Now is a great time to start a butterfly garden. By planting a few butterfly-attracting flowers together, you can create a space where (hopefully) a variety of butterflies will visit. If you have children, a butterfly garden is a great opportunity to observe nature and a good learning opportunity.

The more frugal way to create a butterfly garden is to use perennial flowers. The upfront cost is a bit higher, but the flowers will return each year bigger and better. The butterfly site contains a list of flowers for attracting butterflies along with other resources (like butterfly species in your state). A butterfly bush, salvia, daisies and marigolds (an annual) are the more common plants that you can find at your local garden center.

Look around in your area for the best-priced source on flowers. Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart are usually cheaper than the local nursery. You can also order flowers online through places like Michigan Bulb Co although the flowers will arrive as roots/bulbs and will take some time to grow.

Labels: frugality, gardening

”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2Cor 5:17

One year my daughter received a butterfly garden for her birthday. You send away for caterpillars and when they arrive, you watch them grow, pupate and finally turn into butterflies.

I of course was already aware of the general process by which caterpillars become butterflies, yet I found myself fascinated by the pupal stage. When it is time, the caterpillars migrate to the top of the jar and hang from their behind in a “J” formation. What appears to happen after this is that the pupa structure formed internally expands out, causing the “skin” of the caterpillar to peel off. I was not prepared for how quickly a caterpillar hanging upside down could become something completely different on the surface because the pupal process had begun on the inside where I could not see it.

Through my own conversion my life is not much different than the caterpillar. When I accepted Christ as my Savior, a process began inside of me that transformed me into something new. My “pupa” may not have broken to the surface quite as quickly as the caterpillar, but the transformation inside had begun and eventually my external “appearance” changed also.

Through the process of sanctification I remain in my “pupal stage”. It will be a long time before I emerge. But when I do, I will have become something much more beautiful than a butterfly. I will have an “appearance” like Christ.

I love that through his glorious creation God can give us examples of his transforming power in our lives. By watching a caterpillar become a pupa I can remember how a change was begun in me. And whenever I see a butterfly I will be reminded of the beauty of Christ which I can look forward to and a greater freedom than flying. A freedom He has given me.

Labels: christian living

I established this blog as an extension of The Christian Woman website because I wanted something a bit more interactive. The website covers a wide variety of topics of interest to Christian women, but I wanted this blog to be a bit more narrow in scope. I also wanted this blog to encompass my current interests – a sort of “where I am at right now” – but in a way that could benefit others.

My initial thoughts were to focus on frugality for the Christian woman. That is an area that I am trying to work on myself and an area that I would like to see all Christian women to embrace. But focusing solely on frugality was too narrow, so I continued to think about it.

And then it came to me. The overall theme of my life right now (and likely for years to come), and what I would like to share here, is balance. If I had to come up with a motto for this blog it would be “finding the balance”.

Juggling work, family, the household, church, time with God, etc. requires finding a balance. There always seems to be more to do than there are hours in the day and I want to spend the most time I can with the things that are most important. To do that, I need to have a plan of action to minimize the time-drain of the less important.

Likewise, frugality is a balance of saving versus spending but also a balance of cost versus time. I like to save money on resources where I can, but there are times where spending more is worth it because of the savings in time. Time is also important resource, especially for a mother.

So that is what the main theme of this blog will be. Finding the balance. I hope that all my visitors will join in with the journey.

Labels: balance, introduction

Here is an interesting little booklet from the Department of Agriculture: Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals.

The tips are basically common-sense and nothing earth-shattering for anyone who tries to save money on groceries, but it’s free and has some basic recipes. Good for a beginner.

Labels: cooking, frugality, recipes

(Originally written in November 2005)

I was watching a news program yesterday that was talking about the Christmas shopping season. They mentioned a few items from the Neiman Marcus catalog for the rich of the rich, like a $75,000 handbag and a diamond-covered iPod case of which I don’t remember the cost. When I hear about those kinds of things, I just can’t understand why anyone would want to spend that much money on such frivolous items.

Actually, frivolous or not, I don’t see why anyone would want to live such a life of luxury when they could simply live comfortably and give the rest of their money to charity. It makes me sad to think of all the people in the world, especially children, living in terrible poverty while people here are spending money on luxury items.

And it’s not just the rich. Look at the average American with their big cars, cell phones, and sipping their Starbucks coffee everyday. Sadly, take a look at your average American Christian and you see much the same. Not that I’m advocating a life of poverty nor can I say that I don’t have “nice things”, but there should be a limit. If we can cut back here and there, we can devote more of our income to giving.

About a year ago I came to the realization that by living more frugally I could give more. Often times this doesn’t mean missing out on items, but simply shopping for the best deals. It takes some time, but is so worth it.

Other times it’s important to decide if the price you are paying for an item or service is really necessary. If you can stop buying coffee everyday at Starbucks and make it at home instead, you could save yourself $10 per week that could go to missions. Isn’t $10 per week to the work of God a better feeling than the fleeting pleasure of a cappuccino?

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matt 6:19-21

It’s important that we are good stewards with the money that the Lord has given us. Even if you are already tithing on your income, don’t think the remaining 90% is yours to do with as you will. Try cutting costs where you can to free up more money to give. Don’t base your comfort on the things of this world. The real comfort is yet to come!

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2Cor 9:6

Labels: christian living, frugality, giving

This is the start up of a companion blog with The Christian Woman website. The topics will be similiar to the content found there (frugality, family, household, etc.).

My hope is that this blog will be a place where the women visiting the website can share their ideas through the comments section since there is no forum with the site.

While I am working out the template I will be posting some older writings of mine. Please stop by again.

Labels: introduction