This is ART

This my friends is what they refer to as a piece of art!

On craigslist I found a guy selling one that looked like it was flipping the bird.  I struggled as to whether I could fix that or not.  Didn't email about it until today and it's been sold.  

BUT WAIT!

They actually still make these chairs!  Can you believe it?  Of course the new one is more expensive than the used one.  But these new ones aren't offensive either.  I'm actually trying to work out a budget for myself so that when I get in my new place I don't just spend out the wazoo on stuff.  I'm setting some limits and goals of things I truly need.  

For most this chair would seem to be a frivolous want.  But I'm thinking this might fall in the need category.  It's got to be the coolest thing I've ever seen!  I'm so grown up.  I know.  The multi color chair is great but they also have several different colors to choose from.  So I could potentially get the black or something that would not just scream at you upon walking in my front door.  We'll see.  what's the consensus.  Is it worth budgeting for this piece of art or not??  (By the way, the chair vibrates!)

Shopping Trip

My pretty front door from the inside.  There's not much natural lighting so I went with a door that had alot of glass in it!

(thanks to hall's salvage)

Pecan or something like that hand scraped flooring 

(thanks to the Hall's Salvage!)

My fridge that matches my black stove!

These are a few of the fun items I got to go shopping for.  The mud man was there today when I left work!  Supposedly only a couple of more days and he'll be finished.  

Valentine's Day

Today, what a fun day.  It's Valentine's Day.  Hated by some.  Loved by others.

Here's my take on the day.  

Somewhere in your town that you live in...

There is a child who hasn't had a hug today or in days past.

There is a child who hasn't been told they are loved yet today or in days past.

There is a widow who longs for their loved one, yet knows they won't see them this side of heaven.

There is married couple struggling to survive from all the pressures of life, longing to know love in their marriage again.

There is someone far from home who needs to be encouraged today.

There is someone everywhere that just needs to be loved.  Not just today, but everyday.  They needed it yesterday and they'll need it again tomorrow.  Then I'm reminded what love is.  Scripture says that "God is love..." 1 John 4:16.  If God is love and you belong to the Lord.  Then you ARE LOVED.  While we were yet sinners Christ showed His love for us by dying on the cross.  

You are only without love today if you refuse to open your eyes...

Sometimes the best part of love is showing it to others!

Preacher man

Just got back from lunch to find my preacher downstairs slapping mud on the walls!  YEAH!!

At church on Sunday I was walking through the fellowship hall and there was a group of men.  Several of whom have been working on my apartment.  They were all giving the preacher a heard time because he is the mud man.  Yet has been busy with other things lately.  They were telling him things would get done much quicker if the mud man would show up for work!  As I'm walking by one of them hollers at me to come tell the mud man he better get to work.  I just looked over and said I'm not worried I've got people for that.  

So, when I just went down there to say Hi to him.  He made the comment that my people were putting some pressure on him see he thought he better show up!  :)  

I'd take pictures but you'd just be looking at sheet rock w/ mud on it.  Nothing too exciting.  But there's progress.

I LOVE COLORS!

Let me know what you think.  Went to the paint store today and this is I think the colors I'm going to go with.  As usual with me...  somethings will probably never change.  Feel free to express your concerns as to why I shouldn't use them.  As long as you know I like them, therefore will probably use them.  :)  

They are all earthy tones.  They all look like very calm colors to me.  I love color!!

The green will be the main color.  There was one shade darker of green and it was called Egyptian Nile!  I like the color but the lighter shade does go better with the other two colors.  Still struggling not to use it though simply because of it's name.  That color will be on all the walls except the wall opposite the front door.  

The wall opposite the front door will be the red.  It'll help give the room some depth, says my intelligent friend.  I just love red.  Not necessarily in clothes but on walls.  I think it's bold yet lovely!  Doing the whole thing I think would be a little much.  So I'm going with one accent wall. Very excited about the red!!  I have a bed spread, couch cover, and an area rug with that shade of red so they'll look nice.  I have some pillows and an area rug similar to that shade of green that should go well with it too.

The blue.  Oh how I love blue too.  Now that is pretty much blue anything.  Mom says she can walk in any store and now exactly what I'll pick out because it's going to be blue.  I admit I do tend to lean a little towards that color.  I have blue pots and pans...  I have blue plates...  Now I'm going to have blue bathroom walls.  The bathroom is not so much on the large size.  Probably not even a whole lot on the medium size so I'm sure I should try to go with a lighter color to make it look bigger.  But I'm not going to.  Why?  Well, simply because I think that blue is pretty.  It goes well with the other flow of colors.  

Hopefully, they'll be some color on the walls in the next couple of weeks!  WOO-HOO!!  

Thanks Teresa for going paint shopping with me.  Thanks Chris and Penny for being my paint consultants.  Thanks G for your professional suggests on the subject! 

Downstairs

I was just downstairs in the apartment and had to help hold up a piece of sheet rock.  That's all I had to help with and on my way back upstairs to work I just looked around down there.  I thought of the constant changing and moving and odd living arrangements I've gone through since I moved here in May of 2004.  Then the thought ran through my mind...  Was it worth it?  

YES!  Every change and inconvenience and not knowing moment was worth it because God is going way overboard to take care of me on this one.  Mike said it's kind of like building a new house.  I said yeah except I'm not paying for it!  :)  I'm so glad that i didn't give up on what God was trying to do over the past years.  More than that I'm glad He hasn't given up on me through all those times!

Please pray

I'm sure some of you will know the feeling I'm talking about.  It's that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach that you have no idea what's going on but you know that something is happening.  Well, I've had that one for a little while.  It's stressed me out a great bit.  I talked to a dear friend of mine last night and God spoke through her so clearly.  

She reminded me that growth isn't an easy thing.  In the same way children go through physical pains as they grow, our spiritual growth creates those same pains.  I knew that but I guess had just forgotten that great Truth.  She also discussed with me a little bit about birthing pains.  No not the descriptiveness but how the pain is so fierce but when you see the babies face, some how you can forget the pain.  Apparently, there's something about seeing the product of the pain that washes away the hurt.  She encouraged me that God is in the midst of birthing something from me and that I could not give up on it yet.

God is at work.  I just have no clue what He's doing.  I'm trying my best to be OK with that.  :)  I kind of like to know what's going on and go into panic attacks when I don't.  God's teaching me trust.  His kind of trust.  The trust that says whether I see it or understand it, I'm going to trust.

  

In March I will be going to a conference about Biblical counseling.  This is a new passion God has placed in my heart.  I'd been praying about trying to get into some training but of course wasn't sure how I'd pay for it.  About a month later someone from up here let me know that they were going to sponsor me monthly for the next year.  BINGO!  God placed the desire, then provided the finances.  Please pray for that conference.  I have no clue what God wants to do with that training but I see so many people through my job that need the right kind of counseling.  Not the kind that manipulates you.  The kind that points you back to the cross.  That's what the training is all about.  You can check it out if you have time at www.gracefellowshipintl.com It's some great stuff. I've read a couple books so far and they're slammed full of scriptures! That's my heart. To help show people the way to peace through God's word.

With this new passion and endeavor I believe the Enemy is working hard to stop it.  So i must be on the right path!  I'm so excited about the place God is providing for me to move into soon.  And I'm equally excited about the new opportunities to learn more about biblical counseling that are coming.  God is at work!  Pray that my eyes not lose focus until His work is finished in me...

Apartment happenins...

The apartment is still going well.  My preacher and I think his brother came this evening and did some mudding on the sheet rock.  The shower was put in and the plumbing was done.  I think they got most of the lighting for the bathroom finished today.

I'm going to town tomorrow to try and pick out what colors I want.  Mike has a 5 gallon bucket of a white/gray that he said I could just buy a color and mix with that.  So I've got to somehow figure out what color I want.  Get something WAY darker than that and mix it when I get home.  :)  should turn out great!  Here's hoping anyways.  If the color isn't that great than I'll have a good laugh every time I walk in.  

They have to go pick up the front door at some point too.  Mike says 2 weeks and it'll be done.  I'm not so sure but it won't be much long after that!  

I'm so excited!  A place where bugs don't invade.  Rain can't come in.  The structure is solid and I'll have a kitchen!!  Woo-Hoo!!  

Texas visit

For all those interested, I'll be flying into Texas on Friday, Feb 22 and departing Wednesday Feb. 27.  Yay!

Food for thought

Water.

Without enough of it your life cannot go on because your body has to have it.

With too much of it your life cannot go on because it only needs a certain amount.  

Sheet Rock is UP!

The sheet rocking started this morning about 8:45 am and my boss was the last one to leave at 6pm tonight!  He's the best!  My boss and a group of men from a local church were able to begin and complete the sheet rocking in one day!  YAY!!  Rumor has it that my pastor and his wife are coming to help with mudding at paint.  They have done a lot of rental properties and things of that nature and have developed a system of mudding that they never even have to sand.  

The bathroom door and kitchen area.  They put up walls so no more room w/ a view for the potty room.  (You should check out my story below for a good bathroom story)

The living room area (that's the cool tool they use to put it on the ceiling.)

Spare bedroom/ sitting area

My bedroom area

Water is Dangerous!

I'm not sure why they don't make more things in this world waterproof!  Here's what happened. 

As I'm trying to sit down to use the restroom I feel my cellphone begin to slip out of my pocket.  It all happened so fast I had no chance to rescue or stop anything.  Then all I can remember was standing over the toilet seeing my CELLPHONE at the bottom!  I reach in to grab it and it starts flashing colors at me saying low battery then it vibrates for a moment and well, it seems it's gone on to greener pastures now.  

I rush in to explain to my friends what had just occurred and after laughing they suggested I take the battery off and open the phone so it'll dry out and hopefully by tomorrow I can at least get my #'s out of it.  I think my mom's number is about the only one I know from memory.  So if you don't hear from me for a few days now you'll know why.  

I'd like to say this is the first phone I've lost to the water killer.  A couple of years ago when I had just gotten my dog Gracie.  I was going to put water in her bowl.  As I was placing it back down on the ground the phone jumped out of my hand and into her bowl!  

Here's the great part!  Two days ago I ordered my new every two year phone from Verizon.  By Tuesday I should have my new phone in my hands.  Wait it gets better.  I debated between a couple of different phones, all that I could get for free.  Finally I decided against what was cute and fashionable for one that hopefully I can't break.  They call this a ruggedized phone.  It can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes and still be totally fine!  SWEET!  

After Tuesday bring on the toilets and dog bowls.  You can also drop kick it or throw it and do all sorts of stuff and it won't break.  It's apparently been military tested.  Which is great because the phone after the water bowl phone was broken because something about repeatedly dropping the phone simply is not good for it.  Even if it is an accident every time.  

Cool Picture

Bionicle Battle created by Christopher and Gideon

work in progress

Obviously you're going to have to use your imagination a bit.  Such as when i say bedroom, it's not going to be the typical bedroom w/ 4 walls and a door.  i just mean area where i will have my bed and store my clothes somehow.  :)  

The bathroom. It's going to be a room with a view. Capitalizing on that open air design. :)

The Kitchen

My bedroom area opposite corner from the kitchen.

Spare bedroom/seating area next to my bedroom.

Living room area. Kitchen is back to the left. that door leads outside. 

kitchen cabinets

kitchen cabinets

yes, dad i use this. aren't you proud! :)

as you can tell it's a work in progress but they're coming to do sheet rock tomorrow 

so it'll look totally different.