Welcome to My Home, Lord...

This evening was spooling up to be "one of those".  The day itself had gone okay although I noticed my little baby's runny nose getting increasingly worse and feelings were threatening to overwhelm me.  I wasn't too concerned until dinner time began to roll around...

I was feeling lonely here in Delaware, Nate being somewhere in Europe, my family almost as far away in Alaska, and all my Californian friends three time zones away in California.  I was on the phone with my sister getting some much-needed encouragement when it all came tumbling down.  The noise level rose, the crying began, and, as usually happens with me when my baby cries, I began to feel overwhelmed.  Our symphony was in discord.  I begged for silence but I don't think I was heard.  I silently pleaded within myself but that didn't help my baby who was now rubbing his face ferociously and apparently using dinner to paint his eyes red.  Oh dear!

I decided it was important for me to eat and after giving up on feeding the little one, I began to pretend I didn't hear the crying as I spooned dinner into my mouth.  That attempt being entirely unfruitful, I washed him up and held him close.  He was unconsolable and I was quickly having visions of spending most of the night walking around with him as he endlessly expressed his sadness and pain.

I began to sing a song that has always seemed to calm him: Be Still and Know that I Am God.  As I sang, I realized I felt something like a desert inside my soul; a thirsty desert needing to be refreshed.  Dinner was still sitting on the table begging me to eat so I turned on my computer and bid it sing for us.  I scrolled through the list of songs Nate so kindly set up for me and picked my all-time favorite: Holy Roar with Christy Nockels.  This is my song!  It overwhelms me with God's love for me and my heart song sings its response to the King of Kings.  I began to dance slowly to the music and was almost immediately joined by two of my little ones.  We sang, we danced, we enjoyed worshiping our God.  My baby was instantly silent and watched with a smile.  He did his best to dance in his seat and seemed almost instantly to be filled with peace. From that moment, there has been peace in our home... from the moment we said "Welcome to our home, Lord".  Oh, I am so thankful He is aways there, always ready to help in my time of need, always ready to tell me of His love for me!  

"Be still and know that I am God; 

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!"

Psalm 46:10 NKJV

HAIR CARE... Watered Down (Part 2)

So now that you know that I don’t use shampoo and conditioner on my hair, I will let you know what techniques I use to keep it healthy and nice. I am far from being a scientist so I can’t vouch for the accuracy of everything I am about to share here; however, this is the knowledge with which I have developed my hair care process so I think it must be true at least in part. Also, one very important fact about this process is that the beginning months are frustrating so if you want to try it (and I know it isn’t for everyone) have lots of patience! 

As I was transitioning my hair from shampoo to water, I did a little research on shampoo. I found that the word shampoo is derived from an ancient word meaning “to massage” and only in the 1860s was it applied to washing hair. Shampoo as we know it today was not commercially available until the early 1900s! We all come from a long, long line of people who didn’t use shampoo! Surprise!

Now for a little information on what is happening on your scalp. The substance that we generally call “oil” in our hair is sebum. Its tendency is to stay close to the scalp and build up creating what we might call dandruff. If you gently massage your scalp for a while you will notice that the massaging softens the sebum and leaves a whitish film on your finger. This sebum is actually helpful to your hair yet, left unattended, it can be quite unsightly! Commercial shampoo would attach to this sebum and wash it away from the hair shaft leaving a “sebum-free” hair follicle which is also now non-oily and prone to dryness. Enter conditioner! Now that the hair shaft is stripped of its natural conditioner, we need to add a commercial conditioner to restore the softness of our hair. With traditional shampooing, i.e. massaging, I use hot water and my fingers to soften the sebum and spread it down the hair shaft thereby conditioning the whole length of hair. It takes a little bit of patience but achieves the same result: conditioned, clean hair and scalp.

I have also found there to be a few extremely helpful tools in my hair care. They are wide tooth combs and round boar brushes (flat for the boys). Before I wash my hair in the morning, I carefully brush it, piece by piece, with a boar bristle brush. The brushing helps to bring the sebum all the way to the end of the hair shaft. Have you ever watched an old movie where the young lady is obediently counting the brush strokes: ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven... one hundred? I don’t count strokes but I do make sure that each bit of hair has been brushed. Now, since I am am not using shampoo to strip the sebum off of my hair shaft some of it does collect on my combs and brushes. I was at a loss for how to properly clean them initially and tried everything from ammonia to hand soap. I finally settled on using a basic dish soap in hot water. That worked well most of the time. Lately, in a effort to have the least amount of soap residue, I have simply been washing the brushes in hot water and using a toothbrush to do the fine cleaning on the combs.

I have learned so much more than just hair care in the process of eliminating shampoo. I have always known that our skin is integral in releasing unwanted materials from our bodies. That has been extremely evident in my hair! I generally try to eat whole foods and eliminate sugar from my day-to-day diet. I discovered that when I eat processed foods, i.e. anything that is white and not in its whole form, I would have trouble with my hair for a couple of days afterward! The sebum would be troublesome and come in greater quantities making the whole water washing frustrating. Now I know to watch for it and understand that if I enjoy those sweet things which I love I will just have to be patient with my hair for a day or so.

I don’t know how well this process works with heat styling as I haven’t used a curling iron in some time. I also allow my hair to drip dry. I often think of the saying “water off the back of a duck” as it seems so suitable for my hair now. The water doesn’t seem to be inside the hair shaft but rather on the surface resulting in a much shorter drying time.

So this is the basics of how I tend my shampoo-free hair. I love it!

Breath of Heaven

I love to be inspired... I love the outdoors, fall time, cool air...

Today is Sunday and instead of going to church with the rest of my family, I stayed home to care for the two smallest members of our orchestra who were not well enough to go. On a suggestion from Nathan, we ventured out for a walk. The walk was wonderful; it was full of inspiration, smiles and delight! If my life is a symphony then what shall I call it? A sonatina, perhaps?

As I walked out of the door, I began to see and hear the world around me. The sun was gently hugging me with the perfect warmth while the cool wind danced friskily through the tree tops and over the grasses. Here and there a crispy leaf was skittering across my path. The sky was a vibrant blue etched occasionally with contrails and the airy brushstrokes of horsetails. Ahhhh.....

“How could I say there is no God, 

When all around creation calls...” 

Creation Calls by Brian Doerksen 

Just as the wind was singing its song through the trees and the grasses, my two musicians were making their own music through their smiles and conversation. Their music ebbed and flowed just as the tide and I had to bring my own thoughts back from the beauty of the world around me in order to hear their chatter and respond to their faithful questions. I realized their world was so much more fun for them if I would only take the pains to be a part of it too.

I watched my three-year-old walking in a world of his own imagination. First he was a saber wielding warrior riding his metal steed across the park. Next he was a giggling little boy swinging through the air in a swing. As we walked on he was a lover of leaves and giver of gifts, giving sticks to us all with which we were to “hit every tree with leaves” so as to tempt the leaves from their branches and watch them fall to the ground. At one point he exclaimed at the site of a particular weed and, picking it, declared it was basil. He then asked me to wear it in my hair as “it would be so pretty”. A few steps later he found a wilted flower and, seeing its mysterious beauty, decided it would be a much better adornment for my hair. The “basil” was then taken to a small mountain of dirt where it was to be planted if only he had a rake to soften the soil. As it turned out, the “basil” found its way home with us.

My littlest one, bless his heart, was feeling rather sore today. His normal chatter was cut off my the raspy voice that sounded every time he tried to talk. Despite it all, he smiled in the sunshine and enjoyed a quiet ride in the swing. He watched the world go by as we walked and the relaxation it was passing out at every turn gently soothed him to sleep. He arrived back at home, a resting little bundle.

If I could only capture the sights, smells, sounds and peace of this morning and bottle it for days when the sun doesn’t shine or my work pulls me too far from the simple world in which trees sing, breezes dance and children live and thrive. Although I can’t bottle it and keep it forever, I am forever thankful that God wrapped me in just such a gift of His love this morning!

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse...” 

Romans 1:20

HAIR CARE... Watered Down (Part 1)

Oh, how to begin! I have been blessed with lots of hair... It grows well and thick which makes for quite a challenge when taking care of it. For most of my early years, I wore it long and braided in a effort to manage what seemed almost unmanageable. As a young adult I experimented with almost every hair cut from long and layered to pixie styles. Right along with the hair cuts I also experimented with almost every shampoo and conditioner on the market from Redken to Pert Plus. I was seeking that perfect combination that would gift me with easily managed, lovely, sleek, stylish hair. To sum up the results of all those experiments, I didn’t quite succeed! 

One of the things that seemed to be a trend with me was a sort of flirtation with shampoos. I would see one, consider it, read the back of the bottle over and over, want it and finally buy it. I would love it! Magically my hair would be wonderful! It was manageable and silky. Until... a few weeks went by. Then, oh, the sadness as I noticed my hair became just that again... my old, unmanageable hair. The infatuation was over just in time for me to finish reading the claims on the back of the next bottle of shampoo. I would impatiently quicken the end of the bottle I no longer loved only to start the process all over again... and again... and again.

About three years ago I began to seriously consider the problem. It seemed to me that any shampoo was lovable at the beginning as it initially washed out any reside left from the previous shampoo/conditioner combination. However, each shampoo eventually left its own residue leading to unmanageable hair once again. Naturally I began to wonder if there was a way to clean my hair without the residue issue. After much research I decided I should try not using shampoo or conditioner at all! I knew it was crazy and I couldn’t find any great success stories on the internet apart from those whose fancy tended in the direction of dreads. That was certainly not my desire! Despite feeling like I was venturing into a potential disaster, I began.

I started out with some clean combs, (which almost instantly became filthy combs) some baking soda, and some apple cider vinegar. Why? Because that was supposed to be the best “no poo” method. I found it, however, to be a bad idea. The baking soda didn’t like to wash out and the vinegar was a bit overboard. So... after a few weeks of playing with the baking soda and vinegar, I put them back in the kitchen and tried water only. It seemed absolutely disastrous at first but I was prepared for a transition period and toughed it out. It helped that I had a partner in crime who was daily encouraging me and laughing with me at the horrid condition of our hair.

By this time, our hair condition required that we discreetly bow out of the local hair salon . Thankfully I was growing my hair out and I could do a semi-decent job cutting Nate’s hair so it didn’t matter too much.

To make the long and difficult story much shorter, we struggled daily to figure out the best way to handle our watered down hair care and finally met with true and happy success about nine months later. It has now been three years since I have used anything but water on my hair. I rarely have a bad hair day anymore and for the first time in my life I honestly can say that I like my hair! It has come with a huge learning curve, some of which I will share later, and lots of patience! Now the secret is out and yes, it is still safe to come and visit! (Smile!) Watch for future posts with more of the “how” details to our watered down hair care!

Memory Verse Hot Potatoes...

I was doing memory verses with the kiddos this morning and found a fun and engaging way to help them listen and learn.  I would say a part of the verse, pass it on the the child who was on my right who would then pass it on to their right and so on.  I was so fun and each of them paid close attention with a smile as they listened to the verse go around and around the circle!  I was able to capture their complete attention in a fun way while they were hearing and saying the memory verse over and over again!  

A new year...

Today I turn 32!  I can't believe I am in my 30s much less 32!  Sometimes it seems that I am aging and passing years faster than those around me.  Is that how it seems to everyone?  It is hard to remember that although I am older than my children, for example, I am not "getting" older any faster than they are.  Just a birthday thought.

So, on to the birthday fun!  Our family has some birthday traditions that we try to observe each year.  First off, we begin the morning with a "Happy Birthday" wake-up serenade followed closely by our traditional birthday breakfast of Giant Pancakes or Dutch Puffs.  Presents abound at this point... many small gifts with large quantities of thoughtfulness and heart tucked in the wrapping... Many of my gifts today were still bearing the tell-tale tag that signified a small person with a small budget did the shopping but who wouldn't love an apple cider candle, a pumpkin spice candle and a spoon rest? It wasn't in the gifts that I took the greatest pleasure but in the red cheeks on the smiling faces that watched me open their gifts.

Now that the morning is rolling along behind schedule and usually slow, we move on to a rather normal day.  The evening brings our other family tradition.  It is date night!  We have decided to teach our sons and daughters the art of either escorting a lady (for our sons) or being escorted (our daughter) on a date to a nice dinner.  Since our boys were about 4, Nathan has dressed them in a nice button up shirt and slacks, placed a couple of $20 bills in their pocket, educated them on how to ask for "a seat for two" and how to pay for the meal then he sends them off as my escort to a restaurant of their choice.  Likewise, I have helped our daughter get dressed fancy with a special hair-do and sent her off with her daddy for a special dinner on her birthdays.

All said, I thank God for the years I have had and all the gifts that have come my way!  I am excited about what this coming year will bring and hope I can say that I learned some good lessons, had lots of fun, loved my family, enjoyed every day as much a possible, grew in my relationship with God and loved and helped my husband to the very best of my ability when this special day rolls around next year!