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Just So Simple
We live in a world where the pace is so fast, that there isn't enough time in one day to fill up our calendars with the things that we feel are important and even necessary. We're pressured, we're prodded, and we're promoted to live life on the edge.
Society has created technology to make us believe that life can be simpler. If I purchase an iphone, ipod, ipad, ibooks I can... do this life... and I can do it well. I can skype with my family in Italy, facebook my friends in Canada, text message my neighbor about his dog without leaving my front yard, start my car from across town, fill my calendar with the push of a button, tell a computer on my car where I want to go, and read a book that's on my Kindle. I can use all of these things to make my life easier... simpler.
But guess what... it's not working. It's actually just the opposite. The more that I have to make my life simpler...the more complicated it gets.
If you're a friend of mine, you know this statement to be true: I never stop moving. As a matter of fact, that sentence permeates our home over and over.... "just keep moving." I tell my children this. I tell my husband, Farmer Dean, this. And I tell my Chihuahua, Ben, this. "Just keep moving."
As I went before God with this year's topic for our Best Life Conferences, "Simplify Your Life," I committed to making every effort to slow down and make changes... to not give in to the demands of society and it's "keep up with me-fast pace."
I prayed and promised. I pledged and purposed.... but to no avail. I could not do it. And so I found myself going back to God and saying, "You have my permission to whomp me upside the head if I start straying from my promise to work on simplification." I cannot talk the talk... if I'm not walking the walk.
Why do we do this? Why do we go before an Almighty God, and give Him permission? And then not think He'll take us up on it.
A few days after my prayer, I found myself at my daughter's home. My grandson, Jonah, was his busy self and had toys scattered all over. As I leaned down to pick up a Tonka truck and quickly come back to an upright position... ouch! I smacked my head directly on the ledge of the kitchen countertop.
Another two days and I called Dr. Deb. What can I do? I am sensitive to sound; I have a dull thud on that side of my head... what's wrong with me? Dr. Deb quietly replied, "This is what we call a mild-concussion. Here's what you'll have to do. When you start feeling the pressure and hurting, you will need to rest."
REST!!!! REST!!! What is this? This is the opposite of just keep moving! Rest.
And I found out something about myself. My body would not cooperate with my mind. It was just so simple... I had to rest. I could no longer just keep moving because it was too painful. I found myself resting periodically, and then I could go on.
 I began to "get it." I began to understand what Jesus was saying in Mark chapter 6. He taught the disciples about prioritizing their lives between work and rest. In this passage, Jesus has just spent time with the disciples. After commissioning them and after completing their first ministry excursion, they return excited... they've done great work! But Jesus immediately instructs them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." Mark 6:31. He is more concerned about them establishing some good boundaries than anything else.
When we rest...we become rejuvenated and ready for the next thing. But I realized that when we don't take time for God... when we don't make time for ourselves and our families... there is no margin left. And without margin in our lives... we're put into a vulnerable place. And vulnerable places lead us into trouble and potentially into sin.
Dear friends, today I encourage you to take a good look at yourself. Look into the mirror of your soul and see if you are truly making room in your life to do good things... and then make time for rest. It won't be easy... it's not really simple... but it will be worth it.
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 Life Today:
An Interview with
Phil Lutz Lead Pastor Q: In today's society, what do you see as some of the biggest challenges in the family setting?
A: I've had pretty tough conversations with people today about what really matters... We're living in a chaotic lifestyle, and truthfully, some of it is self -induced. I see it over and over again... people struggling to balance anything. There are so many options to choose from and pressures to participate in everything nowadays. Every day, there are so many things for a family to do, that they're running non-stop.
Q: Do you feel like the economic crisis is making an impact on the family? How is that relating to the local church?
A: Yes it's definitely impacting families. So many families today are living so close to the edge financially, even in good times, that when any hardship comes, there is no margin left for them. Some of it can't be helped. Some of the people have lost a job that they're counting on and that creates so much tension. And then what I see over and over is that, lack of communication and money issues in a marriage are really devastating. So with the financial stresses that create that tension, it snowballs and has ripple effects that flow into the family. That stress helps create a feeling that people think they don't have money to give to church. It's hard.
Q: What do you see as the biggest challenge today for people attending church?
A: I think there is a spiritual malaise in people... there is just a lack of desperation to really be drawn into the sense that "I have nothing else but the Lord." We have it too good here in the United States. Even in the midst of the recession it's still too good. It seems strange... but there is a sense that church is irrelevant to life... and sadly, many churches are irrelevant to life. The church can leave a bad taste in their mouth so there is no draw for them... there are no "yeah God" stories in their life... why would they go to church now?
Q: From your perspective, what would you recommend that today's Christian leaders could do to encourage people who feel busy, overburdened, and overwhelmed?
A: People need to begin to think through what must stay and what must go in their lives. They need to ask themselves "What are the non-negotiables?" Why am I feeling that I'm existing in this chaotic life where I'm getting nothing accomplished and I have no joy? This is a hard thing to do, but you have to do it. You have to look at your life and ask what can I get rid of? And people like to look and say... I can't get rid of this... I can't let go... we have to have those 720 friends... we always have. But today, they need to look at what they can get rid of and what they can leave behind.
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NEW on the website...Meet Our Band
Do you want to know more about our band? Check out the new page on our website called Meet Our Band.
You'll find photos and band interviews, with questions like this one for guitar/lead vocalist, Dave Herring:
Q: How long have you been a worship leader? What's your favorite thing about leading worship for the Best Life Conferences?
A: I've been a worship leader since high school, but began being a worship pastor in 2004. My favorite thing about leading worship for Best Life is stripping away all the 'expectations' of worship and simply coming together with people of like-minded faith in Jesus to freely worship. When we worship in Best Life, it's not about what church background you're from, or even the mindset of worship you may have. It's about letting go, being real, and being the person God made you to be.
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Springtime Dutch Brunch
Try this recipe from our friend, Josh Garland, to help make Spring come to life in your breakfast menu.
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Josh Garland
In-the-Kitchen-Chef |
Springtime Dutch Brunch
INGREDIENTS:
¾ cup skim milk
½ cup flour
1 ½ Tablespoons pure cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
2 eggs
Dash of salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 - 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
½ cup strawberries, sliced
½ cup rhubarb, chopped
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons pure cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Put a 9 inch cast iron skillet (or two 5 inch cast iron skillets) in the 450 degree oven for 10 minutes.
While cast iron skillet is heating, mix the first five ingredients (skim milk, flour, sugar, eggs, and salt) until well combined.
Use a hot pad to remove the cast iron skillet from the oven, and melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in the hot skillet.
Next, pour the batter over the melted butter, and sprinkle the white chocolate chips over the batter. Bake for 10 minutes until the Dutch baby is golden brown and puffed up.
While the Dutch baby is baking, place the sliced strawberries, chopped rhubarb, sugar, a remaining butter in a skillet. Cook over medium to high heat, until the mixture resembles a "jam-like" consistency. Add more sugar for sweetness if needed.
Once Dutch babies come out of the oven, top with fruit mixture. Serve with powdered sugar and whipped cream.
ALTERNATIVE: Try using chocolate chips rather than white chocolate chips when baking the Dutch baby. Then, rather than using strawberries/rhubarb in topping, use sliced bananas. Or, simply top with freshly sliced bananas and maple syrup.
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 Spring Clear-Out & Clean UpThis Month's Topic:
Your Office The average retrieval time for a piece of paper is 10 minutes. In today's busy life... an extra 10 minutes here and there can really add up! Regularly tidying up your office will help you gain between 16 minutes and 1 hour a day which = 4-15 days a year.
 1. Create your workspace: Purchase items to help organize, such as items on this list.
2. Contain stacks of papers on desk and group together like materials.
3. Categorize each item and file as you go.
4. Correlate into 4 piles: To file, To pay, To read, to respond.
5. Clear clutter and toss- When opening up mail, toss junk mail into the recycle bin immediately.
6. Clarify your task list and break down into groups: emails, scheduling family events, paying bills, health appointments, car insurance, birthdays, taxes, etc. and create a schedule for addressing each thing. Get it done!
7. Conceal excess wires by coiling them inside the Cable Turtle. (To buy: $5 to $14, containerstore.com)
8. Cut down on excess paper by subscribing to e-newsletters, online papers and magazines, as well as signing up for online bill pay.
9. Care about your computer and invest in a backup system by purchasing an external hard drive at about $99.00, or purchase an off-site Internet service that can do the work for you (such as carbonite.com @ $59.00 per year).
10. Choose to take 10 minutes each day to keep organized...don't let things get out of control.
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Greetings! We are excited to share with you the new Best Life Ministries promotional video! Take a minute and watch it right now.
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Remember, it's never too late to make changes. Start today. Start living your best life!
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Other than
"Happy Mother's Day"
what would you want to say to your mom?
Kathleen Sogge, 55
"Thank you for teaching me to be real with God. It's my greatest gift... if I wouldn't have that I would not have been able to live my life... because that was my life preserver."
Carson, 5
"I like when she sings me songs at bedtime and we snuggle"
Chandra Arne, 25
God gave me a life...you gave me a home.
God gave me a path...you made sure I'd never walk it alone.
God gave me purpose...You gave me the courage to see it through.
God granted me the greatest blessing with giving me a mother like you.
Erin Stevens, 11
My mom is the best! When I feel down or want to know her opinion on stuff I know she will always be there to help me. Not only does my mom help me but also my friends and community. My mom has been a role model for me my whole life. She makes me want to "live, laugh, love" and smile. I know that God is proud of her and is looking down smiling. Happy Mother's Day, I love you mommy!
Sawyer Stevens, 14
Dear Mom,
If I were say something other than Happy Mother's Day on Mother's Day, it would have to be about how much I appreciate you. For example, when I need help on my homework you are always there to help. Or when I have a football game you are always there, cheering the loudest (not only for me but also for my teammates). Or when I am down in the dumps, you can always cheer me up. I also want you to know how much I love you and I know, no matter what, you will always love me.
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Best Life Ministries wants to thank all of the women who came out to our event at Bethel on April 9th!! What a wonderful day it was! We trust that you had some God-moments where you felt blessed throughout the day.
We want to send a special shout of thanks out to the following people: Pastor Ralph Gustafson, Sheri Anderstrom, MaryKay Bursaw, Mandy Johnson, Pam Zaffke, Linda Dalum, Leslie O'Brien, and Pastor Laurel Bunker...and the wonderful chef that made the fabulous chocolate cake. Thank you for giving us the wonderful opportunity to serve beside you!
"It was amazing! It went beyond my expectations. I was greatly touched by the speakers testimonies. The band moved me to tears of joy! I can't wait to attend another conference!!"
"I really appreciated the impetus behind this conference. Fantastic focus. Timely, smart & creative."
"Workshops were relevant to my daily life."
"Encouraging & Reviving"
See more photos on Facebook HERE.
Pastor Ralph Gustafson
"Bethel is so thankful to have partnered with Best Life for a day of life-changing, Christ-centered, and spiritually encouraging ministry to women. There was a strong sense of God's presence in all that was done and the power of God's Spirit permeated hearts and minds. I pray that the outstanding worship, fellowship, teaching, and training that characterized this event will be used by God in a powerful way to advance the Gospel. To God be the glory!"
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Money Matters
Q: I have 2 charge cards.
A Visa with $2,000 at 10% interest and a Mastercard with $3,800 at 7% interest. Should I try to pay off the largest amount first, since it's a smaller interest rate?
A: There are a couple schools of thought around the strategy of payment of debt. I personally like the "Debt Snowball Method" described by financial guru, Dave Ramsey.
It works like this:
1) Don't worry about interest rate and stop using credit cards.
2) Do a budget and find some areas for cost savings. For example say you cut expenses and found an extra $100/mo.
3) On the card with the SMALLEST BALANCE pay monthly the minimum monthly payment (say its $200) + the extra $100. Pay the $300 towards that card until its paid off. Still pay the minimum monthly payment on the higher balance card during this time.
4) Once the 1st card is paid off say a huge "WOOHOO" and apply that $300 that you are paying on the low balance card PLUS the minimum monthly payment of the high balance card (say its $400) and pay it every month. You will be applying $700 a month until its all gone. WOOHOO Again!
5) Now take that $700 and start applying it to the minimum car payment that you have. Pretty soon you will have your car paid off and you can start focusing on other loans or your mortgage.
End result: Debt free except for your mortgage, all because you found an extra $100 from doing a budget and cutting expenses! Be committed and disciplined and you can acheive this!
HINT: set up automatic payments with the increased values so you aren't tempted to redirect the funds.
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Favorite song this month "No Chains on Me" Chris Tomlin from "And If Our God is For Us" CD.
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What's Happening on Our Blog!
Of Mothers & Daughters Part 1 & 2 By Kandy Stevens
Life-Giving Moments to share with your spouse. By Susie Esboldt
If...Then Parenting Format By Karen Ziemke
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