On Friday night I was still in my post-Ecuador funk. You know what brought me out of it? I cooked a nice dinner for my family. When I felt frozen after Guatemala, Ann Voskamp encouraged me to just "do the next thing." It still applies nicely.
So for dinner I made spinach stuffed shells with meat sauce from the SkinnyTaste blog. I used really lean ground beef instead of turkey because, well, beef is goooood. It was pretty yummy and probably would have been incredibly yummy if the recipe hadn't called for reduced fat cheeses. (Confession: I added some mozzarella to the top of it.)
I stumbled out of my room at 8:30 on Saturday morning. Curtis Jones was at the top of my thankful list for letting that happen. Later that afternoon Mom, Melissa and I did some Christmas shopping together. That evening my parents kept the kids so Curtis and I could attend a going away party for a sweet couple in our church. The Massey's are moving to L.A. and we will miss them so much! We're very thankful for how they have sown into Bayou City Fellowship since the earliest days. After the party, Curtis took me to dinner at Churrasco's and we had the world's best empanadas. You cannot believe how good they are.
We had a great Sunday morning at our church. Some very dear friends of ours, the Habermehls, were in town and came to visit. Curtis preached about fasting, which historically has not been my favorite thing (why are you not surprised?). But we are asking our church to fast during the lunch hour during from December 5-9 and I'm really excited about how God is going to work and what I'm going to learn.
After church I went to lunch with two young ladies who were in my 8th grade Sunday school class the year after I graduated from college. They are now the exact age that I was when I was their teacher. I'm so proud of them and thankful that they have stayed in touch with me through the years.
Now I want to return to the subject of the Habermehl family. When Curt and I were newlyweds, he and C.M. were on the youth staff together at HFBC. We had so much fun serving with C.M. and Fay during that time. We learned a ton about ministry and family life from the Habermehls. I was never much of a kid person, but being around their little girl, Addison, helped some of those maternal instincts bubble up from deep inside. On Sunday morning I got to worship next to Addison, who is a middle schooler now, and that meant so much to me.
When I was completely helpless in the kitchen, Fay showed me some basics and taught me how to work a KitchenAid mixer. I knew NOTHING, y'all. I still don't know much, but most of what I know is because of her. She taught me how to make those butterscotch haystacks that I've talked about so much.
The most important thing Fay and C.M. modeled for us was how to be a team in ministry. As a mom of four very young kids, Fay made a lot of sacrifices to be present with her husband and serve with him. Sometimes when I want to make a habit of being a hermit, I say "Fay raised you better than that!" She showed me how to support my husband by encouraging him, getting to know and love the people he serves and serves with, and finding a way to be involved in which I can use my own spiritual gifts. Every ministry couple operates differently, but this is what has worked for us so far. The changing seasons of family life require flexibility and patience, but this is the pattern we bounce back to.
So for dinner I made spinach stuffed shells with meat sauce from the SkinnyTaste blog. I used really lean ground beef instead of turkey because, well, beef is goooood. It was pretty yummy and probably would have been incredibly yummy if the recipe hadn't called for reduced fat cheeses. (Confession: I added some mozzarella to the top of it.)
I stumbled out of my room at 8:30 on Saturday morning. Curtis Jones was at the top of my thankful list for letting that happen. Later that afternoon Mom, Melissa and I did some Christmas shopping together. That evening my parents kept the kids so Curtis and I could attend a going away party for a sweet couple in our church. The Massey's are moving to L.A. and we will miss them so much! We're very thankful for how they have sown into Bayou City Fellowship since the earliest days. After the party, Curtis took me to dinner at Churrasco's and we had the world's best empanadas. You cannot believe how good they are.
We had a great Sunday morning at our church. Some very dear friends of ours, the Habermehls, were in town and came to visit. Curtis preached about fasting, which historically has not been my favorite thing (why are you not surprised?). But we are asking our church to fast during the lunch hour during from December 5-9 and I'm really excited about how God is going to work and what I'm going to learn.
After church I went to lunch with two young ladies who were in my 8th grade Sunday school class the year after I graduated from college. They are now the exact age that I was when I was their teacher. I'm so proud of them and thankful that they have stayed in touch with me through the years.
Now I want to return to the subject of the Habermehl family. When Curt and I were newlyweds, he and C.M. were on the youth staff together at HFBC. We had so much fun serving with C.M. and Fay during that time. We learned a ton about ministry and family life from the Habermehls. I was never much of a kid person, but being around their little girl, Addison, helped some of those maternal instincts bubble up from deep inside. On Sunday morning I got to worship next to Addison, who is a middle schooler now, and that meant so much to me.
When I was completely helpless in the kitchen, Fay showed me some basics and taught me how to work a KitchenAid mixer. I knew NOTHING, y'all. I still don't know much, but most of what I know is because of her. She taught me how to make those butterscotch haystacks that I've talked about so much.
The most important thing Fay and C.M. modeled for us was how to be a team in ministry. As a mom of four very young kids, Fay made a lot of sacrifices to be present with her husband and serve with him. Sometimes when I want to make a habit of being a hermit, I say "Fay raised you better than that!" She showed me how to support my husband by encouraging him, getting to know and love the people he serves and serves with, and finding a way to be involved in which I can use my own spiritual gifts. Every ministry couple operates differently, but this is what has worked for us so far. The changing seasons of family life require flexibility and patience, but this is the pattern we bounce back to.
If you are taking the time and energy to pour into younger people, I hope you will be encouraged to keep it up. There are some things you just can't learn from books and lectures.
6 comments:
Your last paragraph is so very true- it seems that following some discouraging moment, the Lord mercifully prompts someone under our teaching/mentorship to say or do something that rekindles the fire and keeps us going.
I grew up in Wisconsin (think field trips to the cheese factory)-you had no choice but to add real cheese to that recipe for the sake of integrity! :)
Oh, you are so blessed to have had Fay mentor you and encourage you!
I'm a mom of two, almost 3, and I still crave that kind of mentorship and inspiration. It's so wonderful you got to gleen from her life and experiences :) Awesome.
Have a happy Thanksgiving,
Katie :)
There is a wonderful poem titled "Do The Next Thing" - I have it printed out and it sits underneath the glass top on my desk. I have days where I need that advice too.
Loved your advice about being mentored and in turn, mentoring others; I think we often overlook this and it is such a vital role in the church.
Love,
Adrienne
Hey Amanda, what you talked about with Fay being a "Titus" woman to you of sorts, that is great! I want the Lord to use me to be that to generations younger than me...blessings to you Amanda, ((HUGS))
I've never heard of the Skinny Taste blog. You make skinny cookin' sound delish!
I'll have to pop over and give it a try AFTER Thanksgiving.
Thanks for the heads up!
That is awesome. I have been embarrassed to ask someone to help me learn to cook, because of how little I know. So, my family has survived on Mac and cheese and processed foods for years.I'm just so afraid of messing up and proving what an idiot I am in front of anyone.
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