Homemade Fabric Softener

1 cup vinegar
2 cups hair conditioner (unscented or VERY lightly scented)

6 cups water
4-8 drops of Downy OR lavender essential oil (lavender is also anti-bacterial & anti-fungal)

~Mix together, carefully pour into an old fabric softener bottle.

~Use like any other fabric softener.

For dryer sheets:

~Dilute above recipe w/3 parts water, 1 part softener.

~Pour into container w/a tight-closing lid & large enough to soak at least 2 3"x 5" sponges.

~Add sponges to the mix in the container, close lid tightly.

~To Use: shake contents or stir a little w/1 of the sponges b/c it will settle a little between uses; wring out sponge & add to dryer as you do your favorite fabric sheets.

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><

Dear Anonymous...

Recently, there was a commentor on a HOMESCHOOL blog who is a Christian public school teacher. As often happens...in my humble opinion...our choice to homeschool our children is wrongly seen as a failure to evangelize the schools. This 'argument' really ruffles my feathers b/c, as I read Scripture, there is NO place where God sends children out to evangelize, only adults. She also said that there was no Bible verse to suggest that homeschooling was a Biblical option. Oh, and another thing...they commented as "Anonymous." Brave. :-/ Not.

Below is my response to her. I'd be interested in your thoughts...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Anonymous,

Praise God that you are a Christian teacher in a pagan/public school! The unsaved world needs YOU...but NOT OUR children. Our children are home where they belong.

Children were NEVER intended to be sent out among the wolves of this unsaved world to evangelize...NEVER.

~ Jesus/God NEVER sent children...

- The 72 that Jesus sent out were TRAINED ADULTS; not children.

- The apostles/disciples were TRAINED ADULTS; not children.

- The ONLY time in the Bible we see children being involved in pagan education is Moses and Daniel, Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego (which, by the way, were the names the pagans gave to them). Those young men were there because they were captives.

- We are breaking our children free of a pagan, anit-Christian system.

- You are taking your place as an ADULT carrying on the word of Christ in a fallen world...you are in your correct, Biblical role as an adult, children sent to p.s. to 'evangelize' are not.

~ A homeschool Bible verse? How about Deut. 6:6-7..."These commandments that I [God] give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on [teach them to] your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." In other words: ALL THE TIME. HOW can we do that if they spend 24,000+ hours of their most teachable, most impressionable years AWAY from our homes being taught the lies of evolution as truth...rewritten history as truth...deviant sexual practices as "just another way to love" and as truth by a person, a stranger to their family, in "authority" over them? By someone who is not a Christian? By someone who is NOT YOU?! Even YOU are REQUIRED to teach the lies and distortions in your textbooks. I AM NOT!!

~ Jesus, Himself, didn't enter His own ministry until He was 30. Even Luke 2:52 insinuates that Jesus went home w/His PARENTS to be instructed: "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor w/God and men." He grew in wisdom and stature AT HOME. When Jesus was growing up, as a good Jewish boy, He followed the Jewish tradition of family education:

1) The 1st level of education was ALWAYS at home. They were taught, from birth, the Torah and all Scriptural and family knowledge was passed down orally and memorized. They were HOMESCHOOLED.

2) The 2nd level of Jewish education was called Bet Sefer, which means 'House of the Book.' Children in this level were from ages 6 (officially) to 10. Here is where they began memorizing and learning about the Torah in full.

3) The 3rd level, Bet Talmud (House of Learning), would be where children between 10 to 14 (especially since a 13 year old boy was considered a man after his Bar-mitzvah, he could learn outside the home) decided whether they were to continue w/their father's trade (more homeschooling) OR move on to be educated by the Rabbis and study/learn/memorize the entire O.T. This is where they would "take on" the "likeness" of their teacher/Rabbi. This is where Jesus' warning that "A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher" (Luke 6:40) is to be fully heeded in our culture. This is both a promise AND a warning...I don't want my children to be like the teachers I see in the public school system...I want my daughters to grow up to be the mothers - the hands that rock the cradle - of tomorrow, sons to be the leaders of tomorrow...to be the godly fathers and husband/wives and mothers of tomorrow. To be the missionaries, the preachers, the godly business owners, the statesmen and women, the entertainers...and even the teachers...of tomorrow!!

We believe that we are following the path God laid out for us in this fallen, fallen world...to show them the path of righteousness and to groom them, to train them, to coach them, to nourish them just as a gardener tends their seedlings, until it is TIME for them to step out into the mud of this world, be planted and grow...and be productive BECAUSE they were protected, nourished and taught how to grow and produce AT HOME.

YOU are where you should be...YOU are an adult. Our children need to be at home...where they belong.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#79~ 5/25/10

For Today...

Outside my window...BEAUTIFUL! Lots of sunshine & high, whispy clouds. A little humid, but I'll take it.

I am thinking...this morning, as a friend & I were going to the country stores, the Old Order German Baptists where having a foot-washing at their Meeting House! TONS of horses & buggies...little kids running around in their head coverings & straw hats...and me w/o my camera! RATS!

I am thankful for...a little time alone.

From the kitchen...a pot of laundry detergent cooling on the stove. lol Already made more toothpaste & face wash. I'm working tonight, so DD#2 will be cooking supper.

I am wearing...jeans, melon-colored shirt.

I am remembering…my gr-ma's huge garden. I was just telling a friend how amazing it was that the last summer my gr-pa was living, she kept that huge garden all by herself, even though he was too sick to help her.

I am going…to test out my 'gardening chair' while I weed the garden - to save my knees & back - & plant some tomato plants.

I am reading...Bible: Proverbs & Joel.

I am hoping...that our country will survive.

On my mind…my mom, my family, $$.

I am creating...a peaceful, Christ-centered home.

I am hearing...the radio, a passing truck.

Noticing that…"If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

Pondering these words…I should not let the culture determine who I am. The culture DID NOT make me ~ GOD did!

Around the house...finsihing the laundry detergent, working in the little garden, general straightening.

One of my favorite things...drives in the country.

A Scripture thought...Hosea 12:6 ~ "But you must return to your God; maintain love & justice, & wait for your God always."

A few plans for the rest of the week...work, doing a few homeschool assessments, getting my hair cut! Woohoo! I'll look like my blog photo again! '-)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Obviously not a pic taken today, :-) but this is the Old Order German Baptist Meeting House that I mentioned earlier.

Enjoy other Daybooks at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

Homemade Herbal Shampoo (Oily Hair)

This is one of my favorite shampoos & make it whenever I can. This will leave your oily hair squeeky-clean! You can ALSO use this as a body wash for all skin-types.

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><

~~~~~~~~~

2 c. distilled water

1 TB. lemon balm

1 TB. lemongrass

1 TB peppermint

1 TB. yarrow

2 ts. lemon peel, fresh & finely chopped ***optional***

20 drops of essential oils of: lemon, rosemary, rose, ylang ylang ~ or your favorite combination of these choices ~ WITH tea tree essential oil.

1/2 c. baby shampoo OR chemical-free shampoo base

~Bring the water to a boil & remove from heat. Add herbs & lemon peel ( ***lemon peel is optional*** ), cover pan, steep for 30 minutes.

~Using a cheese-cloth or fine-holed sieve, strain mix into a bowl, add oils & stir.

~Add shampoo to mix, stirring GENTLY so it doesn't make a foam.

~Slowly pour into an clean, used shampoo bottle. ***This makes about 2-1/2 c., so you may need more than one bottle. I use 1 lg & 1 sm liquid Castile soap bottle (this is not my photo, but this person is using a Castile soap bottle, so I wanted you to see it & the other containers) ~ The small one contains what I'm using & is in the shower, then I pour the remainder into the large bottle.

~Refrigerate the bottle(s) you don't put in your shower, or at your tub, & ideally, use w/in 4 weeks.

~Wash & rinse as you normally do; this will not make tons of suds.

~I Googled a few "homemade shampoo" photos, below & above, to show you that you DO NOT need anything fancy to store your shampoo in...just use what you have that works like these people did. :-)

I am a KEPT Woman!

Sometimes, I get the best little ditties in my e-mail...

~~~~~~~

I am a "KEPT" woman...

You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind, but GOD kept me sane. (Isa. 26:3)

There were times when I thought I could go no longer, but the LORD kept me moving. (Gen 28:15)

At times, I've wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong, but the LORD kept my mouth shut. (Ps. 13)

Sometimes, I think the money just isn't enough, but GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid,etc... (Matt. 6:25-34)

When I thought I would fall, HE kept me up. When I thought I was weak, HE kept me strong! (I Pet. 5:7, Matt. 11:28-30)

I could go on and on and on, but I'm sure you hear me! Praise the Lord and pass the filet mignon! I'm blessed to be "KEPT."

28 Years Ago, In a Life Far, Far Away...

I Tim 1:15-17~"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners ~ of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him & receive eternal life. Now to THE King eternal, immortal, invisible, THE ONLY GOD, be honor & glory for ever & ever. AMEN!"

28 years ago, tonight, I was born again!! THANK YOU, LORD! And thanks to my darling Ty, & to Marty Schwieterman, Gregg & Sono Harris. And thanks to Russ Taff who sang the song that led me Home!

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><

Growth in the Christian Homeschool

Webster’s New Illustrated Dictionary – growth – n. – The gradual development of a plant or animal; increase in size or amount; something that grows, as, the hill was covered with green growth.

2 Peter 3:18 – “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”

How do you measure “GROWTH” in the life of your homeschooled children?

In your mind, is the success of your sacrifice to homeschool, love, nurture and prune your children for the sake of Christ measured by academics? How high their SAT/ACT scores are? What Ivy League college they are accepted by? Is homeschooling strictly academic in your home? Or is the growth of your children measured in a different way?

How about by the growth of the out-pouring of GRACE to the needy, to those who may not have many friends, to forgiving a sibling for “barrowing” something without permission AGAIN. How about their understanding that we are saved by grace and not by “being good,” and taking that Good News to a lost and dying world so that they might be changed into a new creation and welcomed into life eternal. I Cor. 15:12 – “But by the GRACE of God I am what I am, and His GRACE to me was not without effect…”

How about by the growth of their RELATIONSHIP with Christ. Does the love and maturity that comes from spending time with that Dear Friend show in their countenance? Does it show in how they treat their siblings, in how they obey their parents? If our children are growing in their relationship with the Lord, we will see that shine through in moments that we least expect. It won’t always be the big things…look for those precious little reminders that give assurance…opening the door for an elderly couple, bending down to pick up something someone dropped without being asked, willingness to read the Bible or ask questions so that they may understand all the more. 3 John 1:4 – “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

How about growth in an OVERWHELING ASSURANCE that they were created with a purpose by a loving God Who is directing their paths. There may come the day when they will wonder out loud, “Why am I in this family?” Hopefully, their understanding that the Lord directs all things, even our decision to homeschool, will allow them to appreciate the choices we have made for them. As they grow and learn they will be able to see how they have been allowed to flourish in their homeschool environment and how their education and life-style compares to no one else’s…and that will be an overwhelming assurance that God knew what He was doing when He allowed us to be a family. Jer, 29-11 – “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

How about growth as they take pleasure in WORSHIP. I don’t know about you, but to me, worship is the way I “hug” the Lord! We need to help our children understand that. One wonderful fact to share with them is that this has been going on since time began! Songs of praise and worship help us to cultivate and express our love-relationship with the Lord. Talk to them about how God inhabits the praises of his people, that even the rocks and creation cries out to God in worship, or how David calmed Saul just by singing praises to the Lord. David was such a worshipper! Do they know that the book of Psalms is actually a hymnbook? Worship isn’t always expressed in song…worship is also expressed in our tithes and offerings, our willingness to use our time and talents and do all for God’s glory. Psalm 100:2 – “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.”

How about TIME. Do our children grow in the Lord by taking TIME to BE WITH Him? Do WE? Relationships do not grow unless time is spent together. The same with ourselves and the Lord. We grow in our relationship with Him by spending time reading our Bibles, time in prayer, time in worship, time in the fellowship of the saints! The Lord has been so good in all He has done for us, how can we NOT want to spend time with Him? Hosea 10:12 – “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is TIME to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers righteousness on you.”

How about growth through HELPING. Cultivate a willingness to HELP others…this will improve relationships within our homes as well as cause them to grow a good reputation within our church and community. A wonderful, creative lady in our support group started a service club and they have done everything from bake and deliver cookies to election workers, to decorate a local library for holidays, to write encouraging letters to our servicemen and women, to sew teddy bears for abused children. One of the girls who delivered cookies to the poll workers was recognized in a store by one of the recipients and was told how much those delicious cookies are appreciated and looked forward to every year! A little bit goes a long way! Those girls have learned so much about helping in the Name of Christ. Ecc. 4:9-10 – “Two are better then one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can HELP him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to HELP him up!”

Just as a little plant needs the ingredients of sun, water and soil for growth, our children need the ingredients that we have been endowed by the Lord to provide for them…

Grace
Relationship with Christ
Overwhelming Assurance
Worship
Time
Help

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

WOOHOO! Way to Go, Arizona!

{http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/05/19/arizona-official-threatens-cut-los-angeles-power-payback-boycott/}
If Los Angeles wants to boycott Arizona, it had better get used to reading by candlelight.

That's the message from a member of Arizona's top government utilities agency, who threw down the gauntlet Tuesday in a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa by threatening to cut off the city's power supply as retribution.

Gary Pierce, a commissioner on the five-member Arizona Corporation Commission, wrote the letter in response to the Los Angeles City Council's decision last week to boycott the Grand Canyon State -- in protest of its immigration law -- by suspending official travel there and ending future contracts with state businesses.

Noting that a quarter of Los Angeles' electricity comes from Arizona power plants, Pierce threatened to pull the plug if the City Council does not reconsider.
"Doggone it -- if you're going to boycott this candy store ... then don't come in for any of it," Pierce told FoxNews.com.

In the letter, he ridiculed Villaraigosa for saying that the point of the boycott was to "send a message" by severing the "resources and ties" they share.

"I received your message; please receive mine. As a statewide elected member of the Arizona Corporation Commission overseeing Arizona's electric and water utilities, I too am keenly aware of the 'resources and ties' we share with the city of Los Angeles," Pierce wrote.

"If an

economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation."

Appearing to tap into local frustration in Arizona over the raft of boycotts and threatened boycotts from cities across the country, including Los Angeles, Pierce warned that Arizona companies are willing and ready to fight boycott with boycott.
"I am confident that Arizona's utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands," Pierce wrote. "If, however, you find that the City Council lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power, please reconsider the wisdom of attempting to harm Arizona's economy."

Pierce told FoxNews.com that he was speaking for himself, not the entire commission, though he has the support of at least one other member. But Arizona has some serious leverage over Los Angeles, as well as the rest of California. The state and city get electricity from a nuclear power plant outside Phoenix, as well as from coal-fired power plants in northern Arizona and two giant hydroelectric power

generators along the Colorado River.

Despite that, the Los Angeles City Council voted overwhelmingly last week to ban future business with Arizona -- a decision that could cost Arizona millions of dollars in lost contracts.

Los Angeles officials were furious with the Arizona immigration law passed last month and joined local officials in cities across the country in pushing boycotts to register their dismay. Critics say the law will lead to racial profiling and civil rights abuses.
Arizona officials have defended the law, saying the state needed to take its illegal immigration problem into its own hands. Pierce said he's "supportive" of the state's efforts to control the border.

The law requires local law enforcement to try to verify the immigration status of anyone they have contact with whom they suspect of being an illegal immigrant. It empowers them to turn over verified illegal immigrants to federal custody. The legislation explicitly prohibits screening people based solely on race or national origin.

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#78~ 5/18/10

For Today...

Outside my window...the green of the trees & the greyness of the morning trying to let the sun shine through. Ummm...then again...maybe not. :-/

I am thinking...of making ends meet & how hard my sweet DH works.

I am thankful for...having a husband who works so hard to keep our heads above water. Lord, please bless him, give him strength & lead him to the job of his dreams.

From the kitchen...the dough for a new loaf of flaxseed bread is in the works in the bread maker, I will soon be putting it in the loaf pan for the 2nd rise & then baking. I hope the dampness of today won't keep it from rising. LOVE the smell of fresh-baked bread! :-P

I am wearing...jeans, purple long-sleeved shirt.

I am remembering…visits to my gr-pa & gr-ma's little farm. Sometimes my back yard has the 'feel' of their back yard. You know...something about how the light shines or the air smells. Does that make sense?

I am going…tidy the house, do some baking, study the training manual for work & then work the late hours tonight. Passing my sweet DH as he is coming home from work & I'm going to work is a little depressing.

I am reading...the Minor Prophets; in Hosea right now & about to go into Joel.

I am hoping...that the Publisher's Clearing House van will pull into my driveway! lol Other than that, I wish the weather would co-operate so that I could finish getting the rest of my kitchen garden planted!!

On my mind…paying bills & time w/my family; choices being made by one of my DDs.

I am creating...a peaceful, Christ-centered home.

I am hearing...te radio, the break-maker.

Noticing that…when I am weak, HE is strong!

Pondering these words…"If I want to walk in the will of God, I have to try to think like Christ." ~From Sunday's sermon.

Around the house...general tidying, a little laundry; looking forward to watching American Idol after work - my family DVRs it for me.

One of my favorite things...helping ppl find new things ~ health care, personal care, recipes, etc ~ that works for them & helps them & saves them $$.

A Scripture thought...Jeremiah 6:16 ~ "This is what the Lord says: 'Stand at the crossroads & look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, & walk in it, & you WILL find rest for your souls.'"

A few plans for the rest of the week...making as much family time as possible, praying, work, & the wedding of one of my favorite young ladies who is a life-long friend of our girls on Saturday!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Annie Oakley: local girl done good!

Enjoy other Daybooks at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

The Velveteen Christian ~ Are YOU Real?

The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces…

“What is Real?” asked the Rabbit one day…”Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because when you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
~~The Velveteen Rabbit
But He [Christ] said to me [Paul], “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
~~II Cor. 12:9-10
When our daughters were little girls, The Velveteen Rabbit was one of their favorite storybooks. And it is a tremendous book. But I honestly can’t think of a time, while reading the above passage, that I didn’t cry. Why, I could barely type it without getting weepy. It is such a parable of the Christian life.

So, let me ask…Are you Real? I think I am on my way. There have been many times in this Skin Horse’s life when I have felt like I have had my hair loved off (when our darling first-born, Jessica, died of SIDS at 3 months old), when it felt like my eyes would surely drop out (when my Daddy suddenly had a brain aneurysm and I held his hand as the machines were turned off and he was ushered into the presence of Jesus), when I've gotten loose in the joints (age happens…) & have felt very shabby (using every drop of our savings after my dear husband was laid off last year can wear on one’s feeling of security). Real life can be ugly in this fallen old world.

But, I can’t be ugly to my God & my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am God’s child. HE has made me Real! One beautiful May evening in 1982, at age 23, I took my first step toward ultimate reality. I became a child of THE King!

Many times since that night, like Paul, I have been weak. But my Savior was there to minister to me & to put the pieces of my repentant heart back together & to forgive me – all over again – of my sins.

I have suffered so many insults. You can’t leave the life I led without being cast off, ridiculed, misunderstood or insulted by old friends and even family members. But my Savior was there to capture all of my tears and treasure them in a bottle. His love caused the bruises from those insults to become prayers of forgiveness and opportunities to ask the Lord to make Himself real to those lost people.

I have suffered hardships. Most recently has been my husband’s lay off last year. We were going to remodel our house & were in the process of saving to open my dream of a bulk food business, Marmee’s Pantry. But I have a Savior Who, even though my dream has been post-poned and our house still needs to be remodeled, causes us to be thrilled that we simply still HAVE our home! It's been a long year.

I have been persecuted. Isn’t it funny how our unsaved loved ones seem to almost lie in wait for us to make even the appearance of the slightest slip up? And when we do – because no one is perfect – they are right there throwing our mistakes right back in our faces…and even “spread the word” and add a little spice to the story in the process. But I have a Savior Who opens the gate of opportunity for explanation, correction of any lies told and a restoration of any reputation that may have been damaged.

I have had difficulties. Is there any Christian who hasn’t? There are times when I feel as if my life before Christ was carefree and fun. And then I remember that, whether I realized it at the time or not, that there is always a reckoning. A price MUST be paid for one’s sin. The cost of some people's sins are obvious…a child born before marriage, a scar from a sordid past. The scars from some difficulties are buried so deeply inside that they can haunt a person for the rest of their lives. But I have a Savior Who walks with me through my difficulties and causes me to come through them victorious!

And victory in Jesus is REAL! And, I suppose, that’s the part that unbelievers don’t understand because it’s beyond understanding. It surpasses understanding! This is a sinful, fallen world and those who hold fast to it will reap it’s false rewards.

My prayer is that if you don’t know Jesus as your Savior yet, that you SOON will. That you will know His peace that surpasses all understanding! (Phil. 4:7) And that if you do know Jesus as your Savior, that you will draw closer and closer to Him until that day when He calls you Home.

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” ~~Phil. 1:21

Now THAT’S real!

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><