The Mayonnaise Jar Lesson

I recently read something that was simple, but profoundly inspiring.  I'm happy to share it here:


THE MAYONNAISE JAR

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.” he said.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you...” he told them.

“So... pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”


I love this story!  The "pebbles" in our lives are things that matter, but if that is all we focus on, there is no room for our "golf balls".  How much time do we waste on the "sand",  and neglect the "golf balls"?  Sadly, I have even told myself in the past that there was no room for the coffee.   I am constantly trying to re-prioritize, and this visual lesson is a great tool.

I remember watching a presentation very similar to this several years ago at a homeschooling conference.  The speaker was Don Aslett, and he used different sizes of rocks and a large jar to make the same point about time management.  In order to get the most important things accomplished each day, we have to take care of the "big rocks" first, or there won't be time for them at the end of the day.  If we fill our day (or our lives) attending to less important things, we will never accomplish our most important goals.

Good stuff to ponder!

Church Planting 301

It's been seven weeks since we embarked on our glorious adventure! And since this is the third church-plant we've been involved with, I have the blessing of perspective.  While the early days of church planting might look like a breeze to those on the outside, they can actually be quite challenging and hectic. But I am not experiencing the kind of doubts and fears that I have felt in the past.  We truly believe that God has called us to this work, so we face each day with confidence in Christ and his promises. It is also easier as "empty-nesters" since we do not have children at home who are experiencing sadness over moving.

We planned it so that our first two weeks in Florida were actually accrued vacation time from our previous church.  That was to allow us to take some "time off" to unpack and settle in without feeling guilty about making few contacts right away. That was the idea in theory.  But we no sooner arrived, and we began to feel the pull of seeking out people. It's just who we are and how we roll.

So while we unpacked and set up house, we regularly had friends (new and old) over for meals, swimming, and visiting.  Amidst all the cardboard and clutter we have had some very sweet fellowship.  Hospitality is a vital component in church planting, and we're blessed that we do enjoy having people in our home.

Someone asked my husband, "What do you do all day?" It's a great question, and he answered it more extensively here. Besides all the normal things that must be done when you move (driver's licenses, new insurance, car registration etc etc), there are lots of church tasks to attend to.

Many of our days have been spent driving around looking for that ideal place to begin holding worship services.  We have visited store-fronts, schools, office buildings, hotels and stand-alone properties. We've met with realtors, principals, managers and owners.  It's been a good experience and we feel much more well acquainted with our community after visiting so many venues.  The cloud of confusion is beginning to lift, and we think we have an obvious front-runner - yay!

Last night we held our first "event" which was an open house (in our home) to introduce people to our denomination and answer questions about our new church.  We were excited that 29 people came! We received some encouraging feedback via response cards, and now we pray for God to move in people's hearts.  We know that without the Holy Spirit we can do nothing.  Only the Lord can draw people to himself.... He simply calls us to be faithful in showing others the way.

No-Egg Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

This recipe has been in my family's repertoire for years.  It's cookie dough you do not bake.... just mix it up and enjoy! 

This became our boys' signature birthday treat in elementary school, and their classmates would even request it as celebrations approached. We have served it at all of our graduation open-houses and never had leftovers.  So I'm sharing it here for others to enjoy!

Hauslers’ Cookie Dough

2 ¼ Cups Flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt (or less)

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

1 Cup Butter (2 sticks)

¾ Cup White Sugar

¾ Cup Brown Sugar

¼ Cup Cream or Milk (I use Half & Half )

1 tsp. Vanilla

1-2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Cream butter and sugars together. Add the milk and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture. Add more milk if needed for a creamy texture. Stir in chocolate chips. Eat raw with a glass of milk. Store leftovers in fridge. (DO NOT BAKE!)

This recipe is easily doubled. We use a double recipe to make enough for about 25-30 kids.  Can serve individual portions in Dixie cups or cupcake liners. Enjoy! J

Before and After: Yellow Stain Miracle!

As we were recently moving, I realized that some of our pillows were really, really yellowed. I figured we would just use them as padding on the truck, then throw them away when we got to our new house. But then I came across this article with tips for whitening mattress pads, pillows, etc., so I figured I would give it a try.  It's always nice to save money and keep more trash out of our landfills, right?

It worked!  What an amazing difference!  See for yourself....

BEFORE: Yellowed and dingy - Bleh!

 *Please no comments about how bad these look! I already know!:)

AFTER:  Much better - clean and bright!(Note that the bottom pillow has a blue/gray cover. It is significantly cleaner, but obviously not white.)

I confess that I am slightly addicted to "Before and After" photos. There is something wonderful about seeing things that look ugly (or) dirty (and/or) plain, transformed into beautiful (or) clean (and/or) spruced-up condition.  So I often click on pictures of furniture that has been rehabilitated, rooms that have been made over, and household items that have been given a new lease on life.  It is amazing what a little TLC can do!  
I have found many of these examples on Pinterest, which is where I found a recipe for cleaning yellowed bedding.  

As you can see, our pillows were really bad... gross in fact. (It's embarrassing to even show them, but I'm hoping no one will judge me here! ) We all sweat as we sleep, and this is what happens over time. So, here's the scoop:

Laundry Whitening Recipe:

• 1 Cup Laundry Detergent (I used generic powdered stuff from the dollar store)
• 1 Cup Powdered Dishwasher Detergent
• 1 Cup Bleach* (or non-chlorine bleach if you wish)
• 1/2 Cup Borax
• VERY HOT Water, using as little as possible so your solution is concentrated

Since the goal is to create a HOT, concentrated solution to soak the laundry in, I set my load size on "small" and added a couple of pots of boiling water to boost the temperature. (I would suggest skipping the boiling water if your laundry room is on a different floor than your kitchen. Mine is only a few steps away.) 

I let the washer agitate for a minute to dissolve the ingredients, then I stopped it and put two pillows in to soak. 

The water only reached about halfway up the pillows, so after 30 minutes I turned them over to soak the other side. You can definitely soak things longer, but I was impatient.  The difference was already dramatic:

After they had soaked on the other side for another 30-40 minutes, I filled the washer up so the water would almost cover the pillows, and put them on a short wash cycle. As you can see, they are MUCH cleaner and brighter looking! Not quite like new, but WAY better, and they smell great too! Now that I've proven this recipe works, I'll be giving the same treatment to all our pillows! I think I will soak them longer next time just to eek out that last bit of whiteness.

*A word about chlorine bleach: After checking a few places online, I see that the use of bleach is controversial. Some people prefer not to EVER use chlorine bleach, and some fabrics won't tolerate it.  I decided to give it a try, since I was willing to part with these pillows if it didn't work.  If you have heirloom linens or expensive pillows, you should probably avoid the chlorine bleach and replace it with a non-chlorine substitute, or leave it out altogether.

Here's another batch of pillows I did, with similar (but even more dramatic) results:

BEFORE:Super yuck!

AFTER: Fresh and white! I'm so happy!

  I think I'll also start posting some other Before & After projects I have in mind. I have some furniture I want to paint, and it's fun for me to see the difference in photos.

Book Review: Small Town Girl by Ann Gabhart

From the Publisher:
How long can two people stand on the brink of love without plunging in headfirst?
In the autumn of 1941, rumors of war whisper through Rosey Corner. The town practically vibrates with apprehension, as if it is holding its breath. But for Kate Merritt, it seems life is letting out a prolonged sigh. As Kate watches her sister marry the man Kate has loved since she was fifteen, her heart is silently breaking. And even the attentions of Jay Tanner, the handsome best man, can't draw her interest.

Then suddenly, Pearl Harbor changes everything and Kate finds herself drawn to Jay in surprising ways. Could she truly be in love with him? And if he enlists, will she ever see him again?

In her gentle and textured style, Ann H. Gabhart tells a timeless story of love, sacrifice, and longing that will grip your heart and stir your spirit. Fans of Gabhart's Angel Sister will love seeing Kate Merritt all grown-up, as well as other characters they have come to love.

My Review:
This was such a pleasant read.  I enjoyed Gabhart's Angel Sister, so it was nice to return to Rosey Corner, Kentucky and get reacquainted with the Merritt family. 

Kate Merritt is the central figure in this historical fiction, and she is a spunky, likable young woman.  When Jay Tanner comes to town, she tries to resist his charm but can't seem to get him off her mind. Many ups and downs occur, and along the way Gabhart tackles real-life topics such as alcoholism and parental abandonment. In addition, Rosey Corner is filled with interesting and quirky characters that represent the trials and blessings of life in a small town.  It's all woven together in a charming story that is perfect for a slow summer read. 

A New Home!

We made it!  All the way to Naples Florida, and we are settling into a beautiful new house that the Lord provided (which is a whole story in itself!).

We are steadily digging out from the cardboard boxes, putting things where they belong and it's beginning to feel like home already. The week we spent traveling was a nice break between places.... it gave us a chance to look forward instead of back.  Now we are eager to begin meeting people and immersing ourselves in this community. We are ready to serve and love the people that God brings into our path.

I've been thinking a lot about the concept of moving lately, for obvious reasons.  In the Bible, God's people were frequently on the move, following His leading and guidance. Abraham and Sarah. Joseph and Mary. Paul.  When God said, "Go"- they went.

Today we don't get the benefit of direct, divine revelation. But we do have a sense of God's leading and direction, and in our case we also had several confirming indicators that have caused us to believe that it was time to "Go".  Now we have to continue to trust the Lord for all our needs, especially for Him to raise us those who will be a part of our new church. We cannot make this happen. All we can do is to be faithful and diligent in reaching out to our new neighbors, and trust that God will bring to us the people that He intends to be a part of our new church family.

Saying Goodbye to People We Love....

By far the hardest part of leaving Michigan was saying goodbye.  Parting with our son (who is staying in Michigan), our friends and our church family was emotionally draining, but still good and necessary.

What can you say to people you have known and loved for years, but won't see regularly anymore?  I tried to minimize the loss by saying to some, "This isn't 'goodbye', it's 'see you later'."  But it wasn't a very effective way to soothe the ache I was feeling.  It was also tempting to sneak away and avoid the pain altogether... but that wasn't really an option either.

So we walked through it, day by day for a few weeks, visiting and hugging and enjoying last meals and conversations with people we care about.  It was tearful and amazingly difficult at times, but gave us a sense of closure we would not have otherwise had.

I've been meditating on Psalm 126:5-6 since we sang  this song on Sunday while visiting a church on Lookout Mountain, Georgia with our son (on our route to Florida):
Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy! 
 He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

We have sown many tears in recent days, but we "go out weeping, bearing the seeds for sowing". May God bless our efforts to plant and grow a new body of believers in Naples.  Now we are eagerly anticipating shouts of joy.