I'm getting a little Caulk-y!

Yes, there's something missing here.  Caulk.  I spent all day working on re-caulking our bathroom.  I thought it would be a simple thing, as I had caulked doors and windows before with relative ease.  One thing I had neglected to consider was the preparation before the application.

You might have thought, as I did, that a simple razor blade device would easily lift off the old caulk and enable you to simple peel it away.  If that is what you thought, as I did, you would be mistaken, as I was.  I have a razor scraper thing that wore my thumb down to mix of pain and numbness.  I used this until I discovered our utility knife where it had no business being: stuffed between my wireless router and DSL "box."  Regardless, I was ecstatic to relieve my thumb as I scraped and cut away the old caulk.  I'd like to give more details, but as I doubt your interest would go any longer, suffice it to say, it took a LONG time.  My husband will love all those commas!  

I then reasoned I was ready, until I looked closer at the tile and tub.  No, I needed to clean this up.  Carefully.  I realized I had some cleaner from the late '90's that, much as I tried, was not even going to come out of the bottle and thus it was trashed.  I tried the Bar Keeper's Friend cleaner hoping the abrasive would help.  It didn't do much.  I was forced to pull out that razor thing that killed my thumb and scrape away the remaining slivers of caulk.  Then I pulled out my hair dryer from the closet (no I don't dry my hair - dryers are terrible for your hair!) and proceeded to make sure the surfaces and inside the cracks were dry.  THEN, I pulled out the vacuum.  I had to suck out all those tiny bits of caulk that I had cut loose only to jam into the cracks beyond where I could poke with the utility knife.  Preparation before the application.  All of this is important, as you know what a job looks like if you don't do the proper prep; terrible and it usually doesn't last long.

Writing this seems like it shouldn't have taken all day, but it seems I am easily distracted and did take moments to walk my dogs, run to the store for good caulk, eat, check my email; stuff like that.  

Finally I had prepared for the filling of the gaps!  And there were some gaps!

As I was prepping most of the day, it dawned on me that God works with us in a very like manner.  We are so excited to be a part of a great work that will look so wonderful, or even a simple thing, but before we begin, He has a lot of prep work to do on us.  We often have to release our hold on the surfaces that cover our flaws and open ourselves to being cleaned out by the Spirit.  It can be amazing and a bit scary to see what we've hidden and allowed to grow under the surface.  Only when it's open and laid bare can God cleanse us and then fill us with His purpose.  What may seem like a simple step of faith may require some serious prep work before He even allows us the opportunity.  Some preparations before the applications can take more time than others.

I'm reminding myself of this as we wait for our house to sell.

Of course, now with that bright white caulk, it looks like I need to keep working on that grout!  

Seriously.  Tile must have been invented by people who have others to clean it for them.  Or they didn't have hard water!

Prep for Showings

I've been painting A LOT!  I totally repainted the upstairs (tv room) and bathroom and worked to clean out and eliminate clutter in order to streamline the rooms.  I've spent much energy preparing our home and trying to keep it ready for a last-minute showing.  To my dismay, the floors are incapable of staying clean.  Somehow the kitchen and bathroom continually need work.  Why can't we just live in the garage for a while?!

The thought occurred to me: How much to I prepare my heart (as Christ's home) for His coming?

I rarely give too much thought to the second coming or end times.  I tend to feel that dissecting the details of what may happen is a waste of time when, regardless of your views, the implications are exactly the same: Love God and Love People to show God's Love!  I was challenged, however, to ponder how ready I am to show myself to my Lord, whether He comes to me or I go to Him.

Do I have too much clutter in my life?  Am I hoarding things that speak more to the things of my own personal desires and not the desires of Christ?  If I was called to Him tomorrow, what would I want to clean up, remove, or redo?

One of the things that I am currently struggling with is my "purpose."  Because we have chosen to keep our family as it is, we do feel we are uniquely situated to do something.  I don't exactly know what.  It's part of our NEED LESS PROJECT.  We want to position ourselves to be able to be used in whatever way God calls us.  At this exact moment, I don't feel ready to meet Christ.  I want to redo a few things and I'm not sure how long to wait to begin.  I want to pursue purpose!  My heart is telling me there is more than what I am doing and that I have a calling that is greater.  Fortunately, I know God is working and as I am listening, I am confident that God will reveal His desires for me.  I'm pretty sure my life will be changing in the next year and I'm not sure how, exactly.  One more thing I can find comfort in, is that God is using this moment to prepare me for whatever it is He will do.  Time is never wasted.

In the time I have been given, I want to do better preparation.  I need to de-clutter and spruce up a few places in my life and spend a bit of effort on places that I have been letting go too long.

This is a showing for which I want to be prepared!

Monday Makeovers

These are some of the cabinets that my bargain hunter brought home a week or more ago. Can you believe that someone left these at the dump?! I'll admit it. They are a dump find. Not officially dumpter diving since they hadn't make it to the dumpster yet, but pretty close. He just knew they could be used somewhere in our home or garage with just a little TLC. Well, finally this weekend, before my monster sinus infection hit, I got a couple cabinets primed and we put them together to form a tall cabinet/hutch. I think it would be pushing it to call it an armoir, so we'll just keep it a cabinet!
We had it painted (by the way, don't those white garage walls look nice!), and found some trim to go on the bottom. There are several shelves inside and provide me with some much needed storage in the bathroom, which had none. I am not sure that the cabinet is finished. I have ideas to use some of my photo's of flowers on it somehow as well as more painting. I was anxious to have storage!
Remember this project?
Well, I got motivated and couldn't stop with just the steps. Eventually, it will go the length of the house back to that tree in the background (that will eventually go). I debated on posting this picture, because I don't like my mulch. It is just some natural ground debris I found in my woods. The blue spruce is the purchase we made in honor of our 7th Anniversary. My husband made my day by suggesting we buy a tree every year for that honor.

One thing I've noticed about makeovers this last week; they don't come without hard work. Shortcuts may produce a final product, but it won't be what you like. Do-overs always take longer and it's best to do it right the first time. Are these projects perfectly finished? Not remotely. Am I? I hope not.
I'm wondering how much work I must be to make over. I want to be made over in Christ's image, but the work is intense. I am so thankful that my Creator doesn't have to deal with do-overs. He knows just what I was, what I am, and what I will become. My potential is limited only by my refusal to let Him make me over. To think of my tree or rocks telling me where they'd like to go is likely as ludicrous as it is for me to tell God what I think my purpose and path should be. I just hope there isn't too embarrassing of a before picture...