Giving Thanks

Fall 2011 Blog Devotion

“It is good to praise the LORD
and make music to your name, O Most High,

to proclaim your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,

to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.

For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD;
I sing for joy at the works of your hands”.

Psalm 92

Giving thanks is at the heart of scripture. The Old Testament is filled with verses referencing the call to give thanks:

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done”. 1 Chronicles 16:8

The New Testament strengthens the Old Testament terminology…

…”always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Ephesians 5:20

Giving thanks described life in the Holy sprit; as a song of praise that is ever bubbling over in the heart- more than a positive outlook, more than a rote prayer, this true Thanksgiving is a supernatural, Holy Spirit activity continually giving praise in our hearts to the Father. Our Western mindset teaches that thanks is what we exclaim when something has been done for us such as a gift or favor. Our response is to say thank you. In biblical culture, when it speaks of thanks, the giving of thanks and praise is always addressed to the person of God himself. It gives honor and is an expression of who God is! AWESOME, WONDER and WOW!!!!

Because God is so glorious and fantastic, thanksgiving is an attitude of the heart, a delight like the little child clapping and jumping with abandonment to the necessary response of who God is. Scripture says that this attitude, this applause to God is expressed…

"O clap your hands, all peoples; shout to God with the voice of joy."

Psalm 47:1

Thanksgiving is intentional and deliberate. We are revealing the glory of God. We are declaring it to each other and to the world of darkness by speaking it into the atmosphere. Simply put, thanksgiving is a leap into the arms of God.

I’m sure you are asking yourself right about now “what on earth does this have to do with organizing?” Let me explain.

…”For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him. Instead, their thoughts turned to worthless things, and their senseless hearts were darkened”.

Romans 1:21 New International Version

This chapter speaks of the degeneration of mankind when Adam and Eve begin to believe the lie. This Chapter in Romans says that although they knew God, they neither glorified him nor gave thanks to him. When Adam and Eve stopped being thankful, when there was no more leaping into the arms of God love, it says they became futile in their thoughts. Giving of thanks is not a footnote, giving of thanks is not a P.S. Futility means pointless, meaningless, going around in circles. When a person is not giving thanks, their thoughts become actions that results in absolute futility. I see a direct correlation between the need to consume material goods, and the absolute futility many of my clients feel after their purchases. Buying becomes a sport and/or an addiction with out any regard to being thankful for each possession. This direct lack of respect (un-thankfulness) is a beginning of clutter build-up. I have heard clients muttering, unable to comprehend the organizing process because of the sheer magnitude of the clutter. I am not suggesting that money or materialism is inherently bad, what I hope to convey is that we have grown accustomed in this society that our possessions are disposable and not something that deserves our respect or honor. Don’t believe me? How many boxes are in the attic or basement that are filled with rich memorabilia, but haven’t been seen in 10-20 years? If they hold great meaning, then storing them so that weather elements, insects and rodents can dine on these so-called precious items are in direct opposition to what is thought. Treating your items with respect and honor is a way of thanking those in your past for the rich memories that connect you to them. Creating memory shadow boxes with a few precious items and letters can add distinction and personality within your home.

Giving of thanks joins us to divine wisdom and purpose. Giving thanks is the very oxygen of indwelling with God. Giving thanks is a valuable treasure.

…to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night…

Psalm 92:2

92:1-6 “It is a privilege that we are admitted to praise the Lord, and hope to be accepted in the morning, and every night; not only on Sabbath days, but every day; not only in public, but in private, and in our families. Let us give thanks every morning for the mercies of the night, and every night for the mercies of the day; going out, and coming in, let us bless God. As He makes us glad, through the works of his providence for us, and of his grace in us, and both through the great work of redemption, let us hence be encouraged. As there are many who know not the designs of Providence, nor care to know them, those who through grace do so, have the more reason to be thankful”.

Matthew Henry concise commentary

People name their day even before the day begins. We think about the hours before us and map in our mind the activities of the day. The psalmist in expressing his need to begin his day in thanksgiving, giving thanks to the loving Father to direct each moment of his day and make a declaration to the sprit world that would intrude. We undo the darkness before the day begins. We declare the day to the day not yet formed. We give the day form and substance. If we don’t it is named by default and we drift into the day upset, frustrated and by the day end we look back by default. But, if I declare it at the beginning, then the day and all the people in it will align into His purposes.

I have a client who called me for time management skills. As a Christian client, I asked her if she spent anytime in prayer before the day began. This happened to be on her wish list. Her current days are filled with meaningless activities, but ones she fills obligated to do for her family’s sake. I asked her to do an experiment before getting out of bed. I asked her to write down 3 things she was thankful for yesterday and three things she was thankful for today. As she took authority over her hours; her attitude reflected the naming of the day. It was no longer just another day and as the weeks progressed her heart began to change, and new directions began to take shape in her life. Her hours were filled with purpose, meaning and a renewed thankfulness.

As we enter into this thankful season, this year, may we all be intentional in our giving of thanks. May we be continually reminded that man’s fall separated us from God’s amazing love in many ways, most importantly our desire to give thanks. Jesus came to restore that broken heart and give us the supernatural desire to leap into Father’s arms again. This good news is too good to keep under a basket. Let this thanksgiving light so shine as you pass it onto another. I pray your days are filled with purpose, intent and abundant thanksgiving.

Simple Living Fall 2010

Thanksgiving…Start Your Engines!

Imagine for a moment your last grocery trip. Was it laser-focused in food gathering, or did your stomach and eyes get the better of impulse shopping? For most of us, grocery shopping is the most time consuming and last place we want to be errand, and what worse, it’s the time of the year when things become more difficult in food planning and preparation. We are getting into the “just dropped by” and family gatherings that stockpile our pantries and refrigerators. Keeping the essentials becomes a marathon. Shopping my be unavoidable, but by keeping a few simple tips on how to better plan the upcoming season, we may just make that living simply mantra something that is put into practice this year. OH… there is always hope!

Measure twice, cut once.

In other words, plan and prepare wisely. Begin the season planning what was successful in last year’s repertory and what new recipes you want to try this year. Measure twice…really plan with a realistic eye what is truly needed and don’t get caught up in the perfection mood. Keep a grocery list in eye view and train yourself to use it as one item goes out, tit gets written on the list. That’s a great way to avoid the last minute rush for more milk.

Organize your list by aisle.

Face it, Madison Avenue knows us better than we do. They know where to place foods that cost more and to get you to buy more. Don’t succumb to this trick. Put a little energy into finding out how your store is laid out and this can save you a ton of time and money.

Think week not day.

Figure out the week’s worth of menus and begin your buying of nonperishable foods for the whole week, then buy a few days worth of perishable items. Fresh is always best, but going to the store everyday is unnecessary and a big time and wallet waster. Keep you menus simple and save new recipes for the weekend when other members can join in.

Call ahead

Some stores deli departments will put your order together before you arrive. OK now your talking 15-20 minutes of free time. Need I say more?

Time is not on your side.

Know when to shop. Early riser and late night shoppers are rewarded with smaller crowds and shorter checkout lines. Weekdays between 5-7PM are max-capacity times.

Check it out!

It does matter how you unload. Empty your cart either from heaviest to lightest items or from indestructible to fragile. You or your packer will have a better shot of getting your items home in good condition if loaded this way. Try to keep all perishable or refrigerated items in one bag or two. Unload these items first. The obvious is not always so.

Last but most importantly…go it alone!

If at all possible, don’t bring the kids. They keep us distracted, have wish lists a big as they are, and complicate all the unloading and getting in and out. If you MUST bring them, give specific tasks such as choosing that night’s vegetable etc.

High tech tools to make this even better!

Try a free Smartphone app called Grocery iQ to manage your list. You can even take a picture of the bar code with your camera and instantly add the item to your list. The app stores previously purchased items to help you make the next list. You can create different lists for different stores. Visit http://www.groceryiq.com/

Many grocery stores are now using Twitter and Facebook to alert customers to specials and discounts. They may also offer specialized apps to help make shopping and saving easier. Check the stores home page for starters.

Green living Fall 2010

Keeping with the same theme of food this season, I am turning my attention to healthy cookware. I know you have heard rumors that cooking your morning eggs on an aluminum skillet may lead to Alzheimer’s disease down the road, and those pretty copper pots leach poison into your food, and non-stick pans are not worth the convenience, they may cause cancer.

The facts tell a different story. Current studies have all but OKed aluminum cookware from any connection to Alzheimer’s and most copper pots have anodized surfaces that reduces the amount of metal seeping into food, however, make sure you copper pan has a lining. Most American’s have trace levels of perfluorooctanoic acid in their bodies. This potentially carcinogenic chemical used to make nonstick coating like Teflon is still undergoing research on how it enters our bodies. (Environmental pollutions more than home cooking may be to blame), but just to be on the safe side, avoid damaging the nonstick surface and don’t use the pan on high heat. So the obvious one here is… just don’t use it!

Cookware safety often relates to factors in your control; the quality of the pots you buy, their care, and choosing the right pan for the job. A cast iron skillet browns meat beautifully, for instance, but reacts with certain acidic foods such as tomatoes, altering the taste of ingredients. Knowing your cookware is your best bet for cooking well and safely.

Anodized aluminum cookware may be a safer alternative. Many health conscious cooks are turning to anodized aluminum cookware as a safer alternative. The electro-chemical anodizing process locks in the cookware’s base metal, aluminum, so that it can’t get into food, and makes for what many cooks consider an ideal non-stick and scratch-resistant cooking surface. Calphalon is the leading manufacturer of anodized aluminum cookware, but newer offerings from All Clad are coming on strong.

Cast iron cookware may actually improve health. 
Another good choice is that old standby, cast iron, which is known for its durability and even heat distribution. Cast iron cookware can also help ensure that eaters in your house get enough iron—which the body needs to produce red blood cells—as it seeps off the cookware into food in small amounts. Unlike the metals that can come off of some other types of pots and pans, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration consider iron a healthy food additive. Consumers should beware that most cast iron cookware needs to be seasoned after each use and as such is not as worry-free as other alternatives.

Ceramic cookware provides some benefits of cast iron without the bother. 
For those who like the feel and heat distribution properties of cast iron but dread the seasoning process, ceramic enameled cookware from Le Crueset and others is a good choice. The smooth and colorful enamel is dishwasher-friendly and somewhat non-stick, and covers the entire surface of such cookware to minimize clean-up headaches.

Copper Cookware is excellent for certain uses. 
 Favored by chefs for sauces and sautés is copper, which excels at quick warm-ups and even heat distribution. Since copper can leak into food in large amounts when heated, the cooking surfaces are usually lined with tin or stainless steel.

Pottery

Lead from pottery can enter the food placed in it, and although it does not change the look or taste of the food or drink, it can cause lead poisoning in anyone who eats from it. Lead poisoning is especially dangerous for children and pregnant women. It can cause learning difficulties, behavioral problems and serious illness.

Safety Guidelines:

Pottery made in the United States must meet safety guidelines for lead and should be safe to use.

▪ Do not prepare food in pottery from Mexico or Latin America because of possible

high levels of lead.

▪ Other imported pottery such as pitchers and mugs may also have large amounts of lead.

▪ Look for safety labels that state "Safe for food use."

▪ Follow recommendations that state: "Not for food use;" "Plate may poison food;" or "For decorative purposes only." Warning labels may be erased or painted over.

▪ Pottery is unsafe to use if it has a gray powder on the glaze after the pottery has been washed.

Keep Your Family Safe: Do not use pottery with lead for cooking, serving or storing foods or beverages. For more information about lead, call your county health department. The public health department can check your family for lead poisoning and may be able to test your pottery for lead.

Sources:

http://environment.about.com/od/healthenvironment/a/safecookware.htm

http://www.foodreference.com/html/a-safest-cookware-815.html

▪ Blumenthal, Dale (1990). Is That Newfangled Cookware Safe? DHHS Publication No. (FDA) 91-2242. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00036.html

University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service (1998). Is Your Pottery Safe to Use? http://www.uwex.edu/ces/wnep/teach/nfspdfs/Pottery.pdf