Archives for April 2012

Community {~5 min Friday}

April 27, 2012 by Jules 7 Comments

Community

Journey invaded the McDonald's Playland last nite! AWEmazingly fun!!!! Love that group. True #community! instagr.am/p/J8hXBLvb1k/

— Julie Rothacher (@JulesRothacher) April 28, 2012

I could write for hours on community. How to get it all in 5 min...

Since moving 2 years ago, God has given us more community than we could have ever dreamed of. I mean, don't get me wrong. We've been in tiny pockets of community in our past towns but being a "pastor" family, everyone seems to shy away from us as if we're gonna stone'm for saying crap or damn; slap'm if they smoke; report'm if they don't discipline or discipline differently than we do, shun them if they watch "inappropriate shows".

When we moved here and became apart of the Journey Sunday school class we were initiated into COMMUNITY! Community is what the church is supposed to be. Community is Doing Life Together!!! That is what this group of people have become.

We don't just sit in a room together reading a quarterly and announcing prayer request. We "fellowship": share our weeks fun and struggles. Celebrate and cry with one another. Chooooose to hang out together Outside 'class'. Would some days rather have a continuation of "Sunday school" rather than go to 'big church' {shhhh}

We join in the fun of family birthday parties. PACK OUT the McDonald's Playland on a Thursday night while we joke, pass around each others babies, laugh, meet new friends, watch out for each others children, feed each others kids french fries, and watch a kid streeeeeak through the jungle gym while almost bring the McDonald's walls to fall like Jericho with laughter as we watch our friend race to the top of the toy to retrieve her child, his shorts, and diaper. {not rat'n out who ;o)}

I LOVE my community. I love seeing it grow. I love watching as we meet each others needs as well as the ones 'outside' our group who are hurting. I LOVE being the Church with these believers. This is one of the funnest, most meaningful, dedicated to one another, caring, genuine communities I've EVER been in.

STOP

~~~

Hold you I could talk for hours about community...that was about 10 min instead of 5. hehehehe

I'll have to write later about how much I've had trouble going deeper and how I'm having trouble staying connected with this HUGE transition quickly coming.

Do you know community? Do you struggle to get knee deeps like most of us women do for fear of being hurt? Do you long for community? Share, PLEASE!!!!

Mini Loafs {Thoughtful Thursday}

April 26, 2012 by Jules Leave a Comment

Do you have anything thoughtful you ‘d like to share this Thursday? Some little helpful hint? A fun recipe? A tool you love? Please share by linking up below {linky messed up so add them in the comment section} and then posting the “Thoughtful Thursday” button to your post so other ladies can get lots of thoughtful helps! I know I've been sharing a lot of recipes lately but ANYthing thoughtful is welcom! Consider visiting the link above yours and encouraging them through comments!

Here’s my thoughtfulness for the week:

Kids helping in the kitchen is my fav! When they help make it they seem to eat it better {most of the time}. Today Izzie is helping me make

Mini Meat Loafs

1 lb ground beef {we use lean}
1/4 cup quick oats {might want a little more}
1 tsp Oregano
1tsp Paprika
1 tsp Basel Leaves
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
2 tsp Onion Pwd
1 egg
1/4 cup Ketchup {and some drizzled on top}

Mix all ingrediants in on bowl

You can use a chopper {your your hands for a more thorough mix}

Shape into 2 small meat loaf pans and back ~40 minutes {or just one large one but you'll have to bake 1 hr}

Let is cool at least 5 minutes before trying to cut. I'm not sure I added enough oats or if I cut too soon, ours ended up being a pile of TASTY meat.

Enjoy! We scarfed ours...shoulda made 2lbs. What do you have to share today?

Filed Under: Baking and Cooking, Homemaker, Parenting, The Ones about Post Series, The ones about the Rothacher Home, Thoughtful Thursdays

It’s a Facebook PARTY!!!

April 24, 2012 by Jules Leave a Comment

I just wanted to invite all my Sweet readers over to the Homemaker's Challenge Facebook Party tonight! It's the 1st FB party I've ever attended. How about you? Ever done this?

We had a "pre-party" this morning from 11am-1pm and now have kicked off the big shabang!!! We'll have even more prizes to win than this morning. Our amazing Laurie has promise to verify the info on the giveaways so you don't have trouble entering. There are soooo many things you could win tonight. Head on over and check it out from 5-7pm!!! See ya over there ;o)

~~~UPDATE~~~

If you missed the FB party, we missed you! BUT you can still get entered for all the gobs of prizes over at Homemaker Challenge. There are 2 days, FROM RIGHT NOW, left to sign up!!! Enter as many or as few giveaways as you'd like with as many or as few entries as you'd like. Have fun!!!

Filed Under: The Ones about Homemaker's Challenge Tagged With: facebook party, homemakers challenge, party

Jules’ found a New Picnik

April 23, 2012 by Jules 1 Comment

I don't know if you used and loved Picnik like I did but I was super sad when they closed it as of April 19th. But guess what? I found via Sarah Mae on Twitter???

Yep, a New FREE photo editing program online: http://www.picmonkey.com/.

Look what I did:

Like my picture? {insert giggle} This is my silly edit of the pic below!

This is the original pic, taken by my 2-year-old, of me...on a ROUGH day of cleaning with no make up.

Bahahahahahahahehehehehe Enjoy the new cool site!

What's your favorite FREE editing program online or otherwise?

Filed Under: The ones about the Rothacher Home

You Don’t have TV?

April 23, 2012 by Jules 7 Comments

There is a television sitting on a cute entertainment center in the corner of our living room.
It's a nice flat screen, my husband's reward for persevering through the 1st few baby steps of Dave Ramsay's Financial Peace University.

You may be surprised to know that we don't have TV. You may be asking yourself, "Then what is all your furniture pointing at?" {Friends circa 1990s}. We have that nice flat screen television set and we watch things on it but we don't have cable, or satellite, or any of those other providers. We've had a lot of friends, family, acquaintances, and complete strangers think we're nuts. I've heard it all. So...why don't we have TV?

When I moved to college my roommate and I chose not to pay extra for cable in our dorm room. There was a giant TV in the lobby if we ever wanted to watch something. When I moved into my own apartment, my roommates and I again chose not to pay for cable, we never watched it in the dorm anyways. When I met my husband, he didn't have TV at his house either. Finances began our journey of being TV-less. Where your money is, there your heart will lie also.

We have always watched movies, select television shows on DVD, utilize HULU and other online providers and our children also watch children's movies once a day. We more strict after having children as well as growing in our knowledge of Christ. What you put in comes out, no matter how much you claim it doesn't. It sways your view on morality, absolute truths, cultural ungodliness, and so many other things. We are paying for Satan to enter our homes through pagan programming.

When Matt and I were newlyweds, we spend most nights watching TV via our good ole bunny ears or 'shows' on DVD. The more we piled on our ministry plates and then after having our 1st child we realized how much time we were spending in front of the TV. Reading books on baby's and their recommendations of <2hrs of screen time a day for baby's made us pay more attention to when and how long the TV was on. {recommendations have changed in just ~4 years, now saying under 2 should have NO screen time, after that it should be as low as 1-2 hours. Here are newer recommendation resources: effects of too much screen time, limit the number of tv-watching hours, setting effective screen time limits} Little House on the Freewayis a book I'd love to read. "[This book] addresses the need to slow down for a minute or two for the sake of our families." If any of you have read it, please share! Even DisneyFamily.com {pagan programmer} is writing article that include a section entitled "Limiting Screen Time Benefits the Whole Family". Our time is valuable! We are each given 24 hours each. Don't get me wrong, staring mindlessly at a TV can be quite relaxing; we just need to make sure it's wholesome. We need to be intentional with our time! Having a running commentary of noise in the background of your home just creates a mood of panic. Quiet and Rest is a gift from God. God's design for our lives is not stressed filled and rushing but rather peaceful and productive. Challenge: turn off the noise for a week and see what the difference is! Slow your family down through peace and quiet. Enjoy each other again.

Don't just take it from me. Cassandra, of The Unplugged Family is a Media Communications grad who walked away from the industry. In her contributing post at The Better Mom, She says,

I understand very well that TV, above all else, is a business. ... Today, advertising sells a lifestyle and a feeling. In the 70s, researchers realized something remarkable about what happens to humans, and especially children, when they watch television – our brains shut down.

One of her 5 "ways you can protect and equip your family to deal with and respond to the influence of advertising" is:

If you’re keeping the TV, at least limit your kids’ intake. This applies to time and content. Remove televisions from bedrooms and limit their viewing by time and content. DVDs are a good option for skipping the commercials, especially if you skip the previews.

Do you have TV? Why or why not? I enjoy learning more about readers/friends.
Have any other questions about our decision hit me up in the comment section. I'd love to share more!!!