Here, There, Nowhere, Really

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."   ... Psalm 28:7

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So! Mostly I'm ok with my current life being all Up In The Air, who-knows-where-we'll-be-next-year?-ish. Tom and I got used to living this way after his first lay-off, you know, resting in God, trusting that all will be well and doing little tasks while believing they'll lead to bigger things.

You have to be patient when your life goes all Up In The Air. You can't just grab things and opportunities because--if you do--you'll probably grab soon-to-be-disasters and feel sorry about it for years.

And oh... Have we ever been tempted to grab some houses this week! In three different states, even--cute, sweet, cheap places we could buy outright after we sell Hobbit Cottage. My, my... Especially now when our low temps are 8 degrees and highs are 23 and when--if we took a deep breath and just snatched something--we could soon be basking in lovely 62 degrees, instead.

Is there really such a thing as 62 degrees outside? Every Buffalo February I have my doubts.

But instead, we wait. Listen. Even though I feel the grace to handle these long winters seeping away as a sign that  this year is truly the time to move away from this state we have loved for 20 years--even so--I try not to complain. But nearly every day now, even though we're trying to keep a good attitude, one or both of us will groan, "We've got to get out of here."

Tom sends out resumes, we both consider other plans, other options and sort and declutter and drive loads of stuff down to the Salvation Army bin located conveniently down the street. I clip more coupons, pay more bills, do the laundry and feed the cats. You know, keep up with the normal stuff while we're here, all Up In The Air.

And we're fine up here--honest. Fine amongst the new lessons and the old ones to be recalled, like the one about keeping our hearts calm so that they'll not beat too loudly within our ears, keeping us from hearing God's whispers. Right now, all we want is His will, His way, in His timing. So we'll be doing much listening in the days and weeks to come.

And all will be well.


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"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."   ... Isaiah 40:31

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Color me extremely grateful for those of you who left me sweet notes in my comment box on Valentine's Day. Thank-you! Our day was quiet, but special and sweet. Just about perfect, really.

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Go here to get two very rare coupons for $1 off fresh pork.

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Wow... Saw these people on the news tonight and what a blessing! How encouraging and uplifting.

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The Friendship Thing

 ^"And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God."   ... Deuteronomy 28:2

***

So! The subject of friendship came up in yesterday's comment box, spurring ol' Debra to share her many and varied thoughts.

Before age 35, I collected friends like some ladies collect state spoons. I wrote letters by the hundreds to folks I'd left behind in Nevada and California and--as for my new friends here in New York--when they had out-of-town company, I'd become bummed-out because that meant zero chance of going out for coffee until their (annoying) visitors returned home. 

(Yikes! I know.)

The days the mailbox didn't hold letters for me were sad days. The fact that I could never seem to form a Lucy and Ethel type of friendship bugged me. Majorly. Probably? Probably God foiled some friendships, told some folks not to write or visit, because He wanted me to wake-up and see I needed more of Him.

"Hi. My name is Debra." (Hi Debra.) "I was a friendship addict." :)

And oh dear. For two decades I saw the addiction, felt it, but didn't want to admit it. Didn't know how to kick it.

Then came 1994 and wow! During the world-wide Christian renewal years, Jesus gave me (and a few million other people) such an enormous love for Him. And over time, the chains of Friendship Addiction fell off, I felt free (indeed!) and just having Jesus for a friend felt like enough. More than, actually.

And for awhile--a season--Jesus kept me to Himself. 

I spent oodles of hours hanging-out with Him in my room or on walks, sometimes reading the Bible, sometimes watching/listening to great teaching. He had a ton of things to rebuild inside me, 'Christian structures' which I'd built dreadfully wrong by myself. Some time was involved, some pain and humility, also, but I didn't mind. Finally I'd formed a friendship with Jesus, something I'd assumed was impossible for me.

And after that alone-with-Jesus season? Not only did I come away with the best new, most-satisfying friendship ever, but my Real people friends had waited for me and the Unreal ones had impatiently walked away. 

And suddenly everything, everyone, felt like enough. I had enough friends, they had enough time for me. Why? Because Jesus was now everything to me and when you have everything? All else feels like leftovers, all else feels like extra blessings.  

And what I found is that blessings are nice, but not vital. I'm not to seek them, but rather, I'm to seek after knowing God better. To becoming closer.

But the wild thing? That's when blessings start dropping like rain--after we place God in the number 1 spot. He so enjoys releasing presents into the lives of His kids, the ones who will keep them in perspective. The ones who will keep Jesus first no matter how many blessings (or friends) He hands down to them simply out of love.

God is the God of more than enough. More than enough friends, even. I've found that to be very true.


*****

"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."   ... Matthew 6:33

"A friend loves at all times..."   ...Proverbs 17:17



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How To Prepare For a Mystery Future

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."    ... Matthew 6:33

***

I've heard people say lately, "It's not even possible to prepare for a Last Days type of world."

I, like, disagree.

How to prepare for a world we'll barely recognize, one stuffed with changes, even scary ones?

Today fall in love with Jesus. And stay there. (This will change and strengthen you more than anything else.)

Today remember perfect love dissolves all fear.

Today, during your current hard times, practice living with faith, with peace, without complaining. Increase your trust muscle. Pass your tests.

Today determine in your heart you'll never accuse God of wrongdoing, no matter what happens in the future.

Today stay at peace with your spouse. 

Today keep strife out of all your relationships as much as it's up to you. Strife slows everything down and closes our ears to truth.

Today forgive. Everyone. Today learn how to heal.

Today be obedient. Listen. If God asks you to do research, do research. If He asks you to spend your money differently, spend your money differently. If He asks you to live a new way, live a new way. 

Today ask God for wisdom.

Today plug into God's strength, His peace, His courage. Then He will truly be increasing, we will be decreasing and the world will more clearly see Jesus shining through us. And we'll be better able to walk in the Light, able to see--and avoid--certain dangers on the pathway ahead.

Today be still and know He is God.

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"He must increase, but I must decrease.”   ... John 3:30

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."   ... Romans 12:18

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."   ... James 1:5

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Oh, That I Had Wings...

"Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest--"  ... Psalm 55:6

That's the current verse playing inside my head. For months.

Even before I bought the book, One Nation Under Attack.

Even before I found this blog (which has returned me to thinking America is Mystery Babylon).

For the record, I believe the financial bottom of America will drop out within in the next 2 or 3 years. 

For the record, Tom and I are asking God to help us prepare in all ways for that and all else which will happen in the meantime and afterward.

Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away next week to a state with policies less opposed to God's, even though I've loved Buffalo for 20 years. But oh, this worldly New York way of viewing life...

Ack. There's this darn urgency inside the deepest layers of my heart... And may Tom and I choose the right timing in which to obey what we--and thousands of others-- are hearing. In whatever varied ways God chooses to lead us all.

This is presently where my head and heart are and in the months to come I'll try to keep a balance here in my blog. A balance of differing subjects and stories and things upbeat. But today I'm just letting you know that..... if I had the wings of a dove I would fly away and be at rest... someplace else.

In the meantime though, I'll stay here, continue my many preparations and find my rest in Him.

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Why mention any of this? And why not keep it to myself lest some of my readers find me, well, cuckoo? This is partly why:

 "... if you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths.
But if you warn them to repent and they don't repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself." Ezekiel 33:9

And I'm not even concentrating on the 'repent part'. I'm leaving that up to God mostly. 

Rather, if things truly do go all dicey someday, I would hate for God to tell me, "And you never even warned anybody of this in your blog." 

For me, that would be the highest form of disaster.

So there you go. Do with this what you will... as will I. 

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These types of posts also keep me on my toes. I'm finding them in all sorts of places now, nearly always after I've already heard the same rumblings within my own head in the quiet places here at Hobbit Cottage. Pondering.... so much pondering within my heart lately.

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Prepare... prepare... prepare...


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Thinking Small--Sometimes It's Huge

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin..."  ... Zechariah 4:10

I began writing in this blog in 2004, just one sentence at a time, four or five days per week, average. And now if I were to print this all out? I'd have 4,500 pages, more or less. So, technically, I've written several books (length-wise) just by plugging along, one day at a time and the aforementioned one sentence at a time.

Last year, sale by sale, coupon by coupon, I saved $2,700 at the supermarket. That's saving/earning $1 here, $2.50 there, one sale, one coupon at a time with just a few hours' worth of effort each week. And through steadily plunking away at it, we have cupboards and freezers full of food, none of which we bought for full price.

Twenty-three years ago I began creating the library I'd dreamed of as a teenager and now one, two, three books at a time (weeding out the no-longer-loved), that library is mine.

Over a period of 22 (or so) years, buying the smaller houses we could afford, making house payment after house payment, and after selling three of those houses, Tom and I were able to buy this last one with cash. It's not a mansion, but its ours.

And a few years ago--after deciding to no longer carry debt on our credit cards-- we made extra payments (after payment, after payment) until our cards were paid-off. It didn't even take ages, just concentration mostly, and we've kept them paid-off ever since.

So often we're told to Think Big! Thinking small leads only to Nowheresville! 

But sometimes that advice overwhelms people--so much so--that they can smell the failure before even beginning their project/dream/plan. They feel defeated and hopeless while staring at the huge end of the dream rather than at the small steps it takes to arrive there. 

Baby steps can lead to big goal lines. Baby steps can often be a wiser way to go--we just might make fewer mistakes if we're not trying to run. But we can't give up. We must keep plugging away, one faithful baby step at a time in the joy of the doing and the anticipation of the win.


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"But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."   ... James 1:4


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Here's an article where a man used baby steps, a few larger ones and some good old-fashioned wisdom to accomplish his goals.

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Obedience: A Mystery Solver

So.

Not in a huge, wild-and-crazy way, but in a calmer one, yesterday I became antsy about moving away. You know, like, "I know we're supposed to move out-of-state, but, like, when? When should we get serious? When should we put the house up for sale?"

After awhile, I even wondered if 'when' might be now. I mean, after all, I've learned that God's timing is as vital, as important to obey, as the thing He asks you to do, itself.

Didn't help that I discovered an I've-waited-for-this-for-years prophetic website with tons of posts (click on 'blogs' and 'spirit') speaking about these Last Days and things such as mass exoduses of folks to different states, ones where they feel safer and more in tune with those states' policies, etc. Lots more there confirmed what I'd read earlier here through a newsletter which I'll forward to anyone who wishes to see it--email me at GladOne4@yahoo.com. (My mouth dropped at how often she spoke what I'd been saying in my blog lately.) And I'm not even mentioning a couple other prophetic blogs I added to my blogroll. I've been busy. :)

Hey. We each enjoy certain quirky things--and well, I enjoy prophetic stuff. You know, meditating about what's been said, weighing it, pondering and finding confirmation about certain odd things I'd 'heard' inside my head/heart/who knows?

Anyway.

Then there's Tom's who's got a job interview on Monday with a local plant, which feels weird when I'm all set to move to Boise (or wherever). I told him I feel Jekyll and Hyde-ish lately, as though Good Ol' Debra could gleefully stay in New York forever, but Way Down Deep Debra believes we need to call Cher the real estate lady and get outta here quick.

Again, there was no wild-eyed-ness about this, just an unsettled wondering which colored my day.

But then this morning! God reminded me of this: "If you faithfully do Today what you're sure of, then Tomorrow's questions will eventually be answered. Tomorrow you'll find yourself in the right place at the right time."

And oh, the peace... The sweet, sweet peace. It's baaaaaack.

I certainly do know the tasks I should be completing today. The Holy Spirit's a pro at nagging revealing to me Today's To Do List:

Return to the Great Decluttering Project of 2013.
Keep stocking-up on groceries for the basement pantry using sales + coupons.
Get around to the basic house repairs that have needed doing for, er, months.
Make a written plan for someday selling the house.
Research Boise. Stay open to other areas. Listen. Pray.
Pay your bills.
Plan your flower beds.
Prepare for emergencies in all ways, physically, emotionally, spiritually.
Send your Valentines.
For goodness' sake, exercise.
Clean your house.

Oh my yes... There's no wondering about those! No huge questions there, no need for 2 angel appearances as confirmation. They simply should be plugged away at until their completion, rather than stepped over, ignored and procrastinated for months.

Plain old obedience can illuminate dark paths and solve all sorts of mysteries. Today I'm grateful for that reminder... I'm so very thankful for the return of sweet, calm, trusting peace.


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Not certain what God's specifically asking of you lately? Often it helps to go back to the last thing you're sure He told you to do and ask yourself if you've faithfully completed that.

"In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."

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Everyone Matters. Everyone's Important.

"For God so loved the world..."  ... From John 3:16

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So for lots of years, Tom, Naomi and I held yard sales to sell junk stuff we only mildly care about, but from which we hoped to earn a bit of money. Yet when, in 2011, we had a huge (huge!) moving sale when we left the farm and downsized, that was probably the first sale we'd had in 6 years. 

During those years, we, instead, hauled much (oh so much!) down to the Salvation Army bins. We received no money for those carloads of stuff nor did we even fill-out those little receipts there which you can use for your taxes. 

Now, there's nothing wrong with turning-in those receipts! We just didn't use them. Rather, we discovered that it feels great to freely give, no strings attached, and to let God choose ways to reward us later.

And something else. Many times I'd gaze at my books (especially) and think, "I should give these to friends." But unfortunately, my friends tend not to read the same quirky sorts of things.

Or I'd scheme, "I should sell these through amazon.com or no! Through the Maud Hart Lovelace email group I belong to. Those ladies would 'eat those books right up' for whatever price I placed on them."

But the huge problem? I have absolutely, positively no (no, no, no!) Grace to wrap books, drive them down to the post office, wait in line, hand over my boxes, etc, etc, and send them off from there. The few times I've done that, I recall thinking, "You know? I'd rather be in the dentist chair right now." 

(Think I'm kidding?)

So those books would languish around the house, in unloved piles, turning into clutter and waiting for some far, far-off day when I'd pie-in-the-sky-miraculously feel like mailing them to just the right, deserving people for the perfect amount of money.

Finally, one day I got honest with myself (that's when you start to get free--when you look into the Honest Mirror) and realized never would those books get mailed away. I just don't do mailing books, myself. (Now, I love sending books to friends by way of the gifted-to-mail-books folks at amazon.com. That's something easy and wonderful and altogether different.) 

Just humor me, ok?

And when I admitted my mailing-ineptness, I realized something: If I drive all my no-longer-loved books to Salvation Army--even the ones I bought online at a real cost to me (as opposed to ones for pennies at yard sales)--somebody there will "eat them right up,' maybe as though they'd discovered treasure. My book gifts might make others feel delighted and perhaps even treasured by a caring God who led them there that day.

The most important thing? In a deeper way I knew that all people matter. Not just my friends or relatives or people I'd simply heard about and certainly not only those who can pay me money for my books. No, I should delight in blessing everybody. Known to me or unknown. Deserving-apparent or otherwise.

Everybody is important to God. He sent Jesus to die for us all, for we all mattered equally to Him--and all should matter equally to me, as well.



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And just to clarify--there is absolutely nothing wrong with holding yard sales or selling things online. I've done both. But the trick is in learning to recognize when Grace wants me to sell things or when she directs me to fling them away freely. 

The greatest blessing will take place after I follow her lead.



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"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."   ... Luke 6:38

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Did you know the average family spent $2,900 in gas for their vehicles last year? Oh my! This is one instance where I'm happy to be below average. Tom and I spent probably $440. Maybe less.

Why that mention? To remind you that--just because something is touted as being The Way It Is--it doesn't mean it must be that way, as though we've no choice. God is amazing at finding ways where there are none and all He asks is that we let Him guide us rather than just following our own bright ideas.

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$1 off any Birds Eye Steamfresh vegetables. I was able to get four bags of frozen vegetables free today--gotta love that!

.75 cents off any Gorton's Grilled Fish. Our store had these half-off this week and with my doubled .75 cent coupon, I got four boxes of grilled fish for just $1.24 each.

Save $1 on any Birds Eye Voila frozen meals.

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"She's Better!" "No, He Is!, " Ad Nauseam....

So there I was today, Saturday, my day-off from normal fare, listening to Yesterday Once More by we-all-know-who at YouTube.

And while listening I read the comments and as usual, rolled my eyes at the ones which began, "Karen Carpenter was good, but __________ was better."  Then someone else would say, "No! _________ was better than both of them." And on and on.

Well, like I said, I always roll my eyes at the foolishness of it all because oh! Probably nothing in this world is more subjective than music.


Subjective:

"Existing in the mind; belonging to the thinking subject rather than to the object of thought."


"Placing excessive emphasis on one's own moods, attitudes, opinions, etc.; unduly egocentric."


But oh well, I was a good sport and looked-up one of these singers who was supposed to be better than Karen Carpenter, for hey! I've done that before (checked-out others' recommendations) and discovered some terrific new-to-me talent. So I went here and listened to Judith Durham .

And oh! I did enjoy her voice, her song, so much! Yet I'm tempted to say, "But she's no Karen Carpenter," --but I won't. No, for I don't believe in comparing singers or actors, also--again--because of the subjectivity thing.

I mean, how could I say any actor was the best one ever? 

For one thing, I've not watched all actors. 
And too, some actors are amazing in movies, others are phenomenal on stage--and those styles require different technique. 
There are young actors, old ones, male actors and female ones, each one different, each one best-suited to certain, varied roles. 
An actor may have been amazing in the 1930's, but their style might appear affected and odd today. 
Some actors might be incredible, but they may appear in movies I would never feel comfortable watching--so my bias would affect what I think of them. 
A person may be an incredible comedic actor, but perhaps I would be critical of him because I prefer serious dramas more.

The same goes for music. Oh, how many types of music there are! And each of us are wired differently, appreciating whole different combinations of song types, singers and singing styles. So really--to me--it's the height of cluelessness to say:

"Barbara Streisand is a better singer than Karen Carpenter."  --or--
"Barbara Stanwyck could act much better than Meryl Streep," (or anything similar).

It's all sooo very subjective! 

What I like, you may hate and to get into an argument about our preferences? To be determined to prove our favorite singer/actor is the best? To even try to make those kinds of comparisons?

Well, to me, it's folly. Pure foolish folly.

Not to mention it can be cruel, too, for oh! How many singers and actors, themselves, not to mention their fans, have had their feelings hurt when these silly types of comparisons are flung around. For often, instead of , "My actor is better than yours," it comes out sounding like, "My taste trumps yours, big time. You know nothing about music/acting."

In other words, it's time to stop believing our opinions are Highest Truth. 

And if I were Queen? I'd do away with the flashy award shows. Instead? I'd paste these verses on buses and planes and taxi's:



"Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load."  ...  Galatians 6:4-5

I would just love to see everybody learn to recognize the value and worth in all people, to appreciate all talents--and especially-- the One who handed them all out in the first place, as He willed. Perfectly.




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And before anyone asks this, let me say I see nothing wrong with a person saying, "For me, Joe Blow was the best singer ever." 

To me, that's different than this kind of know-it-all comment:


"BUT, please don't use words like "most beautiful voice on Earth" and "perfection". Those categories are reserved for the likes of Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O'Day-- Vocal giants from the jazz world. They did things with their voices that Carpenter couldn't dream of."


That's what makes me crazy.


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Our Words ... And Setting Limits

So yesterday our dear realtor friend, Cher, came over to lunch and oh! She said the last time she was here with us, it was a house, but now we had turned it into a home. 

If she liked something, she said so and by the time she left, our house seemed prettier and I felt more creative. Wow.

And well, I couldn't help but compare this visit to the one by our neighbor out on the farm , who, after a half hour, said nothing about our home. And after she left? I kinda felt like a decorating dud.

Over and over again I see the truth in these verses:

"The power of  Life and Death are in the tongue."  ... Proverbs 18:21

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pitchers of silver."  ... Proverbs 25:11

Weekly I tell myself, "Let the encouragement flow. Don't keep silent out of shyness, fear or anything else. Bless people by the truth. Never hold back, especially when God is saying, "Use your words to bless that person!"

Especially then.






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Cher was remembering my dressing table closet in our first suburb house so I sent her a picture of it for her friend who likes such things, along with a link to photos from that house which I'd practically forgotten I had. If you'd like to visit there again, go here. 




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The Best Place To Live

"The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?" ...1 Kings 19:11-13

***

This passage flew to my mind when I read yet another blog post today hinting that the country life is the best life, the one closest to how God meant us all to live.

And well, let me tell ya... The best place to live is where God calls you to live.

If God wants you in the suburbs, well, you can move out to the greenest, most-natural patch of country land--but He won't be out there. At least, not in the way you're hoping to find Him. You can go 'back to the land' and off the grid and drink milk straight from under a cow, yet you won't find any extra-closeness to God out there, no matter how many people tell you that that's where He lives.

No, if God's called you to the suburbs, you'll know Him best and feel His joy while fulfilling His purposes for you there in the 'burbs.

If God has called you to a cabin in the woods, you won't find greater happiness on Rich Peoples' Boulevard. And of course, if He's called you to a big countryside farm, you won't be 100 percent happy on a tiny lot in the city.

Trust me. I know.

Three years ago today I moved to this large countryside lot and--on a scale of 1 to 10-- my Joy Level has averaged a 6. Maybe a 5. But in our suburb house squeezed between two other houses? That level usually ran around a 12.

Uh-oh.

The truth? I have often resented this too-big-for-me farm for zapping my best energy. Too many times I worked harder than I wanted to just to keep up with things that always need doing--when instead--I just wanted to write in this blog. Or rearrange furniture and paint a wall. Or read a book, make a craft or sit outside and dream in the sun--and come away with more blog fodder.

Lots of bloggers told me the simple life was in the countryside and I've (sadly) resented that, too. The simple life is out here? Ha! Never have I known such extreme complication, such a need to plan everything beforehand and to always be one step ahead of the myriad details out here.

And yet I needed to move out here in order to realize where I truly belong. 

To learn that I can't run a farm and write my very best in this blog simultaneously. I'd heard before that when you have a gift you must arrange your life so to pursue it and seek to do it better--but I forgot that. Or didn't make the connection in this case.

Believe me, I'll never forget again! This amazing experience has been so huge, so memorable, that from now on I'll arrange to make room for my writing and encouraging gifts-- my strongest giftings. To put them before lesser things, not after.  I'll sacrifice, even,  to devote my best strength to God's purposes for me.

For your sake I'm determined (and excited) to do this.



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"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." ... Proverbs 4:23


If you're feeling led to move to a farm--go for it! But only if you're sure God wants you to expend your energy working the land, first, and all else, second, third, etc.. He does call some people to do that, you know.


*****



Julie asked a great question so I thought I'd publish it and my response out here for clarification:

Julie From Texas said:
So, you didn't feel, at the time, that God was calling you to be a country dweller?


Debra said:
Julie--hmm... Well, it's not the countryside that's the problem, really. It's more like the *size* of it we bought! :)

I still prefer this lovely area (and our sweet little town) but as Peter Walsh would say, "It's all too much." Tom and I need to downsize our house, yard and possessions and then I can more easily fulfill God's purposes for me.


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Another Blessing

So we needed an extra cabinet in the kitchen. Even Cher, our realtor, agreed and usually she's pretty much, "Oh, it's all just perfect as it can be already!" But no, this time we needed a cabinet so Tom searched Craig's List a few days and then poof! As he drove to an appointment last week he spied this (top) cabinet on the curb. For free. So I painted it yesterday. There's even a pleasant light for the inside.

Happy sigh.

So then we moved this top cabinet over beside the sink. I'm not used to such convenience, you know, being able to put dishes away without walking across the whole room.

Another happy sigh.

Is it all perfect? Nah, not even close. But it is what it is and we're certain God wants us to sell this place. So, well, that's what matters, that, and we're trying to do our best with what we have.

Busy, busy day ahead. This is only our first "showing day" and we've already got two couples coming today and another couple arriving tomorrow evening. Pretty great considering we live in this Little Town In The Middle of Nowhere. There are more floor tiles to lay and more stuff to paint and weeds to--well, you know.

More later... May your Sunday be awesome!

Tiny Houses, Big Ideas

Once I had a friend with a young daughter who received an American Girl Doll Catalog, but after seeing the prices of the items, she threw it in the trash. My eyes grew large when she told me that, for I'd received that catalog for years while Naomi was small and we would study them for design ideas. Then we'd sew our own doll dresses and create furniture for Naomi's dollhouse.

Never throw away ideas! (Well, keep them inside your head, anyway.) Just because you can't afford something the way somebody else bought it, you can let ideas inspire you to create your own versions of what you see. Let others' ideas push you along to whole other worlds of color and creativity and usefulness.

Immerse yourself daily in ideas and you'll never be bored or poor, either. There is a richness in creativity that can give you hope even when you haven't got a whole lot of anything else.




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Update: I originally shared some tiny house links in this post, but they're no longer usable.


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When Only The First Step Is Known

So yesterday we took a wild plunge. As in, we had our favorite, kindred-spirit realtor, Cher, over to tour our farm, all the good, bad and ugly parts of it.

She took pictures of the good.

We discussed options, we signed papers. And well, our house is now for sale--and we feel such peace!

Step One: Sell the house.

What's Step 2 you ask? We have no idea. We have clues, hints, wispy feelings, but absolutely nothing definite.

So are we worried, afraid, stressed-out? Nah, we're just listening, quietly, for what God will tell us next. But we stepped out on water and took Step 1 while Step 2 still resides in a fog. We're also decluttering like crazy, selling some items, repairing broken things, painting cupboards and --

But we're certainly not asking God to reveal to us The Big Five Year Plan. We're no fools. We know He almost never hands-out clear, no-fail blueprints. Instead, He prefers trust and faith and well, faith requires unanswered questions. Otherwise it's not really faith, but something else.

So while we wait for Step 2 we'll just plug away at Step 1 with peaceful confidence and a quiet trust that all will be well. We'll choose to believe that Step 2 will tada! Arrive at its appointed, perfect time and that we'll recognize it when it gets here.

If I have any concerns it's that one--that we'll recognize God's Step 2 and that we'll stay far, far away from any doomed-to-fail, just-grab-something-quick! plans of our own.



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"In all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight." ... Proverbs 3:6


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This will be our fourth summer on this farm. Can you believe it?

Finally--Progress

Good gracious. God and I are psycho-analyzing me.

But you know? We're finally getting somewhere. Finally good ol' Peace is sticking around for more than, like, ten minutes.

Am I ready for a tiny house like I showed you in my last post? Uh, no. But what I do need is to own less stuff. Lately clutter has, hmm.... How can I say this without sounding wacky? Clutter has threatened to push me into the ever-popular activity known as panic attacks. Notice I said threatened--I've not fallen into one. Not yet. But last week I was iffy.

So currently I'm bailing clutter out of this house as if in a sinking ship, bailing water to save myself from drowning. Bail, baby, bail! :)

(I also realized Tom and I need a different hobby than zooming around to yard sales every weekend. That's too much like recovering alcoholics using the weekends to visit bars. Alas.)

The other thing God and I are discovering is that I must have a house with at least two bedrooms on the first floor--unlike what we have now. The second bedroom would be a man cave for Tom.

For ages I believed I needed the room with a door, but the man cave idea is a better solution all-around. Of course,(and thankfully), Tom loves that idea.

He can even have our big-screen tv in a man cave-- I don't care anymore. For more than watching tv, I need a semblance of my Suzy Homemaker life back. Seriously. And if I could close Tom off into his own dream room then I could almost have my house back as I used to in the old days when Tom had a real job. You know, back when I was happy. And Tom loves the whole man cave idea, trust me. Just give him a tv, a recliner, a table with a computer, a closet and some shelves for his stuff, and well, he'd consider it all Disneyland. Heaven on Earth.

So now God and I are getting somewhere. Now I'm discovering why things have felt all wrong around here lately: I wasn't respecting the person God made me, but rather, I was stuffing her deep down inside, telling her to just make the best of things. Yet in this case, it hasn't worked and slowly (slowly!) I am learning that if Grace walked out a backdoor and never returned, well, somewhere something is all wrong. Grace-less life is, well, awful.

So. It's good to be psycho-analyzed by God and yourself. It's good to discover what the person at your core must have in order to be healthy (it's usually not a lot, but it's always quite specific). Healthy in order to help others (and not just complain in my blog), also.

It's just, well, Good.



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"The truth will set you free."


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Note to self: When Grace walks out the door, follow her!