My personality is, for the most part, a steady one. However, I do have a streak of melancholy, and it surfaces frequently. Deep thinking, pondering bittersweet thoughts, worry about the future and the past, a too-serious view of life...these are minefields for me, and oftentimes the websites I choose to visit are crafted by women with similar temperaments. At first, this seems serendipitous, to find strangers who view life as I do, and often express thoughts and observations that have me nodding in agreement. Their images may be thought-provoking, revealing depth. Their words may be poetic, heartrending even. And this is a reflection of their expansive souls and a God-given gift of expression.
Yet, there are times when I am close to being emotionally depleted, and I need to step away from reading the reflections of these like-hearted women for a season, so I do not drift too far into my own self.
What I do instead, when I feel as if I may soon succumb to melancholic tendencies, is visit a blog with a purposefully cheerful outlook, by a woman whose sanguine temperament counteracts my personal inclinations. I have a few websites I would like to share with you over the next few days. I always shut down the computer refreshed and more positive when I visit these websites. They encourage me to choose my attitudes and responses, and help me to see that a change in perspective can, indeed, be a miracle.
Firsw up, the adorably delightful Sugar Pie Farmhouse!
Ruthann tends her Sugar Pie Farmhouse with effervescence and care. Each thoroughly-realized post is chock-full of encouragement and ideas, cheerful images and happy-making music. She peppers each essay with Scripture which is often just the thing I needed at just the right moment. And she speaks often of choosing our attitude, how when we catch ourselves in a "whine" we have the opportunity to purposely change our minds about a matter. Her family is adorable, and one thing I really love is advice from a mother who is a step ahead of me in experience. I do think you will enjoy your visit to Ruthann's. When I leave her website, I have a spring in my step, an extra measure of energy, and a heart bursting with love for my children, my husband, my home, and my Lord.
More to come...
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Decision Making, Made Simple
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
C. S. Lewis
My goal for myself is heaven.
My goal for my children is heaven.
If it doesn't keep our eyes fixed on heaven,
there is no room for it here.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Singing His Praises
She was told, suddenly and absolutely unexpectedly, that at a tender age, she was now a widow.
And she lived with a grateful heart before that moment, and she lives with a grateful heart still.
When we live so closely with another, all is obvious to us, the good and the not-so-good. And how often do we dwell on the imperfect, even if it is offset by ten wonderful qualities and deeds? So, let us allow love to cover a multitude of sins. I encourage us all, and have been taking my own advice, to embrace our husbands the way my friend would embrace hers if she could. And pray for her empty arms, and quiet home, and still days, if you would, please.
Thank you, God, for a husband who
1. brought me white tulips on Valentine's day. They are my favorite.
2. shoveled the snow. Again. I don't have to worry a whit.
3. fills my car with gas without my asking.
4. prays on Sacred Space with our eldest son.
5. vacuums.
6. brings the children on errands.
7. overlooks my flaws.
8. chooses to work close by. He could double his salary by commuting, but he would sacrifice two hours of family time each day.
9. reads Scripture, and reads about Scripture.
10. when seeing me despondent over this recent tragedy, bent over me and placed his hands on me, and prayed.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Prayers
I would deeply appreciate it if you could pray for my friend L. who lost her husband in a tragic auto accident. The funeral was today. She has two young daughters, ages 9 and 6. If you could lift them up before the Lord, I would be so grateful.
Inexpensive Beauty Secrets
I find the internet to be such a contradiction...such potential for benefit and detriment, encouragement and danger. I had fun participating in Kelly's beauty link-up last week, and I was looking forward to what she'd ask us to share this week, but when I saw that she asked us to share our alma maters, I was torn. It was a bit more specific than I felt comfortable sharing, so I thought I'd do a Part II to last week's sharing.
I spend money very carefully, and I'd rather have a precious few things of high quality than lots and lots of stuff. But, my motto is "use what works," and I especially like it when I make a discovery that proves quality can come with an inexpensive price tag.
Three of my favorite beauty staples come from Avon. A friend of mine sells Avon and she once gave me one of those booklets that turn an ordinary woman into a shopping addict. Body cream, three for 9.99! Bubble bath, two for 6.99! Fragrances, buy one get one free! Oh, the loot you could acquire for a twenty dollar bill! My favorite product is Avon Wash-Off Waterproof mascara. Now, I had always hated masara. My eyelashes were long enough and dark enough, and anytime I tried mascara, they clumped together and I could never completely remove it from under my eyes, so I stopped even trying. Then I gave birth to a child with the longest eyelashes I, or anyone in the grocery store, Target, or the doctor's office, had ever seen. They were, and are, a sight to behold. So when, on two occasions, two separate thoughtless people asked me, "So where did he get those eyelashes from?" I swallowed my pride and my urge to correct their grammar, and I realized it was time to revisit the mascara question. Wash-Off Waterproof mascara, which you can currently buy for two for five dollars, is fabulous. It does not clump, it does not over-thicken or over-lengthen, it just provides the lightest, smoothest bit of natural definition to your eyelashes. It is indeed waterproof, and it does indeed come off as you are washing your face. I have terribly sensitive eyes, and this does not bother them. Plus, it is so affordable that you can make sure you always have absolutely fresh mascara. It rivals or surpasses the various Clinique, Bare Escentuals, Mary Kay, and Almay mascaras I've tried and tossed.
Avon also sells wonderful eyeliners called Glimmersticks which never misbehave on my eyes. I am not a fan of eye pencils that need to be sharpened, so I like that they always have a delicate point so that you can use them very subtly at the lash line. These rival or surpass Clinique and Mary Kay eyeliners and are a fraction of the price, and I am so happy to have found them. I believe the original formula is on sale for $2.99 right now. They also offer waterproof and shimmering versions.
My favorite lip balm is from Avon, too, Moisture Therapy Lip Treatment Ointment. It heals lips overnight, is not waxy, and sinks into lips rather than coating them and gathering in cracks. I use this alone or under lipstick or lipgloss, and it layers beautifully because the consistency is so thin, yet effective. Also, it has no smell and provides SPF 15. Note that they also offer a balm in a tube which has an almost identical name, and this is a good balm, but I prefer the ointment. $2.00! And you can often get it on sale for less!
Okay, that's the end of my Avon rave. They are having a President's Day event right now where you can get free shipping on orders over $10, too. Surely you know a stay-at-home mom who is also an Avon lady who would appreciate your business.
One more thing:
I have always loved a good bar of soap. I love how it is so luxurious and simple at the same time. One of my favorite soaps is Seignadou Soap in Milk and Honey, which is under five dollars for a four-ounce bar. It smells delicate and is a pleasure to bathe with. Most significant of all, however, is that these soaps, which are available in a bounty of other scents, from Vanilla Bean to Basil Citrus, are hand-crafted by cloistered Dominican nuns who hold the world up in prayer day and night. Seignadou means sign of God, and the nuns produce these soaps to support themselves. I have a special degree of devotion and gratitude toward the Order of Preachers, as our campus ministry in college was staffed entirely by Dominican priests and sisters, and their unique and prayerful spirit helped to strengthen my faith during those years. Hmm! So I guess this circled back to my alma mater, after all!
I spend money very carefully, and I'd rather have a precious few things of high quality than lots and lots of stuff. But, my motto is "use what works," and I especially like it when I make a discovery that proves quality can come with an inexpensive price tag.
Three of my favorite beauty staples come from Avon. A friend of mine sells Avon and she once gave me one of those booklets that turn an ordinary woman into a shopping addict. Body cream, three for 9.99! Bubble bath, two for 6.99! Fragrances, buy one get one free! Oh, the loot you could acquire for a twenty dollar bill! My favorite product is Avon Wash-Off Waterproof mascara. Now, I had always hated masara. My eyelashes were long enough and dark enough, and anytime I tried mascara, they clumped together and I could never completely remove it from under my eyes, so I stopped even trying. Then I gave birth to a child with the longest eyelashes I, or anyone in the grocery store, Target, or the doctor's office, had ever seen. They were, and are, a sight to behold. So when, on two occasions, two separate thoughtless people asked me, "So where did he get those eyelashes from?" I swallowed my pride and my urge to correct their grammar, and I realized it was time to revisit the mascara question. Wash-Off Waterproof mascara, which you can currently buy for two for five dollars, is fabulous. It does not clump, it does not over-thicken or over-lengthen, it just provides the lightest, smoothest bit of natural definition to your eyelashes. It is indeed waterproof, and it does indeed come off as you are washing your face. I have terribly sensitive eyes, and this does not bother them. Plus, it is so affordable that you can make sure you always have absolutely fresh mascara. It rivals or surpasses the various Clinique, Bare Escentuals, Mary Kay, and Almay mascaras I've tried and tossed.
Avon also sells wonderful eyeliners called Glimmersticks which never misbehave on my eyes. I am not a fan of eye pencils that need to be sharpened, so I like that they always have a delicate point so that you can use them very subtly at the lash line. These rival or surpass Clinique and Mary Kay eyeliners and are a fraction of the price, and I am so happy to have found them. I believe the original formula is on sale for $2.99 right now. They also offer waterproof and shimmering versions.
My favorite lip balm is from Avon, too, Moisture Therapy Lip Treatment Ointment. It heals lips overnight, is not waxy, and sinks into lips rather than coating them and gathering in cracks. I use this alone or under lipstick or lipgloss, and it layers beautifully because the consistency is so thin, yet effective. Also, it has no smell and provides SPF 15. Note that they also offer a balm in a tube which has an almost identical name, and this is a good balm, but I prefer the ointment. $2.00! And you can often get it on sale for less!
Okay, that's the end of my Avon rave. They are having a President's Day event right now where you can get free shipping on orders over $10, too. Surely you know a stay-at-home mom who is also an Avon lady who would appreciate your business.
One more thing:
I have always loved a good bar of soap. I love how it is so luxurious and simple at the same time. One of my favorite soaps is Seignadou Soap in Milk and Honey, which is under five dollars for a four-ounce bar. It smells delicate and is a pleasure to bathe with. Most significant of all, however, is that these soaps, which are available in a bounty of other scents, from Vanilla Bean to Basil Citrus, are hand-crafted by cloistered Dominican nuns who hold the world up in prayer day and night. Seignadou means sign of God, and the nuns produce these soaps to support themselves. I have a special degree of devotion and gratitude toward the Order of Preachers, as our campus ministry in college was staffed entirely by Dominican priests and sisters, and their unique and prayerful spirit helped to strengthen my faith during those years. Hmm! So I guess this circled back to my alma mater, after all!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Sensitized
When I told one of my good friends that I was fasting from media for an entire week, she asked if that included newspapers. It was a funny question, because I haven't gotten my news from a real live piece of paper in a very long time. And she seemed to wonder what I would do if something monumental happened. "I guess my husband will let me know if the world is about to end," I joked.
Days passed. I did not realize how insulated and softened I had become. We live in a major metropolitan area. The nightly news is routinely chock-full of awful tidbits...accidents, murders, suicides. But during my quiet week, I had been spared all of those mentions that make us desensitized to others' life-changing pain.
So, on the Saturday of my fast, day six, I was truly caught off guard. My husband was checking his ipad at the kitchen table late at night. "You might want to know what's going on. There's been a shooting in Arizona. Somebody shot a congresswoman." I walked up behind him and peeked over his shoulder. There was a picture of a lovely woman on the screen. Then, a doctor was announcing that, contrary to previous reports, Gabrielle Giffords was not dead. Though I hadn't heard any of those previous reports, I felt relieved. I walked away. And that's when I heard the announcement that among the victims was a 9-year-old child, and that she had been killed.
I gasped aloud. I stepped back to my husband and grabbed his hand. I pulled it in desperation and shock. I turned and went into our bedroom, where I couldn't help the tears from falling. A child was dead!
My husband followed me into our room, and said, "Honey, we hear about stuff like this on TV all the time. You don't usually get so upset." And that's when I knew that something greater was at work in this little media fast idea. I had become a person who was used to hearing about children getting killed. I heard about it so often that I usually didn't get upset. That's horrible! The constant bombardment of bad news had caused me to become emotionally cold toward tragedy.
So many of you who read this are role models of mine, and among the things I admire about so many of you is that you have removed the television from your homes. So, I am primarily lecturing myself when I say the following: even those of us who believe we are making conscious choices about television, news sources, books, magazines, and games may do well to remove those things for a while and ask God to show us how they are truly affecting us. Perhaps we have built a harder shell around our hearts than we may have meant to. Perhaps we must remove that shell so that God can mold our hearts more easily.
Days passed. I did not realize how insulated and softened I had become. We live in a major metropolitan area. The nightly news is routinely chock-full of awful tidbits...accidents, murders, suicides. But during my quiet week, I had been spared all of those mentions that make us desensitized to others' life-changing pain.
So, on the Saturday of my fast, day six, I was truly caught off guard. My husband was checking his ipad at the kitchen table late at night. "You might want to know what's going on. There's been a shooting in Arizona. Somebody shot a congresswoman." I walked up behind him and peeked over his shoulder. There was a picture of a lovely woman on the screen. Then, a doctor was announcing that, contrary to previous reports, Gabrielle Giffords was not dead. Though I hadn't heard any of those previous reports, I felt relieved. I walked away. And that's when I heard the announcement that among the victims was a 9-year-old child, and that she had been killed.
I gasped aloud. I stepped back to my husband and grabbed his hand. I pulled it in desperation and shock. I turned and went into our bedroom, where I couldn't help the tears from falling. A child was dead!
My husband followed me into our room, and said, "Honey, we hear about stuff like this on TV all the time. You don't usually get so upset." And that's when I knew that something greater was at work in this little media fast idea. I had become a person who was used to hearing about children getting killed. I heard about it so often that I usually didn't get upset. That's horrible! The constant bombardment of bad news had caused me to become emotionally cold toward tragedy.
So many of you who read this are role models of mine, and among the things I admire about so many of you is that you have removed the television from your homes. So, I am primarily lecturing myself when I say the following: even those of us who believe we are making conscious choices about television, news sources, books, magazines, and games may do well to remove those things for a while and ask God to show us how they are truly affecting us. Perhaps we have built a harder shell around our hearts than we may have meant to. Perhaps we must remove that shell so that God can mold our hearts more easily.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Just for Fun
Just for fun, I thought I'd participate in this "Beauty Secrets" thing hosted by a young mother named Kelly. Part of simplicity, for me, is finding something that works and crossing that decision off my list. I do have some particular issues, and I have found some things that work for me. While I'd love to talk lipstick shades and fragrance preferences, tastes vary and I think it would be most helpful to highlight the real problem-solvers.
Skin Care: For my blemish-prone skin, I use Clinique Acne Solutions soap, clarifier, and moisturizer. I also use the emergency gel-lotion.
Sunscreen: The very best facial sunscreen I have ever tried is Dr. Denese SPF 30 Defense Day Cream. It is a tinted moisturizer with UVA and UVB protection. It is sheer and looks like velvety skin. It has never caused a breakout, and I never need a foundation. I love using this every single day.
Hair Care: I have naturally spiral curly hair that can be a true headache. I apply Ouidad Climate Control Gel every day. It has the best slip of any gel I have tried, and truly protects natural curls from frizz while never weighing it down.
Slimming: Weight Watchers online. I had always thought WW was for the very overweight, but I have found the online option to be perfect for those of us who are constantly battling those last five pounds.
Smoothing: This. It hurts, but, with practice, it works, inexpensively and in absolute privacy. That's all I'm going to say.
Skin Care: For my blemish-prone skin, I use Clinique Acne Solutions soap, clarifier, and moisturizer. I also use the emergency gel-lotion.
Sunscreen: The very best facial sunscreen I have ever tried is Dr. Denese SPF 30 Defense Day Cream. It is a tinted moisturizer with UVA and UVB protection. It is sheer and looks like velvety skin. It has never caused a breakout, and I never need a foundation. I love using this every single day.
Hair Care: I have naturally spiral curly hair that can be a true headache. I apply Ouidad Climate Control Gel every day. It has the best slip of any gel I have tried, and truly protects natural curls from frizz while never weighing it down.
Slimming: Weight Watchers online. I had always thought WW was for the very overweight, but I have found the online option to be perfect for those of us who are constantly battling those last five pounds.
Smoothing: This. It hurts, but, with practice, it works, inexpensively and in absolute privacy. That's all I'm going to say.
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