Be Ye Separate

A frame of mind

Blessings!

   I have been pondering, for many weeks, about some things that the media has been reporting on. As if there isn't enough bad news out there right?

   What I've been pondering on is the housing market, the economy, the rationality of people in general. Here's my point...

   I know someone who lives in a beautiful house, lots of lovely furnishings, many many toys (quads, sandrails, skidoos, ski mobiles, and the list goes on) and several new to nearly new cars. Her husband has a wonderful job, she works outside the home while someone else raises her children all to help her husband to pay for all these things. Today I spoke with her and you know what? They are losing it all! Every last bit of it! They don't "own" a single thing!

   Now this friend is a very long time friend. She knows how I have felt about her outlook on certain things so it's no surprise when I have to bite my tongue to bleeding to prevent myself from saying "I told you so!" She and I have spoken about her "situation" for many many years. She would nearly pay off a car and just before she did it she would trade it in on something knew and have a new payment all over again obligating her family to another 7 years!

   They owe more on their home than the home is worth! They can't possible get out from under this house nor can they catch up with the bills that are sadly sucking them dry. They pay the minimum payment on all credit cards and charge accounts so they are simply paying interest on the interest and compounding their debt.

   Today she was angry, frustrated and kicking herself. But not for the reasons you might think. She is doing all this because she thinks she should have gotten a few more things before deciding to declare bankruptcy so she could "own" them. Ugh! She just doesn't get it! Her husband doesn't get it! It's not like they haven't talked to us about all this in the past asking us how we manage to not be in debt and still have things. We tell them. They ask advice how to stop what they are doing. We give it. They ignore it because they found "such a great deal" and couldn't resist!

   Why is it that people everywhere and especially Christians, have such a frame of mind of acquisition over common sense contement? Why are people so weak as to fall for that "gimmegetmebuyme" philosophy? What are we as a society doing to the children when we show them such examples? And why are families so surprised when their young children have no remorse over broken things, they have no respect for personal property let alone anyone elses? They are a disposable generation!

   We are debt almost debt free with the exception of our one car. How? It was a long and hard road as we came from that worldly place of "things". We fell flat on our keesters from debt, repossession and humilation. Aside from having a few doctor bills that need paying we are now debt free. At this time we don't even have a mortgage because we are renting. We don't WANT a mortgage! We are saving to purchase land outright and go from there. We want to "owe no man".

   Our children have come a long ways in understanding the responsibility of providing and budgeting so your family has all they NEED. This doesn't necessarily mean we get all we WANT. Unless our wants line up with our needs we simply don't have it:)

   It's nice to have things, don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with having pretty things to look at. There's no sin in having a home with decorations and such. But when those things become so important that you schedule in shopping sprees and sales at special stores but forget to pray diligently every day and get into the Word then you are sinning! You are putting things before God. You are creating an idol to worship. A god! Again...I know...we were there. Our God is a jealous God. When we put things before Him and created our god leaving Him behind, he took it all away. It was humbling, I was hurt, angry, sad and humiliated. After all the dust cleared...I still had my Father in heaven. He still loved me. He was there to pick me up and dust me off and show me where my priorities were and where they should be. I am thankful.

   Being out of debt isn't that hard. It's time consuming, and one must discipline oneself or it won't work. One must desire to be free of the worldly weight of acquisition. Keeping up with the Joneses as it were. If we could do it anyone can:) As I said the only thing we owe on is our car. However, with the doubled payments we will be out from under that in just 18 months instead of the 7 years loan they gave us. We chose the longer loan because the interest rate was lower with no payoff penalty. But that's another post:)

   Our last payment for a doctor bill will be in June. No interest mind you, just a straight amount as my husband had to have a procedure done for his eye over the last two years and it hasn't been inexpensive. Even with our insurance, this has been costly. These types of things happen but we don't consider that to be debt but rather paying for services rendered. It's the credit cards, the revolving accounts, the interest rates of 18 -30%!

   I am content to be at home taking care of my family and home. I am content to have what I need to feed us, clothe us and keep us warm. I couldn't bring myself to give my children over to someone else to teach them THEIR beliefs and values. Even Christian caretakers can be counter to what we believe for our family. Again, this is for another post:)

   I just wonder what it is that we as a people have been thinking that we cannot or will not be content with our basic needs. Why must we desire more than we are able to really afford? I am so blessed that our family has figured it out for ourselves. We are content in having only our basic needs met. Does that mean I don't go shopping or barn saleing and pick up little things here and ther? Of course not! But I don't NEED to and I can turn my back on buying something. Especially when I have to look at the money in my hand and ask myself..."Am I justified in purchasing this? We have a little extra and we are not jeopardizing our budget...but am I still justified? Or should I put that little bit of money away for a rainy day?" Let me just say that I have a special can with rainy day money...and no, I couldn't justify the purchase:P

   I used to have a system for deciding on purchasing things. I would ask myself if I could make it myself. Usually the answer was yes. Then I would ask myself if I WOULD make it. Usually the answer was NO! So I would buy it. Now I use the same formula only my conlusion is different. Now I ask could I make it and the answer is yes and would I and the answer is no. So, if I'm not willing to make something I COULD make then I must not want it badly enough to have it:) So I walk away:) It has saved me countless amounts of dollars:)

   Our outgo on purchases throughout the year is so much less than it was 10 years ago. Our budget has allowed us to put away money for purchasing our land one day. Cash! What a blessing it will be to hand over that money for something that I truly can't make myself...land! God has been so good to us and He has really shown me how to do it better.

   Take a look at your own finances. Take a look at your income vs. your outgo. I bet you could do like we did and cut your outgo to half of your income allowing you to put away so much more than you imagined:)

   Well, that was my ponder. I wonder if society will ever become really conscious of their needs vs. their wants. It's more than a frame of mind, it's a mindful deed.

God be with thee!

Sister Lori

Can't sleep as usual:P

Blessings!

   Well, I can't sleep again, as usual!:P It's times like this that I am usually found at my computer writing on my manuscript. Well, I did that for awhile and emptied my brain so now I figured I would visit here for a few minutes before turning back into bed:)

   Someone made mention how I am still unpacking. Yep it's true...I'm still unpacking:P We began our move the 1st of January. We finally ended on February 11. Now we weren't actually still living at the OLD place after the 2nd week of January but we didn't get the rest of the stuffs from the garage and barn until the 11th. Largely that was due to weather conditions. We had several days that we were snowed in here on two separate occasions and then another two days of heavy fog and ice kept us here. But I digress!

   After having taken 3 car loads to the second chance shoppe I was beginning to feel overwhelmed with all the boxes and wondering what was wrong with me that I didn't have everything unpacked and organzed and all that "normal" stuff. It can get frustrating over time when you feel like you'll never be completely settled.

   Well, today I had to take Brother Craig in for another injection in his eye as well as the tri monthly tests, dyes and pictures etc. Long morning. We finally did get home to find my dear friend and her children here visiting with our daughters:)

   It was a planned visit but WE were a little late because of the eye doctor being behind schedule. No harm:) Anyhow, as usual, I had a great time. It's not often that I get to visit with like minded folks and they are wonderful folks.

   She and I ran to town to order a pizza. While we were waiting for them to make it we went to our second chance shoppe and looked around. I found another basket for my bathroom shelf that will hold a few necessaries and a very sweet dress for our Mary-Ann. But this isn't the point...the point is we had a chance to just gab about things. I mentioned my little frustration over the boxes still needing unpacked. She is alway sweet to mention the changes she sees when she comes over. This lets me know that I am indeed making progress:) Anyway, as I said, I mention being frustrated over the boxes STILL full and she reminds me that we moved from a HUGE house to this little one.  

   I already knew that but sometimes I have to be reminded:) Well, she made my whole week:) With all the fretting I was doing I had let it slip my mind that I am trying to go from a 2700 sf house to a 1250 sf house. Of COURSE things aren't going to "fit".:P The three carloads (mind you I have an excursion which is just a newer/fancier suburban) were filled from the back door to behind the front seats. That's a LOT OF STUFF!

   I have to keep thing in perspective for sure. I still have quite a bit to go but really what I have isn't all that much. Let me explain...I have a small mountain of boxes in my frontroom. Those boxes belong in the sewing shed. The sewing shed is still full to bursting because I haven't gotten those unpacked and organized out there. Why? Because it's been raining and snowing for weeks! I can't get the things out of the shed and set outside so I can organize the insides of the shed so I can get those things back inside the shed and put away because it's too wet! This can only mean one thing...the things in the frontroom can't be moved out there because it's not dry enough to put away what is already in there!...make sense? Probably not, but I get it and that's all that really matters, right?8^D

   Well, the long and the short of it is, I'm not insane, I can make this fit and it will all get put away in it's proper place in due time:) Oh sure, I still have a lot that is going to be taken to the second chance shoppes and mission, and that will happen in due time. I still have organizing to do in some rooms like the kitchen, mudroom and frontrooms but it's all coming together, even if it IS slowly.

   Oh...did I mention our meat birds are here?:P Yep! Those are now residing in my mudroom for the moment. I keep reminding myself it's only for a few weeks and in 8 weeks they'll be in my freezer! Can't wait:)

   Well, now that I've cleared that up in my head, I guess I'll head back to bed:)

   Have a very blessed and safe weekend. I'm watching it snow even as I write. I think I'll get back under my warm covers and snuggle till daylight:) HOpefully I'll get a few moments of actual sleep before that:)

God be with thee!

Sister Lori

Reorganzing in a new place

Blessings!

   It's that time of year again, when we begin to get cabin fever. We begin to look at what has happened over our winter when we seem forever sequestered into our homes. All the indoor activities that we've done including, but not limited to, cleaning, crafting, tasking, projects etc. now need reorganizing. Our go-downs are emptying because our winter is nearly finished and it's time to start planning to restock it for the next winter, not to mention our summer:) At least it's the way it is for me:)

   Having moved to a new house in the middle of our winter upset the fine balance I have in my routines and organization. Not that it's insurmountable, but it's definitely something to keep me busy for awhile longer. The comfort of our winter time activities was seriously offset by these disturbances to our life and lifestyle. We are, however, recovering nicely and now for our new organizing endeavor:)

   I have always had a go-down. Well, until we moved here, that is. We have no such thing here and so we must utilize what space we do have. It's a challenge but not one that we cannot overcome.

   My jars no longer have a tidy place to be and so I must figure out what can work without looking like I am cramming things in. I am not so fixated on cute but I do like to avoid things being an eyesore. Asthetics is partly what helps us all to enjoy our homes and makes it inviting to our guests. It is important to me that my rooms are not "noisy".

   What IS important to me is utility and functionality. I like to have things in an orderly way and easily reachable. I like to have useful things rather than just decorative things. Not that I don't have decorative things mind you, but most of my decorative things are useful as well as nice to look at:)

   Often, folks tell me that my cupboards are more like a "store shelf" than a kithen shelf. I think it's mostly because I have like with like. For instance, my canned goods are organized into categories and within those categories are specifics. Keep in mind that these are not my bulk, dry goods.

   For instance, canned beans! Beans is my category. Within that category are black beans, kidney beans, refried red beans, refried black beans, pork n' beans, and the list goes on. I have a minimum of a dozen cans on hand most times. Each can is dated on the day of purchase and as others are purchased when there is a need those cans are dated and put to the back so as to use up the oldest ones first. Same with corn...creamed corn, whole kernel corn, hominy and so on.

   This way I can keep track of all our canned goods at a glance. This then leads to my shopping lists which I keep in a convenient place where I can mark every day what I've used. Then when it's time to shop, all I have to do is grab the list down and write down how much I need of each item. I'll go over my shopping list in another post.

   Organizing my kitchen is very important to me. I have done many things over the years to accomodate my desire to keep things orderly and at arms reach. Not just for me but for my family. They all know what and where everything is. If there's an empty space, then we definitely don't have it. There is no searching to see if it's among other things because it's always in the same place each time. So if I want creamed corn for a meal or receipt and all I see are whole kernel then I know I have none at all. There is no sense in tearing apart cupboards (and thereby disorganizing everything) because I know it's not there:) I can then choose to make creamed corn or I can choose to wait and purchase it.

   This also brings me to my quarterly menu planning but again, I'll save that for another post:)

   I don't know that anyone is interested at all in how I organize things but I would be more than happy to share it. It's really rather easy and once it's in place it's easy to follow and stay organized:) Many folks want a quick fix to organizing but that's not realistic. Organizing is a step by step process that has to fit in your schedule, your lifestyle and your temperment. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. It is entirely dependent upon space, time and desire.

   Well, I suppose it's time for me to get back into that kitchen and do a bit more. After all, it's important to me that it be user friendly:P

God be with thee!

Sister Lori

Organizing? Hmmmm!

Blessings!

   Over the last few weeks I've been spending time in doctors and dentists offices. Not for me, of course, but for the girls and husband. Having nothing better to do while waiting, what do you think I did? Yep...picked up a magazine or two (or 20:P).

   I always avoid those magazines that are obviously filled with tripe and depressing misreported issues like People, Soap Opera Digest, Glamour, and other such things and newsie types like Times and on and on. Seems that's practically all that's available these days for "light reading" in a waiting room.

   Well, our dentist is Christian and so are all his staff. This means that the types of magazines are a lot more wholesome for sure. And the doctors office, although they still have some of the tripe, they also have the more gentle family oriented types like Family Circle, Better Homes and Gardens, Highlights and more.

   I'm not touting that the Family Circle and such don't have their downsides but for the most part it's usually a cover story that gets my attention. Things like "101 Refreshing Lemon Recipes", "How to Clean Your Toilet and Like it!" and many others.

   These past few weeks I've been seeing the ideas on organizing crop up over and over on the covers. Of course, I pick them up and usually giggle my way throught them. Why? Because it has become inherently obvious to me that society's idea of organizing and a homesteaders is as different as night and day:P

   The dentist and doctor will xerox off copies of articles that I find in them so I can take them home and peruse them at leisure. Sometimes an idea will grab me and I see what I can do to twist it and mold it into something that will work with our home. And sometimes it's just a good giggle over supper to share these silly ideas.

   The last one that I picked up on Saturday afternoon, after sitting at the doctors office to take care of some medication issues for my husband, was all about organizing a pantry. I didn't get to read the entire thing so I handed it to the gal at the front desk and she copied it for me to take home.

   Yes I know it's silly but we've been going to this doctors office since it opened as an emergency clinic and is now a regular office after 12 years:P It's like being among family:) We meet most of them on the outside in social situations. Nuff said.

   Well, this particular article had my attention. Not because I don't know how to organize my go-down (pantry) but because we are in a new place that doesn't actually have one and this was one of those that creates something out of nothing and I thought I could get a few good ideas. 

   It turned out to be a good giggle, yet sad too. Sad that this article was really directed toward the NONhomemaker. It was clear that whoever would utilize this is not someone who actually cooks at home very often. Probably has 2 children and works outside the home. Not because it's necessary but because they can't stand being around their family and "need a break". But I digress.

   Here's a few things that were mentioned. Fill 7 different baskets with 7 different suppers. All the ingredients for each meal. It gets left on the shelf and when you use that meal (remember each of the baskets have a day of the week written on them)   Once it's empty you then fill it with the next weeks (on that day) meal.

   While this was an interesting idea, it used up valuable space inside the go-down. Not practical for the homesteader for certain. If that wasn't enough there were some other baskets that were labeled with things like "midnight snacks", "unexpected company", "slumber party" etc. These would be filled with snack type foods that you could pull out at a moments notice without having to think about what to do if someone just shows up or there's an impromptu slumber party or get together.

   Again, while it was an interesting idea, it took up more valuable space. Space that I could see would hold an insurmountable amount of canned peaches, peas, beans, applesauce, applebutter, pears and soups!

   Then I noticed something in the picture that puzzled me. I read into the article about it and was flabbergasted! Now, explain to me how and why it would help to organize your go-down if you have a riser shelf to put your canned goods on? This thing was a miniature bleecher! Allowing your canned corn and porkNbeans to cheer on the sidelines of your go-down! The article told how you could then see your cans in the back so you know what you have in your go-down.

   No I don't know about anyone else, but my mind is reeling over it. Why would I need to know what was in the back of my cupboard? AFter all, my cans are lined up from front to back with like product so that if I see what is on the front edge, I know what is agains the wall behind that...the same thing!

   Why would I waste the space beneath the cans with air when I could have cans (matching of course) UNDER those cans! This was obviously NOT the go-down of someone who cooks and bakes at home for real. This was the go-down of someone who eats out most nights, has food in the go-down for academic reasons (and lets not forget asthetics!) ugh!

   Don't get me wrong...I keep my small bags of beans and pastas in storage containers in my go-down so they don't slide all over and it keeps critters out.

   I have been organizing my go-down for many many years now. I don't have all the answers but I can make a LOT fit in a small space. I have learned how much and what to keep on hand for our family and how to store it to keep it safe from critters, bugs and rot. 

   I don't take magazines anymore and haven't in some 11 years now. Primarily because of the lack of edification in them as well as the "articles" that seem to be of more interest to many than the actual "helpful ideas". And the helpful ideas have gotten more and more silly and shallow while the less informative articles have grown to outrageous proportions as they cater to the sinful and lustful needs of many.

   It's sad to see that family, home, marriage, raising a good, productive and moral child, and spiritual values have fallen to the wayside and give way to the lusts of the flesh and the eye, to fallen marriages and families and sinful lifestyles. Glorifying these things because that's what society wants to  know and hear to make them feel better about their self serving lonely lifestyles rather than challenging them to a better and more reponsible and accountable way of life.

   Perhaps there's more than just go-downs that need organzing? Hmmm!

God be with thee!

Sister Lori

How Do You Do It?

Blessings!

   I am asked all the time..."How DO you do it?" My response is always the same..."Do what?":P

   Our decision to "go plain" wasn't an easy one. Well, it was easy just not easy to DO:P Living the way we did it wasn't exactly where I expected to be now in my life but guess what? Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans:)

   Many folks talk about how to "organize" their homes and lives. I see lots of references to lists, books, chores etc. I used to think this was the only way it would work and if I couldn't keep up then it wasn't for me.

   This is what I've learned. I am not a list kind of person. I cannot follow a list because life gets in the way of completing it. I do not make promises. I get discouraged when things don't fall into place and that list could go on...but let's stop here for now:P

   I am often told how someone fell in love with "flylady". I had no idea what that meant so I decided to do a little search on it...and you know what? She really exists! It's not a horror movie!:P Just another woman who wrote about what worked for her:)

   I used to be the "self help bookworm". I had every book imaginable on how to's. How to organize your time. How to organize your children. How to organize you husband, family, home, appointments, responsibilities, animals, farm, car, baby, plants, thoughts, prayers, friends, neighbors (yep there is really one for every one of these out there:P). I had them all, I read them all, I threw them all out! Ugh!

   I spent more time READING about organizing that I did actually DOING it! Worse, no matter how hard I tried to copy what each of these books told me, the worse I felt about being a wife, mother, daughter, friend, sister, female! I decided I had no skills as any of these and figured if I just retired from the human race it would be better for everyone including the human race!

   I kid you not, it set me up for a downward spiral into depression and feeling of complete incompetency. I knew I would never be good at any of them. I couldn't complete a list, fulfill an obligation or balance a bank account! I was a complete failure at it. Nothing worked right. If I made plans for my week, I could look back on that week and see how 2 out of 30 things actually got accomplished. For instance...I wrote out a list that entailed the details of things to do. This way I would be sure that I got each little thing done and ultimately would feel successful...theoretically anyway:P

   Here's what one of those lists looked like (yes I'm writing an actual failed historic list from 8 years ago)...

1. get up and dressed

2. make bed

3. make coffee

4. pull bacon from icebox

5. place bacon in pan and turn on low

6. rouse children

7. turn bacon

8. have first cup of coffee

9. pull eggs from icebox

10. remove bacon to drain

11. crack eggs into same pan and cook

12. set on table and call children

13. encourage children to get dressed

This list went on but let me say that the only thing that got done on that list was the coffee and the children up:P

   I tried putting it in a better order to make it look shorter and thought maybe that would help. The second attempt got my bed made, coffee made and the bacon out of the icebox which ultimately ended ruined because I got a phonecall that morning before the children were up and I forgot it when we had to leave the house suddenly. ugh!

   No matter how easy I tried to make these lists it simply didn't work for me. I was so depressed and anxiety ridden that I was ready to throw in the towel, hire a maid and crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head and never come out!

   Finally 6years ago I decided that lists just weren't my bag. It wasn't possible for me to make a list and stick to it. Why? Because life is what happens while you are busy making other plans. So many things could and would interfere with my "plans" and at the end of the day I would look at my unfullfilled and unproductive day.

   On that day 6 years ago I stepped back and made a list of things that I had DONE that day. I was really shocked at how much I had actually accomplished! It was a dawning that helped me to see that a list was setting myself up for failure. After all I wasn't a stupid woman. I wasn't a lazy woman, I was just expecting too much and not allowing my own common sense to guide me:)

   I took down all the chore charts...I HATE chores!...and threw away all my lists and anything else that limited me in my day. I sat down and wrote down my objectives and my goals. Reading over these I saw that I was really already doing these things and that I was OKAY! I was MORE than okay! I was terrific!

   I gathered the children together that night along with my husband (we had talked and prayed earlier about it together) and we let the children know that they were going to be given a "job". Not a chore but a "job". We assigned each child a "job" that they would have for 6 months. Aside from taking care of their own personal things such as making their own beds, dressing, bathing, brushing teeth, clearing their dishes from the table after meals, scraping their own dishes and rinsing them and setting them in a stack, doing their schoolwork, picking up after themselves, they would have one "job".

   For me, this would require a "training period". Just as anyone who is hired for a job they have never done, I, being the "boss", would train my child to do their "job". This took a week or two (depending on the age of the child and their ability to catch on) and soon I was left to my OWN jobs:)

   Before long, I found that my homekeeping and mothering and wifing was basically all common sense and nothing more. It wasn't necessary to make a list to tell me when to wash a dish, make a meal, wipe a nose, pick up, sweep, mop, or anything else around my home. All I had to do was wake up in the morning and do my routine just as I had been doing all along only I didn't realize it!

   I hear this one complaint from nearly every woman I speak to who asks me to "organize" them..."I used to be so good at this until I started having children. Now I just can't keep up!" Hogwash! Of COURSE you can keep up! It's simply common sense. And as each child comes of an age you can employ them to help! Teach THEM common sense!

   Do you really need a chore chart or list to tell you when to bathe? Or when to make a meal? Or when to kiss your husband? Of COURSE not! Rely on your common sense. You still have it...it hasn't gone anywhere. YOu don't need a list to tell you when to use it:P

   I organize lots of women. Lots of women ask me to "help" them but really all I do is help them to help themselves. I show them that they already DO these things they just don't realize it. They don't give themselves any credit. They only look at their to-do lists and see where they have failed.

   Yes we all have to work around our routines to allow for those little interuptions like doctor/dentist appointments, friends who need an ear, time to spend with family etc, but it doesn't prevent us from having things in control.

   I just have to say that I do not feel overwhelmed like I used to. I do not feel like I"m a complete failure anymore. Oh sure, sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed when something out of the ordinary gets in the way...like moving:P but that is short lived and before long my routine is back in full swing and life gets calmer once again:)

   I have other pointers too but for now, I'll leave it here. If you can't seem to finish your list, if you can't seem to accomplish anything, if you feel overwhelmed. If you think you are a failure. Do yourself a favor...tear up that list and enjoy your family. Tomorrow isn't going anywhere. Sit down tomorrow and write down your goals and objectives. Read them over and see how much you actually DO accomplish (even if it's just a small part of it), then tear it up and get dressed, make that pot of coffee/tea, and start your day:)

   God be with thee!

Sister Lori