for my second post, I feel like I need to take a step back.  I was so caught up with my VISION last week that I just had to get busy WRITING!  so now, let me explain what this blog is....

after attending a three-day women's conference last weekend, i awoke Sunday morning with a SUPER strong vision from God in my head.  He clearly told me to start my own "ministry" of sorts....using articles and postings to bless other Christian mommies.  It was one of those revelations where you wake up, grab the nearest paper and pen and just start writing....as quickly as possible and in the hopes that you won't forget anything God just revealed to you!  it was exciting, and i am super excited to begin this new direction in my life. {yes, i do realize i don't capitalize many of my words like i should....i just prefer it this way.  grammar-nazis, unite!}  what i write on this blog will be direct.  it will be based on the word of God.  it will be based on revelation that God has placed in my heart to share with you.  i speak (and write) with a focused intensity.  i don't believe in sugar-coating what i'm going to say.  and i'm not condemning you if you don't already do the things i write about here....that's why i'm here.  i am dealing with these issues myself....i'm not perfect and i'm not the ideal proverbs 31 momma, but i am striving toward that goal of tending my family in the way God directs me to in His word.  and i feel that God wants me to take you with me.  please enjoy the writings, please leave comments, and please have an open heart to receive from this what God intends for YOU to do in your life.  that is my goal.   

the reason this blog is called "mitera: ministry in motherhood" is because in my vision i kept CLEARLY seeing "M.I.M."  I told darrik (in case you don't know, that is my amazingly talented and handsome husband) all about my dream and the initials.  we brainstormed together that day and came up with "ministry in motherhood."  "mitera" means "mother" in greek, which was the original language that most of the new testament was written in.  most of my posts will be related to the proverbs 31 woman, and therefore, we thought a word derived from greek origin would be perfect!  although many wouldn't consider moms "ministers" we truly do have that calling on our lives.  we minister to our children and our husbands as we serve them and speak kindly to them.  as a mother, that is when we are at our most Christ-like in putting others before ourselves in so many ways.  so with that explanation given, let's take a look at another tip to help us become more like the proverbs 31 woman.

proverbs 31:27 says, "She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." (NIV) or "She oversees the care of her house. She is never lazy." (easy to read version)

as a mom, it is so easy to get caught up in the day to day tasks of wiping noses, sweeping floors, cooking, organizing, cleaning, running errands, tying shoes, doing laundry, and just generally making sure everything in your home and your family is running as smoothly as possible.  there is really not a lot of "glory" in these tasks on a daily basis.  we don't get certificates of achievement, raises or bonuses, the proverbial pats on the back, or even a high five from a kiddo for doing our "jobs" well on most days.  and that's okay.  our payoff is in seeing our homes running smoothly, seeing happy and well-fed people in our homes, and being the "glue" that keeps the family tight. {and that occasional comment from a 4 year old, "you're the best mom I've ever had!"  well, thanks kiddo.  considering i'm the only one you've ever had....i will still take that one.}

as a proverbs 31 momma, this is a true reflection of our daily tasks.  in modern times we have many responsibilities as moms of the house.  we must encourage and tend to our husbands, our children, and sometimes our parents or grandparents as well.  one of our main responsibilities (for most women) is to do the majority of the cooking/meal planning/feeding of hungry mouths.

whether you currently cook most meals for your family or eat out most nights,  our children and husbands love being taken care of.  we are their servants (more on that next week!), and we should take pride in keeping a clean home and providing home-cooked meals for them as often as possible.  i know as a working mom this is sometimes difficult, but that is only because we are trained by our society to think this way.  when i was young, my mother worked 40 hours a week, helped coach my softball teams, assisted in various capacities in the community, and we STILL had a home-cooked meal each night.  it was not the "norm" for us to eat out, as it is in today's culture for so many of us.  we only ate at restaurants for special occasions, like birthdays and when family came to town. we have drifted away from the responsibility of truly PROVIDING for our families and fallen into the trap of fast food drive-thru lanes, delivery drivers, and call in orders for the sake of convenience.  these types of meals are not providing the nutrition our families need, and they are not providing YOU with any sense of accomplishment.   when we cook a meal that the entire family loves (and it doesn't have to be complex, but can be a simple meal), it truly gives us a sense of pride.   i love when i cook something and people are getting second helpings or clearing their plates completely.  i know then that i did a good job, that i provided.  {and on the inside of me, those clean plates are little symbols of achievement, imaginary high fives, and silent pats on the back} with our busy schedules, it seems so much easier to just do the drive thru when you're already away from home for sports practices, dance practice, a grocery store run, church, etc., and this is where advanced planning comes into the picture.  with a little advanced planning, you, too, can satisfy those hunger pains with some REAL home-cooked food!  {your husband will thank you later}

the proverbs 31 woman is an organized and prepared woman.  for example, in proverbs 31:21, "she doesn't worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear."  this one scripture shows that the proverbs 31 woman is looking to the future and preparing for what she KNOWS is coming.  and we all KNOW that dinner time is coming every night! 

we must be prepared.  our families need {and LOVE} home-cooked food.  there are ways to make this easier and to get us out of our drive-thru routines.   one thing we can do is make the time to create a weekly dinner list and keep it posted in plain sight in the kitchen.  or get those crock pots out and have dinner cooking all day while away at work (or while handling your household duties if you're a sahm).  at our house, i plan a "breakfast for dinner" night at least once a week.  scrambling eggs or cooking waffles takes less time than it would for me to drive to a restaurant and pick up food and return with it.  {and breakfast for dinner is actually a REALLY inexpensive meal....probably saving us $15 off a $20 drive thru meal for a family of 4!}

when i was younger, we ate dinner every night at the same time, in the same place:  5:00 pm at the kitchen table!   {and if you were late, you were in TROUBLE with momma!}  in today's world, it seems that many families are eating dinner at restaurants and in their living rooms, or maybe even each person getting a plate and eating ALONE in their bedrooms while tethered to a tv, or ipad, ipod, or laptop computer.  up until a few months ago, i was eating dinner on the couch every night with my family (with my kids, my precious gifts from God, sitting on the FLOOR to eat)!  no more!  when we moved into our current home last May, we made a decision that dinner was to be eaten at the DINING table, with no television, no phones, no game systems.  just our family....eating....talking.....enjoying each other.   this is a precious time when you can connect with your family, hear about their days' activities, and support and encourage each other.  your kids (and probably your husband) NEED this from you!

so let's take a stand.  let's see how many of you can make even ONE change for your dinnertime routine.  are you ready?  become that proverbs 31 momma that your kids need you to be, that your God called you to be.  you don't have to change everything you do.  start small.  if you eat out every night of the week, maybe start with 2-3 meals this week that you will cook.  see the difference it makes in your kids and your husband's hearts...FEEL the difference. {and just think, 3 nights of not eating fast food meals for a family of 4 will save you around $60-70 per week, or $240-280 a month!  hallelujah! ....new shoes anyone?}

here are some examples of things you might try to do at your house this week:

• turn off the television, phones, ipads, etc. while eating.  if your phone rings, don't answer it. 
• eat at the TABLE.  {yes this might require you to first CLEAR the table if you're anything like we used to be.....using it as a pile-on storage system for all our junk}
• cook at least 4 meals at home this week
• eat out fewer times this week than you normally do
• use your crock pot.  {this makes meal prep a cinch!}
• develop a meal planning list.  {you can simply write a list on notebook paper and slap it on the fridge, or buy a whiteboard to hang in the kitchen with the days of the week on it, or look online for a million other ideas for this one.} 

this is the custom-made whiteboard i use to keep my meals planned for the week.  i simply erase the meal after i've cooked it so i can see whether or not i am on-track with my plan at the end of the week (it should be empty by then).   i don't always cook what i had planned for that particular day, but i do choose something from the week's list and just pick a different meal when i get to the day i had already used.  i like having my plan on display in my kitchen because it keeps me accountable to ME.   it is proven that when you write something down you are more apt to stick to it.  so go now....write down what you want to cook for tomorrow night.  and the next night.  and if you're really industrious, knock out the whole week right now.  take action now while it's fresh in your mind.   if it seems overwhelming, just remember: start small.   hang that pretty little list on your kitchen fridge and feel God speaking to you about tending to that sweet family He's blessed you with.

to get you started this week, try something easy.  cook eggs and bacon with toast one night.  or make waffles.  or try this {easy, quick, yummy, man-pleasing} recipe which my entire family loves:

Hamburger Meat with Rice
1-1.5 lb ground beef
1 small onion
salt
pepper
garlic powder
1 can cream of mushroom soup
milk
3 c. instant rice
French's fried onions (optional)
A-1 Steak Sauce (optional)

Brown hamburger meat with onion and salt, pepper, and garlic powder (according to your taste preferences).  Drain fat from meat.  Add cream of mushroom soup and 1 can of milk.  Cook on low until bubbly and a little thicker.

In separate pot, cook instant rice according to package directions.  (or if you pre-plan this meal, you can cook rice in a rice steamer.  I do this because I like to use long grain brown rice.) 

Put rice in bowls and top with the hamburger mixture.  You can add French's fried onions on top if you like a little crunch (that's me), or add the A-1 sauce (all the males in my household prefer it this way!). 


i love hearing from you, so please share with me anything related to this post.  how often do you cook at home?  what prevents you from cooking at home more often?  which of these techniques listed above appeals to you most and why?  i can't wait to hear from you!

awww, look how happy they are when we feed them!  :)   even a PB&J will make this guy's day! 

be blessed!
molly