Book Review: Seasons of a Woman's Life by Lois Evans

I have a great interest in women's ministry, and particularly the model seen in Titus 2 where older women teach younger women.  Throughout the many years I've led Bible study at my church, I have become that older woman! Every week I meet with several young women who are in the season of changing diapers and chasing toddlers.  They enjoy hearing from me simply because I am living proof that a Mom will survive that stage of life! :)  But I still appreciate the the perspective of those older than me, particularly Godly women who have walked with the Lord for years.

I decided to review this book based primarily on the title. I'll soon be entering the "empty-nester" season, and I'm trying to prepare for it.   At first I didn't even realize that the author Lois Evans is the wife of well-known pastor Tony Evans.  (I have heard of him, but don't know much about his ministry.) 

In this book, Mrs. Evans gives a lot of encouragement to women in all phases of life. As she addresses the seasons of Seed-Planting, Growth and Harvest, she frequently uses Queen Esther as an example for women today.  I liked her thoughts on contentment, facing fear, patience and obedience.  The book is also filled with personal examples and stories from the author's life - I appreciated her transparency about some of the hard things she has been through.

Another feature I admired was Mrs. Evans' attention to single women (including single moms) in many of her comments.  She realizes that she is addressing a diverse audience and keeps her comments applicable to all.  

I think that many women will find this book to be a helpful tool in their spiritual growth. It will especially appeal to those who are familiar with the ministry of Tony and Lois Evans.  

Here is the book description from the Moody Publishing:

Are you afraid that . .  you'll never reach the end of dirty diapers? You'll never be free of carpool duty? Your teenager's rebellion will never end? The empty nest is just a little too empty?

Fear not, seasons change. You blink twice and find yourself in another situation. Maybe longing for the "old days" or maybe grateful for the freshness of a new season. But like it or not, the seasons will come, each in its sequence and each in its own time.

Using lively examples from her own life and those of other women - including Esther - Lois Evans challenges you to to discover the purpose of your life and to depend on Him as He teaches the lessons of each season. In this book, you will find helpful priniciples, recognize familiar emotions, and take to heart encouraging promises from the pages of God's Word.

In this edition a new chapter on the grandparenting season has been added. And to help you dig deeper - whether alone or with friends - chapter study questions are included.

You can get the book here.

Disclosure:  I received a review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Selling the Farmhouse

I haven't blogged for weeks because I've been a wee-bit busy. You see, we have sold the Old Red Farmhouse.

Once we decided in February to accept a church-planting call in Florida, we began to get busy with minor fix-ups, painting rooms, clearing closets and general sprucing up.  Two weeks ago today, we held an informal open house for a few friends and neighbors who had contacted us to express interest.

My head is still spinning at the speed  of things since then.  We received a great offer 3 days after the open house, which we accepted that day.  We've already had a full inspection, a radon test (we passed!) and well/septic inspection.  So it looks like everything is moving forward for us to leave by the end of June.  We hope the new family will be even happier than we have been here.

All of this confirms in a concrete way that we are being called to leave.  It will not be easy, and there is still a lot to do.  But selling the house so quickly is one more answered prayer that helps us to know we are headed in the right direction.

In my next post, I'll show some photos from inside the house, which has never looked so good!

Now I am left with a dilemma:  should I keep this blog name after we move, or do I need a new title?

Great New Book: The Dance by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley - Book Review

This is a brand new book, and it's a winner!

Dan Walsh is a gifted storyteller who writes heart-impacting fiction.  Gary Smalley is known as the "relationship expert".  These two amazing men have collaborated on the new "Restoration" series, and The Dance is the first installment. Once I started reading I could hardly put it down.

Jim and Marilyn Anderson appear to have a picture-perfect marriage, but in reality it's a hollow, empty relationship.  Jim thinks that because he's given Marilyn all the material things a woman could want, she should be satisfied. But Marilyn has tried for years to tell Jim that what she really wants wants is his heart... which is more than Jim is willing to give.  So Jim is shocked and angry when Marilyn walks out on him.

Most of the story is spent switching back and forth between Jim and Marilyn's perspectives as they live their now-separate lives: Jim at first fuming over Marilyn's "ridiculous" absence, then (with some help) eventually realizing that he just may be the problem.  As Marilyn learns to stand on her own two feet, she finds a job and even fulfills a long-ignored dream - taking dancing lessons. Her taste of freedom only strengthens her resolve that she will no longer settle for the shallow coexistance that her marriage had become. As so often happens, their kids are caught in the middle.

I won't say any more about the plot, because you can probably figure out how it will end.  The beauty of the book is not in the suspense, but rather in the dawning recognition by Jim that he has taken his wife (and family) for granted for years.  He represents the clueless, stereotypical, career-driven man who uses his family and even his church as tools to achieve his goals.

I thought that the dialogue, thoughts and actions of the characters were realistic, and probably represent a composite of many true-life situations that Gary Smalley has counseled over the years. The authors did a fantastic job of bringing many different perspectives to the story. I was pulling for this family, and wanted them to find a way to resolve the differences and hurt that had torn them apart.

Since this is categorized as "Inspirational Fiction", some readers might be irritated that  Marilyn leaves her home for a time of separation without "Biblical grounds for divorce" (unfaithfulness), and the tone of the book is sympathetic to her.  Just to be clear, Marilyn does not file for divorce. She leaves in order to give her husband a wake-up call. She wants her marriage to be restored, but she wants it to be different. I wrangled with this a little myself, and if I put myself in her place, I doubt I would handle it the same way. But this is a fictional story after all. The authors walk a fine line here, but do a good job of showing what can really happen when a "Christian couple" doesn't follow Biblical principles in their life.

I believe this book may help some people recognize that their marriage is in real danger and needs attention now.  For others it may provide a nudge to work a little harder at tending the most important relationships in life. In any case, it's simply a great read.

I highly recommend it!

Here is the publisher's synopsis:

Love’s recovery starts with a single step . . .

After 27 years of marriage, Marilyn Anderson is tired of playing the role of perfect wife. Her husband Jim is a successful businessman who gives her everything she needs-a beautiful home in an upscale neighborhood, the financial freedom to be a stay-at-home mom, an enviable collection of stuff. Everything, that is, except what really matters: love.

After years of trying to connect with Jim, Marilyn has had enough. She longs to experience some measure of happiness before she’s too old to enjoy it. Needing some time to herself to sort things out, Marilyn leaves to start a new job and take dancing lessons-something she has wanted to do for as long as she can remember.

Shocked to find his wife gone, Jim Anderson must sort through the past to save his marriage. With a little help from an unexpected ally, he begins a campaign to win Marilyn back. What he doesn’t anticipate is how his actions will affect everyone around him-starting with himself.

Get it now from Baker Publishing Group!

Happy Easter - He is Risen!

He is risen indeed!



Today is a celebration of Jesus' resurrection from the dead.   Because he crushed the curse of death, we have assurance that we too will have victory over the grave.  Because of His grace, on the day I die, I'll be more alive than ever before, standing in His presence.

I wish you and yours the same hope of eternal joy .... Happy Easter!

Room Transformation Before and After - Dining and Kitchen

This is a project that developed from the bathroom remodel I mentioned several days ago.  The old expression, "One thing leads to another...." was definitely true here.  When we changed our bathroom, we decided on a new white door, which naturally meant that the entire dining room needed to be changed from dark pine to white bead-board, right?

Here's what the dining room looked like BEFORE:

Notice the new WHITE door in the middle of all that pine paneling? Busy wallpaper border was 13 years old and I was tired of it.

In this picture you can see the cute new bathroom peeking out. This room was begging to be refreshed!

AFTER:  I went with a continuation of the cottage look, and painted the woodwork all white, including the ceiling.  After much deliberation and research, I went with an oil-based primer to prevent the pines knots from bleeding through in the future.  Over that I used good quality paint (Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo). The room looked twice as big when I was finished!

The wall color is "Almost Heaven" and won the family vote after we looked at several samples on the wall.  The vintage signs are from a little shop I found while vacationing up north. The smaller one says, "Traverse City - Delightful Days" and reminds me of wonderful vacations spent there. The new light fixture was another fun find, called a "milk can lid" style.

Here's another view, from the living room.
BEFORE

And AFTER:

Since "one thing leads to another," it was also mandatory to continue this look into the kitchen, which is connected closely to the dining room.  Here's how it turned out:

Big difference isn't it?  Now I need new dining room furniture. :)

Don'ts for Husbands, Don'ts for Wives - Book Review

   





















Don'ts for Husbands, Don'ts for Wives - 1913 Edition by Blanche Ebbutt

The best single word I can use to describe this book is "charming".  The title alone makes me smile,  and the content at times has had me laughing out loud.  Although it was written 100 years ago, most of the advice it contains is timeless... (Some of the other advice.... not so much. But the outdated stuff is actually hilarious and probably my favorite lines in the book =)

I first saw this book in the form of two separate books in a bookstore in Scotland.  I was quite tempted to purchase them, but my suitcase was already jammed full and heavy, so I resisted.  Once I got home, I searched online, and found this single volume that contains the content of both books.

The entire book is written as a list of "Don'ts", categorized by topic.
Here are a few sample pieces of advice for husbands:
* "Don't slouch. No one who cares for a man likes to see him acquiring a slouching habit."
* "Don't begin your married life by expecting too much. If you expect little, you will be saved a good deal of disappointment."
* "Don't say anything to your children that may tend in any way to lower their estimation of their mother."
* "Don't delegate the carving to your wife on the plea that you 'can't' carve. You should be ashamed to own that you can't do a little thing like that as well as a woman can. It is just laziness on your part. Besides a man ought to take the head of his own table."

It's been fun reading these out loud to my husband! There's something less threatening about hearing Blanche tell him how to behave properly.

Now a few "Don'ts" for wives:
* "Don't keep your sweetest smiles and your best manners for outsiders; let your husband come first."
* "Don't check your husband's high spirits. Let him sing at the top of his voice in the bathroom, or whistle out of tune on the stairs, and be thankful for a cheerful man about the house."
* "Don't forget to 'feed the brute' well. Much depends on the state of his digestion."

There are hundreds more! Advice on personal habits, finances, household matters, recreation, children and several other topics will remind you that true wisdom never goes out of date.  Check it out at Amazon.com.

A-mazing Homemade Italian Meatballs - Recipe and Tutorial

   This is my first recipe, and by far the longest post on my blog to date. But hang in there with me, and I promise it will be worth it.  If you read through this entire post and are not drooling by the end, then I'm guessing your salivary glands are broken. (Or my little camera is not good enough to capture the true beauty of the exquisite subject at hand.)

   Back in 2002, my dear friend Cara from Texas came to visit me at the Red Farmhouse. While she was here, she taught me how to make her dad's authentic Italian meatballs (and sauce, which I will have to share another time), creating a delicious, memorable meal, and leaving me with a couple more meals in the freezer for later.  I still make these meatballs (my slightly tinkered version) on a semi-regular basis. (Not often, because they are special and require a bit of work.) Today I thought I'd share them. Here are the handwritten recipe and instructions she gave me.  I feel happy every time I pull it out and read it again.

I had to make a double batch this time because I am feeding a lot of people on Sunday and  I want to have plenty.  Below is the single recipe I use. (I will include all the directions at the end of the post so you can easily copy and paste the ingredients and the directions onto a document you can keep and print out. I'm pretty sure you will want to do that.)

A-mazing Homemade Italian Meatballs

2   pounds extra lean ground beef
1   pound lean ground pork (plain pork, not sausage)
5   eggs
5-6 cloves finely minced garlic (fresh is best)
1   cup freshly grated Romano cheese (shredded style, not the powdery stuff)
1/2 cup chopped parsley, Italian flat leaf preferred (curly is OK)
1   teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, optional
1 1/2 cup Italian style seasoned bread crumbs
Water to moisten the crumbs, approx. 1/2 cup

Remove meat and eggs from the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before beginning to mix ingredients.  Here are all the ingredients assembled and ready to go:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees to bake the meatballs.  (You can fry them in a large skillet in a little bit of olive oil, but I never do.)

You will need an extra-large bowl, a medium bowl and a small bowl handy. (Also get your large cookie sheet, and a baking rack if you have one, oiled and ready because when it is time to use them, your hands will be a mess and you won't want to stop and wash them. Trust me on this.)

First, dump the bread crumbs into the medium bowl, and sprinkle with the water to moisten.  Mix in just enough water so it clumps together if you squeeze a bit, but not so much that it's wet. It should still be crumbly. (You may need a little more or a little less than 1/2 cup.) Set aside for now:

Beat the eggs in the small bowl and set aside.

Next, mince the garlic and mix it with the cheese and optional black pepper in the large bowl. Then mix the parsley in with the garlic and cheese.Combine well:

A word about the parsley... you will use almost half of a bunch that you purchase if you chop it well. (I use my ancient Little Oscar, which still works like a charm.) I like to cut away most of the stems and only mince the leaves.  The parsley I bought was very stemmy, so I trimmed it quite a bit:

Next, crumble all of the meat into the bowl over the cheese mixture.  Break the meat up into small pieces as you sprinkle it into the bowl.

Dump in the reserved bread crumbs. Now comes the messy part - you must use your hands. (It's a meatball rule.)  Quickly mix all the ingredients together. Bring all the cheesy mix up from the bottom of the bowl and massage it gently.  Do not overwork the mixture or the meatballs will be too dense and tough.

Next drizzle the beaten eggs over the meat/crumb mixture.  Again, work the eggs in quickly and lightly with your hands, until eggs are just absorbed. (Your hands will feel pretty gross at this point, but you're almost done.)

(Photo confession: I forgot to add the breadcrumbs until after I added the eggs this time. 

Oops. Still turned out fine!)

Time to form the meatballs! (Right now is when you silently say, "Thank you Donna for warning me to have the baking sheet ready."  It's such a pain to wash your hands now, get the cookie sheets out, and then handle the meat again. I know. From experience.)  If you did not heed my advice, now is when you yell loudly for someone in the house to come and get you a cookie sheet.

You can place the meatballs right onto a cookie sheet, and they will end up slightly flattened on the bottom.  I prefer a baking rack placed over the cookie sheet. This lets the excess oil drip away from the meatballs and they have a nicer round shape at the end.  But flat-bottom meatballs are just fine too, and actually show that you are not serving the people you love some perfectly round, pre-fab, preservative-laden meatball.  :)

(I only have one rack, so I did it both ways this time.)

Scoop up enough meat mixture to make a meatball about the size of a golfball, or slightly smaller.  This recipe will yield about 40 meatballs of this size. (Well I got 39 per recipe this time, but hey, close enough.) Continue until all meat is used up.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes.  Your house, which was already smelling good from the garlic and parsley, will now begin to smell like Italian Heaven. (Warning: people may begin to drift into your kitchen and ask what's cooking...which means they want one. Only you can decide whether or not you are willing to share at this point.)

Voila! A huge pan (or three!) full of luscious balls of meat-yumminess. I'd rather take these out of the oven than chocolate chip cookies!

Add them to a pot of homemade or prepared pasta sauce and let simmer for at least a couple of hours to flavor the sauce.

Stir gently from time to time, so they don't stick on the bottom, but be careful since they are a bit fragile.  Enjoy over pasta of your choice!

(These meatballs also freeze beautifully, and make a wonderful quick meal on a busy day.)
As promised, here are the condensed instructions you can copy and use with recipe above:

   Remove meat and eggs from fridge at least 20 minutes before you proceed with the recipe.
   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   Have the following ready: an extra-large bowl, a medium bowl, a small bowl, and a lightly greased cookie sheet and baking rack.
   In medium bowl, thoroughly moisten the bread crumbs with water.  They should be crumbly, not soggy. Use more or less than 1/2 cup, depending on humidity etc. Set aside.
   In small bowl, beat eggs. Set aside.
   In large bowl, pour the cheese, minced garlic and optional pepper.  Toss together.  Add chopped parsley and combine well.
   Crumble the meat into very small pieces over the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the reserved breadcrumbs over the meat.  With your hands, combine the meat-cheese-crumb mixture.  Work quickly and lightly - Don't overwork the meat or it will be dense and tough.
   Now drizzle the beaten eggs over the meat-cheese-crumb mixture and quickly work in until egg is just absorbed into the mix.  Again, don't overdo this.
   Form into meatballs, about the size of a golf ball.  Set on baking rack or directly onto cookie sheet.
   Bake in preheated oven for approx. 20-25 minutes. Put directly into sauce to simmer (at least one hour - longer is better), or allow to cool and chill/freeze for later. Serve with love over hot pasta of your choice.

**Please leave me feedback, since this is the first recipe I've posted.  Is it clear? Are there too many photos?  Did it make you hungry?  I'll try to do better next time!