Owing your kids money…

Last night Shea took a walk with Dave.  She fell and skinned her knee.  My sensitive husband offered her a dollar to quit crying.  When they got home he gave her monop0ly money and she refused:  “That is not real.  I want real money!”  Not bad for a 4 year old.  Now Dave is in debt. 

I also owe Maggie $14.  I can’t remember why.  Bethany has stopped lending me money because she says I’m not credit worthy.  Now Maggie understands why. 

I took a year off from shopping

In 2008, I took a year off from clothes shopping.  I decided that I was going to go one year without buying any clothing garment for myself.  There are several reasons I resolved to go on this “fast”.  It was my first year as a stay at home mom and I didn’t want that in our budget.  Second, I had plenty of clothes.  So many, in fact, that I had trouble managing my closet with all the clutter.  And most importantly, I was becoming a slave to the advertisements and sales.  If I had a 20% off coupon, I was determined to use it on a sale item and come home with a steal.

The trouble with this mentality was the time and energy I spent chasing the deal.  It was not so much the money, but the waste and clutter.  Even if the store was giving it away, I didn’t need it and had better things to do with my time.

I did break it a couple of times at Target with a fresh T-shirt, but I pretty much stuck to my plan.  It was empowering.  I no longer looked at the paper and left with a list of things I had to run out and do.  I started wearing out a few garments and letting things go out of my closet without piling them back.

A couple of months ago, I took it to a new level.  I went into my closet and determined how many items I need in my life at one time.  I boxed up the rest of my clothes.  I plan to use what is in my closet until they are stained  or ruined.  Then I will pull out the boxed clothing and use it.  Now that I’m not overwhelmed with choices, I enjoy selecting my clothing more than I did before.

Another major thing happened.  Once I removed myself from the stores, I have a different view of shopping.  I no longer walk into the Houston Galleria and get a thrill out of looking at all the new fashions.   Rather, I’m sickened by all the marketing and overpriced merchandise.  And the loud music really turns me off.  It is a machine designed to get our money and I was programmed to respond.  Now that I’ve deprogrammed, I get no enjoyment out of that experience.  I’d rather talk about my new grain hobby!

Daily dialogue with a 4 year old

Mom:  You were born in August.

Shea:  No, I was born in China.

Mom:  You are getting a haircut today.

Shea:  I want my hair cut long.

Mom:  Go brush your teeth.

Shea:  I did that yesterday.

Mom:  Stop chasing the dog.

Shea:  I’m not chasing the dog, I’m on a safari.

Mom:  I think it is time for you to watch T.V.

Shea:  T.V. is bad for my brain.

Mom:  Bethany is cleaning out the toys in the gameroom and your room.

Shea:  If she doesn’t stop that we’ll have to get different older kids.

Wheat Mill / Grinder

I’ve been writing a lot about baking from fresh milled wheat and have rec’d questions about what type of mill  or grinder to purchase.  I’m not an expert in this area, but do have a few months of experience under my belt.

I purchased the Kitchen Mill by BlendTec.  I wanted an electric mill that would hold several cups of flour.  This one holds 24 cups.  I also wanted one that had several settings for the grind texture.  Mine will do fine to course flour, and will also grind corn for corn meal.

I do not like mine for cleanup.  It is awkward.  You take the top off and hold it over the sink to brush off excess flour.  It is very messy.  And you store it with the grinder part down so any flour you didn’t clean off gets on your cabinet.  I’ve started putting mine on a tray.

My husband is the best deal seeker I know.  He found this on on the internet for less than $130.  That’s the best deal I’ve found for one with these features.  My grain dealer sells one that I like better, but is more expensive.   It is the Nutrimill and can be seen here.  I like it better b/c the storage and cleanup seems easier.  However, these features did not justify the extra cost.

Another site that has good info on grinders is Walton feed.  I’m not an expert in this field but am learning by doing.  In my urban college educated circles, this is a lost art.  I’ve had to seek out folks who know how to use grain and get help.  I am looking forward to passing this to my daughters.

We’re now eating over 25 pounds of grain a month.    The pic of the bucket holds about 25 pounds.  I’ve increased my grain consumption and have not gained a pound.  And I feel great.

Here are a few pics….

A Christian Woman in Today’s Culture – Part 2

Last week I started writing about being a Christian Woman in today’s culture.  Please see that post for my disclaimer…

Today’s topic is “marriage”.

Assuming a woman has salvation, her next biggest decision in our day is marriage.  In Bible times, it was assumed a woman would be married so they didn’t face this major life choice.  In our culture, women have the option.

If and When to Marry.
Marriage in our country is under attack.  God does not call all women to marriage.  Some are given the gift of singleness.  However, most will be called to marriage and motherhood but many will not hear this calling because our culture is screaming a different life path.

When you look to the Bible for examples of Godly women, most were married or to be married:  Eve, Sarah, Leah, Ruth, Mary, others.  Our first example, Eve, was designed to be Adam’s helpmate.  The first woman was put on this earth to be a wife and mother.  In the Bible, God honors these women who embraced this calling.

In history, we have lovely examples of women who embraced being single for service.  You can do so much in the Kingdom as a single person.  However, most women remain single for other reasons.  I think there are two main reasons women (who are not called to be single) remain single.  First, girls are trained to get their lives in order before they pursue marriage as a young woman.  More on this below.  The other reason is the lack of Godly men in our culture.

This world does not assume that most women’s calling will be a wife.  If you ask little girls what they want to be when they grow up, few will say a wife and mommy or answer they will want to be what God calls them to be.  When my oldest daughter was in public school kindergarten, the teacher asked each child in the circle what they wanted to be when they grow up.  My daughter responded she wanted to be what God called her to be.  The teacher grimaced and told the class, “Kids, you can be whatever you want to be.”  My daughter was rebuked for this answer.  That was our last year of public school.

We train them that this is a secondary calling.  If a woman with a bright future desires to get married at 20 people are shocked and disappointed.  So most women with a promising future wait until they have their primary calling in place: a degree, career and 401k.  This woman doesn’t consider marriage until her mid to late 20s at the earliest.

Many women are not mature enough to be married at a young age.  This is because they have not had training from older women on what it means to be a real woman. Being a Godly woman does not equate to getting married or getting married younger.  However, society tells us a real woman waits until she has become independent.  Nowhere in the Bible does it teach that a Godly woman is to independent.  It teaches that a Godly woman is to be strong and follow God’s role for her life.

Godly girls in today’s culture need to mature earlier.  Not in a worldly way but in a Godly way.  They need to be trained on the value of taking responsibility and serving others in this “all about me” world.  They waste their early years in womanhood chasing a path that is about enjoying youth and preparing for a career.  The precious time of youth should used as a gift to God, not the last chance to live it up.  Many learn this after it is too late.  Some never get it and pass this to their children.

Lack of Godly Men
For women who wait for marriage, many find the pool of men has tremendously shrunk.  They begin seeking a Godly man with a better career and education than theirs.  However, many of these men are already married.  Many of the single men in the marriage pool have marriage phobia and they are waiting until their mid 30s to settle down.  Men are remaining boys much longer.

What about the Single woman desiring marriage?  …. coming in part 3.

Children’s nightmares

Shea has been our first child with nightmares.  After she came home from China (age 1) she would wake up in the night numerous times screaming.  It lasted about 2 years, gradually subsiding until she was sleeping through the night.

But now some mean Robot has entered the picture and she is terrified to sleep.  I thought she was just working me to get in our bed, but she has been talking about this mean Robot all day.  We don’t watch a show with a Robot, so I’m not sure where he came from.

Last night she tried to get in bed with us, but I can’t start that or it will be every night…. she is the third child and I’ve learned that lesson.  I put her back in bed.  After I’m asleep, she tries to sleep with Bethany… but Bethany has no desire for a swirmy wormy bed partner.  Then she wakes Maggie to get in her bed and that finally works.  Today we were all tired and not on our best behavior.  Shea, of course, was the energizer bunny.

One night recently when I was trying to get her back to sleep, I told her to change her bad dream into a good dream.  She should think of something good to dream about.  Then I asked her, “what did you decide to dream about that is good?”  She replied, “My Mommy.”  Talk about breaking your heart!

Times of Change – What is God doing?

This morning I listened to this sermon and was AGAIN convicted.  I’m a slow learner. Dave calls it hardheaded.  It is true!  This sermon is about walking into these times of change without fear, but looking forward to how we can serve.  It is worth a listen.

I’m 41 years old and have lived during a very easy time in history.  WWI and WWII were over.  We’ve had other wars, but also experienced extreme prosperity.  We’ve also had religious freedom, although it has slowly slipped away.  In 2001, this bubble began to crack.

9/11 was just the start.  I believe we’re entering into a period of tremendous change.   It is unsettling.  We will all feel this change.  But I should embrace this change because God is at work.

I’ve resisted embracing this change because it will be hard.  I like things easy.  But when we look at the culture of our country and see that the American church looks too much like the Church of Laodicea; I can see why God would move.  And when I look back in history, no culture that rejects God has ever maintained their lifestyle.  They go into captivity.

So what do we do?  We will have to learn to draw on the strength on our God.  We’ve lived in a time where most of us have mistakenly relied on our skills and strength.  We need to keep sharing the Good News and moving forward.  The church will strengthen.  It will not be about “America” but about God’s kingdom.  We will get back to relationships and helping others.  I think our lives will forcibly slow down.

Once we take our focus off our busy schedule, we’ll have time to embrace others.  There are some in the Christian community who are already doing this.  They are ahead of the curve and will be a powerful force in this time.

When I take myself out of the equation, this is very exciting.  In the Bible you hear about the times of change, not the years of normalcy.  We’re living during one of these periods and one day will look back and go:  Wow God!

12 disciple poem

My friend sent me this poem after reading about my lack of bible knowledge. She uses the Wee sing bible songs CD and thinks it is really good. It contains over 50 songs and poems. It helps with learning scripture, books of the bible, and disciple names.

Here is the poem for the disciples.

The Twelve Disciples

Peter, Andrew, James and John,

Fisherman of Capernaum,

Thomas and St. Matthew, too,

Philip and Bartholomew,

James, his brother Thaddeus,

Simon, and the one names Judas,

Twelve disciples here in all

Following the Master’s call.

Houston Organic Vegetable Coop

If you’re in Houston and want organic veggies for less than Whole Foods prices, there are veggie coops.  I’ve bought from Central City Coop.  Now I’m using:  http://rawfullyorganic.com. Here’s what a 1/2 share looks like fro raw fully organic.  Delivered to The Heights (they also have other drop off locations) is approx $55.   Off the top of my head, it is all organic, and much of it is local.  It included sweet potatoes, lettuce, arugual, kiwi, apples, pears, tomatoes, pineapple, oranges, broccoli, cilantro, avocados, mangos, cucumbers, carrots, bell pepper, celery, swiss chard and onion.

Here’s a pic of the box:

Frugal Friday – join coops

My frugal tip for today is to look at where you spend money and see if you could do better though a local coop.  Recently I’ve uped the nutritional content of our food and have done so through coops.  I cannot afford to shop at Whole Foods, but am getting comprable items for about 1/2 the price.

Veggies.  I’m buying veggies from a non for profit coop:  http://rawfullyorganic.com/.  If you’re in the Houston area, check them out.  I’ve been very pleased with the prices and quality.  I’m not a “raw” eater, but love what they are doing.  See here for pic and list of what $55 will buy.

Grains.  For grains I buy from a ladies house.   Her husband is a minister and she has a small home business to supplement their income.  Her site is http://www.bethlehemharvest.com/.

Meat/Dairy. I haven’t figured out how to do this with dairy and meats.  Once I do, I’ll hardly ever have to set food in a grocery store and will not be carrying a ton of coupons in my purse.

Household.  I don’t have a coop for these…yet.   I’m cutting back our cleaners to borax, arm/hammer products, zote soap and vinegar.  I can easily stock up on these.

Homeschooling.  For homeschooling I have participated in coops.   Moms teach the classes and kids get extracurricular lessons that would cost an arm/leg.  We only paid supply costs and a small fee to a local church to reimburse them for our costs.  It was a great way to supplement their education without spending hundreds in lessons.  And one of my good friends is teaching the girls art.  It pays to have friends and I can’t wait to invest in her future kiddos.