Full & Simple

Bent Arrow Challenge 2018: The First 10 Days

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August is basically over and I have yet to update you all on what we've been making to eat local  (unless you're following along on Instagram).  I will do three posts, ten days each, of what we ate with links to the recipes if they weren't an original creation.  I do hope to upload some new recipes sometime in September and October as well.

If you are looking at some ingredients and wondering how in the world they are local, make sure to check out my first post on what our freebies were.  We also allowed ourselves to eat anything that was already in the house so that we didn't waste food and allow it to spoil.  These already bought items show up especially in the first ten days.  Another thing to note is that we do make our own mayo and sour cream regularly, so those were homemade using items from our freebie list.

Also, some of the meals are what I ate and not the kids.  I tried to avoid things like American cheese slices on my burgers even though we let the kids have them on theirs because the slices were already in the fridge.  However, for the most part, the kids ate what we did.  I caved once or twice for things like bananas and raisins when they were shopping with me for their snacks.

Alright, here we go!

August 1

Breakfast

  • Eggs with tomatoes & basil

Lunch

  • Arby's (lunch out with my Dad before our oldest started kindergarten)

Dinner 

August 2

Breakfast

  • Toast with jam
    • Both were homemade.  All bread was either homemade or locally made unless otherwise noted going forward.

Lunch

  • Chick-fil-A (lunch with my mom before my oldest started kindergarten)

Dinner

  • BKT (bacon, kale, tomato) sandwiches
  • grilled corn on the cob

August 3

Breakfast

  • Toast with jam

Lunch

  • Big Brick House Pasta linguini with roasted red pepper sauce
  • peaches from the farmers market
  • green tea with lavender syrup (made with my dried lavender)

Dinner

  • Mississippi roast
    • pepperocini peppers were some canned last garden season we were using up
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Corn on the Cob

Snack 

August 4

Breakfast

  • Homemade biscuits with sausage gravy
    • We had a local hog butchered to put in our freezer this summer.

Lunch

  • Pesto over pasta
  • Peaches

Dinner

Snack 

  • Stopped at a local coffee shop for an iced coffee and also grabbed a can of Mountain Dew (not really a freebie but technically I'm allowed to eat out and they had it......LOL!)
  • Cilantro hummus from the farmers market with some tortilla chips we had in the pantry

August 5

Breakfast

  • Leftover biscuits with sausage gravy

Lunch

Dinner

  • Fresh homemade bread with butter and jam
  • Watermelon
  • Spoonful of Revival Almond Butter

(NOTE: Because of how late our church lets out, we usually eat lunch between 1-2 on Sundays, so our "dinners" are usually snacks or leftovers.  On our meal planner, I call it the "clean the fridge" night.)

August 6

Breakfast

  • Toast with jam

Lunch

  • Leftover eggplant quiche
  • Leftover deviled eggs
  • Watermelon

Dinner

  • Tacos
    • I made the flour tortillas found in The Hands-On Home
    • We also have a beef in our freezer from last fall

August 7

Breakfast

  • Toast with jam

Lunch

  • Leftover tacos
  • Peaches

Dinner

  • Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup
    • I left out the tomato paste to keep things local and I make my own stocks throughout the year and freeze them.
    • Also, we make this fresh, eat it for a meal and then freeze the leftovers to use in the winter.  Try it!
  • Dairy Queen ice cream for dessert
    • The kids earned free cones this summer at the library from the summer reading program and I wasn't going to not get some too!

Great Indiana-made products

August 8

Breakfast

  • Toast with jam

Lunch

  • Leftover eggplant quiche

Dinner

August 9

Breakfast

  • Pancakes and Bacon

Lunch

  • Leftover pizza
  • Leftover cake

Dinner

Snack

  • Chocolate chip cookies

August 10

Breakfast

  • Leftover pancakes

Lunch

  • Leftover pizza
  • Peaches
  • Cookies

Dinner

Snack

  • Chocolate chip cookies

And there you go!  The first ten days of meals in the eat local Bent Arrow Challenge 2018.  Let me know if you have any questions about how we sourced some ingredients locally.  I'm loving that we've discovered new Indiana brands and are making the most of our garden.

Erika

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Bent Arrow Challenge 2018: Eat Local

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Y'all know how important local food is to me.  I'm all about gardening, farmers' markets and supporting local agriculture.  So last year when my friend Claire over at Bent Arrow Acres challenged herself to eat only local for the month of August, I was in awe!  And I planned to try to do it for a week this summer.  BUT Claire is doing the whole month again this year and has created a challenge (with prizes) for others to join her.  So we're going to give it a go and join in.

Concerns

My biggest concerns are: Our oldest starts kindergarten this year, and I have no idea how this will affect our schedules and daily life yet.  My husband will continue classes for his masters.  And I have small kids that eat what we eat for meals...no short-order cook here.

As a perfectionist, I have already identified that I could easily let the challenge overwhelm and stress me out.  I DO NOT want that!  To prevent this, I'm already speaking grace over myself.  The challenge does allow for people to pick some "freebie" items and I'm probably being more lenient with our family than I would if it were just my husband and myself or if we had older kids.  And if I fall off the wagon for a meal or a day, I'll just do my best the next.

My Plan

My plan is to visit Lucky's Market and Bloomingfoods a couple of times during the challenge.  While they are a bit further away, they have a great variety of Indiana produced foods and products.  There are also a few things that I'm allowing as "freebie" items that I'll only allow if I get them from either of these stores' bulk sections.  Partly because I'm excited about how this challenge can help us reduce our waste and partly because doing this will keep me from being too quick to grab things off the local grocery's shelves.

Obviously we have the garden and our own eggs, so we will try to eat a lot from there.  We also have locally raised beef, pork and one of Bent Arrow's chickens in our deep freezer that will take care of any meat we eat.  Things from the garden that we will definitely be able to eat are tomatoes, eggplant, green beans, carrots, shallots, garlic, peppers and maybe corn (It isn't looking too hot.).  Hopefully my zucchini, summer squash and watermelon plants will do something this month too!

We also have access to two farmers' markets, one on Tuesdays and one on Saturdays.  We will shop here frequently as well during the challenge.

Baked goods are something that we already make homemade most of the time.  All bread will be homemade and I'm excited to try to make tortillas and hamburger buns this month!

Our Freebie List

Freebies are things that you can't find local or can't easily make yourself.  HOWEVER, this list should not allow you to buy everything you normally do.  It's a CHALLENGE, remember?  That being said, I do have a few items that are freebies for the kids and not for my husband and myself because I'm just not going to make a 7 month old, 3 year old and 5 year old go completely without some of their favorite things like bananas and shredded cheese.

  • All flours (bread, all-purpose, whole wheat, etc.)
  • Sugars
  • Additional baking items (baking soda/powder, salt, etc.)
  • Cocoa powder (bulk only-we make our own chocolate syrup for the kids' milk and my coffee creamer)
  • Spices (although most herbs dried or fresh will come from my garden)
  • Butter
  • Heavy Cream
  • Cultured Buttermilk
  • Milk (do plan to try to get some from Traders Point and Oberweis, but won't be able to get it all from them)
  • Peanut Butter (bulk only-my kids love PBJ sandwiches and my husband takes them to work a lot)
  • Coffee/Tea
  • Dry pasta
  • Cooking Oils (plan to purchase California Olive Oil and Healthy Hoosier Oils when at all possible)
  • Cheeses (This is mostly for the kids.  I plan to try to avoid cheese as much as possible.  And I do plan to try my hand at making mozzarella!)
  • Lemons
  • Condiments (ketchup and mustard mostly.  I plan to try to make my own ranch dressing and always make my own mayo)

As far as restaurants are concerned, I'm saying that all are fair game.  I know this is an area that Claire is really good about choosing only locally owned places, but one request of my kids when we have to go to Bloomington is Chick-Fil-A.  We also occasionally grab a pizza when I'm single parenting for the night while my husband is in class.  So the plan is to TRY to avoid chains, but I'm not going to beat myself up if its been a crazy and I breakdown and get a carry out pizza from Pizza Hut.

I'm also giving myself a pass on anything already in the house...and no, I'm not going out to stock up on items before the challenge so that I can use this as an excuse.  However, I haven't planned a cleaning out of the pantry this week because of other stuff going on, so if it's already here, its fair game until it runs out.

And my new kindergartener will eat in the cafeteria at school on some days.

How You Can Join

If you think this is something you want to try, even for just one day or one meal, you CAN make a difference!  Visit Bent Arrow Acres's website for more information and to get on their mailing list for tips and rules for the prizes!  I hope to be able to share weekly posts about what we ate, but at the very least, you can follow along on social media.  Use the hashtag #bentarrowschallenge2018 to see what I'm cooking as well as what everyone else is trying!

 

Erika

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Stop Allowing Clutter Into Your Life

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Two months into the new year and I still haven't completely settled on my Word of the Year.  I kept thinking about the word "less," but I don't really feel like it is much different than "simple" for 2016 or "contentment" for 2017.  I still find myself immersed on this journey of simplifying our life and home and trying to learn to be content in the everyday...before all of my "simple" projects can be complete.

Clutter is an antagonist to all three of those words and I'm constantly in a battle against it.  But no matter how hard I fight, it seems to find its way to my countertops, closet, van, etc.  Why?!  Why, when I have given so much away and simplified so many aspects of our life, do I still have to battle clutter everyday?

And then it hit me.  I'm losing the fight because I'm fighting the war on the wrong battleground!  I try to fight clutter once its inside my home, but the battle needs to begin before it gets here!  I need to stop ALLOWING clutter to infiltrate my life.

That's right, ALLOWING.  There is so much clutter and noise that we are allowing and even INVITING into our lives and homes!  And most of the time, we don't realize its happening or that we have the option to say, "no, thank you!"

While this will take some effort in the beginning, like all good habits do, the following things can help us have simpler, less cluttered spaces and minds.

Unfollow and Unfriend

Unfollow Instagram accounts or businesses that no longer appeal to you, especially if you only followed them as part of a giveaway.  Unfriend that person you added on Facebook because you had one class project together five years ago in college.

I've been going through my friends lists and editing frequently.  Basically on Instagram, I want to see pretty pictures and be inspired.  I rarely follow a close friend on both Instagram and Facebook because I realized that many were posting the same picture on both sites.  I don't need to see it twice.  My personal Facebook is reserved for mostly close friends.  If I'm not comfortable with the idea of you seeing pictures of my kids in underwear, then I'm not adding you.

If you aren't seeing posts and announcements from pages and people you like hearing from the most then make sure to use the "See First" option on Facebook.  You can find this under the "Follow" option on their page.  Interact with posts by people you enjoy seeing and hearing from on Facebook and Instagram.  The way that these two sites set up their algorithms, posts with a lot of interaction are more likely to be seen by you and others.  Interacting includes liking, commenting and/or sharing that post.

As we allow social media to take up more and more of our lives, let's make sure that we are at least seeing the content we want to and stop wasting time scrolling past things we don't care about.

Unsubscribe

Either subscribe to a business's email list or follow them on social media.  There really is no reason to do both.  Most of their sales are listed in both places so a follow AND an email subscription is redundant.  I only have a few businesses that I make an exception for because they offer different content on each platform.

You can find the "unsubscribe" button on the bottom of most emails where you have joined a list.   But to make this and my inbox even simpler, a friend told me about a free service call Unroll.Me.  I literally just signed up about 5 minutes ago.  It appears to be a service to help you unsubscribe to emails you no longer want to receive, but also allows you to "roll up" marketing emails that you still want to receive into ONE email.  You no longer have to read separate emails for Nellie Taft, Pottery Barn, The Laundress, etc.  Get all of their emails in one quick easy to read email.  It sounds amazing, and I'm hoping that this will clear up my inbox anxiety!

Opt Out of Catalogs

I have started to use Catalog Choice to unsubscribe to catalogs that I no longer want to receive in my mailbox...which is basically all of them.  With daily emails from companies that I shop at, I no longer need to waste trees and time on catalogs.

Catalog Choice does not have the means to unsubscribe you from all catalogs, so for those I go to the company's website and use the contact form to email and ask to be removed from their mailing list.  I'm already seeing a big difference in the amount of catalogs we receive.

Full-and-simple-stop-allowing-clutter-in-your-life

Current view of the mess in our office. So. Much. Paper!

Opt Out of Junk Mail

There are two ways that I know of to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive every day.  The first is DirectMail.com's National Do Not Mail list.  This is a free service similar to the Do Not Call List, but is not sponsored by the government.  It is a private company that actually creates "junk mail" for companies.  Their thought is that it is a waste of company money to send you something you won't respond to.

The other is OptOutPrescreen.com.  This is provided by Experian, the credit reporting agency.  You can opt out of prescreened offers for 5 years online or permanently by mail.

I personally have signed up for both of these, but make sure that you do your research on these (and the Unroll.Me) and make your own decision.

Accept Email Receipts

I love this option from CVS and other stores.  I created a receipt file in my email inbox and now I don't have the paper clutter of receipts, but I still have access to the receipt if I need it for a return.  The Walmart app is great way to save any receipts I get from there and to use their Savings Catcher option.

Full-and-simple-stop-allowing-clutter-in-your-life

Another view of our office. This room is a catchall for clutter.

Say No to the Toy in the Kids' Meal

Everywhere we go, someone is offering our kids a cheap toy, whether its the dentist, fast food restaurant or even church.  You can say no.  I have done this with kids' meals frequently.  My kids don't even realize that all fast food is "supposed" to come with a toy now!

The same goes with free samples.  I buy a lot of my hair products from Sephora online.  I used to ALWAYS get my three free samples. No. Matter. What.  But then I ended up with a box of stuff I never tried or had a desire to try.  Now, I only get the samples of stuff I already use daily so that I have "travel size" options or the samples of products I really do want to try.

I realized that getting freebies, just because they're free, is really wasteful and isn't free.  These things cost space in my home and peace of mind when I'm trying to get things organized!

Don't Accept Things You Won't Use

I have someone in my life that loves to thrift and discount shop.  And they are constantly on the lookout for gifts and things that they can give to us and others.  However, there have been several times that we have been on the receiving end of something that we already had, wasn't useful to us, or that we simply didn't like.  A few people told me to just accept these things and take them to Goodwill later, and for a while I did.  But then I realized that this did a disservice to the giver and to me.

They were wasting their money on something they thought I liked, and by accepting it, they could then go on to waste more money in the future on similar items, thinking that they were helping.  And I had to take time out of my schedule to deal with the item...moving it from place to place until I finally dropped it off at the thrift store.

Now, I don't suggest being rude.  Kindly tell the person that the item isn't needed or your style and that perhaps they could get better use out of it themselves.  Or suggest they consider someone else who may need it.  The most recent thing we turned away was a baby swaddler.  We already had plenty because we've already had two other babies, but a cousin was having a new baby.  She might actually need the new swaddler when we didn't.  It worked out for everyone.

I will say that I only do this when it is a gift without occasion.  I wouldn't do this with a Christmas or Birthday gift as I feel that more thought goes into those than these "I saw this and thought of you" type of gifts.

Be Conscious of Packaging

While I've always felt that by recycling, I'm not really wasting resources, I recently learned that isn't true.  China has stopped accepting most of our plastics for recycle so they are ending up in the landfill anyway.  You can read more about it here.

But even if avoiding plastic and excess packaging for the sake of the planet doesn't entice you, think about the time and money we spend dealing with recycling and trash.  You open a box from a recent online order.  How long does that box and packaging sit on your counter before you put it in the garbage bins?  Then you have to empty your bins in your home to the larger bins in the garage.  Then, if you're like us with no trash or recycle pick up, you have to drive your waste to the recycling center.  That's a lot of time and effort.  Buying veggies and other items in bulk (without the provided plastic bags) can save time and the planet.  Win-Win!

Keep a Donation Box Near the Door

For all of the clutter we didn't fight before it arrived in our homes, make sure to keep a donation box.  This way you have one place to put items that you find in your home that are no longer serving you.  DO NOT put an item back in it's original spot if you've decided that you no longer need/want it!  It should got straight into the box.

OK, this was a really long post.  If you made it to the end, you are a true warrior against clutter and waste.  I hope that you found at least one or two new things you can implement today in your own battle to lead a simpler, less cluttered life!

Full-and-simple-stop-allowing-clutter-in-your-life

 

Erika

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Quiet: Finding True Contentment

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Quiet.  What does that mean?  I've started writing this post close to a hundred times in my head.  I've been thinking on it daily almost all year.  When the New Year came, I was prepared to go full-out on the blog again.  I had a schedule and plans for the year on what I would post and when I would post it.  I had a list of to-dos and goals.  I was going to keep up with my weekly newsletter.  And then I read this verse while I was reading Nothing to Prove,

"and make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands..."  1 Thessalonians 4:11

Photo credit Ball-Spencer Photography

A Quiet Life

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life...."  What is a "quiet life?"  I think that a quiet life could mean a lot of things to a lot of people.  It could mean slowing down.  Maybe moving from a fast and loud city to the country.  Maybe it means speaking less and hearing more.

For me, when I read this, the Father whispered to me that I have to learn to be content being a nobody.  (In this world at least, because I know that I'm somebody to Him.)  I have to let go of my ambition to be "someone" or "special" or "famous" or even "well-known."

You see, I've always wanted to be special, to be seen.  I want to be recognized.  Every year, I was so heart-broken and disappointed when I wouldn't win Teacher of the Year.  I didn't enjoy my senior prom when I didn't win prom queen.  And now, I am frustrated that this blog isn't growing above a certain number of readers.

All of that is embarrassing to admit, but there it is.

And the truth is that I know God will not bless this blog and my writing until I'm completely satisfied with the followers I already have and readership never growing.  When that happens, when I find my worth in Him and where I stand in His Kingdom and when this is ALL for His glory, then He MAY bless the blog.  Maybe He won't though.  But when I reach that point (or at least get nearer to it), it truly won't matter anymore.  That's the funny thing about God's blessings.  Only when we don't need them, because we know the only thing that we do need is Him, will He give them to us.

Mind Your Own Business

Again, this can mean a lot of different things.  I do not believe it means to turn a blind eye to troubles surrounding us.  In this season, for me, it means to get my own act together before trying to save the world.  It means, turning off social media when I feel that discontent rising up.  It means, quieting all of the "should" voices out there in the world.

Who are we to judge, preach or write, if we don't deal with our own crud first?  Glass houses, right?  I can't expect to be used for God's glory if I don't take time to study, pray and deal with my own baggage.  And I want to be used!

So, I'm trying to deal with these demons of mine instead of sticking to the blog schedule I had.  Because as much as I hope for this blog to someday be a true income-producing job, my relationship with God and my joy in this life are not a game.  Soul things, those are the things that matter, and I'm trying to embrace that and live it out better.

Work with Your Hands

When I've been feeling discontent or bored or "itchy,"  I've been trying to do something instead of continuing down the rabbit hole and scrolling Instagram.  Baking bread.  Trying a new Pinterest idea for cleaning.  Hand-sewing felt eggs for the kids.

Our grandmas didn't have time to be discontent because they were always busy.  And I don't think that we need to stay busy to avoid our feelings or that busy means living fast-paced.  Working with my hands, staying busy, means turning from things that are causing my discontent or envy and refocusing them on my present by being productive.  What can I do right now to make a difference right where I am with what I have?  That has been my thought instead of fixating on the things that she has or the followers that she has or how thin she is.  Sitting on the couch pining for these things will not make me get them or make me happy, but getting up, doing something (however small) usually does lift my spirits.

Open Your Hand

When I was studying 1 Thessalonians 4:11, I stumbled upon this verse in Ecclesiastes,

Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.   Ecclesiastes 4:6

I don't know what all of this means for the blog.  I know that I don't want to stop writing and I don't think that is what God wants for me either.  I enjoy sharing ideas, recipes and our farm adventures with you all.  But I HAVE to learn to let go of the toil and striving to make the blog into "something."

My heart just can't keep up with the striving.  For now, I'll write when I feel like it or when I have time.  I'll post on Instagram when I want without worrying about what time of day it is to maximize likes.  I'll definitely still be here, but I might be quiet from time to time to mind my own business.

Even writing this post has me in tears because this is the least "businessy" thing I could do.  Putting this out into the world feels like letting go of a dream, but it also feels like letting go of a burden.  Now maybe blogging can be fun again and less weighty.

If you've stayed with me this long, thank you!  I hope you'll stick around because, like I said, I'm not quitting, I'm just trying to let God pilot this blog and my writing instead of co-pilot from now on.

Erika

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2017: The Year of Contentment

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Happy New Year!  There are so many people talking about how rough 2016 was, and when I stop and think about it, 2016 was a rough year on my heart and spirit as well.  Yes, there was "THE election," racism, violence and celebrity deaths.  And yes, all of those things took their toll on me, but more than that, I just felt under attack spiritually.  The more I tried to grab a hold of simple, the further from my reach it seemed to get.  My 2016 was supposed to be "simple," but in 2016....

Simple Got Complicated

I wrote in the middle of the year about how I basically let "simple" get the best of me.  I wanted to do all of the "simple" things...all at one time.  I tried the KonMari method.  We got chickens to increase our own food production and self-reliability.  I not only increased the size of our garden, but I added another garden plot over on our 20 acres for pumpkins, zucchinis and two types of squash.  I canned and preserved more than ever.  And then I started following all of these wonderful "simple living" ladies on Instagram. That's when I started trying to buy all of the reusable/sustainable items they seemed to be using.

All of it got the better of me.  There was just too much "new"at one time.  I felt overwhelmed and completely inadequate.  Listening to the Erin Loechner (author of Chasing Slow) episode of The Happy Hour last week made me feel a bit better when even she admitted that we can get caught chasing slow living just as much as we chase fast living.  That's why....

2017's Word is "Contentment"

Contentment was my goal all along with my word choice of simple.  To me, simple living means living with less stuff, obligations, and busyness in order find joy and contentment in everyday life.  Being content doesn't mean not trying to live better or differently, but it does mean finding joy where you are, with what you have.  Last year, I let too much of my identity be defined by how we were living and what we had.  Clearing clutter and growing my own food were as much status symbols to me as a brand new Gucci bag is to others.  I felt that if I didn't use the same green cleaners or light beeswax candles at dinner that I was doing "simple" wrong.  But what I was doing wrong was letting my outer life, determine my inner, spiritual life.  I have shared this quote from Richard Foster multiple times here on the blog and I'm going to do it again and again until I fully grasp it!  He says, "The Christian discipline of simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle."

Plans for Contentment

This year, I don't plan on sharing monthly goals or updates necessarily like last year.  Honestly, doing these posts added pressure to my "simple" year and left me feeling even worse when I didn't get them finished or done the way I had set out to do them.  However, I do plan to share with you some of my inner discoveries and book reviews throughout the year.

Today I started Nancy Ray's Contentment Challenge, where I will try to go three whole months without buying anything that is non-essential.  That means no new home decor, clothes, craft projects, books, etc.  I'm honestly terrified of admitting to doing this challenge publicly, lest I should slip or give up.

It's only the first day and I'm already "itchy" knowing I can't buy anything.  The other day I saw new stuff at the Target Dollar Spot (my kryptonite) and I bought a few things just because I knew I was going to work on this challenge.  The challenge is meant for us to look at our lives and to find meaningful pursuits in place of using shopping to fill any emotional void we have.  If you want to hear about my progress, sign up for my newsletter, where I plan to share most of the thoughts I have about the challenge.  And please pray for me y'all!

Later this week I will also share with you my reading list for this year.  I have about 16 books that I'm going to work through this year that focus on contentment and simple living.  I honestly could have chosen so many more, but I think these are the ones I'm most excited about.

Adding a Memory Verse

And I'm adding a Bible passage to commit to memory this year as well:

" I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13

I didn't do this in 2016, so I hope that by finding scripture to ground me in my word choice will keep me from veering off of the path I want to pursue this year.

Your Turn

I'd love to know what word you've chosen for the year or what goals or resolutions you have.  Do you have any book or Bible study suggestions?  Let me know in the comments!

Disclaimer: Erika Bault is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Erika

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You Are Enough

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After a month off, yoga started back up this week (hallelujah and all the praise hand emojis).  As we start each class, our instructor always shares an affirmation for us to think about during our practice.  This week, she shared some things that she has been struggling with and then declared that our affirmation would be: "I am enough."

I think that "enough" is a concept that everyone struggles with, but I think especially women and moms feel this pressure to be "enough."  What is enough?  Who decided that was enough?  Will I ever be enough?  Now am I too much?  What can I do or change in order to be enough?

I've struggled with "enough" my whole life.  I'm a type A, goal-oriented, perfectionist.  Some of my OCD tendencies come from my mom, and my opinionatedness and hard stand on the way I see life definitely come from my dad.  But my perfectionism?  I attribute that to my parents' divorce.

I was four-years-old when my mom and dad separated.  One of my earliest true memories is of my fifth birthday party being held at my grandma's, where my mom and were living at the time.  I had a rainbow pinata and I got a Minnie Mouse book that had my name as part of the story.  As a child, I got it into my head that my mom was somehow not perfect and that is why my dad left her.  Now, as an adult, I know that is not the case.  Honestly, my parents are so different that I'm not sure how they fell in love in the first place, but I'm glad they did...otherwise I wouldn't be here, but this idea of perfectionism, even though my five-year-old self didn't even know that word, started to grab hold of everything I thought about.

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I needed to be the best at everything.  I needed to be the smartest.  Don't show anyone your weakness or vulnerability.  Be perfect and people won't leave.  But somehow, my perfect never felt like enough.  I would attain one goal only to feel like the next one was the thing that would make me truly happy and known to those around me.

The thing about being known though, truly KNOWN, is that it requires vulnerability.  I still struggle with this.  I absolutely hate letting others see my house a wreck or see me a wreck.  For this reason I panic and get irritated when people stop by unannounced.  I need time to put on make-up...a bra...and then sweep, dust, pick up and possibly cook a five-course dinner! If people see the me I wish I was, instead of the me I actually am, then they will love me...or at least like me.  If I can be perfect, or at least seem perfect then I will be enough.

But am I?

That's the question that still nags at the back of our minds even when we try our hardest.  Am I enough?  Did I do enough?

The answer is yes, but it has very little to do with you or anything that you've done, because there is only one thing that you can do to be enough.

Accept the gift of forgiveness by accepting the sacrifice of Christ.

That's it.  That's all you have to do, and that's all you can do.

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"On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." John 14:20

We are enough because He is enough.  We are in Him and He is in us.  And that...that is enough.  That is all there is.

The God that made the moon and stars loves you.  You. The real you.  He is not impressed by our Pinterest or Instagram worthy houses and meals.  He doesn't love you more because you tithe or love you less because you don't.  There is not one thing you can do to make God love you more, but there is also not one thing that you can do to make Him love you less.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast" Ephesians 2:8-9

I can wrap my head around this.  I know all of it.  But getting my heart wrapped around it?  Easier said than done.  Truly believing that I'm enough?  I'm working on it.  But I am.

And so are you.  You. Are. Enough.

Erika

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Simple Got Complicated

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Full & Simple- Simple Got Complicated (1)

When I chose "simple" as my word for 2016, I thought I had given myself a pretty easy task.  How hard could it be to simplify things?  I chose simple because I have felt the desire to enjoy my life more, to be present more and to be more intentional.  I feel like many days I'm waiting for the next project to complete, wishing for bedtimes, or hoping that tomorrow will be less hectic.  As I take this month to take stock of how the previous six months of the year have gone, I've realized that simple got complicated.

First, let me start with social media.  I love Instagram, and when I decided to embark on this journey of simple, I started to unfollow some accounts and follow others that were trying to live more intentionally and more simply.  As I followed these people, I started to want to implement the simple things they were doing in their lives into our lives.  The problem?  Not everyone was doing everything....but I was...or at least I was trying to.  I have been trying to implement a ton of new things into our lives this year in the hopes that it will "simplify" things in the long run.  And, in the long run, these things might work.  In the short-term?  I'm anxious and stressed out because I have a bazillion uncompleted projects and I can't fit everything into my day.

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The garden is the second source of discontent and stress this year.  A good harvest seemed so much more important this year for a few reasons.  First, I started my own seeds in February and I planted the whole garden by myself for the first time ever.  Second, this is the second year of me staying home.  Our garden last year, really helped us stay within budget on our groceries.  And lastly, I need to lose another ten pounds to get back to pre-baby weight.   Because of our limited grocery budget, I don't buy a ton of fresh produce at the store (Walmart).  Plus, the produce at the grocery is shipped in from all over and I'm not a fan of that.  I really have been putting my faith in having my own fresh produce from the garden supplemented with the farmers market to jumpstart us on a path to healthier eating.

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But so far, the rabbits have eaten pretty much all of my kale, some of my purple carrot tops and a lot of my corn starts, and there is another critter eating my green and red peppers before they ripen.  A lot of plants, like our tomatoes, were put out late because of our focus on the chickens and trying to make the chicken coop livable for them.  The coop is still not complete, but we'll get to that in a minute.  To top it all off, Mother Nature doesn't seem to want to cooperate with me at all.  I've either had seeds and plants drowning in too much rain or seeds that never germinated because of the heat.  This gardening season just doesn't seem to be working in our favor at all.

And the third thing that is causing stress is the chicken coop.  My husband as built a beautiful chicken coop for me.  It's pretty and functional.  The man is using trigonometry to determine angles of the roof, etc.!  Women, if your sons ever wonder if they'll use math in the future, tell them that if they plan on having wives, then yes, they will, especially if that wife has access to Pinterest.  The problem is that between the rain and our busy schedule, the coop is taking much, much longer than either of us had anticipated.  And it is taking much, much more money than either of us had anticipated.  I'm not a person with much patience.  I want things done and beautiful quickly, so it has been killing me that we have a construction zone on the property.  But with the weather forecast of mostly rain for the next week, this doesn't look like it will get done anytime soon.

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Why am I telling you all of this?  Is it just to vent and whine?  Well, yes and no.  I have fallen into a bit of a "poor me" spiral, but I really do want to get out of it.  No, I'm writing about all of this because I realize that we all have seasons where nothing seems to be going right for us, where things aren't turning out how we planned and hoped.  Recently I was listening to an episode of The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey and she and her guest (I think it was Ashley Noelle...) were talking about how we, as women, need to speak truth into each other's lives.  We need to stop hiding the imperfect and the sins.  Perfectionism is my go-to defense mechanism because I rarely feel good enough.  Trying to be perfect allows me to hide the authentic and real me.

I have wanted to portray the "perfect" simple this year.  I wanted people to see my successes and not the failures.  But as I look back on the previous six months and at what is going on inside myself, I'm realizing that my "failure" to embrace a truly simple 2016 isn't about all of the projects.  It's about the state of my heart.  I've been consumed with the the physical and outward appearance of simple.  On my wall, I created a print with a quote that Rachel Nordgren shared during one of her Influence Network classes.  It says, "The Christian discipline of simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle," (Richard Foster).  THAT! That is the simple 2016 I want to try to pursue the second half of this year.  I will still try to simplify our stuff and I want to simplify my eating habits, but I will never be able to embrace simple without changing my heart.

If you would like a copy of the print I've made of this quote, sign up for my newsletter before Friday, July 8, 2016!  I'm going to be sending it to subscribers in this weekend's newsletter.  Plus, when you sign-up you'll also get my Food Lovers Devotional!

 

Erika

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We Don’t Have to Agree to Pray

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Full & Simple- We Don't Have to Agree to Pray

Yesterday our nation experienced a tragedy when a gunman massacred 49 people and wounded another 53 (at my last news update) at an LGBT nightclub.  This attack was, without a doubt, an unspeakable act of hate.  A specific group of people was targeted because of their beliefs and lifestyle, the definition of a hate crime.

I read a lot of views on Facebook and Instagram yesterday about what happened, and honestly, I saw a lot more hate.  There were a lot of pointing fingers.  There were those that took the opportunity to make accusations at people that oppose of the LGBT lifestyle.  There were some that talked about how the church may not step up and help.  In my own feed, I didn't see anything that condoned what happened, but I'm sure its out there.  What I didn't see was a sense of unity.

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Here's the thing.  I don't agree with the LGBT lifestyle.  But you know what?  That doesn't mean I can't or won't pray for the victims, their families, and the LGBT community as a whole, because we don't have to agree to pray for each other.  My praying for someone does not mean that I condone and support all of their life choices.  It does not mean that I've suddenly changed my views and values.  Prayer is an act of love.  And love, my friends, is our job as Christians. 

Caleb Karltenbach states, in his book Messy Grace, that, "Love is the tension of grace and truth."  And right now is not the time for truth.  It is not the time to discuss someone's life choices and whether those choices align with ours.  Right now is a time for us, as a church and a country to say, "It does not matter what you believe, what happened to you is unacceptable because you are a human being."  

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Christ said it even better in John 13:34-35, "A new command I give to you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so must you love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

I have friends that do things that don't align with my beliefs and I don't agree with.  I've done things that my own mom doesn't agree with.  But love doesn't mean agreement.  Love means that we accept that all people are made by God, our creator, and deserve to feel safe.  They deserve to know that, whether we agree or not, the church will pray for their healing.  That the church will pray for their strength.  That the church will pray for them to have peace.  Because that is our job as the church, to pray and to love.

 

 

 

Erika

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Hand-Picked Peach: Week 44

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I definitely may have a girl crush on Jess Connolly.  I'm sure you haven't noticed how much I talk about her here on the blog. LOL!  To me, she's right up there with Joanna Gaines as far as women I look up to.  Jess has her own blog, is a speaker, co-founder of The Influence Network and recently released her first book, Wild and Free.

Well, she's done something else amazing as well.  She created a Summer to Thrive guide.  It is a series of pages to help guide you to setting meaningful goals this summer and then chilling out about all the things that do not help meet these few goals.

Earlier this week I wrote about how I'm planning to rest more this June.  I need to take a step back from commitments, let go of the word "should," and give myself a little more grace and mercy.  This guide is in complete agreement with those goals, so I thought it would be a perfect share for you this week.

To get your Summer to Thrive guide, simply click here and then sign up to receive Jess's newsletter.  Easy as that!

Source: JessConnolly.com

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Erika

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Love in the Face of ISIS

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Full & Simple Book Review Love in the Face of Isis

I'm not normally one to read a book like this.  I honestly am not sure why I chose to read Love in the Face of ISIS other than just the Holy Spirit at work, but I can tell you that I am so glad that I did.  I was hooked from the very first page of the introduction when Varela explained why she chose the name.

Varela states that the title just came to her out of nowhere, but that it deeply connected to her spirit, so she knew that it must be from God.  As she prayed about the title, she felt Him asking her, "'What is love? Who is Love?'"  The answer is that God is love, so rewritten, with that knowledge, the title would be God in the Face of ISIS.  And as the Chris Tomlin song goes, "And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?  And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?"

The seven areas that Varela teaches you prayer strategy for are:

  1. Releasing the presence of God
  2. Releasing the armies of God
  3. Releasing the protection of God
  4. Releasing the perseverance for the people of God
  5. Releasing the provision of God
  6. Releasing the healing of God
  7. Releasing the peace of God

Along with these prayer strategies, I learned about Middle East history in relation to the conflicts and the Bible.  For example, did you know that Mosul, Iraq, the city taken over by ISIS that granted the organization world attention, used to be the city of Ninevah?  I also learned about organizations that are trying to help with the crisis like The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (FRRME), Preemptive Love Coalition (PLC), and Iraqi Children Foundation.  

Full & Simple Book Review Love in the Face of Isis (featured)

While all of the knowledge gained is important, the parts of the book that really drove home how important it is to pray for the crisis were the stories from workers and victims.  I cried while reading most of the stories and I praised God that my family is safe.  I can't imagine the fear that some of the mothers have endured and are still enduring.  Their struggles are heartbreaking, but their faith and strength are inspiring.

Love in the Face of ISIS is packed with Biblical reference and is not a fluff book.  One thing that really stuck out in my mind while reading it is that the knowledge and strategy can be applied to just about any conflict.  We can take these strategies and pray about racism in our country.  We can take these strategies and pray against the sex trafficking industry.  We can take these strategies and pray for the world.

Varela mentions that these strategies, while great to do alone, are powerful when prayed in a group.  "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven," Matthew 18:19.  I highly encourage you to buy a set for your church and study these strategies together.  In doing so, we could change the world if only we believe and pray with sincere hearts.

You can find out more about the author here.

Find out more about the book here.

Full & Simple- Book Review Love in the Face of Isis

Erika

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