January 31, 2025

How To Wash Laundry By Hand Without A Washing Machine



2024 UPDATE: Years ago on my orginal blog I had this post with no ads or any kind of "self-promotion" or freebies in it.  I didn't even know what that was at the time LOL.  And for YEARS it was the number one most viewed blog post I had with thousands of views.  Please excuse the roughness of some of these pictures.  Keep in mind they were taken back around 2011 before smart phones were a thing really, at least not like they are now.  So even with AI editing, of them are still fuzzy and dark. But hey, if you want or need to know how to wash your laundry by hand without a washing machine, you're in the right place 😉.


How To Make Your Own Laundry Detergent


Times have changed. Inflation is driving the price of everything we buy through the roof! It seems like a dollar isn't worth very much these days and it is worth less and less with every passing day. Saving money can be a bit challenging especially when there are things you need that you can make or create your self. Fortunally there are so many things that you can do to make your own goods at home.  Laundry detergent is one of them! Whether you are washing your own laundry without a washing machine, you ran out off laundry detergent, or you just want to save money and make your own, it is super easy to to make laundry detergent in bulk! 

When I was washing my laundry by hand because I didn't have easy access to laundry facilities and I couldn't afford a laundromat, often times I would use DIY detergent too because it was so much cheaper and cost effective than buying it at the store. Now although I do like to know where my food and household goods come from and what's in them, I don't get too caught up in label reading.  That will drive you crazy if you let it.  In today's world it's almost impossible and not very practical to have every single item we purchase not have something in it that is potentially "bad for us". So I do the best I can on that and leave the rest up to God. But I do like the fact that with this laundry detergent recipe that I know what's in it. 

The process is pretty simple.  Three ingredients, two steps and your  ready to do laundry!

Here is what you'll need:
2 cups of grated Fels Naptha soap

In a large container (I use an old, clean gallon ice cream bucket with a lid) combine and mix the washing soda and borax.  Add the grated soap.  Use your hands to mix and break up the soap shavings in the borax/soda mixture.  Mix well.  Cover with lid.  Use 1/3 powdered laundry soap per load of laundry.  Makes about one gallon of laundry soap.


Don't have a washing machine?  You can still do laundry quickly and effectively with this method!  I can wash about five loads of laundry in about an hour and a half with just a few household items.


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January 29, 2025

Do These Four Things To Change Your Mental And Physical Health



Taking care of our mental health and bodies is an important part of our walk with God.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." So if we are a temple for the Holy Spirit once we become a Christian, it only makes sense that we do our best to take care of the body that God gave us.  Now that doesn't mean that we won't struggle with disease, illness, physical pain or other types of things that can affect our bodies and well-being.  But we should do our best learn to take care of ourselves everyday.


January 27, 2025

Forewarned! A Tale of Two Trains




Does God allow us to see the future?  Sometimes!  I remember this story so well. I was about 10 years old when mom had an odd dream one night.  Little did we know that just a few days later, that dream would save all of our lives!  This story below is based on a true story that happened to mom and me, my brother and several of our friends in 1984.  

~Denise



January 24, 2025

Love Like Jesus: Forgiveness & Bringing It Home


FORGIVENESS IS VULNERABLE. IT DOESN’T JUST SAY, “I FORGIVE,” IT TURNS THE OTHER CHEEK. WHEN I PARKED MY MIND ON THE SHORTCOMINGS OF ANOTHER, I NEEDED FORGIVENESS AS MUCH AS MY OFFENDER.

We are on equal footing with those who have wronged us at the foot of the cross.

I parked my mind on the offense of another

There is a sick pleasure in mentally rehearsing the indignities of another toward us. We enjoy it because it paints us as being altogether good in contrast to the offender who becomes increasingly evil in our judgment as we elaborate on the offense. However, Jesus said there is only One who is altogether good. Even Jesus himself refused to attribute goodness to his own humanity. He pointed toward God as the source of all goodness.



January 22, 2025

Love Like Jesus: Forgiveness & A Look At The Cross



UNTIL WE HAVE RECEIVED DIVINE FORGIVENESS, MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE CROSS, WE CAN’T REALLY OFFER HUMAN FORGIVENESS. FORGIVENESS IS OFFERED TO ALL, BUT UNTIL IT IS RECEIVED, IT CAN’T BE APPLIED.

“‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’” (Luke 23:34)

Finding forgiveness

Imagine with me that you are in the midst of a large group of people. You observe a victim being beaten until his face is marred beyond recognition. The crowd jeers and shouts insults at him. You want to tell the crowd to stop, but you are afraid to. You are afraid to get involved, for fear that they will turn on you too. You callous yourself in an effort to justify your refusal to intervene. He must have done something terribly wrong to be treated this way, you decide.



January 10, 2025

Forgiving The Unforgiveable

 



In the last post we talked about forgiveness and how forgiving others isn't for them it's for us.  When we hold bitterness, anger, resentment or other negative emotions in our hearts towards another person, we are not only hurting ourselves, but we are blocking the peace that God has for us.  Holding onto to those emotions robs us of joy, peace and happiness and contentment .  Often times the person we are being unforgiving towards is going about their daily lives and either unaware or not caring about what we think of them.  So you see holding onto an unforgiving spirit is only hurting ourselves, not the other person.  That's why forgiveness isn't for them it's for you.


January 9, 2025

Forgiveness Isn't For Them


 

UPDATED: This article was originally written in 2022 after my father passed away from a short battle with pancreatic cancer.  You can learn more about our story by reading The Hardest Goodbye.

After spending two weeks in Arkansas to be with dad while he went to heaven and then finishing up his final affairs, on the way home I got to stop in Fort Worth, TX for the weekend to visit my brother and his wife and go see my momma!  I hadn't seen her in almost four years.  We didn't tell here I was coming so it was a surprise and boy was she surprised when I walked in. We had a good visit.  We talked about and cried together remembering dad.  We enjoyed talking about lot other things too.  


January 3, 2025

How To Practice Your Faith In God And Establish A Daily Quiet Time




WHAT IS A QUIET TIME & WHY DO I NEED IT?

The maple tree is prized for its cool summer shade, its beautiful woodgrain, its red fall foliage, and its delightful sap. It has weathered many storms by sending its roots deep. The maple spends its days absorbing nutrients from the earth and the sun, and drinking moisture from God's bounty.

The cold winter nights are essential for the tree to be able to produce its sweet syrup in the Spring. The colder winter, the greater the sap production. But the cold winter night doesn't hurt the maple because it has stored God's nutrients in its trunk.


January 1, 2025

Knowing God Is What Is What It Means To Put Your Faith And Trust In God




HIS STORY

 "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness...' Genesis 1:26

God only shares one line of their conversation with us here. However, seeing the depths to which they went to complete their plan, it's easy to imagine the conversation that must have taken place between the Father and the Son:

"Let us make man in our image," suggested the Son.

"Yes, let us, but first let us look at his future," replied the Father.

"O, yes. I can see it. Adam and Eve are walking hand in hand in our presence. Joy overflows, Father."

"The two are happy," the Father beamed. "I enjoy being with them."

"Yes, Father. They are my delight. But Father, look, the serpent..."



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