Preparing for Advent - Day 1

This month, I am going through this book, Preparing My Heart for Advent by Ann Marie Stewart.  I had no plans to post about it, but have felt compared to share. If nothing else, it will help to keep me accountable. And please be gracious, I am posting from my notes, and will keep this very raw.

 

Today's main reading comes from Zechariah 7:11-13

11 “But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. 12 Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. 13 Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. (NKJV)
 

Thoughts: The Jewish people refused to pay attention, turned their backs, stopped listening, and turned their hearts to stone. Because of their actions, God's action was to not listen when they called to Him.

My prayer for today:

Lord, create in me a clean heart. Soften it with your love. Prepare me for Your Advent-Your coming- in my heart, our family, and this time of joy. Draw me to you so I will overflow with Your Grace. Take my fingers from my ears, turn me toward You so I may be fact to face with my Redeemer. Come, Emmanuel, Come!

 

Weary Mom? What's all the hub-bub?

If you have been on Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media outlet, you have had to have seen something about this book called, "Hope for the Weary Mom. Where God meets you in your Mess".  The new expanded version released Tuesday, and in a two day event, over 26,000 ebooks were given away. Apparently Brooke McGlothlin and Stacey Thacker hit upon a nerve among women.  So what is the big deal?



When you look up "weary" it is defined as:

1: exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness

2: expressing or characteristic of weariness

3: having one's patience, tolerance, or pleasure exhausted —used with of
 

I looked up this definition after I was included in group of women that were put together to help launch this book.  I began examining this list, praying over it, and meditating on it. Was this really how I saw mothering? Was my pleasure in my children exhausted; had my endurance been exhausted? Had I really gotten to this point?

Can I be honest? I really didn't like the direction I thought this was all going. Doesn't the Bible tell us not to grow weary? Aren't we supposed to run the race well? I began to believe this was going to be a group of women that sat around complaining about their children and husbands, and just commiserate over chocolate. I went ahead and picked up the book and began reading. And I began to see what Brooke and Stacey were wanting to share with all the Moms out there that were tired.

It's not about being weary. This book is about the HOPE.

"Sometimes, I want to run away. But if I turn away from Jesus, where will I go?"

That, my friends is the summary of the whole book. When you think you are weary, there can only be one reason. You are running from your HOPE!  It is in God, through God, and with God only we have the strength and HOPE for our days! It is in Him I have placed my hopes for my children. Him that carries my husband and I's hopes for our future.

This book is a beautiful place to start in your journey. It is the jumping off point to dive back into the presence of Jesus. At His feet will you learn. I loved being reminded where my HOPE was found.

You may purchase your own copy of this book, ebook or paperback, from Amazon.com.

Archery~Why not?

So we woke up yesterday morning, and decided an archery contest was in order. Why not?  We weighted down the target, as it was windy here in Oklahoma, and filled our kids up with sugary pastry goodness, then headed outside for loads of fun!

Everyone hanging out

 

Heath Jr.

Daniel

 

Malcolm



Jeffie Jean

 

Terry

Paulee~She was a hoot!

Anderson

 

Even babe, Mom, and Dad got in on the fun!

 

 

It was a blast. If we were keeping score, Dad won, with Mom in second and Daniel in third. But we have WAY more practice needed before it gets serious! And the kids learned what happens if you let the bow get too close to your face.





Laundry Soap

If you have been here in my little blog world, you know I make our laundry soap.  I have used a couple of different recipes, but they were the same. You needed a large 5 gallon bucket, 2 days worth of time, and could not make more until the bucket was completely empty. That meant there were at least two days I couldn't wash anything.  Or at least, that is how it worked for me, as I didn't have a second bucket.

 

So, I came across homemade laundry soap when looking through Pinterest one day. It's been sitting in my cleaning board for quite some time.  And now that I have a new (to me) washer in our new (to us, again) home, it was time to break out the new recipe. According to The White Silk Purse, this only costs $0.017, but you will have to read all the specifics over there.

Concentrated Laundry Soap

You will need:
2 bars of Fels Naptha
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda (NOT baking soda. Two distinct things)
6 cups hot water
Essential oils

Put 6 cups of water on to heat. It will almost boil by the time you are done. While the water is heating, grate the Fels Naptha.  Add the soap to the water that is heating, and stir frequently. This part takes 10 – 15 minutes. Keep stirring until the soap is completely melted. Be careful not to let your mixture boil over!

When the soap has melted turn off the heat and add the Borax and the Washing Soda. Again, do not confuse Washing Soda with baking soda. They are NOT the same.  You can find both Borax and Washing Soda in the laundry aisle.Stir and stir and stir. You will stir for about three minutes. The powders will dissolve into the liquid. Add a few drops of essential oils to scent your soap how you would like. I had tea tree oil and peppermint on hand, so I added 5 drops of each.

Pour the liquid equally into 4 quart jars. This was almost may favorite part. I didn't have enough of my new jars, so I pulled out some old mason jars Heath's grandmother gave me. Now, add just enough water to bring the contents up to the “shoulders” of the jar. This will leave about 1 ½ inches of head space. Put lids on the jars and let them sit overnight (about 8 hours).

The soap in the jars will separate while it is standing. This is OK. There will be firm soap on top and kind of gel-like soap on the bottom. Sometimes "crystals" form at the bottom of the jar, don't worry. This actually happens pretty quickly.

This next part is really quite fun. In the morning, take one of the jars and cut up the firm soap. I just stick a knife down into the jar and cut it up like a pie. Next, pour all of this into your mixing bowl of your stand mixer. There were a few crystals that stayed in the bottom, so I just swished a tiny bit of hot water around to loosen them up and poured them in the bowl as well. 

Start on the lowest speed of your blender or mixer and increase the speed gradually. Your result will be something that looks like really thick, pale yellow whipped cream. You may need to scrape the sides down with a spatula a few times to get it all the way blended/mixed. It looks much like butter by time you are done.

Pour/spoon the now blended soap back into the quart jars. Your jars will be all the way full now and you may even have a little more for another jar. In fact, I went from having 4 quarts to having 5 quarts. Pop a lid onto the jars and your soap will keep indefinitely. It gets a little firmer in the jar when it sits, but it stays spoonable.

 

It is supposed to take 1 tablespoon per load. I have a coffee measure that I am not sure of the measurement. And instead of testing it out, I just put two scoops in the wash.  The clothes are clean, but do not have any smell. I may have to work on a softener, as I really like my clothes to have a scent when I pull them out of my drawer.

 

Have fun trying this out!

What I learned the first week of school.

This week, we started our first week of school for the new school year.  It has been quite the adventure, with so many twists and turns. And while I am not proud of many of my moments, I was able to make it through the process with a new perspective, and have grown along the way.  I also have a few tidbits of truth to share.





#1. You are never prepared. I know this because, I prepped ALL summer, yet Sunday night was a basket case because I came up with at least a thousand more things I had to do before Monday morning. I was stressing out!! And might have found some chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream (that I SO should not have had) to help me through the evening. I was pretty sure, I was going to throw up before the next morning.



#2. Staying up late is bad. No really. For me, for the kids. It's just plain bad.  Making the kids stay up until 10 to finish Latin is NOT going to instill a love of the language, or for that matter,  really help your position in their heart either.  I proved my point. But then had to deal with crankies the entire next day. We won't say who was cranky, or mention the tears. *ahem





#3. Attitude reflects leadership. I gave a big thumbs up when that line was stated in "Remember the Titans". Now I am frowning and grumbling. 'Cause I am the leadership. Adulthood. Sometimes it stinks. However, I found out that if you throw a fit, you don't feel near as good afterwards as you thought you should. Don't ask how I know.




#4. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Our first two days of school were just plain rotten.  I am talking, we don't speak of them; I am trying to blot them from my memory.  We were rushed, had other appointments to keep, and the goofy teacher tried to get too much done for the first days back.  But each day, we got back on the proverbial horse, and went after it again. And by Friday?  We were smoothly finding a routine, getting things completed, and ENJOYING it. The lesson of perseverance that ole turtle teaches is really true!



#5. Usually, it's not the lessons that are most memorable. From everything that went on this week, we are not going to remember each lesson, each assignment. I'd like to say they will never forget what was taught, but ask me specifics about any grades first week of school, and I will stutter and stammer trying to recall. But we will remember two lost teeth, the feeling of accomplishment in tying ones shoe for the first time. The sense of self-worth when chores are completed, and the shared secrets as we giggle behind books and papers.


We have had better first weeks over the last 5 years, but this one is extra special. It began in a new chapter in our lives, a new house, a new beginning.  We are still trying to define who we are in this new direction, but we are doing it together.  It isn't all roses, life is ugly. But together, we are striving to etch out beautiful spots to remember, together with God.