Year of Plenty

Hello World,
I'm sliding in by the skin of my teeth today :-)  Sorry for the late night review, but today we celebrated a very joyous occasion, our Kylar Marie had her very first recital with Lone Star Dance Academy.  I'll admit I was tearing up seeing my baby girl (who's not a baby anymore) up on stage doing her ballet and tap routine.  It was a great time with a lot of chuckles (three year olds are a hoot to watch).

Year of Plenty was one of those fun library finds where I walked past it and the cover got me.  I've recently been trying to start a garden so this cover and the title drew me in.  The subtitle was just as interesting "One Suburban Family, Four Rules, and 365 Days of Homegrown Adventure in Pursuit of Christian Living."  Here we have the Goodwin family tired of years of consumerism and wanting to try something different.  So one day shortly after Christmas they concoct a plan to only use materials that are locally made, home grown, or homemade.  What follows this decision is a year of unexpected choices, simple rewards, and a deeper relationship to Christ.

This was one of those books where I contemplated it for a very long time.  Truthfully I would love to do something like it, to be able to live in a world where I buy from farmer's markets, and reduce my need of a consumer world.  I then have to realistically look at what Todd and I could really do in reducing our waste and where I really can't sacrifice.  For instance we use cloth diapers for our little Liv, it's something that I can do and doesn't really bother me.  My friend can't do that, it grosses her out, but she does make her own laundry.  I guess what I'm trying to say is as a whole we don't need to go over board and throw away anything that isn't home grown, but we should realistically look at our life and see what a need versus a want is.  This book Year of Plenty made me think about how our life is and what we can do to better our world, and better our relationships.  In doing so, we're honoring God, and sharing Christ to others.  Read this book if you want to chew on something and maybe try to change for the better.

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

When I read this verse I feel a peace and contentment over flow me.  I can't tell you how many times I've read this verse and it's been a rock that I have stood on in the midst of everything else crumbling.  How incredibly reassuring that the God of the universe cares to know my plans, and He promises that it is for the good of my welfare, a future and hope.  Sweet words whispered to me by the Almighty Lord, who's very thought could extinguish the world I live in, but He doesn't because of His incredible mercy and love.   Oh Lord you are too good to me.