Power Washing for Fun and Entertainment

Who knew power washing a deck was so much fun?

Now, I know why my husband has never let me touch one before, and why most men I know get all excited about the prospect of owning their own power washer.

A big thanks to my friend Lisa who let me borrow their power washer. Although I have no prior power washing experience, I figured if my dear friend Karen (who did not learn to pump gas until after college) can handle her family's deck maintenance, I definitely had to give it a try.

As I told Hon, "If I do a horrible job, we simply hire someone to do it after all."

Oh, baby, I've found a whole new skill set. I have a feeling that my yearly deck power washing and re-sealing will be a highlight of the spring cleaning season. I can even put it on my stay-at-home-mom resume. It would of course go under specialty skills, not under necessary skills like: wipes noses, does homework, sews costumes, soothes childhood angst, looks for lost items, all while cooking dinner skills.

My Stay-at-Home-Mom Specialty Skills

• Spreads dump trucks full of mulch each spring
• Solves electricity and circuit breaker issues caused by...
• Outdoor Christmas lighting schemes
• blows up and repairs small appliances at inopportune moments
• assembles furniture
• deck power washing for fun and entertainment

One small note of caution to anyone else who tries their hand at power washing. Umm...as you power wash small bits of debris will start to cover your feet and legs. Rinsing your legs and feet off with aforementioned power washer...not your best idea. I only wish I could remember that little tidbit of wisdom.

Anyone willing to take bets on how many times I pulverize my toes today???

But I Don't Want to Get Up

The days of having a teenager who acts like a teenager have started. Fred's shower ran long yesterday morning, so I went upstairs to knock on his bathroom door and tell him to hurry it up. However, while the shower had been running for 20 minutes, the door to the bathroom was open, and the no one was in there.

???

As I said, "Fred, where are you???"

A moan sounded from the mound under the covers. The stinker had turned on the shower and climbed back into bed.

That is way more resourceful than the way I used to just hang my foot over the side of the bed and stomp the floor to try and fool my parents into thinking I was out of bed. :)

Family Time - a Treasure Indeed

The Dude turned 11 last week and learned an important fact.

Family time is important to him.

Hon had to travel on the Dude's birthday. It's happened to all of us before. Sometimes you have to celebrate your birthday on another day or without someone very important to you. However, this didn't sit very with the Dude this year. He couldn't explain why his birthday didn't seem as great as normal, but I was pretty sure I knew what the problem was. Even though I'd made pancakes for breakfast, decorated his room with streamers, took donuts to his class, he'd opened presents, had cake, and his favorite pizza for dinner something just wasn't right.

So, the day after his birthday we headed out for a family dinner to celebrate. All was right with the world again. Towards the end of the meal I leaned over and asked the Dude if it finally felt like his birthday. With a grin as big as the sky, he nodded and said, "Yeah!"

What did he treasure most?

The photo of his family at the dinner. You would have thought it was made of gold.

I knew I love that kid for a reason.

A good time was had by us all, because as we climbed in the car afterwards, Birdie said,

"I don't know how to say that place's name, but I am definitely coming back!"

What Is He Thinking???

I don't care that rain is predicted for later today.

No one, and I mean no one who lives in a house on my court or in a house that touches my backyard, needs to weed eat before 7 am.

No one.

He Delights in Me

This morning I was journaling about how the enemy will use any means to distract us from focusing on God – busyness, stress, headaches, illness, birthday disappointments, tiredness, old sin patterns (you get that my list could go on and on). I opened my study; and of course, it’s all about how the enemy uses our minds as a battlefield and winning the spiritual war. God’s so funny and so good. He knows how to get his point across. And boy, He has his timing down.

My friend Kelly is embarking on a wonderful time with the Lord. She's feeling his leading and following. Unfortunately for her, she's talking about the area she's digging into with me, so I keep sending her scripture references. It's kinda like I assigned myself as a reference assistant. Only, I'm pretty sure didn't ask for any help. God bless her for listening and smiling as I babble.

So I found another scripture for her this morning, or perhaps as I think about it more, it's for me and my struggle to keep the enemy out of my thoughts.

He brought me out into a spacious place;
He rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:38

I think realizing that “God delights in us” is just so huge. He doesn’t just love us, like us, or put up with our pitiful sinful selves that He has to save. He absolutely delights in us. I’m so glad.

I also like that He brings us into a spacious place. We’re not cramped, bound, pushed into the corners of our sins where we can’t ever see a way out. He brings us to his spacious kingdom.

Oh, good stuff. Good stuff indeed.

Something New Every Day

If I could only find time to type all the posts I write in my head...all day long. Then again, it's probably better that I can't do that.

My husband has spent last weekend looking at me blankly and saying, "Well, yeah, didn't you already know that."

I keep thinking I'm coming up with these mind-blowing, life altering explanations of life; and obviously, Hon thinks I belong on the short bus. (No offense meant to anyone who ever had to ride the short bus, but you know what I mean. My elevator's stuck in the basement; I'm a few bricks short of a load; or as Beth Moore loves to say, "I'm as blonde as I pay to be."

The simple things in life seem so much bigger to me lately.

And then there are the other little things in life that I'm still discovering...

I pointed out to Hon on the ride home from church that I had noticed that you can drive in the HOV lane if it's not rush hours.

He finally laughed out loud at me and said, "Your whole world is just opening up this weekend, isn't it?"

While I may be feeling a little blonder than usual, I'm enjoying the new perspective. Mostly.

Revelations That Are As Clear As Mud

Whew! What a lot has happened in the month since I last posted. As I read over my last few posts it seemed like the events covered happened a life time ago. I had to think about which answered prayer I was talking about in this post. (We are still praising God over our new nephew and his good health.)

My small comprehension of the world has been so broadened in the last two weeks. Hopefully forever. There has been so much to think over and take in that trying to put it into even verbal words has been difficult. I know this for a fact, because I try to explain things to Hon, and he tells me to finish my thought.

All I have to offer is, "That was it."

See, I'm still making no sense. Which would explain the lack of blogging lately.

But before I continue on with the antics of my lovely children, my obsession with gardening, and the way I'm aging before my very eyes, I'll try to get a few thoughts down here.

Two weeks ago I went to a weekend spiritual retreat called "The Great Banquet." All I knew about the weekend was that I would have time with God (72 hours that is), we'd be mainly in the (very nice) basement of our church, and due to the name I figured there would be plenty of food. Any one who had been just said I should go, and that it was amazing.

To be honest, I really didn't see any need to go. I felt my relationship with God was pretty good. I'm really happy with my life. I didn't need a spiritual retreat. I felt great about things. What more could God need from me?

I was scared that God would ask more of me.

God is so, so, so very good.

The weekend was amazing, and you should definitely go the first chance you have.

It's a weekend where God will tell you the thing He most needs you to know about himself. Your weekend will be eye opening, heart wrenching, and completely heart fulfilling. It will be all about God and all about you, and it will be all about getting you and God closer together through whatever means you need that to happen.

I saw a little slice of heaven, and let me tell you - it's gonna be great!

My friends listened to me be speechless when asked about my weekend. They listened to me explain all I got out of the weekend without being able to explain much about the weekend. They looked at each other and laughed. They looked at me just like I looked at the people that invited me to the banquet. With doubt, resistance, and uncertainty

So here it is. What did I need to hear from God? He clearly called me his beloved. That I am loved by him beyond any understanding I ever had of the word love. That if I never do another thing in this world He couldn't love me any more.

It's not about what I do for him. It's all about Him loving me.

There is no guilt. My sins are always forgiven. His call to join Him in bringing the Kingdom of Heaven near is not just to point out my sins or where I'm failing. It's calling me closer to him. Drawing me near. I'm invited to watch His wondrous work here on earth. It's my choice. But He always offers me what's best for me. He may call me to try something new, but it's not to take away His blessings but to shower me with even more blessings.

I know that's as clear as mud. But the important thing is that it's clear for me. It changes the way I see things and the way I hear things. It changes my perspective about other people. I was truly transformed during those 72 hours, and it was and still is glorious. I walk a little taller, I smile a lot bigger, I love so much more. My heart is so full.

What would God say to you?

What does God know you most need to know about Himself?

Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is
born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God
is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent
His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is
love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
expiation of our sins. Beloved, since God so loved us, we also ought to
love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another,
God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:7-12