Simple Life

For most of my adult life, especially since I've become a mother, I look for any and every way to simplify my life. I don't mean in a make-my-life-easier-because-I-hate-to-work way, but in a get-back-to-the-simpler-life kind of way. For example, for the first few years of marriage, I went crazy buying so many appliances or knick-knacks for my kitchen, when they all did essentially the same thing (you know what I'm talking about)! I also did this for my first child - I HAD to have the latest this or that to be a perfect mommy, when again, they did essentially the same thing. I don't have the memory (in my mind, not computer:) ) to go back and think of all I've done to change to a simpler life-style, but I thought I'd start jotting down from here on (because I admit I still have a long way to go!).

In an attempt to simplify cleaning my home, I basically use vinegar and bleach, rather than a kitchen cleaner, and a bathroom cleaner, and a....(they're all the same - amazing what marketing can do!). I still have a few that I'm using up, but I am not replacing the cleaners as they go.

Recently, I've come across castile soap, do your own search via the web for all sorts of sites where you can buy, and even make, your own. I'm using Dr. Bronner's at the moment. According to the bottle, you can use this stuff for EVERYTHING, cleaning home, or body. I'm using the peppermint kind, and I love the smell! I've been using it for my whole body, including my face. The blemishes on my face are gone, and for me I've never found any product that has completely done this! I have a dispenser on my kitchen sink, and every night after my dishes are done, I wash my hands, and the sink, and enjoy the smell and the feeling of the simplicity of this. I plan on trying it to mop my kitchen floor this week as well.

Blessings,

Jen

You've Gotta Try This!

I was very afraid at first, but am no longer after seeing the huge benefits! What is this that I'm going to encourage you to try? No, its not the latest gadget that will make your life easier, nor is it the latest delicious, quick and healthy recipe. Nope, what I've been doing that has been so great is plain, old fashioned WALKING. Yes, I've been joining my neighbor at 5 AM - yes that's right, 5 AM - and going for a just under 2 mile walk. It has been amazing. I'll admit that generally I would get up when the first child would wake up and basically feel like I was playing catch-up all day long. By the time I drank my lukewarm coffee, my 3rd child would be up and I'd wonder, okay, now how am I supposed to shower? Baby in pack-n-play, kids in front of a video. How irritating, this is not how I want my days to be - and the irritation would show in my attitude many days.

So I finally realized I need to take some control here (with the help of my Lord!), and make this work. Now my weekdays have been looking like this:

4:45 a.m. alarm goes off; get up throw on work-out clothes that were laid out the night before
5:00 a.m. meet neighbor at end of our driveway and WALK
5:30-ish a.m. get back and shower and dress (and actually blow-dry my hair and put on makeup!)
6:00 a.m. start coffee and unload dishwasher
6:15 a.m. read a verse from the Bible and pray (while quietly enjoying my HOT coffee!)
6:30 a.m. look at my watch and realize that I don't usually get up until 7 a.m. and marvel at what I've accomplished!

I am enjoying this and think I will continue to enjoy it (until maybe that first drizzly morning - yes, my neighbor and I agreed that even on those mornings we'll walk!)

Blessings,

Jen

God is Amazing!

Yesterday in church, our pastor spoke on the state of the church. In conclusion, he said the state of the church is the state of me. He asked us to look deep in our heart to examine it, and asked us to think about what God wants us to commit to.

Over the last year, I've been deeply convicted that my role as a wife is to be supportive and silent. With my type of personality, I can be very forceful, and my poor husband has received the brunt of this much over the years. The Lord has indeed been at work in my life. I used to say things to my husband like, "I would really like you to lead our family in devotions," or "the Bible says that as the husband, you should....." I learned what a turn off this was, and that I was in a sense, trying to be the Holy Spirit for him. Over 7 1/2 years of marriage, I have learned THIS DOES NOT WORK! So over the last 6 months, I've tried to keep quiet (not always succeeding), and pray for my husband that He would hear the Lord AND NOT ME.

So what do these two paragraphs have to do with each other? Yesterday after our pastor challenged us to examine our life, I silently prayed then that God would speak to my husband's heart, and that whatever commitment God wants from us, that the leading would come through my husband and that I would follow him. I never told my husband about that prayer, again, I'm convicted to keep silent. This morning, my husband called from work and said that he wants us to really find out what God wants us to commit to. My heart leaped for joy. By my keeping silent and not nagging my husband the whole way home from church about what he thinks God wants us to commit to, etc., etc., etc. my husband was able to hear the Holy Spirit rather than "the constant dripping of a quarrelsome wife." (Proverbs 27:15)

God is amazing!

Blessings,

Jen