Hey ya'll! It feels like a lot is changing here in our household and family. I am "in kitchen" for a couple months. So, sometimes when the mornings are busy, I need something quick for breakfast. Overnight oatmeal (oatmeal parfait) is great. One of the great things about this recipe is you can change it to fit just about everybody's taste. 

Ingredients:

1/2 of oatmeal
1 cup almond milk or milk of your choice or water
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla, and or cocoa powder, cinnamon, etc...
sweetener of your choice
Chia seeds
yogurt or cottage cheese
bannanas, peaches, blueberries.....

Here's how you make it! 

Heat oats, almond milk and water in a pan until almost cooked. Mix in vanilla, sweetener, cocoa, cinnamon, etc... 

Now layer- oatmeal, cottage cheese or yogurt, fruit and chia seeds. We usually layer the ingredients about three times. Put the lids on and place in refrigerator until ready to use. This is enough to satisfy a large appetite, so you may need to adjust it a bit.

You can change the order of the layering if you want. Most of my family likes it when we put fruit at the bottom of the jar. Sometimes we use peaches and others bananas or apples. Be creative and have a good time!

Comment and tell me the combinations you come up with! Hope you enjoy the recipe!

                               Blessings!
                                       Lydia :)
                                    

Joe and Naomi came for a visit in May! While they were here Emily and I did a photo shoot with them. It wasn't a very long one, but we got some good pictures and had fun. We went to a local park for the shoot. So here they are! 

These were taken when she was 7 months pregnant.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!



                                   Shalom!
                                           Lydia

















Pictures taken by Emily and Lydia.

Pros:

- It is a time efficient way to chop wood (so it allows you more time for the important things in life… like watching moss grow on the side of Mount Everest)

- It will be sure to captivate your spectators

- Using this machine will enable you to be fat and happy

- No need to replace ‘fuel’ that you would have burned chopping the wood by hand

- You would be less likely to injure yourself then if you used  an axe

- This machine would be more practical in jobs that need completed quickly or if you have large amounts of wood that need to be chopped on a regular basis

Cons:

- Chopping wood with a machine burns fewer calories then chopping manually (manual wood chopping burns greater then 400 calories an hour)

- Sitting in this machine gives you none of the social time, none of the camaraderie, and none of the relationship building that that chopping wood with other men would

- You would be more likely to injure others with heavy machinery then with an axe

- No fresh air

- The machine requires fuel

- And lastly, it’s a lot more expensive to fix your machine then your axe…

This is a joke. This real post is about…

The Pros and Cons of sharing a room with two of your sisters!

Cons:

- It’s hard not to wake up sister #1 when you and sister #2 are early risers

- When you wake up earlier then sister #1, it’s hard to see without the light on

- Not having a light on in the morning makes it more difficult to see where you’re going and where your things are

- Changing clothes is a cold experience when sister #1 turned the space heater off and sister #2 left the door opened, allowing the heat to escape and the cold to be sucked into the room faster then a raisin being sucked into a vacuum hose

- Apparently, my sisters think that the best time to have a conversation starts at the same time that I fall asleep

- Also, don’t be surprised if the sisters come to bed late and act as if it’s the middle of the day; turning on lights, talking and banging things around (Thankfully, they don’t do this anymore)

- You may be woken up needlessly by your sister’s alarm because she set a reminder for 12:30pm but accidentally set it for 12:30am…

Pros:

- You get to have a ‘sister night’ more often because you are all in the same room anyway

- You learn the valuable skill of compromise (the more sisters there are, the more you have to compromise)

- You learn patience… oy vey

- The room stays cleaner because you have two sisters nagging you to make your bed instead of just one!

-Sometimes sister #2 makes your bed because she can’t stand when it’s unmade- I think this is a bonus!

Okay, this post is a little silly.. But we all need a reminder to lighten up!

Do you have a list of Pros and Cons to share?

While I used these lists as a fun way to relieve stress, you can also use them when making a decision, such as; Where should I shop for a new skirt? (Department Store or Goodwill); Which cell phone should I buy? Should I play a prank on my mom?

Have fun!

Bethany

Preparing to be a Stay-at-home Wife*

The title of this post comes from a thoughtful question that was asked of us by a reader of our blog. (everydaysetapart. com)  Here is what she asked: “How [do you] prepare to be a stay at home wife while being a stay at home daughter?”

 First of all, I would refer back to the Daughters of Yah series we posted back in July. These are articles written by young women (some stay-at-home daughters, some not) that are all desiring, seeking, and walking in God’s will for their life. All of these daughters are beautiful and unique- as they should be! God never intended that we all be perfect little replicas of one ideal.

Think about it like this- in America we all follow (or *should* follow) the same laws but within those laws there is freedom and diversity; Joe can be a Goat Herd on a mountain; George can be an acrobat and Charlie can open a Kosher Deli. God’s Word is our Christian Law and within that Law there is freedom and diversity; Naomi can study herbalism, farming, and agriculture; Samantha can choreograph her own dances and form a dance team; and Elizabeth can continue to develop her cooking skills while also taking online classes on business management. It would be a tragedy if George decided to open a restaurant because that’s what Charlie is doing (and Charlie is an excellent example of godly manhood! Shouldn’t George try to be like him??). Or if Charlie stopped pursuing his potential business because Joe’s life looks so radically different from his own. God calls us all to do different jobs and to different ways of life- So let me encourage you to be who God has called you to be, not who He’s calling Samantha to be! If you ‘seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness’ your life will be different from everyone else’s and very different from the worlds ideal.

 While my sister, Naomi, was a daughter-at-home she had certain skills she sought to develop, such as; understanding and applying Scripture, herbalism, farming, agriculture, prenatal care, midwifery, mothering/child rearing, and hospitality. The way in which she pursued each of these interests might be different than the way you pursue them, if you choose to pursue them at all. She also devoted time to helping at our local food pantry/women’s shelter and thrift shop and Nannying for our neighbor. Maybe God isn’t calling you to that particular type of ministry. Naomi was able to use all these skills as a daughter-at-home and Yahweh knew that Naomi would eventually use the knowledge and materials she acquired as a stay-at-home wife. Yes, that’s right! Naomi’s life as a stay-at-home daughter prepared her to be a stay-at-home wife! If Naomi had tried to emulate the way someone else lives her life as a stay-at-home daughter then she would not have been as well prepared for her life now, as a wife to Joe. The skills she pursued as a stay-at-home daughter laid the perfect foundation for what she is learning and doing now, as a wife. 

Here’s a look into my life right now. My skills and interests are somewhat different from Naomi’s but we still have some things in common. I am seeking to develop skills in writing, painting, cooking, menu planning, and nannying - as well as increasing my knowledge of Scripture and its application, the Hebrew language, biblical health, and fitness, parenting and wifering (My Definition: Skills that are involved in being a good, biblical wife… surprisingly much the same as being a good daughter, sister and friend… but not exactly).

 I am also following Yeshua’s (Jesus) example of a servant by serving as receptionist at a few of our local Life Centers (a pro-life organization) and shadowing in the counseling room in order to become a Peer Counselor myself. It’s important to remember that this type of outreach may not be possible for all stay-at-home daughters. I only have four younger siblings (Clayton and Sherman are 12 and 14; Lydia and Emily are 16 and 18) who do not require ‘looking after’ or cleaning up after (or shouldn’t ;) ). Also, Emily and Lydia need to learn important homemaking skill too! It wouldn’t be right for me to take over all the menu planning, cooking, cleaning etc… Don’t leave your sisters without opportunities to help in your eagerness to prepare. But also don’t leave all of the homemaking responsibilities to others while you pursue your own ministries. I have time to pursue outside ministry and you may not, that’s okay!  We have no farm with animals (however, we’d like to, eventually), no elderly grandparent(s) or pregnant mom that needs my help… do you get my point? I have time. In my life, right now, I have time! And you may not. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have time for outreach because you are doing “within-reach” by ministering in your own home. If cooking needs done, then cook. If it’s cleaning that your mother needs help with, then clean. Every life is different. But if you have the time, resources and your parent’s approval, then be the hands and feet of Jesus to the needy. 

In her book, No More Wasted Years, Olivia Brodock suggests ways that women can build their skill set for both stay-at-home daughterhood and marriage. Taking a counseling course is one of the recommended things. I have wanted to volunteer with Life Centers for years but I didn’t know how, and I was too young to pursue a position as a peer counselor. Reading that suggestion in her book reminded me that I am old enough now. I talked with my parents and they agreed with Olivia; everyone at some point will offer counsel to someone, so you might as well know how to do it in a biblical, compassionate and loving way! I feel that the training and, one day, actual counseling has and will continue to equip me with skills needed to be an active listener. Being an active listener will enable me to become a better sister, friend and one day, wife.

 Olivia also talks about goal setting, the importance of serving your family and how we should never stop learning. While I don’t agree with everything in Olivia’s book (such as her recommended reading list), I did find her book to be helpful and thought provoking. No More Wasted years is written in short, to-the-point chapters that are able to be read even on a busy day.

 If you’re having trouble filling your days as a stay-ay-home daughter then maybe this book will help you with the different ideas Olivia gives. Talk with your parents and see if they have things for you to do at home first! 

 Lastly, I’d like to remind us all (including me!) that it’s important to have balance. Remember the past, so that you can learn from it- but don’t live in it. Look to the future, so that you can prepare for it- but don’t live in it. Live today. Obey what God has for you to do today. Obedience today is the best preparation for tomorrow.

Bethany

*in case it isn't clear enough from the post;  being a stay-at-home wife or daughter does not mean that we stay at home all day, everyday. In fact, the opposite is true! I am busy inside and outside the home! A stay-at-home daughter is a woman who chooses to remain in her parents home until marriage. Living at home has many advantages to both daughter and parents, spiritually, financially etc. However, it is not for everyone, every situation is different.

Gluten. Did any of us even know what gluten was ten years ago? But now gluten-free foods seem to be popping up everywhere and many books promote the gluten-free diet as a cure for headaches, bloating, or even excess weight. I don’t find any advantages in the diet (I’ve gone gluten-free for a few months without much noticeable difference) but I have friends who have had great results in going gluten-free.

Perhaps you are gluten-free for health reasons. Maybe you can eat gluten but you cook for family members who can’t. Or maybe you like to try gluten-free recipes because you enjoy exotic textures and the challenging adventure of cooking with unfamiliar ingredients.

I come from the latter group. I was first introduced to gluten-free by my older sister Naomi who, like many other women, likes to follow health trends (Vegan, gluten-free etc…). I appreciate this about Naomi. She likes to follow health trends but I’ve always been the one who gets caught up in false “health” trends- Low-carb, vegetarianism (the kind high in SOY), using artificial sweeteners etc… Thankfully I’ve had a change of mind when it comes to what constitutes “healthy”; Whatever God gave us as food, as close to the way He made it as possible, with variation and moderation.

It’s been about two years since Naomi introduced our family to the highly addictive qualities of Brazilian Cheese Bread. These little breads are actually more like biscuits. I honestly don’t know why they’re called ‘bread’, because they’re not a solid loaf. It would probably make more sense to call them ‘breads’… but let’s just call them biscuits. These are fairly fast and easy to throw together, in fact, my brother (Clayton) made a batch of these the other day and they turned out great- and, having four older sisters, he’s not the most experienced cook in the family.

Let me tell you more about the breads themselves. They are a pretty golden color when baked. The texture of these biscuits could best be described as a mozzarella stick with a crusty exterior when hot, and a slightly dry, tough biscuit when cold.  For this reason our family prefers to eat these hot and fresh. If your breads do get cold you can to throw them in the toaster oven until hot- but they are best fresh.

One good tip to remember- Don’t forget the tapioca flour! Naomi made these once and completely forgot to add the tapioca… thankfully she put them into muffin tins because when she took them out of the oven they were little puddles of greasy cheese. The worst part of this story is that we ate them anyway! We rarely throw food away here. For example; we’ve eaten sugarless brownies, burnt pancakes and stony, dry biscuits. Thankfully we don’t have to endure this type of food too often but it does happen.

I tried to track down the recipe source online and I couldn’t find it! I did alter the recipe and re-write the directions so it’s not exactly like the original. I don’t claim to have created this recipe and don’t take credit for it. If I knew the author of this recipe I would certainly give the credit to them.

Brazilian Cheese Bread

7 TBS butter

1/3 cup and 2 TBS water

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp salt

2 cups tapioca flour

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 beaten eggs

Preheat oven to 375*

Place butter, water, milk and salt into medium sauce pan, and place over high heat. When mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat immediately and stir in tapioca flour until smooth (However I can never get it smooth, so no worries if you can’t either). Set aside to rest for 10 minutes. ***SPOILER ALERT*** the texture of the mixture is very much like the finished biscuits!

Stir cheese and eggs into rested tapioca mixture until well combined; it will be chunky- think yellow cottage cheese. Drop by the spoon full onto an ungreased cookie sheet or into mini muffin tins (We prefer the cookie sheet method best).

Bake until tops are slightly golden (15-20 minutes). This batch makes about 12 biscuits.

I like to prepare these to accompany our Mexican Black Bean Soup. Actually, I like to make these to eat with any type of bean soup.

Eat and give thanks!

Bethany

Matthew 4:4 “…Man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God”

At the beginning of the year our family had no idea what changes Yahweh had in store for us. A courtship, a betrothal and a marriage and now as we are coming to the end of 2013, we are happy to announce that another big change is coming! Joe and Naomi are expecting their first child in August of 2014.

This past year seems to be marked by one particular event- Joe and Naomi’s relationship.

In November 2012 Naomi and Bethany had planned a trip to Kansas in order help a friend who was dealing with cancer, Mrs. J. The J family was having trouble keeping up with the regular demands of life (homeschooling, farming, cooking and cleaning) in addition to a rigorous juicing schedule (as well as other natural cancer treatments).

Fast forward to January and our family is excited at the prospect of Naomi beginning a relationship with a young man named Joe. Before January we had no idea who Joe even was! Now here he was a prospect of marriage for Naomi. Joe was living only 10 minutes away from where Naomi and Bethany were going to be staying in Kansas. We thought that this could possible be an advantage for Naomi and Joe getting to know one another, in an otherwise ‘long distance’ relationship.

After e-mailing for a few weeks, Mike and Gina met with Joe and his parents to see if this young man was indeed a prospect set in place by Yahweh himself. This whole relationship was filled with prayer from the beginning, constantly asking God for wisdom and discernment. After a nice lunch and dinner together both families agreed that Naomi and Joe did appear to be compatible in beliefs, interests and life goals. Joe was the sort of man that Mike and Gina trusted to be honorable in his interactions with the girls, even when they were not present. 

 Naomi and Bethany’s trip to Kansas went very well. They both had fun and learned a lot. This time was a wonderful opportunity for Joe and Naomi to get to know one another. Joe helped on the farm and the girls spent several evenings cooking, talking and laughing with Joe and Kat (One of Joe’s sisters). Toward the end of the girls’ stay Joe called Mike wanting to know what the ‘next step’ was in the relationship. They agreed that Joe should come and meet the rest of the Potts.

After getting home from Kansas, we had a week and a half to prepare for Family Week, a week long camping trip that celebrates Passover, the feast of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits. This was our second year at Family Week and we are hoping to attend again this coming year. It’s a great opportunity for cleaning out the leaven and re-learning to depend on God for the strength to live the life He has called us to.

Joe came to visit us two days after we got home from Family Week. The whole family enjoyed getting to know Joe over those two weeks! During that time Naomi happily agreed to become Joe’s wife! In other words, they got engaged-to-be-betrothed and the planning for the betrothal started. The remainder of Joe’s time in Indiana was spent with Naomi, writing out their Ketubah (written vows).

Naomi and Bethany had planned on attending Purify 2013 Retreat for Hebrew Singles, but since Naomi wasn’t single anymore, Emily went in her place. Emily and Bethany both grew in their relationships with Yahweh, with each other and with other singles. While those girls were at Purify, Naomi kept Lydia company at home and they started working out the details with the Betrothal ceremony. Emily and Bethany are planning to attend Purify 2014 and Emily is going to be one of the photographers for the event.

The Betrothal date was set for May 19th, Shavuot. The ceremony was beautiful- and exciting! Two sheep got loose and had to be chased down. The place was crawling with excitement as we celebrated their betrothal- but that’s not the only thing that was crawling! Shofar Mountian is also referred to as “Tick Mountain”.  Naomi and Joe were excited to make their commitment to one another but the excitement was bittersweet. The Potts family and Naomi Fox left in the morning, and the newlyweds would not see each other again until September 10th, when Joe would come to take Naomi as his bride.

Throughout their betrothal, Joe and Naomi chose to keep contact through handwritten letters. During that time it wasn’t unusual to ask “where is Naomi?” only to find that she was writing to her husband!

In the summer we were busy harvesting the garden! With the harvest came the canning… is it just me or does the canning season always collide with the hottest, muggiest days of the summer? Either way, we were very blessed with many tomatoes, green beans and hot peppers.

Because our home fellowship has nearly out grown homes, Mike and Gina have been a part of a project started by two other families in our fellowship- The HUB. The HUB has proven to be a wonderful idea, bringing people together who, otherwise, may not have known each other. One of the main purposes of the HUB is to start other ‘home fellowships in central Indiana.

Naomi, Bethany, Emily and Lydia celebrated their fist “Blog Anniversary” this year. They have all enjoyed writing articles for young ladies and women, to encourage and challenge- not only to encourage and challenge these women but also themselves!

Finally, after a long separation, Naomi and Joe celebrated their wedding on September 10th! This is a definite highlight in our year. After the wedding, Naomi and Joe started on their way to Arkansas. We joined them in Arkansas for part of their Sukkot celebration and they came to Indiana for part of ours. Joe taught a knot-tying class for the boys at Sukkot, Sherman and Clayton enjoyed learning the new knots.

Now Joe and Naomi are soon to be parents and we have a house full of future aunts, uncles, one grandma and one grandpa. We are blessed.

May Yahweh continue to bless and grow our families in this coming year.

Yah Bless,

The Potts

No one likes to have a cold! The stuffy nose, sore throat and maybe coughing, it can drive you nuts! But what can you do once you have it? Lydia has put together some tips that will help you relieve some of the typical cold symptoms. -Bethany 
Tip #1:
My mom has found a super easy recipe for natural cough syrup. You can take a spoon full of it straight or mix it with some hot tea. I prefer the tea method. When I tried it, it really soothed my throat! Here's the recipe.


Cough Syrup

1/4 cup Olive oil
2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
3/4 cup Honey

Mix all the ingredients together and store in a glass jar.

Tip #2:

If you feel a cold coming on, drink apple cider vinegar diluted in water. It will lessen the effects of the cold. This can also help while you actually have the cold but it isn't pleasant for a sore throat. 

Tip #3:

One of the best ways to relax your throat and stop coughing (When you CAN'T stop coughing) is to suck on really dark chocolate (80% or darker). I know sounds like it would make you cough more but it really helps! 
 
Tip #4:

Have a vaporizer in your room at night. If you like to use essential oils; peppermint, tea tree and eucalyptus are some great oils to put in the vaporizer's cup.

Tip #5

Hot soup also helps. Bethany made up a really good recipe for soup, she is going to post about it soon.

Tip #6

Make sure you're getting enough sleep!

These are some tips that my family finds helpful.

If you have any tips or suggestions please share them!

Blessings,   

Lydia

We CAN'T wait! The excitement is building and time is running out. Less than 24 hours until we see Joe! Tomorrow at 5:00pm we will start watching for Joe; he is coming for his bride. Tomorrow we will be finishing up a million little details and they are building up to the final event- The Wedding. So exciting! :)

All right, we need our beauty sleep!

Goodnight!

-Bebs and Lids