2010 September | Permission to Peruse

Teal for Toes

September 30th, 2010 at 9:51 pm / Amy Bennett / 1 Comment »

Tonight I got a pedicure and it wasn’t a normal pedicure for a few reasons. This pedicure went to a good cause and it wasn’t just my desperate feet! The best kind of pedicure right? Teal for Toes is an organization that helps raise awareness about ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer has been known as a silent killer because it’s usually too late before women are diagnosed. However, there are symptoms you can look for.

Bloating
Pelvic or abdominal pain
Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)

The idea behind Teal for Toes is that women get their toes painted a funky teal color, usually giving an open door for people to ask about it. That gives you the great opportunity to let people know about these symptoms of ovarian cancer.

The second cool part about the pedicure is it was done at the Ballantyne Spa which is, for you non-Charlotte folks, a spa attached to the Ballantyne Hotel where the likes of Tiger Woods and other celebrities have been known to hang out while in town. And since we were getting salon service, the spa was open to us all day! Melissa got there early and hit up their gym and pools. Melissa’s two sister-in-law’s and I were able to join her after work where we had some time in their hot tub, resistance pools and sauna before heading upstairs for our pedicures. While the time seemed to zip by, it was some great girl time and such a treat along with the pedicure for such a great cause.

Be sure to check out their site to see if you have a local participating salon!

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Easy, Budget-Friendly Manicotti

September 29th, 2010 at 4:14 pm / Amy Bennett / 17 Comments »

(not my picture but very similar)

This is a long-standing recipe of mine. Probably the first edible one I did after we were married besides Hamburger Helper. Not. even. joking.

I made this Monday night and was able to get 3 small casseroles from it. We ate one that fed 4 and then two smaller ones I froze that will be great just for me and the girls one night Scott is working. Usually I make 2 medium sized casseroles. OR, just make one big 9×13 casserole dish of this if you have a crowd or like leftovers. I’m going to do the recipe as it is one big casserole but you can divide between however many dishes you want.

1 pkg of jumbo shells (I prefer these over actual manicotti shells)
2 jars spaghetti sauce
32 oz ricotta cheese (or 2 15 oz containers)
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons parsley
2 eggs
Parmesan cheese

Cook the jumbo shells according to package. While you’re waiting, make the filling in a big bowl by mixing the ricotta cheese, 3 cups mozzarella cheese, parsley and eggs. It will come together like a big ball when you’re done.

Put 1/2 of one jar of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the dish.

When the shells are done, run them under cold water and when they’re cool enough to touch, spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the filling into each shell. I like my filling where it makes the openings just touch or the filling puffing out just a bit. Put the stuffed shell in the casserole dish. There is no rhyme or reason here. Continue until you can’t fit anymore shells in the dish. I cram them in but usually have lots of shells left.

Top with the rest of the spaghetti sauce. Cover with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Bake in the oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes or whenever the cheese is melted and everything is bubbly.

Optional: Brown 1 lb of meat and mix with the spaghetti sauce before using.

Enjoy!

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Radical Chapter 3

September 28th, 2010 at 3:00 pm / Amy Bennett / 2 Comments »

There’s a song on my iTunes favorite list by Jon Peter Lewis (long-gone American Idol contestant) called “Something Almost Sacred”. I don’t know why I keep it there because there is a verse that bugs me every time.

I don’t believe in miracles and signs

What kind of God would have that kind of time?

To bless one life with all His other children on their knees

They got way more faith than me.

And of course I don’t agree. I don’t believe I understand all the ways of God but I do think those words are short-sighted. I do think He has the time and interest in our lives. How he chooses to answer prayer is always up for great debate but I know this. He won’t do something that would cause his child pain unless somehow it’s for our benefit or His glory. This part of chapter 3 in Radical just reminds me of this:

When you really contemplate it, this seems bold doesn’t it? To go to God and say, “God, I know you are busy running the universe and keeping all of creation alive, but I have this problem in my life. And, God, I don’t really want comfort for the moment, and I don’t really want guidance for the moment. Would you…would you just come down, live in me, and walk through this for me?” Isn’t it pushing the envelope to ask the God of the universe to come down and take residence in you and me?

What Jesus is saying, though, is that God our Father delights in this. He delights in giving us himself. He puts his very power in us so we might have all we need to accomplish his purposes in this world.

…

Now this is not a genie-in-a-bottle approach to God that assumes he is ready to grant our every wish. But it is a rock-solid promise that the resources of heaven are ready and waiting for the people of God who desire to make much of him in this world.

So yeah, I think He’s got that kind of time. I think he’s a personal God. I think he delights in us. And I think He knows what He’s doing even though sometimes it doesn’t feel like it. I may not have much faith, but I do have faith in that. And I’m ready to take what little faith I have and make much of Him.

See more Radical Responses here

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On Catalyst and Toy Story 3

September 28th, 2010 at 11:23 am / Amy Bennett / 1 Comment »

I have good news and bad news about next week’s Toy Story 3 On Ice. And there’s a little story so hang in there.

Weeks (months?) ago my friend Becky and I exchanged several emails about going to Catalyst in Atlanta. Once Beth Moore was announced as a main speaker, I was raring to go. Not to mention Andy Stanley, Francis Chan, T.D. Jakes, etc, etc. Well, Becky just couldn’t get it worked out with work and it was just too expensive for both Scott and I to go. I let it go.

Then last week at small group it somehow came up that one of the couples’ daughter was going as part of work and really wanted some company. Sign me up! And I did. And I’m psyched! That’s the good news.

In (super) bad news, I’ll be missing Toy Story 3 On Ice next Wednesday. But Scott is off and will be taking the girls and reporting back for us all. Don’t forget to use the codes below to get your discounted tickets! The offer is only good until October 6 so don’t wait until you hear our report to sign up!

Check out more information and get tickets over at Time Warner.

I received this opportunity including 4 pack of tickets to the opening show because of my participation in the NC Blog Buzz network. I have pledged to give my honest opinion of the product/event. All opinions are my own.

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Budgets: Meal Planning

September 27th, 2010 at 3:30 pm / Amy Bennett / 19 Comments »

I feel a little one-track minded these past few days. Is that even a phrase? I know someone can have a one-track mind but can they be one-track minded? OK, so I feel like I have a one-track mind lately. And it’s all budget, budget, budget. I’m not sure what I was thinking when I started a test-run of a budgeting system on a Friday. Um, hello Friday night-life, Saturday shopping and Sunday sales papers. Boo! But we did really, really well. Like, super well. I continued to say no to things but it felt really good to have a full envelope. As expected it is SUPER tough to spend cash. I haven’t even gotten Starbucks yet this week.

The hardest part though has been groceries. I think we have plenty budgeted but it’s hard to think about what to cook in advance and keep it under budget. And it’s hard when you’re in the store not to pick up other stuff. I mean, you have to think about food at least 3 times a day and much more with kids that require many snacks. Just when I get over one meal, I feel like the cycle starts all over again. Scott says I should plan for a week at a time and I know that’s what most meal-planners do but I just can’t yet. I don’t know. Right now I’m going one day at a time. It seems grocery sales ads change at different times and my stock items at home are running out and I’m trying to plan around the kids’ meals at school and I just can’t plan a week in advance. To be honest, the whole thing is stressing me out a little. Can you tell? This is why for our entire married life I’ve always just cooked what I’ve wanted when I wanted and eaten out when I didn’t want to cook at all. But I can’t ignore the fact that we only spent $40 on food through an entire weekend, including a few staples we needed.

Also, I’m loving that our checkbook balance is not plummeting every time I log in. It’s good. I know it is. It’s just…I have to get better at this meal plan thing. Advice?

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Sunday Highlights: Epic

September 27th, 2010 at 3:00 pm / Amy Bennett / No Comments »

This the last week of the Epic series Today I took SO many notes. The sermon surrounded the part of Esther where Haman had gallows built for Haman and then ended up being hung on them once it was revealed he was behind the plot against the Jews. The big idea today was:

Your best laid plans apart from God’s purposes will be your downfall.

Haman, wanting to be respected, loved, happy, etc. was all about himself. Pride is at the center. Obsession with self can come in two categories :

1 – Superiority – Arrogant, obnoxious, self-confident, don’t see flaws. This is the default of pride people think of.

2 – Inferiority – You say “don’t look at me, I’m stupid, I’m a failure, too fat, too ugly, no one likes me” Still the concentration is on self. “Focus on me”. <- had never really thought about this

When you’re obsessed with your own purposes and building your plans, you’re simply building your own gallows. Pride always leads to death. As long as it is about you, you’ll never be happy.

Men are wrapped up in their own pleasure in porn or climbing the corporate ladder. Women are wrapped up in how awful their husbands are or how beautiful they are. We are all wrapped up in our own circumstances. Don’t build your own story, be a part of His. Find your identity in Christ.

Opposite of pride is humility. Realize your proud. You do not need to be more religious, which is the epitome of pride. Jesus makes you right. Period. Focus on Him. Make His name great. “My identity is in Jesus. He’s more than enough.”

Such good stuff. Praying He keeps me humble.

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Envelope System Test Run

September 24th, 2010 at 3:29 pm / Amy Bennett / 1 Comment »

So we’re doing a test run of the budget/envelope system. We have 1 week before we officially start but I thought we’d do a week of a test run of envelopes with things like blow money, clothes and food in envelopes. Here’s what I’ve had to resist in just 24 hours:

Extra energy jelly beans for running/biking for me and Scott from the running store. ($10)
Anything at Old Navy. I feel compelled to buy something when I walk through the doors. (> $25)
Fall decorations and a blanket at Wal-mart. ($20)
Ice cream for me and the girls at the new TCBY that was recommended. ($10)
And how’s this for ironic: Zipper pouches to store our money in. ($34)

Now I probably wouldn’t have bought ALL of that but I sure did think about it. And that, my friends, is how our budget is blown every single month.

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Old Navy – The New Chuck E. Cheese

September 24th, 2010 at 11:12 am / Amy Bennett / 4 Comments »

Last night I had to run an errand to a shopping center to use up some gift cards (don’t worry, I’m not blowing our budget already). The kids were definitely not ready to go back home. They LOVE to shop. So I suggested we just look around Old Navy. Not buy. Just look. It turned into a cute little stop.

First they had to get pictures with the Old Navy families. I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials where they act like they’re people. Emma is actually hard to spot at first.

photo 2 (4)

And then we went back to the girls’ clothing and they found this super cool game. There is a projector under a table that projects an image on the floor and get this…it’s interactive. I had to beg them to leave several minutes later. We need one at our house! Look how active they’re being!

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I’m Scared of Envelopes

September 23rd, 2010 at 8:46 am / Amy Bennett / 21 Comments »

I’ve been a fan of Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman for quite some time. I’ve put a lot of their ideas into practice. We’ve never carried debt but we started and completed our emergency fund. I’ve even set up a budget, created an account on mint and tracked our money . But that’s where it stops. I never have set up any practices to stay in budget. I watch it go into red every single time, far beyond the limits of the budget. It’s been depressing. I knew Dave Ramsey’s budget system was the “envelope system”. Where you budget your money, put cash for non-bills in envelopes and when it’s out, it’s out. That scares me to death. Because what if I saw the cutest top on sale at Target and I HAD to have it. Or what if I REALLY wanted Taco Bell for lunch instead of a pb&j. Or what if…

The end to all those sentences is, I wouldn’t be able to get what I wanted. And that’s just lame. I’m a grown, responsible adult and I should be better able to control those desires. Because it may cost to opt-in but I have to count the cost of opting out. The price of my inability to control my desires is someone’s next meal or the clothes on their back. We have to be more responsible so we can give more. We have to be more responsible so we are equipped to handle crisis so we are not running around trying to fix it instead of concentrating on others. We have to be more responsible so our kids see us be more responsible. Since December we have gotten much better but we’re ready to take the next step and tackle the envelope system.

Based off the budget I had set up in mint.com, I created a budget on Dave’s forms and actually planned where every single dollar is going to go with every paycheck. I know when bills are coming and going. We’re saving for once-a-year stuff. We’ve set up what money is staying in checking, what’s being moved to savings and what goes in an envelope. I even have a coffee envelope! Everything in moderation, people! You didn’t think I was going to completely cut that out did you?

Scott and I actually had a budget meeting. Dave suggests “the nerd” do the budget and then present it to the spouse. They are able to make any changes they want without question. I, of course being the nerd, presented it last night with much anticipation. We went through every line item with little fighting and actually very little changes.

So October 1 we start. It’s going to be weird dealing in cash. It’s going to be weird planning meals. It’s going to be weird rationing out clothing money. It’s going to be weird not going to Chick-fil-a every single time we want. It’s all going to be weird for a while.

Weird and scary. But I believe so worth it.

Very curious…do you have a budget? If so, how do you control your budget? Are you a Dave Ramsey fan?

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Wordless Wednesday – Mommies are also Barbie Stander-Uppers

September 22nd, 2010 at 1:56 pm / Amy Bennett / 2 Comments »

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Radical Chapter 2

September 21st, 2010 at 12:03 pm / Amy Bennett / 6 Comments »

I really want to blog about something else on this chapter but God’s not going to let me. I started typing out a different quote and I had that catch in my spirit and deleted it. God is so bossy!

Marla prompted participants this week:

“You and I desperately need to consider whether we have ever truly, authentically trusted in Christ for our salvation” (37). What do you make of that?

That’s a tough question to answer. How does one really know if you are “born again”, “saved”, “one of His children”? I think the answer is a few pages away:

“We are saved from our sins by a free gift of grace, something that only God can do in us and that we cannot manufacture ourselves. But that gift of grace involves the gift of a new heart. New desires. New longings. For the first time, we want God.” (39)

If you say you are a Christian but you don’t desperately long to know God more, to be more like him, to do more for him, to be less of yourself and more of him, I plead with you along with David to consider if you have truly, authentically trusted Christ. Yes, you may know of Jesus but if you don’t long for him, there’s something missing. That new creature has not replaced the old one.

You may be way, way, way far from God and doing everything that would displease him but the question is do you care?

Because a child of his would care.

He would care very deeply that he was displeasing God. Even if you don’t know how to get out of what you are in, having that desire to be connected or reconnected with God is what’s important. If it’s the first time you feel that way, he’s calling you to accept that salvation. If you know you’re his child, then he’s calling you out of that pit and back into his arms.

And if you just don’t care, my dear friend, and you are reading this, it’s not an accident and you are my prayer for this week. Because he’s calling you to care.

Read more Radical Responses here

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Children’s Painted Table Project

September 20th, 2010 at 11:00 am / Amy Bennett / 16 Comments »

Our play room seems to evolve often, sometimes weekly. It’s been in my office, my living room, Lexi’s old nursery. It’s been in Lexi’s old nursery, now called the playroom for quite some time. Scott threw together a few tables for them to play on but we never got around to painting them, With two kids armed with crayons, markers, stamps, juice and chocolate, it’s nearly worthless to put much effort into it. But, at 5 and 7 I think they are well passed the point where not everything will be written or spilled on.

But clearly in the past that was not the case. I found this old picture of the tables:

As you can see, it looked more like their latest art creation than their play table. So we pealed off stickers and Scott sanded the rest.

Then I gave it a good coat of Kilz.

I decided leaving a white top was brave even now so I decided to tie in the purple. I painted the top the same purple from the walls. And then I decided to put a scalloped edge around the top sides. I made a stencil out of construction paper. I simple drew a circle from the outline of a drinking cup, cut it out and then marked two dots on it where it would align on the top of the table so it would be the same each time. Actually, I ended up folding the circle at the dots so all I had to do was lay the stencil on the top of the table. Sometimes it takes me awhile.

I did that all the way down the table, ignoring the break in the wood.

And then I took a smaller brush and filled it in by hand with purple.

Then I couldn’t leave it like that, wanting to tie some white into the purple. So I got one of the girls’ paint brushes and did an outline of dots around the scallops.

Then I couldn’t leave it like that, wanting to tie some pink into the table. So I got some regular acrylic craft paint I had and using the same small brush, drew petals in pink and then did one more dot in the Kilz white in the middle to finish off the flower.

And then, I was happy.

The tables went into the playroom yesterday. Please excuse the very non-matching, huge STOP sign and traffic light. This is what happens when your dad is a police officer.

Perfect? No. But better? YES!

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Sunday Highlights: Epic

September 19th, 2010 at 3:31 pm / Amy Bennett / 1 Comment »

Last week we started a new series Epic. I didn’t do Sunday Highlights not because there wasn’t good content but because it was mainly background of the book of Esther. If you don’t know the story of Esther, please take the time to read it. Last week he talked up to the part of Esther being chosen as Queen in Vashti’s place. As a theme, he talked about how God is not mentioned in book at all but how God is present and working in our lives even when it doesn’t seem like it.

This week he talked about choices we make and how we usually count the cost of opting in to something. How much time will it take? How much money? What consequences? However, we should look at the cost of opting out. What happens when we DON’T do something God has asked us to do?

Opting out always cost more than opting in to God’s plan

God would figure out a way to deliver His people whether Esther opted in or not but maybe she was chosen for such a time as this. It was no coincidence she was there. She could have lost her position as Queen by talking to Xerxes. Our positions don’t matter it’s how we respond in our positions that matter. No matter what our circumstance, our purpose is to know Him and make Him known.

We tend to look at God and see him as a personal assistant, deciding whether to opt in. Do I need Him? Will He make me happy? But measure the cost of not opting in to the God that holds all the galaxies together with His pinky. Now is the time and is always the time to know Him and make Him known.

There is a cost to opt in but the cost to opt out is much greater. Our greatest joy is found in His good pleasure.

Here is the sermon online at northrockhill.com.

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Blown Away

September 18th, 2010 at 7:59 am / Amy Bennett / No Comments »

Blown away is pretty much the only feeling I feel this morning. For those that followed in the comments, on Twitter, Facebook or the blood:water belt site, you know that yesterday was HUGE. Dani and I made a goal of 28 people. I have to be honest and say we were nearly laughing at that number. Twenty-eight people? I can’t even get 2 to a Mary Kay party. But we had to go with it. We both knew in our hearts that this couldn’t be ignored. We just weren’t sure if it included just the 2 of us or 28. But it was a nice round number considering the cost of the belt.

Well, I am just blown away that we have THIRTY people officially signed up on the site right now. There are a handful more that have committed but just haven’t registered yet. That is $840 for Blood:Water Mission!! Speaking of, they left a sweet comment on the site yesterday giving their blessing on our efforts. Marla, the leader of the Radical Read-along joined up as well as many friends both IRL and online, wonderful blogging ladies I look up to and other Read-alongers Our prayer was simply that God would make people’s hearts tender and wow, He showed up! Whether people knew they were prayed for or not, He showed up every time they joined.

And you know what? As I lie (laid?) in bed last night thanking God for all of this He just whispered, “And that was only a belt.” My joy overfloweth with just one belt sparking a change and God tells us to give it all to Him. I thought of all the possessions I have and just how much of a difference could be made if we always had a Kingdom mindset. We think giving our money, time or possessions is a chore, something that we will regret. But, no. If God calls you to it, it’s a complete and utter joy. I have never, ever regretted anything I’ve ever given to Him. I don’t look back and say man, think of all the money I could have saved by not sponsoring a Compassion child. Or man, too bad I volunteered for the Christmas Boutique at church. Giving always results in thankfulness and a happy heart.

2 Corinthians 9:12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

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Introducing blood:water belt

September 17th, 2010 at 6:00 am / Amy Bennett / 24 Comments »

Some days I feel like Jekyll and Hyde. One day I’m talking about a TV show, the next about being radical, yesterday I posted about going to a celebrity meet and greet and today I’m talking about something entirely different. It may seem like two sides but I assure you they are of the same coin. I’m passionate about whatever I’m into. I’m either into it full force or I’m not. Yes, I get on bandwagons but I enjoy them while I’m there and I really I don’t know any other way to do it. So I have all these parts of me but all of them are me and all of them I’m passionate about but there are some that are close to my heart and some that aren’t.

This is going to be one of those close to my heart.

When I wrote that post on Tuesday about the first chapter of Radical I really had no idea what would happen. I definitely cringed a little hitting the Publish button hoping I wouldn’t look the fool asking someone to buy a belt for charity. But God moved and my friend Dani “bought” the belt. She’s donated $28 to blood:water mission! Hooray! That one post and one belt just helped 28 people in Africa.

They like it!

Well, apparently God had something a little bigger planned than 28 people because Tuesday night after Dani bought the belt, my passionate/addictive/entrepreneurial mind kicked into high gear and I could not quit thinking about it. I sent her an email the next morning and said, what if we made this like the Sisterhood for the Traveling Pants but for the belt and everyone donated to blood:water mission in order to take their turn with it? What if everyone took their picture with it and we posted it? What if we had a map? What if we made a goal to have 28 people do it? What if we had a journal to pass along with the belt? The questions wouldn’t stop and the cool thing is, we were on the exact same page. She couldn’t stop thinking about it Tuesday night. And then I told Scott about it and he was like “do it and that’s a direct order.” And no, I’m not really joking. hahahaha Seriously. Not joking.

Dani came to pick the belt up Wednesday night and we started making plans. By now, as you can imagine, I can whip up a blog quick-fast-in-a-hurry and I have one put together for this. (Yes, I realize I was scaling back but maybe because I needed time for this?) We’ve named the belt and site blood:water belt (Scott wants you to know he came up with that name) and will create a Sisterhood of the Traveling Belt. Each person that joins will “buy” the belt by donating, have the belt shipped to them for wear and pictures (can’t wait to see other people in it!) before sending it on.

I don’t know how long this will last. I don’t know if it’s just teaching us two belt-lovin’ gals a little lesson but we have to give it a shot. I have to do something more and if selling the belt to one person was a little step, this might be the next 2 or 3. I’m serious about being Radical. I’m serious about helping the poor. I’m serious about making a difference. If it comes through a belt, then so be it. All I know is 56 lives (yes, I donated and joined too will be changed because of just the two of us and I’m ready to see how many more.

I think she is too.

If you think you could be a part of it or know someone who would (probably someone who used to send you a chain letter HA), would you consider joining the Sisterhood of the Traveling Belt or sharing about bloodwaterbelt.org?