4/28/10
More Thrift Store Finds
I hit Savers about once each week, as much to drop off a bag of donations as to actually look for things to buy. We're slowly cleaning out closets and actually getting rid of things. I do have a running list of things I'm looking for though, and the past few weeks I've managed to knock a few things off of that list.
I'm slowly working on decorating our kitchen, and I've decided to go with an Italian kitchen type theme. We've had these plates for about a year now, while I thought about how I wanted to display them. I've been keeping an eye out for plate racks, but everything I saw in the store was at least $20 each. I got these two racks at Savers for $17, and I love them! My next project is some sort of curtains for the windows, but once again I'm just going to wait until I find something I like.
I'm still hunting summer shoes and while I haven't found any flats yet I did find this awesome pair of sandals. I had a pair of everyday type black sandals for a while, but they finally got ruined to the point where I had to throw them away. These are my replacement pair, and they'll be perfect for the summer.
Love
Love Letter Seven: The Book of Judges
God says, I never heal superficially. Many of My people wish I did and think I do. I don't. My plan is to change you from the inside out, to change your motives—why you do what you do—and to change your impact on people so that how you relate to others will make them thirsty for Me and will draw them to dependence on Me.
When you love Me above all else, what you do will bring Me pleasure because your motives, though never pure, will be holy. And when you love others with an authenticity and passion that draws them toward Me, you will feel a little of the pleasure I feel.
Only when people look deeply into themselves will they truly repent. My people in Judges never repented. They remained in love with their own sense of well-being, with no understanding that love, real love, the love that defines Me, involves suffering the loss of well-being for the sake of another.
That lack of understanding is epidemic, not only in culture but in churches today. And it is in you. You and everyone else are inclined to depend on Me for the good life of blessings and to mistake that dependence for love. You're more afraid of losing the good life than of losing (or never gaining) a close relationship with Me. You do not yet see that being with Me is your greatest blessing, no matter what else may be happening in your life.
(from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb, ©2009.)
God says, I never heal superficially. Many of My people wish I did and think I do. I don't. My plan is to change you from the inside out, to change your motives—why you do what you do—and to change your impact on people so that how you relate to others will make them thirsty for Me and will draw them to dependence on Me.
When you love Me above all else, what you do will bring Me pleasure because your motives, though never pure, will be holy. And when you love others with an authenticity and passion that draws them toward Me, you will feel a little of the pleasure I feel.
Only when people look deeply into themselves will they truly repent. My people in Judges never repented. They remained in love with their own sense of well-being, with no understanding that love, real love, the love that defines Me, involves suffering the loss of well-being for the sake of another.
That lack of understanding is epidemic, not only in culture but in churches today. And it is in you. You and everyone else are inclined to depend on Me for the good life of blessings and to mistake that dependence for love. You're more afraid of losing the good life than of losing (or never gaining) a close relationship with Me. You do not yet see that being with Me is your greatest blessing, no matter what else may be happening in your life.
(from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb, ©2009.)
4/24/10
Fun Day
Well part of our plan was to hit some garage sales today, but we got up and moving too late for that to happen. Which I guess is okay since at this point I'd rather sleep in on Saturday mornings. We headed to Scottsdale, with an eventual destination of Benihanas since Chris had a birthday coupon for one free entree. While driving around aimlessly looking for garage sales that were still open at 1pm (we didn't find any), we passed a Whole Foods and decided to see what all of the fuss was about since we don't have one on our side of town. We walked in and looked around. Final verdict: not too much that was interesting, a bit overpriced, but good free samples (mostly various kinds of crackers and chips). Chris said they had a good selection of different cheeses.
After that we decided that we'd better head to Benihanas, only to find that they were closed between 3 and 5. We walked around a bit since we were in a pretty nice outdoor mall type area. As usual I was wishing for my camera since it was a beautiful day and there were flowers and grass planted in some little clearings. Walked into SteinMart, and we didn't see what the fuss was about (sorry Julie). I'm still in the hunt for some black flat shoes to go with capris, but it seems that I wear a size somewhere between a 6.5 and an 8, depending on the brand, and that very few shoes are actually wide enough for my feet, regardless of what size they are. Really, we just walked around and generally enjoyed the nice weather. Benihanas was good once it got to be 5, although there was a large group of high schoolers there who were all dressed up for prom. By the time we had dinner and made it back home, it was close to 7. Overall, a good day.
After that we decided that we'd better head to Benihanas, only to find that they were closed between 3 and 5. We walked around a bit since we were in a pretty nice outdoor mall type area. As usual I was wishing for my camera since it was a beautiful day and there were flowers and grass planted in some little clearings. Walked into SteinMart, and we didn't see what the fuss was about (sorry Julie). I'm still in the hunt for some black flat shoes to go with capris, but it seems that I wear a size somewhere between a 6.5 and an 8, depending on the brand, and that very few shoes are actually wide enough for my feet, regardless of what size they are. Really, we just walked around and generally enjoyed the nice weather. Benihanas was good once it got to be 5, although there was a large group of high schoolers there who were all dressed up for prom. By the time we had dinner and made it back home, it was close to 7. Overall, a good day.
4/21/10
Ruth
Love Letter Eight: The Book of Ruth
God says, no matter what happens in your life, I can reach into your heart with the power to form you into someone who values Me above everyone and everything else. I am determined to reverse your values.
My plan has a happy ending, a wonderful finale far better than you can imagine, but the happy ending is only for the holy. I am committed to your holiness at any cost to Me, required by My nature, and at any cost to you, required by yours, and on whatever timetable is necessary. There are intractable obstacles I must overcome to make you holy. I deal with three in Ruth: natural disadvantages that to you seem more important to overcome than an unholy value system, shattered dreams that bring so much pain into your life that it's difficult to welcome the opportunity they provide for new levels of trust, and material resources that make it easy to disguise narcissism behind non-sacrificial generosity.
Ruth's life is a they-all-lived-happily-ever-after story, but it is not a parable of My power to make life comfortable; it is a parable of My power to make people holy. Know this: holiness and only holiness brings joy. No problem in your life, whether difficult problems such as disadvantages and loss or agreeable problems such as wealth, can stop My plan. Faith and hope together release love. And love is holiness. Hear what I'm saying in this love letter: no matter how dark the world around you, no matter how difficult the world inside you, My plan overcomes all obstacles to holiness.
(from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb, ©2009.)
God says, no matter what happens in your life, I can reach into your heart with the power to form you into someone who values Me above everyone and everything else. I am determined to reverse your values.
My plan has a happy ending, a wonderful finale far better than you can imagine, but the happy ending is only for the holy. I am committed to your holiness at any cost to Me, required by My nature, and at any cost to you, required by yours, and on whatever timetable is necessary. There are intractable obstacles I must overcome to make you holy. I deal with three in Ruth: natural disadvantages that to you seem more important to overcome than an unholy value system, shattered dreams that bring so much pain into your life that it's difficult to welcome the opportunity they provide for new levels of trust, and material resources that make it easy to disguise narcissism behind non-sacrificial generosity.
Ruth's life is a they-all-lived-happily-ever-after story, but it is not a parable of My power to make life comfortable; it is a parable of My power to make people holy. Know this: holiness and only holiness brings joy. No problem in your life, whether difficult problems such as disadvantages and loss or agreeable problems such as wealth, can stop My plan. Faith and hope together release love. And love is holiness. Hear what I'm saying in this love letter: no matter how dark the world around you, no matter how difficult the world inside you, My plan overcomes all obstacles to holiness.
(from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb, ©2009.)
4/20/10
Book Review- The Language of Love and Respect
According to my e-mail, I've had the book The Language of Love and Respect on my desk and waiting to be reviewed since the end of October '09. Being a fan of the original Love and Respect, I thought for sure I would enjoy this book just as much. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. While this book is useful and valuable, I was disappointed that it did not offer very many new insights into communication. Instead, it felt more like a rehash of the original Love and Respect, only with some different examples and testimonies thrown in.
Communication is arguably the most important aspect of a marriage. Marriages thrive or fail often based on how well spouses communicate with each other. Unfortunately, men and women see and hear things differently, and this often causes confusion and miscommunication. In short, men hear the language of "respect" while women hear the language of "love". Once men and women are aware of this, then they can get to work learning how to speak and listen in each others languages. This is the basic premise of the book, and people who have already read the original Love and Respect will recognize it well.
These are valuable concepts that have really helped our marriage, but I'd say you should either read the original Love and Respect, or this book, but most people won't need to read both.
*This book was provided for free by Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review.
Communication is arguably the most important aspect of a marriage. Marriages thrive or fail often based on how well spouses communicate with each other. Unfortunately, men and women see and hear things differently, and this often causes confusion and miscommunication. In short, men hear the language of "respect" while women hear the language of "love". Once men and women are aware of this, then they can get to work learning how to speak and listen in each others languages. This is the basic premise of the book, and people who have already read the original Love and Respect will recognize it well.
These are valuable concepts that have really helped our marriage, but I'd say you should either read the original Love and Respect, or this book, but most people won't need to read both.
*This book was provided for free by Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review.
4/14/10
Holiness
Love Letter Nine: The Book of First Samuel
God says, I'm aware that things go wrong in your life, that family and friends don't always treat you well, that nothing goes exactly as you want it to. I grieve with you over the pain that life causes you. But our priorities differ. You ask what will work to make your life better, to correct the injustice you suffer, to see to it that more things go as they should in your life. I want you to ask what holiness would look like in your situation, whatever it is; holiness that might not right the wrongs you suffer but that would let us enjoy each other.
I tell Samuel's story to let you see how Israel's spiritual leaders, when they saw trouble brewing at the end of Samuel's life, forgot Me—no, they rejected Me—and honored their own agenda to make life work according to their own wisdom. They insisted Samuel appoint a human king, a king other than Me, to lead them. They wanted to fit in with the way other people ran their lives that seemed to be working for them. Israel had never had a king other than Me.
It hurts Me to see My people chase after a lesser good than knowing Me. It disturbs Me to watch them follow so-called proven methods to make good things happen and to value those managerial methods more than the holy and self-denying relating that pleases Me no matter what happens. You will understand My central message in this letter when you understand the tragedy of asking for a king other than Me. Following the ways of another may work for a season. It often leads to the shallow and short-lived laughter of pride in an accomplished agenda.
Following My ways will lead you through trouble and emptiness to real laughter, to the laughter that only persons in holy relationship can enjoy.
(from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb, ©2009.)
God says, I'm aware that things go wrong in your life, that family and friends don't always treat you well, that nothing goes exactly as you want it to. I grieve with you over the pain that life causes you. But our priorities differ. You ask what will work to make your life better, to correct the injustice you suffer, to see to it that more things go as they should in your life. I want you to ask what holiness would look like in your situation, whatever it is; holiness that might not right the wrongs you suffer but that would let us enjoy each other.
I tell Samuel's story to let you see how Israel's spiritual leaders, when they saw trouble brewing at the end of Samuel's life, forgot Me—no, they rejected Me—and honored their own agenda to make life work according to their own wisdom. They insisted Samuel appoint a human king, a king other than Me, to lead them. They wanted to fit in with the way other people ran their lives that seemed to be working for them. Israel had never had a king other than Me.
It hurts Me to see My people chase after a lesser good than knowing Me. It disturbs Me to watch them follow so-called proven methods to make good things happen and to value those managerial methods more than the holy and self-denying relating that pleases Me no matter what happens. You will understand My central message in this letter when you understand the tragedy of asking for a king other than Me. Following the ways of another may work for a season. It often leads to the shallow and short-lived laughter of pride in an accomplished agenda.
Following My ways will lead you through trouble and emptiness to real laughter, to the laughter that only persons in holy relationship can enjoy.
(from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb, ©2009.)
4/13/10
Forget Me Not- Blog Tour!
Now, a mysterious woman appears at Crossroads seeking answers and help—a victim who eerily resembles Ben’s deceased wife, Susan. A woman robbed of her identity, her life, of everything except her faith—and Susan’s necklace."
Forget Me Not is a suspense/thriller of a novel by Vicki Hinze. I enjoyed this one enough that I read it from cover to cover in one night just to find out what happened (I'm a fast reader). At its heart, this is a story of mistaken and lost identities. The underlying theme is that while life can make us forget WHO we are, that is okay so long as we remember WHOSE we are. I will admit that I had trouble with the myriad of characters and plot lines in this book- the villains cross and double-cross each other frequently, but that's a common problem of mine. I did figure out several of the twists and turns before they actually happened, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. Overall I'd say that this is a good piece of escapist fiction and I'd be interested in reading more by Vicki Hinze.
*This book was provided for free by Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review.
4/12/10
Crochet
So my newest hobby (cause I need another hobby like I need another hole in my head), is crochet. Liz, one of my co-workers, taught me when we were up in Show-Low for our EI retreat. Thus far I'm enjoying it because it's portable (unlike sewing), and it helps me to keep my hands busy. I can keep a crochet hook and an ongoing project in my car and I have something to do if I end up stuck waiting somewhere. It is also easy to pick up and put down if I only have a few minutes here and there to do something. I watched a few youtube videos to figure out some new tricks (like how to work in a new ball of yarn).
Of course, after that I had to discover Ravelry and their wealth of free patterns. Even for a beginner like me there are more than enough patterns to keep me busy for a long time. I'm currently working on a shawl made from recycled yarn. Oh yeah, that's another thing. I decided to buy a sweater from Savers and see if I could take it apart and reuse the yarn. The answer is yes, but... As in yes, but I'm not sure it's worth it. I definitely saved the money I would have spent buying yarn (it's expensive), but with how much time it took me to unwind the sweater (I'm still only about 2/3 done), I think I would rather have just watched for a good sale and bought the yarn. Anyways, that yarn is bluish green and is currently being made into a prayer shawl that will hopefully be donated to charity. I may or may not remember to take a picture of it when it is finished, since this blog has had a distinct lack of pictures lately.
I also caught a good deal on some Sugar 'n Cream cotton on ebay from someone who was clearing out her stash. That should hold me for a while and I have plans for lots of little projects, including a few for friends who are currently pregnant. I also have a skein of bamboo yarn that is sort of an odd color (it is labeled coral), that I don't know what to do with. I'm half tempted to just curl up and pet it though- it's so soft.
Of course, after that I had to discover Ravelry and their wealth of free patterns. Even for a beginner like me there are more than enough patterns to keep me busy for a long time. I'm currently working on a shawl made from recycled yarn. Oh yeah, that's another thing. I decided to buy a sweater from Savers and see if I could take it apart and reuse the yarn. The answer is yes, but... As in yes, but I'm not sure it's worth it. I definitely saved the money I would have spent buying yarn (it's expensive), but with how much time it took me to unwind the sweater (I'm still only about 2/3 done), I think I would rather have just watched for a good sale and bought the yarn. Anyways, that yarn is bluish green and is currently being made into a prayer shawl that will hopefully be donated to charity. I may or may not remember to take a picture of it when it is finished, since this blog has had a distinct lack of pictures lately.
I also caught a good deal on some Sugar 'n Cream cotton on ebay from someone who was clearing out her stash. That should hold me for a while and I have plans for lots of little projects, including a few for friends who are currently pregnant. I also have a skein of bamboo yarn that is sort of an odd color (it is labeled coral), that I don't know what to do with. I'm half tempted to just curl up and pet it though- it's so soft.
4/7/10
Trust
God says, only when you see the moral evil in the human heart will you surrender to the mystery of My plan.
In this world, I am destroying moral evil in My people. In the next, I will eliminate natural evil. You must trust that I permit terrible things, natural evil that grieves My heart far more than yours, as part of the process of destroying the moral evil that offends My heart. In ways you cannot understand, I have the power and wisdom needed to move My plan forward through the evil of bombs and the injustice of suffering.
No matter how great your pain or how confusing and intense your suffering, live in the mystery of My love. Struggle to trust Me.
Do not live with the priority of making your life in this world as good as you can make it. You will suffer, at times unfairly, but you will be given what you need to enter strongly and wisely with supernatural love into every circumstance you face.
Doing so will be your joy, your hope, and your deepest fulfillment now as you look forward to a world where every child runs and laughs.
(from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb, ©2009.)
In this world, I am destroying moral evil in My people. In the next, I will eliminate natural evil. You must trust that I permit terrible things, natural evil that grieves My heart far more than yours, as part of the process of destroying the moral evil that offends My heart. In ways you cannot understand, I have the power and wisdom needed to move My plan forward through the evil of bombs and the injustice of suffering.
No matter how great your pain or how confusing and intense your suffering, live in the mystery of My love. Struggle to trust Me.
Do not live with the priority of making your life in this world as good as you can make it. You will suffer, at times unfairly, but you will be given what you need to enter strongly and wisely with supernatural love into every circumstance you face.
Doing so will be your joy, your hope, and your deepest fulfillment now as you look forward to a world where every child runs and laughs.
(from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb, ©2009.)
4/5/10
Strange Things that Run Through my Head
Really, I think this could be an entire category, not just a title. If I could figure out a way to dictate blog posts while I was driving, this blog would get updated a.lot more often. Anyways, today's thought was a word.
Transmogrification. I had to come home and look it up, since I thought I knew what it meant but I wasn't sure. Turns out I was fairly close after all. "Transmogrification- the act of transmogrifying, or the state of being transmogrified." Yeah, very helpful. Makes me think politicians are now writing dictionaries. Fortunately, we also have this, "The process or result of changing from one appearance, state, or phase, to another, especially a fantastic or grotesque one." Ah hah. That's better.
Just in case you were wondering.
There's your new word for the day.
You're welcome.
Transmogrification. I had to come home and look it up, since I thought I knew what it meant but I wasn't sure. Turns out I was fairly close after all. "Transmogrification- the act of transmogrifying, or the state of being transmogrified." Yeah, very helpful. Makes me think politicians are now writing dictionaries. Fortunately, we also have this, "The process or result of changing from one appearance, state, or phase, to another, especially a fantastic or grotesque one." Ah hah. That's better.
Just in case you were wondering.
There's your new word for the day.
You're welcome.
4/4/10
Eating Healthy Without Going Broke Part 3- Plan and Preserve
If your goal is to eat healthy without going broke, then you have probably already searched out the best prices on the big ticket items are in your budget. You might even have started shopping locally for produce or joined a co-op. Unfortunately, having a refrigerator full of fresh, healthy, produce won't do you any good if it doesn't get used up. In your quest to eat healthy, planning for and preserving your food is an absolute necessity.
Even though you are focusing on eating healthy and locally, don't neglect the idea of meal planning. It may look a little bit different, but you can still plan meals based around what is in season in your area. If you are a part of a produce co-op, plan your menu for the week AFTER you get your share of produce. This allows you to plan to use up your food and will tell you what else you may need in order to supplement the items that you receive. Do the same thing if you are going to the farmer's market. Get an idea of what is in season and then plan your menu based around what you buy. It may even help to wash and chop fruits and vegetables when you get home so that they will be easy to use when it is time to cook dinner.
Besides planning meals that use up the produce that you buy, it also helps to learn the best ways to preserve different types of foods. This allows you to purchase things in bulk when they are in season and store for when that season passes. For example, there are certain times of the year when our produce basket will include several pounds of apples and pears each week. Since there is no way that Chris and I can eat that many apples and pears, I collect them for a few weeks then make a large batch of applesauce. I divide it up and freeze it, then use it in baking (you can substitute it 1:1 for oil, up to using 2T of oil and the rest applesauce). This allows me to make sure that all of those apples and pears get used up, and lets me stock up on applesauce that I can use later. I do something similar whenever we get melons in our produce basket. Those get cut, frozen on cookie sheets, and loaded into gallon ziploc bags for use in my summer smoothies. If you're creative, many, many different types of fruits and vegetables can be frozen for later use. Many types of produce can also be canned or dehydrated, although I haven't ever done either of these. The key is to plan and preserve so that you can use what you have, either now, or at a later date.
Even though you are focusing on eating healthy and locally, don't neglect the idea of meal planning. It may look a little bit different, but you can still plan meals based around what is in season in your area. If you are a part of a produce co-op, plan your menu for the week AFTER you get your share of produce. This allows you to plan to use up your food and will tell you what else you may need in order to supplement the items that you receive. Do the same thing if you are going to the farmer's market. Get an idea of what is in season and then plan your menu based around what you buy. It may even help to wash and chop fruits and vegetables when you get home so that they will be easy to use when it is time to cook dinner.
Besides planning meals that use up the produce that you buy, it also helps to learn the best ways to preserve different types of foods. This allows you to purchase things in bulk when they are in season and store for when that season passes. For example, there are certain times of the year when our produce basket will include several pounds of apples and pears each week. Since there is no way that Chris and I can eat that many apples and pears, I collect them for a few weeks then make a large batch of applesauce. I divide it up and freeze it, then use it in baking (you can substitute it 1:1 for oil, up to using 2T of oil and the rest applesauce). This allows me to make sure that all of those apples and pears get used up, and lets me stock up on applesauce that I can use later. I do something similar whenever we get melons in our produce basket. Those get cut, frozen on cookie sheets, and loaded into gallon ziploc bags for use in my summer smoothies. If you're creative, many, many different types of fruits and vegetables can be frozen for later use. Many types of produce can also be canned or dehydrated, although I haven't ever done either of these. The key is to plan and preserve so that you can use what you have, either now, or at a later date.
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