Thursday, April 26, 2012

Pinning and Pining

I’m dreaming of…

Storing School Supplies.

image via pinterest

an organized classroom;

buy old painting.  Put letter stickers on it.  Paint over the whole thing.  Peel off stickers.

image

of a cool porch project;

Cheesecake in a jar.

image

of cheesecake in a jar, for obvious reasons;

Red, Yellow, Mason Jars, Vintage Decor

image

of summer vacation;

oats, greek yogurt-58 calories per muffin...FIFTY EIGHT!

image

Of these muffins, which have 58 calories each;

Coconut Cream Pie Bars

image

of these, which probably have 7,543 calories each;

Tea-stained index cards with favorite verses written on them ; attached to wall with sticky tack

image

of the Word written on my walls;

i need to put this in my office, in my room, on my phone, in my car, everywhere!

image

of the Word written on my heart.

Be blessed today,

Ginger

Monday, April 23, 2012

Let’s Pretend (subtitled The Door Before)

Let’s pretend, shall we?

Let’s pretend I didn’t begin this project, oh, say, three weeks ago.

Then we can pretend that it hasn’t rained almost every weekend since then.

While we’re at it, we can imagine that all the sunny days hadn’t featured the first normal (i.e. chilly) temperatures of the whole ding-dang winter/early spring.

No, we’re just going to pick up this post as though completion is imminent any day now.

One of my spring break goals was a back door beautification.

DSC_1849

Isn’t it sad?

I would show you our double-ugly clay “wall” that faces the door, but that’s even sadder.

We were planning a lovely-yet-oh-so-traditional red door until I spotted this beauty.

image

(via Southern Living; can’t get it un-blurry)

Um…our house is gray, so the turquoise door might not work, but the yellow boots got me thinking.

(Insert many hours wandering around Lowe’s here.)

Here’s the door paint test. (All paints are Valspar.)

door

DD#1  voted for blue.

DD#2 voted for cowslip.

Big Red voted for (you know where this is going, don’t you?) dahlia.

Mom’s tie-breaker…

None of the above.

Well, sort of.

You’ll see when I (ever) finish.

I did stain the steps.

Epic fail.

DSC_1855

Too blue.

Boo.

(You can’t see it so much in the picture, but this was “Back to the Future”, all-I-need-now-is-a-ceramic-goose, circa 1980’s blue. 

Double boo.)

Big Red kindly stripped the stain off, and the nice Lowe’s man helped me chose again, so I hold out hope for the second attempt.

Yet untried.

Because the weather won’t cooperate.

*sigh*

What’s on your undone project list?

Be blessed,

Ginger

Friday, April 20, 2012

Friday Happy Dance

Join me, won’t you?

image

(image here)

State testing is OVER!

Four more Mondays in this school year—(which, frankly, hasn’t been one of the top-rated of all time.)

These jeans (horrible picture, I know)

DSC_1916

are a whole size smaller than the ones I was wearing last year at this time.

So, I’m playing this song to move me past my grumpiness this week and toward an attitude of praise.

Happy Friday!

Be blessed,

Ginger

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

This is Just to Say

…that I have posts planned and ready in the recesses of my brain.

… that standardized testing week inhibits brain activity in middle-aged women,

.. that ,based on my after-test classes, it’s not helping things in the teenage noggin either,

.. that I am praying for a supernatural, only-God love for said teenagers over the next few weeks—because right now we’re a tad frustrated with one another;

..and that I appreciate your blog patience!

Be blessed,

Ginger

Monday, April 16, 2012

On Monday: A List

Listening to: White Flag, the newest Passion CD

Munching: Homemade hummus and pita chips

Painting in my head: Silvery spring rain, gray skies, tiny green leaves

Surfing for: Mattress reviews; 18 years + bad back = overdue investment

Reading: Ezekiel; discouraging/humbling all at the same time

Fretting over: high-stakes testing this week

Wondering: why teachers are worried about tests, but kids aren’t!

Helping: DD#1 study AP History

Realizing: History repeats itself.

Be blessed today,

Ginger

 

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

When Easter Hasn’t Come Yet: A Repost with a Continuing Story

**I am reposting this because I need to tell you today that, if you are in the place I was last Easter, the lonely waiting, the place of faith-not-sight, Jesus is TRUSTWORTHY. He will NOT leave work undone. I can’t tell you the whole story—partly because it isn’t finished yet—but I can say He has brought us down a long road in a year, and it was worth believing Him for it.  I am praying you will, too.**

Yesterday, we had a beautiful day:

glorious warm temperatures, blooming snapdragons,

and (my favorite) tiny, green flower-promises on the hydrangea.DSC_0614

 

At church, we heard the Word in song,

felt and watched the Holy Spirit move,

rejoiced in the Hope of Easter-- Christ, our Risen Redeemer.

A beautiful day.

A difficult day.

Though Easter dawned, the concerns that have shaped my prayers for months didn’t vanish like the grey clouds. 

If anything, they seemed magnified when juxtaposed with joy.

It occurred to me this weekend that Saturday was the worst day for the disciples.

The trauma was over,

but they were no doubt shell-shocked, numb with fear and grief. 

They didn’t know the end of the story. 

I tend to minimize their suffering because I know the end of the story.

I don’t think God minimized it.

The God Who orchestrated all for His perfect will

saw their pain, their disappointment, their unbelief.

He loved them, silently.

And He loved them, loudly,

because He was finishing the work that would bring Sunday.

Maybe you are like me, and you are still waiting on your “Easter”, the hope reborn, the promise fulfilled.

DSC_0715

Will you join me in believing Him for it?

Some days we believe tenuously, others tenaciously, but always—I pray-- faithfully.

Please, Lord, let me be found faithful in the waiting.

Easter’s coming.

Be blessed,

Ginger

Friday, April 6, 2012

Easter Table

Most of Blogland had their Easter tables on display last week. 

I’m convinced that I am not the only procrastinator in the bunch (please tell me I’m not!), so here is my quick, easy, and lovely Easter table.

DSC_1872

White china = versatility in a box.

The green chargers are from Michael’s. 

White petunias in white pots

DSC_1876

Thrifted white cloth napkins get dressed in twine bows and stamped tags.

Each tag has gift from Jesus stamped on it.

All because of Easter, I am:

DSC_1866

DSC_1870

DSC_1867

DSC_1869

and

DSC_1868

Let’s add one more: grateful.

Be blessed,

Ginger

 

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Easter Mantel

With all the drama that has characterized our lives the last few months, this mantel falls into the “better late than never” category.

I love the simplicity of it.

DSC_1857

DSC_1858DSC_1864

It’s spring break! (Cue the applause.)

In addition to Easter preparations, I’ve got a few other projects in the works.  Stay tuned.

Be blessed,

Ginger

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Mighty, Awesome, Wonderful

I heard this song again Sunday.

Behind the words was a graphic of blood drops.

As they fell and spread across the background, a name appeared in each one.

The name of one redeemed, blood-bought, forgiven.

He died for you.

What can take a dying man and raise him up to life again?
What can heal a wounded soul?
What can make us white as snow?
What can fill the emptiness?
What can mend our brokenness?
Brokenness


Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross


What restores our faith in God?
What reveals the Father's love?
What can lead the wayward home?
What can melt a heart of stone?
What can free the guilty ones
What can save and overcome?

Overcome
It's a miracle to me

And It's still a mystery

It's a miracle to me
The power of God
For those who believe


Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is .......
Mighty is.......
Mighty is the power of the cross
Thank You for the cross

Love the cross

What can take a dying man?
And raise him up to life again?
Worship You Jesus
By your wounds we are healed
By your wounds we are saved
Mighty is the power of the cross

Thank You Jesus for the Holy cross