First-Aid Kit in a Bottle

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 dying from a terrible, horrible, ginormous mosquito bite that I had found on the outside of my left knee that I could not stop scratching 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 something 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 must 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 antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic qualities and can pretty much be used (with fantastic results!) on any 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! 

To Abigail on Her First Birthday

June 14th, 2013

Sweet Abigail Jane,

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 the day you were born  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. 

Happy 1st Birthday, sweet Abigaily Janey.

Love,

Mama

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23 

Instagram

I feel like a whole new world has been opened up to me. I have been using the Instagram 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 twice:)) 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: The Road is Home, Beauty That Moves, and A Holy Experience. 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 they 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 those 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.

Some of my favorites that I've started following on Instagram this week:

http://instagram.com/floretflower

http://instagram.com/babaamarta

http://instagram.com/sappyapple

http://instagram.com/mexicorosel

http://instagram.com/oanabefort

http://instagram.com/beatle_and_bear

http://instagram.com/herlibraryadventures

http://instagram.com/primoeza

I am just loving 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!!!

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 Afterlight. I really like these filters because they give my photos that kind of muted, romantic, vintagey look. 

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):

To see all of my photos, you can follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/oregonmama

Now excuse me while I wrap up this blog post so I can go drool over more photos on Instagram... :) 

Let's Talk About Giving

Yesterday was Compassion Sunday and I had the privilege of speaking in front of our church congregation about our experience of sponsoring a child through Compassion International. 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.

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.

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 The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn, but the message within its pages is goliath. The book is revolutionary. It has the potential to change your life - and not just your life here and now - but the life you will live for eternity.  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 Estella - 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 generously. Be a story changer - in your life and in the lives of many, many others.

"But when Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on earth, it's not just because wealth might be lost; it's because wealth will always be lost. Either it leaves us while we live, or we leave it when we die. No exceptions." The Treasure Principle, 13

"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. You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead." The Treasure Principle, 18-19

"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." The Treasure Principle, 42

"[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." The Treasure Principle, 44-45

"He does not exist for me. I exist for Him. God's money has a higher purpose than my affluence." The Treasure Principle, 57

"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." Malachi 3:8-10

"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..." The Treasure Principle, 60-61

"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?" The Treasure Principle, 60-61

"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." The Treasure Principle, 62

"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." The Treasure Principle, 63

"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." The Treasure Principle, 64

"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion." 2 Corinthians 9:11

"God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving." The Treasure Principle, 73

"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." The Treasure Principle, 75

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 our 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 50 - 95% 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. 

"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

Call the Midwife

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 pbs.org!