Simple Worship - "Draw Me Lord"

I am a worshipper. God created me in His image to love and worship Him completely. Let's worship together with one of my favorite songs by Selah.

Simply Christian Movie Making

I received an e-mail update today from The Way of the Master that I wanted to share with you.


From the e-mail:

We want to get behind a movie we previewed. It is called "The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry" and is produced by our friend Rich Christiano. It is cleverly crafted to slowly draw you in. Suddenly, what seemed ordinary becomes extraordinary, and very powerful. If you care about the lost, you will love this movie. Kirk Cameron said:

"'The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry' moved me with its message of the weight of eternity and the difference one faithful man can make in the lives of many. I recommend this inspiring movie for any family to watch together."

Please consider doing everything you can to get this into movie theaters. Go to www.SperryMovie.com and click on "Theaters" to see how you can become involved.

Simply Making a Difference

This week, I went to a place I never knew about, and it's only 10 minutes up the road.

My friend Fernando invited me to lunch at the World Hunger Farm, or "The Farm" as the locals call it. This 40-acre farm promotes sustainable living along with missions and outreach with a philosophy "to live simply, helping those who struggle to meet their basic needs by sharing and investing in others what God has given to us."

With Jesus' teachings as their guide, The Farm trains individuals in holistic ministry that equips them to work with communities in developing sustainable farming techniques. Volunteers and Interns work to educate those with an economic abundance on methods of conserving and sharing resources. And, they also participate in local and international sustainable development programs including urban farming techniques.

With live-in volunteers and interns, The Farm thrives 365 days a year providing fresh, seasonal produce, free-range eggs, a certified Grade-A Raw Goat Dairy, and pasture-raised beef, goat and chicken meat for purchase. (I didn't want to know anything about this part, so you carnivores are on your own. LOL)

With Fernando, Allan and Neal (a current intern) as my guides, I met the sweetest herd of baby goats at feeding time, which was "udder" chaos. (Ha! Ha!) They were so excited, and I had the chance to love and pray for them just in case they ended up as sausage later. :oP

I may not be a meat eater, and I definitely don't like the slaughter of animals, but I will say this: EVERYTHING serves a purpose at the World Hunger Farm. EVERYTHING. The animals are raised with love and respect and provide milk, fertilizer and meat to sustain those who work there and those needing food in the community. If you are going to raise animals for meat, please do it biblically and with purpose. Jesus did not and would not allow anything to suffer.

From composting toilets to rain water collection, I am in love with sustainable living. In fact, the main education building was built entirely using a straw and mud technique that I want to use when we build our home. If you have suggestions or Web sites for me to check out, please post a comment below.

Live simply. Live well.

DMM :o)

If you enjoyed this article, please pass it on to a friend, and sign up for alerts on the right of the screen. I try to blog once a week, so I won't bombard your inbox. :o)

***Photo from World Hunger Relief, Inc. Web site.

Simply Recycling

I found the neatest thing today in my inbox! It was a link to Treehugger showing me how to build a recycled bottle greenhouse!

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/recycled-bottle-greenhouse.php

And,here is the link to the great site from a group in Scotland to show you just how to do it:

http://www.reapscotland.org.uk/reports/greenhouse%20v1.pdf

This would be a great recycling initiative for youth at a church -- we all know how many two-liters they can go through! And, with supervision, they could even build a greenhouse for their church or school and learn sustainable living, which in my opinion, is a valuable life skill!

I don't normally drink anything but water, so I'm off to find two-liter bottles! According to the REAP site, I only need 1,500! That should be easy...really.

Take care and God bless!

DMM :o)

Simple Prayer - National Day of Prayer is Tomorrow

On May 7th, our nation will come together in prayer. That is MY prayer anyway. Please spread the word to pray for our families, our president, our leaders, and our nation. And, please pray for all those serving for our country both here and abroad. May God bless them richly for the freedoms they fight for.

In prayer,

DMM

Simple Truths from Amena Brown

Simple Knowledge - The Swine Flu/H1N1

Good afternoon, Simple Livers!

With all the info and speculation about the Swine Flu going around, I wanted to post the facts about the illness.

First:

Eating bacon will not give you the swine flu/H1N1. Please, if you eat meat, support our farmers and keep on carnivoring. (I made that word up :oP)

For the most up-to-date coverage, click on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources Web site at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/swineflu/default.shtm

And, do not panic and go to the doctor if you have the sniffles. But DO go if you have a fever over 100.2, body aches and suspect that you might be infected. Please know that medications are treating H1N1 effectively. PRAISE GOD!


May God keep us all in good health and may He heal those suffering right now.

In Jesus name, Amen.

DMM

Good Friday?

I recently spoke to a five-year-old boy about Easter. What it is. What it's all about.

He told me it was when the Easter Bunny comes and we go Easter egg hunting.

This was in a church class.

He had no idea that Easter had anything to do with Jesus.

My heart melted. I realized this little boy -- who Jesus cherishes so much -- had no idea what his Savior gave up for him on the first Good Friday. The thing that made this Friday truly Good. When God gave His only Son that we -- sinful, prideful, arrogant, and undeserving -- may have everlasting life.

Without Jesus' blood shed for our sins, we would not have Christianity and we would not have a new life in Christ.

Many "gods" have been born. They've supposedly walked on the earth. They all died. But only one came back to life. Jesus Christ. Who came back and revealed himself to not only his disciples and close friends, but to more than 500 people. Wow. To be there on that day when this man, beaten, bruised and hung on a cross, who I'd seen wrapped in funeral cloths and placed in a tomb, walked among us. Spoke to us and even let me put my doubting fingers in his wounds.

That He gave His life for me.

That is what Easter, and Christianity, is all about.

Happy Easter, everyone.

DMM

The Times They are a Changin'

Over the last week, I've had a heavy burden on my heart. It took me a while to figure it out--or maybe it took a few days for me to go straight to the source and ask my Heavenly Father what the heck is going on--but I now realize where my anxiety is coming from.

I'm concerned about our nation. Not the sagging economy. I'm concerned about our well being and our salvation. In a time where hedonism seems praised, compassion is replaced with selfishness, and premarital sex is exploited (especially among teens), where do we as Christians turn?

More importantly, where do we turn when our churches meet the same criteria as society?

Ephesians 6:24 says:

Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. (My emphasis added)

In sincerity. I've noticed people talking about God. I see people going to church on Sunday. But, I've also noticed these same people ignoring the hungry, visiting bars, treating their spouses with disrespect and ignoring God's commandment of "loving your neighbor as yourself."

But you know what...

It is not too late. It is not too late to love our Father with sincerity. It is not too late to repent for all the nasty things you've done that make you feel separated from God. They are just "things." Our Father will forgive and forget them ALL. Because he loves you with sincerity.

Jesus said in Matthew 4:17:

"...Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

The time has come for us all to decide and take a stand. Are you with Him? Or, not? It is so easy and good to be with Him. Simple. Just the way I like it.:o)

To be used by Him,

DMM :o)

Today Show Promotes Green Cleaning

This morning on TODAY, Anne Curry addressed the potential of harmful chemicals in our everyday cleaning products. To read all about it, click here.

Through the article, I found GreenerChoices.org. WOW!!! What a blessing! Click here to go straight to their recipe page, and learn how to make your own "simple living" tub and tile cleaner, and a safer-alternative, all-purpose sanitizer that I just so happen to need today!

God is so good! He provides everything we need exactly when we need it! (Matthew 6:8)

So Much to Do and So Much Simple Life to Live

Welcome to 2009, everybody! And, if you're like me, you are shocked that it is already the middle of February!

So far, I've downsized yet still have more downsizing to do as I sit here at my computer mesmerized by the piles of papers, photos and memories that flood my desk. Will the piles every end? I don't know if it is even in my nature not to stack. LOL I think I totally missed the "filing" gene in my genetic makeup. I'm a stacker through and through. And, I'm proud of it.

But being a stacker makes it difficult to eliminate clutter and simplify. My new thing to work on is my overabundant love of stacking and keeping papers that serve absolutely no purpose in my life whatsoever (even if I really believe they do).

Please pray. LOL

Also, I am so excited to announce that I started my garden! It is my first attempt, and I am so excited about the possibilities. I built the framework last year and am now starting the seeds and getting everything ready. I am patiently waiting (no, not really) for the last frost to pass us by so I can finally plant my little babies in the earth.

However, I live in Texas. Need I say more? Let's just say that today's high was 80 degrees (no joke) and tonight's low is 38. All the more reason to keep my little seedlings safe and warm inside.

A friend of mine gave me the book Square Foot Gardening and it has been a lifesaver! I plan on perusing it tomorrow for tasty tidbits and insights on this new world of gardening I'm uncovering.

Plus, being a Simple Liver, I want to be simple, organic and pure in my approach. If you have any suggestions or hints to share, I would love to see them! Please comment below. Believe me. I need all the help I can get. :o)

I've learned a few techniques that I'll be sharing over the next few days, so stayed tuned for updates and photos!

I am so excited about what God is doing. He is so good. I am nothing without Him. Wow. He amazes me.

May your 2009 be as amazing as our Father is, and may He bless you through and through!

To be used by Him,

DMM :o)

A New Year a Simple You

Hello!

Wow, January 13th already. I just read through what I blogged about on December 30th, and I am pleased to announced that I have actually been doing that much-needed downsizing! I've gone through some drawers, organized all my books and have been to Goodwill three times! I even have a new load that I want to take tomorrow. God is good, and I'm being obedient!

I've also started a new thing for '09. I will read one fiction book a month this year. I love to read, but when I thought about how many books I actually read in a year, it really wasn't that many. And, when I think about reading only 12 books, that really doesn't seem like all that much. I wish I read faster and more often, but I am in Bible college and have to study, too. So, I am devoted to one book a month.

What have you planned for 2009? Goals? Dreams? Lack there of? LOL

Maybe reading one book a month is a great place to start. Good for the body, mind and spirit. My book for January is Ted Dekker's Chosen. If you've read his Lost series, let me know what you think.

May God bless you richly in 2009. I'll have more simple living info, tidbits and hints to come. I've been praying about my garden so I will be blogging about that this year as well. So much to do! And, God's in charge of it all!

Be blessed. Live Simple.

DMM :o)