Bedroom Design, Post #2

Are you ready to see more of my new bedroom?

This month, in honor of my one-year anniversary in this bedroom, I'm posting photos of how I've decorated it. To see the first post, click here.

Now, as I explained before, this is a modest-sized room, and there is nothing extra spectacular about it except that it's mine. A few basic statistics:

~ The room measures approximately 8'x12' (minus the space the closet takes up).
~ There's one double window, on one of the long sides of the room.
~ I have a small closet, with two rods for hanging, and two shelves.
~ The floors are wooden.
~ The walls are simple, with no molding or otherwise "extra" architecture.

It was a blank slate, just waiting for some love and imagination. And I was happy to provide both.

My tastes in room decor are basic and traditional, with a touch of my own personality. I believe in the old saying "have nothing in your home which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."

I lean toward colonial furniture and colors, and I love to have echoes of nature about me.

My idea of beauty in a room is sunlight, and real flowers, and fresh air, and good, sturdy materials that can stand up to wear and tear. I hate idle little knickknacks that do nothing but collect dust, and fussy arrangements that can't last through real life. I want things about me that I use, and I want to use beautiful things. I don't like to be tied up in trends, and I'm not fussy about sticking to a particular "style," though I love historical-looking rooms. If I enjoy having it around me, then I incorporate it into the decor. Everything matches because everything is "me."

I love space. I think space and light are two of the most valuable things to put in a room.

Here were my main goals in decorating my bedroom:

~ Make the room look larger than it is
~ Have a place for everything I use on a regular basis, and make it easy to put things away
~ Have some blank spaces, just for visual peace
~ Make the room feel peaceful
~ Have a work area, for writing and business
~ Have only furniture that I love

To accomplish this, I:
~ Chose to use a lot of blue and white in the decor. I love that combo anyway. White makes things look larger and emptier, and blue give the impression of calm.
~ Took a lot of effort in designing a closet that could hold a lot of things
~ Concentrated my storage in some areas so that I could have the luxury of empty spaces in other areas
~ Did not use full curtains on my windows. I wanted as much glass and light as possible. I used a light white swag on the top, and I pull down blinds at night.
~ Got rid of a lot of stuff. :) :)

Of course, I had to make at least one compromise:
~ I picked a bed that was high off the floor, because I loved the colonial style, and I did not use under-the-bed storage. It was a lot of storage space that I gave up, but it would have ruined the effect, and by leaving the floor visible, I gave the appearance of having a larger floor. It gives a touch of luxury to the room, by having nothing under the bed. :)

(This is coming from a girl who spent her childhood stuffing all her pack-rat-collected items under the bed and pulling the comforter down a little farther to hide the mess from Mom and Dad.)

Oh dear. I've just realized how very opinionated and brisk I sound in all my lists and descriptions; "I can't stand this," "I hate that," "I love that." You must think I go around criticizing every room I enter.

The truth is, I love interior design, and I love the variations one finds in every room. I love how personalities are displayed in each room, ...and I love having a room of my own to play with. Don't think that because I love one thing I hate everything else. I present this room to you as enthusiastically as I honestly feel about it. I don't expect everyone to love it like I do, but maybe you can get some pleasure from my honest excitement, even if our tastes are different.

Now, ...last time, I left you with this picture:

I had just finished painting the room, and cleaning the floor and windows. And I had begun to hang things on the walls.

With the exception of the chair I am sitting in right now, every piece of furniture in my bedroom was made by me or someone in my family. I didn't start out with that goal, but I think it's pretty neat. Of course, that meant I had to wait awhile to furnish my room. One doesn't just walk into a store, pick out wood and paint, and say "I'd like that in my room next week."

Actually, two of my items of furniture came with me from my old bedroom; my hope chest (made by Dad) and my matching bookshelf (made by my brother Curtis), but the desk looked like this until just a few months ago:

I am very proud of my finished desk, but it took me almost a year to make, working whenever I had a free Saturday or Friday (which wasn't often!). I cut out all the pieces in the above picture by myself, which was a first. :) :) I'm rather scared of Dad's table saw. :)

My bed is part new, and part history. I mentioned in my last post that my headboard used to be Mom's, when she was a young girl. The headboard, however, was the only part of the bed that remained, so I added to it:
That bed took awhile to make, too. And it took a lot of help from my brother Curtis before I got it right. He basically made the bed; I just gave directions, and then painted it. :)


But then the room went from looking bright and empty, to looking kinda like this:











Um..., that is....rather messy. Are you sure you want to see? .....

I lived in a mess for several months. Ugh. Of course, it wasn't always this bad, but it took awhile for things to get better. I needed a desk to organize my writing supplies. But, ignoring the mess, doesn't my bed look nice? An "authentic imitation rope bed."


Here's the other corner. Not much better (usually all the mess was stacked in this corner, but here I was cleaning out space for my desk):
Now, as for linens....they were all homemade, too. I finished my quilt just before moving into this room. And it took only a month or so to finish the curtain for the window, a curtain for my closet door, a cushion for my hope chest, and throw pillows to match.

Then the room began to come together. Now it looks like this:

But that's all I'm going to show you until next time. That's when the fun will begin!!!!!! A photo tour of my finished product. :) :)

FINALLY! That post I promised: Designing My Bedroom

Do you realize it's been one year and 14 days since I got my new bedroom?

Do you also realize that means I've been promising a "decorating-the-bedroom post" for a little under one year?

Okay, so maybe you didn't remember that. Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up. It sounds so terrible.

Then again, most of you probably aren't surprised. You've been around long enough to know I'm a slow, get-around-to-it-when-I-get-a-chance type of blogger. That's why I blog for fun, not income. :)

But today...

...Well, today is my birthday, and I'm turning over a new leaf.

Not really. I just wanted to say that.

Actually, I've been planning this post for the past two months, and knew I wouldn't get around to it until May. So I didn't.

I could say all sorts of things about my birthday - tell you about the wonderful day I've had, the lovely gifts my family gave me, the laughs we had around the supper table, my thoughts about the future, my hopes for the years to come, my wistful and pleasant memories of the milestones behind me...

...But instead, I'm going to post pictures. Consider it a gift from me to you.

Now...for those of you who weren't around last year...last May I moved into a new bedroom. My older sister, Heather, who had been my roommate for my entire life, was married at the end of April, and our larger room went to our younger sisters. I took their smaller bedroom as my own.

It was the first time since I was a baby that I had my own room. And I've already posted at length on the huge adjustment it was for me to get used to sleeping alone, without late-night chats and giggles and secrets...so I won't go through all that again. Instead, I'll tell you how much fun I had making this new bedroom my own domain - a room suited just for me.

I've always loved interior design, but never had a whole room to design from scratch. To say I was excited is an understatement. The fun I had in the design process helped me make it through those lonely nights the first few months.

Now, one reason this post is so long in coming is because the room itself was a slow process. In fact, it wasn't until ...hmmm...this March, maybe? that I actually completed everything I wanted to do with this room. And I liked it that way. I appreciated it so much more when I had to work, and save, and plan for each element in the design.

But back to the beginning.

My first project was to strip the room down to its bones. It had been awhile since anything like upkeep had been done to it, and there were lots of holes from nails that had been used to tack things on the wall. The floors needed to be shined, and the paint was faded. I knew that the "ideal room" in my mind was going to cost me some money, and I had been saving, but my birthday gift that year from Mom and Dad was a special type of paint for my room. I'm sensitive to most paint smells, but I enjoy painting and wanted to do the work myself. That special "eco-friendly" paint allowed me to do that. :) And I spent my money on materials for building furniture. (More on that later!)

So I began. The first day, I think, was all prep work. I scrubbed the walls. And took out dozens of nails and wall anchors. And filled holes with putty. And taped the edges of the wall.

Then I painted. It's a small bedroom, but it took a long time to paint. And I did two coats. I was starting to wonder what I had gotten myself into - I was so sick of painting by the end of day two! But I wanted it to look nice.

And it did.

One of my major goals for this room was to keep it from looking tiny and boxy. Since the space is so small (about 8'x 12') That was going to be a challenge. I chose a bright white for the walls, to keep the room looking open and spacious, but I wanted a touch of color. So I painted the ceiling blue, to evoke a sense of open, spacious sky above.

My family was skeptical. But they love it now. :)

I mixed the blue shade of paint myself, and I think it was just right; not so dark as to be oppressive overhead, but bright enough to show up. It's the sort of thing you don't notice right away when you enter the room, but something eventually causes you to look up, and there it is, a pleasant surprise.

But let me stop talking and show you some pictures.

First off, here is the bedroom I left. The picture is taken from the bedroom doorway, looking toward "my side" of the room. (Anybody who has shared a bedroom understands that term.) My sister took the double bed with her, and the hope chest and bookshelf are mine. (Made by my dad and brother.) The curtains I made myself, and they stayed here, too, but I ended up cutting the fabric for another use.

And this is my new bedroom, just after it was emptied. The headboard was my Mom's when she was little, and I ended up using it for my own bed in this room (more on that later). It was in there at this point because I was testing space for furniture arrangements. This picture was taken from the doorway.

Here, I am standing where the headboard is in the previous picture, facing my new closet. I re-vamped this entirely later, adding more rods and making it oh-so-pleasantly efficient. I love my closet! :) It's small, but it's mine, and every square inch is in use.

Here you can see one entire side of the room. It's small, but I love how necessary that makes every square inch.

Painting away. And feeling quite sick of it. :) But happy anyway. :)

Here are the finished results. First, look at what went above the closet doorway. The atmosphere I strove for in this room was peace, and this seemed to set the tone (Can you read it? It's Isiah 26:3. It's right where I will see it every morning when I open my eyes.):

Doesn't this look better than the previous closet picture? The paint is nice and bright! And the floor has been scrubbed. Can you see my new shelving? And notice my mirror? That helps the illusion of space, too.

By now I had started putting things on the wall; a shelf (to the right of the door) and a beautiful picture from a friend, which I think just takes the whole room a step up on the ladder of classiness. (I always underestimated artwork until I saw the effect of this picture on my bedroom.) The overhead light fixture was already in the room, and is one that I used in the bedroom I had when I was little.

So there you are. Enough for now. Later, I'll continue my bedroom tour with details on furniture building, sewing, bedding, curtains, etc., and bring you up to date on what the room looks like now.

In the meantime, tell me about the last time you re-did an area. Whether it was a whole room, like my project, or just reorganizing a shelf in your living room, if it brought you satisfaction and pleasure, it was a job worth doing. Doesn't it feel nice to have pleasant, orderly surroundings? God made us that way. :)

Bold?

Today I was reading the book of Acts and was struck with the idea of boldness. The disciples were so bold for Christ - but only after receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. Stephen, too - and Paul, later on. All the early Christians had a fearlessness about them that seems unnatural.

And not just them. Others, through history, have had that unmistakable voltage about them; I'm reminded of Corrie TenBoom at the moment. I'm reading her book "Tramp for the Lord" - have you read it? I picked it up at our local library sale for $1.00! If you haven't read it...you must.

TenBoom. Judson. Livingston. Bunyan (reading one of his books, too!). Carmichael. Spurgeon. Luther. ...

...That list could be as long as the grand canyon, and still incomplete. There's no end to the names that pop into my head when I consider the word "boldness." Think of Esther; "if I perish, I perish." I mean, how much more resignation and quiet determination can you have?

The stories of these people are so familiar to me that I don't always stop to ponder them. I mean, what would it be like to be in their place? It's all well and good to applaud Peter for standing in front of the high priest and saying "we must obey God rather than man," but what if I was standing in front of...say, the supreme court, with the possibility of a death sentence breathing down my neck if I offended the chief justice? What if I had just watched the execution of my dearest friend, ordered by this same court? Would I dare say all I was thinking? Would I even be able to make my dry mouth form any words?

Let's make it simpler. Suppose I was sitting in a room with a stranger, and we had struck up a conversation. Suppose I had the opportunity to talk about Christ. Suppose she said something about herself that I knew to be faulty - such as "I'm not a sinner," and I have the perfect open door to correct her. What then?

Well...

I sit there and shake in my flip-flops, to be quite honest. What if I come across as too harsh? What if I get carried away and say something that isn't true? What if this isn't the right timing? She older than me; surely she'll think, "what's this kid trying to do, acting like she knows more than me?" She'll stereo-type me into something I'm not. She'll be defensive. I'll say something I'll regret. I'll be judgemental. I'll do it in the flesh, not the Spirit. I'll make her think ill of all Christians because of me. I'll be at a loss for words.

Oh yes; this scenario is much more familiar. Too familiar.

Boldness? All of the sudden, it becomes an unreachable ideology. Yeah, I'd love to feel it, but I don't. I'm scared stiff. Of mankind. Of myself. Of failure. Of bringing shame upon the One I call Lord, because I don't perform well enough.

But scripture tells me that those who are filled with the Holy Spirit are bold.

I sat there and just admired boldness this morning. Oh, how lovely it would be, to be so confident in the outcome of a situation! Not really knowing how it will turn out, but confident just the same; sure in the God who arranges things according to His good pleasure. Convinced of every word I speak. Unafraid of the truth, and the results of publishing it. Calm in the face of the unknown.

Oh yes. That's definitely Spirit ground. No natural man-made abilities there. No wonder the thing is so beautiful; it's so out-of-this-world.

The only way I know of to have that boldness is to know the Source. And His Word. Being seeped in scripture, until it penetrates my very pores, and flavors everything I do and think.

"Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things."
(Joel 2:21)

"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

(Phil. 1:6)

"Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it."

(1 Thess. 5:24)

"Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."

(Col. 4:5-6)

"I, even I, am He that comforteth you: who are thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens..."

(Isiah 51:7&12-13a)

Enough with insecurities. Enough with worry about myself and the way I'll appear to mankind - or to God. It isn't about me performing for Him. It's about Him performing through me. There really is a Spirit that works in us. ...And through us.

I should be careful with my words. I should think before I speak. I should place a guard before my lips. But, sometimes, the Spirit prompts me to say something that either doesn't make sense to me, or I'm afraid to say it...and I analyze too hard. I reason my way out of saying it. I keep my mouth shut. That isn't right, either. There is a time to speak, just as there is a time to be silent.

Lord, grant me wisdom!

Spiritual Warfare

It's about time I wrote another blog post.

I don't have time to download pictures, get fancy, and give you a nice little how-to post about anything, so I'll just tell you what's on my heart tonight.

I've been thinking about spiritual warfare, and its most prevalent battlefield; the mind.

Anyone who has been a Christian for any length of time has encountered spiritual warfare, but not all of us recognize it for what it is. I know that I am often far into a battle before I realize that it is a battle. Where did I think those thoughts and temptations were coming from, anyway? Why was I suddenly depressed and anxious, without warning? Where did that sense of oppression come from?

I have learned that when I think I am strongest and most victorious, the Enemy strikes. When I have taken a major step of faith, walked in obedience, conquered a particular fear or sin....it doesn't take long for the enemies to retaliate.

A general feeling of anxiety hangs over me, completely disconnected to the circumstances around me. Temptations swarm over me, and my defenses against them are weak. Anger I didn't know I possessed will bubble up at random moments, like lava. A filmy smoke screen seems to obscure my view of my Beloved, and my prayers stumble all over the place.

Can you relate?

Those times of warfare are exhausting. I feel like a green solider, still wet behind the ears, facing Apollyon in the valley of humiliation, like Christian in Pilgrim's Progress. Every time we face each other, I end up on my back, always reaching my sword only in the nick of time.

I've found that the first step towards victory in these battles is recognizing that I'm in one. I have to train myself to watch for the signs.

Secondly, I use advice given me by a wise preacher; if the battle is major and repetitive - such as when the devil was constantly using depression to weigh me down - I go tell my spiritual authority that I'm under attack, and ask him (my father) to pray for me, ...aloud. Our enemies are alive and can hear, you know. The name of Jesus has power to strike fear in them.

Then I try to look for the lie I've believed. Satan is the father of lies, you remember, and they are his major and main weapon. He always, always, always lies. Count on it. If you're under attack, you've been lied to. It's that simple.

So where's the lie? Sometimes it's hard to spot.

Have you believed something about God that isn't true? That He doesn't love you? That His blood isn't enough to cover your sins? That He isn't in control? That He doesn't know what He's doing this time?

Have you believed a lie about yourself? Have you believed that your flesh is enough? Have you trusted in self? Have you believed that you deserved something that wasn't really yours by right? Have you forgotten that you are God's child, and an heir with Christ? Have you forgotten your access to the Father?

Have you believed a lie about someone else? Have you been looking for something in them that only Christ can supply?

Look for it. Identify it. You may have to dig deep, because they are often disguised so beautifully. Pray hard. Prayer is the fire that melts off the pretty package and allows the Holy Spirit to enter and expose the filthy lies for what they are.

Once you have been shown them, speak truth. Find verses that speak the truth about those situations or thoughts, and speak them over and over to yourself. "Take every thought captive." Remember that verse? Do it. Don't let your mind run where it will - it will take the low road. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. He is the Truth.

And the truth will set you free.

And if the Son make you free, you are free indeed.

Blessings, friends, and may Christ give us victory! His blood is our power and strength.

Starting a Web-based Business, Part 3 (Finally part)

Welcome back. This is part 3 in "how-I-stumbled-into-web-business-and-didn't-drown." (For part 1, click here, part 2, click here.)

If you haven't caught on by now, let me repeat that I'm not expert in this field. My sister and I started into web businesses with our online thrift store, Simply Modest, and we're learning as we go. It's been a trial-and-error process, but I do believe it's been an upward climb.

So far in this series, we've discussed what to think about before you get into web businesses, and traits to develop in yourself to help you in your endeavor. Today, we get more practical.

How do you actually take your business online? Well, first things first.

Let me assume that your business deals with items, rather than services. That's the type of web business I'm most familiar with, because that's what I do.

You need to set up a website. Thankfully, it's much easier to do that now-a-days than it used to be. You don't really need to know HTML to set up a site; many companies exist solely to help people like us - who don't know HTML - get websites up and running. Running a website with these companies is like blogging - you click on what you want, and the program takes care of the HTML. If you can blog, you can run a website. If you are starting from scratch, and haven't done any blogging, it might take you longer to get the hang of it, but, trust me, it's not impossible.

When you have a website, you'll be paying for two things; a web host, and a domain name. I've heard of free web hosting, but I'm not familiar with it, and, as you may have noticed, I'm trying to stick to discussing things I've actually done, here.

I investigated many web hosts before we bought our business, but in the end I didn't chose our web host because we bought an already-established business, and kept the original host.

Papa Shop is our web host. I've had a wonderful experience with them, and have nothing but good things to say about their service. I've had site trouble only twice, I think, since being with them, and both times I got to chat online with a representative, and they fixed the (minor) problem in a couple of hours or less. They are also very reasonably priced.

Most hosting companies that I've checked out charge by the month or by the year, or by several years at a time. If you're determined to be in it for the long haul, I strongly recommend going "in bulk" - it's usually cheaper. But if you're not sure this is all going to work out, don't pay for 5 years in advance! Start with 6 months or so. We pay for our hosting on a month-by-month basis, but we've committed to a long term, so we get the cheaper rates. In most cases, you can set up this fee to be paid automatically (so you don't forget one month, and shut your website down for several days!) but be sure to keep track of that in your bank account!

Your web hosting company is where you will get the tools to design your website. This is where you pick colors, fonts, and set up shopping carts. I've found most of this to be very self-explanatory. Think of Blogger. If you can blog, you can do this.

The web host you choose must have an option for an online "catalog" or "shopping cart" if you are going to sell on it. Most hosting companies offer this, but not all, so make sure you double-check that the options available are what you need to sell on this website you're creating. Once you start designing the site, you'll learn how to list items, enter shipping fees, etc. Always do a test order on your shopping cart to be sure it works!! Also, get a web host that offers free support for when you have questions...because you will have them.

You will also need to buy a domain name. Think of it as the copyright to your website; it's a guarantee that only you can use your website address. Nobody's going to steal it. This is usually paid for in 1-year, 3-year, or 5-year chunks, or something like that. It's no big hassle; just be sure to do it on time! Your web host will usually recommend places to buy a domain name (from THEM, quite often!), but you can have a domain name with a different company than your web host. It's up to you.

Hmm...what else?

- Keep your passwords, log-in information, user names, etc. written down somewhere OFF computer (as in "ON AN ACTUAL PIECE OF PAPER") in case your personal computer crashes.

- Set up a business-only email, to avoid having all the junk mail a website generates delivered to your personal email. But do check your business email every day.

- Be prompt when shipping orders.

Oh yes - advertising. This is a whole post in itself. Proper exposure for your site is crucial to its success. Send an email out to everyone in your address book. Facebook it. Start a facebook fan page. When creating pages in your site, do type words in the "keywords" box. Those are the words that will trigger your site to pop up in searches, when people type in those words. Talk about your site. Get business cards printed up professionally and place them wherever you can, all over town. Have a newsletter. Anything you can think of.

I'm running out of time right now, so I'll close this post with a hearty "best wishes!" to any of you embarking on the adventure of a web business. I'd love to hear thoughts on this matter - both from newbies in the field and those of you who know tons more than I do. What do you think is most important in choosing a web host? What will you be looking for? Companies you recommend?

I've enjoyed doing this series. I'm sure I've bored some of you, but I hope at least some of you found it to be beneficial.

Bye for now! Talk to you soon!

If you were that man

I'm going to live dangerously, and publish two posts in one day. :)

I just wanted to share a thought with you.

We just finished reading part of Luke 5 as a family; the story of the man who was let down through the roof by four friends, in order to be healed by Jesus. The Bible says Jesus saw their faith, and told the man his sins were forgiven. The Pharisees thought "who does this guy think He is? Only God can forgive sins." (I'm paraphrasing, you understand.)

So, to prove He had power to do anything - forgiving sins and healing bodies - Christ turned back to the crippled man and told him to rise up and walk.

Familiar story.

But tonight I thought of something I never had before.

How much time elapsed while Christ spoke with the Pharisees?

Picture it: you're that crippled man. You lay there on your bed, just having reached the floor. You've been lowered through the roof by your four friends. The dust is still settling. Everyone is staring at you. No one moves. You lock eyes with Jesus, and realize you're holding your breath. So much hangs on this moment. You've come to be healed. Will He heal you?

And He tells you your sins are forgiven.

Then He turns to talk with the teachers and lawyers.

How long? One minute? Two? Five?

However long it is, you're laying there. Everyone is still looking. Your friends look on from above, peering through the hole in the roof.

What are you thinking?

You came to be healed. Jesus hasn't said a word about that. Is this all He's going to do? Is He going to leave you like this?

But He's just forgiven your sins. Is He really God, after all?

Do you suppose your sins had been weighing heavily on your conscience? Had you been convicted in your heart? Has a burden been lifted by those words of forgiveness? Was it worth coming, just for that? If He never turns around and looks at you again, has it been enough?

What do you think?

Of course, we know the end of the event. Jesus healed the man. But what if He hadn't? What if that was us? Would we be satisfied with "only" spiritual healing?

To be reconciled with God - what a thought! Our future secured, our soul made new...surely such a thing is priceless.

Do we value it as we ought? Do we prefer it over physical wellness?

Forget physical wellness for a moment. What about "trivial" little things, like food, clothes, and jobs. Do we count even those things of more value than spiritual wellness?

If you were that man, and Christ had never turned back to heal you, would you have been content?

What about your real life? Even if you are saved, surely there are other things in your life you'd like God to "fix." Are you happy, even while in those circumstances? Or do you put off happiness, saying "I'd be happy/content/peaceful if He'd only answer this request"?

Something to think about, isn't it?

We have salvation through Christ! We ought to be the happiest, most content people in the world.

Even if He hasn't lifted hardships we originally came to Him about.

Because He is enough.

Hello, and a Recipe for Banana Cake

I'm sure you all thought I'd dropped off the face of the planet, but the truth is that I took a vacation from blogging for awhile. Sorry that I didn't give you any notice. Ever have those times where you just want to break free from all the Internet expectations? Disappear from the web world? Not check your email for days at a time? Forget you have a blog? Ignore facebook updates?

Yup.

I wasn't brave enough to do all those at once, but the blog dropped to the sidelines for awhile.

Now I'm back, and feeling more inspired than ever! I have a list of posts to write, and an idea for a new series, once I finish the last post of my "Starting a Web-based Business" series. (See - I didn't forget!)

My fingers are feeling awkward. I can tell it's been awhile since I blogged. Thoughts aren't flowing in a logical manner. Give me a few posts, and I'll be back to normal.

Let's stick with an easy post to break me in again; a recipe.


Isn't it beautiful? I think so, anyway. It was delicious, too. This is a banana cake, with peanut butter cream filling, and real whipped cream and walnuts on top.

Peanut butter and banana, you say? Don't tell me you've never heard of that combo. It's deLIGHTful! We eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches all the time. (Spread a slice of bread with peanut butter, add a banana in the middle like a hot dog, fold up the bread slice like a bun...mmmmm!)

The cake is from scratch, of course, and is one of the nicest from-scratch cakes I've ever made. It's SUPER easy to throw together. This is an old family-favorite (is 5-6 years old?) but we usually make it in a 9x13 pan, and eat it plain or with a bit of cream cheese frosting, if we're feeling extra sweet-hungry.

But, if I remember correctly, the last time I made this cake (and took pictures) the day was two of my sibling's spiritual birthdays, and I wanted to do something special. So I made it like a "birthday cake."

The cake is a little moister when made in a 9x13 - either because it's slightly thicker that way, or I over-baked the circle pans by a few minutes. Not sure which reason is correct. But it was still mighty good stacked in layers! The filling and frosting were yummy.

It's been awhile since you read one of my long-winded recipes, with all my little comments and rabbit trails. Are you ready?


Banana-Nut Cake - the best! (title copied exactly, from my faded recipe card)

2/3 cup shortening or softened butter (I prefer butter, for health reasons.)
2 1/2 cup flour (measurement is for unbleached white flour. If using whole wheat, use slightly less flour, or your batter will be too heavy)
1 cup packed brown sugar (would you believe you could make a cake with one cup of sugar? Of course, the original recipe called for more...but I tweaked it, and I think it's still great - 'specially if you use really old bananas, which are naturally very sweet.)
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)
2/3 cup buttermilk (I used kefir. Remind me to do a post sometime on how much I like that stuff!)
2 eggs (fresh from our chickens!)
2/3 cups chopped walnuts (or almonds, if you want to spend a little more.)
1 tsp. imitation vanilla extract

Whew. Who would have believed a list of ingredients could take so many words? :) :) Now on to the directions.

Stir butter/shortening to soften. Sift in dry ingredients. Add bananas and half of buttermilk/kefir. (By the way, if you thinly slice the bananas before mashing them, it's a lot faster!) Mix well. Add rest of buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. (Don't over-beat the mixture once the eggs and buttermilk are in it, or you'll get cracks in your cake and it won't rise as high.) Mix gently. Fold in 1/3 cup of nuts.

Bake in greased and floured pans (two 9" cake pans, or one 9x13" pan) at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until done in center. Don't over bake.

*Tip: If you use 9" cake pans, wrap a strip of flannel, as wide as the pan is tall, around the outside of the pan, and pin with a clothespin. It is oven-safe, and will make your cake stay level, instead of rising just in the center, and giving you a "mountain effect." Cool, huh?

Frosting and Filling Recipe:

This is hard to recall, because I didn't measure anything. But I think it was something like:

1-2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter

The first thing to do is whip the cream. Put it in a mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, and whip it until it forms peaks.

Next, put all the whipped cream in a separate bowl, and put the peanut butter in the mixing bowl. Whip it to make it soft. Add a few scoops of cream, and fold it into the peanut butter as gently as you can. It will probably deflate some. Add a little more cream, folding it in again. The whole point is to mix about 1/2 of the whipped cream into the peanut butter, with as little damage to the cream as possible. Once you're done, wala! That's it! You have peanut butter cream filling. The leftover whipped cream and 1/2 the nuts from the recipe are for topping the cake.


Well, that's my post for today. Hopefully you'll be seeing more of me. I'm glad to be back! Did you miss me, with all my lovely word-y-ness? :) :) :)

I'm not dead...

...I'm just busy.

I have a delicious recipe - with pictures - to post for y'all, and also a more "theological" post in mind, too, but life is keeping me on a fast-moving treadmill right now, so I just have time to pop in really quick and say hello. I hope you are having a wonderfully blessed day.

I'm sending you a great big hug, and a prayer, through this post!

Amber

The Abortion Debate

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending a debate at a Christian law school near my home. The topic of the debate was "Does Abortion Help or Harm Women?"

I was particularly interested in this debate because I am acquainted with the woman who defended the pro-life side of the issue. She is on staff at the Crisis Pregnancy Center where I volunteer. She has had an abortion in the past, and has been involved in counseling women through post-abortion Bible studies for 19 years. She told her story as a part of her presentation for the debate.

The woman defending the other side of the issue had, as someone else put it "degrees as long as both my arms." She is obviously highly educated, and has been involved with the pro-choice movement since 1970. She was soft-spoken and congenial, but for all her education, she did little to further her point of view during the debate. (In my opinion.)

During her times to speak, she talked a great deal about getting along, and the need to understand the "other side" and the contradictions both "sides" have made with their arguments. I got the feeling that she was there to discuss the big picture of abortion, and point out what was wrong with the pro-life "techniques" of persuasion, rather than argue the specific question at hand; does abortion help or harm women?

When she did get around to discussing the main topic for a few minutes, her sole point of argument was that the majority of unplanned pregnancies happen to young women who are unmarried and living at or below the poverty level. She spoke about the difficulties of expecting these women to take on the extra burden of the expense of a child. She quoted statistics about how children born to these women are much more likely to be abused, go to jail (if they are boys), repeat the actions of their mothers (if they are girls), and never finish high school. She practically called it cruel to allow children to be born into the world when their lives would be so difficult, and she was of the opinion that asking women to take on this burden was asking too much of them.

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that I am strongly against abortion, and that I have good reason to be. But I found myself with mixed feelings at the end of the debate. So little seemed to be accomplished this way. I yearned for this woman's heart to change. She was so impersonal; bound up in her statistics.

This morning I found myself sitting in my bedroom talking to myself. ...Well, not really to myself. I was imagining what I would have said if I was the one doing the rebuttal after she had made her opening statement. Would you care to hear it?

"Ladies and Gentlemen, my worthy opponent has said a great deal about the need for us to get along, and understand both sides of the issue of abortion, which is true. She is right when she says we need to know how the 'other side' thinks. That doesn't mean we must agree, but how can you change a mind when you don't know how that mind works?

However, I find very little in her statements that addresses about the topic at hand. Her main argument has been based on statistics that she says we will not accept, because we are biased against them. She is right when she says that the pro-life and pro-choice movements are always suspicious of one another's research. I find that rather amusing, because she's right - it's true most of the time! But in this case I'd have to disagree. I do think the statistics she's quoted are accurate.

She says that the pro-life movement tends to focus solely on the unborn child, and the pro-choice movement solely on the woman, and that such a bias in either direction is unfair and un-logical. Again, I agree with her. We do wrong if we focus on the unborn baby at the expense of the woman. She is very much in need, and we need to help her. I see these women all the time at the Pregnancy Center. I go there because I care about them, and want to help them. Abortion is harmful, and would totally change their life if they were to have one, but most of them don't know that. I'm there to make sure they are informed.

I say this to point out that Miss ______'s argument is also based a great deal - but not entirely - on the life of the child. She says it is not worth bringing them into the sort of life they would have. She accuses us of focusing too much on the child, but her own argument is rooted in the same person, to a degree - though I do understand that her main point was that the mother is going to suffer if asked to bring a child into the world she lives in, and care for it.

So here we have a main problem that we both agree on; children born in unplanned pregnancies are born into difficult circumstances. However, we both give different solutions to the problem.

Miss ________'s solution is to kill the children before they ever enter the world. She hopes to avoid the added difficulties by making sure they are stopped as quickly as possible. She admits that ending the pregnancy does not solve the woman's condition in life, but says that it will at least make sure no new difficulties are added. She emphasizes that women should be able to chose when, where, and how they bring life into the world. It is their liberty and their right.

This solution ignores the fact that the children are already in the world. There are millions of children, all over the globe, who are suffering. They are starving. They are naked. They are uneducated. They are abused. Yet our solution to this is not to kill off the children. No person in his right mind would suggest that as a solution.

These unborn children are already in existence. Their mothers have already made the choice to bring life into the world. They have already exercised their right to decide.

I know many a poor family with several children. They struggle to make ends meet. Should I suggest that they eliminate a child or two to help with financial difficulties? 'Oh, let's just kill off the two year old, and you'll be able to make it.'

Of course not! No one would think of such a thing. But what about a 2-month old? A two-day old? It is equally unthinkable. Suppose we go two days before birth?

My point is that as soon as a woman finds out she is expecting, she is already entered into the responsibilities of motherhood. Those responsibilities will continue for years. If she, at any time, is allowed the freedom to "cancel" those responsibilities by killing her child, then, logically, she should have that freedom at any point in her child's existence. It is the most warped form of logic to suggest that her "freedom" applies only to a certain time frame of her motherhood.

My solution to the problem is two-fold. First, to prevent these pregnancies in the first place. Miss______ is right when she says that women need to be more responsible. I am not sure what exactly she refers to when she says that, but I just want to mention that I see women all the time who were on birth control and still got pregnant. Abstinence is the only foul-proof method of preventing pregnancies. I know it's politically incorrect to suggest that, but it is still the truth. ...But that's a topic for another time.

Secondly, we need to provide for the women who are already unintentionally pregnant and are unsure where to turn. They need to be educated. They need financial help. They need to be informed on all their options. My worthy opponent took offense, earlier, when I said women are being lied to about abortion, but it is still the truth; they ARE being lied to. They do not know everything it will involve. They do not know the risks. They do not know about the side effects that can be hidden for years and then pop up. They have no idea what they are getting into.

Abortion is harmful to women. The arguments Miss _______ have presented totally ignore the fact that the "problem" - the child - is already here, and what has happened can not be undone. Abortion purports to be able to "turn back" the clock, by undoing "the damage," but time machines are the property of science fiction. That woman is already pregnant, and if she crosses her natural mothering instincts - which a part of her very being, even if she is not aware of them - she will suffer trauma later on in life. It may be 50 seconds afterward, and it may be 50 years; I have seen both. But it will happen.

We need to be about the business of protecting both the unborn and their mothers. Because abortion is harmful to women."

...I think that would have filled up the 4-minute rebuttal time. :)

For those of you readers who don't know it, my father was born to one of those mothers who was poor and unwed and logically "unable" to care for a child. According to Miss X, he should have been aborted.

And I would have never lived.

Chew on that for a minute.




Here is a passage for you to meditate on today:

"If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it? and He that keepeth thy soul, doth He not know it? and shall not He render to ever man according to his works?"
Proverbs 24:11-12

The Wind of the Past

Like most of the east coast of America, (I assume), we are enjoying splendid spring-like weather this week. I know it won't last, but it's been absolutely wonderful while it has been here!

I spent two hours doing yard work this morning, clearing up some places where I'll plant flowers in a of couple months. The sun was warm on the back of my head, and a comfortable breeze kept things nice.

After the work was done, I walked to the back of the yard to get a view of the big picture. The flower beds against the back of the house looked great!

As I stood in that corner of the yard, my eye fell on a nearby tree. A swing hangs from one low branch. On a whim, I strolled to it and fingered the yellow rope thoughtfully, then sat on the wooden seat and pushed myself into a gentle motion. I closed my eyes, felt the sun on my cheek, the puff of wind in my hair, and I let my thoughts take me back....way back...

For as long as I can remember, there has been a swing in this tree. Oh, it's been replaced several times, and moved to a different branch once, but this back corner of the yard has always been the swing tree. Some of my earliest memories grew from this tree, like bright tender leaves on its greying branches.

For a while I just sat there and felt, rather than thought.

The sun hitting my cheek was so familiar. How many times had I felt it just like that, while sitting here? It always came from the left.

Moving through the air, feet off the ground, hands twined around the rope, my eyes are shut. I don't see blackness - the sun is too bright for that. It's more of a solid orang-y glow that surrounds me. The gentle movement of the swing is as familiar as my own walk.

It has been at least a year since I swung on this swing. I realize it with surprise. But that gentle movement, through a warm orange glow, shocks my memory into overdrive. Sensations come flooding over me...

...The softness of the "tassels" on our first swing. It was just the frayed ends of the white rope, but they were so soft....

...Dirt in my shoes, scuffed in from the many stops and starts I made...

...The exact feel of that wooden board...

...The brush of scraggly grey tree bark against my bare arm when I swung crookedly and hit the tree...

And the sounds. Oh, the sounds. Our road is just off a major highway. The hum of traffic is ever-present. In five minutes we can drive to an airport, stone quarry, or fire station. The jets fly over our yard, the quarry blasts shake our windows, and the fire whistle sounds at random times. But for all that, our backyard can be very quiet much of the time.

Like now. Yet even now, a breeze kicks up, in the tree tops behind the garden. The wind catches in the branches of that great big oak tree, and bounces from oak to pine. The gentle murmur swells to a louder one. It is all as familiar to me as my mother's voice. That wind. Those trees.

If I listen closely enough, I hear voices and sounds in that wind.

...The hum of the lawn mower on a summer day....

...Children laughing and screaming over the sound of the mower...The smell of lemonade mingles with that of gasoline and freshly cut grass. Somebody has brought Daddy a drink...

...A hammer pounding and an electric drill whirring - and Daddy's voice telling us to stay off the fort until he is finished making it...I feel sand on my skin, fresh from the sandbox under the fort. It is rubbing off onto the ropes of the swing...

... My younger brother is swinging in the swing across from me, in the next tree. We are pretending we are blind, and we talk to each other about what we hear. It has been so long since I heard that young boyish voice!...

...My older sister is pushing me, her small hands on my back. Her voice reminds me that it's her turn next...

...Now she is in the swing across from me. We sing gospel songs at the top of our lungs, over the sound of the lawn mower, hoping that our unsaved neighbors will hear us through their open windows...We kick our feet in the air and rejoice in victory when our shoes go flying off...

...I hear Mom calling for lunch, and I smell the hamburgers as Daddy tends the grill...

...I hear my own young voice, crying...pouring out my troubles to an empty back yard on a quiet afternoon, after fighting a math lesson that just didn't want to be learned...

It is all so real. I can hear the voices so clearly on that wind.

Then I feel tears on my cheek. These are real. I can't help myself from thinking, from feeling...from asking.


Where did the years go?

Starting a Web-based Business, Part 2

Welcome back!

In this series, we've been discussing how to start earning income from home through a website-based industry. (If you missed part 1, go here.) In other words, in the kind of business we've been talking about, there's more to your business than just the computer screen; you're selling a product or service.

Last time we covered how important it is to count the cost before getting involved in an entrepreneurial venture. You don't want to put your hand to the plow and then quit when the going gets tough. You've got to be in it for the long haul, and be committed to hard work.

You also must realize that even if your business is based around something you love to do (sewing, for example), you will probably have to do things in that business that you hate. I love shopping for our Simply Modest business, for example, but I hate loading inventory on the site.

Guess what? I have to do it anyway; because I'm not only the boss, but also the employee. There's no passing the buck.

So be prepared to be challenged and stretched. It's quite the adventure! Reward yourself every so often. Sometimes I hold myself back from something I want, until I finish uploading "such and such" amount of inventory - then I treat myself.


Today I want to talk about the traits you will need to develop in yourself as you become a business owner. You may be good at some of these things already - in fact, it's highly likely that you've got at least one covered, judging from the fact that you want to start a business, and these are business skills.But few people start out having all these bases covered. I know I didn't. And I still don't. It's a learning process. But little by little, I'm growing.

#1: Organized

You've got. to. be. organized. Absolutely. You can run a business slip-shod (ask me - I did it the second year of our website!) but you will end up bouncing checks (I didn't quite do that one, but came close!), re-selling products that have already been sold to someone else, and forgetting to ship out orders.

If you aren't the naturally organized type, consider a business partner who is great at those things, or just whip yourself into shape. Ask yourself "could I make myself stay organized if I worked for an organization where my job depended upon my organization skills?"

Yes? Good, because you do.

If you want to be more organized, but aren't sure how to be, take the time to learn. The word "organization" is often thrown around as if everybody knows how to do it. That's not true; you have to learn. If you don't know what you're doing, you'll have your workspace neat and clean, but spend many precious minutes finding everything, because the space doesn't work.

#2 - A Good Accountant
Let's face it; a business means dealing with money. Can you balance a checkbook? Will you balance a checkbook? Do you know how to figure costs and profits? Can you keep track of everything?

No? Work on it. Get somebody who's good at it to teach you.

#3 - Skilled
This kinda goes without saying, but you must be good at what you do. This has to be something you can do in your sleep. That doesn't mean you have to be the best, just that you have to be good.

Aim for high quality, and be proud of your work. You're building a brand, and you want your name to be associated with high standards. Practice, practice, practice, and be confident in your ability to turn out good results every time, before you start marketing your skill or product. No customer wants to be a guinea pig.

#4 - Somewhat web-savy
Relax - you don't have to know html to run a website. Not now-a-days. But you do need basic computer skills. If you can blog, you can manage a website.

I'm sure that if you are looking into starting a web business, you want to know all sorts of information on which web hosts are the best, how much websites cost, what to look for in hosting, etc., so I'll probably deal with that in my next post. It's an important topic, so stay tune!

Valentine Dinner

I promise I'll be back soon.

I'm coordinating a couple's dinner, "in honor of love and marriage," at our church this week, on Friday. All the young people will be serving a sit-down, fancy, homemade (well, almost all of it) dinner to the married folks at our church.

We're expecting 36-40 people.

Decorating
Shopping
For forty people!!!!
Baking:
~ 6 dozen rolls
~ Cheesecakes
~ Frosting for a cake
~ Appetizers
Music
Menus
Organizing volunteers

So much to do.

I love it, and I'm totally thrilled to be able to praise and honor the godly husbands and wives in our congregation.

But don't expect me to be around for awhile longer. Normal blogging schedule will resume when I recover. :)

Have a splendid week!

Worth It.

I gave today away.

It's a Saturday. So much potential. So many projects to accomplish.

But I gave it away.

I gave it away. With a smiling heart, and a gleeful laugh.

Because, you see, I was giving it to my younger sisters.

We spent today cleaning their bedroom. It took us nine hours, from start to finish. They had so much stuff in there, piled up, from all those moments when their young hands just didn't know where to put it, and their young hearts were overwhelmed by all the organization needed. A room can be semi-clean, (ahem), but not really clean, you know? Organized.

We took half the stuff out, piled in great heaps in the living room. We swept...and swept...and swept. We rearranged the furniture. We threw away SO much trash...and things no longer needed. We took EVERYTHING out of the closet and organized it.

Now it is beautiful. Peaceful. Feminine. Minimal clutter. Minimal stuff. Everything has a place. My youngest sister, who hates to clean, laughed, and said, "Now I'm almost looking forward to it being messy again, because I know where everything goes!"

And she does. She stuck with me all day - both of them did, actually. Their own hands helped with every project. They know where all their things are. And they can repeat the process of putting them away. I'm so proud of them!

It was a long day. I got tired. I got tired of saying, "let's keep going!"

But I didn't get tired of them. I didn't tire of praising them. I didn't tire of their arms being thrown around my neck, their lips planting a kiss on my cheek, and their voices saying, "thank you so much for helping us!"

I love a clean room. I love happy sisters. I love seeing dog-tired sisters, who have earned the right to be proud of their labor. I love a job well-done.

I gave today away.

And it was totally worth it.

Starting a Web-based Business, Part 1

Recently, I received a question about websites:

Naomi said,
I noticed that you have a good number of websites. I am trying to start a sewing business online and I was wondering, how much does it cost you and how do you get your a websites started?

I read this, and had to chuckle. Me? Know anything about websites and web businesses? Yeah right.

But an honest question deserves an honest answer, so here I go.

To begin with; yes, I have quite a few "websites," or other web presences. To sum it up briefly...too many:

~ 10 blogs (yes, ten. No, they aren't all public.)
~ 1 Online Thrift Store, Simply Modest
~ 1 Online Bookstore, Better Books

This blog, The Fruit of Her Hands, is my oldest one, and the one on which I am most active. In just a few days, it will be 3 years since I began blogging. Simply Modest has been running for several years, but I only became a co-owner of it in 2009. Better Books is fairly new, and I'm still working all the bugs out on that venture.

So you can see that my experience with web presence has been limited to the past three years, at the most. My time in web business has been a short year and a half or so.

That being said, I feel that I've learned several things very fast - many of them the hard way. If you, like Naomi, are considering a web-based business, perhaps I can save you some hard knocks by mentioning things I've learned in the past couple years. Keep in mind that this is all based on my own experience, and is by no means an exhaustive list of advice. If you are better grounded in this topic than me (and that wouldn't take much!) please leave additional suggestions - or corrections - in the comments section.

For the sake of time, let's forget about blogging in this discussion. Blogging can be a money-maker, but it blogging for income isn't an avenue I've chosen to pursue at this time, and we want to discuss business right now. Let's talk about home-run businesses that are mostly web-operated.

In other words, the kind of thing a stay-at-home daughter can do, to have an income and still be involved on a day-to-day basis with what's going on at home.

It sounds so inviting, doesn't it? Make money, still be a daughter who lives at home, earn an income from your hobby, and wala!

It's not that easy. Truly, I went into web business with no idea of the tremendous amount of work a successful business takes.

That would be my first piece of advice to the entrepreneur seeking to start a web business; take good thought to what you're getting into! Even Jesus said that nobody goes to war without counting the cost, numbering his soldiers, and determining if he has a chance to win.

By started a web business, you are, in affect, becoming self-employed. That isn't for every personality. Not everybody thrives when they are their own boss. Be honest with yourself; do you have self-discipline? A lot of it? Are you self-motivated? Do you pay attention to details? Can you manage money? Do you inspect your own work, and hold yourself to high levels of quality?

Beyond the question of personality and character traits, there's the issue of time. If you treat this like a part-time job, you'll earn part-time, minimum wages. Or less.

Many young ladies work from home because of conviction. They want to be under their father's authority, and they don't want to treat their home like a hotel/fast-food place combo. They aren't afraid of being out and about, doing things outside the home, but they don't want to leave their focus out there.

But they also want to earn an income - not to build a career centered around personal ambition, but to become a asset to their home, rather than a liability.

That's not to say a job-less girl is a liability. In a non-material way, a helpful, kind, loving daughter and sister is worth much more than her weight in gold. And, even in a financial context, a frugal girl can be saving her family much more than she costs it.

But an income is nice. It's great to be able to not only help cover your own expenses, but also give gifts to others. And how wonderful it is to be able to give to the Lord's work, and further God's kingdom with money you've earned yourself!

So go ahead, if you feel led of God to do so; try a home-based business.

But the world of supply and demand doesn't soften just to deal with young ladies who are trying to be the "Proverbs 31" woman. Few people are going to say "Aw, look - so sweet! She's working from home; let's help her business along." Some people will, but not many. You cannot depend on good intentions to carry a business. Your motivations mean nothing if they aren't backed up by sweat, and time. If you don't put work into this thing, it will fail.

So count the cost. Do you have time? And the determination to see this thing through?

End of point one.

Somehow, I feel a series beginning.

Enticed.

I've been thinking, lately, about how often we make provision for the flesh.

What is it, to "make provision for the flesh"?

I don't think the scripture is talking about providing food for our stomach.

No; our flesh is more than bodily appetites - though those are included. It's those longings we have that stem from the old man. Those desires that come from selfishness, pride, and other wrong motives.

We know we shouldn't desire certain things. But we play with ourselves. We show ourselves things we know we can't have, and shouldn't want. Our imaginations run to places they shouldn't go, and we soothe our consciences with the thought that we "wouldn't really do that."
We just want to play with it. Watch other people do it.

What are we really doing when we look at things we know we shouldn't do or have?

We are wishing we could do it, or have it. Even if we don't admit it even to ourselves. The fact that we find it attractive betrays us. We aren't treating it like something our Lord hates. Instead, we are pampering that old man inside us; showing him what he longs for.

Do we really expect him to stay content, to be dead to sin, when we keep tantalizing him? He won't be pacified by looks. Sooner or later he'll act. Because he's human.

To provide for the flesh is to make sinful options available. Just in case. Just on the chance that we have to give in. You know. Like sticking that chocolate chip cookie on the counter instead of in the jar, just in case we get hungry.

Or keeping that questionable book on our shelf, just in case we change our minds.

Or hanging that "iffy" shirt in our closet, just in case it doesn't look so bad the next time everything else is in the dirty laundry pile.

Or keeping our computer turned on and within reach, just in case we give into the temptation to waste time when there are other things to do.

What are we doing?!?! What happened to fleeing temptation?

A verse in Proverbs 19 struck me along the same lines. It tells us what to do in these cases: "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge."

It's so simple; if something causes you to err, to be less interested in the words of God, stop listening! Turn it off. Shut it up. Throw it away. Whatever you have to do.

The huge simplicity of this concept has occupied my mind often during the past few days. It is a marvel to me, how alluring sin is. I wish it wasn't. It is amazing to me, how enticed mankind is by sin. We go for it, like a dog to poisoned meat. The only thing strong enough to keep us away is love. The Bible says love is stronger than death. It's stronger than anything. The only way we will stay away from sin is if we love the Saviour more.

What are you doing today to foster that love?

Sweet Potato Coffee Pie

I want to share a recipe with you, but first I have to brag on my brothers a bit. They made supper for us the other night; not a common occurrence, but one that we enjoy whenever Mom decides it's time to assign them a meal.

Potato soup was the menu, with apple pie for dessert. But not just plain old soup and pie. This soup was creamy, and cheesy, and thick, and savory, and oh so good! The pie was high and golden and sweet...extremely good pie crust, 'specially considering that it was Curtis' first time making a pie.

I took a picture, and Justin said, "Are you going to put that on your blog?"
I said, "I might. Think I should?"
"Yup," he replied.
"Want me to brag on my brothers a bit, huh?" I smiled.
He just grinned.

And so, swelling with pride, I present the photo:


Now for the recipe. This is another one that I made up, so if you hate it, there's no one to blame but me. :)

But I don't think you'll hate it. Not if you like pumpkin pie. Or brown sugar. Or nuts. Or cinnamon. Or sweet potato casserole.

Sound good? Let's continue.

To begin with, this was going to be sweet-potato-cinnamon-rolls, made almost exactly like normal sweet cinnamon rolls, for breakfast. But one thing led to another, and I decided to aim for coffee cake instead. The finished product turned out more like pie than cake, however, so I have dubbed it "Coffee Pie." I know it sounds nothing like what it is, but, hey, I made it - I name it. :)

This Coffee Pie is really a thin, very moist cake. With crumble topping. The stuff is sweet, but not too sweet. Would you believe I could make two 9" coffee pies with only half a cup of brown sugar? It's true! You would never guess it is only that bit of sugar, when you're eating the cakes.

Ahem. I mean pies.

I have a confession; I've only made this recipe once, so it may still need a bit of tweaking. But if I wait for that, I'll never post it, so I'll offer it as-is. It's pretty tasty that way.

Without further rambling:

Amber's Sweet Potato Coffee Pie
Oh - wait - one more thing. (Sorry!) This recipe is great for being made ahead of time, to save you time when you're fumbling around the kitchen in the morning because you overslept.

Well, it's actually best warm (I think - it didn't last 'til it cooled), but you can mix the ingredients ahead of time. I'll show you:

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 generous tsp. cinnamon
1 sprinkle ginger
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder

Add 4 TBS cold butter, and 3 TBS shortening. Cut into flour until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Cover and refrigerate immediately.

In another bowl, combine wet ingredients:
1 cup cooled, well-mashed sweet potatoes
1 or 2 tsp. of lemon juice
1 cup milk (*I use almond milk. It's got more calcium than regular milk, but it's sweeter, and has fewer calories and less fat. It's yummy!)
1/4 cup water
2 eggs, well beaten

Combine until smooth. Refrigerate this bowl, too. (You can wait, and add the eggs in the morning, if you want them to be a bit fresher.)

In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup well-chopped walnuts
2 TBS ground flax seed (see how healthy this is?)
1.5 TBS cold butter

Mix until well combined and crumbly. Butter will get soft and a little pasty instead of crumbly, but do your best. Refrigerate.

The next morning, you'll be able to assemble this before your oven is done preheating!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9" cake pans. Take all 3 bowls out of the refrigerator. Pour wet ingredients into dry ones, and fold together with a fork just until combined. Pour evenly into the pans. Divide topping in half and sprinkle each half over one cake. Let the batter sit in the pans for 3-5 minutes, then put in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Don't over-bake; you want it nice and moist.

Serve warm!

Projects

Gasp! A post with a picture!

This is one of those evenings when I'm just dying to blog. I have so much to say that my fingers are flying on the keyboard. Of course, with me, that's counterproductive, because I just have to backspace twice as much.

If I can get my appendages to behave, I'll move on to what I want to say.

I've been supremely happy lately, and one byproduct of that glorious state is increased immersion in handiwork. My hands have been finding all sorts of things to do, and my mind is way ahead of my hands. I haven't been nearly as productive as I want to be, but it's a start.

To begin with, my bedroom project is nearly completion. Many of you know that I got my own room for the first time in my life this May, when my sister got married. (She was married in April, but didn't get back from the honeymoon and move her things out of the house until May, so I count from there.:) I've had loads of fun creating a haven of peace and productivity in my little room, and can't wait to show you what I've done with this little space. I haven't forgotten my promise to post pictures, but before I will do that, there's one last project to complete: my desk.

It's a set, really; one desk, and two matching wall shelves, made to be attached one above the other, on the wall above the desk. I designed the desk, and cut out almost all the wood on my own, and with some help from my brother, and loads of help from my Dad, I've slowly been assembling it since the summer. Now it is completely together and ready to be stained, painted, and given coats of polyurethane to give it a glass-like finish. I plan to work on that tomorrow.

My new room is small (about 8'x11'), and it's been a delightful challenge to me, to find ways of making it work. I've cut down on the amount of stuff I have (felt so good!), rearranged furniture, and done all sorts of things to make this room work. I can't wait to tell you all about it.

I've also been inspired to sew again, which always feels good. No matter how recent my last "spurt" of sewing has been, it always feels like ages ago. I've been smart this year, and begun working on summer clothes before July. My summer wardrobe has needed help for several years, but if I finish my projects in time, I think I'll actually have a pretty efficient wardrobe this summer. (Did you hear the word efficient? That's a whole 'nother blog post...) I'm excited to wear the stuff I've been creating, once the weather gets warmer.

My favorite way to get new clothes is to take old ones and reassemble them in an entirely different way. Here's a sneak preview at one project I'm planning...


And, to continue; I've been indulging in one of my favorite pastimes the last few days; kitchen time! I so delight in working with food, even though cooking from scratch can be very time-consuming. It really could be faster, but I just enjoy it so much, I don't rush the process. I bet that habit would change if I was a full-time wife and had to cook 3 meals a day, but I'll enjoy the leisure of choosing my kitchen days, for the present. :)

I have a recipe to share with you, but that just feels like too many random stuff in one post, so you're going to have to wait for my next post. Won't be too long a wait - really! It's a reeeeeally good recipe, if I may say so myself, so stick around!

Ways to Keep Warm in a Cold House

I can't believe I'm writing a post with that title. Only a year ago, I was Miss Always-Warm. I lived in short sleeves almost year-round, except for a very small window of time in Jan.-Feb. I always felt bad that I couldn't enjoy all those lovely furry sweaters I had, but what can a girl do? If I wore "winter" clothes, I died of heat!

But, whether from "old age" (haha), some unknown physical reason, or because we are keeping our house thermostat set much lower this year (probably the later), I have been freezing most of the winter. It's the first year I've dealt with such a problem, and I find it quite bewildering. I've always wished that January first marked the first day of spring, but this is the first time I'm constantly equating "spring" with "heat."

At least I can finally enjoy my cozy sweaters...and several of them at once, as a matter of fact.

As winter has progressed, I've learned a few things that help me keep warm. If you are struggling with "freezing" temperatures in your house, maybe you'd like to hear some of them. And maybe you have a few to add! PLEASE do, if you have some!

By the way, I'd like to go on record as saying I'm all in favor of keeping the thermostat set lower. It saves money, and it feels more natural. My body never did know what to think when the house felt like July in January. I think it must kill some germs, too...Anyway, I like the idea. It's frugal, and I get to wear all my wardrobe! You just have to learn to work with the system.

Without further ado, here are some things that have helped me keep warm in a cool house:

~ Wear clothes! Lots of them. Learn to layer.

Skirts really are your best friend. A lot of people think pants are warmer than skirts, but that's only if you are thinking of those flimsy, dressy, skirts with only a slip and pantyhose under them. If you wear skirts in the winter on a regular basis, you'll soon learn to get sturdy everyday ones, made from denim, corduroy, flannel, and wool.

But don't stop there. Add a pair of leggings underneath the heavy skirt. I have two pairs of knee-length denim leggings that I've practically lived in this winter. They make all the difference. Add a pair of warm knee-high socks and you're set to go.

On the top half of your body, learn to wear cotton near your skin, and then add something less breathable, like wool or acrylic. Wear at least one shirt with a high collar, to keep your neck warm. And, if you're still cold, don't be afraid to go around the house in a thick hoodie ...with the hood up!

~ Try fingerless gloves. Daddy recently found a great deal on high-class gloves made from cashmere and wool. He bought quite a few pairs, and gave them to his wife and daughters. :) :) One of the pairs he gave me are fingerless, and I wear them around the house quite a bit. They're great for playing the fiddle. :)

~ Drink warm things. This was a new one for me, because I'm not a fan of hot drinks. I'll just take my water, thank you very much. But there's no denying that a warm drink helps you warm up, so I decided to "get into" warm drinks. I didn't want to overload my system with sweet coffee and hot chocolate, and we don't often get apple cider (which I love warm), but I do love hot lemon and honey, and it's good for you. And I'll occasionally have that cup of black (ugh!) coffee. (Though I take that back if it's black German coffee.)

~ Exercise. Spending at least 20 minutes getting your blood flowing in the morning makes all the difference for the next several hours.

~ Sleep warm. It's very important that you feel warm while you're trying to fall asleep, or you won't sleep well. Pile those covers on! I have...let's see...five covers on my bed, and I'm never cold when I'm under the covers. Just like with clothes, have a mixture of fibers, and keep the more breathable ones closer to your skin, and the less breathable ones on top.

~ Bake! The oven will make the kitchen warm and toasty.

~ Eat enough. Don't overeat, of course, but do eat enough. You'll be colder right after you eat, but in the long run you'll stay warmer. Believe it or not, this is one I've had trouble with this winter.

~ Laptops. Did you know it's actually bad for the skin on your legs if you rest your laptop right on top of your lap? The heat from the computer can actually create burn-like skin damage over a long period of time. But all that heat can be comforting on a cold night. Just be sure to put a pillow between the laptop and your skin - the heat will warm the pillow, which will in turn warm you - safely.

~ Pay attention to when you wash your hair. If you're like me and always let your hair air-dry, don't wash your hair at the coldest time of the day!

~ Move around more. Nothing will warm you up quicker!

And always remember - a cheerful spirit will warm your home better than anything. :)

Happy January to you all!

Slam the Door?

You know, at times I get really frustrated with some of the side effects of being a stay-at-home daughter.

Making my work and influence sphere center around my home and family was my own choice, and it certainly a choice that I don't regret (although phrasing it that way makes it sound like a one time decision, rather than an ongoing commitment), but that doesn't mean I love every minute of it.

There are times when I shake my head and say "Amber, why do you choose to live this way? Don't you get tired of planning your schedule around your family's schedule? Don't you wish you were more independent? Don't you want to prove to the world that you are a mature, capable adult?"

I have to squeeze my eyes shut and remind myself that the most mature, capable people I know - my parents - also submit themselves and their schedules to what is best for the family as a whole. They can't run around doing whatever they want. They don't live on their own, and yet no one questions their maturity and "independence."

But there are times when I get frustrated anyway. Take this afternoon, for example. Or yesterday afternoon. I've just sat down to work on my computer, a work load staring back at me from the screen. Website maintenance, business correspondents, language studies, and O how I wish for time to work on my newest book that I'm writing! And free time to research hobbies online would be wonderful.

Yet how many times must I get up and answer my bedroom door? No, sister dear, I cannot cut your rabbit's nails right now. Yes, Mom, I can help you edit my sibling's school work. Yes, Daddy, I can come tell you what it exactly that I wanted you to help me with the other day. Yes, Mom, if the phone call is for me, I'll take it. Yes, Mom, I'll watch whatever is on the stove while you run an errand. Yes, brother, I have your project all ready for you - here it is. Yes, other brother, I can cut your hair sometime this evening. No, Dad, I don't want to go the the garden store with you, though I absolutely LOVE doing that. Yes, Mom, I'll help you find that book. Yes, yes, yes...

Sometimes I get so TIRED of saying YES! I want to slam my bedroom door, lock it, pound on it a couple of times and yell, "What do you guys think I am? Do you think I exist in this home to do nothing but help you with all your problems? I've got a few projects and problems of my own, guys!"

This is a moment of terrible honesty. Because, truly, I don't like confessing that that is what I ache to do and say. I'd rather say that I am constantly cheerful and always willing to help out. But I'm not. And even if I'm helping out, I'm not always doing it cheerfully. Sometimes I'm secretly yelling at the person I'm "helping."

My projects are important to me. I like to have time to work on them. And as an adult, I do have stuff that is necessary for me to accomplish. I have to take time to make a budget every month. I have to maintain our online thrift store's website. I have to reply to certain emails. And so on and so forth. When I don't have the time to work on these things, I get a sort of panic rising in my chest, starting at my stomach, and getting tight toward my throat.

But do I really want to be on my own, free to pursue only my own projects and passions, never disturbed or encountering conflicting schedules? Do I really want to still live in this house, but operate completely independent of its other occupants, only interacting with them at mealtimes and on holidays? Do I really want that?

Let's see...I'd get a whole lot of work done. Maybe even finish writing my book. I wouldn't be so tempted to lose my temper so often. It'd be less stressful.

But what would I have to give up to get that?

~ Family. Real, true family, that interacts with me constantly and knows me ever-so-well.

~ Strength of character. How else would I ever learn patience and kindness, if my limits were never tested? It's easy to be sweet and helpful when there's no one to demand those things at a moment when you feel anything but sweet and helpful.

~ Help. It's only fair to admit it; these people who constantly ask for my help also are constantly giving me help. If they weren't here, who would do all the things they do?

Am I willing to give up these things - family, character building, and help - in exchange for solitude and peace?

Not hardly.

Because there's a forth blessing involved; the knowledge that I'm right where God wants me to be. I'm convinced that He put me in this family to serve, and to further this home. Sure, He's given me personal projects, but that doesn't cancel out my other job; that of daughter, and sister. I know He can give me the strength to do both. ...And if I start running out of fuel, then I should start asking myself if all those "personal projects" are things God wants me to be doing, or things I thought up on my own.

That's all I have to say for now. I just needed to sit here and remind myself why I should not get up and slam the bedroom door. Because I really do want to be cheerful and helpful. For Christ's sake. Because He is the one I am serving.

P. S. For those of you who read my New Year's Eve post, I ought to mention that I have postponed that series I mentioned; I still plan to publish it, but probably not until February. Stay tuned!