Simplifying

I always find lists of things that people have done to simplify their lives inspirational and occasionally adopt or modify a practice or two for our home and lives, so I thought I'd brainstorm what has worked for me and share.

First off, if you are in a place in your life where you are desiring to simplify, take a moment to be thankful. If simplifying is of concern to you, you are likely in a more privileged position than most people in the world. That is a blessing and you are likely in a wonderful position to bless others as you simplify (which may result in joy for both parties).

Here are some things that have worked for our family. A few disclaimers (there should be more): I am definitely not perfect, things are not always simple here, and I'm usually the one who makes things too complicated in this household.

Clothes and "Stuff"

1. Get rid of clothes you don't wear. If you have a hard time getting rid of clothes, put ones you don't wear "away" in a bin. Date the bin. After a year, any clothes you haven't taken out of the bin to wear in the previous year can be donated.
2. Put away seasonal clothes in the off-season. This is highly relevant for folks who live in a place like Wisconsin. No need to dig through piles of shorts to find your jeans every day in the middle of winter. Put them away for six months! The same goes for seasonal or outgrown kids' clothes. Put them away and stop digging through the excess every day.
3. Reduce the number of toys your children have by a lot. This results in a lot less cleaning up every day for you and the kids, and your kids will likely enjoy the toys that remain more and be less stressed out themselves. For more info on how to do this and the benefits, check out the book, "Simplicity Parenting" by Kim John Payne.
4. Reduce or rotate kids' books. This was a most wonderful epiphany for me. I can put away books that I don't like reading to the kids. I can also rotate books in and out. It seems like having fewer books out at a time generates more interest in the ones available, and I have actually spent more time reading to the kids since implementing this strategy. You could even get rid of all your kid books if you like to visit the library frequently. 
5. Reevaluate rooms in your home for efficiency. Do you really need six frying pans? Do you ever use more than four at a time? Maybe you only use all six during the holidays -- can you set two aside somewhere out of the way until then? Are you ever going to use the 30 bars of hotel soap that you've collected over your lifetime? Donate them to the food pantry.
6. Plan a "get rid of stuff" day. My husband and I like to do this a few times a year. We'll try to pare down the number of bins of stuff we each have in the basement or challenge each other to get rid of more books than the other person. Selling things on Craigslist, taking books to a used bookstore, or planning a garage sale may be a motivator for you. Otherwise, donating to Goodwill, setting items on the curb with a "free" sign, or trashing them are valid options!
7. How to deal with junk mail. Sometimes catalogs come in the mail, and I spend time flipping through them. I have to remind myself that I am choosing to be bombarded with those ads as I flip  through when I can just as easily toss the whole thing in the recycle bin. I also learned recently that I can choose to "unsubscribe" from junk mailings that I receive regularly by contacting the sending party. Sometimes this is as easy as filling out an online form e.g. Charter: https://connect.charter.com/cas/portal/settings/privacy.aspx. The same goes for junk email. You can always unsubscribe rather than filtering through it every day.
   
   Meals and Meal Planning
8. Establish a pantry if you have room for it. Stocking up on pantry items when they are on sale and having them on hand makes it much easier to whip together a meal with fewer trips to the grocery store.
9. Get a deep freezer if you can afford it / have room for it. Being able to buy meat, cheese, and veggies in bulk when they are on sale and having them on hand has the same benefit as a pantry.
10. Meal plan. It can take some effort to find out what works for your family. For us, I find that planning 2-4 suppers a week is sufficient. We have oatmeal, bananas, and eggs on hand for breakfasts and lunches are usually simple things like sandwiches or leftovers. If I make a meal plan for two weeks (some people do once a month), I can do one grocery trip to get everything we need. At worst, I have to make one additional trip just for milk or produce (or ice cream). This is much less work than making lots of last minute trips to the store for "just a few things" especially when you have little ones in tow!
11. Learn some crock pot recipes. You will soon come to learn its amazing properties.
12. Learn some freezer meals / double or triple meals. I never make one meatloaf anymore. I always make two or three at a time. Or two meatloaves and some meatballs. Then I cook one and freeze the rest. Make extra crock pot pulled pork or beef. Casseroles. And so forth. It's such a relief to be able to pull a meal out of the freezer and toss it in the oven on those nights when you just don't have time to cook!
    
    Life, Relationships, and Soul
13. Equip your kids to 'help' / be independent where they can. Based on the Montessori approach, I try to find developmentally appropriate tasks for my two year old to do that are also actually helpful to me. For example, in his play kitchen are his actual plates, cups, forks, and spoons. He can bring his own dishes to the table for every meal. He can put away his own dishes when we unload the dishwasher. He is also learning to clear his place at the table and to load his dishes and all silverware into the dishwasher. He is learning to take off his own coat and shoes and put them in the closet. All of these are little things, but he enjoys doing them, and they are a big help to me!
14. Spend less; give more. Inspired by the Jesus and the Advent Conspiracy, I can now walk around the mall at Christmastime with a restful spirit. I no longer feel pressured to buy *something* for someone because I *need* to get them a gift. I do spend my time trying to decide on a meaningful gift rather than finding a sweater in the right size and color. This might still mean buying something off of someone's "list," it might mean making a gift, or giving the gift of time, but it is done from a very different spirit than the pressure and hubbub of commercialized holidays.
    
    "The most powerful, memorable gift you can give to someone else is yourself. And nobody modeled this more than Jesus. So what does this look like for you? Tickets to a ball game or the theater? A movie night? The main point is simple: When it comes to spending time with those you love, it's all about quality, not quantity."
    
    
15. Discover your gifts, passions, and temperament. Learning more about how God created me has helped me accept who I am, appreciate my strengths and understand my weaknesses. I am learning what energizes me and what drains me. This information helps me evaluate opportunities as a good fit,  an opportunity to grow, or possibly just not a good fit for me! And that is wonderfully freeing! I don't have to be a good fit in every role, and that's OK! It's also OK for me to try something for awhile to determine if it's a good fit.
16. Spend time doing things that are life-giving. I say this in the context of being a very exhausted, sleep-deprived mom. With some hesitation, I recently joined the "take-down" crew at my church (we meet in a middle school). I had a desire to serve and thought the position would be a great fit for me, but I hesitated to join because I wasn't sure I wanted to make the commitment on top of my exhaustion. I gave it a try and felt very energized afterwards. More energized than if I had just spent the hour resting or eating brunch with my family. Sometimes doing "more" can actually result in more energy and less stress than doing "less." It can take some trial and error to find that balance, but it's worth it!
17. Find people you can be authentic with and spend time with them. We are not meant to go through life alone, and it's stressful to go through life without being able to be open and honest with people. Case in point, meeting with a group of moms and realizing that I'm not the only one who sometimes feels frustrated or bored in dealing with a two year old (who I also love to death) all day, every day was a huge relief to me.
18. Accept that God knows you completely and (still) loves you. This allows you to be completely honest with yourself and with God. It may freak some people out that God already knows (has always known) everything about them, but there is much freedom here. You can approach Him without any sort of front. With your ugliest emotions and thoughts and "secrets." And you will be accepted. And you will be loved. Note, this does not mean that God doesn't want you to grow and change. He wants you to grow and change precisely because he loves you, like any good parent wants their children to grow and change. Also, when you are rooted and established in God's love for you, it frees you from being so concerned about what other people think. This is something I'm still working on in my life. 

I hope you found something here helpful or inspirational. I may add to this list as additional practice come to mind. I would love to hear what you've found that works for you!

The Good Life

The Good Life: Go to college. Get a good job doing something you love to do. Make a lot of money. Be a good person. Do what you want. Do what makes you happy. 

I never really doubted that these were some of the most important things to value in life until I met some people who had a lot less money and a lot less access to education than me. It got me thinking. It seemed to me that whatever is most important in life should be universally accessible. It should be something that every person can attain. Even if they are not wealthy. Or healthy. Or very smart.  

Honestly, I didn't get any further in that thought process for several years. But the discrepancy stuck with me. There must be something better to value in life if what I value most isn't something that everyone can attain/achieve/receive. In the meanwhile, I fell back on the values I was raised with. I worked on my college degree and tried to figure out which career path would make me the happiest. Which classes would make me the happiest. Which apartments, friendships, relationships would make me the happiest. Which grad school would make me the happiest. Frankly, it was all kind of stressful. (And in retrospect, completely self-centered). I mean, what if I made the wrong choice at any point and didn't end up as happy as I could have been? 

...

I was raised Catholic. I always believed in God and trusted God, but I never understood the bit about Jesus. I mean, if God was God and all-powerful and everything, who was this Jesus guy and why did he have to come and die and why the heck would we praise him when there was an all-powerful God to pray to and stuff? Seriously, this was my thought process as a 10 year old. 

...

Now that I know Jesus... I've been humbled (a little bit, at least). The Holy Spirit showed me that even if I think I'm a lot better than a lot of people, in His eyes, I am no better than a murderer, and adulterer, or a thief (without Jesus). It's kind of like looking down on the earth from the moon. Whereas on earth, the mountains appear to be so much higher than the depths of the sea, from a galactic perspective, the seemingly great difference becomes utterly irrelevant.

[I had some panic about this for awhile. Once I realized I wasn't so great, I wondered, what if God didn't save me? To stand convicted and realize God's great salvation, and to believe that you may not receive it is horrifying. Condemned is a truly terrible place to be. Thankfully, some nice folks explained to me that the Holy Spirit brings conviction, and it is the Devil who brings condemnation. There was a spiritual battle going on, and I was able to fight through it.]

Now that I know Jesus and have accepted what he has done for me, I'm a lot less anxious. I have true peace and an anchor for my soul. Sure, I can still get worked up about things, but my identity is no longer in what I do or how I do it, who my friends are or my credentials etc. etc. etc. I am free to be honest with myself and with God because I know he already knows me completely. I have a well of forgiveness to draw upon, because I know how much God has already forgiven me. I have an eternal perspective and identity. No matter what I do, I know God loves me. I know that, as a good Father, God wants me to grow and mature and overcome sin and selfishness, and I have the promise that He will help me do this (Philippians 1:6). I know I have life in Jesus, through whom all things were made, because where God once saw sin and separation from Him, He now sees Jesus' perfect life, sacrifice, and love for me. I know that God is my provider, so I can work from a place of rest and worship. I know that God created me and has a purpose for me, and I find joy every time I get a glimpse of this. I'm not afraid of death, because I know that I have eternal life to look forward to where all of creation will be free to do our truest and most joyful work of worshiping God.

This good life I have found is in almost complete opposition to the 'good' (self-centered, self-seeking) life I used to strive for. And in an unexpected way, it's so much better. (And, hey, it's definitely more universally accessible!)

And you know what? God wants this for you, too. And Jesus already lived and died and was raised for this purpose in your life, too. He wants to give you a new life and a new identity as a child of God, in love, as a free gift. I hope you'll consider and accept it. He already accepts you. He wants you to accept him, too.

"And [Jesus] died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Corinthians 5:15 

God... wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. 1 Timothy 2:4-7

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What do you think? What is the good life you are striving for? What is your identity? What do you hope in? Can you explain the gospel in your own words?

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Let me know if you have any questions.

Grace, Part II

Here's are some things I learned about grace and about myself much more fully during my DTS. It's like this...

One day, I parked my car and when I came back from my errand I noticed a parking ticket on the windshield. Darn those Madison parking police! And can you believe, the ticket was for $828 BILLION DOLLARS. Outrageous. Unfair. I mean, I really shouldn't even have gotten a ticket, I only parked there for a few minutes and it really wan't like I maliciously parked illegally, and maybe the parking dude just messed up and put it on the wrong car or was checking the wrong side of street or something.

I do not want to accept that I did something wrong.

Ok, well, so I called down to the parking enforcement office and they explained about the ticket, and I guess they are right. It was trash removal day or something like that and so I really shouldn't have been parked in that spot between 7am and 8am. It's so frustrating. Oh well. I guess I do need to really admit that I messed up this time and get on to dealing with the ticket. It was odd, though, when I was on the phone with the parking office and they finally convinced me that I had parked illegally and I admitted it, they suddenly mentioned that Jesus had already paid off my $828 billion dollar ticket for me.

I'm not really comfortable with that, though. I mean, I totally realize now that I messed up, and really,  I have a job and if Mike and I both work really hard (and are very, very careful about where we park for the rest of our lives)... we'll save up our pennies and... Hm. No, I guess even then I probably still wouldn't be able to pay off the whole thing...  Sure, I've heard this Jesus is a great guy and probably has enough money to cover this ticket, but I really think I should pay for it myself.

I do not want to accept that someone else paid the consequence for something I did wrong.
(I feel like I should still be paying for it.)

But that's ridiculous. The ticket IS ALREADY PAID FOR. And, even if I wanted to repay it myself, I'd never, ever be able to. 

That is grace. 

That is what Jesus did for us. 

That is what Jesus wants us to realize and accept.

That is how much God loves us. 

That is freedom in Christ.

Christ paid it all. For every last sin. It's already paid for. He doesn't want you to be burdened by the debt anymore. Admit that you have sinned. Accept what Jesus did for you. Be free!

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 

- Galatians 5:1

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
- Romans 8:1-2

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. 

- Romans 3:22

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. 

- Romans 5:1-2

Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. 

- Galatians 3:23-25

Grace

Reposting a couple of my posts from an old blog because I think they belong here.
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Hi All,

I've been meaning to write about this for awhile now, but the stars have just now aligned properly -- I have my proper notebook, bible, and internet (as well as sufficient battery life on the computer). I pray that this will come out eloquently or at least clearly.

Grace. It's hard concept to get your brain wrapped around. It's definitely not how this world functions. Our church teaches a class about it. It's the foundational message of the gospel. Sometimes I think I kind of get it. Then I get a better glimpse and am further blown away. Here's an example...

Second Samuel chapters 11 and 12 tell an account of King David:

• King David finds himself attracted to Bathsheba, the wife of one of his soldiers, 
• so he calls her over and sleeps with her. 
• She gets pregnant. 
• To cover up the mess he's gotten himself into, King David sends a letter with the husband, Uriah, to his captain. "In it he wrote, 'Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.'" (2 Samuel 11:15). 

Apparently, even after sleeping with this man's wife and then having other people kill him to cover up for it, King David doesn't really feel bad about it. God sends a prophet to enlighten him. The words God uses to illustrate this point make me want to cry:
"There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The right man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup, and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him." (2 Sam. 12:1-4)

King David did horrible things. Numerous horrible things. And here is God's reply.

Brace yourself.

The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. (2 Sam 12:13)

Now, don't miss the fact that King David, slow as he was to do so, did recognize what he did was wrong wrong and repented. (Read Psalm 51 for more about that).

Ok. I don't know how you're feeling right now, but I actually felt angry when I read this. God forgave him? How could he forgive all of that? Why would he? (It wasn't that there were no consequences to the sin. There were. But there was also forgiveness and grace). It doesn't make any sense to us, because that's not how this world works. But that's how God works. Unbelievable.

A lot of times I don't know how to be "relevant" to people in terms of sharing my faith. But something I've seen again and again is the transforming power of God's grace.When you think no one could or would forgive you and realize that God already did. It's powerful. I think it's what people need.

I hope some part of that came across in a way that made some bit of sense.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited power as an example for those who would believe on him and have eternal life.
- The Apostle Paul in his first letter to Timothy

Time for bed.

Goodnight!

~Lauren

What I like about my church

A new acquaintance asked me the other day what I like about my church.

I surprised myself a bit by saying that I came to appreciate it a lot more after we came home from five months abroad at a missionary training school (read: a very stressful and difficult experience for me). I remember one of our first Sundays back from that trip sitting in church listening to the sermon in tears. Trembling.

Because God speaks to me there.

Jesus, through his Holy Spirit, was clearly speaking to me through the heart of the sermon. Answering questions and settling worries that were on my heart. His voice was loud and clear. He was confirming to me that this is where I belong. This is the place and time that he created me for. ("he determined the times set for (us) and the exact places where (we) should live." – Acts 17:26 (NIV 1984)) This is where the gifts he gave me fit. And I needed to hear this badly. He was ministering to my heart and healing my soul.

Shortly thereafter, a woman I used to serve with at my home church mailed me a note which also brought me to tears. She said welcome back and we can't wait to have you back at the ministry whenever you are ready. The Holy Spirit was continuing to speak through the body to further confirm His clear message to me. I created you. I gave you gifts. I created you for here and now.

You know what God was also saying to me? He was saying, "You know my voice."

I know God, and I experience him every day. And I regularly hear him speaking to me through the sermons, songs, and fellow Christ-followers at my home church.

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If you'd like to have a relationship with God, too, tell him that! Ask him to reveal what is true about him to you.

I'd be happy to share more with you about my life with God as well. Let me know if you want to chat!

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This topic makes me recall a sermon in which our senior pastor shared that following Jesus does not mean your life will suddenly be all hunky-dory. Far from it. But we can stand on God's promise to be with us through it all. There are many, many scriptures that affirm God's promise that He is with us. And Jesus is called Emmanuel, which means, "God with us." Here are just a few examples:

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:7-10

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, Ephesians 3:17

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17

Where do you find rest?

One of my idols is rest. Sleeping in. Snuggling under the covers. Napping.

As a new mom of two kids 2 year old and under, I can be desperate for rest. I can be anxious about finding it.

I forget that God is my perfect provider.

Even if I only get two straight hours of sleep in a night, God can ensure that I get the rest I need to face a new day. I don't need to worry about it. I can trust him for it.

Sometimes I feel like I'm resting by zoning out on Facebook or watching TV. On reflection, I find I usually feel just as drained afterwards. Whereas doing something productive, spending time with God, or actually sleeping are more restful to me -- I feel more refreshed afterwards.

What do you count as rest that is actually draining to you? What activities are truly restful to you? Are you able to trust God for the rest you need?

God, I confess I fail to trust you to provide me with the rest (I think) I need. Please forgive me and help me to find my rest in you.

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Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.
 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

How to Score Deals on Cloth Diapers

Find Sales and Discounts:

• Check out DiaperPin.com as lots of retailers advertise their sales there.
• Wait for holidays. Lots of retailers offer specials on holiday weekends. Black Friday, Mother's Day and Father's Day are big ones. Also keep an eye out on holidays you might not expect like Independence Day.
• Inquire about upcoming sales. One popular brand, BumGenius, tends to have a 'Buy 5 get 1 free' sale at least once a year. Retailers may also be planning their own sales. 
• "Like" cloth diaper retailers on Facebook and follow cloth diaper bloggers to hear about deals and coupons. I've read a few cloth diaper reviews and at the very end of the review found 5% off coupon codes for cloth diaper retailers.
• ALWAYS search online for a coupon code for your retailer before you submit your order! You may get lucky! (My hubby taught me this one!)
• Buy in bulk. Many retailers offer increasing discounts if you buy 3, 6, or 12 or more diapers. If your favorite retailer does not offer such a discount, try to find a place that does and request a price match. Also, if you place a large order, you may qualify to receive a free gift at certain retailers.
• If you are lucky enough to have a brick and mortar cloth diaper retailer in your area, join their mailing list and attend any special events they hold. I have received coupons and free merchandise this way. 

Buy Secondhand:

• Search your local Craigslist for the brand you are looking for or just do a search on "diaper" to see what comes up.
• Some cloth diaper retailers have Gently Used sections on their websites including Nicki's Diapers, Diaper Junction, and Jillian's Drawers. These diapers are often returns through the retailer's own short-term trial program, so the diapers are typically in Excellent Used Condition but are cheaper than buying new. If you have a brick and mortar store near you, ask if they have a gently-used section in-store. You may find some deals there that are not advertised on the website!
• Some websites are dedicated to cloth diaper resale including Cloth Diaper Trader, Re-Diaper.com, and Diaper Swappers. Diapers on these sites may vary from Excellent to Good Used Condition. Be sure to find out whether you will be responsible for shipping costs before purchasing on a resale site, as shipping costs can be significant.

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That is an initial brain dump on how to save money on the fluff you want. Will continue to add to this list as more ideas come to mind. If you have any tips, please comment below! Thanks!

Juicing, Diapers, and Jesus

Dark green lettuces – ¼ to ½ of a head
Escarole – 2 or 3 leaves
Beet tops (young inner leaves) – 2 to 3 leaves
Watercress – 5 or 6 leaves
Red cabbage – 2 or 3 leaves
Green bell pepper – ¼
Swiss chard – little
Green apple – 1

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I thought I'd probably hate juicing. Drinking green veggie juices. Yuck. Green juice even looks gross.

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I have a friend that literally cured herself from cancer through juicing and some additional holistic therapies (http://gerson.org/gerpress/the-gerson-therapy/). She blogs about her experiences. She posts on Facebook about her experiences, juices, why others should juice, the benefits of juicing, juicy-juice-juice. All. The. Time.

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I started juicing vegetables a few months ago, and I LOVE it. I now consume far more organic produce than I ever did before. I crave the juice. Every time I drink it I think, man, I wish it were less time-consuming to juice so I could juice with every meal. Yummmmm!

My friend asked today on Facebook what inspired others to start juicing. I honestly answered that her story and her many, many, many Facebook posts were the sole reason that I started juicing.

My friend's incessant posts popping up on my Facebook feed over about the course of a year slowly led me from considering purchasing a juicer ($300 on a machine to make juice that I didn't really think I'd like drink?!), to deciding to purchase a Vitamix (so I could prepare more healthy / raw foods... and maybe juice with it if I decided to), to finally attempting a juice with the Vitamix (I went for carrot-apple first, cause I figured if I couldn't down that combo there was no way I was going to like a green juice), to LOVING juicing, yes even green juices, and wanting to include more and more organic produce into my diet. My two year old son also loves his green juice, and that makes me feel great!

My friend effectively used social media advertising to lead me to change my lifestyle. And I don't think I'm the only one she has effected.
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While recognizing the power of one person's Facebook posts on my life, it's time to reflect on what messages I am putting out there. What are my posts, tweets, and blog entries promoting? What (if anything) do I want them to be promoting or discouraging?

I often want to blog about cloth diapers. And cloth diapering is something I'd like to promote. Though I fear blogging about products may promote materialism in me and others, the opportunity to help people save lots of money and to avoid putting thousands and THOUSANDS of disposable diapers in a landfill on God's good earth (~8k per child) tips the scales in my mind... though still with some reservation. And there are some potential health benefits to boot.

What my heart really, really wants to promote is Jesus. Grace. The pursuit of God. No reservations. But it feels kind of awkward to feel like I'm "advertising" Jesus.

I wish I could just be more natural and authentic about things. But the truth is I'm analytic and self conscious and I over-think things. If I'm going to post about Jesus or cloth diapers, I'm thinking about the people who might be reading my post and what they might be thinking about it. Except perhaps during those rare moment when I'm too tired to really notice or care what people are thinking.

But, Jesus is definitely worth sharing, even if it feels awkward. I once heard that on average a person needs to hear the good news seven times before they welcome it into their story.

It took way more than seven times hearing about juicing for me to change my lifestyle. It took way more than seven exposures to people who truly believe and live the good news for me to receive new life.

I am thankful for my friend's incessant posts about juicing, because it helped me make healthier life choices for me and my family.

I am SO, SO, SO thankful for the family, friends, and acquaintances* who were brave enough to share about Jesus and God's gift of grace with me, even when it probably felt really, really awkward for them to do so. And also for the love they showed to me. Because 'if they had spoken in the tongues of men or angels but did not have love, they would have only been a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.'

...

In conclusion and in full disclosure, I may be doing some Facebook posting about cloth diapering and about Jesus in full knowledge that social media advertising can change lives. I will try to do so in love. And hey, at least I'm being frank about it!

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(*That means you, brother Heath, sis-in-law Jacque, Nathan G., and others.)

Cloth Diaper Tip!

If your cloth diapers take more than one dryer cycle to dry, try throwing a dry bath towel in there with them!

I used to have to run an extra dryer cycle on my hemp Best Bottom inserts, but since starting to add a dry towel with them in the dryer, they come out dry after only one cycle! This is also exciting because dryers are one of the biggest energy hogs! Seriously, in Europe many people don't even have a dryer because they can't afford the energy bill to run them!