I approached Alena this morning with an idea that has been on my heart for Wisdom Wednesday. My goal was to caution the reader that there are a lot of missionaries out there that may be doing more harm than good, and many that are living a very lavish lifestyle off of donations from hard working people, We talked about the story of Amy Carmichael and she retold the story so well that I asked her to write this for me. Thanks Alena!!

Are We Truly Serving Christ?

The sight of the four missionaries traveling up the mountain was one that couldn’t easily be forgotten. They traveled at the head of the procession in sedan chairs—chairs with long poles that were carried on the shoulders of servants. Behind them came the rest of the servants carrying all of the missionaries’ “necessary” supplies in heavy trunks and boxes that held things such as badminton rackets and nets and folding chairs. But these missionaries were being quite conservative in what they were bringing. Other missionaries they passed on the road were hauling objects as heavy as pianos and iron bathtubs.

It took thirty-six servants to get the four missionaries up the mountain. And why were they traveling? Because the city lower down was too hot, and so, the missionaries were heading to the mountains where it would be cooler and they could rest.

When Amy Carmichael arrived in India during the late 1800s, and witnessed how the missionaries around her acted, she was horrified. If questioned, each of the missionaries would have been quick to say that they loved the native people and that the reason they were in India was to show them the way to salvation through Christ. But that was not an impression a person could gather merely from watching them.

Continue reading “Wisdom Wednesday: A Word of Caution About Missionaries” →

If I could only eliminate one commercial cleaner, I think it would be oven cleaner. It definitely does a great job, and that’s why it’s a huge temptation for me, but I don’t like the ingredients or the way I felt the one time I used it. A friend that has eliminated a lot of the toxins in her family’s diet and cleaning products also noticed that she didn’t feel well after using it recently. Once you start decreasing the toxins in your food and environment, it’s easier to observe how harmful they can be to your health.

Continue reading “Week 35: Get the Toxins Out of Our Oven Cleaner” →

As more time passes in this short life, I have come to appreciate this time of year more and more. There is more time for reading, planning, learning, and conversations. One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to grab a good book and snuggle up with the little ones on the couch in our cozy, warm farm house, that is heated by the work of our hands and was transformed by many people working together. I also enjoy being able to look out our big picture window at the cold and unpleasant Nebraska weather and know that I have a little more time before heading out for chores. I have come to love teaching, learning, and growing, and we have observed that the best and easiest way to do that is to read widely. Because our lives are so busy, I am intentional about setting times to read with our kids. We read after breakfast, lunch, and supper. We bring books along when we travel (which isn’t too often). I read to everyone on the way to church every Sunday, and our kids love to read on their own (sometimes too much). I have so many books that I love, and that have transformed my life and health, but here are my five recommended reads this winter.

Continue reading “Five Books I Recommend This Winter” →

I recently learned about a new line of skin care products from someone that I really trust. I have benefited so much from their natural health information that I was excited to check out what they were selling. The first thing I noticed when I went to their website was that they had large pictures of natural ingredients with the names under the pictures. Think of coconut oil as an example. As I scrolled to the bottom of the page, I found the list of all the ingredients. There were several preservatives and ingredients that weren’t natural or necessary for good skin health. Unfortunately, those harmful preservatives don’t even guarantee a safe product, because we see recalls all the time where harmful bacteria have proliferated in a product, despite those preservatives that are supposed to stop them. Not only did it contain harmful ingredients, it was very expensive!

Continue reading “Wisdom Wednesday: Don’t Trust Someone So Much That You Neglect to Investigate Their Product” →

Have you ever read the ingredients in commercial window cleaner? Until today, I had no idea what was in them, but I always assumed that it wasn’t good to be breathing in those strong smelling, toxic chemicals that would spray out each time I pulled the handle. After reading the list of ingredients today, I was even more thankful that I never use it anymore. I have worked for several years on a variety of ingredients to clean my windows, and I haven’t liked any of them until recently. I can honestly say that I have finally come up with a recipe that I love, and it’s so simple, effective, and frugal. I hope you will give it a try too!

Continue reading “Week 34 Get the Toxins Out . . . Of Our Household Cleaners” →

As I looked around the table at the whole family gathered for our Thanksgiving dinner, I was reminded of what a wonderful life we live here in Nebraska. There is no one telling us where to go to church, how to raise our food, or why we have to wear a mask. Well, people have a habit of telling things like that, but nobody has authority to make our decisions for us.

It was just our immediate family this year, but the ten of us must surely have made enough noise for a big crowd. Our plates were full (probably over-full) with turkey, potatoes and gravy, stuffing, corn, rolls, and pumpkin pie. But better even than the food was the conversation, the laughing, and the stories flying back and forth. I mean, seriously. If our happiness depended on my chocolate bears coming out of their mold perfectly, we would have been devastated. They were mush.

Continue reading “Our 2021 Thanksgiving on the Mentink Farm” →

May your turkey be fat and juicy,

May your yard games not result in broken bones,

May the cell phones by forgotten in your vehicle,

May the laughter be so loud it alarms the neighbors,

May your gravy be smooth and truly without MSG,

May the kitchen be used and without smoke,

May the food be so natural that you feel energetic and fruitful,

May you be blessed with abundant health!

May you make great memories on this day, while giving thanks to our amazing creator God for His provision.

Psalm 106: 1 Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Mentinks!

Have you ever noticed that even if God allows you to have a dream, you’re expected to work to make it happen?

Dan Miller

The other day Asher, age 6 came up to me and asked if he could listen to a Dan Miller podcast while he put his clothes away every morning. “I would like to get some wisdom,” he seriously replied. Since Asher was helping me with my wisdom Wednesday post last week, I thought I would share something from Dan Miller and Asher approved the quote. While we think proverbs is the BEST place to get wisdom, we think Dan Miller has some good wisdom to share too! Are you living your dream? We would love to hear from you!

Homemade Carpet Cleaner Recipe

Since we had carpet in the kitchen at our old house, I cleaned carpets about once a month. Every time I would clean the carpets I would get a sore throat. Needless to say I hated cleaning carpets! Once I found this natural recipe my husband thought I might wear out the carpets by cleaning them so much. The carpets looked clean, smelled fantastic, and I felt great after using it. I no longer have any carpet in my house, but I still use this on my furniture a few times a year. I used this recipe for years on my carpets and furniture and never experienced any problems, but please read the warning below.

Continue reading “Week 33: Continue Getting the Toxins Out of Our Household Cleaners” →

1. I HATE suffering
2. I don’t have time to waste feeling tired
3. I don’t like being in pain and feeling sick
4. I’m a better servant
5. I don’t want to be a slave to big Pharma

Why do you use natural cleaners, natural skin care, and eat good quality food? We love to hear from you!