Journey to Biblical Beauty Part 3

As I struggle to find the words to write about this week's study, Satan keeps telling me that I just shouldn't post anything.  "Beth, don't share what you've learned.  No one wants to read about that topic."  I do struggle with what to write, because it was a very intimate topic.


One thing my mom told me before I got married is that "Satan will try to make you come together before marriage and will try to keep you from being together when you're married."  I will NOT let Satan keep me from sharing what I've learned this week.


This week's Bible study was all about sex.  Yep.  I studied the Captivating Woman, and it was eye opening to me.  My whole life (because I just recently got married) the focus was on not partaking in sex before marriage.  My parents started talking to my brothers and I early about it (I was probably 8).  When I turned 14, my daddy took me out on my birthday and bought me the most beautiful diamond necklace in the shape of a heart.  We went out to eat supper and later on to Wal-Mart to pick out the necklace.  On the way home he shared his heart with me.  He told me that he didn't want me to give my heart away to just anyone.  I was to wait until I got married to give my heart away. He shared with me reasons why I should wait, and I will forever cherish that night that we had.


However, now that I am married, I haven't heard anyone talk about this subject.  So studying the Captivating Woman was informative and direct.  Most of the passages I studied were from Song of Solomon.  If you haven't read this book in the Bible, I encourage you to do so.  Single or married, it gives an idea of what true, passionate love really is.  I would encourage you to use a version that you can understand.  I have the NIV Study Bible, but I used the Bible app on my phone to read through the passages in the New Living Translation.


Somethings that I've learned this week:

• The Captivating Woman is a wife.  (Proverbs 5:18-19)
• The Captivating Woman makes sex a priority and puts him above all earthly relationships (Proverbs 5:19)
• The Captivating Woman in Song of Solomon appealed to all of his senses.  She looks good, smells good, sounds good, feels good, and tastes good.
• She is responsive (Song of Songs 4:16); She is adventurous (Song of Songs 7:11-13);  She is uninhibited (Song of Songs 2:6, 4:16. 7:1-3);  She is expressive (Song of Songs 1:16, 2:3,16);  She is sensuous (Song of Songs 5:10-16).
• God commands husbands and wives to have intimate relations (1 Corinthians 7:3-5).

In my study, there was a day that I studied Paul.  He was given the gift of singleness, but he didn't complain about it.  He took the gift he was given and cultivated an intimate relationship with God.  Single individuals have the ability to give their undivided attention to the Lord.  They have more time to focus on what the Lord wants them to do and learn.  I wish I would have grasped that concept more before I had met Tyler.

The world has degraded sex, but because His Word never changes, God upholds it as an act of holiness to be shared between husband and wife.  He wants us to enjoy it, within marriage, to the point that it intoxicates us.

As I was browsing Pinterest this week, a dear friend of mine had pinned a blog that talks all about married sex.  The author is a Christian, and I encourage you to check out her series called, "29 Days to Great Sex."  You can visit her blog here.  

As I close this post, I want to leave you with a thought.  A man's number one need is respect.  His number two need is intimacy.  However, these two things are very, closely related.

Daniel Akin (author of God on Sex) states, " If a woman fails to meet a man's need for sexual fulfillment, she will also fail to meet his need for admiration and respect." 

This Week's Goals

I think I should have started making weekly goals at the beginning of my "3 month vacation."  I might have gotten more done.  Oh well, I can't go back and I definitely don't want to.

As I was reviewing last week's goals and planning for this next week, I got to thinking about some long term goals.  I jotted down some long term (in the next year) and some shorter term (within the next 6 month) goals.  I also made my list of this week's goals.  Here I'll share them with you:

Long Term Goals (in the next year or so):

• Be debt free from school!
• Start saving for a house!
• Start looking for a house (this may be the "or so" part of the goal)

Short Term Goals (within the next 6 months):

• Get a job.  I pray that it will take me less than 6 months.  Everyone needs accountants, right? :]

Last week, my goals were:

1.  Clean out the refrigerator. 
2.  Continue with Week 5 of my Bible Study.
3.  Continue to work out.  (I found some workout DVDs on Netflixed and tried them...I'm still having muscle pain. I kinda took it easy.)
4.  Continue reading "The Help."
5.  Try some more new recipes.
6.  Finish up the invitations for Mackenzie's Bridal Shower.
7.  Encourage someone.  (I hope I did this with the 2 girls I talked to on the phone this week)
8.  Try to find a bank in the STL area.  (Ongoing process)
9.  Contact Christi at Honey Pot.

This week my goals are:

• Finish The Help (I have roughly 30 pages left)
• Finish my Bible Study with Week 6.
• Buy stamps.
• Send out the invitations for the bridal shower.
• Work on making chalkboards??  (Could possibly wait til we get moved)
• Continue working out.
• Try to find a bank in STL.
• Start working on an "STL Budget."
• Start really searching for a job.
• Write someone a note.
• Become more Christ-like.--This has always been my goal, everyday.  But I thought I should actually write it out.

We are one week closer to being done.  One week closer to moving.  I keep thinking about things that I'm going to "get back" when we move.  It's going to be like Christmas all over again! :]  But living with minimal belongings makes me realize how much stuff I don't need.  The majority of things I own are luxuries.  All I need is my trust in Jesus, because He will provide everything that I need:  food, water, a roof over my head, clothes.  It sounds so cliche, but it's the truth.  He has definitely taught me a lot through these 3 months.  I will be glad to get my things back, but maybe I ought to take a look and see what I could live without.

Journey to Biblical Beauty Part 2

Do any of you ever feel stuck in a rut in your spiritual life?  Sometimes I feel like I haven't been growing by just going to church every week and reading my Bible every day.  I kinda felt this way before this past weekend.  I needed some direction and affirmation.  Since going to this conference, I have a full heart.  God filled me up.  It's a good thing!  However, I have so much to think about, it's hard to sort it all out.


The Holy Spirit has convicted me in several ways.  There are some things I need to change in my life, some things I need to work on, and some things I just need to do better.  


This week, I have been studying the Irritating Woman in Proverbs.  Once again, I can relate to her.  I believe to some extent the Indiscreet Woman and the Irritating Woman are related.  


In my study, I have come to know that the Irritating Woman is known as a "controller."  In other words, she wants to control every aspect of her life.  In Genesis 3:16 (NLT) it states, "And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you."  God states that the man is the head of the house, yet the woman is always going to want control over him.  This is a result of the fall of Man.  I don't know about you, but I have a hard time with relinquishing control sometimes...even to God.  


I'm Type-A personality which means a couple of things:

• I am known to be aggressive.  I am comfortable taking charge and being in a position of authority, power, and responsibility.  I am very goal-oriented and will do whatever (to an extent--I won't do anything immoral or against the law) to get a job done.
• I am also known to have a short fuse.  It's difficult to control my temper sometimes.  I also get irritated when things don't go as planned.  I am a perfectionist. This causes a lot of stress in my life.  
• I want things done by the deadline that is given.  If things are taking too much time, it irritates me and a lot of times it is known to those around me.  I am impatient.
• I am very competitive.  I'm driven by success, high standards, and goals.  I have a high need for achievement.  This also causes a lot of stress in my life.  This is where my love language comes in...I need to know that I'm doing a good job.

So you now know a little bit about my personality.  The older I get, the more I realize that I'm a lot like my dad.  He always told me I was a lot like him, but I never could see it...until now.  Nothing is wrong with this, but I have someone who's gone through a lot and has wisdom on how to act.  He can give me advice on what not to do.

I say these things because I know that I have traits of the Indiscreet and Irritating Women.  I know that I need to work on what describes these women.  I might have already posted some of these things, but it's a good reminder for me.  

• I need to discern when to keep my mouth shut.  I've been working on it this week.  Usually I will say something and not have a care in the world. This week, I would say something and then acknowledge that I shouldn't have said what I did.  I believe that this is a start.  You have to start somewhere...I can't cure it overnight.  
• I need to become even-tempered.  This is difficult for me because of some of my personality traits.  However, I can't let that be an excuse.  My dad tells me that, "People don't make you feel a certain way (mad, frustrated, inferior, etc).  You choose to feel that way."  He's right.  It's possible for someone to say the most hateful thing to you, and you can ignore it and not let it affect you.
• I need to think of others before myself.  I don't always have to get my way.  In fact, I don't ever have to get my way.  It's nice when I do, but it doesn't have to happen.  The Irritating Woman has outward signs of discord, strife, manipulation, pleads, demands, naggings.  She wants her way and she will do whatever it takes to get it.
• I need to relinquish control to my husband and to God.  Tyler and I have an even playing field right now.  We make joint decisions or we give the other permission to choose.  I think that it's important to make joint decisions or be completely okay with his decision.  However, he is still the head of our household.  A lot of my life, I have spent putting things in God's hands, only to take them out again.  This is NO good!  Life is only good and full when we trust Him completely.
• I need to learn not to default to the Irritating Woman.  When we are controlling ourselves, it's our default to be that woman.  I don't know about you, but I don't want to be that woman.  We all have been around this person, and she isn't pleasant.  I don't want to be known as the Irritating Woman.  Like the others, the Irritating Woman starts in the heart...with bitterness, jealousy, hatred, ambition, the need to control.
• I need to work on speaking words that build, bless, and benefit.  This is the cure to the Irritating Woman.  Even when the person who has been undeserving of these types of words, I must learn to speak these words to them anyway.  This is part of discerning when to say what.

This study has been really good for me.  I've needed to hear what this study has taught me.  I can only hope that what I've learned can be a blessing to you somehow.  I pray that as men and women of God, we can all say things that build, bless, and benefit to all that hear us.

Weekly Goals

What an incredible weekend!!  My mom met me in Tulsa on Friday afternoon and we went to the Extraordinary Women Conference.  It was amazing!!  Friday night we got to see Adam Cappa, Francesca Battistelli, and Jeremy Camp perform.  Now, for those of you who really know me, know that I LOVE Jeremy Camp!  I've loved him since his first album came out when I was in 6th or 7th grade.  He's such a talented artist!  My mom and I got front row and center seats.  No joke!  I will post more later on this weekend, as there is so much that I still need to process.


I wanted to review my goals from last week, and post my goals for this week.


Last week my goals were:


1.  Continue with Week 4 of "Beauty by the Book" Bible Study.  (what a phenomenal study!)
2.  Work out Monday-Friday for at least an hour.  (I worked out for 1 hour and 20 minutes every day)
3.  Continue planning Mackenzie's Bridal Shower.  (getting closer!)
4.  Continue reading "The Help."  (halfway done!)
5.  Try new recipes in my Crockpot!  (I posted one recipe that I tried)


This week here's what I want to do:


1.  Clean out the refrigerator.
2.  Continue with Week 5 of my Bible Study.
3.  Continue to work out.
4.  Continue reading "The Help."
5.  Try some more new recipes.
6.  Finish up the invitations for Mackenzie's Bridal Shower.
7.  Encourage someone.
8.  Try to find a bank in the STL area.
9.  Contact Christi at Honey Pot.


Lots to do, but it's all do-able. :]  What goals do you have for yourself this week?

Friday's Fabulous Foods

It's MARCH!!  I'm very excited about this fact because we move in 3 weeks!  We will be finished here in 4!  Evidently, I don't know how to count...I kept thinking we only had 3 weeks left here, but March is a weird month with 5 Saturdays in it.  Oh well, that's one more week to work out as much as I want. :]


Well, today I wanted to share with you a (fairly) yummy recipe.  I only say "fairly" yummy because I tweaked the recipe to reflect the ingredients that I actually have right now.  Next time, I will try it with the actual ingredients.  (I just don't really want to have to pack up some extra spices (or PAY for the spice), when I have those packed away.  Lame, I know.)


Anyway, introducing Friday's Fabulous Foods.  I want to share recipes that I've been cookin' up during the week that have been successful!  As of now, those successful dishes have occurred in my crockpot, because the oven that we have sucks.  It took me an hour and a half to bake my parents' anniversary cake.  Boo.  I can always count on my crockpot!


I have wanted to try making Stuffed Peppers ever since I saw Rachael Ray make them on her show.  I found the recipe on Pinterest, located here.  


Here's the ingredients that I used:

• 2lbs ground pork (subbed ground beef)
• 4 large green peppers (used variety of color)
• 1 large onion
• 2 carrots (used several baby carrots)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 head of cauliflower
• 6 oz can of tomato paste
• 1 tbsp dry oregano
• 1 tbsp dry or fresh tarragon (subbed oregano)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instead of green peppers, I chose a variety of colored peppers.

I cut the tops off and cleaned them out.

I chopped up the garlic, onion, cauliflower, and carrots.  It called for them to be put in a food processor, but what do you know?  It's packed away.  Chopping all of that up took about 30 minutes, also because I don't have any of my nice knives here, either.  I think that the garlic flavor would be better if it were shredded rather than chopped.


Instead of using ground pork, I used ground beef.  I also substituted more oregano for tarragon.  I looked this up on the internet, because the dry tarragon cost over $5 for a small jar. Ouch!!


So I put it all in a bowl and used my hands to mix it all in.

(Looks like mush!)

Then I just scooped them in the peppers and put them in the crockpot.  The recipe said to put the extra beef/veggie mixture in between the peppers. 

(The handle fell off the yellow pepper...oops!)

Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  I think that since I was using ground beef, I only needed to cook it on low for 6 hours.  After cooking them for 7 1/2 hours, the peppers were really soft and fell right apart.

It was pretty good, I thought.  I really enjoyed the cauliflower in the mixture.  I didn't think I would.  The beef mixture needed some more salt and pepper, but I really want to try this recipe again with ground pork. :]  Happy cooking!