Staining Wood Tutorial

My first attempt at staining wood (the x-large doors my Father in law hung in our home). This was intimidating to say the least, but the overall result turned out better than expected. Below you will find a step by step tutorial on how to stain.
                     

 The Supplies

1. Rubber gloves- ones you use for hair dye, washing dishes, really anything to protect your cuticles.
2. An old rag- to apply the stain with.
3. Stain samples & wood stain
   

This is the wood trim that our carpenter installed after the new windows were in. I'm not sure what kind of wood this is, which means that each stain will look different when applied in contrast with the wood that surrounds the windows.

Basically, it's a guessing game.

Judging by the samples at the home improvement store, and the names of the stain, I choose 3 that seem to be a match.

Traditional Cherry, Black Walnut, Merlot

 When the stain first goes onto the rag, asses for yourself if the colors match. I started with the Traditional Cherry and the color was almost spot on so I applied a liberal amount.

The next stain I applied was black walnut. I knew immediately by looking at it that it didn't quite match so I dabbed a tiny little bit just to make sure. Remember, each stain looks different on different kinds of wood. I didn't have a sample board to test on, which would have been optimal, and thus had to test on the finish wood.

I then applied a small amount of Merlot (not pictured) and walked away to let the stain dry. It usually dries a bit lighter, like paint.

After I had chosen Traditional Cherry as my winner, I applied the stain in light coats. You want to make sure and use longer strokes so that the stain doesn't pool and dry leaving streaks. I applied 3 coats, let it dry over night and then applied 3 more coats the following day.
After another night of drying I applied a few coats of clear polyurethane to protect the wood from little sticky fingers.

 

First Impressions

I'm meeting someone for the first time today and I'm nervous. I generally feel out of my comfort zone during the first impression phase of a relationship.

Don't we all?

I deal with this stress by preparing in my mind a few topics to talk to them about because that oh-so awkward silence is really a downer during the first meeting. My son set me up for this. He has a friend at school and naturally they want to play outside on a gorgeous Friday afternoon in the sunshine.

This brings me to a lesson the Holy Spirit illuminated in my heart a few weeks ago. I was at church and had an awkward first meeting with someone. I knew them by name but had never met them face to face. Their reputation should have proceeded them but the first impression was bad. Bad jokes, cold body language and awkward silence. It was not until the first impression was burned into my memory that I connected their name and the information I previously knew about them, with that first meeting. I have always held this person in high esteem because of stories I have heard about them and positive relationships that others have with them. Odd that the two didn't seem to meet, until I realized the mirror God was holding up in front of my face.

I realized I act the same way- cold body language, awkward silence and bad first impressions. I do this because I have been hurt by community. Haven't we all? It's not a new story, it's an old wound that's still healing. I come into my day with the assumption that people know this, that they understand and that my stellar reputation should proceed me. I am dead wrong. People don't know our back stories, our history, or our pain and there is not a do-over when it comes to first impressions. They matter for a reason.

I can't live a day longer with the past tainting my new relationships. I am so thankful that God illuminated this. He really does renew our mind day by day when we listen. I am thankful that I have a new opportunity to make a new first impression today. Lord, help me not to waste these precious gifts.

7 [Book In Review] Chapter 7

Basic Review
This was my favorite chapter in the book, hands down. Month 7 was about fasting from the constant stress, and go, go, go mentality of our culture by slowing down to pray seven times a day. The author calls them, seven sacred pauses. She finds an outline, verses and a focus for each pause and prays accordingly throughout each day. It's harder than it sounds, trust me. We value the idea of resting, but we don't like interruptions. As she journals her experiences, she finds the first week to be monotonous. She says, "I ruined the first week with legalism, missing the exquisite opportunity to join God in the work of redemption. I knew Jesus was offering something wonderful, but my drift into legalism entropy is strong, people."
After reading this I decided to take heed. I've been following this mutiny against excess by fasting each area for one week, but I've decided that to truly learn from these seven daily pauses I need to extend my time here, lest I get caught up in the same legalism during the first week and miss the beauty of it all.



Favorite Thoughts From The Author
"Not only do I not take God's command for rest seriously, but I act like it's not in the Bible...This pace is not sustainable. I don't want it to be. This season of life is passing me by, accelerated by a lack of boundaries."Oh how true this is for me. Our pace in life is. so fast. We have small children, and there is always a mess to clean up and a mouth that's hungry, but when the author highlighted her lack of boundaries, I related. We have so many balls up in the air, and some of those are self inflicted. Extravagant birthday parties that take a week to prepare anyone? Home remodeling projects? The list goes on and on and I'm only talking about myself here. I act like this command is not in the Bible, and I am in disobedience. Thank you for listening to my confessional.

"Artists know the value of white space. Sometimes what isn't there enables us to see what is."

"In listening to the bell I am actually listening to an invitation for union with the Beloved. In answering the bell I am proclaiming by my actions that there is an even greater Love than the loving service I am performing." After the first week, she decides to set seven alarms on her phone to remind her of each pause during the day. She found this system to be helpful, and then took it a step further. It became a beckoning to spend time with the Father. Beautiful.

"Constant prayer interrupts our ego trips and disrupts our toxic trajectories."



Word(s) That Last
"There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live it is a Sabbath to the LORD." Lev. 23:3

"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefor, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience." Hebrews 4:9-11

"The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Mark 2:27

Lactose Intolerant?

I've dealt with lactose intolerance my entire life. Until recently, I either dealt with the bloating, gas and upset stomach or I refrained from eating dairy. Neither of these two options were a great answer.

Then I found a book called Real Food For Mother and Baby by Nina Planck. She describes this beautiful dance between the human body and real food, and in it I discovered I can eat dairy, if it's RAW.

Unpasteurized, un-homogenized, straight from the cow, raw milk, cheese, yogurt ect.

Raw dairy that has not been altered by our modern processing and packaging still contains these little live enzymes called lactase. It's these perfect little enzymes that enable to human body to digest the lactose. Thus, eliminating the lactose intolerance issue altogether.

I have found that I can drink an 8 ounce glass of milk, eat a hunk of cheese and a smoothie full of yogurt without suffering the effects that I used to have if I consume RAW dairy products. I find my milk from a local farmer, order cheese online and make my own yogurt in the crock pot using my raw milk.

You don't have to suffer any longer gassy Kathy. :)

Choosing To SEE by Mary Beth Chapman

Currently this book is on sale in the kindle edition for $2.99 at Amazon.


I've read the book and would absolutely recommend it to anyone going through personal loss of a loved one or grief of any kind. Mary Beth and her family share intimate details of the accident which resulted in the death of their elementary age daughter. You will laugh and cry and feel as if the Chapmans are your next door neighbors after reading this book. They exalt God in all of the pain and suffering and your heart will be imprinted with His love by their story.

7 [Book In Review] Chapter 6

Basic Review
"We're in the home stretch here, hang in there kids," is what I can imagine the author saying to her kids to encourage them to finish the goal. For the Hatmaker family, it has been 5 long months of fasting and this month is equally as challenging. The author describes her month of spending at 7 approved retailers.

1 farmer's market, 1 gas station, online bill pay,

 kid's school, emergency medical, Target, limited travel fund

Now she is a traveling speaker so if she wanted to "work" she would need to spend some money which is why that last one is thrown in there. They reduced all eating out, entertainment purchases and leisurely activities for the month and spent quality time with friends and neighbors in their homes. Also please keep in mind that giving and spending are completely different things so they continued to give away their money to those in need.


Favorite Thoughts From The Author
"What if wealth and indulgence are creating a polished people rotting from the inside out, without even knowing it? Jesus never utters a positive word about the wealthy, only tons of parables with us as the punch line and this observation: It is terribly hard for us to receive His kingdom, harder than shoving a camel through the eye of a needle...What if we are camels, on this side of the needle?" I know this topic of money can be controversial, but I'm not a blogger to shy away from controversy. My blog has tackled the topic of money a lot lately, read
                                                      Would You Turn Down 100k?
My point is, money can be so deceiving. I think it's only prudent to look ourselves straight in the heart and ask, am I a camel trying to get through the eye of a needle? No one can answer that question for you; it's between you and your Maker. But when we get to the Judgement seat, we will give an account for how we spent our wealth. "The 'my vote doesn't really count so why bother?' attitude that our generation loves won't fly when it's all said and done." If you don't believe your wealthy read, Blessed Beyond Mudcakes. We have been entrusted with a lot of money and resources in America. We consume 86% of the world's stuff. What if:

Annual US and European spending on perfume: $12 billion

Clean water for all global citizens: $9 billion

We could solve the water crisis if we put our minds to it collectively. I have a friend who is only eating rice and beans for the next 40 days to raise money for clean water in Africa. Check it out and give if you feel so obliged.

"When I look at the Earth's resources and all the humans it needs to sustain, I have to adopt an "as for me and my house" perspective on responsibility. Stewardship is like that...Just because I can have it doesn't mean I should." This is a thought process that I am trying to brainwash my children into adopting. Every time I tell them no, they ask if our bank account has run out of money. I find this question sometimes hilarious and other times discouraging because they have not learned the skill of self denial. They interpret my answer to mean that I cannot buy the item for them instead of I will not buy the item.

As the author sums up this month, she explains the connection between our social lives and consuming. I find this to be true in my own life as well. When we want to meet with a friend, or spend time with someone, we generally choose a meeting place outside of the home, thus perpetuating the cycle of spend, spend, spend. Where do we meet? Starbucks, Panera, Chipotle ect. As a body of Christ, we have successfully brainwashed ourselves into this rhythm. As the month wore on, the author found that she missed her friends because she was unable to meet at the gathering places for lunch and then it dawned on her that they could meet in a home, much like the early church in the book of Acts. She says, "This exits the expediency of consumerism and enters the realm of hospitality."

Word(s) That Last
"But the master said to him, "I know you Pharisees burnish the surface of your cups and plates so that they sparkle in the sun, but I also know your insides are maggoty with greed and secret evil. Stupid Pharisees! Didn't the One who made the outside also make the inside? Turn both your pockets and your hearts inside out and give generously to the poor; then your lives will be clean, not just your dishes and your hands.
I've had it with you. You're hopeless, you Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickle and dime you get, but manage to find loopholes for getting around basic matters of justice and God's love." Luke 11:37-42 Msg

Can $5 make a difference?

Yes it can.

There is a water crisis in Africa. Women spend up to 3 hours per day just retrieving water for their families and most of it is not clean.

I have a personal friend who is eating only rice and beans for  Lent to raise awareness and money. Visit her blog to read her journey. Can you give just $5 today? It does make a difference.

MyCharityWater.Org

   

7 [Book In Review] Chapter 5

Basic Reiview
Month 5 is all about a reduction of waste. You know the mantra, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It's being hammerred into my elementary kids heads with force through the efforts of the public school system which brings me to an interesting point; we who love God with our whole heart have gotten a reputation as Earth trashers. The author relays a quote she found on twitter, "Today is Earth Day, or as conservative evangelicals call it, Thursday." Part of this statement is true, in the fact that I have only been recycling for a few years in comaprrison to my lengthier walk with the LORD. In my elementary public school days, we didn't know what recycling was, or how to recycle at school. We are progressing by the generations. I hope that we can shed this reputation and gain some ground among our Earth loving friends as compatible. Back to the book review. The Hatmakers adopted seven habits for a geener life encompasing a fast from consumption. They included: gardening, composting, conserving energy and water, recycling, driving only 1 car, shopping second hand, buying local.

Favorite Thoughts From The Author
"I'm done separating ecology from theology, pretending they don't originate from the same source."
Simply stated, if we love God, we should honor His creation by stewarding it with care.

"What does it mean to be a godly consumer? Can we unlearn our destructive habits and reimagine a way to live lighter on this Earth? What if we changed our label from 'consumers' to 'stewards'? Would it change the way we shop? The way we think?" I really have given my habits over to God in this area and I want to continue to do so daily. Within the past 3 years, we've started recycling, rid our home of all paper products excluding toilet paper, cuz that's just gross, started shopping at the farmer's market in the summer, started a garden, and only buy second hand clothing for the kids.

I did get a little slack from my parents on the lack of paper products. When they come to visit they just don't buy into the idea of sharing the 4 washable napkins on the table. I think it's kinda fun to watch them squirm. My Dad asked me how I cook bacon without paper towels and I laughed alittle, but it really is an easy transition once you get used to it.

We use reusable lunch boxes but I hope to add in reusable baggies. They make cloth ones that are washable and kinda cool looking. We also buy local milk from a farmer. The jars are washed and returned each week which decreases our carbon footprint and we get to support a local farmer!
I have a favorite second hand kids clothing sale I shop twice a year and I LOVE IT. I've found it saves me time throughout the rest of the year to only shop in the Spring and Fall.

Gardening, composting and farmer's markets are of course seasonal here in the Midwest so once the spring time hits I plan on starting a compost bin in the back yard. I think conserving energy and water and buying local are the areas where I need more transformation. Lord, help me.

"I don't want to raise ignorant little consumers who think food is from the fridge where produce angels magically deposit it. Appreciating creation means learning what it is capable of producing." This idea really hit home for me last year. I have a few friends who are foodies, and consequently they garden and even help tend to other people's farms for free crops. My kids were able to go a few times to a farm to help and my daughter really loved it. I wanted my kids to understand the natural and cyclical process of planting, tending and harvesting so we started a garden last Spring.
I used a book about square foot gardening and the concepts within because I am totally clueless about this topic. It not only helped me simplify gardening, but organize it as well. We grew lettuce and swiss chard in abundance, and everything else was eaten before fruition by the deer. Lot's of salads and nothing to top them with, ay yi yi. This year I intend to try harder at keeping those pesky deer away but my kids enjoyed it and were introduced to God's creation through gardening.
The author's garden was 15x15, and mine is 12x12. It really does not take a lot of space at all!

Word(s) that Last
"The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters." Psalm 24:1-2

7 [Book In Review] Chapter 4

Basic Review
How many screens did the Hatmaker family have in their home to fast from? Um, a lot, 18 but we have 7 and who's to say?

Chapter four is all about media reduction; from gaming systems to TV and computer screens, and the entire family fasted from all of it. She says that this is not a revolutionary concept, we all know media has taken over our family life and our boundaries are becoming less and less.
"Researchers say there is an evolutionary rationale for the pressure this barrage puts on the brain. The lower brain functions alert humans to danger, like a nearby lion, overriding goals like building a hut. In the modern world, the chime of an incoming e-mail can override the goal of writing a business plan or playing catch with the children."
 I think my primitive brain is functioning just fine, isn't that the way God created it to work? Why do I need to rewire it and confuse it with non-priorities?

I invite you to fast with me. Turn it all off for a week, and walk humbly.

From this media fast the Hatmaker family found new rhythms like cooking together, reading, taking walks, and porch time with friends. Sounds nice right?

In January 2011 my husband and I gave away our TV. We did it in hopes of benefitting our family time. I also felt super convicted by God to stop the input of fornication into my mind. So, my husband and I went cold turkey while the kids lost PBS (we've never had cable) and they continued watching their cartoons on Netflix on our desktop. At first it was hard, and like we've learned from the first three chapters in this book, I learned what was important to me after it had been taken away. I went through a slight Grey's Anatomy widthdrawl. I considered going online just to read the plot story for each episode, but I resisted. It was the best decision I have ever made for my marriage. At the absence of fornification, I found more freedom in intimacy in my marriage. Hmm, strange correlation huh? When we make room for God and His ways and create healthy boundaries in our lives set by Him, we recieve more fully what He has always intended for us.

In November 2011 we bought a TV because we really missed renting movies and watching them at home. Oddly enough, I did not miss the regular TV programming. We had the TV for 3 whole weeks before our 2 year old broke the plasma screen. (Yes, we had to breathe through that one.) After regretting a gigantic waste of money we vowed to never buy a TV again and some friends of ours offered us their used one so at least we have our movie option back. I tell you all of this to say, going on a media fast for a week, a month, a year is worth it. The benefits will outweigh the sacrafice.

Favorite Thoughts From The Author
"We have to deal with rather than anesthetizing tension with TV or video games. It's easier to bypass relational snags with a convenient distraction, forfeiting the chance to improve problem solving and listening skills. I don't want my kids to be more comfortable interacting with a computer screen than a human being." I am so guilty when it comes to this. My kids fight, like all normal siblings, and I have found (especially when Daddy is out of town) that it is way easier to deal with life, squabbles and tension between them if I anesthetize them with a media outlet. Pray for me friends. If I can change my value system to making problem solving, forgiveness and communication a higher priority than peace, it will benefit them in their adult lives.

"Without noise and static, I'm learning about that walk humbly part...It's in the walking humbly part that God trains me for acting justly and loving mercy...Plenty of people enact justice without devotion to Jesus." I've really been aware of this lately. There are A LOT of justice movements and anyone with a compassionate heart would agree this is good. But, to walk humbly, enact justice and love mercy because of what Jesus did for us on the cross is a completely different motivation and mission altogether.

Word(s) that Last
"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

How Do You Eat An Elephant?

Are you overwhelmed with too much stuff?

My mom always tells me, to eat my elephant one bite at a time.

Just start. Take a bite. Something will be more clean, more organized, more managable if you just take one bite.

We live the life of a consumer, and then we wonder how we get buried in stuff. For Lent, let's stop consuming and buy only what's necessary to live. When we make room in our lives for Him, he fills us.


Read more here.

7 [Book In Review] Chapter 3

Basic [Review]
Chapter 3 is a summary of the author's reduction of STUFF. Yep, we all have it, and probably way too much of it at that. She reduces her and her family's stuff by giving it away, 7 items per day for an entire month. The concept of this chapter is not difficult. Give to the needy. If I have excess of anything, then I can give it to someone who needs it. She makes a beeline for Jesus and his heart for the poor during this month and I loved reading about it.
As I journey through this book, I've been taking one week to fast on each topic and so far it's been challenging and so beneficial. I presume this coming week to be the same.

Favorite Thoughts From The Author
"I serve a Savior who finds a way to get pink purses to homeless six-year-old girls."
 As I read about her church and their service to the homeless population I was inspiried. The author and her friends took food and clothing on Easter to give away. Eight of her own purses, and really, how many purses does one woman need? Anyways, she tells of a story where all of the purses had been taken except for this tiny ity bity pink purse; no one wanted it. Eventually a little girl claimed it as her own and the little girl was beyond excited about it. It just speaks to how much Jesus cares for the desires of our hearts.

"At the close of the service I watched all these smiling people gladly walk barefooted out into the cold and I heard Jesus whisper: This is how I want my church to look. I want her to rip her shoes off of her feet every single chance she gets...A barefooted church." I loved this story because it reminded me of a worship service I have experienced. I was at a women's conference in Omaha and it was the final morning of the weekend. After singing to the Lord, a woman walked up to the alter and explained to the leader how she felt compelled by Jesus to give away her shoes. The leader obviously was suprised by this but decided to let the Holy Spirit move freely. As the leader stood at the alter trying to give the shoes away to a recipient who's feet would fit into them, the offerings and sacrafices started to flow. One by one, each woman brought something of value up to the alter to give to Jesus; shoes, purses, jewlery, gift cards, cash. There was a giveaway that was planned for that morning so the leader started drawing names out of it to find the recipients of each of the treasures.

Now as a young stay at home mom, I had someone pay for my ticket to be at the conference, and I had spent all of my extra money on a babysitter, roughly $80.00 for the entire conference. I literally had nothing to give but I had my daughter with me that morning and wanted to be a good example for her. As the names were being drawn out of the hat, the leader stopped and started crying because she knew my situation. Someone had given a $100 bill and my name had been drawn to recieve it. I knew then that God takes care of those in need. As the giving had started to come to a close, everyone's name had eventually been drawn from the basket. That's how generous the Spirit had led the giving. There was one name left, and one gift left. My daughter's name was drawn for a tube of pink lipgloss which was the only gift that day that would have made her heart go pitter patter.
That experience reminds me that Jesus wants to woo our hearts to himself. Nothing is too silly.

"Giving away is somehow sacred, connecting to the sacraficial heartbeat of Jesus...When God told us to give, I suspect He had spiritual formation in mind as much as much as meeting needs...The church is not beyond the movement of Jesus. A stirring is happening within the Bride...As Jesus explained, the right things have to die so that the right things can live-we die to selfishness, greed, power, accumulation, prestige, and self-preservation giving life to community, generosity, compassion, mercy, brotherhood, kindness and love." May we yield to the transformating power of the Spirit as we learn to give.

Word(s) that Last
"Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." Matthew 6:19

Works For Me Wednesday

I found this video on a blog that I follow. I thought it tied in well with how the Holy Spirit has been moving on my heart lately. Someone once  described the Holy Spirit's leading as a symphony playing a song. We all have the same sheet music, we are all watching the Director, but the sounds we are making are different because we play different instruments at different times. All in tune, all together, one song: that's the leading of the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ.


Interview w. Money Saving Mom Part 2 from Chris Seay on Vimeo.

7 [Book In Review] Chapter 2

Can I just admit to you that as I was sitting in Panera reading this chapter alone in my booth I was literally laughing out loud. In public, by myself, and yes it was that funny that I just couldn't help it. Jen Hatmaker is not only going after this with her whole heart, she's hilarious in the process being honest to the core.

Basic [Review]

This month the author fasted clothing. She reported to the reader that she has 327 articles to choose from in her closet. When I read this, it made me curious, and curious enough that I counted my own closet: 176. (Give or take a few because I was counting quickly.) I've posted this picture before for a bedroom makeover. I would be hard pressed to fit any more than that in this space, so possibly my less than number is only a matter of space and not greed, just so we don't get caught in the trap of comparison here. Her 7 articles of clothing for the month were:

jeans, long sleeve tee, 2 short sleeve tees, knit capri pants, dress shirt, shoes

My choices for next week's fast will be similar because it's very practical and Valentine's Day is coming up so I need that fancy dress shirt for my date. (Insert irony) Overall, the author walked away with the realization that we as a culture justify every purchase with a micro explanation of why we need the item. No one really cares what we are wearing and we over obsess and overspend. We could wear a 

                                                                     fraction of the clothes in our closets and our charmed lives would still. be. the. same.

Favorite Thoughts From The Author
"To discover what matters to you, take it away and see where the chips actually fall." I would describe myself as a minimalist, but I think 176 articles would beg to differ. Try to take one of those away and I would give a good argument to keep it. This book has allowed me to take an honest look at myself, because the author was so honest with herself and the reader.

 "When we hear fast we put on the yoke of self-denial. When God said 'fast,' He meant to take off the yoke of oppression. The Isaiah 58 fast is not about the mechanics of abstinence; it is a fast from self-obsession, greed, apathy and elitism." My husband likes to say that the biggest thing we need to guard our hearts from as Americans is the gentle soothing rock of apathy. The enemy likes to get us comfortable in our environments and then just rock us to sleep like a baby. We love it because our lives are so plush and comfy and it's hard to continually die to ourselves.


"Perhaps an obsessive occupation with dresses and hair and shoes detracts us from the point of the gathering: a fixation on Jesus."  The author is speaking about the meaning behind church and worship gatherings, but it struck me that she has an amazing community of friends doing life with her. I honestly think if I could Facebook her now, I would ask her if her council members had a secret ploy to bail their friend out of her fast at least once during each month just to give her some relief. During chapter 1, they invite her to an Ethiopian restaurant to eat, clearly breaking her 7 foods fast and during chapter 2, her husband and her friend both gift her with meaningful necklaces which she adorned for the duration of the month. I think it's awesome that she has a community of friends around her who care about her enough to come alongside her and give her some relief. It makes me yearn to be in community again. I'm doing this all alone, (husband excluded) and this is the second time God has highlighted this in my heart this week.


Word(s) that Last
Speaking about Jesus, the scriptures say, "He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrow, and familiar with suffering."  
Isaiah 53:2

 "Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loosen the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" Isaiah 58: 6-7 
As we go on to fast other areas in our lives during the next 5 weeks, I pray this scripture becomes more alive and rich in our hearts.

Food On Your Face Pt: 3

Since November I've been following the Oil Cleansing Method in hopes of clearing away acne.
Read Part 1 & Part 2 for more details...

Here's the update: Better!

 I've reduced my ratio of castor oil to grapeseed oil and it's been less harsh on my face.  (1: 9)

I read the castor oil cleanses and dries out the skin and I have extremely dry skin so I need all the moisture I can get sister!

 I still have minor problem areas, but I'm gonna stick to this ratio and give it time. Another thing that has helped tremendously is switching to mineral powder as a foundation. I use Alima Pure and it just so happens they are having a 20% off sale. I love their make-up because it is light and free of all those nasty harmful chemicals.

Blessed Beyond Mudcakes

After the last post, you may be wondering if I followed through with my fast for the week, and indeed, I have so far. Monday started off with a physical from my life insurance company requiring an 8 hour fast prior to 8:30 am so it was well timed. My 7 foods that I chose were:

 eggs, bread, chicken, yogurt, apples, berries & green beans while drinking water or black coffee

 My main objective in this is not to copy the author, Jen Hatmaker, but to soften my heart towards God. Like she said in her book, "The concept of reduction was never further away than my next meal. This held me fast to the heart of Jesus." 


So what does this have to do with Mudcakes? A strange connection, but oh so relevant. Last week while I was praying about starting this fast, I was at a weekly Bible study and one of my friends was sharing about a recent missions trip to Haiti. As she was sharing, she held up a baggie with a mudcake inside. She told us how the women feed their children mud mixed with salt and oil because it fills up their children's tummies and it's better than the alternative, starvation. My heart was so moved by this, that I went home to share the story with my family. I explained to my children how blessed they are to have a refridgerator full of options and I showed them this picture.

National Geographic

Because of this reality happening in Haiti today, I feel compelled to do something; what I am unsure of. I need my heart to be pliable, open to the Lord's leading. I find the reduction of foods to be monotonous. I like my options as an American, but when I think of these mudcakes, I repent and immediately my heart is turned towards gratitude because I am beyond blessed. 7 foods for 7 days would be a feast in Haiti. Changing my mindset and heart as an American would be a miracle. Lord, have your way.

7 [Book In Review] Chapter 1

If I could sum up my feelings in 1 word about this book it would be Fascinating.

But I'm a blogger with a head full of words so that's impossible. But really, all around, I just love this book so far.
The writer is vulnerable, witty and does not mince words with her intentions to follow Jesus.

In the following weeks, I will process my own thoughts about these chapters and be a smidgin less vulnerable than she. For some background, read this introduction.

Basic [Review]

To start off this review I thought it was necessary to tell you that the woman gave up coffee people! Four weeks, caffeine free while still living normal life and tending to daily responsibilities. My hat's off to her for that and for the smorgasboard of of other foods she fasted. During the first month, she choose 

7 foods to eat: chicken, eggs, whole-wheat bread, sweet potatoes, spinach, avacados & apples.

Her diary during these four weeks is hilarious and of course thought provoking. Because of her very real desire to become more like Jesus, I am considering a similar fast for the next seven days. I honestly can't remember the last time I fasted. I always have a very logical reason not to including pregnancy and nursing and the like, but I find my Spirit hungry for more of Him. When we empty ourselves and surrender to Jesus, He fills us. It's a clear cause and effect of fasting found in the Bible. I totally identified with this quote, "I'm at a place where 'well done' trumps 'well said'...Obedience inspires me. Servant leaders inspire me. Humility inspires me. Talking heads dissecting apologetics stopped inspiring me a few years ago." If you can relate to this, we are 2 peas in a pod.

Favorite Thoughts From The Author

·         “I am pierced by Ghandi’s astute observation: ‘I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.’” To become more like Jesus is to be the light of the world.

"I wept for all of my children tonight, my Ethiopian children orphaned by disease or hunger or poverty who will go to bed with no mother tonight and my biological children who will battle American complacency and overindulgence for the rest of their lives. I don’t know who I feel worse for.” This really hit home for me this morning. One of my sons was rejecting a bowl full of cereal because the milk just didn't look right to him. As my mind reviewed all that I had read, I was instantly frustrated because my children also fall into the category or overindulgent as do I. My son had no idea how much food he was wasting on the premise of looks because he had had a full belly all night as he slept. She gave statistics of just how rich we are in America and I need my thought processes revamped in a big way. I already have everything I need.

·         “The concept of reduction was never further away than my next meal. This held me fast to the heart of Jesus. Just as a forty-day fast inaugurated his public ministry, this month has paved the way.” As the author prepares herself for the next month of fasting, she expresses her gratitude that she started with the topic of food. Food is so woven into our daily lives that a person would be hard pressed to "forget" they are fasting. My heart of compassion was really stirred for my husband after reading this chapter. He was just recently diagnosed with multiple food allergies leaving meat and veggies on the menu. She reduced her diet for one month; his has been reduced permanently until God heals him.

Word(s) That Last

“He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them He was hungry.” Luke 4:2

Jesus fasted for 40 days, I'm pretty sure I can survive on 7 foods for a week. Prayers accepted!

“You diligently study the scriptures because you think by them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” John 5:39-40

I can know all about a person by reading an autobiography, but I still wouldn't actually know their inner workings. In this same way, I believe I have know about Jesus for a very long time, but it's not until recently that I have come to relate to Him as an actual person who walked on the dirt of this Earth.

“Jesus, may there be less of me and my junk and more of you and your kingdom. I will reduce so He can increase.”

Works For Me Wednesday

Do your kids ever wake you up in the middle of the night asking for a drink of water? Mine did, especially during the cold & flu season when the furnace is on for the majority of the night and their little throats were dry and sore.
As I parent, I don't mind sacrificing sleep for a newborn, but I get a little grouchy in the middle of the night when woken up for any other reason, which brings me to my tip of the day!

 Necessity is the mother of invention.

 Store a full water bottle in your refrigerator at night and give your older kids full permission to get out of bed to access it for themselves.

That blue water bottle to the right in the picture is a Sport Berkey. The black thing floating in the bottom is a water filter, which allows me to essentially store water in it. The water is filtered as the user sucks through the straw, giving freshly filtered water on demand. Trust me when I say that this water bottle is the favorite in our house. We only have one, and I plan on ordering more because it's just kinda gross to all chug from the same spout! 

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess [Book In Review]

 

I WON! I'm so excited to start reading this book. In it, Jen Hatmaker details her own social experiment on her self (family included) against the materialism and consumerism that runs rampant in American society. The basic idea begins with an unrest within her self regarding the greed, comfort, irresponsibility and plain old self-centeredness she was feeling. She decides to confront it. She chooses 7 areas that need change desperately: food, clothes, possessions, media, waste, spending, and stress. I know these ring true for me as well. She begins a journey where she limits herself for one month in the given area, essentially she fasts.We get an inside glimpse of her daily thoughts and feelings during this time of fasting. It's a brave move on her part to be so vulnerable. She says, "7 will be an exercise in simplicity with one goal: to create space for God's kingdom to break through."

I love to read auto biographies and this book falls into that category.
I plan on giving a book review each Friday, one chapter at a time. I hope to share my own thoughts and my family's real life change that organically sprouts from it. Every book we read influences us somehow; to think not is naive. So join me as I read her social experiment and journey through my own. To order this book for yourself go to Amazon

 

  A big thanks to Lisa from Life is Crazy Beautiful for the giveaway!

 www.lifeiscrazybeautiful.com

Works for Me Wednesday

Would you pick up a twenty dollar bill if it was lying on the ground? How about if someone gave it to you? I would, and that's why I coupon, it's free money. If you can replace the image of that $1.00 off coupon with the image of a dollar bill, it would seem more motivating.

I was in the grocery checkout line this morning and I had a large cart full of groceries. Naturally, there was only one cashier and my load was taking a long time to get through. A line was forming and the cashier was getting nervous and frantic trying to go faster but consequently making more mistakes along the way trying to do so. I felt for the guy.

 As the last item was being scanned, I handed him my coupons and you could almost hear the silent groans from the people behind me, but I made no apologies. The lady behind me had been on her cell phone the entire time, and just as she ended the call she commented, "oh an extreme couponer." I ignored her because I honestly couldn't decipher if she was upset or excited about the situation. Then she said it again, and this time I looked at her and smiled because she was obviously talking TO me.
Then she said, "I wish I could do that." I wanted to say,

 You Can

but as the cashier was handing me my receipt and the line was growing impatient, I just smiled. I thought about this as I drove home. I had used a total of 8 coupons. That is not extreme couponing by any stretch of the imagination. It takes about 5 minutes to cut out the coupons in the Sunday paper and another ten minutes to read the weekly ads to match up sales with coupons. I wanted to tell her to stop thinking she's defeated before she even starts. 

 8 coupons

15 minutes

 20 dollars saved

 You can do it!

I'm participating in a link up party where we share an encouraging word or tip for the day. To see a full list of the blogs that are participating, visit Wearethatfamily.

Psalm 63:1

For the past 15 weeks my kids have been memorizing scripture. It's a new verse every week and as a reward they earn a dollar.  Yes, paying children to learn the Bible might be controversial in your opinion, but it works at our house, and the fact that they have the WORD hidden in their hearts is far more valuable to me than the $15.00 they have earned. Memorization is a lost art isn't it?

 This is the verse for this week and as we were talking it through my daughter made a comment that really made an impression on my heart. She asked why we earnestly search for God. My logical answer is because we want to find Him. But she was revealing something about her relationship with the Father that was so precious to me. She told me that we don't need to search for Him because He is always with us, "walking with us and in our hearts" were her exact words. Wow, that blessed my heart.

This Psalm was written by David while he was in the wilderness of Judah speaking about his desire for God's presence, provision and protection. Obviously David had felt from time to time that he had somehow lost God and needed a reunion of the soul. He felt far from God. My daughter isn't familiar with this feeling of being far from God, and for that I am thankful. Every now and then, I remind my kids on the way to school in the morning that Jesus goes with them. As a parent I can only smile at the fact that this truth has sunk in! So as you go about your day today, try to remind yourself of the lyrics in the old hymn,

In The Garden

---

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.