All-Natural Facial Exfoliants

Natural remedies are almost always the way to go when it comes to health, and I am finding this more true than ever regarding the condition of my skin.  With the springtime flowers in bloom and the smell of freshly cut grass, I want to align my winter-parched skin with nature all the more!  Here are a few remedies I've been adding to my skin regimen that are giving me a nature-kissed glow:

Play In The Mud!

www.livingclayco.com

I have been using pure powder clay to create a facial mask that is truly one with nature.  I find that drug store and even high end masks can become drying and counter-productive, so I like to use the simplest form to get the best results: 100% mud.  To find the right product, you will want to go online or to health food stores and look for "Calcium Bentonite Clay."  I am using Detox Clay Powder from Nature's Body Beautful, which is 100% calcium bentonite clay.  Just so you know, the slogan rings true, "So pure you can eat it!"  My grandparents actually use a teaspoon mixed with a glass of water to ease a sick stomach ... haven't tried that one yet, but it sure does ease the effects of my combination skin!

Salad Dressing Scrub

courtesy of buzzle.com

I've started doing the mud mask at the beginning of the week followed by a light, all-natural scrub mid-week.  Like I mentioned previously, I have combination skin, so it's dry in some areas and oily in others.  I also tend to get enlarged pores (they've become worse with age) and flaky skin in the oily areas.  Most scrubs are harsh, leaving me with an overly rosy look in all the wrong places, which is why I always fall back on a remedy that's tried and true: apple cider vinegar.  As most people, I hate the smell of vinegar; however, I put up with the smell to get the amazing result of glowing, even-toned, youthful skin.  All you need is a washcloth, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and hot water.

1)  Pour the vinegar into the middle of a folded washcloth

2)  Run the cloth under hot water (as hot as you can stand)

3)  Scrub your face all over for about one minute, concentrating on your t-zone and any other problematic areas

4)  Rinse with the coldest water you can stand ... done!

I would definitely recommend this step for acne-prone skin, but I would not recommend scrubbing infected areas.  Instead, I would dab blemished areas with the washcloth vinegar water mixture, so as not to break skin or irritate the area.  (In between applications, simply using hot and cold water can sometimes be better than using creams or washes, which can be abrasive to sensitive infected areas).  Apple cider vinegar is an anti-inflamatory and anti-bacterial remedy, which is great for acne-prone skin.  It is just as good for clear skin types, as it tones and conditions at the same time, leaving you with healthy, glowing skin for days following.  Pure, simple, inexpensive ... I love it!

Preparing Our Hearts for Easter

As a child, I loved reading the stories of the Bible.  Almost daily, I would pull out one of our ten, heavy, hard-bound volumes of Arthur Maxwell's The Bible Story collection.  The pages were thick and carried a distinctive musty smell.  The pictures always grabbed my imagination, conveying the emotion, atmosphere and purpose of the stories within each intricate image.  But, out of all the stories and pictures, the only one that drew me to tears was the story of Jesus on the cross.

In my childlike understanding of the story, I felt so sorry for Jesus and heartbroken because of the pain He endured.  However, my perception of the story ended there, and I was not able to fully understand Jesus, Easter, or the need for salvation until I was a teenager, independently studying the Bible for the first time.  Consequently, my concept of Easter became less about wearing a Spring dress and eating pineapple roasted ham because my heart was concentrated on celebrating the profound purpose of the cross.  From beginning to end, the Bible chronologizes the fall of man, the prophecies, life, death, and resurrection a Savior, and the ongoing call to salvation through Jesus Christ.  

Prophecy of a Savior

Within the first three chapters of the Bible in the Book of Genesis, the creation and fall of man takes place at the hands of Adam and Eve, creating a chasm between humans and God.  The rest of the Bible is a continuing story of God’s plan to offer restoration to the world through a chosen Savior.  In 2 Samuel 7:16, the prophet Nathan relays a message from God to King David, saying, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”  God’s promise tells us that He was establishing a divinely royal bloodline through David.  Another of the many Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, or “chosen one,” comes out of Isaiah:

Isaiah 53:3

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

This verse and the context of this passage outline three very important things about the Savior.   It tells us that He would bear pain and death to pay the penalty of sin, and that He would be scorned, ridiculed and condemned in order to become Peace on Earth.  Most importantly, according to this prophecy and many others, His death would provide eternal life and fill the chasm between God and man.

Purpose of the Cross

The four New Testament Gospels tell the story of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, a descendant of David.  Within these books, we find parallels and confirmation from Old Testament prophecies that Jesus was the Messiah, and the conclusion of each book tells the story of how Jesus was plotted against, arrested, beaten, chastised, condemned, and killed upon a cross.  However, this was not just the death of a man, but the death of God for man.  Even Jesus stated in Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  The purpose of the cross was not only for the Roman government and religious officials to execute Jesus as a penalty for claiming to be the Messiah, but it become an alter where God sacrificed His Son to pay for the sins of the world.  Amazingly, the cross, an instrument of torture and execution, has become something that means life to me.  When I look at the cross, I see the nails and bloodstains, but I also see a love offering and a victory that was won for me by God.  Symbolically, the figure of the cross extends vertically up to heaven and spreads horizontally out to the world, meeting at one point and one place in time.

Providence of Salvation

On Easter, while we remember the death of Jesus Christ, the true celebration is in His resurrection.  Because of His resurrection, Jesus overcame death and overcame the curse of death for the whole world.  Therefore, God has thrown us a lifeline through His Son, Jesus Christ, who is now the bridge that connects us back to God and back into eternal life.  In 1 John 5:5, the author states, "Who is it that overcomes the world?  Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."  When we chose to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we accept Him as our Savior and our lifeline.  In words best quoted from Jesus himself, He states in the iconic Easter passage John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

Check out this article and others that I've published on Yahoo Voices

That's My King

This past week, my mom paraphrased a statement made by Winkie Pratney, saying, "People respond to the Light in three different ways. Some accept it while others live indifferently to it. However, many try to stomp it out."  If you watch this clip, my prayer is that your response will be the first of those three.  

Isaiah 53:5

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His strips we are healed.

Hamanteschen Cookies

This is a picture of the fruits of my labor on Purim Thursday.  Cookies are just not one of my favorite things to make, so when I say "labor" it's oddly accurate!  I used the recipe posted earlier last week, but had to make some revisions.  Also, the altered version, which was supposed to render 36 cookies, turned out to be a smaller batch than I had anticipated.  I tweaked the recipe as follows to suit my taste:

3 large eggs

5/8 cup sugar (I'm just making it a rounded 1/2 cup)

2 tsp lemon zest

3/4 cup butter, melted

3 cups all-purpose flour

Strawberry Preserves

Guava Jelly

In a nutshell: 1) grease the cookie sheets, 2) Beat eggs, 3) Add sugar, lemon peel and melted butter, beating mixture until light and fluffy, 4) Add flour and mix well, 5) Cover and refrigerate for 1.5 hours, 6) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, 7) On a floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-inch thickness, 8) Cut with a floured 3-inch round cookie cutter or cup, 9) Place an inch apart on cookie sheets, 10) Spoon a teaspoon of fruit filling onto each circle, alternating flavors, 11) Moisten edges of dough circles with water, 12) Folding 3 sides in, shape into triangles and pinch corners to seal, 13) Bake for 8-12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown, 14) Remove, cool, enjoy!

Purim: Morbid Cookies and a Reminder of God's Faithfulness

Although I grew up in a gentile, Christian home, I have always been intrigued by the Jewish feasts, festivals and traditions.  In the 1980's, one of the first video tapes my family ever owned was of The Fiddler On The Roof.  I practically wore holes through the film tape, as I watched it at least twice a week.  While the song and dance prone Tevye may not have been the best representation of Jewish tradition, watching his wife in the film lead the Shabbat Prayer was the closest connection I had to a Siddur. However, as I've grown older, I am finding that the heart of reverence which is poured out during these Jewish observances is just as meaningful to me as a Christian.  One particular Jewish custom that is often overlooked by Christians is Purim.

Purim is coming up this year on March 8th, which is just a few days away.  There are practical and fun ways to observe the festival, but there are also more introspective ways to observe its significance and symbolism.   Purim is the Jewish observance of the story of Esther.  While some scholars view this book as simply an excerpt of history to bridge the 400 Silent Years, I see so much significance within the parallels and symbols of God's faithfulness and unfailing love.  

image property of US government

When I read stories from the Bible, I love to read between the lines into the context and ramifications of the story.  Honestly, I hadn't read the full Book of Esther since Bible College, so it was good to look at it with refreshed perspective.  First of all, I find it interesting that Xerxes "ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush," as mentioned in the first chapter of Esther and in the first verse.  Right off the bat, the writer wants you to know that King Xerxes ruled over basically all of ancient Persia, which currently consists of Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Israel, Lebanon, and Yemen.  In fact, his throne sat in what is now the city of Shush in Iran.  This fact alone sets the stage for the ensuing  irony in the story.

attribution: Forest & Kim Starr

After Queen Vashti displeased the king, he vanquished her and sought to replace her with a commoner.  This is where Esther enters the picture.  In Esther 2:7, we find out that her Hebrew name is Hadassah, meaning myrtle.  In Jewish tradition, the Feast of Tabernacles uses the flowering branches of myrtle to represent "those who have good deeds to their credit despite not having knowledge and study of the Torah."  The fragrant flower also represents the Garden of Eden (BhM II: 52; Sefer ha-Hezyonot 17). It's really amazing how strongly the parallel between Esther and Eve is displayed in this story.  Symbolically, we witness the character of Eve defeating death by the deliverance of a King.  Beautiful!

The most famous quote throughout this whole book is undoubtedly Esther 4:14, where Mordecai appeals to Esther, his niece, a Jew, and the queen:

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this." 

Essentially, Esther would have to sacrifice her own life in order to ensure the salvation of her people.  My NIV Study Bible commentary states that this verse outlines "the relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility."  This relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility is seen similarly in the Bible as Jesus prepares himself to take on the cross.  As He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."  Peter alludes to God's sovereignty and Jesus act of sacrifice in Acts 2:23-24, saying, "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God ... whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it."

I find it so beautiful that Purim, a celebration of God's deliverance and faithfulness, would prepare us for the Passover and Resurrection Sunday.  The story of Esther is not just a bridge in Biblical history, it a vital piece within the story of God's salvation and redemption of His creation.  We are loved and desired by God, our Creator and Redeemer.

Now, Let's Make Haman's Ears!

If you skim through my food articles, you will probably noticed I'm big on savory cooking and not so big on making desserts.  While I love sweets, I dislike the preparation steps, mess and hassle. However, Hamantaschen Cookies look simple enough that even I should enjoy making them.  Hamantaschen translates from the Yiddish as "ears of Haman," but I've also seen the cookies called "Haman's Hat."  I found a recipe on Food.com which I'll be using to bake my Haman's Ears (yum?) this Thursday, so be sure to check back for pictures.  I've altered the measurements in order to only make 36 cookies: 

3 large eggs

5/8 cup sugar (I'm just making it a rounded 1/2 cup)

1 1/2 tsp orange zest

3/4 cup butter, melted

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 (9 oz) can poppy seed filling (substitute with prune or apricot filling)

In a nutshell: 1) grease the cookie sheets, 2) Beat eggs, 3) Add sugar, orange peel and melted butter, beating mixture until light and fluffy, 4) Add flour and mix well, 5) Cover and refrigerate for 1.5 hours, 6) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, 7) On a floured surface, roll dough to a 1/4-inch thickness, 8) Cut with a floured 3-inch round cookie cutter or cup, 9) Place an inch apart on cookie sheets, 10) Spoon a teaspoon of filling onto each circle, 11) Moisten edges of dough circles with water, 12) Folding 3 sides in, shape into triangles and pinch corners to seal, 13) Bake for 8-12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown, 14) Remove, cool, eat!

Such As These Conclusion: No Greater Love

Being the "Month of Love," I decided to intentionally grow in God's love for children.  As I gleaned out the special moments and lessons throughout the past month, I feel that God was even greater glorified through my life and through our life as a family.  The month has already ended, so I'm going to backtrack through the last few days, highlighting my especially sweet moments with Hana.

Saturday, Day 25:  After an early morning wake up call via Hana, we put a light jacket over her pajamas, made out a quick grocery shopping list, and hopped in the car to grab some donuts and shop.  While I shopped, Hana sat in the cart and ate her powdered donut hole.  She started rubbing her messy face on my arms as I pushed the cart.  Just as I was about to tell her to stop, she looked up at me and said, "Love too, mama."  What a purely sweet and intentionally loving act!  I would sacrifice every single shirt sleeve I have to receive that message from her every single day!!

Sunday, Day 26:  By late afternoon, the sun was out and Josh suggested that we get some ice cream.  We did the easiest, cheapest thing we could think of and went through the McDonald's drive through to get three dollar cones.  I was oddly okay with giving Hana her own cone ... in the car, nonetheless.  But to my surprise, she did really well on her own ... no messes and no food throwing!  My little girl is growing up!

Monday, Day 27:  Hana and I had a laid-back day, coloring, reading and playing with her puzzles.  We just love spending time together.

Tuesday, Day 28:  After story time at the library, Hana and I met my mom at Walmart to shop and visit.  My mom and I both had our separate carts, but Hana took preference to riding in grandma's cart.  Grandma is very special to Hana and I always jokingly say, "Grandma trumps Mommy."  What I didn't realize was that each time we would split up, a look of concern would come across her face and she would ask, "And mama?"  I have to admit, hearing that made me smile.

Wednesday, Day 29:  Wednesdays are typically my husband's day-off, so we use the day to catch up on bills and our projects.  Although he is worn out from work, he always makes an effort to help me get Hana up, changed and fed in the mornings.  Yesterday, he even made breakfast!  As we ate our bacon and toaster waffles, Hana made faces at us from her booster seat, kicking, giggling and squealing from the pure joy of acting silly.

One thing I've realized through my month-long journaling process is that our little girl makes our joy so complete!  From that perspective, I see how she is our extension of love and joy in the same way that we are God's.  It reminds me of Jesus statement in John 15:11-12, where He said, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

What an amazing God we have who creates parallels of His glory in our everyday lives!  What an intricate and loving way of communication He has with us.  Jesus went further to say in verse 13, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."  If there is anything that I can bestow upon my little girl, I want it to be the message that God desires to know her and love her.  I want her to connect her heart with the act of love that Jesus did for her when He died on the cross.  I pray for her all the time, asking the Lord to speak to her and beckon her into His love.  While my purpose as a parent is to care for my daughters needs, my sole desire is to nurture her heart and guide her into an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.  Thank you Lord for this blessing and commission!