Drab, damaged flooring.

Outdated, aging fixtures.

We recently moved to a home that was built in the ’80s.  The main bath on the lower level was rather unsightly.  Unfortunately I don’t have a really great, close-up photo of everything, but the walls looked like they’d been textured by an amateur, the color was an off-white-slightly-sick-beige and the flooring was the worst.  Old, ugly, stained, marred linoleum with speckles and grey stripes that appeared to have been cut with a razor and simply set into place where it could readily depress anyone who walked in the room.  No matter how much bleach I used, it never looked clean.  The light fixture was original ’80s along with the matching antiqued brass faucets.  Ugh.  Well something had to be done.  On a strict budget, nonetheless. 

1.  We painted all the walls.  Cheap fix.

2.  Hubby went to Home Depot and bought inexpensive light fixtures and faucets.  We bartered with a friend to help us install them.

3.  We found a white sheer curtain panel to cover the window and shirred it onto expandable rods (no screws needed to hang) and set it into the deep window well.  It not only gave us privacy, but softened the room considerably.

4.  THE BEST KEPT SECRET is the flooring solution we found.  Installation of tile, laminate or linoleum was going to be over our budget, so I went online to JC Penney and searched their huge selection of bathroom cut-to-fit floor rugs.  These are completely machine washable, come in a wide variety of colors, and will fit (after cutting) most any normal-sized bathroom floor.  You always buy the size that is larger than the measurement of your floor.  Then you get a very sharp razor, marking pen and some great music to listen to while you measure and cut for the next few hours.  I chose pure white-it sticks to the floor because its backing is thin rubber.  See how fresh and bright it looks:

      5.  Lastly I purchased ‘accessories’ like towels and contrasting rugs and toilet lid cover, candles, and a print for the wall to pull the color theme together.  (Target, Ross, and other discount stores have loads of this stuff)

Now this room brings a smile to my face.  No longer is it a drab-looking spot.  It’s more than merely functional.   

I think there are always solutions to trouble-spots in our homes - even if we’re renting and on a tight budget.  I hope some of these ideas will help you, too!

I had the privilege of speaking at a Christian school faculty luncheon in the Sacramento area.  It happened to be held at an outdoor venue, which always sets me just a little bit on edge due to, well, the unexpected er…uh…well, let me tell you about yesterday.

I arrived at the location good and early to get a feel for the place, be ahead of any possible logistical issues that might arise, etc.  I had my fourth-born trusty assistant, Levi Aaron in tow, which was a pleasure.  We were led past the flowering bushes, wisteria vines and assorted beautiful garden decor to the back outdoor patio which was delightfully appointed, set up and ready for us - and who ever else wanted to sit outside, having lunch on the restaurant’s patio!  So…we wouldn’t be…alone…???  Hmm.  Will the unsuspecting restaurant guests…. SURPRISE!!! …desire to hear me chatting away about ‘the unpleasant-tries of our sin-sick nation, our need to arise to save the next generation, and our duty to serve our Great and Awesome God on a daily basis’ on the microphone while they sip their iced tea and munch their chicken salad, while attempting to visit with their lunch buddies? Well, I must not take that worry on, thought I.  I will remain focused.  (Perhaps they have an appointment with God that they weren’t aware of - ha! - double surprise!) 

Moving along…Once our group of educators were seated and formalities attended to, along with the other items on the agenda, it was my turn.  Now, keep in mind that I wore a two-piece suit, as is my habit when I address a group of professionals, and this happened to be a 90-degree day standing on sun-baked concrete .  Envision a beautiful, loud, fountain, flowing precisely behind the spot where I was to speak. Picture an active parking lot just behind me, customers flowing to and fro, car doors slamming, waiters buzzing about, latecomers sort-of-sneaking in discussing their needs with the waiters, birds flying…yes, so much activity and multiple distractions to compete with.  (Lord, I silently cried in desperation, help me capture their attention so they can hear what you brought me here to say!)

Now, imagine as I spread out my oodles of notes and illustrations before me on the music stand and little rolling waiter’s table I have arranged for just such a purpose (remember, I’m the bag lady who always brings more than she needs, just in case!) when I turn to adjust the microphone placement, suddenly a subtle gust of wind sweeps by, grabbing my freshly typed and highlighted notes, whisking them into the bubbling fountain! (see Exhibit A below)

In a silent panic, disguised of course with calm facial expression and with microphone in one hand, I reach into the fountain with the other (not a good idea, Mom always said, to mix electricity with water!) grabbing MY PRECIOUS from certain annihilation, (which, need I say, would leave this guest speaker in great distress!)  “That was so much fun,” thought Mr. Wind, that he began to tease me unmercifully, attempting to lift all my assorted papers from their resting places, thus activating much of the staff to grab paper weights in the form of whatever could be found laying around to anchor my papers securely to the surfaces I had arranged.

OK, this is war and  I refuse to lose.  Two can play at this game.  I recalled a text message my daughter Missy had just sent me earlier that morning, “BE BOLD!”

Those words strengthened me and I decided not to allow anything to hinder what God wanted to accomplish at this lovely event, honoring these impassioned Christian educators who were sacrificing so much to minister to their young charges, day-in and day-out.  “Let’s turn off the fountain, please,” I requested.  Done.  Good.  Now we can hear.  The gun blast sounded, we took off from the gate and  I had a blast! and I trust God worked and  now I can get a good laugh out of all those unexpected incidents at the lovely outdoor patio luncheon. 

Let’s never allow ANY little thing to get in the way of what God wants to do.  “Never, never, never give in,” is what Winston Churchill said.  I like that.

  These photos came from one of my son’s ‘moments of genius’ (see April 18th Post) with digital camera in hand .  Why five photos of the same blackbird with merely subtle variations in movement?  Because this is a boy with an eye for detail, one who truly appreciates and learns from God’s creation most every day.  A boy who has the privilege of an unhurried life, a lifestyle which allows him to STOP and ponder the brilliance in what others would consider mundane.  He is a very rich boy indeed; a boy whose innocence allows him to delight in simple pleasures.  I’m committed to protecting this aspect of his life for as long as I’m able, by God’s grace.  This is a precious thing.  

I’m suddenly reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 verse 23-26:  “Life is more than food and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens:  They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.  And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?????”

Hope you’re having an unhurried, pleasant, peaceful day; filled with God’s wonders.  If not, how ’bout tomorrow?

  by the contents in our LOCKED (ie., supposedly secure) mailbox.  My son innocently went to the mailbox (one of his daily duties) to grab the predictable armful of junkmail, bills and assorted papers.  As he transferred the load to me at the front door, my eye caught the latest Nordstrom’s ‘catalog’ -  “April 2008 Lingerie Book”. 

I lept into defense mode as I spied the sultry-looking bleached blonde beauty on the cover with the ‘come get me’ look on her face, her black lace almost-bra peeking out for the whole world to see.  She was the least of my worries.  When I opened this tool of hell, I was aghast that this little magazine hadn’t come in a secrecy envelope with a clear parental warning label across the front to protect the men in my household. I began to shred this 52-page packet of smut with a vengeance, as, page-by-page, I became more and more incensed by the presumptuous, greedy group of marketing execs who conceived this ‘catalog’.  I immediately Googled Nordstrom’s contact information, dialed their customer service number:

1-888-282-6060 and graciously, calmly removed myself from their mailing list, asking the operator to note specifically that this publication is in actual fact Softcore Pornography and is inappropriate for the men in our household, was unrequested, unmarked and UNWELCOME in our home, thank you very much.  She kindly informed me that this was not the first such call she had received, which was somewhat of an encouragement…if perhaps a flood of protest calls came in, incapacitating their system and threatening their profits, we would see change.

Along with this overt strike at our family, at least 5 obscene SPAM messages popped into my ‘inbox’ - a daily occurrence is 5-10 of these nasty devils - and that with strong filters downloaded onto my computer.  Then, after installing a computer camera for the purpose of talking for free via the internet, face-to-face with various friends across the earth, we were greeted with this pop-up message “Catherine has some sexy photos to show you - click here!”  All in one day.  Not to mention the alluring billboards we drive by on the interstate, the suggestive commercials we dodge on T.V. and the half-dressed strumpets strutting their stuff in our neighborhoods, coffee shops and grocery stores.  This is exhausting.

This is NOT O.K.  I won’t cry ‘peace’ when Sodom and Gomorrah are beating down my door for access to the godly men of my household and the millions of households in this nation! As I see it, this is a direct assault - a blow leveled against the purity of our lives, the strength and solidarity of our marriages, with the intent of corrupting the innocence of our children. I am angry.  This is war of another kind, and the enemy never plays fair. 

What man can stand against the deluge of smut thrown at him day and night in all its forms?!  Only a man fortified by close godly friendships, filled by God’s Spirit, marinating in God’s Word.  Plain and simple. I will sound the alarm until change comes.  I invite you to join me.    TO BE SILENT AT SUCH A CRUCIAL TIME IN OUR NATION IS TO INVITE DISASTER.

Today as I was reading in Mark 9, this passage really spoke to me and I thought I’d share it with you.  The entire account begins at vs. 14 and generally, it’s about a father who brought his demonically oppressed son to the disciples, so he could be set free. 

You can imagine, as a parent, what this Dad was dealing with:  a son who was mute; who had seizures at random, foaming at the mouth, grinding his teeth, then becoming rigid and lifeless.  Oh the days of sorrow this family must have endured, feeling powerless to effect change in their precious son.  The father went on to describe how the boy had been ‘thrown into fire and water’ by the evil spirit, with the demonic intent of destruction…since childhood.  What constant anxiety and regular panic this must have caused these tired, loving parents, who suddenly had hope that their son would be unfettered from such debilitating spiritual chains by this pack of godly men. 

Unfortunately the disciples couldn’t get the job done and suddenly Jesus showed up on the scene.  In verse 22, the father says, “if you (Jesus) can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”  Sort of like, “um, well, I’ve tried everything else, maybe you’ll be my good luck charm, Jesus, ’cause I’m pretty hopeless”.  It appears he’d lost his will to war and to believe for change. 

In verse 23, Jesus replied, I believe, with incredulity and perhaps some indignation, with these strong words, “If you can!  (Can’t you just imagine Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, King of Kings thinking…well, let’s see, I created the heavens and the earth, I’ve opened blind eyes, fed 5,000 people with a small bag of food, turned barrels of water into wine…”If you cannnn?!?!?!”) But he maintained his composure and our loving Lord then patiently added this:All things are possible for one who believes”.

Did you hear that?

ALL THINGS.

ALL THINGS.

ALLLLLLLL THINGS!!!!!!!!!!

I was reminded of how small we pray and think at times.  As I glanced at my current prayer focus list, I was convicted to lift my level of expectation.  Instead of confidently expecting Jesus to DO WHAT HIS WORD SAYS FOR ME AND MY FAMILY and those I love and minister to, I can end up lowering my level of expectation, subtly ‘crossing my fingers’ and hoping something good happens.  Let’s get indignant about this weak ‘faith’ we’ve embraced, these lies we’ve believed and let’s remember Jesus said ALL THINGS! God does not live in our little boxes and He is not limited by our ‘limitations’.  I WANT MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Let’s go after it.

P.S. I have to tell you how much I’m enjoying this new version of the Word this year (see my January 1 2008 post).  It’s the ESV and it’s sharp and clear and fresh.  I’m planning to order the mp3 and load it onto my iPod as soon as the budget allows.  Sometimes a little change will do you good.

Exhibit A- Bright white, like new, and just in time for warm weather!  How did I do it?  Well first, check out my March 6th post Stubborn Stains to see my secret.  Before I submerged the shorts in the recipe of ’special brew,’ I first sprayed all spots with these two products: Spray ‘n Wash is an old stand-by for all-around light stains.  Goo Gone is one of my best laundry friends and lifts all sorts of greasy stains, tomato-based stains - you know those ’shaded blotches’ that show up all over clothes? Especially kids’ clothes.  Well, spray some of this on them, launder as usual and those spots are history! I soaked the stained shorts for 3 days and then laundered them in warm water.  I packed up the shorts and shipped them off to my boy.  I love being a MOM!xoxo

P.S.  (Today my husband found some unsightly, stubborn blotches on our patio tile from where the barbecue grill was sitting - he applied some Goo Gone and they were GONE).  Great stuff.  And I don’t get paid to say that.  Happy weekend everybody!

I walked over to the table where my son does his schoolwork - seeing he is an extremely creative and gifted young man, it’s best for him to have a spot of his own, somewhat isolated from any possible distractions, i.e., birds flying by, cars whizzing through the neighborhood, folks taking their daily walks with their adorable canines, which will most certainly stir his genius, causing him to devise a new philosophy of thought, take him to the window for further investigation of a sudden movement, which, along the way finds him looking for a digital camera to capture (in 25-50 different shots from various angles) the new species of bird he has just spotted…he can disappear for hours on one of these adventures. 

When I saw his mangled pencil, I knew we shared a common emotion today (poor guy ) while working on math.  Grrrr.  One thing I would like to know is, “who designed the math teacher book I am currently using?” It was certainly not a home schooling mother.  It could have been 1. Someone wanting to play a practical joke or 2. Someone with an axe to grind.  Whoever it is, let the finger gymnastics begin:  I must flip, flop, back flip, forward flip…it’s more like a treasure hunt to find the answers…was that problem #1.16 or was that 1.106, 1.016??….maybe that was Self-test 1..or was it Self-test 2?  OOPps, funny me, since all grades are the same color (go figure!) I had the older son’s teacher book!  Then, tomorrow, I get to correct the corrections the boys have done…one more time; flip, flop, back double flip, flop flop forward, oops flip waaay forward to Self-tests… this too shall pass…TGIF EVERYONE!

…opened this week.  I pulled a plump package out of the mailbox - which is always fun, anticipating who sent what.  So, I open it to find a bright pair of men’s summer shorts!  Hmm…wouldn’t fit anyone here, but really, really nice ones.  Then, come to find out they are my bachelor-son’s and are speckled about with all matter of stains..coffee, ink and who-knows-what…..this is “my mission if I choose to accept it!”

Boy oh boy, am I feeling special, or what?!  But, am I up to the challenge?  Will I succeed?  I boiled the water and stirred the brew as I squinted my eyes, bared my teeth and glared at the ugly resistant spots…we shall soon find out… 

(to be continued)

 As you know, we’ve been busy eating to live around here.  I’m putting so much energy into fresh, fresh, fresh stuff and low cholesterol and beans and grains and you know the stuff I’ve been sharing here on the blog…well, my hubby (who has endorsed me as his personal dietitian, and has been extremely cooperative with all the strange and wonderful things on his plate of late!) phoned the pastor from Oklahoma where I recently ministered on Developing the Dynamic Potential of our Youngsters.

(here I am with some of my new friends from OK)  He wanted to thank him for the gracious hospitality and kindness the church/Christian school showed me while I was with them.   Well, the pastor let the cat out of the bag and told him how much I enjoyed my chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, (all covered in gravy, of course) and sweet tea while lunching with them!  Yep.  It’s true.  I still *sigh* as I look at this delicious photo.  I ate every bite. Oh, don’tcha’ just love to eat?!?! Well my hubby happens to love Southern food, especially now, when I’m feeding him, in the words of my Seth, “like a caged zoo animal” with everything that grows from the ground; so he was green with envy when he got wind of my home-cooked glorious lunch.

I am back on the wagon, behavin’ myself, and today as I served up the ‘Clean out the Fridge Italian Pasta Salad with Albacore Tuna’ (it was amazing, creative I must say, but delicious!), my Levi took one look at the unusual noodles, referred to it with some humorous sarcasm and groaned dramatically as I said, “eat it, my boy!”  I think he’s really enjoying chiding me about all the beans he’s been bumping into on his plate and also about the firm texture of the pastas…but he’s more ‘bark’ than ‘bite’. He knows I’ll win, anyway.  Have a great Thursday…it’s almost TGIF, so hang in there!

I just had to share this with you guys…got home from prayer meeting after my day of improvisation and creativity :), began to prepare a snack for the fam…and when I touched the oven door - IT FELL OFF!  Just like you see here. Thud.

I’m still laughing as I recall that perfect ending to my glorious day…I guess this just means I won’t be baking for awhile…