Stepping Back and Paying it Forward

I'm sitting on my deck. At my house. My. House. Here's a few pictures of my serene view. My freshly washed laundry is whispering in the wind on my left. The birds are chirping with spring chipperness all around me. There's a pool party at a house somewhere off to my left. I can hear all the girls giggling and splashing excitedly now that school's out. The sun and clouds are alternating their intensities. For every minute of shadow I feel over me, another minute of pure heat and light is right behind it. Two cardinals are chasing each other through the spruce boughs in front of me, their smooth red wings peaking through the forest green as they play. And just now, a lone cardinal has come to the dogwood at my left and attempt to hold a very serious conversation with me. I have my bowl of fresh strawberries and mug of tea, both adorned with fresh mint from my abundant chocolate mint pot. Life is so good. I am home.

With the newness and revival of spring, came a new (and partially revived?) dwelling for us. Buying a house was great fun (and over far far too fast!). Moving to said house...well...everybody warned me. It was so much less enjoyable than I could have ever fathomed, and over far too slowly. But it's over now. We're home-owners, greatly indebted (literally), and so very grateful for the blessing of upacking, yardwork, maintenance, cleaning, and upkeep. We worked really hard for this house, as those who are closest to us know. We saved and saved and saved. Our first year of marriage was spent living a rather miserly life -- cheerfully (for the most part, I like to think) trying to make the best of our apartment, coupons, budget, and smoke-ridden belongings. Thrifting our way through, we were forever appreciative of all who offered us food, entertainment, money, or accouterments we otherwise would have had to do without. That said, post-house-buying, we're basically back in the hole for a time, and continue to remain grateful for the blessings others might choose to bestow. We do not take mooching (or its antithesis: giving) lightly. And here's the good news. We can now start to return the favor.

Sure, we're still not "rich" monetarily. Probably never will be. But now, at least we are able to be comfortable in a space that is our own. Now we can finally offer free rooms, food, and provisions to those in need. We can now "pay it forward." And we've been waiting for this opportunity since the moment we were married. This intention to minister to and bless others through our own blessings in life was a concept that Hubs and I had discussed (and gotten overly excited about) since I can even remember. We couldn't wait to get married and begin this endeavor together as a couple. Even through our apartment living, we tried our hardest to minister the way we had always intended to, but we both felt thwarted by our own circumstances. Now, in a home, we're feeling freedom. Freedom to minister extravagantly. Freedom to be bolder than ever. And a freedom I never expected to feel -- freedom to expand and evolve my trust in the Lord. As I seek to live intentionally, I see how God has brought us this house to further His own intentional plan for us. And I'm game for anything (I think...). I'm at least feeling open to all possibilities. We bought this house to USE it. We have riches and blessings to USE them. I can trust God with that. I have a bigger outlook now, and my trust extends even beyond the borders of what I can see. I hope it just keeps growing, uninhibited. I pray that it does. And I pray that this desire to have my heart and door always open never fades and only grows to consume me with love and passion and intentionality.

*~The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began,
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many path and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.~*

Spring Fever

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

Mr. Twain knows how I feel lately. I long for road trips and adventures and fresh foods and perfumed flowers and my Bestie and things I don't even know I long for. All I know is I'm glad to see the drudgery of winter move on and the newness and splendor of spring commence. Each beautiful, sparkling, fragrant, bi-polar-weather day makes me want to sit on a patch of grass praising God...or run until I fall over....or drink a lot of frappes....oh, spring just makes me feel the way nothing else can. It's like the crescendo in the sonata of seasons. There's anticipation in air, even when you don't know exactly what you're anticipating.

I don't know about others out there, but springtime makes me feel more like changing and making "resolutions" than even New Years does. Part of my intention in 2010 was to have actual intention and balance in my life. I feel renewed to continue that pursuit as the seasons now change.

Also, change is happening in our lives. We'll be moving to our first house at the end of the month. I guess knowing that this big change is coming is making me want to maximize every moment of my life. I'm young, married, no kids, no immediate responsibilities -- I won't ever get this time in my life back, so why not be open to change, balance, experiences, and the Lord's leading?

I just stumbled across an online resource I plan to implement in my life immediately. It sums up a large part of what I've endeavored to do with my days as an intentional Christian woman. While this resource is geared towards moms, it totally applies to everyone. And it's free! Maybe it appeals to me because I'm a list-making freak, or maybe it just adds another layer of balance to my life, but whatever the case may be, it's undoubtedly another valuable resource and tool in my quest for simple, intentional, Christian living.

Said resource? inspiredtoaction.com Maximize Your Mornings eBook. Free PDF download. Not to mention, great blog overall (with many many inspirations) at inspiredtoaction.com. Check it out and consider how you might implement intentionality in your own life.


*~Finish each day and be done with it...You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it well and serenly. - Emerson~*

True Friends Are Always Together in Spirit

So much has been happening. I've been working night shifts, so the holidays were basically a blur. Fun, but over too quickly. Then, it was back to work and wedding prep in lieu of my best friend's wedding on Jan. 2, 2010. It was such a magical, sacred affair, yet also very bittersweet for many involved. See, Sarah Jane will be moving to the midwest where her husband's job is. For me, this is a huge change as she lived about 1/4 mile from my apartment and we spent over an entire year commuting to school, watching movies, romping around the West Shore, cooking, eating, talking, investigating, loving, and growing in friendship. Now, I must somehow find a way to adjust to her absence as I go about my days. And I'm really feeling alone lately...nothing's quite as enjoyable or fun without a companion. She was the "Anne" to my "Diana" as we often commented on and giggled about. Even if we didn't hang out every day, she was always right around the corner - a call away - and I knew it. And just knowing it was a comfort to me.

To Sarah Jane I owe my love of One Good Woman, loose leaf tea, sauteed sprouts, Dark Crystal, Cable Guy, The Ringer, CornerStone Coffee House, Boston Terriers, VS undies, Ho Wahs, Thai Palace, homemade Chai, and so many other life-changing wonders. She welcomed me with open arms to the West Shore. It's because of her I don't want to live anywhere else.

I couldn't be happier for Sarah Jane and Praveen. They're the most beautiful couple and a love them dearly. I'll hold onto the hope that they'll come back to Central PA someday and I won't pine for her company any more. :-)

In the mean time:

*~Farewell, my beloved friend...my heart will be ever faithful to thee. ~*

A Nod to Them

One area of homemaking I eagerly embrace is that of cooking, grocery shopping, and overall "fooding." But with my love of all things culinary comes some convictions. To sum up: as a part of honoring Christ in all I do, I must work to make my food choices with Christ in mind. Thus I embrace frugality, nutrition, and balance in consumption (i.e. not overeating!) as part of my pursuit of Holiness.

So, Cam and I have been investigating new and healthier food choices together, specifically Clean Eating (visit cleaneatingclub.com!). Basically, I was lazy in college and opted for convenience over true nutrition far too many times. I would say I was raised to eat healthfully -- we often tried to by organic and limited "junk" food more than most people I know. But our eating habits were far from perfect nonetheless. In lieu of my love for frugality, health, and green living in general, after getting married I began to form some more appropriate dietary habits with the help of Hubs. Here's just a smidgen of some of our recent food endeavors and adaptations. Maybe some of them will spark a change for the better in your nutrition and walk with Christ as it relates to the care of your body.

1) Sprouts: We have become avid sprouters. What can I say? We can't get enough of those alfalfa beans, mung beans, garbanzos, and so many more! I bought a basic sprouting kit my mom also owns, grabbed a bunch of sprouts from our local Healthy Grocer, and from there have incorporated sprouts into almost anything I can! We particularly like sprouts on our salads and in our sandwiches (can I just talk about my oh-so-indulgent grilled cheese/sprout creation?!). Lately, I've been "frying" sprouts up with anything I might have on hand to make many a side dish for our dinners. (Tonight, for example, was sprouts, onion, and fresh mushrooms with garlic and a few other spices sauteed in a bit of EVOO/Smart Balance. BIG hit next to our Spaghetti Squash with Pesto!)

2) Bread: Tortillas, muffins, dough, and loaves included. For our anniversary, I got the breadmaker I wanted. And it's been in use ever since! I find that in making my own bread products as much as possible, I am able to save us money and control the level of nutrition of each loaf/tortilla/muffin/etc. We adore homemade bread, and a breadmaker couldn't make the process any easier. I always add to the dough to increase nutrition -- currently I'm into wheat germ and flax seeds. I'm also seriously considering grinding my own whole grain flours in the future. There's just something about feeling like you can sustain yourself with homemaking skills, no matter how "outdated" they may seem.

3) Raw milk: I know there are many skeptics, but I'm here to present facts and opinions, not cause a disturbance. That being said, I sure do love my raw milk! Surprisingly, I can find it a few places here on the West Shore. Also, it can be found in Lancaster County and I'm sure elsewhere if some searching is done. The laws surrounding the packaging and distributing of raw milk are quite strict, so it is becoming harder and harder to find. And it can be a little expensive. I am lucky, though, because a local gift store sells such milk, and when they get a new shipment in, their "older" milk that's left from the previous shipment (though not yet expired, mind you) goes "on sale" for half price. Can't beat that! Nothing beats the flavor and nutrition of raw, unpasturized, unhomogenized cow's milk. I won't go into extreme detail here, but basically raw milk is a whole food, great for digestion, and loaded with vitamins, minerals and protein. If you're interested in exploring further, here's a great weblink: http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/index.html.

4) Local produce/Gardening: This past spring we set up a "deck garden" based on Mel Bartholomew's principle of square foot gardening (check it out: http://www.squarefootgardening.com). While it probably didn't pay off terribly this year, over the years the money we put into building our garden will be worth it for the fresh produce at our fingertips -- organic and sustainable and hot off the vine/stalk/bush. Similarly, our local farmer's market provides us with a plethora of local-grown/produced foods year-round. I prefer to support local merchants as a part of green AND healthy living. It's overall closer to my homegrown standards, cheaper for us, and sustainable in the long-run. Plus, who doesn't love a farmer's market for Pete's sake! :-D

5) Smoothies: OK, this one's just for me -- Cam runs far from smoothies in general. I've been making them since I first tasted one (yes, I asked for [and received!] a blender of my own for Christmas when I was 14...I'm a wee bit obsessed perhaps). I love to load mine with fruits of any and all types (frozen, fresh, whatevs!) and some juice/milk/yogurt/liquid. Usually I throw in some flax seeds and wheat germ as well. Sometimes a little dab of honey is necessary for sweetness sake. Hearty, fabulous, nutritious, yummy!

6) Organics: From produce to meat, we try to buy organic as much as possible. I also count our wild venison (courtesy of Hubs and his hunting skills), and our free-range, whole organic chickens we buy locally from an Amish farmer. Oh, this isn't to say that we don't give into the occasional Oreo or box of Mac & Cheese or Burger King run, but I don't like to give into the non-nutritious temptations out there, and I'm trying to develop the will-power to avoid unnecessary, unhealthy binging. Besides, I usually don't feel so hot after eating unhealthily. We choose organics when possible in order to support those who manufacture/grown/raise organics. Also, we really hate the idea of ingesting pesticides and chemicals unnecessarily. Further, organic foods are in general more nutritious and flavorful. God created foods a certain way for a reason. I try not to mess with that as much as possible.

7) Beans: Yeah, I realize the "stigma" behind the bean, and I certainly didn't always embrace beans as a valid food (it's a texture thing), but with the cost of them so low and the nutritional value so high, I've now jumped on the wagon and use beans at least weekly in our meals if possible. Not only does this eliminate some of our use of meat, it also boosts our fiber intake considerably. So all-in-all, irreplaceable in a healthy, nutrient-rich, cancer-fighting diet.

8) Tea: I love tea. And I've become a tea snob. I'm hooked on a local shop's loose-leaf teas. I'll have no other in my house! (Ok ok, not quite...but almost! ;-)) Check out onegoodwoman.com! Green and white tea in particular have a large amount of antioxidants, but all teas are beneficial (when not loaded with sugar, of course ;-)). I consume so much tea, I just had to throw it in here as part of my list.

There you have it: the latest in my foodie endeavors as I try to balance the beauty of food with frugality and good stewardship. Hopefully I'll be able to add more to my repertoire over time. I've been looking into the use of Kefir, sprouting (and grinding) grains, expanding my knowledge of vegetarian cooking, and conforming more fully to the ways of clean eating. Any help in my journey of health is greatly appreciated!


*~The greatest delight the fields and woods minister is the suggestion of an occult relation between man and the vegetable. I am not alone and unacknowledged. They nod to me and I to them. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson~*

Pleased as man with man to dwell Jesus, our Emmanuel

Happy December to all! In an attempt to make good use of my time this busy month, I'm attempting to tackle Christmasy projects each day I have off. Today, I have off. Today, I am tackling Christmas cards whilst sipping a sensational Pumpkin Caramel Latte at my favorite local coffeehouse. I rarely experience such sheer bliss as when I'm both productive and stress-free simultaneously. I find a coffeehouse to be one of the best places to achieve such bliss. :-) And, in an effort to be doubly ambitious, I have plans to begin my first batch of Christmas cookie baking when I get home today (Brown Sugar Shortbread -- so simple, so dang TASTY!). And my Christmas shopping is partially done already also. I've never been this ahead of the holidays! (And boy does it feel good inside my little type A soul.)

In my increasing free-time, I've also taken a larger interest in current events and news in general. I find myself often starting my days with the local news channel. And I usually find myself quite disgusted with one or more news stories of the day. But there's my conservative tendencies coming out. I really am trying not to prejudge news and the world in general based on the conservative vs. liberal mentality though. This struggle has been on my heart recently, so I think it might be God's prodding for me to be less one-sided...or at least, to try my hardest to see the world from His eyes, which assumes no political slant. Of course, this change in focus is hard for a self-proclaimed conservative due to the inevitable liberal bent all news/media seems to take these days. I guess that coming from a science background makes me long to hear ALL sides of an argument/discourse/opinion. Is it wrong that I feel as though evidence based practice should shape our news reports? (Although, in the defense of reporters everywhere, I did just read a significantly less-biased article regarding the war in Afghanistan on the CNN website, so I guess I shouldn't be too quick to speak.)

Current events broaden my outlook because they take my focus away from me and puts it on other aspects of creation. Even if you've never cared much before about politics in general, I think it might be a good Christian practice to invest some time this Christmas season in expanding your own outlook. It's just one more way to live deliberately and to remain focused on ALL of the people Christ was born to save.

*~Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Risen with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to given them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"~*

My Utmost

My current devotional of choice is an Oswald Chambers classic - My Utmost for His Highest. First, the daily messages are condensed and succinct. For me, that's perfect for a quick read before work, or a more in depth investigation when time allows. Second, this book is deep! Every message is so full of meaning and truth that it challenges me beyond any study I've ever done before. In fact, though the messages are short, I often have to read them twice to make sure I took it all in. Today's conviction for me was in respect to obedience in Christ. Basically, if His nature is in me, He speaks to that nature and I should naturally, without hesitation, obey. I don't even know how to understand this concept. But I do know that I want it to be true in my life. So as I challenge myself to live with intention each day, I'm challenging myself to intentionally live to improve my understanding of and response to my relationship with Christ.

In other news, I've decided to make my latest goal to clean (thoroughly!) one room of our place each day that I'm off. Two problems to overcome in this task: clutter and soot. We live above a smoker and reap the joys of such as all of our walls/floors/surfaces become covered in sticky blackness if I don't remain vigilant in my scrubbing. Also, not having much space overall, and being blessed with an abundance of necessities and niceties, clutter quickly becomes a problem. It's nice to have "things" to do, but sometimes I wish the cleaning faeries would come and rid me of my chores. :-)

*~So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That you will pull me through
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You~*

A Start

Since entering into the working world post-college, I've revamped my life in many ways. For one, here I am, blogging! As a nurse, my schedule allows for me to work full-time yet have four days off a week. While it really is an ideal schedule, my identity took a hit when it caught up with the fact that I'm no longer a "student," per-say. For my entire life it seems I was caught up in a world of books and tests and projects and stress. After finishing orientation as a nurse, I suddenly had no studious obligations unless I chose to undertake them. While I love to learn and be a student, I must admit I did sport a grin at the thought of not having to take another test for a little while. On the flip side, however, I suddenly found myself without a path. Without a direction laid out for me, other than to do my job to the best of my ability. So what about my four days not at work!? If I'm not studying, what am I supposed to be doing?! My goal, for now, is to develop all those hobbies of mine that have been sitting on the back burner of my life waiting for me to be devoted and free enough to thoroughly enjoy them. As I'm an avid "list maker," I've compiled a To-Do List of sorts in my head, and I religiously work off of a daily To-Do List each day in order to maintain a mild amount of productivity at the very least.

My overall goal with my To-Do List is to be deliberate and accomplish goals that I have prayed about and determined to be worthy of the free time I have in front of me. My relationship with God has to be my first priority. No doubt about that. I know this, yet I struggle with this the most. And I'm not the only one, I'm sure. Thus, at the top of my priority list for this new chapter of my life is to put God at the top of my priority list. Heh.

Also included in my list is to spend more time actively associating with, helping, and otherwise serving those around me. I'm trying to find little ways to do this every day, whether it be through a visit, random note, phone call, random act of kindness, etc. This goal of service applies to anyone around me - coworkers, husband, friends, family, random strangers on the street, etc. I challenge you all as well -- make it a priority to serve someone other than yourself at least once each day. It's a harder challenge than it seems, that's for sure. Maybe it's just me though. I love to serve and help and make someone's life better. BUT, I'm also an introvert and like my "me" time. Occasionally, the two desires conflict, and usually, as it's easier to sit inside and keep to myself, I end up on the selfish side of the fence. So, I'm praying for a spirit that desires service over solitude. And I take it one day at a time from there.

Along the same lines, in order to best serve my Hubs, myself, and those I desire to entertain and reach out to, I'm endeavoring to "keep house" as best as I can. I've usually been pretty good with this because we don't have a big place (although clutter can get the best of me!), and I like the thought of killing germs. ;-) But there's always room for improvement, and I admit that in my recent free-time I've gotten lazy about maintaining a clean, tidy home. I'm going to try to do something helpful for our living space each day I have off. The extent of my cleaning will probably depend on my plans for that day and how my body's treating me that day. But the aesthetics of a well-kept home are also uplifting to a weary body and soul, so it's a priority for me to maintain daily diligence. Mostly, I tend to neglect my floors...the ones that require scrubbing more than vacuuming. Never knew how much I hated scrubbing floors until I was forced into it by our little apartment's linoleum. So, I'm praying for a spirit of joy and willingness....and maybe even a little courage to tackle that which is most daunting (and painful!).

My final major task on the To-Do List of days off includes my passion for clean eating and an overall healthy lifestyle. This, like everything listed above, directly stems from my desire to live a balanced, deliberate life. Now I have more time to invest in making a clean diet a reality and to actually get the P90X out of the box more often. Oh sure, I have days where I must fulfill my chip craving or someone will suffer my wrath, but in general, we're working hard to avoid all junk and sugar as much as possible and to get our butts moving as much as possible. So far, BIG strides have been made and I'm proud! I've been able to make a lot of fun, new recipes and develop new muscles -- two of my favorite pastimes ever!

Also included on my priority list are activities such as reading books again, crafting, sleeping more(!!!), and being even more frugal than ever. It's been a wonderful, deliberate start to a new, "adult" me. Little by little, I think I'll travel far.

*~But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!~*