Seeking Temporary Work

     I teach a ninth grade girls class on Sunday mornings and this week we began a study on I Peter.  We only went over the first two verses, but man, was I convicted! Peter refers to God's children as temporary residents, strangers in the word. As I was preparing my lesson, I began to think about that concept- being a temporary resident. I began to think about all the time and effort I put into decorating my earthly home: frequent trips to Home Goods, hours watching HGTV and clipping ideas from Better Home and Gardens. I sure do spend a lot of time preparing a place that will pass away. Now, I'm not saying taking care of your home is a bad thing. But I had to stop and ask myself, "How much time I am spending on preparing my eternal home, the one that isn't passing away, the one that lasts forever?" I knew the answer to that question, and it wasn't an answer I was proud of.

    The second verse goes on to say that as Christians, we've been set apart for obedience and for sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ.  In order to prepare for my home in Heaven, I first must be obedient.  When I think about Christ's life here on earth, I think about the point he made to foster relationships with people. That is what I believe He was and is calling me to obey. And to be honest, that thought scares me a little bit. Believe it or not, I am actually a shy person. I was never very good at starting conversations and always felt a little uneasy when meeting new people. However, I know that is what Christ desires, and He deserves all of me. I must be intentional about my relationships with people and point them to Christ.

    I just thought I'd share how Christ is working in my life lately. How is He working in yours?

The Dog Days of Summer

     Thank you Lord for providing me with a job I love where I can enjoy two months off in the summer! Don't get me wrong; it's not all play. My fellow teachers and I often work like dogs during the school year. But oh the summers, they are just glorious! The time of rest and reflection is much needed (and deserved if I do say so myself). I am going to miss my 8th grade students as they move on to high school.  I taught many of them for two and a half years. While some days I was easily frustrated and annoyed, most days I left school feeling loved and laughed at little things that occurred throughout the day. I pray that they will seek the Lord and His wisdom as they experience some of the best days of their lives in high school.

     So far my summer has started off pretty slow, which has been a welcomed change of pace. I actually didn't have enough hangers while I was doing laundry this week. It's never been completely done, with no clothes waiting in the laundry basket. I even cooked most meals at home this week, and new recipes at that! I know, the littlest things excite me. I promise I will do something more adventurous as the summer progresses. I have to in order to keep up with this little guy:

Home Sweet Home

I've been a home owner for a little over a year now and have loved every minute of it (except the more rooms to clean part).  My husband and I have always loved older homes; they have such character.  We enjoy riding through neighborhoods where each house is uniquely different. Whenever I first saw the listing on this house, I knew we had to move fast.  It's an older brick house that definitely needed some updating.  We are far from being done with house projects, but here's a little peek of our progress so far..



Before



 



After





Before






After



Watch out world, I'm starting a blog

Watch out world, I'm starting a blog - not because I think I'm just so interesting (believe me, I know I'm rather boring),  but I've always loved to write.  The written word is both challenging and powerful, and I love a good challenge. I also don't tend to share much of myself with others. I've never been the center-of-the-party type, and frankly I don't ever care to be.  However, I'm finding more and more that life is meant to be shared- the good, the bad, and yes-the ugly. So here it goes.

Today I began the P90X workout series. I know it's a little cheezy and intimidating, but I've got to do something.  I used to tell myself that I would never be more than 130 pounds. Well folks, I am past that and then some. I can sit here and try to make excuses, but staying in shape just wasn't a priority. I used to love working out and eating healthy; I am making it a goal to return to that place this summer. I could care less about having a model's body (even though I'm sure the hubby wouldn't mind), for me it's more about being healthy. Let's just hope I can walk by the end of the week...