(Be)Truth :: Pure Joy

"Consider it PURE JOY, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of MANY kinds,"

James 1:2

M & P :: Saving Money

This week in Music & Productivity is all about the GREEN!

With taking my new job I knew I'd be taking a paycut

And I've seen in so many ways God provision in keeping me on the path he wants me traveling and the circles he wants to use me in.

HOWEVER, I also know is that he's provided me with a mind that allows me to think and budget and use the little bit of money that He is giving me paycheck. So I've started an intense budget sheet on excel and am tracking on my spending.

Along with that I'm trying to make wiser choices on purchases so I can "splurge" on the things I value more

i.e. I spend $5 on the GREAT healthy bread from my local farmers market because I value that.

One of the things I'm okay shaving money off of is cleaning products - you don't need that $10 bottle of name brand cleaner - and with the help of {Pinterest} and {THIS} handy dandy book

my first product to tackle was laundry detergent!

My pretty new detergent on my not so pretty dryer - but hey the thing still works, so we're not complaining :)

After some research I decided on a 1:1:1 ratio

One bar of soap

One cup of washing soda

One cup of Borax

I went with Irish Spring soap for several reasons.
First off, it was cheapest - and this is all about saving money right!
Secondly, one of the reasons some people don't want to make their own detergent is because of the lack of scent... I LOVE fresh smelling clothes -- and Irish Spring definitely smells fresh
Third, well, there's not actually a third. So there you go - Irish Spring it was.

The Canister I found at Home Goods for $5 and actually matches 3 canisters I have in my kitchen that I found at garage sales back in college (BONUS). I also used a Birthday Credit card from my grandmother to make that purchase - so spent no money on that.

This is the 1:1:1 ratio four times

I also have enough ingredients left over to DOUBLE THIS!
Saving Money Success!

Have you tried any homemade cleaning products?

(Be)LOVED :: My Story

I've never enjoyed telling my story. It bored me. I didn't think there was depth to it. I'm your classic "good girl". 

Practically invisible 

in the shadow of two very active, talkative and mildly problematic older brothers.

Introvert by personality and by choice, 

because sitting alone watching movies and eating Chinese is better 

than realizing no one had made plans to hang out with me, 

or worse, call someone to make Friday night plans. 

I lived by and large with my religion as an excuse.

An excuse to be a loner.

An excuse to be self-righteous.

An excuse to build walls.

Not only does my story feel boring to me, but I'm afraid.

I'm afraid of what the world will think - because the stories we hear most often are those of RADICAL transformation and because I was never found drunk and sleeping around before Jesus "found" me I fear people won't listen and people won't be changed.

But slowly God has peeled away the layers of stubbornness at keeping my story to myself. Just as He's faithfully claimed me as his through all the small times of disobedience He's shown me day by day the woman he wants me to become. 

And so it's time...

Over the next few weeks I'm gonna be bold and own the story that God is writing for me

Check back in a couple days for the first chapters of my story...

Becoming Beloved.