Joanne Heim

How to spend $32 a month

 I read this quote the other day and can't get it out of my head:

"Those of us who live in affluent circumstances accept our duty to develop a simple life-style in order to contribute more generously to both relief and evangelism." 

--Richard J. Foster, Freedom of Simplicity

I've been following the Compassion bloggers in India and am overwhelmed.

You can spend $32 each month on all kinds of things:

• Dinner out
• Going to the movies
• Cable television
• Drinking fancy coffee
• Getting a manicure or a pedicure
• A new shirt or skirt or pair of shorts
• Fabric
• Lunch with a friend 
• Magazines 
• A new pair of shoes (or at least one shoe!) 
• Books

Or you can change a child's life in a dramatic way.

I'm not saying these things are bad. And I know that times are tight. But we have been given the gift of living where we do. And with that comes responsibility. We've been given much in order to give much. Maybe the reason we need to be frugal and save is so that we can be generous and give.

What can you go without so that a child can have just a small fraction of what you do? Go visit Compassion and look at the faces of these children--God's children--and see how YOU CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THEIR WORLD.

All too often, we feel overwhelmed by the world's huge problems. It's easy to think that one person can't change anything. But that's a lie. A lie that results in inaction. Take a stand, make a difference. One life is a lot to change.

Being a Bible detective

I had the awesome privilege of speaking at chapel this morning at my kids' school to a gym full of kids from kindergarten through fifth grade. What a hoot!

I decided that together we were going to solve a mystery. We were going to be detectives. We were going to learn how to ask things like

WHO?

WHAT?

WHEN?

WHERE?

WHY?

HOW?

of the biblical text to learn what it means that Jesus is our Redeemer.

Basically, I gave them a course in hermeneutics in about 30 minutes--one that included lots of Scripture reading (they found those verses FAST), silly disguises, and an appearance by Kim Possible and Scooby Doo.

Oh, and this crazy Bible detective who was incognito for the morning...

More than anything, I want them to know that not one of them is too young to study the Bible. That they can ask questions and find answers. That it is relevant to every part of their sweet little lives!

(I did have to tell those little boys that I think mustaches are overrated. It was very itchy. And Toben refused to kiss me!)

I always wanted a big family

You may not know this, but we're not really a family of four. We're actually a family of eight. Because Audrey and Emma each have two more sisters--sisters who are the same age, sisters who are very much part of our family, sisters who just happen to live in another part of the world.

When Audrey was about two years old, we adopted two daughters through Compassion. We searched by the month and year of Audrey's birth, and Lucia and Denys became part of our family. 

And then Emma was about two years old, we searched by her month and year of birth, and Gita and Josiane became part of our family.

So technically we have six kids!

We have pictures of them throughout the years, and save each one of their letters. We've seen them grow up from toddlers to young girls with beautiful smiles. We've seen their letters and pictures change from scribbles and dictation to neat cursive writing and more realistic pictures of their families and their friends.

And from time to time, they ask, "When will you come and visit me?"

I've been following the blogs of those who are in India right now. Stop by and see what they're up to. (Just make sure you have some tissues handy.) And consider growing your family by clicking on the box on the left. It will change the life of a child--and yours.

Recycling is way cool

Yesterday was our last Brownie meeting of the year. (And I have to say, I'm a little happy about that. I love those girls, but after six years of leading Girl Scouts, I'm ready for a break.) We went on a field trip to the recycling center. (Thanks, Melissa, for setting it up--great idea and awesome job!)

This place is a sorting center where they separate everything into like categories and then ship it off to be recycled. Newsprint to make more newspapers. White paper to make more white paper or paper towels or tissue paper. Plastic bottles to be made into fleece or yarn or the filling in winter coats. Cardboard to make more cardboard.

Recycling is cool.

(I can't believe I left my camera in the glove box of my car and then promptly hopped in Melissa's car for the drive there. Not one picture. Huge square bales of colorful aluminum cans weighing 1000 pounds. Bales of laundry detergent bottles, or plastic bottles, or tin cans.)

I mentioned the other day that our trash cans are nearly empty now that we've started recycling more. (We've always recycled--well, since living in California where it's practically--maybe actually is?--the law. But we recently got more intentional about it.)

And I'm guessing that from all we learned that we'll recycle EVEN MORE after yesterday. 

Because all paper can be recycled. "If you can tear it, it can be recycled." The biggest rule we learned. "No plastic bags." They gunk up the machines. Take those to the grocery store.

Only 20 percent of households recycle in the Denver area, which is a horrendous statistic. This is Colorado! Look at the natural resources we've been given! Why doesn't everyone recycle?!

• Did you know that a plastic water bottle lives in a landfill for 400 years before turning into dirt (or whatever it turns into)?
• It takes 100 years for an aluminum can to break down?

Is that crazy or what?

Most of the trash we throw away these days is kitchen trash. And I'm thinking that if we were staying here, one of the projects this summer would be to come up with a compost thing-y. Definitely for summer 2010 when we move back.

Take your kids, your Girl Scout troop, your Boy Scout troop, your family to tour a recycling center. You'll be glad you did, I promise.

And we learned there's a fourth R in the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle mantra now. REACT. You can know it and sing it along with Jack Johnson. But you have to actually DO IT.

You recycle, right?!

Phoenix is starting to sound good

I was freezing last night and had a hard time falling asleep because I was so cold. Yes, I could have got up and out of bed for some socks and a sweatshirt, but I never do. Crazy, but true. Somehow I always end up thinking I'll fall asleep in the next three seconds and if I get up it'll just keep me awake longer. Never works, but I don't think rationally when it's dark.

And no wonder I was cold. There SNOW out there. And it's SNOWING! Brr... I really thought we were done after the blizzard last weekend and then 80-degree weather this past week. 

But it's beautiful. See? Here's a peek out the window next to my desk.

I really did rotate the photo in iPhoto before I inserted it here, but sometimes it's persnickety. And instead of going back and redoing it, you can just tilt your head. Or your computer screen.

Today's going to be full. ::deep breath:: 

Chapel at the seminary. Class until 3, then a field trip with the Brownies to the recycling center. I am excited to go learn more about recycling, but it's a long drive to get there, and to get back to school in after-work traffic. Emma and I probably won't be home until sometime around 6. (Note to self: Don't forget to put a roast in the crockpot!)

I'm still hanging on to my verse about being enriched in ALL my knowledge and in ALL my speaking. 

And wow! Every morning during my quiet time, God just pops ideas into my brain--I have little notes scribbled everywhere! (Though I did get them all organized nice and neat yesterday--until this morning when he gave me a great illustration and I had to add a post-it onto my notes!)

IT IS ALL HIM--just like the verse says. On my own? Got nothin'. What does it really matter what I think unless it's coming from the truth of his Word and the truth of his character? My opinion is just that--an opinion. He is TRUTH. He so gets all the glory.

Did you memorize a verse this week? Leave a link as usual. And as always, if you want to join in, click the button in the sidebar on the right for everything you need to know.

Love you all like crazy. Your comments never cease to make me smile, your notes and encouragement (here and on Facebook) bless me like you wouldn't believe. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Have a terrific day!

J.

Giveaway winners

Okay, finally...

The winner of Expecting is Bethany!

The winner of Is That All He Thinks About is Meg!

And the winners of Misplacing God are Kate at My Messy Nest, Puva, and Tammy S.!

I'll be sending each of you an email asking for your mailing address. Keep an eye out for it!

I really want to write a nice long post

Instead, I'm just popping in to say a quick hello. I'm at the library at the seminary working away on retreat preparation. I'm really excited about what God is teaching me--things I've jotted down here and there over the past few weeks. 

But it's hard to speak from post-its and scribbled notes here, there, and everywhere, so I'm working on getting it put together in an organized fashion!

I'm going to hang out here until it's time to get the girls from school. There aren't distractions here--unless you count zillions of books!--the way there are at home, and you're not allowed to eat in the library, which is good too. :)

We'll head home and maybe go for a walk to enjoy some of our lovely sunshine and warm weather, then it's into jammies and waiting for Toben to come home tonight.

He's been gone all this week and I'm excited to sit down face to face to talk more about all that's going on in our life right now. Phone calls and skype are nice, but it's just not the same.

Anyway, hi and I hope you're all having a great Friday!

Joanne

P.S. I was thinking about Frugal Friday and just have a quick comment to share. Since we've cut WAY back on being consumers and stepped up our recycling, I'm astounded at how little trash we have on trash day. This morning, there was only one trash can--and it was only half full. Used to be two full cans every week!

Marriage Adventure

Here's a little bit of what Toben's up to on our new adventure.

Okay, it must be real because there's now a category button for "Moving to Phoenix"

I didn't really stop to think much before I let the cat out of the bag. But I think I did because it just doesn't seem quite real. I keep waiting to wake up or for Toben to call me and say, "Just kidding."

Telling people makes it real.

Thank you for all your kind words and prayers and encouragement--both here and on Facebook. It means the world to me to know you guys are praying. I have some specific things I'd love for you to pray for, but I'll get to those in a minute.

We've been praying for God to provide some new income for a while now--about six months. Not to buy more toys or go on fun vacations, but to pay the bills and pay back some debt. As I've prayed, I've really tried to ask rather than prescribe.

Does that make sense? So often, I pray for what I want--and exactly how I want it to happen. So this has been a prayer adventure of praying with my hands open, asking God to help me trust him, to keep my hands open to receive whatever he gives.

(And I have to say that I kinda hoped by having such a good attitude about it he'd go ahead and answer my prayer in the way I really wanted, which he knows already even though I didn't pray about it--because he's my God and knows my heart. But he didn't.)

I was telling a friend yesterday that it's much easier to tell a friend that God knows best, that we need to follow where he leads, that we need to accept what he gives with thanksgiving than to actually do it yourself!

Toben will be working with some great people on a new ministry. I'll let him blog about it soon and then link to it so you can get the whole picture from him. Let's just say that it's very, very cool and I'm excited for him. And excited to see if God has a place for me to contribute to it too.

If it's up and running smoothly in a year, then it'll be feasible for Toben to run it from a remote location and we can come back to Denver. Or we may decide as a family to stay there. I just don't know. No one knows, but God. And for a planner, that's hard. One day at a time. (See how God's been working on me with that little bit of wisdom for the past month already to prepare me some for this?)

What about seminary? That's something you've asked. Me too! I told Toben that I feel like someone has handed me this incredible gift this past semester and now it's being taken away. I can take online classes; I think I could even take some classes at Phoenix Seminary (though they do not offer my degree). However, being in the classroom is what I'm loving about school. I'm not going just to get a degree, but to sit in the classroom and learn. 

This morning, I'm thinking about not going to school in the fall and then maybe taking Hebrew or Greek in the spring. But I just don't know. I need to talk to someone at Denver Sem and find out what they recommend. 

It may be that I just need to be with my family. Or work alongside Toben on this ministry. Or teach Sunday school. Or go to Bible study. Or write a novel. Or just rest. I don't know. One day at a time!

A couple of details you may be wondering about...

We're not selling our house. We're not moving any furniture. This new company will rent a furnished house for us in Phoenix for the next year. 

We have friends in Phoenix. Good friends and friends we're excited to get to know better. Friends with kids my kids know and love. So we're not going someplace unknown.

We even have a school for the girls if we decide to do that. We're even talking about (gulp!) homeschooling as a possibility for a year. Though I want the girls to make friends and school is a good way to do that. Who knows? We're looking at this year as an adventure--a chance to relook at all kinds of things. 

How can you pray?

One day at a time! I get easily overwhelmed by the big picture and need to focus on the things that need to be done in the next three or so weeks.

Wisdom. For school for the girls, for school for me.

Details. House hunting, packing, all those things that take time and phone calls.

Audrey and Emma. They're excited (it's an adventure!) but sad too. They'll go to school this morning and tell friends they're moving for a year. That's always hard.

That's it for now. Gotta get ready for school. Love you all.

J.

P.S. The cool thing is that my computer is obviously going with me--so that means all of you are coming to Phoenix too!

Big new adventure

The way news travels, you may have already heard. We are moving to Phoenix in July. For one year. For Toben to be part of a new start-up ministry. I'd tell you more about it, but this just happened yesterday and most of our talking has been about how to tell the kids.

(This is pretty sudden--I'm just as surprised as you are!)

We told them this afternoon, in a little video chat with Toben (he's in SoCal). With the Facebook world we live in, we figured we needed to tell them before they heard it from someone else! They're excited--mostly at the thought of having a pool in the backyard.

We're working hard to make this fun and exciting for them and they've not really made it to the point of realizing they're going to miss their friends and their school. I'm guessing they'll come down at some point, but we'll keep on talking and involve them as much as possible in where to live and all those kinds of details.

I'm overwhelmed and excited and nervous and sad and trying to focus on the things I need to be getting done while being distracted by thoughts of house rentals, new schools for the girls, and packing. 

I'll tell you more soon, for now I'm tired and headed to bed. 

Just for fun...

The girls spent some time on Sunday afternoon playing dress up in one of my old prom dresses. Can you tell when I went to high school?!

Yep, that's that iridescent taffeta that changes from black to green. And there's a big vee in the back. The huge bow it came with on the tush came off back in 1988.

I'm sure I have a picture (or two, since I wore it twice to two different proms) somewhere, and maybe, just maybe, I'll show you one. We'll see...

And for the record, I tried it on too. And there are pictures. But not for long! It still fits for the most part--the zipper almost goes the whole way up in the back!

Memory Monday

Even though 1 Corinthians 1:5 was my verse last week--and I learned it by heart--I've not been able to move past it this past week. This could be a weensy bit of laziness on my part, but also just feeling like I need this verse.

For in him
you have been enriched in EVERY way--
in ALL your speaking and 
in ALL your knowledge--

I'm facing papers and finals and a women's retreat--and I NEED THIS VERSE!

Truth be told, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by it all. Especially when I look at the calendar for the next few weeks. I'm still working hard to take it one day at a time, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have absolute panic, freak-out moments.

I'm still completely amazed that anyone would want to listen to me, and I feel so much weight when I go talk to a group--to speak God's Word clearly and boldly, to say things that actually make sense! It's a huge privilege and responsibility and one that weighs heavily.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to go, but also scared to death. Not to get up in front of people--that doesn't phase me at all, but to do a good job.

(And now if anyone who's coming on this retreat is reading this, I'm a little nervous about all that I just said there, but it's the truth!)

So. Long way of saying I'm stickin' with this verse!

Leave a link for yours. And if you want to join, as always, you're welcome! Click on the link in the sidebar and say hello.

I'm just going to go ahead and say great job to all of you, because I know I won't be able to visit everyone. Blog reading is one of those things that must go by the wayside for a while.

Swirly Saturday

My friend Marla does a thing called "Swirly Saturday" each week and I'm going to copy her, because that's how I'm feeling and I think I've already used every blog title that I can think of with the word "random" in it.

(If you don't know Marla, go visit her. She has the most amazing-looking blog--just love her design, it's so very her. And she's an amazing author, and well, while we're at it, let's give away some of her books. I have two to give away--Is That All He Thinks About? and Expecting. So leave a comment telling me which one you'd like and I'll do a drawing when the comments fizzle out sometime next week. So, for that, leave a comment with your name and the book title you want. And if you're tricky, you can leave one for each, but they have to be two separate comments or it gets confusing to choose them and make it fair. And if any of that made sense, well, you've had more coffee than I have so far this morning.)

Okay, long paragraph and in parentheses too. On with what's swirling around in my head.

~It's snowing. Total blizzard yesterday and still snowing this morning. Think Narnia, is what I told twitter yesterday. See?

Wet and heavy and so soft. And giving us the moisture we need. Don't you just love that blue light from about 6 o'clock this morning? Lovely, lovely, lovely.

As I was having my quiet time, I was thinking about the fact that God makes each flake so small and different and perfect. And that no one ever sees most of them to appreciate them. Snow is moisture, something totally functional that MELTS! And yet he takes the time and care and creativity to make each one beautiful, each one a work of art.

Makes me want to be excellent in even little things and tiny details that no one will ever see or know about. Just because. 

~Toben got home safely last night. He's been in Branson and I wasn't sure he'd make it home given the weather. When he called to say he'd landed at DIA, I told him to be sure to get something to eat. Sure enough, it took way more than an hour to drive home.

~I'm going to the movies with a couple of friends this morning. So excited. We've cut back hugely around here--down to gas and groceries and paying bills and tuition--so this feels like a big treat. I love going to the movies--especially during the day. Feels so decadent to come out to daylight rather than dark. (And let's get real, it's been YEARS since I've been to a movie at night, cause who can stay awake? Not me!)

~Lisa has some great Simplify Me stuff over on her blog. So I'm going to let her have the floor this weekend. Go check it out.

~I'm working away on this retreat--and will do a drawing sometime this weekend from all your comments. Thank you again for all your help. Would you pray that I be bold? That God would speak through me? That I would step out of the way and let him take over? I'm going with the "prepare like crazy and then let the Spirit lead" method of getting ready! 

From all your comments, I really want these women to be blessed and encouraged, but also challenged to go deeper in their relationship with God!

~School has been incredible lately. I'm learning so much and am working hard on a couple of big papers. Like I've said, I want to share it all with you, but need to figure out how (and when!) One topic I've been challenged by has been worship. I'm still sorting it all out in my head (and on paper for a paper!) and it's really making me see some things differently and in a new light. Good stuff.

~Okay, I really need to wrap this up. Go do something fun! And may God bless you--because you bless me like crazy!

Frugal Friday: Laundry detergent

I finally ran out of laundry detergent so I could make some from the recipe Kimberly shared. She's right--it took hardly any time at all to make and the ingredients are cheap! 

I think I spent a total of $8 or $9--and it only took 1/2 cup each of Borax and washing soda, so those will last me a long, long time.

Here's the original link to her site with all the recipes she shared.

I was so excited to use this enamel pot to store it in. I love enamel ware and try to use it, but this is a container that's just been sitting out looking pretty so far. It looks much prettier to me now, knowing it's being used for a purpose.

See the little tag in the picture? I took Kimberly's recipe and made a little card so it'll always be handy. I laminated it too--so it won't get spilled on.

Want one?

You can download the PDF file here. Just put a 3 x 5 index card in your printer and you're good to go!

Download Homemade Laundry Detergent

Do you have any other easy housecleaning recipes? Leave a link and share with the rest of us!

Seder pictures

I meant to show you some pictures from our family seder last Friday, but forgot I'd taken any until I took some off the camera last night. Oops!

I have to tell you that the girls SO get this meal. Emma ran around saying, "It's the most important meal of the year!" while they help set the table and get everything ready. 

This meal involves all our senses--taste, touch, smell, sight, sound, movement--and so it's perfect for kids of all learning styles. It makes the story of deliverance--of Israel from Egypt, and of us from sin--come so alive.

And it's not hard to do. Really. If you have a good haggadah to follow, it spells out everything for you exactly. And you can do any kind of a meal in the middle of the service--my girls are horrified at the thought of eating lamb (and it's expensive!) so we had a pot roast dinner.

The hardest thing is having enough cups for everyone! And those you can find at a party supply store. We use the same plastic ones year after year.

Here's the book I use. I can't recommend it highly enough!

Guest blogger: Emma

Dear Mom's bloggy friends,

Hi I'm Emma. My favorite color is blue, I'm eight years old, and I have a little orange kitten named Pumpkin. 

Last week, we found a new baby bunny in our yard. We named her Holly. She got stuck in the window well. My dad had to pull her out of a tiny hole and some of the fur on her tail came off. She cut her leg on the metal thing. 

It's good my dad saved her life. Because in the window well there's nothing to eat and she could starve. She could not get out by herself.

To help her get better, we're feeding her a lot of cabbage and strawberry tops and green beans. We're praying for her every day.

Bye for now!

Love, Emma

P.S. Holly is very little and cute! Joey and Pumpkin stare out the window at Holly. Mom says it's because they want to be her friend.

You're never too old for the park

One day last week the girls and I walked down the path to the park, searching for signs of spring. We saw some buds on trees and some greening grass and some bulbs coming up. (And we saw a snake too, but we're trying to forget that part! Yuck.)

Have to say that I was sorta disappointed the swings were all taken. I LOVE TO SWING! Maybe next time...

Phew!

Made it through the day: chapel, run to the Girl Scout store, class for two hours, Girl Scout meeting with Emma's troop. Home. Deep breath.

Catch up on email, help Emma with homework, gather leftovers for dinner. Eat dinner. Watch Toben clean it up. (Dishes=boy job in this house!) Deep breath.

Mondays with Girl Scouts just wear me out. Though to be honest, I couldn't stop yawning in class. Sorry to my professor! I was really interested in what she was saying, was loving it, but every once in a while I just had to yawn. One of those big yawns that you can't stifle. I so hope she didn't notice. 

Cause how awful is it to have your class/audience/group yawn at you?!

Speaking of talking to a bunch of people...keep the amazing input coming. I'm LOVING all your help and advice for this retreat and if I can manage to cover it all no one will be yawning because I'll have to talkreallyreallyreallyfast to get it all in! 

I'm seeing some themes, some big ideas come up again and again. So, so helpful. Thank you a zillion.

Audrey stayed home from school today--fever is better, but the cough is crazy. So she's staying home again tomorrow. No way she'll take it easy if she's at school with her friends. Besides, with all that coughing, no amount of covering her mouth is going to keep her from spreading germs. So, here's a big "you're welcome" to all the other parents in her class.

I was supposed to have a secret club meeting tomorrow, but one friend (Hi Kristin--feel better soon!) is fighting what her son has, so we're calling off our movie day. Which equals an empty day on the calendar.

My other friend (Hi Yvette!) said I could come anyway, but since I do have some big papers to write and we are going to hang out on Saturday (we're going to see 17 Again), this is probably best. Which means my day is full again--but a staying home kind of full.

Prayers for a productive day tomorrow would be greatly appreciated!

I'm still yawning, so I'm thinking it's time for some "reverse sleeping in." 

Since I don't sleep in and can't really sleep in on a school day even if I could somehow stay asleep past 6:30, when I'm really tired I do the opposite and go to bed ridiculously early. Yes, yes, I know that some of you think that I go to bed ridiculously early already, but we're talking before 8 kind of early, rather than a by 9 kind of early, which is a perfectly respectable hour to go to bed in my book.

Just think of it as sleeping nice and late, but flipped backwards.

NIghty-night!

Memory Monday: 1 Corinthians 1:5

First, here's my memorized verse:

For in him
you have been enriched in EVERY way--
in ALL your speaking and
in ALL your knowledge--

(1 Corinthians 1:5)

I've been hanging on to that--not just as I prepare for this women's retreat, go to school, think about the last few papers/projects of the semester to be done, but also as I talk to my kids, my friends, and go through the day.

I've been enriched in EVERY way. So why do I sometimes live like I'm poor?

Hmm...

What did you memorize this week? Leave a link to your specific post in the comments so everyone can visit you and cheer you on.

And if you'd like to join us, click on the Memory Monday button over in the sidebar on the right. It'll give you all the details.

Second,

Thank a jillion to those of you who've already left comments on my last post. You are helping me so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

And if you've not left a comment... Please, please go leave a comment on my last post here. I know that some of you have read and didn't leave a comment. Because I can see how many people have visited and see how many comments there are--and see the difference. 

C'mon! Leave a comment. Please! I really do need your help and you have something to contribute.

Third,

I hope your Easter was incredible. It rained all day here and was cold. But it RAINED! No, it wasn't sunny and warm, but the thing is that we need cloudy and rainy days to grow gorgeous flowers later. (How's that for a metaphor of the spiritual life?!)

Living in Colorado means putting a turtleneck under your Easter dress, or being resigned to being cold. We resigned ourselves to being cold and looking good with goosebumps!

Audrey woke up with a cough and a fever, so she and Toben stayed home while Emma and I went to church with my parents and then to their house for brunch. (Our church does church outside on Easter morning. And, given the weather and little girls who want to wear Easter dresses rather than Easter jeans and heavy coats and maybe a hat and mittens, we go to Mom and Dad's church every year for Easter.)

Toben searched and searched for a church service to watch on TV, but there wasn't one--not from channel 2 to 99. Really? How is that even possible on Easter Sunday? I don't get that at all.

Audrey's staying home today (fever yesterday automatically means no school today). I'm off to a big day--chapel at the seminary, class until 3, Brownies with Emma's troop until 4:30, home by 5. A loooong day.

Okay, three things is enough for now, I think.

Have a great day, a terrific start to your week, and remember that YOU ARE RICH IN CHRIST! So how're you gonna spend some of those riches today?

Simplify Me: I need your input

Hey ya'll,

(Just got home from the Hannah Montana movie--so cute and full of "ya'll"s.) 

The girls are at my mom's, dyeing Easter eggs for tomorrow and I'm getting ready to get some work done. I'm speaking at a women's retreat the first weekend in May, and the topic is...Simplify Me!

I have some thoughts about where I'd like to go with this, but I need some input, and ya'll (there it is again!) immediately came to mind. Who better to ask for help?!

I sat down and emailed Lisa the other day and would love your input too. (She's still getting back in the swing of things after vacation, so we'll pick up with our conversation next week.)

So here's the question:

If you were coming to the retreat, what three things would you want to come away with? 

Think about how to strategies, questions answered, topics covered, and so on. They can be as basic/simple as you like--or as hard as you like. (Not that I have all the answers, but I'm considering you my market research!)

Please leave a comment and let me know. Pretty please, wIth sugar on top! 

Even if you've never left a comment before, I'd so love to hear from you and get your opinion. And if someone has already left a comment with your answer, leave it again. That'll help me see if there's certain themes that seem most pressing.

How's this? Leave a comment and I'll do a drawing at the end of next week for a free book for you to keep or give to a friend. And if TONS of you respond, I'll give away more than one. Let's see how many comments we can get! 30, 50, 150, 200?

Thank you!

Joanne

Engraved on the palm of his hand

Isaiah 49:16 says we are engraved on the palm of God's hand--a verse I've always loved for its poignant imagery.

Saw this idea at my friend Wendy's yesterday and knew instantly this was something I wanted to do today. So I sent the girls off to school with the message that Jesus died on the cross for them--for the whole world, yes--but for Audrey, for Emma. He has engraved them on his palms out of love.

Love greater than we can imagine.

Wishing you a Good Friday, one in which you know for certain that Jesus died out of love for you and that your name is written on his hands.

Getting ready for Easter

I was so sure the girls had Friday off of school for Good Friday, but they don't and I'm bummed. Audrey just asked if they could stay home anyway, but I've heard the school is planning a cool chapel for them, so they're going. Plus I have school that morning too.

We're having our Seder dinner on Friday night and there should be plenty of time for the girls to help with it when they come home from school on Friday. They can set the table and maybe make the haroset. And maybe make some Easter story cookies.

I've blogged about this tradition before here. If you've never done one of these, it's an amazing experience. We like to include others, but with Good Friday services, it makes it a little tricky for other families to come. 

I think this year it will just be the four of us--something that feels a little weird since we live close to family, but normal at the same time since growing up it was just my parents, my sister, and me for the most part.

I have to confess that I've not really decorated for Easter this year. Despite being aware of Lent and doing a Lenten devotional (Reliving the Passion by Walter Wangerin--so good!), I feel like it's snuck up on me.

We'll go to church with my parents on Sunday morning and then have brunch at their house. And Mom decorated, so all's well!

By the way, if you've never read or seen The Robe, now's a good time. If you like Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion series, you'll love it! 

What are you doing to get ready for Easter?

Okay, I've got 11 minutes...

...until I need to go get the girls from school. But I wanted to pop in and say hi.

It's gorgeous here in Denver today. In fact, I've been sitting on the back deck with my feet up, reading Jeremiah for my prophets class and Zepheniah for my hermeneutics class. Lovely!

Went to class today and learned about Isaiah. Such good stuff. This class (my prophets class) is rocking my world. I just finished an assignment that I'm thinking about posting here. We'll see if I can frame it in a way that makes sense.

Then I passed my mom while I was driving down the road and called her and she turned around and came and took me out to lunch. Very fun. Some of you know my mom and can attest that she pretty much rocks. It was a hard lesson for me, but I've learned to share. So if you need a mom, I'm willing to share and will even be nice about it. (Which is a whole other story for another day.)

I've been jamming out to some great music today. (Do people still say "jammin' out"? Probably not. Oh well. I'm clearly a child of the 80s.) You know, I've not really been listening to much music lately--and it shows. I've said before that listening to good music--praise music--helps set my heart. And I know it. And yet I haven't. Not too smart. Already my heart feels lighter and more full of joy.

Toben's in Phoenix--why I'm getting the girls from school. Somehow I have a hard time getting them to school on time in the morning. But we had minutes to spare this morning. It was so nice!

Do you ever read the Bible and look at the Israelites or the disciples and think, "They were so dumb!"? Or like Jesus says in The Message, "Are you being willfully stupid?" (Love that!) Often I feel so superior and like I so would have got it. But the truth is that I'm just as stupid as they were. 

I'm not getting down on myself, but just stating a fact. I see myself more and more in their not getting it.

Take the Israelites. They'd just walked through the Red Sea on dry ground for crying out loud! And yet they doubted God's ability to give them a little drink. Here's God who's so clearly in control of water and they're afraid a desert might hold him back somehow.

But I do the same thing. God has done amazing miracles in our life. And yet I come up against something and doubt his ability to work. I've been spending quite a bit of time confessing my doubt and unbelief the past day or so and asking him to help me trust him more. To stand back and wait for him to act instead of making my own plans in case he doesn't come through.

Silly, but true.

God can do anything. There's nothing in your life too big or too hard or too overwhelming or too impossible for him to make right. In fact, maybe he's thinking, Great! Here's an opportunity to really show her what I can do! 

Maybe we need to get out of the way and let him do it.

Memory Monday: Psalm 56:3

In my little video post last week, I don't think I mentioned what I'd be memorizing for today. I learned Psalm 56:3:

When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

Short and sweet and such a necessary reminder. I don't feel like I live in fear nearly as much as I used to, but when I am afraid, I want my first response to be trust rather than grabbing for control or giving into fear by imagining all the horrible things that could happen.

With small fears, my tendency is to worry them--to keep returning to them and turning them over and over in my mind. Trust in that looks like handing it to God and letting go. And then reminding myself that it's not mine anymore; I gave it to him and he's taking care of it.

For next week, I'm going to learn 1 Corinthians 1:5:

For in him you have been enriched in EVERY way--

in ALL your speaking and in ALL your knowledge

There's no period at the end of that on purpose--because the sentence continues with more I'd like to learn. (And the caps are mine!) But I'll stick with this verse for now.

Did you learn a verse this week? Leave a comment below. And want to join us? As always, we'd love to have you! Just click on the Memory Monday button there in the sidebar and you'll find all you need to know about it.

Simplify Me: More answers to Lisa's quiet time questions

Okay, so where'd I leave off?

Are you legalistic about your quiet time? Well...

The answer has to be no. Because I don't do it to make God love me any more than he does, to avoid any punishment I think he might give me if I didn't (which I don't think he would), or because someone told me I have to.

I am disciplined about my quiet time. For all the reasons I gave earlier this morning. Because I desperately need it! 

It's not a have to for me, but a want to.

There's a huge difference. Because I spent years of trying to have a quiet time because I thought I had to and because I was told (or perceived) I had to. While the practice itself isn't that different looking, it never lasted when I did it only out of obligation. And to me, legalism smacks of obligation.

That leads into another of Lisa's questions...

How do you keep yourself on track with an early morning rising time? I set an alarm!

Not everyday, but definitely on weekdays. And after years of getting up early, I just wake up. The latest I wake up is usually about 6--on weekends I like to roll over and go back to sleep for a while, but I can't remember the last time I was in bed past 7 a.m. Sad, but true.

(It doesn't hurt that the cats really want their breakfast and are used to getting it at about 5:07, so they tend to wake me up or jump on my head if I stay in bed too long.)

Simplify Me: More about quiet time

Okay, I'm getting back on track with Lisa after my bloggy break. We're talking about quiet time, and I asked her what questions she had. Here's her response:

Oh my how much time do we have to talk? I have so many questions...how do you get past the fear of inadequacy that I listed above, how do you become a morning person, can you recommend a really good devotional, when you journal do you just write free form or do your daily entries follow the same format, how do you keep yourself on track with an early morning rising time, are you legalistic about your quiet time, how do you organize and format your quiet time, do you have quiet time every day, if/when you miss your quiet time how do you feel? I think that covers most of my questions.

And here's the link to her post if you want to go read it and come back.

So, let me give it a shot. With the understanding that I don't have all the answers, but I'm happy to share my own experience and what works for me. So if any of you have different responses, chime in the conversation, okay?

How much time do we have to talk? As long as it takes! I'll answer a few for now and we can keep going from there.

How do you become a morning person? I'm a big believer in first thing quiet time. Because I know myself and my tendency to get off track quickly, I need to start my day on the right path--with my heart and mind set on God. (And even with that, I can get off track all too easily!)

First thing means different things to different people. I get up at 5 a.m. (No, wait, keep reading--I'm NOT saying you have to get up that early too!)

For this season in my life, that's what works best for me and for my family. But some of you may not need to get up and out the door, others may have small children and morning nap time is an obvious "first thing" kind of a time for you. First just means before your day really gets going.

I will say that if what's going to work best for you is early morning and you're not sure about being a morning person, you can ask God for help. And he will help. Not a wave a magic wand, make you get up at o-dark-thirty singing like Snow White kind of a help. But he will help you make some choices to get out of bed.

So much of it is about choice. If you're going to get up earlier, you may need to go to bed earlier. And clean the kitchen the night before and get the coffee ready, because even though I've been getting up at 5:00 for years, if the kitchen sink is a mess and the coffee's not ready, I have a miserable time getting up.

Do you have quiet time every day? If/when you miss your quiet time, how do you feel? Yes, I do have my quiet time every day.

It has become part of my routine, like drinking coffee or eating breakfast or brushing my teeth. When I first began, though, it wasn't every day because it just takes time for something to become part of your routine, to feel normal.

Very rarely, I do miss it. Girl Scout camp or vacation--usually when I'm out of my normal routine is when it's easiest to skip it. How do I feel? Just fine for the first day, but any longer than that and my family starts to notice that something's not quite right. 

I need God. Without him and time spent alone with him in prayer and study and conversation, I become more self-centered, less patient, angry even. I need time with him to remind me of how to live and without that I quickly fall into focusing entirely upon myself and how everyone else around me can make me happy. It's not pretty.

I'll come back and tackle more of Lisa's questions in another post, but I'm hungry and off to make a big bowl of grits. (Yes, I do like them! Swimming in maple syrup. Mmm...)

If this whole idea of quiet time is new to you and you have lots of questions, feel free to ask away. Also (shameless book plug coming!) this is really the heart of my newest book, Misplacing God. You can get a copy by clicking on Amazon shop link in the sidebar, or by clicking directly on the Misplacing God link under My Books at the top of the sidebar on the right.

Frugal Friday time again

Seems like it's been a while since I did one of these, what with my bloggy break and all.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I made those cleaning wipes--and WOW! Easy (though sawing through the paper towels is no fun without an electric knife), inexpensive, and they work great. Plus, I LOVE the smell of PineSol. Weird, but true. 

(I love bleach and Lemon Pledge too. It just smells CLEAN!)

I only had one container the right size around, so the ones I made are in the girls' bathroom--and they are using them. I'm headed to Wal-Mart on my way home from school later this morning to get two more--one for my bathroom, and one for the downstairs bathroom.

Oh, and I didn't drill a hole in the top of the lid. I figure that we can just take the lid off and on. That will keep them from getting dried out.

This is the post with all the recipe links.

Okay, so groceries.

I've continued to keep track of the money we spend on groceries so I can get an accurate idea of how to budget. A couple of you have asked for menu plans. Here's the thing, I cook something different every week and it's just what sounds good, what uses what I have on hand. If you want some great ideas, visit my friend Meredith here. 

Though I really want to be one of those coupon-y moms who saves more than she spends, it just doesn't work for me. I just don't buy lots of stuff that there are coupons for. 

I don't buy much prepared or packaged food, but I buy lots of produce and always the store or generic brand of whatever else I need. Mostly, I cook from scratch which seems to be the best way to save money on groceries. Too often it seems like the coupon brands are still more than the store brand--even with the coupon discount.

That said, I do pay attention to what's on sale and even try to look at the grocery fliers in the mailbox when I remember. I always price compare. But I guess it comes down to the fact that I don't want to spend the time going from store to store and finding coupons for stuff I actually need.

Are you a coupon mom? Does it work for you? Any hints for anyone wanting to be one? Leave a link or a tip in the comments.

Been thinking some about time too. My basement (unfinished) is a pit--I'd planned to clean and organize before I started seminary, but then I hurt my back and couldn't move, let alone move furniture and bend over to pick up stuff.

I don't seem to have a whole day I can devote to organizing and cleaning down there, and I'm thinking it might be time to do a "ten-second tidy" like Lunette the clown from that PBS show "The Big Comfy Couch."

Well, maybe not 10-seconds, but perhaps 30-minutes. Setting the timer for a short period of time is a good way to get stuff done. Maybe tackling it in 15- or 30-minute chunks of time is the way to go.

Okay, this is way too long. And I've been pushing it to the limit to get ready for school this week. I hate feeling rushed and being late, so I need to go ahead and get in the shower and get going. Plus, my girlies are up and they need some hugs!

Misplacing God reviews

I woke up to an email from Bobbi with a link to the review she wrote of Misplacing God here. She said such nice things that I feel all warm and happy inside despite my cold toes and the snow outside the window.

But the thing that made me happiest is that she got up this morning and had her quiet time--and she was excited to do it! And that's what the book is all about.

I don't know if I ever say it in so many words in the book, but here's the thing. Quiet time is not something we HAVE TO do. It's not something we SHOULD do. It's not something we MUST do to make God love us. 

(Which is what I thought for so many years and was constantly defeated and frustrated when I couldn't seem to make it stick. I felt like something was wrong with me and that somehow I wasn't a very good Christian.)

Quiet time--time alone with the Father, with the one and only God of the entire universe!--is something we GET to do. Something we are INVITED to do. Something we are BLESSED to do. In short, it can be something we WANT to do. And that makes all the difference.

The outward practice may look the same between someone doing it out of OBLIGATION and someone doing it out of DESIRE, but I guarantee what's going on internally is different. And I can almost certainly guarantee that one will keep at it and the other won't.

So many of you have let me know that your review copy arrived too. Please let me know when you write a review--or if you have a specific question after reading that I can answer as part of your review. And you could leave a link to your review here too. That way everyone can see it!