Transformational Tuesday: After the Sabbath

Here's our report on our day of ceasing last week...it was truly a transformational experience that we highly recommend!

Since this was our first time doing this, it actually took quite a bit of planning and effort, but it was well worth it. The days leading up to our day of rest took a few runs to the thrift store (for candleholders, centerpiece accessories), the grocery store (traditional food items, candles), and making sure to grab some flowers to remember creation. Everyone in the family pitched in to make sure that all the work was done so it could truly be a restful day. The house was cleaned, kids made sure their "chore sticks" we're completed early, technology was tucked away where it wouldn't be a distraction from each other, and our table was set as if we were expecting a very special guest (which we were). 

So lucky to have these gals to myself!

An extra setting was placed at the table to visually remind us of our true Guest of Honor. When Sy found out that God was going to be in that seat, he asked to take a picture with Him... What a fun picture to have.

I think the big G man was definitely enjoying this hug from Sy

As the beginning of our Sabbath began, we all were more than ready! I will admit that trying to have a nice leisurely meal with that guy in the back of this picture was not exactly restful. We couldn't keep the food coming fast enough! Regardless, we gave it our best shot and had fun.

Getting ready for 24 hours of focusing on what's important

Our meal was full of traditions, prayers, and blessings over each member of our family. It was a time to really stop and realize that we have been given so much. Essi got to light one of the candles and say the Redemption Prayer. Sy got the big job of praying and passing the handwashing bowl before our meal.

Phoebe did a good job of not splashing her brother

Our entire 24 hours took work to not get drawn back into old habits like getting sucked into media or checking our phones. In fact, we turned all that off so we could focus on each other. It is going to take practice to really get into the groove of this, but our part is just to remain faithful to the instructions we've been given. I can see that it will take a while to undo all our years of rushing around seven days a week, but we will continue to practice this fantastic day.

Please comment if you have any questions about our day!

Btw, a quick shout out to My Father's World for providing the practice of these traditions in their curriculum!

No Muck Monday: Dr. Bronner's Soaps

Happy Monday! Here is another green tip to get the muck out of your home and personal care products. This will for sure get you one step crunchier as you work toward granola. :)

Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap has a ton of uses--it's like a one-stop shopping kind of product. Seriously, this stuff is amazing! I should also point out that this product is not only Gerson Therapy friendly, but comes highly recommended by folks at Gerson. Boo yah! Because of the versatility, we obviously buy in bulk. We've found it at Target or online at Amazon or Vitacost.

Ok, so what in the world is castile soap? Without getting into all the hoopla, castile means that it's made from 100% plant oils (no animals products at all). It's also a true soap, not a chemical detergent, making castile soap completely biodegradable and majorly earth friendly. On the Environmental Working Group website (another great topic to come), it ranks a "0-1" for toxicity which is the best you can rank. The ingredients are water, organic coconut oil, potassium hydroxide, organic olive oil, organic hemp oil, organic jojoba oil, citric acid, and vitamin E. It's also organic and certified fair trade. It comes in various flavors--Unscented Baby Mild, Almond, Citrus, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Rose, and Peppermint.

So this stuff boasts that it's good for 18+ uses. Believe it or not, it is true! Now keep in mind, this isn't going to work in the same way that all of the chemical and toxic crud does... For some things, it may take some getting used to. I just love it for some uses and others?--well, not so much. However in a pinch, it can do almost anything! So here is the lowdown:

1. Body Wash:  Just squirt a bit of this onto your loofah (that word is just silly to look at) or washcloth and suds up. I use the baby mild and it is my all-time favorite body wash. I am amazed at it's ability to lather and not have the mucky ingredients.

2. Shampoo:  1/2 T in your hand and work into wet hair, or dilute 1/2 T in 1/2 a cup of water. Since this alkaline, you'll need to do a vinegar rinse after. Don't be a scaredy cat...give it a shot.

3. Baby Wash:  It is gentle enough to use on baby (just be careful around the eyes, it will sting). Use it like the body wash or you can dilute it and use about 2 T in an average size tub. It won't suds up like bubble bath, but it will clean for sure.

4. Hand Soap:  Some people just dilute this and use it for hand soap. I actually use it for the base of my homemade foaming hand soap (I will put those details in a future post) and we love it!

5. Multi-Purpose Cleaner:  1/4 cup in a quart of water in a spray bottle. Add essential oils or use the tea tree oil for its antibacterial qualities. After we clean all our carrots in the sink, we have quite an orange ring that's left behind. This is one of the greenest and most effective ways I've found to knock it out.

6. Toilet Cleaner:  Either dilute in a spray bottle (use the dilution for the Multi-Purpose Cleaner) or just squirt a bit in the potty and clean. You can also add a little baking powder for some added scrubbing effect. Poo be gone!

7. Toothpaste:  One drop on your toothbrush. It will suds up and taste like soap but it does clean. I recommend peppermint. Please post comments after you give this a try.

8. Detergent:  1/3 to 1/2 cup of soap for a large load in a normal washing machine. Add 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle. Half the amounts for an HE washer.

9. Dish Soap:  Use a 1:10 ratio with water. Ideally, rinse with vinegar after washing. However, I use it as my base for my DIY homemade dish soap which needs no vinegar rinse.

10. Liquid Dishwasher Detergent:  Use it as a base for a DIY liquid dishwasher detergent that is inexpensive and of course, eco-friendly.

11. Shaving Cream:  For men: Use about 10 drops on the face. For women: Use about 3 drops on the underarms; just pour a little out on hand and spread on legs.

12. Plant Spray For Bugs: 1 T in a quart of water. Add 1/2 t cayenne pepper or cinnamon, if desired. Take it outside to the garden yo!

13. Fruit/Veggie Wash:  Add 1 T to 2 cups of water. Keep the mixture in a squirt bottle by the sink.

14. Face Wash:  This makes a lovely face wash and suds nicely. Just a few drops will do.

15. Enema Bucket Cleaner:  This is what Gerson recommends for enema bucket cleaning. Nuff said.

16. Foot Bath: 1 1/2 t in a bucket of hot water. Bronner's, take me away...

17. Congestion Clearer: 1 T in a bowl of hot, steamy water. Drape a towel over your head and breathe in mist. Make sure you get in a few Darth Vader lines before you completely clear up.

18. Pet Wash: Depends on the size of your dog and how much fur it has, but start with a little and go from there. Jordan's tag line is, "Enjoy your doggy's style while being green!"

Whew! There are even more I could list but this is for sure long enough. Comment below on what other uses you come up with and we'll give it a try! Again some on my list may be hit or miss but regardless, you get quite a bang for your buck (with a little hippie action thrown in for free) with Dr. Bronner's!

See ya next time!

xo,
hh

Gersday Thursday: Carrot Apple Juice with Norwalk Juicer

Check out our detailed video that will take you through making one of Sy's famous juices with an amazing juicer.

If you can't see the video below, please click here. Enjoy!

Transformational Tuesday: To Cease or Not To Cease?

I want you to picture a firefighter sitting in the middle of his fire station, reading with tears running down his face. I'll tell you that it's not an everyday occurrence, so it's quite a sight to see... This also makes him easy prey for other firefighters and their jokes.

Heather and I are working to prepare for this year's school for our kiddos. I can tell you that it hasn't been an easy preparation, because we have come to realize that our lives do not have the margin we need in the midst of all our current obligations and distractions. Trying to prepare for something really important while stress continues to mount is not a real fun task. I will also tell you that there has been great discussion in our home about the need for change and how we can bring more peace and a healthy rhythm into our family. We have had many discussions about the pace being set around us and the tendency in our culture to continue to run, and run, and run without end. There are so many things to do, so many places to go, so much news to gather (especially from social media), etc. that it can go on and on forever. Can the life we are all hungry for be found when everything around is a blur?

One last thing that I'll point out is that Heather and I have paid close attention to many health-conscious non-Christians around the world and how many of them sometimes do a better job of realizing their need for ceasing. When we compare ourselves as Christians and the community of these folks I just mentioned, there is a stark contrast. We are watching as some non-Christians actually get the fact that they must take time to temporarily put everything aside and refocus on their lives and how they are being lived. Jesus' life was a clear example of the need to withdraw for a time to focus on God and our relationship with Him and then go from there. It has been spelled out clearly in the Bible the need for stopping and resting, but we believe that we must continue to push our lives and our gas tanks beyond what they are capable of. What happens after this is not fun to watch. Marriages disintegrate. Children's hearts are "managed" and not nurtured. Health fails and illness prevails. Addiction grows. The list goes on, but you get the drift, right?

I just finished reading a chapter in a book that we will be using for our school year called "Celebrating Biblical Feasts In Your Home or Church". The first chapter goes over God's most important holy day, the Sabbath. We know how powerful the Sabbath can be and we've seen it modeled, but when you really take the time to understand all the gifts that God placed in it, it can make a guy cry in his firehouse. When you don't take advantage of it, it's like having best present in the world sit in the corner of your house, still wrapped, decades after it was supposed to be opened and enjoyed.

We all need a day to reacquaint ourselves with our Father who loves us beyond measure and is the sole provider of all our needs. My wife needs a day to cradle Ash (while he's still little) and not be rushed or respond to screams in other parts of the house. Sy needs a day where we can work on his new Lego set like I've promised for months. Essi needs a day to be snuggled and given full attention to her random comments. Phoebe needs a day where we can appreciate the new stampwork that she put all over the sides of her bunk bed (grrrr...). I need a day to tell Heather how much I love her and couldn't live without her. We all need a day to not worry about how things are going to work out and what our next steps are. This is what Sabbath is.

I will let you do your own research on the Sabbath and the gifts in it, but all I can say is that I'm sold. My rotating schedule makes it a bit tough, but I can promise you that this week will contain a day of following the instructions as close as we can. It's not easy, but I can already see great benefits waiting for us to grab onto. There's only one catch...we have to CEASE (which is what Sabbath translates to). As much as I would like to have all these benefits while continuing to run, it just can't happen. Don't be deceived that it can. Here's a quick quote from the book mentioned above:

So much of life as we know it has become hectic and exhausting. Important meetings, exciting activities, sports events and very good causes are pulling families in a thousand different ways. People everywhere are busy being busy--never stopping to really rest. When balanced, our activities during the week become preparation time for the Sabbath, somewhat like a path leading us to the gate of a garden...It can become a time for us to rediscover places inside ourselves that are forgotten during the rest of the busy week.

We will keep you posted on how our Sabbath goes, so stay tuned. I already wish it was sundown on Thursday!

I also guess that I need to confess that that crying firefighter was me. It was worth it, though.

No Muck Monday!: Easy Exfoliant

Check out Heather's super easy (and super cheap) "green" exfoliant. It works great, so enjoy!

If you are unable to see the video below, click here.

Let us know how it works for you. Thanks for watching!

Let's Mix It Up!

Just as our own lives are a work in progress, so is this blog. We've been praying and planning through some new updates so here they are!

First of all, we realized that we've probably never taken the time to explain why we write. I mean, why even bother? :)

No Muck Messages was created to help foster the beautiful and abundant life through the continual transformation of the body, mind, and spirit. Our goal is to inspire ourselves and others to get the gunk out of our lives in ALL areas (and having fun while doing it)! We believe in living every day to the fullest.

With that being said, we are going to have three topical days per week--Yay! After listening to those of you who write in, these seem to be the areas in which we get the most questions.

On Mondays, we'll encourage you to take reasonable steps to make a clean change for yourself and those you love. This may be a new natural hygiene tip, a greener cleaning product than what you are using, or just suggestions to simplify your life. We know that there are many of you who don't even know where to begin when looking around you. We will just be sharing what we've learned over our time of changing our lifestyles step by step. Keep in mind that getting the gunk out is a process, but you can do it!

Tuesdays will focus on reaching our innermost parts that we often neglect in day to day life. In order to truly take care of ourselves, we have to do some rethinking, reflecting, and intentional soul care. Remember that true, lasting change only comes from real and authentic transformation. There is no quick fix or pill you can take to make the kind of changes we're talking about. This is going to take some practice, but it will be well worth the investment we make! 

On this day, we'll share more details about Sy's (and our) journey with the Gerson Therapy. It's hard to believe that we've been in this sixteen months! Needless to say, we've picked up some tips and tricks along the way, so we hope that we can help educate folks on what life looks like when you use food as your medicine.

These are our current areas of focus but we are far from having all the answers. However, we have discovered that life is all about rhythm and lack of it can have grave consequences. We see it all around us even now. We were not designed to live in a constant state of rush, chaos, and stress. It is nearly impossible to hear the voice inside you when you are running full speed in all directions. This kind of life is not the full life we've been promised.

So please journey with us and spread the word! Together, let's have the courage to free ourselves from the gunk that entangles us and robs us of our joy. Let's discover the beautiful rhythm, authentic community, and amazing service found in the daily living of the abundant life.

Let's encourage and inspire one another in this forum... Hop on the No Muck Mobile!

Sy's Burning Bash!

We realized that we missed posting about Sy's big birthday... When it comes to a kid that can't eat much, you have to focus on doing some super cool stuff. Check it out!

Sy was definitely pumped to turn 7! He even lost a front tooth for the event.

First stop was coming to see Pop at the firehouse and do some cool stuff.

Only Essi would find a way to shoot rainbows from a fire hose.

Waiting to blast someone...

Just a couple more years to grow into this seat.

I'm so proud to be a part of this crazy kid's life.

Quite a fire brigade, huh?

Sy is now a huge baseball fan, so it was off to the batting cages...

Sy was a complete natural. He crushed probably 80% of the balls.

Even Mom had to come show off her home run swings. She really got in there!

I don't think anyone would argue when I say that 7 has definitely been Sy's healthiest birthday yet. We had tons of fun and made him his own birthday cake made of nothing but potatoes. We are looking forward to future birthdays and continuing to see Sy grow up to be a godly young man.

Happy belated birthday, big man! We love you!