"God looked at everything He had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:31

The 1st chapter of the Bible is the written account of God making something "out of nothing," with the sound of His voice. After each day of creation, God stepped back, took a look at what He had done and declared it, GOOD!

When God created your family, He made you, the mother. God wants us to mirror His relationships with Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and His people. Parenting a baby to adulthood is a process that requires communication, years of hard work, prayer, persistence, and sacrifice. Thru every stage of life there are many reasons to wear "padding on our knees" while taking all of our concerns, questions, challenges, and gratefulness to Him.

Always remember that God looks at you and your family with delight and joy (Zeph. 3:17). Our challenge, is to please Him through everything that we do.

Keep in mind, too, that God chose you to reflect His glory, and He will equip you to take care of your family. Be patient and celebrate each unique member. God has created your family and declared your family----GOOD!

Moms Devotional Bible

Reluctant Cooks Corner-Chicken Tortilla Soup

Hello everyone! I pray that you are having a blessed week. I am so ready for the real fall weather to be here, so maybe if I post some recipes that scream out, "Tummy warming comfort food," the weather will listen? The first recipe is one that I love to prepare on those crisp fall days. It's for a Tortilla Soup that takes the guess work out of seasoning and can be easily adapted for a family since you can add extra kick or make it mild depending on your taste. The base of the soup is the mild taco sauce, the chicken broth and the diced tomato. Everything else can be substituted depending on your taste. You can make it vegetarian style or even add beans or corn if you wish.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

3 14 oz Cans low sodium chicken broth. If you like your soup really thick you can add two, if you like it to have a lot of broth you can add four. Keep in mind, the less broth, the spicier the soup will be

2 Cans diced tomatoes, use juice included

1 15 oz bottle of La Victoria Mild sauce. You can also use Medium Taco Bravo sauce if you like it spicier

2 Cups cooked chicken chopped (I always use my leftover Costco Chicken and chop it. It's delicious in the soup and it helps me not to waste food)

1/4 Cup chopped Cilantro

2 Cloves of garlic chopped (if you're not a garlic lover like me, one will be fine too).

1/2 Chopped onion

1 Red Pepper, seeded, and chopped

1/2 Mexican squash, slicked in half and then cut (I forgot to cut them in half this time and it was a little harder to eat).

Garnish: Tostitos Lime Chips and Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Directions:

Chop all the vegetables and chicken to put into the soup.

Pour the chicken broth, the diced tomatoes (juice included) and the taco sauce into the pan. Stir well and taste. You might want to start with three quarters of the bottle and see how much you want to add. Keep in mind that as you prepare it, the flavors will become stronger as it cooks down.

Once you have the flavor where you want it, add the vegetables and chicken and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling turn down to medium heat and simmer. Make sure to continue to cook at a lower temperature because it will dry your chicken out if it cooks at a high temperature for too long. If you're in a hurry you can cover and it will cook faster. You'll know if's finished when your vegetables are soft and your onions are clear.

When you are done cooking, garnish with a generous helping of crumbled lime Tostitos and Monterey Jack Cheese.

ENJOY!

Next blog post I'm going to try and make a Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Stay tuned reluctant cooks! Please feel free to email me and share some of your favorite recipes at bernadetteoc@gmail.com. Bon Appetit!

Raising Community-Minded Kids . . . Oct 5th Don’t Miss It!

“We are raising one of the most selfish generations, ever.”

Today’s young Americans are more confident, assertive, entitled – and more miserable than ever before.”

One of today’s parenting hot topics is children and their sense of entitlement. In a timely and fast-paced presentation, regional speaker Teresa Drake identifies some of the root causes of “entitlement” as she addresses the issue of Narcissism -- a disconcerting and rapidly escalating trend in today’s society. What started out with the best of intentions, the nationwide movement to bolster kids’ self-esteem, has produced an era of young adults known as “Generation Me”.

We have the ability to slow down this negative trend, and perhaps even see a reversal of attitudes in our own homes.

Join us one Tuesday Oct 5th for Teresa’s presentation, Raising Community-Minded Kids, she will offer easy and useful, age-appropriate ideas to counter this growing problem.

For more info check out her website: www.teresadrake.com

Soup Jars Veteran's Outreach Project

Sept 21 Review–Developing Your Child’s Full Potential

Today we learned the two primary needs our children have are significance and security. The number one thing we want our kids to learn is obedience. We also learned that when kids are small we don’t need to talk a lot instead we should discipline by action. As they get older it reverses and you verbalize expectations. We learned that obedience is a developmental process and we need to teach our kids only what they are mentally and emotionally capable of learning.

Information doesn’t bring transformation application brings transformation

Parents do not treat your child in such a way as to make them angry. Instead, raise them up with Christian discipline and instruction. Ephesians 6:43 (Good News Bible)

If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again

If I had my child to raise over again,

I'd fingerpaint more and point the finger less.

I'd do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less and know to care more.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious and seriously play.

I'd run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.

I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I'd teach less about the love of power,

and more about the power of love.

(Diane Loomans, The Preschooler's Busy Book)

Get Organized

I know many of us look around our homes and we see clutter. Sometimes it may be overwhelming as to where to begin to free yourself from it. Believe it our not we all have a clutter personality. Which one are you?

1. The Rebel: I don’t want to and I don’t have to
2. The Deferrer: I’ll think about it tomorrow
3. The Hoarder: This might come in handy someday
4. The Perfectionist: Next week all organize everything just right

Get to work
Once you have determined which personality fits you. It’s time to get to work. Allow yourself to pick a specific area: kitchen drawer, closet, cabinet, etc. and set a timer for 25 minutes. Keep in mind you only have a short amount of time to complete the task. If you have not used an item within the last six months donate it or throw it away. Put items into three categories keep, donate, and toss. When the timer is up you are done with that area place all keep items away neatly and enjoy the tidiness of your new home.

"It's Not Fair!!"

How many times have we heard this from our children and thought it for ourselves in many situations? We feel that fairness should be a value that everyone is born with. And that we should always be on the receiving end of this important value. If one person is offered a cookie, we should all get cookies. No one should get into that front parking spot at the Mall that we have been eyeing for the past thirty seconds from across the entire lot. We always see fairness from one side---ours. When things don't go our way we claim unfairness.

We look at how other people act and make judgement calls on their hearts, their thoughts, and their lifestyles.

Fairness doesn't necessarily mean that the cookies are divided evenly. It just means that we trust God to do the dividing, because HE knows the hearts, the thoughts, the lifestyles, the finances, the angers, the joys, the hurts, and the blessings we all have. Our responsibility is to look up to God, not down on others.

Adventure Camp

1st meeting re-cap

Today was the starting point to what will be an amazing year. Wherever you are on the adventure of life: stuck on the hill, dealing with detours, car fires, or frantic freeway moments there is hope. Our goal is that throughout this year we will develop skills to help us not only raise great kid but also navigate the many challenges of life. The choices we make are import and they will ultimately determine our destination, and destination matters. In the story I shared today we never had a clear destination and as a result we had trouble (understatement) finding the location.

One of the amazing things I learned on this weekend adventure was that often those experiences that make your knees weak, your palms sweat, and your heart race are those moments where you feel truly alive. As I took the first step out, along a rope I didn’t think could hold me, attached to pack I wasn’t sure could catch me, I felt truly alive.

It is my hope that you will embrace the adventure, the highs and lows, breakdowns, and breakthroughs it’s all part of the journey :)