“The Christian commitment is not an abstraction. It is a concrete, visible, courageous, and formidable way of being in the world, forged by daily choices consistent with the truth……… the one who talks, especially if he talks to God, can affect a great deal, but the one who acts really means business and has more claims on our attention.”
~ Brennan Manning.
~ The day where I’ll tell you about the cute and funny things my kids are saying!
~Today my 4 year old was poking his head out of our sun roof of our car, while we were sitting in the parking lot, yelling at anyone who walked by, ” You wanna come in our car?”
~While picking the tomatoes from our deck, he tells me, “I don’t like grape potatoes.”
~My 2 year old, has been saying, ” you got for, something.” (meaning you forgot, something) and ” cheese-la-weezy” (for jeeze la weeze)
~My baby has not begun to talk yet, except for the indiscriminate “mamma mamma” he says. But he does like to yell, “baa baa, yaaa, yaaa,” every time we sit down to eat.
*For more Tiny talk tuesday, check out these
… stained, or worn out baby blankets….Transform them into cute dusting rags! ( With the fleece ones, there’s no need to sew, just cut up into smaller squares and snip the edges to make fringe.)
….old jeans, and t shirts….Can become a cute bag!
…. turn old pillow case and plastic shopping bags….
…..into a dog bed or cushions for the kids! (just fill a pillow case with the plastic bags, and sew shut.)
…audio cassete tapes….
into a wearable dress, that you can actually play!
(totally weird, but you have to read about this or watch a video on how to make one!)
~There’s some fun things you can make from your old crap, if you use a little creativity!
“LIfe can sometimes make us feel like we’re in over our heads, but the reality is that, without God, we’re always in over our heads. For example, a little three year old girl felt secure in her father’s arms as Dad stood in the middle of a swimming pool. But Dad, for fun, began walking slowly toward the deep end, as the water rose higher and higher on the child. The girl’s face registered increasing degrees of panic, as she held all the more tightly to her father, who, of course easily touched the bottom. Had the little girl been able to analyze her situation, she’d have realized there was no reason for her increasing fear. The water’s depth in ANY part of the pool was over her head. For her, safety anywhere in that pool depended on Dad.
At various points in our lives, all of us feel we’re getting ‘out of our depth,’ or ‘in over our heads.’ There are problems all around….and our temptation is to panic, because we feel we’ve lost control. But think about it- just like the child in the pool, the truth is we’ve never been in control when it comes to life’s most crucial elements.” ~Joyce Meyer
~ The part of this that hit me, was the realization that the girl would’ve been in over her head at any part of the pool, that she needed her Dad to be holding her up even in the shallower waters. At times when life seems more peaceful, it seems easy to forget that God is there still holding my head above the waters, they just aren’t as dark and tumultuous, so I don’t notice my needs as greatly, or cling as tightly. The irony is that my need is just as great, and it is never myself that I can be depending on.
… My poor baby boy is still cutting his bottom tooth and two top teeth. It’s been about two weeks that he’s been working on them, and they still aren’t in even though you can see them right below his skin. It seems like every other day is hard for him. He’s got about every teething symptom that there is, probably because he’s getting all three at once. For my other boys, teething didn’t last this long, or seem this hard on them, so it’s new for me. We have been chilling his pacifiers, bottles, and teething rings in the fridge, letting him chew on frozen fruit and ice, and giving him tylenol. I don’t know what more to do, except pray that they come in quicker!
~I go to a hair dresser, who I love to go see. Not because she’s amazing at doing hair, in fact she’s the very one who Screwed up my husband’s hair. I like to go see her, because going to see her, is like going to see an old friend, and frankly I don’t care too much about having my hair just right. I walk into the basement of her southern home, and this Puerto Rican woman, with big hair and an equally big personality, greets me with a hug, and a genuine, “How are you?” She wants to know, because she’s going to pray as she’s washing my hair.
Today we talked about how grown ups need to act more like kids every once in awhile, slow things down to their pace, noticing the ants on the sidewalk, and laughing at the spilt water. To not plan too far ahead, because “today has enough troubles of it’s own,” and to enjoy little things, like the way our babies hands look now, because they’ll not look that way again.
She finished up my hair, and after a long hug, I walked out with hair a little shorter than I wanted, and poofed to the sky, but with a smile on my face, and inspiration to enjoy and live within the moments of the day.
INGREDIENTS
1 apple – peeled, cored and diced
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup oil for frying
6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix together Fuji apple, strawberries, kiwis, bananas, lime juice, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 20 minutes.
Heat oil in a medium heavy saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Slice flour tortillas into triangles. Carefully place tortilla triangles into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Place white sugar and cinnamon in a large ziplock plastic bag. Drop fried tortilla triangles into the bag and shake to coat.
Serve the cinnamon chips warm with the chilled fruit salsa.
~Recipe from All Recipes
“Music washes away from the soul, the dust of everyday life.”
— Berthold Auerbach
~ Brody and I don’t go out much, we wait and save for something that we really want to do. When we saw that Damien Rice was coming to town, we decided we had to go. So, we get to go on a date, get out of the house for awhile, and listen to some music that we love.
101 Ways To Live More Ecologically,may be you find something that applies to you
(I don’t do all of these, but thought this was a good list!)
1. Avoid disposable in favor of reusable
items.
2. Avoid drying rags in a clothes dryer.
3. Avoid power appliances when hand power works.
4. Avoid highly processed foods.
5. Avoid using styro foam—it can’t be recycled.
6. Avoid watering driveways and sidewalks.
7. Be responsible and creative with leftover foods.
8. Buy in bulk goods to reduce wasted packaging.
9. Buy energy efficient electric appliances.
10. Buy foods without additives.
11. Buy foods without preservatives.
12. Buy food and goods from sources you trust
13. Buy large quantities to reduce shopping trips.
14. Buy living Christmas trees.
15. Buy locally grown food and produce.
16. Buy organic, pesticide-free foods.
17. Compost your food scraps.
18. Discover and protect watersheds in your area,
19. Don’t burn trash or other smoky materials.
20. Drain cooking grease onto paper bags, not paper towels.
21. Drive a fuel-efficient car.
22. Drive less: walk, bicycle, carpool and use public transportation.
23. Eat foods low on the food chain; avoid meat.
24. Eat more natural, nutritious foods.
25. Educate elected representatives on ecology.
26. Exercise regularly.
27. Explore and learn about your bioregion.
28. Grow your own food, even a small amount.
29. Hang dry some or all of your clothes.
30. Heat your home less and wear warmer clothes.
31. Heat your home more with renewable energies.
32. Hold a potluck dinner to discuss local ecology.
33. If you use a dishwasher, turn off the drying cycle.
34. Install a water-conserving device in your toilets.
35. Install a water-conserving shower head.
36. Insulate your home to maximum efficiency.
37. Invest for social responsibility as well as profit.
38. Invest in solar power, where practical.
39. Invest in well-made, long-lived clothing.
40. Keep hazardous chemicals in safe containers.
41. Keep appliance motors well adjusted for efficiency.
42. Mend and repair rather than discard and replace.
43. Oppose meddling in ecological balance.
44. Oppose private development of special areas.
45. Oppose roadside use of defoliants.
46. Organize or join a neighborhood toy exchange.
47. Pick up litter along streets and highways.
48. Plant native trees and shrubs around your home.
49. Plant trees throughout your community.
50. Plant your living Christmas tree.
51. Practice preventive health care.
52. Practice responsible family planning.
53. Prepare only as much food as will be eaten.
54. Protect your favorite distinctive natural areas.
55. Purchase goods in reusable/recyclable containers.
56. Put a catalytic converter on your wood stove.
57. Put toxic substances out of reach of children.
58. Recycle aluminum.
59. Recycle glass.
60. Recycle newspaper.
61. Recycle old clothes.
62. Recycle plastic.
63. Recycle used motor oil.
64. Recycle your unneeded items.
65. Re-use paper bags.
66. Re-use plastic bags for storage and waste.
67. Save up for full loads in clothes washers.
68. Save up for full loads in dishwasher.
69. Shop by phone, then go pick up your purchases.
70. Speak out about your values in community groups.
71. Support efficient energy sources in your bioregion.
72. Support elected representatives on ecological issues.
73. Support energy conservation in your bio region.
74. Support global ecological improvement efforts.
75. Support local credit unions.
76. Support local merchants before large chains.
77. Support neighborhood food cooperatives.
78. Support proper waste water and sewage treatment.
79. Support the cultural diversity in your bioregion.
80. Support the plants and animals in your community.
81. Take shorter showers.
82. Teach your children ecological wisdom.
83. Turn down the thermostat on your water heater.
84. Turn off the lights when not needed.
85. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
86. Use biodegradable soaps and detergents.
87. Use cloth diapers.
88. Use cloth table napkins.
89. Use less tapwater whenever possible.
90. Use non-toxic pest control.
91. Use only medications you trust/understand.
92. Use rags or towels instead of paper.
93. Use rechargeable batteries.
94. Use the second side of paper for scratch paper.
95. Use water from cooking vegetables to make soup.
96. Volunteer for work in a community garden.
97. Volunteer to maintain local parks and wilderness.
98. Wash clothes in cold water.
99. Wash dishes in still, not running water.
100. Weather-seal your home.
101. Work to unlearn poor ecological habits
~ I am having one of those weeks where I am not having many deep thoughts, and don’t feel as though I am learning much spiritually, or maybe not listening well. I have, however been continuing my commitment with the 21 days to change, and getting up early to pray, and read. So if any of you have any specific prayer requests, I am praying every day, and will add you to my list! (and it would help my motivation!)
