Thoughts and updates

I haven't posted in quite a while. I've struggled with having a blog...how candid should I be?? Is it okay to be sarcastic and a little critical in such a pubic place? Does my blog honor Christ or is it just a space to display wit that may not be life giving? I desire to be intentional in the way I live out my faith and have yet to find the balance of how to be real and honoring while blogging...

So instead I'll post about my bathroom/kitchen :)

Hubby and I bought a house in March. It's a fixer-upper. We moved-in in May and since then we've (and by we, I mean my part has been to keep a positive attitude!) been renoing the space. Walls have been knocked out, ceilings replaced, doors put in places where walls used to be, windows replaced and still tons more to do before the space is functional. So in the mean time we've been living in the back side of the house.

We really have everything we need. It just isn't always the most convenient! My kitchen is in the area that is down to bare bones so I've converted the ginormous master bathroom (which was built fully handicap accessible) into my make-shift kitchen. It's not perfect but it works :)

It's so big that my kitchen table fits!!

And here's my counter, sinks for washing, the hot plate and toaster oven that allow me to creatively cook (almost!) whatever I want :)

The bookshelf hides the toilet quite nicely.

Here's the shower. It's hidden behind the table and I usually have the curtain closed.

And in case you're concerned or just wondering...this bathroom is NEVER used as such!

Finding Inspiration

I love everything about this little space. The crispness of the white paneling, the glorious dark gray of the walls, and the eclectic plates on the wall. And that yellow chair is fabulous too!

In the process of remodeling our 1950s home, we seem to have acquired a collection of old windows and the challenge of how to separate the space between the living room and sunk-in sunroom. I think I've found the perfect solution :)

A wonderful pop of color. Beautiful wood floors. Natural light.

Simply delightful :)

Too hot to be outside...

So this is what I do instead :)

Life Abundant

Experiencing the excellence of Christ

with high school friends

who are in need of the truest Love.

A Love that never fails.

Off to camp we go!

This is what I wish I were wearing to camp this weekend...but it's far too cold for such attire!

River of Life

I've had this in my head all morning. And I like it. It makes me smile and reminds me of summers at church camp :)

I've got a river of life flowing out of me.

Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see.

Opens prisons doors, sets the captives free

I've got a river of life flowing out of me.

Spring up, O well, in my soul.

Spring up, O well, and make me whole.

Spring up, O well, and give to me

That life abundantly!

Dirty Little Secret

We just sang that this song by All American Rejects at club. I thought it was just that, a song. Until I came home tonight...

I found my husband in bed. Pretending to be asleep. Pretending. He got a good scare out of me when I went in to give him a kiss. But that's beside the point. It's what happened after this that matters.

You see, my husband loves to cut-out coupons. He's all about some good deals (and loves to brag about them too!), even at the grocery store. So in usual form, he came home bragging about all the good deals he scored the other night. But it seems he left something out...

That's right, after I kissed him goodnight, I came into the living room to relax. And wanting something sweet I began searching the kitchen cabinets for something to satisfy my craving. And that when the truth came out. His dirty little secret...a stash of Gushers!

So now I'm enjoying his little secret :)

Learning to say Goodbye

She arrived in my life around Christmas three years ago. Back then she was so full of life and energy. And for three years she's been a constant companion.

But a couple of weeks ago I began noticing something strange. She just wasn't acting right anymore. I was in denial. I kept hope that the signs weren't real. But despite my wishful thinking, they were...so here's the truth. My precious phone is dying.

And while she loves to run away and hide from me, she's never lost a number or refused a call. She's been a most excellent travel companion. But our days together are coming to an end.

Her energy is always low. She just can't keep a charge. And pass-outs have become frequent in the recent weeks. And this morning, my faithful wake-up call didn't sound. She had died in the night (don't be too worried, I was able to revive her!).

I've begun wading through the grieving process. Fear of loosing numbers and having to begin a new relationship with a new phone often overcomes. But I am going to move forward and celebrate her life while she is still here.

October Desktop

I've recently found some really great desktop backgrounds for my computer, and they just happen to themed for each month. Well I just wasn't excited about any of the October ones I'd found...so I made my own with some free digital scrapbook kits (my newest love!).

So here's what's now occupying my desktop :)

Messy and Stained

It has become a tradition at the start of every year to have a messy club. Which is essentially a food fight.

We try to throw in some games with a purpose...well kinda. But the appeal really is a food fight of condiments, eggs, flour, sometimes garlic soaked noodles, and this year even included soup!

I love to start off with this cause its picture of how we are without Christ. Covered in our own junk and sin. Stained. Not matter how hard we try to clean ourselves off, our stench of deadness remains (and man do we smell after messy club!).

The beauty of messy club is getting to trust in Christ to clean them from the inside out. Bring them from death to life. Give them a new identity and new family as one of His.

Chestnuts

While working at Dollywood many years back, I had the fortune of clocking in right next to an exhibit on the American Chestnut. And every day Dolly told me about this horrible fungus that wiped out all these beautiful old trees.

So sad. No really, I was upset about it.

That is until I had a chestnut tree in my yard. Now I'm not in the least bit upset.

All because of these evil things

If you've never encountered one, it might not look that bad. But one prick of those spikes and you'll think again!

Every fall I spend at least good five minutes of every morning in my backyard with tongs in hand ridding my yard of these spiky devils.

So needless to say, I'm okay with this Great American Chestnut Blight.

P.S. This may not be very green of me... but I wouldn't mind too much if there was a Chinese Chestnut Blight to take out the tree in my yard as well.

Immediately

I'm trying to read the book of Mark. I'm going slow. Trying to be open to the Spirit and see the little things.

Well I'm still in chapter 1...but here's what God's been showing me :)

- v. 15b - Repent, and believe in the good news. All too often I take my life back into my own hands relying on my talents, abilities, and my own strength. But that's not the life Jesus has invited me to. A life following him is a life of putting my trust in him for the big things and the little things alike. It's a life of activity not just of thought. And this life he's calling me to is good. He is good. Even when it doesn't feel good!

- v.18 - Immediately. It's an amazing word that paints a distinct image in my mind. It's used often in the Old and New Testaments (as I just looked it up on Biblegateway.com). Immediately... its obviously another action word. But this word can be a reaction as well.

I want to be like Simon Peter and Andrew who immediately left their fishing nets and followed Jesus. I want to follow Him like that. I don't want to depend on my own understanding and reason but believe Him so much that I will immediately leave and go where He calls. Oh help my unbelief!

Stolen Shorts

There are many things I love about living in Small Town, Virginia. I love that I can walk to grocery store and Sonic. I love that so many people live in houses built in the 1950s and earlier. And I love that people still hang their clothes on a line in the back yard.

Since moving to this house, I've taken full advantage of line drying some of my clothes -- jeans, causal shirts, etc. I really enjoyed it until two days ago.

I had done a small load of laundry, put my t-shirts and such in the drier and then hung out a couple pairs of shorts. One of these were some Nike athletic shorts.

But when I went back out later that afternoon to take my now dry clothes down something was missing. Yeah, my Nike shorts!

I looked around the yard hoping they had just blown off in a freak gust of wind. No such luck. Then my mind started racing coming up with all possibilities of who could have stolen them...another trick being played by high school girls? Maybe the cross country team? They do run the alley behind the house regularly. What about those boys I saw riding their bikes the other day??

I stayed mad until Husband mentioned it might be squirrels. Apparently they do things like that.

If I choose to blame it on high school kids I know I'll stay mad for awhile. So I'm choosing to blame it on the playful squirrels :)

I might not have my shorts back but at least I'm not scowling at every high school kid I see!

My Gray Bedroom!

Just picture the walls in a lovely shade of gray :)

New Creation...Reincarnation and FRIENDS Moment Friday

Every Monday my living room fills up with high school kids over for fellowship, worship and a Bible study. It's one of the highlights of my week!

This week, after gobbling down a batch of brownies and an ensuing icing fight, we spilt the group into guys and girls. Us girls graciously allowed the guys to stay outside with the very aggressive mosquitoes and build a fire, while we retired to the living quarters.

This week's group was a bit younger than usual, resulting in an increase of off-topic conversations and me desperately trying yet failing to reign them back in!

We've been talking about the characteristics of God, specifically his goodness, but turned this week to talk about who were are in Christ. We combed through scripture and discussed our condition apart from God.

As our conversation turned to the beautiful mystery of being made alive in Christ, and I quoted 2 Cor. 5: 17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the has come!

While most of the girls have heard this verse many, many times and understand the idea (or at least pretended to!), one sweet and very spunky girl was bold enough to ask, "Like reincarnation?" The under-the-breath snickers began, followed by a quick and desperate description of differences on my part, which immediately moved into reincarnation story time.

Come to find out, one of the girls has a family story where they believe their aunt's cat is really the reincarnation of a family friend. After this, there was no hope and getting back on track. So we prayed and ended Campaigners.

But this reincarnation story has been reminding me of a FRIENDS episode all week.

The One With The Cat (as seen in Season 4, Episode 2)

[Cut to someone entering Central Perk which lets a cat in. The cat then runs over to Phoebe's guitar case and starts sniffing around.]

Phoebe: Oh my God! No! Shoo! Kitty! No! No-no-no! Shoo! Come on, you! (goes over and picks up the cat) Come on. Crazy. (looks into the cat’s eyes) Oh my God.

Rachel: What?

Phoebe: Nothing. Nothing.

Joey: What? What’s wrong?

Phoebe: I just, I just have this really strong feeling that this cat is my Mother.

Rachel: You mean the mom you met in Montauk. She was a cat?!

Phoebe: No, no-no, she was a human lady. This is the spirit of my Mom Lily, the one who killed herself.

Ross: Are you sure she’s in the cat, or have you been taking your grandma’s glycoma medicine again?

Phoebe: No Dr. Skeptismo! I’m sure. First of all, okay, there’s the feeling. (Chandler shrugs) Okay, and for another, how about the fact that she went into my guitar case which is lined with orange felt. (Rachel nods her head in unsure agreement) My Mother’s favourite fish is Orange Roughy... (Joey thinks he understands, but then nods that he has no clue.) Cats....like....fish! (Ross and Rachel are totally lost) (to the cat) Hi, Mommy. (Rachel covers her mouth, in an “Oh my God.” gesture) Oh, I haven’t seen this smile in 17 years!

Joey: (to Chandler) Dude, Phoebe’s mom has got a huge peni...

Chandler: (interrupting) Let it go!!