Fajita Bake Recipe / Mrs Charissa Andrews

Fajita Bake Mix

Ingredients

3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts trimmed and cut into strips

1 thinly sliced red onion

2 thinly sliced green peppers

1 thinly sliced red and yellow/orange pepper

1 package of fajita seasoning

1/3 cup water

2-3 cups shredded cheese

EVOO

In a glass baking dish, toss in your chicken strips and lay evenly. Mix the fajita seasoning with the 1/3 cup of water and mix well. Pour over top of the chicken. Add all of your diced veggies and sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil. Bake in oven at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with shredded cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes. I served this over white rice and added a salad.


Mrs Charissa Andrews
Pastor's Wife
Amazing Grace Baptist Church
St Peters, MO

The Perfect Pastor's Wife / Mrs Vicky Mutchler

Mrs Vicky Mutchler

Pastor's Wife

Grandview Baptist Church

Beavercreek, OR

The Perfect Pastor’s Wife

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a book entitled How to Be a Perfect Pastor’s Wife?  We could read and reread the chapters….. and POOF – out pops a perfect pastor’s wife!

But what would an ideal pastor’s wife look like?  There is no official job description. The Bible lists qualifications for deacon’s wives and older women. We get no instructions. It’s not a paid position….or at least mine isn’t! It comes with expectations. Every member has a different idea of how we should act, look and what areas we should serve in.

You may say, I didn't know he was going to be a pastor when I married him!

Some of us knew we were marrying a man called into ministry, but many do not. 

It’s like this...I've been a pastor’s wife for almost 40 years, I have found that the best person for me to be is ME! People like it when you feel comfortable being yourself!

The title says it all….”Pastor’s Wife”...that requires you to be the pastor’s WIFE!

It doesn't require:

Piano playing

Singing

Nursery Director Resume

Christian School Teaching Degree

Bachelor Degree in Theology

….no! It means you can be the best wife to your husband that you can possibly be!

Because we are in the ministry...I believe we should give it our best!

Be friendly.

Approachable.

Down to Earth.

Fun.

Caring.

Compassionate.

Available.

You may wish you were just like Pastor So n SO’s wife…..YOU”RE not! YOU ARE YOU!

Expectations are like girdles...hopefully they were discarded years ago!

 

 
Have a super day!

"It's That Time of Year!" / Mrs Chris Richter

Mrs Chris Richter

Pastor's Wife

Liberty Baptist Church

Fircrest, WA

  “IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR” 

 It’s that time of year where there’s something different in the air. People are nicer, smile more, hold the door for you at the store, let you go first in the check out line. At Christmas time the hearts and minds of people are filled with fond memories and we try to recreate those memories in the lives of our children, friends and other loved ones. When we do recreate, our hearts are warmed once again with those precious days gone by. I can remember so many things that just bring a warm smile to my face, when I think about them and as I reminisce with those in my life now. I remember the big picture window that my dad would paint a Christmas scene on. It was something different every year. I remember going out and playing in the snow with my sister and when we came in our mittens were placed on the radiator and our dad would rub our hands until they got warm. Mom would make hot cocoa and I can imagine us having a cookie or two with the hot cocoa. I  remember Christmas morning and the opening of the gifts. Boy was I an ungrateful child! I would hold up the item and make a face at it if I didn’t like it. We laugh about it now but it wasn’t funny then. You have your own memories that are special to you. What are they? Don’t forget them! Share them with your children and other loved ones. Let others share theirs with you. Memories are a gift.  They are an opportunity to go back to that special place once more.  Memories help us be grateful for what we had and what we have. I hope on Christmas day you will share with your children the memory of what Christmas is all about by reading the Christmas story to them. We have read this as a family before  we had children. What a blessing it was last year to hear our granddaughter reading with us. The greatest memory we have as Christians is the memory of our adoption into Gods family. I pray you are sharing that amazing memory with those in your life and the new ones you will meet along this journey of memory making.  Psalm 20:7b”......but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.”   Make the Christmas season a time of making and sharing memories!

  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Game Time Fun!!! / Mrs Amy Sapp

Mrs Amy Sapp

O'Fallon, MO

At our church I have been in charge of games and some how involved in skits for as long as I can remember!  If you know me at all, you know that I love to laugh, but better than that I love to make people smile / laugh!!  Making people laugh, makes my heart smile!  If you are involved in the games or skits at your church activities, do your best to just let loose and have fun!!


Proverbs 17:22 says..  "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:  but a broken spirit drieth the bones."


You never know who will be at one of your church functions, that is at a breaking point in their life, or is just flat out having a bad day.  If all you need to do is do something silly to make them smile, then do it!!  That smile may just brighten their whole day! 


We are having a Ladies Cookie Exchange Christmas Party this Saturday, I have 2 games I have just finished preparing for it.  Simple little games, that I am going to share.  I think I spent less than $5.00 on both games combined. 


The Mint Game (great icebreaker game) - you sit your group in a circle, give them each 2 mints to start with.  As you ask questions, if their answer is "yes" they pass one mint to the right, if their answer is "no" then they pass one mint to the left.  At the end of the game, whoever has the most mints wins!!  You could choose whatever questions you wanted..  Here are some of the questions I am going to use...


Have you ever gone more than 3 days without taking a shower? 
Do you make your bed every morning? 
Do you usually turn your library books in on time? 
Do you hide your own treats? 
Do you always put make up on before leaving the house? 
Do you shave your legs in the winter?


I have about 20 questions, and trust me this will get your group talking and relating to each other. 


The Paper Plate Game (you can adjust this to whatever theme you are doing) - for this game you need a paper plate for everyone and a pen.  Have them put the plate on their head and draw as instructed.


Draw a line on the floor.
Draw a Christmas Tree, add decorations if you feel so inclined.
Draw a star on top of your tree.
Draw a fireplace with a  mantel, next to your tree.
Draw a stocking hanging from the mantel of your fireplace.
Draw a present below the tree.


Have them take the plates off of their heads, and give out points for various things...


2 points if your tree touches the floor
2 points if your stocking is touching the mantel
1 point if your star touches the tree
1 point if your star is above the tree
1 point for each ornament on your tree
1 point if your fireplace is not touching the tree
1 point if you drew something decorative on your stocking
2 points if your present is under your tree


These are two very simple games, just to have a little fun.  I have done some pretty wild and crazy things with games before that I can share another time!  One year I did a sort of a game where a lady ended up with a pie in her face.  And I have had ladies, even years later say, "Do you remember when Maria got a pie in her face?" 


Let loose and just have FUN!!!

Basic Sugar Cookie & Royal Icing Recipe / Mrs Traci Ferguson

This time of year is especially fun for those of us who love to bake!  We get to drag out our cookbooks and try every new cookie, pie, and dessert we want, simply because it is the month of December!  My tried and true recipe is for a basic sugar cookie and royal icing that never seems to fail!  So break out those cookie cutters and let your imagination take over!

Sugar Cookie Dough (makes 12-15 thick cookies)

1 1/2 sticks salted butter (softened)

3/4 c. sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla (I use 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. almond extract)

2 c. flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

Cream the butter and sugar until well mixed.  Beat in the egg and vanilla/almond.  Slowly add the dry ingredients until well blended.  Chill for one hour before rolling out.  

Royal Icing 

6 oz (3/4 c) warm water

5 Tbl of meringue powder

1 tsp cream of tartar

2 1/4 lbs of powdered sugar ( a two pound bag plus an additional 1 3/4 - 2 cups extra)

In a mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder.  Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened...about 30 seconds.  Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.  Pour in all of the powdered sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.  Using the paddle attachment, on the lowest speed, mix slowly for a full ten minutes.  Icing will get thick and creamy.  Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel to prevent crusting and drying.  Thin the icing with very small amounts of water until you reach the desired consistency.  

Traci Ferguson

Ankeny, Iowa

The Perfect Christmas / Mrs Mindy Holeman

The Perfect Christmas

Mrs Mindy Holeman

Pastor's Wife

Amazing Grace Baptist Church

Wichita, KS

Have you ever been to a family get together and there was that one person that was completely overwhelmed and stressed out? Did you notice that the entire mood revolved around this person? Are you that person? Our spirit is so very important! We have the power to make or break an event or in some cases an entire holiday season.   Christmas time is a time to spend with your loved ones and cherish some memories made. Whether you are cooking, baking, decorating or making out your Christmas cards remember that these times can become a treasured memory or a time of great regret. We can be so focused on the details that we forget the people we are planning for. When I was newly married I was overwhelmed by the holidays and the idea of having everything just right. The matching outfits for the perfect Christmas picture, the decorations, the meal, and the gifts were all carefully orchestrated to prove to the world that Mindy Holeman had it all together. Sometimes this meant spending money we didn’t have, staying up later than I should, and even sacrificing my time with the Lord all in the name of…PRIDE! I know none of you have ever done this so let’s just say for the next few paragraphs I will be speaking to me.

Let’s take a look at some of the effects of what I did in the name of “Jesus is the reason for the season”.

Every December I would shop for the perfect outfits to take our Christmas pictures in so I could show off my perfect little family. In reality, we didn’t always have the money to buy new outfits but I have a patient and loving husband that made sacrifices so he could please his wife. I should have never done that to him in the first place. I added extra stress to him that really could have been avoided if I would have thought of someone other than myself. After that fact, I would feel guilty and it would affect my mood or spirit toward him.

Decorations!! I LOVE TO DECORATE!! I love to decorate so much that no one else is allowed to do it because… they don’t do it right! That’s right. I said it! I’m a perfectionist! I say “I am” because I am still working on this. I am one of those ppl that say “ yes sweetheart, you can put the star on the tree”. And then I spend the next 20 mins fixing it so it is “just right”. “yes you can help me decorate the tree”…(just make sure that you do it just like me!!) If I keep that up, one day, my girls will stop asking if they can help and I will be alone and sad because I chased everyone away with my need to have things “just so”. So what if only the first 4 ft of the tree is decorated! You did it together! Don’t miss out on the time you have together by trying to make everything perfect. Hang loose girlfriend!

Let talk food! Did you know that you don’t have to drag the china and spend $150 on Christmas dinner in order to celebrate Christmas? Did you know that your family would be just as happy with a bowl of cereal for Christmas dinner? I know! I did it! Two years ago I had surgery during the holidays and my health was poor. (due to all the unnecessary stress I’m sure!) We had cereal and played board games for Christmas! I have to say it was that most stress free holiday I can remember… ever! There is nothing wrong with cooking dinner with all the trimmings but if it is not in the budget or you are going to stress out… it isn’t worth it! So what if your pie was burnt to a crisp, it is not worth the anxiety. (we don’t need the calories anyway! Ha!) Why would you fall into sin in order to celebrate the Savior? (or impress your mother in law?) Again… not worth it!

Gifts! Oh as if I haven’t confessed enough…Don’t make a mistake by over buying and losing sight of what is really important. I have to admit I love to give gifts!! I love to make people feel special and wanted. I love to make personal gifts and will stay up all night long, every night for a month making a gift if I knew it would make my loved ones feel special. I would also be crabby because of lack of sleep; I would be rushed and disorganized because I have focused so much on my giving that neglected the one I’m giving to. This will leave you overburdened and completely stress not to mention possible marriage problems all because we want to impress.

Are you getting the theme here? I was a holiday control freak!

I am going to share with you some things that I have learned through the years to help avoid being a GRINCH!

1. Be sure that no matter what your plans are for the holidays, don’t neglect the Lord! He is the reason we celebrate. What are you giving Jesus for Christmas? Be sure you give him your heart, your time and plans! Be faithful! Your plans are not more important than reading the Bible, praying, witnessing, and going to church.
2. Plan ahead but be flexible!! Be prepared for things to go wrong!! You CAN’T have everything your way! Maybe you’re late because God spared you from a horrible accident and let your 5 yr old put the star on and then… step away from the tree! The bible says Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with ALL thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In ALL thy ways acknowledge him and HE shall direct thy paths! Trust Him!
3. Delegate!! If you have a lot to do, ask for help. Let someone else do it! (And then don’t micro manage them so that it is perfect) Instead, enjoy the time spent together. Whether it be duties at church or at home, don’t try to tackle everything in order to prove that you’re super woman. If you insist.. You will be a super crabby woman!!
4. Don’t try to keep up the Jones’s. You don’t have to have________to be happy or to make memories. Try making homemade decorations or reuse the old ones. DON’T spend money you don’t have, to buy things you don’t need to make a impression on people who would be just as happy if you just gave them your time and a happy spirit!  
5. Be where you are!! Enjoy the time you have! Let people be who they are and treasure these memories! They will fade so quickly! They will fade and what is left is … What people remember about you.

Christmas is a special time to spend with loved ones and make memories that we will cherish for a lifetime. Let’s not be a Grinch!

Love you ladies!

Merry Christmas!!

Laundry!!!! / Mrs Paula St. Amour

Mrs Paula St. Amour

Belleville, MI

Amy asked me to write another blog post, and I kept thinking last night about what I wanted to write, and a few things came to mind, but I could never settle on one thing. This morning when my wonderful husband woke me up at 4am, and I could not go back to sleep, I started to think about it again, and I kept coming back to the same thing, so, here it goes…

LAUNDRY!!!

I know you are all thinking, the same thing I used to think, NO!!!!!

Now, my system is what works for me, but I have told several people about it, and the people that have tried it like, it too, and have adapted it to fit their needs. I am not perfect and some times, my laundry schedule gets messed with due to sickness, conferences, parties, etc… but for the most part we stick to it, and if not, I go crazy with backed up laundry! J I am not telling you that this will work for you and your house, but it does work for us.

Quite a few years ago when we were still living in Northwest Indiana, my husband and I had a friend that went to the same church we went to. She always looked lovely, and I told her how I loved her clothes, and the fact that they never looked warn, faded, or stained. Her clothes looked brand new all the time! One day I was over at her house and she was doing her laundry so I asked her for some advice to help me with my laundry. At the time, we were living in an apartment that did not have laundry hook-ups, so I would have to make a trip to the laundromat every 2-3 weeks, depending on how the laundry looked, but no matter how I separated my laundry, after a few months of washing and drying my clothes always started to look faded and well-loved. She told me her secret… wash everything together, wash it on cold, and dry it on low. Growing up my mom always told me, separate your colors, wash everything on hot, and dry it on high to get it done faster and get the next load in. Washing in cold water keeps the colors from running and your clothes wont look faded, now don’t get me wrong, after YEARS, they will still fade, but years, not months! Drying on low temps, keeps your clothes from becoming faded as well, because if you dry on high, you tend to “fry” your clothes and they will darken or lighten over time, depending on their color.

It was genius… well I took it and ran with it, then took it a step farther… I started to sort by person. I got clothes hampers for each person in my house, one for towels, and one for bedding. Everyone started to put their own clothes into their baskets and my life changed on laundry day. Now, I no longer have to sort, before washing, and then again after drying while folding. What a stress relief, and time saver. At the time that I started my oldest two children were 3 and 2, and I was pregnant with the 3^rd. All of Aaron’s clothes went into the same washer, at the same time, then to the dryer. They all came out at the same time, they got folded into his basket and then all I had to do was put them away when I got home from the laundromat!

I have continued this and now have 5 kids. We started taking it a step farther now that the kids are older, and we have a washer and dryer in our house. Everyone has their own laundry day, they do their own laundry from start to finish, wash, dry, fold, and put away. Here is our schedule:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Aaron (10yrs)	Amanda (8yrs)	Adrienne (6yrs)	Andrew (4yrs)	Adam (10mts)	Mom & Bedding	Dad & Towels

We wash one load a day, except Saturday and Sunday, those days get 2 loads. When socks are removed they are placed in a lingerie bag (bought from dollar tree) and zipped shut, everyone has their own sock bag, and the socks stay in the bag while washing and drying with their other clothes. (no more socks inside the pant legs, heaven!) Once dry they come out, and are mated and put away along with the rest of the laundry that is done. There is no more arguing or fighting over who stole my shirt, etc… My kids wear a minimum of 12 outfits a week, 2 every day for school and 1 each day on the weekends, 7 pairs of underwear, 7 pairs of socks (for the girls it is probably more like 14 pairs of socks, they love changing socks), 2 pairs of pajamas a week, if we have soccer on Saturday, there is another outfit change in there for everyone, so we end up with a full load per person each week. Craig likes to fold towels, so he washes them on his day, and now my 8 year old will sneak into my closet and steal my skirts and shirts to complete her outfits, and I usually don’t notice until she is wearing them at school… I can’t break her of that habit though, still working on it! J If anyone has some tips on that one, fell free to share! J

I hope you all have a wonderful day. 

STARR'S CHICKEN SALAD STARS RECIPE / Mrs Starr Tharp

STARR'S CHICKEN SALAD STARS RECIPE

Mrs Starr Tharp

Independence, MO

I can't even begin to count how many times I have made these OR passed out the recipe. People love, love, love these SO much that I always make a double batch, because I KNOW they will get eaten. It's a "given" that I make these for our ladies Christmas fellowship. This chicken salad is so versatile. I've made it into a ball and served it with club crackers, my sister-in-law has heated it, thinned it with cream and poured it over pasta and I've baked it inside crescent rolls for a heartier snack. And well..... it's just plain good to eat with a fork! If you try these, be sure to leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of them. I like to hear what you have to say!

STARR'S CHICKEN SALAD STARS

2 - 3 C. Cooked, cut up chicken
1 (8 oz) Cream cheese
4 Tblsp. Melted margarine
2 Tblsp. Chopped onion
2 - 3 Tblsp. Milk
½ tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 pkg wonton wrappers (the small ones)

Cream the cheese, melted margarine, salt, pepper, milk and onions together. Add chicken and stir to combine. Set aside. Lay 12 wonton wrappers on counter top. Brush top side of each wonton wrapper lightly w/ oil and press into lightly sprayed mini muffin tin (oil side up). Bake empty shells at 350 for 5 minutes. This is what they should look like when they are done baking.

These little shells can be used for a variety of savory or sweet fillings: Mini omelets made with scrambled eggs, ham & cheese; pizza fillings; crab rangoon filling; dessert fillings like ice cream, fruit, puddings, etc...
Anyway, back to the recipe! Remove muffin tin from oven & repeat until all shells have been baked. I have made the shells a day ahead before. I just make them all, make sure they are cool and then seal them in gallon size Ziploc bags. When you are ready to use them, place empty shells on baking sheet & fill each one w/ about 1 Tblsp of the chicken salad. (I always prepare these up to this point and set them aside until just before I need to serve them. Then pop the filled shells in the oven 5 minutes before serving time). After all the stars have been filled, place baking sheet with filled stars back in oven and bake an additional 5 minutes. Makes about 50 stars.
For a “heavier” snack: use croissant roll dough. Fill each triangle, fold over and pinch shut. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes on lightly sprayed cookie sheet.

A Trip to the Hospital = A Changed Life / Mrs Denise Baker

A Trip to the Hospital = A Changed Life

Mrs Denise Baker

Pastor's Wife
Victory Baptist Church

Bronx, New York

On May 5, 2014, my daughter, Makenzie, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes twenty-four days before her eleventh birthday. A few days before she was diagnosed, I noticed that she had lost a lot of weight, was constantly thirsty, and frequently using the restroom. I will never forget that Sunday night when I knew this was much more than just a growth spurt or a kidney infection as her symptoms became worse. I prayed and asked God to give me wisdom as to whether I should take Makenzie to the Emergency room or just try to get her in to her pediatrician the next morning.  I must say, the Lord has never failed me when I have asked for wisdom!! Right away, I remembered that I had a meter to test blood sugar from when I had gestational diabetes with my son during the last two weeks of my last pregnancy. I got the meter ready and pricked Makenzie’s finger. I couldn’t believe my eyes….the meter read 601. I immediately realized that we needed to take Makenzie to the emergency room. My husband dropped Makenzie and me off at Albert Einstein Hospital in the Bronx. They got Makenzie a bed and started an I.V. and told me they would be doing an EKG and checking Makenzie for acid in her blood. Makenzie and Dr. Rebecca, the doctor on call, had a lot in common and that helped calm Makenzie’s nerves. A NYC emergency room can get a little crazy at night, so when a drunk man who had appeared to have been in a fight was brought in and started exposing himself, (thank God Makenzie didn’t see anything) they moved her to a private room in the E.R. with a door that we could close to all of the craziness. Around one a.m., Dr. Rebecca came and asked me to step in to the hallway so she could explain what was going on with Makenzie. She began to describe that there are two types of diabetes and Makenzie has the bad one where her pancreas stopped working. With a very sympathetic look on her face, she explained that Makenzie will need a pump eventually and will have this for the rest of her life. I began to cry and felt so helpless as a mom….Did I do something wrong??….Could this have been prevented?? I called my husband to let him know, and I pulled myself together as much as I could and went back in the room where Makenzie was sleeping. I just stared at her beautiful fair skin and blonde hair and begged God to give me the right words to say to her to let her know that she has T1 diabetes. It wasn’t very long before she woke up and God gave me the words to say. I remember telling her that whatever the outcome of the tests, God is with us and He has a plan. He is allowing this to happen and we can make the best of this. I assured her that she has an incredible support team in her family and we would all be by her side. I remember asking her if she would be ok with whatever the outcome of her sickness was, and she said yes. I began to tell her she has T1 diabetes. She took it like a champ! I could tell she was worn out and told her to get some rest. A while later she awoke, and I wanted to see if she remembered the talk we had, so I asked her if she remembered what her diagnosis was. With a very serious look on her face she said, “Yes, you said I have mesothelioma.” And then she started laughing and said, “Got ya!!” One of the things I am most thankful for is Makenzie’s sense of humor; it has made this journey more bearable. 

A few hours later, Makenzie was transferred to the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, and was put on the cancer floor. There we got our training on how to live with this new disease. Makenzie’s roommate was a four year old little girl with cancer. She had already been there over a month. Watching girls and boys hooked up to all sorts of machines made us all very thankful that Makenzie’s diagnosis was T1 diabetes and not something worse. God has allowed us to come in contact with some amazing doctors who have taught us so much. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 says And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. I am overwhelmed at how God has changed my life and the lives of my family through this disease. I have watched Makenzie use this disease to help others. She and her sisters have recently started crocheting hats and scarves for children who are in the hospital. Am I glad Makenzie has T1 diabetes? No, T1 diabetes can be overwhelming at times. Do I wish I could take it away? Yes, but unfortunately I can’t. But I do know God has an awesome plan for her life and I would be crazy to get in the way of that. If we let Him, God can use situations that are placed in our lives for His glory.