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Warm, Creamy, Garlic, Dressing

A warm dressing on a cold salad is truly an experience worth trying. I have several different warm dressing combinations I enjoy. This is a creamy version I created the other day and have really come to like it. This warm garlic dressing is a no sugar, low carb, high fat dressing, so perfect for those on carb conscious eating plans too. And easy! Ever so easy!

Ingredients:

1/2 block cream cheese

3 triangles laughing cow cheese

1/2 C. heavy cream or half and half

2 teaspoons powdered garlic

salt

Directions:

  1. Mix ingredients together in a saucepan or glass measuring cup and heat until the cheeses and garlic are creamy and smooth.
  2. Add garlic and a dash of salt to taste and pour over an avocado spinach salad or use as a veggie dip.

Amazingly Yummy Stuff!

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Cold Cream

I use this cold cream mostly as a facial cleanser, but my mother prefers it as her night cream. Either way, our faces are super soft in the morning as the nutritive oils soak into our earthly pores. I make a batch every three months or so. I make more around the holidays so I can gift it.

How to Make Cold Cream

1) Gather ingredients

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  • Coconut oil:

Why use Coconut Oil? Coconut oil is laden with antioxidants, antimicrobials, and antifungals. It also contains vitamin E. So it is not only nourishing for the skin, but healing and protective from environmental residues.
Note: Coconut oil does have molecules that are too large to be absorbed into the skin easily, so mixing it with other oils and using warm water to wash it off is important.
What I use: I use refined coconut oil for cooking and baking; so it is usually on hand in my home. I purchase Golden Barrel brand in bulk. I pay about $2.50 per 16 oz. jar because I buy it by the case. An Amish grocery or food co-op is a great source to buy bulk foods.

  • Grapeseed oil:

Why use Grapeseed Oil? Grapeseed oil is made of fine molecules that absorb into the skin well. Grapeseed oil also has Omega 6 and vitamin E. So, like coconut oil, it nourishes the skin and helps prevent damage and heal damaged skin.
What I use: I don’t typically cook with grapeseed oil. It is more expensive than other healthy oils. I will use it in a pinch for cooking on occasion. But in general I purchase and use it to make lotions. I buy the Carlini brand from Aldi. It costs about $4 for 25 fl. oz..

  • Lanolin:

Why use Lanolin? Lanolin is a fatty oil produced by sheep. It is harvested from their sheered wool. Lanolin has been used to moisturize and protect human skin for hundreds of years. Lanolin helps skin to stay moist for a long period of time by creating a natural protective barrier between the skin and the environment. A lot of chemotherapy patients find lanolin helpful in treating their burns from radiation. Like many mothers, I have used it while nursing babies for the first couple weeks. It helps in healing and binding moisture in the skin keeping skin soft and young.
Note: Some people have found lanolin is irritating to their skin and are allergic to this product. It is also an oil from sheep, so if someone is desiring vegan beauty, this ingredient will not work. It can be skipped if desired.
What I use: Since some sheep are sprayed with pesticides to keep their wool bug free. Lanolin can be a pesticide riddled product. I buy from sellers on Etsy who claim to have organic or pesticide free lanolin. I know there is no certification to know for certainty, but that is the best I have found to date. I recently bought a 8oz bottle on Etsy for about $14 including shipping. Since I only use 1 teaspoon per recipe, this bottle will last for years. I keep it in the freezer between uses to preserve it.

  • Beeswax:

Why use Beeswax? It holds everything together! Without beeswax, once my oils and water bases are mixed, they would separate when they settle. The beeswax acts like glue and binds oil and water ingredients together so the cream stays creamy. Other waxes will work, but beeswax is cheap and natural, so that is my choice. Beeswax also contains some of the same benefits of honey. It helps heal skin through. It also contains vitamin A and antibacterial properties.
What I use: I bought a 2 pound cone of beeswax at a farmer’s market four years ago. It cost $7 at the time and I still have about a year’s worth left. I do freeze it between uses to preserve it. If a farmer’s market is not convenient, I would probably buy it on Etsy.

  • Rosewater

Why use Rosewater? Rosewater is nothing new for skin care. It has been used since ancient times as a skin freshener and healer. It helps healing and balancing the skin’s pH to reduce acne. It smells amazing too. It contains antioxidants. So like all of the other ingredients in this cold cream, rosewater will help the skin fight inner and outer oxidation from stress, UV, and harmful microbes. So rosewater is an important ingredient to helps skin stay youthful and healthy. Rosewater also helps inflamed skin calm down. So skin that is sensitive or rashed with eczema will benefit from regularly using rosewater. Rosewater helps slow down extrinsic skin aging by preventing the degradation of the skins collagen and elasticity due to the natural tannins, vitamin C and pectins roses contain.
What I use: I generally use Heritage Store rosewater, but recently purchased a food grade rosewater on Amazon from Alive Herbs. It cost $15 for 17 fluid oz. compared to the $6.25 per 8 fl.oz. from Herbal Store from Thrive Market. I am happy with either.

  • Aloe Vera Juice

Why use Aloe Vera? Anyone who has slathered on aloe vera gel after a sunburn, knows that it has soothing, anti inflammatory and healing properties. Aloe is notorious for helping the skin heal, not only from sunburns, but scars, acne, and eczema conditions. Aloe, like lanolin, blocks in moisture and provides protection to the skin from polluting elements. Aloe contains antioxidants and vitamin C and A. I use it on sunbuns, burns, as an occasional face mask on its own, and even drink it.
What I use: I buy the food grade Aloe Vera juice from the cheapest source I can find. A local health food store is a great spot, but it can be purchased on Amazon. I currently have a gallon of Lilly of the Desert in my cupboard. I purchased it from a local health food store for about $20. It will last me a couple years. I recently discovered that Walmart sells 2 quarts of Fruit of the Earth Aloe juice online for less than $8.

  • Evening Primrose

Why I use Primrose: I add primrose to my cold cream to boost it’s anti-aging properties. Like rosewater, primrose fights the breakdown of elasticity and cartilage of the skin. It also contains Omega 6 acids which help nourish aging skin and prevent flaking. It can also be taken as a supplement. I see it as an anti-aging boost in my cold cream. Primerose helps my skin to remain healthy as the years take their toll.
What I use: I usually buy it in supplement form from CVS or Walmart. I just get the Spring Valley or Nature’s Bounty. It runs around $6 for a bottle of 75 capsules. Currently I have a bottle of Jarrow Evening Primrose from Thrive Market. I puncture and squeeze about 3-4 in each batch of cold cream.

Those are the basic ingredients I use in cold cream. Essential oils can be added if desired. Tea Tree oil helps dry out and prevent acne, so it could be added to cream for those with acne troubles. Frankincense oil also has benefits in preventing skin aging, so I might add a few drops of that sometime.

Truly, the possibilities are versatile and fun to tinker. I would be cautious to read pros and cons about every product I use. I like to use old, time-proven ingredients in my products and am cautious about the long term side effects of various ingredients. I also like to use products that are food grade and safe to eat if possible.

2) Measure

3/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/3 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon lanolin
1 tablespoon grated beeswax: press it tight in the spoon20190627_071922

3-4 capsules primrose oil
2/3 cup rosewater

1/3 cup aloe vera juice

3) Put it Together: step by step

1. Measure grapeseed oil, coconut oil, lanolin, primrose oil, and beeswax and put in glass measuring cup.

2. Melt oils and beeswax together. I use a glass measuring cup in my microwave for a couple minutes. A saucepan on a stovetop at low heat will also work. The oil only needs to be warm enough to melt the beeswax completely.

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3. Give it a stir and set it aside to cool. (This can be done quickly in the fridge or freezer, or slowly on the counter.

4. Once the mixture is cooled sufficiently, it will be thick and foggy.

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5. Measure the rosewater and aloe vera juice together and pour into a blender.

6. Turn the blender on high speed and SLOWLY very SLOWLY add the oil mixture. Mayonnaise is made this same method. If the oil is added too quickly it will not adhere to the water mixture and the batch will be ruined.

7. Empty the entire oil mixture into the blender bit by bit.

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The mixture should look white and fluffy like hand cream.

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That is is!

8. Pour the cold cream into jars and pop in the fridge.

9. Most of the cream should be stored in the fridge because there are no preservatives and the oils will go rancid over time. I usually take about 4-6 ounces out at a time for use. It lasts me a good month or more.

4) How to Use Cold Cream

I use Cold Cream as my evening facial wash. I rub it all over my face, eyes, and neck. Then, I get a washcloth as hot as I can stand. I lay the cloth on my face and let it set there about a minute. Then I wipe my face clean. That is all I do at night. The cold cream removes make-up and moisturizes my skin in one step. It works on my skin all night long. Every morning I wake up, my skin feels AMAZING.

My mother uses cold cream as her nighttime cream. She washes her face with a face-wash and then applies a thin layer of the cream all over her face and neck before bed. Unlike me, she leaves the cold cream on and does not wash it off.

The cream can be applied all over the body as well for extra moisture. It can leave a greasy feel at first because the natural oils do not penetrate pores quickly. Honestly, I find it works best for me if I moisturize BEFORE taking a shower instead of after. The hot water helps my pores expand and soak in the natural nutrients better than on my cold tight pores. It is a flexible cream and can be used multiple ways to meet each person’s taste and needs.

Note:

Depending on the temperature the cream is stored it will be thick or runny. That does not affect it’s effectiveness. I often like a soap dispenser to store mine outside the fridge.

Check out what other home-made product I use on my skin in the article:

“Homemade Skincare: Natural, Simple, and Completly Affordable“

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Homemade Skincare: Natural, Simple, and Completly Affordable

The day my mother introduced me to make-up, she invited a professional beauty consultant into our home to give me a facial. It was a special event. We had tea and cookies. We laughed and had fun. My mother purchased a set of skincare and quality make-up for me. She continued to provide me with skincare products until I was on my own and purchased skincare myself.

My mother was probably more brilliant than she realized. Beginning my skin-care routine at a young age was valuable guidance.

As my babies were born, I began searching for inexpensive and natural methods of skincare. I tried various drugstore brands and online companies. But good skincare, whether it is natural or not, is not cheap. So, I found myself at a loss.

One evening, my mentoring friend came over for a visit. I will never forget the moment she pulled out her big binder full of various recipes. I went from sitting on the sofa across from her, to sitting next to her with that notebook in my lap. She had not only made and used the recipes in her book, but passed on to me her rich of knowledge of each of the ingredients she used in the recipes.

I still use her recipes for cold cream, healing salve, and bee balm, and have also springboarded from those basic recipies and built a skincare routine that I love.

I am absolutely amazed how my skin looks and feels now that I make my own skincare. I honestly have never have had such amazing results from bottled products. I also like knowing each of the ingredients that I am putting on my skin are wholesome. And of course, making skincare at home comes with a very reasonable price tag.

I have passed the home-made lotions onto family and friends and they rave about them. I make my own mother a quart of cold-cream every year. It is what she uses on her skin now too.

The only skincare product I purchase is a SPF CC cream. I do not use foundation, but love a tinted SPF protection. I currently am happy with a product called Supergoop. I use it daily for SPF coverage and tinted moisture. I know people do make their own sun-screens and foundaitions. But have decided I am not going to tamper with that. It is a little too much chemistry for me to feel at peace doing from my home. So I will leave the sunscreen making to lab profesionals.

I have immensely enjoyed the skincare products I make from my kitchen and love knowing that the ingredients in each bottle are so safe I could spread it on toast and eat!

I am going to post this week specifically how to make and use each skincare product. The following list is a quick snapshot of the products, ingredients, and uses.

Cold Cream

Ingredients: Grapeseed oil, coconut oil, rosewater, Aloe Vera, lanolin, beeswax, primrose oil

Uses: Oil Face wash – gently rub on face, get as washcloth as hot as you can stand, place hot washcloth over face for about 30 seconds, then wash face-this one step will remove make-up, cleanse, and moisturize. Face and body lotion-best after a hot bath or shower to help moisture absorb into skin.

Vinegar Rose Toner

Ingredients: Rosewater, apple-cider vinegar, Vitamin C Crystals

Use: antioxidant facial toner, lightens sun-spots and tightens pores

Honey Sugar Scrub

Ingredients: Coconut oil, grapeseed or almond oil, raw creamed honey, granulated white sugar, vanilla essential oil

Uses: Face scrub-gently rub on face and wash off with a hot washcloth, Face mask-gently rub on skin and wash off after 10 minutes (this can be done in the bath or shower), Body scrub in the shower

Bee Balm

Ingredients: Grapeseed Oil, Coconut Oil, Beeswax, Cocoa butter, Shea butter, vanilla essential oil

Uses: Lip balm, chapped skin balm, diaper rash cream, under eye balm before bed, or foot balm (after bath or shower, or before bed, rub over feet, put on socks and let the balm soften dry feet)

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Oh the Oozing, Goozing, Squooshing Events of Life

Have you ever played with kid’s slime? It oozes and jiggles as it slips easily through little fingers. My children love the colorful varieties of slime and they spend heaping hours playing with it.

This morning I watched my children’s intrigue with slime. The harder they squeezed the slime in their little fists, the more it slipped through the cracks in their fingers and plopped down to the table… leaving their small hands empty. They poked at it, let it flow from one hand to the other freely, and giggled as it wobbled in their open hands. They also tried to play with it like play-do. And they rolled it into balls and shapes, only to have it loose form and puddle on the table.

The illustration of slime is comparable to the dear life we have each been given. Although life is not a tangible substance, it is similar in many ways to the gelatinous fluid of slime. Slime jiggles, changes, adapts, and is dependably fluctuating. Life is also not stable or constant. Life is full of surprises, inconveniences, miracles, the un-predicted, and flows in various paths without consent. The shape-shifting paths of life can be enjoyed, treasured, pleasant, and even full of depth, if life is perceived through a Biblical perspective. Or due to the tight clench we hold onto life or the shapes we form, that only puddle out of form or slip out of our grasp. Life can be difficult, bitter, empty, full of fear, anxiousness, stress, and frustration.

Here is a personal illustration of what is normal in my bubbling, wubbling life. Last summer, our family spent months searching for a house to buy. The market was so competitive, that we offered on three different homes before finally having our offer accepted on the fourth house. It was a lengthy and stressful ordeal. We were delighted with our new home and moved in just before winter. As anyone who has packed up and moved, even across town, knows, it takes months to settle and get into a routine again. We still have a few unpacked boxes in the closet….

This spring, my husband was contacted by a company wanting him to work for them. It was a very flattering and wonderful opportunity, and it was clearly in God’s plan for him to accept. But it involves another move. So, this summer, we find ourselves house-hunting and preparing to move AGAIN.

This will be the sixth move I have had with my husband since our marriage twelve years ago. I have seen God’s faithfulness through every change in our lives. He has provided, cared for us, and worked stunning miracles on our behalf through each transition. Yet, again and again the same old doubts arise. Perhaps this time, God will not come through for us? Perhaps this time God will not provide? I worry about all the details of which I have absolutely no control. And I find myself struggling to trust the One who has complete control. What irony!

In my hunger to control, what is out of control, I hang on to something I feel is stable like…my routines…my family…my home…my ideals…only to have those things ooze through my grappling fingers the tighter I grasp them. How often I behave as though life should be predictable and become very frustrated when change, illness, loss, and even a momentary disruptions occurs in the temporary life of which I claim to have ownership. Because of my imperfect perspective on life, I often lean into my emotions and perspectives when change oozes into my day.

It is only through Scripture, that I have found encouragement, stability, and joy in the unpredictable fluid paths of life. I can see the blessing and gift life truly is through the lense of God’s truth. There is immense peace if my heart is resting in God’s sovereign goodness through life. Life has the potential to be enjoyed if it is perceived through the glasses of God’s truth.
Maintaining a Biblical Perspective in the naturally slurping and bobblings of life:

  1. My life is not mine. It was created and redeemed by God to glorify Himself. It causes immense stress to live in the perspective of self-ownership because there is a constant struggle against God’s sovereign design, and my will. Life resides in the direction and purpose of God, who made it. Not the person to whom He gifts it. “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” Revelation 4:11. and “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever Amen” Romans 11:36. Not only was I made by and for God, but also graciously redeemed by and for God. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” I Cor. 6:19-20.
  2. My day is not mine. Every day is a gift and has already been planned and prepared before I enter into it. When I plan my days as though they belong to me, I become frustrated when things don’t go how I think they should. I am responsible to make plans and have schedules, yes, but seeking God’s direction with in case He brings something into my life that I am not planning. And whatever He brings, my heart should rejoice in it, because every event of my day is from God’s design, by his will, and for His glory. “This is the day that the Lord has made; “let us rejoice and be glad in it” Psalm 118:24. “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” Prov. 19:21. “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” James 4:14-15.
  3. God is sovereign in every detail in life. Through the years, the sovereignty of God has brought peace to my struggling heart. Knowing that God, who loves me, who redeemed me, Who knows my heart more than I do, Who knows my desires more than I do…is in control of all things, is truly a resting place. Nothing can come into my life that isn’t a part of what God has ordained and knows is best. If my heart is truly in love with God, and determined to bring Him glory through every circumstance of life, I will be able to rest in Him. And I can find joy in life, knowing my sovereign, loving, faithful God is in control. Scripture is full of verses pointing to God’s sovereignty over all things. The books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Lamentations are often my “go-to” during restless days. “The Lord of hosts has sworn: ‘As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand,'” Isaiah 14:24. “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;” Isaiah 42:10. “‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you” Jeremiah 32:17.
  4. God is the opposite of slime. He is a Rock. I can cling to God, depend on Him, rest in Him, take shelter in Him. The Lord is sure, stable, and never changing. There is nothing as wonderful when trying to navigate the slurping waves of life, as holding on tightly to the Rock. Let life life slop on! I am secure! “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” Psalm 18:2. “From the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, Psalm” 61:2. “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he” Deuteronomy 32:4. I love taking shelter in the safety of the Rock, especially when life is stormy and my heart is restless. I can take comfort in God’s promises through Scripture, and snuggle in to the knowledge of Who God is.

As the years continue unfold, I have found through each gurgle and slush presented in life, my heart bounces more and more quickly to truth. Remembering who God is, what He has done, and the purpose of my life, becomes my ground for solace more and more readily. Resting, waiting, and finding joy in God brings stability to my heart instead of trying to frantically gain control of the wobbly, floppy, oozing shapes of life. Perhaps in time, I will no longer struggle with distrust of my loving Father. I long for the day when a slosh of life brings me to trustful admiration and joy in my Sovereign Rock.

Months ago, a dear mentoring friend shared a verse with me that I have kept close to my heart through this joggling, jiggling season of moving. It is simply the perfect verse to meditate upon during every circumstance of life.
Isaiah 33:6 “and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.”

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Endurance Cookies

We have lunch at 12 and dinner at 6. In between lunch and dinner, my children need a boost of nutrients to get them through the long afternoon. I keep cheese-sticks, yogurt, apples, cut veggies, and peanut butter available for that occasion. But I like to make something to pop in our cookie jar once in a while. For some time I have tweaked various oatmeal cookie recipes until I landed upon these ingredients for a healthy and hearty afternoon snack for my children. In fact, these cookies could be breakfast cookies. They are far more wholesome than anything that could be bought in a box!Ingredients:1 cup softened butter
¾ c. coconut sugar
1-2 t. ground cinnamon
2 t. vanilla extract
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
2 large eggs
¼ c. applesauce
2-3 T. Blackstrap Molasses (Molasses is full of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants and it is low in sugars.
In fact, it significantly outshine any sweetener on the market including raw honey! It has a strong flavor profile, so unfortunately, I do not use it in most of my baking, but I add a bit of it when using coconut sugar. It brings a rich dark brown sugar depth to the baked goods)
1 ½ c. white wheat whole wheat flour (I use Montana Mills Prairie Gold)
1 ½ c. old fashioned rolled oats
½ cup golden flax seed meal (I grind flax seeds in a coffee grinder)
¼ cup whole golden flax seeds
1 cup salted, roasted peanuts (make sure there is no sugar added-a lot of salted, roasted peanuts
contain more than just salt and nuts)
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes (or a bit more)
1 cup chopped pecans
1-2 T Chia seeds (Optional for sprinkling)1) Mix ingredients together (I use a mixer, but it can be done by hand)
2) Roll dough into 1” balls
3) Sprinkle dough balls with Chia seeds if desired
4) Bake at 350 for 10 minutes
5) While still warm, gently flatten cookies to about 1/2”Option A: Dip half the cookie in dark chocolate-it is a bit more sugary, but a nice combo
Option B: Sub the applesauce for peanut butter for a richer peanut cookie
Option C: Add dried fruit bits like raisins, cranberries, etc. But like chocolate, dried fruit ups the sugar content of the cookie.

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My Household Friend: Baking Soda

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, has far more uses than baking in my home. Baking soda has proved itself to be invaluable in my home for years. Sodium bicarbonate is more than safe. A study from the Journal of Toxicological Pathology demonstrates how baking soda is effective in treating radiation exposure. I find baking soda to be one of my favorite cleaning agents around the house because it is not only very cheap, but also effective and natural.

There are multiple ways to use baking soda. I primarily use Baking Soda in my home for cooking, cleaning, and deodorizing.

Bathroom cleaner: Baking soda is a gentle scrub and soap scum remover. I use it to clean the bathtubs, toilets, sinks, and counters. I also sprinkle baking soda on wet shower walls, and then spray with vinegar. The baking soda and vinigar combinatiin cleans the shower and bathtub very effectively. My article about The Role of White Vinegar in My Home, also discusses this method.

Personal Cleaning: I don’t regularly use baking soda in baths, but it can be used as a health soak, body wash, and hair wash. It takes about ½-1 cup disolved in baths. I like to put it in baths after known exposure to radiation like x-rays, CT scans, and sun. I have often used baking soda as a shampoo for my hair. I sprinkle about 4-5 tablespoons on my damp hair, scrub it in, and then wash it out. It seems to remove any buildup on my hair and leave it very soft. Baking soda can also be used as a dry shampoo in a pinch to absorb excess oil. It can be used as a body exfoliating agent by gently scrubbing a water and baking soda paste on the skin. I find it particularly effective on rough feet. Baking soda, although gentle, is still a fine scrub and can cause skin irritation for those with sensitive skin, so I don’t use it regularly in contact with skin, but use it on an “as needed” basis.

Kitchen Fire Extinguisher: There have been a couple occasions in my lifetime when something in the oven or stove-top caught fire. Every time, I grabbed my box of baking soda and poured it all on the fire. Not only does sodium bicarbonate quickly put out a small fire, but it aids in cleaning up the mess. It absorbs grease and residue and helps me scrub it all away. Baking soda is also safe on electric fires. Since I always have some in my kitchen cupboard, it is a fast grab and dump on small kitchen fires.

Oven Cleaner: I have not purchased oven cleaner since a dear mentoring friend of mine told me how to use baking soda and water to clean my oven. Using baking soda as my oven cleaner saves the electric and gas from using the self-cleaning feature, as well as my lungs and grocery budget from buying a harsh chemical. To clean a nasty, greasy, and baked on burnt oven I plan what day the oven will be cleaned. A week before I plan on cleaning it, I make a paste of baking soda and water and rub it on the walls, floor, and ceiling of the oven, being liberal in the worst spots. I use the oven as normal for a week or so, and then wipe out the oven. By then, the baking soda will have crusted with the water and nasty residue on the oven and it can be easily wiped out. It may even just crumble to the floor on it’s own. Honestly, I find keeping up with an oven and quickly wiping it down with a wet cloth after each use has virtually eliminated any need for me to ever spend time on severe oven cleaning. If I want to clean my oven thoroughly, it is never a serious task and I can easily use the baking soda paste to wipe off the baked on grease without giving it time to set.

Deodorizer: I store a perforated box of baking soda in my freezers, refrigerator, bottom of certain garbage containers, and in the family car.

On occasion I sprinkle baking soda on stinky rugs and carpets. I leave it for a couple hours and then vacuum. I also sprinkle baking soda on the van floors and car-seats the day before I am planning to clean the car, and vacuum it up later.

Hard Surface Whitener: To remover stains on counter-tops from tomato, food coloring, turmeric, or paint, a paste of baking soda and water can be made and left on for a few hours. The paste absorbs the stain and can be wiped away. It is how I whitened counters and ceramic surfaces before the availability of Magic Erasers.

Laundry: I have use baking soda on occasion to remove orders from clothes. It is especially effective if the garment is soaked in tango with vinegar. I have successfully removed sweat, smoke, and sulfur orders with a good soaking of the offending clothing item in a baking soda, vinegar, and water solution.

Appliance Cleaner: I dump half a box of baking soda into the washing machine or dishwasher and run an empty load or cleaning cycle to help remove soap scum and orders. I clean my washing machine weekly; usually after my last load of laundry on Friday or Saturday.

I have read about dozens of other uses baking soda has. I have even tried other applications. But those are the tried and true methods I have found that work for me. Baking soda is truly a compound for which I am grateful!

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Hydrogen Peroxide: My Gentle Disinfectant

I use Hydrogen peroxide to disinfect. It is a gentler disinfectant than bleach, so it takes time to do its work rather than having immediate bacteria killing powers. I do purchase Clorox wipes and bleach on occasion when I know I will need something powerful and quick to nip something. For instance, in the old-farmhouse where we lived, the bathroom had very poor ventilation. So, black mold continually appeared on the walls and ceilings. I purchased bleach to clean it. I found the bleach not only quickly killed the mold, but whitened it so the spores no longer showed. I also used bleach to clean my toilets because we had unfiltered well water which I think promoted growth of a fungus in the toilets. Only the bleach worked to whiten and kill those spores. I also buy Clorox wipes on occasion. For instance, when we moved, we had a lot of cleaning to do, both in the old home and in the new, so I bought Clorox wipes to hasten those wipe-down jobs. Although I prefer a safer, gentler approach to sanitize my home on a regular basis, I have been known to use chemical methods as needed. Chemicals are only used after my gentle, natural methods are proven ineffective.

I get the diluted form of hydrogen peroxide from the first-aid aisle in a pharmacy. It is a 3% H2O2 solution, which from my reading has been proven to be more than enough to destroy harmful microbes. It comes in an opaque bottle because hydrogen peroxide is light sensitive and easily dissipates. As this link states from the CDC hydrogen peroxide turns into water and oxygen– a good thing when it comes to the environment and health safety. There are those who would disagree with me, but I do not believe hydrogen peroxide is safe for internal consumption. It is poorly absorbed by skin and safe to inhale, so I am comfortable using it to clean my home. I usually leave hydrogen peroxide in its original container, and squirt it out as needed. However, it could be used in a dark, opaque, spray bottle as well.

Hydrogen Peroxide is effective at whitening, killing most unfriendly bacteria, and is odorless, which is great for sensitive airways.
How I use Hydrogen Peroxide:

Bathroom Cleaner: I squirt a dry thin rag with hydrogen peroxide until the rag is well soaked. Then I wipe down my counter-tops, sinks, and sometimes even the floors in my bathroom. I squirt a few drops around my toilet rims, and use toilet paper to wipe it around and away. I do not use it in the shower currently, but if one feels the shower is in need of disinfecting, it could be used there after the shower or bath as a daily shower cleaner, or it could be used as a rinse after the soap scum and minerals have been scrubbed away.

General Sanitizing: In the same way a Clorox or Lysol wipe could be used, I use a cloth squirted with hydrogen peroxide to wipe down computer keyboards, remote controls, cell phones, door-knobs, and light switches.

Kitchen Uses: Hydrogen Peroxide can be used to clean up after cutting raw poultry. A small squirt on a counter or cutting board will disinfect. It can also be used to disinfect sinks, floors, counters, cupboard handles, and appliance surfaces. I just use a cloth with a good amount of hydrogen peroxide poured on it.

Fruit and Veggie Wash: Soaking fruits and vegetables in a water and hydrogen solution will help kill harmful bacteria. I use this method to clean my produce, especially, if I am doing bulk, food prep for canning or freezing. It takes about 10-15 minutes to adequately kill bacteria, so I let my veggies and fruit soak in the solution for that time, and sometimes even a bit longer. After a hydrogen peroxide soak, I rinse off the produce and scrub with a brush before preparing the food.

I know there are many more ways to enlist Hydrogen Peroxide in the home, but I tend to stick to what works for me at present. I am happy with its results. I bounce between my used of H2O2 and white vinegar as needed. I do believe vinegar has similar properties and can be used to help sanitize. But I am uncertain that it is quite as effective as hydrogen peroxide. And vinegar does have a potent smell, for those like me who don’t want their house to smell like pickles after they clean.

For more study on the scientific research done with hydrogen peroxide, I have posted helpful article from various state cooperative extensions and the CDC below:

Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities (2008)

Cleaning & Sanitizing the Kitchen
Using inexpensive household food-safe products

Medical Management Guidelines for Hydrogen Peroxide

On-farm Food Safety:
Cleaning and Sanitizing Guide

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The Role of White Vinegar in My Home

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I know I do not use white vinegar to it’s full extent. To be perfectly honest, it isn’t my favorite cleaning agent because I do not like the smell. I know some folks add essential oils and water to their vinegar to change the smell, but oils don’t get rid of the acidic vinegar smell, they only change it slightly. However, I reason that I have used cleaning chemicals in the past that are so strong, I had to hold my breath while I scrubbed; then leave the room periodically to get a gasp of air. White vinegar might stink, but it isn’t doing my body harm, it isn’t going to cause birth defects or hormone disruption, and is so safe, I could drink it. So, I can get past the temporary smell in light of vinegar’s good traits. And since vinegar seems to clean, and deodorize effectively, it is my current choice to do certain jobs.
These are the ways white vinegar comes into play in my home:

Shower, Tubs, and Sinks: I use white vinegar in combination with baking soda to clean areas in my bathroom that get a buildup of soap and minerals. I have dealt with hard water stains, and other than getting a good water softener system, I do not know of a natural method to remove those stains.

  1. Start with a wet surface, either just after the shower has been used, or I spray/wipe down the walls with water to get them wet, this moisture allows the baking soda to adhere.
  2. Dust the shower walls and sinks with baking soda. The soda can be left for a time to absorb any hard stains.
  3. Spray the baking soda dusted shower and sink with vinegar. A slight fizzy action should occur. The reaction between the two agents softens soap scum and breaks down the hard water stains allowing me to gently wipe the walls down with my long handled shower scrubber or a cleaning rag.
  4. Rinse out the shower and sink with hot water.
  5. To disinfect, finish off with a spray of hydrogen peroxide.

Appliances: Most manufacturers recommend maintaining appliances such as a washer and dryer with regular cleaning cycles. Products can be purchased to do the job, or it can be done by adding two cups of white vinegar or bleach to an empty cleaning cycle (check manufacturing instructions to confirm). My washing machine and my dishwasher both recommend using vinegar, and they both have a self-clean setting which I also engage. I usually clean both my washer and dishwasher at least once a month by adding vinegar to an empty cycle.

Laundry: Vinegar breaks down long set orders in clothing. If a garment is harboring an unwanted odor, even after a regular wash, an overnight soak in white vinegar is the cure. Then I just throw it in a regular load of wash to get rid of the vinegar odor. It comes out fresh.

Wrinkle Removal: While working as a seamstress in a tailoring and alteration shop, I learned that a spray of white vinegar works magic on removing stuborn creases and fold lines left from lengthening garments. So, I spray a little on garments when needed to help remove tough wrinkles or unwanted folds.

Pet Oder Neutralization: This is a role that I recently discovered about vinegar. We have a cat. He spends the night inside a shed and the days outside in the sun. The shed took on a peculiar odor since he moved in there. Even after I cleaned the cat litter, the odor remained. I found by spraying the walls and floors with white vinegar, the odor disappears. I also soak anything with cat odor in vinegar, and find vinegar eliminates the animal smell. So, vinegar is effective at neutralizing pet odors.

I do not use vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner, window cleaner, or disinfectant. I do not find it does those jobs suitably on its own. In my post, “Household Cleaning on the Cheap, Practical, and Natural,” I discuss the various products I use to keep my house clean. Vinegar does have its vital role in my home and I am grateful for it.

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Household Cleaning on the Cheap, Practical, and Natural

There are four reasons I choose to use natural cleaning products:

  1. Financially Prudent-Natural products are cheap. White vinegar is less than three dollars for a hundred and twenty-eight fluid ounces. A box of baking soda is less than fifty cents. And a bottle of hydrogen peroxide runs less than a dollar. I have spent hundreds of dollars on cleaning products in my lifetime, but in reality the same job can be done for a lot less expense.
  2. Simple-I don’t need a closet full of cleaning products to clean every surface in my house. I can have a spotless house by using only a few basic, and appropriate products. The cleaning aisle in a grocery store is potent with commercialism. To just clean a bathroom, I can find: shower cleaners, toilet cleaners, tile cleaners, multi-surface bathroom cleaners, and glass cleaners. That is five products just for one room! My entire cleaning product list for my home is about five items. And I don’t purchase any of those items in the cleaning product aisle.
  3. Versatile- I can use baking soda as a gentle cleaning scrub for my toilets and bathtub, as well as an oven cleaner and sink scrub. Baking soda is multi-tasks in my home as a de-greasing, whitening, and de-scumming agent. Hydrogen peroxide is a great disinfectant, not only for injuries, but for the bathroom and kitchen as well. White vinegar, is cheap and works effectively as a multi-surface cleaner and mild disinfectant. Combined with baking soda, vinegar has an extra power boost to remove scum and grease.
  4. Natural-I believe natural products are better for the environment, of which caring is part of the stewardship the Lord has given humanity. I also believe, or at least hope, that using natural products whenever I can is easier on my family’s hormones and overall health than chemical products.

My Regular Cleaning Products

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White Vinegar: I used to purchase cleaning vinegar. Cleaning vinegar is more concentrated than standard white vinegar and therefore a better disinfectant and cleaner. However, I found it was not necessary. I did not notice a difference in the cleaning capability between the two vinegar products. And although I needed less concentrated vinegar for cleaning than standard white vinegar, I still found myself using the same amount. I also like multi-tasking products. White vinegar can be used in cooking, but not cleaning vinegar. For more details on how I use white vinegar see my blog-post, “The Role of White Vinegar in My Home.”

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Hydrogen Peroxide: I use hydrogen peroxide in my bathroom and kitchen as a disinfectant. It kill harmful bacteria and helps me keep those places in my home adequately sanitized. For more details about how I use Hydrogen Peroxide, check out my blogpost: “Hydrogen Peroxide: My Gentle Disinfectant.”

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Baking Soda: My favorite cleaning product. Baking soda gets a workout in my home. Baking soda does a lot more than make chocolate chip cookies rise! It is my scrubber, whitener, deodorizer, and cuts grease. (TIP: I have found it cheapest at Aldi, but Wal-Mart is not far behind in price).

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Cheap oil: I use coconut oil. I get coconut oil very inexpensively by buying it in bulk and storing it in the freezer, however, olive oil or another inexpensive oil can do the job. A little warm oil rubbed into wood and hard floors does wonders. I sometimes add a drop or two of an essential oil for bug deterrent and scent.

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Hot Water: Boiling water is a great cleaning agent on its own. I use hot water for a variety of cleaning jobs, but often mix it with baking soda, vinegar, or oil, depending on what I am cleaning. I often boil a big pot of water for washing my kitchen and bathroom floors.

My Cleaning Tools

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Microfiber cloths: I was gifted a set of microfiber cleaning cloths from my sister a few years ago and have found the uses of microfiber cloths to be many. I use a dry fine fiber cloth to clean windows…no spray cleaner is needed. I use a courser cloth for basic dusting. It gets the dust off my furniture without the use of any cleaning agent.

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Rags: I like washable rags. I do not buy paper towels. I re-purpose cloth baby diapers, old hand towels, old dish-cloths, and old T-shirts as cleaning rags. I use rags for all sorts of things. Primarily, rags are used for cleaning my floors since I don’t use a wet mop. I can see the floor a lot better if I am close to it. I can also get every corner with a rag. I feel a mop misses a lot of cleaning potential. I know the day will come when scrubbing floors on my knees will be too physically taxing to do, but until then, I will boil water and scrub my floors by hand.

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Bucket: any large mop bucket will do. I find them useful as “sick” buckets, or “laundry soaking” buckets as well. Honestly, there is no end to the use of a cheap plastic mop bucket. I have a couple.

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Broom and Dustpan: A broom and dustpan is used several times a day in my house…generally in my kitchen and generally after each meal. I like a simple grass broom and plastic dustpan. Nothing says a house is clean as well as a clean floor.

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Vacuum: I believe every household should have a really good vacuum, it is worth the investment. My husband bought me a Dyson years ago, and it cleans better than any vacuum I have ever owned. I would empty a regular vacuum bag every month, but the Dyson is full after one cleaning. So, I believe the Dyson gets a lot more dirt out of my floors than a cheaper vacuum. After switching from carpet to wood flooring, I find the Dyson works just as effectively on the wood floors as it did the carpet. A lot of vacuums are less effective or require adjustments between various surfaces.

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Dust-mop: This is a recent purchase now that our house has wood floors. I like the quiet, cleaning power of a dust-mop on my wood floors. I choose to buy an inexpensive mop with a washable mop-head. I do not want to be out money on a regular basis for products like Swiffer cloths for my mop.

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Scrub brush: Usually, I use the brush for carpets, but it has worked on some tough surface stains as well.

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Rubber Gloves: I often protect my hands while cleaning. I get dry skin pretty easily, especially in winter months, or if I am pregnant or breastfeeding. Also, when I use hot water, it is usually at a temperature too hot to touch, but the gloves make it tolerable. I also find that I am willing to get into crevasses and nasty places if my hands are protected.

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Long handled Shower Scrubber: This is a tool I would have never thought to purchase on my own. But my husband, who has done a lot of cleaning in his lifetime, found it to be a very useful tool. So he bought me the shower scrubber. Since I am petite, I have found the long handled scrubber to be a valuable addition to my cleaning tools. I am able to clean the bathtub walls and ceiling with ease. The scrubber is a triangle shape, so it gets corners and edges suitably as well.

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Toilet brush-Nothing special. This is the tool I use for cleaning toilets. I clean with baking soda and white vinegar, and scrub with a regular old toilet brush.

Occasional Uses

Peppermint, cinnamon, and lavender oil: Both Peppermint and Cinnamon are insect and spider deterrents, so I often use them in warmer months on the floor baseboard to keep insects at bay. I use a mixture of lavender oil with a sprinkling of baking soda on my carpets to help deodorized them on occasion.

Murphy’s Oil: A natural classic-my grandmother has used it, my mother has used it, and I still do use it. Murphy’s Oil is a MOSTLY natural cleaning product. I use it to clean all my floors and wash down wood walls and surfaces as well. I reserve it for a periodic thorough cleaning. It is not a part of my regular routine. Murphy’s Oil brightens floors and surfaces better than the natural products I use, yet is a product I am comfortable using.

Natural Dish Soap: My favorite dish soap is a Canadian Brand called Attitude. I find Attitude dish soap to be affordable if bought in bulk online. And it works just as effectively as Dawn, which is unusual for a natural product. Attitude dish soap is also thick, unlike many watered down natural dish-washing soaps.

Magic Erasers: These are an essential item in my household. I do not know how my mother cleaned without them. They are great to remove finger smudges from the walls, brighten the chrome on faucets, clean stainless steel, and they have never failed to get paint and marker stains out of my counter tops. I keep Magic Erasers on hand for the times nothing else will work.

OxiClean powder: This is a product I have used for more than clothing stains. A mixture of OxiClean and hot water remove most carpet stains. I have used OxiClean to spot clean my carpets for several years.

Up to this point in life, I have used a large variety of store bought, commercially made cleaning products. There was even a time I made my own cleaning solutions by mixing various natural ingredients. And I also have spent extra money to purchase naturally based cleaners. Natural-store bought products are pricey and often a disappointment. The chemically based products often work great, but also cost money and are questionable in their safety for humans and environment. Home-made products can work, but take time. I also found a lot of ingredients aren’t necessary to clean effectively. So, I don’t create mixtures or buy specialized products anymore. I fill a spray bottle with white vinegar, poke a few holes in a box of baking soda, and that is about it. I will discuss in more detail through separate posts as to how I clean and use each product.

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Why I am Grateful for Halloween

Both my husband and I were raised not going trick-or-treating. Neither of our parents were supportive of that aspect of Halloween. My family did make pop-corn balls, candied apples, light Jack-O Lanterns and warmly greet our neighbors who were trick-or-treating. Jim’s family probably did less than that.

My husband and I have pondered how our family should engage in Halloween since our first child was born. We have friends and family that take various positions on the issue. Some so completely avoid Halloween they will not even attempt to engage in conversations about it. Others of our acquaintance, complete embrace the day with all its festivities. Most of our friends and family take a more middle ground in the festivities of Halloween and pick and choose various methods of what makes them comfortable interacting with the holiday. I do not debate the subject, because I do see a variety of perspectives. Those who believe it is harmless to dress up and knock on the neighbor’s door for some candy, to those who will have nothing to do with the day and avoid it in every respect. All have valid reasons and I can respect that. But what is right for us? I am not accountable before God for how my friends and family chose to celebrate or not celebrate Halloween, but I believe it is important for our family to have solid reasons for what we choose to do or not partake of the holiday or any holiday for that matter.

My conclusions concerning Halloween are completely based on the Gospel.

For a Christian, Halloween is indeed a harmless day. We are told that Christ has conquered sin and its punishment, death. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,” Colossians 1:13.  “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Corinthians 15:54-57. We are no longer a part of this world, we have become supernatural, eternal beings who are not dictated by the evil powers of earth. Because of Christ we are a new creature. Evil things have no power over us. Romans 8: 35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Superstition and fear of evil and death are no reason for us to not celebrate Halloween. Christ has given us eternal life and victory. 

It is because Christ has conquered sin, death, and hell, and made evil powerless, that our family chooses NOT to celebrate the holiday. Halloween is a pagan holiday. It celebrates evil things like sorcery, witches, death, and demonic powers. It is a day that is historically and currently known to edify what is morbid. From the skeletons dangling from shop windows to the blow-up witches hanging from the grocery store ceiling, it is very clear that Halloween is a Holiday that celebrates evil and death. There is no power of those things over us Redeemed, but evil still holds on to those who have not been redeemed by Christ’s blood. And for the sake of the gospel, I cannot endorse the Halloween festivities. Out of compassion for the lost souls, I have no right enjoying a holiday that celebrates the horror lost souls face. And celebrating a day that glorifies evil and death is a contradiction of my faith. Yes, Christ has died and conquered any power of such evil. Yet, It is because Christ died to set me free from darkness, that I cannot justify embracing a day that celebrates the darkness from which Christ died to set me free.

Yet, despite the fact my family does not promote or take part of the fun and enjoyable aspects of Halloween, I have no problem using Halloween as a tool against sin, death, and evil. In fact, I have recently concluded that I am very grateful there is a Halloween. When else do the neighborhood children come knocking on my door in mass numbers? What a privilege it is to open it and share the kindness of Christ with them. I admire churches that take a pro-active approach and reach out to the neighborhood with trunk-or-treat and fall parties. Halloween is an amazing tool that we Christian’s can use to the advantage of the gospel, and I am not about to waste that opportunity. So, I am not against methods that wield Halloween to reach lost souls with the truth. After all, what a great time to see someone turn from the darkness of sin and death to celebrating the death of sin!

There is an older lady, who is a dear friend of mine. Her compassion for her neighborhood is an inspiration to me. On Halloween she gives out gospel tracts and shares the gospel message with everyone who knocks on her door. Her desire to reach her community with the gospel is incredible. Halloween is not the only pagan holiday tradition of which she takes advantage. She organizes a community Easter Egg hunt in her backyard every year. She has had dozens of neighborhood children scrambling in her yard to find Easter Eggs, while she uses the eggs and her conversation to share the gospel with them and their parents. She also organizes neighborhood baby and wedding showers for those in her neighbors who are expecting or getting married. Sometimes, she has just opened up her doors a certain time every week for any neighbor lady who wanted to join her for tea and cookies. Her perspective is so mission minded, that the battle of what to do about Halloween is irrelevant. She simply sees the precious children, in need of a Savior, who come knocking at her door one evening out of the year.

That is who I would like to be. And though our children are young, I want my children to also see the souls of others as more important than a holiday they choose to celebrate or not celebrate themselves. I want trick-or treaters to knock on our door. I want to give out treats, so that our house will be the best stop for trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood. I want to draw the lost to my door, so that I can build a report and share the gospel with my neighbors.

Halloween is not a creepy holiday I wish would pass without notice. But it also isn’t a holiday that allows me the opportunity to allow my children to indulge themselves in costumes and candy. Halloween is a gospel sharing tool that comes once a year, knocking at my door.