes from the perfect love of God.  It allows for imperfection--as long as we are striving to do our absolute best.  It doesn't care what brand of makeup you wear, who made your jeans, or what make and model your car is.  Self worth is based on charity, which is the pure love of Christ.

It is interesting to me that the first lines in both the Young Women theme and the Relief Society declaration are based on the knowledge that we are literally children of God.  The Young Women theme starts, "We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him."  The Relief Society declaration declares, "We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction." 

What do these two sentences teach us?  There is the obvious--that we are daughters of God.  That He loves us.  But look at the small differences.  The Young Women are taught that they should love God as well as know that He loves them.  I feel that this was essential to put in the Young Women theme--our knowledge that God loves us can only be felt as truth when we love Him in return.  Youth is a time to realize this, but it doesn't mean that each of us has a firm foundation of this truth as we enter Relief Society at the age of 18.

We will each have to come and know that our feelings of love FROM God come when we show Him that we love Him.  This comes as we serve in our callings to the best of the ability.  It eradicates feelings of inadequacy as we come to realize that our service may not be perfect, but that it is pleasing to the Lord.

President Thomas S. Monson has spoken on this subject and said, "We have the hands to lift others from complacency and inactivity. We have the hearts to serve faithfully in our...callings and thereby inspire others to walk on higher ground and to avoid the swamps of sin which threaten to engulf so many. The worth of souls is indeed great in the sight of God. Ours is the precious privilege, armed with this knowledge, to make a difference in the lives of others."

Notice that President Monson never once mentions the word PERFECT.  He mentions the words faithfully, inspire, higher ground.  Never perfect--because that only comes after years of working on all the other principles he mentioned.  Do your best--the Lord will make up the rest!

After we have felt of God's love by showing our love for Him, we will be able to come to a greater understanding of the end of the first sentence of the Relief Society declaration, that is to know that "our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction." 

We learn in the scriptures that "...this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." (Alma 34:32)  So what does this mean to YOU.  I'm not going to tell you what this "means", because this is a very personal thing.  It is our job, as individuals, to come to understand exactly what direction our life needs to take.  Luckily, we have people that can help us, but ultimately, the decision is ours to make.  

Now, I do have a little bit of a caution for you.  If you choose to just "go with the flow" and allow things to happen to you instead of taking responsibility and action as to what you need to do, you are in danger of perishing spiritually.  In Proverbs 29:18 we read, "Where there is no law, the people perish..."  There are two ways that this verse could be taken (or maybe more, but I'll talk about two).  The first is that without a living prophet who speaks with God, the people do not have a constant source of "living water" and therefore they spiritually perish.  The other way is how we can cause ourselves to personally perish spiritually.  When you lose the vision of what your goal is--hopefully, it's eternal life--then you lose hope and start to fall into a state of personal apostasy.  This means taking time for yourself each day to replenish your personal spiritual reserve.

Elder M. Russell Ballard has given some wonderful counsel to us, as women, in how to cultivate meaning, purpose, and direction in our lives as well as in how to replenish your personal spiritual reserve.  He said, "Sisters, find some time for yourself to cultivate your gifts and interests. Pick one or two things that you would like to learn or do that will enrich your life, and make time for them. Water cannot be drawn from an empty well and if you are not setting aside a little time for what replenishes you, you will have less and less to give to others, even to your children. Avoid any kind of substance abuse, mistakenly thinking that it will help you accomplish more. And don't allow yourself to be caught up in the time-wasting, mind-numbing things like television soap operas or surfing the Internet. Turn to the Lord in faith, and you will know what to do and how to do it."

What a wonderful blessing we have in the living prophet and apostle of our Lord!  It is my prayer that each of us will come to a greater understanding of our worth as daughters of God, that we will choose to participate in activities that will lift ourselves and others, and that we will awake each day to a greater resolve to stand for what is right.  I hope that you know that Heavenly Father loves you and needs you--how do you do this?  You'll have to find out for yourself!  Please take a little time each day to find out how you can do this.  Have a wonderful day!

Linking to: Titus 2sdays, Women Living Well