Please Tell Me You Have Some Tomatoes Left

Do you?  Do you have a few stragglers hanging from the vine?  Do you think you're tired of tomatoes, so you just leave them out there, languishing?  Well, go fetch them, will you?  Have I got a recipe for you.

I am utterly saddened that I discovered this recipe only recently.  Practically weepy, I am.  Thankfully, there are still some lone tomatoes ripening on my vines, so I hope to make this yet another time or two before they are gone.  I highly recommend you do the same.

I'm calling it a bread pudding even though there is no milk or eggs in it.  It's just a bread pudding to me.   I also have to say that everyone loves this- including the children.  And it's super easy to make.  And you probably have all the ingredients (if you still have tomatoes, that is) in your kitchen right now.

Savory Tomato Bread Pudding (adapted from allrecipes.com)
This recipe makes an 8 x 8 pan but, by all means, double it.

2 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4-5 basil leaves, chopped, or 1/2 tsp. dried basil
4 tsp. brown sugar
5-6 medium tomatoes, sliced
5 cups toasted bread cubes (I use store-bought whole wheat sandwich bread crusts that I save up in the freezer)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

I highly recommend toasting your bread cubes.  It will keep them from getting soggy in the "pudding".  To toast, cube bread slices and spread them out on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until the outside is crispy and the inside is still slightly chewy.  Set aside.

Melt butter in a large sauce pan.  Add onions and saute until the onions are soft.  Add salt, pepper, basil, brown sugar and tomato slices.  Stir to combine and let the tomatoes cook for about 5 minutes or until the skins start pulling away and a lovely sauce forms.  Add the toasted bread cubes and toss until they are well-coated with juices.  Transfer to a greased 8 x 8 (or 9 x 9) baking dish and dust with the parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the bread cubes start to brown on top.

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Grape Jam (vesus Jelly)

You thought I was done canning, didn't you?  Not quite.

When you drive around in our area and see an old farmhouse, more than likely you will see a grape arbor not far from it.  Our old farmhouse had two arbors years ago- one on either side of it.  One arbor held green grapes and the other purple- concord, I assume.  Unfortunately, they are no longer here.  The old farmhouse two doors down from us has it's original arbor and it produces heavily each year.  And, do you know what concord grapes like?  Dry weather.  Perfect.

I've been waiting for these beauties all year.  Our strawberries didn't yield as we had hoped, so I only made one batch of jam.  I made some peach jam when we canned peaches, but our trees aren't producing enough peaches for us yet, so I have to buy them.  This is why I was making mint jelly this year and keeping my fingers crossed that we'd get grapes, too.  Mint and grapes are free!

Grape jelly recipes require you to send your pulp/juice through a cheesecloth to get that lovely, clear jelly look.  Grape jam recipes suggest you dice up the skins and throw them in.  I wanted an in-between.  I didn't want to mess with cheesecloth (and waste all that good pulp) and I didn't want to have to chew my jam (because of the skins).  The compromise I made isn't rocket science, so maybe you all do this, too.  But, in case you don't, here is a way to make your (hopefully free) grapes go further and use more of their grape-y goodness.

Concord Grape Jam
If you haven't canned much before, please read this before starting.  I multiplied this recipe by four, so that is why my amounts will look different than yours.
Yields 8-9 half pints.

4 cups grape juice with pulp (no seeds or skins- see below), about 3 pounds of washed, de-stemmed Concord grapes
7 cups sugar (jam is jam, my friends)
1 pouch liquid pectin

Place your washed, de-stemmed grapes into a large sauce pan.  Mash with a potato masher or large fork so that most of the skins slip off the the grapes.  Bring to a boil, stirring often, then simmer for about 15 minutes until grapes are soft.

 Your house will smell amazing.  Transfer 2-3 cups of cooked grapes at a time to your food mill set over a large bowl.

 Skins and seeds on left, food mill over bowl to catch juice/pulp on right.

Turn the mill to extract the pulp and juice.  Repeat until all the grapes are "milled".  Discard (or feed to your chickens) the skins and seeds.  Measure your juice and pulp carefully to 4 cups.

 Look at the color!

Place the 4 cups of juice/pulp back into your large saucepan.  Stir in the sugar.  Place on high heat, stir constantly, and bring to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.

Add the pectin and heat again to a rolling boil.  Boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat, skim off the foam (if you care- I don't).  Pour into sterilized hot jars and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.

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Homeschooling is All Peaches and Cream. Not.

We're only into our fourth week of school and, let's just say, we've had our share of bad days already.

I've already heard things like this (use your very whiniest reading-to-yourself voice),

I hate school.
Why do I have to do this?
I hate writing.
I'm not doing it.
I hate spelling.
I'm not doing one more problem.
I already wrote a sentence.
I hate math.
I'm not reading one more Bible verse.
I hate school.
Do I have to?
Why are you making me do this?!

Then, there is the constant falling off the chair, dropping of the pencil, staring off into space, tattling on siblings, laying the head down on the table, staring at me blankly, etc.

I sometimes ask him (okay, I've given it away that it's mostly, okay- entirely, my oldest who does this) what he thinks his teacher would say about his comments/behavior if he went to "big school" (as we call it).  But, you know, he's never been to "big school".  I remember that and try to ask the question again in terms of Sunday School or PE.  He loves PE and Sunday School and not just because his Daddy is currently his SS teacher.

He admits that he wouldn't act this way, but you know what?  Who are we most grumpy around? Who is it that gets the brunt of our attitude and moods?  Who is it we feel we can safely express ourselves to without using much of a filter?  Our families?  Our spouses?  For a child, their mother?

Alright, so it all makes perfect sense.  But, improper behavior and disrespectful comments need addressing and working on.  I'm not making a blanket excuse here.  Just so we're clear.

I don't like how it goes down on those bad days.  I don't like how angry I get.  How it taints our moods toward each other for the day.  How I let him get under my skin when *I'm* the adult, the one that's supposed to be setting the example.  How I can get so frustrated with someone I love so dearly.

So, I pray for the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).  Those of us who homeschool (or parent, for that matter- it's really all the same) know how much we need every single one of these fruit to get through our days relatively unscathed.

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness 

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-Control

Then, sometimes I hear, "I love school!" or "Mom, you're smart!" (I love that one) or "We get to do history now?  Yes!" or "What?  Don't stop!  Read more!  One more chapter, please?!"

And, occasionally, even sometimes in the midst of complaining, I hear, "Mom, you won't ever send me to big school will you?"  And I answer in the same way I do every time he asks, "Only if you, Daddy and I all think it's a good idea."

His face softens, my face softens and I realize it's all worth it even though it's certainly not all peaches and cream.

It's not.  You got that point, right?  Okay.  Just making sure. Pin It

Bone Dry & Frightening

While I type this (just yesterday afternoon) there is a steady drizzle.  As I publish this (this morning) there is a steady downpour.  You do not know how happy this steady drizzle and downpour makes us.  We've heard rumors of little rain showers across town these last couple weeks, but we have seen none of that.  In fact, we haven't had rain for well over a month.  This is the second super-dry spell this summer.  We haven't mowed our dust lawn in weeks and weeks.  What's the point?  There is no live grass to grow to cut.

We feel badly for our chickens who have been spending a lot of time in the hen house (by choice) because they isn't anything green or juicy to eat left in the yard except ants.

Here they are in the chicken run gathering for scraps.

We've only been watering our young fruit trees, bell peppers, fall lettuce and spinach and have been using our well water to do so since our rain water collection tanks have been empty for a month- at least.

 If not for our thick layer of straw, everything would be brown.

This past Saturday started out a lovely, peaceful day.  We took our time getting up and around in the morning and after breakfast, headed to a harvest festival across town.  We spent the morning there, bobbing for apples, watching molasses be made, going for a horse-drawn wagon ride, listening to story tellers in a one room school house and watching blacksmiths hammer rods into chains.  Oh, and we sat in the shade and ate some homemade ice cream which made the hot, dry day seem cool and tolerable.

On the way home, we passed a farmer in a field close to our house harvesting corn on his combine.  The fields around here look barren and parched.  The cows wander, looking for green and finding none eat the hay they are used to getting in the winter months.

We got home, ate lunch and as I was clearing the table, I looked out our dining room window and saw smoke.  It was close enough that we were concerned it could be a neighbor's house, so Jamey headed off down the road to see.  This is what I saw in a matter of minutes.

The fire began moving away and then circling up a hill and around toward our direction.  It was obviously moving, so I knew it must be a brush/field fire.  The wind was whipping on Saturday and while the sounds of dozens of fire engines and emergency vehicles could be heard, I worried that this fire would close in on homes- it was moving fast.

Thankfully, the fire started (when the farmer we saw nicked a rock with his combine, throwing a spark) a half mile from our house crossed our road south of us and circled up around was put out about a half mile from our house in a different direction.  Only one structure (an old hay barn) caught on fire.  No homes were damaged and no one (person or animal) was injured.

Scorched fields

Once I knew we were safe, all I could think of was this dear farmer who must be so relieved that it was over with no major harm done.  There were a lot of people thanking God this weekend and I imagine he was one of them.

Our beautiful, smoke-free sky line

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Lorelei Eurto Winner!

I just knew you all would love Lorelei's work as much as I do!  Before I announce the winner, here are a couple more glimpses of her work.  Click on "Links" at the left of her web page to be taken to her online shops.

Okay, now, we have to take one more look at the bracelet that one lucky reader will win...

 

And the winner is...  

Amy @ Homestead Revival 

Congratulations, Amy !!!  

Please email me (thyhand123@gmail.com) your name and address so I can forward this information on to Lorelei.  Thank you to all those who entered and a special thank you to Lorelei!

All photos courtesy of Lorelei.  The attempt at a collage? That would be me.

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Finding Money to Give

In case you're not sure what this post stems from, read here for a brief summary and related posts.  This summary page can also be found just under the header picture (above) and is entitled, "Living Simply to Give".  All related posts are listed there.

Also, I want to say that this post, and other similar ones that may follow, are for those of you who want to join us on this venture of living simply in order to give.  If you're not interested in this concept, that is okay.  Please know that I am, in no way, trying to tell you what to do or how to live your life.  That, my dear friends, is up to you to decide.  These are merely suggestions for those of you who want to make some changes.

************************

Okay.  Are you ready to get down to business?  The way I see it, there are three ways to find money to give.  They are 1) by freeing up money in your budget, 2) by hijacking money you are diverting elsewhere, and 3) by earning it in creative ways.  Your task, if you're up to it, is to sit down and look over your budget carefully  to determine which of the three (or combination of all three) will be possible for your household.

(Some folks are also able to give of their time through volunteering.  That is another post for another day.)
 

Freeing Up Money in Your Budget

By this I mean that you pare down on your spending.  Ouch.  I know.  It may hurt at first, but believe me, soon it will come easily and may actually become a bit addictive.  What a wonderful impulse to have!

So, what can you do without this month?  Can you go out to eat one less time?  That could be $40 right there.  What about your cable bill?  Do you really watch all those channels?  Could you downgrade a bit and set that money aside?  If you planned a bit more carefully, could you spend less money on groceries this month if you ate less meat or bought less sweets/ junk food/soda?  What about setting a goal to lower your electric or heating bill by a certain amount?

Avoid going shopping because you're bored and need to get out of the house.  I succumbed to this temptation often when I just had one child.  It was easy to tote him along and I wasn't used to being at home all the time.  Looking back, it makes me sad to think of the things I bought- not huge things- just crap.  Having three makes this less appealing and I've learned some lessons, but occasionally I find myself going out because I need one thing.  This one thing is often something that could wait.  Instead I take off, waste gas to get there and end up making an unnecessary purchase or two.  I come home feeling like a sucker.  Let's guard ourselves against this worldly temptation that says buying things will fulfill us.  It will not.  And, in this case, it robs others who are in real need of money we can give.

This option makes you look at the money you are spending and asks you what you can do with less of.  You'll be amazed as how small changes can create significant funds that can be given to those who need food, water and the message of Jesus.

Hijacking Money You're Diverting Elsewhere

Are you saving for something?  Retirement, a vacation home, an expensive vacation, a new car, an addition to your home, to redecorate or remodel?  It's up to you to determine what you really need.  That's not my job.  My (self-imposed) job is to make you think about it.  What if you took a portion of what you're saving and gave it away instead?

Earning Money to Give in Creative Ways

This is the fun one and is for those of us who don't have much money in a budget to play with and don't have money to hijack.  Here are a few suggestions....

~ Sell stuff you don't use/don't need on ebay, at a local consignment shop or yard sale. 

~ Donate plasma (they pay you for it).  If you're into that kind of thing.

~ Search with Swagbucks, use the gift cards to buy necessary purchases and then donate what you're saved.  When I signed up for Swagbucks, I NEVER thought it would enable me to give.  If they only knew!!

~ Can you bake?  Tell family and friends you are selling homemade bread, rolls, sweet rolls, cookies, etc. to raise money for a cause and make sure you charge enough to gain a profit.  Give the profit away.  This is a great one to get your kids involved in.

~ Host meals in your home.  Now before you think I want you to turn your home into a restaurant, hear me out.  They are several women in our area who host groups of people in their home for a home-cooked meal.  Our friends and family have frequented their homes several times and enjoyed incredible meals worth every penny.  It will take some time to get the word out.  Start by inviting friends and family and host at cost for the first time.  Encourage them to spread the word.

~ Are you artsy or crafty?  Make and sell homemade items on Etsy and donate your profits.  And, don't forget to tell me about it, so I can feature your wares in my sidebar or host a giveaway for you to get the word out.

~ Go dumpster diving.   If you're into that kind of thing.  Just remember to be safe and avoid places that have signs forbidding trespassing.  That can get you into trouble.  We haven't dumpster-dived ourselves, but we have family who do and we've been the recipients of some excellent finds.  (Okay, do you really think we're crazy now?)

~ Seek out coupons (for things you'd buy anyway) and donate the savings.  Here is a friend's site you may want to check out.

~ If you really don't want anything for your birthday or Christmas, ask loved ones to make a donation to a cause of your choice instead.

~ Do you or your kids wear hand-me-down clothes?  We do!  We've been blessed with two families (Thank you Susie and Jennifer!!) that send their older kids clothes our way.  We only occasionally have to buy socks, underwear and shoes.  What a savings!  If you don't already get hand-me-downs, take a deep breath and politely ask a friend who has kids older than yours what she does with her kid's clothes once they outgrow them.  She may be pleased as punch to send them your way.  This saves an incredible amount of time and money. 

If that doesn't pan out, you will be amazed at the name brand (if you're into that sort of thing and willing to admit it:-)) and often like new (sometimes with the tags still on!) clothing you can find at your local Goodwill or Salvation Army.  It's a great place to start, then go shopping at the retail stores- you'll save tons.

~ Those loose change jars?  Count up that money (get your kids to help) and give it away.

~ Offer to shovel your neighbor's driveway for a donation.  Explain where their money will go.

~ Plan on planting excess produce in your garden next year to sell at a road side stand.

I think I've really only scratched the surface here.  I know a lot of you have experience cutting costs with the way the economy is.  I am not advocating that anyone should become irresponsible (giving more than they can afford) in their giving, but many of us have a lot of wiggle room here.

Now, let's go find us some money to give! Pin It

What Happened to New Recipes?

I'll tell you where they are.  They're pressed between the pages of my cookbooks.  They are hiding, in vast numbers, behind my bookmark tab.  They're on slips of paper stuffed in the pocket of my recipe binder.  That's where they are.

And why are they there and not laying on my counter sprinkled with flour and speckled with oil?

Because homeschooling a third grader and a pre-k-er as well as chasing a 15-month-old and feeding the three is taking up my entire day.

Because I am attending a Bible study at my church Monday evenings which comes with homework to do five days a week.

Because I am auditing a class Tuesday nights and with that class comes between about 3 hours of reading each week (just at the auditing level).

Because this rotation keeps Jamey away from home at dinner time four nights out of every week, so I've only been making things the kids will eat.  It's nothing post worthy.  I promise.

But, do not fear!  I have high hopes for myself.  Knowing that in a couple weeks there will be an adult at the dinner table other that myself (new rotation), I am certain I will have more gumption to test the new recipe waters and share the good finds with you.  I'm sure hoping.  I've gone from loving to cook to dreading it.  I've learned that so much of it is about the audience.  I miss my audience.  Not only because I get to cook for him, but because he helps correct poor table manners, sticks up for my cooking, helps cut food into little pieces for Miriam, and does the dishes.  And because I love him.

In the meantime, don't forget about these oldies but goodies.  Hopefully, they'll tide you over until I can get back at it.

Peanut Butter-Vegetable Soup

Chicken Chimichangas

Vegetable Chowder

Butternut Sage Orzo

Pumpkin Pasta

Spinach Stuffed Shells

Bang Bang Chicken Pin It

A Lorelei Eurto Giveaway!

 ~  This giveaway has closed.  See who won here. ~

Through giveaways featuring reader's talents, I have learned to know many sweet and talented artists.  One such artist is Lorelei Eurto.  I immediately fell in love with her work and am so excited to share it with you this week.

You all deserve something special after our week last week, right?

I am privileged to own one of Lorelei's bracelets.  It's lovely, it's unique, and it is sooo comfortable.  I love the handcrafted beads and charms she chose and her sense of style as she put it all together, I...Okay.  I'll try to stop talking about my bracelet.  Let's talk more about Lorelei instead.

Surrounded and inspired by the work of some of the world’s greatest artists while working her day job at an art museum, Lorelei has become a prolific, self-taught jewelry designer. She has been creating handmade beaded and wire jewelry since 2007.  Lorelei loves adding unique textural elements to her jewelry. Her designs showcase her love of art beads as well, and her jewelry is fun, practical and easy to wear. She runs a successful online jewelry business and her designs can be seen on her website, in her Etsy shop, her Big Cartel store and on her blog, Inside the Studio. Her work has also been featured in Stringing and BeadStyle magazines.

Would you like to see what Lorelei made especially for this giveaway?  Would you? Huh?  Huh?

The Giveaway:  A specially designed and created charm bracelet for one lucky reader!

 This is a mixed media bracelet with a Genuine charm
Ceramic beads- Elaine Ray
Patina chain- MissFickle Media
Vintaj Brass findings

Now, for those of you who immediately fell in love with this bracelet (like I did when I first saw it) and can't stand the thought of it not living on your wrist or the wrist of a loved one, Lorelei has made a second one and it is listed in her Etsy shop right now.

To Enter:  In order to enter for a chance to win this gorgeous charm bracelet, please visit Lorelei's website, Etsy shop or her Big Cartel store.  Browse around then come back here and tell me, in the comments below, which piece you find amazing OR your favorite theme in jewelry.  One entry per household, please.

For those of you who've been having trouble commenting, please feel free to email me (thyhand123@gmail.com) your answer with a name I can identify you with and I will post your entry anonymously for you.

I will randomly select the winner sometime Friday afternoon.  

Thank you, Lorelei!! 

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A Mended Relationship

If you've been around here for awhile, you know how pears and I get along.

We have one, lone pear tree left out back and I'm still not certain what kind of pear tree it is.  If you have any ideas, feel free to let me know.   It does not appear to be of the keifer variety that the trees (that we chopped down) were in our front yard.

Well, this year, while watching a good pear crop grow and ripen on the brances, I was bound to get educated on the matter.  I found a great resource here out of Oregon State University.  We followed their advice and had great success.

Did you know that pears ripen from the inside out?  And that in order to ripen properly, they need to be picked when tilting the branch causes them to fall from the tree, then cooled for several days, then set out to ripen?  Can you tell that *I* did not know these things?  It's good I got educated.

We could have picked our pears a little earlier.  A great number fell from the tree on their own and got devoured by the chickens below.  The wind aided in this as did the occasional baseball that was hit into said pear tree.

Once picked, we stuck them in the fridge for three days, then set them out on a table in the dining room.  It took 4-5 days for them to ripen from light green to yellow to a pink blush.  Because they ripen so slowly and at different rates, they are perfect for eating out of hand.  I'm sick of canning, anyway:-).

How do they taste?  Fabulous.  They are a little on the tart side, but so full of wonderful pear flavor that our taste buds don't mind a bit.  Miriam absolutely loves them and can eat two pears herself (they're on the small side, so we let her).  Those first couple bites, she puckers through.  Once past the initial punch of flavor she eats the chopped pieces by the little handful, juice running down to her elbows.

I think from now on, pears and I are going to get along just fine. Pin It

My Passport to India

Oh my goodness.  I just realized you might be thinking I'm going to India!  I wish!

Sadly, no, but this might be the closest Sam, Sadie and I will get to going.  Sonlight curriculum (what Sam is using this year) is launching an international learning adventure and you are invited EVEN IF you do not homeschool or use Sonlight!

I just signed us up.  Go here to watch a little video, read about the details and sign up!  

The deadline for registering is this coming Friday, September 4th.  There is no cost and no obligation.

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A Call to Prayer

Oh, dear friends.

Let's let our desire be known to the One who loves us and hears every word of prayer we utter.  Let this story ripple throughout believers everywhere.

Let's hold baby Robert high- so high that His hand will have no choice but to touch this child and all glory and honor will be His.  We understand that He may have other plans, but oh! how He wants to hear the desires of our heart. 

Please read about baby Robert and make his story known to others who will lift him high as well. Pin It

Day Five: From Here on Out

What a week!

For those of you who have stuck with me the entire week, I want to thank you.  Each of the comments I received are treasured.  I appreciate your support and encouragement so very much.  I didn't know what kind of response waited for me.  I was ready for anything- but what an encouragement you have been!

This past week has been my attempt to put into words the thoughts and decisions I've made over the past couple months.  This is my journey and while I hope I have inspired some of you to come along, your journey might look very different and that is okay.  My biggest piece of advice is to seek God and the plans He has for you.

I know some of you may be wondering why in the world it took me a whole week to talk about a fairly simple concept.  My response is this- in a "just do it" world, I think it would behoove us to pay attention to why we do the things we do.  What is our motivation?  Our purpose that lies behind our choices?  Are we blindly following others' ways of doing things or are we making choices based on scripture?  Becoming purposeful can make a concept come to life and become a real force in our lives.

So where do we go from here?

A goal I had for this week was to construct a large, sturdy umbrella over everything else that happens here at this site- over the gardening, chickening, recipes, homeschooling, etc.  I want it all to fall under this umbrella of purpose- God's purpose, our purpose.  I want it to be one in the same.  And, I want this purpose to give us new energy and excitement about the way of life we've chosen.  I want the reason for our choice to live simply not to be for our health, the environment, our stress levels or our bank accounts, I want our choice to be what it is so that we can give.  So we can be a blessing to others.

I plan on posting about this topic about once a week, transitioning from the concept to the practical ways of carrying it out.  Next week, I hope to tackle the topic of finding or creating funds we can give.

I will continue to post about food, the garden, the chickens, life happenings and homeschooling.  All will now fall under the umbrella of this new purpose- everything has new meaning!

And, in the spirit of giving, I have an incredible giveaway in store for you next week.  This life of living simply in order to give does not have to only be a solemn and serious life.  Remember that we have so much to be thankful for and excited about!

And, lastly, I know it sounds a bit hokey, but I really do thank God for each of you :-).

See you Monday! Pin It

Day Four: Motivation That Lasts & A Key, Final Point

I have two more points yet to make this week, then please stay tuned for a 'where I'll go from here' post tomorrow.

Motivation That Lasts

It can be incredibly overwhelming when we look at the needs of this world- the world's spiritual needs and well as at their physical needs (as we talked about yesterday, we need to find places to give that will address both).

According to K.P. Yohannan,

"4, 845 of the world's 6,912 languages are still without a single portion of the Bible published in their own language!" and "...there are still 1,240 distinct cultural groups in the world without a single church among them to preach the gospel."

A bit overwhelming, no?  And then, if you're like me, any commercial, TV program, ad, article, flyer, picture, etc. that shows starving, orphaned or neglected children sends me running for tissues.  And, I'm known to cry over it for days.

While these methods of strumming up donations are effective, if we allow ourselves only to be motivated by a response to human need (both physical and spiritual), we will burn out!  Both kinds of human need are highly motivational, yes, but they can also wear us down after awhile.  We can become desensitized to those needs because we are so overwhelmed by the magnitude of those dying because of violence and poverty and all those dying without ever hearing the Word of God.

I'm quite the downer today, no?  Well, hang on!

I want to suggest (and internalize for myself) that giving is not only a response on our part to the needs of people, but that, as Christians, it is our privileged participation in the work of God.  We are not attempting to do this work alone, we are allowing ourselves to be used by God, to join in His work.  Our passion and our excitement needs to be in this!


Tim Dearborn (Director of the Faith and Development Programs for World Vision International) says this,

"...lack of interest in mission is not remedied by more shocking statistics, more gruesome stories or more emotionally manipulative commands to obedience.  It is best remedied by intensifying peoples' passion for Christ, so that the passions of his heart becomes the passions that propel our hearts."

"No wonder the Church and many organizations' supporters are increasingly disinterested in mission!  People cannot handle the relentless exposure to catastrophes and crises.  This is not the gospel.  The gospel is good news of great joy!"

"It is insufficient to proclaim that the Church of God has a mission in the world.  Rather, the God of mission has a Church in the world."

Okay.  Now, if all that isn't enough to give us a lasting motivation to bless others, I have one more thing to add.

Christ is coming back and I can't wait.

For much of my life, this verse always came to mind when I thought of when Christ might return...

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only."  Mt. 24:36

You've read that one before, right?  But have you read these words, spoken by Jesus Himself?

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."   Mt. 24:14

We don't know what God's criteria will be exactly, but according to Christ, once all the peoples hear about the gospel, "the end will come".  We've got some work to do, my friends.  Not only are we joining in God's work, we are helping to bring it to fruition!


For me, that is some pretty strong motivation that won't be drying up anytime soon.

A Key, Final Point

I have found that people gravitate to one of two circles.

One is the circle that could be called the social gospel.  They are passionate about relieving the hurts of this world.  They advocate peace, justice, and physical aid to those in need.  They take seriously the call to "serve the least of these".  Their example is Christ and discipleship and their eyes are focused on bringing about the Kingdom of God here on earth. 

The other circle has eyes for the life to come.  They look heavenward and are passionate about winning souls.  They advocate preaching the gospel to the world and leading others to Christ so that others may one day enjoy the gift that is heaven.  They are focused on the coming complete Kingdom of God, brought on by Christ's return.

It is my {humble} belief that people that fall squarely in one circle or the other are missing something.  They are missing the truths that exist in the other circle.

Like with so many things in this life, we need to seek balance.  We need our eyes focused on the here and now as well as on what is yet to come- the Kingdom of God that is here in this world and the future Kingdom.  We shouldn't ignore one or the other, for to do so would be missing a big part of the whole picture.

Let's not choose a circle and set up camp, let's bring the two closer together and allow God to use us for His work here and now as well as for his purposes in the future. 

I am proposing that the way we can do this (without heading to the nearest airport sporting a backpack with Bible in hand- yet!) is to live a life that frees up time and funds to further God's purposes- the here and now purpose of blessing others and the purpose yet to come where we will all (in all our languages and modes of worship) will bring praise and glory to God. 

Living simply in order to give. Pin It

Day Three: Consider Your Gift's Destination

A warning:  I'm going to talk a little about Satan today.  I've never done that here before, but it's time.  Strap yourself in and hang on.

There are many types of giving (or, of being a blessing) and I'll talk about those different types another day.  For now, though, I want to focus on giving through monetary gifts (sometimes a byproduct of living simply).

Jamey and I may be living off student loans and an ever-depleting savings account, but we've chosen to continue giving.  It was a decision we had to make after Jamey decided to go back to school.  We had been giving monthly to two organizations and were faced with the reality that those individuals would lose their support if we stopped sending in money.  We could not bear the thought.  Surrounded by all we have, we could not take away from them the physical and spiritual support they were receiving through our gifts (or blessings).  We decided to continue giving.

We also recognize that the more simply we live now, the sooner we can pay off our student loans and begin giving at a higher rate.

That was old news to us, so to speak.  But, in light of my attempts to align myself with God's purposes (see Monday's post), I was called to look again at this giving.  For many of us, giving is not a new concept.  Many Christians and particularly Mennonites come from a heritage of living simply as a means of being able to share our excess.  In addition to part of the "why" we do this that I talked about on Monday, here are only a few scripture passages (of many) that encourage giving...

“He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”  Proverbs 19:7

“[Cornelius] and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’ Cornelius stared at him in fear. ‘What is it, Lord?’ he asked. The angel answered, ‘Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God ...’ ” Acts 10:2-4

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ ”  Mt. 25:34-40

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  Luke 6:38

That pretty much sums it up, no?

But where exactly should we give?

While I will never tell you where to send your gifts, I do want us to think long and hard about the kind of organizations and places we might send our money.

Jamey and I feel very strongly that there needs to be a specific purpose behind our giving.  There is nothing wrong with giving aid (water, food, shelter, clothes, medical care, etc.) IF it's coupled with the message of Jesus Christ.  Here is a quote I came upon recently (or, came upon me, if we're being honest) below.  It rocked my world (italics below are mine).

"The battle against hunger and poverty is really a spiritual battle, not a physical or social one as secularists would have us believe.  The only weapon that will ever effectively win the war against disease, hunger, injustice and poverty in Asia is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  To look into the sad eyes of a hungry child or see the wasted life of a drug addict is to see only the evidence of Satan's hold on this world.  All bad things, whether in Asia or America, are his handiwork.  He is the ultimate enemy of mankind, and he will do everything within his considerable power to kill and destroy human beings.  Fighting this powerful enemy with physical weapons is like fighting an armored tank with stones."  

-K.P. Yohannon 

In the class I'm taking, we read an article which contains this quote.  It's a long one, but please bear with me.

"...God did not allow the formation of a kingdom of darkness.  This kingdom formed through voluntary forces led by Satan, not through God's creation, as such.  It thus became an opposite pole to God's kingdom of light and an alluring option for all moral creatures in their exercise of freedom.  It is a counterfeit kingdom running concurrently with the true kingdom of righteousness.  Very often it seems to be dominant, not only coercing men and women, but winning them.  This is partly because of it's modus operandi {Latin for 'method of operating'}.  Contrary to many naive opinions, the devil is not a red monster with a pitchfork, but often a do-gooder.  His goal in life is to counterfeit the works of God.  This has been his prized ambition ever since he went into business for himself.  His first recorded intention ended with the words, "I will be like the Most High" (Isa 14:14).  This counterfeiting effort is his most effective ploy, for the more closely he can imitate God's work, the less likely men will be inclined to seek God or pursue His will."   
- Stanley A. Ellisen in his article, "Everyone's Question What is God Trying to Do".  Ellisen was a Professor of Biblical Literature and Chairman of the Division of Biblical Studies at Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

Go on.  Read that one again.

This makes sense.  If Satan appeared obviously evil, many good people would likely turn away and be drawn to God.  Instead, Satan masquerades as a do-gooder.  How many relief organizations are there out there that simply do-good?  It is good work, but could it possibly be that Satan is using these organizations to lure good people away or distract them from God and His will?

My point is, we must give with purpose.  With God's purpose.  God's purpose (remember from Monday?) is to bless us so that we can bless all the families of the earth (Gen. 12:1-3) and we can ALL in turn praise Him.

What better way than to use what we've been blessed with to bless others.  And to bless them, not just with physical or social aid, but with the only aid that will really, truly save them- Jesus Christ.

So as you consider giving in a new light, please also consider where you will give.  Aid is not a bad thing.  It is a very good thing, but the message of Jesus is of more importance than the aid alone.  A combination of aid and the message is what is needed.  I know this is hard to hear and hard to comprehend sometimes.  The world and the enemy of God would have us think otherwise.  I believe we need to wise up and give to agencies who have their priorities (and purposes) straight.

Oh my word.  For those of you who have stuck with me to the end of yet another long, possibly difficult-to-read post, I thank you.  Have I ever talked so much about Satan?!  I'm stepping out of my comfort zone on this one, folks.  It's that important to me. Pin It

Day Two: The Reveal

Based on what we talked about yesterday, how can we, today, be a blessing to "all the peoples"?  Many interpret this as physically going out and serving and speaking to people about Christ.  They are not wrong to interpret it as so, but for many of us, this is difficult right now based on the life choices we've made (and, in all truth, love).  So, where does that leave us?  I'd like to offer that we are already doing something that will be the means to the end we are looking for.

Living simply seems to be all the rage these days.  It's good for our environment, our health, our stress levels and our bank accounts.  There are TV shows, magazines, websites and many a blog out there that share the reason for and the how-to's of living the simple life.

While I've argued the choice of the adjective "simple" in the phrase "simple living", some definitions are ...

~ "conscious, simple, healthy and restorative living" (from The Simple Living Network)
~ "a lifestyle characterized by consuming only that which is required to sustain life" (wikipedia)
~ "to challenge consumerism, live justly and celebrate responsibly" (simpleliving.org)

Whatever our definition, it is the purpose, the goal, the focus behind what we do that really matters in this life.  We just talked yesterday about how our purpose and God's can, and should, align.

Some of us are living simply right now because we have to.  We have no choice.  Bills come in the mail and we have to decide which ones to pay each month and which ones to make wait.

Some of us are living simply in order to get out of debt.  We've either made some good choices (buying a house that we could afford or getting an education) or some bad ones (running up credit card debt or taking on a car payment we shouldn't have).  Whatever the reason, we're trying to dig ourselves out by living simply.

Some of us (and I venture to say most of us) live simply by choice.  We have seen the alternative and for whatever reason chose this lifestyle, are living it and more than likely, are really enjoying it.

Many of us in this category are also finding that living simply in many ways frees up some monetary resources.  They may be small, but they exist.  We have rejected blind consumerism, pointless trips to the malls, and trying to live up to society's expectations of what we need and cannot live without.

But, what are we doing with these freed-up resources?  Are we saving for for retirement?  Are we setting money aside for a new addition to our house?  For a nicer car?  For a special vacation?  Are we using them to pay for the little indulgences we like to allow ourselves (to keep it real, my indulgences at the moment are books I could borrow from the library, but instead buy, and handcrafted jewelry)?  Or maybe even for tools and gadgets that make simple living even simpler?

What if...what if...our sole purpose behind living simply was to give? That giving would become our current blessing give.

Living Simply In Order to Give.

That's what I want this blog, from yesterday forward, to promote and reflect.

So, there you have it.  It's not earth shattering, but I think that it can be if we really tease out why we may be called to give, in what form that giving will look like and where our blessings should be given.  My take on all that will follow.

Thanks for staying tuned. Pin It

Day One: Laying the Foundation

This week is going to look very different around here than it usually does.  There won't be any garden pictures or recipes, no homeschooling dilemmas or canning projects.  Instead, I want to devote the entire week to what has become near and dear to my heart and what has propelled me to make some changes- in my thinking, in my life and in one of my favorite places, this blog. I ask you to, please, read each entire post this week.  You can agree with me.  You can disagree with me.  But, please read this week in it's entirety before you decide if I'm crazy or on to something.  Read the posts.  Chew on them.  Pray about them.  Then decide if you're going to stick around here or not.  My prayer is that you do.

*****************************

When I asked God for added purpose in my life several months ago, I was envisioning a physical, tangible thing I could do.

Instead, a tent was staked above me and a full-fledged revival took place in my head and my heart.  It is out of this revival, this re-commitment that I have felt lead to a new focus here in this blog.

We all want to have purpose, to feel useful and effective.  I have found my purpose in Genesis 12:1-3 where God promises to bless Abraham and his descendants.  In this way, He reveals His purpose. (Italics mine)

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;

I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those that bless you and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on the earth will be blessed through you."

Are you a descendant of Abraham?  Paul says in Galatians 3:29,

"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heir according to the promise."

What promise?  The one we just read in Genesis. So, God promises to bless those who believe so that we might bless others.  And not just anyone, but "all peoples on the earth".  No small task.  And don't worry.  I'm not proposing we take on the world by ourselves.  That's God's job and He's doing a mighty fine job, but it looks as if we're part of His plan.

What will come when all this blessing reaches all the peoples?  It will lead to the praise and glory and honor of God our Father, also part of God's plan and purpose.

"All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name." Psm. 86:9

 "All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." Rev. 15:4

And through our praise and glory, we will be lifted up to a place of highest honor. An article I read, by Steven C. Hawthorne, for the class I'm taking says this...

"Worship is the way that people glorify God.  When looked at from God's point of view, we can see that worship is also God's way of glorifying people- in all the best sense of bringing people into their highest honor.  Worship fulfills God's love.  He loves people so vastly that He wills to exalt them to something better than greatness; He wants to bring them into an honored nearness to Him.  Stretch your mind and heart as far as you can, but you'll never perceive the extent of what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9)."

This send chills down my spine.

Okay, what do we have so far?  God promises to bless us so that we can bless others.  Through this blessing of all peoples, God will be praised and honored.  It doesn't end there, although it certainly could and should.  No, our God loves us so much that He in turn will bless us AGAIN...

"No eye has seen,

no ear has heard,

no mind has conceived

what God has prepared for those who love Him..." 

I  Cor. 2:9

Praise the Lord!  I know we don't feel we deserve it, and rightfully so, but God has prepared something special for us.  This is no attempt by our parents or husbands to get us the perfect gift. This is GOD we are talking about and He has prepared something special for us.  God!

We're going to end on this incredibly positive note for today.  Throughout the next few days, I'll build on what is above and reveal more about this new direction.  At the end of the week, I'll offer an invitation for you to join me on this journey to share God's purpose as our own in whatever situation we may find ourselves today and outline where we'll go from here.

You are such dears for sticking with me.  See you tomorrow. Pin It

The Prairie Path Winner

Before I announce the winner, I just want to note that for those of you who remembered my mention of a new direction for this blog last week, I have not forgotten I said that.  The opposite is true.  I've been getting my ducks in a row and plan on telling you all about it next week.  It may take the entire week, so get ready.

In the meantime, I am so excited to randomly select the Prairie Path winner!  The winner of up to $30 worth of lovely upcycled creations by my friend, Marla is number 21...

  

Congratulations, Robin!!!

Please email me (thyhand123@gmail.com) and I will forward your email address to Marla.  She will contact you and find out what tickles your fancy.  

Thank you, Marla, for allowing us to get to know you and your beautiful craft!  Don't forget to visit Prairie Path the next time you need a gift or a Christmas stocking or a sweet child's toy or a warm neck or warm arms:-).

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As Close As I've Come

I've tried no less than five different times over the years to get it right.  After each time, I've been left disappointed and told myself I was not going back.  Then, a craving would hit and I was at it again.  Five times may not seem like a lot to some of you, but I think it's plenty.  Well, I have finally found one that comes as close as I've ever gotten to perfection.  I'm talking soft pretzels pretzels, folks. 

Leave it to Deb over at Smitten Kitchen to hit the nail on the head once again.  I'm not going to bother re-posting the recipe.  Follow this link to find it and you'll be all set.  I followed her instructions to a "t".

 Swollen, strange looking poached pretzels.  It's okay.  They are supposed to look this weird.

While making soft pretzels is time consuming...add the yeast to warm water and sugar: let it sit 10 minutes, make and knead the dough: let it rise 1 hour, form the pretzels: let them raise 10 minutes, poach for 1 minute on each side, brush with egg and sprinkle with salt, bake for 12 minutes...it's is worth it.

You don't believe me anymore, do you?

Okay, the steps are extensive BUT you can clean up the kitchen, tidy up the school table and shelves, read to the kids and clean up the kitchen some more while you wait.  That's what I did and it all worked out fine.

 The kids made a tray and I made one.  As you can see, they like them, too.

If you love soft pretzels and you have yet to find a recipe that you equally love, please give Deb's a try.  I think you will be very pleased.  I am:-).

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The Eye of the Beholder

Our garden doesn't look so neat and tidy anymore.

 

It's more like a jungle.  Weeds have been persistent.  Many have worn us down to the point that we've let them take up residence.  While to many of you this may look less than lovely, to me it is beautiful.  Not because I like weeds or untidy things, but because it means I am almost done preserving!!

Can you hear the alleluia chorus?!  I can.  Loud and clear.

There are a few things still alive and relatively well taken care of in the garden.

The stevia is patiently waiting to be harvested, dried and crushed into a powder.  Would you be patiently waiting if you knew that was coming?  Fall spinach is slowly coming up on the right.

What is left of the basil has gone to seed and flower, drawing butterflies and bees.

While the peppers are clearly in need of some water, they are still ripening nicely.  We've been harvesting and freezing peppers for awhile now.

 Sweet potatoes vines.

 Our fall lettuce is coming up nicely and it's so wonderful to be eating salads again- this time with tomatoes!!

 The back garden is pretty much done- except for some onions, leeks, depressed sunflowers waiting to dry and be harvested for the chickens to eat this winter (to the left) and another newly started bed of spinach (off to the right).  Since much of it is done, it got a nice, heavy coat of straw for the winter to help prepare it for next spring.

The only things left to do this year are...

1) Can concord grape jam.

2) Continue roasting tomatoes.  A few more batches and I should be done.

3) Harvest what's left in the garden as it's ready- tomatoes, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, some remaining onions, stevia (to dry) and herbs (to freeze). 

4) Cover the carrots and leeks snugly with straw so we can see how well they winter over.  We're going to try pulling them from the ground as we need them this winter.

5) Pick the pears off our lone pear tree.  Depending on the state they're in, we may can them.  Otherwise, we'll just eat them.

6) Make copious amounts of applesauce (our trees are too young to produce for us, so we have to buy them).

7) Watch the remainder of our red raspberries dry up since it's been real dry here.  Again.

8) Eat fresh fall spinach and lettuce as they come up.

It all seems so momentous in the spring, but the finale that is fall and winter is more of a dwindling.  It's just as exciting, though, because it means all the long days on my feet in the kitchen are over.

I thank God for the change in seasons.  I can't imagine life with only one.  Or two.  Or three.  It's just right as it is. Pin It