Momma Chick's Homemade Vicks Vapor Shower Disk

Momma CHICK's  Homemade "Vicks Vapor shower disks"

The idea started when  Cort came down with that horrible sinus thing the day after Thanksgiving, and then we all got it.  Now the darn thing is back, but buying the Vick Vapor shower tablets for 5 of us  is like a mini vacation. So I started looking online for another option.  It is funny but we have always taking the steamy showers letting the steam help clear out our lungs. I learned this trick when Rielly came down with RSV when she was a baby.   My brain started thinking  some sight some herbal guru has to have some kind of frugal way to do this.  I found a website and thought I would share the recipe to help all my Chicks out to help their little Chickens get better at an affordable cost.  

This things  seem pretty  simple to make. 

 Homemade Vicks Shower Disk
-Baking soda
-Water
-Essential oils: eucalyptus, rosemary, and lavender. 
-Muffin tin
-Muffin liners ( Make them in the silicone) 

 1 cup of baking soda and 1/3 cup of water (plus maybe a few tbslp more) and baking for 20 minutes at 350.  THEN add a few drops of each essential oils to the cooled "puck".  

Very important! If you're not using a silicone muffin tin, she suggested that you  remove the liners before the pan has completely cooled.

1) Add baking soda to a mixing bowl.  The lady said she does not measure. REALLY?? I thought to myself, but then found out she said.   Maybe 2-3 cups?

2) Slowly add water until you've made a thick paste.  Updated to add: add just a little water a time.  You'll want the mix to feel like putty.

3) Add 15 drops of each  of the essential oil.

4) Spoon in to a muffin tin, and let sit out for 12-18 hours.  You can also bake these, but she never said how long. She said she just  left them out overnight. So guess that is the best thing to do. 

5) Pop these healing muffins into your shower after you remove from the paper liner.  Relax and let the  essential oils steam away your stuffy nose, and sore throat!   
Disclaimer:  I'm not a doctor , so if you have any medical conditions, contact a medical professional to help ensure you have the best care for your symptoms. 

The Taste of the Apple

 Hi HO! Hi Ho! It is off to work we go! I could dare to guess if you have young girls you have watched your fair share of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  We all know the story. A beautiful princess runs away lives in a cottage taking care of the Seven Dwarfs. While at the same time there is an evil queen who wants to be the fairest of them all. Yet is told that there is none sweeter or purer than Snow White the jealously and anger begins to plot. The queen makes it her mission to hunt down Snow White and kill her.  The queen represents herself as something old and innocent and offers Snow White a taste of an apple. Despite Snow Whites ‘ gut feeling and hesitations she bites into the apple and is sent to her death.  Until her prince comes and wakes her with a kiss of life.

 The sweet taste of desire comes in so many ways for all of us.   We have an enemy whispering thoughts and lies to us all the time.  Sadly enough because we have a head knowledge of the word and are not actively in it we end up taking the bait out of selfish desires. We are no different from Adam and Eve in the garden when they bought into the lie that God was keeping them from the knowledge of “Good and Evil”.  Trust me I have taking time to slice the apple dip it in caramel and eat a big ole bite and even savor the taste only to wake up to disappointment hurt and ciaos with lifetime wounds.  

 Despite what you think at the time, I can guarantee they never turned out to be quite as delicious as you fantasized about.  Resentment and pain will grasp you faster than you can imagine to the point that you’re breath is striped and something is wrapped around your neck. What I thought would bring Freedom brought chains that would wrap my mind with chains and make bitterness rush and flow through my veins.  As far the taste it was more like biting into a grapefruit minus the pile of sugar.  

Unfortunately sometime our apple bites come from others taking a bite without consulting us on if we wanted that bit. I can speak to you that in my past I have had to walk this out and  the feelings of bitterness and unbelief and betrayal are what will try to paralyze you. That type of betrayal is the worst. Most of us can handle it when we mess up but it is a whole new level when we have to deal with the decisions that impact us that others made. However, God never gives you what you can’t handle.

So what do we do after the taste testing is over?  Do we set there and wrestle with the pain, and bitterness of beating ourselves up for the wrong thing, or the things others do?  Sure we do! Well at least I do!  But the thing I am learning is that bottom line when we ask for forgiveness we do not have to carry the weight of who we have been, or if others ask for forgiveness we have to give them the grace they need.  We might feel like we do not measure up to much in this life, but I can promise you that we are precious treasures in the arms of Christ.

So how do we come against our very real evil queen who is better known as Satan in our lives?  I think we have to approach each situation we are faced with this thought. My feelings and emotions are not necessarily the truth.  Allowing our emotions and feelings to rule us hurts all of us. To be true oxygen in situations you are facing despite that you feel hope has passed you by.  The bottom line is you have to find a way to speak the TRUTH so you can get the pain away. I have learned that sometimes God is more interested in your growth than what you are going through.  The living Truth is your Word your scriptures.  You can know that when your heart is breaking you never leave God’s hands, when your world is shaking Heaven is steady.    

Sure you can feel these things but know the truth…

You can feel Fear.. yet have confidence that God has you in His arms. 

You can feel Anger… yet know Perfect Love Cast out Fear

You can feel Guilt and Shame…. Yet know You are a NEW CREATION IN HIM BEHOLD OLD THINGS HAVE PAST AWAY!

So today when you get presented an apple that is disguised as you deserve this you have been good, if no one knows it can’t hurt them, What is one more bite of the food, whatever your struggle is...

 Know that you have to stand firm and your GOD‘s word never fails and God will make away for escape you just have to be willing to stand up and know I have to turn away and seek Bread not fruit. Jesus is our Daily bread through his word. 

I think it is  funny how Satan tempts and presents the “so-call” good stuff as so sweet; yet it leaves nothing but bitterness. While Jesus presented and showed us to seek and pray  for Daily Bread not fruit.  That type of bread give us that feeling of being fullness.  While the fruit gives us emptiness. Don’t get me wrong I am not saying fruit is wrong! I am enjoying a bowl of grapes while righting this! 

My prayer for each of us today is: 

Father God, give each of us our Daily Bread so we can withstand the sneaky plans of the enemy so we aren't  like Snow White and face death with the bite of our apple, but can leave a long a prosperous life! Show us how to be the mom's, wives, and friends others need. Allow us to not come consumed with ourselves and our feelings but be consumed with your word so we can shine for you! Help us to Trust in you with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding so you can do your will. We know your ways are higher than ours. We don't have to understand it just be on board with you! 

My two cent's today is:   God is bigger than any apples you have taste! Don't let the enemy eat you up with Shame and Lies! 

Tiffany 

Cook like Martha, but in a fraction of the TIME!

OK Ladies! So just because we are  busy working moms, or  stay-at-home moms with babies on your knees running to and from the soccer fields to the golf course and back home. Leaves no room for us to say we have no time to eat right. I mean we are the very heartbeat of our families it is up to us to pour into our families and help them have "HEALTHY TEMPLES" aka bodies. Basically, I am challenging  both you and I to step into operating as  Proverb 31 women. It is just going to take a little planning on our part, BUT GIRLS WE SO GOT THIS!!!!

So the first thing I suggest we do is start cooking healthy, after we get this down we can add other areas.  I am going to share one of my NEW favorite EASY recipes with you. RED BEANS, Turkey Sausage over Rice in the Crock Pot.

Ingredients

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 pound andouille sausage or turkey sausage, sliced
• 3 tablespoons Creole seasoning
• Hot cooked rice
• Garnish: sliced green onions and serve over rice. 

Preparation

1. Place first 8 ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker.
2. Cook, covered, at HIGH 7 hours or until beans are tender. Serve with hot cooked rice. Garnish, if desired over rice.

ENJOY!

Days Go By... My Love will Grow

http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a4d794e7a45314e54513d0d0a&blogview=true

Do I say Yes or NO.... That is the Question!

Today, I had a chance/ opportunity that would have been really good for me. Yet, in my heart I knew that the time associated with it would only pull me away from my focus- My Family.  Don’t get me wrong I came home trying to figure out how it would or could work because the opportunity is something that does not presences itself every day.  After giving myself a headache of what if’s or could this be it… questions. I called my husband.  With the wisdom of Solomon, he reminded me of our family goal, and I knew even though this was not a bad thing to be involved with it probably was something I was going to need to pass on so in the end I could say yes to the best. 

Sometimes, I think God gives us a chance to say no to something that is good so that later we can say yes to the best.   What I mean when I say that is….  As mom’s all of us sign up at the beginning of the year to be a part of the PTO. Then we sign our kids up for sports, dances, balancing work, being  involved in bible studies.  All of these things are great things to be involved with UNTIL they start taking time away from what should be our TOP priority our families. But we could even take this a step further, as women we think we can volunteer,  keep adding on more things for our families to do because this is what we do we get involved, and we keep this pace up until  we eventually wear ourselves out and our families. 

Kailee told me last week, Mommy our schedule is too busy we are not spending time as just a family. With the rain pouring down today. I am a little relieved that soccer got canceled because I am circling up the wagons and hunkering down for a night, I have a pot  of chili  cooking, and can't wait to tell the girls that we are going to be able to relax tonight.  Oh wait! Darn- I forgot Rielly has drama, that ends at 6:00 and then we can relax! :)   

 So my two cents today is this:

When something exciting presents itself to you whether it is to join a new club, go out with some girlfriends, or volunteering more at your child’s school. STOP! Truly evaluate what you are trying to accomplish as a family or even personally. Do you want see those goals  you desire to come forth in your life? If the answer is Yes, then it is time to take a hard look at what you are saying YES to.  WE cannot let our minds beat us up by saying, “You know you can do that!”  Instead, we must learn what is truly important and how we can protect our time to make sure we can accomplish it. Trust me here girls, I am preaching to the choir because I own the shirt and the front place parking sign with my name on it as OVER COM MITER! But with every new day I begin to learn more and hear more and understand that when I quickly jump in I rob another person from what is the BEST for them.  

My Two Cent’s of The Day:  Just because you are asked to do something. Does not mean you need to volunteer to do it!  Learn to say no to the good so you can say yes to the best!

Love y’all

Tiffany 

JUST LOVE

JUST LOVE.

Cort likes to joke around and call me Dr. Bethmann because anytime the kids or he is not feeling good I have some type of “advice or know what they need to do to feel better”. The saying goes something like this...What would “Tiffany” the expert  do? Now don’t get me wrong 8 out of 10 times I am right. I mean that is why they have to ask the "expert" But that is not the point.  Ok…. OK… So, I will admit it to you girls that I am wrong more than I would like to admit. But SHHHhhhh I do not want this to get back to Cort and the girls! I like being the "Family Expert" 

However tonight, I am filled with joy and tears all at the same time. Because when we meet people and love them where they are there is no need for advice and/or check off list.  I want to encourage each all of us chicks to keep stepping out in faith, and speak with compassion. Allowing the love of God to flow through you and meet people where they are at in life. Trust me! It is not an easy thing. Especially, if you are like me and you always think you have the answer, BUT you  can bet your bottom dollar that GOD WILL ALWAYS do something BIG! When WE get out’ the way!

  All God ask us to do is to JUST LOVE.  It does not take a rocket scientist to just love. When we truly show love to people through our words, and our actions, and we are staying out of the way then we are just loving, and allowing God to move in.  

 You know Nike was onto something in my opinion, when they launched one of the most recognized marketing slogans of all times- The Just Do IT slogan.  I do not know but I am thinking if we could take that little check mark and mark it down that we are going to JUST DO IT. We might see people opening new chapters in their lives and walking through to gain some of their promises.

 So I leave you with my two cent’s worth tonight…

Just Do It! Spread the LOVE, and mark it down that this little hillbilly chick loves you! 

Love y'all!

Tiffany 

Find Time To Flirt A Little!

Summertime always brings back memories of the pool and having the sunkisssed skin, and having those big blow ups to float around in the pool on. Back in the Summer of 1997, I met the most amazing hot sexy lifeguard with one glance my heart melted. I would rate it up there with watching the Top Gun volley ball scene. You know what I am talking about ladies! Those hot bodies  of Mavrick, Goose and Ice man on that hot summer day!   I had been  asked by my mom, but really with no other option but to do what she had asked to take my sister and some of our  friends to the pool. Of course, I was a little aggravated because like most women and girls I was not too excited to be having to put the dreaded bathing suit on. After, trying at least ten suits and checking myself out in the mirror nothing seemed to be looking like I wanted it too. Finally, I settled on the black one with the mesh at the top.

Jamie my little sister’s friend had a membership to this pool called Robindale. The neat thing was that she could have guest come for free.  So we loaded up my Saturn which looked more like a clown mobile due to all the pool bags, noodles and people situated inside.  Finally, we made the 15 minute drive to the pool and we all began to  unload fast and make our way in. 

I began to take a step into the pool floor and as I was walking down the stairs my eye’s met the lifeguard on duties eyes. I thought to myself look-- Oh girl look at that body. I must be staring at a body of a god. Then, could not believe I decided on the bathing suit I had chosen.  But before the girls settled on a seat where we would have our stuff.  I quickly went into strategic thinking mode,  I  was able  to convince everyone we should set our stuff on the right side of the pool because it looked like the sun was hitting over there better. Well, at least that is what they all thought, but I was setting  it up to where at some point he would have to speak to me, and well at the least notice me. Now the funny odd thing is that I did not want to date him at all, I just wanted to know in my mind that I still had it going on because at this point I was trying to instill confidence in myself. 

It did not take long at all. He started drumming up conversation with me and smiling and joking with me. He mentioned he would be off the stand in about 20 minutes. Hmmm I started thinking to myself about  5 minutes before he was to get off the stand,  I would like to become better friends with this guy. So I was able to get a boys vs girls game of keep away going, Brilliant plan might I ask because as soon as he got off he jumped in and joined in and happened to guard me.  Well, for those of you who know me well I love some good ole’ fashion competition. Turned out he was competitive by nature as well. We laughed giggled and had a blast! It was at that moment that I developed the best friendship of my life.

Now I am proud to announce I have been married to that hot sexy life guard for 11 years now. I am in love with him more today than the day  I promised to love him through the good and the bad.  He is still my best friend   Now don’t get me wrong like every marriage we have had seasons of not loving each other, thinking man this should get easier,even to the point of planning escape plans. Yet, despite the tough times we have both stayed the course and decieded that there is absolutely NO OTHER SPOUSE for us on the face of this earth.  You can mark it down  that I would never  ever be able to  love another human being  the way I love this man. 

 I have been thinking a lot over the past two weeks about my husband and how crazy our lives are with the girls schedules, and then I just got off the phone with one of my girlfriends who was telling me how she desperately needed a date night with her husband just could not figure out when to do it  because of the kids schedules.  I totally understood where she was coming from with busy schedules. I started thinking back to how busy I was when I meet Cort. I was going to school full time, working full time and dealing with everything a single mom has on her plate.  I thought to myself..... You know it is all about priorities. I have to make sure my life priorities are looking like this: GOD, CORT, and then the Girls. 

When Cort and I started to date we made a way found a way to see eachother.  Well, nothing is different now sure we have both walked through life and it has brought  us seasons of joy and hurts for us, but the same is still true. I love Cort, and  I want to be the women he loves and cherishes and enjoys coming home to. So to do that and be that for him I am going to have to purpose in my heart to campout on this for a moment. I am about to become very vulnerable and transparent because I feel as if others lives will be touch by me becoming a glass house.

I have not always been great at respecting my Cort. If truth be known, I probably fail at it more times than any other women would and should.  Sure I thought I respected him, but my definition of respect and his definition did not always see eye to eye, and still don't always see eye to eye. Instead of “submitting” to his idea I tend to let him know his was wrong and mine was right. By either giving him those "Go to H- E- DOUBLE  L eyes, or just out flat yelling and getting angry, and letting him know how he did not love me.   Don’t judge me!!! You know you have done it also.  I spent years praying for God to resurrect his love for me and take back the words I said that caused him hurt, and bring down the walls that were put up to protect him. See ladies, the one thing I did not realize is that  praying to change him and not truly focusing in on trying to change me still kept my tongue and my words for bringing the healing for him and I.   Instead of using my words to build Cort up, I did the exact opposite. I am so grateful to say that my husband is truly a godly man because despite the hurt I caused him he stuck and stayed. I am humbled by that kind of sacrifice and loyalty he has for me. 

Lately, I am learning that it is not Cort that needed the changing it is me. Years of hurt that we both had to walk through from choices that others brought into our lives and some of our own doing.  I am learning that the heartbeat of my family is me. Oddly enough, when I push through and try to bring positivity into the house our family functions better.  I have had to come with the grips that I will mess up I am not perfect, I had to give myself permission that I will screw up and God will put back the pieces. All I have to do is begin to get my priorities back in order, and well at least give it a try even if I totally mess it up! 

 I have started asking God why is it that we women have to be the ones that keep everyone going and happy, and it hit me today when  I was praying on my armor with the girls, and putting on my sassy breast plate of righteousness this morning.  I felt this in my spirit… “You are the heart of this family, Cort is the head.”   Driving back I started thinking about that the heart of this family, and not the head. I started talking it out. Praise God! That people looking in my car probably thought I was on the speaker phone, or else they would have looked for the nearest "funny farm" to sign me up for.  I know I am not the head of this family I mean why I would think that I am.  I started realizing that over the past 5 years I had mentally put myself in the mindset of making sure I provided and everything that needed to work out I would make it happen no matter what the cost, I began to recall the things I thought in my mind and how I stopped being the person who pumped life into my family with my words, and had become the source that sucked the life out of our family by letting the stress effect me. See Cort's shoulders are a lot tougher and can hold a lot more than mine ever will.  The heart is the vital organ that keeps the blood flowing. We as women keep the blood flowing.  Kailee told me this past Saturday, "Mommy when you were yelling Go girl! You can do it! It made her proud and want to score more goals. She ended up scoring 7 goals."  That is just one example of pumping the blood into the family!   

As women our jobs whether we are working or staying at home should be creating a safe haven for our families to be in. Our homes are those safe havens. You better believe I took time this morning to pray through this house and ask God to create a safe haven and help me to be the heart that functions well and not put my family in cardiac arrest.  It is our jobs to be the one to breathe life into our kids and pump them up with joy and encouragement just like it is for us to do that for our marriages.

I want to challenge all of us for the next couple of months to start being the heart beat of our marriages and begin to pumping NEW LIFE  into them  by bring some FRESH  love. So over the next couple of months start flirting with your man. I use to think it was Cort’s job to be romantic and flirt with me. Don’t get me wrong I married Romeo himself,  but when you show your man that he is still your Knight and your Romeo you are sending him the message of you are loyal to him and him alone.

 Here are a couple of ways/suggestions that when our schedules are full with kids and life how you can begin to flirt with your man.  

1.    1.     Send him a “visual Invitation” Maybe it is a picture of the shower,  your car, or your bedroom, it could even be the restaurant your family  is going to tonight.  Just simple send the picture and text him. You + Me = Tonight

2.     2.   Catch him off guard and share with him a desire a dream even the word we ladies tend to never say: A FANTASY.   You could start it off like.......If money was not an option, I would take you to Jamaica and kiss you under the waterfalls and wrap my body  up in your arm...........  Who knows what kind of laughs and giggles and dreams you will come up together with.

3.       3. If your husband comes home after it is late, maybe simple have a note on the door he enters saying. “You are my hero! Thanks for working” 

4.     4.   Another fun and easy thing to do is make a coupon book that they can redeem even if you are with the kids.

A.      Massaging your feet 

B.      You watch the football game and I will make your favorite: ________________

C.      You + Me watching a movie you pic

No matter what girls! Do not let the enemy tell you that you have no time to date your husband because that is a LIE.  We are creative human beings, and think back to when you first met your man. You flirted with that hot man that you now call your husband. So why on earth would you not flirt with him and “date” him that way now.  I know for some of you this might be hard. But girls get in touch with that "wild spontaneous side"  :) LOL Just remember that your husband is worth finding time for.

My two cent’s of the day is: FLIRT WITH YOUR MAN, and Be Creative When you flirt with him you are making deposits in his love account and you will be creating a healthy relationship and pumping life back into the family and not only will you both reap the benefits BUT  your whole family will. 

I love you girls! Have a blast flirting! 

Tiffany 

Develop A Morning Routine for your Kids!

I have always tried to teach My Girls to Command Their Mornings! Chaise and Kailee told me this school year they want to do the "Chailee Morning Devotions".   So on mornings that they have something they want to share we share it.

The most important thing we can do as parents for our children's is teach them to Command Their Mornings. What I mean by that is we have to help them develop a routine.   We must lead by example even on those days we would rather just put the radio on and drive quietly! I can promise you with three girls our drive to school is not all butterflies and warm fuzzy. Don't get the wrong impression that our family is perfect.We had a  morning last week that  our car ride could have been a episode on the Jerry Springer Show:

This is how it went.....

Rielly started barking orders at us to get in the car because she was going to be late.  By the time I got all of them in the car I was looking for my Clear Mood just so I could drive the car.  Kailee and Rielly had been at each other all morning.  Chaise was acting like she was  St. Mary Claire and the perfect child which was making them all fume more. Finally, After I gave them a good old fashion yelling at and telling them I could not wait for them to ride the bus. I realized I had to get off the merry-go-round of craziness and get us back on track. Which you can imagine at this point was far from easy. So we went into the morning prayer.

Kailee prayed.  Then, Rielly prayed in a quiet voice. So Kailee got on to Rielly telling her a prayer is not worth praying if I can't hear it. So we had a battle between sisters. I played referee for a brief moment then we went back into praying.  Chaise wrapped it up!

The point of sharing that with you is letting you know. We all have those mornings when nothing goes right, we all fight, BUT the important thing is to teach them no matter what we get it done!

When you start praying as a family.  There will be things that try to prevent that prayer or routine from happening. Please know, when you try to put routines in places everything will happen to try not to let that occur. You have to push through and Ask Yourself these questions:  Do my kids hear my voice? How am I raising kids to seek Him First? If I am not willing to push through, why would they want to push through?

As for The Bethmann Family. Our girls know every morning we are going to do these 2 things no matter what happens!

1. Put the Armor of the Lord On
2.  When they walk out the door of my car. I roll it down and say, "Girls, make wise choices today!"

The other day when I picked Rielly up from school she said, " Momma, the principal asked me if you say Make wise choices to me every morning? "  Then she got a big grin on her face and said, "I told him every morning.  I hear it!"

While they might act like they are embarrassed.  You are letting them know you care about them enough to put a plan and daily routine in to place.

Our kids are in school all day. What impression are we leaving on our kids?  Maybe it is a quick! You're a Champion!

So my two cent's of the day is:  I want to encourage all of you to start from a very young age and develop your children into little Champions!  Let's give them those routines they can count on happening no matter what the drive to school ends up being.

The Storm is Out Ranked

One of my favorite things to do is to curl up on the sofa with a blanket when a Rain Storm comes blowing in. Yesterday, I got to spend time chatting with a precious friend of mind.  This is a lady who has biggest heart I have ever seen, loves deeper than anyone. I have the upmost respect for this lady because I watched her walk through a storm that would destroy most women.  However, she faced this storm head on.  God never promises us that when we go through storms we will not get a little wet, but he does promises us that we are more than a conquers and overcomers. 

  I must say one way that I feel the enemy attacks us women is in our self-confidence and we buy into the lie of we are not worthy.  Let’s be honest ladies, we are told through advertising that to be beautiful we have to be a size 2, have perfect little body and breast that would cover the centerfold of the play boy magazine, and always have our make up on.  So I am going to be transparent with you all right now.  Last September, I went through some major depression, I started gaining weight and got up to be what I call a tight 8, but the stores and clothes call a size 10. Don’t judge me! You know you have in some point of your life had the muffin top going on!  I began to lose my identity of who I was as a person, doubt my gifts, my calling, and if I was beautiful, and if that was not enough. Cort was going through his own struggle trying to find a job and that struggle continued for 10 months.  I had strapped on my back the weight of providing for my family which was an overwhelming feeling because I had moved our family out of what we knew as home.  

Now in the bible there is a story of a King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.  King Ahab told Jezebel that Elijah the prophet of God had killed all the false prophets. So like any women who feels her kingdom is under attack sent a message to Elijah saying. Excuse me, but you better get ready because I am coming to get you and by this time tomorrow you will be meeting your maker.

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life and headed for the wilderness and found a cave and decided to pray that life was too hard and it would be better for him to die.  He told the Lord. “I have had enough, Take my Life” Elijah  had his own pity party. If he had his own boom box I am sure he would be singing, Help by Lionel Richie because of the weight  he was feeling. I do not know about you, but I can totally relate to that because  I can honestly tell you there was a time of depression in my life when I  thought it would be better finical for my family if they could cash in on my life insurance policy. But let me stop there by saying the Lord reminded me.  I love you!  “Get  up and eat on my word”

God allowed for the next several months to allow me to gain my strength, to get my identity back in Him.  Through the STORM HE is LORD.  Christ alone is our Corner Stone through the Storm. It is through the STORMs that he begins to restore our plans, our confidence in ourselves. HE reminds us of what he says and what He has in our lives. 

Christ alone is who we can call on when the waves of life come crashing down on us.  He speaks to each one of us and says, “My daughter, I have been here the whole time why are you trying to run from this storm. I am on board so you can rest in knowing this small rain storm is so out ranked."

 Just like Elijah we might feel overwhelmed by the harsh words or actions of others and want to go run and hide in a cave, but the truth is ladies we have to rest and know that it is not that loud voice that tells us all the common lies we women buy into. But we have to get out of the Cave of Pity.  Elijah had to trust God and get out of the cave. We have to trust God and listen to His voice.  We have to train ourselves to listen to that whisper of truth. Instead of the screams of lies.  It is time to put our best high heels on and face our fears head on, start believing we are beautiful. It was not in the wind, not in the firer, or the earthquake, but God reminded Elijah in the Whisper.  Elijah knew without a doubt God was close.
  

I have been reminded of what the Lord has called me to be, I am to be a Poured out Vessel speaking with strength helping others, loving on others.  I know without a doubt there are things God wants to do through me. I have gone through a lot of Storms in my life, and I will probably face many more.

When Cort and I were first married we went through a storm that meteorologist would have to classify as a Tsunami of the century.   I am here to tell you with every fiber of my being that you can face and go through all life's storms. You can overcome self-consciousness, debt, your children running from God, or anything else this life has to throw at you.

God never left Elijah in the Cave. He was overwhelmed and needed a break, but he never left Elijah during his storm. God knows we are human and we need to have our pity parties and hang out in our caves and take  what we call at our house "me time". 

When my baby girl, Chaise starts to get overwhelmed which is easy to do when she has her daddy’s personality and Rielly, Kailee and I have the same type of loud outgoing personalities. I know the best thing to do for her is get her away from everyone. Chaise simply looks at me and says, “Mommy, I need me time.  God gives us that time alone whether we verbal ask for it or we subconsciously choose it.

This past year while I felt as if I was dying on the inside because I doubted what God was doing. God was giving me "me time".   All along God had everything worked out to the tee?  God will never forsake us. He never leaves us. He stands patiently, and when we decide to trust him through the storm no matter if we come out drenched in the rain. We stand there overwhelmed that is when he softly and gently begins to remind us of WHO we are. IT is in the STORMS. He says, " Peace Be Still. I got this. Trust me. We are going here.  No storm is too big."  He will begin to whisper over us, “You are beautifully and wonderful made, you were raised up for such a time as this.”

I am telling you when you get a hold of God and what he has to say you are through Him. You better mark it down you are attending the pep rally of the century. I have learned in the past 3 months that Jesus can throw a pep rally. He makes us strong.  He reminds us that He is actively involved in our lives.Trust me, I know life can become overwhelming at times, and those of you who know me well. I cry my fair share of tears, BUT know this no amount of debt, family situations, or any type of frustrations you are facing YOU  will overcome you when you Make Christ your focus and allow for him to OUT RANK your STORM you are facing.

So I ask you today.  Are we going to let others try and take your self- confidence and destroy it?  So what if you put on a few pounds. There is a song we dance to on wii dance called Big Girls are Beautiful! Start speaking out who you are and where you are going! I am a Beautiful and by this time next month I am dropping weight, and getting my confidence back.

I once was told that you can take a moment and have a “Pity Party” however that Pity Party can only go on for 3 days then you have to get up, make a plan and put your big girl panties on.  Keep in mind that God is not surprised by any storm, negative words that others use against you.  

So my two cents of the day is. You can choose to buy into fear and keep your eyes on the storm, or know that when you are on Board with Jesus that storm is out RANKED!

Love y’all!

Tiffany   

Tiffany and Cort take on a Mount Everest

THE VALLEY OF DELIVERANCE

9 months ago my family set out on what we thought would be an easy journey for our family. We decided to move closer to home state so our kids would have grandparents around them. It was amazing how God worked out every detail out.  However, what Cort and I thought would be a walk in the park journey turned out to be a more like a hike to Mount Everest and through a valley of deliverance.  

Cort spent 8 months looking for a job, and had to subject himself to another bar exam. The good news is that I married a brilliant man who passed the TN bar on his first try! Neverless, being licensed as a practicing attorney in two states did not speed the job hunt up any faster.  While on top of that, moving back to our home state brought back open wounds of hurt that I had never dealt with.

And if that was not enough, our girls were facing trails at school and being “home sick” for Texas. To say our family was walking through a tough time would be an understatement to our family.  Instead of dwelling on all of the things we walked through. I want to rejoice that our GOD has brought us some deliverance just when we thought we could not go any further.

Well get ready because this proud DAUGHTER of the KING OF KINGS is about to give her ABBA FATHER some GLORY!  I want you to know these past two weeks have been a fresh breath of air to our family. Cort received a job offer and is in the middle of finalizing the offer. We placed a contract to build a  brand new home zoned for the High School Rielly wanted to attend.  I remember writing on my white board in my office. ENJOY THE JOURNEY back in  Dec. 2011. At that time, I wanted to do everything, but enjoy the journey. I wanted to escape into never never land more like it.   While, I can’t say that I enjoyed ever trail and want to jump up and do spirit hands. I know that this past year has been a year of being faithful even when things seem not to be going well. It is easy to praise God when things are good, but the true testing of our faith comes when we face times of sorrow and trials.  But I am here to testify that MY GOD IS FAITHFUL! We never went without a meal. We always paid our bills. HE BLESSED US when I was ungrateful and angry at him for bringing me back to TN.  Yet through it all GOD BLESSED US!

I truly am a daughter who is blessed more than she deserves. I am rich beyond measure. I have a husband who is full of integrity and loves me.  I watched Cort time and time again make lemonade out a situation most would just stand looking at the lemons in their hands.  Now don’t get me wrong, there were dark days of depression that Cort walked through. Yet he never gave up and kept pushing on. Cort showed our daughters and me what it meant to NEVER GIVE UP and pushed through a time that was mentally wearing on a man.  He taught his wife and girls with his actions a lesson I pray we never forget.  My girls know now that the BETHMANN’s never give up no matter what.

The bottom line is God brought me through a valley of deliverance,  I have a man who loves me, three beautiful girls who know who Jesus is. The rest of the blessings in our lives are just icing on the cake!

My two cents for you today is…. So never give up. Believe and keep on pushing, because GOD is faithful. Sometimes we need the valleys in our lives so HE can get us ready for the mountain HE is about to place us on.

Thank you Jesus for being Faithful when I did not deserve your grace, and thank you for a husband that never gives up! 

TAKE OUT THE TRASH

TAKE OUT THE TRASH

Taking out the trash isn't fun, and since the majority of my household is made up four females and one male. Cort normally gets task with that one chore that every person hates to do taking out the trash.  It is gross.  It smells.  It’s sticky, slimy, and just plain nasty.   Not only do you have to be reminded of what foods you devoured over the past week, but you feel as if you are going to be choked to death with the foul odor.   

Last night, I tried to semi help take the trash out by placing it outside the door.  Well, let’s just say that plan totally back fired on me when to my astonishment; this morning I found those 2 same bags of trash setting on the porch. By the grace of God, and I do say GRACE no dog decided to have a midnight snack at my expense because honestly that would be a whole other level of trash duty that I am not ready for.

In my head I was thinking, “Really, I am so not taking those two bags to the trash. I mean that is such a man’s job. I just took a shower, and I do not need to smell like sunrise baked nasty shrimp. Then, it hit me like a sack of potatoes.  I realized that we all need to do a little taking out the trash in our own life.  

Taking out the trash and yuck and muck of our life is never fun, yet it is so necessary for us to do this. One way for us to take out the trash in our own lives is remove the lethal language that we are surrounded by in our culture. Basically, I realized taking out the trash is a lot like taking out the things in our lives that do not help us to be a better person.   

Looking back over the past several years in my life I will acknowledge that I have some rough edges that the Lord has been very kind in removing in my life. I have seen some knocked off, and working on knocking off others. I want to leave each one of you with this thought… We all have some trash we need to get out of our lives. BUT remember… this…. “When God calls you, there’s only one person that can stop you from doing what God has called you to and what he wants you to do and that is YOU!”  If we are not willing to take out the trash in our lives then we will never see the full measure of what he has called us to become.

So figure out what trash needs to be taken out and get going! I know our trash guys picks up once a week, but OUR HEAVENLY FATHER will pick up the trash every minute of every hour. Praise GOD! I am totally thankful because there are days I feel I need a 24 hour 7 days a week trash pick-up services.

Love y’all

Tiffany

Don’t just Dream of being a Princess. Try on the Glass Slipper!

Don’t just Dream of being a Princess. Try on the Glass Slipper!

Well you heard me! Cinderella GET TO WORK!  Acting like a princess takes a little getting used to but it can be done. So pull out those glass slippers and get ready to try it on!

To become the Beautiful Princess we were all created to be we have to start thinking of ourselves as the Daughter of the King. We have to remind ourselves that we are blessed.  We have to think thoughts of  pageantry, gorgeous clothing, palaces, fantastic communication skills, kindness towards those around us, and an ability to charm, impress and greet people. I mean almost get into the mindset of “claim it until you make it… or better known as “Fake it til you Make it”.

Consider Princess Diana she did not go around treating people harshly acting like she was more superior to them.  She truly cared about people she came into contact with and put her best foot forward.  Now let’s consider our day. How did we show people that we came in contact with that we are Daughters of the Most High King?  Maybe we had a good day and did great, or maybe we failed miserable. No matter what the outcome was. Tomorrow is a fresh and new start!

Today, I got up and dove into my bible.  I needed to dive into the root of who I AM in Christ. Actually, I feel that some of you today just like me need to be reminded that we do not have to dream of being a Princess but that we truly are princess.

In fact, every woman walking on the face of the earth has a the ROYAL RIGHT to be the daughter of the Most High King.  I became a princess back on Feb. 29, 1997 @ 12:00 p.m.  I asked the Kings of Kings into my heart, by asking him to forgive me. The moment I did that tears of joys streamed down my face, I realized that even though my life was not a box of chocolates field with endless spa treatments. I could be as Cinderella was whistle the happy tune, even when her wicked step mother and step sisters order her around, because I was filled with the LOVE of the Most High King.  I had taken that glass slipper which in this case was believing and trusting in Jesus and placed it on my foot that night and became the princess I was born to be.  Below is a verse that I have to remind myself of often.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,(YES, That means ANYONE no matter what you have done or not done)  the new creation has come^] The old (TIFFANY)  has gone, the new is here!

It amazes me that I began exercising my Royal Heritage that night by humbling myself and admitting that I had screwed up big time. I tried the whole “dreaming of being a princess”, but it was not until I took that first step to say. Father, God I need you. I need you more than you know, and trying on that slipper believing it would fit me.

If you really want to act like a princess and stop dreaming of one you need to try that glass slipper on tonight!

Trust me your Cinderella Story will end Happy Ever After!

Love you girls!

Tiffany Bethmann

Getting your Inner Sass back

Finding your Inner Sass

I have heard all my life that I am Sassy, but recently I have  really been pondering  what it really means to find our Sass as women. The last past three months in my life have been truly filled with a inner struggle, anger, and frustration. I could go on for days about the last three months and the impact it has had on my life, but bottom line it came down to I could not find my Inner Sass. 


The past month my pastor spoke a series on your  identity in Christ.  I was reminded in one of his sermons of your Identify in Christ is everything to you in winning a battle. It was not until he said that the battle is won in the "high grounds" did I realize what the enemy was doing to me, and discovered what Cancer I allowed the enemy to plant into me and what I believed I was. The enemy was stealing my inner Sass one lie at a time. I was buying into those lies so fast. The only way I can put it is that even The Best Labor Day Sale does not see as many credit card slide and buys that were happening in my mind. The enemy was slowly selling me on every lie and I was starting to believe them. I was buying into what others thought of me, and my inner Sass that always bubbled out of me was slowly slipping away.

Most of us women wear multiple hats in our day to day walks. I personally wear employee, wife, taxi-cab driver, homework enforcer/tutor,  merry maids, and on occasion Chef.  With those hats come multiple challenges for us to face and overcome so that we can reach our full potential as women.  The big question we girls have to ask ourselves is how do we reach our full potential and get that Inner Sass shining through.

          I think we have to identify the challenges that are standing in the way of us reaching our full potential. It does not matter how many charts, to do list, and other new techniques and ideas we come up with to organized our day to day task. Unless we juggle all our task by using our  inner sass, we will never soar as the women we were created to be. So let’s dive in and figure out what we need in life to be happy and get that Sass back. 
  

1.                         We can not look back and waste time focusing on the losses in our lives or allow for the past to paralyze us. We must take each day and keep putting one foot in front of the other holding on to the only truth and only unchanging thing in our lives-- OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST. 

2.                            We must believe in our abilities, talents and who we are in Christ. You might be saying. Tiffany, Why is it important to know our identity in Christ. Well I would answer that question by saying. "We  need to know who we are in Christ so that we  can have that Inner Sass. The more we agree with God about who we  are in Christ the more our behavior will reflect our God given identity."


 As women we must learn to see ourselves as God see us, and accept what God says about us. How many times do we say to our kids? It is MY OPINION that counts here. Well, in this situation it is God’s opinion that counts not ours or others. Keep in mind our Sass and our identity in Christ does not depend on what we have done or what we will do. Our true Sass is who we are in Christ.

For  three months I allowed a gentleman at work to paralyze me and rob me of my Sass by buying into what he said about me, and  living out of what he said I was and was not.  About 3 weeks ago, I started realizing that I had believed the lies of the enemy, and I was allowing someone to push me out and give up and steal my sass on me.  I have listed some of the verses I am using to get my Inner Sass back. I hope these will help some of my chicks out there to overcome and get that Sass back on. Basically, I take the “I am” part of the verse and change it to “Tiffany is” and pray it out loud.

• I am complete in Jesus Christ Colossians 2:10
• I am free from condemnation Romans 8:1
• I am a new creation because I am in Christ 2Corinthians 5:17
• I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved Colossians 3:12
• I am established, anointed, and sealed by God 2Corinthians 1:21
• I do not have a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind 2Timothy 1:7
• I am God's co-worker 2Corinthians 6:1
• I am seated in heavenly places with Christ Eph 2:6
• I have direct access to God Ephesians 2:18
• I am chosen to bear fruit John 15:16
• I am one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house 1 Peter 2:5
• I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God by which I share His nature 2 Peter 1:4
• I can always know the presence of God because He never leaves me Hebrews 13:5
• God works in me to help me do the things He wants me to do Philippians 2:13
• I can ask God for wisdom and He will give me what I need James 1:5

To truly find our Inner Sass we need to know and believe who we are in Christ. Understanding our identity in Christ is crucial to our success and finding our Inner Sass.

The best way to renew your mind and experience transformation
is by knowing, thinking and speaking who we are in Christ

 Let’s challenge each other to Train ourselves to say the same things that God says in His word. Become who you are in Christ. God wants to do more in your life than you imagine.

So my two cents of the day is:  If we can stop playing mind games and buying into the junk and negative thoughts of others we truly can find our Inner Sass.

YOU GO GIRLS! Get that Sass On! J

-Tiffany Bethmann

Standing still is not an Option….

Standing still is not an Option….

With the New Year in full swing I like everyone else have those feelings, thoughts, and emotions that come flooding in every New Year of “I need to make a difference, and change the things that did not serve me well in previous year”.  Standing still is not an option, we must move forward from the past as a stepping stone, not viewing it as a sign hung around our necks defining us in a way that most often paralyzes us from moving forward, but instead empowering us to learn from our failures, and jump on opportunities that come our way instead of passing them up.

While 2011 held a lot of change and unexpected moves in my family’s lives 2012 I feel is going to be a year of even more unexpected changes. However, this year brings a vibe of excitement for the changes that will occur for my family.

 

I was on the phone with a dear friend today discussing how we both wanted to use our lives as being KINGDOM BUILDERS, and not wasting them.

 

That’s when this song  by Lecrae a Christian rap artist my daughter Rielly introduced me to popped into my head. Now keep in mind it is wrap so you might only get the key phrase—Don’t waste your life, but I have included the link if you would like to listen to the song.

 

http://www.musictory.com/music/Lecrae/Don%27t+Waste+Your+Life

While he has a lot of good things to say about not wasting your life bottom-line the big question is how we do that. So many of us want to set back and wait, and never take a leap of faith.  

My dear friend shared with me some advice that her parents passed on to her which now I will pass on to you. 

She told me that anytime she asked her parents for advice about making a difference or moving forward. Her mom and dad would say, “Standing still is not an option. God has put you on the earth to be a mover and a shaker and God never promised that the path would be easier or even straight. However, when you move and ask him to open and close doors he will do just that. Our part is the being willing to MOVE!” 

So my two cents for the day is…..

So I encourage you this NEW YEAR to Move! Girls, for us to be a Kingdom Builders, and not waste our lives Standing still is not an option for you or I! Now do not misinterpret what I am saying there is always a time and place where we should BE STILL AND KNOW GOD is in control.

Let’s do this thing!  Let’s pray that in 2012 God has big plans for our lives and let’s be willing to get in the game!