lent & easter

46 days ago, I gave up dessert for Lent. After tossing around several ideas, this pulled ahead as the winner. Now, this wasn't the first time I'd given up dessert. In a semi-regular rotation, I sacrifice dessert, caffeine and Diet Coke, with the occasional Mexican food and Facebook thrown in. Because what says sacrifice like 46 days without chips and hot sauce?

All in all, I did well. Except when I went on a work related trip to Jackson, Mississippi. The college that hosted a group of counselors wined and dined us. Literally. On the night of a progressive dinner, I just knew the dessert house would kill me. My only hope was that they would serve coffee. And they did. But I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to try a mini pecan fried pie. I'm not sure why I was bent on tasting it since I DON'T EVEN LIKE PECAN PIE. But I did. Probably because I want to love all things in mini form. And if all pecan pie were that delightful, I'd quickly forget the time I suffered illness after eating pecan pie at my great-grandmother's house when I was four.

This resolution was easy. Not that sacrificing chocolate is easy, but it didn't need a lot of thought. It was more self-serving. Husby and I have a goal of cutting out sugar as much as possible, so why not do it at Lent? That's easy. Do it for Jesus. I might not stick to a New Years resolution, but I can stick to a Lenten resolution. Except in Jackson, Mississippi where fried pies are concerned.

Because it was easy and self-serving, my heart wasn't changed. And that's the ultimate goal during Lent: to wake up differently on Resurrection Sunday. At about Day 30, I knew that this was the wrong thing to sacrifice. I even told Husby. What's even worse? I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to change my resolution, but we decided we would stick by our original sacrifice. I ignored the Holy Spirit's call to spend time with Jesus. To know Him better. Mind you, I could have added this in addition to sacrificing sugary treats.

Today at church, we continued our study in Acts. I love a verse by verse study of the Bible, so I was ready to continue. There were verses to be underlined and notes to be written in the margins of my Bible. Acts 7: bring it.

And, oh, it was brought. I underlined one verse: You always resist the Holy Spirit. I wrote one word: Yikes. Seriously?! I've read Acts before, and I do not remember that verse being there! I don't know if I've ever been so convicted. I was disobedient. I resisted the urging of the Holy Spirit. Multiple times. Dang it. The wonderful part of this story is that even in blatant disobedience, I'm forgiven. He became the sacrifice for my sin, for my disobedience, when he was nailed to a cross and rose three days later. Oh, praise Him!

Over the next few weeks, day by day, I want to be obedient in his calling for me to spend time in the Word. I want to know Jesus better. I want to learn how he loved people so that I can love people better. I want to know how to love people like me who ignore him. I want my heart to be like his.

spring break wrap-up

Today is my last day of spring break. And it's been a wonderful week. Last weekend, I was a little worried as rain and cooler temperatures were in the forecast all week. But true to Texas weather patterns, it only sprinkled once or twice, and a few days even were a bit too warm for mid-March. But the sun felt wonderful on my pale skin. I wore short sleeves and flip flops, and I only opened my make-up bag to dig out mascara and bronzer on the days that requried leaving the house for more than The Home Depot.

My time was spent well. I was intentional in connecting with friends, whether in person or by phone. I had coffee and lunch and dinner and a pedicure and drinks and good conversation. These days were full of thankfulness for my friends. Even though I missed seeing a few during the week, I've made plans to connect with them soon.

I was productive in the yard. I worked our flower beds. Raked the final oak leaves from our front yard. Pulled up no less than 30 baby oak trees, and I feel certain that a dozen more have popped up. Bought a new container of fire ant killer. Used the new container of fire ant killer, which brings me great joy. Bought a rotary spreader and fertilizer for our grass. Used the rotary spreader, which brings me great joy. Planted baby lettuces and herbs, which brings me great joy.

On Wednesday, I made a trip to Goodwill. I've been on the hunt for a desk chair, as our current chair has wheels on the bottom, and it's only a matter of time before it ruins the carpet. I found a chair a Goodwill and decided that I would try my hand at upholstering. I have absolutely no idea how to upholster, but I decided it'd be a good and (relatively) easy project. In fact, as I eyed the chair in the store, a sweet lady came to me to tell me that I had to buy the chair. Then she proceded to tell me how much fabric I'd need for the project, along with other tips. This attracted another shopper who shared her ideas. It was a fun day thrifting! I hope to post the project soon. It might be a couple of weeks before it's all done, though.

I convinced Husby to take off work on Friday. We had a lazy morning. Earlier in the week, I decided to try savory oatmeal. I loved it so much that I was dying to make it for him. It's definitely a new favorite! After brunch, we headed to a local park to walk through the nature trails. It was so nice to be outside and together. He's gone back to school to get his CPA, so our quality time has suffered over the past months.

I feel certain that I could be a stay-at-home dog-and-cat-mom for at least another week. But it's back to work tomorrow. Routine will be nice. I'm implementing a new house cleaning strategy this week, so I'll report back on that soon.

Here's to 9-ish more weeks of school until summer!

homemade laundry powder

For forever, I bought liquid laundry detergent. I thought I liked better than powdered detergent; sometimes the powdered stuff didn't dissolve well. When we moved into our new house, I decided that instead of buying jug after jug of liquid detergent, I'd buy powdered detergent to pour in a big glass container that sits on the dryer. Functional and cute. Two of my favorite things. (Actually, just one. Cute supersedes functional at pretty much every level.)

Recently, I've been on a homemade kick. I want to learn to can vegetables. I want to learn to sew. I want to plant a garden. All of these require learning a skill (and some patience) for gratification. To avoid waiting for a result or learning patience, I decided to try my hand at making laundry detergent. Even before Pinterest, I started researching DIY laundry soap. I found recipes that make 10 gallons of clumpy liquid soaps. First off, I don't need 10 gallons of soap. I don't have a vat sitting around to make that much detergent.  And then there's the clumpy part: gross. I knew that the liquid stuff wouldn't be for me. Since I'd gotten reacquainted with powdered detergent, I began researching that area.

I combined a couple of different "recipes" for homemade laundry powder. I really like the results. My whites are bright, and my towels are fluffy. Two signs that it's doing a good job. Also, instead of fabric softener, I use distilled white vinegar.

Homemade Laundry Powder
Ingredients
1 bar Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap
1 box (55 oz) Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1 box (76 oz) 20 Mule Team Borax
1 small container (32 oz) Clorox Oxi Magic (bleach-free)
4 lbs Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
4 "shakes" (~10 drops) of essential oil, optional

Directions
Using a food processor, grate Fels-Naptha Bar Soap; also, have blade in place at bottom to make smaller crumbles of soap. In a large bowl or bucket, mix all powders, and then add grated soap. At this point, you can stop; add 4 good shakes of essential oil and stir again. I chose to process mine a bit further to have a really fine laundry powder. I wanted to be sure it dissolved well. I ran small batches back through my food processor, and then added essential oil.

FAQs
*I use 1-3 tablespoons per load, depending on a small, medium or large load. (I saved the scoop that came in the Oxi Magic.)
*If my math is correct, this laundry powder will get me through 120 loads. The ingredients cost me $16. A box of laundry powder at this cost would normally clean about 80 loads.
*If you can't find Fels-Naptha, you can use Ivory, Zote or castile soap.
*I'm sure you can substitute other brands of ingredients. I found all of mine, except for baking soda, on the laundry aisle. Just look on the bottom shelves.
*There is a debate about the toxicity of borax. I did appropriate research and found that it LARGE amounts it can be toxic to rats. Since I only use 1-3 tablespoons per load, depending on the size of my load, I feel that the clothes are sufficiently rinsed of borax. Also, borax does not contain boric acid, which is toxic.
* This soap doesn't suds. Soap (laundry, hand soap, etc) has a foaming agent added. Although we don't have an HE washer, I've read that this soap works well with those machines.
*Next time I make it, I'll do it outside. Running powder through a food processor creates quite a bit of dust.

why ashes?

Ashes are messy; sin is messy. These words have been unforgettable since I heard them this morning. They were spoken, with love and conviction, by a beloved, retired Episcopal bishop who took time to explain the significance of ashes. He didn't assume that we knew, although many did.

This was my first time to participate in an Ash Wednesday service. To be honest, I really didn't have a desire to participate. I didn't know what to expect. I feel like I've embraced other parts of the Episcopal worship service during my time at a school of the denomination. I love the liturgy, the act of corporate worship. I love the act of coming forward for communion and using real wine to intinct (dip) the bread. I love reciting the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles' Creed. But ashes seemed to take it a step past my comfort zone.

When I sat down with my program in hand, I didn't intend to go forward to receive a cross of ashes, or even a blessing. I decided that listening to and reciting Psalms of confession would be good enough to prepare my heart for the Lenten season. (I've participated in Lent for about a decade, sometimes I'm more successful at my sacrifice or added discipline than others.) But then the bishop read a passage about the significance of ashes. And I felt a stir in my heart...the stirring that only the Holy Spirit can accomplish.

As I sat and waited for 200+ students to receive ashes, I thought and had a sweet time with the Lord. I wanted to search my heart and determine why I didn't want to receive a cross of ashes: Was it just because it took me out of my comfort zone? Was it just a little "too Episcopalian" for me? Sadly, it wasn't either of these. I didn't want to participate in this tradition because I didn't want ashes on my forehead all day. I was worried about what others would think. I didn't want to have to explain the mark on my forehead to those unfamiliar with the tradition. This is where the Holy Spirit softly whispered in my heart that the way I deal with sin is all too similar. I don't like confession. I don't want others to know the rotten parts of my life.

So, I went forward and my first cross of ashes was placed on my forehead. The service ended shortly thereafter, and I went to back to my office. My day was busy. Within just a few hours, I'd completely forgotten about the cross of ashes on my brow. Again, conviction of the Holy Spirit stirred within my heart. All too often, I disregard the sin in my life. The messy parts. I get busy and move in the hurried pace of life, ignoring the glaring blackness in my life.

This day has been a day of reflection and repentance. My heart has broken from my own selfishness and pride a few times. I hope that these days of Lent will prepare my heart for the celebration of our King.

current faves

1. I am a coffee snob. Seriously. Don't offer me a cup of Starbucks plain coffee. I won't drink it. I prefer a local roaster. So it comes as a HUGE surprise that I am on the verge of addiction to Nescafe instant coffee.

Before our nephew was born, we took dinner and cupcakes to my BIL and SIL, who was on bed rest. My BIL offered to make coffee. I decided that I would drink the caffeinated coffee (followed by a melatonin), rather than a cup of the fake stuff. Husby wanted the decaf instant coffee. After it came out of the microwave, I tasted it. Oh my, it was good! The trick? Make it with milk. It's creamy and rich and yummy. I purchased both the decaf and regular variety for our house.

via

2. In December, I hosted a wedding shower for my new SIL. As a hostess gift, I received my first Voluspa candle in Santiago Huckleberry. It is fruity and rich and divine. I carry it from room to room, and I only use it when I'm at home for an extended time. I want to enjoy it. I've mostly transitioned to Scentsy products, but I feel certain that once this candle has reached it's end, I'll purchase another.

via

3. I love to order hot tea when I eat at Asian restaurants. No matter the type of food, there's a similar flavor of hot tea. It took years and a visit to Teavana, but I finally discovered the flavor the I love so much: jasmine. I purchased a cute tea tin with a couple of ounces of jasmine dragon phoenix pearls tea. I love it with just a bit of honey.

via

4. These No-Bake Energy Bites are so, so good. Husby and I are attempting to eat real food, meaning that we're cutting down on the sugar we consume. I realize that the chocolate chips have refined sugar, and so does some peanut butter, but for now, we're okay with those things.  I made these yesterday, and we love them! It's something a little sweet for snacks and dessert.

a happy heart

• Husby brought lunch to school today. He has class until late tonight, so it was a treat to eat with him during the day. I emailed him a disclaimer this morning that eating at a school means noise. I hoped that he didn't have hopes of gazing into each others eyes. Instead of a quiet lunch, recalling the reasons why we love each other, we sat at the teacher's table during middle school lunch, sharing sushi and fruit kebabs. Then he gave me a fun necklace. Note to Husby: I love my initials. :)
• I love that my job means celebrating with students who receive acceptances from colleges. It's such an exciting time in a young life, and each acceptance is thrilling. But when it's the first acceptance, it's even sweeter. I love cheering and congratulating and hugging kids who hear the news while at school. They're on cloud nine for the rest of the day. Today was a day of celebrating...with my student aide, no less.
• I attended a George Washington Tea today hosted by the Daughter's of the American Revolution. The ladies in attendance had classic Southern double-names like Mary-Ruth and Ann Leigh, and there was also Eugenia and Agnes. I obviously didn't receive the memo that these ladies wear red or black or white skirt suits with beige pantyhose and pumps to match the suit.
• I'm not a member of DAR. A student competed in an essay contest, and I was invited to attend as her guest. After attending the event, she thought that maybe her essay didn't win since it focused on the American Indian take on the Revolutionary War. These ladies are very pro-Revolutionary War. I'm sure they didn't quite appreciate her different thoughts on this war. Oops.
• Tonight, I'm sitting by the fire, watching a little Big Bang Theory and reading. Nothing says "Happy Valentine's Day" like Sheldon and Country Living.

• My mother-in-law is the cooking baking queen. Seriously. All of her cookies are fabulous. A couple of years ago, she "messed up" a recipe. Well, it's turned out to be my favorite cookie. And they just happened to be in a box of cookies that she delivered earlier this evening. Along with reading, BBT and a fire, I'm enjoying these:

Top left: fluffy chocolate cookies with fluffy chocolate icing drizzled with white chocolate and topped with a cherry; Right: chocolate ganache cookies (My faves. I totally made up the name.)

Bottom left: Sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles 

celebrating: a nephew & a wedding

Today is cold and drizzly. If it were just a bit cooler, I think the snow that fell on the western and northern parts of Texas would have reached us. Instead, the slow rain has made for a grey day. It's perfect, since I'll be inside all day. The administration at our school decided to implement a winter break this school year. I'm on day four of an extended weekend, which has been long enough to be somewhat productive, but mostly lazy. I've read, played a mindless game on my phone and spent time with friends and family. Heavenly and glorious are the words to describe these days.

Over the past month, we've welcomed an amazing sister-in-law, Brooke, (from my side) and a sweet nephew, Ethan, (from Husby's side). Celebrating family and life has made our hearts warm. Even though, in the Christian life, joy should shine in all circumstances, it is nice when happiness is a result of that joy.

Our nephew is the second baby born to Husby's brother and his wife. The first baby was born into the arms of Jesus. We held his little body for a bit, and whispered promises to hold him again in heaven. After nine months of anxiously awaiting the birth of this baby, Ethan made an appearance a day earlier than the doctor's had scheduled. The tiny bundle of a baby is just over a week old. He is a joy. (But he is a no-facebook baby, which I'm taking to mean that his mama and daddy don't want his picture on the blog.)

About 3 weeks ago, Paul and Brooke had the most enchanting wedding. (Read Christine's delightful post here.) The day was perfect. In Texas, winter isn't predictable. Last year, we had a week of ice. This year, in January, the weather warmed on the weekend of their wedding, for the second weekend in a row. Although there was a nip in the air, Brooke had the foresight to provide afghans and  blankets to her guests. The ceremony was perfect: meaningful vows, scripture, poetry, and music of voices, guitar and a harmonica. My guess is that all was done in about 12 minutes; sadly, no one kept the time. Paul's goal was to beat the time of our 14 minute ceremony. We are slightly competitive, so I'm going to call it a tie unless someone provides the exact time. :)

Paul & Brooke

Brooke is so very creative. The vision she had for a vintage-y, quaint wedding day was carried out perfectly in the details. Brooke scoured all of First Monday to find vintage handkerchiefs with the intent of screen printing the order of ceremony on each. Only she discovered--after buying dozens--that handkerchiefs would be too thin for the screen-printing process. Back to First Monday, she spent hours bent over boxes, pulling out the more sturdy vintage napkins. 

vintage napkin program

photo by Christine

Although I am proud of only using flowers for bouquets and boutonnieres, Brooke avoided this cost altogether and made each of these from antique buttons. Just perfect!

button bouquets

photo by Allen Arrick

We moved from the outdoor chapel with chandeliers hanging from the trees to a rustic wedding barn. Earlier in the day, Brooke and her sweet friends and family decorated each table with antique buttons, lace, burlap, pearls, glittered branches, rounds cut from a tree, rosemary and lavender. I was also in attendance during said decorating, but these girls were fast. I provided the mimosas, which were just as important. Right? And when not all the champagne was gone before we left? I drank it. Straight out of the bottle. It reminds me of my wedding day. 

The reception was warm, comfortable and inviting. The sounds in the air were joyous: laughter, chatter, exclamation over the food and drink, convincing others to dance. It was a perfect night.

I'm proud to say that they use our photographer, Allen Arrick, who captured these fabulous images. [Here's the link to our wedding. I love my images even more. I mean, it was my wedding.]

  

the wagon, loaded with blankets for guests

table decor

the cake: ruffles with vintage buttons

a suitcase for cards

favors: handmade soap

I've shared with Brooke that her wedding was the vision I had, but couldn't figure out how to execute it. I loved every bit of it. She recommended that renewing our vows or throwing a party. The vows will stick for forever. But there's always an occasion to celebrate. A party it will be. With direction from a sister-in-law who has great vision.