Let's Praise!

I just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who is praying and has prayed for me regarding this situation! I actually was able to go home as planned after all, so that was awesome!!! I would still appreciate everyone's prayers as those of us working at the salon continue to deal with her. Please pray for patience for everyone involved in the situation, and also for wisdom for all of us as we continue to try to figure out how to best handle the situation! Also, I know that she may be acting like this because of other situations in her life that need Christ's healing, so please pray for peace and healing in her life. Leeanne Kuffel works with me, too, so I'm glad to have a fellow "Moody Wife" to turn to!!! Again, thank you all for your prayers, it is so encouraging to know that so many people are praying for me! Have a great New Year's, and I can't wait to see you all again next semester!!!

-Stephanie Renea

A prayer request from Stephanie Workman....

A few months ago, our salon got a new district leader, she is in charge of about 10 salons in this area (and then each salon has their own manager/assistant manager). Her name is Clareese. It is expected with new leadership that there will be some changes, but she has made this entire process extremely difficult. She has been very hard to please and just keeps demanding more of us. Jesse (my husband) and I had been planning on going home this weekend for Christmas, but now she is making me work, even though the salon will have enough staff. Needless to say, I was very upset! We will still get to go home, but will be missing two big extended family events, one of which has been scheduled since the spring. It's really hard because as a Christian and also an assistant salon leader, I am an example to the rest of the salon, and I have had such a hard time having a good attitude about her. I feel like she thinks she needs to earn everyone's respect by pushing us around and showing us who's boss, and she doesn't need to do that. She acts like she wants to be nice, but she just comes across very intimidating. She keeps asking more and more of us, without saying 'thank you' or 'good job' about the things that we are doing right, and it's stressing everyone out. Please pray that she will realize how she is affecting all of us, and that we can all do our best to show her our respect so that she doesn't feel she has to earn it. Please also pray for wisdom for my salon leader and I to know how to best handle the situation. Thank you all so much!!! If any of you have any advice for me, please email me at: jessesgirl73005@hotmail.com

In Christ,

Stephanie

Let's Talk About It....

Changes and updates are always essential to keep the blog running! One wise suggestion from a fellow wife was to change the settings so anyone is allowed to comment on the posts. (Unfortunately your lovely blog master didn't realize she had it set to only allow certain people to comment. Sorry!)

So.....comment away!

Let's get started with a question: What are you looking forward to this Christmas? Are there any special prayer requests as you prepare for holiday travels: in-laws, presents (on a budget), last minute packing...ahh...aren't the holidays lovely :)

Hopefully, we'll all be able to set the temporary aside and focus on the message of hope and liberty our Savior brings: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come." (Luke 4)

What a wonderful Savior! Let's celebrate HIM this season!

A note of thanks from Daniela

For SWF:

Thank you for all who prayed for Joel and my stay in Germany!

We really had a good time and my mom definitely enjoyed having us around (especially Joel - the daughter is no longer as important... :o).
It was unbelievable how many boxes she carried already when I was there considering the major surgery that she has just had.

Her first treatment of chemotherapy (right before we came) was not too good but thankfully she was only feeling really bad for 3 days.
Right now she needs to have a treatment ever y 4 weeks which is a good time period to recover in between. However her blood test results that she needs to do every week turn out to be worse every time she gets them even though she said she does not feel extremely bad. The level of the white and red blood cells is too low. That would mean that she could not get the next chemo if it does not get better.

It was good that Joel was with me, because every time she worked too hard regarding the move to the new apartment, I could hand Joel over to her so that she is "forced" to play with him (which she gladly did) and I was able to unpack a lot of things.

Joel did incredibly well during the whole time considering that he saw so many new people, was sleeping in different places and was sick twice (thanks to our wonderful nieces that gladly passed on some germs).

Even the 9 1/2 hour flight back turned out really well!

It was hard to leave after those 3 weeks, but it has definitely been the right decision to visit at this crucial time.

Thanks again for all your prayers. We do not know how the health situation of my mom will look like in the future, but we are assured that God has everything in his hands.

Daniela

Holiday Tips and Recipes

Here are just a few holiday recipes and tips from other wives. Submit your own to moodyswf@gmail.com!

Holiday Punch (Donna Fulk)
6 cups boiling water
3 cups sugar
3 small pkgs. Jello (For red: 1 peach and 2 cranberry. For orange: 2 peach and 1 orange)
12 oz. frozen lemonade
46 oz. can pineapple juice
1 gallon water
2, 2 liter bottles Sprite or Gingerale or 7 up
Use 1/2 bottle to 1/3 recipe

Mix all but the “pop” and freeze (best to use 2 or 3 flat containers, so you can thaw just what you need). About 45 minutes before serving, take container from freezer. At serving time, use sturdy large spoon to make like “mush” (break up) then add “pop.”

Mexican Seasoning – Make your own instead of buying the expensive little packets of seasoning at the store.

Combine 1 teaspoon each:
Chili powder
Cumin
Oregano
Season salt
Black pepper
Paprika
Garlic powder
Onion powder

Cinnamon Rolls

This is actually a new recipe I tried from MBN’s Midday Connection (radio show) Cookbook, Come to Our Table. I had been really wanting to make cinnamon rolls and the recipe just fell into my hands. I was a little nervous about making the dough from scratch, but it wasn’t very difficult and they turned out great!

(Tip: They do take a bit of time to make since the dough has to rise, so plan ahead! I learned that it takes about 45 minutes for the dough to double and the “test” for making sure it is ready is to press two fingers on the top of the dough. If your imprints disappear quickly it isn’t ready, but it they remain after you remove your fingers, it’s ready to go.)

1 package dry yeast
1 ¼ cups warm water, divided
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp. Salt
2 ½ cups flour (more if needed)
¼ cup butter, melted
Cinnamon
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar (or more)
2 T butter, melted
2 T water

Mix yeast with ¼ cup warm water and let set for 5 minutes or until it bubbles. Combine yeast with sugar, oil, slat, and remaining water in mixer using dough hook. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is the right consistency. Cover mixture and let dough rise until doubled. Turn mixer on to punch dough down. Cover and let rise again. Remove dough from mixer.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough on a lightly floured area; spread with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up in a jelly-roll fashion and cut into ¾-inch slices. Place in greased round cake pans and let rise until double. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing. Mix icing and drizzle over rolls.

Apartment for Rent

Looking for a new apartment? Sharon Braunsworth and her husband have decided to move back to Nebraska and wanted to share the following opportunity with other wives:

My husband and I have decided to move back to Nebraska at the end of the semester so he can finish his degree online through the Moody Distance Learning Center part time and we can live closer to our families.

We do have a dilema though, we are currently in a lease until the end of July. Our apartment is a government subsidized three bedroom. We currently pay $612 a month plus cooking gas (which is about $15 a month) with no other utilities. We live in Logan Square right off of Fullerton and Kimball.

The apartment is large and very nice, it has a dishwasher and coin laundry in the basement. There is a Moody employee and his wife that live in the basement and a couple of Moody students that live upstairs. It's also on a double lot with a big fenced in yard that's perfect for someone who has children. However, since it is a government subsidized apartment there are income restrictions: For a household size of 2 you can't make more than $18,100 a year. For 3 $20,350. For 4 $22,600 and so on.

We felt that this apartment was too good to be true for the price and size and for Chicago. If anyone is interested in looking at it I can show it just about anytime. Our home phone number is 773-278-8394. If you're interested in renting it our landlord is Leticia Fregoso her phone number is 773-278-5321 or her cell phone is 773-315-0355. Sometimes she's hard to catch by phone and it's easier by email so that is jlagfregoso@sbcglobal.net

Thank you!
Sharon Braunsroth

Don't Forget!

We've raised $121 for our missionaries! Our goal is to reach $200 by the end of the semester, so thank you for your generous giving!

Also, don't forget to bring your items for their Christmas gift November 29.

If you have not had a chance to choose an small gift for our missionaries, the following items are still needed: Bandaid brand variety pack of bandaids (2 people), individual, sugarfree, cold drink packets (2 people), bag of snack size Take 5 candy bars (1 person), bag of snack size Nestle Crunch (1 person), 1,000 Grand candy bars (1 person).

Please feel free to contact Abigail Jellel at abswolsey@aol.com if you have questions about our missionaries or their Christmas gift.

Thank you for your help in making our missionaries' Christmas a little more like home.

Thanksgiving Prayers

Happy Thanksgiving From Student Wives Fellowship.

May each of you enjoy the break from classes and time with family and friends.

See you at SWF again Thursday, November 29.

We received a few requests for an update on Ben and Karis Jorden, which Karis has kindly shared with us below:

Dear fellow wives,

Thanks so much for all of your prayers for Ben and me! It has been a long road and a busy semester. Ben found out from the surgeon that his lump was not cancerous, so we are praising God for His goodness to us! Both of us have been behind in our classes due to being gone for so long. We are slowly but surely getting caught up. Thank you all for all your prayers, thoughtful cards, and words of encouragement. We have seen God working through all of this and know that because you prayed, we had His peace as we went through these hard times.

Please don't stop praying! Here's a few requests if you would like to
lift us up:
1. Pray as we complete our homework that we could get completely
caught up and finish the semester strong
2. Pray for us as we find out which classes we need to submit an
overcut appeal for and for a favorable decision from the committee.
3. Pray for continued healing for Ben, he is still sometimes in a little pain
4. Pray that Ben's surgery and tests will be covered by insurance, we
found out after the fact that his insurance may not cover him because
he is married (a long story, but Ben was on his dad's insurance
because he works at a medical college and had fantastic coverage..but
they never told us he could not be on there because he was married.
I'm not very happy with the insurance company right now!)
5. Pray that I stay healthy, I have had my own share of health
problems this semester and have missed more class than I should have

Whew! That's a lot! We love you all and continually thank God for you. Thanks for your continued support.

Check out our website at www.bkjorden.com for more updates!

Karis Jorden

Samaritana's Purse

Looking for a unique Christmas gift? Want to give a beautiful handmade card to encourage a friend?

PCM is currently selling items to support Samaritana Transformation Ministries in the Philippines, which assist women who have left behind a life of prostitution.

Each of the items for sale is made by these women. If you would like to learn more about Samaritana, please visit the following website, http://www.samaritana.org/, or review the facts below.

• There are approximately 400,000 street prostitutes in Metro Manila.


• Samaritana, with its staff of 10, has worked with dozens of prostitutes over the past ten years.


• During spring break, MBI students participated in ministry to the 21 'trainees' currently in its job-training program


• The trainees create and sell greeting card, bracelets and bookmarks as a means to earn a livelihood away from the streets

Let's help support these women as they leave their old lives and begin a new one in Christ! Stop by the PCM office (Crowell 2) if you are interested.

The Bradley Method

For those of you what are pregnant and thinking about methods for delivery...

There is a Bradley method instructor who is willing to give discounts to Moody Students!

If you are unfamiliar with the Bradley Method, this is a delivery method for natural childbirth. "Teachers of the Bradley Method believe that with adequate preparation and education along with help from a loving, supportive coach, most women can give birth naturally - without drugs or surgery. The Bradley Method emphasizes measures that can be taken to stay healthy and low-risk to help avoid complications that may lead to medical intervention." (Source: Wikipedia).

If you would like more information information on the Bradley method and classes:

• Visit Julie Parache's website, http://www.birthwithoutfear.com/
• Call Julie Parache at 773.481.9446.
• Call Ronda Lind who took the class and delivered using the Bradley method.
• Read the books: Husband Coached Childbirth by Robert Bradley and Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way.

Babysitting Opportunity to Help Another Wife

Please read the following babysitting request from Ronda and Anthony Lind. If you are able to help out, or someone else your know, please contact Ronda!

I am going back to work part time after having our first baby, so we are looking for someone who is willing to watch our infant daughter.

She will be 7 weeks when I return to work. It would be about 20-25 hours a week, in the mornings. We are looking at 7:30 to 12:30 right now, but that is not set in stone. We aren't able to pay much, but we can offer $8/hour.

My husband goes to school at Moody, so he would be able to drop her off, and I can pick her up after work if you live close to campus. If you don't live close to campus we can talk and work something out.

If there is anybody (a stay at home mom, or anyone looking for a little extra income) who is willing to help us out in this way, we would be so grateful. Or if you know of anyone who would be interested please tell them about this opportunity. We are looking to have them start December 3.

Call me at 312.502.7361 or email jarlind@excite.com

Thank you so much!
Ronda Lind

The rest of the semester

Can you believe it's November! Before we know it, we'll all be busy making Christmas cookies and wrapping gifts.

The end of the year, also means only a few more meetings for SWF. So, try to make the most of the time we have left!

November

15 – Prayer & Testimony Night (Focus on Giving Thanks)
22 – Thanksgiving – No meeting
29 – Guest Speaker on being hospitable and decorating on a budget

December

6 – T2/Graduation
13 – Fun Night – Pizza party and Cookie exchange
20 – No Meeting
27 – No Meeting

January

17 – First SWF meeting of the semester

More baby pix...

Daniela Marx was kind enough to send us pictures of Joel at MoodySWF@gmail.com. Joel was born earlier in the year, but his cute pictures still merit posting on the blog!

Thanks again to Daniela for keeping us updated and we encouarge others of you to send pictures, even if you don't have children. You could send us pictures from a recent missions trip, vacation, or great day out in Chicago.

Baby Pictures!

We have a couple of new lives to be thankful for in SWF!! Please check out the baby pictures below, and if you've got a few cute pics of your own email them to MoodySWF@gmail.com. We would love to share them.

ConLai Paige Lind was born Tuesday, October 9, at 4:07 p.m. to Anthony and Ronda Lind. ConLai weighed 8 lbs and 3 oz and was 20 inches in length. Her name comes from combining her dad and mom's middle names, Conrad & LaiLani. (Top two pictures.)

Brielle Christine Braunsroth was born Monday, October 3, at 12:16 p.m. to Brandon and Sharon Braunsworth. Brielle weighed 6 lbs and 5 ozs and was 19 1/2 inches in length. (Bottom two pictures.)

Job Postings

If you're in need of a job, here a couple of postings courtesy of Trisha Bolthouse.

Administrative Assistant
Covenant Methodist Senior Services, A nonprofit organization providing services to Seniors located on the North Side of Chicago is seeking an Administrative Assistant to join our team. The position would provide routine Administrative Support to the President as well as coordinate Activities relating to the Board of Directors. Other responsibilities include management of various data systems for the Organization.

Qualifications: Bachelors degree preferred. Be able to exhibit excellent Communication/ Customer Service skills. Strong writing/editing skills. Proficient computer skills a must. Two years related experience. Full time position with benefits. Send resume to Mary Nelson. mnelson@cmsschicago.org

Purchasing/Environmental Services Coordinator
Covenant Methodist Senior Services, A nonprofit. Organization providing services to Seniors, located on the North Side of Chicago is seeking candidates for the Purchasing/Environmental Services Position. The position will be responsible for development and implementation of a centralized purchasing system, interacting with vendors, coding and maintaining accounts and expenditures within budgetary guidelines. Environmental Services responsibilities include Supervision of Housekeeping Department.

Qualifications: Associates degree in related field. Proficient PC skills, Strong systems development and organizational skills. One year experience in purchasing or systems development

Send resume to Mary Nelson mnelson@cmsschicago.org

Also, here is link to Moody's job listings online: http://moodyministries.net/jobs.aspx.
If you have other job opportunities to share with Moody wives, please email MoodySWF@gmail.com

A Journey Begins....

They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. This semester our journey into prayer will begin with four chapters. That's right, we'll begin to discuss A Journey to Victorious Praying this Thursday, September 20, at our first T2 meeting of the semester. So come prepared to share and discuss. Remember, the chapters are short and if you don't have a chance to read them through the week, take time to scan them Thursday before SWF. If you have some free time and would like to read ahead, the semester schedule is listed below:

• 9/20 Chapters 1-4

• 9/27 Chapters 5-8

• 10/4 Chapters 9-10

• 10/18 Chapters

• 10/25 Chapters 15-16

• 11/1 Chapters 17-19

• 11/8 Chapters 20-22

• 11/15 Chapters 23-26

• 11/29 Chapters 27-28

• 12/6 Chapters 29-30

Next Thursday will also be a time to share summer testimonies. Ifthere was a story from your summer or a lesson learned during yourinternship that you would like to encourage others with, please shareon this night. There will also be a table for journals and scrapbooks from your summer trips, internships, and experiences.

If you have a testimony from a past missions trip, consider sharing on September 27, during our "Prayer Night" where we will focus on the nations, missions testimonies and worship.

Announcements:

• Abigail will host a time of prayer in her apartment (12R) on September 28, November 9, and November 30 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Abigail at 312-670-8755 (extension 8755).
• Pictures for the SWF directory will be taken this week (September 20).
• If you would like to pray for our SWF meeting, or need a friend to pray with you about needs in your life, please come to SWF at 5:30 p.m. before our meeting. There will be other wives available who would love to pray with you.

Pictures From Our First Meeting!

Welcome to a New Semester of Student Wives Fellowship

Remember, our first meeting is tonight at 6 p.m. in the Kimball Room. Dinner and childcare will be provided. Also, don't forget to bring a container so you can take leftovers home to your family. We look forward to seeing you tonight!