A Coat of Paint Does a World of Good

I've been wanting to paint our front entrance hall for months, perhaps years. It originally had a coat of beige flat paint. If you know paint you know flat paint is impossible to clean. With 4 kids and 2 dogs the walls needed to be cleaned. Paint was the only answer. This past weekend I did it and I love it. I re-arranged some nick-nacks, re-positioned photos and now I sit back on the couch and gaze at my handiwork with pride. I love it!

the front entrance, one wall is milk and coffee tan and the other, burnt red

family pictures rearranged

repositioned and rearranged the shelves

Cead Mille Failte, a thousand greetings, in Irish

Ian's shelf re-used, showing off the red

a view from the couch, love it!

My Pioneer Woman

My Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook came in the mail today. I was so excited to peel back the carton and scarfed down every page, picture and recipe. And honestly, I was heartbroken to see the book come to the end. I so wanted more! On November 17th Ree will be in St. Louis to sign her book. I will be there as will Dave (he loves her cinnamon rolls...: )>).

Two Prayers

When I pray, "Jesus, rescue me, take me away from these troubles. Remove me from this hardship," I am limiting myself. When I pray, instead, "Jesus, equip me in this situation to be wiser, stronger, more at peace, more content, more joyful..." then I am open to sanctification, to maturing, to becoming an adult in Christ. I am putting aside the simpler, youthful things and embracing what I was made for - bearing fruit.

It's easy to pray the first prayer. It's my initial reaction. It's simple. It's simplistic. It's from my flesh. But God wants me to grow. He's teaching me. He hasn't given up on me and so He allows trials, but really they aren't trials, rather opportunities. Teaching moments. I can either resort to the immature, "Get me outta here!" or "Give me what I need to learn, survive, thrive and bring others along!"

Resorting to the first prayer leads to resentment, doubt, self-pity. "Why aren't you doing what I asked God! You're not living up to MY expectations."

Resting in the second prayer is exercise. It is hard. It stretches me. My faith (or lack of it), my confidence (In my Creator vs. in myself), takes me out of my comfort-zone. But in the end...after the trust-building and equipping...I am stronger. It's the better way. Now if only I would eat these words - they would become a part of my body and soul!

Shopping Advice

I'm not a coupon clipper. I have, on occasion, tried to master the habit and discipline but typically find that most items advertised in coupons are items I tend to avoid purchasing because, well frankly, they're over-priced to begin with, and tend to be "junk" food (crackers, granola bars, frozen entrees, etc). I am a "make-it-from-scratch" homemaker. And more often than not the generic items are cheaper.

However...my sister hooked me up with a blog called moneysavingmom.com. This woman gives decent advice for shopping, links to coupons, who's got what on sale and how to save money in general. Last week she mentioned a new site called alice.com. This is a new on-line grocery store. And if there's a coupon out there alice will link the coupon to the item for you, so, no clipping, no matching what you need to a coupon in some throw-away-flyer.

If you have a head for remembering how much stuff costs at your grocery store (I shop almost exclusively at Walmart and Aldi) you can quickly compare alice's prices to yours. Oftentimes I found alice's prices to be the same or a wee bit less. Now here's the kicker ---- there's no shipping!!!! And you can place your items on a memory list so alice will remind you when a particular cleaning product or shampoo is most likely running low.

With my sign-up I was given a $10 gift certificate (to be used when you spend at least $50). So I placed my first order on Monday. Here's what I ordered and how much it cost:

12 rolls Scott toilet paper (because my Walmart is no longer carrying the 12 rolls, only the 4 and this is the best toilet paper out there)....$9.85

Clorox toilet cleaner.....$1.94 with $.50 off coupon....$1.44 ($1.97 at Walmart)

Palmolive Dish soup....$3.02

Clorox Cleaner....$2.85 with $.50 off coupon....$2.35 ($3.16 at Walmart)

Suave Brunette Shampoo....$1.86 with $1 off coupon....$.86 ($1.97 at Walmart)

Suave Brunette Conditioner....$1.86 with $1 off coupon....$.86 ($1.97 at Walmart)

Revlon Permanent hair color....$3.29

Suave moisturizer....#1.97 with $.50 off coupon....$1.47 ($1.88 at Walmart)

Covergirl high volume mascara....$5.84 with $1 off coupon....$4.84 ($6.18 at Walmart)

Airborne pink grapefruit....$4.74 with $1 off coupon....$3.74 ($6.54 at Walmart)

As you can see most of the prices at Alice.com were less than Walmart, plus I cashed in my $10 gift certificate. I'd say I made out pretty well. I placed my order on Monday and received it on Wednesday so I am especially impressed with the free shipping. I'm happy with this find. I will be using it again.

A reminder of what it's all about

h/t viola

He is Enamored With Me

Years ago, when Ian was just a babe, our family was on a retreat with the mission organization with which we worked. I believe Ian was just 4 months old. During sessions I would sit in the back so when necessary I could nurse him in relative privacy, and his gurgling and cooing wouldn't disturb the rest of the staff. Sheila, one of our co-workers, mentioned to me that she enjoyed watching me watch Ian. She said that as I cradled him in my arms and gazed at his wee fingers and toes she was reminded of God's gaze on her - how much He enjoys and delights in her. It was the Holy Spirit blessing her with a physical manifestation of a spiritual reality. God delights in his people. (Psalm 149:4)

I have a hard time reconciling this truth in my life. Yet I still gaze on my children (especially when they're asleep - somehow it's easier to see that cherishable side then) with wonder and amazement. I still smile brightly in my heart when I look upon them. God is more so in love, enamored, delighted than I could ever be over my children, and over me. This is an important spiritual truth.

In the Word Among Us today I was reminded that:

He offers [me] a relationship of friendship and reveals himself and his word to [me]...He can even bring victory over fear and discouragement as [I] root [myself] in his love and presence.

When I

pursue his victory of sin

When I

ask him to heal my wounds and strengthen my weaknesses

When I

let him deliver me from bondage to sin

When I

declare my faith in God's mighty power and authority to set me free

When I

trust in his time and his wisdom

When I

take hold of these things and receive the glory that is mine in Christ.

I am at peace, at rest, centered on what is truth and real.

Too often I focus on my weaknesses and failings. I know these do not define me, but too often I let them. My daily sanctification is to take hold of my heritage as a child of God. That's true self-esteem. That's true self-realization. I'm a work in progress.

Be All That You Can Be

When we (Dave and I) were visiting Alaska (oh, did I forgot to tell you that one!) in July, I stopped by the cathedral across the street from our hotel. On my way out I picked up a copy of the Word Among Us - a catholic daily devotional. I loved reading through it so I subscribed. I continue to love reading through it.

Yesterday's entry was on the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her hair (from Luke 7). She...

...shamelessly demonstrated her love for Jesus. She didn't hesitate. She didn't fear rejection. Her actions overflowed from a conviction deep in her soul that Jesus loved her and she wanted to return that love. She was transformed because she saw that Jesus had accepted her and was committed to her, no matter how dark her previous life had been.

I, almost, instantly felt an attraction, a benign jealousy for this woman's demonstration, for her love, courage and conviction. I honestly don't feel that unbridled devotion to my LORD.

Lately I've been experiencing how hesitant I am in receiving. Let me explain. Dave is a gracious giver. He gives love and affection to me freely, regularly, joyously. I look at him when he gushes, "You are so beautiful, I love you!" incredulously. In my eyes I am unlovable and unworthy. God, through Dave, has given me a relationship which mirrors Him. Like Peter in Acts, I am reminded that what He has made clean I am not to call unclean. I have been made clean, I am being made clean. I am not worthy but because of Christ's blood over me, I am. It's almost like a slap in His face when I turn away, as I do with Dave, and guffaw, "I don't see what you see, therefore, I don't believe you." And in my heart and mind I do say that.

So, you see, I want to be like the woman in Luke's story. I want to believe. And it seems that God, in His infinite mercy and love, is placing circumstances and words to convince (or woo) me. I am reading through the Catechism of the Catholic Church (or at least I started reading, don't know how long I will pursue this massive tome).

In Part One, The Profession of Faith, I read:

The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God. He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his creator.

And quoting from Augustines Confessions:

...for you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.

In brief,

...going toward God man lives a fully human life only if he freely lives by his bond with God. Without the Creator the creature vanishes.

These words encourage me. But I confess, I still harbor doubts and distrust. Yet I am moving toward accepting, I am moving toward surrender.