Why I dress the way I do (note from Facebook)

Here is the note from Facebook. I wrote it in two parts since it wouldn't let me write a note that long. :) Enjoy!

Wow. So someone actually REQUESTED for me to write a note! I guess people do read these things. Let me first state that I am typing this on a Treo (which is not easy) so forgive any mistakes. Well, the subject of this note is pretty self explanitory. Let's dive in! First- the head covering. Turn to 1 Corinthians 11 and read verses 1-16. I've heard many, MANY arguements against the head covering (i.e.- it's cultural, the hair is the covering, we are to only cover in prayer) but if a person digs into the greek (the language the Bible was originally written in) these are not so. And trust me, I dug deep. It wasn't like I joyously embraced the idea of wearing this thing full time! It was a struggle. But I just couldn't find an arguement that disproved what I was finding. If you know of one, let me know! My goal is to pursue truth, not be right! If anyone wants me to get into more detail let me know and I will. I have a fantastic article I could send you.
Obvious issue #2- the dresses. Turn with me to 1 Tim. 2:9. See those words " modest apparel"? Look it up in the greek. The word is katastole. Do a little deeper digging and you will find out that a katastole is a two part " flowing garment (aka- a dress). One part to cover the nakedness of the body and another part to cover the form. Ladies, I must say, It's good to cover your skin but let us also be aware of how form fitting our clothing is. As a christian my purpose is to bring attention to Christ and not to myself. Does that make sense?
Turning our attention to the men's side. Many of you have probably noticed that John wears suspenders and a beard. Turn to Hezekiah......just kidding. It's not there. Actually no where in the bible does God tell men to do this. John does it for me. Obviously, I stick out. John doesn't want me to go through it alone. Another reason is because we want to be seperate from the world. Face it, fashion is worldly. If you disagree, then I believe you are terribly deceived. And the bible tells us not to be worldly.

Who knew facebook mobile had a limit as to how much you could type?? Continuing on... I hope I am not offending anyone here. These are just convictions that I have been wrestling with for several years now and am still learning. As I said before, if anyone disagrees and has good reason, tell me! I want truth, not self glory. Also, I am not insinuating that anything other than a cape dress ( that is the official term) is sinful or worldly. This is just the most modest thing I have found, thus far. Some have said (including me,at a time) that God doesn't care how we dress. He looks at the heart. And I both agree and disagree with that statement. God has given us His Word as a standard of how to live. The bible says that Jesus did so many things while he was here that they couldn't even all be written down. So, my question is: Why would God waste His breath with these verses that DO instruct us about dress if we are not to follow them? But at the same time a cape dress and covering alone are not going to get you into heaven.
I really do hope people are not getting angry. Funny, but I've had the most opposition from Christians. John 14:21 says, " He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." It was VERY hard for me to get where I am today. I couldn't even explain if you asked me to. But, I see now, how my choice to dress in this way brings glory to Him and not me. So! There you go. All 3 of my faithful readers! I could get a lot more detailed with it all. I wish ya'll lived close. We'd have a good ol' bible study! If anyone has questions or comments, throw them out there. Let the truth be known! Thanks for reading. God bless!

Amanda

Question #2

Happy Sunday everyone! We were richly blessed at our church today and I hope you were too! I want to continue answering the questions that were left for me. So...

What helped you make the decision to forego department store clothes for you and your girls? Was it faith-based? Was it financially-driven, or perhaps for modesty reasons?

The answer- Yes, yes, and yes! A while ago I posted a very long note of facebook about the spirtiual reasons of What helped you make the decision to forego department store clothes for you and your girls? Was it faith-based? Was it financially-driven, or perhaps for modesty reasons?why I dress the way I do. It's a good read and I encourage everyone to read it. If those of you not on facebook would like to read it just leave me a comment and I'd be glad to post it on here. In my opinion, modesty goes right along with the spiritual reasons. And the financial blessing is an added bonus. :) But, trust me, it was an issue that the Lord and I wrestled with for a long time. It wasn't like I woke up one morning and decided to go out and dress totally different than everyone I knew! You'd better believe I felt a strong conviction!
My goal in life is to glorify God in ALL that I do. Even when it comes to my clothing. I don't want to bring attention to myself or be in the latest fashion. That brings praise to me...not the Lord. The dresses that I (and my girls) wear are modest, plain, and frugal. Allowing me and those around me to set their minds on the things above and not of this world.

Hope that answers your question! Again, I totally recommend reading the facebook note, it goes into a good bit of detail.

Thanks again for reading!
~A

Question #1

Thanks for all of your fun questions! I love any opportunity to have to reflect on the "how" and "why" of the way I live. I hope I never get to the point where I am just going through the motions! There were a couple questions about my church life, so I thought I'd answer those first.

The questions were:

"Is your denomination or community Amish? Do you consider yourself Amish? How are you accepted or not accepted by those in the very traditional Amish community?"

Honestly, I kind of shiver whenever someone asks me my denomination. I call myself a Christian because I believe the way I live isn't because I'm trying to fit into any specific denomination but because these are the convictions that the Lord has laid on my heart. It is my personal opinion that denominations are a very sneaky way that the devil has found to seperate the church....but that's just my opinion. With all of that being said, the church that I attend is an anabaptist church, more specifically an Amish Mennonite church. But don't let the "Amish" word scare you! When most people think of Amish they think old-order Amish (horse, buggy, no electricity, etc.) We are a conservative group but would still have electricity and other modern conveniences. Theologically, we are very different too. As far as how we are received by other groups...well, I'm not too sure. Amish in general are very friendly and welcoming, at least the ones I've met. There are so many different types of Amish groups that it would probably vary from group to group.

"Do you actually live in a geographic "community" of sorts? Or does everyone in your church just live wherever they want?"

Yes...and no. :) When the first group of people came to Montezuma (which is a very small town) in the 50's they bought up a lot of the land. Simply because they were farmers. Much of that land has stayed within families and as a result of that there is a sort of geographical "community" of sorts. But we have many people who live on the other side of town or a few who even live in neighboring towns. When the tree fell on our house we were blessed enough to have a fellow church member whose brother had just moved recently (his house was on the family farm) and the house was still empty. I think the idea of a geographic "community" comes from the Amish. Since a 20 minutes car drive would take 2 hours with a horse and buggy. But since we have cars it isn't as important that we all live closer.

Those are my answers for today! You have no idea how many times I've wished I could snap a few pictures of our church services just so you could see what it's like. But that might be a tad...inappropriate! :)

While we are talking about my church family can I just take a minute to say how much I truly appreciate them?? I had never, NEVER known what true christian fellowship was until attending anabaptist churches. It is truly beautiful to see the body of Christ taken so seriously. It really is like a family.

Okay. I'm done now. May the Lord bless the rest of your day. And if you think of any more questions, keep them coming. I enjoy sharing what the Lord has done in my life!

Blessings!
~A

Hit me with your best shot

My life has been pretty busy lately. But, by no means blog-worthy. (Who really wants to know how many loads of laundry I'm doing a day?) With school starting in t-minus 5 days (!!) I've been trying to give the house a good clean, catch up with the never ending laundry, and bake a few things ahead.

But, I haven't abandoned my poor little blog! Since I have nothing exciting to blog about I thought I'd give anyone who wants to (or cares!) the opportunity to ask any questions you might have. I'm really not that exciting but, let's face it, we aren't your normal American family! Any questions out there that ya'll have been wondering??

How many loads of laundry DO you do a day? :)

What are you reading?

Why did you have 4 children in 5 years?

What's your take on Christmas? (Oh boy...)

What is my church like?

You get the idea! One of my New Years Resolutions this year was to be much more open and honest on my blog....more transparent, I guess you could say. I know there are a few people who read this blog who have never even met me. Maybe you've been wondering something. I don't get offended easily so don't be shy! If you don't feel like leaving your name I've enabled the anonymous button in the comments section. ...Or, maybe, you all have me figured out. No questions. And my goal of being transparent has been met. :)

Thanks for reading!
~A

Hello, old friend!

Back in the day, when Lilly was younger, I actually used to sew most of Lilly and my clothing. But, then I had 3 more children and life got a little busy. I hadn't sewn anything in the past year and a half. My last pregnancy was VERY exhausting and then with having a newborn, I felt it was better to hire someone to do my sewing for me. My church ladies were even so very generous as to hold a special sewing day just for baby Kate. I came home with a whole 6-9 month wardrobe for her! But, the sewing bug has been getting to me lately. I miss it. So I dusted off the old machine, bought some fabric, and slooooowly started working on a church dress for Kate.

Not too bad, right? You can't tell too much from the picture but it's a really sweet shade of green. And yes, I know that that's Lilly holding the dress and not Kate actually wearing the dress. Kate wore the dress to church on Sunday but I forgot to get a picture. Sorry! I didn't grow up sewing and this was my first baby dress I've ever made. And considering the pattern didn't come with any instructions, it turned out pretty well. My friend the seam ripper and I had a couple dates while making this dress but, all in all, it wasn't too hard.

So, now the sewing bug has really bit me. Kate and Lilly don't need any more dresses. I think I'm going to make some cloth napkins out of a slip cover that has seen better days and I'm also wanting to buy this:

I've been waiting anxiously for the release of this book. It looks really good! Full of crafty goodness for your home. Amanda Soule has a website soulemama.com where she shares lots of ideas and wonderful ways to get children involved in crafts.

My decorating style is...simple. Somehow, I just don't feel right going out and spending lots of money on making my home more fashionable. I suppose I feel there are better things I could spend my money on. But this book repurposes old fabrics into new things. Plus, it's things I could make myself. Sounds interesting!

Free time will be low once school starts but I'm looking forward to doing some sewing and chipping away at my mile-long reading list.

Thanks for reading!

~A

She eats!

We fed Kate her first "solid" food the other day. She had been watching us very carefully over the past couple weeks whenever we ate. I finally decided it was time ( I had secretly been holding out as long as possible. I don't want her to grow up!!). She took to it like a pro, putting down half a bowl. You moms out there will understand why I have to post these pictures. Milestone!...And grandparents that live in Kansas. :)

Of course, we snapped a million pictures that all look the same but I could easily spend a good hour sighing over each one. As you can tell from the pictures, it was quite the family event. The poor thing was a bit distracted by all the children moving back and forth to see better. Then again, she is pretty used to commotion by now! She'll be 6 months in 10 days! I can't believe it!

Thanks for reading!
~A

Top Secret Recipe :)

I have a recipe that is so yummy and delicious. It's one of those recipes that people don't really think of making themselves but when they have it at a restaurant they oooh and ahhh over it. Today, my faithful blog readers, we will make honey butter. SO EASY! And much healthier than putting butter and jam on bread like most Mennonites do here. It also makes a lovely little thank you gift!

1 lb. salted butter (4 sticks), softened*
1 cup honey

In a mixer, beat butter and add honey in a slow steady stream until blended. Pack into storage containers. Refridgerate. Enjoy!

*Please, don't substitute here. Use real butter. It's better for you than margarine any way. Did you know, that if you set margarine outside that absolutely NO bugs or animals will try to eat it. They're pretty smart.

That's it people! I make this every year for Thanksgiving and my company always thinks it's a pretty special treat. I've never tried freezing it before. Does butter freeze well? This recipe is very easy to cut in half, which I usually do.

Hope you enjoy!

My new day

I've been ridiculous with the schedules lately. Honestly. It's like some sort of weird postpartum nesting syndrome or something. Maybe it's just the fact that Kate has reached an age where I can actually get things done....maybe. Anyway, for several weeks now I've been wanting to come up with a daily schedule for me and the children. Finally, today I got motivated enough to get it done. Not a minute too soon either, with school starting up soon. Keep in mind as you read this that this is a very flexible schedule because babies need to be fed, children get boo boo's, someone gets a berry stuck up their nose (don't ask), and accidents happen. But here's my tentative daily schedule for this coming school year!

5:30- (ambitious? VERY!) get up, get dressed, pray, read Bible, check email, start laundry
6:30- get breakfast ready
6:45- breakfast with John
7:30- children get up, they will listen to the Bible on cd, read, or draw while I get their breakfast ready. Breakfast, clean up.
8:15- get children dressed, teeth brushed, chore training time (feed the cat, pick up dirty clothes, toys, etc)
8:45- Praise and Prayer (daily proverb, daily character trait, song, and prayer)
9:00- start school
10:30- snack time
11:00- start lunch (we eat our bigger meal of the day at noon), free time, outside play, listen to music
11:30- quick clean up
12:00- Lunch with John, clean up
1:00- kitchen time (bake, work on breakfast for tomorrow, etc.)
2:00- Brad and Kate's nap time, finish school
3:30- free time, laundry, story time, snacks, etc.
4:30- quick clean up
5:30- start on supper
6:00- supper, clean up
6:45- family time, free time, story time
8:15- children get ready for bed
8:30- family devotions, bed time story
9:00- children in bed, mommy and daddy time
10:30- Bed. Sweet Bed.

That's it! I've heard from several different people that children actually like to have a schedule. They feel better knowing what is expected of them. And a little structure around here would be a good thing. You have no idea how chaotic it can be with 4 children 5 and under living in your home until you've been there. Anybody??

I'm still planning on posting my schedule for the children's school work sometime. All of it is open to change though depending on what turns out working well and what doesn't.

Thanks for reading,
~A

On my mind and my heart...

I really enjoy reading blogs. I like being able to see what's going on in my friends lives. I like reading new recipes, tips for keeping house, and other "homemaker-y" type things. One thing I have been looking for and had yet to find (until now) was a blog that was directed toward homemakers but had a heavy Christian weight to it. Let's face it, all moms get burned out at times and I wanted a blog I could go to that was written by a woman to other women that would encourage, uplift, and teach. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the Bible. And, of course, I get SO much encouragement from it, but I found A Wise Woman Builds Her House just last week and I have soaked up everything she shares. It is exactly what I was looking for! You see, I went through a period of time where I had totally lost the joy in my job. I love my children and husband, that never changed. But when I woke up in the morning, I didn't look forward to my day. I was irritable, grumpy, quick to anger and well, a real pain! This went on for (to my shame!) several months! I knew my attitude wasn't right. I prayed and prayed for the Lord to rescue me from this unhealthy attitude.

Fast forward to two weeks ago and the Lord had given me a whole new outlook, it seems! He showed me my purpose and given me back the joy that only HE can give.

"This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." ~Nehemiah 8:10

I quickly realized that I had let Satan get to me. I had let him whisper in my ear the lies that he loves to tell. I always think of the book The Screwtape letters. I imagine Satan sending one of his demons to confuse and discourage me, while they write letters back and forth discussing my case. Yikes! Thank you God, for hearing my prayer!

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe" ~Proverbs 18:10

So, why do I share all this with you? I wanted to let you moms know that every mom goes through a time of feeling discouraged, inadequate, and overwhelmed. But the key is to know where to look when that time comes. Jesus!

I also wanted to share the link to todays post at A Wise Woman Builds Her Home. The issue she discusses today is something that has been on my heart since my joy returned. The world can be a very hard place to live, especially for Kingdom Christians, who live to follow God at all costs. Our homes are to be a place of refuge from that world and we, as the homemakers, play a very large part in that. If you have a few extra minutes take the time to read it. It will get you thinking, I sure!

Thanks for reading. I pray your day is as blessed as mine is sure to be!

Running the race,
~A

Product Review: Soap Nuts!

I had first heard of Soap Nuts when reading Lindsay's blog. If any of you know me well, you know that I am always on the look out for ways to avoid chemical cleaners. I've been struggling to find affordable, effective alternatives to toothpaste, shampoo, and dishwasher detergent. For the past year I have been using Charlie's soap for laundry soap. And I've been very happy with it. But then I heard about how cheap and versatile soap nuts were. That was enough for me to order a sample packet! Here's a little blurp from her blog:

"Soap Nuts are the only laundry soap that grows on trees, thus giving us the most sustainable and natural option out there. It is 100% safe and natural for the most sensitive skin. Soap nuts are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry tree. They contain saponin, a natural cleaner. They are simply harvested, de-seeded, and then dried in the sun. Great for hard water and high efficiency machines. It is biodegradable, hypo-allergenic, brightens colors, low sudsing, and contains a natural fabric softener. You can reuse a handful of nuts for 5 or more loads (depending upon water temperature, etc), and then they can be added to your compost! Most soap nut orders come with a reusable cotton bag which you use to place the nuts in and then throw in the washer, keeping them contained. The best price I have found is the NaturOli Soap Nuts. If you buy it in larger quantities ($50 for 800 loads), you are looking at around $0.07 per load! You can also purchase them in smaller quantities, which will be no more than $0.12 per load. Plus you will save additional money as there is no need for dryer sheets or fabric softeners.

By simply boiling soap nuts in water you can use it for: all household cleaning, liquid hand soap, plant cleaner, jewelry cleaner, produce wash,toothpaste, and even shampoo! It has also been found to be effective for skin allergies. You can even use some of this liquid in your dishwasher! I am in the process of experimenting further with soap nuts for these uses. I will let you know how it goes!"

My review: I was very pleased! The clothing came out clean and fresh smelling. I line dried my clothing and they dried soft (with the exception of the towels. Those pesky towels!). Just a note: If you are washing in cold water you must let your soap nuts soak in hot water for 5 minutes and then add them to the wash. Once I finish my last bag of Charlie's soap I think I'm going to order a larger quantity of soap nuts and give them a try for a while!

As soap nuts are very frugal, can accomplish so many different purposes in one product, and is completely sustainable…that seems to be the way to go!

Thanks for reading!
~A