Thursday, January 19, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Married to a saint . . .
No, not a football player. But a saint, nonetheless. Anyone who knows me already knows that he is a saint. He's been married to me for 22 years. He'd have to be a saint! lol! And anyone who knows him already knows it, too. He's just a great guy, my sweet hubby. Patient. Kind. Loving. Tolerant.
Well, anyway, this particular post is regarding his latest incredible act of tolerance. I'm a scrapbooker. If you are a scrapbooker, you already know what that means. I also sew, teach scrapbook classes, sell scrapbook things, and do custom orders. Needless to say, I have stuff. Lots of stuff. It's everywhere. I even have my own room for my stuff. I've had my own room for a while. But I've never managed to get all my stuff collected into one room. There's some in a closet in our bedroom. There's some in the den where I watch tv (remains of the Christmas card project). There's some in the living room waiting to be moved to it's new spot in my room. Right now there's some on the kitchen table (current project I was working on while baby sitting grandchild and needed to be close to where she was playing). And there's still some in the room I used to have before I moved into my current room. Yep, it's everywhere.
But that's not what this post is about. Recently, I acquired a lot of vintage ribbons and trims. Not that I needed them. But that's beside the point. For the last week or so, I have been hand washing all of them to get them ready for sale or to go in my stash. HAND washing. In our bathroom sink. Every time he went in the bathroom to take his contacts out, or brush his teeth, or shave, he waited for me to move the ribbons. Sink full after sink full after sink full . . . you get the picture. Well, almost. Then they have to be hung to dry. On clothes hangers in our shower. From our shower head. In our bathroom. Every time he got ready to get in the shower they had to be moved. Day after day after day. When they stopped dripping they were transferred to our bedroom door to hang to finish drying. It was kind of like having one of those old fashioned beaded curtains over our door. Except not beaded and slightly damp.
Not one complaint. Not one snarky comment. Not one angry outburst.
Through all this process we have been passing a really nasty cold around our house. And sweet hubby, who rarely gets sick, got it. When he gets a cold, he's, um, a very noisy sleeper. (Was that tactful enough? lol) I tend to have trouble sleeping. Noise keeps me awake. I'm not nice when I can't sleep. So, bless his heart, he insisted on sleeping on the couch for the entire four nights he was sick, so that I could sleep. Possibly in self defense, but still . . .
Not one complaint. Not one snarky comment. Not one angry outburst.
In addition to all of that, we have had a significant change in our lives in the last month. Sweet hubby is an incredible musician. He plays in numerous bands, does arranging, recording, and engineering for other musicians, and, until the end of last year, led worship at our church. With his resignation there, and us changing churches, he no longer has an office. So all of his equipment came home. Keyboards, sound mixers, amps, music stands, boxes of music, recording equipment, etc., etc., etc. My job right after Christmas was to get the living room set up for him to create a studio to work in. But I got sidetracked with the ribbon project and some other work related things and just didn't get around to it. So all of his equipment is piled in the den and in the trunk or the car. And still . . .
Not one complaint. Not one snarky comment. Not one angry outburst.
Now some of you who do not know him at this point may be thinking he's just a wus. Not true. Actually, the truth is, he's just that nice. A true gentleman. A man of incredible integrity. A gift from God. And he chose to be married to me. WOW! Even after 22 years, this still just blows me away. And here's something that will probably blow you away. In all the time we've been married, even before we were married, not once, never, not even one time, has this wonderful man even hinted at being attracted to another woman. Not a comment on another woman being pretty, or sexy, or even slightly attractive. NEVER!
Don't get me wrong, he's not perfect. He makes mistakes. He gets frustrated. But no matter what, I know that he will always try to do what he thinks is right. And part of that means not saying things that you'll regret later and always putting the ones you love ahead of yourself. His life is such a great example to me of what it truly means to 'die to self'. A life given to God is a life given in service to Christ and to others. I'm so thankful that I have a daily reminder of this living right in front of me. Sometimes I forget what really matters. This past week I've been blown away by my sweet hubby's selflessness. I want to be more like that, less like me, more like Jesus. This is my verse that will be taped on my mirror for a while. The bathroom mirror. Over the bathroom sink. That doesn't have any ribbons in it. So my husband can shave, brush his teeth, and take his contacts out without having to wait for me to move something first. Yep. I'm married to a saint.
"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
Is Jesus increasing in your life? Are you becoming more like him? If not, what's holding you back? And is it worth it? Whatever is keeping you from living the life God intended you to live needs to be re-evaluated. Trust Jesus to be your example. Give him everything. You won't regret it. I promise!
Blessings,
Renea
Well, anyway, this particular post is regarding his latest incredible act of tolerance. I'm a scrapbooker. If you are a scrapbooker, you already know what that means. I also sew, teach scrapbook classes, sell scrapbook things, and do custom orders. Needless to say, I have stuff. Lots of stuff. It's everywhere. I even have my own room for my stuff. I've had my own room for a while. But I've never managed to get all my stuff collected into one room. There's some in a closet in our bedroom. There's some in the den where I watch tv (remains of the Christmas card project). There's some in the living room waiting to be moved to it's new spot in my room. Right now there's some on the kitchen table (current project I was working on while baby sitting grandchild and needed to be close to where she was playing). And there's still some in the room I used to have before I moved into my current room. Yep, it's everywhere.
But that's not what this post is about. Recently, I acquired a lot of vintage ribbons and trims. Not that I needed them. But that's beside the point. For the last week or so, I have been hand washing all of them to get them ready for sale or to go in my stash. HAND washing. In our bathroom sink. Every time he went in the bathroom to take his contacts out, or brush his teeth, or shave, he waited for me to move the ribbons. Sink full after sink full after sink full . . . you get the picture. Well, almost. Then they have to be hung to dry. On clothes hangers in our shower. From our shower head. In our bathroom. Every time he got ready to get in the shower they had to be moved. Day after day after day. When they stopped dripping they were transferred to our bedroom door to hang to finish drying. It was kind of like having one of those old fashioned beaded curtains over our door. Except not beaded and slightly damp.
Not one complaint. Not one snarky comment. Not one angry outburst.
Through all this process we have been passing a really nasty cold around our house. And sweet hubby, who rarely gets sick, got it. When he gets a cold, he's, um, a very noisy sleeper. (Was that tactful enough? lol) I tend to have trouble sleeping. Noise keeps me awake. I'm not nice when I can't sleep. So, bless his heart, he insisted on sleeping on the couch for the entire four nights he was sick, so that I could sleep. Possibly in self defense, but still . . .
Not one complaint. Not one snarky comment. Not one angry outburst.
In addition to all of that, we have had a significant change in our lives in the last month. Sweet hubby is an incredible musician. He plays in numerous bands, does arranging, recording, and engineering for other musicians, and, until the end of last year, led worship at our church. With his resignation there, and us changing churches, he no longer has an office. So all of his equipment came home. Keyboards, sound mixers, amps, music stands, boxes of music, recording equipment, etc., etc., etc. My job right after Christmas was to get the living room set up for him to create a studio to work in. But I got sidetracked with the ribbon project and some other work related things and just didn't get around to it. So all of his equipment is piled in the den and in the trunk or the car. And still . . .
Not one complaint. Not one snarky comment. Not one angry outburst.
Now some of you who do not know him at this point may be thinking he's just a wus. Not true. Actually, the truth is, he's just that nice. A true gentleman. A man of incredible integrity. A gift from God. And he chose to be married to me. WOW! Even after 22 years, this still just blows me away. And here's something that will probably blow you away. In all the time we've been married, even before we were married, not once, never, not even one time, has this wonderful man even hinted at being attracted to another woman. Not a comment on another woman being pretty, or sexy, or even slightly attractive. NEVER!
Don't get me wrong, he's not perfect. He makes mistakes. He gets frustrated. But no matter what, I know that he will always try to do what he thinks is right. And part of that means not saying things that you'll regret later and always putting the ones you love ahead of yourself. His life is such a great example to me of what it truly means to 'die to self'. A life given to God is a life given in service to Christ and to others. I'm so thankful that I have a daily reminder of this living right in front of me. Sometimes I forget what really matters. This past week I've been blown away by my sweet hubby's selflessness. I want to be more like that, less like me, more like Jesus. This is my verse that will be taped on my mirror for a while. The bathroom mirror. Over the bathroom sink. That doesn't have any ribbons in it. So my husband can shave, brush his teeth, and take his contacts out without having to wait for me to move something first. Yep. I'm married to a saint.
"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
Is Jesus increasing in your life? Are you becoming more like him? If not, what's holding you back? And is it worth it? Whatever is keeping you from living the life God intended you to live needs to be re-evaluated. Trust Jesus to be your example. Give him everything. You won't regret it. I promise!
Blessings,
Renea
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
One little word . . .
Consistent.
n-sis-tuhnt] 
Show IPA
If you aren't familiar with Ali Edwards, you should check her out. She's an amazing lady, with an amazing ability to put things into perspective. I've just discovered her work in the last few months and, well, I'm just amazed by her! lol
She has a class called, "One Little Word" that goes for an entire year. I'm participating this year and would love for you to join me on this adventure. What do you want to see happen in your life this year? How do you want to focus your time, your talents, your life for 2012?
My word for 2012 is 'consistent.'
Something I am not.
Something I really want in my life.
Something I strive for but never achieve.
Something I need.
Something my family needs from me.
To be consistent.
In my faith - compatible, constantly adhering to the same principles, course, form, etc. (with what I know to be true)
In my prayer life - agreeing or accordant; holding firmly together; cohering (with my Father's best for my life)
For my life to reflect what I claim to believe - not self contradictory
In my diet and exercise - fixed, firm (following through, completing my goals)
So that's my word for 2012. Consistent.
What word would you choose for your one little word?
Blessings,
Renea
con·sist·ent
[kuhn-sis-tuhnt] Show IPAadjective
1.
agreeing or accordant; compatible; not self-contradictory:His views and actions are consistent.
2.
constantly adhering to the same principles, course, form, etc.: a consistent opponent.
3.
holding firmly together; cohering.
4.
Archaic . fixed; firm.
If you aren't familiar with Ali Edwards, you should check her out. She's an amazing lady, with an amazing ability to put things into perspective. I've just discovered her work in the last few months and, well, I'm just amazed by her! lol
She has a class called, "One Little Word" that goes for an entire year. I'm participating this year and would love for you to join me on this adventure. What do you want to see happen in your life this year? How do you want to focus your time, your talents, your life for 2012?
My word for 2012 is 'consistent.'
Something I am not.
Something I really want in my life.
Something I strive for but never achieve.
Something I need.
Something my family needs from me.
To be consistent.
In my faith - compatible, constantly adhering to the same principles, course, form, etc. (with what I know to be true)
In my prayer life - agreeing or accordant; holding firmly together; cohering (with my Father's best for my life)
For my life to reflect what I claim to believe - not self contradictory
In my diet and exercise - fixed, firm (following through, completing my goals)
So that's my word for 2012. Consistent.
What word would you choose for your one little word?
Blessings,
Renea
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Snow!
As anyone who knows me knows, I hate cold weather. Most people who know me think I really hate snow, too. I don't hate snow - as long as I don't have to spend any time in it. After living in it for a while, all I see is grey, dirty, cloudy, depressing . . . well, you get the picture! lol
However . . . (ready?), when it's falling, and just after it falls, it truly is a spectacular beauty that takes my breath away. We left Mississippi Monday about 9:30pm and drove straight through to northeast Ohio, arriving about 1:30pm central time. It was raining when we left home, and still raining when we arrived in Ohio. Yep, that's right. Sixteen hours of driving in the rain. Fun, huh? But about an hour after we got to my SIL's house, the magic began. The rain changed over to snow and by late afternoon it was all snow, the biggest snowflakes I had ever seen!
Photographing snowflakes is not my forte. But I did get a couple that I thought were neat. Hope you enjoy! This was before dark.
Blessings,
Renea
However . . . (ready?), when it's falling, and just after it falls, it truly is a spectacular beauty that takes my breath away. We left Mississippi Monday about 9:30pm and drove straight through to northeast Ohio, arriving about 1:30pm central time. It was raining when we left home, and still raining when we arrived in Ohio. Yep, that's right. Sixteen hours of driving in the rain. Fun, huh? But about an hour after we got to my SIL's house, the magic began. The rain changed over to snow and by late afternoon it was all snow, the biggest snowflakes I had ever seen!
Photographing snowflakes is not my forte. But I did get a couple that I thought were neat. Hope you enjoy! This was before dark.
This was after dark with a flash.
Look at the size of those snowflakes! Awesome! As always, the pictures are clickable to get a bigger view! I'll get around to some Christmas posts sometime! Hope your holidays have been beautiful, peaceful and filled with joy. God is so good!
Blessings,
Renea
Monday, December 26, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Change
I hate it. Change, that is. It depresses me, stresses me, and generally makes me angry, unhappy and pretty hard to get along with. The whole lot of it just bothers me. Today marks a huge change for my husband and me. We will be attending a new church beginning next Sunday after 16 years in the same church. I should be excited about the opportunity. I'm trying to be excited. But it's change. I just don't like it. Not that change is always bad. This change is for the best. I know that. I believe that. I'm satisfied that we made the right decision. But it's still change. I have to make new friends. I have to find new things to be involved in. I have to learn a whole new set of things that I need to say 'no' to. (Saying 'no' has never been my specialty. 'Oh, sure, I can handle that!' - whatever 'that' happens to be. Who needs sleep? lol)
Yesterday, Christmas eve, during a communion service at my daughter's church, I was reminded once again that change is often a beautiful thing. Can you imagine the frightening changes that Mary had to go through? How terrifying her future must have looked through her human eyes. She was just a young girl, a teenager! And, Joseph, bless his faithful heart! He must have been crazy in love with her! He wanted to "put her away quietly", ie. send her somewhere to avoid the gossip and ridicule he knew was coming. Have you ever realized that the night Jesus was born, Joseph was in his home town? He had family there. As a matter of fact, his whole family had been ordered to be there to have their taxes assessed. Yet, not one of them could find room in their home to let him and his nine-month pregnant fiance sleep. So, here is this teenage girl, who has never had sex, alone with a man she is engaged to but not married to, in a cave with filthy animals, after traveling about 3 days on a donkey or walking, without a midwife or her mom or a best friend, and she's in labor. Don't you think maybe once or twice she and Joseph had to think, 'God, are you serious? Really? This is your idea of bringing Messiah to our people?'
But aren't we grateful that Mary and Joseph accepted what they were facing and were obedient to God's call on their lives? Because of the changes they were willing to make in THEIR plans, forsaking THEIR dreams and plans and accepting God's plan, the Savior came! Yes, change can really be a beautiful thing. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior then you know this to be true. I'm so thankful that God loved me enough to accept me the way I was and continues to love me as I try to become all that He created me to be. I have much to learn. I never want to stop the changing process. It scares me half to death but I know it has to happen. As my husband and I embark on a new adventure I know there will be challenges. But God will be with us every step. I know I will still have some moments of discomfort. But I also know that every time we are obedient to God's call on our lives, the blessings always outweigh the fears and frustrations. I pray that whatever changes you are facing this Christmas, that you fall on His grace, stand on His promises, and trust in His faithfulness to get you through it.
Blessings and a very merry Christmas,
Renea
Yesterday, Christmas eve, during a communion service at my daughter's church, I was reminded once again that change is often a beautiful thing. Can you imagine the frightening changes that Mary had to go through? How terrifying her future must have looked through her human eyes. She was just a young girl, a teenager! And, Joseph, bless his faithful heart! He must have been crazy in love with her! He wanted to "put her away quietly", ie. send her somewhere to avoid the gossip and ridicule he knew was coming. Have you ever realized that the night Jesus was born, Joseph was in his home town? He had family there. As a matter of fact, his whole family had been ordered to be there to have their taxes assessed. Yet, not one of them could find room in their home to let him and his nine-month pregnant fiance sleep. So, here is this teenage girl, who has never had sex, alone with a man she is engaged to but not married to, in a cave with filthy animals, after traveling about 3 days on a donkey or walking, without a midwife or her mom or a best friend, and she's in labor. Don't you think maybe once or twice she and Joseph had to think, 'God, are you serious? Really? This is your idea of bringing Messiah to our people?'
But aren't we grateful that Mary and Joseph accepted what they were facing and were obedient to God's call on their lives? Because of the changes they were willing to make in THEIR plans, forsaking THEIR dreams and plans and accepting God's plan, the Savior came! Yes, change can really be a beautiful thing. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior then you know this to be true. I'm so thankful that God loved me enough to accept me the way I was and continues to love me as I try to become all that He created me to be. I have much to learn. I never want to stop the changing process. It scares me half to death but I know it has to happen. As my husband and I embark on a new adventure I know there will be challenges. But God will be with us every step. I know I will still have some moments of discomfort. But I also know that every time we are obedient to God's call on our lives, the blessings always outweigh the fears and frustrations. I pray that whatever changes you are facing this Christmas, that you fall on His grace, stand on His promises, and trust in His faithfulness to get you through it.
Blessings and a very merry Christmas,
Renea
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Incredible give away!
This is an awesome give away from Courtney at Webster's Pages! You should totally check it out!
http://courtneywalsh.typepad.com/telling_stories/2011/12/handmade-holiday-giveawayfor-the-creative-in-your-life.html#comment-6a00d8341c1a6753ef01675e9a7b1b970b
http://courtneywalsh.typepad.com/telling_stories/2011/12/handmade-holiday-giveawayfor-the-creative-in-your-life.html#comment-6a00d8341c1a6753ef01675e9a7b1b970b
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Life isn't fair . . .
In Dec 2008, our middle daughter gave birth to the most beautiful little creature I had ever seen. Just in case you don't know the background, Jolie was born premature and with a lateral cleft. The surgeon did a magnificent job of repairing her little mouth, so much so that most people don't even notice the scar. I knew the day would come when someone, or she, would notice it. I wish I could say I had prepared for that. But, truthfully, she is so beautiful and full of life that I just hadn't thought about it much.
Well, the day arrived. I don't know if a child in her class said something or if she just looked in the mirror and saw something that was different from the other kids. But it happened. A few weeks ago I was on the phone with my daughter when Jolie asked to cover her scar with a bandaid. I can't tell you how many people told me how different your feelings are for your grandchildren than they were for your children. I adore my kids. But my grandkids hold a place in my heart that I can't even begin to put in words. It hurt when someone was mean to my kids. Or when life just wasn't fair. But in comparison, oh just rip my heart out and stomp on it! I know Jolie will be ok. She is resilient and smart and funny, and she truly is beautiful. But the thought of her being hurt literally reduced me to tears, lots of tears. All the mama lion instincts in me rose up like a raging storm. I wanted to go marching up to her preschool and scream at the kids in her class. Now how silly is that? I opted instead to tell my daughter to let Jolie know next time she brings up her scar that Papa, (her hero), thinks she is the most beautiful little girl in the whole world, even prettier than all the Disney princesses, (her idols). That seemed a little more reasonable and healthy than beating up a bunch of four year old kids.
I always told my kids, "life isn't fair; deal with it." I know that sounds cruel but it's true. Expecting life to be fair is unrealistic. People will do mean things. Problems will arise. Bad things will happen. A couple of months ago I heard a quote on "Blue Bloods" that has replaced my 'deal with it' mantra. "Life isn't fair, but you can be." Gotta love wise words coming out of the mouth of Tom Selleck, right? lol
We can't always expect 'fair' from others. But living with the assurance that God is always fair, that His love is never conditional, that His mercy is unending, and that His grace is sufficient, makes being fair with others much easier.
Blessings!
Renea
We can't always expect 'fair' from others. But living with the assurance that God is always fair, that His love is never conditional, that His mercy is unending, and that His grace is sufficient, makes being fair with others much easier.
Blessings!
Renea
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Never forsaken
"Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you." Joshua 1:5b
My husband and I both have had a tendency in the past to hoard 'things.' His stemmed from a lifetime of moving around. His father was an amazing man who dedicated his life to ministering to others. He was one of the most brilliant men I've ever known. His incredible gift for seeing things as they really were, and how to make them what they needed to be, covered every imaginable skill. Building things, repairing just about anything, and seeing deep spiritual solutions that others couldn't even comprehend, made him a sought after pastor for churches in crisis. He could walk into a board meeting with heated division and see what needed to be done. And he set about to make it happen. Once that had taken place, he was called to go somewhere else. My husband learned by experience that nothing remained the same. So his solution was to just keep everything in stacks, or as I affectionately refer to them, piles, because he didn't see the need to put away what was just going to be moved again. I can laugh about it now but it used to really drive me crazy!
My husband and I both have had a tendency in the past to hoard 'things.' His stemmed from a lifetime of moving around. His father was an amazing man who dedicated his life to ministering to others. He was one of the most brilliant men I've ever known. His incredible gift for seeing things as they really were, and how to make them what they needed to be, covered every imaginable skill. Building things, repairing just about anything, and seeing deep spiritual solutions that others couldn't even comprehend, made him a sought after pastor for churches in crisis. He could walk into a board meeting with heated division and see what needed to be done. And he set about to make it happen. Once that had taken place, he was called to go somewhere else. My husband learned by experience that nothing remained the same. So his solution was to just keep everything in stacks, or as I affectionately refer to them, piles, because he didn't see the need to put away what was just going to be moved again. I can laugh about it now but it used to really drive me crazy!
My experience was just the opposite. My parents lived in the same house from the time I was 2 years old until I was in my 30s. Every year during the holidays we did the same thing. Thanksgiving at my maternal grandparent's house, Christmas eve at home, Christmas day at my dad's sister's house. All of these holidays were filled with aunts, uncles and cousins, the same ones every year. We attended the same church my entire life. I had the same neighbors for most of my life. I had the kind of stability as a child that most people can't even comprehend these days. But my life fell apart just before my 30th birthday. Divorce. Single parenthood. A date rape and pregnancy. More single parenthood. Then I met my wonderful husband, fell in love, got married and lived happily ever after! Well, at least mostly. lol
So why did I hang on to so much 'stuff' from my past? While my husband clung to things because they were fleeting, I clung to things because they had been what I saw as my stability. I wanted my children to see the 'stuff' they had as children, smell the holiday meals that were so familiar to me, sense the everyday commonness of the iron bed I slept in at Grandma's house, hear the mantel clock strike the hour in the main room of her house. I wanted little old ladies to hug my children on Sunday mornings and tell them they remembered when they just little and still in diapers. My sense of loss had been so frightening to me that I was afraid if I let go of the 'things' that I would have nothing to hold on to. My husband and I both, unintentionally and unknowingly, confused the lines between what is of value and what matters.
As we head into the season of Christmas, I challenge you to look for the things that really matter. As it has been said, no one will say on their death bed that they wish they had spent more time at work, or whatever it is that keeps you from participating in the activities that will make life-long memories for your family. Make time to snuggle with your spouse, read a book to your child or grand-child, make cookies for the senior adult in your neighborhood, sing Christmas carols, go look at some pretty lights. After all, Christmas really does only come once a year. You don't want January to get here and you realize you missed all the fun!
All the stuff will go away sooner or later. But God will never leave you or forsake you. Enjoy the beauty of the season. But most of all, steal away for a little while just to be alone with God, and be amazed at who He really is.
Blessings!
Renea
As we head into the season of Christmas, I challenge you to look for the things that really matter. As it has been said, no one will say on their death bed that they wish they had spent more time at work, or whatever it is that keeps you from participating in the activities that will make life-long memories for your family. Make time to snuggle with your spouse, read a book to your child or grand-child, make cookies for the senior adult in your neighborhood, sing Christmas carols, go look at some pretty lights. After all, Christmas really does only come once a year. You don't want January to get here and you realize you missed all the fun!
All the stuff will go away sooner or later. But God will never leave you or forsake you. Enjoy the beauty of the season. But most of all, steal away for a little while just to be alone with God, and be amazed at who He really is.
Blessings!
Renea
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Tim's tags, day 3
This man is a genius. That's all I can say, except, wow . . .
http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/12-tags-of-christmastag-3.html
http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/12-tags-of-christmastag-3.html
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