It's almost like a reality TV show. We have a $100 budget to redo the basement bedroom....
When we first visited our church here four years ago, we stayed in the guest bedroom downstairs. Apparently it had been used by a teen-aged member of the former pastor's family. She had a strange taste in decorating - opting to paint the walls black and use foam stamps to imprint swirls and other designs in fluorescent paint on the walls.
While it didn't bother us at all, there were some who expressed their horror about the room, apologizing profusely for our having to stay in such a dreadfully decorated room. "Sure we'll repaint it," we said, with good intentions.
However the old adage "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" prevailed. Since the room is in the finished part of the basement, the only time we thought about it was when missionaries or evangelists came to visit. Then I'd go downstairs, air out the room and clean it in preparation for our company. "Uh-oh," I'd say. "We really need to redo this room after our guests leave." And of course, I'd forget about it again.
Now it has fallen to my daughter-in-law to redecorate, since they are using the downstairs as an apartment right now. Discussions on paint and primer, wallpaper, borders, window treatments have ensued. Can we do this on our budget? Can we ever decide on the type of wallpaper or color of the walls?
Call in Hildy, Frank and Andrew the carpenter.... Call in the WYWO crew... HELP!!!!!! The only good thing about it all is that we don't have to finish it in 2 days...
Monday, June 25, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
The case of the ill-fitting armor
We had a blast in Children's Church this morning. Maybe because our kids were still revved up from our VBS this week? Or maybe I'm the one who was still powered up. Whatever the reason, it was good today.
We finished up our unit on the armor of God and as always, I prayed that God would give us a lesson that would stick with the boys and girls. I wanted to tie everything together and challenge them to make good use of their armor.
God reminded me of the story of David and Goliath. When David first volunteered to fight the giant, King Saul took him aside and had him outfitted in the best armor Israel had to offer. But the armor didn't fit right and became a hindrance to David. He opted to trust his own armor - his relationship and trust in the Lord to be his protector and deliverer.
As I told the story, I chose one boy from the group and outfitted him in a pair of large blue jeans with a belt for the belt of truth. My husband's umpire gear, specifically his chest protector, represented the breastplate of righteousness, An over-sized hat for the helmet of salvation sat atop the umpire's face mask (shield of faith). An outlandish pair of tiger slippers brought gales of laughter from the kids for the "feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace," and a cordless screwdriver represented the sword of the Spirit.
Then I handed the young man a toy sling shot with a squishy ball and instructed him to shoot the giant (a large piece of plywood with the face of a giant on it with a hole cut out in his forehead, probably where the stone would have struck the giant.) Struggling to hold up his oversize pants while holding his screwdriver "sword.," he wasn't able to fight Goliath very well.
Even though he had his armor for protection, it didn't fit him very well.
The moral of the story is that you need a fresh experience with Jesus in your own life through prayer, Bible reading and time spent with Him each day - you need your own well-fitting armor - to overcome the hurts, fears and problems the enemy tries to inflict on us each day. Wow! God is awesome.
We finished up our unit on the armor of God and as always, I prayed that God would give us a lesson that would stick with the boys and girls. I wanted to tie everything together and challenge them to make good use of their armor.
God reminded me of the story of David and Goliath. When David first volunteered to fight the giant, King Saul took him aside and had him outfitted in the best armor Israel had to offer. But the armor didn't fit right and became a hindrance to David. He opted to trust his own armor - his relationship and trust in the Lord to be his protector and deliverer.
As I told the story, I chose one boy from the group and outfitted him in a pair of large blue jeans with a belt for the belt of truth. My husband's umpire gear, specifically his chest protector, represented the breastplate of righteousness, An over-sized hat for the helmet of salvation sat atop the umpire's face mask (shield of faith). An outlandish pair of tiger slippers brought gales of laughter from the kids for the "feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace," and a cordless screwdriver represented the sword of the Spirit.
Then I handed the young man a toy sling shot with a squishy ball and instructed him to shoot the giant (a large piece of plywood with the face of a giant on it with a hole cut out in his forehead, probably where the stone would have struck the giant.) Struggling to hold up his oversize pants while holding his screwdriver "sword.," he wasn't able to fight Goliath very well.
Even though he had his armor for protection, it didn't fit him very well.
The moral of the story is that you need a fresh experience with Jesus in your own life through prayer, Bible reading and time spent with Him each day - you need your own well-fitting armor - to overcome the hurts, fears and problems the enemy tries to inflict on us each day. Wow! God is awesome.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The Day The Butterfly Died
Two weeks ago my son-in-law turned 30 years old. We celebrated with ice cream cake, a special lasagna dinner and lots of balloons.
Unlike the regular latex balloons, those mylar foil balloons are great - they stay afloat for weeks and when they stop floating at last, they can be reinflated all over again for pennies.
Because we have five grandchildren here, we bought five mylar balloons for Josh's birthday so each child could have one to play with. One died a sad, untimely death in the car on the way home. The poor thing was stabbed by a new toy.
At least 2 others escaped out the front door after a day or two around the grand kids... (Sometimes my favorite song is "I'll Fly Away" too - on those days when solitude is sold at a premium.)
But one die hard butterfly balloon flitted around the living room ceiling for the past two weeks. Having lost it's ribbon days ago, it was content to remain aloft, out of reach of little hands.
About 5 a.m. this morning, I was rudely awakened by a noise that sounded similar to a series of gunshots. As I struggled to awaken, I heard it again. I struggled out of bed to see what had caused such a clatter - I knew it wasn't the time of year for reindeer hooves on the roof.
I arrived in the dining room in time to see the suicidal butterfly attack the ceiling fan for the third time unsuccessfully. By this time Josh was also awake. He grabbed the poor butterfly before it flitted upward again and put it out of its misery permanently.
I'm not sure whether he just didn't want to see the poor thing suffer or whether it had something to do with turning 30...
Unlike the regular latex balloons, those mylar foil balloons are great - they stay afloat for weeks and when they stop floating at last, they can be reinflated all over again for pennies.
Because we have five grandchildren here, we bought five mylar balloons for Josh's birthday so each child could have one to play with. One died a sad, untimely death in the car on the way home. The poor thing was stabbed by a new toy.
At least 2 others escaped out the front door after a day or two around the grand kids... (Sometimes my favorite song is "I'll Fly Away" too - on those days when solitude is sold at a premium.)
But one die hard butterfly balloon flitted around the living room ceiling for the past two weeks. Having lost it's ribbon days ago, it was content to remain aloft, out of reach of little hands.
About 5 a.m. this morning, I was rudely awakened by a noise that sounded similar to a series of gunshots. As I struggled to awaken, I heard it again. I struggled out of bed to see what had caused such a clatter - I knew it wasn't the time of year for reindeer hooves on the roof.
I arrived in the dining room in time to see the suicidal butterfly attack the ceiling fan for the third time unsuccessfully. By this time Josh was also awake. He grabbed the poor butterfly before it flitted upward again and put it out of its misery permanently.
I'm not sure whether he just didn't want to see the poor thing suffer or whether it had something to do with turning 30...
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Ahhh! Peace and Quiet...
In "Other" Words
This week's quote is:
"As Christians, we are called to convert our loneliness into solitude. We are called to experience our aloneness not as a wound but as a gift--as God's gift--so that in our aloneness we might discover how deeply we are loved by God."
~ Henri Nouwen ~
Most of my life I was active, involved with extra curricular activities during my school years, then participating in almost every church activity I could find to do - mostly because I was afraid to be alone with myself and God.
You see, being alone with myself would have forced me to examine the hurts, the fears, the doubts and inner “secrets” I had harbored in my heart. All my energy was devoted to keeping those things buried.
But there came a time, when the energy was exhausted and those buried traumas were beginning to break through the surface of my life, affecting how I related to others, myself and God. He brought me to a place in my life where I was forced to set aside all the activity to be alone with Him and the hurts inside.
Only when I was truly alone with Him could the healing work begin. It was there in the void left by the cessation of activity that I began to hear His voice. For the first time I heard Him say I was worth the time and energy He was investing in me. I learned to know His unconditional healing love as He helped me unearth all the ugliness and shame I had hidden inside.
It took a long time to haul out the garbage in my heart from my damaged emotions and the hurts left by the careless acts of others. But I began to value the solitude – the peaceful time of fellowship between my Lord and me as He reverently handled each of my hurts before healing them. His presence was so soft and comforting, so near and precious.
That kind of closeness to God can only be found in solitude – precious time spent alone with Him, where everything else is pushed aside and there is nothing to hinder His words to your heart. It is the only place we can truly “discover how deeply we are loved by God.”
If you would like to join us today, simply blog about the qupte on your site, then visit Christine at "Fruit in Season" to read her take on the quote and to leave your link along with the other participants.
This week's quote is:
"As Christians, we are called to convert our loneliness into solitude. We are called to experience our aloneness not as a wound but as a gift--as God's gift--so that in our aloneness we might discover how deeply we are loved by God."
~ Henri Nouwen ~
Most of my life I was active, involved with extra curricular activities during my school years, then participating in almost every church activity I could find to do - mostly because I was afraid to be alone with myself and God.
You see, being alone with myself would have forced me to examine the hurts, the fears, the doubts and inner “secrets” I had harbored in my heart. All my energy was devoted to keeping those things buried.
But there came a time, when the energy was exhausted and those buried traumas were beginning to break through the surface of my life, affecting how I related to others, myself and God. He brought me to a place in my life where I was forced to set aside all the activity to be alone with Him and the hurts inside.
Only when I was truly alone with Him could the healing work begin. It was there in the void left by the cessation of activity that I began to hear His voice. For the first time I heard Him say I was worth the time and energy He was investing in me. I learned to know His unconditional healing love as He helped me unearth all the ugliness and shame I had hidden inside.
It took a long time to haul out the garbage in my heart from my damaged emotions and the hurts left by the careless acts of others. But I began to value the solitude – the peaceful time of fellowship between my Lord and me as He reverently handled each of my hurts before healing them. His presence was so soft and comforting, so near and precious.
That kind of closeness to God can only be found in solitude – precious time spent alone with Him, where everything else is pushed aside and there is nothing to hinder His words to your heart. It is the only place we can truly “discover how deeply we are loved by God.”
If you would like to join us today, simply blog about the qupte on your site, then visit Christine at "Fruit in Season" to read her take on the quote and to leave your link along with the other participants.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Yeastless and wheatless...
Last week, we spent a day with my mother-in-law. The quiet of her house provided a welcome break from the cacophony of children’s voices at my house.
Mom suffers from severe pain and cannot get around d like she used to. Her doctor suggested food allergies might be to blame and tested her to see which foods she needed to stay away from. One of them is wheat and wheat products and another problem food is yeast. Both are the most important ingredients in bread – a staple food of our diets.
I can’t imagine having to go for one day without some kind of bread, let alone six weeks until she can begin to add foods back into her diet to see what she can safely eat. So it wasn’t surprising that she complained about having a craving for a piece of bread so she could have a little sandwhich – “Just a little one because I’m so tired of vegetables.”
So I’ve been commissioned to find a yeastless / wheatless recipe for bread that will help satisfy her cravings between now and July 4th when we see her again. Help!!!!! Anyone out there know of a recipe or website that might offer healthful alternatives for regular wheat bread? In the meantime, I’ll be searching the Web to find SOMETHING to help out.
Thanks in advance for any help you have to offer! Likewise, I’ll be sure to post any results I find.
Mom suffers from severe pain and cannot get around d like she used to. Her doctor suggested food allergies might be to blame and tested her to see which foods she needed to stay away from. One of them is wheat and wheat products and another problem food is yeast. Both are the most important ingredients in bread – a staple food of our diets.
I can’t imagine having to go for one day without some kind of bread, let alone six weeks until she can begin to add foods back into her diet to see what she can safely eat. So it wasn’t surprising that she complained about having a craving for a piece of bread so she could have a little sandwhich – “Just a little one because I’m so tired of vegetables.”
So I’ve been commissioned to find a yeastless / wheatless recipe for bread that will help satisfy her cravings between now and July 4th when we see her again. Help!!!!! Anyone out there know of a recipe or website that might offer healthful alternatives for regular wheat bread? In the meantime, I’ll be searching the Web to find SOMETHING to help out.
Thanks in advance for any help you have to offer! Likewise, I’ll be sure to post any results I find.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Today is Day one...
"Today is the first day of the rest of my life." I don't know who said it, but I have found it to be true. No matter what happened to me yesterday - whether it was betrayal, loss or any number of circumstances beyond my control - I can move on today in forgiveness and love if I choose to.
16 years ago, I began the arduous process of healing from a cloud of recurring depression which had been with me most of my adult life. But before the healing process could begin, I had to be ready to heal; able to fully understand what the causes of the depression were and able to consciously choose to take the necessary steps toward that healing.
The choice was mine. I could choose to harbor anger and bitterness about the past - condemning myself to a life of emotional pain. Or I could choose to forgive and grasp the helping hand of my Friend to rise above those hurts. It wasn't easy.
So many of my ways of reacting to things were deeply ingrained - almost cast in cement. I had to struggle to overcome the lies that I wasn't good enough and that everything was my fault that resulted from the hurtful actions of a significant person in my young life. Each time that inner critic reminded me of those lies, I had to stop and consciously remind myself of what God said about me - that I am His child and He doesn't make junk. A very time consuming and arduous process!
I know a woman who suffers excruciating pain from arthritis. Medicines haven't been able to diminish her pain and in some instances have made things worse because of allergic reactions.
Ever since I have known her, she has always complained bitterly about how she has been treated by others. Knowing how intertwined our physical, spiritual and emotional beings are, I have to wonder if she would experience a measure of relief from the pain if she chose to forgive those who had hurt her and see herself as valuable in God's sight rather than choosing to hold everything in and complain.
Forgiveness is hard, but its rewards are immense. It doesn't let the other person off the hook for harsh or harmful attitudes or actions, But it does free me up to move on rather than be caught forever in a loop of anger and bitterness.
Forgiveness takes time. I may say I forgive someone, then find myself stewing again a few hours later. I have to go back again and again to consciously choose to forgive. Eventually it really does become a part of me and I realize my heart is lighter; I am moving forward with more ease. Today truly is the first day of the rest of my life.
16 years ago, I began the arduous process of healing from a cloud of recurring depression which had been with me most of my adult life. But before the healing process could begin, I had to be ready to heal; able to fully understand what the causes of the depression were and able to consciously choose to take the necessary steps toward that healing.
The choice was mine. I could choose to harbor anger and bitterness about the past - condemning myself to a life of emotional pain. Or I could choose to forgive and grasp the helping hand of my Friend to rise above those hurts. It wasn't easy.
So many of my ways of reacting to things were deeply ingrained - almost cast in cement. I had to struggle to overcome the lies that I wasn't good enough and that everything was my fault that resulted from the hurtful actions of a significant person in my young life. Each time that inner critic reminded me of those lies, I had to stop and consciously remind myself of what God said about me - that I am His child and He doesn't make junk. A very time consuming and arduous process!
I know a woman who suffers excruciating pain from arthritis. Medicines haven't been able to diminish her pain and in some instances have made things worse because of allergic reactions.
Ever since I have known her, she has always complained bitterly about how she has been treated by others. Knowing how intertwined our physical, spiritual and emotional beings are, I have to wonder if she would experience a measure of relief from the pain if she chose to forgive those who had hurt her and see herself as valuable in God's sight rather than choosing to hold everything in and complain.
Forgiveness is hard, but its rewards are immense. It doesn't let the other person off the hook for harsh or harmful attitudes or actions, But it does free me up to move on rather than be caught forever in a loop of anger and bitterness.
Forgiveness takes time. I may say I forgive someone, then find myself stewing again a few hours later. I have to go back again and again to consciously choose to forgive. Eventually it really does become a part of me and I realize my heart is lighter; I am moving forward with more ease. Today truly is the first day of the rest of my life.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Bearing the Shield of Faith
In "Other" Words
This week's quote is:
"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading."~ Oswald Chambers ~
Faith, mighty faith the promise sees and looks to God above. Laughs at impossibilities and cries it shall be done!
Whenever I think of faith, I remember that little chorus which I learned many years ago at Vacation Bible School at my home church. It's simplicity has often inspired to have faith in the One who leads during times of difficulty. It has encouraged me to believe in God's promises and use them to protect my heart when the enemy tries to destroy me through hurts and discouragement.
This past Sunday our children's church lesson was on the armor of God - more specifically on using the shield of faith. I wanted to leave the children with a good illustration on using faith to help protect themselves from the "fiery darts" of the enemy - something that God could use to remind them of His power and promises in the same way the little chorus above stayed with me.
I created a large cardboard shield with a handle on the back of it so they cold hold it like a warrior might hold a shield in battle. Then I printed words depicting the way Satan attacks us (through our feelings or by the acts of others toward us) on sheets of white copier paper - hatred, harsh words, lies, anger, discouragement, hurts etc.
The children were instructed to wad up their papers and throw them at the child who held the shield. That child used the shield to deflect the paper missiles so that none of them could touch him or her.
No hatred, harsh words, lies, anger, discouragement or hurt that Satan can bring our way can hurt us when we put our faith in the Lord to protect our tender hearts from danger. It is when we lower our shield or try to handle these things by ourselves that we run the risk of being badly wounded.
If you would like to join us today, visit "Sting My Heart" to read her take on the quote and to leave your link along with the other participants.
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