Wisdom from Gary Smalley's wife, Norma

Welcome, from Gary Smalley & the Smalley Relationship Center
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Welcome

Stop Fighting Me!

Years ago, I was obsessed with the ministry I was in. My wife Norma argued about it and I realized I had made ministry an idol. She gave up and stopped fighting me about my obsession and it unleashed a powerful force in my life, though neither of us understood it at the time.

Independent of me, Norma learned how to get in line and bring her needs to God. Rather than complain to me, she prayed, "Lord, thank you that all I need is you. You know I want a good relationship with Gary and that I want him to spend more time with the kids and me. I'm going to stop fighting Gary and instead ask you either to change him or help me see what your will is."

Remember I am the one that needed the help. But she stopped expecting life from me and started looking to God. The results were startling. I noticed the change almost immediately. When I came home from work, I sensed a calm spirit in her. Norma's face was peaceful, no longer tense.

I couldn't keep from asking what had happened. "Gary, I got tired of fighting you," she explained calmly. "I realized that I wasn't trusting God concerning our marriage and family, and so I decided to stop complaining and start praying."

Imagine what that did to me. I was convicted that my priorities were out of balance. Once we're into the habit of seeking fulfillment from the world, we won't learn overnight to look to God as the source of life. It took Norma and me months before looking to the Lord became our natural, first response, and we still catch ourselves focusing on someone or something other than God.

Where are you looking today for your source of happiness?

Blessings,


Gary (& Norma) Smalley
Editor, Smalley Relationship Center

Super Simple Spring Suppers Are Here!!!

Super Simple Meal Exchange

We all know how overwhelming and tedious making dinner can be.

Let's all help each other out!

If we each make our favorite meal, multiple times, we can easily swap meals and have many fabulous choices for dinner.

Just think, if we have 14 ladies participate then you don’t have to make dinner for two whole weeks!

Super Simple Rules

• Your meal must freeze well.
• Your meal must feed at least 4 adults.
• Your meal must contain meat.
• Your meal must be in a "disposable" container. (so there is nothing to return)

Here is a Super Simple Example

I plan to make my "family favorite" casserole. I will put all the ingredients into a gallon Zip-Lock bag and then double-bag it with the instructions and ingredient list between the two bags. I will then freeze each meal flat in the freezer so that it will store easily in someone else's freezer. You only have to thaw the meal in the bag and dump it into a Corning ware dish and cook. Ta-da, dinner made easy! And what a variety we will have.

There is NO commitment beyond making this one meal. Please contact Stacy by the end of this week if you want to be on the list and on your on your way to weeks of Super Simple Dinners. I will get a count of participants and will email you with a date for exchanging. I am guessing it will be easiest to exchange on a Wednesday morning since most of us have that blocked out on our calendar already.

This offer is not exclusive. Please invite your neighbors and friends to be a part of it. We don't have to all know each other to exchange meals.

Won’t it be great with these long beautiful spring evenings to be able to throw something in the oven, go out for a walk, or play in the park, and come home to DINNER!

Mmmmm! Looking forward to hearing from you!

Last Call For Recipes

Hi Ladies! I am still holding out that a few more of you have recipes to share with the group. After I make the packet, we will be sharing it as a group, so you can have a few minutes to talk about and/or further explain whatever you have contributed. If we all add something, it will be great. “Tips or Tricks” you have for in the kitchen would also be a fun addition.

Let’s extend the deadline a little… Please have your contributions to me by this Friday, March 20^th.

Share your Recipe Secrets!

Hi ladies! Its recipe exchange time!

Do you have a favorite or fool proof recipe that you'll share with the rest of us to shake up our meal planning monotony?

Please email or hard copy me 1 or 2 recipes by March 18th . I will photocopy you a packet of what I receive and we'll all have a few new cooking/baking tricks up our sleeves.

Thanks!

Stacy

Parents alert after attempted kidnapping at Skagit Co. park

Parents alert after attempted kidnapping at Skagit Co. park

05:02 PM PST on Tuesday, March 3, 2009

By ROB PIERCY / KING 5 News

BURLINGTON, Wash. - Parents are on alert after police say a man groped and tried to kidnap a girl from Skagit River Park, a popular place for parents to bring their children.

It happened Sunday afternoon, when an 11-year old girl at the park with her family got cold and decided warm up in the family car.

Once she was inside and just out of sight of her parents, a man driving a car pulled up alongside.

When the girl got out, the man jumped out and started groping her.

"And tried to grab her as she walked away; she screamed," Burlington Police Detective Scott Butler said.

The man let her go, ran back to his car and sped away.

The girl was OK but frightened, and so are parents.

Police don't have a lot to go on.

The girl described her attacker as a white man in his 40s wearing a cap.

Police have been looking at known sex offenders in the area, but so far have come up empty.

The young girl also told police there was a car seat in the back of the attacker's car, holding what appeared to be a toddler.

Anyone with information should call the police.