It is the morning of Day 2 of the media fast month of the "7" experience. I only have one observation at this time. Since it's rare that I sit and watch TV all night, I just assumed I didn't watch a lot of TV. I didn't realize all the sneaky little ways I used TV to pass time until yesterday.
Normally when Titus and the kids get a campfire ready, I hang out inside and watch some Create TV until they are ready for me to join them and cook dinner, or smores. I don't usually join them to gather sticks and get the fire started. That's always been their thing. I would have it on "in the background" while I puttered in the kitchen, put away laundry, etc. Since my TV is unplugged, yesterday while they were working on that project, I grabbed a book on Women's ministry and began reading. And when they went for a bike ride, I read some more.
Right now, starting Day 2, I am loving this. I'm sure that won't last for the next four weeks, but I will ride this as long as I can.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
And so it begins...
Today I am five days away from the beginning of a journey that will last until about spring break of next year. It's hard to even fathom such an idea. So much life can happen in that time. And while life unfolds and we see how God leads our family, I will undergo my own journey within the journey.
Sunday, June 3rd, 2012 starts the "7" project. Based on the book 7: an Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker, this journey looks at seven areas of excess in our modern American lives. Each month, for seven months, we will tackle one area, and in the spirit of a fast, remove the excess from our lives. During that month, my desire is to see how God would reveal himself to me as I remove the clutter and fill those spaces with Him.
The first month is media. And I'm terrified. I enjoy my cup of coffee with the top of the hour news and weather on Good Morning America. I love keeping up with friends on Facebook. Honestly, it is the best place for me to know what is going on with my family and friends who live in other states. And, when a friend here in town dealt with the death of a family member, she kept us all informed through Facebook as to what was going on with her situation. It is just so convenient to keep in touch with people. But it can also be a time waster.
The same is true of cooking websites, online grocery store ads, email, and so many other places online. But when I spend so much time online that I don't have time for prayer or meeting God in His Word, well, then there's a problem.
So here's what's going down for the first month. I am using these filters to help me determine what media I will avoid and what I will allow.
1.) If it is necessary for me to earn my paycheck, I will keep it.
I use email for my job all day long. It is how we communicate the most efficiently. There are times I order books and resources for the pastors. I log in to mass text our students about the trip coming up in July. I am doing an online Bible Study starting at the end of the month to preview for our Women's ministry. These type of online "media" I will keep.
2.) If it brings me closer in my relationship with the Lord, I will keep it. If it is a distraction to my relationship with the Lord, I will forgo it for the next four weeks.
This means I will keep sermons I listen to on my ipod when I exercise and Christian radio in my kitchen while I make dinner. However, the TV and DVD player will be unplugged for the month. I will blog once a week about this experience and check personal email about once a week. Those area honestly not big distractions for me with my relationship with the Lord. The TV, movies, Facebook, and recipe websites are the ones I feel most led to give up. Those are the areas where I "check out" and need to focus on "checking in" with God.
3.) I will be reasonable with my expectations of my family joining me on this experience.
My husband has no problem with turning off the TV and DVD player for the month. He has no problem with not checking ESPN or 14ers.com for the month. But he does have a hard time figuring out how we are going to do road trips with the kids without any using the portable DVD player. And I agree. I want our children to live through this experience. And a long road trip without movies to watch is just asking for trouble. So, in those areas we will be reasonable, and not legalistic.
Five days. June 3rd will be here before I know it. And honestly, as terrified as I am, I look forward to what all God will speak to me when I take the time to listen.
Sunday, June 3rd, 2012 starts the "7" project. Based on the book 7: an Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker, this journey looks at seven areas of excess in our modern American lives. Each month, for seven months, we will tackle one area, and in the spirit of a fast, remove the excess from our lives. During that month, my desire is to see how God would reveal himself to me as I remove the clutter and fill those spaces with Him.
The first month is media. And I'm terrified. I enjoy my cup of coffee with the top of the hour news and weather on Good Morning America. I love keeping up with friends on Facebook. Honestly, it is the best place for me to know what is going on with my family and friends who live in other states. And, when a friend here in town dealt with the death of a family member, she kept us all informed through Facebook as to what was going on with her situation. It is just so convenient to keep in touch with people. But it can also be a time waster.
The same is true of cooking websites, online grocery store ads, email, and so many other places online. But when I spend so much time online that I don't have time for prayer or meeting God in His Word, well, then there's a problem.
So here's what's going down for the first month. I am using these filters to help me determine what media I will avoid and what I will allow.
1.) If it is necessary for me to earn my paycheck, I will keep it.
I use email for my job all day long. It is how we communicate the most efficiently. There are times I order books and resources for the pastors. I log in to mass text our students about the trip coming up in July. I am doing an online Bible Study starting at the end of the month to preview for our Women's ministry. These type of online "media" I will keep.
2.) If it brings me closer in my relationship with the Lord, I will keep it. If it is a distraction to my relationship with the Lord, I will forgo it for the next four weeks.
This means I will keep sermons I listen to on my ipod when I exercise and Christian radio in my kitchen while I make dinner. However, the TV and DVD player will be unplugged for the month. I will blog once a week about this experience and check personal email about once a week. Those area honestly not big distractions for me with my relationship with the Lord. The TV, movies, Facebook, and recipe websites are the ones I feel most led to give up. Those are the areas where I "check out" and need to focus on "checking in" with God.
3.) I will be reasonable with my expectations of my family joining me on this experience.
My husband has no problem with turning off the TV and DVD player for the month. He has no problem with not checking ESPN or 14ers.com for the month. But he does have a hard time figuring out how we are going to do road trips with the kids without any using the portable DVD player. And I agree. I want our children to live through this experience. And a long road trip without movies to watch is just asking for trouble. So, in those areas we will be reasonable, and not legalistic.
Five days. June 3rd will be here before I know it. And honestly, as terrified as I am, I look forward to what all God will speak to me when I take the time to listen.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
New Favorite: Coconut Oil
I have already mentioned that I am in love with cleansing my skin with olive oil. But my latest find is using Coconut oil as an eye cream. After doing some online poking around to learn more about it as a product, I decided to just purchase a jar at Walmart - right with the rest of the cooking oils.
Coconut oil is a solid under 76 degrees and a liquid once it gets a little warmer. So I put a spoonful of coconut oil in a little travel jar and usually use it like I would any other eye cream.
How I use it:
I use the coconut oil morning and night. At night I cleanse my skin with olive oil and warm water. Once I pat my skin dry, I use coconut oil under my eyes and on my eye lids. In the mornings, I rinse my face with warm water while in the shower. Then, I use the coconut oil before I put on any other eye makeup.
What are the results?
I immediately noticed how moisturized my under eye skin felt all day long. The crepe paper skin under my eyes disappeared. Now, after about three months that skin is firmer and much, much smoother.
But the big TA-DA came when I looked at a picture taken of me a week ago at a friend's baby shower. For the first time, I didn't see the dark circle normally under my left eye. I was not immediately drawn to that part of my face like usual. And I'm more critical of myself than anyone else.
So, I will keep using my simple skin care products. Olive oil to cleanse at night. Coconut oil as an eye cream morning and night. And, a check book that loves me because a little goes a very long way with these products, and I will likely spend less than $10 a year on my skin care routine.
Coconut oil is a solid under 76 degrees and a liquid once it gets a little warmer. So I put a spoonful of coconut oil in a little travel jar and usually use it like I would any other eye cream.
How I use it:
I use the coconut oil morning and night. At night I cleanse my skin with olive oil and warm water. Once I pat my skin dry, I use coconut oil under my eyes and on my eye lids. In the mornings, I rinse my face with warm water while in the shower. Then, I use the coconut oil before I put on any other eye makeup.
What are the results?
I immediately noticed how moisturized my under eye skin felt all day long. The crepe paper skin under my eyes disappeared. Now, after about three months that skin is firmer and much, much smoother.
But the big TA-DA came when I looked at a picture taken of me a week ago at a friend's baby shower. For the first time, I didn't see the dark circle normally under my left eye. I was not immediately drawn to that part of my face like usual. And I'm more critical of myself than anyone else.
So, I will keep using my simple skin care products. Olive oil to cleanse at night. Coconut oil as an eye cream morning and night. And, a check book that loves me because a little goes a very long way with these products, and I will likely spend less than $10 a year on my skin care routine.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Friday Favorite: Pumie & Vinegar
Pumie Scouring StickI would have never believed how well this works if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes a year ago when the cleaning lady at the office where I worked used it on a toilet bowl that we all thought was beyond help.
Well, here I am a year later desperately trying everything I can find to get rid of hard water stains in our old country home bathroom. And wouldn't you know it I remembered this little, inexpensive tool, and tried it.
And it worked like a charm. No chemicals. No soaking. Just a few minutes of elbow grease and it was done. I am in love with this product. Bizarre, maybe. But when I can find something that works as well as this did without breaking the budget or fuming up my house, I'm all over it.
Vinegar
I decided to try a little experiment. Everything under my kitchen sink didn't seem to be doing the trick of removing the hard water scum on my bathtub and shower walls. Some worked better than others, but nothing worked great. And I hated the fumes and smells that came from those bottles. And I hated spending money on something that didn't work. 
So I grabbed a bottle of vinegar, diluted it a bit with some filtered water, and sprayed the shower and bathtub. I let it sit for about a minutes, went back over it with a wet sponge and couldn't believe how well that cut through the scum. I used it in the sink, on the counter top, the toilet, the floor, you name it. So simple, so inexpensive. I'm a fan.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Friday Favorite: 7
A friend gave me the book 7: an Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker. There is talk of a going through this with a group of women. I was all jazzed about it, until I read it. Now, I am convinced this is something I need to consider, but absolutely terrified at the prospect.
Let me give you some background. The idea with the book is that each month, for seven months, Jen takes an area of her life prone to excess, and whittles it down to just seven things. For one month she eats only seven foods, another month wears only seven pieces of clothing, and so on. It encompasses food, clothing, shopping, waste, stress, media, and possessions. Strategically she tackles each area and honestly reflects on her month.
I couldn't put the book down and pretty much read it in one day. It was such an eye-opening experience. While I don't feel as prone to excess in some of the same areas, some I'm sure I'm more prone and there are other areas I'm sure I need to take a long hard look at in my own life. It brings you face-to-face with your own perspective on what is necessary and what is frivolous. When in reality, most of what I consume and purchase would be classified as a luxury to the majority of the world.
So, for what it's worth, I'm going to walk with my friend through this experience. I'm not yet sure where I will go with this, but if nothing else, it makes me far more aware of where my treasures are, there my heart is also.
Let me give you some background. The idea with the book is that each month, for seven months, Jen takes an area of her life prone to excess, and whittles it down to just seven things. For one month she eats only seven foods, another month wears only seven pieces of clothing, and so on. It encompasses food, clothing, shopping, waste, stress, media, and possessions. Strategically she tackles each area and honestly reflects on her month.
I couldn't put the book down and pretty much read it in one day. It was such an eye-opening experience. While I don't feel as prone to excess in some of the same areas, some I'm sure I'm more prone and there are other areas I'm sure I need to take a long hard look at in my own life. It brings you face-to-face with your own perspective on what is necessary and what is frivolous. When in reality, most of what I consume and purchase would be classified as a luxury to the majority of the world.
So, for what it's worth, I'm going to walk with my friend through this experience. I'm not yet sure where I will go with this, but if nothing else, it makes me far more aware of where my treasures are, there my heart is also.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Friday Favorite: March 9th
Since my husband and I are taking an impromptu road trip this weekend I started thinking about my favorite road-trip foods. When we travel, we don't like stopping to eat at fast-food drive-thru's. So, I usually try to pack some simple and somewhat healthier options (I know pizza is not that healthy - but sometimes it just sounds good!) for us to snack on along the way. Below is a list of my favorites so far.
- No-Bake Granola Bars (oats, almond butter, chopped nuts, and local honey)
- Wraps (our favorites are cream cheese or ham and cheddar with some veggies)
- Cold Pizza (bake the night before and slice so it is ready to go)
- Chicken Strips (bake and slice chicken breasts the night before)
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Sliced cheese / ham / turkey
Friday, March 2, 2012
Friday Favorite
I'm such a coffee drinker, I cannot imagine starting my day without a hot cup of straight black coffee. But, after the coffee is gone, I sometimes still want another treat during my day. This week I discovered my new favorite drink: Chai. I've always heard of it and see it at fancy coffee shops, but I'm such creature of habit sometimes I never ventured that direction.
But, this simple drink is my new favorite. Just add a packet of the mix to hot water and you have a warm and yummy treat. And I do mean treat. The sugar content will prevent me from drinking this too often, but it is just the right pick me up when I need just a little something in the afternoon.
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