Sky Ranch SkyMom's Retreat...PURE JOY!

Does the foundation of your home feel a little shaky at times?  Good one day, but then a wind of strife, busy schedule, or sibling rivalry blow in one day and threaten to topple the entire thing to the ground and the fall takes your joy right down with the rest of your house?

Come be encouraged as we learn what it means to have a house built on a firm foundation with Christ at the center as He is the builder.

Sign up Today!

Sky Ranch Family Devotional Better Together…God’s Plan, with Stacy A. Davis ~ Bible Teacher and Sky Ranch Board Member

Family Time 2: 

Family Fun Icebreaker: What encourages you? 

Topic 1 Question: What is God’s Community? 

Today’s Big Idea: God’s Plan 

Long ago, God designed a plan for how His people would join His community. God carried out His plan by making an agreement, or covenant, with a man named Abram and his descendants. The agreement was that He would be their God and they would be His people. When God designed our world back at the time of Adam and Eve, He gave each person free will to choose between good and evil. Abram chose the good side, or to trust God, believing in Him. God made a special agreement with him, a unity between the two of them, where God agreed to be Abram’s God; therefore, Abram and his children would be called God’s people. God commits to a relationship with Abram because of Abram’s trust in God. He also defines belief in God as faith. Scripture shares that Abram believed God, and God counted his belief as righteousness because of his faith (Galatians 3:6). Faith in God is the key to joining God’s community. Each person that trusts in God, or has faith in God, is considered one of these promised offspring from this faithful line that Abram began. 

Talk with God: Read the scripture aloud. 

(God is speaking to Abram) And I will establish my covenant 

between me and you and your offspring after you throughout 

their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you 

and to your offspring after you. Genesis 17:7 (ESV) 

Walk with God: Read aloud and discuss. 

Recognizing whom you trust or have faith in is important. The one that you trust in will influence your decisions. You have the freedom to choose between good and evil like Abram did. Psalm 37:3-4 (ESV) says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself  in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” In the Psalm, who are you to trust in, and why? When you trust in God, or have faith in God, it means you believe the words that God speaks in the Bible. You believe what God says and, in return, God will help you as you live your life. 

Discuss with your family: When you need help, want answers, or just want to share, who or what do you turn to? Do you turn to a certain person? Why? Do you think that you could trust in or have faith in God? Explain what trusting in God means to you. 

Prayer suggestion: Pray for God’s help to trust in Him.

I will be praying for you!

Stacy

Stacy A. Davis, Author
Sky Ranch Family Devotionals 

© 2013 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.

photo

Sky Ranch SkyMom's Retreat...JOY JOY JOY!

JOY JOY JOY!

Sky Moms Retreat 2015

Pure Joy!

January 23-26

Van, TX

Do you remember that song that went something like this…”I’ve got the joy joy joy joy down in my heart. Down in my heart to stay”!

Come hang out with us for a weekend as we soak up the message of how to have joy in the midst of being a mom!

We want our joy to STAY, so come be encouraged as we live out this journey together of being a joy filled mom!

Register Today!

Guest Blogger Beth Bryson, brings SkyMoms some new recipes! New York Strip With Roasted Red Potatoes

Oh my goodness!!!!  Need a DELICIOUS and quick dinner idea?  You can’t beat this New York strip with roasted potatoes!   SOOOO good and, I promise one thing….your dinner guests or your family will be LICKING their plates clean.

This is super fast and, SO good!  I make this for dinner about once a month.  My children love it too!

New York Strip With Roasted Red Potatoes

Author: Beth Bryson Flair-For-Home

Recipe type: Dinner

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  45 mins

Total time:  1 hour 5 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2-4 New York Strip steaks, ask butcher to cut
• 6-8 red potatoes, washed and cut in cubes
• Olive Oil (extra virgin)
• ½ cup Red Wine (Merlot)
• Sea salt, ground
• Cavender’s Greek Seasoning
• Worcestershire sauce
• 1 t. garlic powder
• ½ cup butter, cut in slices
• Whole black pepper, ground
• 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Steaks: Rinse the steaks and pat dry. Pour ½-3/4 cup olive oil on a cookie sheet (use a cookie sheet with an edge around it). Lay steaks on pan. Pour red wine and 3-4 T. of worcestershire sauce over steaks. Season heavily with sea salt, Cavender’s Greek Season (or, another dry steak season), garlic powder and black pepper. * The heavy seasoning forms a wonderful crust like flavor on the steaks.
2. Broil for 8-10 mins., flip over after 5 minutes. You may broil for more or less time, depending on how you prefer your steak cooked. Serve hot.
3. Red Potatoes:
4. Pour 2-3 T. olive oil in a glass 9 x 13 baking dish. Lay the washed and cubed potatoes in the dish evenly. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Place slices of butter in and around the potatoes. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 400 degrees 35-40 minutes until tender. * Cover with foil after 25 minutes, so that the cheese doesn’t become too brown. * Okay if the cheese is crisp….it tastes SO good! * You may need to cook a little shorter or longer, according to your oven temperature. Make sure they are nice and tender. Serve hot…..SO GOOD!

I hope you will make this “family favorite” dinner real soon!  This is perfect for a chilly fall evening.  YUM, YUM, YUM!   Invite a few dear friends over and serve this up with a pretty green tossed salad.   Heat up a loaf of French Bread and, for dessert?  You can’t beat Coffee ice cream served with fudge sauce.  Writing this is making me SO hungry!  Hope you enjoy!!!!

As Always~ Living with FLAIR,

LOVE,

Beth
http://flair-for-home.com

Sky Ranch Family Devotional Better Together…God is Your Creator, with Stacy A. Davis ~ Bible Teacher and Sky Ranch Board Member

Family Time 1: 

Family Fun Icebreaker: What do you like about the person to your right?

Topic 1 Question: What is God’s Community?

Today’s Big Idea: God is Your Creator

To understand God’s community, you have to start with the Originator of the community, the Creator, God. God created everything. And, God lovingly created YOU! At the beginning of creation, a story started to unfold--God’s story. You are a living part of His story. Your creation is not random, but planned; your life is planned by God. This thought leads to a great question that everyone wonders…why? Why are you here? Why did God create YOU? 

God answers this question in Isaiah 43:7 (NLT), which states, “Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.” Glory means you are made for God’s own honor. You are made by God, and for God, and the credit goes to Him. He wants you to reflect His beauty and worth to others. Psalm 139 shares an amazing insight that God made you exactly as you are! Be thankful and praise Him! His works are wonderful, know that fully and well! 

Talk with God: Read the scriptures aloud. 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 

Genesis 1:1 (ESV) 

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he 

created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 (ESV) 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your 

works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14 (NIV) 

Walk with God: Read aloud and discuss. 

God created you, but there is more: you are designed for a purpose. Your life has meaning. God is the One who reveals to you the reason that you are here. Romans 12:1 tells you that your life, or lifestyle, is to serve God. In order for your purpose to be fulfilled, you may have to give up living the way that you want; ask yourself if God is asking you to live differently from the way that you desire. His Word encourages you to change if you desire a sinful lifestyle, or a lifestyle that opposes God’s teaching. As you spend time with God, He will show you His design for your life. God asks His community to be selfless and servant-hearted, fulfilling the good works that He has designed, so the unit will function well as a whole.

Discuss with your family: Read Ephesians 2:10 (NLT): “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago...” Do you think that you are created for good things in Jesus? Do you think God has designed a personal plan for your life? Why or why not? 

Prayer suggestion: Praise and thank God for making YOU!

I will be praying for you!

Stacy

Stacy A. Davis, Author
Sky Ranch Family Devotionals 

© 2013 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.

photo

Prayer Encouragement: "Wholesome Talk" by SkyMom, Terrie Chevaillier

Wholesome Talk

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  

Ephesians 4:29

I was having a conversation today with a friend about sarcasm and humor at other’s expense.  She had been the recipient of some cutting words in her own home, from her own children. In fact, she kind of begin to feel like she was bullied in her own home.

So, she sought out to understand.  To understand the heart behind her older son and his not so nice way of communicating with her.  Aside, from some parenting issues that she needed to address, she also unpacked some deep waters from his heart.

He revealed to her that the way he was treating her at home, was the way others were treating him in his friendship circles.   Sarcastic, cutting, and biting words or comments.  Meant to be funny, but none the less, wounding.  Maybe funny for the one dishing it out and the other’s being entertained by the sarcasm, but not so funny in regards to how it was going down deep inside his heart.

Have you noticed it around you?  A growing trend to be funny, no matter how much fun others are enjoying it?  Like, you need to not only be able to dish it out, but take it?  I have even heard lately that this “quality” would be at the top of the list for a potential future spouse.  

Let’s Pray God’s Word:

Lord, Your Word says that we shouldn’t let unwholesome talk come out of our mouths.  Our words to others should be helpful and meant to build up and not tear down.

Reveal to me where my children might be catching on to a trend.  Reveal to me where I have allowed sarcasm to reign in my home with siblings, in my marriage, or in the way we just think we are having fun.

Let it start with me.  Help me to be a mom that builds up and doesn’t tear down, so that my words would benefit those who listen.  Let it start in my own home.

And from that training, I pray that my children would go out and bless others with their words.

Help me to see needs, where words could be a healing touch.

And, if there is any clean up that needs to be done, reveal that to us as well and guide us to obedience to make it right by the cleansing power of Christ and His forgiveness.

Amen.

~Terrie Chevaillier

photo credit

Follow Sky Ranch SkyMoms on Facebook today!

Follow Sky Ranch SkyMoms on Facebook today!

Sky Ranch SkyMoms

• Ministers to moms 52 weeks a year

• Educates and encourages the character and heart

of moms

• Equips moms with parenting tools to teach and

disciple their children:

• Weekly encouraging blogs

• Gatherings led by Sky Ranch SkyMoms Parenting

Mentor Lisa Clark, with parenting tips and lively

discussion

• Sky Ranch family devotional

• A SkyMoms Retreat designed to get away from the

distractions of today and enjoy a spiritual renewing 

Extend the spirit of Sky Ranch camping discipleship through the year to nourish you to better face the daily challenges and opportunities of raising Godly kids! 

Blessings,

Tori Miller

Sky Ranch SkyMom Ministry Director

Prayer Encouragement: "A Wise Woman" by SkyMom, Terrie Chevaillier

A Wise Woman

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands 

the foolish one tears hers down.

Proverbs 14:1

Who does not want to be a wise woman?  I know so many wise women around me that spend countless hours “building her house”.  Diligent, purposeful, and intentional planning to make her home an oasis of peace and love and a safe haven to come home to.  These women inspire me as I watch them!  

Have you ever felt wise one day and foolish the next?

One day, building with all sorts of love and then the next day, tearing down all of that you built?  

Let’s Pray God’s Word:

Father, thank You for Your Word that guides me in how to be a wise woman.  An influencer in my home.

Thank you for grace that enables me to build my house with love and guidance and wisdom.

Would you show me where I am tearing it down with my own hands, my mouth, my attitude, or my actions?


Amen
~Terrie Chevaillier

Sky Ranch SkyMom's Retreat...sign up today!

PURE JOY!

Sky Moms Retreat 2015

January 24th and 25th

Van, TX

Do the words builder, watchman, toiling, warrior, and sleep ever enter your mind in this labor of love called parenting?

Have you ever thought about your children being a heritage, a reward, an arrow, or a blessing?  

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat-- for he grants sleep to those he loves. Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 127

No matter if your quiver has one child or ten, you need to know that your labor is not in vain!  

Plan to attend this retreat and be encouraged as we look to the Lord to be the primary builder of our homes. It is possible to have PURE JOY in the building process!

Registration and more details coming soon!