No, I'm not referring to how long it's been since I posted here. (That's actually more like 30 weeks...oops!) No, I'm talking about how long we have until Christmas. It'll be here before we know it!
Randy and I have really been evaluating our budget and our spending over the last year or so. We have been trying to be diligent about paying down debt, simplifying our life, being content with what we have, and being wise stewards of our money. We have decided to go pretty minimal with our Christmas gifts for each other this year, but we still want to be able to give nice gifts to our family and friends without breaking the budget. I always have the greatest intentions about making a bunch of gifts, and I end up cranking out maybe 2 or 3, and to be honest, they're not that spectacular. This year, I plan on getting an early start, and not waiting until December 1st. If you are on a tight budget as well, or just have the itch to be all crafty and homemade, here are some links to some projects that I may be tackling over the next several weeks. Don't be surprised if one of these shows up under your tree!
-Homemade Hand Scrub
-Silver Tray Chalkboard
-Altered Board Books
-Tin Advent Calendar
-Cinnamon Votives
-Heat Therapy Bags (Anjanette, I need a sewing lesson for these!)
-Bubbly Magnets
-Memory Game for Kids
-Woven Newspaper Basket
Also, here is a list of several more handmade gift ideas, and here are some ideas for gift baskets. The Salvation Army store near our house is overflowing with baskets! Cheaper than the dollar store, and it's a great way to reuse/recycle!
Are you changing your Christmas spending habits in light of the recession, or just simplifying and doing less? I'd love to hear your plans, and any other handmade gift ideas you may have!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
A quick update
Sorry it's been so long. Life has just been busy lately, and the last week has been pretty rough.
-On Saturday, we were in a fairly bad car wreck. Another car blew through a red light and hit us. Thankfully, they hit us sideways instead of straight on, or Randy probably would have been injured. No one was injured at all, but our car was not drivable after the accident. It is in the shop now, and we're not sure we're getting it back. This is the brand new car that we've only had for about a month. But there is much to be thankful for in this situation, most notably that we escaped without so much as a scratch.
-Yesterday, April's grandmother passed away quite suddenly. We're not exactly sure what happened, but it appears she may have had a stroke, or lost her balance, and fell. She had a myriad of health problems, so we all knew she wouldn't be with us much longer, but I think we all expected her to get sick and go in the hospital, rather than die suddenly at home, so it is all a bit shocking. Please pray for April's father specifically, as he is the executor or the estate, which puts a lot of pressure on him, on top of his grief. This was his mother.
-On Saturday, we were in a fairly bad car wreck. Another car blew through a red light and hit us. Thankfully, they hit us sideways instead of straight on, or Randy probably would have been injured. No one was injured at all, but our car was not drivable after the accident. It is in the shop now, and we're not sure we're getting it back. This is the brand new car that we've only had for about a month. But there is much to be thankful for in this situation, most notably that we escaped without so much as a scratch.
-Yesterday, April's grandmother passed away quite suddenly. We're not exactly sure what happened, but it appears she may have had a stroke, or lost her balance, and fell. She had a myriad of health problems, so we all knew she wouldn't be with us much longer, but I think we all expected her to get sick and go in the hospital, rather than die suddenly at home, so it is all a bit shocking. Please pray for April's father specifically, as he is the executor or the estate, which puts a lot of pressure on him, on top of his grief. This was his mother.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Some exciting news! (No, I'm not pregnant!)
So...I'm thinking of starting my own business.
This is not something I ever pictured myself doing, but I'm really excited about the idea. I was talking to Randy on the phone today, and he said he had a proposal for me. (Didn't he already propose? Ba-dum-dum...thanks, folks--I'm here all week.) ANYway...there is a woman at his work whose daughter is graduating from college in May, and she is interested in having me design a scrapbook for her to give her daughter as a graduation gift, and she would pay me for my materials and time. Randy and I threw around some ideas as to what my time is worth, and considering how long it takes to complete an entire album, I could actually make some decent money doing this.
I have thought off and on about selling some of my crafty things on etsy, and I think this may be the impetus I need to take the plunge. If this goes well, I think I'm going to start advertising on craigslist, and selling completed items on etsy. I actually designed a pre-made scrapbook for our family Christmas game (similar to the white elephant game, if you're familiar with that, only we bring nice stuff), and it was a hit! So I'm thinking that I will mostly just make pre-made albums and pages so all someone has to do is add their own pictures and notes, but I could also take custom orders, as well as some other items (I also make decoupage notebooks and picture frames, and I'm learning to sew). The great thing about it is that I can work at whatever pace I want. If I have an exceptionally inspirational week, I can create several products and put them on the website, but if I'm sick or on vacation or something, or I just don't feel like making anything, then I just won't have as many things in my shop at that time. And while I can do custom orders, I'm under no obligation to do so--I get to decide how many orders I can deal with at once, and what my turnaround time is.
Obviously this would be a great way to contribute to meeting our family's needs, but I also brought some debt into our marriage that has been hanging over my head, and I think this would be a great way to get that taken care of, without having to use Randy's hard-earned money to pay for my past irresponsible decisions.
I'll try to update this post tonight and post some pictures of my work, for those of you who haven't seen it. What do you guys think?
This is not something I ever pictured myself doing, but I'm really excited about the idea. I was talking to Randy on the phone today, and he said he had a proposal for me. (Didn't he already propose? Ba-dum-dum...thanks, folks--I'm here all week.) ANYway...there is a woman at his work whose daughter is graduating from college in May, and she is interested in having me design a scrapbook for her to give her daughter as a graduation gift, and she would pay me for my materials and time. Randy and I threw around some ideas as to what my time is worth, and considering how long it takes to complete an entire album, I could actually make some decent money doing this.
I have thought off and on about selling some of my crafty things on etsy, and I think this may be the impetus I need to take the plunge. If this goes well, I think I'm going to start advertising on craigslist, and selling completed items on etsy. I actually designed a pre-made scrapbook for our family Christmas game (similar to the white elephant game, if you're familiar with that, only we bring nice stuff), and it was a hit! So I'm thinking that I will mostly just make pre-made albums and pages so all someone has to do is add their own pictures and notes, but I could also take custom orders, as well as some other items (I also make decoupage notebooks and picture frames, and I'm learning to sew). The great thing about it is that I can work at whatever pace I want. If I have an exceptionally inspirational week, I can create several products and put them on the website, but if I'm sick or on vacation or something, or I just don't feel like making anything, then I just won't have as many things in my shop at that time. And while I can do custom orders, I'm under no obligation to do so--I get to decide how many orders I can deal with at once, and what my turnaround time is.
Obviously this would be a great way to contribute to meeting our family's needs, but I also brought some debt into our marriage that has been hanging over my head, and I think this would be a great way to get that taken care of, without having to use Randy's hard-earned money to pay for my past irresponsible decisions.
I'll try to update this post tonight and post some pictures of my work, for those of you who haven't seen it. What do you guys think?
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
A solution at last
So...I mentioned a while back that I really wanted to get back to basics on this blog--that I wanted it to be about what's going on with our family, and not so much about my own personal thoughts. Yet I still really enjoy having the outlet of blogging for those thoughts, and the opportunity for discussion that it creates. I have been so edified in that process. I couldn't figure out a way to make both of those desires agree with each other, until today. If you go to our profile, you will see there is now a second blog, entitled "Spiritual truth in spiritual words." This blog will remain, and will be what I originally intended it to be--a lighthearted place to update and communicate with our friends and family. If it's spiritual dialogue you're looking for, click on over to the new blog, where I will begin a series this week on the topic of headcovering. I look forward to seeing you there!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thoughts?
I recently came across a passage of scripture that I must have missed or glossed over up until now. The passage is in 1 Corinthinas 11:3-16:
" 3Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved. 6If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. 7A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.
11In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. 13Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God."
I'm sure I've read this before, but I never really thought about it. When we come across a passage like this, it is often said that this was a cultural issue. In this case, one argument says that only prostitutes went about unveiled in that day, but I have found information suggesting that to be false.
Then there is the argument that it was simply a cultural norm for women in Corinthian society to have their heads covered, and what kind of message would it send the culture for the Christian women to do something considered so improper? But that doesn't sit well with me either--since when are we commanded in scripture to go with the flow of our surrounding culture? If that is the case, we should be modeling our lives after the Hollywood elite, instead of following the scriptures that are so counter-cultural. And if we take that stance--that this passage is cultural but that passage is for today, isn't that a bit arbitrary? Who decides which scriptures are cultural and which scriptures transcend culture? I'm not talking about the Old Testament laws here, because those were fulfilled in Christ, and they were for the Jew and not the Gentile. But Paul here is speaking to the Gentiles. Paul argues in Romans and Galatians that the Gentiles should not follow the Jewish custom of circumcision, so he is most likely not beseeching them to follow some kind of Jewish custom here either. In fact, my understanding is that it was the Jewish custom for men to cover their heads while in prayer, but now Paul is making the case that the head of man is Christ, and by covering his head, a man dishonors Christ. If it was the cultural norm for men to cover their heads, this certainly doesn't seem like a culturally relative argument! Not to mention the fact that he brings angels into the mix. (Verse 10: "For this reason, and for the angels, a woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.) I will admit that I don't quite understand all that this means. But it seems to me that angels are not exactly tied to any one particular time and culture. If women are to cover their heads, and if men are to remain uncovered for some reason relating to angels, wouldn't that be true for today also?
It has also been said that a woman covering her head simply refers to her having long hair. I can see where we can get that impression, especially based on verse 15. But if you look at verse 6, that doesn't really seem to hold water. If you read that interpretation into this passage, verse 6 basically says that if she is going to have short hair (or no hair for that matter), then she should have short hair or have her head shaved. That just makes no sense at all.
The only theory I have heard on this that may make sense to me, other than the plain reading of the text, is that the covering refers to the hierarchy within marriage. If a woman prays or prophecies while not under her husband's authority, she dishonors her "head," her husband. And if a man prophecies or prays under the authority of his wife, he dishonors his "head," Christ. The idea does make some sense to me, but what would it mean for a man to prophesy or pray under the authority of his wife?
I'm not going to run to the nearest Amish village and pick up a bonnet anytime soon, but I am troubled by this whole issue. Sure, there are bigger issues to ponder, and sure this isn't a salvation issue, but if we say that scripture is inerrant, and that "all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness," (2 Timothy 3:16), then isn't this scripture inerrant? Isn't it part of "all scripture?" I'm just curious as to why we ignore it, or flitter it away by saying it's just cultural.
Any thoughts?
" 3Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved. 6If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. 7A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.
11In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. 13Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God."
I'm sure I've read this before, but I never really thought about it. When we come across a passage like this, it is often said that this was a cultural issue. In this case, one argument says that only prostitutes went about unveiled in that day, but I have found information suggesting that to be false.
Then there is the argument that it was simply a cultural norm for women in Corinthian society to have their heads covered, and what kind of message would it send the culture for the Christian women to do something considered so improper? But that doesn't sit well with me either--since when are we commanded in scripture to go with the flow of our surrounding culture? If that is the case, we should be modeling our lives after the Hollywood elite, instead of following the scriptures that are so counter-cultural. And if we take that stance--that this passage is cultural but that passage is for today, isn't that a bit arbitrary? Who decides which scriptures are cultural and which scriptures transcend culture? I'm not talking about the Old Testament laws here, because those were fulfilled in Christ, and they were for the Jew and not the Gentile. But Paul here is speaking to the Gentiles. Paul argues in Romans and Galatians that the Gentiles should not follow the Jewish custom of circumcision, so he is most likely not beseeching them to follow some kind of Jewish custom here either. In fact, my understanding is that it was the Jewish custom for men to cover their heads while in prayer, but now Paul is making the case that the head of man is Christ, and by covering his head, a man dishonors Christ. If it was the cultural norm for men to cover their heads, this certainly doesn't seem like a culturally relative argument! Not to mention the fact that he brings angels into the mix. (Verse 10: "For this reason, and for the angels, a woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.) I will admit that I don't quite understand all that this means. But it seems to me that angels are not exactly tied to any one particular time and culture. If women are to cover their heads, and if men are to remain uncovered for some reason relating to angels, wouldn't that be true for today also?
It has also been said that a woman covering her head simply refers to her having long hair. I can see where we can get that impression, especially based on verse 15. But if you look at verse 6, that doesn't really seem to hold water. If you read that interpretation into this passage, verse 6 basically says that if she is going to have short hair (or no hair for that matter), then she should have short hair or have her head shaved. That just makes no sense at all.
The only theory I have heard on this that may make sense to me, other than the plain reading of the text, is that the covering refers to the hierarchy within marriage. If a woman prays or prophecies while not under her husband's authority, she dishonors her "head," her husband. And if a man prophecies or prays under the authority of his wife, he dishonors his "head," Christ. The idea does make some sense to me, but what would it mean for a man to prophesy or pray under the authority of his wife?
I'm not going to run to the nearest Amish village and pick up a bonnet anytime soon, but I am troubled by this whole issue. Sure, there are bigger issues to ponder, and sure this isn't a salvation issue, but if we say that scripture is inerrant, and that "all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness," (2 Timothy 3:16), then isn't this scripture inerrant? Isn't it part of "all scripture?" I'm just curious as to why we ignore it, or flitter it away by saying it's just cultural.
Any thoughts?
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
How many days of Christmas?
While I appreciate the requests for new blog posts, I simply don't have time today! But just so you know we're thinking of y'all, please enjoy our favorite version of the 12 Days of Christmas!
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