Wired that way.

I was cleaning out my wallet today when I happened upon a little verse that took me back to my Sunday school teaching days- we were learning about God's sovereignty in our lives and how comforting this is, especially when life gets hard. I'm pretty sure that this little clock has been carried in one wallet or another of mine over the last thirteen years. Funny to find it now in the midst of another life change.

As an exercise, we all considered those personal things that we were entrusting to God and His timing. I suppose that because my lifestyle was always a transient one, my prayer was to settle into a "normal life" (whatever that looks like). 



Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
Lord Almighty, my King and my God

Psalm 84:3

 It seems that the desire for having a home is wired in deep, and God knows this. In fact, He designed us that way.  

-A good reminder from a Good Daddy.

Sought it, found it

I love reading the dictionary. Weird, I know; but it's true.

It's interesting to observe how words evolve and/or remain constant. So, i grabbed a newer college addition of the Miriam Webster College Dictionary and went thumbing through it in search of my favorite words.

Sure enough...

it remains unchanged.



What my daughter taught me today

Sometimes, nothing ministers to me more than a parenting moment. 

I recently had the privilege of pushing my daughter on a swing, and I'm not quite sure who enjoyed it more. I suspect it was me. It was so sweet to watch her exuberantly smile, and enjoy the breeze as she swung back and forth. Before long, she got the hang of it, picked up speed, and was going at a pretty impressive clip. She was quite proud of her newly discovered bravery (which I think had more to do with the influence of the bigger kids around her), than mommy's encouragement. Nevertheless, I let her go for it and I was glad to see that she wasn't held back by her fears. Her confidence was evidence that she trusted me; that she was safe, and I wasn't going to let her fall. I knew that by tapping into this, it would monumentally change the whole scope and feel of her summer. Trips to the park would never be the same. And as I watched her thoroughly enjoying herself, it occurred to me that I was watching faith in action.

At this point, I was drawing some serious parallels between this and my walk with the Father. I saw myself on my own life-swing... cautious and fearful, just waiting for my ropes to snap. How I waste time being afraid, when I could be living life to the fullest. A life that Jesus Himself, promised i could have!

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Jn.10:10

 And God used this opportunity to address that my fears are answered in His faithfulness. My pessimism is answered in His power and protection and my discouragement is met in His delight for me, His daughter.

art by Cliff Hawley

 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

2 Cor. 9:8 

 Thankful that the Lord is faithful to use little things like swings to make much of Himself and draw us close in the process! Truly blessed.

Funky Junk Junky

Let's hear it for spring! In the spirit of all things new, I have found myself daydreaming about my little home and new ways to make it cozy and familiar to us. Someday when we are settled, we will establish a new home of our own and give our precious host family their home and privacy back....But not tooo much. We are hoping for a house next door!

In the meantime, I will call this a season of restoring, and healing: physically, spiritually, emotionally and sure, (why not) esthetically. -Which has got me to thinking and planning. And poking around DIY project sites on the web. I have to say, nothing gets me more jazzed (in the homemaker sense) like the words REPURPOSED and UPCYCLED. I love finding new uses for old things. There are probably lots of psychological layers to that onion, but for now, I am limiting my musings to all things spiffy. 

 There is nothing like a new project that gets those creative juices flowing. Plus, you get the added bonuses of: a sense of accomplishment, and it supports a healthy dose of necessary diversion. Oh, and let's not forget the beautification factor.

Wanna see some of the things I've moved to my new "To Do" folder?

Started with my very favorite project. Love this so much. I assume I wont be writing on it

or putting cups of any sort on it, but it brings the pretty. The hunt is on for more old rulers. Four down, a hundred to go.... 

Truthfully, it was the colors in this one caught my eye; That said, I like the idea of

repurposing things for the sake of bedding. Bedding shortages tends to be a recurring issue for us.

You can never have too many bedding options when guests visit. 

I love this big time. And yes, I will attempt you, suitcase chair. This has Jenna written all over it.

Wood crates, yes! Pastel kitchen, no. Not for many, many years, anyway. We Piedes

like messy play, and messier pasta sauce. 

I love this idea for a boys room.

  

Bottle caps in lieu of tiles for mosaics. That's neat, opens up a slew of possibilities.  

I have my sights set on this for a school chair, or the boys room.

 -Love maps!

Look at that door! I mean, come on!

I saw something similar on Martha Stewart. I really am on the lookout for stuff like this to house

my small to mid size kitchen appliances and cookbooks. Handy.

courtesy of  disfunctional designs

oh yeah, aquired new vision for the not-so-lovely looking crates and pallets, suitcases etc...

Spray paint, various papers and mod podge. Done.

disfunctional designs

I love the idea of injecting personality into design.

 

 Some Resources:



thumbs up.

http://voices.yahoo.com/top-10-upcycle-craft-blogs-ideas-6841212.html?cat=24

 

Totally inspired

 to look twice at the thrift store!

Where we're at...

So thankful for the gracious and understanding hearts of our dear friends as we feel our way around the discombobulated state of mind that we find ourselves in. Seriously! I think I left some of my brainpower in Montana. Because I have some very "fly-by-the seat-of-your-pants" tendencies, I'm in desperate need of structure.

Squirrel!

Otherwise, I will coast through an entire season in perpetual vacation mode. Although this is very appealing/tempting, we understand that our desire to train and teach (and get a grip) trumps all that.

My whimsical qualities aren't altogether bad, though. They keep me pretty flexible and optimistic. So yeahhh, there is grace even for this space cadet.

That said, I did want to do my part, and do a bit of research on how to create routines where there are none. And I found this neat little resource:

http://simplekids.net/establishing-routines/

*Loving tip five, which totally echoed the exact conversation that my girlfriend and I had just today. Prep work done in advance (the night before, ideally) is clutch. And I need all the help I can to set us up for success.

And speaking of success, the clothes are out of suitcases and are on hangers in closets, so it's a start. Little victories. So sweet!

 Check out: http://www.closets-organization.com/

Grace and Peace

O, Happy Day!

 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,  who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5

HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE! MAY YOU BE BLESSED



Unpacking it all

-Arrived at the new home base a few days ago, and am just now scratching out a moment to reflect and document. The reception we received from our family in the LORD has been second to none. We immediately felt welcomed, truly welcomed and doted on. It's really quite humbling, because all you are bringing to the table upon arrival are: frazzled nerves, tired and cranky kids, sea-legs, and that not-so-fresh long road trip car smell on your clothes. But we also had gratitude. We had a lot of that. And that gratitude would only grow as we began to understand how much care, love, time, effort, expense, and attention to detail went into making our new little home, "HOMEY."

This is what Agape looks like:

Kindness is: a waiting jar of fruit snacks for travel-weary kids

Notes of encouragement from people that haven't personally met us yet...

Coffee maker, ready to go...

The yummy treats kept on coming... complete with stocked cabinets! Praise the LORD!

Each room had something thoughtful...

We are talking five star treatment, here folks!

A room for the boys-complete with diapers for a month.
There were so many sweet gestures. People painted, and assembled shelves, put up pictures, washed floors, built closets, installed plumbing,

and put the little finishing touches on things that welcomed us warmly.

It really IS a new season...
 Isn't that just like the LORD?

Moving, Schmoving!

Seven states in three days

OK boys and girls, what could be more fun than moving across country with a car full of little people?

 A root canal? Irritable bowels in rush hour traffic? Maybe.

The process involves planning for unforeseen delays, mood swings,

public restrooms, car sickness, not to mention keeping the kids entertained and well rested.
This is quite a tall order for this pooped-out mama!

But- it is what it is, and you may as well make the most of it.
The theme for the move was just  keep moving!
Before we jammed our clothes, crossword puzzles, and juice boxes into the van,
Gabe and i had one last bit of vital business to attend to.

Star gazing. It was a great night for it, too.

- I found where he left his mark...

There was a very tearful first hour in the car. But eventually, things settled down and we

just watched the landscape quietly change out the window...

(map reading activity for the kids) 

Working on  longsuffering for me, includes living amongst day old banana peels...

I documented the time because at this moment I turned the radio on (something I never do since we brought the ipod), only to hear a station playing a recording of the New Testament. Specifically, John chapter ten, which is a chapter of scripture that I have clung to- especially this month. 

Handy.

Time Zone Resource:

Quite possibly the longest leg of the trip was Friday, which was the day we woke up in Montana (Billings) And went to sleep in Minnesota. This was a beastly ride. It started off pretty good, with us leaving the hotel by six-thirty, early enough to make the kids sleepy for a mid-morning nap. But sometime during the nap, Princess woke up with an upset tummy and spent the next hour projectile vomitting--all over everything. Detour: Sheridan, WY

Once we got her all cleaned up and bundled her in with a sippy cup of Pedialyte, we ventured off to South Dakota. The immediate goal was to allow the kids to sneaka  peak at Mt. Rushmore. This was a wise move. At this point, everyone was in need of a diversion, so this did the trick. We didn't stay super long, but it was good to read up on some history with the kids, and stretch our legs. 

Change of scenery in MN. (taken at the MayoClinic)

AND SPEAKING OF CHANGE...

Twenty bucks in toll$. Definitely NOT used to that!

Homestretch...

I remember being bull rushed with a million emotions seeing this sign. The first being joy, since we were almost at home base; then worry...will we like it and fit in? How will we serve the LORD and our city?

 I remember feeling hopeful for the kids and their future full of possibilities, and curiosity- to drink in the surroundings. Sadly, when we pulled into our final stop it was dark, so we had to wait till the next day to get a sense of what our new town looked like.

Summary: I choose the word: "down-homey." Actually- I'm not even sure if this is a real word, but

still....

 We have suburbs! And even better, we having loving and supportive friends. So in that sense, we made it! And although we finished the driving part of the journey, we understand that in many ways, this process is just beginning.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.