Determination

1 Cor. 6:19-20

Painting

When we moved, we decided that we wouldn't do any painting right away (mostly because I don't like painting), but we have grown tired of the pale pink walls that the previous owners left us with.

From the beginning, we did change our green bathroom

and painted it a refreshing gray

and got rid of the pink guest bathroom,

and lightened it up with a crisp white,

but we are ready to put some more finishing touches on the place to reflect our own creativity (since the previous owners bought 3 colors and divided them up among all 9 rooms of the house).
So, we spent the last couple of weeks deciding on some new colors.

First, of course we had to get rid of the pink in the Carolina Room (Jabari's room)

so we painted it a beautiful "Carolina Skies" by Valspar

(and rearranged a little).

Then, of course, we had to do the guest room (also started out as pale pink) and is now a lovely neutral "Tony Taupe" by Sherwin Williams. Next on our list: the stairwell and hallway upstairs (both the same matte green that the master bath was), the master bedroom (pale pink), and maybe, just maybe, i'll brave the kitchen (also pale pink).

"When It's Cold Outside..."

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with Dear Autumn how I was feeling about this untimely change in temperature. I mean, I wall all ready for the color change and blankets of leaves covering the ground and the rainbow of Chrysanthemums decorating the neighborhood, but this onset of cold weather has taken me by surprise. Although I was born in November, I have a sincere connection with sunshine and blue skies, so I was bummed to lose the my sweet summertime.

Since this is my first year as a homeowner, I've been doing a lot more seasonal planning than in teh past. DH and I are serious about eco-friendly living, and being energy efficient has been our #1 priority since we moved in last April.

Now that I'm out of work and at home most days, I have a lot more time on my hands, so I've been working on a plan to winterize our home.

What are some things you do to prepare for the colder months ahead?

Dear Autumn

Dear Autumn,

This is just not working. I mean, we had a great day yesterday, some warmth and sunshine and even an embracing breeze or two. I thought we would be on better terms, but things are just not working out between us right now.

That was a winter chill I woke up to this morning! I didn't get the whole "cool, crisp fall" feeling at all. It was much more of an "oh my goodness it's freezing in here" type of reaction...I'm just not ready for that type of commitment yet.

I though we had come to an agreement on some terms, and I definitely made it clear that I didn't want to rush into things too soon and here you go...It's not bad enough that we endured two cold, gloomy days to open the week, but you had to go and kill the joys of last evening's walk by waking me up to bitter cold.

Please give me a little space for now, and I'll be sure to come calling if I determine that we'd be compatible after all. Thanks for understanding.

With love,

Kia

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
-Genesis 8:22

A Blogful Year

Today is my one year blogiversary!

I've shared a lot over the past year, and I have become devoted to sharing my life with my blog friends and keeping in touch with your lives as well. It's such a blessing to be able to meet so many like-minded people without even actually 'meeting' them. I've learned some interesting things and even made some friends in this great blogosphere.

Last September 29th, I began my blogging journey with an introduction to the fall season. I shared with my blog friends the nature hunt on which I collected some beautiful things to decorate my home with the very glory of fall.

As I shared in Autumn is in the Air, I am a Martha Stewart fan, and I love the creative crafts she comes up with, especially when they utilize things from nature.

As I wrap up my first year of blogging, I want to share the same sentiments of the season's arrival, and tomorrow, I will be on my way with my little basket in search of some of autumn's goodness to decorate our new home.

Thoughts for Today

This morning, my mama forwarded me an email targeted to her lady friends. It was about an episode of the Oprah show with Maya Angelou. While intended to be comical, the message also had an aspect of significance from which I was inspired.

Three of the things Ms. Angelou mentioned—things that she’s learned throughout life--resonated with my own thoughts, especially over the last couple of days. When I am deep in thought, I write, so I will share:

· I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.'

This is a good message to me, especially considering that I was displaced from my job, which honestly could hardly be considered “making a living.” As I’ve grown in Christ, I’ve drawn a lot of conclusions about the concept of life and why we live it, and I can agree that one’s dedication to their career often overshadows many pertinent things in life because as a society, we’ve grown to value the paycheck so much more than the important parts of life.

Now, this is not to say that one cannot enjoy the work they do and be dedicated to it, but it is to say that we need to be careful of where we place our values. Now, more than ever, we should be able to look around us and see this world and what it has become. For those who believe in the Rapture, it would seem likely that we’re getting closer and closer to a time when we want to welcome that rapture with open arms, and we might just want to reflect that in the way we are living.

· I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.'

As I stepped out into the “real world” after college, I was more or less “lost.” I had plans for a graduate education, but I had no idea where I would end up or even where I wanted to go. My relationship with God blossomed as I began to persistently go to Him in prayer, seeking guidance for my life and realizing that following His direction was the only way to go. Praying for direction and following obediently, I have been led down a path that I am happy to follow and will continue to tread until He inserts a detour. Over the past six years, I’ve grown immensely and have been convicted in ways that I would never have imagined. In a sense, my life has almost taken a 180 degree turn, and I am proud to say that it has been a turn for the greater good and not the contrary.

Having become a full-fledged follower, I have learned to seek God for guidance in making all my decisions, whether it’s something as grand as whether or not to purchase a home or something as mundane as how to respond in a controversial discussion. Recently, DH and I have been doing a lot of planning for the future. We are, after all, almost at the 30 mark, and we have a lot of our life ahead that would be better well thought out than just ignored until absolutely necessary. As we have been studying and contemplating God’s own plan for his children in general, we have been drawing conclusions for how that translates into our lives and attempting to pave our road to eternal peace by ensuring that the vehicles and signs and scenes along the way are in accordance with God’s will and His word.

This can prove to be a difficult endeavor, as the world we live in is filled with those opposed to any way that is not their own, and you can often find yourself having to defend your own beliefs and convictions, sometimes to no avail. The one conclusion I have drawn is that I have to always focus on the “why” I am making a decision and search inside my own heart, which is adequately equipped with humility and obedience, to be satisfied that the conclusion will be rightfully drawn, and I need not worry.

· I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

Finally, I will be brief in closing with this: often times, we are so set in our own mind that we will address or respond to others in a way that, while we may not realize it, will be less than kind. While we may walk away not thinking twice about what we said or how we said it, they will remember, for quite some time, how that made them feel.

As we enjoy our brief walk on this Earth, it is important to remember that we that we are disciples of Christ, and that all we do is to be done for His glory.

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It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the noble life of a disciple of Jesus in actual things. It is always necessary to make an effort to be noble.

-Oswald Chambers, All Nobel Things are Difficult

Living History

I just love old fashioned things, and I like to visit old places. I was really glad to find that one of the local parks, just a couple of miles from our house, has three historical buildings.

On the 4th of July weekend, DH and I volunteered at the Festival for the Eno, which is held at Durham County's West Point on the Eno State Park. We had a great time, it encouraged us to join the Eno River Association, and most exciting, I love that it's completely eco-friendly.

custom made hand-washing station at the festival

Once our volunteer shift was over, we had a chance to walk through the park. This is when we found out that it's not just your average park. There's a lovely old country house with a garden and a matching building that's turned into a photo museum and then there's the old mill.

West Point Mill dates back to 1778, and, although it was closed for a while for some maintenance work, it's still up and running. You can visit and walk through the 2-story building and watch as corn is ground into corn meal or corn grits, and if you want, you can buy some right there inside at a pretty decent price.

West Point Mill

It's so cool to watch the power of water produce the energy needed to run all the operations in side the whole building. The mill has been well restored and, minus the addition of some electrical lighting, it still has the original feel--the wood plank floors and walls, the creaking stairs, the rustic exterior--every part tells a story. I can almost see the pioneers all clad in colonial gear hauling in dry corn and the misses in the kitchen sporting a pinner apron and mixing up a batch of cornbread for supper.

Corn Shucker

Corn Cob Crusher


buy some grits or corn meal

I'm glad we found this piece of living history, and someday soon, I plan to visit during regular hours and tour each of the three buildings with guides to share the stories.

The Brighter Side

When we are faced with bad news or find ourselves in an unfortunate situation, we tend to panic, fear, question, and analyze the impact of the situation. We then begin to assess the impact it will have on our lives and worry about what to do next.

I am not immune to this. This was my immediate reaction when I walked into my little cubicle in the Quadrangle office park on the first day of September, only to be called in to the VPs office for a "talk". Within 10 minutes of being at work, I learned that the east coast office's sales were at such a low and that leads were down to the point that the company has to make cuts. Unfortunately, this meant that I (along with our office manager) was laid off -- effective immediately.

As I packed the Michelob Light box (the only one I could find in the recycling) with my things and prepared for my "walk of shame," I thought about how horrible the timing was (we recently bought a house, the unexpected bill for my doctor's visit that just wiped out my checking account, the huge unemployment rate...) - what would we do without my income? How would we make it?

It really hit hard at first, mostly because it was completely unexpected, and with no warning at all. I was upset and worried, but in the midst of it all, I knew to call on my Father. I prayed a humble prayer to the Lord, asking for arms of comfort, thanking Him for this experience from which I will learn and grow stronger, and confirmed that I trust Him to provide all our needs as He always has.

I have since realized that this is not the end of the world, the bills will get paid, and I wasn't "fired," so I don't at all feel devalued. I know they hated to let me go, and I know my supervisor (who was on vacation at the time and had no idea until she returned after the holiday) is really upset about losing me. I was an asset to the company, and I'm glad to know that I performed at my best.

The next day, I stayed home. It felt a bit weird, but I was excited because I feel that God's calling for me is at home. I know that Titus 2 is not just a suggestion, but a command for my life. That morning, I made 4 jars of strawberry freezer jam from the strawberries we had left over from the housewarming. I enjoyed it, and I felt accomplished.

At first, I was feeling afraid and having a "why me, why now" moment and, like Jonah, I was angry about the situation I was in, but as I prayed, the Lord gave me a covering of relief, just as he provided the gourd to shield Jonah from his grief.

While I am still job-searching, I am enjoying the time at home. I love being able to attend to the things I often miss because I lack the time to get around to it each day. It's such a blessing to have the house sparkling and have a hot dinner ready when my DH gets home from work. I thank the Lord for this opportunity, and I am patiently waiting for His direction on where my next stop along the journey will be.

I am content with the fact that He might not lead me back to the workforce. DH and I had planned for me to work outside the home for the next few years to help pay off debts and build a nest egg before we plan to start a family. While these are/were our plans, the Lord has His own plans and works in His own time.

I am being patient and waiting to see where the Lord leads me so I can obediently follow. In the mean time, I will be fulfilling my calling as a keeper of our home and delighting in this blessing.

Feels Like Home

So, for those of you who have been anxiously waiting for pictures, I am sharing just a few. We had a lovely home blessing ceremony and housewarming on August 29th, and we've been enjoying the feeling of being settled at home ever since.

(you can click to enlarge the pictures)

Here's a partial shot of the living room looking out onto the screened porch.

...and the guest room, which also doubles as my craft room.
You'll actually have to visit for the details.

Here's one view in the master bath,

and here's another.
Notice it's the only non-earthy colored room int he house.
That's because it was designed to be a cozy spa retreat.

And here's a partial view of the King and Queen's quarters.
Very comfy and cozy. Favorite place in the house!

That's all for now. Come on and visit if you want to see more. The seasons are changing, so I'll be decorating for fall in the very near future.

Leaves on the Ground

The cool morning breeze kissed my face as I gazed through the little window across the spans of my back yard.

I woke up a bit earlier this morning, and I could tell there was something different about today. I could smell it in the air, and I could feel it in the breeze. Autumn is just around the corner.

This weekend, I saw the first signs of the season as I analyzed the descension of brightly colored leaves from mighty branches, fueling fall's fury.

I absolutely love post-summer's changing colors, but it's more than just the fall foliage. With the demise of summer's heat and humidity, we gain cool, crisp and fresh breezes.

They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.
-Psalm 1:3

This is a calming time of year, perfect for reflection and renewal. I have a lot on my mind and on my heart during this autumn's commencement. I will use this time to read more, study more, and be particularly prayerful because I know that the Lord has placed me in this situation for a reason--this is yet another season of my life.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven...
-Ecclesiastes 3:1