Below is a link to a great article regarding a Christian world view of Halloween.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8)
About Me
- New Day Grace
- United States
- I'm just a girl trying to keep an eternal perspective on life, and live it to the fullest :)
Showing posts with label Homemaking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homemaking. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Matters of Opinion: Hallowing Halloween (directly linked from Christianity Today)
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Seeking Simplicity
I awoke from my sleep in the middle of the night with, what felt like, a million to-dos running through my head. Anxiety and stress take a toll on us mentally, physically and spiritually. I was thinking how I've neglected my relationship with Jesus lately. Amidst the busyness of life, my eyes are taken off Him and onto much less important things. I felt my heart pounding in my chest and my blood pressure rising as the cares of this world filled my mind. I prayed, read a some scripture, and having my allergies in full swing I took a benadryl and went back to sleep.
Later in the day, I read the 6th chapter of Matthew, and it has calmed my soul. It reminds me that it is the simple things in life that bring peace and joy. When my life is centered on God, and my relationship with Him is nourished first, then the things of this world fade in the Light of His glory and grace.
So today I am redirecting my thoughts to Him- The creator of Heaven and Earth. Nothing can compare to His beauty and majesty. Amazingly, He wants me. He desires an intimate relationship with every person on this Earth- including you and I. Wow, when pause long enough to really think about the depth of His love for us I can't help but be completely humbled and in awe!
So, on that note, here are a few simple things I am thankful for today:
*Love... the most powerful thing on earth, and the way God shines through our lives
*Benadryl (medications in general)
* A beautiful sunny, crisp autumn-like day
* Clean drinking water
*My family
*Food, and more than enough to feed several families for several days
*Freedom of Religion, something in the U.S. we take for granted
*Our Jobs
My Prayer:
Thank you Jesus for blessing me today with all of these things and so much more. Help me to not take for granted the simple things in life. I pray my family can together simplify our lives to better focus on You Jesus, instead of our own worries and earthly priorities. Thank you Jesus for loving me, and for willfully dying on the cross for my sins so that I may someday live eternally in paradise with You. Amen.
Matthew 6The World Is Not a Stage1 "Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding. 2-4"When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure—'playactors' I call them— treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get. When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.Pray with Simplicity
5"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?6"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
7-13"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:
Our Father in heaven,Reveal who you are.Set the world right;Do what's best— as above, so below.Keep us alive with three square meals.Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.You're in charge!You can do anything you want!You're ablaze in beauty!Yes. Yes. Yes.
14-15"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.
16-18"When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well.
A Life of God-Worship
19-21"Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.22-23"Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!
24"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both.
25-26"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
27-29"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Preschool, Sunday School and Homeschool Resources
I haven't adhered entirely to our Horizons preschool agenda as I had ideally planned. Life happens and you must have that fine balance of flexibility and discipline. Horizons is a great curriculum, however my girls and I find it fun doing lessons and activities from a variety of sources. Here are some that I have bookmarked. Please leave a comment if you would like to add any additional resources you would like to share!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Father's Day Gift Ideas
To all the men who have been a positive influence in my life, thank you!
From my dads, to my husband, to my pastor at church, etc. Each one has been a part in protecting, leading, and proving in different ways and at different stages of my life.
Children desire (and really do need) a strong and positive male figure in their lives. Many children are missing that, for more reasons than one, but I won't go into that.
My purpose in writing this is that I want to honor the men in our lives.
I want to plan some fun crafts my girls and I can make together.
Even if you don't have anyone here on earth you can give praises to for being a good man, you can give praises to our Heavenly Father! He is a father to the fatherless. When we become a Christ follower, we are guaranteed to have a perfect eternal life and a Perfect Father in Heaven!
So, here are some crafty gift ideas to get the wheels in our heads turning!
If you have any other suggestions, please leave a comment and/or link! Thanks!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Little Girls' Dresses
 |
| http://www.titus2atthewell.com/little-girls-dresses/ |
Love this idea for taking used men's dress shirts and turning them into little girls' dresses!
Anyone want to teach me how to sew?!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Our Backyard Garden
We were planning on going out of town this past weekend, but plans changed. Despite my youngest daughter being sick, we all got out of the house and enjoyed some time at a Greenhouse and picked out some edible plants for our backyard garden.
A couple weeks ago my loving husband ;) surprised me for Mother's Day by purchasing supplies for a raised backyard garden! We worked together to outline the garden with blocks and fill it with a special mixture of soil called Mel's Mix (from All New Square Foot Gardening) that our neighbors introduced us to (thanks Carl and Sharon!). We placed a fence around our garden to protect it from our dogs. We had already planted our flowers out front a few weeks ago. Now we were excited to sow some plants we can use in the kitchen! We already have blueberry bushes along our back fence. We placed bird netting over them because last year the birds took most of our crop. So, hopefully that will do the trick!
So, on Saturday after we purchased our plants, I spent a while outdoors enjoying my time with the dirt. I also transplanted some plants I had started from seed. There is something about gardening that clears and refreshes my mind. I feel as though I can better talk with God as I am digging in the soil (after all, man came from dust).
Here is the layout of our garden (It is approx. 4' x16') :
Unfortunately, I've already witnessed some black birds picking off leaves of my herbs. When I was out there yesterday, I also noticed that some cute little bunnies must be nibbling away at some of my other plants ;(
So, after consulting with my mom, we devised a plan, and I sprung into action.
To keep away the birds, I took some disposable pie tins, poked holes in them, and tied them to our fence. The noise and reflection of light should keep away the birds I'm hoping :)
As far as the bunnies (I like calling them bunnies rather than rabbits... its more endearing), I've place moth balls around the outer edge of our bricks lining our garden (not in our garden). The smell is supposed to keep the critters away.
(I'm glad this is in our backyard and not our front. Our cute decorations might make people jealous- haha)
I am getting ready to go water now... I'm hoping those tactics have worked!
I'm so excited to see what we reap here in the next 2-3 months!
A couple weeks ago my loving husband ;) surprised me for Mother's Day by purchasing supplies for a raised backyard garden! We worked together to outline the garden with blocks and fill it with a special mixture of soil called Mel's Mix (from All New Square Foot Gardening) that our neighbors introduced us to (thanks Carl and Sharon!). We placed a fence around our garden to protect it from our dogs. We had already planted our flowers out front a few weeks ago. Now we were excited to sow some plants we can use in the kitchen! We already have blueberry bushes along our back fence. We placed bird netting over them because last year the birds took most of our crop. So, hopefully that will do the trick!
So, on Saturday after we purchased our plants, I spent a while outdoors enjoying my time with the dirt. I also transplanted some plants I had started from seed. There is something about gardening that clears and refreshes my mind. I feel as though I can better talk with God as I am digging in the soil (after all, man came from dust).
Here is the layout of our garden (It is approx. 4' x16') :
Unfortunately, I've already witnessed some black birds picking off leaves of my herbs. When I was out there yesterday, I also noticed that some cute little bunnies must be nibbling away at some of my other plants ;(So, after consulting with my mom, we devised a plan, and I sprung into action.
To keep away the birds, I took some disposable pie tins, poked holes in them, and tied them to our fence. The noise and reflection of light should keep away the birds I'm hoping :)
As far as the bunnies (I like calling them bunnies rather than rabbits... its more endearing), I've place moth balls around the outer edge of our bricks lining our garden (not in our garden). The smell is supposed to keep the critters away.
(I'm glad this is in our backyard and not our front. Our cute decorations might make people jealous- haha)
I am getting ready to go water now... I'm hoping those tactics have worked!
I'm so excited to see what we reap here in the next 2-3 months!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Develop a Personal Mission Statement
Love this idea! I gotta do it! Thanks Titus 2 at the Well and Passionate Homemaking for this inspiration!
Project 16: Develop a Personal Mission Statement
Each Monday, we share a project that relates to being a Christian woman and living out our Titus 2 roles in real life. For more information about this feature or to submit a project idea,click here.
This week’s project is:
to develop a personal mission statement.
A while ago I read a post from Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking that talked all about this. It was very inspiring!
Lindsay explains step by step how to make a mission statement:
1. List Your Roles
2. Dream
3. Define Your Roles
4. Make it beautiful and visible
Check out her post for more help this week while you make a personal mission statement. Having a clear mission and purpose is important!
Blown Egg Ornaments
I was honestly thinking today how I wish I could get Silk Tie-Dyed Eggs to last forever. They would be beautiful lasting gifts to give and decor for your home. So I went to Our Best Bites and voila, look what I found! Genius! I love this site :) Thanks! Check out their facebook page too!
One of our most popular holiday posts is our tutorial on dying Easter eggs with pieces of silk. It’s a unique process that creates amazingly beautiful eggs and it’s always a shame when it’s time to toss them! Many readers have asked if it was possible to use the same process on a blown-out egg so they could be kept indefinitely. The problem that arises is that hollow eggs float, so they’re difficult to boil. But thanks to one resourceful reader, we’ve solved that problem. So today I thought I’d do a little tutorial about how to blow out an egg, and then create charming little ornaments from them- including silk-dyed ones!
First you’ll need to gather some household supplies. Some people will tell you that you have to have special egg-blowing tools with special egg-blowing names. This is a sham. You really just need a baby snot sucker (seriously, isn’t that the real name?), a pin, and a paper clip.
You can also try a plastic medicine syringe (instead of the snot-sucker), the type you’d use to give medicine to an infant. The one in my picture is much too narrow but I thought I’d include it anyway to show you the type. You’d just want a much wider one (but really I think the blue squishy blower thingy works better) You also need a paper clip, and in a minute I’ll show you how some drill bits come in handy as well.
If you’re going to save the inside of the egg for cooking, then make sure to wash the outside of your egg and make sure that all of the tools you are using are clean and sanitized.
Place your eggs in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes before starting. This will make the entire process much easier. Hold an egg firmly (you know, as firmly as you can hold an egg) and use your pin to gently pierce a hole in one end. It helps to gently twist the pin back and forth first to sort of screw it in before you actually push it through. (These are my husbands man-hands by the way. Nice job honey, you’re a natural.) Repeat on the other end of the egg.
Once you have a teeny tiny pin hole, it helps to have a teeny tiny drill bit (seriously, the smallest one in the set). Gently “drill” through your pin hole to enlarge it.
Now grab that paper clip and unfold it. Stick the paper clip inside the egg and swirl it all over the place. The object here is to scramble that yolk up which will help it all come out easily.
Now grab the infant bulb syringe (I had to google that. True story.) If you don’t have an infant or former infant in your home and therefore don’t have 17 of these laying around your house, you can get one at the drug store for a very inexpensive price. Like, cheaper than 9 months of pregnancy and then child-birth in order to get 5 free from the hospital.
Place it directly over one of the holes and squeeze over a bowl. The egg will come right out of the other end. If you meet any resistance, don’t keep blowing air or your egg might explode. Give it a shake, or stick the paper clip in again, or increase the size of your hole.
Once everything is blown out, you might want to fill your syringe with warm water and blow it into the egg. Shake it up and then blow it out to get the inside clean.
Once you’ve got your hollowed out egg you can do all sorts of crafty things with it. To make an ornament, thread ribbon, string, or twine through the holes. Using a extra long crafting needle really helps. If you need to enlarge your holes to fit the ribbon, use your pin to gently pick away at it.
Just tie a knot at the bottom end and a loop at the top end.
To make Silk Dyed eggs, follow the instructions in this tutorial. When it comes to the step where you boil the eggs in the pot, use a strainer turned upside-down to keep the eggs under the water. OR, if you can fill your eggs with water it will weigh them down as well.
After they come out they will be filled with boiling water. Make sure to let them cool first, and then blow out the water. After they’re dry, thread ribbons through so you can display them!
If you want to dye your eggs with normal colored dye, then dye uncooked eggs before you blow them out. Try adding beads to your string. It not only looks pretty, but it covers up messy holes!
I love plain, solid color eggs- and they look really pretty with colored beads. These would be really cute with monograms drawn on- or cut out of vinyl.
I’ve always wanted to learn Ukrainian egg painting, aka: Pysanka, but apparently I have too many hobbies already. So I settled for a Sharpie.
Turns out all of those years of mindless doodling in school was actually useful. Way more useful than algebra at least.
I should mention I totally snagged this idea from my little sis who sent me pics of egg ornaments she made last year. She painted designs on them with black paint and threaded them with red ribbon which was so pretty.Lastly, you know how much we love seeing your projects- so post them on our Facebook page so we can all oooh and ahhhh!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)