Scraps of Yarn and Intentionality

Recently, I wrote about how I am trying to be content. Yesterday, while standing in line at the craft store, I started chatting with the woman in line behind me. She was holding a giant stack of crafting paper books, leaning back to support the weight. A little wreath form was perched on top, and her phone was nestled in the wreath. Our conversation went something like this: 

"Did he just say there weren't any coupons on the app right now? I was sure I had a coupon." She shifted her paper stack to a knee and one arm and reached for her phone. 

"Are you using the 60% off paper coupon?" I asked her. "I saw it on my email and thought about getting some, but then I decided it was one of those things I would never actually get around to using." I adjusted my pinking shears and fabric cutting grid. I was building my stash of sewing supplies for a beginner curtains project for my classroom. 

She chuckled a little, looking at the pile of paper in her arms. I could tell the weight was starting to strain. "Yeah," she said, "I don't know if I'll ever use these..." 

Our conversation kind of died around then, because I was up next at the checkout and I was listening for the "I can help whoever's next." But, it got me thinking about some of my purchasing practices of late. I make an effort to buy things that I will specifically use, or for specific purposes, especially when it comes to crafting supplies. Part of it stems from the fact that I live in a fairly small house, and don't have a lot of extra space to store a big crafting stash. I also have recognized that when I find a new project, I like buying supplies specifically for that project. 

So, in my quest to be content, I've been trying to use up the scrappy, leftover yarn I do have before making a bunch of new things. Plus, I have a new classroom next year, and have been working on ideas to decorate it. 

Enter the bunting:  

I found this pattern on Ravelry, a website that has endless free and for purchase crochet and knit patterns. A designer by the name of Sandra Paul has created so many beautiful things. (I am eyeing her "Spice of Life" afghan for a future project...) I love looking at her work. The colors are gorgeous and so very cheerful. On her blog, she has a pattern for Granny Triangles. Let's just say  I was inspired...

It all started by trying to use up the leftover turquoise yarn from a blanket I made for my cousin's baby. 

I hung it up in my living room to see how it looked, and decided I really like it there. (I usually open the window shades, but it back-lights the banner and makes it hard to photograph.) Then I said to myself: these would make a really cute classroom banner... and I pulled out more of my yarn leftovers and started to work.

I was going to take the turquoise banner to school, but I kind of like it in my living room. I am planning to add some triangles of robin's egg blue fabric to the solid colored banner, along with (possibly, if there is enough) triangles of the flowery fabric I am using for the curtains in my classroom. 

I am excited to see how it all comes together. I'm trying to use up what I have and purchase supplies for specific purposes in the future. I'm trying to be intentional, and not find myself with a trunk full of yarn I really don't like but feel obligated to use because, well, I bought it for a really good deal. 

On Minimalism and Our Walk with Christ

I wrote the following words a while ago, but I have not been brave enough to publish them here. The minimalism movement has been growing strong on the internet. I feel like I've been watching the movement develop for longer than the mainstream, and a few of the philosophies that have arisen from it cause me some concern:

Today, I am writing to my fellow Christians, to those of us that desire to follow Christ in all that we do.

It seems like there is a lot of talk on the web about living a minimalist lifestyle. I confess, there is much about throwing off the chains of possessions and living free from the responsibility of stuff that sounds very attractive to me. And all those tiny houses are so stinking cute!

The ideology that "less is more" is popping up all over the place, and is even beginning to resonate in the church. I have been intrigued with simplicity and minimalism, and have spent quite a few hours reading, watching videos, and studying what exactly is meant by minimalism, and how it manifests itself in everyday life. In my study of this philosophy, I have found those that claim the Bible teaches that believers ought to live a minimalist lifestyle. But, I'm not convinced that the Bible actually promotes this.

I believe that God has a different calling for each of his followers. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." My life won't look like yours, your life won't look like mine, and that's okay. God has called me to serve him in one way, and He has called you to serve him in another.

I don't believe the Bible tells us to live with less stuff so we can do what we want, when we want to do it. If anything, it tells us to simply do what you have been called to, live for Christ, regardless of your circumstances. I think the tendency with minimalism is to cause the pursuit of less stuff and more "living" to become your new "love of money" - your new distraction from that which God has called you to do. In minimalism, there is a lot of emphasis on counting items - getting rid of so many things from your home, tracking what you've gotten rid of, counting how many items you have left. So much focus on things... I feel as though we're missing the point. We are not to pursue less stuff, we are to pursue Christ.

Recently I heard of "experientialism" - the idea that life is not about stuff, but about experiences. It sounds good. Rather than fill my life with material goods, I'm going to pursue experiences. Those that live this way have travel itineraries that will surprise you; they take their kids to zoos and museums for their birthdays, they give tickets instead of presents. It sounds fantastic, and yet, I hear the writer of Ecclesiastes shaking his head and whispering, "I tried that, too."

The Bible does have something to say about what we own and how we spend our time:

1. We are to be content with our circumstances, whatever they might be (content and thankful!). (Philippians 4...)
2. We are to be good stewards with that which we have been entrusted. (Matthew 25...)
3. We are to be generous with what we have been given. (Mark 12, and others...)

If I am content with my circumstances, I will not be pursuing that which I cannot afford. If I am a good steward, I will take care of that which I have been blessed with... material possessions, health, time, and relationships. If I am generous with what I have been given, I will look at the world around me and find ways to use my possessions to bless others.

These principles, these attitudes toward our possessions and the physical blessings that God has granted us (because "every good gift is from the Lord") are not the same as the minimalist lifestyle; they can apply to those with many possessions and to those with very few. In fact, there are examples in the Bible of both very wealthy (many possessions) and very poor people (few possessions) having strong relationships and faith in God.

Moreover, Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." Is my faith and trust in the Creator of the universe? Or is it in the number of items I have tossed in the "donate" box in the garage?

As I considered these three principles (be content, be a good steward, and be generous), I realized that I needed to spend some time searching my heart:

1. Am I being content? What are my areas of weakness here?
2. Am I a good steward? What gifts have I been given that I could care for more consistently?
3. Am I generous? What more could I give to those in need?
4. Am I trusting God to meet my needs? Or am I seeking to set myself up for earthly success in how I spend my time and money?

Before you jump to live with less so you can live more, be more, do more, stop and consider whether that is really in line with the good work God has prepared for you. Take a moment to clear the clutter from your heart, and take the time to cultivate attitudes of contentment, stewardship, generosity, and trust in that space. It is there, in the tidied up heart, that you will begin to find that peace that cannot be found in the bare mantle or clutter-free closet.

I can't say that I'm perfect at living these principles. But, this is what I'm pursuing: not less, not more, but contentment, stewardship, and generosity grounded in the Word of Truth, seeking God's glory above all else. Will you join me? 

Libraries

The last few weekends we have had beautiful weather. In this time we have

1. Planted a row of arborvitae to provide privacy to the patio and something to look at out our dining room window besides our neighbor's drying laundry.
2. Raised up the flower bed under the living room window to help define it and tidy the front of the house.
3. Put in a flagstone walk from the street to the front door so guests don't have to squeeze around our car in the narrow driveway.
4. Added one 4'x8' raised bed to our garden, along with a 1.5'x8' bed for growing cucumbers. I planted a few starts, but still need to get some seeds into the ground this year. 

My amazing husband toiled long and hard chopping up and moving sod for each of these projects.  I am so blessed!

As a treat last weekend, we walked downtown to the public library. I had a library card when I was a child, but haven't darkened the door of a public library in years.  I don't think I considered it enough of a priority to mess with it.  But lately, I've had a desire to be more intentional about the things I purchase.  I've also been interested in finding more healthy meal ideas for us to add to our menu. So, for a fun, free afternoon outing, my husband and I hiked down to the library and signed up for library cards. 

We found two recipe books that looked like they might have some options for us to try.  My menu for the week includes a few of the items from the books, including a tofu rice pudding.  I made it last night to eat this morning with breakfast. It was light and sweet and made a nice addition to the meal of English muffins and strawberry-banana fruit salad.

I also found a book on compact home solutions that intrigued me.  I love looking at house plans and decorating magazines, books, and blogs and daydreaming about ideas. It really makes me want to live in a loft apartment... but then, I also really want to move out and have a cute little home with little bit of property to grow veggies and a few fruit trees. We'll just have to see what happens when the time comes.

We looked for a few other books that the library didn't have.  We may be able to request them, but I'm not sure how to do that yet.  I am excited, though. I can see trips to the library becoming a regular weekend adventure.  At the very least, we will need to go again in about 2 1/2 weeks when our books are due!

Simplify...

I just spent the weekend away from home.

My husband and I, in honor of our upcoming anniversary, took a few days and escaped to the coast, staying in a state parks cabin and hiking and strolling the beach between rain showers.  We had beautiful weather on Sunday and took a 10-mile round-trip hike from our cabin out to the end of the cape and had the joy of spotting dozens of whale spouts.

We spent the weekend in an itty bitty cabin, free of clutter and the stuff that surrounds us every day.  It had three rooms: a main living area with a futon, tiny kitchenette (complete with refrigerator and microwave), table and chairs; a sleeping area with a double-single bunk bed; and a bathroom. We took basic bedding, kitchen, bath supplies, a few books, several dvds, some yarn and knitting needles (to practice - I'm learning how to knit!), and some board games.  It was so relaxing.

And, we spent the weekend talking about what it might look like to simplify our lives.  What if we lived with less... stuff?  What if we made a conscious effort to not fill the space we live in?  What if we didn't seek a bigger house when ours started feeling full, but rather looked for ways to cut back on the stuff filling it?

So, here's my goal, a New Year's resolution, if you will: Get rid of stuff.  My plan is to start in the kitchen, with that one drawer. (You know the one - it has all the different utensils, measuring cups, spatulas, spoons, etc... you have to dig to find the tool you're looking for...)  Our local homeless ministry has a thrift store from which the proceeds go to supporting the homeless mission.  Whatever I can't give to friends, we will box up and donate there.

I am excited, overwhelmed (how can so much stuff accumulate in two years?!), and ready to make some changes.  Who's with me?

O Tannenbaum...

I love Christmas trees.  I could sit and stare at the lights on a Christmas tree for hours, mesmerized by their beauty.  As a child, I used to love sitting in the living room with the room lights off, gazing at the tree and the patterns made on the ceiling from the colored lights.

With Christmas just around the corner, I wanted to write a quick post on inexpensive ways to decorate your Christmas tree...

Here is my tree this year:

I find tree skirts to be extremely expensive.  Last year I bought a 70" diameter round red tablecloth at an after-Christmas sale for about $10.  This year, I folded the tablecloth in half and then draped it around the base of the tree.  I'm really pleased with how it looks, and if I ever decide to change it, I can use the table cloth for something else!

My mother's tree growing up had crocheted snowflake ornaments on it every year that have been in her family for a while.  I like the look, so I wanted to make some for my tree.  I found two different patterns online via Ravelry (love that site) and came up with these.

The ribbon on the tree is left over from my wedding.  The "tree topper" was a pew bow that my mom rescued after the ceremony.

My husband found a set of house numbers in a drawer when he moved to our house in years ago.  I love the shape of these numbers, so I decided to hang them on the tree, too!  Someday, when we live in a different house, we will have something to remember our first home by...

The red wooden bead garland was an after-Christmas special last year, as well.

In an effort to add more hand-made to the tree, I found an origami dove video on YouTube and made six little white doves for the tree.  They look a little bit like they could be mistaken for humming birds... hmm... The peace doves are significant at Christmas time, because we celebrate the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, the Prince of Peace.  We can rest in His peace...

I also have mini cookie cutters and real pine cones (wedding leftovers) adorning my tree... These speak to my childhood family Christmas tradition of making sugar cookies and my love for hiking and nature. :) 

Hope you find some ideas here you can use! :)  And Merry Christmas!

Giving Thanks - A Tradition...

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays when we set aside specific time to remember and be thankful for the ways we have been blessed.  For the Christian community, we thank God for His working in our lives, reflecting on all he has done on our behalf, and looking forward to the ways He will continue to work in the future.

Having only been married for just under two years, my newly-forged family is still establishing our traditions. I wanted to come up with a significant thanksgiving tradition, because I believe the holiday is significant beyond the turkey, stuffing, and relatives gathered around the table.  So, this is what I've come up with: 

I'll call it the Thanksgiving Journal - each year, each member of the family will put an entry in the journal of things for which they are thankful from that particular year.  As the years pass, we will be able to look back and see how God has been at work in our lives.  As our family grows, children can participate, too.  We can read the year's entries around the table before pie or around the fire before bed, making a point to give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever (Psalm 136). 

All Decked Out...

Yesterday something wonderful happened.

Yesterday I finished staining the deck my husband built. He finished putting in the railing on Saturday.  It rained Saturday night.  Yesterday I broke out the brushes and finished staining his masterpiece.  I am so proud of him.

I wish I had a "before" photo, but I don't.  I always forget to take those.  But about two years ago, my husband tore the itty-bitty deck off the back of his house.  Over the next few summers, working on free evenings and weekends, he has designed and built something beautiful.

When you step out onto the deck, it's like walking into another room.  The pergola overhead and the lattice screen create a sense of privacy and escape.  In the fall, you can reach up and pick apples off the tree from the deck.  The clematis we planted is already starting to string through the lattice.

It has been a lot of work, and there are plans in the works to put a patio in the crook of the L next summer, but in the meantime, it feels good to sit back and enjoy the beautiful deck my husband built.  I am blessed.