Crafts!!

I have a weakness. I have a lot of weaknesses, but I want to talk about this one in particular. CRAFTS! I would rather be doing crafts, making cards, scrap booking, painting, than almost anything else in the world!

My Husband is also very creative and constantly gives me ideas. Here is one of them that I made yesterday. I hesitate to post it because well, everyone else may think it's ugly but I decided to step out on a limb and do something scary! I try to do something scary everyday, here is today's.

I bought some bamboo at Ikea for $2.00 each and didn't want to buy more pots to plant them, so Jordan told me what i would need.

A yogurt container with lid, scissors, glue, thin rope or twine and potting dirt.

Not pictured- a laptop or TV with one of your favourite shows on, or favourite music playing.

This is a must.

Start by cutting off the top of the yogurt container, you don't have to, but I thought it would be easier. Then start gluing the rope or twine on to the top and keep going around in a spiral like motion. Ignore the wire, I was going to make handles but it didn't work. =)

Keep going...

And going...

...This is why you want the show or music, this craft takes a very long time.

Once it's completely covered with rope or twine, poke holes in the bottom and set it aside. Grab the yogurt lid and do what you want with it, I wrapped the rope around the outside.

Once the lid is finished, place the dirt inside and the plant. Before you water it (which should be right away) make sure the lid is underneath!

VOILA! Potted plants that cost less than $10.00! I know it's not the most elegant thing, but if you, like us, are trying to save money while decorating the house and having fun with it then I would recommend this craft!

Bamboo is a lot of fun and doesn't need direct sun light which is what we need in this house! Especially in the winter. I hope you enjoyed!

Complacency

"How did I get here again? Didn't I just leave?

I TOLD YOU I DON'T LIKE THIS PLACE.

Please, bring me back. Hello? Hello?! I know you're there, I can hear you. Why can't I understand you? I said I needed your help but not here. Please not here. It's cold, it's dark, and I'm all alone.

Will I ever escape? I don't remember how I did it last time, did I push down the walls? Did I run?
Think. Why did I end up here again?

Oh. Oh no. No please. I want to forget. Hello? Why can't you just talk to me? I know you can help, you could make this go away. It would be easier than breathing. I can't do it on my own. I don't want to even move. I was so happy before, for a little while. Wasn't I?

...No, it was complacency that I felt. But I was starting to feel better, I was starting to smile, to think of other things. I even laughed. Really laughed. Do I have to fake that again? I know in You I have freedom, but bondage is sometimes easier to bear.

Did you hear that? Do you hear me? What's happened to me?

I used to be so free, so protected. I used to go to sleep at night knowing I was safe, knowing I had no burdens to bear. Do you remember me twirling in my living room dressed all in pink, pretending I was a ballerina? Dancing. But I wanted to grow up, I wanted to leave home. Could you bring me back there? I could be a child forever.
But no, I can't.

Can you at least make me complacent again? I don't like this. I don't want to feel. I messed up I know but I don't know any other way. You're too perfect. I'm too messy. I'm sorry."


Suddenly the girl awoke, she looked around her and realized she was in a ballroom. A huge ballroom with golds, greens, blues and purples surrounding her in pictures on the wall. Her ears caught a familiar sound and she could faintly hear music playing all around her. She turned to go, knowing that this was no place for her, for a sinner. But a breeze opened the door, holding her in place. There He was, blocking the doorway. "NO!" she cried. "I told you, I don't want to feel!"
He didn't move, but a slow grin spread upon His face as he held out His hand. He waited. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Five seconds was all it took for her hand to reach his. She held her head down, ashamed and He gently pushed her chin up until she was looking into His eyes. Eyes she knew and loved. All she saw was love. He held her close and as they moved, the music once faint grew and grew. She knew this song, it was their song. How could she have forgotten? This is where she belonged.
"Will I leave again?" She whispered
Instead of answering, He held her closer and said "I will always find you."

Hungry?

We recently arrived back from two weeks away and were planning on replenishing our fridge as soon as we got back. It has now been 6 days and we've had no time to shop.
It's amazing what we've been finding in our pantry and fridge that we normally don't use because of all the other food we have. The only fruit we have is a bag of apples and let me tell you, we are finding very interesting ways to use apples. Last night our snack was popcorn and Jordan said "Apple cinnamon popcorn!" So apple cinnamon popcorn it was, I have never heard of such a thing but it was so good!
The hardest thing to go without though, is milk. Mainly because of tea, though Jordan does need his cereal. Guess what? We found out we have powdered milk! I was surprised that it tastes relatively the same and when I needed my chai yesterday, powdered milk was excited to step in for the real kind.

If someone were to come to our house and open our fridge they would probably think we were fasting. But the truth is, we haven't gone hungry once. Even though our usual food is missing and we finished our last frozen pizza yesterday, we still have enough to make apple cinnamon popcorn.

The first few months of being a bride were so exciting for me. I finally was able to cook for someone and show my husband how talented I am! So I bought lots of groceries and started trying out all the best recipes. We ate very well but soon found out that I had gone a little over budget. OK, I had managed to go a LOT over budget.
Lately I've been realizing that just because we need to eat well and food is everywhere around us in this country, it doesn't mean we can't be frugal with our meals. I bought a book called "Cut Your grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family" by Steve and Annette Economides. Definitely a recommended read!
I have found some very helpful tips, tips that are incredibly simple and should be used by everyone. They go on a huge grocery shopping trip once a month and the next day cook meals they then freeze and use throughout the month. When they run out of fruit, milk and such they go back to the grocery store.
I am starting slow and going every two weeks because we don't have a deep freezer yet. One tip I have been using is writing down our meal plan each week and schedule so we know when we only have half an hour to cook and eat (this happens often) and when we have a few hours so I can take my time.

I have been thinking about food, and cooking, and meal plans for a while. Especially since our food has been sparse here. At the same time, I have become a "Compassion advocate" an organization I've talked about before in this blog (the month of November), one I have wanted to be involved in since I was a little girl! I am trying to find a home for 6 more children, and only have their packets till January 31st.
We sponsor two children and I know they have a much different view of food planning that I do. Now that they are in Compassions system, they have food to eat, they know that their next meal will be soon, even if it's only rice and beans. But there are millions of women and mothers who can't plan their meals per week, much less per day. They can't show off their talent to their husbands and children because there is no food.

Here I am in Canada with tons of food in my cupboards that I never eat unless we have nothing else to eat, and I think that we hardly have any food. Can you imagine one of those women coming to my house? She would have a feast!
I'm embarrassed of my wealth, though by this country's standards we have none! I'm embarrassed of my complaints and thoughts that we don't have enough.
When I went to the Dominican Republic at 17 years of age and saw first hand how amazing the organization Compassion is, I resolved never to say "I'm starving" again. And I haven't. Because I've seen starving. I saw the kids on the street, their bellies sticking out, their arms and legs nothing but bones. And I saw the joyful faces on the children who were sponsored with Compassion. Even though they have nothing compared to us, they had more than we ever will. They escaped from poverty, from day to day hunger. I want more children to escape, which is why I signed on to be an advocate.

Don't worry, I'm going shopping today and plan to make some amazing meals for my hard working husband. As we sit at the table, we will thank God for the food and both of us will think of all those who can't say that. And then we will eat.

Always

Music moves me. It envelopes me whenever I hear it. I can't explain the effect it has on me in words. It brings me to tears, it stops me in my tracks, it teaches me more than a sermon ever could and it makes me move wherever I'm at. Yes, I am one of those strange people you see moving to their own beat, seen or unseen. Whenever I hear music I can't help but dance. Which I'm sure has raised some eyebrows in our Baptist Church.
Lately music has been making me close my eyes and cry silent tears. But not any kind of music, music about Jesus. About His love for me and mankind. Songs that speak of His healing touch, His grace.
I can't explain that either, I think it comes from a deep assurance that no matter what happens, He is with me. That sentence should be in flashing colours with fireworks shooting from it.

He is with me when I feel like a failure. He is with me when the dishes are piled high and I am on a campaign to rid the world of bathrooms to clean. He is with me when I can't sleep because pain that I can't bear is too great. He is with me when I scream out WHY? into the silent house. He is with me when I laugh at my Husband's impression of me saying "Just love meeeeee." He is with me when I wish friends were closer and when I rejoice that my best friend is ten minutes away! He is with me when I know it's my fault the fight started but am never the first one to say I'm sorry. He is with me when I dream about the future and our 9 children. HE IS WITH ME.

My husband always prays for God to be with so and so, and I've told him that you never have to ask that of God. It says in the Bible "And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Wow! The God of the Universe is with me and you always. That makes me incredibly thankful and totally embarrassed. He's seen it all. The times I gossip, lie, cheat and fight. And I'm glad. Because I can't hide anything from Him yet He loves me and is with me always.


That's enough to make me cry tears of thankfulness. What about you?

You are My Hiding Place

"You are my hiding place, you always fill my heart with songs of deliverance.
Whenever I am afraid I will trust in you.

I will trust in you.
Let the weak say I am strong
In the strength of the Lord."