Hearts for Haiti

As I go about my normal day cleaning up, preparing meals, running errands, playing with Will, doing laundry, etc. I think about what the day is like for those affected by the tradgedy in Haiti. My heart is heavy. While not everyone can go and help there are other ways. I found my way into donating to the Hearts for Haiti on Etsy. This is an Etsy collective of donated items from hundreds of Etsy shops to raise money to rebuild Haiti. 100% of the proceeds from this shop go directly to Doctors Without Borders. So everyone should go check it out; every bit counts!

Albertine

Albertine by Brooke Fraser

I am sitting still
I think of Angelique
her mothers voice over me
And the bullets in the wall where it fell silent
And on a thousandth hill, I think of Albertine
there in her eyes what I don't see with my own
rwanda

now that I have seen, I am responsible
Faith without deeds is dead
now that I have held you in my own arms, I cannot let go till you are

I am on a plane across a distant sea
But I carry you in me
and the dust on, the dust on, the dust on my feet
Rwanda

I will tell the world, I will tell them where I've been
I will keep my word
I will tell them Albertine

I am on a stage, a thousand eyes on me
I will tell them, Albertine
I will tell them, Albertine

In 1994 there was a mass killing in Rwanda. Almost a million people were killed in the hands of their neighbors and friends with in only a short 100 days. There have since been decades of tension and fighting between the two ethnic groups- the Hutus and the Tutsis. Brooke Fraser, the artist and singer of this song, went to visit Rwanda in 2005. She helped out in the local churches, schools, memorials, etc. With in her stay she met people from child-headed households, communities living with AIDS, and many people facing life with no medical care or basics like clean water. She met many people who were joyous and many people who were in a lot of pain. Brooke's friend wanted her to meet a young orphan whose personal history he was familiar with. Through out the whole trip he introduced Brooke as a a musician from the other side of the world who was going to go back and tell everyone about the people of Rwanda and help. Just before introducing Brooke to the orphan girl he told her..."You must go back to your people and you must write a song, and I will tell you what the name of the song is going to be." He motioned Brooke toward the girl. "This is Albertine."

"Albertine is alive today because of the selfless, sacrificial love of another. Funny thing is, so am I. And now I want to know what it's like to love other people like that, so have decided to spend my whole life on the experiment. Feel free to join me. We might just change the world." -Brooke Fraser

This song has been on my mind a lot lately. I am blown away by it's beauty! I hope you are too. You can listen to it by clicking on #2 of my playlist in my sidebar.

Also check out the interview Part 1 and 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84RVRy0jFT4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efi8mxIrcec&feature=related

Enjoy.

I Heart You Crayons

Yes, I have started to use my creative juices again. I had some old crayons and decided to make them into new crayons!...but only funner. :) I found silicone heart molds in the dollar section at target and decided to give it a whirl. I tore off the wrapping of the crayons (some of them were not too fun), pre-heated the oven at 200 degrees, broke the crayons up into smaller pieces, placed alike colors in each of the heart molds and put them in the oven. After about 10-15 minutes I added more broken crayon to each one and waited another 10 minutes or whenever completely melted. I then took them out and waited for them to dry, removed from the pan, and I have new crayons! They are a great size for creative little fingers...I am so excited to let Will try these out. I have a few for sale in my store, but I also wanted to let you all know that right now I am offering free shipping with any two items! I have plans of changing the look of my store soon, and would like to sell what I have. Go check it out.

Have a super Monday!

Oat Muffins with Pear and Pecans

Oat Muffins with Pear and Pecans
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 cup quick oats

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butter milk

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

4 canned pear halves, drained and chopped

topping-

1 Tbsp. old fashioned rolled oats

1 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds

1 Tbsp. sunflower seeds

1 Tbsp.brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 cup muffin tin. Heat butter in small pan over medium heat until nut brown, 2 min.- set aside to cool. Toast oats and pecans in dry skillet over med. heat, stirring until fragrant, 2 min.- cool, transfer to bowl. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine buttermilk, sugar and egg and mix all together. Add butter. mix in pears, spoon batter to pan. Combine the topping and pour over muffins. Bake 22 minutes or until done. Cool for 5 minutes and remove.

I made these muffins a few weeks ago and thought I would share them with you all. It was a fun change up from the usual breakfast (we don't do this too often, but it was a nice treat); unique and nutrient packed. :) Thad really liked them...for each muffin has 6 grams protein and 2 grams fiber. It was easy for him to grab a couple on the way out the door in the morning.

The Four Essentials to Life

photo by boliston

There have been found to be four physical essentials to life that we know of. I have learned that instead of just existing, it is left up to me to choose this in higher quality leading me to live longer and happier. Many of us are familiar with the first three that we have been taught in grade school, but #4 seems to be something many of us don't even think about or have skipped over. Check it out!

#1 Food-the body can live approx. 30 days without food.

Food gives the body nutrients for energy and healing. It is the quality of this food that determines how much nutrition the body receives. Many processed foods lack nutrition altogether, and many fruits and veggies are covered in pesticides or are genetically engineered. When the body takes these types of food in, it takes away valuable energy trying to rid the body of toxins. Making a choice to eat organic, unprocessed food the way nature intended you to is very important in minimizing the toxins in your life.

#2 Water- the body can live approx. 4 days without water.

We all know that we should be drinking lots of water through out the day, but what about the quality? Many cities send out alerts as to the local water contents. It is best to drink filtered water. According to the EPA, there have been 480,000 cases of learning disorders in children each year in the United States due to lead in drinking water! Ahh! crazy! There is so much to learn on this. We use a PUR water filter in our home and I have heard that it doesn't even filter out the bad stuff...hummm, lots to learn.

#3 Air-the body can live for approx. 4 minutes without air.

The world record for holding ones breath is still a matter of minutes. we need this oxygen to allow or body to thrive, producing energy for all the body functions.

#4 Nerve Supply- the body can only live a fraction of a second without nerve supply!

Your nervous system controls everything that you do, and don't think about doing. Every action, healing, hearing, seeing, breathing, blood flow, temperature maintenance, originates in the brain. A message travels down the spinal column and out into the body. Subluxations block and slow these messeges causing health problems beyond headaches and back problems. The only way to remove the interference caused by subluxations is to get adjusted. Get a hold of a chiro! In order to be at 100%, your body must be functioning at 100%. It all begins with your nervous system.

Everyone has potential to be truly healthy. It's about quality of life!

I am a Disciple of Jesus {Pep talk}

image by Mel B.

Below is a quoted letter that was written in the office of a young pastor in Zimbabwe, Africa following his martyrdom for his faith in Jesus. If this is not an encouraging pep talk for starting off the year rght, then I don't know what would be...

"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the holy spirit power. The die has cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made-I'm a disciple of his. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in his presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer and I labor with power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions are few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till he comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till he stops me. And, when he comes for his own, he will have no problem recognizing me...my banner will be clear."

what I am Reading...

Besides my Bible I am reading 6 other books! Haha, honestly I am not that much of a reader...well I love non-fiction books and get to excited about starting a new book when I haven't finished another. So naturally I read 6 books at the same time. :)...it just takes me a while to finish them.

From top to bottom...

1- Advent Conspiracy. { A book about the fastest growing religion in the world, consumerism, and how it has stolen the soul of Christmas.}

2- The Signature of Jesus. { I just started this one for a women's bible study. So far I have learned about living in passion and boldness}

3-The Cesarean. { Written by a well known ex-surgeon turned home birth midwife who explains all the key issues related with a Cesarean and outstanding ideas on how to encourage natural birth.]

4-Love and Respect. { We are reading this book as a couples home group through church. So far it talks about the crazy cycle we get into...without love=she reacts...without respect=he reacts..and how to break that. We will soon be reading about the energizing cycle and the rewarding cycle. Fun times, and good community.} :)

5-Green Smoothie Revolution. { The best green smoothie recipes ever! I have been blown away by all the great information in this book. Great tips about rotating greens, food combining, and other great stories.}

6- The Raw Truth. { Lot's of yummy live food recipes and wisdom from a raw foodist and advisor of many restaurants across the country. I especially enjoy the extensive list of raw foods in categories I have never heard of. }

Enjoy this beautiful monday!

Happy New Year!...2009 recap.

Will and I on Christmas Day. :)

Happy New Year! I just realized we are almost a week into 2010 and I haven't posted my 2009 recap or 2010 goals! I am still unpacking and reorganizing around here...getting everything back to normal after traveling for many days. I never even opened the computer while we were gone! I needed a break from anything that would inspire me to make something. :) hehe, I feel so blessed to be part of such an inspiring community online, but I get so excited about everything I see that I want to do it all!...and we know that is not possible. humm...maybe that could be a new years resolution...to sort out my priorities and stick to doing a few things well, rather then trying to do it all resulting in not well...that's not a bad idea. :)

Tonight I peaked at my Goals for 2009 post from last year checking over to see if I stuck to my goals completely...

1- get a bible reading plan started: yep! well, it was not much of a plan...I started out reading the One-Year Bible and got to about the middle of march and was ready to start something else I guess. I found an old testament youth bible at a garage sale with wonderful illustrations and started reading a bit each day. I am almost done with it! I love it!...I think it is the illustrations that draws me in, and I learned about so many stories that I never knew about. I also did an awesome study on Matthew and other various small studies.

2-get my studio put together and get working: yep! I definitely got this one going! I am so pleased with all the wonderful feedback I have been getting from people about my store. It really started to take off around the holidays. I have really enjoyed doing so many new projects! My store is now open again. I will soon be in the process of changing the look of it a little, so be sure to check back in the next month or so.

3-make an indoor herb garden: Yep!...only basil and chives though. Maybe I will attempt more in 2010.

4-get in shape: humm...this I was not so productive with. At least not by my standards. I have been back down to my pre-pregnancy body weight for a while now and have been good about getting normal daily exercise, but I did not started actually lifting weights again to tone up until the last month or two.

5-simplify!: Yep!..it is an ongoing process around here. I am again in the process of going back through our corners and closets. :)

6-learn how to cook authentic Italian meals:...kinda. I cooked a few new Italian recipes farfalle con pesto di arugula being my favorite, but I cut out dairy from my diet early in the year and many Italian meals that I wanted to make included mozzarella.

7-start a scrapbook for Will: Have not even started it! haha. It is always one of those things in the back of my mind. I did start designing a blurb book of his first year that I have yet to finish. :)

8-Make it a handmade year!: This was a big one for me and I am so glad that I followed through with it. It sure was a challenge, but each gift that I gave in 2009 I put a lot of thought into. Most of the gifts I made myself, some of the gifts I bought off Etsy, and a couple last minute gifts I bought gift cards tucked inside a handmade card. But for the most part I never had to walk into a mall or target for a gift. This really forced me to try new things. I learned new crafts and techniques, how to have patience when not getting things done just right the first time, and I also became more comfortable using my new serger.

While looking back over this past year I realized that I have learned so much! But the biggest thing I can take away from 2009 is that I learned how important it is to just...be. Will has made me realize that life is not about getting things done, but about being together. Being still and observant to what God has planned for me on any given day. I am so much happier and content with my day when I just sit and play with Will, or relax and have a conversation with Thad. Seems kind of funny, but I actually feel like I am more productive this way rather then making my day about lists. Laundry can always wait. :) I would always set my goals too high for the day and could never get everything accomplished what I had planned, leaving me discontent and irritated by the time my husband gets home. I can say that this past year has made me really realize this, but I have not been very good about actually doing this. So, naturally it seemed appropriate to make this my new years resolution. To just...be! Be still. Be observant. Be open.

Now there are plenty of other little goals I would like to accomplish this year: curing my cravings, cutting out white sugar, not eating after 8:00 p.m., getting my muscles strong again, incorporating lots more raw meals into my week, always simplifying, start cloth diapering, be more intentional about community, not just read my bible but really study it more often...and there are probably lots more. If you visit my blog often you will probably be hearing all about these and more.

What is the one thing you have learned or took away from 2009?