House Tour 2011

Welcome to my home!

(At least my home before we bought it. These are the pictures from the listing.)

Here's the view from the street of our humble abode. All 1257 square feet...what I think many people would classify as a "small home". To be honest, I do think it's a bit on the small side as well, but I am determined that we can live big in a small space. 

Our dark, but spacious kitchen. 

Our eat-in kitchen. 

No, we don't have a "formal" dining area. Heck, we barely have an eat-in kitchen, but we're making it work.

The living room. 

(As you can see it is all an open floor plan.)

Guest bedroom.

2nd bedroom.

 

Master bedroom.

Backyard. 

The patio.

My home no longer looks like this. Certain areas have undergone big changes. Others have not. My point with sharing this with you, is that it is amazing how quickly things change. Isn't life like that too? We are works in progress. He is not finished with us yet, and yes, we may still have some ugly light fixtures in our house, but HE IS NOT FINISHED WITH US YET.

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." - Philippians 1:6 

Please join me as I chronicle my journey of trying to live a life built on the rock.

I'm Baccck

Holy moley! My last blog post was November 28, 2013. Talk about a hiatus!

Let's discuss the things that have happened since then.

......

Life.

A very random (or not so random) string of events that have been keeping me busy, tired, loved, and blessed.

Anyways, it's good to be back.

And that's all I have for now. I do have some big and beautiful plans (that may or may not be that big and beautiful) for what I'll be doing here; give me a little time and I'll flesh it all out.

xoxox

Lillian 

Fulfilling Your Purpose

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine passed away. I'm not sure exactly when she died in the middle of the night, or if she passed in the morning, but I know that just a few hours previously she had been posting on Facebook about finishing her homework and all of her plans for the future.

And then Death came, and took her. Just like that.

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That's how it happens. "No one knows the hour" doesn't just apply to the coming of the LORD, but also to our death. For some reason, it really struck a cord with me. Maybe it's because after our babies were born we meant to get together sometime, but it never happened. Maybe it's because she was one of our first friends to come over to our house and just hang out after the Mr. and I were married. Or maybe it's because she visited us in the hospital and was the first non family member to hold Daniel. There were intimate moments that we shared with one another, and so maybe that's why I'm still in shock.

And recently, another two young girls were killed by a falling tree on a road not too far from our house. A road we drive almost every day. And when I called my husband later, he fortunately was still at home and had slept late so he was behind schedule on dropping our kids off at my moms. Talk about a blessing, and a humbling thought to think that that could have been my family.

I was thinking about this earlier, and excuse me if I'm rambling, but I'm a firm believer that God calls us home when we've fulfilled our purpose. I was thinking, what purpose did Kriston fulfill all of a sudden? What did the Potter have planned for her? And are we so busy looking at the nitty gritty stuff that we're missing the big picture?

I write this not to be discouraging, or a put down, but to fill you in on my musings. I feel like if we were to actually soak in the fact that today is our last chance, we would live our lives drastically different. The grudges we hold, would become unimportant. The tightness in our hearts would loosen, judgments fade away, impatience turns into joy for life, distractions disappear. The focus would solely be loving our loved ones, and blessing those around us.

Let's focus on that and this verse about the importance of loving:

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." ~1 Corinthians 13:1-3

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And one more parting verse:

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other." ~ John 15:9-17

Carpe diem or, more simply said, choose to love!

Distractions

Things have been busy around here as per usual, with us settling into a routine with my job, preparing for holidays, dealing with colds, budget meetings, and planning, planning, planning. And that brings me to something that I have to regrettably admit- I have fallen away from my daily mediation on the Word. Guess what, I can tell. I can feel it in every bone of my being that I am not getting enough nutrition... I am starving and thirsting for His Words. Ever happen to you?

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A day or maybe two goes by and it doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but then those days turn into a week, and then two... and it becomes oh-so-much-more noticeable the malnourishment of our souls. The good news, is that I am in fact aware of the very cause for my heart feeling distance. Sadly, it's my own fault.

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."  James 4:8

There have been a few things going on at work that have me feeling upset, and hurt, and aggravated. All this time, I have been turning it over and over and my head, my little Rubik cube that I need to fix.  I do this often, trying to figure out this puzzle placed in front of me because I like black and white and matching colors a lot more than admitting that humans are muddy creatures and there may not always be a clear cut quick fix. But I gave up. I put it at the cross and turned to Jesus. I searched for ways to show grace and love to those who are rude and snide, and tried to open my own heart up for his love.

Miracously, Not surprisingly, the next time I went to work those certain someones were kinder to me. And I let this truth settle into my bones: when I surrender to Him, I don't lose anything... in fact, I gain everything.

"For whoever would save their life will lose it, but whoever loses it for my sake will find it."  Matthew 6:25

 

So here I am, being honest. Opening my heart, and allowing God to work within me, shining light into the dark corners of my heart. I am trusting that He made me and knows me, and knows exactly what I need. That if I trust in Him, and follow Him and focus on Him, every thing else with fall into place.

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~

 

"If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. "  1 Peter 4:11

God Calling...Is Anyone There?

Things have been busy around here lately. It seems like at the beginning of the month, our calendar is nearly empty, and by the end looking back there is barely a blank day! The great news about a full calendar is that I have been on the receiving end of a good helping of encouragement which I obviously needed. I guess I have just been in need of some good friends, good conversation, and prayer.

I'm getting ready to start my first day of work at a new store. I had been offered a position at Pier 1 Imports (a store that I love to death, and it's something I'm extremely comfortable with... hello, decorating addiction?!), and then a few days after starting work there I was offered another position at Winn Dixie. A store that is close to my heart seeing as that is where my husband got his first job in Georgia, and has been a great place for our family to grow and thrive under, although lets not digress- God is our true source of life.

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"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing." John 15:5 

 

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I didn't respond to Winn Dixie for a few days because this was a tough decision. I had to think about which job I wanted more (Pier 1), which was more fun (Pier 1), better hours (either one), who had better pay (Winn Dixie), and if I wanted to try to swing two jobs or go all or nothing. I prayed hard about it. And God answered me... Winn Dixie is where I was supposed to go because ultimately my first job is to be a wife and mother. So I made the decision as scary as it is, and quit Pier 1 and called up Winn Dixie.

I received some great news when I did. They didn't want to hire me as a cashier; they wanted to hire me as a service associate (an office girl) which means more responsibility and better pay. I have to admit- I'm scared. This is a golden opportunity to make my hard work count for something. This is an area where I can excel or I can fall flat on my face and get fired. This is definitely out of my comfort zone. But God said to do it. So I am counting on His infinite knowledge, and his wisdom, and grace that this is where I am meant to be and I have not heard wrong.

I need to succeed in this, and I am nervous. I don't know how I am going to do it. And then, I hear this:

"The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14

"Moses said to the LORD, 'Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.'
The LORD said to him, 'Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go, I will help you speak and teach you what to say.'" Exodus 4:11

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

"Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'" Matthew 22:37

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LORD, help me to follow your calling and diligent about following your call. I know that you have good things planned for me, I need only to trust you. I will be praying for each and every one of my readers this prayer, and I hope you that you hear His call for your life whether it's through affirmation of what you're currently doing or if it's a urge to move outside that comfort zone!

Ring, ring... :)