Sitting Quietly

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Today I have five hours without children.  Today I enter a new phase of my life.  Today begins two days a week to focus on other things besides home schooling.  So, today I woke wondering what I was going to do.  Not that I don't have a long "to-do" list, but where was I suppose to spend my energy?

Our family has had in the last two weeks several storms hit us.  Each of these storms has long rage affect on all of us...one is eternal.  I saw them coming. God prepared me to face the storms, but I still feel a little beat up by the effects of them raging.  He isn't finished yet and His promises are true, so I look to the future with peace, but my flesh is tired.  He has created the storm and He is in the midst of the storm with me.

Then today I stopped to pick up my devotional and read the wrong day, but God knew... He was going to speak.  I am sharing it with you since it spoke to me so directly.  I pray that it speaks to someone else also.  I will do as it suggests.  God has spoke on what my plans are for my first free day.....sitting quietly before Him.

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Demonstrate your trust in Me by sitting quietly in My Presence.  Put aside all that is waiting to be done, and refuse to worry about anything.  This scared time together strengthens you and prepares you to face whatever the day will bring.  By waiting with Me before you begin the day's activities, you proclaim the reality of My living Presence.  This act of faith - waiting before working-is noted in the spirit world, where your demonstration of trust weakens principalities and powers of darkness.
The most effective way to resist evil is to draw near Me.  When you need to take action, I will guide you clearly through My Spirit and My Word.  The world is so complex and overstimulating that you can easily lose your sens of direction.  Doing countless unnecessary activities will dissipate your energy. When you spend time with Me, I restore your sense of direction.   As you look to Me for guidance, I enable you to do less but accomplish more.


Luke 12:22-28, Eph. 6:12, Prov. 16:3

May you have a blessed week and God directs your path.

Oops Paint and Teen's Room

When you hit those little bumps in the road that want to pull you into the pit of giving up, a good friend with an encouraging word can sure help you to just jump over the bump.

This was the case when I entered our dirty and decoratively-challenged new dwelling.  I strolled through our new place with less-than-graceful or designer-possibility eyes.  God in His wisdom knew what He was up to when He brought a good friend to view things differently.  As I pointed out all the faults of this design- challenged home...more than had ever presented themselves to me in my lifetime.......she just smiled with, "it is all cosmetic!"

The rooms were abundant in size, yet the "slopped" (and I am being nice when I say  "slopped") on painted walls were way-less-than desirable 

I promised my son, whose wall had been "slopped" over with yellow paint to half-way cover the once-totally pink walls, that I would come to his male-ego rescue.  The shared, boys' bathroom would also be raised from the dead... as soon as I could find the money tree.

God in His mercy gave me vision for each room in the house...so reconstruction started and I have already completed two rooms' transformation.

One of the most cost-efficient ways to transform a room is with paint. However, even that can become very costly when painting a whole house.  In the past I have been known to paint full bedrooms in Oops paint.

Oops paint?  Well, they are the gallons or quarts of paint that someone brings back for some reason...usually not the color they thought.  My developed eye doesn't have trouble grabbing a gallon...usually about $5.00 or a little more, to see what I can create.  So last week, the last week before the start of school, I took my teenage son to go look at oops paint.  I had a vision in my head...he didn't.  I looked first, then allowed him to survey what they had.  He picked out exactly what I knew he would....now for the transformation.

Antique bed...spray painted in brown...mine from when I  was a teen.

I had already bought him a very reasonable (cheap) comforter for his bed...remember, teenage boy.  We attacked the walls with his chocolate paint.  He had envisioned all four walls in chocolate...I had not.  To my excitement, we ran out of the chocolate paint after two walls were completed.  There was just enough left to put my creative slant on the walls.  I continued the chocolate paint on a horizontal border going around the second two walls.  A lighter taupe...left over from a past project, finished up the walls.

Western art, metal signs and a cowboy boot has started our accents in his room. "Keep it simple, so it will stay clean" is my battle cry on teen boys' rooms....I am picking my battles.

This wall will probably hold all the sports pictures  from high school.
We still have more accents to finish.

I was on a roll...yes, a paint roll... On to the bathroom. Since this bathroom will be shared by a 22 year-old-college son, a 15 year-old-high-school freshman and our precious non-stop talker. age 5....it had alot to accommodate. The size is great...but past colors were still showing out from under every corner, baseboard and tile possible..does anyone know how to paint?  In came the color used at the top of the horizontal border from the son's room.

I gathered up all the car pictures, posters, and accents I could find from our different collections.  I ran to buy cheap...(remember, boys again), shower curtain, towels and rug.  I used these pieces to add the punch of color...RED.  In one day. I had the bathroom up and functioning well. 


I am still trying to decide if it needs a racing stripe going vertical in red....what do you think?

My motto, "If it doesn't look good....go grab some paint....and just possibly the oops paint will work the best."

Also grab that friend who can give you a new perspective.
Thanks Angie!

Here We Go - Because I Am the Mom

I have been hearing this song running in my head as we start our school year.

It is just tooooooooooooooooo true.

So today enjoy with me the Momisms Song!

Pat yourself on the back for all the years you have also said these words.

Laugh!  Singing along!  For all of you  with children at home....nod and get fired up.

If you can't view the wonderfully funny video, here are the words set to William Tell.

She is just the greatest....don't miss it.
I might just run this song on full blast each morning, so I won't have to do it myself.

Thanks for all the Kleenex...first day was wonderful...now today starts the real deal.
It is going to be a good year for us all.


(Still 100 plus degrees here...no rain)

Get up now
Get up now
Get up out of bed
Wash your face
Brush your teeth
Comb your sleepy head
Here’s your clothes
And your shoes
Hear the words I said
Get up now
Get up and make your bed
Are you hot?
Are you cold?
Are you wearing that?
Where’s your books and your lunch and your homework at?
Grab your coat and your gloves and your scarf and hat
Don’t forget you got to feed the cat
 Eat your breakfast
The experts tell us it’s the most important meal of all
Take your vitamins so you will grow up one day to be big and tall
Please remember the orthodontist will be seeing you at three today?
Don’t forget your piano lesson is this afternoon
So you must play
Don’t shovel
Chew slowly
But hurry
The bus is here
Be careful
Come back here
Did you wash behind your ears?
Play outside
Don’t play rough
Would you just play fair?
Be polite
Make a friend
Don’t forget to share
Work it out
Wait your turn
Never take a dare
Get along
Don’t make me come down there
Clean your room
Fold your clothes
Put your stuff away
Make your bed
Do it now
Do we have all day?
Were you born in a barn?
Would you like some hay
Can you even hear a word I say?
Answer the phone
Get Off the phone
Don’t sit so close
Turn it down
No texting at the table
No more computer time tonight
Your iPod’s my iPod if you don’t listen up
Where you going and with whom and what time do you think you’re coming home?
Saying thank you, please, excuse me
Makes you welcome everywhere you roam
You’ll appreciate my wisdom
Someday when you’re older and you’re grown
Can’t wait ‘til you have a couple little children of your own
You’ll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willingly
But right now
I thank you NOT to roll your eyes at me
Close your mouth when you chew
Would appreciate
Take a bite
Maybe two
Of the stuff you hate
Use your fork
Do not you burp
Or I’ll set you straight
Eat the food I put upon your plate
Get an A, Get the door
Don’t get smart with me
Get a Grip
Get up here I’ll count to 3
Get a job
Get a life
Get a PhD
Get a dose of…
I don’t care who started it
You’re grounded until your 36
Get your story straight
And tell the truth for once for heaven’s sake
And if all your friends jumped off a cliff
Would you jump too?
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said at least a thousand times before that
You’re too old to act this way
It must be your father’s DNA
Look at me when I am talking
Stand up straighter when you walk
A place for everything
And everything must be in place
Stop crying or I’ll give you something real to cry about
Oh!
Brush your teeth
Wash your face
Get your PJs on
Get in bed
Get a hug
Say a prayer with Mom
Don’t forget
I love you
**KISS**
And tomorrow we will do this all again because a mom’s work never ends
You don’t need the reason why
Because
Because
Because
Because
I said so
I said so
I said so
I said so
I’m the Mom
The mom
The mom
The mom
The mom
Ta-da

Written and performed by Anita Renfroe (copyright 2007 Bluebonnet
Hills Music/BMI)

Happy Monday!