I'm No Princess

My husband and I were talking the other evening about the view that parents give their daughters and how some young women are very immature even those reaching mid 20's. Our discussion started out with the new disney movie Frozen. I went with my sisters to see it and he and I plan on watching it when it comes out on DVD,  I have been raving about it and listening to the soundtrack incessantly for the past two weeks. He had asked me why I liked it so much and my response was, "well it's not about the romance, it's about relationships." He agreed that this would definitely be refreshing  since the Disney Princess stuff is really getting old.

 It saddens me deeply that young women have grown up thinking that they they are a princess who will meet Prince Charming one day and he'll whisk them off to his castle where they will live happily ever after...Do parents not realize that this view on life is not going to lead them to a Godly man, nor will it help there daughters to become morally, upstanding women? This "Disney Princess" outlook on life is unrealistic.

 Reality is that things have to be worked towards, no one is really born to privilege, even someone who is born to wealth has to learn how to read, write, do math, etc as well as learn true wisdom. Nothing is free in life and being born means that you have one privilege, and that is that you were put on this earth for a reason. If you want a good life you will have to work for it and even then you may never attain it. A good king may have done everything right, even a had a very good queen, but things may not work out. But that does not mean that they did things wrong. Just because you never acquire health, wealth, a career you love, or a place to live, or anything that you desire, that doesn't mean that God is punishing you for a "bad" life. But, I am getting off track and that is another blog post.

I have had my fair share of "reality" and reality is that if you want something bad enough, you have to work for it...it doesn't just fall into your lap and rarely is anyone born to wealth. Saying your a "princess" is saying to me that you were born to privilege. I was born a sinner and I don't "deserve" anything aside from hell and damnation. But God in His grace and mercy has allowed me to become His child, I am an adopted daughter. 

I am no Princess, I am a Queen. A Queen accepts and knows that she has responsibilities. She is there as her Kings helpmeet, they are equal as people, but two very different people who make up for each others differences or faults. They work together to make their kingdom a better place to live, a healthy environment for their children/future children. God made me uniquely and specifically for Josh, so that I could serve his specific needs and the same goes for Josh. They both give 100%.

 Josh calls me his Queen, not because I deserve it, But, because I am his wife and I do all that I can to help further his kingdom as well as the kingdom of Christ. Josh did not inherit a kingdom, his parents raised him with a good work ethic and he has worked to acquire this kingdom, I was no princess that he rode in on a white horse to save (that doesn't mean he didn't come in and sweep me off my feet...because he did do that).

 I too had worked to try to become a good wife for whomever the LORD had in store for me. I am a queen to him because I respect him and help him in his kingdom. It's something that I work towards, It holds lots of responsibility. Being queen means that there is a lot of day to day decisions that have to be made, I have to be wise and frugal with the money that he makes, a bad decision on my part may or may not mean the ruination of our kingdom. He has many responsibilities, as do I.

Now, realize here I am only using myself as an example because I have nothing else to use. I can only give you personal experience. I am not trying to toot my horn or flash any light on myself. God knows I have already done things in my marriage that I regret, but both my Husband and Christ are gracious and have given me so much forgiveness.

I urge you daughters, work towards one day being a queen, put any thoughts of being a princess behind you.

I urge you Mothers, and future Mothers to train your daughters as future Queens, leave the "Princess" label for those who have no intent of raising Godly daughters.

"That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." ~ Titus 2:4-5 ~

I would much rather be queen of this man's home and serve the LORD, than to be a princess and live a meaningless ungrateful life

And So Began A Courtship...

For many of you who have kept up with my blog/s for the past four years you know that I was single, and that one of my highest desires, aside from serving Christ was that a good and honorable Christian man would find me, ask my Father for permission to court me, and one day marry me. Well over the last three months the first two have happened.

Meet Josh...

We've been courting for almost three months now, here is how things unfolded:

On April 17th, 2013 he approached my Dad about forming a friendship with me. I had no clue that he had asked, though that evening I had a feeling that he would. When my Dad came home from Men's meeting he said nothing and acted normal, so I just thought I was wrong.

On April 20th, 2013 my Dad sat me down and told  me what had transpired. I talked it over with him and asked for some time to think and pray about it.

On April 21st, 2013 I prayed a lot and the Lord brought to my mind a prayer that I had prayed back in late February. I knew that Josh was interested, I am not quite sure when I became aware of this. I know it was confirmed when my brother mentioned it in March before he left for Marine Bootcamp. But I had prayed that if this was the man God intended for me that he would continue to pursue me. I had somewhat forgotten about this prayer because I did not want to be all consumed by something that wasn't to be. I left it in the LORD's hands. I had a long walk/talk with my Dad and afterward I decided that this was of the LORD.

April 22nd, 2013 - My Dad called Josh and said that I was willing to form a friendship as long as it was done privately and no one but immediate family knew about it. This was something that unbeknownst to me, Josh had already expressed. We did not want to cause drama if things did not work out within the first weeks.

April 23rd, 2013 - Tuesday Night Volleyball, our first time seeing each other after deciding to form a "secret" friendship, it was so funny and weird being around all of our friends yet knowing that we were beginning something. We hardly made eye contact, but that evening Dad gave us permission to talk via facebook PM and it was so relieving and fun.

April 26th, 2013 - His Mom (Lois) and Dad (Don) came over and it was the first time that we had been together...Lois kept the conversation moving, I really appreciated this. She is a wonderful woman and I really knew that we would be great friends after that night.

May 16th, 2013 - Many things happened from that time to this. Sibling night, family movie nights, walks, talking for long periods of time, etc. I was in constant contact with my brother (who was in Marine Bootcamp, as I mentioned above) about what was going on, I wanted him to be in on it and have some semblance of a say in the matter. After much prayer, talking with my Dad, my sisters and writing to my brother Dad and I asked Josh if he would be willing to go into a full fledged courtship, he whole heartily agreed.

May 20th, 2013 - I told two of my closest friends, I so loved being able to tell them in person and see their reactions.

Ever since things continue to get better and better. I can truly say that Josh is my best friend and that is the most important thing I think that you should have in a marriage. I am not saying we are there yet. We are taking things slow and easy, enjoying getting to know one another, having fun, being with each others family, working together, studying the bible together, praying together, etc.

I believe God brought this man into my life and I am constantly praying that His will be done in both of our lives and that He would give us strength to do those things that He wills. I desire everyone's prayers. I know this isn't exactly a story, it's more of a timeline...maybe down the road I can give more of a story form...but for now this will have to do to fill everyone's curiosity. 

Herbal All-Natural Home Cleaning Series - Part 5 - Dishwasher Tablets

"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands."
~ Proverbs 31:13 ~ 



I am having so much fun finding these recipes, trying them out and then (if they work) handing them over to you. This week I made dishwasher tablets, you know like the finish or cascade products...except these use all natural ingredients.


Let me tell you when I first found this recipe I was a bit skeptical. The reason? When we'd run out of our Finish Powerball Tablets I would make up a recipe that I found online for a powdered dish detergent that was suppose to be natural and replace a cascade type powder. But, it didn't work near as well as the Finish product. The recipe I was using contained borax, baking soda and washing soda...some of the same ingredients in this recipe.  So, when I started out on this I almost hated to make it, I was so afraid that I would be wasting so many things. But, since we are here you can tell that I really liked the finished product.

The best thing about this recipe is that it is so cheap to make and you probably have all the ingredients to make it right in your pantry, laundry room, or fridge. The best part is the money that will be saved by using this recipe.

The only thing that I had a problem with in this recipe? Waiting. I am not a patient person and having to wait three, or four days was torturous to me. But, it was all worth it and it'll last me probably 3 weeks or more. If I were you I'd buy up some extra ice cube trays and make a bulk batch. I have already made two batches and I am planning on doing another as soon as these are through. I want to make as many as possible so I won't have to worry about it for awhile.

So, are you ready to make some dishwasher tablets?

What you'll Need:

3 - 16 cube ice trays1- 55 oz box of Washing Soda ($3.24)

1- 76oz box of Borax ($3.38)

1- 2lb carton of Epsom Salt (.88c)

1- 32 oz bottle of Lemon Juice ($1.98)

2 Gallon Bucket

Glass Mixing Bowl

Tablespoon

One Cup Measuring Cup

Metal Spoon

Disposable Gloves
Metal teaspoon

 

Directions:

Use 2 gallon bucket to mix all dry ingredients.

 

 

Measure out 2 cups of dry mixture into glass bowl, add lemon juice one tablespoon at a time, I think I used about 10-12 tablespoons. Stir together with metal spoon until it begins to clump.

When it is a slightly sticky consistency use teaspoon to measure out and press mixture into the ice cube trays, use only one teaspoon per cube. Put trays in your car window in direct sulight, or if you have solar dehydrator that will work just as well. Make sure you bring them in before night fall or the moisture in the night air will re-wet them and undo the work of the day.
>>Cautions<<
If you need to use your hands please put on gloves because this mixture will dry your hands out.

They will need to sit out for three to four days to completely dry out, once they are dry, flip the trays and tap the bottoms, they should fall out. If some of them crumble then take those and use mortar and pestle to grind it and then place in a parmesan shaker, use an abrasive cleaner.

As you can see I put my tablets in an ovaltine container, but you can use a half gallon mason jar,

an oatmeal container, or even a plastic bag.

I decided to "try" to do a pretty label, but that is optional ;)

 

Cost:

 

Total: $9.98

Multiply total batches by how many tablets made in one batch. Then divide total cost by the total number of tablets

8x48 = 384.

9.98/384 = .02599

 

Total cost per tablet: .02c

 

If I buy the normal dish tablet at our bulk distributor I pay almost $15 for 120 tablets (and that's a deal compared to what they cost at the supermarket: $4.99 for 20), that adds up to .12c a tablet, so just by making your own you save 10 cents a tablet and you save 36.60 on all 384 of them. You could buy a nice meal for two or get a good pair of shoes (on sale of course) or put it in your bank accout and save up for something nice.

 

Results

My dishes were clean, I would say that my tablets did just as well as anything on the market, and here are a couple of pictures to prove it:

As you can see we load our dishwasher to the brim, no space left. A side not, but helpful hint from an appliance repairman's daughter (me): If you can't spin the arm after both racks are full and pushed into the dishwasher then your dishes will probably not be very clean. Just a free tip ;)

 

I hope this has been a very helpful post and if you have any ideas for a natural cleaning recipe please send it to me and feel free to post pictures on my facebook page. Please leave comments about your successes or if you have a question.

 

Also, if you are wondering why I posted this so early it is because I am going on a much needed hiking trip with my best friend...so, have a great weekend and continue in all your frugalness ;)

 

Learning to be a Proverbs 31 Woman

Herbal All-Natural Home Cleaning Series - Part 4 - Fabric Softener

One way to save money in the spring and summer?
Hang out your laundry.
 

"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil."

~ Proverbs 31:11 ~

 

 

All of us in this economy are trying to find ways to pinch pennies, my latest thing has been couponing, although my latest guilty pleasure has been to watch one or two shows of Extreme Couponing on Netflix, I am not really an extreme couponer. Although couponing does get my adrenal glands pumping, it's not exactly what I call fun. So, the more I can keep from couponing the better off I will be (or let's just say, the better off my nerves will be). In today's post I am going to give you a recipe for fabric softener, but I am also going to give you mathematical equations for figuring out the exact cost of your own recipe, so you will know exactly how much you are saving.

 Since I started this series on Herbal All-Natural Home Cleaning, it really got me to thinking of all the endless possibilities for us to make ALL of our own products at home. So, since my last post, I have been scrambling and scrounging and researching trying to find out how and what I can make and trying those recipes out and figuring up the costs, so that I can give you a cost effective recipe.

 This one I got excited about because it's something that I have never made, but for the past 6 or 7 years I have used vinegar in my wash as the softener, and vinegar is one of the main ingredients! The number one reason I love this recipe is because it is (of course) all-natural. But, the other reasons are because the essential oils I used are anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and all around they are just good at cleaning, it's CHEAP, it's so easy to make, and it makes my clothes smell divine!!!

Beside the ingredients I have this mathematical equation:

 cost per oz of product  x how many oz of product you are using = cost of amount used

 

Let's get started, shall we...

 

So, you will need:

 

6 C. Distilled Vinegar (.008c oz x 48 =.42)

1C. + 6 C. Water (.005c oz x 56 = .28c)

1 C. Baking Soda (.78c oz /2 = .39c)

20-40 drops of Essential Oil (.35c lemon +.45c tea tree = .80)

Large Bowl

A Gallon Jug

A Funnel

Place baking soda in the bowl, add one cup of water and stir to dissolve the soda.

Begin adding the vinegar a cup or two at a time (if you remember from science class this causes a chemical reaction which is the reason you need a big bowl and patience).

After adding all six cups of vinegar, finish up by adding water and your favorite essential oil/s
 

 

 

 Stir the ingredients and try to dissolve all of the baking soda. Now, place the funnel in the mouth of the gallon jug, pour the mixture in. Label and add these instructions to that label: Add 1 c. per load.

 

Personal Experience

I personally used Lemon and Tea Tree essential oils (a half and half mixture) because lemon has a great scent as well as the ability to help remove grease and grime and be a great "extra" cleansing agent. I used tea tree because of it's anti-bacterial properties and it's ability to remove foul scents. But, most people use lavender and that is probably the cheapest way to go.

I used this in all of my laundry and to me it did feel like my towels were a lot softer, there was also less lint than normal. I am not sure, but I think that the vinegar helps with minimizing the lint, but please don't quote me on that ;)

Cautions
Be careful with the mixture because it can be pretty drying to your skin. Although natural, the mixture of vinegar and baking soda is harsh on your skin, though it does not burn or do much damage (other than drying it out a little) please be careful, if you do spill some on you just rinse off and if your skin feels dry put some natural lotion or just some plain coconut oil on it.

>>WARNING - PLAIN LANGUAGE AHEAD<<
Another caution that I would personally give...don't use on underwear if you have sensitive skin.
 I ALWAYS wash underwear in a separate load of clothes and I do not use anything but mild laundry detergent on them. If you must ask why, it is because some people can be very sensitive to something
as natural and good as vinegar or any kind of product that has strong scent, natural or otherwise (just like some people are lactose intolerant, that doesn't mean that milk is bad for everyone).

Just because it may irritate certain areas doesn't mean it is bad for all areas, so I use it in all other laundry loads just not underwear loads.

 If you and your family have never had problems then I would say it is safe for you to wash whatever you want with it.

 

 

Cost/Savings

The total cost of my recipe is $1.89 for 95oz, a bottle of name brand fabric softener at walmart of 90 oz  costs 6.97, which makes for a 75% savings and probably more if you don't use the exact same essential oils that I did.

 

Do the Math

Do the math for any recipe, so you know exactly how much it costs to make:
 

1 C. = 8oz (approximately)

16 oz = 1 lb

128 oz = 1 gallon
 

Divide the cost of product by how many oz are in your whatever you bought and you will get the cost per oz. then multiply by how many oz you used.

 

Example:
 

Distilled Vinegar

Cost: 1.20

1.20/128 = .008 x 48 = .42c

 

Here is how to do the math for your essential oil usage:

1 oz (essential oil) = 600 drops. Divide cost by 600 drop.
 

 Multiply by how many drops you use (in this case 20) and you have the approximate cost of oil.

 

Example:

 

Lemon essential oil

Cost: 10.80 for 1 oz

10.80/600 = .018 x 20 = .36

 

 

 

Wow, I hope you are enjoying this series as much as I am. I am so glad that I can share all these natural home cleaning solutions. I am so excited about bringing you next weeks post. Please feel free to adlib to this recipe and let us know how your recipe turned out and how it worked for you. I would love for you to post a picture to my facebook page of all of your natural home cleaning products that you have made so far.

 

Learning to be a Proverbs 31 Woman!

Herbal All-Natural Home Cleaning Series - Part 3 - Non-Chlorine Bleach

I always enjoy finding a new thing that will make our house less toxic and more natural, but I really get excited about it when I find something that uses things that have a normal space in my spice rack, my pantry, my fridge or even my medicine cabinet.

 For years I have used chlorine bleach in my laundry (more or less for whitening the whites), for cleaning my kitchen, bathrooms and other areas that were hard to clean. But, did you know that bleach is not actually a cleaner? It is actually a disinfectant. So, are there natural alternatives to chlorine? I have often wondered and since becoming an herbalist over three years ago and just now learning about and becoming a consultant with Norwex I have tried to find ways of cleaning our home without using harsh chemicals.

Why Not Chlorine?

Chlorine is a chemical made up of a sodium hypochlorate and water solution, exposure to too much of  this solution can cause tightness of chest, coughing, burning sensation in nose, throat and eyes, blurred vision, nausea, burning pain, redness, and blisters on the skin if exposed to the gas, skin injury similar to frostbite if exposed to liquid chlorine, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath (may appear immediately if high concentrations of chlorine gas are inhaled, or may be delayed if low concentrations of chlorine gas are inhaled), fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) within 2 to 4 hours.


Just so you know, I have had many of these symptoms while just cleaning our kitchen sink and I would have to go outside to get fresh air. I don't use an over abundance of chlorine, but I am sure I have over used it at times just trying to get something cleaned that was stubborn.


Why Keep Chlorine in My House?
 Now, before completely taking chlorine off your shopping list let me give you some survival advice. We keep chlorine in our home because if some type of disaster were to happen chlorine will be your best bet for cleaning contaminated water if there is no natural way of cleaning the water (and believe me, there are many ways to keep you from doing it naturally). I stock up on it when it is on sale for .99c at the store, so I have about 20 bottles in my laundry/pantry right now. I would never be caught without it, but I don't use it on my clothes and I definitely do not use it to clean with. Understand that I am not saying I would drink it every single day, but in the occurrence that a disaster were to happen, water would need to be readily available for cleansing wounds as well as hydrating everyone. So, I would drink chlorinated water if it was absolutely necessary to keep me hydrated.

** PLEASE consult survival guides on how to use chlorine in your water BEFORE a disaster occurs so that you know what ration to use when the time comes, you wouldn't want to poison someone**


How to Make Non-Chlorinated Bleach:

What you will need:

- 1 C. Hydrogen Peroxide
- 1/4 C. Lemon Juice
- 12 C. Water*

Combine in a half gallon Mason Jar (available at Ingles or online). Use two cups per load of laundry. If you would like to use as a household cleaner place in a spray bottle and spray where needed...you can use this in place of Lysol on hard surfaces.

I put mine in a washed vinegar bottle because

all my half gallon mason jars are in use.

 



I have an HE washer and so it is hard to add two cups to the load unless I just dump it in the drum, which is not advised in your washer handbook. I add as much as possible to the bleach container then I close and reopen it, usually this triggers the latch at the back to open and let out the "bleach", so just continue doing this until you have put in as much bleach alternative as you want and then press start. If you have a normal top load washer just place the bleach alternative in the correct outlet.

What are The Ingredients? And Are They Natural?

Hydrogen Peroxide - more properly called oxygen water, on the table of elements it's H2O2, so there is an equal amount of hydrogen and oxygen. It is a natural disinfectant and has been commonly used in households and by doctors for generations as a medicinal product to clean wounds.

Lemon Juice - A naturally acidic fruit, the essential oils and juices from the lemon have been used for ages to clean and disinfect (why do you think lemonade was created?).

Water - I don't really think this needs an explanation ;) But, I'll give one anyway. From the creation of the world, water has been used as a cleaning agent and is the most natural cleaner anyone could use.


Cost

Hydrogen Peroxide - $1.99 / 32oz  = .06c oz  x 8 = .48

Lemon Juice - $1.99 / 32oz = .06c oz x 2 = .12

Water - .88c / 128oz  = .007 x 96 = .66 **
_____________________________________________
                                                                   Total: $1.26

Clorox bleach from wal-mart cost an average of $1.93 for a half gallon, but remember you use a lot more of this than you would chlorinated bleach so therefore you really don't save anything, except maybe doctor bills.

*I used distilled water for two reasons, a. because we are on city water, b. I thought it would work better chemically (not that I am any kind of scientist or chemist, I just know from soap making that using tap water or well water can ruin a batch of soap because of the chemical reactions to minerals in the water).

** since I used distilled water I counted the cost of it.

Results:

Here is a picture of socks (as you can tell these were worn by someone who likes to wear socks without shoes) before and after I washed them in the alternative bleach.I didn't use the recommended two cups, I know it would have done a lot better with two cups, but I washed these with colored clothes and I didn't want to bleach the colored clothes. Try it and see for yourself.

before

after

Not as Man Seeth



 I want to write this post because of my friends, I love them and I want them to know that I love them and how much God loves them.

 Lately, I have noticed that many of the girls that I am around are having trouble with their body image. So, today I was browsing through blogs that I follow and found this encouraging post. The reason it was so encouraging is because it sounded just like me, it made me think that it was about time to tell my story. This is not really my story, it's Christ's work in me, therefore it is His story.


If you've known me for more than two years you may remember me as this:

not a great pic I know

You see, this picture not only represents me from that day, or that year, but really what I felt was a good portion of my life, from 15-22 (really only 7 years, but crucial years of a girls life). I got this way first, because I didn't know the love of Christ and secondly, because food was my god, it comforted me and made me forget that I was lonely and motherless.

 This picture was taken on January 17th, 2011, the day I started my "diet". As you can see, this was my before picture, I would take one every five weeks so I could see my progress. It took me five months to lose sixty pounds. But, I didn't exactly do it the healthy way.


When I became a Christian at the age of 20 I knew my life was going to change, I was going to change. I had been raised in a Christian home and I knew the so-called ins and outs of being a "christian", but when I repented and gave my life to Christ little did I know how much harder, yet easier things would become. He gave me a new vision, a new reason to live. I realized I was no longer living for me, I was living for Him. Oh what a joy it was. But, the flesh would pop and say "me, me, me" and sometimes I would follow it. How dreadful it seems in hindsight that we follow the things of the flesh when Christ has given us a much higher road, though harder, it is much more profitable.

When I started dieting I was doing it for all the right reasons, I knew that what I was doing was offensive to the LORD. I was over eating for pleasure. The Lord does not call us to this life for pleasure, he calls us to serve him and in no way was I serving him through my lips. I kept a journal of all I was doing and all that the LORD was teaching me. It was very hard, but so very easy with the LORD on my side.

But then the flesh kicked in. People started noticing how much weight I had lost, they noticed that I was getting smaller and smaller and unlike all the other times I wasn't giving up, I kept going. People told me I inspired them. All these things made ME feel really good, it made feel like I was worth something. People liked me now, they paid more attention to me.

I was so focused on me that I got off track, not only with the LORD but with my diet as well. Instead of eating good wholesome foods and eating enough I ate only enough to give me energy to get through the day. I did this for a couple of months, I lost weight but I felt horrible while doing it. I knew it wasn't right. Thank the LORD he convicted me of it before it became a disease.

It has taken me almost two years to get back on track and give my complete focus to Christ. I weigh approximately the same as I did when I finished my diet. I have had my ups and downs. The past few months have been "downs" and I gained a few pounds, but the LORD is good and He, as always has seen me through and here I am about to run a 5k.

I still have a problem that I will carry throughout my life and that is caring way to much about what others think of me and the body God gave me. I know there are people who probably judge me because I don't look like a fitness model, or because I don't look like a fashion model, or because I am what they see as the"skinny girl". But I doubt that no one can judge me as much as I do myself. Sometimes I give myself living hell, but God did not call us to Him because of our bodies and the way we look. He called us because He loves us, no matter what. He sees our hearts and that's what I try to look at when I look at another person.

                                            This is me just a few weeks ago, just to give you an idea of what I look like now.

Now, as for diet. I do not condone over eating, although I still do it from time to time (LORD help me),  the bible speaks of gluttony in a very bad light. But, I don't judge people on how they look. Many people are bigger and eat a very healthy lifestyle. God made everyone different sizes and I love that Jesus Christ shows such diversity in His Creation.

I have said all this to say this because I think that I can speak to the young ladies with body image problems, they will listen to me because I have been on both sides. So to the young ladies with body image problems:

Dear Young Ladies,

You are so beautiful, and I understand how you feel when it comes to your body. You look in the mirror and you see this body that doesn't look like the picture in the magazine, that piece of skin there must be fat since it isn't muscle or bone. You look at yourself and you wonder why you can't be "normal"?
 Did you know that those women that you see in those magazines, on tv, they don't make up even half of the population. These women starve themselves and/or workout 10 hours a day. You have so much more to do in life than to worry about every single morsel of food you put into your mouth. Jesus said "is not life more than meat" and by this I think He meant you have more in your life to do than to worry about how much food you have or how little, God's work needs to be done either way.
 Your body is a beautiful thing, it's something God made for you to give to your husband one day. I do believe it should be kept up. Don't just let it go, but don't let how you look take over your life. There is so much more to beauty than just your skin. God created you, he knew what He was doing. Don't question why he made your hips so big, or why you have a smaller bosom than someone else. God made you just the way you are and He loves you.
 If you feel that food is a temptation then pray to the LORD about it, he says in His word "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." God is not weak, He is the epitome of strength. He says in His word that through your weakness His strength will come through. He also says "  Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.". God does not save us and then leave us alone, He is walking right beside us helping us along. He will not leave you.
 If you do have a problem with your weight then you need to go to the LORD about it, I like what Betsy Ten Boom told Corrie Ten Boom while they were in Ravensbruk "Corrie, there is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still.". There is no quick fix, there is no magic pill, it didn't appear overnight, it's not going to disappear overnight. Don't constantly focus on you, keep you focus on Christ and His word, when you feel  hungry read His word, or if you are busy doing something quote scriptures to yourself.
 No one is perfect, but the human race is constantly seeking perfection without Christ. But, they will not find it. Your perfection only comes through the saving grace of Jesus Christ your LORD. Love the body He has given you, take care of the temple that contains the Holy Spirit. Don't worry about tomorrow or what it holds focus on Christ and all will be well.
 I Love all of you young ladies so much and I would hate to see you at such a young age be taken off track by the devil and his demons by such a small thing as self hate and food. REMEMBER that God is sufficient, He is the only thing that can fill us completely, the only thing that can comfort us completely and the only one who can use us entirely. Serve Him, Glorify Him, Praise Him.
I Love you and if you ever need to talk to someone I am here. Just email me through my blog and I will be glad to talk with you.
Blessings in Jesus Name,
Elisha


“Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”  
~ Corrie Ten Boom

Matthew 6:24-34 , 1 Corinthians 10 , James 4, 1 Samuel 16:7

Herbal All-Natural Home Cleaning Series - Part 2 - Powdered Laundry Detergent

"She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple."
~ Proverbs 31:22 ~

I know that to many of you Momma's out there washing is probably the biggest chore you have, especially if you have a lot of littles running around changing their clothes needlessly or playing outside and getting them dirty. Many times at our house laundry piles up, even with just five adults. I also know that it can be costly to buy "nice" smelling detergent unless you can get just the right coupon at just the right time and just the right sale price too and even then it's still not what we'd like it to be.

How would you like to make your own laundry detergent? It's so easy that the children can help you put it together, yes, it's that easy. Plus it takes no time at all.

 What you will need:
- 4 bars Organic Castile Soap (preferably unscented)
- 1 78oz box Borax
- 1 55oz box Washing Soda
- 3 T. Lavender Essential Oil,
- Grater
- Measuring spoon or food processor
- Container to mix and keep detergent in
- Mixing spoon

Now, where can you find these products? Well, I make the organic Castile soap and I have linked it to my website, it is very cheap and it is all natural. Now, borax and washing soda can be found in the aisle of you local grocery store or supermarket, though at times it can be very hard to find, it seems they try to hide it from us. The essential oil I buy from beeyoutiful.com they are both pure and undiluted as well as cost effective, you'll need two bottles since 3 T equals 1.5 oz and these bottles are only one oz bottles.

How to make it:

1. Grate the castile soap, it's quite easy, just like cheese. Make sure the husband or children don't come through and grab a handful thinking it's cheese, they'll get a surprise. *If you aren't going to be using a food processor, it probably best to grate it as small as possible, so use the "fancy" cheese grater*

2. Measure and pour all ingredients into a food processor or container your going to be mixing in. Mix the ingredients really well. If using a food processor it's better to pulsate the mixer than to let it continuously run. If you're not using a food processor then this can take up to 15 min to mix, because we want to make sure the essential oil gets mixed throughout and doesn't stay in just one place.

3. Pour the mixture into an old laundry detergent box or a cheap Rubbermaid container with a lid.

4. Use your detergent. 2 Tablespoons of detergent per load. This recipe is safe for HE washers.

Cost:
Castile Soap $14
Borax approx. $5 (or less)
Washing Soda approx. $4 (or less)
Lavender Essential Oil $15.00

Total: $38

This will last up to 288 loads, therefore the cost of this product is: .13 a load, the cost of normal laundry detergent per load? Tide is approx. $17.97 for 143 oz and it is suppose to last up to 90 loads which makes it .19 a load. So you save .9c a load.

NOW, if you would like to make your loads even cheaper here are a few tips:


Think Ahead -  make sure you think ahead to the next time you're going to making laundry detergent, buy extra essential oils so that you will have to pay shipping one time (beeyoutiful's shipping is a flat rate so you will pay the same price if you buy 1 or 10).

 Choose Cheaper & More Effective Oils - instead of using Lavender oil (which is one of the more expensive oils) you could use a mix of Lemon and Lemongrass or Orange Oil, these are cheaper oils and they have extra cleaning power to clean your clothes!

Find A Cheaper Supplier - Try to see if you can find a supplier that sells borax and washing soda for a cheaper price than your local grocer, but remember, if your ordering online to add in the shipping cost.

Try a Different Product - if you want you can use Baking Soda in place of Washing Soda, I only recommend this if your clothes are not heavily soiled. Baking Soda works pretty well if your clothes don't have a lot of dirt on them.

Use Other Natural Products - To make washing your clothes even cheaper add 2 T. White Vinegar to your load for softening and extra cleaning power. This will not make your clothes smell like vinegar, but it makes them very soft.

Have FUN being all-natural and making your own

Laundry Detergent!!!