Maybe the Kitchen is NOT Done...

Well, I thought my kitchen was done for now.

But Tim and my daughter Sarah (very important...Sarah found these counters!) ::smile::

...they have figured out a way to create butcher-block counters for me, for a fraction of a fraction of their retail cost. He found supplies unexpectedly at a salvage store, and so this evening he and both son-in-loves (one mathmetician Justin, one artist-woodworker Jonathan) have already begun creating my new kitchen counters.

I've always wanted wood counters...not granite. Why not granite? Granite has been done and done and done. Plus, granite isn't my vibe. I like them in your house, but in my own house, I tend to have a consistent aesthetic of "perfectly imperfect", time-worn, hand made. At least that is the ethos I am steadily working towards. Eventually, I do not want my home to speak "big box store" OR "designer".

Wood counters. No more Formica - yeay!

With a new white porcelain double bowl sink. Very farm-housey without the expensive "farmhouse sink".

And a fabulous faucet. Promise you've never seen anything like it. All these things from a salvage place.

Of course, full pics when they are done. Can't wait!



Forty-seven year old preacher hands...



Young, newlywed artist's hands...





Working together with a son-in-law...also a comfort. Oh my, how we love our sons-in-love.




small vignette in my kitchen...might keep it this way, might not. I've seen lots of old paint splattered ladders in all the design books lately. What do you think?





excuse the magnetic DART sticking out of the side of the fridge...which is covered in pictures of my beloved church family.

I am actually using a shopping bag, when I remember, to get groceries (when I only have to shop for a few things.) Our local Fresh Market is my favorite grocery store...I fell hard for this burlap shopping bag there. My goal is to decorate completely with things useful as well as beautiful, rather than "knick knacks".

I'm hearing the sound of sanders and saws...just outside this door!

The God of All Comfort

Comfort food soothes the soul of both the one who makes it, as well as the one who eats it. I made this thick, French-style beef stew in a red wine broth yesterday. It took several steps, and then was cooked low and slow in my old, gorgeous clay pot, all day long. There is something so comforting about taking the time to prepare a detailed but classic recipe. Circumstances can spin out of control, but a good beef stew is reliable.


Words of comfort, via post.

That word "comfort" in Scripture means to be summoned to God's side, and drawn very near to Him. It means to be spoken to, given reassuring counsel and instruction. It means to be given strength. It means to be relieved, calmed, soothed, and salved.

It also infers that I allow myself to be console-able. That is an important part of the process, and one rarely talked about. To be inconsolable is to, in fact, be proud. It is to think that my problems are unique, and my pain deeper than anyone else's.

To all who are thirsty, weak, exhausted and discouraged, our Great God says "Come here, child. Tell me the problem."


"Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest..." this is to be comforted by the Only One Who Can...summoned to the side of the One who alone has the power to restore your soul.


Oh, to be a vessel of comfort! I should be quite satisfied by a ministry of pure comfort - doing my small part each day to soothe a precious saint. None of us, by ourselves, has the power to bring the full spectrum of comfort that a grieving heart needs. None of us should even try to bring "all" comfort. That would be pretentious. Rather, we should look to the God of all comfort, trusting Him to show us our part.

So someone brings a word. Someone brings cookies and flowers. Someone sends a card. Someone checks in, briefly, each day via email - no strings attached. Someone brings a meal. Someone gives finances. Someone organizes a level of ongoing assistance. Someone takes up the slack.


It is all comfort, and all true comfort originates with God.

Oh...My....God...

In the title of this post, I am not taking the Lord's name in vain. It isn't mere euphemism. Truly, it is the prayer of my heart in this season. God knows.



For whatever reason, the Father in His magnificent wisdom has decided that my pastor-husband and I are not permitted to preach the gospel academically. He has decreed that we must "live of" the gospel, to the deepest, most profound levels in our lives.




Oh...my...God...life might spin out from under me, were it not for His everlasting arms underneath. This is an adventure, this could be dangerous, this is the most hopeful journey a woman can undertake, and it is definitely not under my direct control. I'm just trying to keep my feet under me, and learn to navigate the curves.



In the past one year alone, we have had to teach and preach and stand against both unBiblical extremes to the gospel - legalism and license. As well meaning and near and dear as those persons are in your life who are committed to either extreme, if you "live of" the gospel, you cannot sit back and allow that leaven to creep unwittingly into the lives of those for whom God holds you responsible. Either extreme is deadly to right relationship. Either extreme is not the gospel, see.

We are called to preach the gospel.

Oh...my...God...




To stake your claim on the gospel of Jesus Christ, of grace-through-faith, of living in the new creature, of love being the fulfillment of law...well, it means you have just strapped on a pair of roller skates, my friend. There will be pain. There will be wipe-outs. You will live with constant, ever-present excitement, because God does not perform miracles in your midst because you kept the law - and God is still on the move miraculously today. Every new day could bring another Mighty Act.




Simultaneously, you will feel surges of pain and panic, because the gospel is a dividing line. It threshes and separates the worthlessness of legalism and license from the preciousness of the seed of the Word.




And sometimes legalism and license each wears its own face that is nearer and dearer than words can ever convey. But you must not compromise the gospel.



Ours is not a life of behavior modification, because righteousness is a gift. At the same time, ours is not a life of continual, open sin and rebellion, because that also indicates non-reception of the life-altering gift of righteousness. To each extreme, must be held out the hope of Christ Alone.




The Gospel, and nothing but. Grace, plus nothing. You cannot attach your own lifestyle of good behavior, and you cannot attach your own lifestyle of sin. Both must be swallowed up in a righteousness outside yourself, both must kneel before the God Who alone is Maker.




Academically speaking, this is easy stuff to preach. But to illustrate it with your life takes days, months, and years, and is very, very difficult. Oh. My. God.

Quotable Quote

In the Apology, Socrates rebukes the Athenians for caring more about their pleasures than they cared about virtue:

"… it does not seem like human nature for me to have neglected all my own affairs and to have tolerated this neglect for so many years while I was always concerned with you, approaching each one of you like a father or an elder brother to persuade you to care for virtue..."

It isn't "human nature". Only a God-besotted pastor or mother or father or apostle or believer in Jesus can be that concerned with the health and wealth of the soul of another. When God infuses human nature, we care long and we care hard.

Baby, It's Hot Outside!

We missed setting an all-time heat record in my city today by one little degree...and I remain convinced that we shattered the record here at my house. My tomatoes love this heat, but not I.

Playing with the camera, shooting what is blooming 'round the garden this week:


dahlia...


...and more dahlia...


verbena and lantana...



broken chimnea, used as a planter...


mophead hydrangea...

...and so much more, really. Cottages must have cottage gardens, see. Mine is just beginning to look maybe like a cottage garden. But I'll save those pictures for another post for another day.

I received two of the most precious gifts this past week - and neither giver consulted the other! Take a peek~


I am totally into wearing cute summer skirts, tee-shirts, my Oka B flip flops, and aprons. This one was from my daughter Sarah.



And this one, from a dearest, says it all.

God is in His heaven, saints, and that means all's right with the world.

This is What the Gospel Gets You...

From the perspective of a pastor and pastor's wife, this is what carefully and faithfully unpacking the gospel, week in and week out,staying on the same theme, gets you:

....a harvest.

Read about it here.

This is the good news I woke up to this morning. Some believe in grace. Others depend on it. This is what you get to be part of in others' lives when you depend on grace. When you live of the gospel.

How is it that my heart can be utterly broken, yet profoundly rejoicing? Sounds to me a lot like being pressed but not crushed...cast down, but not destroyed...

In Which Sheila Declares

that the grace of God is where she has staked her claim and it has so been worth it and that's that...and that the sun is shining, and, for the first morning in months she awakened without so much as an ache anywhere in her body (much less everywhere in her body). This makes no sense to her natural mind...

...and, just now, she has received some of the best good news of her whole life. In The Top Ten List Of Best Good News Of Her Entire Existence. Maybe even top five. (I'm not even stretching the truth, here, friends.)

And that she'll See you in Harvest Church! She is happily and hummingly off to prepare for worship...

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Gratuitous Beauty

I have a room divider I can paint like this...

A white kitchen never goes out of fashion.

I'm going to replicate this shed in my back yard.

And I am so going to do this over my jacuzzi tub!

Happy Isn't Good Enough!

Ah, there is such a difference between pleasure and satisfaction. Pleasure can never be satisfied...pleasure for the sake of pleasure, outside of Christ, only seeks ever new and more expensive experiences and trinkets. Pleasure might make me happy, but I find happiness insufficient compared to satisfaction. Pleasure-seeking will make you deeply unhappy, unless your pleasure is sought and found at the right hand of God. Only satisfaction can satisfy.

Sin can bring pleasure. But God promises that the pleasure will only last for a season. Jehovah alone can fill a yearning, gaping soul with satsifaction, and only satisfaction ultimately satisfies.

"Stuff" brings pleasure. Again, temporary. But relationships with people who you love, and who love you back...that brings satisfaction. A chocolate doughnut brings pleasure...a healthy, strong body that weighs ten pounds less than it used to brings satisfaction. Laziness can be a pleasure, but an honest, hard day's work brings satisfaction.

Building bigger barns brings pleasure. Being able to give a gift so powerful as to alter a deserving person's destiny...what satisfaction!

I could go on and on. I hope I've provoked your own personal ruminations regarding pleasure versus satisfaction! It is a satisfying thing to consider.

Doing The Hard Thing - Grace in Action

My pastor-husband and I are in the midst of a process with our oldest son. This process began about a year ago, and is now reaching the point of decision for him. We have been doing the hard thing, in obedience to God's word, and are fully prepared to see it through - following the example given to us by New Testament Scripture.

One year ago, in our flesh, we had moments when we wanted to circumvent the process, and act rashly. What parent of a rebellious son doesn't struggle with that? But when we searched the Scriptures, we realized we were not free to deal with this situation as mere parents - but as church leadership. (These aren't incidental things we are dealing with. We were open with people in this.)

So, contrary to the opinion of someone near us at the time, someone who was demanding that we deal with our son their way, we consulted Scripture. Thankfully, we chose to resist the urge to manipulate and control. We decided that those who preach the gospel should "live of" the gospel, and live of it in ways that go far deeper than an income. We chose, under a "multitude of counsel" from more experienced leaders, a slightly different, a wiser course of action, instead of giving into the demands of the one person.



Our son, we decided, would not be anyone's doctrinal experiment. This would be handled "by the Book".

We rather chose to imitate the heart of God and extend our son the same Biblical process, the same freedom to fail and space for repentance that any member of the church is entitled to, should they exhibit a desire to be helped. All while carefully watching over the flock of God to insure that our son's process could not harm some unsuspecting young person.

Yeah. Try and walk that tightrope. It will humble you to the dust, drive you to your knees, and cost you more than you imagine.

The law is so much easier, friends. The quid-pro-quo way of dealing with others: "you do this, I treat you accordingly"..."here is what you must do"...that mentality requires NO obedience on your part. It is NOT the hard thing to do.

The rigid application of the letter of the law is not true obedience. It is a clever counterfeit. The rigid application of the letter kills. Pure and simple. Anything masquerading as life is carefully scripted and skillfully managed.

(Law must control. Because Life is Messy, you see. People sin and stuff.)

You can't take even the Biblical, New Testament guidelines and "letter-ize" them. You can't picture the process of "if your brother is overtaken in a sin, you who are spiritual, go and restore him in a spirit of meekness" as being a series of steps that might take one week. Quite frankly, restoration can take months (in some cases, years) there is no set time table. No two cases ever look the same. That alone makes a legalist crazy. They are all about being fair, and "what about John?" (John 21:21)



And restoration can look, for a time, like a failure...all the while, it is going to be wildly successful in the end.

So. We have reached the place that - with an eye towards ultimate restoration - we are willing to take the next step in this long process, whatever that step involves, regardless of the emotional cost to us. We are completely confident that every grace has been extended to our son. We are confident that we have closely followed a Biblical pattern, going by the Spirit, not rote, mindless rule of law. We know we have paid an excruciating price to "live of the gospel" in this. Thankfully, this long arduous process has cost no one else. Just us and our family. Dearly. But that is as it should be. I would not trade the lessons I've learned for any price.

The point? Only now, after months, is it time to conclude this process one way or another. (It yet remains to be seen what our son will ultimately decide. This is a communication from the front lines, my friends, not a nice, neat observation from hind-sight.)

Our biggest lesson? True obedience is relational. If you can complete it expeditiously, list in hand, it isn't obedience. If it does not require you to change your mind, it isn't obedience. If it doesn't humble you, and take you completely outside your own version of personal peace, it is not obedience.

Obedience is not a rigid set of steps to be ticked off, all so we can all feel like we have acted courageously. No. True obedience...true courage....it goes the distance with people. It endures a long process with people...human beings who were not even created to conform to a list. Progress is not linear. At times what does not look like progress, is in fact the greatest progress of all.

To act Biblically will cost you. Some who you least expect will accuse you of the fear of man, and of being lax about sin, when in reality the very opposite is the truth. (These are typically the very ones who refuse to go the distance with anyone who significantly displeases them.)

However this comes out, there is still a relationship with our son. It might have to be strained for however long, but not estranged. Because if you don't have at least a relationship, you had nothing to work from in the first place.

And who knows...our son may choose very wisely and very well. Either way, this process is a triumph of grace, and an exercise in actual (versus imagined) obedience to Christ.

I heard my husband telling our other son two or three days ago, "In my life, Jesus is Lord. In this house, His Word guides our every decision."

I can attest to your integrity, Timothy! The fact that this process has taken so long is living proof of the Lordship of Christ in our lives. The other alternative would have been far easier, much less costly....and it would not have been coming under His Costly Lordship at all.

Here is what I know: Law requires no personal Lordship - much like doing the speed limit requires no special, submissive relationship to anyone in law enforcement. But you get to feel like you accomplished something... when you really didn't accomplish anything of eternal value.

Us? We are actually accomplishing things - eternal things.

You won't waste a prayer on us!

Old Testament Grace Sighting!

This year, I am reading through the Old Testament systematically, looking for what I call "grace sightings". Since Christ was the plan of God from before the foundation of the world ("that before the world even existed, I would be holy and without blame before Him, in Christ" as Ephesians says - and as we heard it preached at Harvest Church yesterday) it stands to reason that the Old Testament is full of the gospel of Jesus Christ - or, the gospel of grace.

Grace is, quite simply, unmerited favor. Undeserved blessing. A righteousness completely, utterly outside of ourselves, imputed to us as a gift.

Well, the Old Covenant is so full of grace, that my studies are very slow going. Grace is splattered everywhere, from Genesis to Malachai. I've only made it to the life of Isaac, so far.


And the LORD appeared unto (Isaac) and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.



The untrained student will read the above and conclude that the blessing of God was given to Isaac because his father Abraham kept the law.

As I read the above passage this morning, with the veil of the law removed from my eyes, I could clearly see that God was, in fact, making yet another statement of grace here. Never forget that Abraham's righteousness was "reckoned" to him because of his faith. It was an imputed right-standing with God, based on covenant alone.

Want proof? Here you go: The law had not yet been given.

God said that Abraham obeyed all his laws and statutes 400 years before there was ever a single law or statute.

It is impossible for anyone but God to declare that Abraham had been fully and completely obedient to all obvious and obscure laws that he did not know about...pages of fine print that did not even yet exist. It is particularly impossible for anyone but God to declare that Abraham had been fully obedient, in spite of Abraham's not being fully obedient. How can even God do this, without telling a lie?

By keeping the law on Abraham's behalf, before the law ever came into being. By planning to take Abraham's punishment - being Abraham's substitution.

Yeah. Go ahead. Wrap your mind around it, if you can.

After prayerfully writing my own commentary on this passage, I then (and only then) consulted other commentaries. And yes, many of those dead guys agree with me.

Calvin's commentary:

Because that Abraham obeyed my voice. Moses does not mean that Abraham’s obedience was the reason why the promise of God was confirmed and ratified to him; but from what has been said before, (#Ge 22:18), where we have a similar expression, we learn, that what God freely bestows upon the faithful is sometimes, beyond their desert, ascribed to themselves; that they, knowing their intention to be approved by the Lord, may the more ardently addict and devote themselves entirely to his service: so he now commends the obedience of Abraham, in order that Isaac may be stimulated to an imitation of his example."
Poole's commentary:
Here was a covenant made between God and Abraham; and as, if Abraham had broken the condition of walking before God required on his part, God had been discharged from the promise made on his part; so contrarily, because Abraham performed his condition, God engageth himself to perform his promise to him, and to his seed. But as that promise and covenant was made by God of mere grace, as is evident and confessed; so the mercies promised and performed to him and his are so great and vast, that it is an idle thing to think they could be merited by so mean a compensation as Abraham’s obedience, which was a debt that he owed to God, had there been no such covenant or promise made by God, and which also was an effect of God’s graces to him and in him.
Trapp:

Because that Abraham.] His obedience was universal to all the wills of God; and is here alleged, not as the meritorious cause, but as an antecedent, of the blessing. Our good works do truly please God in Christ, and move him, after a sort, to do us good; yet not as merits, but as certain effects of Christ’s merits alone, and such as of his merit. {a}
Good ol' Matthew Henry:


The obedience of Abraham to the Divine command, was evidence of that faith, whereby, as a sinner, he was justified before God, and the effect of that love whereby true faith works. God testifies that he approved this obedience, to encourage others, especially Isaac.

If you have hung in there this far, you are a student.

It is sad to hear a believer say, "I try to keep the law, because I want the blessings that come with keeping the law." This is a sad statement to hear, because it reveals how precious little foundation has been laid in the life of that believer. Where are the true apostles and pastors who are courageous enough to preach the gospel?

It is much easier to comply with the merit-mongers. But once your eyes are enlightened, if one time revelation hits you, you can no longer give lollipops to law lovers. When you see Christ in all His glory, you become a card-carrying Jesus Freak, with "Sola Gracia" emblazoned on your chest. You cannot pretend that anyone can attain to a righteousness that is of their self-will.

You can't even pretend it with your best friend.

"I want to be a friend of God."

A Quiet Spirit

And (the servant of Abraham) said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:
And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.
And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. "

This man held his peace, to wit (in order to know) WHETHER the Lord had made his journey prosperous...or not.

He simply held his tongue. He waited. I am positively stunned and struck by the patient wisdom that Abraham's servant displayed here. Is it because he was a man? Sorry, girls, but most women (myself included, I guess) would have never held their peace by this point! They would be so anxious for the world to know "the favor of God" in answering their prayer so specifically and spectacularly, they would be blabbing on and on...telling Rebekah the whole back story.

Such a turn off. Really. Think about it.

Abraham's servant waits until precisely the right moment to tell the whole story, and even then, he tells it very carefully. He is almost sparing in his description of events, and you get no impression that he attempted to manipulate others' perceptions in the telling.

Ah, we would do so well to follow his example. We speak far too soon, we are far too anxious to parade our blessings and convince ourselves that God is up to "big things" with us and ours. A son or daughter who has spent months making life difficult for the parents, makes one seemingly wise choice, and mom declares him or her a totally changed individual.

Only...time proves that there has actually been no real change. It would have been better that nothing at all was said, than to speak too soon.

Do you know someone, who every turn of events is accompanied by their declaration of God's intrinsic blessing and involvement, and the entire back story is told? Told too soon? Way too soon. Know anyone like this?

Far from being true faith, what I just described is actually a manifestation of deep insecurity. The more you and I truly trust God, the quieter our spirits become.

There is simply no need to prattle or explain or manipulate. There is great wisdom in not counting (or killing) chickens before they hatch. Let God be God, and let the results speak for themselves, not our version of the results, before those results are actually in.

Kitchen Reveal: She's Done, But Still Needs "Jewelry"

The kitchen repair and redecorating is done...all but for the "jewelry". Jewelry is the last thing I put on, when I dress. And so - cabinet knobs and pulls are the "jewelry" of the kitchen...I put them on last. As in fashion, same with kitchen design: my favorite jewelry is the most expensive.

Therefore, to be completely honest, I have no idea when I will purchase the drawer pulls and cabinet knobs I want. We did this whole kitchen repair and redecorating for under $300...there is no more money allocated to the kitchen for now. It will have to wait. The kitchen jewelry I want will actually run me well over $100! So please excuse the knob-less cabinets, and the drawers with the old "twig" style pulls...other than that, my kitchen is "dressed" and ready for a few more years of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and parties.

Here is the kitchen "before" (picture from last Christmas) ~



And "After"~



The long view, from the hallway~



Fun details~

My glassware, more fun details on top of the cabinets~

One of the corner shelves~

The kitchen window (took some of these pictures late last night - not a good idea, probably...)~

Looking backwards, into the dining room (since I don't style my photos,you can see my sister's pocket parrot on a barstool. ::smile:: We're bird-sitting Pierce Brosnan (his name!) while my sister is at the beach with her family...)~


The kitchen's new accent color is torquise blue for the spring and summer, and I'll go to chocolate brown accents in fall and winter~



That hallway wall you see in the background will soon be painted in some Swedish/French inspired color - a dove grey, or a very pale shade of blue-green. The color palette of the entire house will be changed from autumn colors, to a very quiet white/cream/grey palette...colors that whisper.

Since taking art classes last summer, I have fallen in love with the idea of a "white canvas"...it is peaceful, and full of possibility. Any color in the whole world can be added, and it will never clash. I want the entire background of my home to be like that white canvas...fresh and clean and bright.

Thanks for coming by!

Healthy Meals

My buddy Lydia has started a new blog, dedicated to healthy eating. I can testify to the fact that she has been "living" her blog, and trying new recipes and sharing them, for quite awhile now. I am very excited for her, and hope her blog ministers to lots!


I have been one to scoff at "food rules", generally. Why? Because you name it, I have done it. Complete with cooking an entirely low-fat and no-fat Thanksgiving dinner, for which my family has mercilessly mocked me for over a decade ever since. I've done a whole foods diet, tried soaking my grains, and have been on a low carb diet. I still eat entirely whole grain bread and pasta and rice, and I still grind my own grains when I am in the mood.


I still believe in "real" food. I use butter. I use olive oil 95% of the time. I don't think twice about splashing real cream into my whole grain mac-n-cheese recipe. You won't catch low fat this or that in my fridge. I'm more concerned about fake food than I am fat grams.


Back in the day, I was adamant about eating "chemical free" food. Still, all that control over my food didn't do a whole lot for me. (I also don't have any known food allergies. If I did, that would be different. A few rules would have to apply.) In fact, it was precisely when I let go of the food rules that I felt dramatically better!


Nevertheless...I turned 40, a few years back. I swear, there is some invisible line you cross at 40. All at once, you have to wear reading glasses, and you have to eat consciously. It is time for me to be a little more mindful about my diet. This is what I love about Lydia's blog. It inspires you to conscious eating, not rule-based eating. (There is a strong link, by the way, with food rules and legalism. One is often a manifestation of the other!)


These days, I do notice a difference when I load up on Omega 3's, B vitamins (through fresh food sources, as well as a sublingual supplement), and I do so much better when I have a bit of protien with each and every meal, and when I have four or five tiny meals instead of two or three larger meals. What I eat, and how I eat it, now noticeably affects the quality of my day.


Inspired by Miss Lydia Joy, I want to share some particularly healthy recipes with you - recipes that constitute a nourishing breakfast and lunch.





Free range eggs, with salmon and fresh squeezed orange juice...


Salmon, any way you can get it, is crucial, in my mind. Unlike many, I won't even quibble over farmed or wild - canned or smoked - whatever you can afford. Just please eat your salmon.

Ingredients for hummus: 2 TB tahini, chickpeas, 2 cloves garlic, 3 or 4 TB lemon juice, coarse salt, and a splash of olive oil.


I love hummus with organic blue corn chips. Yum!

Fresh spinach is another very important food for us girls over 40. Walnuts. Flax seed and yogurt. And I am getting carried away.

Do visit Lydia's blog. I think you will enjoy it.

The Sad Reality of Offenses

The person most in position to advance you into the next level, is the person you are most likely to get offended by.

I plead with you, when this happens ("when", not "if") when the offense comes, stick and stay. See it through. Come under the authority of the word of God. You must come under to get over the mountain. Otherwise, you will have to repeat the lesson, and take the test over and over and over and...

...you get the idea. You can experience ten years worth of spiritual growth in a week, by simply coming under. Or, take ten years to "get" what could have taken you only a week. Either way, you never advance to "C" without going through "A" and "B".

I don't get to pick the vessel through which I am to be dealt with or promoted. I don't get to pick who I will hear and who I will not. The moment I choose not to hear, the very moment I run from the lesson, my life becomes like...

"...the song that never ends!
It just goes on and on my friend.
Some people started singing it
Not knowing what it was
But they'll just keep on singing it forever, just because
This is the song that never ends!
It just goes on and on my friend.
Some people started singing it..."

There is one, and only one, common denominator in all your broken relationships: you. The day you give up and face that fact, change your mind, deal with your issues, and go mend those relational fences, will be the day of your greatest glory. All of heaven will record it.

Memorial Day

Ribs for a small army...


tablescape


empty platter, eagerly awaiting smoked ribs.


The view outside my bedroom window, looking out to the master bedroom deck...

The family has gone fishing now. Ribs were outstanding. I'm here, enjoying the quiet. Hope your Memorial Day was blessed...remembering the great sacrifices of our men and women in uniform!

Grown Children - Another Perspective

And so tonight, I hear the familiar sound of a piano. I didn't think I'd be hearing that sound again.

You see, it is Hannah's Piano. I'm hearing the instrument she prayed for when she was about thirteen years old. Three days after that family prayer time, her pastor-father was sitting at his desk at the church, and received a phone call from a man, a total stranger, who wanted to find someone to give a piano to. Tim quickly let him know that his own daughter had just prayed for a piano.

And so it was. We picked it up that night. Not a shabby piano - a nice one.

Last May, Hannah was married. Of course, she and her in-college-studying-to-be-a-highschool-math-teacher husband moved into their little apartment together. They had no room for her piano. The keys that had been oft played suddenly fell silent. I thought that was that.

Lesson number one thousand-eleven: "that" is never "that".

Here is The Big Announcement: last week, almost one year to the day that Hannah married and moved out, she and her husband, and baby in-utero, have all moved back in.

Uh, remember that home office I was so excited about? I was going to design it and blog it?

Nevermind. I'm now in the market for a crib.

Some grown children move out, and move back home because they can't yet achieve in the "real world".

And some grown children move out, and move back home precisely because they are achieving...

Justin earned his college degree two weeks ago - and is going on for his Master's degree. He has snagged an internship in one of the most, if not THE most highly sought after public high school in the city. Families by the score re-locate just to make sure their children can attend this high school.

But the state of Tennessee pays their teacher-interns....nothing. You read that right: nothing. They must intern one year, and with no salary. It is impossible for Justin to finish his internship, earn his Master's, and also try to find a second full time job, so Hannah can have a baby. The only way these two high achievers could make it work was for them to...

...move in with us. This way, Hannah can work full time, and Justin can finish his internship, get his Master's degree in Math Education, and they can become parents.

Yeah. Not exactly your low-achievers.

They are looking at it this way: their job here at home is not done. They need us, but we also need them in this season. With them here to help with our youngest son, Tim and I can do the work of the ministry more effectively. Lord knows that lately this labor of love, this care of the souls of men, never seems to stop. We need the reinforcements. In-house reinforcements.

God sent them.

Justin is prepared to tutor Isaac so that he'll rock the ACT. This couple could absolutely run this whole household for us, if Tim and I had to, say, go on a mission trip. Heck, they could run the household for us, and we could actually take a vacation. Imagine that.

They will be with us for only one year. And yes...when the baby comes home from the hospital, he or she will be coming here. You know I hate that.

::goofy grin::

That is the news I've been dying to tell you, friends. This home is once again-again bursting at the seams. The big bedroom with the half-bath has been painted the happiest shade of robin's egg blue, and a very happy couple sleeps there, across the hall from our youngest son.

Isaac, who is no longer "all by himself", is more than fine with this latest turn of events. He is loving it. I wonder if he isn't looking forward to the baby as much as I am! He told me the other day, in a moment of unselfconscious teenagedom: "Mom, the best things keep happening to me lately. I mean...I am close to getting a car, my sister is back home, and she's having a baby..."

He didn't know what he'd just said. His heart was fully revealed in that snapshot of a moment, and it was a fine sight for this mother's sore eyes. Sharing his domain with his niece or nephew seems wonderful to him.

I know this post is long. I beg your pardon, and entreat your patience as I leave you with a last thought. In a moral climate (and economic climate) where "boomerang kids" have become a social category, what of the grown ones who come back home for all the right reasons? No grown child should be permitted to come back home, if all home is, is a place where they can have all the freedoms of being an adult, with fewer responsibilities.

But again, what of the adult child who cherishes the generational bond, and wants to contribute to the family....Walton's style? (Remember that old show, The Waltons?) That is a different perspective altogether. One that the church would do well to revisit. What of the adult children who want to come home for a season, and contribute?

Not because they can't make it, but because they already are making it.

One of Hannah's favorite fiction authors, Grace Livingston Hill:

"For a girl who had a home and dear family, to leave them to get along without her as best they could, and go away for a fuller freedom and a selfish life of her own, seemed to Jane nothing short of contemptible."

~Grace Livingston Hill, from the book Happiness Hill

Sarah's New Blog

Now that my daughter Sarah is married, she has decided to start a new blog. Her life as pastor's daughter, and artist's wife, is anything but dull or routine. The sort of life where you get up, go to the same job every day, and come home, is not a life that either of these newlyweds can relate to. For them, each day is truly brand-new, and they are doing an amazing job of living artistically and purposefully.

Young as they are, they are already sculpting a style that identifies them - a marriage full of affection, and a life that is fresh and fun. They are growing a teeny garden, mostly in containers, they live in urban Knoxville - a little white house smack-dab in the middle of the city, they love having guests often (sometimes a crowd!), tending to their exuberant puppy, and being fully creative - all in a "normal" day.

Artsy couple, they.

Without further monologue, please visit Sarah's "A Grace-"FULL" Life".

Almost Done...

What a week! We're not done yet, but we have the end in sight. I'll post pictures of all the fun, pretty details when the kitchen repair/redecoration is finished.


The wall we had to tear out was replaced by Monday night...

Beginning to get the full effect of our new all-white kitchen...I snapped this picture of the last bit of the old red wall.

Installation of track lighting - again, is there anything this man cannot do? This kind of lighting, and going with halogen bulbs, made as big a difference as changing the wall color! Had I known the "power of light", I would have done this years ago! (The right side wall still needs primer and paint.)

Not done yet - but here is where we are as of the weekend. Time to put away the tools and paint brushes temporarily, as we have a busy weekend to tend to. This kitchen is going to be so light, airy, and serene when we are finally finished.

Kitchen Chaos

It had been a long but productive day. Twelve (or was it thirteen?) for lunch, followed by birthday cake and a silly alien movie. A lovely Sunday, it was. I was feeling so complete and happy - ready to end the day on a soft note. Then, last night, about 9 PM, I let Tim know that I thought there might be a problem in the kitchen...someone noticed that the wall on the far end of the kitchen had a strange, wavy look to it...

...we were still working at 11 PM, tearing out water-damaged wall, moving cabinets out to the garage, stacking drawers and cookbooks and pots and pans all around the perimeter of the dining room.

Life. Has. Descended. Into. Chaos.

That fast. ::snaps fingers::

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, my house is being defibrillated. Resuscitated.

But hey...remember that kitchen makeover on the schedule for this summer? It's getting done right now. This week.

Before:

Is there anything this man cannot do?




The washing machine has been leaking into the wall for who-knows-how-long. We had to rip out the whole wall, both sides between the kitchen and laundry room. Tim had to re-plumb the guts, install a box for the fixtures, and fix the leak. Now, it is on to new sheetrock, and the requisite taping and mudding and sanding.

I'll post detailed pictures of The Unveiling as soon as we are done!

An Outdoor Project

If you've read my blog at all, you probably already know that my outdoor spaces are important to me. We really do live on our porches, front and back. Three seasons of the year, you'll find someone outside enjoying these outdoor rooms. All of it perfectly imperfect, you will see sure signs of life lived abundantly on a budget. The outdoor fireplace was made of reclaimed brick. The pond waterfall was made with slate that was given to us. Many of the shrubs and flowers are classic "pass along plants", from the gardens of people we dearly love.

We've yet to be able to afford to replace our plastic resin chairs with nicer ones....the deck needs restaining...the outdoor rug needs replaced...and the cushions on the rockers and wicker chairs are showing their age.


Beautiful patio furniture has always been a bit of an unrealized dream for me. So we make do creatively - it makes for a lot of fun family stories.
Our table out back was made from the top of a giant wooden cable spool. We saw it on the side of the road, looking like one of those wooden spools of thread, only the size of a compact car. Our local cable utility company discards them, so we got permission to take it home - free. Tim made an outdoor table out of it, about six years ago. It already had a small hole in the middle, perfect for a patio umbrella.

My plan was to purchase a new outdoor table and chairs this spring...but happily, a wedding bumped that from top of the budget priority, to bottom of the list.

This past year, our table has begun to show wear and tear, since it is entirely made of wood, and exposed to all the elements, all year long, on our uncovered back porch. Since I couldn't replace it as I hoped, I needed a rain-proof table cloth to make it presentable - except you won't find a round vinyl table cloth that is at least 120 inches in diameter. (This table is huge. We can sit ten around it very comfortably, and twelve if we squeeze in.)

So I bought two inexpensive rectangular vinyl table covers (by Waverly) and decided to sew a center seam. But another problem presented itself: the umbrella, my mother's day present. The table cloth needed to come off and be put on easily without having to remove the umbrella every time.

Here's the solution I came up with:


I bought some duct tape in a matching color (you can buy duct tape now in robin's egg blue, hot pink, madras plaid, every color and pattern you can imagine!), and some seam binding - total cost under $5. (The table cloths themselves were $2.99 each at Marshall's)


I bound the inner edge with duct tape to reinforce it, inserted six grommets along each edge, and tied the two cloths together with the brown seam binding. (ribbon would not have been sturdy enough)





I also got a can of Krylon spray paint, and gave our plastic chairs a face lift. I'm embarrassed to say that the chair on the left is "before" - faded and dirty. All you do, is clean your resin chairs, and then spray them with this special paint, made for plastic outdoor things. It makes a huge difference!

We'll get by for another summer, without any major purchases, all for under $20. Though plastic resin is the last material I'd ever want for my outdoor chairs, we put such a high priority on hospitality that it was either find a way to buy a dozen matching chairs, or leave guests with no place to sit. Plastic it was...and still is. Someday, we'll upgrade. Until then, at least we're keeping the "doors open" in our outdoor spaces.

Just today, I fed thirteen for lunch - and we all mostly hung out outside. I can't give up serving others in this special way, just because I don't have "the right furniture".

A quick, simple makeover that took only a couple of hours.

I Own It...

a puppy and a husband with strong-but-gentle hands - two components of The Well Lived Life...

I don't own a lot, materially speaking. But I own as much as anyone I know!

I own my faults. Yes, they are mine. Every single one. I speak my mind - too often. I have a sharp wit, but sharp can become cutting. I hate that about myself. I am passionate - but passion can become temper. Full of faults, me. At least I own them, and own up to them. I know of some who own none at all...a miserable lot, they.

I own my strengths. God gave them to me. I am not ashamed of them, and yes, they have made a few people uncomfortable. But no one is well served when I bury what God gave me to invest - either I own it, or I act as though I don't own it, and "to her who hath not, even what she has will be taken away."

Interestingly, I own the little piece of sky above my home. I don't need expansive vistas with expensive tax brackets. My sunset is the same sun that sets anywhere else, and there are colors and glory and glow the same.

I own the plants and flowers that grow around this suburban cottage. Hydrangeas are hydrangeas no matter where they grow, be that castle or cottage. I like mine best, because they are mine.

The best components of a life well-lived are mine for the taking, right here. Wind, rain, fragrance, joy, trees, birds, a garden, music, laughter, good food, and basil....lots of basil. Tomatoes. We make a mean pesto and bruschetta around here, come summertime. All mine.

You see, it isn't the house itself, it is the life you live there. It isn't the stuff you have, it is the stuff you share that makes for the kind of pleasure that you feel all the way down in your stomach. Anyone can live an artful, soulful, complete sort of life without acreage or livestock. Having those things is not a negative thing...you just don't need any of it. Not if you have an imagination and not if you know how to live a well-edited, purposefully-designed life.

Not if you know how to be abased and how to abound, right where you live, right now.

Right here, I dabble in a bit of animal husbandry (puppies, a plethora of large pond fish, a canary and two pocket parrots, all of which require daily love and care), I enjoy the view and sound of a waterfall, pond, and fish, have an outdoor fireplace, small gardens, places to walk, a fruit bearing tree, berry bushes, sunrises, sunsets, I play around with oil painting, interior design, cooking, writing, poetry, philosophy; I own the gentle breezes that meander through this patch of place, and can have a glass of home made lemonade whenever I feel like making it.

Do I really need more? Does anyone? I own a version of almost everything you can find on a fine "estate", and I have created it right here in a typical suburban home. And we share it with everyone we know and love.

That's some large livin'.

I don't own much, but I do own it.