homemade laundry detergent

Inspired by Brooke over at B In Real Life (www.binreallife.com), I made homemade laundry detergent! It works amazingly well and only cost about $2.50 for an entire months worth of laundry detergent! Sorry some of the pics are blurry.

Ingredients for amount shown in picture below:

1 grated bar of soap (any kind you like)
1 cup washing soda
1 cup Borax

Mix ingredients in blender or food processor. Use 1 tablespoon per load of laundry.












Awesome.

inadequate

Yesterday was a rough day. Working with teenagers who are struggling emotionally/mentally/spiritually is a heart-wrenching, challenging job.

As I wrote that sentence, I actually erased it several times, trying to rewrite it to make it sound like I was feeling. That became impossible. The truth is, we are all struggling emotionally/mentally/spiritually to some degree. If we're not, then we're not growing. Growth is not easy. It's challenging. And it's rewarding. Every single day I'm reminded of that on a very, VERY big level. My struggle may not look like their struggle but it sure makes me feel inadequate some days. Like yesterday.

I am reminded of God's presence and unconditional love for me during every minute with these kids. I'm inspired, humbled, and in awe of this all-encompassing presence of our God. He is able to make changes in the lives of these hurting kids that blows my mind. Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."

Steven Furtick said at a Leadership conference I attended last year: "If your vision is not intimidating to you, it is probably insulting to God." Today, may your faith be so audacious that you believe that every thing is possible. Every thing. I pray that you will believe bigger than you've ever believed, to the point that you look crazy-insane-out-of-your-mind-weird to the world. That, I believe, would be pleasing to God.

nighttime

Every night, there is a bedtime routine with Will that goes like this:

1. Bath time. Will HATES bath. And I mean hates. Like worse than he hates the nose sucker.
2. Pick out P.J.'s. Will would rather wear his robe to bed. Sometimes we let him cause it's so darn cute.
3. Jason and/or I read Will anywhere between one and seven thousand books. Current favorites: Tickle Monster Book/Kit, I Love you Stinky Face, and Goodnight Moon. Will likes the one about trucks :)
4. Turn on turtle night light.
5. Turn on calming music.
6. Turn off lamp.
7. Bitty Baby Prayer Time. I've started consistently asking Will who he wants to pray for. Before now, I have just been saying a prayer for him out loud and at the end when I say "Amen" he agrees and says "Amy". Apparently he thinks we pray to the daycare lady, Amy. Now, Will has a list of about 100 people he wants us to pray for. Not literally 100, but the list goes like this: Mommy, Daddy, Will, Izzy, Grandma, Grandma, Grandpa, Kevin, Theresa, Eric, Mommy, Daddy, Will, Izzy, Sonny...you get the picture. Some people need extra prayers, I guess. It's uber sweet and inspires us to be the best spiritual guides for him possible.
8. "Mommy Back". This is the point in the nighttime routine where Will will ONLY let me rub his back. Not daddy. Apparently mommy has special skills. I'm fine with that. As is Jason who usually goes and watches some kind of wrestling show that I wouldn't normally watch with him.

That's it. Not sure what inspired me to write a post about our nighttime. Other than it's one of my favorite parts of the day. My sweet boy and his prayer list. I'm one blessed mama bear.