Ash Wednesday ... the start of 40 Days of Water

From Blood:Water Mission ...

 

 [Please let me know if you are joining in during Lent so we can encourage one another!]

 

 

40 DAYS OF WATER STARTS TODAY! 

Here's how to begin:

 

REGISTER & CREATE YOUR PROFILE PAGE

We’ve put together this handy website for you to:

• Create your unique profile page
• Track your progress
• Share your experience with friends
• See who else is doing Forty Days of Water
• And, to eventually donate your savings to clean water projects in Uganda. 

Be sure to register and activate your account, so we can send you a Forty Days wristband in the mail and a physical scorecard to keep in your pocket. Remember to confirm your email after you register to be able to log in.

 

GIVE UP BEVERAGES

It’s a big commitment to not drink anything but water for Forty days. But from March 9 to April 23, that’s exactly what we’re asking you to do. By giving up what you'd normally drink in exchange for the water from your tap you can save that money to help build clean water projects for communities in Uganda. Imagine it this way, because $1 can provide a year of water for 1 person in Africa, with each drink you give up each day, you'll be providing years of water for someone else.

 

Be sure to visit the webstore to order a new Forty Days of Water bottle to remind you to head to the tap! By giving up what you’d normally drink in exchange for the water from your tap you can save that money to help build clean water projects for communities in Uganda. 

 

Also, in case you are wondering why there are actually 46 days between March 9 & April 23, Forty Days follows the traditional Lenten season calendar which consist of 40 fast days and 6 rest/feast days. You get to enjoy your favorite beverages one day out of the week, which will remind you just how much you miss them the other 6 days. most people take Sunday off. How you choose to observe Forty Days is up to you.
 

 

TRACK YOUR SAVED BEVERAGES

Ditch the morning coffee and o.j., leave out the lunchtime soda, and cancel the evening beverage in lieu of clean water from the tap. By sacrificing your daily routine, you will make a difference in the life of a person in Africa. If you’ve registered on the website and created a profile page, you can track your beverages online.

 

Also, if you’re the mobile savvy type, we’ve created a mobile site for you to track your beverages on the go. Visit 40days.bloodwatermission.com from your smart phone to sign in and start tracking.

 

 

GET OTHERS INVOLVED

During your Forty Days, there are a number of ways to get the word out about what you’re doing:

• Tweet and Facebook your friends. (Use the hashtag #40Days when tweeting to @bloodwater)
  Another great reason to follow us on your social network is to share the daily 40 Days Water Fact.  
• Blog or video moments from your experience. You may choose to keep a journal or record your thoughts or experiences along the way. Be creative. We’d love to share some of your stories to help inspire others. Tweet, email or facebook us -or- Share your story  here.
• Print these info cards to give out at places when people ask you why you’re drinking only water. It’s easier to do this with friends. Ask those you spend the most time with to take part with you.
• You can also ask people to donate to your efforts by directing them to your profile page on the Forty Days website and have them click on “Support my Forty Days”.
• After April 23rd, your donations can be handled online by clicking Donate on the Forty Days website, or you can send a check to: Blood:Water Mission, c/o “40 DAYS,” P.O.Box 60381 Nashville, TN 37206   *Be sure to write “40 Days” in the memo of the check.

 

We hope that through this experience you’ll be reminded daily of the privilege of having safe water at your everyday disposal, and that you gain a sense of solidarity with your neighbors in Africa. We also expect that your heart will be filled with hope that something can be done about the water crisis – and that you’re a part of actually doing it.

 

So get started... Head to the tap so they can go to the well.     40days.bloodwatermission.com

Project Simplify: Week 1 - Master Closet

I hope you're jumping in to the Spring Cleaning spirit and trying out the Project Simplify.

Can I tell you that I already LOVE this! I worked on Monday afternoon for about an hour on our closet and I can tell a big difference already. I actually LOVE going in to my new cleaned out closet. Yes! Really!

I will post here my BEFORE pictures.

A fabulous reader asked me,"What are you doing with the stuff?"

Clothes that are worth anything I'm giving to Goodwill. A few  items I will try to sell on Craigslist. Some things are just going in the trash can.

 It's been a work in progress that I put things in the trash can. You see, I have a default that says that somebody, somewhere must be able to use "X" and I'm going to try and find them. OR, I was going to try and find them. Now I've realized that I live in a world where almost everybody has not just what they need, but also what they want. I don't have the time or energy to find that perfect somebody for my stuff, and I do a disservice to my own family by wasting my time finding them.

Purge and move on!

Here are the BEFORE pics!

Behind the door

Can't wait to show you the AFTER pictures this coming weekend!

If you're interested in joining Project Simplify, it's not too late! Click HERE for the info!

 



Killing Sin

 " ... choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin...Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you. Your being dead with Christ virtually, your being quickened with him, will not excuse you from this work."

                                                                         From Mortification of Sin, by John Owen


Be killing sin

or

it will be killing you.

There is salvationary grace for sin that is once-and-for-all. 
  
And then there is the everyday life of conviction, repentance, and restoration. In pursuit of the kingdom on Earth, I seek to mortify the sin and exercise kingdom power over it. That is where the rubber meets the road. Where life starts to change.

If I really took my sin seriously, I would realize the weight of just one act against God. It's enough to separate me from God. And yet, all day long, I stray.

John Piper's recent seminar at Bethlehem College "I Act the Miracle" is profound and instructive on dealing with your daily sin and moving toward killing it.

Click HERE for the video (approx. 40 min).

One Thousand Gifts - Sat, Mar 5th, 2011

#41: Tiny fingers wrapped around mine
#42: "Mommy, I love sorting laundry!" Emily
#43: The smell of my husband's deoderant
#44: Daffodils blooming
#45: My grandmother doing better in the hospital
#46: Honest words with my Mom
#47: "Lo4 loves you" Logan
#48: A Saturday outing with my family
#49: A phone call from a dear friend struggling.
#50: Gathering with good friends who love and serve well together

There is much to be grateful for today!

Introducing Project Simplify

As I've been working on clearing out our house this year, I've realized that even when you're highly motivated, it can be hard to know where to start. Once you make progress in one corner, you realize the 10 other places that could use an hour or two as well. There is always another "hotspot".

When I saw the Project Simplify challenge on a Blog that I follow, I was instantly thrilled. Here's the basic premise ...

Each Monday, a hotspot is selected and posted. You take a "BEFORE" picture of that area. Then, over the week, you work on that one specific area. Declutter. Clean. Maybe ... decorate?? Then on Friday, you post your "AFTER" picture. Then, sit and revel in progress and accomplishment.

This could be a great way to get a few specific places tackled.
Here is the original post introducing Project Simplify. Check it out!

Forty Days of Water

From Blood:Water Mission ....

 

FORTY DAYS OF WATER | March 9 - April 23 | *no ark necessary

 

Whether you're excited or anxious, it's that time again. This Lenten season we're inviting you to again choose to make tap water your only beverage for 40 Days. Ditch the morning coffee and o.j., leave out the lunchtime soda, cancel the evening beverage, and especially cut out all the bottled water, drinking only clean water from the tap. By sacrificing your everyday routine, you will make a lasting difference in the life of a person in Africa.

 

By giving up what you'd normally drink in exchange for the water from your tap you can save that money to help build clean water projects for communities in Uganda. Imagine it this way, because $1 can provide a year of water for 1 person in Africa, with each drink you give up each day, you'll be providing years of water for someone in need.

 

All funds raised this year will benfit water projects in northern Uganda. Watch the video below to learn more about the restorative work in Lira, Uganda that needs your help.

 

Drink from the tap, so they can go to the well.

Thinking Love download



Silas, Age 5



I feel so privileged to get questions about homeschooling from friends. I remember asking some of the same questions when our kids were smaller and we were thinking about school.

How do you know what to teach?

What do your days look like?

What about discipline issues?

What about differing personalities?

And then, there were things that I didn't even know to ask about that I have learned over the years. Yes, we are now in our 4th year of homeschooling!

Over the next few weeks, I hope to answer some of these questions on the blog on Thursdays.

To start you off, I'd like to direct you to this free e-book from Simply Charlotte Mason - "A Thinking Love"

Here is the description from their website ....

Join Sonya Shafer as she explores what “a thinking love” means and contemplates the various ways that Charlotte Mason encouraged thinking mothers to show their love to their children.

• Encouraging—The short, practical chapters will both challenge and equip you in your role as a thinking mother, dealing with topics like
  • The need for boundaries in our children’s lives,
  • Teaching our children the meaning of must,
  • A reminder of some simple laws of health,
  • A description of true education,
  • A caution against playing favorites,
  • Giving our children the best of Mother,
  • Dealing with faults,
  • Encouraging our children’s relationships with God,
  • And more!
• Christian—As was common in her writings, Charlotte’s comments grew from a strong love for her Savior and respect for God’s Word.
• Inspiring—More than seventy Charlotte Mason quotes on different aspects of being a thinking mother.

Click HERE to download the free E-book! Hope you enjoy!