-Mindless Menu-

Some of my dearest girlfriends suffer from 'chronic kitchen tedium'.  It is a horrible daily crisis that plagues them.  Picky eaters, selective eaters, and lack of motivation/enthusiasm are symptoms of their kitchen inhabitants.  Sadly, there is no prescription that will alter their circumstances.  What is a girl to do with this timeless question, "What's for dinner?"  I have given this some serious thought and have come up with a fresh idea---what if you only had to think about cooking 4x's a week!  

First, you need to sit down with your monthly calendar and take a good hard look your family lifestyle.  What are your busiest days that keep you out of the house all day?  What days are you usually home?  Do you have a morning or afternoon when you are typically home?  If you can define this piece of information, you can create a rhythm to your cooking habits.  For instance,  I am home on Tuesdays afternoons, we have no activities scheduled for the rest of the day.  So I make Tuesdays my TRIPLE IT day.  I will make a triple batch of spaghetti sauce or soup or chili.  Then I freeze what is leftover.  Wednesdays we are in and out so I keep that as our GRILL IT day.  Dinner is a snap when you can throw your meat on the grill.  Friday's is our PIZZA night.  I put the ingredients in the bread machine and dough is ready.  Everyone makes his or her own personal pizza and yums it up!  Perhaps you have a little time in the morning and can put your dinner in the CROCK POT.  Maybe you are super sonic busy and need 2 crock-pot nights; that's totally fine.  Therefore, what I am suggesting is to label your days of the week with your plan for cooking:

Mondays:  Kid Pick-cook your kids favorite meal
Tuesday:  Triple It (or double depending on your family size)
Wednesdays:  Grill It
Thursdays;  Family Favorites
Fridays:  Pizza night
Saturdays:  Crock-Pot or Left Over's or Dining out
Sundays:  Reap It (use your frozen 'triple it' food to eat today-NO COOKING)

This is so flexible.  Maybe one day would be a leftover day or a take-out night for your family.  You know your habits best and your financial status so tailor this to equip you schedule.  We try to eat fish once a week, have a meatless meal once a week, No fried foods here baby, no beef, minimal diary and pork.  We try to eat organic and I really try to keep it simple.  Veges are steamed (no sauces) or we have a salad.  Side dishes are your basic carbs; pasta (orzo is quick), potato, or rice.

Here is a glance at a month of meals for us:

• Kid Pick: 
• chicken wings, orzo, steamed vege
• ziti w/garlic bread & salad
• meatloaf w/potatoes and carrots
• linguine w/bacon & broccoli
• beach-a-roni
• Triple It:
• spaghetti (can use for Friday night pizza sauce too)
• chicken (you can use beef) barley soup
• chili & cornbread
• pea soup
• bean soup
• chicken noodle soup
• Grill It:
• burgers
• salmon or some other fish
• bbq chicken
• chicken sausages
• mahi tacos
• Family Favorites:
• teriyaki chicken
• garlic shrimp
• broccoli and  potato soup
• burritos
• butterfly chicken w/leeks, carrots, potatoes

We leave Saturdays as leftover days or the kids will get chicken nuggets and fries and hubby and I will order take-out sushi. I personally have not had a lot of corck-pot successes, but I am open for some ideas here gals!  Sundays is our reap-it day, after all it says not to work on the Lord's Day!  Now there is no legalism here, be flexible.  I hope that this will empower you to shop accordingly and whip up dinner because you have a plan.  Let me know if you would like a recipe, I am happy to share.

There is nothing-

There is nothing-

no circumstance, no trouble, no testing-

that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has

gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. 

If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose,

which I may not understand at the moment.  But as I refuse

to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to Him and accept it as

coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to

my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will disarm me, no

circumstance will cause me to fret, for I shall rest in joy of what my Lord is.

That is the rest of victory.

A favorite prayer of mine from Alan Redpath.

My Man

I love that man of mine!  He works so hard!  He is a family man; he is a real man.  He juggles more than just his demanding job; he invents, he picks up side jobs, he repairs our house, he pays attention to his family, he serves, he looks out for his neighbor, and he invites you into his heart.  His desire is to be a Godly man.  As his helpmate, I try to do my part in equipping him with the precious time he has to integrate into the family shuffle as he transitions coming home from work. 
We try to sit down monthly and plan what lies ahead.  Part of the scheduling includes 'Daddy dates'.  Each child gets to pick one activity to plan with dad (hopefully it's a free activity!).  Our youngest has chosen going to the pool, Saturday's at Home Depot Kids Workshop, building towers, or doing science experiments together.  Our daughter likes to have breakfast, visit the horse farm, make origami, or go on a walk.  Our eldest will usually pick a food related thing like an ice cream or breakfast, or a hike.  One-on-one time is critical to our family, especially daddy.  He throws himself in 100% and you and he are the only 2 people in the whole wide world. 
He will write them notes of encouragement or jokes and stick them on their pillows or put them in their lunches. 
I try to get the books the older ones are reading on audio so he can listen to them on his way to and from work and engage in highlights of the story with them.  
We strive for Friday Family Fun Night that includes a devotional and some kind of interactive game.  Sometimes we let the kids pick and may end up with everyone making their own custom pizza and watch a movie. 
He and the older 2 are reading the Chronological Bible together and then journal and discuss what they read.  With our little guy, he is reading through a Children's Bible with him. 
He is the kind of guy that doesn't watch TV or care much for sports.  SO, when he has time he is never at a loss of things to do.  Our kids have many requests or needs that he very much wants to meet.  For instance, "Daddy my bike needs fixin', Dad can you help me with my algebra?, Dad how do I find something on the computer?, Can I get on the roof (that question just asked this very second)?"   I for one am glad to deflect some of the questions to the King!
We have kept journals for each of our kids since they were born and record milestones or funny things they have done or said in their notebook.  What a gift --Daddy's handwriting recording their accomplishments! 
I pray for my man.  He is pulled in so many directions and desires the righteous path.  If you need to jump start prayer for the guy in your life I would recomend The Power of a Praying Wife.  I keep this book on my nightstand and just turn to a section and pray the prayers right off the page of that chapter.  I know his weakness, he is human after all!  Pray over him as he goes off to work.  Ask him how you can be a better wife.  Be a fortress of strength for your husband, pray for him!
Blessings,
E.W.

A Shopkeeper's Story

If you are interested in reading a compelling Easter narrative, then Charles Swindoll's book Suddenly One Morning is a must read.  The story is through the eyes of a weathered Jewish shopkeeper on the main street of Jerusalem.  He notices a crowd gathering outside his shop.  Stepping outside his door, he looks down the street, expecting to see Roman soldiers throwing their weight around or a group of haughty Pharisees walking along in their religious garb, praying oh so holily.  But all he sees is an ordinary young Jewish man on a donkey.  As Jesus passes he glances at the shopkeeper and his eyes see him, really see him for who he is deep down.  Mesmerized, he pursues this mysterious man and his life changes forever.

The Dandylion Club

Life is messy!  Seasons can be achingly hard.  We all go through tough times.  God never promised us an easy life; He did promise that He would walk through life with us though.  Matthew 11:28-30 reminds us, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  Jesus encourages us to cast our cares onto Him.  He can handle it!  So how do we do that; take our rest in Him, take His yoke, turn our burden over to Him...

Visualizing helps me to grasp what this is saying.  Children love, love, love to pick dandelions in the summer and present them to a loved one.  It is the one 'flower' that they are allowed to randomly pick without an adult saying, "Stop! Don't pick the flowers!"  The really cool thing about dandelions is when they are filled with those fluffy parasols that you can make a wish and blow all the parachutes off and watch them float away.  Now I am well aware that blowing away the seeds is perpetuating more seedlings into your grass, but you have to admit it is a fun thing to do.  Imagine that when you pick a dandelion that each fluffy parasol represents your problems, heartaches, disappointments, or uncertainties.  That deep inhale is so important when you are troubled, our breathing tends to be more shallow.  Breath in the Holy Spirit, let it fill your body.  Think about your troubles for a brief moment and blow those parachutes right into the capable hands of Christ.  There, just like that, you can turn your cares over to Jesus.  Sort of like a tangible prayer that you can believe that things will work out.  You might have to keep picking dandelions when the cares start wearing you down again and that is alright.  Our neighbors might starting asking question, and that is alright too! 
This reminds of this 20's generation of today.  I just love them!  They all seem to embrace this, "IT WILL ALL WORK OUT!" philosophy.  My sweet niece, mother of 4 all under the age of 4, has this mantra.  Our kids youth leader, at our old church, embodies this way of living.  People are calling in sick last minute and he is left with a little staff to teach Sunday school, and he is totally calm and just turns it over to Christ with a, "It will all work out," mindset.  Me...I fret and start multitasking, and planning, and phone calling until I wear myself out!  I really believe they are onto something healthy!  Therefore, I too am practicing this philosophy.  And quite honestly, things do work out exactly like they are suppose to with or without my fretting!  What about you, do you fall somewhere in the middle or are you more like my niece, or more like me??  I have a proposal.  I would like to start a Dandelion

Dandylion Club. 

This pendant is so cute I am going to order some and tie a ribbon around it for a necklace to remind myself that I can turn to Jesus to take over my cares and worries.  How about you, will you join me?  Then we will be like the Red Hat Society but something altogether new and different.  We can start a new trend as we see each other with our necklaces and say, 'It will all work out!'  You know when you find a penny on the street and you bend down to pick it up, not because you want the penny but because it says, "In God We Trust!" 

This amulet will be a relic of trusting Christ to care for our loved ones, for our circumstances, and for us.   

Blessings,

E.W.

Wag More, Bark Less

Have you seen the bumper sticker that says, 'Wag More, Bark Less"?  So simple, yet so very poignant.  Our daughter is an animal lover.  She has always delighted in furry creatures of any kind.  She begged and begged for a dog for so long that 2 years ago we feel prey to those big brown eyes of hers.  Now in our family is a cavapoo named Toby.  You have to know, of course, that we prayed long and hard about this dog because hubby and I are cat people.  We researched the different kinds of dogs, interviewed dog owners (dog people love to talk dog!!) and visited various breeds.  I will happily admit, God listened and answered our prayers about having a calm, sweet, calm, friendly, calm, well-behaved dog. 

Our cat, Sophia, has allowed him entrance into her domain and the two together are a hilarious sight.  The hard part about Toby is when Sissy goes away for a sleepover.  Oh my does he lament!  He searches the house high and low again and again and comes to me with this pitiful face as if to say, "Do you realize she is not here?  I cannot find her anywhere!  Oh, what will I do (whimper whimper)!"  Poor thing!  He will either sit by the front door poised for her return or go into her room and wait.  He is the picture of faithfulness and love.  I love the verse from Proverbs 16:24 that says,

"Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones."  We all love to be the recipients of accaolades and acknowledgement.  I pray that we will be the giver of pleasant words, and that our sweet words will be a breath of fresh air to all we interact with throughout the day.  My mom's bible study group is having an accountability for all negative words spoken.  Yep, at the end of the day they have to tally up their check marks.  She has gotten close but is still striving for a blank paper at the end of the day.  Keep goin Mom you are so close, only 2 check marks!  I once did a study on Beauty Care for the Tongue that was very convicting.  Such dribble can fall from our lips that we never give a second thought about until we finally start paying attention and taking note.  I want to be the kind of gal that regardless of what is going on; you don't have to do a thing to feel loved and appreciated.  I want to be faithful to my calling to love.  It's a lofty goal.  I forget about it throughout the day.  But I do want to continue to aspire to more tail wagging!  Howl 'bout you, will you join me?

Blessings,
E.W.

Jelly Bean Prayer

Are you looking for a sweet activity to do with your kids to bless others for Easter?  If so, I have an easy idea that you can pull together quickly.  All you need is a mason jar or some candy bags with ties, jellybeans and a printed copy of the Jelly Bean Prayer:

Red is for the blood He gave,

Green is for the grass He made,

Yellow is for the sun so bright,

Orange is for the edge of night.

Black is for the sins that were made,

White is for the grace He gave,

Purple is for the hour of sorrow,

Pink is for the new tomorrow.

A bag full of jelly beans,

Colorful and sweet,

Is a Prayer...is a promise...

                                                                          Is an Easter treat!

This is a great springboard to discuss Easter with your little peeps.  We don't give Easter baskets to our kids.  Instead for the boys we gave them each their very own tool box when they were about 3 and every year we add a new tool to put in their tool box so when they are ready to fly the coop (oh let's really not go there!) then they will be equipped with the right tools.  For our daughter we started a hope chest that includes handmade blankets, her smocked dresses, one-of-a-kind art projects, porcelain figurines, devotionals we did together, and her favorite treasures while growing up.  Yes, they get some chocolate too!  What special things do you do to celebrate Easter with your children?  I would love it if you had time to share!

Blessings, E.W.

Betrothed

How did your husband propose to you?  We all have our cherished stories of when and how he popped the big question.  I just love weddings, they are filled with great anticipation.  Weddings are so pink and fresh and full of hope and expectation, like the season of spring.  The couple has a clean slate, dreamy ideas about being married, and embarking together on a brand new chapter in life where you go from being two to becoming one.  I personally did not have a wedding with all the bells and whistles but I have been the maid of honor and have journeyed with the bride all the way to the church.  So much preparation the bride goes through.  Her head is swimming with thoughts of flowers and color choices, caterers and what season to be married, styles of dresses and guest lists, and so on and so on.  The groom, lets see, he needs a tux.  Oh, and he needs to listen to his bethothed as she unfolds her Cinderella wedding dream to him.  My nephew is getting married in the fall.  I had a chance to spend an evening with his beautiful fiance' and after she unpacked all the details of the big day I talked with her about the days after the ceremony.  It was a great conversation, but that is another blog entry.
Today I wanted to share what I learned in my quiet time.   In reading through the gospels of The Last Supper I was surprised to know that in Jesus' time, grooms where the ones to do the bulk of the preparations.  From Luke 22:20, "He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant..."  From Ray Vander Laan's That the World May Know video series, he explains that engagement and marriage feasts during Christ's time contained references to a 'new covenant'.  In engagement ceremonies of this time, after the bride price has been negotiated by both sets of parents, a cup of wine is poured for the son.  The son then offers the cup to his bride-to-be and asks her to accept his 'new covenant' represented in the marriage agreement terms.  Drinking from the cup symbolized the bride's formal acceptance of the marriage proposal and all the good and bad circumstances that come with marriage.  According to Vander Laan, when Christ mentions 'a new covenant' during this Passover occasion, the disciples most likely associated these three words with the wedding customs of the times.  Through the illustration of a man's love and devotion for his bride, they gained at least a nebulous comprehension of Christ's unswerving love and devotion for them and for all who follow Him. 
Jesus uses verbiage from the betrothal ceremony to paint a picture for us, yes all of us, (not just the disciples) that we are his bride.  This new covenant is for us.  After the groom offers the cup to his bride and she accepts the cup, he says he will go and prepare a place for her; the groom uses the words Jesus said to the disciples in the garden (John 14:3).  The groom prepares a place for his bride by adding additional rooms onto his father's house.  This betrothal time could last up to a year.  When the father feels the home is ready, he sends his son to go get his bride.  The wedding party proceeds to the home of the bride.  When the 'best man' announces their arrival, the bride dresses for her wedding and runs to meet her groom.  Using the marriage picture to depict what is happening at Chrit's leaving; he is readying heaven for his betrothed.  He leaves to prepare a place for us where we will blissfully live forever.
Did you know any of this???  I was enthralled to discover the representation of the new covenant as being his bride.  Covenants cannot be broken; they are timeless.  It makes me want to take on the character of a pure bride; lovely, glowing, a sparkle in her eye, rosy cheeks, and a love-flutter in her heart.  How dear and precious we are to our groom!  Have you accepted the cup?  I pray you will be overcome with this new covenant dear one.  If you feel unloved, unwanted, insecure about being needed, or empty inside please take to heart your betrothal to Christ.  If you are having these kind of feelings or emotions please let me know so I can pray for you.  Really and truly I want you to know that you are the apple of His eye!  Nothing could be sweeter! 
Blessings, E.W.

Spoken For

To whom do you belong?  Adopted at age 6 by my mom's new husband, my last name changed.  I had a new name to write next to my first name on my yellow, lined elementary school paper.  I was part of a completely new family with brothers and a sister.  WOW!  Now I held the title as little sister, and I liked it a lot!  Then I received another new last name when I married.  Again, a large extended family awaited along with new titles of wife, sister-in-law, and daughter-in-law.  I adjust to change fairly well.  I like new, it is very 'adventuresome' in my mind.  Remarkably a few years later, I acquired yet another identity.  I became a child of the King.  A princess, doesn't that have a lovely ring?  My identity is spoken for, and I have loved every single minute of the journey.  I really grasped this identity thing when we were planning a trip out of the country.  To leave the good 'ole USA you have to have a Visa.  To get a Visa you need proof of citizenship, aka a birth certificate.  After much searching, I could not find my birth certificate.  So I trudged downtown to the records office and filled out the necessary forms.  As I filled out the questionnaire it asked for my birth name, which I wrote.  I turned in the paperwork and began practicing the fruit of patience.  What was taking so long?  I was literally the only person in the waiting area.  Finally, the gentleman behind the counter asked if I had a different birth name.  Well, I was adopted, perhaps it is under that name.  A few short moments later, he came back and sure enough that was the problem.  Hold on a second.  I was born and lived under a given name for 6 years, what do you mean there is no record of it?  HUH?  Nope, it is gone, ka-put, na-da, it does not exist!!!  I had an epiphany right there in the middle of the records office.  This is exactly like being born into Christ's family.  The old self is gone, washed away are my sins, my previous history is blotted out entirely.  I belong to THE Redeemer.  I am His!  I was doing the Snoopy dance right there and had no one to share this revelation with.  God's promises are everlasting, unchanging, non-negotiable.  Sign; sealed, delivered I'm His!  I am the apple of His eye (Deut 32:10), my name is written on the palm of His hand, he knows every hair on my bottle-blond head.  Can I get a Hallelujah?!!  He loves me and I belong to Him.

Title:  Daughter of the King,

Citizenship: Heaven-bound,

My Heart:   is spoken for!

Blessings, E.W.

Ice Stockings

The abundance of snow brought forth an issue in our home.  The build-up of snow on our roof created ice dams which spaghettied its way into our kitchen.  The ceiling fan became a waterfall.  Day 2 of buckets scattered on my kitchen island led to some more investigating and a couple of holes drilled into the ceiling to see where the vein of water was coming from.  No leads.  Down came the fan and a steady brown drip plagued my otherwise sunny little kitchen. 

More diligent research, on the part of my man, brought us to this special melting ice that if you put it inside of pantyhose will melt the dams and break the flow.  Out came some antique nylons that I have not looked at in a very long time and they did indeed serve their purpose. 

 

Back went my kitchen fan and the buckets all put away and all was well, until the other day when I got a bit of a fright.  I had walked into the kitchen to start dinner and there waving in my kitchen window was one leg of an empty stocking flowing in the wind.  That was totally bizarre!  I am not sure I have a scripture for this one...

Stepping Heavenward

There are some books that stand head and shoulders above the rest.  If you are looking for a good read that will compel you, make this your next one! 
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss is positively an introspective joy. "How dreadfully old I am getting!  Sixteen!",  writes Katherine in her brand-new journal on January 15, 1831.  Her heartfelt words mark the start of your own unforgettable journey following Katherine as her life unfolds from sweet sixteen to her grown-up later years.  As she learns that true happiness is found in giving oneself to others, you, too, will be immeasurably encouraged to step heavenward-to live with greater godliness, humility, tranquility, and hope.  Blessings!  E.W.

W.I.T.

After praying and fasting all week for our sweet friend, she did indeed get baptized yesterday (and I ate lots of dark chocolate!).  It was so precious (the baptizing part I mean)!  She has a new birthday now; her spiritual birthday.  My beautiful mother (all <5 feet of her) was instrumental in showing Jesus to Ash and had the privilege to lead Ash in the sinner's prayer and confession of faith and be the one to dunk her in the water.  1 Timothy 6:12 says,"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

The Lord had put it on my heart to give Ash a women's devotional bible: actually, my very own copy that I received when I accepted Christ's invitation.  With my scripture cards I sat down and high-lighted key verses of promises, standards of living, and virtues of womanhood in her bible.  Beings that she is moving away I wanted to help equip her for THE journey.  My heart wants to mentor hers but she will not be here for that discipling.  Hubby asked what I was doing and I explained, "This is for warriors in training, aka W.I.T."   Fight the good fight, what are we fighting against?  We fight to keep God first in everything.  That is a tall order my friend.   In the official Army study guide it states, "The Warrior Transition Course will provide our Army with trained, disciplined, motivated, and physically fit Soldiers who respond to leadership, are focused on teamwork, demonstrate the warrior ethos, and espouse the Army’s core values.  Tee Hee I love that, the same thing goes for us in God's army.  We are to instill spiritual discipline into our daily lives.  Are you motivated to know your General?  Are you jazzed to get into drill formation?  Do you know and understand the equipment you are to use?  How about the terrain, are you familiar with the map, do you know how to use your weapon?  Okay fellow warriors, are you ready for boot camp?  Man this really lights me up!  First things first, what do we wear, isn't that always lingering in the back of our minds?  Our fashion designer, Paul, suggests Ephesians 6:10-17.  Now it is not that nasty drab green camofulage, rather it is armor.  Think Susan and Lucy from Chronicles of Narnia, or Maid Marian, and of course Joan of Arc (without the bad haircut). 

"..be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." 


Are there any tears or chinks in your armor?  We have to know our opponent in order to have victory.  Sometimes that opponent is ourselves.  I can be my own worst enemy.  I can be weak, and whiny, and self-reliant, and short-sighted, and selfish, and prideful, and lazy, and gluttonous.  The list is embarrassingly long.  As a warrior in training I must fall back on what I know to be true.  God is, God can, and because He has given me the Holy Spirit I can too.  Our mantra is, "The struggle is the Lord's, not mine."  I am not without help; I have the Holy Spirit as my helpmate.  I am spiritually rich!  Do I live that way, spiritually rich or am I living depleted and poor.  We are to thrive fellow warriors, not survive!  I have been redeemed to thrive and flourish and grow and conquer!  God wants us to reach out for his glory so he can infuse us together in love.  I love the refrain from Grace Greater than our Sin:


Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.


This is how we become more than conquerors is by His infinite grace.  Assess your 6 main pieces of attire.  Is your belt surrounded with God's promises, if not you won't be able to discern a lie when you hear one.  Is your breastplate approved by God or by man?  We often will fear what others will think rather than raising the bar to what God alone thinks about us and our activities.  God will always protect our hearts.  What is on your feet?  Are you sharing the Good News by how you live your life?  Our shields are essential (like lipstick).  What we see are Satan's attacks in the form of insults, setbacks, and temptations.  Our shield protects us from the fiery darts.  Know your General; he has more than 5 stars!  Our hats keep us from doubting in God and in our salvation.  We need to protect our minds, what are you reading/watching, what are you talking about or listening to?  Last is our sword, is it sharp?  Are you spending time in the Word everyday?  Are you memorizing and meditating on scripture?  Sword drills anyone?  There is no compartmentalizing when it comes to being in God's army.  You are either striving and moving in harmony with God or you are flailing and sinking.  If so, you need an accountability partner.  We are NOT meant to journey alone, we are designed for relationship!  Let's keep our WITS about us now.  Warriors in training I am praying for YOU!

P.S.  My friend from T&T reminded me that we did an object lesson with our pre-teen girls on the armor of God.  We gave each of the girls a gift bag with 6 items representing the armor: a belt, scarf, sunglasses, hat or headband,  fuzzy socks, and a mother/daughter journal.  We talked about each item and what they represented and why it was important.  We had a lot of fun teaching our little warriors!