Loving others and self

I was reading something about the verse that says Love thy neighbor as thyself. This not only says to love others ,but we are supposed to love ourselves also equally.
I have never looked at that verse like that before. Do I love myself well? In someways yes, in someways no. I can be my own worse enemy, my own worse critic.
I repeat negative messages that I learned long ago about myself.
I tend to be fairly horrible to myself, whereas I try to be better to others.
That's seems to be the way my thinking is wired. To debase myself and put others on a pedestal.
With this verse the the word as would mean the same, equally.
Do I love myself equally as well as I love others? Is it selfish, and egotistical to love myself equally? That is a though one.
The truth-- God created me. I am his. Should I love myself? Shouldn't I love all God's creations?
The bible says I am fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator of the universe. I am debasing God's handiwork when I put myself down. When I look in the mirror and criticise my looks, what am I saying about God's creation? When I call myself stupid after making a mistake, or feeling like a looser. I am saying God created a stupid, looser.
Challenging thought, and it hits hard. Where does one go from here?
First and foremost, accepting God's love for me. Yes I am a sinner, but that does not mean I am worthless or unlovable.
Accepting I am God's wonderful creation. I am made to be this unique individual.
Accepting the love from other people that God sends my way. I often don't accept love easily out of fear, and out of a feeling of unworthiness. Feeling like if they really know me they will reject me.

Acceptance is not easy. Its an elusive state of mind, especially if it's something unpleasant. In this case however,it would be a positive thing.
Accepting something good is hard when you have lived life expecting the worse case scenario with every circumstance. Always on guard for the other shoe to drop. Expecting criticism and gossip,judgement, abuse. That has been my life experience. How do I jump from what I expect, to acceptance of love and loving self?
 I let Jesus get me so far and then I slip back to backward thinking.

I am just thinking out loud here. I know all these things are a process and I need to keep abiding in Jesus and letting him help me with the renewing of the mind. I just get weary of the fight and cave into the temptation to give up.
Perseverance is one of the other difficult words that eludes. Persevering would mean going on and through no matter the circumstance and not allowing myself to sit back in the lazy boy chair of the mind. Yes it's comfortable. I can kick back and feel miserable in comfort. Sounds like an oxymoron,but that is just what I do. I am so used to the negative, it's like an old familiar friend. I forget to put on the new man and slip back into that old familiar. It's a daily choice and a daily task to do it. It takes effort to renew the mind.

Accepting love, means letting it flow through. It means absorbing it into my innermost being. God offers it freely without taking it back when I mess up. 
I don't know how many times I go to church and feel his loving presence meet me there. It's like going home. I am amazed by it every time. Really God, you still love me ever after the way this week went? --YES!

Needlefelting Tutorial

Rose Needlefelted flower

tools and supplies

Joann's has clover needlefelting supplies

Wool
Needles
Needlefelting pen or individual needles
high density foam, small pillow, on or needlefelting mat to needlefelt on

Resources

Living Felt

Meilkes farm

Needlefeltingsupplies.com

                                                                              

The needle felting pen I have is from Clover.

I chose two colors of wool to make my rose.

I took two 1/4 thick strips of wool. broke them both in half, making two 10 inch (approx.)sections of each color.

combine two colors together, as in picture, set aside the second set for later

Take the section and roll it up in a spiral.

Be sure to use straight up and down motions when needlefelting so as to not break the needles they are very fragile. Needlefelt your fiber until you have a round flat disc. Lift carefully off of mat or pillow and turn over to felt the other side.

I took my needle pen and very carefully felted the sides in to make more of a petal shape. You can do this by holding the disc sidways and inserting the needles then doing up and down motions without taking the needles all the way out of the fiber. Watch out for Fingers!!!

Repeat with other section you set aside

place one disc on top of the other and needlefelt in center to felt both pieces togethter.

As in picture shown grab top of petals of both sections and squeeze them together trying to have four fingers bring the petals to the center but not squashing too much on any two sides or you'll have an oval shape. Turn flower sideways while still keeping that hold. Needlefelt sides of rose on the bottom half and turn rose around needlefelting all around base of rose.

I sewed a fabric yoyo and lace together and sewed the rose to it. I am going to glue to a jar cover for a decorative storage jar.

You can sew it to a hat, glue it to a barret, or pin, I have sewn it to hair elastics too.

Hair and skin health

blah!

don't like this picture. I blinked.

Day 2 with coconut milk mixture

For the past couple of months I have been experimenting with what people would call crunchy living,  well somewhat crunchy. All the DIY stuff I have been finding on Pinterest has fueled the fire.
I have made my own deoderant, gone no-poo for washing my hair. And trying to create a healthy body wash/hair wash-conditioner/ face cream with coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, honey, and coconut oil. I haven't tried it as a body wash yet. I am hoping to find a good all natural bady wash to add to the mixture
The no-poo was a flop. My hair is very dry and frizzy normally and the baking soda/apple cider vinegar method just made it more so. Now I am using my coconut milk concoction in my hair and am liking the results.  I will probably still use the baking soda once or twice a week for a clearifying wash. I wouldn't use this with normal to oily hair.

 My recipe so far is
one can of coconut milk- I eventually will start making my own coconut milk for more all natural product
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp of tea tree oil
1 Tbsp of coconut oil
1 Tbsp honey

This is more of a coditioning milk than a washing method.
It is doing wonders for my dry hair and dry scalp. I am also using it on my skin in general for moisturizing. As a facial moisturizer it is making my face feel really smooth. I am worried about breakout though and am only using it once a week. So far so good

Of course I realize that it's not just what you put on the outside of your body that creates healthy hair and skin. It's what goes into the body. So here is what I have found on hair and skin health.

For skin and hair
Chia seed
Raw honey

Top 10 foods for Hair health

Healthy Hair Food No. 1: Salmon  - Omega 3 fatty acid, B-12, and iron
Healthy Hair Food No. 2: Dark Green Vegetables - vitamins A and C
Healthy Hair Food No. 3: Beans - protein, iron, biotin, zinc
Healthy Hair Food No. 4: Nuts -  alpha-linolenic acid an omega-3 fatty acid , selenium, zinc
Healthy Hair Food No. 5: Poultry - protein
Healthy Hair Food No. 6: Eggs - biotin, and vitamin B-12
Healthy Hair Food No. 7: Whole Grains - zinc, iron, and B vitamins
Healthy Hair Food No. 8: Oysters - zinc
Healthy Hair Food No. 9: Low-Fat Dairy Products - Whey , casein, calcium
Healthy Hair Food No. 10: Carrots - Vitamin A

Foods for skin health
Water, WATER, water, did I mention water?
Omega 3 fatty acids
Foods high in antioxidants-
Tumeric good for outside and inside, ginger, acai berry, pomegranite, blueberries,etc. Keep your fruits and vegetables colorful, different ones have different antioxidents

And of course use sun screen for UV protection.
*Oils that contain natural sunscreen
red raspberry seed oil, carrot seed oil, wheatgerm oil, macadamia oil are some examlpes. Red raspberry and carrot seed oil being the hightest if SPF level.
Have not found a good recipe for the sunscreen.
*Most sources say that it is uncertain how much of these oils to use and how long these oils would provide protection.

Bible Journaling

I am having fun with my bible journaling. I had been having some struggles with keeping a regular study time and sticking with it daily. I felt awful that I wasn't spending more time with God in his word and in prayer. Like I wasn't giving him the time of day. Now I am looking forward to doing it each time. I feel like I am in kidergarten. I get to color. :)
God is good and so patient with me. Praising Him for his goodness!

Worldwide Lighthouse Missions

This is my church's missions department. I am amazed at what a small church can do for the kingdom of God. They have such a big heart for missions. It is one of the reasons I started going to the church.
I am hoping to be able to start supporting their TEACH program with a monthly donation. It has been on my heart to do this.

Walk a Mile Feed the World
Saturday I will be doing a walk-a-thon to raise money for missions. It's only a three mile walk but praying for good weather and a good turn out.