Glorify HIM, not me!

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they will see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."  (Matthew 5:16, my emphasis)

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be seen by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven."  (Matthew 6:1) 

This is a good reminder for me. Really, this is something I need to be slapped in the face with, just about every day. Especially here at camp. Why is it so easy to get into a mindset of performance? To think that I deserve recognition or thanks for anything I do?

The good works that my Father has given me to do (Ephesians 2:10) are meant to point people to Him and give glory to Him...not myself. Never myself! If I never get recognized for my service, it's okay. As long as my heart is pleasing to the Lord and people can see Him reflected in my good works, I must be satisfied and joyful in that.

Father, remind me daily that I deserve nothing. I am not my own, but You have bought me with the price of Your blood; therefore my life's purpose is to bring You glory! May my heart be joyful, willing, and humble as I serve, and may people around me see Your light reflecting in me-- for YOUR glory, not mine. Amen. 

Good Weather, Healthy Choices, and Such

Y'all, it's been so warm and beautiful here in Southeast Alaska lately!  We had a week of sunshine, followed by one or two days of rain and clouds -- which is the norm for this area! -- and then right back to sunshine again!  This is such an unusual blessing for us.  This afternoon, we've moved the camp office outdoors -- two of the other staff girls and I are sitting on blankets in front of the office, getting a bit of work done but mostly soaking up the sunshine!  Living in a rainforest like we do, you never know when it's going to start pouring again for a week straight.

I started making green smoothies this week.  We were able to go into town to the grocery store a few days ago, and I bought some spinach and a bunch of fruit to make smoothies (I have a cool single serve blender). I just drank my second one, while sitting out here in the sunshine today, and I'll just say today's tasted better than yesterday's!  If any of you have any delicious smoothie suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

I guess I'm on a bit of a "health kick" lately -- smoothies and other healthier food choices, natural homemade detergents and such.  Really, it's a combination of wanting to be healthy, save money, and live simply.  I've always been aware of those things, but I think being married puts it all in a new light.  I'm not just taking care of myself anymore.  There's a husband and, someday, children to think about (don't worry, that's not happening anytime soon!).  That's giving me a new perspective of the lifestyle I want for myself and my family -- and the best time to start is now, right?!

The other news around here is that camp is in full swing!  Today our 4th retreat group of the spring season is here.  We have a couple more retreats before Counselor Orientation begins, and then it's full speed ahead into summer camp season!  Soon our summer staff (counselors, wranglers, maintenance help, etc) will be arriving from all over the United States.  I'm excited to meet everyone!

And on the topic of summer staff.... we're still in need of a nurse for the month of June, a couple of girl counselors, a videographer, and a girl wilderness camp counselor.  Please contact me ASAP if you know anyone interested in serving in one of these roles at a Christian summer camp in Alaska!

DIY Laundry!

Okay, y'all, I think I'm getting addicted to the DIY Natural Homemade Things.  One day a while back, in the midst of perusing Pinterest boards, I found a recipe for homemade laundry detergent, and it didn't sound too terribly difficult.  I decided to give it a shot, and before I knew it, I was sitting on my living room floor making homemade dryer sheets, too!  Just the other day I bought supplies for reusable makeup remover wipes, and I think DIY liquid hand soap may be in my near future.

I'm telling you guys, this stuff is addicting!  It's exciting to make something myself, with simple, natural ingredients, so that I'M in control of what I'm putting on my (and my dear husband's) skin, and actually SAVE MONEY in the process.  And it's not hard!  I'm so stoked about this.  Can you tell?  ;-)

Alright, so on to the recipes.  Since the laundry detergent and dryer sheets are the ones I've actually made so far, those are the ones I'll share this time around.

Homemade Laundry Detergent
from diynatural.com

1 cup Borax

1 cup washing soda

1 bar of soap, grated*

Grate your soap into a bowl and mix with the other two ingredients. Store in an airtight container and use 2-3 tablespoons for a large load of laundry.  That's it! 

*The soap you use is totally up to you -- go super organic and natural, or go scented and colorful.  It all depends on what you want to put on your skin.  I used a bar of Dove Unscented, because my husband has very sensitive skin and this is the kind of soap he uses daily, so I knew it wouldn't cause him any trouble.  

Homemade Reusable Dryer Sheets
from ViewFromtheFridge.com

Several squares of fabric (I cut mine about 6"x6" from an old t-shirt, but you can use any fabric scrap)
1/2 cup vinegar
8-10 drops essential oil*

Mix vinegar and essential oil in an airtight container.  Fold up your fabric squares, place in the vinegar mixture, and replace the lid, letting them soak.  When you are ready to dry a load of clothes, take out a few of your dryer sheets (I use about 3-4 per load), squeeze out the extra liquid, and toss them in the dryer.  When it's done, just fold your little squares back up and put them right back into the vinegar mixture.  So easy!  My clothes were soft and static-free - and no, they don't smell like vinegar!

*Your choice of scent. I used lavender and tea tree, because that's what I had on hand!  You don't need the expensive essential oils for this project; something cheap will suffice because it's only for scent.