Do you know the song,
Just Another Day In Paradise? It has been running through my head. It is a pretty accurate description of the week... construction mess everywhere, more messy potty-training, ETC.! It is not quite the paradise we were experiencing a few weeks back, but a paradise nonetheless. This beautiful, messy life! TGIF!
I've also been meditating on
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." In the past, I've focused my thoughts on the beginning of the verse and what I can "accomplish", but this week, it is the end of the verse that stuck out to me...it is CHRIST who
strengthens me.
He strengthens me! I am weak, but he is my ever-present help!
Just as I was starting to get things clean and organized, we recreated the
Dust Bowl . Uh-huh, last Thursday, we started in on the project of taking out the drop down ceiling in the kitchen. I'll never look at a soffit or at sheetrock the same again. We'd like a few words with whoever thought rock lath was a good idea? Really. Crumbly, chunky, dusty, messiness. Thankfully, David is pretty entertaining during a project. There isn't anything he can't do, but there are moments, when he, no doubt, wonders what he has gotten himself into. He looks at something and uses phrases like, "What in the Sam nation," and "You dirty rat.". HA! There are few things we love more than a messy project- so therapeutic. We tucked the kids into bed Thursday night, and they drifted off to sleep to the tune of the shop vac and sawzall, and thus it began. We've been arguing over which country artist is best- Alabama or Josh Turner, eating late night sweets, and sucking in a lot of sheetrock dust together.
Kitchen Thursday morning:
Starting the demo Thursday night:
Our progress thus far (goodbye fluorescent lighting)... Hip Hip Hooray!
We love how much more open and light it is. It is not a total makeover or anything, but a pretty sizable project. We have another week of paint and then we should be done.
He has been fixing other sheetrock issues too, so it has pretty much affected the whole house, with the exception of our bedrooms.
If it doesn't look that messy in the pictures, don't be deceived! There is a thick layer of dust on everything and we've pretty much turned the house upside down. I open the cupboards and sheetrock falls on me. :) It will be worth it, though!
I don't know what possessed me to start potty training now, but I guess what is one more mess when you are already doing a lot of laundry, right? Motivating a boy is different than my girl was. I used the same technique, but tweaked a bit for a boy. With Olivia, we went and got her princess panties, I told her to keep them clean, and we pretty much stayed in the kitchen for a week. She was potty trained within the week. I discovered, through trial and error, that the little man doesn't mind too much if his cute training pants with sports balls get dirty. He does, however, like to "shoot the shield" on the potty chair. :)
This week he told me, "I better get busy," and "I'll take care of you." He is too fun!
Two potty training pictures since it has been consuming a fair amount of our time :)
Sweet Baby Girl
I'd like to ask you to pray for precious little Kate McRae. They have received devastating news, and she n e e d s o u r p r a y e rs ! I don't know her, and yet my heart breaks for her; I cannot let go of the hope that God can and will heal her!
Here is an excerpt her mother wrote in her CaringBridge journal this week...
"I wept as we talked about heaven and she softly said, "mom, I don't want to go without you, I would miss you way too much." "And I don't want you to go without me either baby." And then the question again that pierces our hearts daily, "Why hasn't Jesus used his power yet? He's so much stronger than cancer, why?" So again we talked, and cried some more. We ended the conversation with her whispering in my ear, "I will love you no matter what." I had to go to my room to cry alone."
Oh, Jesus! I can't fight back the tears, and I don't even know how to pray, so I pray...
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Isaiah 43
1 But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
Please, please intercede for her!
