Thursday, June 30, 2011

As It Was

Even though owning a home is far down the road for me and Jason, I have been obsessed lately with looking at remodeling, decorating, home-type blogs. I don't consider myself much of a DIY-er (do it yourself-er), but these projects people come up with are incredible.

Need to re-brick my fireplace? No problem!
I need an Indian silk handwoven rug to match my acryclic blue hand crafted tile? Uhh...easy.
My 6 Kitchen Aid mixers are so boring, who can hand paint with oils derived from honeybees tears? Cake walk.

Not to poke too much fun, but I do have a lot of fun perusing them to see what type of inspiration it might create in me.

And today, I've found a winner.




A PLATE WALL.

Not to mention the super awesome, if anybody wants to buy me one I would love them forever, blue piano. This idea of displaying artsy, beautiful plates as artwork is so endearing to me.

Definitely will use this one day in my home, or maybe....business? *wink wink*

Monday, June 20, 2011

If That's What It Takes

There is a song by Mercy Me "Bring the Rain," that I've always loved. Its verses and melody has touched a part of my heart that was always stubborn - always wanting God to bless me with the good stuff, and none of the tough stuff in life.

I haven't talked much about my struggles at work here mostly because of an internal rule that my daily victories and struggles at work should stay there (minus the vent sessions had with my husband and family). I tried my best not to bring work home.

But lately it's been so overwhelming and heavy that I've been baffled that I can't find peace in the midst of it. I would pray the entire way to work "please make today OK, make me patient, make me strong," but everyday I would come home more defeated than the last.

So during a drive last week I was listening to that song.

"Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Being me anything that brings You glory
I know they'll be days when this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You, Jesus bring the rain...


And it hit me. All this time that I've been praying for my own personal comfort I had been missing the point. All of these struggles were opportunities to praise God during this storm in my life. The good times aren't the only blessings we are given.

God showed me I had been taking his faithfulness for granted and not given Him enough credit. This time at work, the times when it feels like a gorilla is sitting on my chest, are the best opportunities to share Gods love and grace under fire. He will see me through.

Monday, June 13, 2011

And Is To Come

A sweet, summer dessert. Perfect ending to a boring, but perfect Monday night.




Thursday, June 9, 2011

One Thing I Know

Life recently has been calm (...saying that very quietly so no one can hear it and change it...). Aside from daily struggles and daily victories, it seems we're slipping into the lazy days of Summer, where the heat sticks to you like honey, and there is a constant film of sweat all over you.

Jason has been hard at work...perfecting his Call of Duty skills, which will certainly come in handy one day in life, I'm sure of it :) But he's also been able to flex his creative muscle and spend some time playing with a local band. As a drummer, he is constantly hitting, tapping, banging, slapping, counting, bobbing, pounding something to a beat only he hears. After being with him for nearly a decade, I've grown accustomed to becoming a human drum, and very often have to remind him that my knee is not a solid as a bongo drum, nor does my car dashboard appreciate the constant beating to the tune of Hold That Tiger (aka LSU pregame).

So how excited was I when I found out he was invited to play with some friends at a local hangout with his new cajon drum (see wooden box-looking thing above). For four hours, he was in heaven. Playing along to every song under the sun, and enjoying being able to be a musician once again. He is a musician at heart, he hears melodies, notes, songs, rhythms that affect him on a different level.

I hope he continues to have chances like this to be in this space, to be in this way, and to live in his musical world, just for a little while. Makes him happy = makes me happier.