Author: Violet Rhodes

With the rapid approach of the biggest holiday of the year, how many thousands of people are spending millions of dollars on gift giving?

Gift giving is not wrong. In fact, a giving heart is a character trait of God’s children. Giving gifts doesn’t automatically make one a Christian, but as God’s children, we will be giving people. Who doesn’t love kindhearted, generous people?

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

Our heavenly Father loves to bestow His children with abundant gifts. He is truly the best gift Giver there ever was or ever will be! He gave His absolute best gift when He sent His only begotten son into the world. Let’s never forget the sacrifice He made when He sent heaven’s best and allowed Him to die for us poor sinners! He’s done so much for us; can we not pass His love on to others?

It’s the lavish hoarding of things here in the ease of the American lifestyle that repulses me! When there are millions of people around the globe living without the bare necessities! Could we, instead of spending so much money on things nobody really needs, give that amount of money to go towards the needy around us or in other countries? The Lord sees your heart and will bless you for giving!

In today’s post, I would like to explore two methods of giving that will not break the bank and will not add more clutter into the life of the receiver. Far too many of the gifts given today are simply unnecessary gadgets, toys, etc that we don’t really need and only add clutter to our homes and lives (minimalism anyone?) Read on to find new ways of giving that will truly bless the lives of others!

Acts of Service

Acts of Service are small (or large) deeds of kindness that only require a loving heart and physical effort. They don’t break the bank and often times these gifts are far more appreciated than material items that are so often given. And don’t forget these are not limited to the holiday season; they can be done year round!

• Give someone a compliment.
• Give someone an encouraging card. Yes, take time to write it out and send it the old-fashioned way. Postal service still works!
• Bless someone with encouragement in a text message.
• Offer to take another person’s turn cleaning the church house.
• Bless a Mama by offering to babysit her children for a day or a couple hours. Not because she’s busy but because she’s a mama. (You won’t be turned down!)
• Make a list of things you appreciate about a person and give it to them.
• Offer to take the children to school for a busy family for a week or couple days.
• Clean windows for an elderly couple. (Or anyone!) Who wouldn’t enjoy clean windows without exerting the energy involved!
• Offer to babysit your minister’s children some evening so they can enjoy a date night. The hassle of lining up a sitter or feeling guilty for bothering someone is a real thing.
• Print or design (if you’re good with creative writing) a Bible verse on card stock. Bless someone with an inspiration to display in their home or work place.
• Bless someone with a casserole or main dish just because. Don’t procrastinate because you don’t have time to make a full meal. When you are preparing a meal for your family, just double the recipe and you have a gift ready for giving! You could even stick it in the freezer to give to someone at a later date. To make it more special, buy a pretty casserole dish to put it in and tell them it’s theirs to keep.

Consumable Gifts

Consumable gifts are a great way to gift someone with a tangible gift that does not create clutter or require storage for long term (ever think about that gift you got that you didn’t need so you put it in storage where you don’t even use or enjoy it? Minimalism anyone?!) Consumable gifts can often fulfill an immediate need in the life of the receiver. Again, these ideas are not limited to the holiday season, you can give them year round.

• Drop off a special drink for someone going through a difficult time, or just because
• A box of groceries for a family struggling financially
• Order pizza for a family and send it via pizza delivery or door dash. Have fun texting them that their supper will be delivered!
• Fill a gallon size ziploc with water bottle, gospel tracts, McDonald’s gift card, toothbrush and toothpaste, pair of socks, pair of gloves, granola bars etc. Keep these in your vehicle and pass out to the homeless beggars on the street corners.
• Give gift cards and/or cash to a family with a loved one in the hospital. It takes a lot of gas and food for being in and out of a hospital for an extended time.
• Another idea is to give a basket filled with easy mixes/quick meals and fun foods (for the children) if there’s a family member hospitalized.
• Ask a friend (or anyone you want to improve relationship with) to meet you for coffee/breakfast/ lunch to simply chat and listen to what’s going on in their lives. Then pay for their food.
• Give money or gift cards to a missionary family for use on their furlough.
• If you do your own butchering and have plenty of meat on hand, bless a needy family (or anyone) with a few pounds of fresh beef, sausage, or venison.
• Give money to pay a seamstress for new dresses (or sew them yourself) for a struggling or busy family
• Tell your neighbor to meet you at the gas station and you will pay to fill their tank.

Christmas Plates

Do you like to give your neighbors and friends a Christmas food plate? There’s already an endless supply of sweets and chocolates this time of year, so why not give something “outside the box”? Many elderly are diabetic or have special diets so keep that in mind and try to give accordingly.

• Basket of fresh fruit
• Jar of homemade granola
• Jar of homemade soup
• Jar of homemade (or boughten) relish or pepper jelly, along with a box of crackers
• Homemade bread or dinner rolls along with a jar of jam
• Jar of mixed nuts- although be considerate of the elderly or someone with false teeth. This will not be a good gift for them.
• Homemade casserole in foil pan
• Special spices – someone who enjoys cooking would love this!
• Body products such as sugar scrubs, soap bars, lip butters, bath bombs, etc. Homemade always makes it special, but if that’s not your thing, there are plenty of safe, clean body products available without the typical synthetics.
• Sweet tea, green tea, or iced coffee concentrate

The ideas in this post are collected from a couple different resources, with some of them my own experiences. But just to clarify, although I enjoy practical, consumable gifting, I’ve certainly not done all these. Just so nobody thinks I’m this astronomical giver!😂

What better way to celebrate Fall than getting together to make fresh apple cider?!

Last Friday night our church did just that. We  got together for a big evening of pressing apples. There were truckloads and many buckets filled with apples! The weather was crisp and clear, making it perfect for the event!

There isn’t a recipe or scientific method for making the cider. Each family simply makes it a point to gather up apples the week leading up to the event. Many of us scavenge our neighborhoods gleaning from old neglected apple trees. There does seem to be an abundance of them around here and most of the old homesteads will have upwards of 8 trees. Our next-door neighbor has over 10 trees that he graciously let us pick from! One of the locals told Jerald that this corner of Nebraska was widely known for its apple orchards in the early 1900s.

Norman and Kathryn Farmwald graciously allowed the use of their shop area for making cider. It’s an ideal place because they have a sloped concrete pad out front where all the excess water can run off. Then they have a sink and a bit of seating area in the shop too.

So back to the recipe (or lack of)- we all bring apples of all shapes, colors, and varieties and they inadvertently get mixed as they are quartered and ran through the chopper and press. The resulting cider can be summed up in one word- luscious!

There’s always a hubbub of working people all around. Even a bunch of the men were snagged into washing and cutting spots off the apples, because there were not enough men type of jobs for them all. Then there’s also the kind of people- (some little and some big!) who need to hold down chairs, sample hot drinks and exercise their vocal cords. (And we need them too!)

I started out filling jugs, but then actually spent the evening simply organizing everybody’s jugs, while two other ladies filled them. It kept me hopping for sure! I found out the amount each family wanted, unlidded (is that a word?!) their jugs, and kept their jugs separate from the next person’s. Also wiped down the jugs and capped them. As soon as one person’s were filled, I marked down their amount of gallons, and told that person their jugs were ready to be hauled out to their vehicle, so as not to get confused with the next person’s. Most everybody brings their own used jugs, so there is one grand conglomeration of jugs to be filled and kept straight. I absolutely love to organize, so I was in my element doing my job! 

Jerald and I got this idea that we’d like to make a vegetable stew over the fire for supper that night. It’s something he grew up with on the Schrock side of the family.  Every October, they’d get together to cook apple butter over the fire, then they’d cook this stew over the fire for lunch. He had been wanting to try it sometime and this was the prefect opportunity!

So Thursday I hauled off to town to fetch the vegetables and Jerald ordered in and picked up the stew meat and beef bones. Friday morning I spent about 3 hours peeling, and dicing vegetables and frying up the meat.  I must say I felt like I’d nearly done a day’s work by the time that was accomplished. After all my hustling with the cider jugs that night, I was completely exhausted. I didn’t actually feel that bad because I was running on adrenalin. It was midnight till we dropped into bed!

I feel blessed to be part of a good church family, where we are able to spend an enjoyable evening working together like this! In this day and age of independancy and loss of love for God and our brothers and sisters in Christ, this is a definite privilege!

Photo credits- Drusilla Halteman, Kathryn Farmwald, and Jerald Rhodes

Is there anyone else frantically savoring the fragments that remain of sweet summer days? Maybe there’s no such thing as frantically savoring. But I’ve been doing something of the sort…

I used to get peeved at people who roared loud and long about all the glories of summer. I mean, summer also means sweltering heat, and ugly things like ticks and weeds. But I’ve come to appreciate summer. (If the heat stays in moderation.) My mental health needs the warmth and light of sunshine! The coming winter and all its grayness can look a tad intimidating. But as I say goodbye to summer, I’ll anticipate basking in the autumn sunshine and crunching orchard fresh apples before I meditate on the harshness of winter.

Here are some highlights of our Summer:

Late July, we were back to Southern Indiana for Jerald’s brother’s wedding. The four wedding pictures are credits of Jamie Lynn Photography.

Intentionally pick yourself a bouquet of summer flowers, sit outside in the gathering dusk and remember the day’s blessings. Just because summer brings bountiful blessings, does not mean the next season won’t. God’s gifts are always abundant, no matter what season we’re in. When we choose to pause and reflect, we will be sure to find the blessings! 🤍

It’s been over a decade since my husband and I have said “I do.” That basically makes us ancient, right? There are more indicators of antique vibes popping out on my head that would agree with the thought. So with my advanced knowledge of married life and its unexpected twists, here’s a glimpse of adventures we’ve had along the way.

What newly weds don’t thrill with delight at setting up their very own house?! The joy of dispersing all the things to their designated stations, scrubbing off sticky tags and liberating everything from its cardboard prison. Who knew there could be so many strings and tags to cut through?! Oh, and the not so pleasant surprise of those fuzzies floating around whenever you wash the new towels! I remember the flinging and winging and flapping of those towels! In vain I tried to rid those flying fuzzies. Time and wear were the only solution to eradicate the stubborn fuzz.

As the years go by, the wear and tear on everything becomes more evident. The rags get frazzled and stained. The sheets fade and tear. The knives, once sharp and reliable, transform into dull cutlery. The pans have lost their shine; the dish rags begin to stink…. 

The bride and groom settle into routines. Real life slowly but surely starts to chip away at the initial shiny glow of new love. The feelings start to fade. Ordinary life gets a bit dull. The wife gets frazzled and worn, dealing with the challenges of keeping mini people alive and a house in order. The husband’s cologne is not as enticing as it once was, and now his feet begin to stink.  Somehow, as the  years go by, it’s like a symphony of fraying nerves and housewares…..Welcome to the reality of married life.

Any well seasoned marriage partner knows, it takes effort to keep the sparkles in romance alive and glowing. But it is worth the effort! Our love is better now than it was when we began. And if it keeps getting better, I don’t know how we’ll manage at 40 or 50 years! Married for 12 years, it’s not like we’re overly seasoned, but I’d say we’ve aquired the salt and pepper.

Real life throws setbacks of all sorts. It not only requires effort to keep the marriage in shape, but it also takes effort to keep the house in shape and flowing. If you’ve been married for 5 years or longer, you know what I mean. The wedding gifts and new housewares begin to wear out. Particularly around the 10 -12 year mark. They ought to do showers for couples at every 10 year increment. That’s when things really start giving out- the linens, the appliances, the nerves, the health. At least that’s been our experience. 

Nowadays, it seems like many couples have  every need supplied before they ever leave for the honeymoon. Even if they can afford it, how good is it for young couples to buy all things brand new? A freshly renovated house complete with all new furniture, a whole bedroom set, and new appliances. Can they learn the value of waiting and doing without, if they never have to do without? It doesn’t hurt anybody to sit on used furniture or at an 80 dollar kitchen table.

I’m going to risk sounding like a complete old timer, but when my husband and I got married, we were broke as a joke. We didn’t have much but we had love. Don’t get me wrong- we had our needs well supplied but we certainly couldn’t afford all things new! The house we were able to purchase after 6 months of renting a humble abode, came with a refrigerator and stove. The stove was nice, but the fridge clattered louder than a leaf in a hurricane with the ending of every cooling cycle. But hey, it kept our food cold, why should we complain?! Our washer and dryer were lightly used, purchased at an auction for a good price. I was tickled how clean they were and hubby was tickled with the bargain.

I was pumped to find a small kitchen table with seating for 6, at a yardsale just a week or two before the wedding.  It was oak with white legs. Adorable! Only paid about 75 dollars for it. It worked great for us, but whenever we had more than 4 other people over, we needed to set up a 6 foot plastic table to accommodate the extras. Didn’t hurt us a thing. We did this for about 10 years. Then we found a used, bigger table for a very good price. It still wasn’t quite as big as we’d like but we decided to go for it. Sure enough. Right at about 12 years of marriage, we finally had the funds to buy a new kitchen table. It had a scratch and was returned, thus it was sold to us at a discounted price. This table stretches longer than we ever had before.  We love the style, color and everything about it. But it was only after the good man of the house sold a portion of his toy tractor collection, that we felt like we could actually afford it. (I used to think his collection was a lame waste of money; now I see it was a quite profitable endeavor!)

Our living room furniture was a mishmash of bargain finds and auction treasures. I was thrilled the chair and love seat was new and still had the plastic over it because I’m extremely wary of hairy couches. It wasn’t until around 10 years of marriage that we bought a new matching set of recliners and  sofa. 

  We didn’t have a big budget for themed rooms and extravagant purchases, but I had so much fun decorating our house! I used what I had brought from home, plus decor from our wedding and gifts. It thrilled my heart to walk through our cozy house with all the little lights and candles glowing…. romantic vibes indeed! It is still one of my favorite things-  puttering around my house rearranging this and removing that, lighting a candle or arranging plants, all in the face of having a new look to my surroundings! And it doesn’t cost a cent.

Our bedroom set was from a college student looking to rid her apartment furniture. It worked, but the bed frame squeaked worse than a mouse on a cheese run. Since we never spent much on our bedroom set, we upgraded 7- 9 years later, but again stuck with used. Finally, right around 11 years of marriage, we sold the set we had, and upgraded to a minimalist type of frame. We still don’t have matching nightstands/dresser, but we’re fine with that. We like our room less crowded and don’t miss a big, bulky bedframe. Plus, less squeaking more sleeping!

Now let’s talk about appliances- the unsung heros of every household.  I’d say investing in new appliances is better use of your money than splurging on fancy furniture.  Appliances work hard and can take a knocking after 10 or 12 years.  You need a stove and refrigerator but you don’t actually need a designer sofa to survive. And very possibly, if you buy a brand new refrigerator, you won’t go through them like we did!

Within a few months of moving into our house, we found a used refrigerator to replace the clattering one. It ran well for us, but we left it at the house when we moved to NE.  We had a second  fridge in our garage, ancient though it was, which we brought along on our move. Less than a year after its moving experience, it died on us.  Providentially, it was on the coldest day of the year. I could merely place the items in baskets and stow them in the garage. That self same day, we found another used fridge but heaps newer than our old one, for only 400 dollars! This is what we’re running on yet. I expect it’s only a matter of time until it’s days are over. But maybe. Just maybe. When that day comes, we can afford a brand new refrigerator!

Now for the washer and dryer experience. They both ran faithful and steady for many years- a real bargain! Until one day last summer. I got my laundry started as usual and went to prepare breakfast. Suddenly, I became aware that the washer was filling for a very long time! Sure enough. It was an old top loader and this time it literally had no discipline to stop filling. There were rivers of water flowing over. Out of the laundry room, into the kitchen and down the register. It was like the love of Jesus- spilling over everywhere it went! I stopped the washer instantly; my elevated shrieking skills bringing my man around in short order. After the disaster response service, he was off on a quest to purchase a new washer. I stubbornly refused to embrace a front loading machine. I’ve had a good deal of battles with those when I used them at others’ houses. Just please give me a humble top loader. They’re so rare, we barely managed to find one. It’s still more advanced than I prefer, but it beats a front loader in my opinion. I don’t even care if that makes me old fashioned!

After this episode I reminded myself the dryer is the same age as its departed companion; I ought to prepare for its demise as well. What do you know. Not 8 months later it started giving fits and totally went kaplooih. There goes hundreds of dollars for another new appliance! I could’ve went without one a little longer, but this was in the dead of winter and who wants to embrace that chill?

God hasn’t blessed us with a quiver full of children like many couples, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have lots of expenses. I’ve accumulated more like a quiver full of health issues, which rapidly and vastly consume finances. But I thank God for providing us with income so that we’ve been able to doctor for my health. Otherwise, I don’t know if I’d be here writing this substantial post.  And the Lord has surely blessed us! We’ve got two precious children, and my health seems to be slowly improving. There’s always something to be grateful for!

My advice to newly weds? You don’t have to buy it all now! Learn to save and do without. You’ll certainly want to save up for that 10-12 year mark. When life throws those curve balls, you’ll need that extra cushion of funds! Whether it’s for stalling appliances, the fraying nerves and linens, the Dr appointments or dentist visits. Life has a way of keeping the green backs from collecting dust. So be prepared. Embrace the quirks, the worn-out house wares, and unexpected expenses. It’s the journey together that truly matters. Buckle up and enjoy the ride! With a dash of humor and plenty of love, you’ll navigate the choppy waters of marriage with laughter in your hearts and a well-worn house to call home. Happy nesting!