Psalm 46

     This morning I read about the flooding in Memphis then, with images in my head of people's homes being submerged and all of their earthly possessions being washed away, I climbed onto my bed with my Bible and my journal.
     With so many natural disasters happening, not to mention the man-made disasters of war, killing and oppression occurring even as we speak, with all of the proclamations about the end of the world and judgement day, well...let's just say it is easy to be discouraged, to give in to fear and uncertainty. As I was talking to God about fear and tragedy, a piece of paper fell out of my Bible that had Psalm 46 written on it so I decided to look it up.

Psalm 46

 ¹ God is our refuge and strength,

         A very present help in trouble.
 ² Therefore we will not fear,
         Even though the earth be removed, 
         And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
 ³ Though its waters roar and be troubled,
         Though the mountains shake with its swelling.  Selah  

      
  He is not just our help in times of trouble, but our very present help.  We live in a crazy, messed up world but I know I don't have to walk alone through the mess.  I am reminded today of God's promise to Abraham, "Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."  He is my refuge, my strength and my exceedingly great reward.  I will not fear.

A few things that I love

I thought I would share a few things that I really love.  Granted, I'm no Oprah...but here you go anyway. :-)

Tulsi Tea is from the holy basil plant.  Lots of health benefits.  I usually only drink one cup of coffee in the morning, so on days when it's cold outside and a warm drink seems called for, I usually drink a cup of tea.

Kevita drinks are a new discovery of mine.  I happened upon them at the Co-op a few weeks ago.  I love them!  Loaded with good for you stuff like probiotics, it's a no guilt treat. That's the best.

Green Smoothies! I drink one every morning after my workout.  Looooove!  They are the best way to start your day.

I love to make purchases from The Hunger Site.  Every purchase you make goes to help feed the hungry. Check it out!  http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1&link=ctg_ths_home_from_ths_home_leftnav_logo

While I don't typically wear much makeup, I do love the tinted moisturizer from 100%Pure.  Kyra and I use their products, including the mascara.  It's nice to know that you aren't putting chemical laden crap on your face every time you put on your makeup.

And last but not least...the Bible app from YouVersion.  Jay has it on his Blackberry and I have it on my Droid phone.  We both love it.  It has pretty much every version of the Bible on there, so it's great to use for comparisons or you can just choose the version you like and use that.  It's really easy to use, which is fortunate for me as I am technologically challenged.  Added bonus...it's free!

So there it is...a few things that I quite enjoy.

Up, Up and Away

Every month I do 2 big grocery shopping trips.  (Yes, we get paid bi-monthly.)  Yesterday was the day for one of those trips.  As I was hurrying through the aisles of Costco, I found myself appalled at the rising cost of  the basic food items that I usually buy.  For example, the coffee we like has gone from $14 to $19 in just over a month.  I also buy big bags of beans and basmati rice.  The beans are now $13 (up from $8) and the rice, which I decided to forgo, is now up to $23 per bag.  Just a little while ago, the rice was $11, which I thought was spendy since I first paid $9 for it.  Wow!  And that is only 3 examples.  

I've always been a thrifty shopper, mostly out of necessity.  Actually, it's becoming even more necessary now that I have 3 teenagers in the house.  Yikes!  Those kids can consume food.  I cook everyday and buy very little prepared foods, which I do for thrift and for health reasons. (Prepared food is typically nutritionally defunct.)  Because I do believe in good food, I spend more on organic, whole foods.  My philosophy is that it is cheaper than being sick. :) 

So...what are we all to do as prices continue to rise and tummies still need to be filled?  I have found myself making much simpler meals.  Still tasty and full of good, healthy foods, just simple.  I also make time to cook big pots of beans to freeze for future use in recipes or to make refried beans.  (Homemade refried beans are the best!)  Rarely do we have cereal in our pantry or chips other than tortilla chips. (Once again, the reasons for this are cutting cost and junk food.) 

As I was shopping yesterday and deciding what things we could live without, I couldn't help but wonder if there will come a day when prices escalate so out of control that we will go to Costco and only be able to buy the beans and rice.  After mentioning this to the girls, we had a discussion about how most of the world lives on things like rice and beans.  Kyra went so far as to suggest that we try doing the same for a month, then possibly we wouldn't feel so deprived when we can't buy the bag of Kettle Chips or the organic granola.  Smart girl, that Kyra.  Maybe we will do just that...have a month of living on the very minimum.  Something to think about.

Co-op Downtown

Maddy had art lessons at the Emerson downtown yesterday, so Kyra and I decided to check out our C0-0p's new downtown location. It is delightful...full of food created from both local organic farms and others in the Northwest. Let's face it, Montana winters are hardly conducive to growing food. We certainly depend on other regions for fruits and veggies. Anyway, I found myself quite delighted with the Co-op's sign.

Wordy

     I was sitting (again) this morning, enjoying that first cup of coffee and reading in Ecclesiastes. (That Solomon...just a ray of sunshine, huh!)  I just happened to read this, "And a fool's voice is known by his many words."  Made me laugh out loud.  Since I am embarking on my blogging journey, I found that to be both fitting and amusing.  Maybe God wanted to remind me this morning that brevity is a virtue.

Thoughts of home

     I am sitting.  Sitting and waiting for my cup of tea to steep.  There are just days when I can't help but wonder,  "Why oh why do I live in Montana."  I try to love it here, really I do.  I admit to loving certain things about being here.  We've only to look out our windows to see incredibly beautiful, snow covered mountains. When the weather is nice in Montana, it is truly hard to beat.  There is nothing quite like a nice Montana summer day.  The difficulty for me is how few and far in between those nice days are.  *sigh*
     Recently returned home from an extended visit to South Texas, I realize that I am still a Texas girl at heart.  No matter how long I live in the Northwest, I love the lush green of the South.  Even the air is different--moist, heavy, and redolent of decaying greenery.  The live oaks are breathtaking, speaking to me of history and days gone by.  Wildflowers bloom all along the highways in the springtime...bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, buttercups.  Lovely fields of color all around.
     Life slows down when I get to my parent's house.  I am reminded of the preciousness of family and of the void in my life in Montana.  My kids love it there.  It's a place where they are loved completely and without conditions.  Family BBQ's and dinners are full of amazing home cookin'.  (After all, it's not a true Texas experience without BBQ, beans and cornbread and copious amounts of pie.)  Our family gatherings are loud and boisterous, full of laughter, stories, jokes and sometimes tears.
     So yes, I am still a Southern girl.  It is still home to me.  Maybe someday...