God has such an interesting way of teaching me about this homesteading life.
Just as I begin to think I know a little something, He’ll show me a perspective that I hadn’t seen before. Coming through the “back door” of my life, through our adoption of three Ethiopian siblings 2 1/2 years ago, He has helped me to be much more aware of His love for me, given me emotional healing and taught me a lot about how people currently live.
This week, I shared about our new manual grain mill. It is so interesting how things play out around here, considering that we have three Ethiopian children in our family.
It’s happened before, many times actually. When I first bought a few lanterns and began experimenting with different oils to burn, my daughter Rahel lights up and says “Oh, we had those in Ethiopia!”
“Really?” I say. What I am continually reminded of is the fact that in Ethiopia, a third-world poverty-stricken country in the horn of Africa, much of life there simulates how Americans “used to do things” in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
“How did you use them?” I asked my daughter.
Fuel is a luxury in Ethiopia and they conserve as much as possible. ”We light the lantern when we eat our evening meal, but we eat quickly so that we can turn it off”, Rahel tells me. No one has to remind them that they need to be frugal.
The same thing happened with the manual grain mill. As I opened the box this week and took it out, Rahel lit up and said “Oh! That’s a grain mill! We had those! There was one for the entire village and we shared it“.
Suddenly, anything good I felt about my decision to purchase a manual grain mill drained right out of me as I felt guilty that I had my very own grain mill. My very own.
Yet, here’s the lesson. Feeling guilty has a purpose, and it’s not to be self-centered. It’s to point us to the needs of others. I remembered that I have neighbors and a community, who may have need of this grain mill at some point. Of course, I would share.
I quickly became aware of the fact that this grain mill was given to me as a matter of stewardship. The mill serves my family’s needs and the needs of others as well. I am not the owner as much as I am the manager of this blessing.
Tractor Supply was on my list of errands this week for feed. You know, it’s funny. I can go into most any store, mall or otherwise and not be tempted to overspend in the least, walking out to my car and glad to be out of there.
But Tractor Supply? Doggonit, I melt down.
One family Christmas tradition is to make gingerbread houses. When Meredith said “Look Mom!” and held up this kit from the store shelf, I had to have it.
Isn’t this the cutest?
I’ve shared some about this, but since our barn was destroyed earlier in the year, we haven’t had one single Christmas ornament, tree, bobble or garland to decorate with this year. 11 personalized stockings that I finally splurged on last year? Toast.
It takes years and years to collect Christmas decorations, especially outdoor lights, etc. We have none.
My husband and I decided to go very lean on those things this year. A dear friend offered us a pre-lit tree that they weren’t going to use, 7.5 feet tall….cool. Check that one off the list. We’ve all decided that it looks pretty as is, sans ornaments, since I haven’t really seen anything that’s turned me on to the point of purchase.
I purchased a few plain garlands to drape over doorways, used my lanterns and some toys to decorate the mantels and purchased a few nut crackers (50% off at Hobby Lobby), which I’ve always wanted to do. To be honest, if I didn’t have small children, I would skip most of the holiday decor and go with a few candles.
But I’m the memory-maker as Mom at this stage of life….
So imagine my thrill when I saw these little “lantern lights” at Tractor Supply. I was putty. Absolutely had to have.
Blaming the children for my weakness, my horse-loving Meredith found a handful of cute “farmy” ornaments that we purchased.
So, to summarize, we have a total of 20 lights on tree with 5 ornaments. :)
You know what? That’s ok. It’s really okay.
Money is tight for everyone and with the fragile global financial situation, I’m just glad to have a roof over our heads, heat in the house and food in the cabinets.
Afterall, Christmas isn’t my birthday, it’s Jesus’ birthday. Less is more when it helps us to focus on the real reason for the season.
*****
Are YOU simplifying your Christmas this year? I would love to hear your ideas.
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VERY inspiring and humbling! THANK YOU! I really needed that to get on with my day!
Dawna, you are very welcome. Have a good day!
Thank you for the story! i also buy the barn gingerbread kits from tractor supply! my daughter and i work on it together. tractor supply is the only place i ALWAYS go over budget too. my husband and i are also adoptive parents. i thank the LORD everyday for giving us the gift of our son. (we also have a biological daughter born after our adoption ~smile~)
Kimberly,
I saw them last year but I had already stocked up on the previous year’s 75% off gingerbread houses. This year I had no excuse or defense!
Love it! I may have to runt to Tractor Supply and get one of the Gingerbread Barns! I like their toy selection, also. Thanks for the simplicity reminders. Reading your thoughts makes me content with my ‘minimalist’ choices, rather than feeling guilty that I’m not doing ‘enough’, by worldly standards. Love your blog. I’m considering goats!, but hubby is not. lol.
Marsha,
Sometimes it takes a little extra patience and prayer to get that hubby along for the ride,….
Wonderful posting! If you want to make homemade ornaments, I am your girl! We have made them out of flour and salt, cooked them, painted them and viola! That and we make paper snowflakes to put on the windows:)….so, just call me and it is craft time!
Jen,
You’re on!
Remember my farm neighbor growing up I was telling you about Kelly? She made those kind of ornaments too! I loved them. I’ll have to tell you what she did with her egg shells at Easter time!
Loved this post. We decided to pass on putting up lights outside on the house. We put candles in the windows, and that’s all. The house still looks great from the street. I am thrilled that we are not burning unnecessary electricity with holiday lights! That’s our one frugal change, for now.
Jennifer,
Good for you, it sounds like that decision made you feel great!
Oh, what a sweet post. Your kids sound absolutely precious…and those oil lantern Christmas lights are really too cute. I understand why you had to buy them
Have a great weekend 
Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 
Hey Heather, great to hear from you!
Wonderful post – i’m sure your children would love to make some homemade ornaments for your tree and they would become a wonderful keepsake for years to come for you.
Jamie, you make a good point. I need to work on that.
Thanks Kelly. Many thoughts and much wisdom.
Thanks for reading, Deb!!
Beautiful! I think so many times, all of the “stuff” takes away from the true meaning of Christmas. Loved reading your refreshing perspective. I hope your family has a wonderful Christmas and makes many happy memories this year.
So nice to ‘meet’ you today! I blog at “Only A Breath” and would love for you to stop by and visit
Blessings,
Melanie
This is so great! Less truly is more. I think it can be so easy to get wrapped up in the spending of the season that people forget the true meaning. I would love it if you would link up to my Frugal Christmas Week so my readers can check this out as well! Thanks!
I love your perspective! It’s always so good to be reminded that we don’t have to have stuff to make memories.
It’s so not Christmas but I’ve been wandering around your blog today, moseying as we call it and just overwhelmed by how much alike we are and how God has worked in your family. I’m already following and chit chat here and there on Facebook but I find myself wishing we could be sitting on the porch watching all 14 kids play in the yard. I have 5. But I guess our older kids would be off building something eh? Anyhow, I’ve had a lovely visit and I didn’t want to leave without saying thanks for the ideas and for sharing your heart! I know if I was your neighbor I’d be thrilled to be sharing that mill!
Self sufficient doesn’t have to me selfish does it! I’m learning that too.
Jessie,
What a wonderful note, thank you! Maybe one day we’ll get to do the “front porch” thing…hopefully!
Jessie,
A chat on the porch sounds lovely! Maybe one of these days?