Sunday Sweetness For Your Soul

"O Lord, you are our Father.  We are the clay and you are the Potter.  We are all formed by your hand." ~ Isaiah 64:8

photo taken from:  stock.xchng

Yea! No Poo!!

Yea!  I was finally able to get to the store and purchase some organic apple cider vinegar!  This brought me one step closer to trying out a new cleansing method for my hair.  I have heard several people rave about going "no poo," but mostly it has been from people who have curly/course hair.  I have straight/fine hair, and I typically shampoo and condition my hair every day with a volumizing treatment.  I also have short hair; and I use volumizing hair spray and gel to give it style. I was a little nervous that this "no poo" method would not work for me, but I thought I would give it a try! My hair gets greasy by the end of the day, and I spend a lot of money on shampoo and conditioner. This baking soda, apple cider vinegar combo seemed like it would at least be worth a try!

For those of you who know about the Oil Cleansing Method for your face, "no poo" uses a similar premise.  Just like we have been stripping our face of it's needed oil by using commercial products, we are doing the same with our hair/scalp.  Shampoo is basically a detergent and it cleans like any dish or laundry detergent.  This takes away the vital oil that makes our hair strong, and healthy.  Read more about why to go shampoo free at Babyslime.  

So this is what I did . . . and what I should have done! :) 

I mixed some baking soda and water; then put it in a travel-sized shampoo bottle.  I did the same with the apple cider vinegar.  I SHOULD have put these in a travel-sized spray bottle (I went ahead and transferred each).  While showering, I put the baking soda/water mixture on my hair and massaged it into my scalp.  It doesn't lather quite like shampoo, but I could still tell it was cleansing.  After rinsing it out, I was a little nervous because my hair felt very dry. Next I used the apple cider vinegar, which acts as a conditioner.  I used it sparingly for the first time, because I wasn't sure how greasy it would make my hair.  Once I blow-dried my hair I realized it had a little too much static.  I put some more vinegar on it, and it was great!  Even without using any styling products my hair had so much body, and was very easy to manage.  Plus, I didn't have to wash my hair today!  I usually have to wash my hair every day, and by the evening it is greasy.  This morning when I woke up it still looked pretty good!  Yea!  The best part:  It is so inexpensive!  You will spend about $5 (maybe a little more if you get organic apple cider vinegar) for both, and it will last you a long time! 

I hope all of you will give this a try!  Just realize it might take a few tries experimenting with quantities before you know how much of each suits your hair type.  If you have curly hair you will want to use the baking soda only near your scalp, and utilize the vinegar much more than I did!  Also, this didn't happen to me, but you may experience a period of more greasy hair as your scalp adjusts to not having to over produce oil any more!

Let us know how it goes!  Or, if you have already been doing this, let us know what you think or any tricks you have discovered!

Saying Goodbye to my BC?

Every evening at the same time an alarm on my phone rings with it's familiar tune.  It's time to take my BC (birth control)!  Now before you get mad at me for writing about this - whether it's at the fact I am currently taking BC, or because I am talking about possibly going off - hear my story, and know that my heart is truly seeking God's wisdom.  My hope is that this topic will get you thinking, just as it has me.

See, taking birth control was never really something I questioned.  While in college I knew many girls who, after getting engaged, had their alarms go off at the same time every night to remind them of their BC.  A few months before I was to be married,  I talked to a Christian friend who recommended I see her gynecologist to get a prescription for birth control.  The gynecologist was a Christian woman, and sounded very nice.  I set an appointment, and the sweet little lady prescribed the pills to me.  She recommended that I set that alarm on my phone to make sure I wouldn't forget to take the pills.

My husband and I had discussed children, and it wasn't that we didn't want kids at all.  In fact, we are both very excited to be a "momma" and "daddy" someday.  Unfortunately, I came into the marriage with a lot of student loan debt.  Although I will say it was totally worth it because I met my husband while attending SBU, if I knew then what I know now I probably would not have mindlessly taken out so many loans.  Regardless, that is the situation.  Part of my plan for going into teaching was being able to get some of my loans reimbursed if I worked for 5 years.  Once we got married, my husband (the nerd - thank you Dave Ramsey), planned out how we could get these loans paid off as soon as possible.  He even has it down to the month we will be debt free!  Because getting out of debt was our priority, children was just not something we considered.  We knew that once we did have a baby, I would no longer teach but stay at home.  In order to do this, we wanted to get all our student loans paid off first.  Of course, everyone we talked to supported us and praised us for being so wise.

About nine months or so after we got married, I started thinking that maybe I was just being selfish.  Maybe God wanted me to stay at home and have babies, but because I wanted a comfortable life I had made excuses.  I humbly presented my thoughts to Skyler.  He is the rational one of the two of us, and after listening to my flaring emotions he was able to reason with me. The subject was dropped.  Until a few months later.  Skyler's sister, a family relative, and I were all talking about birth control and some of the bad things we had heard about it.  I said something along the lines of "I guess you have to choose whether to stay on the pill and trust God will give you a baby if he wants you to have one, or go off and trust that He won't give you one if He doesn't."  To this Dezi replied with several strong reasons to go off it, and recommended we look into Natural Family Planning. Now, Skyler and I very much respect his sister.  So, I brought the subject up, and again we agreed we would continue taking the pill.

Around the same time Skyler and I were beginning to change the way we eat, and purposed to stay away from the harmful chemicals we had been putting into our bodies.  Of course, birth control came to mind again!  Not very long after that we had Kenda and Houston from Giles Ranch to our house for dinner.  So many good conversations took place, and as we were talking about future plans, our debt, etc.  The BC came up.  I had mentioned how the Bible is right on with debt making you "a slave to the lender."  There are so many things we might be doing already - like having kids, but we are in debt.  Houston said, "so have them, kids are more important than the debt.  If God gives you a baby He will provide for His child, and that might answer your questions concerning your future."

Bam!  That really hit us!  We stayed up talking almost all night, and the next day we had decided we were going off the BC.  I needed to pick some up at the pharmacy that day (yes I waited until the last minute - I am the free spirit.  Thanks again Dave Ramsey!).  So we decided to forego the purchase.  We were taking a family trip that weekend, and after thinking about it on the ride down we reversed our decision and decided it was not one to be made so quickly!  After all, we didn't know anything about Natural Family Planning, and maybe we should hold off until we had done our research.  The subject was closed again for several months.

Then, just last week I came across several blog posts by Kelly @ Generation Cedar on the topic of birth control.  When I first found her blog I didn't even know she was so passionate about this topic.  This brought the questions up again, and my husband and I have had many good discussions.

Finally, this week when we went to visit Kenda and Houston, he had mentioned ". . . for those ten kids you are going to have," and the conversation came up again.  Skyler and I decided maybe God was trying to tell us something, and we committed to look into it more deeply, and pray fervently for God's wisdom.  This week, while looking on a blog about femininity I found a book called Start Your Family.  I was able to read the introduction, and it sounds so much like Skyler and I's situation.  I am very excited to read this book, as is he!

So that's our story, and we feel that God us moving us in this direction.  It seems at every stage in our life God has challenged us to go counter cultural and follow hard after Him.  When we wanted to "date"  he challenged us with courtship through the book Choosing God's Best.  When we were talking about marriage, he challenged us with A Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas.  After getting married, he challenged me with Created to Be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl.  When we thought we could just eat whatever we wanted and exercise it off, He challenged us with The Maker's Diet.  Now he has us raising our own food, and depending less and less on the dollar.  Perhaps this is just the next book He is using, along with the Bible and wise council, to lead us further in the direction He wants us to go.  Here are a few quotes, comments, and thoughts that have really got us thinking about this idea of getting rid of that BC alarm:

First, I wanted to search and find where Birth Control came from.  How long has it been around?  Well, birth control has always been around, but up until recently it was considered immoral to use, especially by the church.  Birth Control came right out of the feminist movement, when mothering became considered "unworthy of educated women's time and talents."  The results of that have been very devastating to the family unit, our nation, and the world.  Now there are even groups like VHEM and No Kidding that have said, "Each time another one of us decides to not add another one of us to the burgeoning billions already squatting on this ravaged planet, another ray of hope shines through the gloom."  Yikes!  Needless to say, the fact that birth control was born out of this mentality makes me very leary.

In a world that considers children a burden it is important for us to recognize that children are considered a blessing from the Lord.  Consider these verses: Genesis 1:28, Genesis 9:1, Genesis 9:7, Genesis 49:25, Pslam 127:1-5, Psalm 139:13-16, John 16:21, Matthew 18:1-3, Proverbs 22:6, Isaiah 54:13, Psalm 112:1-10, Dueteronomy 6, Ephesians 6:4, Dueteronomy 7:14, James 1:17, Mark 10:14, Isaiah 8:18, Isaiah 51:1-23, Genesis 30:1, Luke 17:2, Dueteronomy 29:29, 1 Timothy 5:14, Psalms 128:1-6, Genesis 33:5, Jeremiah 1:5, Titus 2:4, Galatians 1:15, Micah 2:9, Malachi 2:15, Joshua 4:5-7.

Is our thinking reflecting the world's view of children or God's view?

Let me paraphrase and quote a few things I have read from various sources:

If you ask your grandparents why they had children they would say, "That's what married couples did."  Having kids is now a choice, not an expectation.  Now we are told having kids is a risk, and it's easier to just not have them at all. ~ From Start Your Family

"Like most people throughout history, we have always considered marriage and parenthood a package deal.  We have always believed that children are a blessing from the Lord.  Until recently, so did everyone else.  For many generations Christian couples couldn't enter the holy state of matrimony with out being confronted with that fact.  Just before taking their vows aspiring husbands and wives traditionally hear the minister remind everyone attending the ceremony that God ordained marriage 'for the procreation of children, to be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord, and to praise his holy Name." (Book of Common Prayer, 1662)
~ Kurt Bruner

Having kids therefore is really the fruit of two becoming one!  What a greater picture of this, than to have a child!

Kelly @ Generation Cedar even makes a great point about how marriage is a picture of Christ and the church.  Just as the church does not turn away more disciples, we should not turn away more disciples (children) from the family unit.

"Budget for everything except kids.  Kids aren't just another expense, they're wealth."
~ From the book Start Your Family

"Something as grand and miraculous as a baby goes beyong the realm of calculated rationality into the realm of faith and risk."
~From the book Start Your Family 

"What makes you think you will be fertile when you're ready?  You can't assume you are in control of when you can have kids."
~From the book Start Your Family

Gary Thomas, in his book A Sacred Marriage, talks about how marriage was never intended to make us happy, but to make us holy.  He says the same in Sacred Parenting.  Having children causes a couple to grow spiritually, and become more like Christ.


Do you think God will give you one of His children (because they are not really ours, but His) if he thought you couldn't provide for it? ~Houston Giles

God can be trusted to do "exceedingly abundantly more than you can ask or imagine."
~From Gods Word and quoted in the book Start Your Family

Whew!  That was a long post!  If you are still with me, thanks so much for taking time to read this.  I would love to hear your thoughts and/or experiences with this.  As it can be a sensitive subject, please keep comments to those that will edify and build one another up.  Thank you!

Housekeeping on a Homestead

Kenda and Houston at Giles Ranch gave Skyler and I a copy of a great book called The Have More Plan a while back. This book was first published in the late 1940s.  It is about a couple who lived in New York, and decided to move to the country to start their own homestead.  The book gives a lot of information on how to set up your homestead, landscaping, gardening, what to plant, herbs, berries and grapes, fruit trees, getting fresh eggs from your own hens, raising chickens, geese, turkeys, ducks, pigeons, rabbits, pigs, dairy goats, cows, sheep, bees, winter storage, fish, housekeeping on a homestead, homestead mechanics, and earning money in the country.

Since this book was written in the 1940s, one must realize there are many things that have changed since then.  However, the information is great and it is nice to have it all in one place (I would also suggest the book Backyard Homestead.  It also covers a variety of topics in homesteading.).

One interesting point in The Have More Plan was in the section titled "Housekeeping on a Homestead"; Carolyn Robinson spoke of the differences between being a housewife in the city vs. on a homestead.  Her insight in this area is enlightening, especially since most women today find it necessary to work outside the home.  Here is a little of what she had to say to women in the 1940s:

"Housekeeping should be a challenging subject to us American women.  Instead, many of us consider it with boredom, or with resentment that we have to do it at all  . . . I do believe that there have been several things oustandingly wrong with modern housekeeping and that homesteading can answer some of our problems.  The more important drawbacks I've found are:
1) Our own attitude toward housekeeping is probably the key.  I'm afraid that many of us look down our noses at it - we consider most any other job but homemaking glamorous.  What we forget is that every job, whether, it's a man's job or a career woman's job in office or factory, has its own monotonous routines, too.
2)Lack of creative work in modern housekeeping.  Women really can't be blamed for considering "housekeeping" a routine bore - that's about all that's left of homemaking in the city or suburbs.  I don't know how you classify your jobs, but, outside of raising children, I consider cooking about the only creative work left in most city and suburban homes today.  The current trend seems to be for more and more of the family work, recreation, and even child raising to be handled outside the home.  All that will be left is vaccuming, washing dishes, and dusting - all negative and unstimulating.
3)Lack of economic satisfaction.  Since today's woman has been brought up to be independent, it's no wonder she's not satisfied with the eternal routine left in the home.  She's not increasing her family's security unless it's in the negative way of cutting down expenses.  Since the urban custom is the buy everything eaten, worn, or used, it's no wonder urban women have begun to feel their best contribution to their families would be jobs outside the home.
4)Lack of housekeeping efficiency.  Manufacturers have done much to make housekeeping effiecient and easy, but keeping house still needs a thorough engineering job done on it.  The amount of your daily work is determined the minute you choose your house, the type of furnishings you put in it, the way you arrange your storage space and the type of clothes you buy.  If we women want to contribute more to our families we will have to make routine work as efficient as possible. . . .
Because a homestead offers a woman an unlimited field of creative activites it removes the complaints against housekeeping.
First, your own attitude is brighter and more interested.
Second, your work gives you pleasure and satisfaction because it is creative.
Third, you have that fine independent feeling of holding your security in your own hands, and you'll take great pleasure in knowing your children are being well-fed and growing up in the most wholesome of surroundings.
Fourth, you are more of an executive and have more interest in increasing your efficiency."

What do you all think?  Do you find housekeeping dull?  Do you feel it is more "glamorous" to have a "real" job?  Do you think homesteading would add/adds some creativeness to your work?  What are some ways it could do/does this?

Ah, Poultry!

First of all, these are the visitors we had this weekend!  They came right up to our front porch!  As I mentioned a few days ago, Skyler is going to start hunting.  He just got finished with football (he is the head middle school coach), so he hadn't been able to thoroughly research everything yet.  We were pretty sure he had to have a tag, and we weren't completely sure it was turkey "season" until after our visitors had already left.  Needless to say, Skyler is hoping they will come back soon! 

Next, my husband and I cut up a whole chicken for the first time!  In fact, it was one of the chickens we helped process!  See, for a few months now we have been getting our free-range chickens from Giles Ranch.  However, each time we have simply cooked the chicken in the crockpot.  There is an unbelievable assortment of soups, cassaroles, sandwhiches etc.  that can be made with pulled chicken! Finally, I got up the nerve to try to cut the chicken!  Fortunately, Skyler was right there to help!  For all of you who have never cut up a chicken, this is how it's done (uh . . . ok well, this is how we got it done!):

1) Remove the legs (including the thighs).

Skyler did one side . . .

. . . and I did the other

"Drum"roll . . . .da-da-da-da a chicken leg!

(ok technically there were two, but we just got a picture of this one!)

2) Separate the legs from the thighs

 Try to find the joint and cut there.  Skyler was especially good at this.  I just kinda cut until I found it :s!

3) Remove the wings.

Again, Skyler took one side . . .

. . . and I took the other.

And we're almost there . . .

4)  Cut carcass in half

Skyler did this by cutting parallel to the backbone.

5) Remove the breasts and cut in half.

Normally you could just add the breasts to the rest of the meat.  Skyler and I took the skin off, and cubed them this time, because I am going to make Fettuccine Alfredo later this week. (a recipe will be coming!)  We seasoned and baked the rest of the meat!  It was yummy!  I am very excited to add this to our list of meals!

Don't forget you can make chicken broth with the leftover bones and meat! 

As a word of encouragement for those of you who find cutting up a chicken intimidating, have no fear!  First of all, if I can do it . . . you can do it!  It's not so bad, and if you are getting free-range chicken the health benefits most definitely outweigh buying pre-packaged boneless chicken breasts from the store!

Obviously there are probably several different ways to cut up a chicken!  This was our first go at it!  Do you have any other suggestions?  What tricks have you found to make it easier?





How is my Husband's Crown this day?

 " A wife of noble character is her husband's Crown"

~Proverbs 12:4

 A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a King!  The crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, authority, honor and glory.  Crowns are exquisitely crafted with precious metals and rare jewels.  To "be crowned" means to place a crown on the head of someone in order to invest them as King and to declare or acknowledge them as such.

How is my Husband's Crown this day?

"It is a high honor for a woman to be chosen from among all womankind to be the wife of a good and true man.  She is selected to be a crowned queen.  Her husband's love laid at her feet exalts her to the throne of his life.  Great power is placed in her hands.  Will she wear her crown well?  Will she fill he realm with beauty and with blessing?  Or will she fail in her holy trust?  Only her married life can be the answer."

~J.R. Miller, 1882

Sunday Sweetness For Your Soul

 "Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith . . . Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together . . . but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

~ Hebrews10:22-25

A Rootin' Tootin' Shootin' Good Time!

My husband and I help lead the college ministry at our church. This last weekend we got together with a few of the students and had a great time shootin' guns and playing games.

Our friendly neighbor is an expert marksman, and he agreed to teach us a few things.  He also was very gracious, and let us use his guns!  He had a wide variety, and filled us in on proper shooting technique, safety, and even a little history of the weapons we were using.  Many of them came from the U.S. military!

Our neighbor teaching us a few things about guns!

Our neighbor explaining a few things to me with a little more detail! ;)

The Ladies

The Gentlemen

Wow!  That is a big gun for such a sweet little girl!

Skyler giving a few lessons . . .

Skyler giving me a few lessons (I like when he does that!). . .

Skyler finally getting to shoot!

All finished with the guns . . .

Time to play with the chickens!

Wrapping up the day with a nice game of horseshoes!

My husband and I did not grow up with guns in our home.  Although, we have always supported the Second Amendment right "to bear arms," we have never owned guns ourselves until recently.  My husband bought a pistol last year.  Since we were moving to the country, he said he wanted it for protection (I think it was a nice excuse for a gun, as living in town can be just as dangerous!).  However, since beginning to homestead we have discussed getting a few more guns primarily for hunting.  Skyler has never hunted, but what better way to get healthy inexpensive meat than to go hunting for it!  Skyler is very excited about this, and who knows maybe I'll even go with him sometime!

Do you shoot guns?  Which gun is your favorite?

Do you go hunting?  What advice do you have for someone just starting to hunt?

Fall Fun and Pumpkin Recipes

This past weekend, my husband and I had some college students (we help lead the college ministry at our church) over to carve pumpkins and shoot guns.  There will be more on the guns tomorrow . . . for today's post I wanted to share a little fall fun, and a couple pumpkin recipes.

A couple ladies bringing their pumpkins!

Carving the Pumpkins!

This is my pumpkin!  It is supposed to be a cross with a heart around it, but it looks more like rays! Oh well!

Let nothing go to waste!  Roasted pumpkin seeds taste amazing!  

Here is the easy recipe:

Pumpkin seeds from your freshly carved pumpkin (just separate them from the "goop" as you go)

Butter - about 2 Tablespoons (a little less or a little more depending on your preference)

Salt (just season to your liking)

Directions:  Rinse your pumpkin seeds off with warm water in a strainer to get all the pumpkin goop off.  Next melt butter, and pour over seeds.  Finally, salt to your liking.  Spread seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake at 300 degrees F for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Mix them around occasionally.  I gave these to my students at school and they were a hit!  I bet your kids would love 'em too!

Pumpkin Pasta!  I found this recipe at Thy Hand Hath Provided:

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta (the choice is yours)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2-4 handfuls of chopped fresh or frozen spinach, kale or swiss chard (I used spinach)
3 1/2 cups cooked and pureed butternut squash or pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2-3 tbsp. pesto (or 2 ice-cube-tray pesto cubes)
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/2-3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cups sliced almonds

Cook the pasta according to the directions, drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet or pot, saute the spinach (or kale or chard) in the oil until it has wilted but hasn't turned brown. Add the pumpkin puree (I made this by putting my pumpkin "goop" in a food processor and hitting puree - I guess I did it right?), chicken (or vegetable) broth and pesto, stirring to combine everything. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil. In a small bowl, measure out cornstarch. Add one cup of the simmering sauce to the cornstarch and stir well with a fork until the cornstarch has dissolved. Add this back into the sauce pan and continue stirring until the sauce has thickened slightly.  

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Taste it and add more salt if needed. Add the drained and cooked pasta to the sauce and stir gently to coat pasta well.
Pour into a large-enough baking dish greased with cooking spray. Top with almonds. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the top has browned slightly. Serves about 8.

This was yummy!  My husband suggested adding chicken - the carnivore that he is! Either way, it's great!

Enjoy!  Also, be sure to check out other fall recipes from Thy Hand Hath Provided!

Natural Homemade Toothpaste

Skyler and I ran out of toothpaste this week.  We have been using the same small Crest toothpaste since the beginning of July, and it only cost us $2.29.  Regardless of how inexpensive it is to buy it at the store, I have really been looking into trying to go all natural with our hygiene products, cleaning supplies, and hopefully medicines.  After my amazing experience with The Oil Cleansing Method, I was ready to try a new concoction!  I figured since we were out of toothpaste I might as well look up a recipe, and try it out!  Here is the recipe:

6 tsp Baking Soda
1/3 tsp salt
4 teas glycerin
15 drops peppermint or wintergreen extract (we used mint & vanilla, I think you could use whatever flavor you want!  I suppose this could be a perk for kids!)

Directions:  Mix thoroughly, should be a tooth paste consistency.  Store in a container.

 Baking Soda and Salt

Next I added the glycerin (you can find this in the laxative section of your pharmacy).

After adding the mint and vanilla extract, I mixed it all together.

Next, Skyler helped me pour it into our little container.  (We had just finished the dishes from supper :)

After using this toothpaste for a couple days now, I can say that I am starting to get used to it.  Even though we added the mint and vanilla extract it still taste REALLY salty, which isn't so bad until you go to spit it out (I can't help but use my tongue, and it gets me . . .Whew!).  Skyler said he can tell his teeth feel cleaner longer.  We are both interested to see how long this lasts us.  As I mentioned above, our Crest toothpaste lasts us about 4 months and costs $2.29.  The glycerin itself was about $4!

I am wondering if it might not be just as frugal and safe to by toothpaste from Tom's, or some other place that makes natural toothpaste.  

Tom's seems to be a pretty good choice.  When I checked out the ingredients, and compared them to other "natural toothpaste" companies they seemed pretty legit.  They have a variety of flavors and toothpaste for specific needs.  The cost is about $4.99, but like I said, the glycerin I used for my homemade toothpaste was about $4.

Do you make your own toothpaste?  If so, do you have any tips?

Do you buy natural toothpaste?  If so, which company do you use?

The Power of A Skirt

I don't know what it is!?  Maybe it's because homesteading makes me want to act like a real pioneer girl.  Perhaps it's a natural result of embracing my femininity.  I suppose it could be the response I get from my husband!  Suddenly I want to wear skirts all the time!  There is something about wearing a skirt that makes me feel so feminine, beautiful, and ironically, powerful.  I am not talking "powerful" in the way a feminist would use the word.  I am talking "powerful" in the sense that God has eqipped us women with certain qualities which have transforming capabilities.  

There is a story about the assassin, Arthur Bremer, who attempted to shoot President Richard Nixon. He was prepared to shoot, when all of a sudden a sweet  woman bumped into him and said, deeply concerned,  "Oh dear! I am SO SORRY! Are You OK?!"  In that second he was changed, even if just for a moment. Arthur says in his personal diary (published as ‘An Assassin’s Diary’), that he just couldn’t do it.  He said that he was at point blank range, but he could not make this sweet lady witness something so horrendous.  This is the power I am talking about.  The power of a woman living out who God has created her to be . . . caring, kind, loving, vulnerable.  For some reason wearing a skirt causes me to embrace these qualities with every step and every swish of the material.

 I am reminded of my dear friend Kenda processing chickens in her long jean skirt.  I am reminded of the women who hiked across the frontier wearing a skirt.  I am reminded of ladies I see today who work their homestead everyday, sporting a skirt!   I wonder if performing chores in a skirt makes you feel beautiful despite the dirt?  Now let me clarify, short skirts and heels would not be suited for this.  I am talking about long skirts.  Up until recently I owned one long skirt.  Every time I wore it I would tell me husband how much I love long skirts.  They provide the comfort of wearing pants, and the elegence of a gown.  Now don't get me wrong, I still wear pants, and I don't intend on throwing them all out (that would be a huge waste of perfectly good clothing).  This post really has nothing to do with whether it's right or wrong for women to wear pants.  I am just giving you something to think about!  In today's feminist-minded society it is important, as Christian women, to celebrate the feminitity God has created in us . . . perhaps wearing a skirt is one way to do that. 

The writer of  "In Other Words" posted on her blog about the power of a skirt:

“There is something about wearing a skirt that makes me feel powerful in my femininity. Call me crazy, but I act more like a lady in a skirt. And I think, although it may be my imagination, that I am treated better when wearing a skirt or dress. And let me tell you, going out with the five kids, I could use all the extra courtesy I can get!”

There is a wonderful challenge by Kelly @ Cedar Generation that asks us to "to experiment with the 'skirt phenomenon'…Purpose to dress more feminine, and let me know if you sense a difference in the reactions of other people (your husband included!) And be sure to include how you feel as a result!"

I think this is an awesome idea!  So I am challenging myself, as well as my readers to try it out!  Let me know what you discover!

Finally, the skirts you see in these pictures are all skirts I found at a thrift store for $5!  If you are interested in getting some long skirts, I would encourage you to check out your local thrift stores!  The prices are unbeatable, and sometimes you can find really great stuff!  I even found all the boots you see in these pictures from the same thirft store!  One more way to live a simple and frugal life!  Horray!

“She makes tapestry for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple…

Strength and honor are her clothing; she opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness…

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her–”Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all. ”

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Proverbs 31:22-31

Lessons From Giles Ranch: Processing Chickens

This weekend Skyler and I took a trip to Giles Ranch to help them process their broiler chickens.  This was most definitely a first for me!  I had to disect a cat in high school, and as we were processing the chickens I decided school's should just teach kids how to process a chicken!  They would learn all about the intrails while at the same time gain knowledge in food preparation! Too bad I teach physical science!

Kenda and Houston Hard at Work!

 

Here are several of the finished products! (Well, almost!)

Houston dipping the birds in the broiler.

The "Wiz Bang Chicken Plucker"!  Seriously, if you are interested in processing your own chickens, or you already do, check this out!  It makes plucking the feathers so easy!  You can buy the book that will show you how to make one for $14.75 at this site: 
http://www.cumberlandbooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=26

Yep!  That's me!  My job was to pluck the few feathers that remained, and cut off the puss pocket above the behind.  I did pop the head off one chicken, and pull out the innards of a few!  This really didn't bother me so much.  The hardest part was when Skyler grabbed the birds out of the truck.  I heard them squawking, and I knew that Skyler was getting ready to kill something that was alive.  I know it is just a chicken, but I couldn't watch!

Cleaning up!  I guarantee processing chickens in this fashion was much more sanitary than what goes on in the commercial food industry.  If you haven't seen it already, check out Food Inc.  This is a great documentary, and it will really open your eyes to where our food is coming from!