Project 31 Day 10: Challenges and Growth

 Spare no expense to save money on this one. 
--Samuel Goldwyn

Ok, so I'm going to be a day behind from here on out . . . but that's ok, right? Busy-ness can just eat you up.

Day 10.  What is Jesus teaching you as a wife, mom, or friend? (Or just woman in general?)

My gender pretty much has nothing to do with it. 

Pretty much. ;] 

From the time I was in preschool, I have always been concerned about money. I'd count my piggy bank diligently, ask Daddy how much his pay check made, and then promised if I won the lottery, I'd pay off the house mortgage and buy him his dream pick up truck. I haven't stopped counting every penny in the bank, but I've never bought a lottery ticket. Maybe I should try that sometime . . .

Now, Chris takes care of the bills, but I'm the one that tracks our dollars: where do they go? how much are we making? how much are we spending? How much are we saving? Will we survive the summer when school's out and I'm not getting paid? How much are we tithing? How much should we be tithing? Are we eating out too much? Should I get a second job? Blah blah blah the list goes on. 
Money keeps me awake at night, and my dollar-bill ramblings give Chris a headache. He finally just puts his finger to my lips and says, "Honey, I love you, but be quiet. God will take care of us, all right? We're doing well, we're okay, and God is in control. So stop worrying. For the sake of all that is good in the world, STOP WORRYING."

Don't you love it when God uses another human being to speak his truth? 

So long as I have clothes on my back, a roof over my head, and food in my stomach, I'm okay. God promised to take care of the sparrows, so I know He'll take care of us, even if the economy is scary, the job hunt is terrifying, and the bank account shrinks. God is in control, and He will make it all okay--it may not be fun, it may not be pleasant, but somewhere, somehow, we will make it through. 

Sometimes, God does little things just to smack me upside the head and remind me He's really in control. Last week, one of our cats started vomiting  nonstop. We took her to the vet--which is NOT cheap. She seemed just fine after her visit Friday, but Sunday night she started vomiting again. So we call the vet--they want to run x-rays, blood work, the whole kit and kaboodle. It's not cheap. It's not an arm and a leg yet, but, golly it is the farthest thing from cheap. And I don't feel like I can put her down yet--not without just cause like cancer or something. Even putting your pet down costs though. Lots. Golly. So we agree to trying to find the ailment, and I start to panic that we won't have enough money. I check our account, and there is MORE than enough to cover this. Chris's boss recently gave him a raise, and the last two paychecks were higher than expected. We can at least, now, pay to find out what's wrong with the cat and then, hopefully, afford to fix it. Maybe.

Honestly, if someone at the humane society would have told me that in ONE YEAR this cat would have costs me the hundreds and hundreds of dollars, I would have sadly turned away from that cute little kitten and moved on, but no, no one warned me of her flea issues, tape worms, feline respiratory infection, and now the puke machine . . . So I brought her home, fell in love . . . and now God is taking care of it. Taking care of my worries.
They really shouldn't exist--my worries.
I think I keep them around because it gives my brain something to do at all times. You know, keeps life interesting and in a moderate panic.
Energizing, ya know? ;]

Project 31 Days 8 and 9

Whew. Sorry I'm behind.
Yesterday was uber busy . . . The good news is that my cat has finally stopped puking and it's not a blockage. The bad news is that the vet has no idea why she started puking. Oh well. Pets, what can you do with them?

Whoever said that a pj day in first grade was a good idea . . . Don't listen to them. Unless you have a gallon of Red Bull available to outweigh the sugar you feed them. Ours was Thursday, and I'm still recovering. Tons of fun for the kids, but for me . . . wow . . . wipeout. You know what's funny about first graders? The more tired you become, the wilder they get . . . and louder . . . and the attention span gets shorter . . . until finally, you're collapsed at your desk, that gosh-awful children song stuck in your head, listening to the nonstop whir of the pencil sharpener because six-year-old pencils are always dull, and trying to remember what 10-7 is so you can teach the class. All you want is your warm bed and a good book, silence, peace. Still it has it's good sides--I'm never short of laughter.

Anywho, on with Days 8 and 9!

Day 8.  Have a beauty secret (e.g. hair tip, make up tip)?  Share, please!

Hm . . . Like I said before, I'm not a fashionista, and when it comes to hair and make-up, I'm kind of a minimalist, but I will pass on a hair tip my stylist told me:

In your final rinse, use cold water

Warm water opens up pores (which is why it's a good to rinse your face in warm water or hold a warm wash cloth over it before washing your face--it opens pores so they can be cleaned and flushed). Using cold water in a final rinse snaps those pores shut. When you rinse your face in cold water, it closes the pores, minimizes their appearance. When you use it on your hair, the pores close tightly around the hair follicles, helping reduce frizz and makes your hair shiny.

I also recommend any hair products by Aveda.

One of their cosmetology schools is just down the road from our apartment, and, since hair cuts are only $12 and nothing short of fabulous, I love going in. At first, I was wary of the styling products the stylists were trying to sell me, but I gave them a try, and they are awesome: really lightweight so your hair feels soft and looks natural but the style holds wonderfully. What I also love: they're relatively inexpensive for organic salon products. Not cheap, but they won't kill your wallet either. Plus, they're so totally worth it, and that's coming from a cheapskate.

Here are the ones I keep and use whenever I want to do more than throw my hair in a pony tail:

Smooth Infusion

When I'd rather my hair look smooth instead of choppy, I use this stuff. It's really light, and, if you don't use it directly on the roots, it calms any frizzles and brings out the shine without looking greasy.

Volumizing Tonic

This baby has pretty much become my best friend. On top of having really straight hair, mine is thick, heavy, and not big on the volume department. A couple spritz of this miracle, and I have all the bounce I need and then some. Just spray a little on the roots of damp hair and then blow dry upside down, and wow. Love.

Light Elements Shaping Wax

I was not into the idea of wax. I sort of anticipated that my hair would look like someone had sneezed in it, and boogers are just not my style. Then, my stylist introduced me to my new favorite. Hello Light Elements Shaping Wax. You and my hair . . . you're going to be buds for life. When I want my layers to stand out, look choppy and defined, I rub a little of this on my fingers and then short of "fluff" my hair, pinching/brushing the layers in my hair so the wax sticks. You really can't tell that I'm wearing wax. No snot-look for me :] Fabulous.

All righty then . . . on to Day 9 . . . 

Day 9.  What virtues do you value in yourself?

I had no idea that there were so many different virtues. I wanted to look them up to try to make sure I wasn't making anything up about myself . . . Golly. 

I know I thrive in helping people. I have a desire to make things better, to help make other people happy. Part of it is because I'm a people-pleaser (which has HUGE downsides--I get hugely stressed and upset if I can't make everyone I'm around happy), but the other part is I just like it. Youth group and school pegged me as a leader the person directing everyone in how to do things, where things go. I'm not. I'm the kid behind stage making sure everyone has water, that the costumes are pressed, that snacks are ready, and the props are where they should be, who ask what needs to be done so she can do it. When I went on mission trips, my favorites weren't the door to door evangelism or even playing with kids--it was helping out in a classroom, sorting and distributing food goods, and laying the foundation for a new church building in an impoverished Christian community.  I miss being able to do things like that. I love community service. I love helping my mom clean the kitchen after we've come over for dinner or take care of my siblings over the weekend. I love helping friends clean or set up for a party or a big move. As a little girl, I used to make my daddy lunch and keep his glass of gatorade full when he did weekend yard work. Those little things are my favorites. 

The virtue other people have told me they respect is that I stick to the things I believe in. In college, most of my friends had different beliefs than I did--little, small beliefs or big ones. I decided early on I wouldn't drink underage. It's not that I have an issue with alcohol or think it's sinful. I just didn't want to drink before I was 21. I decided I wouldn't date my freshman year of college.  I didn't think dating was a bad thing to do--I just knew I had a tendency to get too attached too quickly and dating, for me, wasn't going to be a light thing. I had a huge crush on a friend of mine freshman year, and several people told me to go out with him, kiss him--something, anything at all--to get him out of my system. I didn't, and that was for the best. My good girl pals that year each came back to me, at different times, saying, "I don't agree with your decisions, but I am so impressed that you didn't change your mind, and I respect your commitment."

So, yes, those are my virtues. I so look forward to reading about yours! :]  

Project 31 Day 7: Pretty Woman

Day 7.  Write a blog to encourage another beautiful woman.

Bozz aka Mattie aka Martha aka . . too many nicknames. 

 You're awesome. Period. 

You took me under your wing when I was twelve and you were thirteen. Why? Because I seemed lonely Then my parents built a house right next to yours. Thanks for checking out the framework--good to know it was sturdy enough to hold you swinging around on the beams.

You taught me almost everything I know about art. You say you're not any good, but, girl, your work blows me away. Every piece is epic.
You made me go running with you when I hated it; even went so far as to make me chase you for the walkman cd player, my only piece of sanity in an insane pastime, and bribe me with "How to Speak Gaelic" cds when I finally ran a ten minute mile.
You got me into soccer, even let me play with you a bit . .  . even though I sucked . . . a lot.

Even though we live far apart, now, we still talk on the phone for hours. I love it that we pick up right where we left off.

Has anyone told you that you are a gem? Cause you are. You really really are. Beautiful inside and out, sweet, smart, witty, and strong. Don't let anyone ever tell you that you're not enough or that you're too much. God made you just right, and He wouldn't change you for the world. Don't settle for less, girl, because you deserve the best.

I miss you. Hope to see you soon.

I still wrap my gifts in tinfoil in your honor. And I never watch "The Last Crusade" without noticing that missing flower in the zeppelin scene. We still need to finish the "Taken" series. Just a thought ;]