Aqua Wish

I've spent the last few months trying to repair and spruce up my house. It's a slow process, but I'm beginning to see a difference. The outside has been pressure washed, the trim has been painted, the windows have new screens, and the back porch has been repaired and rescreened. Inside, my dad and I have been finishing a new room which will be a laundry/utility room. But this past week was entirely devoted to updating my little girl's room into something that a tween will think is cool. She's past the pink stage and we are moving on to aqua.

Here's a play-by-play.

Saturday: pulled EVERYTHING out of the room; sanded and washed the walls, covered nail holes

Sunday: bought the paint, Aqua Wish and Frost, aka blue green and white

Monday: sanded and wiped down the walls again; started with white on 3 walls; enthusiastic child painted with brush and roller until it became a job...then wandered off

Tuesday: the no longer enthusiastic child called a friend and spent the day at her house while my son and I worked on the aqua wall and trim

Wednesday: finished the trim and cleaned the carpet

Thursday: after Thanksgiving lunch, dad and my nephew moved furniture back into room

Friday: ignored the room and went shopping, but did buy a new comforter set to match the aqua wall

Saturday: hung the curtains and helped put clothes back in room, gave up and went outside when the petulant child refused to cooperate; mom came, dealt with the child and finished putting the room in order while I stained a swing, cut grass and straightened the carport

Sunday: rest

I just walked into her room to take a photo and thought about the color aqua. It's a blue green that reminds me of the ocean and makes me wants to take a deep breath and relax. It's amazing how something as simple as the color of the sea can calm your mind, yet the sea can be turbulent and scary much like the stresses of life. 

Mark 4:39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

I should remember that He can also rebuke my stressors and say to my mind, "Peace, be still!" and the things that are stressful will cease and He will bring great calm to my mind. 

Encouragement

Last week at work was a struggle. My poor officemates had to listen to me whine all week. I'm pretty sure they are just as glad as I am that I'm off this week for Thanksgiving. I thought I could turn my depression around by doing some physical labor and give my mind a rest. I worked most of the afternoon, but I was still down in the dumps. Sunday morning arrived and I contemplated skipping church because we were having a visiting preacher, but I pushed on and I'm so glad I did.

Dr. Bob Pitman was there to give us Encouragement, and he did. He spoke from Colossians 2:13-15 these three truths: 1. Jesus met my greatest need; 2. Jesus paid my greatest debt; and 3. Jesus defeated my greatest enemy. 

1. (v. 13) And you, being dead in your trespasses..., He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, (I was once spiritually dead. How did Jesus make me alive? By speaking forgiveness into my life.)

2. (v. 14) Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us,...And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (It was like having your name at the top of a page and  all of your sins listed below it, then having Jesus write the Greek word tetelestai across the page. It meant the debt was paid in full, as well as 'It is finished'. He nailed what was against me to the cross.)

3. (v. 15) Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them. (Jesus disarmed, defeated, dishonored and de-fanged demonic spirits, including Satan, i.e., He knocked out their teeth and took a way their bite.)

1. Jesus met my greatest need.

2. Jesus paid my greatest debt.

3. Jesus defeated my greatest enemy. 

I hope this gives you as much encouragement as it gave me. 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

A Torturous Weekend

Sitting here on Sunday afternoon I mentioned to my 9-year-old that I needed to write my blog. I asked her what I should write about. She said to write about how I tortured her this weekend by not allowing her to visit a friend or have a friend come over. I laughed then thought ok, I'll do that.

For the previous four weekends, my child has been a social butterfly. Between her and five of her friends, I've either had an extra child or been running to pick her up from someone's house. Earlier in the week, she asked again and I said NO. Period. I really don't think she believed me because she spent the next few days pestering me about how awful her weekend would be.

Guess what? She has survived. We had a lazy Saturday morning, cleaned up the playroom and stained a swing. We sat together in my recliner that night and watched silly videos on her iPad. Sunday was normal except for the fact that somehow I guilted her into cleaning her room.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true,...,whatever things are just,...,whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.

Overall I'd say it was a very successful weekend and I hope to repeat it more often. 

Friends

My 9-year-old had a friend come home with her on Friday for a sleepover. First up was afterschool karate. I decided they needed some energy burned out af them, so I picked them up after a 2 hour workout. Supper was Dominoes pizza and Fanta Orange. I made them stop eating so I could pray over their meal. They were obviously starving after karate.

After an hour, I was beginning to settle down in my favorite chair when I heard them pulling out weird ingredients in the kitchen. They were planning on a smoothie challenge. What's that? Kids select a bunch of good and bad items to mix in a smoothie, challenging each other to drink it. I had to supervise that one because I didn't want a couple of sick girls. I pulled out the blender and kept the portions rather small, using only a teaspoon to taste the smoothie. In the end, it consisted of yogurt, strawberries, milk, sugar, ketchup, mustard, peanut butter, chocolate and cracked pepper. They survived.

The blind-folded makeover had one of them looking like they had on war paint. I told them if they were not going to shower, they should at least wash their dirty karate feet. They sat on the edge of the tub with soap, wash cloths and water running down the drain. That lasted long enough for each of them to have had full showers.  They wanted to stay up until 11 and I said ok. Thankfully, the were both asleep before 10:30.

They emerged the next morning around 8 and began to do art projects. It wasn't long before they asked for waffles and wanted to get ready to go swimming at the college. I popped the food in the toaster and set up their meals. I had already left the room when they were ready to eat. I smiled as I heard her friend pray over their food.

Proverbs 12:26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the ways of the wicked leads them astray.

I must say that I believe she has chosen a good friend.

Costume Time

When I was a kid, we created our Halloween costumes from old clothes and the occasional wig. Besides the candy, much of the fun was putting together a unique costume. This year both of my kids were in need of outfits and I really hated to just buy costumes. The older one was going to a Halloween party. I told him my only ideas were a pirate or a convict. He finally chose the convict (no frilly shirts for him). So armed with black clothes, white Duck Tape and an old pair of broken handcuffs, his was finished in no time.

The girl child was more difficult, as usual. She wanted to be a vampire. Why? I don't know. I thought, ok no problem, I'll make a cape. Oh no, no, no. She wanted a black dress with red material down the front and a red stand up collar. Five days later, I finally finished it. It was cute and more importantly warm. I offered her a black wig and vampire teeth. The teeth lasted about five minutes and the wig was a no go. So I ended up with a cute little blond in an outfit that could have been Little Red Riding Hood if I had made a hood instead of a collar.

I realize that some might fault me for allowing my kids to dress as an escaped convict and a vampire, but I see it as just plain fun to dress up and spend time with friends. 

Luke 12:23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

Although it took some time, I really enjoyed creating the costumes. It reminded me how much I like sewing and will hopefully keep me inspired. Perhaps my little one will dream up more designs and we can create a new wardrobe. Either way, I believe my kids will store this away in their memory of good times spent with mom.