What a difference a day makes!

View from my kitchen window this morning!

Tarps are gone and the sun is shining! It's a brand new day!

The tresses arrived!

Clyde was happy to deliver!

The view from my front porch!

The troops arrived from Charlotte. Thanks Lester, Stephen, Dale, Rollo, Rob and Marcus!

...and Nashville. Thanks Josh!

The crane operator was catching a nap...gotcha!!!

What a glorious sight!

The view from my kitchen window this evening!

My little neighbor, 12, was out ALL day, sitting here...watching what God was doing, through the action of the saints. Our postman, Mike, stopped by. His comment, "There is still some good in this world."

Yes Mike, there is.

We are grateful!

As I See Things...

The current view from my kitchen window.

The beautiful rain drops hang delicately from the tarp, giving it the appearance of beads hanging from fabric.

It makes me think of India.

I am reminded of the rich, brilliant colors of saris, decorated with beads and sequins...the beautiful people that wear the colorful clothing.

We've talked a lot about our home addition, and of "lessons learned". We have been so excited about Jackson having a place. We are just as excited to see the "family room" come together.

You see, it is from this room that we will be able to train and release young people, with a heart for the Lord, into All the World. It is a place where we will gather and laugh, pray, share stories, worship, play games and grow in relationship with the Lord and with one another. It is a place where we will learn and grow in the ways of God.

As I see things, we are not just building for the sake of building. As I see things, we are building the kingdom of God. We are building bridges that allow young people to walk fully into their destiny's. We are building bridges that lead to the nations.

As I see things, I realize that I am only getting a glimpse of all that God is wanting to do...here and around the world.

As I see things, I want God to help me to see things BIGGER...through His perspective.

As I see things, I want to see how He sees.

Important Things to Know

I love learning. Not just for the sake of gathering information, but to be able to do things. I also think it keeps a person young!

Well, I have learned a few things along this current leg of the journey. I think they are very important. You may find them invaluable as well. Here they are...

1. If you are working on a ladder and it starts to fall, you should "ride it" as far as you can. As it gets closer to the ground, you can just jump, or step off, to the ground. A fall from 2 feet is much less dangerous than a fall from 20. Good to know...impressive to watch.

2. If you get shot with a nail gun, or step on a nail, (I choose the later) it is best to leave it in place and have it surgically removed. You see, when that nail entered your body it brought with it a host of friends...germs, debris, etc. Also, as it is lodged in your body, it is stopping the blood from gushing out. It is better to let a surgical team remove the foreign object and all that it entails. Leave it to the professionals. (This has not actually happened on our site...just one of the stories that comes up).

3. It is much easier to set up tarps on an open roof to keep things dry, on a clear, bright day. It presents a challenge at 11:50 pm, in the midst of torrential rains. We actually thought we were covered until said rains come through light fixtures, ceilings and door frames. (I wonder what inspired the inventor of "Dry Vac/ Wet Vac"?)

4. You should not be too concerned when 11 year old daughter breaks out into show tunes while sweeping water off decking...until in turns to "It's a Hard Knock Life" from Annie. I'm thinking it's not necessarily the work she had to do, but rather the fact that she had a broom in her hand...choreography was just too tempting!

There is much more to come. A little practicality, with a dash of levity, goes along way.

an old married couple

Their room has twin beds...just like Ricky and Lucy.

At night, we can hear the "lady" shout to the man, "Roll over! You're snoring!"

He is disgruntle about the lights being on...so she can read, of course. Just like a good husband, he rolls over, pulling the blankets over his head.

She has to have her music playing through the night. I think he can sleep through anything.

No. I am not describing the couple across the street. I'm describing the couple in the next room! They are not married, but they are related. They are my children!

Space is getting tight around here. (I could say "tighter" because things were pretty tight prior to the renovations). Before we can raise the roof, we need to empty the attic. The only place for those "treasures" would be Jackson's room.

Once we made that "placement decision", we moved Jack into the same room as Ashley.

"And how's that working out?!" was my friend Leslie's response. (She knows there will be stories with this decision...oh, the stories.)

Todd will say, "This is the best thing that could have happened to Ashley during this process." I guess I would agree. I'm not sure she would...at this point anyway.

How many times, when I am being squeezed, do I exclaim, "Wow! This is just the best thing!"

Rather, I cry a little bit, sometimes sulk and even question the purposes/wisdom of such a decision.

"Lord, I know you are Creator of the universe. King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE YOU THINKING!!!?"

"Lord, are you sure you love me."

"Excuse me, Lord? Uh, I don't want to be pushy or anything, but I think you may have forgotten about me."

"Why me!??!"

And to all this, I think the Lord smiles to Himself. He is not distant from the process, but instead is in the throws of it. He continues to love me. He offers grace. He is patient and kind.

And, His truth rings out.

*His ways are higher than mine.

*He is in control.

*He knows what is best for me, HIS creation (not the other way around!)

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

-Romans 8:28

In this passage, the "works for good" has been translated to mean "making us more like Christ." Whew. That is big stuff. These different "processes" that I am going through, hopefully, are making me more like Christ.

Lord, help me to submit to the process, allowing you to chisel/shape/form me to be more like you.

Getting back to the "old married couple" in the next room...

Mike Huckabee was recently quoted with this, "Marriage is not about making you happy, it is about making you holy!"

When Ashley was small, she told me that when she and Jackson got married (to each other) that they wanted to sleep in the living room so that they could have a television in their room too.

I think she has changed her mind!