Thursday, April 26, 2007
Solitude
I'm blogging about solitude in non-typical settings today. Check it out at www.boomerbabesrock.com/blog.
Monday, April 23, 2007
the blog tour continues
Since Oxygen hit stores, I've been written about on blogs--sometimes in a positive way, sometimes not.
It's strange how the Internet connects us to people who don't live nearby, but share our interests. Fellow writer LaShaunda Hoffman reviewed my book on her cool blog today, check it out at
http://lashaunda.blogspot.com
Thanks LaShaunda!
It's strange how the Internet connects us to people who don't live nearby, but share our interests. Fellow writer LaShaunda Hoffman reviewed my book on her cool blog today, check it out at
http://lashaunda.blogspot.com
Thanks LaShaunda!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
A princess of a different color
I'm blogging today at www.boomerbabesrock.com/blog
about Disney's plans for The Frog Princess, featuring their first African-American princess. Stop by and post a comment!
about Disney's plans for The Frog Princess, featuring their first African-American princess. Stop by and post a comment!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Book review: Oxygen
Author Susie Larson's latest newsletter has a nice review of my book Oxygen in it. You can read the whole newsletter by clicking here. Here's the review she did:
Great Books for a Deeper Life: Oxygen: Deep Breathing for the Soul by Keri Wyatt Kent$12.99
I love this book! Using timeless techniques in a contemporary way, Keri Wyatt Kent leads the reader to deeper places of rest, meditation, and prayer. She takes portions of Jesus’ journey on earth and brings them to life today. She asks you to read a certain passage, and then she asks you to go back to it again, but this time at a slower pace and with a listening ear. Over and over again you’ll ask yourself, what is God saying to me here? Keri leads you through journaling exercises that will help you reflect on and apply what you are gleaning from Scripture. I love the way Keri writes and I love her heart for intimacy. Buy this book!
Susie is an encouraging author and speaker. You can check out her blog at http://susielarsonblog.typepad.com/
Friday, April 13, 2007
Simplifying Supper
Starting today, Fridays will feature interviews with other writers. Today, we’re part of author Trish Berg’s “Blog Tour.” She’s visiting Deep Breathing for the Soul to tell us how we can simplify our lives, save on our grocery bill and feel peaceful instead of panicky about getting dinner on the table.
Eating together is good for families, but getting a meal on the table can be a stressful chore.
Trish's new book, The Great American Supper Swap, offers practical help. It’s full of funny stories, recipes, practical tips, even prayers. You can get a copy on amazon, or if you would like an autographed copy, order from Trish’s website.
Trish is all about simplifying motherhood. She publishes a weekly newsletter on that topic, and she understands what it means to be busy! As a mom of four young kids, Trish used supper swapping to simplify life with little ones underfoot. But her ideas are easy to adapt to any life stage. If you have older children, you could have them make some of the meals. If you are single, do this with a group of friends!
Trish's new book, The Great American Supper Swap, offers practical help. It’s full of funny stories, recipes, practical tips, even prayers. You can get a copy on amazon, or if you would like an autographed copy, order from Trish’s website.
Trish is all about simplifying motherhood. She publishes a weekly newsletter on that topic, and she understands what it means to be busy! As a mom of four young kids, Trish used supper swapping to simplify life with little ones underfoot. But her ideas are easy to adapt to any life stage. If you have older children, you could have them make some of the meals. If you are single, do this with a group of friends!
So, here's our interview with Trish.
So tell us: what IS supper swapping?
Supper swapping is really a simple solution to that ever present “What’s for dinner,” question.
Supper swapping is women helping women by sharing the cooking responsibility for their families. You cook in bulk then swap meals during the workweek.
What does your supper swap group looks like?
Right now we have 3 families in our group, though I have swapped with 4 families in the past as well.
Our typical week looks like this:
Monday – Nann delivers supper to us at 5:30, hot and ready to eat.
Tuesday – Kelly delivers her meal at noon, prepared but not cooked. At supper time, I throw it in the oven and voila!
Wednesday – Our day off. We eat leftovers from Mon and Tues.
Thursday – My cooking day. I prepare my meal Wednesday evening, and deliver it Thursday around noon, prepared but not cooked.
Friday – Since we have had larger meals already, it’s easy on Fridays to make something simple like spaghetti, sandwiches or grilled burgers.
Each group can decide what constitutes a meal. We only swap one main dish and one side dish, and each family adds salad, bread or vegetables on their own to complete teach meal.
We usually plan 3 months at a time. (Print FREE meal calendars at http://www.trishberg.com/)
Why is the family meal so important to our kids?
Eating dinner together as a family opens communication, helps children to eat healthier, feel more connected to their parents, feel loved and cherished. These benefits have a lifelong impact on our children.
According to research from Columbia University, children who eat dinner with their family on a regular basis are 60% less likely to smoke cigarettes, 50% less likely to use drugs, and 66% less likely to drink alcohol. The family meal has a lifelong impact on our kids!
In your book, you also mention saving money through supper swapping.
Supper swapping can save families up to $4000 a year or more as they buy groceries more in bulk, shop with a plan wasting less food, and reduce their expenditures on fast food and pizza.
For example:
Ordering pizza or take out costs around $25 for a family of 6. If you are now ordering pizza or buying take out 3 times a week:
$25 * 3 = $75 a week
$75 * 4.5 weeks a month = $337.50 per month
$337.50 * 12 months = $4,050 per year
You could save over $4000 a year on that alone, and that’s not even counting the money you’ll save buying in bulk and shopping with a plan!
With so many other dinner options out there, why do you think supper swapping is becoming a hot trend?
Today’s families run at a fast pace unheard of 30 years ago. Usually, dinner is fast food, on the go grab bag, or relegated to pizza, take out or frozen quick fix meals. These meals are unhealthy and expensive.
Supper swapping cuts the time you spend cooking by up to 80%. For about 1-2 hours of meal preparation and 15-30 minutes or less of meal delivery one day a week, you get a week’s worth of hot, fresh, homemade dinners.
What do you hope families gain from The Great American Supper Swap?
Supper swapping can save families $4000 a year or more, reduce cooking by 80%, create a greater sense of community by adding deeper faith and friendships, and help families eat healthier food.
BUT MOST OF ALL – it gathers families around their dinner table together. That’s my mission. A return to the family meal.
For more information on The Great American Supper Swap or Trish Berg, go to http://www.trishberg.com/.
So tell us: what IS supper swapping?
Supper swapping is really a simple solution to that ever present “What’s for dinner,” question.
Supper swapping is women helping women by sharing the cooking responsibility for their families. You cook in bulk then swap meals during the workweek.
What does your supper swap group looks like?
Right now we have 3 families in our group, though I have swapped with 4 families in the past as well.
Our typical week looks like this:
Monday – Nann delivers supper to us at 5:30, hot and ready to eat.
Tuesday – Kelly delivers her meal at noon, prepared but not cooked. At supper time, I throw it in the oven and voila!
Wednesday – Our day off. We eat leftovers from Mon and Tues.
Thursday – My cooking day. I prepare my meal Wednesday evening, and deliver it Thursday around noon, prepared but not cooked.
Friday – Since we have had larger meals already, it’s easy on Fridays to make something simple like spaghetti, sandwiches or grilled burgers.
Each group can decide what constitutes a meal. We only swap one main dish and one side dish, and each family adds salad, bread or vegetables on their own to complete teach meal.
We usually plan 3 months at a time. (Print FREE meal calendars at http://www.trishberg.com/)
Why is the family meal so important to our kids?
Eating dinner together as a family opens communication, helps children to eat healthier, feel more connected to their parents, feel loved and cherished. These benefits have a lifelong impact on our children.
According to research from Columbia University, children who eat dinner with their family on a regular basis are 60% less likely to smoke cigarettes, 50% less likely to use drugs, and 66% less likely to drink alcohol. The family meal has a lifelong impact on our kids!
In your book, you also mention saving money through supper swapping.
Supper swapping can save families up to $4000 a year or more as they buy groceries more in bulk, shop with a plan wasting less food, and reduce their expenditures on fast food and pizza.
For example:
Ordering pizza or take out costs around $25 for a family of 6. If you are now ordering pizza or buying take out 3 times a week:
$25 * 3 = $75 a week
$75 * 4.5 weeks a month = $337.50 per month
$337.50 * 12 months = $4,050 per year
You could save over $4000 a year on that alone, and that’s not even counting the money you’ll save buying in bulk and shopping with a plan!
With so many other dinner options out there, why do you think supper swapping is becoming a hot trend?
Today’s families run at a fast pace unheard of 30 years ago. Usually, dinner is fast food, on the go grab bag, or relegated to pizza, take out or frozen quick fix meals. These meals are unhealthy and expensive.
Supper swapping cuts the time you spend cooking by up to 80%. For about 1-2 hours of meal preparation and 15-30 minutes or less of meal delivery one day a week, you get a week’s worth of hot, fresh, homemade dinners.
What do you hope families gain from The Great American Supper Swap?
Supper swapping can save families $4000 a year or more, reduce cooking by 80%, create a greater sense of community by adding deeper faith and friendships, and help families eat healthier food.
BUT MOST OF ALL – it gathers families around their dinner table together. That’s my mission. A return to the family meal.
For more information on The Great American Supper Swap or Trish Berg, go to http://www.trishberg.com/.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Family meals
I'm blogging on www.boomerbabesrock.com/blog today, talking about a strategy for family meals. Check it out.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Doing what you love
My monthly newsletter, Connecting With Keri Wyatt Kent, is out. Each month includes spiritual encouragement, book reviews, journaling questions and more. Here's an exerpt:
I was lucky to grow up in a home where work was celebrated. A lot of us grew up in homes where work was valued: our parents worked hard, and perhaps expected us to work hard. But the joy of work—that’s a little different.
Read the whole newsletter by clicking here.
I was lucky to grow up in a home where work was celebrated. A lot of us grew up in homes where work was valued: our parents worked hard, and perhaps expected us to work hard. But the joy of work—that’s a little different.
Read the whole newsletter by clicking here.
Monday, April 9, 2007
102 years young
Great story on the front page of the Chicago Tribune about Thurmon Perry, a 102-year-old man who is a pillar of faith in his community on Chicago's west side.
He begins and ends his day with prayer, and continues to engage in meaningful work that shows God's love to the people around him. Here's a quote from the story:
"His mind is sharp, his handshake strong, his philosophy on life tough to argue with: 'If you live right, right will follow. If you live wrong, wrong will catch up to you. It's as simple as night and day.' "
Read the whole story by clicking here.
The print version ran a photo of Mr. Perry worshipping in church. Gotta love when mainstream media tells redemptive stories. Rock on, Mr. Perry!
He begins and ends his day with prayer, and continues to engage in meaningful work that shows God's love to the people around him. Here's a quote from the story:
"His mind is sharp, his handshake strong, his philosophy on life tough to argue with: 'If you live right, right will follow. If you live wrong, wrong will catch up to you. It's as simple as night and day.' "
Read the whole story by clicking here.
The print version ran a photo of Mr. Perry worshipping in church. Gotta love when mainstream media tells redemptive stories. Rock on, Mr. Perry!
Sunday, April 8, 2007
I received this beautiful photo from my friends at The Transforming Center.
Happy Easter everyone!
He is risen indeed!
Friday, April 6, 2007
The Joy Motor
On my desk, I have a cut-glass vase housing bright yellow daffodils and two small but pungent purple hyacinths. All from my garden, which suddenly came into bloom during a warm spell last week.
A few days of warm weather (along with plenty of rain) turned the grass from faded yellow to bright green, pushed the bulbs I planted last fall to bloom, and brought all of us out into the sun to play.
Play may not seem like a spiritual practice, but it is an essential one, if we are to obey the commands of Scripture: Rejoice in the Lord always! The joy of the Lord is your strength!
(read my entire "For Your Soul" column by clicking here.)
A few days of warm weather (along with plenty of rain) turned the grass from faded yellow to bright green, pushed the bulbs I planted last fall to bloom, and brought all of us out into the sun to play.
Play may not seem like a spiritual practice, but it is an essential one, if we are to obey the commands of Scripture: Rejoice in the Lord always! The joy of the Lord is your strength!
(read my entire "For Your Soul" column by clicking here.)
Caption: My dog Jack and I pick daffodils. Photo by Melanie Kent.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Conservapedia
Well, I'm a Christian and maybe, years ago, would have called myself a conservative. But good grief, I'm done. Not with Jesus, no, I'm sticking with him. But that label seems to have been hijacked by a very small but vocal group. Ugg.
The Chicago Tribune ran a story this week about Conservapedia, a new on-line encyclopedia that promises "unbiased" content as an alternative to that wicked Wikipedia. Except that Conservapedia is full of misspellings, absurdities and an strident bias in the opposite direction.
Created by Andrew Schlafly, Phyllis Schlafly's son, it is supposed to be a conservative-oriented version of Wikipedia for home-schoolers and/or (apparently) people also who don't vacinate their children and think global warming is just political hogwash.
The best post about the flap I've read is here
Do the Conservapedia folks not realize that Wikipedia is not meant to be a definitive source? It's a place for everyone to share ideas and information. It never claims to be unbiased or even infallibly accurate.
Jesus said don't hide your light under a bushel, but let it shine. He said we should be like salt, that changes and flavors everything it touches. He told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Would Jesus create his own site, or would he go post his ideas on Wikipedia? Wikipedia is the perfect opportunity for conservatives to be salt and light--but the Conservapedia group doesn't seem to be interested in that anymore, since they're focused on building conservative salt shakers to insulate themselves from the world.
If most people thought conservative Christians were anti-intellectual, this move will confirm it. The sad part is, this small group does not really represent the views of most people who would call themselves conservative. And it makes more rational conservatives want to drop that label to avoid being connected with these wacky folks. This would be funny if it weren't just so sad.
The Chicago Tribune ran a story this week about Conservapedia, a new on-line encyclopedia that promises "unbiased" content as an alternative to that wicked Wikipedia. Except that Conservapedia is full of misspellings, absurdities and an strident bias in the opposite direction.
Created by Andrew Schlafly, Phyllis Schlafly's son, it is supposed to be a conservative-oriented version of Wikipedia for home-schoolers and/or (apparently) people also who don't vacinate their children and think global warming is just political hogwash.
The best post about the flap I've read is here
Do the Conservapedia folks not realize that Wikipedia is not meant to be a definitive source? It's a place for everyone to share ideas and information. It never claims to be unbiased or even infallibly accurate.
Jesus said don't hide your light under a bushel, but let it shine. He said we should be like salt, that changes and flavors everything it touches. He told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Would Jesus create his own site, or would he go post his ideas on Wikipedia? Wikipedia is the perfect opportunity for conservatives to be salt and light--but the Conservapedia group doesn't seem to be interested in that anymore, since they're focused on building conservative salt shakers to insulate themselves from the world.
If most people thought conservative Christians were anti-intellectual, this move will confirm it. The sad part is, this small group does not really represent the views of most people who would call themselves conservative. And it makes more rational conservatives want to drop that label to avoid being connected with these wacky folks. This would be funny if it weren't just so sad.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Listening for God
When I get some good reader questions, I'll be answering them here.
Let's start with a question I received from a reader while I was leading a retreat. She writes, “In your book Listen you say we should let God call us to pray. We’ve been used to going to God when we’re ready. Explain more.”
Well, actually, what I wrote was: “When I feel a desire to pray, it is God’s spirit that stirs up that desire in the first place. Think about that: God initiates and seeks you out. … God cares enough about me to initiate conversation and relationship. I am the beloved. I am not just the seeker, I am the sought. I am the object of God’s affection. It’s a truth that demands a response.” (Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life )
Explain more? It’s really a matter of perspective. God, who knows all and continually searches the earth that he may strongly support those whose hearts are fully his (2 Chronicles 16:9) , can stir, like a gentle breeze, in our souls. When we think we’re about to “go to God when we’re ready,” it’s really that our souls are responding to divine whispers and stirrings.
We need not wait around for God to call. If we desire communication with God, we can trust that God put that desire in our hearts, and respond to it by saying, "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening." (1 Samuel 3:10)
What is it that makes you want to pray? What do you think of the idea that your desire for prayer is actually initiated by the object of those prayers?
Leave your comments and questions, and I’ll pick one to respond to in a future post.
Keep listening!
Let's start with a question I received from a reader while I was leading a retreat. She writes, “In your book Listen you say we should let God call us to pray. We’ve been used to going to God when we’re ready. Explain more.”
Well, actually, what I wrote was: “When I feel a desire to pray, it is God’s spirit that stirs up that desire in the first place. Think about that: God initiates and seeks you out. … God cares enough about me to initiate conversation and relationship. I am the beloved. I am not just the seeker, I am the sought. I am the object of God’s affection. It’s a truth that demands a response.” (Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life )
Explain more? It’s really a matter of perspective. God, who knows all and continually searches the earth that he may strongly support those whose hearts are fully his (2 Chronicles 16:9) , can stir, like a gentle breeze, in our souls. When we think we’re about to “go to God when we’re ready,” it’s really that our souls are responding to divine whispers and stirrings.
We need not wait around for God to call. If we desire communication with God, we can trust that God put that desire in our hearts, and respond to it by saying, "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening." (1 Samuel 3:10)
What is it that makes you want to pray? What do you think of the idea that your desire for prayer is actually initiated by the object of those prayers?
Leave your comments and questions, and I’ll pick one to respond to in a future post.
Keep listening!
Keri
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