A Peek at What's New

 Earlier this year, I wrote about my husband taking in part of the back porch to make a better back entry and new bathroom. He has finished the addition and just finished putting in the new floor in the kitchen and dining area. Here are a few before and after pictures:

Back of the house before:

During construction:

Bathroom during construction:

New bath:

Dining Room Before:

Dining Room and addition after: (The bath is just around the corner from the dining room in the new addition.)

The new floor is in the kitchen too, but the kitchen is still a mess so I'll post those pictures after I get things cleaned up and put back in place. The tile is wood look porcelain tile.

He has done every bit of this work himself and I could not be prouder of him! He will tile the living room and hallway next and later on he will do the laundry room (through the white door next to the fridge in the above picture) and the hall bathroom. Then we will repaint the inside of the house the same color as the addition and bath. Not in a hurry to do anything but finish the living room and hall floors right now!

Trusting Him More

A beautiful cool, rainy morning! It's been a long summer with the unusual heat and drought, and it's been easy for me to be impatient and even feel a little hopeless-as if it was never going to end. I'm so glad God keeps his promises. Sometimes, I decide how I think that ought to look, and my faith wavers when it's different from my expectations. I need to remember that God is working in everything and His timing is always perfect.

September!!

 

Boy, did it feel good to turn the page on the calendar to September!! It's still hot, and probably will be for a few more weeks, but things just feel more hopeful once August is over. Not quite ready for pumpkin spice, but glad to get to the start of my favorite time of the year. Now to get ready to enjoy the Labor Day weekend with kids and grandkids!

Good-bye August!

 

(...and don't let the door hit ya on the way out!)

August So Far

Well, August is already half over and I'm ready for the rest of it to be gone. I guess I shouldn't wish my life away, but I'm not really a summer person and this is the hottest summer I've seen in a long, long, time! We have had a welcome respite the last few days with temperatures in the mid 90's (which is our normal for summer here) but tomorrow it will be 110 and Friday will be 111 with triple digits forecast through the 25th. Even though I don't get outside much when it's that hot, the day after day of this crazy heat seems oppressive anyway. I was reading the other day that there's also a Seasonal Affective Disorder related to summers like this one and I believe it. Roll on Fall!!

Our grands are starting back to school this week. The panhandle grands started Monday and our local grands start today and tomorrow. Our granddaughters will both be in the same High School this year-one freshman and one senior. It just doesn't seem possible! Our local grandson will be starting a private school tomorrow and we are all very excited about it. He has high functioning Austism, including Aspergers, Tourettes and ADHD.  His parents just couldn't see letting him go on to a public Middle School. Our public school system just can't easily accommodate kids who learn differently and interact differently. They have neither the funds, time nor the resources to really help these kids and it is a blessing for him to be able to go to a place where he can shine. He is so bright and friendly, but his self-confidence really took a beating with bullying last year that was never properly addressed and teachers who just didn't have the time or means to give him the attention he needed. 

Anyway, didn't mean for this post to be a downer-I know that God is good in all of this and He is always working. As when we sing in the song "Waymaker" sometimes on Sundays "Even when I don't see it, you're workin', even when I don't feel it, you're workin'. You never stop, You never stop workin'." 

Who Do You Want?

 “Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"..."Safe?" said Mr Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

So who do you want by your side in the ever growing darkness of this world? Someone safe, or someone good? I know who I want. I don't want safe. I want someone supremely and perfectly good. I want someone who would and did die to keep me safe. I want the Lion of Judah. I want The King. I want my Jesus.

Already August!