My Views on Modesty & WLWW Link-Up Party!

February 28, 2012 By Courtney 37 Comments

Last week the issue of modesty came up when I wrote the brave story of Kylie Bisutti - I applauded her for stepping down from her very high profile and high paying position at Victoria Secret. This post opened a can of worms for some readers as modesty becamse the topic of some of the comments…which I moderated (and I know I frustrated some of you – I apologize ).

As a result, a couple emails came in asking me to write on the topic of modesty. So let me direct you to a post I wrote last spring titled:

Spring Fashions and Modesty - this is a summation of my thoughts on that topic.

In the past, I have also featured Rachel Lee Carter’s Video from ModelingChrist.com and I’d like to share it again here because it completely captures my heart and thoughts on modesty!

My very good friend Karen Ehman is featuring an interview of Kylie and a giveaway of Rachel’s book on her blog today!

She is giving away a few copies of Rachel’s book titled Fashioned by Faith and Shari Braendel’s book Good Girls Don’t Have to Dress Bad.

To enter to win – leave a comment on her post at KarenEhman.com.

Now It’s link-up time!

It’s Women Living Well’s Wednesday Link-Up Party!!!

Join the fun, do a little blog hopping and don’t forget if you join below -please add the Women Living Well Wednesdays button to your post so your readers can find us here! (Posts can include the topics of marriage, parenting, homemaking, finances, recipes, organization and more!)

To find the code go to the sidebar – or right click and “save as” the button and then upload it into your post!

Walk with the King!

Filed Under: Modesty, Women Living Well Wednesdays

When You Are Hungy For God

February 27, 2012 By Courtney 24 Comments

When our soul aches, our daily to-do list is a mile long and we can’t hear God over the noise of our technology then what?

Maybe it’s time we fast.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that feeds our soul while we starve our body. Every time our mind signals “I want food” it’s a signal to pray.

As Americans, to give up our beloved food from sun down to sun down is not an easy task. When it comes to fasting, my friend Diet Coke is hands down the hardest thing to deny myself for 24 hours! But how hungry for God are we?

John Piper writes in A Hunger For God: “When midmorning comes and you want food so badly that the thought of lunch becomes as sweet as summer vacation, then suddenly you realize, “Oh, I forgot, I made a commitment. I can’t have that pleasure. I’m fasting for lunch too.” Then what are you going to do with all the unhappiness inside? Formerly, you blocked it out with the hope of a tasty lunch. The hope of food gave you the good feelings to balance out the bad feelings. But now the balance is off. You must find another way to deal with it.”(pg.20)

Fasting is a servant. In its quiet moments, it brings out your soul’s struggles. The hope of a bag of chips or a gallon of ice cream to drown your sorrows out is stripped away and you find yourself raw before God’s throne.

On days of fasting for me, I do not watch any television and have minimal computer time or texting. Sometimes I do it with friends, so we will text and email each other encouragement. But otherwise, it’s a quiet day. There is nothing and no one to conceal my dark feelings and it is there, before God’s throne, that I find time and time again, indeed God is enough.

In the Bible, we see many great men and women of God participating in fasting and prayer. There’s David (2 Sam. 12:16), All the Jews for Esther (Esther 4:16), Ezra (Ezra 8:21-23), Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:4) and of course Jesus, our ultimate example, in the wilderness for 40 days (Matt. 4:2).

Have you ever gone on a fast?

Here’s a few of my tips.

1. Start with a 24 hour period. (do not fast if you are pregnant or have a medical condition that requires a special diet)

2. Look at your calendar and pick a day where you are home most of the day.

3. I like to go from sundown to sundown, which means an early supper in the winter time on day 1 but the next evening it is such a joy to break the fast with family!

4. Fasting is not to impress God or others. Fasting was created by God as a tool to bring us into a closer relationship with him.

5. Without prayer, fasting is simply a diet. You must commit to praying and meditating.

6. As a homeschooler, I usually lighten our class load and have the kids join me in some of my prayers. I also try to line up quiet activities for them to do so I can break away for pockets of prayer times. I will admit, lunch time and afternoon snack time can be a beast but you can do it!

Are you hungry for God?

“Sometimes you are so hungry, the only way to be fed is to fast.”
~Susan Gregory writer of The Daniel Fast

For further reading on the topic of fasting – download this free PDF written by John Piper titled “A Hunger for God.”

Filed Under: fasting, Quiet Times

The Story Behind Women Living Well & A Vlog

February 26, 2012 By Courtney 50 Comments

Some of you may remember when my header looked like this! If you do – then you have been following Women Living Well for a REALLY long time!!! I’m still not sure how people found me that first year…my link was SO long – www.WomenLivingWell-Courtney.blogspot.com That “dash Courtney” part – who does that? lol! What was I thinking when I typed that in? Obviously I had not read ProBlogger yet! :) But that was my web address when the Rachael Ray Show found me - clearly God’s hand was in that – because they found a needle in a haystack!

So I’m all grown up now with a more mature header and a simple dot org name but the same mission and purpose for writing.

Last week I made a 5 minute video of The Story Behind Women Living Well and I’d like to share it with you! So here it is:

In the video, I shared that as a teenager my dream was to become a missionary and take God’s word to the world!!! I had read many missionary stories and I was ready to get my jungle gear and head off to far lands to do something great for God! And I failed. After graduating from Bible school with my 4 year degree, I married my high school sweet heart, got comfy in America and never went. This is something that has haunted me for over a decade. The tears sting even as I type this right now – the sting of failure…the sting of guilt - knowing my life is so cushy while many of my college friends are on the mission field now – right this very minute – facing hardships that I will never know.

At one time, I thought, well maybe it’s God’s will we just financially and prayfully support a lot of missionaries since my husband has been blessed with a good career. Maybe that’s why God gave me this burden…so we sought out missionaries to be committed to…but it didn’t scratch the itch of my teenage dream. I shoved this dream deep down inside and pressed on in life with women’s ministry in my church, evangelism in my sphere of influence and having babies!

Then one day – I started this blog thing…you know – the one with the dash and the bubble bath logo lol! Expectations were low – it was more of an outlet than a ministry…but then something happened…people started reading…more and more people…and emails started coming in from Australia, Scotland, Brazil, Japan, Egypt, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Argentina, Croatia, Hungary…

One day as I looked at the part of my site meter that shows a map where my readers are located…I had a full circle moment and a rush of tears! God had done something beyond my dreams…something unimaginable to me – he had allowed me to “go into all the world” from my kitchen computer! My teenage dreams were coming true – but in a way I could not image as a teenager (peeps – I’m so old they didn’t even have cell phones back then – much less the world wide web!).

So I’m living an Ephesians 3:20&21!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Never stop dreaming great things for God!

Every woman has a dream – from the young girl waitressing in the corner diner, to the mom with 5 kids just trying to survive the day, to the woman with the corner office. God has placed those dreams in his children’s hearts for his glory and though our dreams may not play out as we have planned in our minds – God will use those to guide us to his will for our lives. Be patient, pray and be in God’s word daily and go forward in peace “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6)

Walk with the King!

Courtney

Filed Under: Ministry, My Testimony, Videos

Crock Pot – French Dip Sandwiches

February 23, 2012 By Courtney 15 Comments

Janelle from Comfy In The Kitchen is with us again this week with one of my favorites of her recipes! She shared this recipe with me over a year ago and I LOVED it the first time I made it! You will love it too! Here’s what she writes:

This is one of my all time favorite sandwiches. I love how tender this roast is when it simmers all day in the crock pot! Serve with a buttered bun, melted swiss, and au jus for dipping… Mmmm!

Trim off fat from roast

Slice red onions

In a medium pan heat oil on medium high and brown roast on both sides.
(This will not cook the meat on the inside, just the first 1/2 inch on the outside)

Add one can of french onion soup and 2 cups of beef broth to crock pot

Add roast to crock pot

Saute onions in the same oil and pan used for roast.

Place onions on roast, cover with lid and let simmer in crock pot on high for 6 hours.

Roast will be very tender and flake apart easily when done.

Open hoagie buns, butter and spread swiss cheese on one side. Broil for 5 mins until cheese is melted.

Add roast, onions, and au jus on top.

Slice and serve with a side of au jus! Mmmm…

French Dip Sandwiches(Makes 6)
3 lb boneless rump roast
1 can french onion soup
2 cups beef broth
1 large red onion sliced
3 Tbsp olive oil (for browning/sauteing)
6 hoagie bunsTrim fat from roast. Pour oil in a pan and heat on med-high, add roast. Brown roast on both sides. Place soup and broth in the crock pot. Add roast to the crock pot. Saute onions in the pan you used for the roast with the same oil/drippings. Place onions on top of roast and cover crock pot (your roast will not be completely covered). Let simmer on high for 6 hours. Roast will flake apart easily- tear pieces apart to place on buns. Butter buns, add swiss cheese to one side and broil for 5 mins. Place meat on the other side and top with onions and drizzle with au jus. Serve with a side of au jus for dipping.

Thank you Janelle for sharing this delicious recipe!

Walk with the King,

If you are in need of some fresh new recipes – then visiting Janelle’s blog at Comfy In the Kitchen is a must! She also has a Feasting In Fellowship Friday Link-Up Party happening right now – join the fun!!

Filed Under: Comfy In The Kitchen, Recipes