Speechless

Today is one of those days when I have absolutely nothing to say.  

Sometimes circumstances of life, both good and bad, leave us stunned... So much so that we are completely speechless. Life just leaves us speechless.  And that is how I feel today.   You know the saying, "Have you prayed about it as much as you have talked about it?"  Well, it seems like I am all talked out, and all prayed out.  My heart wants to pray, but my head and mouth are out of words. 

Fortunately, we have a Marvelous Intercessor through the Holy Spirit,  who speaks on our behalf.

Romans 8:18,26

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us....

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." 

Psalm 91

 "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.”

 ³ Surely He will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with His feathers,
   and under His wings you will find refuge;
   His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
   and see the punishment of the wicked.

 ⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For He will command His angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

 ¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him My salvation.” 

Verse 15 of this passage says that God will "deliver him and honor him."  Not only does He command His angels concerning us, in order that we might be delivered from harm, but He goes even beyond that.  He HONORS us.  He brings honor to us for HIS sake... So that we may proclaim HIM to those who do not know Him, and so that our lives may reflect His.  A God who honors His people who, without Him, would be lost, purposeless, and hopeless... that is love.  Not only does He deliver us, but he honors us.  We are worthy of no honor of this earth or not of this earth.  But neither were we worthy of being died for, and He did that too.  

As January comes to a close, we begin to prepare for February... a month of the celebration of love (Valentines Day.)  And I believe that true love does not exist apart from Jesus Christ, so it is only appropriate to celebrate love in the context of Christ, who is love, and who showed us with His life, and who still shows us through His Holy Spirit and through the fulfillment of His promises, what love looks like. 

Progress Report

Well, we have made some slow progress on the closet since I last posted about it.  We purchased and hung shelves.... the purchasing part was no problem-o, but the hanging part was a different story... A story of overcoming diversity.  Thanks to drywall screws and a patient husband! 

After hanging the shelves I put some organization essentials atop them, along with some of Andrew's things.  The four magazine holders on the right are from Goodwill.  I paid less than a dollar for each holder, and then spray painted them and stuck labels on the outsides.
 

The "E" bookend was also from Goodwill... $1.99.  It was originally black, but I spray painted it too.  And no, no one in our family has a name that starts with an "E." 

The deer head is something that Andrew worked long and hard on, so I thought it would be a sweet gesture to include it in the space.  And he painted the Tarheel plate, so it only seemed appropriate to include that as well. 

Still to come:

• Magazine rack (I have it, but have not hung it yet)
• Curtain, rod, and hook to pull the curtain back on
• Chair (The one in the pictures actually goes at our dining room table.)
• Trash can
• Clock
• Lights
• Yellow and white photo boxes (Four boxes total)
• Pen and pencil holders
• BOOKS and LAPTOP!!!

Be Still

"The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."  

- Exodus 14:14

Take Time

Take time to work.
It is the price of success.

Take time to think.
It is the source of power.

Take time to play.
It is the secret of perpetual youth.

Take time to read.
It is the foundation of wisdom.

Take time to worship.
It is the highway to reverence.

Take time to be friendly.
It is the road to happiness.

Take time to dream.
It is hitching your wagon to a star.

Take time to love and be loved.
It is the privilege of life.

Take time to look around.
It is too short a day to be selfish.

Take time to laugh.
It is the music of the soul.

–Old English Prayer

Source

Thoughtful Organization

I am taking away a few pieces of inspiration from this photo, and thought I would share them so you can have a piece or two also:

bhg

I really like the baskets.  Along with the matching white binders, they help give the space a cohesiveness and take the eye clutter down a notch.  I also love the magazine rack on the wall.  I saw a similar one at Marshall's yesterday, but had to sleep on it before deciding if it is worth the $12.99.

The reason I am torn is because I prefer hiding my clutter, my papers, and my projects in folders, baskets, etc... anything to keep them out of sight.  Andrew is not that way at all.  He is all about convenience and ease.  If he is going to put anything back where it belongs at all, that spot has to be easily accessible and visible.  Otherwise, the project will either be forgotten about, or he will never put the thing back where it belongs; he will leave it on the floor, on the desktop, somewhere effortless.  And the office space is technically for Andrew and not for me.  So I am thinking the magazine rack is the way to go... It is still better than having stuff piled on the floor, the desk, or the kitchen table. 

The chair is also right up my alley; however, I am leaning toward a thrifted chair topped off with a pretty cushion.

The goal this weekend is to purchase 2x4s and brackets, have them cut to the proper measurements, and then paint them.  I am leaning toward painting them white as opposed to staining them the harsh color of the desk.  While I am at Lowes, I also plan on purchasing some LED lights to hang in the office space, since there is no overhead light in that [former] closet.

Another view

Along the Same Lines

Since I am kind of on this "getting organized" kick, I thought I would share this ORGANIZED PANTRY with you, from Courtney at A Thoughtful Place. 

Here is what her kitchen looks like:

 And here is her pantry:

Let me interject here by saying that the size of this pantry is very comparable to the size of our pantry.  And Courtney has two small children, so Andrew and I have NO excuse for not being able to maintain an organized pantry, in spite of its size. 

Here is a list of things she added to help her get organized:

• hanging wire shelving system from Target {$35}
• wrapping paper to line the back of my pantry {$1} Target
• plastic drawer from Target {$8}
• chalkboard labels . . . DIY here.
• two plastic bins from Target to use as makeshift pull out shelves
• ribbon trim {already had}
• three blue tins from Target $1 section {already had}
• oxo containers {already had and LOVE} 

And here is a handy list she came up with to clear to pantry clutter:

• take everything out of your pantry. Toss what you don’t use or need.
• put things in clear containers so you can see your inventory
• label so even the hubby knows where things go when unloading groceries
• keep things in plain sight {like can goods} so you use them
• place like items together
• meal plan to cut down on the random buys that end up filling your pantry

The reason I like her pantry overhaul so much is because it is totally do-able.  She did not go out and spend an arm and a leg.  In fact, she said that the whole job cost about $45, which is pretty darn good.  

Here are some other inspirational, organized pantry ideas, to help get your organizational juices flowing!

From here

 

This one is a little over the top for my taste.

This one is one of my favorites!

I really like the calendar, grocery list, and meal planner hanging on the door... very cute and clever. (:

Piece of Progress

I did not take a picture of the closet before I painted it.  In these pictures, it is painted a light blue/turquoise color... thanks to my hours of labor on Sunday afternoon!  But before 5:00 Sunday evening, it was an off-white/brownish color...

So picture that.

And then picture me painting for a few hours, in order to produce this result:

We had a desk picked out, and we even bought it, but we had to wait a few days to put it together because, I hate to admit this.... Hold on to your britches.... We had to PAY SOMEONE to put the desk together.  How lame are we?!  It was one of those that comes in a box with all the pieces, a big bundle of screws, and horrible instructions. 

Andrew is a wonderful husband, and often does things for me that he would NEVER choose to do on his own.  But even he drew the line at putting this desk together.  Thanks a lot, Wal Mart.  I knew I should have waited until the end of the month when I could hit up the flea market. 

Lesson learned.

The next steps are as follows:

• More shelves for the back wall
• Accessories for the shelves (bookends, matching binders, magazine holders, boxes, bins, etc.)
• Decoupage pen and pencil holders
• Desk calander
• Curtain rod/shower rod
• Curtain 
• Lamp?
• Chair 

So, a little bit of progress was made.... And lots of still to come!  (:  

Whatever

"...I have learned to be content WHATEVER the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

-Philippians 4:11-13

Cloffice

Yesterday I painted the closet in our spare bedroom, with the longer term goal of turning it into an closet office.  I did it almost without help... Andrew had to help me take the sliding doors off the closet. 

Here is some of my inspiration moving forward: 

I have not decided exactly which ideas to incorporate and which to do without, but at least I have a little direction!  With Andrew going back to school, we have the perfect motivation/excuse to take on this little project.  Hopefully it will help eliminate the clutter and mess that seem to appear when he walks in the door from work or school, and will give him a quiet place, free to chaos, so that he can focus! 

Images are from:  The Mustard Ceiling, Better Homes and Gardens, and Country Living.

Feeling Encouraged Yet?

"You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light.

With your help I can advance against a troop;

With MY GOD I can scale a wall.

As for God, His way is perfect;

The Word of the Lord is flawless.

He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.

For who is God besides the Lord?

And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength

And makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;

He enables me to stand on the heights.

He trains my hand for battle;

My arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You give me your shield of victory;

You stoop down to make me great.

You broaden the path beneath me,

So that my ankles do not turn."

- 2 Samuel 22:29-36

And this is totally off topic, but if I do not post it now, I may never get around to it.  A gal at work has a daughter who had a zebra-themed birthday party last Saturday.  She asked me to make the cake, which I, of course, did!  

Here was the final product.  Well, the almost final product:

Upon completion of the cake, I realized that I spelled the name wrong.  She only uses one "r" to spell her name.  But after making that vital correction, but cake was apparently a big hit!  I certainly hope it was anyway! 

2012: Stuff I have Made So Far

Last week I posted a few of the organization tricks that we plan on implementing into our home, but left to head to yoga before finishing the post.  So, are the last little bit of my organization attempts thus far:

Thanks to the original ideas, which you can find here and here, I made these two things for the front of our refrigerator.  We seem to have pens strewn about random places in the house, yet when we need them, we cannot find them.  This tin can seems to be doing the trick so far.  We know exactly where our pens are now!

And we are using the clipboard to help us keep a running grocery list.  It is so much easier to keep track of what we need when the pens and the list are so handy!

The original post of the clipboard, which you have probably already seen on Pinterest, suggests making and giving the clipboard as a gift.  I will definitely be doing that this year since our finances will be especially tight in 2012... now that Andrew is going back to school!  (:  The project is ALMOST free.  I had to purchase the clipboard, which was exactly one dollar plus tax.  Already had the magnets, ribbon, button, Mod Podge, and scrapbook paper.

The next project was kind of a combination of this idea and this one.  The two came together to make this:

 And this project was also free!

 All you need is an empty container like this one, scrapbook paper, and ribbon.  Stickers are optional, but I think they add a special touch.  (:

This wreath is obviously not useful for organizing purposes, but I had to come up with something to replace our Christmas wreath.  I used hot glue, buttons, felt, ribbon, a wooden "A," and a plain wreath.  The wreath cost $4 at JoAnn's, the "A" was $2, and I already had the other materials. 

The wreath needed a friend, so I made a matching "Welcome" sign!

One Down...

We can check Miracle #1 off the list... Because it JUST HAPPENED!!! 

Here is a refresher of the miracles we are praying for in 2012:

• Andrew to get successfully enrolled in each and every class that he needs to take at MTSU... 
• Us to be able to pay for those classes and the books up front.
• For him to PASS THOSE CLASSES,
• And then for him to get into the graduate program that he is hoping for. 

 And here is what the list looks like now:

• Andrew to get successfully enrolled in each and every class that he needs to take at MTSU... 
• Us to be able to pay for those classes and the books up front.
• For him to PASS THOSE CLASSES,
• And then for him to get into the graduate program that he is hoping for.  

He starts class on January 12th, which is tomorrow.  The other miracles are still to come... 

Image from here

Pressing On

Originally, I intended for the verse of the week (1 John 3:19,20) to carry me through the entire week.  Meditating on just one or two verses each week helps to keep me from feeling overwhelmed.  But this week is an exception.  I need to protect my heart and mind with scripture extra this week!!!  (:

At the end of the sermon at church on Sunday, our pastor gave us a "take away" phrase for the week.  The phrase?

Press on. 

Here, from the Book of Isaiah, are some of my favorite "Pressing On" verses.  So, if you need an extra dose of encouragement this week...

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary." -Isaiah 40:29-31

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  -Isaiah 41:10

And this is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES: 

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." -Isaiah 43:2

The pastor discussed that we cannot press on if we continually glance in, or stare at, our rear-view mirrors.  

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a NEW THING!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland!."  -Isaiah 43:18,19

I love that!!! God is doing a new thing, but we cannot perceive it if we are looking constantly into our rear-view mirror... The rear-view mirror that God NEVER uses!

"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." -Isaiah 43:25

Here are some of the verses that our pastor used during his sermon on Sunday:

"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I CONSIDER THEM RUBBISH, that I may gain Christ and be found in him...

FORGETTING WHAT IS BEHIND AND STRAINING TOWARD WHAT IS AHEAD, I PRESS ON toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 3:8,13,14    

In a nutshell, the message behind his sermon was that no human condition, no struggle, no victory, no riches, no heartache, no trial, no accomplishment... no earthly thing, amounts to anything compared to the glory found in Christ Jesus.  The greatest or riches and the hardest or trials are all rubbish compared to the prize that lies heavenward. 

All theses things that come wrapped in the package of being human... the heartache, the successes, the riches, the rags.... they can serve as distractions or stumbling blocks in our lives, hearts, and minds, or they can serve as constant reminders of the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.  They can serve as constant reminders of God's grace and glory.  If we let our humanity serve as a reminder to us, it will propel us forward... Pressing on. 

Verse for the Week

"This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us.  FOR GOD IS GREATER THAN OUR HEARTS, AND HE KNOWS EVERYTHING.

-1 John 3:19,20 

The past few nights I have not slept well at all.  Most of my life I have struggled with worry and with having such a need to be in control.  During the time that I have been married God has really dealt with those issues in me.  He has shown us such awesome miracles, and brought so many unexpected things into our lives that I have been constantly reminded that I am not, nor am I meant to be, in control.  I am, of course, in control of my own thoughts, words, and actions, but even at that, each morning when I wake up I surrender those parts of my heart and life to Him as well. 

That being said, I have fallen into the worry trap over the past few days.  Anxious anticipation, worry, wonder, curiosity... all have worked against my sleeping well this week. 

So, here I am, yet again, surrendering every circumstance of our lives to the Creator of our lives, Jesus Christ. 

"This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us.  FOR GOD IS GREATER THAN OUR HEARTS, AND HE KNOWS EVERYTHING.

                   -1 John 3:19,20

It's a NEW YEAR!!!

I CANNOT BELIEVE how quickly 2011 passed, nor how much can change in just a year.  God is so neat that way!  Just full of surprises...

Some of the goals we set for our little family are to get more organized (and stay that way!), and to be more frugal.  I am sure both of those have been popular resolutions this New Year.  Since Andrew is going to be returning to school (he starts classes at MTSU this month), it is important for us to save every penny we can.  We do NOT want to have to take out loans for the classes that he needs to take, especially since we are still working on paying off existing school loans.  And being organized is important as well.  He will need a good, quiet place to study and to work on his online classes.  I do not know if it works this way for everyone, but I am much more able to apply myself to getting work done in a serene, clean, and organized environment. 

Here are the strides I have made so far: 

First, we had to figure out a way to organize our Christmas decorations.  One of the worst parts of Christmas is when the season comes to an end and you have to UN-decorate your house!  But doing it in an organized manner made it a little more fun, and I do not feel apprehensive about having a mess to dig through next Christmas when we are ready to decorate again. 

I did not take pictures of the packaging process, but I opted to take things out of their original boxes and bags and package them in large Zip-lock bags.  Doing this created more space and allows me to see clearly what is in each bag. 

Then, using scrapbooking paper, I created a little folder for the front of each box.  Each folder contains a card with a heading on it indicating what is in each box.  If you pull the card out of its folder, it gives a more specific breakdown of what is in each box.  This way, you do not have to unstack or dig through multiple boxes before finding what you are looking for. 

I used the same idea for Andrew's Army clothing and gear.  I am not sure if we should part with it altogether, but it is definitely going in the attic... if not the trash.

I did the same thing with two long, narrow boxes that I put under the bed.  Both boxes are labeled as "Summer."  One box contains Summer clothing and the other contains Summer shoes. 

Click here to see where I got the idea.  She also has better pictures, as well as pictures of the insides of her boxes.  I love her idea because it is SO functional and helpful, and the pretty paper makes the boxes much more pleasant to look at!  :) 

The next order of business was updating our filing system.  The one we used for 2011 was ineffective at best.  I am not an online bill payer, so we still get LOTS of bills, paper statements, etc., in the mail; thus, we have LOTS of paper to sort through after just a few months into each year. 

I purchased a simple, 19-pocket file folder from Staples (Target had some very pretty ones but they seemed expensive), and dressed it up a little with scrapbooking paper so that we can keep it displayed accessibly on a shelf without it being an eyesore:

It only seemed right that the inside of the folder would match the outside, so I dressed that up with scrapbooking paper as well. 

Here are the labels I used: 

• Automobile
• Bank Account
• Buggie (our dog... shot records, vet receipts, etc.)
• Comcast
• Dental/Medical
• Education/Loans/Bills
• Financing
• Health Benefits
• Insurance
• Licenses
• Other bills
• Prescriptions
• Personal
• Receipts
• Rent/mortgage
• Taxes
• Utilities
• Miscellaneous 

 There are a few more little projects I have done, but it is time for me to get started with the day... will post them soon! 

"May you have the courage to turn your face to the God who meets you in darkness and in daylight."  - Jan L. Richardson

HAPPY (belated) NEW YEAR!!!