Paintin' Faith

Instead of painting the town red when Daddy's gone,

I painted the island red.  Or, at least one of my favorite apple-y shades of red. 

 

It's safe to say that I'm now a fan of computer color matching.  The Lowes lady convinced me. 

 

 

But, see that bright Boysenberry purple?  That's what it looked like in the paint can.  I was cryin' scared!  I'm not lying.  I told myself NOT to cry.  I willed myself NOT to cry.  I gulped and then I just painted, thinking, "How can I have faith when I don't even know the Lowes lady?  Is she trustworthy?  Will she get me through this???  Was she just trying to sell me something?"  There's a faith lesson here.  The reason faith gets you through is because you know the God in which you trust.  He's proven Himself trustworthy to me time and again.  Hence, I can believe.  I can step out in faith.  His trustworthiness produces peace when I venture past into the unknown. 

 

 

Check out the stool on the far right (above photo).  That's the apple she used to match the color.  Now I know the Lowe's lady is trustworthy.

 

 

We'll be invincible together!

 

And yes, Daddy approved of the island-painting project because:

 

A: He knows I like color.

B: It only cost $16.00.

C: I did a good job.

D: No one was hurt.

E: I cleaned up after myself AND put all the tools and brushes back where I found them. (My parents made SURE I knew how to properly clean out paint brushes. #reallifeskills)

 

Here's what else I've tackled when Daddy's gone.

 

Let's Get Real

Y'all know I value authenticity.  There's a lot of things I can't be, but I can be real. 

I chuckled walking through the school room the other day.  This is real life here:

 

They're required to tidy up their desks before we start schoolwork, when we complete schoolwork for the day and usually before bedtime too.  (The egg cartons are not random; they are actually rock collections from our State Park Geology Rocks session.)

 

You'd think for how "torturous" (insert overt sarcasm here) schoolwork is that they'd desert the place the moment they close their last book and correct their last mistake.  Certainly that is often the case, usually in favor of the Great Outdoors, playing with the animals, swinging on the swings or "jumping" Rory in his agility courses.  (That's the latest rage around here.)  Ironically, these desks look the way they do because the Blossoms migrate right back to the schoolroom multiple times in the afternoon and evening, to craft, to read, to write or to create.  (That makes me happy most days.  Excessive paper scraps on the floor tend to stretch me, though I did manage to chuckle and snap these pics after sighting the state of the desks.)

 

 

There you go.  That's frequently the real state of our school room.

 

And, while we're talking about "real," let's follow the segue right over to Joshua 24:14. 

 

"Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth..."

 

I was mulling over praying for my children's walk with God.  I must confess, I don't just want my children to be upstanding citizens.  I don't just want morally upright adults.  I earnestly desire for them to walk with God ~ to mold their lives around His desires.  To decide, to choose, to walk, to live, because it's what HE wants. 

 

"To serve Him in sincerity..."

 

So many Christian kids mold to their upbringing and they simply grow in hypocrisy as they near adulthood.  Not only are they fake, but they parade around with a conscience that is bone cold to God, wrongly thinking they've got everyone fooled.  But God isn't. 

 

Sincerity.

 

My desire is for more.  For a life of sincere service to the Master. 

 

Real.  Genuine.  Authentic.  Whip out every synonym you can think of.  Let's pray for our children to not only fear the Lord, but to serve Him in sincerity and in truth.

 

 

I Listened

Dear friends,

You said you wanted something simpler and not so overwhelming to color.  Here ya go!  I thought of you the entire time I doodled.  Lately, I've been enjoying doodling at the library while Blossom1, Blossom2 and their pals (The Kid Poet Society) seize the poetry world.  While awaiting the Blossoms, the mama fellowship table has proven to be a true gem in my week.

 

Check it out here on my Etsy shop.  Enjoy!

 

Slainte,

Dominique

PS - A new friend of mine signed her email with "Slainte" and I love it!  As near as I can tell, it's the Irish Gaelic equivalent of "Cheers" or "Good health to you." 



Have We Forgotten?

I feel like we've only barely tasted winter this year.  Thus, I'm reluctant to believe that spring is truly on the way (although you saw my spring preparations the other day).  For the health and happiness of our family, as well as my own contentment, it has been a sound decision to embrace the seasons ~ to smile at the days ahead. 

Something as simple as getting out for an afternoon in your own woods, having the Blossoms cook up a lunch over the fire and relaxing together, as a family, in the outdoors, is truly time to be relished.

Stop.

 

Breathe.

 

Listen.

Smile.

Mamas, have we forgotten to smile? 

Look up from your to-do list.  Glance away from your discouragement for a moment.  Choose to smile at the silly antics around you.  Let it filter through the cracks in your drill sergeant front.  Decide to let joy fill your heart over something little.  Opt to take a deep breath and smile at the days ahead.

The Promise of Spring