I've been busy...really, really busy. I've taken on a lot of new and different things. Well, different for me. I've been trying to get back to basics in order to live a little more frugally. I started cloth diapering and making my own diapers. As you read previously I started making my own detergents (hated the laundry detergent, loved the dish washing detergent) and next year I want to have chickens, a garden and a bee hive. I'm also trying to make as many Christmas presents as I have time for. Okay, that I don't have time for.
Now I know that that just sounded like a huge blast on my own horn, but bear with me, that is not what I am writing about here. In order to do most of the things I've been doing I've had to research online. I don't know anyone doing many of the things I'm interested in. (Though if you are out there, I'd love to pick your brain. I have no idea what I'm doing.) So I've had to turn to the internet for my information. Mostly I've been hopping from blog to blog trying to gather usable ideas, and trying to find what works and what doesn't.
On most of these blogs, or forums, people have a personalized signature. They have a cute little picture of them and their dogs, babies, ducks, or whatever, and then their name and something underneath it. Their signatures usually define who they are. They say things like "Janet - baby wearing, cloth diapering, homeschooling environmentalist and Christian mother of 5.", or Jessica - Jesus loving, breastfeeding, home birthing, mother of 2 and wife to one. So I started thinking, who, or what, do I want to be known as? What would I put behind my name that defines me. Do I want to be defined as a cloth diapering, detergent making, chicken ranching, garden planting, bee keeping mother of 4? That ridiculous! I'm ridiculous!
I tried on lots of different signatures in my mind, but soon realized (once again - I told you I'm a slow learner) that the only thing that mattered was that I'm am Christ's, because apart from Him I am nothing.
"In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand" - Newsboys.
So here I am signing off -
Jeni - Christ's Alone
8 comments:
good choice, consider it "matt pool approved"
My thoughts:
Funny, I love the laundry detergent and am fed up with the dish soap!
I want in on the chickens! =)
This great salvation and marvelous position in the Beloved is the only thing about us that can not and will not ever change. All that other stuff is, like your old title "all just a phase". Breastfeeding, homeschooling, cloth-diapering, etc etc don't last forever.
And we live in a privileged position where we can choose to dabble in those things, and, if we don't like it, try something else.
It cracks me up sometimes what people are proud of themselves for being or doing because for a lot of people out there in the world they already do those things (making everything themselves, living on scratch, making do without) because it's their only option, it's their only piece of normal...
I love that song!
Ooh, just thinking I better add that I'm not disparaging any of those things- they are all very worthy endeavors- just some people live like that all the time, and that's all they know, so it's a good reminder to me to not get too pleased with myself. We're all trying to do the best we can, and everything is unto the Lord, for His glory, not ours.
sheesh. longest comment ever. I need to get my own blog, right?! =)
Keep up the good, thought-provoking posts!
love that song. makes me cry EVERY TIME. i am none of those things,(laundry detergent making, cloth diaper , home birthing etc) but knowing I am Christ't alone, makes me feel worthy, or sometimes....so unworthy.
I hear that - worthy and unworthy all rolled into one. Love it! I'm not all of those things either, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to be, but it seems like every time I say that I'm never going to do something, I end up doing it. Ha! I love God's sense of humor and the way he breaks us.
Think you made a good choice!
Loving your posts!
You certainly aim high with the garden, chickens and bee hive!
I don't think I'm am going to tackle them all at once. I'm going to try chickens and garden this spring and we will add the bee hive once I see how much work the first two are. We'll see.
you are an inspiration..why didn't i get to know you better and pick your brain while we lived in kansas?!
and what a great thing to teach your children..achieving something is great, but you couldn't have done it without Christ!
good luck on the garden and chickens! i think the chickens are pretty easy as long as your dog doesn't try to eat them!!
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