Washed by the Water
28 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized
Tomorrow, my baby boy will be three weeks old. He’s such a sweet baby. He has beautiful eyes that just watch all that’s going on. This week, I am feeling a whole lot better so I’m getting back into the swing of things around the house. I got rid of 4 black garbage bags of outgrown clothes of my daughter and mine. She’s growing bigger and I don’t anticipate having any more babies so I’m getting rid of maternity clothes.
Today, when the baby went down for a nap, I got the other three outside to get our garden started. We planted some carrots, lettuce and zinnias. I’m using the lasagna gardening method. It’s awesome! I feel so empowered that I can layer things slowly when the time is available. And I don’t feel like I’m weeding only for them to reappear a few weeks later. The layers of cardboard, leaves and such have really eliminated a lot of weeds.
As we finished planting, it began to rain. I didn’t realize that the next three days have a chance of thunderstorms. Hoping that it doesn’t wash away all the seeds. It made me think of how the water is to remind us of our baptismal promises. It has been neat to recognize the importance of water in salvation history. The waters came down in the Flood for 40 days and nights and afterwards God made his covenant with Noah. The Israelites passed through the Red Sea before entering the wilderness on a journey that would last 40 years. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist before entering the desert for 40 days to be tempted by the devil. It is so neat to see how God’s plan unfolded over the course of history.
Temptation, Forgiveness and Renewal
27 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
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I gave up Facebook for Lent. I turned off the mobile notifications and email notifications. Avoiding Facebook has turned out to be the easy part. The temptation is how to fill up that free time. It should be filled with prayer and Bible study. But it is very tempting to fill it with movies, music and other web-surfing. Fighting these little temptations helps to exercise self-restraint, build self-control and eventually perfect self-mastery. Bigger temptations will be down the road. I’m thankful for the season of Lent and the preparation for battles to come.
Forgiveness is another area of focus that is appropriate for Lent. In this process of converting to Catholicism, I have found old grudges and areas of unforgiveness have literally vanished. Even after being done wrong since then, I couldn’t hold onto a new grudge. The funny thing is that I’m not really sure when this change occurred. It snuck up on me. I suspect that it has something to do with letting go of pride in thinking that I have it all figured out. The Lord’s Prayer is a powerful reminder of the importance of forgiveness. Also, the examination of conscience eliminates any illusions that I am in any less need of forgiveness.
One of the suggested penances is to pray for someone you don’t like and that doesn’t like you. Pray for blessings upon their lives. After 40 days of prayer for someone, it would be hard to continue disliking them. People that hold onto these grudges think that by doing so, they are punishing the other person. Not so, it hurts you more than anyone. And I know. I’ve been there and am so thankful to be free from that vicious cycle. This simple practice of prayer could bring about a renewal in our lives.
Another area of renewal is in our homes. The suggestion of clearing out clutter to benefit charities has been on my mind the past few days. I had saved all the little girl clothes just in case I and the ultrasound technician was wrong about our baby being a boy. This week, I’m going to go through all her old clothes. I’ll save a few outfits for her to keep. I’ll save some of the nicer things just in case my cousin and his wife have a little girl in August. The rest will go to the thrift store.
Kids and Lent
25 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Lent
While my husband and I will be confirmed at Easter Vigil this year, our two oldest boys won’t receive First Communion until next year. So this year, I wanted to keep Lent pretty simple for them. I explained the season and gave them a choice to eliminate candy or reduce TV time. They chose to give up TV time.
I was surfing some blogs and found a long post about all that Lent is about. The links to other resources are so helpful. I signed the boys up for the Lenten Adventure series through Holy Heroes. It includes activity pages, coloring pages, videos and audio series. The boys loved the idea about the Bean jar. For every sacrifice that the boys make, they put a bean in a jar in anticipation of Easter morning when they turn into jelly beans. My second child is super excited about it.
I think it is quite important to show the children how to deprive themselves of what they desire and what they can have. Our lives can easily be consumed with satisfying ourselves. It sadly creates an idol out of ourselves. The purpose to Lent to me is to get out of our ruts and make sure that God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is solely the recipient of our worship and adoration.
Almsgiving
24 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Lent
Lent is a three-fold journey of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Almsgiving can be money, time or talents. There are many worthwhile charities and causes. When the children are older, I hope to be more active in ministries like the food pantry and such. One ministry that is very beneficial to me at the moment is Divine Office.
The process of fasting and eating more simply and inexpensively should free some money in our budgets to allocate to the ministry (ies) as the Lord leads.
I am very impressed with Catholic Relief Services. They meet practical needs in an efficient, intelligent manner. After watching the video on HIV relief, I am confident any donation will be used responsibly and effectively.
More ideas:
Donate time to Habitat for Humanity
Knit hats, blankats and prayer shawls
Sew baby items for families in need
Clear out clutter to donate to a thrift store that supports a ministry or organize a yard sale for a family in need
Visit shut-ins and nursing home residents
Cook meals for a new parent or a family in mourning or battling illness.
Add your own ideas for following Christ’s example of ministering to the sick, poor and forgotten.
More than big toe deep
23 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized
We started lent yesterday. My husband, two oldest boys and I have our plan together for what we will each give up and what good will be added. I love how it is representative of the Israelites’ 40 years in the desert which was needed to purge their sins and also of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. I just love how the Catholic faith makes the Bible come alive in our daily lives.
I like this explanation from A Holy Experience. “one needs to be dispossessed of the possessions that possess — before one can be possessed of God.” How true! So much in our lives compete for our attention. It’s easy to neglect the important things.
I listened to the story of another convert to Catholicism. He had taken the gospel to Eastern Europe. He had participated twice in 40 day fasts. His denomination had a lot of songs about God being a river. One night, while praying, God spoke to him saying that he was not a river. He was an ocean. And this man was only big toe deep. If a man of that spiritual accomplishment was only big toe deep, am I even on the beach?
I hope that this season of lent will get us more than big toe deep. It’s a little scary but I want His current to pull me in deep. I have to let go of control and go where He leads. I have to acknowledge that the ocean is not something that I can be in and still control my direction. His current will carry me where He desires.
Blessings to all on this Lenten journey.
HALT
30 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized
Household spending is a little high this month. We spent $685 on groceries, diapers, pet food, paper products and cleaning supplies. I have stocked up on pretty much everything so I’m hoping for very little spending in February. Why? Because by February 8th, we will have a new addition to the family and the rest of February I will spend recuperating fully from the c-section. Going to the grocery store or Walmart doesn’t sound very much fun.
But, it wouldn’t prevent my husband from running an errand for me. Why should I be stocked up on laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, diapers, wipes, spices, flour, etc? Would my spending be different in February if I wasn’t stocked up? Probably so.
Our pastor talked about how to recognize when a call is not from God. One of the examples of how Satan works is like a military general looking for our weakest point. And for those that battle addictions, our weakest point comes when we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. Now I doubt we could relate to Angry or Lonely during the first few weeks. Hungry, maybe, but definitely tired! There’s no way parents can not be tired for the first several weeks sometimes months.
So what would happen if we went to buy laundry detergent and cereal at the grocery store? Well, we would probably not be as diligent about checking for the lowest price. We wouldn’t shop the sales but instead settle for one place to get all the needed items so we wouldn’t have to make more stops. We might be tempted to buy other things that weren’t on our list because it was quick, convenient or just desired at that moment.
So, I’m pretty well stocked up but I need a more thorough plan. So while I’m required to keep my feet up as much as possible these last few days, I’m gonna work on a month long menu plan that includes breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner. This will be new for me since I usually stick to just a week maybe two week menu plan. There will inevitably be a few items like fresh produce and dairy that might need to be bought throughout February. So I’ll make a little grocery list to go with each week so we’ll know what’s needed to make all the meals required. It may also provide me with an opportunity to look for other options such as frozen veggies that will further reduce the need for a trip to the store.
Food storage
26 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Budgeting
To make it well living on less, it pays to buy in bulk. Now, this does not mean buying all your food in 50 lbs sacks, 5 gallon buckets and such. The purpose of buying in bulk is finding that lowest possible price and taking advantage. Sometimes it does come in large sizes. Sometimes, it’s a small size ridiculously clearance priced that prompts you to buy 10-20 to stock up. Here are some tips on keeping your food safe, secure and usable.
1) Keep your pantry organized – I have my spices and baking needs above the stove. My other dry storage is in four cabinets. My husband and boys help with this. We keep things lined up and organized so that we know what we have and things don’t get lost. You don’t want to buy all these great deals only to have them expire so severely that you’re afraid to use them. Keep boxes of pasta, dessert or dinner mixes facing sideways so that you can see if that is mac & cheese at a glance. This will help with quick meals and with planning your menu. It might also be advantageous to write the expiration date on the side that you have it facing.
2) Deep freezer tips – A deep freezer is a wise investment in a rural area. We don’t live near a Sam’s. We have gardens. Some gardeners and hunters will share their excess. Make sure you wrap your food well. Freezer burn is not the final destination for this food. If you have a lot of one item, store them in an office or fruit box so that it is easy to find.
3) Protect from bugs – Keep a close eye on your food for moths and other critters. They are not invited dinner guests. And once inside, they don’t leave easily. Keep all that you can in the freezer. Mason jars are great for storing small amounts of flour, grains and beans. Keep an eye out for great deals on 5 gallon food-safe buckets. The best buckets have the screw-in gamma lids but those can cost $10 a piece. My husband was able to find three buckets for less than $2 a piece. They didn’t have the gamma lid but they did store sunflower seeds. They still have a great strong-sealed lid. I kept the cornmeal, oats and brown rice flour in their original bags and sealed them inside these buckets. I can open them and refill my mason jars and succeed in keeping my food supply safe. Another great option is ice cream buckets. I’ve accumulated a few but I would like some more. So for a treat, we’re buying one 5 qt ice cream bucket each month. We eat up the ice cream and wash up the bucket for use with smaller amounts like sugars, pastas, granola bars and other snacks.
4) Plan your meals – Shop your stash when making a menu plan. Make sure if there are leftovers in the fridge or other things in your pantry or freezer that may expire soon, that you use them somehow in a meal soon. I had gotten some Special K cereal for free. Great deal but my family hates it. I used it up by making corn flake candy and my crew all agree that I can get that deal again if I use it for candy. You’ll also be able to see things you are running low on and need to keep an eye out for a great deal on.
5) Be creative – You may not have a large kitchen complete with deep freezer like I do. You may have to look for extra space in closets, under beds, or in basements or utility rooms. Look for good-sealing storage totes and containers. Wherever your food is, you want it safe from water, bugs and such.
Not easily broken
25 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
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We spent 2011 studying and evaluating what we believe. We questioned everything to see if it was from God or man. We studied history which involved two thick church history books (one by a Protestant and one by a Catholic) to see how beliefs evolved. On Christmas Day, the decision was made that we would convert from Baptist to Catholic.
Our Baptist church family was very kind and gracious. They wished us the best and couldn’t have been nicer. My husband’s family was great. Most of my family has been very quiet, but some have been very defensive when they couldn’t answer a question that challenged their beliefs. Some of the statements that resulted angered and deeply hurt me at first. But I realized that it was more about what they couldn’t answer than it really was about me. From stories that I have read of other conversions, there are a lot of people who just won’t discuss it.
Some of the efforts to make me the bad guy involved the struggles we went through with my husband’s cancer. That was pretty dirty but I have reflected and evaluated everything that we’ve been through this year. Whether or not everyone agrees, I think we managed through it all with a bit of grace. During quiet time last night, I realized just how much of a toll last year really was.
We started with the challenge to read the Bible from cover to cover. Both my husband and I completed it. The questions that arose and the studying that resulted is probably the toughest spiritual journey that you can take. It takes a major break-down of personal pride to admit that all your life, you might have been wrong. I’m grateful for my upbringing. I did already know a lot of what the Bible said. I didn’t really understand how it all fit together so perfectly until I studied Catholicism.
The first part of last year brought our fourth miscarriage. If this is the first time you’ve heard of it, forgive me but sometimes it’s just easier to deal with it privately. I believe God is in control and He blessed us with a viable pregnancy shortly afterwards. We’ll be welcoming our new addition in just 15 days. But the miscarriage and pregnancy have had a physical toll on me.
Shortly after suspecting that I was pregnant, my husband’s health deteriorated rapidly and we discovered that he had cancer. My father died of cancer so I was brought to tears as soon as the dr began talking about the lymph nodes. Thankfully my husband’s cancer turned out not as dangerous as my father’s but the emotional toll that a battle with cancer can bring is definitely significant.
Looking back at 2011, I can’t imagine much more that one family could go through physically, emotionally and spiritually. But there was a lot of good to last year. We learned so much! We had peace through Mike’s battle. We didn’t fall apart. And 2012 is seeing us with my husband in remission, our baby on the way and us all enjoying our new path of faith. I am grateful for the strength of our immediate family unit. It wouldn’t have been as doable if we couldn’t lean on each other.
Thinking back last night, the phrase Not easily broken came to mind. But truly it’s more than that, my husband and I both felt the call to make some changes in our way of life this year. I firmly believe that God is guiding our steps and it’s very exciting. Not just what we will be doing this year but what God’s plan for our family is in the years to come. I’ve also felt the freedom of forgiveness of past wrongs. There’s not a need to guard myself as much although after some of the statements last week, I truly wished that I had guarded a little bit. But I imagine that I’ll see that as all part of His Master Plan sometime in the future.
I think it’s more about being “pliable.” The clay in the Potter’s hands. No longer is the idea that we have it all figured out. We aren’t rigid in our adherence to beliefs of generations past but rather open to the leading of the Holy Spirit wherever it might lead. I can see now where had I not listened to the Holy Spirit when I was called to read the Bible in 90 days, how easily my life could have felt that it had shattered into many pieces. And I may still be a lump of clay to some, but I can see God molding our whole family into something useful and beautiful. I am looking forward to seeing how it all turns out.
Breakfast on a budget
24 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
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Breakfast means different things to different people. For some, cereal and milk is plenty. Some of us had mothers and grandmothers that spoiled us with spreads of breakfast burritoes or biscuits/gravy/grits/eggs/sausage/etc. Only one thing is truly vital. DON”T SKIP BREAKFAST! It will prevent you from being tempted by the vending machine or fast food drive thru. Even if you have to get your nutrients and calories through a milk shake or smoothie, don’t miss the most important meal of the day.
Here’s how we do breakfast sometimes. We had oatmeal and fruit this morning. Now, I bought 9 lbs of oats at Sam’s for $7.44. I haven’t calculated the cost per serving there but it’s probably minuscule. At our discount grocery this past week, I found Quaker Peaches and Cream (my favorite!) for 1.50 for 12 packets of instant oatmeal. It wasn’t expired or in torn boxes. What a find!
My boys LOVE apples so I went to our local produce supplier. I bought a box of apples for 29.75. Now don’t be discouraged if your supplier has a big sign that reads “No retail to the public.” That simply means that they won’t break open a box and give you 10 apples. You buy the whole box or nothing! It was a box of 113 red apples. We have a dorm fridge that I had almost unplugged because I wasn’t buying canned drinks anymore. This little fridge and one of my crisper drawers made perfect apple storage.
A wonderful find at our discount grocery was Starbuck’s coffee for $3.99. Now I could have gotten Maxwell House for even cheaper, but I figured that all my budgeting success was worthy of a small treat. AND I get to take it to my local Starbuck’s for a free coffee when I am finished. How could I pass that up? I had also found Dominoes sugar at the discount grocery for $0.50/lb. I bought 20 lbs. Another tip on coffee. Only make as much as you need. I’m the only one that drinks it. I was blessed with a small coffee maker that only makes two coffee mugs full. This is the perfect amount for me. I don’t miss my big coffee pot at all.
Now the children have juice and milk to drink from WIC so I can’t calculate the costs there. Also, don’t get discouraged if you don’t have a discount grocery near you. You may be able to do just as well or better with coupons or watching the clearance shelves at your local grocery or supercenter.
Here’s the tally:
Oatmeal x 4 servings = $0.50
2 Apples = $0.53
2 cups Coffee + sugar + milk = $0.17
Total cost for breakfast for 4 people = $1.20
By eating frugally a few days out of the week, a big spread of biscuits/tortillas, sausage, eggs and such won’t hurt the budget at all. Sausage was also found in the freezers of my discount grocery store for $1.50. That will be enough for two meals. They have eggs for $1.50 if I recall correctly and I bought a whole stack of flour tortillas for $0.75 each. The tortillas have been frozen and defrosted without any sacrifice in taste.
Resources for food
18 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Budgeting
Just because you’re struggling, doesn’t mean you can get food stamps. My mom tells about a time when they needed some help but because they had two old vehicles, they were denied. Here’s some options for you. Mama always said, “Beggars can’t be choosy.” So we can’t be proud or picky when we are in need.
WIC – It stands for Woman, Infants and Children. It is a program that provides nutritious food to women who are pregnant, infants and children up to age 5. Exceptions are made for older children if they are underweight, I believe. It doesn’t provide all that you need but it definitely helps. They have so many options now with added fruits and vegetables, corn tortillas, brown rice or wheat bread and even lactose free milk which is fabulous for dairy-sensitive kids like mine.
Food pantries – If you are going through a health issue that is adding expenses and cutting income, these ministries are very helpful. Don’t forget these ministries when you are doing well. Every donation helps!
Gardens – I am going with no-till and container gardens this year. A package of lettuce seeds will provide a lot more salads than the same money spent on salad greens. I’m gonna grow potatoes in containers so that I can slowly add compost as they grow so there’s not a big up-front cost. I’ll spread that compost out after harvest and be ready for tomatoes, peppers and squash. Small spaces can be used with clever ideas like pallet gardens, shoe organizers and gutters. Search Pinterest for some ideas.
And if a garden is not something you can tackle, try trading work with a gardening friend or neighbor for a share of the produce. Larger productions will allow you to glean from their fields. We have lots of sweet potato farmers nearby. You can get imperfect or cut sweet potatoes for little of nothing. Find out about the local agriculture where you live.
Our kitchen – One of the most under-utilized resources is our own kitchen. Very few of us have truly bare cupboards. Take inventory of your food in your freezer, refrigerator and cabinets. Search for recipes to use up those ingredients. This will free up more of your grocery budget to buy in bulk to make your food supply last longer and longer.
Don’t forget your leftovers. Send them with your husband for his lunch at work. Freeze them if you can’t use them up before they ruin. Plan out the use of big cuts of meat. I have a ham that I’ll be cooking this week. We’ll have one leftover meal, a few lunches, Quiche Lorraine and a few omelets. From a 10 lb ham bought for about 8 dollars, we’ll get about 25 servings. You can’t beat that!
When checking recipes, look at several different version. Sometimes, you can make a perfectly suitable alternative with what you have on hand rather than having to add ingredients to your shopping list. I had an example this past weekend. I was making a cupcake mix that was hidden in the pantry. I wanted to frost it but I didn’t have what I needed for my usual frosting. I found a fudge frosting recipe that used cocoa, sugar, milk, margarine, corn syrup, conf. sugar and vanilla. It was delicious. Twelve cupcakes didn’t even make it 24 hours in the house between the five of us.
