What feels like forever...

So it has been over a year since I have written a post...it honestly feels like forever since I have written anything. Well, besides in my journal. Trust me. If those pages could talk. It's probably a good thing that they can't.

I decided to write another post mainly because my other enteries surprised me. I thought "did I really write that? Can my own blog reignite a flame in me that I thought was dieing out?". It may sound conceited, but re-reading some of my own entries brought peace back into my heart.

A lot has happened since I last blogged. I was hired as a kindergarten EA during the 2012/2013 school year and then was let go due to lack of enrollment for 2013/2014. Naturally, instead of trusting in my Father knowing that He has everything already provided for me, I panicked all summer as to where I was going to work in the fall. I searched for job after job, having interview after interview and ended up landing a placement at a daycare. For a month. Let's just say it was an interesting experience however, I tried to find an alternative job as soon as I could.

This lead me to a job posting for a preschool/kindergarten EA in the city which I was almost immediately hired for (to my great relief). This is where I have been for the past year. It has been a year of ups and downs, of wanting to let go but choosing to hold on by the tips of my fingers.

Over this past year I think I had resigned myself tucking away my dreams, placing them in a locked box and not wanting to acknowledge the fact that some days I want to give up hope completely. I wonder...am I just a romantic dreamer? Huge plans but nothing to ground them in? Are these really my passions or am I just following somebody elses dream? This has caused me to become cynical in some areas of my life and doubt the goodness of my Father. However, each time I thought that "this is it. This is the point where I go no further. I can't do it anymore", I would be at church and the preacher would always speak right to my heart. They would spark the flame of hope again and I could keep pressing on.

Yes, I am a crazy dreamer. Yes, I have big plans and big dreams but you know what I realized? My Father made my heart. If He made it, then He KNOWS me.  Nothing can compare to the plans my Father has for me. To quote Jill Austen "your dreams are like a cup of water, but My dreams for you are like the vastness of an ocean". If my dreams are even a drop of what He has for me, what could the rest of it look like?

And wouldn't you know it? I am no longer employed...this time however, it was my own choice. The only difference is I feel incredible peace. Yes, its scary. Yes, it seems totally irrational and irresponsible. Yet, for some reason I feel hope. Like its okay to dream again.

I don't know what these next few months hold let alone this next year as I turn 24. But what I do know is that my Father is always faithful, He is always true and He is for me and not against me. Not one time has He forgotten me. If that is all I have to go on then that's enough.

Thinking Back...

So needless to say, I am terrible at keeping up with my blog posts. I can't say that I am going to get better, but what I can say is that looking back on this past year and how much has happened, I am in awe of where God has and is continuing to lead me.

On September 9th 2011, at the age of 21 I embarked on a journey to Ottawa that forever has changed my life. It was a turning point for me. It stretched me, molded me, wrecked me. But it also taught me that the vision I had for my life was so small compared to the one My heavenly Father had for me.

I left my small city not really expecting anything and yet expecting everything at the same time.  I knew God had called me to go do the internship, but I wasn't sure why. Maybe I still don't. All I know, is that during those three months I was able to dedicate my life solely to seeking my Father's face which set a deep fire in my soul that was and is unquenchable.

Don't get me wrong. It was the hardest thing to come back home. To leave a place that had become so familiar and so comfortable and coming back to the unknown. It felt like someone had taken my heart and was ripping it to shreds over and over again. I was confused, lonely and left wondering where God was taking me.

However, during those months of late night tears and anger, the fire that was fanned in Ottawa still continued to grow as I held fast to the promise that my God is faithful and He keeps His promises.

And He is so faithful! He placed me in a school where my heart for children was solidified. He has placed me in a family (as a nanny) of 7 kids where I constantly see His heart in their eyes. He surrounded me with family and friends that have spoken hope and life into me.

Yes, some days are still hard. I catch glimpses of what my heart longs for and it causes me to get restless for what's around the corner. But I know without a shadow of a doubt that even in the midst of the wilderness, where I don't know anything, He knows everything. As it says in Philippians 1:6 (NLT) "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns".

Take Me to A Place...

"Take me to a place where I have never been. A place unexplored and uncharted. The road less travelled. Take me on an adventure where you are the compass and I am the pioneer. So here am I. Send me".

Ever since I was a little girl Isaiah 6:1-8 has been some of my favourite verses in the bible:

It was in the year King Uzziah died^[a] that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. ² Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. ³ They were calling out to each other,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

⁴ Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.

⁵ Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. ⁷ He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

⁸ Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Here is this young man, seemingly unqualified and unworthy to do much of anything, but in turn who's heart has been transformed by the very power of the glory of Jesus. Even though we have so many excuses as to why we cannot go, we forget that we are not the ones who qualify ourselves. We are not the ones who do the work. We are only mere vessels who, through Jesus are made qualified. All we have to be is willing.

Summer Adventure

I am ready for a summertime adventure. Really, really, ready. *Sigh*...That is all.

Dreaming, Wondering, Planning...

Alright, so summer is almost here and I am going to try and make a goal of writing one blog post each week. We will see how well I do with that... ;)

Many things of been going on in my mind lately and I am loving the process of dreaming up what could happen over these next few months (and sometimes years). Even though I get frustrated at times because I want these dreams to become a reality, I can feel the Father's excitement for my life.

My heart has been growing bigger every day as I continue to work with my grade 4 students. Relationships are being built and they have stolen my heart away with their humour and sheer innocence for life. It has gotten me wondering about whether or not I should apply to become a child and youth care worker or even a child counsellor. But for now, I am taking this next year to work, pay off my student loans and continue to seek out what is next for me.

As for the summer, I have a close friend that has invited me to visit her in BC for a few weeks to "test out the waters" to see if I want to move there for the next year. What an adventure that would be! But we shall see what happens. In this season of life, it seems that plans are always changing. But I would love it!

But as for now, I am grasping how to be content and enjoy each moment as it comes.

Heartache...

Have you ever experienced a time in your life where you are so deeply passionate about something that your heart literally aches? I am not talking about the ache you feel when you lose a friend or something close to you. I am talking about that ache in your heart and spirit when you know without a shadow of a doubt this is who you are and what you want you are called to do but you don't know quite how it will turn out or what it looks like.  

This is where I am at. Sometimes, my heart aches so much that I feel like I want to cry. It's like I can see the goal at the end of race but I still have to train before I can even run the race to reach the prize at the end.

Often people ask me "what are you doing with the rest of your life"? And to be honest I don't know. Their response "Well, what are you passionate about?".  And I will say children.

I want to love children. I want to pour my heart out to the broken ones, the forgotten ones, the ones that have been abandoned and I want to show them the love of Jesus. To show them the hope and the destiny that He has called them too. And when I get just a small taste of this (like being an EA in a public school) it's like my heart wants to leap out of it chest and dance! But it also makes me long for the day where I can pour out God's heart to thousands of children.

But how do you fit that into a job description? A university degree? Someone once told me its like I know what I want to do, but the calling had been almost indescribable. But if God has placed these desires into my heart, I know He will show me how to live them out.

Trusting...

I will trust in You, believing the plans You have for me

they are bigger than I can imagine and even if I can’t see

the destiny You have called out for me

I will trust in You for You created my innermost being

You have designed me so intricately for such a time as this

You have placed passions and desires into my heart

and I dream about the plans You have thought out for me

I wait and pray knowing that in Your time

the seeds that You have placed in me will come to fruit

I sometimes get impatient, worried, that my dreams will die

that I will become passive and tired, and those dreams of a young girl

will fall away.

but yet I know that You have placed those dreams in me

these hopes, these desires, to see my generation changed

to speak life and hope into forgotten children and to see Your Kingdom come

I will choose to trust You and know that even though I can’t see it

I know the destiny You have called me to, the plans that you have designed for me

and the dreams that you have given placed in my heart are bigger and greater than I can
envision.

and I will wait and listen to Your voice, and draw closer to the heart of You, my Father

and know that Your dreams, Your plans, are greater than mine.

To be an adventurer...

So these are my thoughts at...12:09 at night when my mind is too busy to blissfully turn off and actually go to sleep. What better way to tire the mind then to blog?!

Recently, I have come across a quote that I absolutely love and adore. I don't know who its by or where it originated but it goes like this. "Oh darling, let's be adventurers". Doesn't that just sound pure and utterly romantic? But all romantic notions aside, what does it actually mean to be adventurous?

 One of my friends recently told me "Aaren, go have an adventure". And that got me thinking...everyone has their own definition of what adventure should be. Does that mean I have to jet set across the world? Or, pack my bags and move away to a foreign country? According to Websters adventurous means "to be disposed to seek adventure or to cope with the new and unknown". Well then doesn't that mean our entire life is an adventure? Yes, I know it sounds cliche, but really? Every single moment, every single breath of our daily life we are adventuring into the unknown. Whether we are trying to get through the maze of traffic on our way to work, or trying to figure out that mystery meat in our fridge, depending on how we look at life, we are always on an adventure.

Now, don't get me wrong. There is nothing better than packing up your bags, jumping the car and setting off into the great unknown. My heart truly longs for the day where my student budget will allow me to do that or when my Heavenly Father says I can move on from this small city that I live in. But in the mean time I have to see even the mundane and mononteounous parts of my life as an adventure leading me down the road less traveled. Other wise, I think I might go a little stir crazy.

I never want to lose this sense of adventure and I have to remind myself everyday to keep it. To stretch myself out of my comfort zone and delve deep into the unknown.

So, I think instead I might tweak the quote a bit:

"darling, we are already adventurers! Let's adventure together. Show me what adventure means to you".

Good night :)

How He Loves...

I know that is this a very familiar and well known song. However, I don't think that we always fully grasp the profoundness of these lyrics.

When I first heard the version of this song on the documentary

"Nefarious: Merchant of Souls" I noticed that these children, these women and men who had been caught in the trap of human trafficking were the perfect example of the transformational love of Jesus.

Right then and there I was overcome with the realization of how much He really does love us. How much He loves the hurt, the broken and the lost.

How His heart aches over them. If I only felt even a little sliver of His heart that night, I can't imagine what it would be like to fully feel what Jesus feels.

Did you know that every 30 seconds a child is trafficked? That the average age of entry into commercial sex slavery in the United States is 13 years old?

That over 27 million people are enslaved around the world?  This is more than double the number of Africans enslaved during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

(http://nefariousdocumentary.com/learn-more/)

I was reminded on Sunday that this song for me is a promise. A promise of hope. Of restoration. Of destiny. And of a love so deep and so passionate that it reaches beyond all brokeness and transforms the very core of  our being.

I would encourage you to look into the issue of Human Trafficking and slavery. While it is a global issue, it also takes place right here in our own backyards. 

http://nefariousdocumentary.com/take-action/

http://exoduscry.com/abolition/

Waiting, waiting...and oh wait. More waiting.

So these past two months since I have been home have been a time of...you guessed it. Waiting. Let me tell you I am NOT a waiter. Sure, I can wait if I know the plan. If I know what I am waiting for. But I don't. I guess most people can relate to this , but I feel most people do a better job at waiting then I do.

I have applied for numerous jobs, with only 2 interviews and 0 callbacks. I find myself getting restless, irritated and frustrated. Everyone keeps telling me to "wait". Well, wait for what exactly? I am trying to find that happy medium of "actively waiting" which in all reality, I am still not to sure what that looks like. 

I know what has been put in my heart. I also know that my Heavenly Father knows everything about me as well. He knows my frustrations. He knows my emotions. He knows my desires and dreams and everything that I want to do. Because He has placed those in me.  But learning to wait, to trust and to rest has been a slow and not so steady process.

So here I am, waiting. Waiting for my next step and trying to learn how to wait and rest in my Father. 

The Vision - by Pete Greig

One of my friends showed me this website called http://www.24-7prayer.com/. As I was looking through all the videos, links and pictures I found their statement. Written by Peter Greig, this poem passionately describes the heart of a generation who choose Jesus.  

So this guy comes up to me and says:
“what’s the vision? What’s the big idea?”
I open my mouth and words come out like this:
The vision?

The vision is JESUS – obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.

The vision is an army of young people.
You see bones? I see an army.
And they are FREE from materialism.

They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.
They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday.
They wouldn’t even notice.

They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations.
They need no passport.
People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.
They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.

What is the vision ?

The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes.
It makes children laugh and adults angry.
It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars.
It scorns the good and strains for the best.
It is dangerously pure.

Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games.
This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.
A million times a day its soldiers choose to loose,
that they might one day win
the great ‘Well done’ of faithful sons and daughters.

Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night. They don’t need fame from names. Instead they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again: “COME ON!”

And this is the sound of the underground
The whisper of history in the making
Foundations shaking
Revolutionaries dreaming once again
Mystery is scheming in whispers
Conspiracy is breathing…
This is the sound of the underground

And the army is discipl(in)ed.
Young people who beat their bodies into submission.
Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms.
The tattoo on their back boasts “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain”.

Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes.
Winners. Martyrs.
Who can stop them ?
Can hormones hold them back?
Can failure succeed?
Can fear scare them or death kill them ?

And the generation prays

like a dying man
with groans beyond talking,
with warrior cries, sulphuric tears and
with great barrow loads of laughter!
Waiting. Watching: 24 – 7 – 365.

Whatever it takes they will give: Breaking the rules. Shaking mediocrity from its cosy little hide. Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials. The advertisers cannot mould them. Hollywood cannot hold them. Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries.

They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive

Inside.

On the outside? They hardly care.
They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but never to hide.
Would they surrender their image or their popularity?
They would lay down their very lives - swap seats with the man on death row - guilty as hell. A throne for an electric chair.

With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days,
they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them.

Their DNA chooses JESUS. (He breathes out, they breathe in.)
Their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.
Their words make demons scream in shopping centres.

Don’t you hear them coming?

Herald the weirdo’s! Summon the losers and the freaks.
Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes.
They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension.
Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.

And this vision will be.
It will come to pass;
it will come easily;
it will come soon.

How do I know?

Because this is the longing of creation itself,
the groaning of the Spirit,
the very dream of God.

My tomorrow is his today.
My distant hope is his 3D.
And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great ‘Amen!’ from countless angels, from hero’s of the faith, from Christ himself. And he is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.

Guaranteed.

Finding Rest...

Rest. What exactly is it? Well, according to one definition of Webster's Dictionary it means "peace of mind or spirit". So to be honest I can certainly testify that I have definitely not "rested" in these past few weeks. It almost feels like my mind is a pinball table, always shooting with different thoughts and what ifs.

My roommate finally challenged me on this and I realized that in my heart I was being a Martha instead of Mary (Luke 10: 38-42).  I have forgotten to sit at Jesus' feet and know that my greatest joy and strength in life is to truly rest in His presence.  So as the week has gone by I purchased a CD by Misty Edwards, and this song spoke right to my heart.  He has everything already planned out for me and all I have to do is wait and rest in Him.

LIKE A RUSHING RIVER: MISTY EDWARDS

Like a rushing river am I

Like a raging torrent inside

I find that I'm full of knowing nothing

I find that I hunger for the fullness of Christ


Like a rushing river am I

Like a raging torrent inside

I find that I"m free-falling again

I'm letting go of the mountain view

Letting go, but what into?


I've been crucified with Christ

I've been crucified with Christ

I've been crucified with Christ

Yet not I, but one thing I know


You make all things beautiful

You make all things beautiful

You make all things beautiful

Just in time

Just in time


So into Your hands

Into Your hands I fall

Into Your hands

Into Your hands I fall

Into Your hands

So into Your hands I fall


On You I wait

On You I wait

On You I wait

All of my days


And on You I wait

On You I wait always

On You I wait

All of my days

All of my days


No one who waits on You will ever be ashamed

No one who waits will ever be disappointed

It's just a matter of time

It's just a matter of time


So calm down, my soul

Calm down and know

So calm down, my soul

Calm down and know


His yoke is easy

His burden is light

It simply costs everything

But it's not too mysterious

It's not for the wise in their own eyes

It's not for the mighty of the rich

But He has saved Himself for me

But He has saved Himself for me


So calm down, my soul

Just calm down and know

Just calm down, my soul

Just calm down and know

Byward and Beyond...

So I finally have a few spare moments to actually sit down and write. How do I process and write about 2 weeks worth of information and adventures into a few short sentences? While there is so much to tell and so much to write about, I think I will just stick to the basics so I don't bore you. :)  

Last week was jammed packed between a mix of going to question period, Parliament re-opening and joining a group from Langley BC activities.  But in between the chaoticness of the house, we were able to get in some few teachings and down time.  

I think my favourite part of having some time off, is that I get to head down York Street and into the Byward Market area and beyond. I am in love with the people, the sights, the sounds. I love the smell of fresh veggies and garlic wafting from the stands and listening to the sellers bargain with their buyers. The colours of fall are starting to peak through the changing leaves and many of the stands are selling pumkins and gourds. However, what I love most is the melodic and majestic sound of the peace tower clock and how it rings throughout all of the downtown area. I already know I will be spending lots of time here.

We are finally getting into a rhythm and a routine here at the house. It has been a great blessing with the fact that all of us interns mesh so well together and can share our hearts and emotions so openly. The stretching process has already begun both spirtually and emotionally (and sometimes physically) but I read somewhere once that "If you are being stretched in this season your like a rock in a sling shot. Just embrace it". So, I am learning to embrace this stretching process as well as learning to live each moment boldly and to the fullest.

Well, I am off to help with dinner, but I will write in my intern section, hopefully later tonight.

East Block during sunrise

We have come to that day where you come down dressed
in the same coloured shirts.

Parliament at sunrise during my 6:30 am walks

Getting Into The Swing of Things...

Wow! Okay, let me just catch my breath for a quick second. I don't think our team has stopped moving since we have arrived last Friday. However, it has been a great few days so far! This past week has included a lot of teaching and a lot of walking. I don't think we have been on any walk shorter than two hours. Though, it has been a blessing considering the AMAZING food we eat here. Seriously, if we didn't walk so much I swear we all would be 20 pounds heavier by the end of these 3 months.

We also had a a group of people from the EFC (evangelical fellowship of Canada, http://www.evangelicalfellowship.ca/) here for the past few days, so needless to say the house has been very full and very busy. On Monday we had orientation, which included a how-to lesson on how to fold a fitted sheet. I am picking up some great future home-making skills here! Haha. We also did a prayer walk up and around the Parliament grounds and down to the main office building of the EFC (where I may be 'interning').

Today and Tuesday, have been filled with lots of teaching, ranging from "why we need to be bold' to "praying for government". While it has been a lot of information it has been good. Thankfully they give us a good chunk of time to process everything.  We were able to have some down time this afternoon, and a bunch of us headed up to the Rideu Center where we did a little window shopping.

Well, that's it for now and I am off to go take those pictures I promised now that I have some spare time :)

For Such a Time As This...

So I have finally arrived safe and sound in my "home away from home" Ottawa. It's funny because I told my mom before I left that it feels like I am leaving home to go home. Wierd,  I know.  Thankfully there were no crazy mishaps this time and I actually got off the plane on time.

Once I reached the National House of Prayer, I was able to meet all the other interns. There are 6 other lovely ladies, all ranging from ages 18-30 and I am excited to get to know them all. The one guy who applied for the program had to drop out. I am also rooming with two other women, and in my opinion we have the best room (we have a sink!). Haha.

Once we all ate dinner, we had a quick meeting to introduce ourselves, play a few games to "break the ice" and learn the history of NHOP. Even just listening to what we are going to be doing over the next few months and how NHOP came to be, it has gotten me so excited for this journey that I am on. Even as we were praying I knew God has placed me here for such a time as this. 

I am excited to grow and learn, to push myself beyond my limits, build relationships and live this adventure and this journey to the fullest. I know it's gonna be good and I won't be the same when I return home.

However, I should finish unpacking and getting settled into my room. I'll post pictures soon! I promise :)

This song has been on repeat for the last few days on my I-pod so I thought I would share it with you.

 

He's awakening the hope in me
By calling forth my destiny

He's breathing life
Into my soul
I will thirst for
Him and Him alone

He has come like the rain
That showers on the barren plain

So my heart and tongue confess
Jesus, Christ the Hope of man

My hope is in you, GodI am steadfast
I will not be moved

I'm anchored, never shaken
All my hope is in You

He's bringing hope to the hopeless
And giving His heart to the broken

And sharing His home with the orphan
He is the joy, He is my joy
He is the hope of the nations
The father's heart we're embracing

He is the song we're declaring
He is the joy, He is my joy

"Cause' I See Sparks Fly Whenever You Smile"...

Okay, I know the title is cheezy, but hey, it's Taylor Swift! Last night my best friend and I saw her live in one of the best concerts I have been to so far. We had floor seats and were even able to stand right in front of the stage for about an hour until one of the security guards told us we had to go back to our chairs ;). 

 Even though she is a great singer who keeps her lyrics wholesome and relatable , she is also wonderful performer. Every song she sang had it's own story and presentation and the amount of detail she put into each of her acts was incredible. All the way from dancing ballerinas and floating staircases for her song "Enchanted"(which was my favourite performance by far) to falling "snow" and lit up trees for her song "Back to December. Her whole performance had a very magical and fairytale-esque feel which I loved. Each little detail made the concert that more special.

 

 

So needless to say my best friend and I had a great time last night and ended up belting "Sparks Fly" all the way home from the concert! The only thing I regret was not charging my phone before the concert or making sure my camera had a mermory card! Oh well. I don't think I will be able to forget this concert for a LONG time.

Taylor Swift's Stage. Everything
had a 1940's vintage feel.

Waiting for the concert to start

The one poor shot I got of Taylor
before my phone died.

Week One of the "No Shampoo" Experiment...

So, unfortunately week one of my no shampoo experiment pretty much failed....well, I guess it didn't completely fail, but still...

Day One: 
 I washed my hair with baking soda and rinsed it with apple cider vinegar. When I blow-dried my hair I was actually amazed at how clean it felt and how shiny it was. Mind you, it was a tad bit greasy but that is to be expected. So overall I was impressed after my first time of going "no shampoo".

Day Two:
Didn't shower that day. Was really impressed at how non-greasy my hair was. Still clean and manageable but I pulled it into a ponytail anyways to keep it out of my face.

Day Three:
Once again, I washed my hair with baking soda and rinsed with ACV. Still really impressed at how clean my hair was. However,  I accidentally used a little too much ACV and my hair had a slight smell to it, but that was easily fixed with a little bit of body spray ;)  I also noticed that my hair started going through the "transition" phase. While it was clean, you could tell it was slightly oily near the roots.

Day Four:
Okay this is where I failed...I was in such a rush that morning and I didn't have time to whip up some baking soda wash so I cheated and used shampoo...I know, I know. Terrible.  Funny thing was, when I stopped in at Lush that day to find a facial mask (my favourite is their cupcake mask! Works wonders!) the lady complimented me on how great my hair looked after going "no shampoo". I had to confess to her that I cheated that day and I used shampoo. Oops. She was pretty understanding though.

Day Five:
Didn't Shower. Although I was really surprised at how oily my hair was. With the baking soda wash my hair the next day still looked fresh, while today it looked and felt dirty.

Day Six:
Once again, I cheated and used shampoo. I really need to stick with the program!

Day Seven: 
I didn't wash my hair today. Although, I have concluded that when I use shampoo my hair gets oilier faster. It's really odd. So once I return from holidays, I am going back to my "no shampoo" experiment. I loved the results the two times I have used it and I am excited to see what my hair will be like when I no longer use shampoo at all. Maybe this time I can last longer than two days without using shampoo ;)

Are We Willing to Be Traders?...

One of my friends posted this video on her facebook page and I thought I would share it with you...

As I was watching this video, it really challenged me personally to think about whether or not I am willing to be a "trader"...to stand up for my faith, for injustice.

 To take every opporutinity I have in life to praise my Heavenly Father and witness to those around me through my love and  my actions...

Am I willing to be a trader?

Are you?

The "No Shampoo" Experiment...

Okay, as someone who is always trying to find more natural sources for body and hair products, when I first heard about going "shampoo free" I have to admit it grossed me out just a little bit.  Actually... it grosses me out a lot. All I can think of is that I will end up with greasy, limp hair that needs to be pulled back into a pony tail. However,  as I continue to search through different websites and blogs, there seems to be enough positive feed back to actually try and go shampoo free.

So, why go shampoo free?

1) Shampoo is a detergent. While it does a great job at cleaning your hair, it also strips it of all the healthy oils that can protect your hair. This can cause your hair to over produce oil.

2) Shampoo is chock-full of chemicals that are bad for your hair and skin.

3) Shampoo can become an expensive and unnecessary cost.

Recipe for "Shampoo Free" Hair Wash:

Need: 1 TBLSP of Baking Soda

1 Cup of Water

Combine the baking soda and water together in a squeeze bottle (an old shampoo bottle will do) and shake until dissolved. When washing your hair, first wet your hair completely. Next, pour the baking soda mix over your hair starting at your crown and massaging it into your scalp as you go. You will not need to use the whole mix. Rinse  out.

Recipe for "Shampoo Free" Conditioner:

Need: 1 TBLSP of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Cup of Water

Combine ACV and water in another squeeze bottle container.

Use this mix sparingly as it can cause your hair to become greasy. Most people just pour it on the ends of their hair and rinse out. Even though ACV has a harsh smell it will not stay in your hair.

Now from what I have read, there is about a 2 week to a few months transition period for your hair. In the mean time the hair might be a little greasy. I am hoping I can stick with this experiment long enough to see some results.

Hopefully it works! And here I go!

Here are some great resources that I have read that have convinced me to try this no shampoo experiment.  I would highly encourage you to read them :): 

http://simplemom.net/how-to-clean-your-hair-without-shampoo/

http://www.natural-forces.com/essays/poofree.htm