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Post by 7schmicks on May 16, 2008 22:31:19 GMT -5
Sister Nancy, My parents spend a fortune on gluten-free foods! I can really understand now why you didn't have anything to feed your guest. Do you feed all of your family gluten-free, or do two separate menus? I've tried eating gluten-free a couple of times, too. I have been having a lot of trouble with stomach aches and such, been struggling with low energy (probably from iron deficiency,) have very thin hair, etc., but the gluten-free diet didn't really make me feel that much better other than less bloating (which it would for anyone,) so I'm not sure if that is the problem or not. We lost our insurance a few months after my Dad found out about his Celiac or I would probably get tested. Ugh.
Sister Brenda
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Post by 7schmicks on May 16, 2008 22:21:44 GMT -5
Sisters, Have any of you ever canned dried beans? I got the idea for this from a Mennonite Pastor's wife, I think. If you don't like the idea of simmering a pot of beans on the stove all day, make a canner-full to use when you need them. They taste so much better than those hard, preserved kind from a metal can!
First I start by soaking my beans over night. I use about 5 lbs. which is around 10-11 cups. If you have fewer than that, you can always half-fill a jar or two with split peas or lentils to finish filling the canner (these don't have to be soaked all night, so you can just fill in with these where you need them.)
The next day when I'm ready to can (Washed jars, pressure canner and utensils ready, etc.) I drain the beans and fill the jars nearly up to the neck. Then I put in about 1 tsp. of canning salt (no iodine) and 1/2 - 1 tsp of each - garlic and onion powders, then fill to the neck with water that I've had boiling. If there isn't enough water, I just add a little cold water, if necessary, to bring it up to the necks. Then I stick a chopstick or something down in each jar to release any air bubble and fasten down the lids tight. Finally, I put them in the pressure canner with the amount of water recommended in the instructions and process at 10 lbs. pressure for one hour.
I've done all different kinds of beans this way, including split peas and lentils. They taste really good and they save all those hours of simmering! This way, you can have 7 quarts cooked and ready in a few hours time.
The last couple of times, I only had 1 lb. of the white beans, so I divided them into two jars and added a handful of lentils to each one. It made a really good soup. In the same canner, I canned several jars of mixed red, black and pinto beans, which I love for chili.
A couple of times I even put celery, carrots and onions into the split peas and lentils so that I wouldn't even have to cook anything else later. It worked pretty well.
I saw on another post that Randy recommended a turkey cooker to do 14 quarts. That might work great for a really large batch!
I have lost a jar or two on occasion. Does anyone have any hints on how to keep jars from breaking during processing? It probably has to do with the temperature or amount of pressure in the canner, or it could just be that my jar had some weak spot. Doesn't anyone know?
Sister Brenda
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Post by 7schmicks on May 16, 2008 21:49:32 GMT -5
Dear Sister Nancy, Do you happen to have Celiac Disease? Reading your posts here about your diet made me wonder. My dad found out about a year and a half ago that he has it, and his brother (my uncle) found out last year that he has it, too.
Sister Brenda
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Post by 7schmicks on May 13, 2008 14:53:59 GMT -5
Okay, here's another question that I've been thinking about. Americans average about 8% of their income on food costs. My husband figured out that ours was closer to 30% because of our low income and number of people we are feeding! This makes it hard for him to "Use hospitality without grudging" when people (family members, especially, who don't offer to bring stuff...) drop in near meal times and expect to get fed. What are ways that all of you keep food costs down and enable you to always be prepared to offer hospitality, even when it is difficult to afford it. I know we should always be willing to share, and that the Lord will provide for us, but what can I do to help the situation? Sister Brenda
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Post by 7schmicks on May 12, 2008 20:29:01 GMT -5
Hey everyone, I haven't yet found any threads about this. We don't have any children that are currently ready to get married, but hope to some day in the future, now that our oldest is nearly graduated. Anyway, statistics show that the average cost for a wedding in the US is $27,000. I find this totally ridiculous!
Since marriage is a distinct illustration of the union of Christ and His bride, the church, my feeling is that Christian weddings should reflect this as much as possible.
The church, in the book of Revelation, is seen wearing white linen, so I like the idea of the bride wearing white. A friend of mine, who joined a Holdamen (spelling?) Mennonite church told me that their weddings are church affairs -- meaning that the whole church helps with the wedding preparations, preparing the meal, etc. I thought that this was a wonderful blessing for the family by easing some of the financial burden as well as the work.
Because I think of this subject on occasion and also have found that many weddings today are somewhat worldly and not-too-sacred, I thought I would like to see what ideas you all might have.
The whole courtship thing is another subject that I need explore, too. My experience with dating (even though, thankfully, I married the only one I ever dated) has me thinking that it is not the right way to go for a serious Christian, either. Sister Brenda
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Post by 7schmicks on May 10, 2008 23:15:29 GMT -5
How do you ladies who use cloth pads and have daughters handle this. My daughters are 9 and 6, so I haven't crossed that bridge yet, but do you each have your own marked pads or do you just all use the same ones in turn? I've been thinking about this more since my 9-year-old is over-weight, and I worry about her starting her period early. I think her cousin was around 9 when she started. I would like her to slim down not only for the health of her body, but to help prevent early on-set puberty. It is hard getting a child to slim down, though, and I also worry that our concern over her weight might make her too self-conscious. (I'm a worry who needs to quit it! : Sister Brenda
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Post by 7schmicks on May 10, 2008 22:34:08 GMT -5
Wow, I'm sorry Valli, I think I got your thread going off course, somehow!
We always thought the angels were the good ones, too. The Bible says somewhere about them "looking into" things having to do with our salvation. Then, too, they are Beings who are in rank and file like an army, so they may be interested in seeing whether we keep God's order.
Sister Brenda
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Post by 7schmicks on May 6, 2008 22:28:08 GMT -5
Dear Sister, I didn't do anything to get the link except write in the address. It must have done it automatically! Have you tried it to see? Sister Brenda PS. What you said in another post about Bible colleges not teaching all the truth of Scriptures is true. My husband and I went to a anniversary celebration for his Bible School and they were actually joking about the fact that the women used to be required to wear hats for chapel! We were very sad about the irony of their little speeches about the college's "faithfulness" when they can't even see how much they've gone astray.
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Post by 7schmicks on May 5, 2008 22:26:42 GMT -5
Dear Sister Valli, You have been in my thoughts, and I had wondered why we hadn't heard from you lately. Our bodies are so frail. I often think that the Lord sends us illness in our earthly bodies to help us long for our Heavenly ones all the more! I will pray for you. I know what you mean about putting feet in mouths and also not being so sure of things that you thought you once knew. I have experienced the same things. But I do like to occasionally be allowed to discuss Scriptural principles with other Christians, for who knows, maybe the Lord will use my musings and ponderings to help someone else who is struggling with similar issues. Plus, the viewpoints of other Christians is often different enough from my own, that hearing them helps to challenged me to dig deeper in the Scriptures for answers! That's how we grow. Having said that, I usually go to my husband with most of my theological questions - wives are supposed to learn at home from them. It helps keep unity in the home. My husband is blessed with a wealth of knowledge from his years at Bible college, especially in church history and theology. It does amaze me that there can be such a diversity of beliefs among those who claim the same Bible as their only guide. Here's some "Food for thought" for you and the others. Is this diversity because we don't spend enough time studying it, or is it because we approach it with already preconceived notions that we've "absorbed" from our parents or the church in which we grew up? Also, is it possible to really grow in the Lord, if we are part of a denomination which seems to already have all of the answers and doesn't allow any differences of opinion from its members on the meanings of Scripture? Just a few musings and ponderings. Sister Brenda
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Post by 7schmicks on May 3, 2008 22:20:27 GMT -5
Amen, Sister Nancy, I think the Lord will send more persecution to drive away the "chaff" from among those who call themselves Christians. The Church in many foreign lands are very unified, because they know that gathering together to worship the Lord may mean physical death. We can surely see the end of this world as we know it approaching! When He is done purging the church though persecution, He will have a spotless Bride to meet Him at His coming. This frightens me some because I know the condition of my own heart. Although I've never done all of those "bad" things in which so many have become ensnared, I also know that in me lies too much pride, selfishness and other bad things of the old man. If it weren't for the cleansing blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, I would have no hope! I'm also used to having things nice and easy, so I have to sometimes pray that the Lord would give me His strength and courage if I were to ever have to face the kind of persecution that I know is coming. I guess that's one reason I joined this forum -- for the encouragement of Believers who have made bold statements to the world by obedience to the Scriptures and traditions that God has laid down for us in things such as modest and headcoverings. You have been a great encouragement already, Sister.
Sister Brenda
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Post by 7schmicks on May 3, 2008 21:57:52 GMT -5
Dear Smith family,
What a sad, hard week it has been for you. I am so very sorry and will continue to pray for the Lord to give comfort and healing.
Lovingly, Sister Brenda
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Post by 7schmicks on May 2, 2008 23:17:17 GMT -5
Dear Sister Nancy, Thank you so much for filling me in. (I didn't think you were arguing at all -- just answering my questions! ) You just sound a lot like Conservative Wesleyans to me! My brother and sister-in-law's Wesleyan church is like so many others churches today, in other words, they are much more liberal in their standards and music than they once were. I'm not really sure what that website meant about Holiness churches not being Fundamental or Evangelical. Maybe it just means that the Holiness churches have chosen not to be involved in the "movements." Other than the general ideas behind them, I'm sad to say, I don't recall all that my husband taught me about Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism and what are the difference between the two. I guess this is a good indication that I need to study up on things! One of the things that stood out in the website, and my husband said the same thing when I asked him what he knew about Holiness churches, was that many of them believe you can and should try to attain "perfection" here on earth. From what you said, it sounds as if you don't believe that, since you said you would reach that goal when you are "taken up to Jesus." I don't really understand, however, what you meant by "...there comes a point where we surrender our will to God's will and we become sancified (set apart)..." I always understood that Jesus sanctifies all Believers when they are saved. "By the which will we are santified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once..." (Hebrews 10:10 without the italics) Wonderingly, Sister Brenda
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Post by 7schmicks on May 2, 2008 20:46:48 GMT -5
Dear Sister Glenda,
I wanted to check up on you and see how things are going. It sometimes takes a very, very long time to gain understanding concerning the hardships that we have, and it may be that we will never fully understand this side of Heaven, but we know that God is gracious, merciful and loving, and He never gives us more than we can bear, although it seems like we can't bear it while we are in the midst of it. I continue to pray for you, as you as I think of you through the week.
Love, Sister Brenda
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Post by 7schmicks on May 1, 2008 23:23:01 GMT -5
Praise the Lord that you didn't injure your eyes, Brother George! I'll be praying for quick, thorough healing.
Sister Brenda
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Post by 7schmicks on May 1, 2008 23:19:39 GMT -5
Yes, I will also be praying for the Lord's care during this time.
Sister Brenda
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