My Latest Source of Joy

I'll be completely honest. I've had a rough last couple of weeks. I'll write a post about that later because I want to be completely upfront with you about our lives. I never want to pretend that we've got it all together and that I only post the good stuff.

But before I do that, I want to share with you something that God used yesterday at church to bring a much needed laugh. It was the kind that you laugh so hard your face hurts. What made it even better was it was a laugh shared by my church family. There's nothing like laughing with good friends that you love dearly.

This video was made by the Worship Pastor at our church. He is so talented and we are so thankful that God brought him to us, but don't get any ideas about stealing him from us! It is encouraging people to join a small group or what we call a "Life Group" within our church. I hope you enjoy this. (You will probably have to turn off the music at the bottom to hear it completely.)

And the joke about the coffee...that's because people always make fun of/complain about the coffee we serve in the foyer....and yet, people still drink it.

Not Cooperating

Wesley looks in the rear-view mirror of the van to see Josie nodding off to sleep.

Just as her eyes close Josie grimaces and cries, "My eyes aren't cooperating!"

Poor thing! She said it over and over, but to no avail. She was sound asleep within moments.

Trash to Treasure

Recently, a friend introduced me to a new blog called http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/ . I am hooked! The girl who writes this blog is so creative! She shops at Good Will looking for things that have potential to be beautiful objects in her home. So, my friend and I have been inspired.

Yesterday we went to Good Will to hunt for our own treasures. I came home with 12 or 13 items for $25. Today I began my restoration process. Armed with my trusty spray paint and craft paints I began, and within MOMENTS I had brand new treasures. Here are a few of today's projects.

Hallelujah for this stuff!

Check this out! This cheap looking plastic tray cost me 99 cents.

Now look at my snazzy black tray.

I posted these in B&W because my candles and stones don't match...they were all I had in my craft box, but you get the idea.

This one is my favorite. I forgot to take a before picture because I was so excited to get started. It was very plain/boring wood. I painted it a metallic-blackish/brown and then painted "mailbox" on the top. Fun, huh?

I saw this statue and thought, "yuck!" But then tried to open my mind and thought it might look good in a different color. For less than two dollars I figured it wasn't much of a risk.

I painted it the same color that I painted the mailbox. What do you think?

So, this next project wasn't really from the Good Will store, but I thought it was fun. I picked this stuff up at the craft store the other day and whipped this baby out in about 10 minutes while I was making dinner. I have since improved it and have greater plans for future hanging-candle-lantern thingies.

I couldn't help but be reminded about how God restores us when the world has thrown us to the trash pile. 1 Peter 5:10 says, "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

I like to think I'm "restoring" these objects to be something beautiful and more useful than before, but the difference in my attempts at restoration and the restoration that takes place when God works on us (besides spray paint) is that God makes us COMPLETELY NEW. He makes us beautiful and gives us the most important purpose in the universe--to reflect His beauty.

One more thought. If I receive so much joy and pleasure from restoring these little odds and ends, how much more joy and pleasure does our Lord have as he works on you and me? I get so anxious and excited as I wait for one coat of paint to dry before I put on another one or to paint words on. I wonder how excited he gets in between "coats". One thing is for sure. He promised He'd finish the job.

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus,"

Philippians 1:6

Future Career Options for Josie?

Well, I have a thought and all I have to say is...

Beth Moore, you better hold on to your hair!

I have no idea where she gets this preaching style. Our pastor isn't like that by any stretch of the imagination.

But if you notice, she's a genius at starting off gently and working her way to bringin' down the spirit on anyone with a dog named "Snickers". If you do, I feel sorry for you! I also love the very good use of demonstrative body language.

I'm tellin' ya, there's a new preacher in town!

Fun With Auntie Bekah

Last week my Aggie roommate came in town for a few days. We had soooooo much fun. It was such a refreshing time. We did so many things and my children absolutely ADORE her.

As you can see she spent a lot of time with them. Bekah is a wonderful teacher (She teaches middle school history/geography). The whole time we were going through the museum Bekah would tell Josie things and she soaked it all in. Jo has since given Wesley a full explanation of the origination of the phrase, "It's raining cats and dogs."

She left one day during their naps. When each of them woke up an realized she wasn't there, I thought we were going to have two meltdowns, but instead of all out bawling they stuck out their bottom lips and pouted for the rest of the afternoon. But Caleb was the worst. He would walk by the play room where we had blown up a mattress for her and he would look longingly, point and say, "Buh-e". He was heartbroken.

Swimming at Julie's

On one of Wesley's days off we went to a friend Julie's house to swim. We had a super-duper time!

We think Josie has found her way to pay for college: a diving scholarship.

Okay, maybe not so much. But hey, I'm not brave enough to do that! Ouch!

Our little fam.

Risking Storms

I just wanted to share two things with you. These two points are things I DO NOT have licked by any stretch of the imagination. These are simply ideas that have convicted, encouraged, challenged, and spurred me on this week to brace myself, put my head down, and move forward no matter what happens.

(Whenever a huge storm or something intimidating hits my life--because according to John 16:33 it's promised--please remind me I said this! I might want to chicken out.)

First please watch this:

Just some quick background on the video. He was not talking about our salvation. We CANNOT EARN our salvation. It is given to us by grace through faith (Eph 2:8). Francis was talking about our SANCTIFICATION--the process by which God works all the junk out of us--the process by which he makes us perfect that will be complete only on the day we stand before him (Phil 1:6).

Now if you have time, please click here and read the post called "Ready to Squall" from the youth minister at our church: http://hesednow.blogspot.com/2009/07/r.html

I hope you were encouraged like I was. Thank goodness for the other promise of John 16:33!

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33