Simple Living - The Year's End

Near the beginning of the year, I wrote about my frustration with my attachment with stuff. I wanted to live more simply and feel more fulfilled by life and not things. In July, I started reading about how our consumer-driven lifestyle is affecting people and and planet, and I became convinced that I wanted to change even more in my life. When I talked with Matthew about what I was reading and thinking, he supported me and began helping me to make all of these changes. This post is an attempt to compile a list of changes that we made just since this July.

Attitude

We:

• Have decided to change!
• Spend time reading and researching about what's happening in our world and to our world
• Became committed to supporting local farmers and fair trade supporters

Food

We:

• Budgeted more for food so that we could buy as much local, organic, fair-trade, etc. food as possible
• Buy all organic produce
• Buy most other products organic
• Pay attention to where products are created, and buy as locally as possible
• Eat only about a pound of meat a month - chicken or turkey products
• Make even more food from scratch - bread, bagels, crackers, etc
• Grow a little bit of food - sprouts and basil for now...
• Make our own yogurt

Consumerism

We:

• Buy even less than we did before
• Buy anything possible used
• Do research about companies before buying their products
• Try to buy quality, ethically made goods that will last
• Started buying almost all used clothing

Household

We:

• Make sure to unplug cords when things are in use
• Turn off power strips for our computers and their accessories at night
• Cut the top off of a milk jug and now use it for a garbage pail which saves lots of garbage bags
• Started to make many of our soaps, shampoos, lotions, etc out of simple ingredients to cut down on chemicals and packaging
• Sorted through possessions that weren't being used and gave many things away
• Wash laundry with cold water and line dry it when the weather allows
• Use environmentally friendly detergent and cleaning supplies
• I also sewed and started using cloth pads. (Sorry if this is TMI!)
• Started using something close to the "if it's yellow, let it mellow" philosophy (Again, TMI?!)
• Made cloth bulk/produce bags to start replacing plastic ones as they wear out
• Try to find reusable solutions to as many disposable products as possible
• Saved glass jars to use as food storage containers

Transportation

We:

• Avoid using our personal car. It generally gets used to drive out of town.
• Use our bikes and feet a lot!
• Use the public bus

Other

We:

• Try our best to give gifts that people need and will use
• Joined the First Alternative Co-op in Corvallis
• Made a recycling box for my office since there was no recycling option in place
• Learned about danger of plastic and began to try to reduce plastic use and waste

I am sure that I have forgotten some things that we have done to change, but this is a pretty good list! I want to close by saying that making these changes has honestly not brought hardship to us. It has really been an exciting, fun, and rewarding year. I feel like I understand my world better as a result, and I feel like I am living more purposefully and loving more thoroughly. I look forward to making more changes as life continues.

I hope that you can look back on 2010 with satisfaction and that, regardless, 2011 is a wonderful year for you!

God is in the Everyday: The Kitchen

I like to make food. It started in high school when I set out on the noble journey of creating "the best chocolate chip cookie." No more flat, greasy cookies that were the result of following the recipe on the chocolate chip bag for me, thanks. In case you're curious, I have settled into a variation that is my own. Are they the best? Well, that just depends on who you ask. :)

God made us into incredible food eaters. It is something most of us typically do at least three times a day. Food is something that satisfies and nourishes, and I think that God made us with the capacity to enjoy eating.

I like making food because it is downright important. What we eat affects how healthy we are. It also affects our mood and our energy level. Our food is what makes us the physical being that we are. This is why I like to make our food from scratch as much as possible. I like to know what we are eating, and I like the ingredients to be fresh and simple.

I also like making food because homemade food tastes amazing. I dabbled with bread making a couple years ago, and there came a point when there was no turning back: I really didn't want to buy bread anymore. There's something to be said about the flavor and substance of home-cooked food made with fresh ingredients.

It is when kneading bread dough that I am most reminded of the magic in making food. I hold in my hands that which will provide us sustenance that week, and as I push it and stretch it, it turns into a healthy dough.

My kitchen is small, and once a week it gets sticky with honey and streaked with flour as we make our food. It is an exciting time to see all of the different creations formed and baked. There is blessing in it.

I cook to provide good, healthy food for my family and anyone else who happens to visit us during a meal. I am thankful that God has given us what we need to eat, and I believe that He is blessed by each lovingly made loaf of bread that comes out of the oven.

Karen's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)

2 eggs

1 tsp of vanilla

3/4 cup white flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 dash salt

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1 3/4 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. (Feel free to add a smidgen of extra vanilla here!)

2. On top of the wet ingredient, pile the flours, baking soda, and salt. Mix it all together.

3. Next stir in the oats and the chocolate chips.

4. Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes. (Try the shorter time first. If you bake these too long, they will be dry!)

I often estimate when I add ingredients, so it is difficult to write down a recipe! If you like these at all, feel free to change them and make them to your taste. :)

God is in the Everyday

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands..."

In the past, someone associated this verse from the Bible with Matthew. Anyone who knows my husband very well probably understands how this suits his personality! When we discussed the verse the first time, I thought it was very refreshing. I had spent years feeling pressure to be something BIG. I wasn't sure what that meant, but I felt that everyday that I was simply living without participating in big events, I was wasting time and failing at something. This verse reminded me that the very act of living life is big and that God is in the normal.

Over the last year or so, I have found spaces in my life that have brought me a lot of joy and have helped me to feel connected to God. I am envisioning this post as an introduction to a few different upcoming posts describing my experiences. I am looking forward to creating even more understanding in myself regarding my feelings, but I am also hoping that this is encouraging to those who have been made to feel guilty for not "doing something big for God."

He Knew

He knew there’d be quarrels, struggles and fights
As humans bicker about who’s wrong and who’s right,
But He came down at Christmas to be with us here,
So be still in spirit and remember He’s near.

Was He born to a family wealthy and proud?
Did He cause a procession and draw a crowd?
Was He born in a palace large and pristine?
Did He get placed in a cradle, warm and clean?

He knew there’d be divisions and daily strife
As humans make messes while living out life,
But He came down at Christmas to be with us here,
So be still in spirit and remember He’s near.

He was born in small home, not too far from dirt,
And was placed in a manger after His birth.
There was love from his mother, and Joseph too,
But no great crowds celebrated, just quiet few.

He knew we’d grow greedy as we sought for more,
That we’d forget God’s love for the simple and poor,
But He came down at Christmas to be with us here,
So be still in spirit and remember He’s near.

Was it the rich and powerful who came first?
Was it the morally righteous who witnessed the birth?
It was shepherds who came after angels were seen,
Though disdained by society for being unclean.

He knew we’d confuse God’s great love for all.
Loving those we deem worthy, we stumble and fall.
But He came down at Christmas to be with us here,
So be still in spirit and remember He’s near.

So, the FBI just stopped by...

No, seriously. Someone from the FBI just stopped by my place. Apparently there is evidence that someone intentionally set the Islamic Center in Corvallis on fire early this morning, and they are investigating. I am guessing that this happened because this was the place of worship for the man accused of trying to blow up a van in Portland a few days ago. I just think that it is horribly sad that someone did this act of violence to our Muslim community in Corvallis, and so I wanted to just say a few words about this.

First of all, let's be grateful to our government because based on the articles that I read, they did a great job of keeping us safe.

Second, please remember that it is a relatively small number of radical individuals (compared to the entire number of Muslims in the world) who act violently and want to harm our country. When you are in conversations about these or similar events, please consider reminding people that this is just a small group's actions.

Finally, fear and hatred will not solve this terrible problem. It will probably just add fuel to the fire. Try to replace your fear and hatred with more productive emotions and actions. Gratitude for what's good, prayer, and acts of love would be a good start.

Thanks for reading this, and thanks for helping to make Oregon a safe place for all people to live!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I woke up this morning feeling grateful. I had something good happen this week, and I'd like to share it.

There has been one person in my life who I have found it very difficult to love well. Regardless of my reasons, when I thought of this person, there was a stone hanging heavily in my heart.

I read a chapter in Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller this week, and it made it clear to me why I was not loving this person, and why I needed to be. I was not loving her because she was not doing what I thought she should be doing, and I felt like it was hurting her and people around her. I felt that if I loved her, I would be accepting the hurtful things that she did. As Donald Miller puts it, we tend to treat love like money. We give it to those who we think deserve it, and we withhold it from those we think should change. We say we love all people and want what's good for them, but people can tell when we genuinely care about them, accept them, and like them.

However, by reading this book, I was reminded that I am free to love my person despite any differences between us. I can love her because she's a human being, and as such, she is inherently amazing!

After being there for over a year, the heaviness that was in my heart about this person is gone. I still am working daily on changing how I treat this person, and I feel free now.

Here is a verse from a song sung at Matthew and my wedding that expresses the simple beauty of loving daily that I want inside of me:

Praise God for love, praise God for life

In age or youth, in calm or strife.

Lift up your hearts! Let love be fed

Through death and life in broken bread.

Hooray!!!

Please feel free to leave comments letting me know something that you are thankful for!

What I'm Thankful For: Change

As we approach Thanksgiving, I have been thinking about what I am thankful for. There are a lot of things, but currently one of them is that I'm nearing the end of a six-year journey at Oregon State. It has been a challenging six years, but also a very valuable experience. One big thing that I am thankful for is how much change I have experienced in my life! I'd like to explain this...

Leaving high school, I felt like I had religion and morality pretty well figured out. Looking back to high school days, I cringe at how I behaved and the things that I said. I must have been very difficult to talk to because I felt like it was my duty to make sure people knew when I disagreed with them so that I could point out where their faults were. (*shakes her head*) I remember some of my friends decided to try getting drunk, and they couldn't discuss it with me without fear of condemnation. Perhaps even more painfully, I felt like there was a spiritual obligation to insert God into a conversation whenever at all possible. I feel like I didn't accept people as they were. I don't think people would say I was generally unkind, but I certainly didn't embrace people.

It took a couple years, but during college, I think that this started changing. I'm not sure about what all the factors were. I'm sure that some of my classes helped, and moving to a school with almost all new people to me (compared to Newport...) certainly helped a lot. However, perhaps it was really just God helping me to interact with people. I'm sure He was aware that I was in need of some help! What a blessing to me though! (And debatably a blessing to those around me!) How much more full and good life is when I can laugh and enjoy people... ALL people. Not just the people who agree with me.

In a sense, I'd like this to read as an apology to some people that I knew in high school and perhaps early in college. I'm sorry that I didn't love you fully like I should have.

However, mostly I'd like to celebrate the fact that I can look back at the past six years and see that God used my college years to do more than to improve my mathematical logic skills. :)

I'm still working on loving people (as a few of you who have read all of my posts know!) However, whoever happens to read this, I hope that you know I do love you. And that, my friends, is the blessing of change.

Recipes!

I decided to share some of the recipes that we enjoy so much. I tend to change things in recipes a fair amount. I often use whole wheat instead of white flour for much of the flour, and I generally use less sugar than people recommend! Of course, make your own changes, too! :)

Breads:

Bagels

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homemade-Bagels/Detail.aspx

Honey wheat bread

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Simple-Whole-Wheat-Bread/Detail.aspx

English muffins

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Traditional-English-Muffins/Detail.aspx

Snacks:

Zucchini brownies

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Zucchini-Brownies/Detail.aspx

Pumpkin, banana, zucchini, or other fruit muffins

Find a base recipe, and try things! I like adding apple sauce and/or sour cream pretty often. I also like throwing in oatmeal and extra spices.

Yogurt (I am actually just trying this as I type... waiting for the milk to cool!)

http://fakeplasticfish.com/2007/12/plastic-free-yogurt-well-almost-plus/

Meatless Dinners

Enchiladas

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Black-Bean-and-Rice-Enchiladas/Detail.aspx

Veggie fajitas

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Colorful-Vegetable-Fajitas/Detail.aspx

Eggplant parmasan

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Eggplant-Parmesan-II/Detail.aspx

Macaroni and cheese

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Home-Style-Macaroni-and-Cheese/Detail.aspx

Orzo with parmasan and basil

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Orzo-with-Parmesan-and-Basil/Detail.aspx

Orzo with butternut squash

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/winter-squashes-are-here-try-a-butternut-squash-orzo.html

Household products:

Deodorant (This can be tweaked a little to get the consistency how you like it)

Blend together 1 Tbsp baking soda, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, and 1-2 Tbsp coconut oil

Surface cleaner

Mix 1 part vinegar with 5 parts water

Well, that's a good start, at least. Let me know if I forgot anything! :)

The (Christian) Consumer's Responsibility

This post is going to complement my last post, but I wanted to approach the topic from a slightly different angle now. If you read my other post first, that would probably be good. If you have read it, here we go...!

As Christians in the United States, we spend a lot of our lives working at our jobs to make money and then consuming with that money. I think that the issue is avoided because it is intangible and complicated, but I honestly believe that God is interested in what we choose to spend our money on. I'm not talking about decisions about buying a new TV versus donating money to a charity. I'm talking about deciding which companies we should buy products from and what products we buy.

We can love people we don't know and will never meet by choosing one product over another. For example, by choosing Fair Trade and Child Slave Labor free products, you will be helping farmers across the world and denouncing harmful, hateful practices.

I only recently started to consider my consumer habits under the lens of God's love, and it has made a huge difference in my priorities and where my money goes. This is a passion of mine, and I hope that you find it significant enough to consider making some changes.

The Consumer's Responsibility

I think that many, if not most, people in our country would agree that we are not very happy about how many businesses are run . We are upset that businesses are so big that we cannot afford to let them collapse, even if they make poor choices that lead to their own destruction. We hate that we don't know what's in our food. We don't like the thought of workers in sweat shops or other harmful conditions. We wish that farmers and other workers were paid fairly. We want livestock to be treated decently. We don't want our cosmetics to contain untested, potentially harmful chemicals. However, it seems like all of these horrible things slide by, and little changes...

There is much discussion about what our government should or should not do to fix these things, but for some reason not many people talk about the fact that these companies would not be so big or even in business at all if people didn't buy their products! The truth is, there is a lot of information out there about these big companies and their shameful actions. However, how many people bother looking these things up, and, if they do, how many people bother to act accordingly?

I think that the truth is that we have become so convinced that we deserve to buy whatever we want whenever we want it that we have forgotten that products that cost more may cost more for a good reason! We feel like we need all sorts of "things," so we can't afford to buy quality products from good companies that charge more for their products because they are paying their workers more, harming the environment less, and doing other deeds that truly we should appreciate.

I know I've said it before in a different context, but this truth is just as pertinent here: We need to consume less stuff. I am no economic expert, but I tend to believe that if people decided to buy less but buy higher quality goods produced by reputable companies, a lot of our problems would diminish. Blue collar workers would probably be paid better. People could perhaps work fewer hours but still receive a living wage. More people would end up working in agriculture since our farming industry would focus more on the health of humans and the environment, and a larger workforce would be needed to satisfy the demands. Fewer people would be working in monotonous factory jobs since less "stuff" would be being produced. The list goes on.

I know that this seems idealistic, but the funny thing is that it is not companies who will make this decision for us. It is the consumers that can force this to happen. We are the ones supporting bad companies since we just buy whatever is cheapest, and cheap products are cheap for a reason. We have the power to force a company to shut down or reform simply by not buying their product.

If you are not happy with the big businesses of today, will you consider doing your research and becoming an informed, thoughtful consumer?

Plastic, Plastic Everywhere...

Seriously. Look around you. I bet you can find a bunch of plastic. We buy food in plastic, store food in plastic, wrap things in plastic, chew on plastic (any gum chewers out there?), constantly throw away plastic... Yet, most people don't think about this much, I don't believe. I know I didn't until recently, and now I'm surprised I hadn't heard more about plastic before! I'd like to share some things that I've learned. I give links to give you more to read and consider, but they aren't the only things I have read about these topics. If you are interested, go out and find more!

What is plastic made out of?

According to Wikipedia, the raw materials to make most plastics come from petroleum and natural gas.

Why is plastic such a big deal?

A few reasons. First of all, in our society, we use plastic to store our food in and eat our food out of regularly. The thing is, as far as I can tell, we aren't sure that any plastic is completely safe. Dangerous chemicals can leach into food and then stick around in our bodies. Even plastics that we know are harmful are still used to hold food! For example, the plastic that makes styrofoam is called polystyrene, and it is known to have negative effects on the body. (http://www.ejnet.org/plastics/polystyrene/health.html) Yet, I bet it is the rare person in our country who has never drank out of a styrofoam cup or eaten take-out from a styrofoam container.

The second reason that I will give is that the amount of plastic that we use creates a massive amount of waste. Massive. More on this later.

OK, we use a lot of plastic, but doesn't recycling solve the waste issue?

Unfortunately, no! We view recycling as a closed loop. For example, we buy a plastic yogurt container, use it, put it in the recycling, and assume that the container can be made into another yogurt container. There are two big problems with this. One, plastic is usually "downcycled." This means that when it is recycled, you get a lower quality plastic. In particular, from what I've read, food-grade plastic often does not recycle to be food-grade plastic. That means that a lot of the plastic used to package food is brand-new plastic! Also, eventually plastic is unable to be recycled any more. (http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/green-glossary-downcycling.html)

What problems are there from plastic waste then?

First of all, a huge problem is that plastic is largely not biodegradable. Whether it is on the land or in the water, it just sits there. It may eventually break into tiny pieces, but the plastic is still there. I think that a lot of people realize that our landfills are huge, and they know that it's a sad thing to have piles of garbage around the planet. However, I think that the heartbreaking truth about plastic remains largely unknown. Plastic is showing up everywhere in our oceans. In some places, like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (http://www.cdnn.info/news/article/a071104.html), there can even be a trail of hundreds of miles of plastic. People have studied this phenomena, and they have found that regardless of where they are, they can quickly find plastic in the ocean. Sea creatures are ingesting the little pieces of plastic that look close to their natural food, plankton, and we don't necessarily know how these petroleum-based chemicals will affect them or the creatures up the food chain from them (including humans!) Additionally, dead birds are being found with their bellies full of large, and clearly lethal, plastic pieces.

To get a clearer picture of the large problem of trash in the sea, please watch this video:

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

I'm convinced that this is a problem, but what can I do?

First of all, I'd recommend not getting overwhelmed or panicking. Worrying doesn't solve problems. :) I'll list some basic ideas to consider, and I recommend finding websites that talk about the issue and ideas for solutions. For example, http://myplasticfreelife.com/ is a blog that is dedicated to the problem of plastics. Here are some good first steps:

1) Get a reusable water bottle and reusable shopping bags, and remember to use them! Stainless steel watter bottles are widely available, and there are many options for shopping bags including mesh and canvas styles.

2) Avoid buying packaged food. Head to the produce section for loose produce, and go to the bulk section to be amazed by the options that you have! Of course, these options make the most sense if you take reusable bags that you can make or buy!

3) Buy less and/or buy used. This is good for the pocketbook, too. :)

4) Consider glass as a good alternative when buying packaged food or food storage containers. It is easily recycled, and you will know that plastic isn't leaching into your food. I have started saving glass jars instead of recycling them, and they work great for food storage.

5) Bring your own mug if you get coffee.

6) Consider using cloth diapers and menstrual products.

In general, I think that just being aware of the plastic that you are using will help you to consider what to work on. People tend to be creative! Use your brain, and you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish! Feel free to comment if you have some other good ideas that I failed to mention.

Thanks for reading this, and I hope that you are inspired to live a love-filled, intentional life by working to reduce your part in the problem of plastic.

Simple Living - The Great Food Adventure

About two months ago, Matthew and I started shopping differently. In my post on July 30th, I described the beginning of that change. At that time, I was expecting to do a fairly small fraction of my shopping at the co-op and most of the rest of it at Winco because I didn't think we could afford to buy much of the more expensive, organic goods. However, that's not how it turned out at all! I'd like to share my findings before school starts and things get crazy, so here we go!

First of all, in full disclosure, the budget that Matthew and I set was $300 a month for groceries including household items like dish soap, toothpaste, and the like. In August we easily met this budget (well, we spent less than $225 since we were at camp for the first week of the month). It is also looking like we are going to succeed again in September. Here's what we have been getting for our money...

At the co-op we buy all of our produce except when organic produce goes on sale at Fred Meyer. What we buy is organic, and a lot of it comes from the six counties surrounding and including our own. We also buy a lot of (mostly organic) bulk items including flour, oats, pasta, rice and beans. We buy cage-free eggs and milk from a local dairy farm. We find that we rarely need to buy packaged goods like canned food, but when we do, it is done at the co-op.

At Winco we mostly buy things that are carried at the co-op but are cheaper at Winco. For example, we get Nancy's yogurt and Tillamook cheeses. We also still buy cereal here because we buy big bags cheap, and the co-op unfortunately does not have this type of thing available. Besides an occasional item that the co-op does not carry, this is pretty much all we get here.

If you think that $300 is still a lot of money for food, realize that we only spend about $5 a day per person for all of our meals and snacks. For the quality, reduced exposure to dangerous chemicals, support for the local farmers, good treatment of the livestock that produce the food, support for environmentally friendly practices, and support for fair wages for anyone involved in the process of making products... I think that $5 is pretty amazing.

As a note, one big reason that we can afford to do this is that we cook much of our food from scratch. We generally make two different meals each week, and we eat a lot of leftovers. I also make home-baked breads, and we bake muffins or something else for snacks. However, I did this all before switching to the co-op... Even during the school year when spending 60-80 hours a week working. Admittedly, I do like cooking...

A second reason that we can afford to do this is that we have started to eat less meat. Currently, also at the co-op, we have decided to buy a small amount of lunch meat and 1 to 1.5 pounds of chicken each month. I have successfully used tofu as a substitute a few times, and I also have found a bunch of good vegetarian recipes.

I don't know if more than two or three people read this, but I wanted to share my experiences because I feel like a lot of people would love to eat healthier, organic, local foods but don't think that they can afford it. I encourage you to try it out if you have ever wanted to. I'd be more than happy to share recipes, advice, or any other information that may be helpful.

Thanks for reading!

Just ideas to think about...

I decided to write a bit about the popular question, "Who gets to go to heaven?"

First of all, I do believe that through Jesus' doing, we are all able to have a loving relationship with God here on earth and after physical death. From my understanding, we can be confident in our good standing if we sincerely seek to patch our relationship with God through a faith in Jesus' life, death and resurrection.

That's all well and good, but what about everyone who doesn't have this type of relationship? I think that many Christians are convinced that everyone else goes to hell. I have heard many people talk about individuals and nations that they are convinced are in or are going to hell. I recently have heard an adult tell a group of children about someone that she "knows" is now in hell. Wow!

People seem so quick and willing to condemn billions to hell with a black-and-white standards. The following are a few things that seem like possible and, perhaps, reasonable alternatives.

1) God works differently with different people. Think back to the days of the Old Testament. God worked closely with the Israelites, and we have a record of His actions with Israel. We can also read that outsiders were welcomed to follow the God of Israel. However, what about people who never encountered Israel? Did they never get to meet God? Are they then condemned to hell? I think that God works with all people, both in the past and present, and He is able to judge them accordingly.

2) Even people presented with the story of Jesus who then reject it might not have rejected God. Wait... What??? Did I just say that? Yes. Yes, I did. I have a good reason, though! Perhaps the way God was presented was not an accurate representation of God, and perhaps this false, albeit perhaps unintentionally false, representation is what people are rejecting. This is an extreme illustration, but imagine going into an innocent, peaceful village and killing half of them at random. You then go to the remaining half and give a spiel about God's love. If they reject your spiel, they are probably not rejecting God. They are rejecting you.

I am not saying that I know how God judges people because I don't. However, I do believe that he is good, loving, just, and all-knowing. Since I am not these things, I am going to accept that I can't judge a person. Instead, I am going to spend my time trying to love people with God's love so that hopefully they can love God back.

The Future

Since in a few weeks I will begin the last year of school (!!!!!!), it seems fitting to write a post about our future. Of course, I don't really know what will happen in the future, but I think that it is alright to dream. We do a lot of dreaming...

Short term:

We're hoping that Matthew will find a job first, and then I can apply for a number of jobs wherever he finds work. With the sluggish economy, he may have to take whatever job he gets for now. Currently, I think I'd really like teaching at a community college or perhaps a university. If I can't find work there, I might do private tutoring or perhaps apply for subbing jobs in the public schools for a start. We'd like to stay in the valley in Oregon, but we'll see what we can do.

Long term:

Currently, we'd like to come back to Corvallis (though perhaps avoid the college area!). We love the community, our church, and the proximity to family and friends. However, Corvallis currently has few companies of interest for Matthew. If not Corvallis, then we would like to aim for Eugene/Springfield.

Matthew is really interested in the fields of sustainable energy, alternative transportation, or green buildings (for example, making buildings meeting LEED's standards). I personally am excited about the areas he wants to work in, and I hope that this can happen. I have the feeling that I'll spend a lot of my life doing different types of teaching, however at some point in the future, we'd like to have kids. I had a stay-at-home mom, and I want to provide the same strong support-system to my kids if at all possible. I think that being a mom will be a challenging, significant, and rewarding job for the years I have it. Fortunately, education jobs can be somewhat flexible, so I might be able to do some teaching when the kids reach school years.

Another big dream of ours is to build a house. Matthew has all sorts of ideas to make it a net-zero energy home. We want to build with sustainable, chemical-free materials to create a healthy, happy space. (Fun fact: I really want to have my kitchen painted a deep purple! Since I want to spend a fair amount of time cooking good, wholesome food for my family, it'd be nice to have such a welcoming color around me.) Along with this home, I really want to grow a lot of our produce from a garden in our yard. It would be hard work, but I think I'd enjoy it. I also want to plant a flower garden with the goal of planting a lot of native plants so that we don't have to use much water. We want two cats, and I'd like to have a few laying hens pecking their way around the backyard.

It will always be important for us to be involved with people. We'd love to have a church like we have now. We love being with a small community of people involved in the community and each other's lives. Also, I want to have the type of home where my kids' friends feel welcome and loved. I have also considered taking in foster kids since I feel like it would be wonderful to spill love, blessings, hope, and good on people who might not have gotten it in their own homes. We'll see...

In general, I think that we are going to feel rich by wanting little and giving and loving much. I experience joy now with my basil garden, cooking good food, line-drying laundry (among other energy saving things), and many other activities. It just seems like this could multiply with a full garden, having more time to cook, having a house designed to be healthy, etc. Regardless, by finding joy in love and living simply, I think that we will be happy whether or not all of our dreams come true.

A Simple Life - A Rich Summer

This post is, in part, a continuation of my thoughts in the post "A Simple Life" from January. Feel free to read that first if you wish!

In continuing to try to live simply for the last half of the year, here is what has happened:

1) Once I told myself that I should stop wanting more things, it actually became fairly simple to stop buying them! Besides groceries and household goods, I honestly haven't bought much in the past 6-months. My one shopping trip was to Goodwill where I handed in some clothes and bought some new-to-me clothing. Buying used is terrific because it does not create new production and it helps less to go to the landfill. Looking back, I can honestly say that it feels a lot nicer to not constantly feel in want of more things.

2) Once I stopped thinking about my obsession with buying things, I started spending more time thinking about other things to do to live simply and sustainably. Over this summer, Matthew and I have been line drying our clothing and biking just about anytime we go anywhere locally. (This is a lot of biking!) We continue to wash ziploc bags, carry our own cloth grocery bags, and reuse the plastic bags used for produce and bulk goods. If we had access to a compost pile, our garbage bag would be pretty empty. :)

3) This summer I did some research about our world of consumerism, and it made my heart break. The amount done to harm our planet is absurd. Even worse, our market is set up to harm people around the world while keeping our prices "affordable." I felt that I could not go on with good conscience knowing that my purchases were harming people and other living things across the world. A discussion about this and my current solution will be the remainder of this post.

First of all, I have heard, and used, the “lack of money” excuse for careless consumer habits. This can be a viable excuse, and I consciously try to avoid judging others about this. However, I think that we should all individually consider why we don’t have the money. Is it because we value having the latest technology over social justice? Is it because we value entertaining ourselves over the environment? The list goes on. I’m not saying that all things fun or “extraneous” should be avoided, but I am saying that we should really think about what we are doing.

Matthew and I sat down and considered our income and we increased our budget for food and household goods. What are we doing with the extra money? We are going to the local co-op! It is a great place because they do a lot of research for you. Their goal is to sell products that are grown or produced in a manner that is safe and fair for people and the environment. They also try to sell products as locally as possible.

When I shop now, I feel good about what I am buying. I’m avoiding chemical run-off into the sea. I am not causing a farmer’s family to barely get by. My eggs don’t come from a chicken in an itty bitty cage. It’s pretty awesome, and I look forward to improving in this area as time goes on.

A link to the co-op that Matthew and I now own share in: http://www.firstalt.coop/

A link to the site I went to that had information about the ins and outs of our everyday stores and products: http://www.greenamericatoday.org/programs/responsibleshopper/index.cfm

A link to those interested in living simply as a way to live for God: http://www.christiansimpleliving.org/

Thoughts/questions about government

I have wondered for awhile about what I see to be contradictory behavior. I think that it is common for the same people who have strong opinions about the government regulating moral issues (gay marriage, abortion, etc) with the goal of protecting the people to also have the view that our government should not be as involved in providing social programs or creating regulations that help our poorest citizens.

I am struggling to think of justification for this, and I would like to understand if anybody knows some reasonable explanation for why this happens. The closest I've heard to an explanation is that individuals should take care of people around them. I agree that they should, but why shouldn't the government also help? Especially since individuals don't seem to be sufficiently helping all our poor...

If you have respectful thoughts and ideas, I would love to hear them!

Greed -- The Aftermath

I'm posting this because I just don't think people, including myself, are talking about it enough. In particular, I am thinking about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. As much as we blame BP, and they should be held accountable, we need to realize that we are all responsible for the uncontrollable black sludge in the sea. We hold part of the blame for the marring of the beautiful earth on which we live and the harm of the wildlife we should be protecting.

Why should we bear some of the blame? We are turning into a self-indulgent, greedy, inconsiderate nation of people. We ignore excessive lifestyles through denial; we hate the inconvenience of the possibility that we are destroying something precious. We stand by and let greedy corporations buy our government; we ignore that it is happening.

When is the last time any of us has truly appreciated the sacrifice of the people, animal, and the planet for our lifestyle? Would we continue to live this way if we realized all the harm we cause? What if we each knew how many species we individually have destroyed? What if we knew how many people we have harmed or killed because of the unfair sweatshop conditions?

What if we understood how much better it could be than this?

God made the earth; He made it good. He has given us the great task of taking care of our home while enjoying the great things and pleasures it offers. How are we doing? Do we really think about it and care?

For a visual understanding of what the current oil spill is doing, visit this site:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/03/gulf-oil-spill-photos-ani_n_560813.html#s104977

The Bible

A topic worth considering, I think. This post is related to the very first blog post I wrote, but I will try to be more focused, and I will bring up new details.

Growing up in conservative churches, the first words that come to mind when I hear "The Bible" is "Word of God." The question is, what does that even mean and how does that affect how we approach this text? I think that a popular belief these days is to accept the Bible as infallible, 100% accurate, to be taken completely literally, and to be the ultimate authority to help make decisions and form beliefs. I think that this belief is encouraged with good intentions; I think a huge reason that this has become popular is to perhaps to prevent people from making up convenient ideas to live by instead of pressing on to live a fulfilling life of sacrifice and love.

That being said, I would like to argue against much of this popular belief. But don't despair! I too believe that there is something perfect, infallible, and very capable of helping people be the best people they can be. Stay tuned in.

Part of the understanding of the Bible that I think many people ignore is the style, purpose, and author's intention within each individual book. I am no expert in this area either, but I will try to explain what I mean to the best of my understanding. For example, Psalms is a book of poetry or songs, and many of the psalms express intense emotion. In particular, King David writes songs in prayer to God about his enemies. He spews anger and hatred at them and wishes for their destruction. Since these passages show up, does this mean that this is an appropriate response to any enemies we may have? I don't think so. However, I think that from these passages we can learn that God listens to us even when our humanity drowns out the big picture. We know God loved David; He'll love us too.

Next up, the little contradictions and errors found in the Bible. There are some. How exactly did Saul die? If the Bible is 100% accurate, why do Matthew, Mark, Luke and John contain differences in the story of Jesus' death and resurrection? My answer: I don't think that the Bible is 100% accurate. I think that the people writing it explain things that happened based on what they knew and heard, especially the books devoted especially to recording history. I think that it is futile to try to argue that there is nothing inaccurate or false in the Bible; it will be more productive and truthful to accept the book for what it is and go from there. After all, aren't we seeking the truth?

My next topic is the common belief that there is only one correct way to interpret the Bible, and the fact that many people get upset if you disagree with their interpretation. All I have to say about this is that how we read and perceive any text depends on our culture, upbringing, and understanding of the text. Most of us probably know people who love God and are genuinely doing their best to find truth who still differ in their understanding of the Bible. This fact lets us know that we can't assume that we ever hold the whole truth or even most of it. We have to be alright with that.

I want to conclude with a brief description on how I currently approach the Bible. I believe that God did have a say in what ended up in the book. I think He knew the significance it would have for generations of people, and I think He was intentional about what He allowed in and kept out. With this, I can approach the book with curiosity, and I can search for understanding of God, humanity, myself, and many other things. I use it to be inspired to love and do good. I read it and am reminded of God's love of people. I am challenged to learn and seek truth.

And what do I think is perfect, infallible, and very capable of helping people be the best people they can be? God. The Bible is a good tool, but it cannot and should not take the place of God.

Tolerance

Today I was reading about an incident in Billings, Montana in 1985. Apparently there was a strong movement of hatred toward minority groups including inter-racial couples, homosexuals, African Americans and Jews. One family had their window broken because they displayed a menorah for Hanukkah. Through the action of concerned citizens, the news spread and a plan formed; many citizens of Billings started displaying menorahs simply to show their support of their Jewish neighbors' rights to their beliefs without fear of persecution.

After reading this article, something clicked in my mind about the phrase "religious tolerance." In my experience in the Christian church, I have found most people find this phrase to be in opposition to their beliefs. I think that people feel like if they tolerate others beliefs, it means that they are showing support for "religions that are wrong." From reading this article, I realized that most of the world is not asking for people to accept any belief as "right." All people want is to be allowed to believe what they believe without being attacked, persecuted, or looked down upon by others.

To be tolerant, all that we need to do is be understanding of differences. We need to understand that people have different backgrounds than us. We need to listen to why people believe what they believe. We need to recall that each human being has the right to choose what he or she believes. We need to recognize that we will always disagree. Additionally, we must be humble enough to realize that individually no human understands everything and everybody fully.

With this new understanding of tolerance, I asked myself if the church is tolerant in this manner. I think it often fails to be. I think there is a lot concern with being right and attacking anything that opposes what is deemed as right. We surround ourselves with people who believe what we believe, and we gradually, unintentionally begin to view others as inferior people with inferior beliefs and inferior logic. We become offended by their "wrong behavior" and ashamed when we are seen with them because we know that people are judging us. We know this because we ourselves judge others.

What about this behavior and attitude shows God's love to all humanity? What expresses hope and love? Who benefits from "intolerant behavior"?

Perhaps one thing we must be intolerant of is intolerance based on faith and beliefs. Certainly it is silly to say that people should all believe that any belief is right, but in the interest of love, I think we must learn to relate to people with acceptance while maintaining hope for change. We all need hope for change. Let's be open to discussions and relationships without condemnation, bigotry, and feelings of superiority.

A Simple Life

I have decided to fight my addiction to "things" and consumerism. We live in a culture filled with the idea that it is alright and good to buy new things as long as you can afford it (and sometimes even when you can't...), and I do not want to continue to live this way.

I like new things. They're pretty and shiny. It feels good to have something new and different to behold and admire. It's also addictive. Somehow, no matter how much I have, I still can find things that I want. While I'm still young, I want to change how I view what I own (and don't own) to create healthy habits of living simply.

Here's why I want to live simply:

1) While it feels nice to have new things for awhile, we all know what's it's like to have TOO MUCH stuff. We are constantly surrounded by clutter and putting things away which causes stress and takes time. I'd rather spend my time on other things.

2) It is economical. More money can be saved for retirement or given away to people who really don't have what they need.

3) Our planet. It's finite, but our wants are not. By building bigger homes and filling them with more and more stuff, we aren't paying out respect to the incredible hunk of rock that provides us food, water, and oxygen.

Here's what I plan to do:

1) Learn to be happy without buying things.

2) Try to make do with what I have before I buy new things. People were able to make do with so much less in the past. Some advancements are nice (like this laptop I'm typing on...), but I can learn to figure out what I can do without.

3) Buy used, and use things until they are no longer functioning. We throw away too much because it's too easy and cheap to get new things.

Additionally, and perhaps even harder for me, I want to feel unattached to my possessions. If something gets completely broken, I want to be able to just let it go. If my potholder gets a stain, I want to be grateful that it is still is serving its purpose. If my spoon rest gets broken in half and glued back together, I want to be happy that it still keeps the soup from running all over my stove.

I'm finding a lot of peace in letting go of the internal pressure whenever I see a cute shirt just my size or another gadget designed to make my existence somehow even more effortless. I really look forward to experiencing more freedom in my life as I change my attitude.