tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69156291958315939582024-03-08T21:15:48.969+00:00Contemplative MomIn the midst of life's busyness I am challenged ...
to pause,
to breath deeply,
to contemplate.Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-2375234062790930412010-04-11T12:36:00.000+01:002010-04-11T12:36:12.163+01:00Blog has moved...My blog has moved to: Sumners in Scotland. Please come visit me there.
In order to simplify my life right now, I have combined my two blogs. All future posts for ContemplativeMom (menu plans, book reviews, thoughts on motherhood, etc.) will now be posted over at our family blog, Sumners in Scotland. Hope to see you there.Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-13620401414563987102010-02-20T21:23:00.005+00:002010-02-21T23:17:21.828+00:00SimplifyThis year I am adopting a theme of simplicity. My focus is to simplify my life, and that of my family, to lower the demands I accept on myself and my time. One of the things I have finally admitted I needed to simplify was my blogging world.I originally set up a second blog, Contemplative Mom, as a separate place for all my thoughts and activities as a woman, wife and mother. But in this new yearChristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-4237930928911402412010-02-15T07:45:00.003+00:002010-02-15T07:45:01.110+00:00Menu Plan MondayWe are working on a new budget for the year. Food is always a big part of our spending and we are considering ways to cut this area even more in the new year. I'll let you know more as we figure things out.This week my hubby and I are going out to dinner alone together for the first time since we moved to Aberdeen almost five months ago. I am so excited about a quiet dinner without competing withChristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-9857940071572013222010-02-10T07:24:00.002+00:002010-02-14T14:45:11.711+00:00Afraid of a Chicken?For most of my adult life, I have been 'afraid' of trying to cook a whole chicken. As a kid, I remember watching my mom skin and cut chicken; I remember thinking that I was never going to do that myself. Crazy, I know!Never say never! Having moved to Scotland earlier this year, with a higher cost of living, I am working on new ways to lower our food costs. And guess what ... whole chickens are Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-15227527090147006952010-02-08T07:01:00.002+00:002010-02-08T07:01:00.280+00:00Menu Plan Monday Another week begins! This week we celebrate my hubby's birthday and Valentine's Day, so I have a few special meals planned. Hopefully, next week we will have the opportunity to go out alone together to celebrate.Menu for this week:Monday -- Bee Rocks with veggies or salad - This new recipe is a roll over from last week.Tuesday -- Chicken EnchiladasWednesday -- Yellow Thai CurryThursday -Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-81180077134530944092010-02-06T07:21:00.000+00:002010-02-06T07:21:00.113+00:00Reckless and Careless SpeechWords That Heal - Chapter 4: "Don't Give It a Thought!""Reckless words pierce like a sword,but the tongue of the wise brings healing"(Proverbs 12:18)It is so easy to be careless with our words. And too often those words hurt the people around us. I can't even count the number of times I have regretted hastily spoken words, and even worse, really hurt someone by being careless and Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-9357197966289384532010-02-04T07:52:00.001+00:002010-02-07T22:19:24.286+00:00Reading List for 2010Revised 01 FEB 2010For 2010, I have again set a goal of reading 25 books. Last year I only made it through about 12, so this will be a big step up for me.Below you will find a list of what I am currently reading and the books that I have finished reading. I will be updating this list throughout the year.~ Currently reading:Desiring God by John PiperA Praying Life by Paul Miller - the book we Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-71749040388843960392010-02-02T07:22:00.000+00:002010-02-02T12:22:22.846+00:00Personal Goals for 2010I know it is already February, but I wanted to post my goals for 2010.Most of my goals for this year are to re-establish habits and disciplines in my life that have been sorely neglected in the stress of our transition to Scotland. Looking back, the move might have been less stressful if I had better maintained these habits, but in the chaos I let them go. 20/20 hind sight... maybe I will Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-75657230169619751562010-02-01T07:21:00.001+00:002010-02-01T07:21:00.186+00:00Menu Plan Monday Can it be Monday already? This has been a hard week for our family. My two-year-old has been running a scary high fever for days and no one seems to know what is causing it. All we can do is treat the fever and wait for new symptoms to reveal what this is, or for her to feel better. I'm hoping for the latter.I have some food related posts floating around in my head, but no time to get them "downChristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-2748905842460528312010-01-24T23:41:00.004+00:002010-01-25T00:00:14.019+00:00Menu Plan MondayYes, another week has passed and I have still not managed to post anything but the weekly menu. After being away for a month, I am finding it very challenging to start posting again. But slowly I am beginning to think "I could post about that" during my daily life, so that must be a good sign. Maybe this week I will find my muse.Until then, the family must eat, so I will create a meal plan to Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-91191332020982333332010-01-18T07:55:00.001+00:002010-01-18T07:55:00.358+00:00Menu Plan MondayThis is the first time in my married life that we really don't have the option of eating out or just grabbing a bite somewhere. First, we don't have the money in our budget right now. Second, we don't have a car to go grab something. Third, there is nothing "fast" near us.I have to come to terms with the fact that I have to cook every night. I find I'm not very excited about this idea. Menu Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-79862140399945313902010-01-17T21:54:00.001+00:002010-01-17T21:55:38.300+00:00Back online ...Due to circumstances completely out of our control, we were without internet connectivity for almost three weeks over the holidays. Sorry, no posts or updates on the blog!Well, we are back online and I have too many posts to catch up on. You will have to be patient as I work to get back into the swing of blogging.Hope you all had a happy Christmas and wonderful Hogmanay (the Scots word for the Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-87208358532337426362009-12-21T07:05:00.000+00:002009-12-21T07:05:00.504+00:00Peace on Earth!Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will toward men.Luke 2:14Peace on earth seems to be an elusive thing. There are wars fought around the world. Terrorism. Conflict with our neighbors and co-workers. This world is a far cry from peace.Yet at the birth of Christ, before he had done anything, God declared "Peace on earth." The entrance of the God-Man Jesus Christ into our sinful,Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-8093432485714777402009-12-20T19:48:00.000+00:002009-12-20T20:55:37.220+00:00Menu Plan MondayWe are ready to celebrate this week leading up to Christmas. We have no family coming, and we are not traveling, so things are pretty quiet for us this year.We are planning a special breakfast for Christmas morning: Stuffed Scrambled Eggs (my hubby is not fond of omelets, but loves scrabbled eggs with mushrooms, onions, and cheese), Scottish Sausage, Hash Browns and Muffins (English Muffins, as Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-20586956558827154272009-12-18T23:25:00.006+00:002010-01-17T21:59:51.239+00:00I'm thirsty...During the colder, winter months I find that I do not drink much water. I drink hot tea, coffee and cocoa, but very little water. I just do not have the same thirst in the winter, the same need to cool down. But am I truly not thirsty, or have I just hidden it with other things?Now I am dehydrated and desperately need water, a lot of water. And it is going to take time for my body to recover...Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-13060583823188671752009-12-15T14:59:00.008+00:002009-12-15T17:31:36.277+00:00Shine Like Stars!Words That Heal - Chapter 3: "Woe is Me!""Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure,children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation,in which you shine like stars in the universeas you hold out the word of life..." (Philippians 2:14-16)Complaining almost seems to be the language of this world. Think about the conversations around youChristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-15650016829171036382009-12-13T22:11:00.003+00:002009-12-13T22:23:25.347+00:00Menu Plan Monday I was quite excited this week to find dried pinto and black beans in a grocery store. It really makes a difference in my attitude toward cooking when I can't find the things I enjoy using. I also found canned artichoke hearts, which are a favorite in my family. I may have to walk the extra few miles once or twice a month to visit this terrific grocery store.Now to our menu for this week..Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-90597491380984513182009-12-07T07:23:00.000+00:002009-12-07T07:23:00.301+00:00Menu Plan Monday Last week our menu fell apart, much to my frustration. When we got our groceries, they did not have the roast that was advertised. Three of my meals last week were dependent on that roast. And I never made it back to the store to pick up a replacement. So, most of our meals for this week are repeated from last week and hopefully the roast will be available.Menu for this week:Monday -- Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-61640921003954268542009-11-30T07:10:00.000+00:002009-11-30T07:10:00.771+00:00Menu Plan MondayWhat a wonderful Thanksgiving week. We celebrated Thanksgiving in Scotland with several American (and a few Canadian) families. The stuffing was a little different (no StoveTop here). With no canned pumpkin, I was not about to tackle a pumpkin pie, but some of our friends were more skilled so we enjoyed pie as well.Menu for this week:Monday -- Al Forno Pasta BakeTuesday -- Teriyaki Chicken and Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-5024926704211699162009-11-25T07:31:00.000+00:002009-11-25T07:31:00.729+00:00Who am I to teach the way?Lord, who am I to teach the wayTo little children day by day,So prone myself to go astray?I teach them knowledge, but I knowHow faint they flicker and how lowThe candles of my knowledge glow.I teach them power to will and do,But only now to learn anewMy own great weakness through and through.I teach them love for all mankindAnd all God’s creatures, but I findMy love comes lagging far behind.Lord,Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-66163082592760065102009-11-24T07:25:00.000+00:002009-11-24T07:25:02.585+00:00Let another praise you ...Words That Heal - Chapter 2: "Aren't I Terrific?""Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;someone else, and not your own lips." (Proverbs 27:2)I didn't considered myself to be a boastful person, but this chapter on bragging challenged my thoughts and attitude. It is not about the overt bragging, it is about the subtle hints used to make yourself look better to other people.Name-dropping. Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-1480201222272671032009-11-23T07:20:00.000+00:002009-11-23T07:20:00.220+00:00Menu Plan Monday Last week was our first time trying the Crock Pot Rotisserie Style Chicken from A Year of Slow Cooking and it was wonderful. I am thinking about following Keeper of the Home's lead and making broth with the left-overs next time.There are a few meals we didn't get to last week, so I am leaving them on the menu for next week -- Minestrone and Enchilada Casserole.Menu for this week:Monday -- Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-13580967857555863602009-11-19T07:27:00.002+00:002009-11-20T21:52:52.362+00:00Line Drying: Things to Think AboutI have been spending much of my time over the last two months working on the art of line drying my laundry. Check out my previous posts, The Lost Art of Line Drying and What if it is raining?The chore of laundry has taken on entirely new requirements than I ever thought about before. When you don't have a clothes dryer, there are a few things you have to take into consideration.WeatherAs you Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-6811352916247777452009-11-18T07:13:00.001+00:002009-11-18T15:50:35.047+00:00A Fountain of Life ...Words That Heal - Chapter 1: A Fountain or a Babbling Brook?My Bible study group is currently reading "Words That Hurt, Words That Heal" by Carole Mayhall. In this post, I wanted to share some thoughts from Chapter 1."The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life ... the tongue of the righteous is choice silver ... the lips of the righteous nourish many ..." (Proverbs 10:11, 20, 21)Are my Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915629195831593958.post-47038565091108679322009-11-17T07:28:00.000+00:002009-11-17T07:28:00.152+00:00Aberdeen: King StreetI wanted to share some shots of Aberdeen on one of our recent family walks. These are all taken on King Street, the main road running from Old Aberdeen (where the University is located, and where we live) to the down town area.I love all the stone buildings that line this street.Below is the beautiful church where the King's Community Church, an Assemblies of God church, meets.This building use Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17928522115892759842noreply@blogger.com1