Finding Beauty

We live in a crazy world. One that pretty much dictates that we should make everything disposable. Even our mindsets about the unborn and the elderly swing that way more often than not. So what makes us think that it's perfectly okay to do the "out with the old and in with the new" thing?

When I was a young bride and we were quite strapped living on just one income and having four children, I bought cheap things. I was content with that. At least I got something, filling a deep need to HAVE. Before long though, I realized I should have waited. You see, saving money over a longer period of time was simply unheard of to me. I am the Burger King Child. "My way, right away"...

The lumber jack is the opposite. I drove him crazy. He preached for years about buying junk for the kids. Wasting money. Somewhere along the line I began to see the benefit of quality things over quantity of things. The more items I threw away, the madder I got.

My conversion was almost instant. I fell in love with old things. They had a certain beauty about them. Rusted, broken, scratched and ruined. They became timeless. To me they represented enduring the race, standing in the face of time.

My house is not filled with old stuff. That is not even a close assessment. I do however have a few things I adore. Maybe when the kids are grown and move on to their own homes I will be brave enough to display them. Until then, my little collections will stay tucked away only to be visited once in a while. As I write this, I think to myself  "what a shame".

Recently I was blessed by a friend who brought me a couple old milk cans. He assumed I could do something with them. This in itself says something, yet I am not exactly sure what.

 To most these would appear beyond saving.

Tired, worn out and completely filthy.

 But with a little bit of imagination and determination great things can happen.

 Usually, my conservative nature would rule. I was thinking at first of using black, sage green or even white. The battle roared in my head while staring at the wall of colors at Home Depot. On the advice of my good friend Suzie, I went with my gut feeling and chose Colonial Red.

The Lumberjack was kind enough to locate a couple of much needed tools for me. The rust and dirt was so thick we were sure paint would not stick.

 All in all, my little project only took a couple hours off an on. When I went out to visit the ducks and chicks in the back yard I would pick up the drill and grind for a while.

And in the end, I discovered beauty and placed them on my front steps. My project is still an unfinished work, just like my own life. I would like to put our last name on one and est. 1996 on the other. Fill the tops with some potting soil and add a couple red and white geraniums.

You know, I sure am glad that God saw something in me that was worth refinishing. And like my milk cans, the process may never be finished.

Only 15 minutes?

A while back I think God was preparing me for the journey I was about to embark on. Hindsight being 20/20, I think I can say that with some confidence.
A couple weeks before Christmas of last year I was constantly being prompted to make some time in my busy schedule to take charge of my life and my activities. Mostly, the kids' activities.
Along comes a sweet little website called the Flylady. The day after Christmas I dedicated my life to becoming a flybaby. Now, before you get the idea in your head that I was some kind of compulsive hoarder please understand, I am naturally an organized person. Yet some way, some how, the burdens of this life had become too much and I was spiraling out of control. In fact, I was getting so desperate I was willing to try anything.

So 15 minutes at a time sounded reasonable. After all, I seldom had more than 15 minutes of free time in my day. This proved to be a perfect solution for me. I immediately ran off to Target to get a kitchen timer.

With in 2 weeks I felt I was back in control of my house. My schedule actually had more than 15 minutes in it when I took ownership of my time and started saying "no". When I came across a little saying, I knew immediately I had to put it up on my 8 foot dry erase board as a reminder. "Stop saying yes to what God is saying no to". Surprisingly enough, it became easier as the weeks went by.

So here I am on this cloud of reclaiming some sort of normal and less confused life when out of nowhere my son gets sick and we end up being hospitalized (I will at some point share this very tragic story). Talk about a screeching halt! LIFE STOPPED. The day before we began our hospital journey I mentioned to a friend that if one more thing was added to my plate, my house of cards would collapse. And it did. Quickly.

Here is really where the rubber meets the road. Ever tried to run your household for over a month when you don't dare leave your son's side? Ever try to run a business when you can't think of anything more than if your son will live through that day? How about educating your home schooled children? Sports events? Team mom responsibilities? Tutoring? Carpooling? Even the act of paying bills completely stressed me out.

Good thing the Lumber Jack was a solid rock for me. How he held us together is way beyond my comprehension. One thing I can tell you though, is that because I spent 15 minutes at a time, several times everyday, we were able to function with only the stress from our son's health crisis.

I realized then just how important what I had committed myself to doing was for my family.

Now, after coming through this crisis I am in "make up" mode. That means I almost get to start from scratch again.

Welcome to my journey. Since you are new too, won't you follow along with me and both of us can reclaim some ground? Do you have a sincere desire to do everything in  your life excellently? Is there something deep within you that says you can have an orderly life that is well pleasing to your help mate and family? If you are brave enough to just try 15 minutes at a time, I promise you that it will be worth every minute!

Welcome to my journey~
Jenn

Growing deeply... Healing Progressively... Maturing Splendidly...

The roots may be the most important part of the oak tree. If the roots are strong and healthy, the tree prospers; if they are weak, damaged, or diseased, the tree will quickly die. In order to thrive, oaks need both shallow and deep roots. The shallow surface roots remind us of the Word read daily and applied liberally to life. A broad knowledge of Scripture is essential for healthy growth as a Christian. The taproots remind us of the Word of God, studied deeply and applied to specific needs or issues. God's Word strengthens us to bear the winds of adversity. If we hope to be effective, our roots must be as substantial as our ministry. This requires more than the quick sprinkling of the Sunday sermon. To become strong, we need to soak in God's Word every day. We also need to be nourished by the water of the Holy Spirit, especially in times of drought. The Word of God, saturated by the water of the Spirit, anchors, strengthens, and feeds the Christian.