We've been meaning to stain the deck since, ah, gee, August of 2004 - when we moved in. It's funny what seems to be so urgent at the time, and then life just goes on, and the urgency with it. So, we're finally going to stain it. Now I say IT. But actually there are 2 decks, one small one off our bedroom on the third floor, and the other BIG deck that goes around 3 sides of the house. Doesn't it sound like fun?
Louie pressure washed the house and deck, replaced some bad wood, and now he's sanding down the railings so they will be nice and smooth. Tomorrow morning (early-yuck) we will do the actual staining. I'll post some pictures once we are finished.
When you see the pictures, you will wonder - wow - why didn't they paint the house like they said they were going to? That crazy blue-green color has got to go. Hmmmm. Just another one of those urgent things that got less urgent. The paint is not the best color, but it's still in good condition. So, we'll continue to live with it for now. Funny what you can learn to live with or live without. Like those frenchdoors for my bedroom deck......
Friday, April 20, 2007
Saturday, April 14, 2007
The groundhog lied...
Well, looks like the groundhog lied, since winter has revisited us here. We had snow the night before Easter, and may have somemore in a couple of days. Windows have been closed, and the heat turned back on. Off go the sandals and on go the socks and clogs. Pooh. And all this while Mike, Peggy, Jen and Austin are having fun cruising.
The one thing I am very glad about, is that we DID NOT get our garden planted. Good thing, as we would have worked for naught. After several nights in the low 20's, all the beautiful flowers on the trees are gone, and the sweet, green leaves have withered. I look around my yard, and pray that the willows and other trees and shrubs will regrow their leaves. The apple farmers in Hendersonville have lost most of their crops. Such a shame.
So, about that global warming.......
It could be true, although my thoughts are that it may just be cyclical weather. With all the technology that we now have, it's easy for us to see the polar ice caps melting, and a lot of other things that could not be seen 100 years ago. Who knows if what we are going through now, is just a repeat of something that happened several hundred years ago. We've had weird weather. Look back in history and you will find many strange things caused by or due to "un" natural weather patterns. Even this year is not unique..it snowed on a camping trip we took on April 22, 2005. The only thing different this year, is that we had unseasonably warm weather BEFORE the late freeze. So we have super warm weather and super cold weather. Is is really so strange?
Well, I don't worry about it too much. Someday we will have a new earth, and until then, I'll just stand amazed at what happens in nature and weather. All the earth will sing His praises.
The one thing I am very glad about, is that we DID NOT get our garden planted. Good thing, as we would have worked for naught. After several nights in the low 20's, all the beautiful flowers on the trees are gone, and the sweet, green leaves have withered. I look around my yard, and pray that the willows and other trees and shrubs will regrow their leaves. The apple farmers in Hendersonville have lost most of their crops. Such a shame.
So, about that global warming.......
It could be true, although my thoughts are that it may just be cyclical weather. With all the technology that we now have, it's easy for us to see the polar ice caps melting, and a lot of other things that could not be seen 100 years ago. Who knows if what we are going through now, is just a repeat of something that happened several hundred years ago. We've had weird weather. Look back in history and you will find many strange things caused by or due to "un" natural weather patterns. Even this year is not unique..it snowed on a camping trip we took on April 22, 2005. The only thing different this year, is that we had unseasonably warm weather BEFORE the late freeze. So we have super warm weather and super cold weather. Is is really so strange?
Well, I don't worry about it too much. Someday we will have a new earth, and until then, I'll just stand amazed at what happens in nature and weather. All the earth will sing His praises.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Church and Community
Churches of today certainly come in all sizes, from the very small home church to the mega church with thousands of members. The church that we now attend has about 250 members, not small, but large enough to not know everyone. The church we were part of for 17 years was larger, but we had many friends that we developed over the years, through choir, home fellowships and the like. In all of that, we had a few friends who were our dearest, our truest, our closest. So, even after we moved, our former church really felt like home - and continued to feel that way for several years, until our closest friends also left for various reasons. Now, there is no "draw" for us there, even though the preaching and music hasn't really changed much, our hearts don't connect like they did before.
Meanwhile, at our current church, we have made some friends, through being involved in music, the tech team, and Bible studies. But we don't feel that connection that we had before. Folks are nice, and we feel loved, but not really known. I guess that's what community is. Being loved and being known.
Community is when friends become family. It is the true church. It involves risking yourself, by being open and honest about the good, bad and the ugly. It means loving someone when they are wonderful and all is well, and loving them when they are in a tragic place. It means being willing to share, and being willing to listen. To encourage and lift up, and to hold accountable. To have fun together, and to cry together. To pray for and with each other. To be available to others, not to be Jesus for them, but to point them to Jesus. To eat together, and drink coffee together, to talk about all the meaningful and meaningless aspects of our daily lives, and to be there for each other, regardless of the circumstances.
I have a community like that. It's really stretched out right now, by miles and house sales, but it is there. I am blessed to have people in my life who love me inspite of who I am in me, and because of who I am in Christ. And I am blessed to be able to love them in return.
My dream is that this community will come together logistically closer, and closer in spirit and heart. The early church is our example, meeting together daily, for worship, prayer, songs and hymns and spiritual songs, fellowship and food. And when they did so, they grew, and they changed the world. I want to change the world that I am a part of, and I know that I can't do it on my own. But with the Lord, and my community, no telling what can happen.
So, right now, I will continue to be an active part of my stretched out community. Praying fervently, bringing encouragement, feeding my friends both spiritually and physically! Being family...being the church.
Meanwhile, at our current church, we have made some friends, through being involved in music, the tech team, and Bible studies. But we don't feel that connection that we had before. Folks are nice, and we feel loved, but not really known. I guess that's what community is. Being loved and being known.
Community is when friends become family. It is the true church. It involves risking yourself, by being open and honest about the good, bad and the ugly. It means loving someone when they are wonderful and all is well, and loving them when they are in a tragic place. It means being willing to share, and being willing to listen. To encourage and lift up, and to hold accountable. To have fun together, and to cry together. To pray for and with each other. To be available to others, not to be Jesus for them, but to point them to Jesus. To eat together, and drink coffee together, to talk about all the meaningful and meaningless aspects of our daily lives, and to be there for each other, regardless of the circumstances.
I have a community like that. It's really stretched out right now, by miles and house sales, but it is there. I am blessed to have people in my life who love me inspite of who I am in me, and because of who I am in Christ. And I am blessed to be able to love them in return.
My dream is that this community will come together logistically closer, and closer in spirit and heart. The early church is our example, meeting together daily, for worship, prayer, songs and hymns and spiritual songs, fellowship and food. And when they did so, they grew, and they changed the world. I want to change the world that I am a part of, and I know that I can't do it on my own. But with the Lord, and my community, no telling what can happen.
So, right now, I will continue to be an active part of my stretched out community. Praying fervently, bringing encouragement, feeding my friends both spiritually and physically! Being family...being the church.
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