tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88747338759594472112024-03-20T13:44:22.918-07:00Love,Faith,and the Circus of LifeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-81805216068170921082014-01-13T07:13:00.001-08:002014-01-13T07:13:07.094-08:00Fill me upI am completely empty today. I have a bad habit of running my car out of gas. Not completely, but to the point I find myself saying, quite often, "Kids, start praying. We're almost out of gas and need to make it 20 more miles. Mom forgot to fill up again." I've gone through 2 fuel pumps in 4 years and they aren't cheap for this gas hog. But thankfully I've never been stranded. Even the smallest, seemingly petty prayers are heard by God. So like my car, I have let myself become empty, warning light on, Lord fill me up. I have absolutely nothing to give but myself. Unworthy, undeserving, but so desperate for You, Lord. When will I learn? When will I come to the place when I realize that I will always be this earthen vessel in need of You? I am so physically and emotionally exausted all I can do is cry out to You and ask you to fill me. Take everything else that is left and fill me with all of You.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/nqVwuL_LvD0/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/nqVwuL_LvD0&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/nqVwuL_LvD0&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
This post was in my drafts folder. I do that a lot. Write and don't finish. Something I need to work on. Finishing things. Another resolution. But today, this fits and I needed to be reminded of the things I wrote.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-55093410856369377502014-01-10T07:58:00.002-08:002014-01-10T07:58:53.757-08:00Live, learn, and pick up the pieces<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Some things you just can't fix. I'm the type of person who can't stand for others to be mad at me. If I've done wrong I want to try my hardest to fix it before the sun goes down. I hate disappointing others. I'm far too concerned about what others think at times. But then in the same breath, if I feel I'm right, I tend to not back down from my stance. And while this can be good for standing your ground for what is right, it can also breed stubbornness and pride. Oh the ugly head of pride and self righteousness that disguises itself as wisdom and clarity. This year has been tough. Physically and emotionally. Hard lessons learned and not all of them were at just my expense. I wonder sometimes if others learn their lessons as hard as I do in their own Christian walks. I wonder if others get so blinded by their own "wisdom" that they lose sight of God's direction. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one out here really screwing things up big time. I'm not trying to be dramatic, I really do think these things. So what do you do when you've mucked things up and damaged hearts and lost sight of His plan? Well, if you're me you don't figure any of that out for quite some time later. You just have to start from the beginning again. Pray. Seek forgiveness. Repent. And trust that the God who holds your heart can heal all things. I struggle because I want everything to be the way it used to be. Sometimes that is not possible. But healing and restoring is. And out of my mess God is still working. He hasn't stopped believing in me. He hasn't stopped nudging me in His direction. And it amazes me that even when I am over here stumbling over my own two feet, trying to find my way out of this tunnel I've wandered down, He doesn't change. He continues to fulfill His promises. He continues to answer my prayers. There's a solace in knowing that this is only for a time. This world. This heartache. These mistakes. These struggles. If we fight the good fight. If we continue in the race, there is a reward. There is a joy of a future with the One who carries me through all of this. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The key, I believe, is holding on to His truth. The bible says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" So when we put our trust in ourselves and our own feelings we can land so far off base it's dangerous. I'm not saying that we cannot trust our God given discernment, but everything bathed in prayer people. Not being led by our feelings but by the Holy Spirit. And using the word of God as our guide book. So many times as Christians we get an idea of how we think things should be. How they should look. How people should act and be. God deals with us all and I'm pretty sure He can handle it. I think I lost sight of how much work He was still doing on me. Don't ever let yourself get to a place where you think, this is good enough. I'm not doing terrible things, I'm maintaining here...good enough. God has so much more planned. One of my old pastors used to say, we should be continuing daily to look more and more like Jesus. I can't do that if I'm ok with where I am. Good enough keeps us distant from God. Good enough keeps us from reaching for Him and seeking His guidance and truth. Good enough doesn't really need <br />God because good enough thinks it has all it needs from God and doesn't seek more. I think good enough in our minds can be a pretty safe place to be but, in all actuality is a very dangerous place to be. If we aren't seeking to move forward in our walk and relationship, where does that leave us? I'm going to guess....going backwards. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">So I'm still learning. And I'm counting my blessings. God is still God regardless of what is going on and He is still doing amazing things. Answering prayers I had almost given up on. Changing hearts and molding future generations. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new."-2 Corinthians 5:17</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-8238216507204863222012-11-09T11:04:00.002-08:002012-11-09T11:04:55.103-08:00DaughtersThey are under my feet in the kitchen. They want to crack eggs and mix shells in my cookies. They want to reach into the hot oven and grab the hot casserole. They threaten to break every dish in my house with their clumsy little hands. Oh but they want to help. They want to cook and make beautiful delicious dishes that everyone will love. They dress like I do, talk like I do, they even write like I do. They want to be like me. Simple, plain, ordinary me. Oh how humbling it is to be a mother of daughters. These daughters that choose their drink at a restaurant based on what mommy drinks. These daughters that ask, "What perfume are you wearing mommy? I want the same as you." They come in with lipstick smeared faces ready to go to Walmart because they are just trying to do their faces up like mommy does. I see it. And sometimes I am frustrated by it. Oh Lord, help me to remember in my busy hustle that they are trying to emulate me. Help me to be the mother I want them to emulate. When they do something that is unpleasing to You, help me to look within myself and ask myself if they emulated that behavior from their mother. They look, they see, and they will inevitably be a lot like me. And when I fail, because I will at times, help me to show them my repentant heart and point them back to You, the One who never fails. I am so honored and humbled each day to be the mother of two beautiful, strong, courageous, loving girls. Girls that I look at and see so much of myself and so much of who I was as a child and who I am today. I love how our Creator makes us. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-35791799663235170062012-10-28T20:10:00.000-07:002012-10-28T20:12:23.236-07:00My Doubt His BeliefA million different thoughts. We are faced with decisions in life where we ask why me. I find myself wondering why I feel the Lord asks me to do the very thing I feel I am not designed to do. I am a helper. I am a caregiver. I am a multitasker. I am a handful of things in my own eyes. I feel I know what I am called to and at the same time wonder if I've missed it. But when I am faced with something completely out of my comfort zone, something I feel is better left for someone else more qualified, I wonder....is this it? Are You calling me, Lord, to fill in the gap that I don't feel even the slightest bit adequate to fill? I will say it's not what I'm designed to do. I will say You have made me for other things, not this. I will squirm and fumble around and avoid this thing that I fear I will fall flat on my face trying to accomplish for You. I can't. I won't. Oh but Lord I want to if it is for You. Confusion and doubt come in like a flood during these times. If I linger long enough they possibly could overwhelm me. So I fight through. I pray. I wonder, why me? Only You know the answers to those lingering questions. The uncertainty of it all is what brings You glory. Why did I never see this before? One little step of faith into the unknown is all it takes to move forward in His perfect will. I want to be ok with the unknown. I want to pray past all fear and rest. Just rest in Him. Old habits die hard. I feel each new and completely different circumstance teaches me that same life lesson I have been learning all along this walk. Trust Him. Rely completely on Him. Let go, and be obedient. Oh but what will it look like? How will I prepare for something I don't know the outcome to? I am just going to have to be ok with knowing He's got this and He will work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Oh that verse has new meaning tonight. Tonight when I feel lost like the branch being tossed to and fro. Tonight I have to just believe and step ahead. Sometimes there is a calm and a peace from the Holy Spirit that just comes. And other times I feel like I have to go to war with my flesh. Everything in my spirit wants to align with His word but my flesh screams the opposite and the battle is on. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth. I say these things in my mind as I go back and forth. Reassuring. Constant truth flooding me as doubt tries to seep in. <br />
<br />
*Remember to pause my player at the bottom of the screen if you would like to listen to this song=)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/b9CJvVPSBqg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-78871547093373212012012-10-17T06:53:00.000-07:002012-10-17T06:53:51.236-07:00Moms Just Know "Do you know where I put my karate belt?" "I can't find the vanilla in the cupboard. Will you please help me?" "Where are the keys to my truck?" "I had my wallet on the dresser. Where is it?" "Can you help me find my workbook?" "Where did I put my favorite jeans?" "Have you seen my iPod?" All of these questions are directed at one person. Mom. And most likely, she knows the answer to most of them or if she doesn't she will find it far more efficiently than the family member asking. Why? Mom pays attention to detail when it comes to her family. She knows that she went and gathered the laundry from the kids' rooms and washed that karate belt that was in desperate need of a cleaning. She knows that the last time a child made oatmeal on the stove top that child has a tendency to hastily put things back in the cupboard, knocking things over, making them hard to find. She knows that a tired husband who normally leaves everything on his dresser, occasionally forgets to empty his jean pockets, which are now in the laundry pile. She knows that he also occasionally leaves his wallet in the center console of his truck without realizing it. She knows that the favorite jeans always end up in the dirty clothes and constantly need to be washed because they are a favorite. She knows that a workbook is probably stuffed in some chair cushion that the child sits in to do schoolwork. She knows the iPod is probably either in a pants pocket or in the washing machine because it never leaves a pants pocket. She just knows. She knows where to look for just about anything because she knows how her family thinks, behaves, and lives. It can be frustrating at times. She thinks, "No, I don't know where YOU put YOUR wallet. I didn't have it last, you did." But she will go look anyway, because she has a pretty good idea where it is. The heart of a mom always wants to help even if it can get tiring. I sometimes joke with my husband, "How did you make it out the door in one piece before you met me? Is this some sort of marital condition that sets in at the point of 'I do'? You lose all ability to remember where you put things?" Haha! It's alright with me. I get a little bit of joy being the magician who can find the things no one else can. They all act as if it is a miracle when I find something. "Where did you find it?!" "We looked <em>everywhere! </em>How did you find it?!" I just smile.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-36504467292558404162012-10-10T09:51:00.000-07:002012-10-10T09:51:26.811-07:00New Life<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sitting in a hospital room waiting for my little niece to be born makes me think back on my kids' lives. It seems like so long ago that I had little ones. Yet it doesn't seem like they should be as old as they are. People tell you "they grow up fast", "time flies", "enjoy these moments, they'll be gone before you know it". All these things they say and as a new mom you hear but don't really take to heart. Few people live like they won't ever have those moments again. Few people really cherish those baby years. All of those firsts. Few moms take time to really hold their kids while they can. We all love our kids and give them all we have within us but life is busy. Life is stressful. Life is demanding. Making every moment count can get pushed to the waist side. I have a lot of regrets. Thinking of things I missed out on when I was too busy being busy. But that doesn't stop me from wanting to do better today. To take in more. Breathe in life. My kids will not remember my clean house. My kids will not remember how many craft projects I tackled. My kids will not look back and think of all of the activities they were allowed to be involved in. They will remember the hugs. They will remember the picnics in the park on a sunny day. They will look back on the crazy camping trips in the pouring rain when we all huddled together under a tarp. They will remember the not so expensive vacation when we didn't really "do" anything but love was shared and memories were made. They will remember the coffee dates, the game nights, the Sunday night hot dog roasts, the spontaneous road trips, and the hikes in the woods. These are the things I want implanted in my kids' memories of our family. I pray that this will always be my heart's desire. I pray that I never get too distracted, stressed or overwhelmed by life that I forget the truly important call to be a mom. New life. New beginnings. It is never to late to realize what really matters. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-67789567489088708362012-02-27T21:57:00.000-08:002012-02-27T21:57:38.570-08:00GraceGrace. I think my mother should have named me Grace. Or I should have named one of my daughters Grace because I sure need a lot of it and need to be reminded continually of the beautiful grace given to me by my sweet Lord. I need grace tonight. Grace to bring me back to my knees. Grace to remind me that we are all human. Grace to remind me that I am worst than those I believe are in need of such grace. Grace to carry me through the heartache that frustrates me, makes me angry, makes me want to take the reigns back and steer this horse in the "right" direction. I need grace because I am so unbelievably dependant on my flesh all too often. What peace comes from knowing how loved I am. That there really is enough grace to cover me and all of my flaws. This is where I rest tonight. In the arms of Grace.<br />
<br />
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.-Hebrews 4:16Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-16236656389217002912012-01-24T12:32:00.000-08:002012-01-24T12:32:58.116-08:00Live, Live, LIVE Life outThis afternoon is sort of cloudy with patches of sunshine peeking through and as I sit at my computer listening to the girls make up a sack lunch to take to the back of the property to the boys who are busy building another fort creation I'm reminded of something. Love life. Live life. Go outside. Smell the air. Run in the leaves. Play with your kids. Eat the whole batch of cookies by yourself. Be yourself. Live for God first and for the approval of others never. Do say I love you all day long. Don't let these moments of time be just that. I get caught up in how fast life is going by but then I remember..it's ok, I still have eternity with them. We can just enjoy this for what this is right now. I think I'll get off this thing, grab a cup of coffee, and go see what this new fort looks like=)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnHcyJJ6vnTyiFDpIu_g_98EvzdKT1yKtkReHQxVAFJtGAJcJ0EUdS1zBHbRIS2sMxZhBwl8DB3qaYdL1H-_bZ3aUIWQI4OtAYPsSNV0Yw_yxwGxcAcXDJ9D3T05s4CSDFqv9sDTu50A/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnHcyJJ6vnTyiFDpIu_g_98EvzdKT1yKtkReHQxVAFJtGAJcJ0EUdS1zBHbRIS2sMxZhBwl8DB3qaYdL1H-_bZ3aUIWQI4OtAYPsSNV0Yw_yxwGxcAcXDJ9D3T05s4CSDFqv9sDTu50A/s320/015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqm8Z9b_i48AIC9ajom44wixEX_lfhtLf3Vedgif1_xTTGP5X0o7zvy7rQSFEML0A8z3f9bB7KJOfFe11RTcoI7GNJuyrl5ofoP0zO1xsg9464LvvanYC3i1xhKOOHnbTd4jWT7sUOH8s/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqm8Z9b_i48AIC9ajom44wixEX_lfhtLf3Vedgif1_xTTGP5X0o7zvy7rQSFEML0A8z3f9bB7KJOfFe11RTcoI7GNJuyrl5ofoP0zO1xsg9464LvvanYC3i1xhKOOHnbTd4jWT7sUOH8s/s320/013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dDv96B0wifhpXp_sz41P3g_YB-ExVftvT8jIN-t6TFyH3K_PfZ2Ta9ZJqXuH8X112Vi6COEeTF-_OmPcAak9iQzp5GZ4QFgRxBDJJr0MAFyR5iWV-n3IQ2luwbyJfTJ-e5R0g0Z6b9k/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dDv96B0wifhpXp_sz41P3g_YB-ExVftvT8jIN-t6TFyH3K_PfZ2Ta9ZJqXuH8X112Vi6COEeTF-_OmPcAak9iQzp5GZ4QFgRxBDJJr0MAFyR5iWV-n3IQ2luwbyJfTJ-e5R0g0Z6b9k/s320/011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4W0QULhe7Rb_6OIrerfCesFKltmAHrpzXdpYDAAiiO8GxGJDL_i1dA-TWF4_XpmrHy2u8PV3dww9Sr9Kih10-nwMr1sQs5g1kjp2FTdDLTJkqncK4pspBiDjvfzfONlEjGip7tqvKXU/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4W0QULhe7Rb_6OIrerfCesFKltmAHrpzXdpYDAAiiO8GxGJDL_i1dA-TWF4_XpmrHy2u8PV3dww9Sr9Kih10-nwMr1sQs5g1kjp2FTdDLTJkqncK4pspBiDjvfzfONlEjGip7tqvKXU/s320/007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-79787433979264150642012-01-13T12:39:00.000-08:002012-01-13T12:39:33.716-08:00This Momma Thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqpqFtcYQbrFoSgqoMksSInM2Cg1lGUhQQVFg-Ki03OY_QqNm027yIFglkstODhBqu87g65MGRCqxLiGUjXv42X1BIwvV_herZhwL2Js6xctAA3wR_BXMb3QQm5vwvUX75CS0CS6YDlw/s1600/kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqpqFtcYQbrFoSgqoMksSInM2Cg1lGUhQQVFg-Ki03OY_QqNm027yIFglkstODhBqu87g65MGRCqxLiGUjXv42X1BIwvV_herZhwL2Js6xctAA3wR_BXMb3QQm5vwvUX75CS0CS6YDlw/s320/kids.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Ok so here we are...smack dab in the middle of teenage years and I'm thinking..."Where was I when this happened?" Despite all of the obvious feelings of feeling old or not old enough to have teenagers, wishing I had more time with them, wanting them to be those sweet little ones I remember...I'm trying to be not only ok with this season in life but rejoice in it. God is working in this house I tell ya. He is cleaning out the closets, breaking chains, dismissing all pride and just molding us through all of this life stuff. So much of what I want gets me falling back to old habits of do this, and do that to be just right. No. We will live according to His laws but we WILL live rejoicing in His mercy, grace, and redemption that was accomplished on the cross! These kids are finding themselves. They are trying to figure this thing out too. Oh how I want to be a balanced example of what they should strive for. But when I'm not, when I fall short...I want to be continuously pointing them to the One who will not and does not ever. I am reminded and encouraged that so many of us mommas want the same thing. Have the same struggles. Really are living out this walk as I am and are not a perfect picture of what we all want to be. I need Jesus. Daily. My verse this week: "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"-Philippians 1:6 Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-24907233264623713922011-08-16T18:21:00.000-07:002011-08-16T18:21:54.525-07:00God is faithful even when we are not<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUl14hMWQ_PTNZe_CkcadWh4AusYXSLapDc0mSJPnEe-jqWDAFdamNsZH2QhJZoFfbpwY-_U5QzFx6cMPliZo8ck20LIgsRuFve5Mmxt_6jQsrR5aARo3pLx6hD3J6yovrpydR2Rh70w/s1600/141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUl14hMWQ_PTNZe_CkcadWh4AusYXSLapDc0mSJPnEe-jqWDAFdamNsZH2QhJZoFfbpwY-_U5QzFx6cMPliZo8ck20LIgsRuFve5Mmxt_6jQsrR5aARo3pLx6hD3J6yovrpydR2Rh70w/s320/141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><em>I have been discovering quite a bit about myself lately. I've found : I'm selfish. I have little patience. I am not as grounded in my faith as I thought I was. I am reliant on other people. I complain too much. I ask for God's help too little. I am inconsistent in many areas of my life. I am nit picky. I judge others. And of course, I am too hard on myself from time to time. I hate to be wrong. And the list is still growing. My faults. They are many. And quite a few of them I thought I had conquered or overcome. Or maybe I had through His great mercy and grace but then decided to take back the wheel and crashed and burned again, and am now back to my starting point. God is good. He's teaching me again. He's showing the way. So many times we hear the words and the sermons and believe we are living them out but in all actuality we are just going through the motions and "doing" the right things but not asking Him to do them through us. If it is just an act of obeying the law and not surrendering to Him, the One who makes all things possible we will just strive to do our best and fail eventually. I believe that is why Christians get so frustrated. We want so desperately to do what God has laid on our heart to do but rely on our own strength and ability to do it. It's as if we pray for God's help in our lives and then forget we even prayed for it when the test is at hand. It comes back to the joy of the Lord. Joy to renew our strength. We will not forget that the Lord is our only source of true strength if we do not forget the price that He paid for our victory. And we can rejoice in Him daily for what He has done and is doing in us!</em> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-21896164033051187632011-08-04T08:05:00.000-07:002011-08-04T08:05:03.666-07:00Making The GradeI remember being 13. It was time to shop for school clothes. I had gone from a size 7 to a size 9 over my 7th grade summer. In my mind I was just getting older and growing. I didn't look at my friends and wonder what size they were. I didn't care that my jeans were a size up. Something changed for me that year. I got a taste of the world and what it expected from me. I became more and more aware of the chatter around me. The, "I'm fat" comments. I soon felt the pressure too. What a girl will put herself through to feel good enough is horrifying. Why do we as women feel these pressures. It travels into adulthood. We need to be the good mother, good wife, good friend, good Christian. And it seems we are seeking approval from this outside world while torturing ourselves. I am not saying that we should not strive to be good in all of these areas. I WANT to be a good mother,wife, and Christian. But I don't want to rely on others to tell me or give me their approval when I've met or not met the so called standard. Our focus needs to be on the expectations of God and not man. When we are led by the Spirit we will know God's will but when we let our own desires, the desires of others, and dysfunctions lead us we are lead to believe what the world would like us to. God made us in His image. Why then is it so hard to convince girls these days that they are beautiful? That they are made specifically by a loving Father who wanted them to be exactly as they are? I believe it is a distorted thought process that can only be reversed by the Creator who first formed us in His hands. He is the only One who can pull these girls out of the superficial world that places all of their hopes and dreams on what their outward beauty can offer. A world that is only surface deep and never seeks the innermost parts of the soul. God has spoken. He has said that, ..."The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."-1 Sam 16:7 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."-Proverbs 31:30 The Lord wants us to know His value on outward beauty. He puts very little stock in that which fades and soon will be gone. So while the world is telling us the next best way to stay young and preserve our outward beauty, the Lord is telling us how to preserve our inward beauty and soul so that we may live forever with Him in the kingdom of Heaven. It is a battle that I believe we will continue to struggle with as women. Looking for the balance of raising girls to be ladies without putting too much pressure on them to be what the world thinks they should be. And it really doesn't matter how many magazines we shelter them from or if we homeschool them and keep them in church. They will still learn the majority of their principles from their number one example. Us. Their mothers. The same women who have struggled with these issues growing up. The same women who still may wrestle with these issues in our adult lives. I urge you to take them to the cross. To let Jesus heal you once and for all and to be able to see yourself as He does. A child of God who is fearfully and wonderfully made. Beautiful in His sight. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-67507930043131039732011-07-22T21:54:00.000-07:002011-07-22T21:54:43.757-07:00The Walk I'm OnNo excuses. Blogging has not been at the forefront of my priorities. Well it never really is. So if you are one of my few followers you have probably figured it out by now that I am not a daily blogging kind of gal. Shoot, I'm not really even a monthly blogging kind of gal! I do aim to do better. For my own records that is=) After all, that is what my objective was in starting this whole thing. A journal of sorts. Documenting life, faith, raising kiddos, etc.... It's been an interesting past few months. There was the church shopping. Highly recommended if you need some variety in your life or maybe just a good laugh. No, really though. It was hard and I'm still not completely sure we've found the right fit but it fits right now and that's enough. We get in such ruts I think. Of how church should or should not be. What suits us and what doesn't. I think those things can be fine in moderation as long as they do not get in the way of the real reason we have church. To meet with God and seek His presence. I've found that good deeds and godly works can be confused with spiritual wholeness. But most of all I think I've found that as humans we are drawn to rely on other humans. As Christians we are drawn to rely on other Christians. And while that is all well and good, it gets dangerous when we begin to rely on other Christians before we rely on God. When we are more willing to put our trust in them than fall blindly into God's open embrace. Now don't get me wrong, we need fellow Christians to confide in, to fellowship with, to hold each other accountable. But I think I've found that it is very easy to put God on the back burner or as co-counsel to the safer route. I know God has been teaching me the lesson to look to Him first, for all of my life. Sometimes I win the test and other times I find myself looking back and wondering why I took the long road. And sometimes I don't even realize I'm on the long road. Seasons. So many different seasons in this walk of faith. This season feels like the weather in Texas lately. I think it's time for the rain.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-72524080678835222742011-05-23T06:30:00.000-07:002011-05-23T09:57:09.519-07:00It Only Takes One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuhOLWboVm0w36yUuy78yxqanBRcLrJ1hI5JYYb8P6ChtjhqozZI1xlmrcddC-wT0S3zDUShZOuZPnxod8Va0lK1T3iCKsO4P2eQCXlZr3D1_Yiil78prAiw_pEsJFk8TzVfwL5n-E04/s1600/407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuhOLWboVm0w36yUuy78yxqanBRcLrJ1hI5JYYb8P6ChtjhqozZI1xlmrcddC-wT0S3zDUShZOuZPnxod8Va0lK1T3iCKsO4P2eQCXlZr3D1_Yiil78prAiw_pEsJFk8TzVfwL5n-E04/s320/407.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>It only takes one person to change another persons destiny. It only takes one person, listening for the sound of God's voice, to speak out to a hurting soul. It only takes one person to break the patterns and change the course of a family's history. It only takes one person to remember where God brought them from and tell someone else. It only takes one person to look up at Jesus rather than look down on a sinner. It only takes one person, and God knows exactly the person who can bring His truth to each and every lost soul. That person is you...if you listen He will show you the faces of the lost. Every heart has a different voice, a different way of responding to another heart. But God's heart contains the yearnings of every heart. It is not within us that the lost are reached, it is within Him. Thank you Lord for showing me Your great love and mercy continually.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-77679132487466642972011-04-12T10:35:00.000-07:002011-04-12T10:35:21.781-07:00Precious Pictures From a Dear Sisterfriend (Yes, that is one word in my book)I met Janea almost five years ago and she has become one of the best friends God has ever sent my way. I can't help but brag on her photography. It has been something I've watched grow from an interest to an amazing talent that I know brings joy to many. I'm including her link for those of you who might want to see more of what she does. I know, it's a shameless plug but I promise she didn't ask me to advertise=) <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1977515843932&set=a.1965108773763.120680.1424198580&type=1&ref=notif&notif_t=like&theater#!/pages/Lani-Janea-Photography/116203365127218">http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1977515843932&set=a.1965108773763.120680.1424198580&type=1&ref=notif&notif_t=like&theater#!/pages/Lani-Janea-Photography/116203365127218</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rzLiMrqGQGxKIBxUcLKYEtm1oQBmjgUA9MjIUWMDBY16t5qHek7kqKZj3EwaxTBETYCQDtRjVxduYmdgRNHRGrao2Kq1p9RNL81vTaiXVncufSi89jxfsXfWGd6jKOyyqpmBjxgzRLw/s1600/jake+%2526+I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rzLiMrqGQGxKIBxUcLKYEtm1oQBmjgUA9MjIUWMDBY16t5qHek7kqKZj3EwaxTBETYCQDtRjVxduYmdgRNHRGrao2Kq1p9RNL81vTaiXVncufSi89jxfsXfWGd6jKOyyqpmBjxgzRLw/s320/jake+%2526+I.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2s7Qyi4vpORkxEj5bibkd9ExFTXa39RVJseLmlnhjksIJQvYw7-agaaqcEZcwpGTM93ujo6cEeXCzZjAvFweqwMRSUbU7wsYhuLLd5SIjA5uCKEhLeFoa4-uSzhAzfxGc4rWnu4Qy8w/s1600/jake+%2526+I+laughing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2s7Qyi4vpORkxEj5bibkd9ExFTXa39RVJseLmlnhjksIJQvYw7-agaaqcEZcwpGTM93ujo6cEeXCzZjAvFweqwMRSUbU7wsYhuLLd5SIjA5uCKEhLeFoa4-uSzhAzfxGc4rWnu4Qy8w/s320/jake+%2526+I+laughing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtH5LSiEYFDrs9I5ShfQg1pIBRb_m0d82S9UbF5OGyIXzzWgOgkxcW5UMvQSinH9HcWncwMBmY9FTqkduU2W3TDkQUBqaUh4iYnRCCq0dKdXdWEdzJZw-mvCOSN7hCzTkOnjzxYDTbng/s1600/me+%2526+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtH5LSiEYFDrs9I5ShfQg1pIBRb_m0d82S9UbF5OGyIXzzWgOgkxcW5UMvQSinH9HcWncwMBmY9FTqkduU2W3TDkQUBqaUh4iYnRCCq0dKdXdWEdzJZw-mvCOSN7hCzTkOnjzxYDTbng/s320/me+%2526+girls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGTqxFlQxmhwCE64cw8ZaxQ_hEAcMXZk-Nc1uPOx5mPeOFlWT7FM188OxgKDZot5Pef-UDftE8knKySxv29lRNdvDyTNcYg7Mgpd6qbWl4r3J9JZU2KblucClX21J01Q1_z4y2V00xck/s1600/family+doorway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGTqxFlQxmhwCE64cw8ZaxQ_hEAcMXZk-Nc1uPOx5mPeOFlWT7FM188OxgKDZot5Pef-UDftE8knKySxv29lRNdvDyTNcYg7Mgpd6qbWl4r3J9JZU2KblucClX21J01Q1_z4y2V00xck/s320/family+doorway.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStTWgTz6vJHjXqhkKwRSPaVN9zdUcSYrvrTV4cQGek-OmtWFWMH34T6t6fraSP0NqGPGcwMPje7tKXeOP02QsGh2HikH3W1KV3dDMT0Zm96bnVWME4P5PyK6A5N6JDqc_huicXhDB3xk/s1600/girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStTWgTz6vJHjXqhkKwRSPaVN9zdUcSYrvrTV4cQGek-OmtWFWMH34T6t6fraSP0NqGPGcwMPje7tKXeOP02QsGh2HikH3W1KV3dDMT0Zm96bnVWME4P5PyK6A5N6JDqc_huicXhDB3xk/s320/girls.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MJcsI8gsmVI3pUYOc8-WTqypDNtAm7sNcZSZU1xmNbn-Lh3NYUJTYcWF-pVXXOsB7zOjvPqY4etVAn6Y1vywHftWOifGZVnGCQhNkiypwYiHEU9NVy7-BYBS4bYoHzG5IdUob04lxns/s1600/jake+%2526+boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MJcsI8gsmVI3pUYOc8-WTqypDNtAm7sNcZSZU1xmNbn-Lh3NYUJTYcWF-pVXXOsB7zOjvPqY4etVAn6Y1vywHftWOifGZVnGCQhNkiypwYiHEU9NVy7-BYBS4bYoHzG5IdUob04lxns/s320/jake+%2526+boys.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzmapVXRCOw8wP4S_gCZ4UbKasszpF6NGJiQ7BvfcV1dvP2NEkqHvY3ht46-6wCRWaSlMZN3DIAPwmpGhAkAUrKCkrT7uS5WLZ3Sr7vfIk9TCSzcOUft3y61oF_CbvZd6GyDzN46Z0Vo/s1600/jake+%2526+I+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzmapVXRCOw8wP4S_gCZ4UbKasszpF6NGJiQ7BvfcV1dvP2NEkqHvY3ht46-6wCRWaSlMZN3DIAPwmpGhAkAUrKCkrT7uS5WLZ3Sr7vfIk9TCSzcOUft3y61oF_CbvZd6GyDzN46Z0Vo/s320/jake+%2526+I+close+up.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTc2HIMNZUm6hzWA9tGXQL0q_JaDFH5Jq9Cny2eKcZVzQT9NvaaZjUblK18yF1m-Kv4cCf_PD_cnNyKB6xlzCIW70qjdN5HSAf71EJe3VnPmKn7Dp44FI7o9r1J6qd2shQmY_8SBXVcY/s1600/kiddos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTc2HIMNZUm6hzWA9tGXQL0q_JaDFH5Jq9Cny2eKcZVzQT9NvaaZjUblK18yF1m-Kv4cCf_PD_cnNyKB6xlzCIW70qjdN5HSAf71EJe3VnPmKn7Dp44FI7o9r1J6qd2shQmY_8SBXVcY/s320/kiddos.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-14007501283830508782011-04-11T05:51:00.000-07:002011-04-11T05:51:55.709-07:00Apologies and Good Decisions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN85I7nj3I0bd2kV3eUg-H403TGA-cFNK5cBEK_FWKELc9qglajp1-SWiGRRBxfdy1bjSvN9gJGlOhyphenhyphen0LUrSLsvXJe06tDI2DXoqoCOoRAo5YuxNFarovuiSAAZppBw5qIO9Npgwek4n8/s1600/253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN85I7nj3I0bd2kV3eUg-H403TGA-cFNK5cBEK_FWKELc9qglajp1-SWiGRRBxfdy1bjSvN9gJGlOhyphenhyphen0LUrSLsvXJe06tDI2DXoqoCOoRAo5YuxNFarovuiSAAZppBw5qIO9Npgwek4n8/s320/253.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> It's been a busy April this year. I don't have one free weekend and the weeks are pretty booked too. I am not the type of mom who likes to have a lot of "activities" and extra curriculars planned and booked. I like a few here and there but go, go, going is not my thing. So having every weekend filled is a little much for me. It's been alright though. We've managed. Everyone has had something clean to wear every day, the house is a bit dishevelled, and my room has become the storage room for packages, garage sale totes, Walmart what nots, etc. I guess this week I'll be putting things away=) <br />
<br />
I have some awesome boys. I don't say this enough. Last week while Cole was doing his chores he came up to me and said, "You know that thing(he was specific, but I don't remember what it was) I did without asking the other day? I forgot to apologize for that. I'm sorry." He had got in trouble for something and got a lecture because this is an ongoing issue. I don't think I remember wanting an apology or thinking twice about why he didn't. Another issue we deal with. I want them to apologize for things without being told to. I think they're old enough to get that. So this was really sweet. He recognized he needed to apologize, but the really sweet part for me is it came a day or two later. Sounds weird I know. But if you think about it, and know my son who has a memory that spans about half a second, it tells you something. The Holy Spirit was dealing with him on that matter. I LOVE this! I don't love that it took him a day or two to apologize but God working in his heart totally trumps the tardiness of the apology. It made my day. And had I not been really praying for them, I may not have noticed this. God showed me that instant..see, I'm working in their hearts. Answering my prayers. <br />
<br />
We had a yard sale this past weekend. I love having garage sales. What? I can <em>make</em> money by sitting around chatting with my girlfriend selling stuff I don't use or want? Huh? OK! So a few days before the yard sale Reily earned some cash mowing my friend's yard for the sale. He was so excited! He really wants to have his own yard mowing business but is saving to buy his own mower. He did a great job. The first day of the yard sale her husband offered him a raking job to earn this retractable fishing pole of his Reily had been eying. Reily jumped at the chance. So the first day he finished about half of the raking. He said her husband told him he could do it in the two days. I asked him if he was sure he didn't just want to finish it that day and he said, "No." Now there's a little side bar here. My husband had been planning a practice run on a lake he's going to fish for a tournament next weekend. Reily really wanted to go with him and hadn't asked yet. I think he forgot about that when he made his decision to postpone finishing. I know I did or I would have reminded him=) The next day rolls around and Jake(husband) is planning on taking Reily fishing. Cole had decided last minute he wanted to go but there is only room for 3 in my brother-in-law's boat. So Reily was going to get to go because he asked first. Cole was fine with that. Then it hit me. Reily hasn't finished that job he started. I forgot that too=) I'm noticing a pattern here of forgetfulness! So I call Reily in. I ask him if he's forgetting something about today. He remembered instantly. So I told him to go ask Jake to come talk to me. I let Jake in on the dilemma and he went to talk to Reily. This is the part I love. He asked Reily what <em>he</em> wanted to do. Leaving the decision up to him to go have fun or keep his commitments. If you know Reily, you know fishing is his life. He would probably chose it over eating. There was no hesitation. He chose the commitment. This was hard for me because it broke his heart. But it was such an opportunity to build him up for making the honorable, responsible decision! It was AWESOME! And he had a great day. My friend's husband ended up helping him finish the raking. Then he taught him a bunch of woodworking skills, which Reily loved. And then he payed him again for helping him out in his garage all day. It was a good day=) <br />
<br />
So just a little update on how God is working in my boys' hearts through prayer. Prayer works! I love, love, love all of it!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-39238998354736684632011-04-03T19:39:00.000-07:002011-04-03T19:44:10.328-07:00Praying for My BoysThis month I am committing to praying for my boys. Not that I do not pray for them on a regular basis, but I was invited to take this awesome challenge and really, I needed to. I have had my boys on my heart lately. Who they are, who they will be as young men, and who they will be as adult men with wives and children counting on them. I know, like most moms, I want my boys to have a strong foundation of love and integrity. I want them to love like I would want my husband to love me and I want them to be the kind of fathers I always wished I had had. With all of that said...I know they are human and above <em>all</em> of the things I want them to be, I want them to be the things God wants them to be. Even if that may take them in a different direction of what I think they should go. Sometimes as parents I think we want the best of the best of the best for our children and forget that they are on the same journey we are and they should be seeking after the same thing we hopefully are....Jesus. I want them to want to know His will for their lives in spite of my aspirations for them. So my prayers have started with that. Lord give them a heart for You. Give them a true thirst for you and all that You are. Lord awaken their hearts to Your amazing love and make it so real in their lives they have a burning desire to live it out. Lord, I don't want them to just listen to me and obey my instructions, I want them to have the desire to seek You without me. I want them as young men to truly find their own faith in You apart from me. I've been praying for patience, kindness, consideration of others. These things that don't come naturally to any of us...add hormones and well, it's been a tough ride for the last year or so=) But I love seeing these boys grow, mature and make me proud in so many things they do! Pray for me to keep praying fervently for them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jVbqIdI618BxOKlOPUjb1T9AbfuFCXcSlk_gurX3y73x_KPYZg4UFn6sMQkoPeYi0bwEFBC5e4C2kZF1qy5bugqQnFB7fKxAQl8JXhnoPh7dXel98oE6ZCw2UmS1KqHVSPpAyx-2bbs/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jVbqIdI618BxOKlOPUjb1T9AbfuFCXcSlk_gurX3y73x_KPYZg4UFn6sMQkoPeYi0bwEFBC5e4C2kZF1qy5bugqQnFB7fKxAQl8JXhnoPh7dXel98oE6ZCw2UmS1KqHVSPpAyx-2bbs/s320/011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Oh yea, he is AWESOME!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGVMKg7uknq7hkq6pExipJgL3bVScXz1dSJMm5tIn06mQ2EmnIunduQu7G-_rk9AYsJmhtOhsdTCKLbt_1tJrBoy-9XfdpyYu7R3ho-RQrxJMdU_E_vHGSa8I4LeZmGzoFejcp_PnZG4/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGVMKg7uknq7hkq6pExipJgL3bVScXz1dSJMm5tIn06mQ2EmnIunduQu7G-_rk9AYsJmhtOhsdTCKLbt_1tJrBoy-9XfdpyYu7R3ho-RQrxJMdU_E_vHGSa8I4LeZmGzoFejcp_PnZG4/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgQ2rO6YFcQPL4Gdtoz1Z407Jx5fZQjG9II7HaYZdnvDQ73oGihyphenhypheneaH3ZeAwrJ8WIwwffpoXTN5PWzXOUWTFYyI4ZYOnkhmf-KvhXqYA35ESZmQ1w1v7WnTWyWYHhyphenhyphenY-ln0SsUsN2060/s1600/037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgQ2rO6YFcQPL4Gdtoz1Z407Jx5fZQjG9II7HaYZdnvDQ73oGihyphenhypheneaH3ZeAwrJ8WIwwffpoXTN5PWzXOUWTFYyI4ZYOnkhmf-KvhXqYA35ESZmQ1w1v7WnTWyWYHhyphenhyphenY-ln0SsUsN2060/s320/037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT1GAExLs1fsq2JfYQgOv20P7e4jhPChaK22dwK6AWagSpSN3QpohKf9VuIkRuxsfIj3gWu3kVv8WD7KjKee2oSf3CkCCdsw5HoTLoPb5cok8V-2YglZB9y5Oy7jizldtkuxb72EhSRc/s1600/042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT1GAExLs1fsq2JfYQgOv20P7e4jhPChaK22dwK6AWagSpSN3QpohKf9VuIkRuxsfIj3gWu3kVv8WD7KjKee2oSf3CkCCdsw5HoTLoPb5cok8V-2YglZB9y5Oy7jizldtkuxb72EhSRc/s320/042.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My sweet Reily placed first, but got points taken off for smiling. If you know him he is ALWAYS smiling=)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xYGxaXdodACZT9wN-N2GqkFmoxUdabMz5iJCy-NAdqc59wdZgm8IhQIFZvlTcCCsPToIVKbQQ5YS5Dt1qHPP2Ngg0m14G4PZWEkWNTjjjcPQA9anLmQQCy7ZWR40EVuszr3p-dPhjTs/s1600/075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xYGxaXdodACZT9wN-N2GqkFmoxUdabMz5iJCy-NAdqc59wdZgm8IhQIFZvlTcCCsPToIVKbQQ5YS5Dt1qHPP2Ngg0m14G4PZWEkWNTjjjcPQA9anLmQQCy7ZWR40EVuszr3p-dPhjTs/s320/075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOOAUsd9PxpU_vFIU01-NQMBgTQXyWCha8nTH5leDQTqQkoNeFKDNpKxwW7FPtEoPLNaRYwUJo0zOWIACEx4CJsr2pCM0LIZKUQMlRICZiS3iPskWD3QT3OWMtYt0xRQrGetEA7VT2Oc/s1600/078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOOAUsd9PxpU_vFIU01-NQMBgTQXyWCha8nTH5leDQTqQkoNeFKDNpKxwW7FPtEoPLNaRYwUJo0zOWIACEx4CJsr2pCM0LIZKUQMlRICZiS3iPskWD3QT3OWMtYt0xRQrGetEA7VT2Oc/s320/078.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-53586596610646840932011-03-29T12:26:00.000-07:002011-03-29T12:26:12.230-07:00God is real. Period.I know it's been awhile since I have posted anything. Things have been busy, things have been crazy, and well life is twisting and turning as usual. My husband has been traveling far more than usual for his job which leaves me with all of the fix its and projects around the house that he usually tackles. Now a normal person would probably wait for their husband to return to tackle these things himself. Not me. I'm impatient and I guess not used to having to wait for him to do things. He's very efficient and I can't recall a day when I had to "nag" him to do anything. That being said, he can't very well help if he is not here to do these things. So I can either put the project on hold or do whatever it is I need him to do myself. It usually involves more time, a few step stools or ladders and a lot of smashed fingers and unnecessary holes in the wall...But I get it done eventually and most of the time before he makes his way home;) The reason I've been doing so many projects and stuff around here is because that's what I do when things are in upheaval emotionally in my life. I conquer tasks and projects because I'm overwhelmed by other things. A distraction if you will. But this recent trial and test was one I just couldn't shake. Couldn't paint through. It was a doozie. I began praying. I really didn't know what to pray for except for Him to intervene. I had no answers, and still don't but I can say that I found a tangible realness to God that I had never known before. A faith that was securely standing on His power. He was showing me His power. He was and is changing hearts. He is answering prayer that is not even being spoken in words. I wish everyone could experience what I have this past 3 weeks. It came to me a few days into this amazing Holy Spirit filled prayer time I was having...God is real. God is real like you and me(only much better=). He is truly a friend that hears me like no other. It was as if He was standing right next to me in all of His power rebuking Satan and the lies he had been telling me. Fighting this battle I am in for me, with me, through me. I want to glorify Him in what I'm writing so I want to be clear. None of this happened because of me. I didn't discover something that any person out there could not discover. I simply found what was there all along. Him. I simply acknowledged what was true all along. His power and ability to do all things. I knew all of the biblical truths. I believed them. I spoke them to others. I had faith. But to KNOW, without any doubt, to feel His Spirit speaking of His power and ability....such a revelation. I don't ever want to lose this thirst to continue this journey He's revealed to me. I don't ever want to sing another song and not realize the power of the words behind it. I don't ever want to take His love for granted. I want to always feel as I do right now. In awe of His power, His ability to move, and His mercy for me a sinner who has not truly given everything in His name. God is real. He's so real to me.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-55338042468154002542011-02-23T20:00:00.000-08:002011-02-23T20:00:00.397-08:00The Balancing: Act IFamily. Next to God I believe they are the most important of all. As I sit at my computer after a long day of running here and there. Running to the laundry room and back, running errands around town, running kids to and fro extra curriculars...Cramming, jamming this life. Where does the family fit into all of this. Balance is something I strive for and somehow rarely achieve. I believe it has something to do with all of this running. Learning to say yes to some and no to some is a difficult task for me. Partly, I believe, because I want to be the best mom, give them what I did not have, etc...I'm sure it is every parent's goal. I don't know if growing up with less makes us more susceptible to over achieving this goal, but it has crossed my mind. I do see, as they get older that time is much more precious than any sport I could let them play. Just the other night we were having a candid conversation at the dinner table about what age is the proper age to be allowed to "date". Answers varied and overall were pretty fair. Although, I will say, I sided with Sky who thinks 27 is a good age=) Desi commented, "We should have talks like this more. This was fun." We should, and it was. There were some embarrassing moments and some red faces a few times but it was fun, and funny. It awakened something in me that has been stirring for a few months now. I want to find balance in this world of craziness. Balance to find time with my children and husband, but to also do what it is God wants me to do. I do feel called to be a mother. But as a mother I don't want to just close my kids up in this bubble and not teach them how to be Christ to a lost world. There seems to be this lack of time. Why? The business comes back to the forefront of my mind. So as I hash this out in my mind I am weighing what is enough and what is too much.<br />
<br />
"This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart." -Ephesians 4:17-18<br />
<br />
Is my heart becomming blind in my busy life?<br />
<br />
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.Walk as children of the light."-Ephesians 5:8<br />
<br />
Lord, help me, help us to be Your light in this darkness. Lord do in me what I cannot do on my own daily.<br />
<br />
"Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren."- Deuteronomy 4:9Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-9227635097680087442011-01-26T20:54:00.000-08:002011-01-26T20:54:04.213-08:00Do We Just Settle?I've been thinking a lot lately about living out God's will for my life. It has been in the past just me trying to figure it out. Search myself instead of asking Him to search me. What do I want? What inspires me? While those are valid questions they do not require implementing God into the equation. But I have been somewhat content in my Christian life of going to church faithfully, paying my tithes, reading my bible, praying, etc. I'm following all of the "rules" right? But at some point there is a restlessness. Why? Is this not good enough? Am I settling for the lukewarm Christian walk that God so warns us about. I think, I know He wants more from us. And I am finally realizing that I cannot dream big enough to satisfy His plan. So why would I try to draw it up myself when I can just choose to obey and trust? I feel as if I've settled into being okay with this world. Being okay with spending my time on meaningless tasks. Being okay with irresponsibly spending His money on "things" that could better be used for eternal things. I have to ask myself...What am I doing with this life He has blessed me with? Did I forget how far he brought me up from. No, I did not forget...but nice dinners, shopping sprees, and fancy coffee sure can make that memory pretty distant. I am not an extremist...although I do see it's upside, but I do believe He blesses us so that we may bless others in return and seek His purpose. I don't want to be caught up in living a routine Christian life. I know where my heart lies. The lost. How do we reach them from our comfortable houses and our fancy cars and our organized extracurricular events? I was lost. I need to remember how Jesus found me. So I am resolved to embark on this journey. The road He intends for all of us I believe. I want to leap with my eyes closed out of my comfort zone and into the assurance that while it may not be glamorous or convinient or easy, His plan is what I am here for and it is where I will find true meaning to this life. Isn't that what the world has been searching for? <br />
<br />
"He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." -1 John 2:6<br />
<br />
"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." -Philippians 1:6<br />
<br />
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." -Psalm 32:8<br />
<br />
"Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left." -Isaiah 30:21Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-53185668179413381092011-01-21T13:31:00.000-08:002011-01-21T13:31:53.579-08:00Large Family LogisticsThis is a giveaway on a blog I just love. While I do not have near the large family Kimberly does, I can relate to a lot of what she blogs about and love her passion for family, homeschooling, and simplistic living. Check out her recent giveaway for a great book called <em>Large Family Logistics. </em><br />
<em><a href="http://raisingolives.com/">http://raisingolives.com/</a></em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-71468860252055484442011-01-03T11:18:00.000-08:002011-01-03T11:48:22.870-08:00Happy New Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHXPxsUexZwpMoRPuwC6qrTTvuI8aiRUfJ3zmLoslxnqO_aeR-NCicpTsl76UJj_ZpAq6wx7NwZ39N3EzhMvcIMMqPImJs6n3VoMGbicyHdoYi1U9Tb9bflg_zcBOmsuzAQ8lDH57rdA/s1600/Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHXPxsUexZwpMoRPuwC6qrTTvuI8aiRUfJ3zmLoslxnqO_aeR-NCicpTsl76UJj_ZpAq6wx7NwZ39N3EzhMvcIMMqPImJs6n3VoMGbicyHdoYi1U9Tb9bflg_zcBOmsuzAQ8lDH57rdA/s400/Christmas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>When I think about the New Year and all of the possibilities and resolutions we all make it gets me thinking that each day is like that with the Lord. It reminds me of the song with the chorus, "Today is the day, You have made. I will rejoice and be glad in it! And I won't worry about tomorrow. I'm trusting in what You say, today is the day!" I know this song is taken straight from bible verses and it rings so true to me in this season of my life. There comes a time, I believe, in all of our Christian walks that God has to make clear to us who we need to put our hope and trust in. Who we need to worship. Who we need to make the center of our lives. And in that process of learning to rejoice and be glad regardless of the circumstances. He is the reason we sing! Who other than God can bring joy in great sadness? Who other than the author and finisher of our faith can give us utter peace when we feel such heartache? The possibilities for today are endless just as the possibilities for this coming year are. But what my focus has be directed to is today. Today is the day to rejoice and sing His praises for what He has done and what He will do if we will let Him in. I am so very thankful for the trials my Lord has brought me through. I am so grateful that He has a purpose beyond what I can imagine. I am so grateful that although I may try and fit Him into my little mold He is faithful to show me in all His wisdom and glory how much more He is. I serve an awesome God who can work in the hearts of even the most stubborn willful humans like myself. There is no greater love. As I reflect on last year and the year before it seems they run together. We had so many trials as a family, one after the other it seems like a dense fog that we just muddled through. But as I also look back on the struggles, I look back on the victories. Not victories in the sense that we as humans would like to define them. You know, everything was made right, all problems solved and are no longer there. But victory in His definition. Victory in the sense that we know He is the same. We know we can turn to Him and he will be our </em></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Comforter, or Counselor, our Prince of Peace. This is victory in Jesus! So rejoice! Praise His holy Name! And expect the unexpected in 2011=)</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em></em></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1El9X0bXEdot00b85rGJAeU3LlRhQNZtKoO9t4Y6IzrUxpnUtw7gaBmYAejFurTMkBXnCL9keeR3HuEnf_KKIdzXLa6bsSMg7-1xHwWkeE0Z1Csor0MAdsAehZVFe0h356zGSvfvQanM/s1600/winterberry+wreath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1El9X0bXEdot00b85rGJAeU3LlRhQNZtKoO9t4Y6IzrUxpnUtw7gaBmYAejFurTMkBXnCL9keeR3HuEnf_KKIdzXLa6bsSMg7-1xHwWkeE0Z1Csor0MAdsAehZVFe0h356zGSvfvQanM/s400/winterberry+wreath.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Psalms 30:5...."weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-10260812250865178942010-12-08T21:04:00.000-08:002010-12-08T21:05:16.873-08:00How do we chose to forgive?Today was a day marked with many good things. Today was also a day of sadness for me. When you find out that a wrong that has hurt you so deeply, cannot be made right in the way it should be what do you do? When you are faced with such helplessness combined with more pain than anyone should have to take...how do you forgive when the deliverer of this heartache is not even acknowledging it is there? Forgiveness to me in it's most simple explanation is: You wrong me, you admit, I forgive. or I wrong you, I admit, you forgive. I can forgive the man on the highway for cutting me off. I can forgive the rude waitress who wants a $15 tip for no service. I can forgive my best friend for lying to me. I can forgive my children for disobeying me. All of these different situations I can forgive even if they do not ask. But I feel in life there are some things where God really puts to test the value of forgiveness and the true act of forgiving as He forgives us. It is not in me to forgive today. I don't think it will ever be in me to forgive what I have gone through. I do know that it is in Him. Lord, help me today to forgive. Help me be like You, because as much as it hurts, I do not want to be my unforgiving self right now. I want to truly forgive. A lot of times we say we forgive these deep painful things in our lives but secretly we hold on to part of that hurt. It exposes itself eventually. When you encounter that person, or when you spend some time with them, or when an argument arises...I want to offer complete forgiveness. I so want to be what my human self does not. So tonight I have just my brokenness. Lord, take my pain and use it. Show me Your way so that You may be glorified and others may see Your light through my darkest hour.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-80264700959536575602010-12-07T20:58:00.000-08:002010-12-07T20:58:59.565-08:00Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...Well the last week and a half has been full of projects. I got the idea that I would start painting some things I needed to get out of the way. I don't know if the fumes have gotten to me or what because I can't seem to stop! Paint, paint, paint...My skin on my hands and wrists has become a strange shade of speckled black and white(two of my favorite "colors" or noncolors if you will=) So I will begin by posting some before and afters and maybe tell you a bit about my looooooooove to make old into new.<br />
<br />
The ugliest green known to man and, yes, I picked it. Was not expecting this hospital, circa 1965 version of green. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwE26wgp0cqPY5sEg_TeeYMMopE-bQK1fJXKapbXUMQdVueISOweH2atL9-PKtTsHqZvBn7nh-WWyUtvXweHQIVOTNEiV5XmMzjTNv2a90hdeaogmLDA8zURurDVuYoQsg2Lf6Hxh3D8/s1600/green+desk+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwE26wgp0cqPY5sEg_TeeYMMopE-bQK1fJXKapbXUMQdVueISOweH2atL9-PKtTsHqZvBn7nh-WWyUtvXweHQIVOTNEiV5XmMzjTNv2a90hdeaogmLDA8zURurDVuYoQsg2Lf6Hxh3D8/s320/green+desk+before.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So...I made her pretty and sleek in a little black dress=D You will find that probably ALL of my pieces are a "her". You spend that much time with something and she's like a good friend(I know, the fumes..)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kAQcpEupjlrV1qhgCmEDIPyce3moDBvVdekBja4qyT6kg96BzlTpqVDc42npo_QOjXbvFSVZL_cMCxDNIE9eL1g63uffK_L9p9kKAXLOjRxfLN3GDjPou1fFEHbhbjtiCdkpCOgZnJw/s1600/black+desk+after+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kAQcpEupjlrV1qhgCmEDIPyce3moDBvVdekBja4qyT6kg96BzlTpqVDc42npo_QOjXbvFSVZL_cMCxDNIE9eL1g63uffK_L9p9kKAXLOjRxfLN3GDjPou1fFEHbhbjtiCdkpCOgZnJw/s320/black+desk+after+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>*She still needs some new hardware but haven't found just the right stuffs yet.<br />
<br />
And this little table was screaming to be part of a white Christmas....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsbrmjPq0bBee-HhmPWJ7QU_TGf1jICj3Mhm1_cKoYSSF15eS4bcA-rUtgnaPNMRvBe3XidoG4GU8tcKAdkBYzqCsaOvWzDpIM4gASSv0IFSd3xJW_1RZqpZ16HRyerfQK6yJ_tovjf4/s1600/end+table+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsbrmjPq0bBee-HhmPWJ7QU_TGf1jICj3Mhm1_cKoYSSF15eS4bcA-rUtgnaPNMRvBe3XidoG4GU8tcKAdkBYzqCsaOvWzDpIM4gASSv0IFSd3xJW_1RZqpZ16HRyerfQK6yJ_tovjf4/s320/end+table+before.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And what a difference! I have one more and a coffee table that will be next on the white wash list=)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZqqHzt7rU4KA5fbazkN227d2fO0EtNwQELQKu95IeHPAgViYX1GtUXZsYwmzXJgyGNOQsUrhmj6C02ySOl7AMYHnzfTfz1WEKfG2XGg8oOHUsV2nt1wyCBQ5o7Gzi7nmhNo4KJEvihw/s1600/end+table+after+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZqqHzt7rU4KA5fbazkN227d2fO0EtNwQELQKu95IeHPAgViYX1GtUXZsYwmzXJgyGNOQsUrhmj6C02ySOl7AMYHnzfTfz1WEKfG2XGg8oOHUsV2nt1wyCBQ5o7Gzi7nmhNo4KJEvihw/s320/end+table+after+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This patio furniture, I regret, I do not have a before picture for. I am not sure why. Blame it on the fumes again=) But to give you a mental picture, it was this old powder, sort of slate blue. Very rusted and just more dated than antique looking. Sandpaper, Rustoleum, and paint to the rescue!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIHfhWDMiq1MU201GwTsTW0mgPwDfKVV1dc1CL2N6SgVpq4Dtp16jyolDC4S7pvkaKSH6-kLhNvu1BcQnQzvqj24x7iGG-jaOTFzvoWzWpl7hlncn-f7ThvFCxe99k4grZafY2AWoSTM/s1600/patio+furniture+after+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIHfhWDMiq1MU201GwTsTW0mgPwDfKVV1dc1CL2N6SgVpq4Dtp16jyolDC4S7pvkaKSH6-kLhNvu1BcQnQzvqj24x7iGG-jaOTFzvoWzWpl7hlncn-f7ThvFCxe99k4grZafY2AWoSTM/s320/patio+furniture+after+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>These two chairs were given to me and the white just stood out too much and just seemed dated. They were, by far the most trying as far as paint jobs went this week and last. Oh wicker I despise you! But I love the way they turned out=)(I only photographed one)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1XC6rcA7nPUT_24Vi3LfwAJcgdKxPe8AAqYPNUvupTU49m7v0v2Bg1ZUY4W2neh69OQtkBWcuCjMhC7X3kFq9-AHkdNAnFrcqg4c9P-1hLwdaLhjjMMDGdUuHYYXW6i5L2sQCAllCrs/s1600/white+wicker+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1XC6rcA7nPUT_24Vi3LfwAJcgdKxPe8AAqYPNUvupTU49m7v0v2Bg1ZUY4W2neh69OQtkBWcuCjMhC7X3kFq9-AHkdNAnFrcqg4c9P-1hLwdaLhjjMMDGdUuHYYXW6i5L2sQCAllCrs/s320/white+wicker+before.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And the end result........cozy<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5L2jjb2t1aIMA_aHdMka3i3uIraFeloSIhx3VLh315Nai6r2XZxXUvqehgp6qeSje54fhChN3FPhgycJo0rbwBwGAdSPV4bqN-IbjLpUzQxfZ6F1XEv2BxQZHQClsPAruXX9O9ifBva8/s1600/wicker+chairs+after+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5L2jjb2t1aIMA_aHdMka3i3uIraFeloSIhx3VLh315Nai6r2XZxXUvqehgp6qeSje54fhChN3FPhgycJo0rbwBwGAdSPV4bqN-IbjLpUzQxfZ6F1XEv2BxQZHQClsPAruXX9O9ifBva8/s320/wicker+chairs+after+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And now for my girls' room. This was actually where the painting marathon began. I got a wonderful deal on these sweet Jenny Lind beds from my friend Rhonda. They only needed a little paint to make them sweeter. I'm not sure if you can tell but the first bed had almost a blue and white tie dyed look and the second was just, well brown.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7kXlI_ueT6rhmw2a1FbVsVqnYz1Xe7lRq-bpdvcFFbDGKZ9DDPhleO4SYXhWeogMaM7UQzuF8yGARwghlGMTfoT2xVTE_bPVYF9qvNiEY8KpRR4L9UDiplrPkOMg9xvcKO3P-NFvoYo/s1600/blue+bed+before+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7kXlI_ueT6rhmw2a1FbVsVqnYz1Xe7lRq-bpdvcFFbDGKZ9DDPhleO4SYXhWeogMaM7UQzuF8yGARwghlGMTfoT2xVTE_bPVYF9qvNiEY8KpRR4L9UDiplrPkOMg9xvcKO3P-NFvoYo/s320/blue+bed+before+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUW_ArcE00z3_HuJvQ2275yotB_yQWZvFPK0mnlNIdyjpBpgkSsolGVvNPWR4zaZ83kd3YH_2g30zAgEbloDbRE-CyIG5toEyMPYyIwLW_u5TOIw1FlaSdpS0-mJql-R2qvEMyEZ04enI/s1600/brown+bed+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUW_ArcE00z3_HuJvQ2275yotB_yQWZvFPK0mnlNIdyjpBpgkSsolGVvNPWR4zaZ83kd3YH_2g30zAgEbloDbRE-CyIG5toEyMPYyIwLW_u5TOIw1FlaSdpS0-mJql-R2qvEMyEZ04enI/s320/brown+bed+before.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And let me tell you, after being in their brother's hand-me-down boyish bunk beds...the L-O-V-E these!!!(me too=))))<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArdUclft2N5ckIhM0yTbZYHvpNgttbepffKVb7Y4BMFe7yRnELyLo-6hSqoLcHvoujlFkg7ek4tx1l-02dryPJ1GKFtN-S9JuEvjMbRzKPnq7pOyRZ4O4hEGCJsGM6YS2MxoNSIWJu84/s1600/beds+after+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArdUclft2N5ckIhM0yTbZYHvpNgttbepffKVb7Y4BMFe7yRnELyLo-6hSqoLcHvoujlFkg7ek4tx1l-02dryPJ1GKFtN-S9JuEvjMbRzKPnq7pOyRZ4O4hEGCJsGM6YS2MxoNSIWJu84/s320/beds+after+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And last, but certainly not least, the girls' desk. This desk was a test in itself. Not only did I have to conquer a Formica top(who knew you would find that on Ethan Allen) but also an angry paint can that wanted to dribble huge droplets of paint all over me and the desk! Oh thank you husband for solving that mystery for me and saving what was left of the paint Walmart was out of! So...before<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiraP6J6jF-BBzyhpQwYu3Nl5A-6lWd8lVyrZpNA6YHOrhdPuGI-jL9gN67ez6Gy7oXSy6WuF7WkbpD8-ZKuzhCqSW0P_wUp88J6QfdEXuez32OaxAynie_wOXjFP-63kx0ORFGVA-To/s1600/girls+desk+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiraP6J6jF-BBzyhpQwYu3Nl5A-6lWd8lVyrZpNA6YHOrhdPuGI-jL9gN67ez6Gy7oXSy6WuF7WkbpD8-ZKuzhCqSW0P_wUp88J6QfdEXuez32OaxAynie_wOXjFP-63kx0ORFGVA-To/s320/girls+desk+before.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Not so bad but not nearly girly enough for my two sweethearts!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvC9buIQ_deqi3UbxtxzaDhep9cj0FnF91Iv9PJdsmqFOMYFtnh_99V7FrrC70w2nvGoOwr9kcoNRimoPZBNEEfMdkGXEIC_Brm4__Sc9L5034jMA6tHSlALJD5JbBHAqwnM1vbPFs18/s1600/girls+desk+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvC9buIQ_deqi3UbxtxzaDhep9cj0FnF91Iv9PJdsmqFOMYFtnh_99V7FrrC70w2nvGoOwr9kcoNRimoPZBNEEfMdkGXEIC_Brm4__Sc9L5034jMA6tHSlALJD5JbBHAqwnM1vbPFs18/s320/girls+desk+after.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Now this definitely suits them=)<br />
<br />
Well I've painted until I don't think I could stand to look at another piece of furniture again. But then again I do have plans to start again Thursday or Friday=) Projects on the list right now: a chair that is in the process of reupholstering(scary, I know), another wicker set, a swivel desk chair, and maybe a night stand. We will see. So glad I got to share these things and sooooooo glad they are done!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-53359875791483668442010-12-06T20:02:00.000-08:002010-12-06T20:02:26.569-08:00Rush,rush,rushAs I sit at my computer tonight reading my usual blogs I am reminded how much I have crammed in to each day. All of my to-do lists. All of my goals and aspirations for the day. Selfish most of them. What can I get done to feel that accomplishment of worthiness? How much does it take on my scale? It doesn't ever seem like enough. When I think I have tackled so much in a day I can always think of more things I could have done if I had utilized time better. If I hadn't had to take time to break up arguments. If things would go exactly how I want them to I could get sooooo much more done. Would I be satisfied? Would I give myself that well deserved pat on the back? I don't really think so. It comes from the person in me always striving to be good enough. The person who wants to earn approval from everyone and myself. I don't know what transpired in my life to build this person but it seems to be who I've always been. So the question I've been asking myself lately is, "When will I realize that I will never be good enough?" and that God sent His Son for that very reason. I seem to spill this expectation of measuring up and being good enough onto those around me also. So all of this time wasted. All of these efforts for what? So I can say...I did this, or I accomplished that? What am I living for? Who am I living for? If I am not living for a living God then the rest is meaningless. If I spend my days trying to "get it right" as far as I believe will make me good then I am striving to earn my salvation. And most of the time it has more to do with me than with God. More to do with my own selfish desires and less to do with what He desires for me. I am not saying that you cannot have goals or aspirations. These are all good things. But are they driven by God or by the need to fill something that only He can fulfill. I don't want to waste this life trying to obtain all I can. I want to know Him. I want to seek him. I want to know that He is far more important than any to-do list I could ever come up with. Then I believe I would not find the need to keep adding to the list. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8874733875959447211.post-14565684955167224222010-11-16T13:38:00.000-08:002010-11-16T13:38:31.090-08:00Learning<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>I've been feeling a sense of discontent lately. Just as if I'm floating around without direction. Sort of numb and not allowing myself to process all that is going around me. There's been allot. But I realized I need to process it. I'm slowly letting it all in. And as I do I find my Lord meets me there. He shows me that although the things of this world may change He never will. I admit I have become attached to some of the things in this world that make me feel secure. I'm working on this. God is faithful to show me that He is all I need. And while the comforts of this world may be just that...He is my true Comforter. I am writing this for me. So I can recognize out loud what I so desperately need His grace for. I am not able to overcome my weaknesses without Him. And without Him I am unable to recognize them in the first place. So I'm coming, Lord, on my knees waiting for You to show me the way. I need You and only You. This world has nothing for me...as the song writer wrote. Lord You said this world is not my home. So I will try each day to remember my eternal home and live this life as a guest. Knowing that no matter the trial, no matter the pain, no matter the loss..you have so much more in store for us when we do come home forever. Thank you Lord for always knowing my thoughts, for always knowing my needs, and for caring enough about the sinner that I am to hold my heart in your hands.</strong> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12116822005100810294noreply@blogger.com0