Time For An Upgrade

It's been more than 20 years since we've done anything major to the place we call home. Oh, we've had bits and pieces redone, but not the whole.

We began our "upgrading" December of 2010, when we decided it was time for new transportation. It had been 10 years and 200,000 miles later for our car and pick-up. At the time we didn't realize we would be purchasing two vehicles...at least not at the same time! But two weeks after driving the new car, our truck decided it was through with us and left Dennis stranded beside the very busy, no shoulder, Highway 10. So now, we...by the grace of God...have a couple of new rides. That was our first upgrade.

Now, a very important long-term event is starting to look possible. Coming into the 21st Century, we are modifying our humble abode...one room at a time. Nothing outrageously expensive. No...not getting crazy with it...just getting with it.

Our motivation? The possibility of having guests in six weeks. I've wanted this for some time, just didn't have the time or motivation to start such a task. But now I am excited! Not overwhelmed, not anxious...just excited. We will be doing most of the work ourselves (no extra money =}) except for the lovely 1970's blue tub in our master bath. See!!! I told you we were outdated!!!

Bought the necessary tools and products to begin on the room that has served first as a study, then a nursery, a school room, and eventually as a bedroom for our youngest, very beautiful, daughter until she grew all up and decided she was done with that small abode. And when her sister decided the same thing about her room, a change in our lives took place and we had to re-group...Dennis & I. Lindsey's room became our study and Meg's room, a guest room. Just in case one of them needed to see Mom & Dad. Later it became a catch all.

So Meg's room gets my attention first. She had this wonderful idea of painting it dark cherry, ceiling and walls! And that's all I'll say about that! Yesterday, I purchased primer, color for the ceiling (it's excited too), color for the walls and woodwork. Prime first, then paint door, closet door, trim, planked wood and cornice Next the ceiling and walls!!! Wahoo!!! Then we will bring in our office desk, computer, file cabinets; hang some sheers, pictures and shelving. Bring in an occasional chair to sit next to my Mom's Drum table and we'll be good to go with the refurbished room.

Then on to what is now our office/study, Lindsey's old room. That will be our new guest room. My thoughts are to create a beach atmosphere. We'll see how that goes...one room at a time. =} Those are the two most important rooms at this moment, but our plans are to go next to our bedroom, then the bath, then the living room, kitchen, and last but not least, Dennis' Man Cave. This will take a while!!! I'm thinking upwards of a year. (Not his room, but the whole)! But at least we'll have taken  away the clutter and renewed our very first house that over the years has become a home with many, many memories! The memories stay, the look goes! =} I can hear the girls cheering as I type. Last trip home, they sat side by side on our couch, eyes roaming around the living room, twinkling with mirth as they giggled and whispered. "How long have you had that grapevine wreath with the gold lame` ribbon, Mom?" Lindsey asked as her eyes danced. That did it. It has to go...

Why am I sharing this with you? It's not that I think you need to know we are finally doing something about the inside of our house, it's for a totally different reason. Hope you've made it this far with my ramblings.=]

As I was showering this morning, the Lord was visiting with me about this new upgrade. And because I am a person that believes everything is significant, our decision to renew our house, was symbolic of Christ's love for us as his children. He doesn't leave us in the same condition for our entire life here on planet earth. From time to time, we need "cleaning up, re-newed with fresh revelation". We just can't live on what was. His Spirit is new and fresh every morning. Great is His faithfulness, the Word tells us. And I have found that to be very true.

Yet, there was something else I heard the Spirit say. "Sometimes it hurts. The renewing process...sometimes it hurts." As I left for work yesterday, I gave Dennis instructions for what I needed him to do for me as his part of this process. (I'm probably the only wife that does that...right?) Because the room is relatively small, I am going to need the shelving that is already in the room, to stay. But first it must be taken down and the trim at the ceiling will have to have a portion of it cut out so the shelves can butt up against the ceiling. It's just gotta be this way so the right side of my computer desk will fit beneath the shelves and they can serve as a ministry CD/DVD shelving unit.

He called me at work. "This isn't going to work, Mary. Your trim will break when I try to get it off the wall. It has too many knot holes," he said. I was busy..."Make it work. You can figure it out...I know you can," said I. And he did!

Just like the process Dennis had to do to save some of the board for later use, and throw some away after being cut and disposed of, God is in the pruning business so that the new, cleaned up with a new look, will serve a different purpose. A needed purpose. A purpose different than it had served before. Not BETTER, necessarily (maybe better)...but DIFFERENT! Sooooo exciting! I love how God interacts with us! Always showing us...well, most of the time...His divine purposes. We don't HAVE to know, just obey, trust Him. He's got us! And He loves us deeply. So deeply, He laid His own life down so we might live! Don't you think we can trust Him? He TOLD us there would be pain and suffering in this world, but we need not worry because this is not all there is! When we've finished our task here, we'll step into a brand new home, that will serve a different purpose. We can take "one room at a time" to see the beauty unfold gradually. We don't have to see immediate results. We won't see immediate results. First there must be the cutting away, letting go of some things that have been held tightly in our grasp, then the refreshing comes.

As the natural (the Lewises humble abode) gets a fresh look, I pray...I know...God is at work in our hearts refreshing, rearranging.

While this is happening you can find me, as always...in Mary's World.

The "Filter"

I had heard it referred to only one other time. And now once again, "filter" enters my hearing world. This time it was from a young person talking about the brassiness of the older generation. "They lose their filter," she said with great compassion.

Some time ago our eldest spoke yet another truth to her mother, (which she usually has no problem doing.)=} Not sure where she got THAT trait from. She said, "Mom, you need to engage the filter between your brain and your mouth." WHAT? I didn't realize there WAS one! And now, all of a sudden at the ripe old age of 60 something, I'm told that it isn't necessary to speak everything I think. We laughed...well...I laughed.

I am continually learning new things! I love it! There's a modern term for "think before you speak." Come on now...be honest. How many of you out there in cyber space knew that? It is quite the mouthful. But it does bring the chuckle to a normal boring day. Even for one that may be losing her "filter." Not sure I ever had much of one to begin with. Maybe it was all clogged up with the necessities of life, much like our vacuum gets after vacuuming up cat hair through-out the house.

Now tell me again why people choose not to have children? Oh my...what a trip it's been. I love my girls so much. All the wonderful experiences they give me, I would not trade for anything I can think of. Sometimes they make me cry, (never on purpose). But mostly they make me laugh. Even as I'm typing this, my face is all stretched out in this huge smile.

All I'll need at the end of my days, are my girls beside me...just being themselves.
(And my Dennis, of course) =} Not that I think that's anywhere close, so don't get all excited everyone! I've still got this "filter" to clean out.

Until that time you will find me... in Mary's World.