And We Have Hot Water...

...just not much.



Showering was not as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be.

How to Shower, Part Deux

Last week, Billy encouraged readers to take Navy Showers as part of the Blog Action Day campaign to save the Earth.

This week, we're experimenting with Kentucky Showers, which is the long-lost technique of bathing without actually getting more than 2 parts of your body wet at any given time. It is so named due to the similarity it has with back-wood Kentucky mountain dwellers' bathing patterns.

Something is mysteriously wrong with our hot-water heater, so today I thought I'd brave the cold shower. As I tested the water with my hand, I quickly realized that this was not bravery, but rather foolery that rivals the polar bear club.

So, rather than actually stepping into the stream of water, I simply bent over the tub to wash my hair. Washing my body was similar to that of a Navy Shower, except I learned that you don't actually have to be wet to get a good lather.

Rinsing was probably the only challenge, so after splashing handfuls of water from the faucet onto my body, I did finally turn the shower head on for 5 seconds. It was probably not worth it.

It seems Billy opted out of the process for today.

Celebrity Death Match > Driscoll vs. Osteen

Last night I was watching Billy go through his Google Reader (yes, folks...this is my exciting life), and a couple of posts about Joel Osteen came up.

One of them included this video:



Needless to say, it sparked some discussion around here.

So, let me begin stating my opinion by saying that I'm not a "fan" of either of these guys. I think Driscoll's jerky, and I think Osteen is creepy.

And in the end, I think they are both wrong.

Osteen's side is simply stated: We are victors and that is evidenced in our physical and mental lives. We will be taken care of as children of the King to the extent that our physical ailments will be healed and our mental anxieties will be quenched.

Driscoll's take is also simple: Osteen paints too pretty of a Christian picture. Driscoll's rebuttal focuses on how bad life is in the interest of discrediting Osteen's health and wealth gospel. He uses Jesus as an example of how disheartening earthly circumstances can be.

My Authoritative Verdict:

Osteen, of course, is glossing over the truth of John 16:33, which reminds us that we will have trouble. Not all of our problems will vanish simply because we are children of the King.

However, in all Driscoll's passion against Osteen's "heresy," he ignores the truth that is preached from the pulpit of Lakewood Church.

While I think Osteen's application of truth may extend too far, the fact is that he is basing his teachings on promises of scripture, such as 1 Corinthians 15:57, Romans 8:28-39, Matthew 6:33, and Philippians 4:6-8.

But what does Driscoll say about verses such as the ones above -- with the truth that we are more than conquerers (a.k.a. victors), we will have all our financial needs met, and we shouldn't be anxious? In this video, he neglects that Osteen's ideas come from scripture, and he gives all the reasons why these truths are not true.

See, I am not defending Osteen's implications (and at points, his outright statement) that God will heal all physical ailments. But I think this is simply an over-compensation, swinging far from people who are constantly reminding us that this life is hard.

I think Osteen's message is popular because we aren't called to be defeated, and people know this inherently. We aren't called to always focus on how screwed up the church is. We aren't called to simply accept hardship and remain in a victim mentality.

We are called to live with Christ's victory. We are new creations, and we are in Christ.

When this truth permeates our Christian circles, we won't need to have extremists like Osteen remind us that we are children of the Most High God.

When we trust that our position is truly what the Bible says it is, we do have victory, even though we may still have physical pain.

Don't Know Whatcha Got

So, they say that you don't know what you got till it's gone. It's that whole idea of taking something for granted until you lose it, and then it hits you--that thing that you didn't value meant a whole lot more to you than you ever admitted.

I know that a lot of women have husbands that just don't communicate. I've gotten a little taste of that today.

Now, wait...this is not about our latest fight.

Today, Billy got a wisdom tooth pulled. So, for the rest of the day, he's been unable to talk. This is not as fun for me as one might have thought.

See, usually Billy talks and talks and talks and talks. I mean, really...it's obnoxious. Or at least, I used to think so. But all this quiet is really unnerving, and I miss his handsome voice. So, I'm learning to appreciate him more and more.

We've been using Google Docs to converse. Billy types something, and I respond vocally. It's kinda a slow process, but it's worked so far.

His inability to speak hasn't stopped Billy from interrupting me, though--he simply doesn't wait for me to finish -

Hey wait a sec. This is Billy (I've hacked into Sarah's Blog.) I do not interrupt her. I have no idea what she's talking about.

- talking before he starts to type again.

The Rest of God

I've been taking a look at this old school book called Lord, Make my Life a Miracle, by Ray Ortland. I'm not a big fan so far. I find his tone to be quite condescending, and I typically feel like condescension doesn't go too far to spur on results. (I know that my last post probably fell into the condescension area, so I'm not claiming that I'm past that, yet.)

Anyway, I try to look past his tone to see if he has any valid points, and the truth is that he really does.

One thing that he's been talking about is practicing the presence of God (an idea popularized by Brother Lawerence in his book of the same title). He talks of how he tries to enter God's presence every hour, and how that brings him into a habitual state of focusing on God. So, I've been doing that the last few days.

It's been cool.

In addition, I've been reading Hebrews 4 over and over and over, and thinking about the rest that God offers. This has been bringing a lot of peace to me.

So...I don't know. I guess I don't have any higher purpose for this post to just let you know what I've been doing with God lately. It's been cool. :)

Let's Get a Little Creative, Please

I'm a good, obedient blogger. So, when I heard about blog action day, where bloggers are supposed to come together and blog about a topic all on one day, I thought that'd be fun. And here I am doing it.

But when I found out the topic, the only thing I could think was, "Oh, c'mon...can we please be a little less generic?"

I mean, who doesn't hear about the environment five times a day every day?

Now, you guys know from past posts of mine that I try to do my share to conserve energy and cut down on unnecessary fumes from my car. I've definitely had my kicks of going green, and I tend to think of myself as a concerned steward.

But really... isn't there something better out there we could make people aware of? I mean, you get all these people together to create a huge global voice, and environmentalism is all ya can come up with?

What would you have chosen if you were heading this up?

New Parenting Blog!

I've recently started a new parenting-focused blog so that Evansville Parent would link to me. This one over here is pretty much my own little random spiritual thoughts and struggles, which wasn't what they were looking for.

I'm trying to find a way to syndicate the new blog over here. But for now, you can check it out at http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com.

Hope you enjoy!

God's Plan

So, today, I had a friend ask for an update on a situation I had told her about a few weeks ago.

My answer was, "Oh... it didn't work out." I was disappointed.

She replied smiling, "It wasn't God's plan!"

My first thought was that this was naive.

So, I began revisiting some old wonderings:

Does God have a specific plan for every situation we ever face?

And when he does have a plan, does it always come to fruition, or could this situation not working be complete against God's plan because someone involved was acting outside of His will?

Does praying over a situation ensure that God's will will be done?

What do you think?

Volunteer or Servant?

I came across this quote recently:

In a day when women pursue balance as rigorously as they work out, God and his work are relegated to a percentage of time. A culture of volunteerism has emerged, but a heart for ministry has been lost.

Any thoughts?

I'm just glad my husband shaves.

Shaun Groves and Grody Brody

So Typical

So, I was on facebook, and the video below is what showed up as most-watched from my geographical area. What a great commentary on this lovely town. Enjoy!

Why I Homeschool

There's a myriad of reason why I home school, but here are a few of the clinchers.

Schools teach to the middle.

Early last school year, I talked to my daughter's kindergarten teacher at a local private school with a concern about her reading. She happened to be quite a bit ahead of where the classroom instruction was. When I asked her teacher how this would be handled the reply was, "Don't worry. The other children will catch up."

I didn't want the other kids to catch up...not because I am spiteful toward them, but because if others "catch up," then my daughter's not progressing.

The problem is just as strong for kids with a learning difficulty in a subject. Because elementary school classes are so large and general those who are either above or below the average will not be adequately taught.

School children are over-socialized.

Lots of people see low socialization as a drawback to homeschooling. I see it as quite positive. When children are surrounded by other children for 7 hours a day at school and a couple hours in the evening playing, they get too much socialization, in my opinion.

I want my child to be respectful and able to act appropriately in the company of adults. I can't teach my child to behave well by putting her around a bunch of kids that don't behave well all day.

My daughter goes to a gymnastics class, a kids' club, and Sunday school each week. She also has some friends in the neighborhood that she plays with occasionally. I find this to be sufficient social time.

Being publicly presentable early in the morning just doesn't do it for me and my kid.

Getting up and getting my child ready to send off for school by 7:30 doesn't fit into our lives very well. Even if I'm up then (which I usually am, thanks to the baby), I'm certainly in no mood or position to be getting my 7-year-old ready to catch the bus at such an ungodly hour. I don't think it's healthy for kids to get up that early. I'm a big believer in kids sleeping as much as they need to. I'm also a big believer in lounging around in pajamas for as long as we want.

World on Fire

Awake

I woke up at 5:40 this morning 80% groggy, 100% confused. Billy wasn't in bed, and neither was his pillow.

I got up to investigate and found him on the floor in Ashlyn's room, which sounds weird, but it was quite charming.

He did this because I've been all grumpy and tired lately. Well, okay for the last 15 months of my life. Something about pregnancy and new babies doesn't allow for much sleep.

Anyway, I never did get back to sleep, but I got to lay in bed without having to worry about how much longer it would be before Ashlyn woke up. At about 6:20, Billy came in to bed and I rose to start the day with the mini-him.

I feel really good today. I keep thinking, "So this is what it feels like to sleep all night! Amazing!"

I know that he won't be able to do that every night, but it was sure a considerate, sacrificial gesture.

Thank you, Billy, for letting me sleep.

Published

Today, I hung out with my partner in homeschooling crime, Kara. She's also the one that builds my self-esteem by saying that I'm a good mom, a good singer, and her resident Bible commentary. This is why I hang out with her. LOL

Over the year that I've known her, Kara has kept hounding me to turn in an article to a local publication called Evansville Parent. Today, I picked up a copy of the issue that has my article, "Lifelong Learners," on page 16.

I'm pretty proud of that. Billy is proud of me, too. He put my article on the fridge.

I'd love to know what you think of my article. (It's is on page 5 of this electronic version.)

School Days

We're back at it, again. And we've really been having a blast.

Figuring out this schooling thing is tough with Ashlyn demanding attention and Billy working at home these days. There are scheduling considerations that we just didn't have to deal with when we started last fall.

But all in all, it's gone well. Eve is progressing well with her addition and subtraction tables. We're studying ancient history from Creation to Christ. Science has focused on water and water-related weather for these first weeks. And Eve's doing great on the piano.

Right now, she and Billy are at her weekly P.E. session, otherwise known as gymnastics class.

So, it's fun, but also tiring. So, I'm spent.

Pages Tour: Bebo Norman in Concert

Recently, we had acquired some free tickets to see Bebo Norman in concert. He was part of the Pages Tour with Shane and Shane and Shawn McDonald.

So, on Wednesday night, Billy and took advantage of some babysitting from my mom and trekked out to the West Side of Evansville for the show. (On the way, we stopped for the complete luxury of ice cream, which I believe we should eat only slightly more often than we drink alcohol.)

Upon arriving, the crowd was sparser than I had anticipated. We arrived about 1/2 an hour before the concert started, but by the time Bebo Norman got on stage, the audience had multiplied.

Those people who came late really missed out. Not only did we get a spot really close to the stage, but Shawn McDonald had been replaced in the tour by a personal favorite of mine Monk and Neagle. I was super geeked to hear them announced and even more floored to hear them play. Their first CD is great. I got as a $3 add-on to a CD-club purchase about 3 years ago. I had never heard of them, but the 30 second clip sounded good. When I got the CD, I was amazed. So, to see them play live was a nice time.

Bebo took the stage next. As expected, he was awesome. He had a larger band than the last time I saw him, which was in a school gym about 4 years ago. Back then, he traveled with a guy named Gabe who plays every instrument known to man. These days, he's added on another guitarist and a drummer.

Bebo's set was great because he's beyond talented as a lyricist and musician, but I often felt like the electric guitar was overpowering his voice, I felt like this also hindered the worship at the end of his set. When I go to my church, I like that I can hear people around me. At this concert, I could only hear the performer. That is fine for a show. But when it's a time for corporate worship, I like hearing random Dan (or Clever Dan)next to me just as much as I hear the worship leader.

Still, Bebo himself is a very down-to-earth person, and watching his set...hearing him play and listening to him talk...feels like you're right around the campfire with him.

I think one of the nicest parts of the evening was sharing it with Billy. Billy's way more into music than I am. He always knows of more cool bands, so I liked that I've been able to introduce him to a couple of my favorite artists and that we got to experience them live together.

Favorite Movie Clip

Billy tagged me to post my favorite movie clip.

This is from the 1996 movie Mother, written/directed by and starring Albert Brooks.

Special thanks to Amanda for introducing me to it. Once I saw it, it quickly became a favorite, and I even watched it during my labor with Ashlyn.



So, now I'm tagging my fellow new mom/sister in frugality Jessica.

Just One More

Recently, I posted about a conversation that Billy and I had about whether or not we ought to spend money on expensive guitars or pianos or alcohol when there are more worthy causes such as people dying of starvation that we could give the same money toward. A heated response ensued in the comments.

After Billy tried to explain me (thank you, most valiant knight of mine), Jenn asked why I feel guilty of these types of pleasures. While "guilt" is probably not the right word, I definitely have deep feelings of turmoil when confronted with the choice to spend my money on a full-out luxury for myself as others go without the bare necessities.

Now, my understanding of Jenn's recent comments is this: Idealism is only good when it leads to enough change. Not buying luxuries like beer cannot bring about enough change. Therefore, my idealism has gone too far.

I disagree with this position. I do not believe God called billionaires alone to make change in the world. I don't believe that we need to have extreme excess (which is a relative term, anyway) in order to do enough to make a difference.

Rather, I think every "little" thing we do makes enough difference to be worth it. So, I ask myself..."am I doing enough little things?"

This is not a question I ask out of trying to earn salvation or feeling like I have to get notoriety for my actions. It is simply me desiring to put faith into action. This is me considering whether I truly have the Mind of Christ at fervent work within me.

So, similar to Oskar Schindler (see clip below), I believe the lives that could be saved from every small donation are worth said donation.

I believe that luxuries shouldn't be taken for granted, and that sacrifice is our calling. This doesn't mean we can't enjoy life. It simply means that we can enjoy life on less.

Review: Meal Mixer Menu Planning

After a new baby invaded our home seven months ago, I found little time for meal preparation, and even less for planning the menu in the first place. This resulted in lots of frozen meals and more eating out than this household had ever seen.

About a month ago, I decided it was time for me to get back in the game of housewifery, and one of my first stops along the way was finding a website that would plan my week's meals for me to alleviate that burden from my own load.

What I found was MoreThyme.com, which has now become MealMixer.com. So, today, I thought I would give a quick review of the site for anyone else who's in need of this service to consider.

The Set-up

Meal Mixer is above and beyond the generic one-size-fits-all site. It doesn't simply send out a menu to all its members, regardless of their tastes. Rather, it begins with a short preferences survey asking new members to rate various ingredients on a 5-point scale from "Yuck!" to "Yum!"

After getting your personalized preferences (you can also set your personal dietary needs, such as calorie, fat, and carb intake), the planner asks for a type of meal (pasta, vegetarian, casserole, etc.) that you would like for each meal you want planned. The member has full control over whether she wants just dinners or every meal, including snacks, planned.

The website then prepares a menu. This menu can be tweaked by the member and then printed.

The printed pages include a shopping list, recipes and a week-view menu for hanging on the fridge.

The Good

There are some great qualities that came with my membership to Meal Mixers. Here are my favorite things.

Time Saving

The amount of time I've spent planning good meals with Meal Mixer is minimal. The original set-up took a little bit of time, but once I got the hang of how things worked, I was able to breeze through recipes and have my printed list in about 15-20 minutes for the week. (Keep in mind, this is with a baby in arms. Those of you who are baby-free can whip through the steps much more quickly.)

Variety Inducing

Before using Meal Mixer, my poor family had about 5 meals they could count on week after week. But with the hundreds of recipes on Meal Mixers' site, we have yet to have the same meal twice. So, once again, Billy gets up from the table and tells me something like, "That was fabulous!" Aww...it's just like when we were first married.

Tradition Keeping

Not only does Meal Mixer have tons of new recipes, but it also allows you to enter in your own recipes so you can add your old favorites to your week's plan. The screen to enter these is very intuitive, and the recipes are immediately stored in your personal favorites and dietary information is also available on these.

The Bad

There are also several things lacking with Meal Mixer. Here are a few of the more disappointing features.

Technical Glitches

Recently, MoreThyme.com turned into MealMixer.com. With this change came some new features, but there are still kinks to work out, so some of the selling points of the site actually turn into pretty big annoyances. For example, if a member doesn't like the meal that Meal Mixer chose for her, she can (in theory) ask for "ideas" and all the meals that fit the previously chosen criteria and ingredient survey are supposed to pop up for her to choose from. This doesn't actually happen. When I tried this feature, I got a pop-up window, but it was blank. Also, Meal Mixer did not fill in all the meals I requested. Therefore, we ate cereal for breakfast on Saturday, because I didn't get the cooked meal I asked for.

Incomplete Recipes

Sure there are hundreds of recipes in one location, but many of them are hard to use due to missing information. Today, I went to make a chicken and cheese casserole. I mixed all my ingredients together and realized that I didn't know what size dish to use. I whipped out a 13x9 incher and filled it up. But it didn't actually fill up. The recipe was only large enough for a 9x9. So, I ended up with two dishes to wash. This type of thing is not unusual.

Un-intuitive Interface and Inconvenient Categorizations

This website takes quite a bit of looking around to figure out how to work efficiently with it. Once the basics are learned, it continues to be annoying to move from recipe viewing to the week's grid view. Also, if you would like to move a meal from one day to another, you must keep it as the same meal. So, you can't move French Toast from breakfast on Tuesday to dinner on Wednesday. Day to day moving is allowed, but the meal categories restrict your use of them without using the long-hand procedure of entering meals one recipe at a time.

The Verdict

Despite some of the negatives, mealtime has been much more enjoyable since I've begun using Meal Mixer planning site. Will I renew when I've used my 12 menus? Probably not right away. But I expect that a couple months down the road, we'll be back to our 5 staple meals, and I'll look to sign back up.

WARNING! If you sign up for this service, make sure that you realize that they will continue charging your credit card until you cancel. There is no way to make your membership a manual update, and this is pretty shady, if you ask me.

They have some nice fine print that they'll throw at you to say that they won't refund your money once they take it from you. So, that's annoying, needless to say, but it is there if you look around.

It does seem like a cancellation takes effect at the end of your time period. So, if you "pay" for time you don't want, make the most of it and use up your menus.