tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75085514539277935802024-02-07T20:07:11.511-08:00Oregon-MamaOregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.comBlogger186125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-49415266058048084772014-07-08T11:56:00.000-07:002014-07-08T11:56:38.661-07:00Three (Cheap!) Little Gadgets You Won't Want to Miss!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPd_Our9lL9PHmERHNUJlqVqfIJXiylb89d5uqvrm48zi_0IFD_pdcEUIVo-vAmU_k99x1cqd68ea0n2TaZbxZLJ3taxG23_Ako-XLRG8aaasZ3o6BQ-8lrwgAIRQHA5kkufs1OCwz5TEb/s1600/IMG_5568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPd_Our9lL9PHmERHNUJlqVqfIJXiylb89d5uqvrm48zi_0IFD_pdcEUIVo-vAmU_k99x1cqd68ea0n2TaZbxZLJ3taxG23_Ako-XLRG8aaasZ3o6BQ-8lrwgAIRQHA5kkufs1OCwz5TEb/s1600/IMG_5568.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've discovered three things recently that have knocked my socks off with their "wowness" factor by either making a project (or dinnertime) way easier than it would've otherwise been, or by just simply saving me time and effort. These three little gadgets have made such an impact on my domestic life, that I just HAD to take a moment to share them with you! I cannot wait for you to be as equally impressed!<br />
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Up first... Steel Wool.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vBcBvuSMdYWPtanzaJx15w_jvIjzRMrcqWhMc3dXz219xZUwJV4jXGrr-qDRnSoTdMwc717JiRQTHQi7zi8MaeU8o6s7rxOVpFREEEiUw_RqG1IdA-KR9OTSc9B7PxNznqWJJoUfWoQ9/s1600/IMG_5566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vBcBvuSMdYWPtanzaJx15w_jvIjzRMrcqWhMc3dXz219xZUwJV4jXGrr-qDRnSoTdMwc717JiRQTHQi7zi8MaeU8o6s7rxOVpFREEEiUw_RqG1IdA-KR9OTSc9B7PxNznqWJJoUfWoQ9/s1600/IMG_5566.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
So, it all started when I bought a rusty old cast iron skillet for $5 at a favorite thrift store. I looked up how to restore/refinish it on Pinterest, and it called for a couple of items including...steel wool. I headed to the Dollar Store, bought a pack of steel wool "balls" in a three-pack (for $1!) and began the de-rusting, de-greasing, and de-junking of my new skillet. After letting the pan soak in oven cleaner for a few days, I grabbed one of the steel wool balls and began to scour the pan (I had never used steel wool before because I'd always shied away from the shiny balls of scratchy metal coils afraid of what they might do to any surface they touched) something miraculous happened: with hardly any effort or "elbow grease" the gunk was literally melting off the pan! I pulled a few cookie sheets and baking dishes out of the drawer that had been covered in layers of black "tar" (grease drippings, burnt marinades, etc.) that hadn't even budged under the pressure of my blue scouring sponges or the heat of my dishwasher, just to see what would happen, and I almost passed out: the black stuff just scrubbed right off...good as new! This opened a whole new world of cleaning power to me! I felt invincible! Suddenly, things that I had never been able to get <i>really</i> clean seemed do-able! I boiled some water in my tea kettle, poured a thin layer of the steaming hot water onto the surface of my stove, let it sit for a minute or two, and then rubbed those stubborn crusty stains right off! My stove looked cleaner than it had in...forever! I was thrilled! Those little metal balls have become my best friend in the kitchen! In fact, my old blue scouring sponges now make me laugh just a little. Sure, they might soap up the dishes, or wipe off the counter well, but when it comes to getting tough gunk off of anything...steel wool is the way to go. (<i>But do make sure to test any new surface before scouring away as steel wool can scratch some surfaces)</i><br />
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Secret Weapon #2: A Painting Edger<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACKTuzfzChK5972KwITP1IuKTfTe_JCAzFUnywVnm_1iXSOsryf-_2yPjeQcGYKoU42dB-MUqwxcJ1Ie34PlZvqGE9NlL2d9uvYlPzoThGNXjazPKxWMQofxD3qlJ87y8OaBbs3bxuNEI/s1600/IMG_5565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACKTuzfzChK5972KwITP1IuKTfTe_JCAzFUnywVnm_1iXSOsryf-_2yPjeQcGYKoU42dB-MUqwxcJ1Ie34PlZvqGE9NlL2d9uvYlPzoThGNXjazPKxWMQofxD3qlJ87y8OaBbs3bxuNEI/s1600/IMG_5565.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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A few months ago I decided to paint our laundry room. We've lived in this house for almost 8 years, and although we've painted most of the walls in our home, the laundry room had remained a stained up, yucky off-white color, riddled with unused nail holes and lots of scratches. It had bothered me for years, and it was time to do something about it. I picked out a lovely purplish grey color (unappetizingly called "Wet Concrete"), took the time to tape the molding and light switches, and began to paint. Usually my husband has done most of the paint work, but this project was all me. And amazingly, I got most of it done! But although I had rolled the paint nearly up to the ceiling (or as close as I could comfortably get without actually hitting the roller ONTO the ceiling), there was about a 2 inch strip of white paint at the very top that still needed painted. And for a few months, that's how it sat. And I started to wonder if I was ever going to finish it. Because once you lose your painting groove, it's hard to get it back. And honestly, I just didn't know how to DO that part! Do I tape the entire ceiling? Do I do it by hand with a tiny brush! How painstaking! I don't have time for that! I was mentioning my unfinished painting woes to a friend (a friend who happens to be a domestic goddess - seriously, Martha Stewart would be impressed with what this girl's got going on) and she nonchalantly explained to me the secret weapon of painting: a $2.97 red plastic painting edger, conveniently located in the painting section of your local hardware store. She explained to me the beautiful simplicity of this tool. It's a little plastic square, with a flat brush/sponge on the back, and wheels on one side. You gently set this miracle worker, brush side down, into your paint, (don't push it down, just rest it gently on the top of your paint so it gets a nice thin coat on the brush), then position it with the wheels against the wall or area you DON'T want painted (so for me, I had the wheels against the ceiling), and just glide it along! I started in one corner, went along that wall, re-dipped, went along the next wall, re-dipped, finished the third wall...and the fourth. I had finished the entire room - with a PERFECT straight edged line - in less than five minutes!!! In fact, it worked so well that I realized I may never have to mess with that silly blue tape again! This thing is so great (and covers a good 3-4'' of space) that you can literally paint the main area without taping anything and then just go around the edges with this handy tool to finish everything up! And less than THREE DOLLARS, folks! It's a no-brainer!<br />
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And finally, the easy dinner solution: Pre-packaged, vacuum-packed, Organic Sourdough loaves from Costco.<br />
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We were strolling down the bread aisle at Costco a few months ago, and on one of the end caps, they had something new: a three pack bundle of Organic Sourdough bread loaves. The bundle of three separately packaged loaves was about $7. A little over $2 per loaf, but they were good sized loaves, so we figured it was worth it. Because the best part: they are sealed in air-tight packaging that has had all the oxygen pulled out which means these loaves don't last just days (like the ones we usually buy fresh from the bakery only to find them hard and dried out if not used up the next day), they don't even last weeks...these bad boys last up to several MONTHS. Fresh bread, at your fingertips, for MONTHS. No more having to call Robert on his way home to have him pick up a loaf of bread (such a hassle for one item!), no, now I have fresh bread on hand for every meal! I simply cut open a package, pop the loaf into the oven for 8 minutes to warm it up, and voila! Like I baked it myself! Perfect with soup, and the next day I slice up what's left and use it to make the best french toast you've ever tasted. So now when we go to Costco, I usually buy two or even three bundles knowing that I can use them as-needed and that they won't go bad for MONTHS! And they're amazingly delicious, too! Win, win!<br />
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So. Those three little things have literally revolutionized my ability to clean, paint, and make dinner. Less fuss, less money, and way more convenience. It truly is amazing how sometimes just having the right tool really makes the job easier. You can get all three of those things for about $10 TOTAL, and if time is money, then it's most likely the best $10 you'll ever spend.<br />
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Let me know which "tool" works best for you! And if I come across any other miracle workers...I'll be sure to let you know!<br />
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Love,<br />
Holly Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-40187248555217788422014-07-01T21:45:00.002-07:002014-07-01T22:12:30.820-07:00HOME-steading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I dream about the day I'll have an old farmhouse on a piece of land where our kids can run around, we can have chickens roaming free, laundry drying on a clothesline in the warm, summer, sun, and where each morning I can shuffle into the kitchen, brew the coffee, and make fried eggs with gifts bestowed to us from our very own pretty hens. I have every intention of being a homesteader: learning how to sew (more than a simple pillowcase or Christmas stocking), how to can and preserve my own foods (grown by me, of course!), even learn how to milk my own cows and goats, pluck and cook my own chicken, and how to knit, among other farmy domestic affairs. The thought of bright early mornings, roosters crowing, warm wool sweaters, and duties around the home and garden that keep us happily busy from sun-up till sun-down makes my heart pound. I just love the very thought of it.</div>
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But for now...we live in a 3 bedroom house, in a cookie-cutter neighborhood, with houses on each side, so close, I'm pretty sure our neighbors can hear not only what we're saying, but even what we're thinking. I also find myself routinely embarrassed when I haphazardly stumble to my kitchen window half asleep and realize I've left my nursing tank open or when I pass by my bedroom window while getting ready for bed and realize I have no pants on and my "bedroom-side" neighbor (a young single lady, thankfully) is sitting in her living room having to see me - yet again - practically naked. Actually, she's probably seen me completely naked. Oh, hello neighbor! Poor gal. I just don't think about these things when I'm (breast)feeding babies and chasing toddlers and trying to get a million things done at once. See - a house on my own land with no neighbors in earshot (or sight) would benefit quite a few people actually! Our yard is nice; we've made quite a few improvements over the years that have really made it feel more comfortable including a bigger deck, raised garden beds (that my loving husband built himself), a taller, nicer fence to give us more privacy, and this year we added a huge patio umbrella and a covered patio swing to give us shade so we could enjoy eating all of our summer dinners outside. It helps, but it doesn't change the fact that our yard is a rather small square of grass, bordered by an alleyway and lots and lots of other houses. Standing on my back deck I can literally see into about 4 or 5 other people's homes. And when they're out in their garages, I can also hear almost every single word they say. Again, my apologies to my neighbors for the squealing, screaming, and dog barking that must seem to be on constant surround sound from our yard. </div>
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My husband and I are both only children (I have a few step-siblings, but they were older teenagers when our parents married, and not really living at home). We both grew up eating out a lot, shopping a lot, traveling a lot, and just generally doing a lot of life away from home. As adults, those have been hard habits to break. Even having triplets didn't slow us down! We boat, we fly, we camp, we road-trip. We shop and eat out way too much. Basically, we've been trying to maintain a lifestyle that just isn't really practical with four young children. It's "do-able", but it's hard. And people get grumpy. And everyone gets tired. So Robert and I started talking about it and we realized that it's really hard to parent well on-the-go. Nap times get missed, children get in trouble for doing things that aren't really "wrong" just socially unacceptable in the grown-up situation we've forced them into or from the fact that they've been in a car too long or on a plane too long, or are just generally tired of having to act like little adults seated quietly at a restaurant table rather than being able to just run around or make a little noise! I'm not saying it's wrong to teach children how to behave well in these situations (ours are surprisingly well-trained and practically bred for such events - ha!), but that maybe these situations shouldn't be the norm of their lives. At least that's what we've decided for us. And because we are hoping the Lord chooses to bless us with more children, it's probably better that we begin to accept and embrace this reality before even more little people are added to the brood!</div>
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Surprisingly, though, I feel a sense of calm and even excitement about spending more time at home. It doesn't mean we won't ever travel or eat out, but that the majority of our life, our free-time, our meal times, will be spent together...at home. Where the kids can run and play and be kids, and where rather than trying to parent in difficult, shifting situations, there will be a certain consistency to our schedules and routines. We have chosen to <i>home</i>-school our children, and even that is better done when our lives are lived, you guessed it: at <i>home</i> rather than constantly "busy" with too many activities here and there, too many errands, too many nights out. Only by establishing a norm of "home-ness" can we really commit to setting aside the proper time and attention to sitting down and learning our lessons. I've spent my whole life filling my days with activities and errands and "doing, doing, doing" and now I feel like I'm at a place in my life that I just want to be home. Slow mornings, time to deep clean different parts of the house. Time to swing on our new patio swing with the kids and enjoy the few months of warm sunshine we enjoy each year here in the high desert. Time to snuggle each child, share a conversation or a story. Less rush. Less stuff. Less "doing" and more <i>living</i>. I want to cultivate in our children a love for the simple things, things that honor God and build relationship: a walk to the park, tending the garden, visiting an elderly neighbor, spending time singing songs together as a family. It's a new pace for us, and I'm excited about its possibilities.</div>
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I hope that one day our homesteading will be in the more traditional sense, on land, living a more self-sustainable lifestyle with room to romp and roam. But for now, I will be content with our tiny yard, our (super) close neighbors, and our gaggle of giggling children...right here...at home.<br />
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(This post is part of the Wise Woman link-up!)</div>
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<a _blank="" href="http://www.awisewomanbuildsherhome.com/"><img alt="a-wise-woman-builds-her-home" border="0" src="http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt60/junefuentes/mombutton1med_zpsbce98aed.jpg" /></a>Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-3585568268999279142014-06-10T00:16:00.001-07:002014-06-10T00:55:55.997-07:00God, The Father<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My husband and I are reading a most excellent book about the trinity, <u>Delighting in the Trinity, An Introduction to the Christian Faith</u> by Michael Reeves. I've been a Christian for as long as I can remember, and have always known and accepted the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) as an integral part of my faith, but this book is bringing to light aspects of what that <i>truly</i> means in ways I had never before pondered or understood. As we approach Father's Day, understanding God as "Father" seems of great and timely importance. And the way Reeves unfolds this personhood of God is truly beautiful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>What was God doing before Creation?</b> Have you ever wondered about that? God has existed <i>forever</i>. He was not created. He IS. He WAS. He ALWAYS HAS BEEN. Our minds (being limited to time and space) can't even truly comprehend what that means. We have no experience of "forever". But if we even try to imagine that He has existed - forever - then we must wonder...what did He do for <i>forever</i> before He created the Earth???</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was actually thinking about this recently and totally confused myself trying to figure it out. I know that when the Bible begins, in Genesis 1:1-2, we "meet" God for the very first time. At the conception of creation:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<span class="text Gen-1-1" style="background-color: white;">In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. </span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span class="text Gen-1-2" id="en-NKJV-2" style="background-color: white;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">2 </span>The earth was without form, and void; and darkness <i>was</i><span class="footnote" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="[<a href="#fen-NKJV-2a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1#fen-NKJV-2a" style="color: #b37162; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top;" title="See footnote a">a</a>]</span> on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God proceeds to separate light from darkness, to form water and land, to produce vegetation, the sun, moon, and stars, to create creatures of the sea, air, and land, and finally, He makes man (and woman). Beautifully, we see the trinity revealed even here, so early in scripture, as God talks of himself in the plural form:</span><br />
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"<span style="background-color: white;">Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..." Genesis 1:26.</span></span><br />
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So what was He doing in this "forever" before He created Earth??? He was the <b>Father</b>, and He spent eternity loving <i><b>His Son.</b></i></span><br />
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"And that is the God revealed by Jesus Christ. Before he ever created, before he ever ruled the world, before anything else, this God was a Father loving his son. The most foundational thing in God is not some abstract quality, but the fact that he is Father. Again and again, the Scriptures equate the terms <i>God</i> and <i>Father</i> (Ex 4:22, Is 1:2, Jer 31:9, Hos 11:1, Deut 1:31, Deut 8:5, Ps 103:13, Jer 3:19, Jer 3:4, Deut 32:6, Mal 1:6, Is 63:16, Is 64:8, John 20:17, Rom 15:6, I Pet 1:3, I Cor 1:3, Heb 12:7) Since God is, before all things, a Father, and not primarily Creator or Ruler, all his ways are beautifully fatherly...He <i>is </i>Father. All the way down. Thus all that he does he does as Father. That is who he is. He creates as a Father and he rules as a Father...For if, before all things, God was eternally a Father, then this God is an inherently outgoing, life-giving God. He did not give life for the first time when he decided to create; from eternity he has been life giving." (<i>Delighting in the Trinity, pp. 21-24)</i></span><br />
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"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" (I John 4:7-8).</span><br />
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How could God be love if He was just one person? There must be <i>another - an object of His love.</i> And that "other" has for eternity been <b>his son. </b>First, he was Father to the Son. Now, he is Father to all who call upon His name <b>through the Son</b>. And that beautiful, all-powerful, life-giving love that was once (and for all eternity) for his Son, is now also for us. Can you wrap your mind around that kind of love??? </span><br />
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So on this Father's Day, while it is good and lovely to honor our earthly fathers and celebrate our husbands, take hold also of the beautiful truth that the triune God (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) is our perfect, loving, <i>Father</i>. </span><br />
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"<span style="background-color: white;">This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son</span><span class="crossreference" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30613A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span><span style="background-color: white;"> into the world that we might live through him." I John 4:9</span></span>Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-41960918708155713322014-05-30T00:20:00.000-07:002014-05-30T00:20:53.798-07:00Your Simple JobA theme that keeps coming up for me this week as I read other blogs, journals, talk with friends, and do my "She Reads Truth" Bible Study on the book of Nehemiah is work. What has been interesting to me is how over and over again, the same message regarding work has emerged: Your simple job is a holy job. You don't need to go do something "radical" (in today's globally mission-minded sense) to be "working" for Christ. Whatever you are doing, right now, right where you're at is being used for holy purposes, and is therefore "radical" just by your obedience to get the work done.<br />
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In The Message (a paraphrased version of the Bible), Eugene Peterson states in the introduction to the book of Nehemiah: "It is common for us to refer to the work of pastors, priests, and missionaries, as "sacred," and that of lawyers, farmers, and engineers, as "secular." It is also wrong. Work, by its very nature, is holy. The biblical story is dominated by people who have jobs in gardening, shepherding, the military, politics, carpentry, tent making, homemaking, fishing, and more..."<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In Nehemiah chapter 3 there is a list...a <i>long</i> list of the many helpers that helped repair the walls of Jerusalem. Name after name after name appears and then, next to each name, the job each person helped to complete. Chapter 3:15 states:<span class="versenum" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">"</span><span style="background-color: white;">Shallun the son of Col-Hozeh, leader of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he built it, covered it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah by the King’s Garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David."</span> The description seems tedious and insignificant, especially after reading so many other names and jobs listed beforehand. But day 4 of the "She Reads Truth" study in Nehemiah had this to say about his "insignificant" work:</span><br />
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Can I tell you a little secret about one of these builders that may shed some light for us? Did you notice Shallum, in verse 15? He’s just one of the dozens listed, but he repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah. No biggie, right? Well, it is actually a huge deal. It’s one man, sacrificing his time and effort to rebuild his community because of the larger vision at stake. But there’s more to the story there.</div>
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In John 9, they’re calling this pool “Siloam,” but don’t be confused – it’s the very same one. This time, we’re there hundreds of years later with Jesus – as He heals a blind man, declaring His divinity in miracle form. Then in Acts 3, in the very same place, Peter heals a man who has never walked. THIS is an important place, right?</div>
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<b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Could it be that the section of the wall God has given you is important for your sanctification and His Glory </b><b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">today</i></b><b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, but that He might also have an eternal plan for the work you’re doing? </b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My job right now is being a full-time, stay-at-home, homeschooling mother to four young children. I spend a lot of time slicing fruit, folding laundry, wiping bottoms, and breaking up fights. In other people's eyes, it is a much less glamorous or praise-worthy job than say a fireman who rescues people from burning buildings, or a surgeon who saves life after life on an operating table. But who really knows the eternal impact of my job?! Who will my children become? And their children? And their children's children? And if I don't do my job well, meet their physical and emotional needs, train them up in the truth, and teach them about the Lord, how could that affect all of those future generations?! My obedience and commitment to doing my job well truly does matter. Neglecting my job or failing to recognize its eternal purposes is like tossing a lit match into a dry field. Who knows how far that fire will spread or the (generational) destruction that may come from such a seemingly tiny spark? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sometimes we feel like we need to be "out there" making a difference. But we can be obedient to Christ in any job, even at home: </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"God sanctifies our work. Feed the hungry. Give drink to the thirsty. Clothe the naked. Hey! I do that everyday! Who knew that I could be completing the corporal works of mercy right in my own home?" (</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">from the article "Asking for a drink", </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Soul Gardening, A Mother's Journal). </i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As a mother, your acts of mercy (feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked,) may right now just be referring to your very own children, but the truth is, they are <i>His</i> children. And ultimately, what you do for them, you do for Christ. </span><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:40.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Your work is important. Your work is holy. It has eternal purposes and affects eternal souls. No matter what your current job is, "<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." Colossians 3:23.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Because hundreds of years from now, miracles may happen at <i>your</i> wall.</span> </span>Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-66767812772524448272014-05-20T23:49:00.000-07:002014-05-21T00:00:46.616-07:00"...think about these things."<span style="font-family: inherit;">In January I decided to take a break from Facebook as part of my New Year's Resolutions to simplify my life. Amazingly (for me) I actually did go three entire months without ever logging in. Then, just a few weeks ago, I thought, "Oh, I'll just start sending one or two photos from Instagram to Facebook for all of my non-Instagram friends to see." That led (of course) to comments, and messages, and once again being lured into the Facebook trap. One of the main reasons I initially left Facebook was because I was just so tired of reading and seeing lies. Tired of reading about all the ways this world has forsaken the Truth. Tired of people reveling in their sin. And I'm one of those people that can't just "see" that stuff. My beliefs force me to confront those lies. To speak the truth in love. But sadly, Facebook doesn't want to hear it. I'd quote a Bible verse or share a Biblical view on something and immediately be labeled "aggressive", "condescending", "hurtful", "intolerant" or "ignorant." Now even though it was disheartening to be called names by people who I know are unbelievers, the worst part is that most of these comments came from people I grew up with, went to Christian school with, and who profess to be Christians.</span><br />
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Same sex marriage was the hot topic last night. And I had "Christian" after "Christian" telling me that I was being hurtful by calling it a perversion or a sin. I was told that it was okay for me to have my own "opinion", but not to ever, EVER try to convince anyone that my opinion was in fact truth or the only way to interpret things.</span><br />
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But the Bible says it is a sin, and that we are born in sin. In Genesis 19, and Leviticus 18:22, and Leviticus 20:13, and I Kings 14 and 15, and Romans 1:18-32, and I Corinthians 6:9-11, and I Timothy 1:8-10, and Jude 7. Homosexual sex, like any other form of sexual immorality (or sexual contact outside of a God-defined marriage) is a sin. It may not be a popular viewpoint today, but it is what the Bible teaches. And if you believe that the Bible is God-inspired, infallible, and supremely authoritative, then you cannot ignore these passages.</span><br />
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God designed marriage in the garden of Eden between a man and a woman. Marriage is a physical representation of Christ's relationship to His bride, the Church. It is also meant to be a union that produces children. Genesis 1:27-28, "<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. </span><span class="highl" style="background-color: #fff4ec; color: #001320; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."</span><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"> Again, to Noah, God says in Genesis 9:7, "</span><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”</span></span><br />
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What our culture is trying to do, is "divorce" marriage from its God-given function. Even without same-sex marriage, culturally we have lost the beauty of what God intended marriage to be, of what it was designed to represent. Marriage has become all about "me", about "my rights", and "my happiness" about "equality". And that is why divorce, broken homes, and now same-sex marriage is rampant, even in the church. There is a lie in our culture that "Jesus loves everyone and everything." That Jesus would never tell someone what to do or ask them to stop sinning. That is not the truth. Jesus said to sinners: <span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">"Go now and leave your life of sin." <b>John 8:11. </b></span>Jesus was perfect. He was Holy. He was God. And a holy, perfect, God cannot love sin. In fact, Jesus' message was so radical, so UN-popular, that it got him crucified. He didn't come to condone sin, He came to die for it. It was SIN that nailed him to that cross. And it was real love.</span><br />
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The truth though, is that Jesus died for EVERY type of sin. Anger, murder, pride, lying, stealing, and every single type of sexual immorality (lust, adultery, pre-marital sex, homosexuality, rape, etc.). But for Christ's blood to atone for your sin, you have to confess it. You have to acknowledge sin as sin! If it isn't sin, then Christ didn't need to die for it, and you don't need a Savior.</span><br />
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<b>Romans 3:23</b> states that: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." </span><br />
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And <b>Romans 3:11-18</b> reveal what our sin looks like:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Rom-3-10" style="background-color: white; position: relative;">“None is righteous, no, not one;</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Rom-3-11" id="en-ESV-27987" style="position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">11 </span><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span>no one understands;</span></span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Rom-3-11" style="position: relative;">no one seeks for God.</span></span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span class="text Rom-3-12" id="en-ESV-27988" style="background-color: white; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">12 </span>All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Rom-3-12" style="position: relative;">no one does good,</span></span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Rom-3-12" style="position: relative;">not even one.”</span></span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span class="text Rom-3-13" id="en-ESV-27989" style="background-color: white; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">13 </span><span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-27989R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)"></span>“Their throat is <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-27989S" title="See cross-reference S">S</a>)"></span>an open grave;</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Rom-3-13" style="position: relative;">they use their tongues to deceive.”</span></span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span class="text Rom-3-13" style="background-color: white; position: relative;"><span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-27989T" title="See cross-reference T">T</a>)"></span>“The venom of asps is under their lips.”</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Rom-3-14" id="en-ESV-27990" style="position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">14 </span><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-27990U" title="See cross-reference U">U</a>)"></span>“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”</span></span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span class="text Rom-3-15" id="en-ESV-27991" style="background-color: white; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">15 </span><span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-27991V" title="See cross-reference V">V</a>)"></span>“Their feet are swift to shed blood;</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Rom-3-16" id="en-ESV-27992" style="position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">16 </span><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span>in their paths are ruin and misery,</span></span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span class="text Rom-3-17" id="en-ESV-27993" style="background-color: white; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">17 </span>and <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-27993W" title="See cross-reference W">W</a>)"></span>the way of peace they have not known.”</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Rom-3-18" id="en-ESV-27994" style="position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">18 </span><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-27994X" title="See cross-reference X">X</a>)"></span>“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Rom-3-18" style="position: relative;"><b>Romans 6:23 </b>teaches us about the consequences of sin: "</span></span><span style="background-color: white;">For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."</span></span><br />
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And how do we obtain that gift? <span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">"if </span><span class="crossreference" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28182L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></span><span style="background-color: white;">you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and </span><span class="crossreference" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28182M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></span><span style="background-color: white;">believe in your heart </span><span class="crossreference" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28182N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)"></span><span style="background-color: white;">that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved... </span><span style="background-color: white;">For</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” <b>Romans 10:9, 13</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Christ died for our sins. Every single type, and every single one. If we confess our sin and our need for a savior, and if we confess that Jesus is Lord, we are free from sin and will have eternal life. (<b>John 3:16). </b></span>But if we let a secular worldview or even what is "legal" influence what we believe is "right" or "wrong" instead of what the Bible SAYS is right and wrong, we make ourselves vulnerable to believing that we are without sin. "<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." <b>I John 1:8.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #001320;"><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">Tonight I have again decided to leave Facebook. This time for good. And this time, it isn't just to simplify my life. It isn't even to avoid conflict with people who think differently than me. I can handle that even though I don't like it. No, this time I am leaving Facebook because I don't believe that the amount of time I spend reading about the world's lies and sin and trying to argue the truth should outweigh the time I spend focusing on Christ.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #001320;"><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">Philippians 4:8 says: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; line-height: 20px;"><i>"</i></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, <b>think about these things</b>." </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Those aren't the things on Facebook. So I am done.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The ironic truth is that I wasn't arguing my points to shame people or judge people or in any way claim to be better than the worst sinner on Earth. I <b>am</b> that sinner. It was my sin - MY SIN - that nailed my king to that cross. He died for me. My pride. My lies. My anger. My lust. I just desperately want others to see that without Christ, there is only death. Physical death and spiritual death. And the only true "equality" is the fact that <b>we are all equal in our sin at the foot of the cross</b>. </span></div>
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Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-49838032875412598242014-05-15T19:56:00.002-07:002014-05-15T21:46:17.354-07:00On Their 5th Birthday...Why We Have Chosen to Let God Be Our Birth Control-erDISCLAIMER - I am not speaking here to the "general public" but to people who profess Christ and the authority of the Bible in their lives. I have already received one very rude comment from a non-Christian, but I am not addressing non-Christians here or expecting them to act Biblically in the area of fertility. I am also not trying to tell anyone what to do, but am trying to encourage fellow believers to seek Christ in this area of their life rather than mainstream culture (or even mainstream Christian culture which I believe has been heavily influenced by our secular culture in this area). My husband and I have been heavily convicted by Christ in this area of our lives, and I am simply trying to share our story and convictions with a genuine heart. It took someone else stepping out boldly and sharing this with me to send me searching through the scriptures, and I hope to do the same for someone else.***<br />
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Five years ago today I was lying in a hospital. Three tiny babies had just entered the world 13 weeks early and each weighing about the same as a 2lb sack of sugar. For the first two years of our marriage, my husband and I had used the birth control pill to prevent pregnancy. Actually, I had run to the nurses station on campus practically the minute Robert proposed to me between my first and second year of grad school. I didn't even think about it. I was getting married! It was time to go on the pill! For two years I took it faithfully. Never really even thinking about not taking it. That's just what you do, right? You prevent babies for a few years so you can have fun, "enjoy" each other, make money, buy a house. And the world (and most Christians and family members) encourage this pursuit. It's rare to have a mother/brother/aunt/cousin encouraging the opposite. I don't think I had ever heard ANYONE wish a pair of newlyweds "May you be blessed with many children!" or "Good luck conceiving on your honeymoon!" I bought into the whole scene. I thought it was good for us to be "alone" for a few years, but is that in any way Biblical? God's command to Adam and Eve was to "be fruitful and multiply" (Gen 1:28), not "focus on yourselves for a few years. Do what you want. Make lots of money, and when you're ready, have 1.3 children and call it good so you minimize parenting time and can get back to having fun much sooner!" It sounds ridiculous coming from God...so why do we accept it coming from the world?!<br />
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Two years later we felt "ready" to have children. I stopped taking the pill and was just sure I'd be pregnant in no time! A month went by. Then another. Then a few more. Then it had been half a year. 9 months. When the one year mark of not taking the pill came and went, I got worried. Not to mention I was super sad and it felt like everyone around me was getting pregnant with more and more pregnancy announcements being made practically each week. Oh, the irony. I had taken a pill for two years to prevent the very thing I was now so desperate for. So again, without consulting God, we took charge and headed to the doctor's office to "get me pregnant". I begged my family medicine doctor to write me a prescription for Clomid. I had been charting my temperatures and monitoring my cycles, and I knew that since going off of birth control a year prior, my body had never resumed ovulation. I needed a drug to kickstart those ovaries. And kickstart it did! I took ONE dose of Clomid (a pill you take by mouth for 3 days in a row) and BAM. Not only pregnant...but what did my wonderful new OB see there on the ultrasound screen? Several tiny black amniotic sacs. "Um, it may just be the way I'm looking at this..." he began nervously "or you might be pregnant with twins." I sat up on my elbows, and squinted my eyes trying to look even more closely at the grey grainy image. Then I saw not two...but three. "What's that third thing?" I asked. We'd know a few months later...that was Grace:)</div>
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The first few years of having triplets was a blur. I never went back on the pill (yuck. I don't want something messing up my cycles like that ever again!) but I had read the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, and I knew when to "avoid relations" so to speak to prevent pregnancy naturally. But around the time the triplets were two years old, God started putting people, blogs, and books on my path that all pointed me in a different direction. In His direction. It was radical (well, only in the sense that it was totally different than everything everyone else was doing!). But it made sense. It made so much sense and suddenly it felt like scales had fallen off my eyes and I could see things in a whole new (beautiful) way. God says children are a blessing. God blessed so many people throughout the Bible by giving them children or by promising them innumerable descendants. But even deeper than that: What about trusting God? Why do we feel this need to (try to) control our fertility? Didn't the creator of the universe create our bodies? We trust Him (or should trust Him) with our finances, our health, our safety, our children (already born), so why would we deviate suddenly and withhold our trust in the area of our fertility? Did God make a mistake? Did He not design our bodies "properly" and needs our help??? I think the biggest myth out there is that if we trust God with our fertility, we'll all end up with 20 children. That just isn't true. First of all, a women's fertility is limited. It begins around 12 years old (give or take) and ends around 50 (again, give or take). That's, on average, 38 years that a woman can conceive - it's not like she'll keep having babies forever. Take into account exclusive breastfeeding (I breastfed Abigail exclusively and did not resume a monthly cycle until she was 18 months old!) and a woman would, on average, have a child every 2-3 years (that seems like pretty gracious "spacing" to me, especially since I started with three at once!). Yes, some women like Michelle Duggar who got married very young and has had several sets of twins, do have almost 20 children. But I know women who have given this area to God who ended up with only 9. Or 7. Or who currently have four and would give anything for another sweet baby but year after year no baby comes. I know women who have miscarried child after child. I know women who have looked to God with open arms but a first baby never comes. Trusting God with your fertility does NOT guarantee 20 children. In fact it doesn't guarantee ANY children. It means you trust Him whether he gives you 20, 5, 1, or 0. But you let HIM decide. You stop trying to control it. You stop thinking you know better than God. </div>
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As Christians, God has commanded that we "be fruitful and multiply", that we "fill the earth and subdue it." The best way to do this is by having children and raising them for Christ. The church exerts so much effort and money trying to gain followers or "grow the church" by adding newcomers, but have we missed the most obvious growth tool? Have children! If believers took God at his word and were fruitful and actually "multiplied" the church would be growing exponentially from the inside out! Our nation is in a state of serious moral decline and has strayed so far from what our Christian forefathers intended for this "One nation, under God" and yet, have we done it to ourselves? When we stopped obeying God and started cutting off his blessings (preventing children or reducing family size), Christians became a minority. You know how we can change this nation and stir up a revival that leads people back to Christ? We can have children. We can see them as the true blessings that they are and we can welcome them into our homes and our churches! </div>
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Did you know that if a couple has 2 children and each of their children continues to have 2 children for the next 10 generations, that produces 1024 descendants. But if that same couple had 4 children, and each of their children had 4 children, in that same amount of time (10 generations), that number would be 1,048,576. Yes, you read that right...over a MILLION. The number doesn't grow linearly, it grows EXPONENTIALLY. If Christians heeded God's word and were fruitful, and multiplied, we could make a HUGE difference in our culture in just a few generations' time. Imagine what a couple having 6 children would produce...or 8...or 10! And if we truly believe God's word, those children would not only bless our world, they would bless US. The sacrifices and the hard work of raising them would be completely and totally worth it. And who knows, we might just find ourselves actually enjoying having all those little people running about, making us laugh, bringing joy to our families, our churches, our communities. In fact, most of the women I know or whose testimonies I have read after they have given this area of life back to Christ actually seem to start desiring the birth of a new child more and more after each blessing is born! And I don't think I know anyone who at the end of their life wishes they would have had LESS children! It's something to at least think about, anyway. Pray about it. Don't just do what everyone else is doing because it's "common" or "easy" or "less work". God is never about those things. He has bigger plans. His word says so. </div>
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If this concept seems totally new, radical, or mind-blowing to you (like it was to me just a couple of years ago!), there are a few books that go way more into depth on this issue. Most of these books even have a question and answer section devoted to the common questions and concerns that arise when people are first starting to think about this topic. My two favorites that I've read several times are:</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Be-Fruitful-Multiply-Having-Children/dp/0972417354">Be Fruitful and Multiply</a> by Nancy Campbell</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Full-Quiver-Family-Planning-Lordship/dp/0943497833/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GGFKCAHMVY6K0CTQ4GE">A Full Quiver </a> by Rick and Jan Hess</div>
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Any of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Duggars-Counting-Americas-Families-How/dp/141658563X">Duggar's books</a> are really good resources as well. They are a very Godly family and are very intentional and loving parents with some great tips for families of any size! And of course, the Bible. Both of the books listed above do a great job of walking you through God's plan for families and fertility through the Old and New Testaments with tons of scripture references that you can later look up on your own. </div>
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<span class="ln-group" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">"Behold, children are a heritage from the <span class="divine-name" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-transform: uppercase;">LORD</span>,</span><br />
<span class="indent" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-left: 35px; text-align: justify;">the fruit of the womb a reward.</span><br />
<span class="ln-group" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">Like arrows in the hand of a warrior</span><br />
<span class="indent" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-left: 35px; text-align: justify;">are the children<span class="footnote" style="color: #0066aa; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 1px;"><sup><a href="http://biblehub.com/esv/psalms/127.htm#footnotes" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;" title="Or sons">a</a></sup></span> of one’s youth.</span><br />
<span class="ln-group" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">Blessed is the man</span><br />
<span class="indent" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-left: 35px; text-align: justify;">who fills his quiver with them!"</span></div>
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<span class="indent" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-left: 35px; text-align: justify;">Psalm 127: 3-5</span></div>
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Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-28094633060466057202014-05-08T23:49:00.004-07:002014-05-08T23:49:49.279-07:00Don't Buy What the World is SellingI loved school. I loved college, and grad school, and everything literary and academic. In fact, I thrived in that environment and whether I knew it or not, I let in more of the world's philosophies than I ever intended. And even though I went to a Christian school from kindergarten through 12th grade, went to church, had Christian friends, and thankfully was deeply rooted in the truth when I headed off to college, the world still crept in. In fact a lot of it was so "accepted" by even the Christians I knew or the church in general, that I didn't even THINK to question whether what I was doing, or accepting as right, really was! I blindly bought into what was "approved" by Christian culture hook, line, and sinker. Get a secular degree? Of course! Get a secular Master's Degree? Sure, you're so smart, rack them degrees UP girlfriend!!! Get a full-time teaching job at a secular college? Yes, how successful you are! Take birth control pills to prevent babies from "interrupting" those first fun years of marriage? Yes! Everybody's doing it!!!<br />
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I'm sure some of you are already ready with defenses of why none of those things are wrong. Because culture has SO engrained in us - even in Christians - that these things are GOOD. Education above all else! (Even if that education is coming from people who proclaim to be liberal, pro-choice, atheists, or openly oppose a biblical definition of marriage). Women can and should work work work! (Even if it means waiting to have babies, or aborting babies who come at the wrong time, or dropping your precious children off at daycare so you can earn a paycheck). But WHY do we do it? Does God want us (especially us Christian women) to work? To earn degrees? To face-off with all the other women and men out their in academia and the work force...just because we can??? There is SO. Much. Pressure on women today to "do it" just because we "can". But at what cost? Even if education and having a career are completely neutral things - why have we given them a place in our lives of such high esteem that we are willing to disobey God's commands for them or place them above our children??? Who are we ultimately trying to impress? Our parents? Our friends? Ourselves? Do we base our worth in our academic achievements? Our job title? Our paycheck? I know I did from about 15 - 25. Straight A's. Valedictorian status. Graduated from college in 3 years. Masters Degree at the age of 22. I was a Christian, but I let my accomplishments and achievements define me. It felt good. And I honestly saw nothing wrong with it. I figured, hey, I'm a pretty darn good college Spanish instructor - why wouldn't I want to share that gift with the world?!<br />
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And then I had kids. Triplets, actually. And for the first two years of their life I stayed home with them. Mainly because it was TRIPLETS and even if I had wanted to work, daycare would have cost more than what I would have made teaching Spanish! And when they turned two I actually did go back, very part-time, just to "get out" and have some "grown up time" two nights a week and "get back in the saddle" so to speak. And although it was fun and enjoyable and I made some extra money, even now just the thought of it kind of makes me sick. Not because teaching college Spanish is bad, but because I bought the lie that it's what I "needed" to be doing. That somehow teaching OTHER people's kids was somehow more important, or more worthy, than being home nurturing and "teaching" my own. That getting "paid" for my time was worth more than sitting at home nursing babies or changing diapers.<br />
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What a lie! It was about that same time that (and honestly, I can't even really remember the first thing that happened) God started putting specific people, books, blogs, and magazines in my life that RADICALLY changed my opinion on these things. Actually, it wasn't so much that my opinions "changed" as much as I had never even really thought them through! I had just accepted the status quo without ever really consulting God's word! Just because a million people (and I hate to say it - Christians) use birth control...does that make it okay? Can I really say "God, I trust you in every area of my life, BUT....I think I'll take the reigns on this one, thank you very much! I know better than you do the perfect number of children and the perfect spacing between them!" Just because many, many, many Christian women choose to work full-time, does that make it right? Is that pleasing to God even though we justify our disobedience with worldly-accepted answers like "we can't afford for me not to work" or "I'm a better mom when I'm fulfilled in my career." Our God-given job as parents isn't to buy our kids fancy clothes, or make sure they get into the best preschool, or even to have a fancy house for them to live in. Our job is to teach those children about the ways of God. All day. Every day. <span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." (Deuteronomy 6:7). The world may tell you you need to work, or get another degree, but God calls Christian women to teach their children about Him. Not teachers. Not Sunday school teachers or your pastor. You. You blessed, lucky, mama who has the precious gift of a child. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Just this week a woman I now follow on Instagram lost her young son. In the blink of an eye her life is forever changed. Her precious red-headed little boy ran into the street after a frisbee and was hit by a truck. Do you think that mama cares at all about her education or career right now? I'm sure that boy meant everything to her and that she'd give it all up in a heartbeat to hold him again. As horrible and painful as his death is, let it remind us of the precious gift that a child is. The world doesn't love children. They see them as nuisances. Interruptions. Marriage-ruiners. Career-destroyers. Just look at the billions of dollars spent on birth control and abortions if you don't believe me. All in the name of preventing children. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">As Christians, we are called to a different way. The way we live SHOULD look different than the world. If it doesn't, there is probably something seriously wrong! I am not trying to condemn anyone. Honestly, up until two years ago...that was ME. I hadn't even CONSIDERED these things! The world had done such a good job of blinding me to the truth (and that truth felt RIGHT), that I was totally and completely unaware of these things! I am so thankful to God that he slowly started opening my eyes to His better plan. So, on this Mother's Day, I encourage you to seek Christ's plan for your life as a Christian wife and mother. Stop listening to the world. Stop listening to your Christian friends (who may be listening to the world). Stop even letting what "feels right" dictate where you find your worth and success. Christ's plan is so much bigger. So much fuller than anything the world can ever give. His plan for women is so much more beautiful than the lies and false promises this world offers. Being a mother is the greatest blessing of my life. Nothing the world has to offer can even compete with my new "job". But I want to give it my all. I want to give it my best. And the only education I need for that, is the word of God. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Some of the resources that "coincidentally" started falling in my lap when God began opening my heart to His word and its plan for Motherhood are:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lies-Women-Believe-Truth-that/dp/0802472966">Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free</a> by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. One of my favorite Christian authors. I also absolutely love her radio show "Revive Our Hearts" and try to listen to it every morning!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://aboverubies.org/">Above Rubies</a> (sign up for their free magazine - it is full of such great stories and photos of Godly families. I literally squeal with delight each time it arrives in the mail!)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439190631/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1535523722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=141658563X&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0RVMXA53FPSEKWH805M5">A Love That Multiplies </a> by the Duggars. I had never seen the show, and of course thought they were crazy. And then I read a few of their books. 2 kids or 20, the Duggars are doing it right and are some of the godliest parents I "know". </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Does-Birth-Control-Cause-Abortions-ebook/dp/B0045JL57Y/ref=sr_sp-atf_image_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399617196&sr=1-1&keywords=randy+alcorn+birth+control">Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?</a> by Randy Alcorn. I had no idea. And you can get the kindle version for just $1.99. By the way, he's one of my favorite Christian authors.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Full-Quiver-Family-Planning-Lordship/dp/0943497833">A Full Quiver by Rick and Jan Hess</a>. Such a great book! I've read this one cover to cover several times. Full of Bible verses, history, science, and humor!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Way-Home-Beyond-Feminism-Reality/dp/1453699309/ref=la_B000APOXVW_sp-atf_title_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399617460&sr=1-2">The Way Home </a>by Mary Pride. See just how much "feminism" has influenced the church and how wrong we've gone. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Family-UNplanning-Craig-Houghton/dp/1600348513">Family UNplanning</a> </span></span>Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-27172957047481842762014-02-21T22:27:00.000-08:002014-02-21T22:32:14.979-08:00Keep it Simple.When the New Year came, I thought about what I wanted to change. I didn't have a set "resolution" in mind, but I knew that in as many ways as possible I simply wanted to "simplify". I didn't know exactly what that would look like, but I knew it started with the obvious: getting rid of stuff, and finding ways to have less clutter and distraction in both the physical/tangible ways as well as (and probably even more importantly) with my time. I have four children 4 1/2 and under. I am BUSY. From the moment I wake up in the morning until...well...until they're all sleeping (and usually all four sleeping at the same time isn't a very big chunk of time) I'm on the move. Preparing snacks and meals, picking up the house, doing laundry, wiping bottoms, preparing more snacks and meals, answering questions, reading books, PREPARING MORE SNACKS AND MEALS, wiping messes off the floor (as well as more bottoms), changing dirty clothes, doing more laundry, answering more questions...you get the picture. Two things that were making everything even harder were too much stuff, and too much social media.<br />
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You see, when you have four kids under four, there is stuff EVERYWHERE. Even if every kid only has minimal clothing and toys and shoes...when you times that by four it suddenly isn't so minimal. We purge stuff on a regular basis (we have to or we would literally be drowning or completely unable to move in our 1656 square foot house), but there was still just too much. And the toys. Don't get me started. We neatly sorted everything into cute plastic boxes, but the kids would get them down, dump them on the floor, spread them to every nook and cranny in the house, <strike>and then happily play with them for hours</strike> ... NOPE. That was it. They would spread them to every nook and cranny of the house and then just abandon them and ask if they could go outside or play with playdough. So why, day after day, hour after hour did I continue to bend over 1,000 times picking up 1,000 tiny toys??? It was insanity! So we moved them completely out of reach - INTO THE GARAGE (after discarding another 1/3 of them) with the intention of only bringing in one box per child at a time and making the kids play with one box, clean it up, and then and only then could they ask for a different box. Do you know what happened? They asked for a box of trains and blocks, AND THEY ARE STILL PLAYING WITH THE BOX OF TRAINS AND BLOCKS...2 months later. They don't NEED 1,000 toys! They don't even miss them! They play with each other or ask to take baths or go outside or read a book (those they still have full access to on a bookshelf in their bedroom). </div>
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Another decision I made was to quit Facebook. I won't go into complete detail about how "attached" I was to that blue social media app, but let's just say my phone was always within reach and although it seemed harmless, I was checking it all. the. time. If the kids were occupied for a minute, I'd check Facebook. If dinner was cooking, I'd check Facebook. The hours and hours of the day and night I spend nursing Abigail every week - guess where I was? Iphone in hand checking Facebook. Now, I'm not saying Facebook is bad. I rather enjoyed it and the 500 friends and family members I just would not have contact with without it, but it was a constant distraction. I was practically living my life in Facebook statuses and feeling like I could never "catch up" - there was always a comment to reply to or a message from someone or just the habitual desire to scroll through the homepage seeing every photo and update and comment written by everyone all the way back until I got to something familiar (from when I had checked it 17 minutes earlier) and my brain could say "ahhh, see, you have missed nothing now. Mission accomplished." The thing I love about Instagram (and yes, I am very much still active over there...) is that it's just photos. No political postings, no status updates, no messages, no groups or pages. JUST. PHOTOS. And that's what I love. I love taking photos. I love sharing photos. Instagram is perfect for me right now. Yes, I miss certain aspects of Facebook, but you know what? Ripping off the band-aid was easier than I expected. I thought I would have withdrawals or give in and change my mind and race back to check the 4,342 status updates I had missed those first 5 days away, but honestly, I've hardly thought about it. I've been too busy enjoying hot bubble baths and good books and TALKING TO MY HUSBAND. Oh, and look...I finally had a chance to blog again! I even finally got around to painting my laundry room a pretty color after 8 years of living in this house with scuffed up, off-white, bullet-riddled looking laundry room walls that had seen too many hammers and nails and not enough spackle. Now? It looks amazing. I freaking cannot WAIT to do more laundry:)</div>
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Also on my list of other ways to simplify? Simplifying my diet. Less "clutter" (sugar, toxins, and stuff I just don't need) and more of the simple stuff. More water. More fruits and vegetables and beans and grains. Why does eating well have to be complicated? Sometimes the simplest snacks are the most fulfilling. A few favorite simple combos I've (re)discovered lately are: </div>
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1. Apple slices and cheese</div>
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2. Hummus and cucumber slices</div>
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3. Black beans and Quinoa (<a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-and-black-beans/">Try this simple, delicious recipe</a>)</div>
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4. A banana and a spoon to apply heaping scoops of cocoa almond butter to each bite:) </div>
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And my new, favorite SIMPLE dinner recipe? Roasted Veggie Pasta. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnJJoWURONQymSwHeye5tOyI3PeoR32HcCKMGFpvFAaC5tTaAecTDDeJwznsi-k9qjrqhRZlWM_sClv5ofT576xDgnRXSlSWkuVgSWvoFqWYrustE-EPu-otadKThkzm-TTnDGHpqrJ5Q/s1600/Roasted+Veggie+Pasta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnJJoWURONQymSwHeye5tOyI3PeoR32HcCKMGFpvFAaC5tTaAecTDDeJwznsi-k9qjrqhRZlWM_sClv5ofT576xDgnRXSlSWkuVgSWvoFqWYrustE-EPu-otadKThkzm-TTnDGHpqrJ5Q/s1600/Roasted+Veggie+Pasta.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of Allrecipes.com</span></div>
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I got the idea <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-veggie-pasta/">Here</a>, but I've made it even simpler, and it is SO SO good! All you need: Veggies, Pasta, and Parmesan cheese (plus a few spices and olive oil). Here's how you do it:</div>
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1. Preheat your oven to 375. In a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet, spread out about 2-3 cups of chopped (bite sized) veggies. I like to use red bell pepper, mushroom, carrots, and asparagus (make sure to discard the woody stems first). Sprinkle them generously with oregano and rosemary, salt and pepper, a little minced garlic (if you like), coat and toss with about 2T olive oil and roast for 15-20 minutes (I like to pull them out about halfway through to mix them around so they cook evenly).</div>
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2. While your veggies are roasting, boil your favorite pasta. I like bowtie for this dish. Drain.</div>
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3. When your veggies are tender and done, pull them out and sprinkle some shredded parmesan cheese on top so it can melt slightly on the hot veggies. Fill bowls with your pasta, top with scoops of roasted veggies, add more parmesan if you wish, and voila! A delicious, healthy, SIMPLE dinner. I make it every week now. At least once. </div>
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I'd also really like to learn how to knit, and cannot wait to get my garden planted. I plan to be outdoors with the kids a LOT once things warm up around here!</div>
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How are you simplifying your life?</div>
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Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-48418075277150086002013-07-06T17:09:00.000-07:002013-07-06T17:09:19.412-07:00Amazing Amazima: the ministry of Katie Davis and the best book you'll ever read.I just read a book that changed my heart and hopefully my life. It's about <a href="http://www.amazima.org/katiesstory.html">this young woman</a> and the ministry God led her to begin in Uganda, Africa - Amazima Ministries (Amazima is the Ugandan word for "Truth"). She felt God calling her to follow Him, <i>really</i> follow Him by leaving everything behind to "love the least of these". What started out as a 3 week trip to an orphanage led to a one year stay which led to a new home and life in Uganda. At just 19 years old, this single young woman had adopted 6 young Ugandan girls who had no hope of family; by the following year she was the young mother of 14. She also feeds and clothes and gives educational and medical help to HUNDREDS of other children each week and travels daily to other nearby towns offering medical assistance, food, and most importantly, the love and truth of Jesus. This young woman has taken Jesus at His word and is living life as His hands and feet to these precious people. Read about her story, her children, and the many, many lives she is touching in Uganda, in her book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kisses-Katie-Story-Relentless-Redemption/dp/1451612095">Kisses from Katie</a>.<br />
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Add it to your summer reading list. You won't be disappointed. You may never be the same.Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-69376206095127829762013-06-19T17:05:00.000-07:002013-06-19T17:05:22.201-07:00First-Aid Kit in a Bottle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVib5oX_L866D72L_gjWYeSKw9wYzy_BVscuiJu3Shnk3G3g84LD8AOMTcBtYk2GM4C3SVBVreoGIvLyl4CbIqsxmcvMCqsqZveQhQ6c5q0RkYoU4UaikdeDNSXUiTERZCwZSPIQsu8OR/s1600/afterlightteatreeoil.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVib5oX_L866D72L_gjWYeSKw9wYzy_BVscuiJu3Shnk3G3g84LD8AOMTcBtYk2GM4C3SVBVreoGIvLyl4CbIqsxmcvMCqsqZveQhQ6c5q0RkYoU4UaikdeDNSXUiTERZCwZSPIQsu8OR/s400/afterlightteatreeoil.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I've had this little bottle of Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Altemifolia) up in my medicine cabinet for years. I cannot even remember what I originally purchased it for, or even what I've used it for in the past, but the other night, when I was literally <i>dying </i>from a terrible, horrible, ginormous mosquito bite that I had found on the outside of my left knee that I <i>could not stop scratching</i> and while ransacking the bathroom looking for anything I could find that might provide some sort of relief, there it was staring at me from that thin, top shelf. Since I couldn't find any sort of anti-itch cream (not that those ever seem to actually do anything, but I needed <i>something</i> if even just for my mental well-being, you know, the good ol' placebo effect) and knowing Tea Tree Oil has a strong medicinal smell and comes in that magical, thick brown glass apothecary jar and therefore <i>must</i> have some medicinal uses as well (seemed a logical assumption to me!) I decided to grab it and read the label. To my delightful surprise I found these lovely words on the back: "First-aid kit in a bottle. Dab on cuts, stings, burns, and abrasions..." I wasn't super hopeful that it meant it would do anything for my white, angry bug bite, but I figured it wouldn't hurt. So after I took a long, hot bath to take my mind off the itch, I grabbed the bottle and applied two drops directly to the bite. And do you know what? It stopped itching. And not only did it stop itching, but the next morning when I woke up, the bite - which had been puffy and swollen and about the size of a dime - was almost completely GONE. I could NOT believe it. I have always had terrible reactions to mosquito bites and they seem to last for days (and get bigger from me scratching them incessantly). This one was gone the very next day. I was so ecstatic about the results I did a little more research and found out that Tea Tree Oil has <b>antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, </b>and <b>antiseptic</b> qualities and can pretty much be used (with fantastic results!) on <b>any</b> sort of skin ailment including (but not limited to): cuts, scrapes, burns, bug bites, pimples, and even other dermatological conditions such as psoriasis. It really is like a magical little first-aid kit in a bottle which means not only is it a better natural alternative than chemicals and steroids and other harsh medications used to treat common skin ailments, but now instead of buying a different product for each problem (think Neosporin, Hydracortisone Cream, or other -expensive- prescription creams and drugs) you can just keep a little bottle of Tea Tree Oil (TTO) handy...and use it on everything! I had no idea it worked so well and I am so excited to now be privy to this great secret! And having four little ones around who are constantly getting scraped up, I'm sure this little bottle that has sat unused for several years, will now be used up in a jiffy! </div>
Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-90066260449999641932013-06-14T09:39:00.000-07:002013-06-14T09:39:39.752-07:00To Abigail on Her First Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cmV0kyDAnH6dyzQbKJCkZqpBQm7Svl55De4zMovfwyai2ras8yOPyBqnx7uE5PP3i1d_PwX0LxTZKrFXi5TYOYx_fxpnWrURxbA1Tq_aG3DMrA-FbT3PpTkOd7fhgEtDVFk7s_3ipf6g/s1600/IMG_5699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cmV0kyDAnH6dyzQbKJCkZqpBQm7Svl55De4zMovfwyai2ras8yOPyBqnx7uE5PP3i1d_PwX0LxTZKrFXi5TYOYx_fxpnWrURxbA1Tq_aG3DMrA-FbT3PpTkOd7fhgEtDVFk7s_3ipf6g/s400/IMG_5699.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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June 14th, 2013</div>
Sweet Abigail Jane,<br />
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I haven't even written my first thought down yet and the tears are already starting to flow. You are our greatest blessing. Although the world would have had us think that having triplets already was "enough" - God knew better. He knew we needed you in ways we could not have known. And He sent you to us in His perfect timing; to bring comfort and joy and endless happy, drooly baby smiles. The day of your birth makes me giddy every time I remember it. It was perfect in every single way; everything we had ever dreamed of - a healing balm after the long, scary road we faced with your big brother and sisters. God fulfilled our every hearts' desire <a href="http://oregon-mama.blogspot.com/2012/06/shes-here.html">the day you were born </a> and although giving birth naturally was something I had always excitedly feared, it turned out to be an experience I will always be so deeply thankful for. You were placed on my breast just seconds after you entered this world and you really have not left that place for more than a few minutes at a time since that lovely day. It has been pure joy being able to nourish you with my body; being able to protect and care for you in ways I was unable to with my other babies. And because of that, I haven't wanted to let you go. When you fell asleep on me that first night at home, both of us happily exhausted from your birth, and we sort of "accidentally" began our co-sleeping journey, I realized that even while sleeping I wanted you right there with me. My skin warming yours and your skin warming mine. Both of us breathing and dreaming and waking in unison. Your small knees and feet tucked softly against my bare stomach. Your soft little hands lightly sweeping across my naked chest. Although I expected to be sleep deprived, I slept better than I had in years. Rather than waking for bottles or pumping or babies crying out from the other room, we fell into a beautiful routine of "dream-feedings"; you and I both rousing slightly from sleep to nurse and then both falling back into blissful slumber, cuddled close, you secure in mama's arms, me breathing in and savoring your sweet baby smells and touching your soft, downy head. As I write this you are lying on top of my tummy nursing in your sleep; one arm wrapped around my side, your head resting on my breast like a pillow. Oh, Abigail, you are the sweetest little baby. So happy. So content. So darling. I love the way you're always trying to stick your little hands in my water glass and how you just hold them there, submerged, grinning ear to ear when I let you. I love the way you scrunch your little nose up and say "Ohhh" and lean in to kiss me, your daddy, your brother and sisters. I love waking up in the mornings and feeling your soft little body against mine and having your sweet, sleepy face be the first thing I see. I love how you love to take baths; with me, with your siblings, by yourself. I love how you reach your little arms up so I will hold you. How I'm always holding you. How I've been given the gift of holding you nearly every minute of every day for the past year. I love how you just discovered this past week that you can grab my shirt and pull it up for "self-serve" nursing. I love the way you clap your hands; methodically and high so you end up clapping them right in your face. I love the way you refuse to lie still long enough for me to change your diapers and how you think it's hilarious if you can roll over and get away before I get one snapped on. Or the way you fling yourself into Grace's tent and try to hide from me. I love the way you love Oliver and how you're always looking for him. I love that your first steps were to Audrey followed by big hugs and kisses. I love being your mama, and most of all, I love you. </div>
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Happy 1st Birthday, sweet Abigaily Janey.</div>
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Love,</div>
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Mama</div>
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"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23 </div>
Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-54796224247623294002013-05-29T15:06:00.000-07:002013-05-29T15:06:44.082-07:00Instagram<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUkC_yCC634omHAPYuEtrXOkCpAV5ROQkuTaIlB8mheAzDvcvKoUJ-UQkCpgPLlAh4eyEOcNKA2ZccWq99ypkzrthxlNqlsH6E75FxLTCIDe7zJiYpd27FhD6mzIXi6VfaqN-651v_N6T/s1600/Instagram.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUkC_yCC634omHAPYuEtrXOkCpAV5ROQkuTaIlB8mheAzDvcvKoUJ-UQkCpgPLlAh4eyEOcNKA2ZccWq99ypkzrthxlNqlsH6E75FxLTCIDe7zJiYpd27FhD6mzIXi6VfaqN-651v_N6T/s320/Instagram.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I feel like a whole new world has been opened up to me. I have been using the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instagram/id389801252?mt=8">Instagram</a> app to display/edit my iphone photos for well over a year now, but I was basically just using it one-sidedly; posting and editing my own photos (usually to re-post on Facebook) but not really exploring other people's photography. Sure, I clicked on the "popular" tab a few times (although most of those photos are pretty lame...) and I saw all of my Facebook friends' photos (as Facebook is linked to Instagram, and often those photos would be posted both places allowing me to see them <i>twice</i>:)) but just this past week I discovered something so wonderful and amazing that I've hardly been able to stop myself from checking Instagram constantly - and have almost completely forgotten about that other social media thingy...what was it called...Bookface?! You see, Instagram is JUST.PHOTOS. No ads, no rants, no silly status updates, or constant political bombardment. It's photojournaling at its finest and I can absolutely lose myself in other people's lovely photos of nature, food, knitting projects, farm living, and barefoot, breastfeeding children. There are a few blogs I've been following because I absolutely love their lifestyle photography: <a href="http://www.theroadishome.com/">The Road is Home</a>, <a href="http://beautythatmoves.typepad.com/">Beauty That Moves</a>, and <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/">A Holy Experience</a>. So when I found that these bloggers had Instagram accounts (more photos - yay!) I was super excited. And that excitement grew one-thousand-fold when I realized I could see who <i>they</i> were following on Instagram - which led me to find dozens and dozens of other Instagrammers with similar photography styles! And then I could see who <i>those </i>people are following on Instagram...and you get the "picture" (pun totally intended). So now I'm following all of these lovely people who take pictures of lovely things and it's just absolutely lovely.<br />
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Some of my favorites that I've started following on Instagram this week:</div>
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<a href="http://instagram.com/floretflower">http://instagram.com/floretflower</a></div>
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I am just <i>loving</i> Instagram. Did I say that already?! It's like I get to be around all of these beautiful things all day long; flowers, farms, artsy food, interior design, knitted sweaters, lovely forests, happy children, beautiful fabrics, etc., just by tapping the Instagram app on my phone and scrolling through the most recent photos. And when you're following all of these people with a certain style you like - it's like flipping through the best magazine you could ever imagine...that never ends!!!</div>
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Seeing all of these other people's lovely photos has really inspired me in my own photographic attempts this week. I've always loved to take pictures, but I've been trying to really make my photos more artistic and pleasing to the eye now that I have so many wonderful sources of visual inspiration. I also found a really great photo-editing app this week to edit my photos before I post them to Instagram (yes, it's an app for an app) called <a href="http://afterlight.us/">Afterlight</a>. I really like these filters because they give my photos that kind of muted, romantic, vintagey look. </div>
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Here are a few of the photos I posted on Instagram this week (all taken on my iPhone 4S and edited with the Afterlight app):</div>
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To see all of my photos, you can follow me on Instagram at <a href="http://instagram.com/oregonmama">http://instagram.com/oregonmama</a></div>
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Now excuse me while I wrap up this blog post so I can go drool over more photos on Instagram... :) </div>
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Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-19277824164305169202013-04-22T22:11:00.000-07:002013-04-22T22:45:01.196-07:00Let's Talk About GivingYesterday was Compassion Sunday and I had the privilege of speaking in front of our church congregation about our experience of sponsoring a child through <a href="http://www.compassion.com/">Compassion International</a>. We began sponsoring our first Compassion child two years ago; a 7 year old little girl named Estella living in Ghana, Africa. The theme of Compassion Sunday this year was how we can be "story changers" in the young lives of these children; most of them living in poverty and in areas at high risk for AIDS, Malaria, and other life-threatening illnesses. Yet as I stood there sharing our own sponsorship experience, I realized that sponsoring Estella has also been a "story changer" for our family.<br />
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When we first signed up to sponsor Estella for $38 a month, I remember we both felt a little uneasy about such a long-term financial commitment (you are encouraged to sponsor the same child until they graduate from the program around age 18). Not that $38 a month is a huge amount, but we always had other ways we could spend that money! But sponsoring Estella opened a door in our hearts regarding the concept of giving; not just being able to satisfactorily check off a box on our spiritual "to-do" list, but a complete heart change in the area of our finances.<br />
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Last year Robert stumbled upon a book our pastor in Eugene had given us when he married us over 7 years ago. It's a thin, tiny little book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GEDV6O/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=24987984751&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1338488266447796822&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_240atr7spc_b"><i>The Treasure Principle</i> </a>by Randy Alcorn, but the message within its pages is goliath. The book is revolutionary. It has the potential to <i>change your life</i> - and not just your life here and now - but the life you will live for <i><b>eternity</b>. </i> When Robert started reading from it I cannot describe to you how my eyes were opened regarding money. If there is one book I could persuade, encourage, entice you to read, it is this one. I am going to share with you a few of the quotes that I highlighted, but know that the book is RICH in truth, each page brimming with good teaching, and biblical truth that the church has lost sight of. Sponsoring a child like <a href="http://www.compassion.com/holistic.htm">Estella</a> - which amazingly can do so much good in a life for such a small cost - should be just the tip of the iceberg in how we give! And Christ wants us to give cheerfully, obediently, and <i>generously</i>. Be a story changer - in your life and in the lives of many, many others.<br />
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"But when Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on earth, it's not just because wealth <i>might</i> be lost; it's because wealth will <i>always</i> be lost. Either it leaves us while we live, or we leave it when we die. No exceptions." <i>The Treasure Principle, 13</i></div>
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"Whatever treasures we store up on earth will be left behind when we leave. Whatever treasures we store up in heaven will be waiting for us when we arrive...Every day is an opportunity to buy up more shares in His kingdom. <i>You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead." The Treasure Principle, 18-19</i></div>
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"By telling us that our hearts follow our treasure, Jesus is saying, 'Show me your checkbook, your VISA statement, and your receipts, and I'll show you where your heart is." <i style="font-style: italic;">The Treasure Principle, 42</i></div>
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"[In] the raging current of our culture - and often our churches - it's considered "normal" to keep far more than we give. But I'm convinced that the greatest deterrent to our giving is this: the illusion that earth is our home..."Our citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20). Where we choose to store our treasures depends largely on where we think our home is."<i> The Treasure Principle, 44-45</i></div>
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"He does not exist for me. I exist for Him. God's money has a higher purpose than my affluence." <i>The Treasure Principle, 57</i></div>
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"<i>Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house</i>." <i>Malachi 3:8-10</i></div>
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"The meaning of the word tithe is "a tenth part." Ten percent was to be given back to God. There were freewill offerings, too, but the 10 percent was mandatory...Nearly every study indicates that American Christians give on average between 2 and 3 percent of their income..." <i style="font-style: italic;">The Treasure Principle, 60-61</i></div>
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"Every New Testament example of giving goes far beyond the tithe. However, none falls short of it. 'God, do you really expect less of me - who has Your Holy Spirit within and lives in the wealthiest society in human history - than you demanded of the poorest Israelite?" <i>The Treasure Principle, 60-61</i></div>
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"Whatever we're teaching about giving today either it's not true to Scripture, the message isn't getting through, or we're being disobedient. Tithing isn't the ceiling of giving; it's the floor." <i style="font-style: italic;">The Treasure Principle, 62</i></div>
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"Certainly the affluent should never "check off the box," as if giving 10 percent automatically fulfills their obligation. The 90 percent belongs to God, too. He doesn't look at just what we give. He also looks at what we keep." <i style="font-style: italic;">The Treasure Principle, 63</i></div>
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"Ironically, many people can't afford to give precisely because they're not giving (Haggai 1:9-11). If we pay our debt to God first, then we will incur His blessing to help us pay our debts to men. But when we rob God to pay men, we rob ourselves of God's blessing. No wonder we don't have enough. It's a vicious cycle, and it takes obedient faith to break out of it." <i style="font-style: italic;">The Treasure Principle, 64</i></div>
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<i><i>"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion." 2 Corinthians 9:11</i></i></div>
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"God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving." <i style="font-style: italic;">The Treasure Principle, 73</i></div>
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"Why does God give some of His children more than they need and others less than they need? So that He may use His children to help one another...Abundance isn't God's provision for me to live in luxury. It's His provision for me to help others live. God entrusts me with this money not to build my kingdom on earth, but to build His kingdom in heaven." <i style="font-style: italic;">The Treasure Principle, 75</i></div>
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Imagine the work God could be doing through us in this world - in our very nation - if we were faithfully giving not only the bare minimum (ten percent of all we earn/receive), but giving in abundance?! How do you think He intends to care for the poor, the widows, and orphans? He intends to use us! Are you sharing God's money with others or robbing God to use it all on yourself? This isn't a popular topic these days, but that doesn't mean it isn't important to God or that we won't be held accountable for how we manage <strike>our </strike>God's money. There are stories in this book of people who went from neglecting to tithe a true ten percent, who are now giving <b><i>50 - 95%</i></b> of their income away!!! God wants to bless us as we bless others...maybe not with an earthly reward, but with a reward much greater that will last for all of eternity. </div>
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<i>"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21</i></div>
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Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-14451354699297605632013-04-15T23:50:00.000-07:002013-04-15T23:50:22.757-07:00Call the Midwife<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thank you, BBC, for yet another gripping, quality series! Call the Midwife is absolutely my new favorite show. It's set in east London in the 1950's and follows a group of nuns and midwives as they nurse, befriend, and deliver the babies of poor women all over the city. You'll be instantly captivated by the musical score, the setting, and the quirky, lovable cast of characters. Each episode has had me either laughing, crying, or hyperventilating - often all three, and occasionally all three at once. I'm so glad a few dear mama-friends of mine passed this little secret on to me. It's the best drama on TV in my opinion! You can watch episodes from Season One and Two right now on <a href="http://www.pbs.org/call-the-midwife/home/">pbs.org</a>! </div>
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Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-50991579491600727342013-03-30T23:07:00.000-07:002013-03-30T23:09:35.336-07:00Signs of Spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It poured the other day. You may think that typical of Oregon weather, but for us high desert Central Oregonians, rain is rare. In fact our little town boasts "300 days of sunshine" each year. We joke that we really have two seasons: Winter (snow and lots of sun) and Summer. If we get a week or two of Spring and a week or two of Fall we count ourselves blessed. So when it started to rain, we just had to play outside. And it was glorious. The earth dark and damp with tender, green shoots. The air smelling of fresh rain and perfumed with wet juniper. The kids rode their bikes giggling and splashing in puddles. Oliver grabbed the snow shovel and began "shoveling" the water that was beginning to flood our front garden bed where the water was coming down in torrents from the rain gutter. Rain play was followed by hot baths and a hearty meal. I love the rain. It was heartwarming to see my kids loving it, too. </div>
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Then today, in preparation for Easter, we made some lovely colored eggs. Dad hardboiled them, and right after naptime we set to work. It was the first time the kids had done this, so they were of course fascinated with the colored water and kept trying to poke their tiny fingers into the bright pigments. We used a very simple recipe and the eggs are absolutely beautiful. The hardest part was waiting those 5 minutes for the eggs to soak. Oh, and of course having to wait until tomorrow to eat them:)<br />
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Simple Colored Eggs:<br />
(recipe measurements from Real Simple magazine online)</div>
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Hardboiled eggs</div>
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Mason Jars (one per color)</div>
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Hot Water (1/2 Cup per color)</div>
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Food Coloring (about 20-30 drops per color)</div>
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White Vinegar (1 tsp. per color)</div>
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Simply fill each mason jar with 1/2 Cup boiling water, 20-30 drops of food coloring, and 1 tsp of white vinegar. Gently place hardboiled egg in jar and let "soak" for 1-5 minutes (depending on depth of pigment desired). Carefully remove colored egg with a spoon and let dry (we used the egg crate for drying).</div>
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Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-77866287391838128472013-03-21T01:07:00.000-07:002013-03-21T01:13:43.088-07:00Thriftin' on the Cheap<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's been about 3 months since Robert and I made the decision to really overhaul our spending habits with the intention to spend less and give more (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Treasure-Principle-Discovering-LifeChange/dp/1576737802">this little gem of a book</a> was a big factor in that decision). The hardest part for me has been the change in my personal spending habits: I was used to spending what I wanted, when I wanted, where I wanted. Not that I was a "big spender" by any means, but when you really sit down and look at all those little charges - they really do add up. $40 for a haircut, $30 at TJ Maxx one week, $40 at World Market the next...by the end of each month I was regularly spending $100-$200 on "miscellaneous shopping" easily, and most likely, more. My new "fun money" budget is $40 <i>for the whole month.</i> Yup. That's it. And it's really puttin' a cramp in my style, just kidding (sort of). Thankfully, I've always enjoyed bargain shopping. Now I get to do it out of necessity instead of leisure, but that's okay; I've been honing my skills for the past 29 years...bring it. So what to do when I've blown through $35 of my precious $40 by the 7th day of the month and I have a paltry $5 left in my pocket?! Hit the sale rack at the thrift shop! That's right - I've discovered the joy of the DOLLAR TABLE. Goodwill has colored tag sales - Starburst Family Thrift (my new favorite store on earth) has a dollar table. It's piled high, and everything on that bad boy is ONE DOLLA'. My friend Lindsey and I discovered it last week when we stopped in for a quick fix. I literally had $5 to spend and wanted to make it last. And you would not BELIEVE what I found! Five incredible items for $1 a piece. I was pretty darn pleased with myself and raced right home to make Robert sit and ooh and ahh over my treasures with me. I plan to make shopping the dollar table a regular occurence - next month that is...when I have another $40.</div>
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Here are three of my $1 items. I also got two long skirts for myself; trust me, they're cute too. </div>
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Grand total...$5</div>
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Super cute canvas tote/purse. It's reversible with a floral pattern on the inside. Robert commented that now when I get bored I can just turn it inside out instead of buying yet another purse.</div>
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Strawberry skirt for a "sweet" girl I know. That huge strawberry is a pocket. I love it.</div>
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(The dress, not the girl) </div>
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She loves her "pretty dresses"; I think she makes the dresses pretty:)</div>
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Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-48615846718945490052013-03-15T00:20:00.001-07:002013-03-15T00:22:34.776-07:00Cloth Diapering Made Simple<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Cloth diapering used to mean safety pins, stiff plastic
covers, and murky water-filled diaper pails, but today it’s all about cute
patterns, Velcro (or snaps), and the ingenious hanging wet/dry bag. And it isn’t
nearly as complicated, labor intensive, or messy as you might think! In fact,
it’s as simple as tossing your dirty diapers in a bag and then washing them
later! And if you’re like me and enjoy clean, warm garments straight from the
dryer, the ritual of washing, drying, and stuffing, culminating in a colorful
stack of clean (warm!) diapers, can actually be quite soul satisfying. With the
help of a few key tools along with the right cleaning routine, cloth diapering
is not only simple, but also less wasteful, and much, <i>much</i> cheaper than disposables! Plus, who doesn’t love to see a cute
baby crawling around with a colorful, oversized, cloth diaper booty? Here’s a
quick and easy “how to” to get you started...<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>The rest of this article has been published online at True North Parenting Magazine. Please <a href="http://truenorthparenting.com/cloth-diapering-made-simple/">click here</a> to read this post in its entirety or go to: http://truenorthparenting.com/cloth-diapering-made-simple/</i></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-57371222796266923442013-03-08T01:35:00.000-08:002013-03-08T01:38:24.196-08:00What Homeschooling Looks Like For Us Today.<div style="text-align: justify;">
So we've made the decision to homeschool, but since the triplets aren't even four yet, we hadn't really felt like we could officially call ourselves "homeschoolers" since I haven't committed to a fancy curriculum, I still feel really new to the whole process, and because our formal learning is limited to about two 10 minute teaching sessions each day at this point anyhow. But then it dawned on me: we <i>are</i> homeschooling! It's just so engrained in our everyday lives that I hadn't even thought to call it that! I'm a teacher by nature (and by trade) and I've been teaching our kids things since the day they could open their tiny eyes and stare back at me. When I cook, I explain to them what I'm doing. When I clean, I show them how to help. When we go out for errands, I assign them tasks and practically narrate every single thing I do - even things about driving that they won't need for quite a few more years (I'll have you know, my three year old son adamantly reminds me to put my hands on the steering wheel at "10 and 2" should I ever drop them down into a more relaxed position!). Instead of going through life just "doing", I try to explain and teach them about everything...as I do it! And their little memories are incredible! Before they were two they could sing the doxology and recite the entire Lord's prayer. At three, they know some Spanish and French, can do simple math, know mama's phone number by heart in case of emergency, and have about 25 Bible verses memorized - and that number grows by the day! They may still be "pre" <i>school-aged</i> but that apparently has nothing to do with learning! They've recently shown signs of readiness for a more "formal" schooling approach, so as I've been out and about I've picked up a few (used and/or cheap) materials to aid us in our first mastery tasks: reading and math. I found a few age level workbooks at the dollar store and my kids are whizzing through the Kindergarten/1st grade book already. Then, just yesterday I found a pack of math puzzle flashcards at a local thrift store for $2.50 and a phonics kit with a few short stories and sight word flashcards for $3 to help us get started! When they woke up from their nap, I had the math puzzle spread out on the rug and told them we were going to play a game. They caught on ever so quickly adding the objects on each side of the "+" sign to find the total sum - and begged me to play it again today! </div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">When we were at Costco the other evening for our </span><a href="http://oregon-mama.blogspot.com/2013/02/how-to-cut-your-food-budget-in-halfor.html" style="text-align: justify;">big weekly shopping trip</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> the triplets were skipping up and down the aisles singing "Do Re Mi" from The Sound of Music at the top of their lungs. We got a lot of smiles and comments, but one in particular stood out to me. An older man (his appearance a bit reminiscent of Santa Claus), after complimenting the triplets adorable singing abilities, asked if singing was something we did a lot together at home. I told him it was and that we all thoroughly enjoyed music and then he asked me: "Do you homeschool?" At first I almost said no (again, feeling like we haven't started </span><i style="text-align: justify;">officially)</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> - but then I stopped myself, smiled, and answered with an enthusiastic "Yes!". He smiled back and said he'd thought so. And who am I to argue with Santa? ;)</span><br />
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Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-10295579724385527782013-03-04T22:51:00.000-08:002013-03-04T22:51:10.193-08:00Ashland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">Mary and I meet in the middle. Twice a year. Little ones in tow. Each year usually with a new baby on the hip or breast. This time we each just brought one boy and one girl. It was warm, sunny, and we stayed at a lovely old farmhouse on 5 acres with cows. The boys played in the mud, followed the kind old woman who owns the property around asking her questions, helping her with her chores, and telling her she was pretty. The girls stayed closer to their mamas, touching grass, picking up rocks, sharing a dolly, napping and nursing. It was the perfect blend of outings downtown and rest at the farm. The crisp, fresh air, hot coffee together each morning, meals around the table, our young boys playing make believe upstairs and watching our very own children making their own memories and becoming friends. Three days together is never long enough, but oh, how it refreshes the soul.</span></div>
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Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-24618645439154903592013-02-26T00:12:00.000-08:002013-02-26T00:12:39.294-08:00Managing Medical Bills - The Bullet Point VersionI was going to post a pretty lengthy exposé on how we handled our mounting stack of medical bills that accumulated those first months and years after the triplets were born, but my husband told me that the subject matter was pretty boring (you can write it well, but there's still only so much lipstick you can put on a pig...), so I won't. But because I still feel like I need to share a few things I learned from my experience dealing with numerous medical providers and dual (more like <i>dueling</i>) insurance companies, I'll give you the extremely condensed version and hope my dry, lackluster post helps at least one person wade through the stress and despair that comes with each of those crisp, white, Self Addressed (un)Stamped Envelopes...<br />
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<b>1. Make Sure The Claims Have Been Submitted Properly</b><br />
Does it show that your insurance company paid their portion? If you're dually covered, did both companies pay? If not, call your medical provider's billing department to make sure they have all of your correct insurance information.<br />
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<b>2. If Your Insurance Hasn't Paid Yet - DON'T PAY ANYTHING</b><br />
After getting everything sorted out with that nice person from your doctor's billing department, they will <b>resubmit</b> your claim to your insurance company/companies and wait for payment (from them). At this point, do not pay your bill. Wait for insurance to process the new claim and wait for a new bill.<br />
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<b>3. Ask About Financial Assistance</b><br />
Believe it or not, some medical providers will discount fees if you ask. Others offer financial assistance if you can prove financial hardship. Hospitals actually have social workers available to help you sort all of that out. Ask to speak with one.<br />
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<b>4. Set Up a Payment Plan</b><br />
When you finally know the exact amount you owe on your bill, either pay the bill in full or call the billing department (again) to set up a payment plan. Most doctor's offices and hospitals offer interest-free payment plans as long as you can commit to paying a specified amount each month. This makes it way easier to budget for your monthly medical expenses, and any future bills from them can simply be called in and added to your account (like a running tab).<br />
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See what can be learned from spending countless hours on the phone with doctors offices and insurance companies while also trying to deal with three newborns?!<br />
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Happy bill paying :)<br />
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<br />Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-27206098899737435212013-02-23T01:04:00.000-08:002013-02-23T01:04:06.335-08:00Love Note for the Weekend<div style="text-align: justify;">
My children have discovered the Sound of Music and are smitten with it all: the music, the lovely Maria, and all those kids! We now have our very own little Von Trapps traipsing around our house singing "My Favorite Things" and "Do Re Mi" with surprisingly accurate intonation and lyrics. We downloaded the soundtrack from iTunes and have listened to it in our car about a bajillion times over the past few weeks. And while it's fun to belt out the more familiar songs, there's a beautiful little section of verse at the beginning of the "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" Reprise that has caused me to pause and take note this week. Rather than heralding love as this tangible occurrence or <i>feeling</i> (of which we tend to focus on our role as recipient), let us all try to love more <i>actively</i> this weekend - finding our joy and solace in the space vacated by all we've given away...</div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A bell is no bell till you ring it</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A song is no song till you sing it</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And love in your heart wasn't put there to stay</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Love isn't love till you give it away</b></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Enjoy the weekend, everyone </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; letter-spacing: 5px; line-height: 32px; text-align: center;">❤</span></div>
Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-42024911971019182202013-02-21T00:22:00.001-08:002013-02-21T00:22:58.407-08:00Sorry, Tom: This Mama's Saving Some Serious Dough!
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I like <a href="http://www.toms.com/?cid=PS_5916337&gclid=CIbOrsThxrUCFQThQgoddA4AGg">Toms</a>. They're cute, they're comfy, and of course it makes me feel good to know that a kid who desperately needs shoes will benefit from my purchase with Tom's One-for-One promise (you buy a pair, Toms sends a second pair to a child in need). But they come with a hefty price tag. My current favorite style, <a href="http://www.toms.com/womens/classics/brown-metallic-herringbone-women-s-classics">Brown Metallic Herringbone</a>, is listed online for $54! </div>
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Well, today I found myself at Rite Aid (and I <i>never</i> go to Rite Aid, unless I'm like sick and on vacation and it's the only store for 200 miles...me, I'm a Target girl through and through). But I was needing to pick up some final materials for a little crafting project I'm starting (and will hopefully be blogging about soon) and needed a few "granny-ish" items like nylons and flesh colored socks...so I figured Rite Aid was my place (and Target was on the other side of town...) Amazingly, they <i>didn't</i> have what I was looking for (seriously?! I was pretty sure that store would be crawling in granny trouser socks and undergarments!) but I found myself on their "shoe aisle" and behold...knockoff Toms. Now I usually would have just balked at their cheap attempt to mock such a noble shoe, but these things were actually nice, I mean <i>really</i> nice and almost identical to my Toms, from the plaid interior print to the faux fleece lining. They even had some of my all-time favorite patterns like purple corduroy, slate grey, sage green, and what do you know: brown metallic herringbone. I just saw the real ones at Whole Foods last week (for $54) and literally shed a tear as my inner toddler attempted mutiny with silent threats of certain imminent (fashion) death without them. Rite Aid's version were priced at just $14.99...and marked down 75%...to $3.74. </div>
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THREE DOLLARS AND SEVENTY FOUR CENTS!!! </div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Good thing I only had a $5 bill in my pocket (we're trying really hard not to use our debit cards anymore - for impulse purchases such as this) or I would have gone absolutely nuts and bought a pair in every single color...and probably a few pairs for friends too! But I didn't. I just walked up to that register all cool and collected -with one of my three year olds pulling toys off shelves and a baby trying to nurse through my shirt- and I bought my one pair of Brown Tweed Bahama Bays for exactly $3.74. </span></div>
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Okay, so they aren't Toms, and unfortunately a child won't get a free pair of shoes from my purchase but it seemed like a really great -and cheap!- way to get one more stylish pair of super cute and comfy shoes into my line-up <i>and</i> something that actually fit into our new cash-based budget that felt like a totally luxurious splurge for just a fraction of the cost! And honestly, a big part of why we've restricted our budget so much is so we can start giving a much bigger portion of our money back to God through things like <a href="http://www.gracerpcbend.com/index.html">our church</a>, <a href="http://www.compassion.com/">Compassion International</a>, and by supporting some dear friends of ours doing long-term missionary work through <a href="http://usa.ntm.org/">New Tribes Mission</a>, (we were super convicted and motivated by Randy Alcorn's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GEDV6O/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=9004251444&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4513217421487817630&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_2dkq88nop3_b">The Treasure Principle</a> - a great, quick read) so I'm hopeful that the $50.26 I saved by <b>not buying real Toms </b>will actually go further than an extra pair of shoes and touch not only feet, but tummies, minds, and hearts as well! <i>Did you know that just $38 provides a child with food, water, medical assistance, educational resources, and exposure to the truth and love of Jesus Christ for an entire MONTH through <a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm">Compassion International</a>-? </i></div>
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And seriously, don't my $3 Rite Aid shoes look <i><b>good</b>?!</i> They're <i>über</i> comfy, too! Not sure how long the sale lasts, so get over to that hip (replacement) store known as Rite Aid and get your very own knockoffs today! </div>
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Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-76029223595895567402013-02-20T07:23:00.000-08:002013-02-20T07:23:58.267-08:00The Breastfeeding DiariesGood morning! Today I'm guest blogging over at my adorable friend Julie's blog <a href="http://www.girlintheredshoes.com/">The Girl In The Red Shoes</a> and writing about my experience with pumping and breastfeeding my four wee ones for her super entertaining and insightful series: <i>The Breastfeeding Diaries</i>. Grab your coffee and milk (careful which milk you grab out of the fridge for that - wink wink!), click on the photo below, and come on over to read my post! Probably more than you ever wanted to know about pumps and boobs...but it'll be fun:)<br />
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<br />Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-48874463958268555762013-02-19T14:18:00.001-08:002013-02-19T14:22:36.259-08:00Because It Don't Get Much Crunchier Than Soap Nuts!<br />
(I do hope you read the above grammatically incorrect title aloud with your best mountain woman twang...)<br />
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Have you heard of Soap Nuts?!<br />
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I'd heard the term before, but I guess I was just never quite curious enough to see what all the fuss was about. In fact, I didn't even really know what "soap nuts" was referring to. A cute, eco-friendly detergent name, maybe? Soap scraps used to make your own homemade detergent? I don't know! Or that is, I <i>didn't </i>know until I stumbled across this lovely post over at Stacy Makes Cents. Soap Nuts are <i>actually</i> nuts - well, more like dried berry shells - that release saponin in hot water which suds up to clean your clothes...completely naturally! And you can reuse them! And they're super cheap! And you just toss them in your (warm or hot water) wash in a little muslin bag! And as if making your own laundry detergent wasn't easy enough (and some of you may still find that to be the more preferred "happy medium" between traditional detergent and oh, let's say, washing your clothes with <i>berry sap), </i>it takes away that one extra little chore of grating a bar of soap into your <a href="http://oregon-mama.blogspot.com/2013/02/this-weekends-homesteading-projects-and.html">homemade detergent</a>...and you can order them online! I'm seriously so excited to try these - right after I get through my huge batch of homemade detergent I made last weekend. But don't worry, I have four small children, a husband, and a mountain of cloth diapers to help me out with that. So head right on over to <a href="http://www.stacymakescents.com/soap-nuts-a-natural-frugal-laundry-detergent">Stacy Makes Cents</a> and read all about Soap Nuts - where to get 'em, and how to use 'em - today!<br />
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And suddenly I feel like climbing a tree and pecking at a bird feeder...Oregon-Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882027934584270993noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7508551453927793580.post-14009291004627448112013-02-18T23:44:00.000-08:002013-02-18T23:49:03.379-08:00Sunshine and Strawberries<br />
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You know when you get in your car after it has been sitting in the sun and it's about 20 degrees warmer inside than outside? And it feels <i>soooo</i> good? Well, that's what Bend has felt like this past week. <i>Warm and gooood.</i> I know it's February, and winter, and that these warm, sunny days will mean nothing short of snow on the 4th of July, but for right now, man it feels good. We've been trying to sit outside at least an hour or so each day. The kids riding their tricycles up and down the sidewalk. Baby exploring the still brown and half-dead grass (it's okay, she's not disappointed - she doesn't even know green grass exists yet:)). Mama soaking up the warmth, iphone out, ready to capture all the memories. </div>
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We went to Costco and bought strawberries on Friday. Two big boxes of sweet, red strawberries. Our kids eat a LOT of fruit. I have to set limits or they'd eat berries until they burst. And tonight I wanted to transform those ruby beauties into something even better than fruit...fruit drowned in smooth, creamy <i>chocolate </i>(can't you just hear the low, slow voice from the 80's Twix commercial in your head: "Oh yeah...OH YEAH"?!) I didn't have any dipping chocolate, and I sure wasn't going to take four kids to the store for just that (See <a href="http://oregon-mama.blogspot.com/2013/02/this-weekends-homesteading-projects-and.html">this post</a>) so I did what all good <strike>lazy</strike> frugal mamas do...I decided to Google it, look at a few recipes, and make my own. A few chocolate chips, some Crisco I found in the (way way) back of my cupboard from about 5 years ago (it's okay, you know a can of that stuff will outlast us all), a little hot water and BAM! 20 minutes later we've got chocolate dipped strawberries and three chocolate dipped kids. Super easy to make. Totally decadent. (...trust me. I've been "testing" them out all night.)</div>
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DIY Chocolate Dipping Sauce </div>
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1.5 cups chocolate chips</div>
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2 tablespoons Crisco</div>
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Find two medium sized bowls (one slightly smaller than the other). Rinse strawberries and pat dry with paper towel. Put your chocolate chips and Crisco in the smaller bowl. Fill the slightly larger bowl about halfway with the hottest water you can get from your sink. Carefully set the smaller bowl inside the bowl filled with hot water (don't let it tip! You don't want any water getting inside your chocolate sauce!) Let small bowl of chocolate "float" for about a minute in hot water bath. Remove small bowl and start to mix the chocolate chips and Crisco (I tried "mixing" with my small bowl still in the water bowl and accidentally got water in it. Just take the bowl out to mix). Put bowl back into hot water bowl, let sit another minute, take out, mix chocolate again. Dump hot water out and fill with fresh hot water. Continue to do this until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. It can take about 10-15 minutes. Once smooth and melted, grab your strawberry, pull all the greenery away from the berry, hold the greenery like a handle and dip! Set on baking sheet lined with wax paper and repeat. This batch of chocolate will dip about 20 strawberries. If your chocolate starts to harden, just set in hot water bowl again for another minute and re-stir. Let dipped strawberries cool and store in air-tight container (do not refrigerate). </div>
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