DIY Housewife!

Who doesn’t like a little DIY in their life? Well, I like a LOT of DIY! It is so fun to take old ‘junk’ and give it new life…and it is so much more affordable than buying brand new furniture from the store.

I love finding a deal and a bargain. There are a lot of great shops that offer good prices to make your home stunning and beautiful. Tjmaxx, Target, Home Goods, Marshalls, Hobby Lobby…those are some of my favorites…but nothing beats a great cheap one of a kind find!

Garages sales, thrift stores, and even dumpsters are this girls best friend…HA!:))

I just want to inspire you to get creative. You don’t even need to BE a creative or crafty person to develop your own DIY skills. Pinterest is your teacher and guide!:) YouTube offers tons of great how to videos for redoing furniture and upholstery.

Here are a few DIY projects I’ve done over the fall and summer. I enjoy doing it to make extra money for my family…and once you start you can’t stop! The possibilities of making old into new are endless!:)

{Create a Fall or Thanksgiving topiary with things lying around the house. Just paint your little pumpkins!}

{Or Make a NO sew curtain with hot glue and drapery clips. Simple and Cheap! I found this fabric at Joann’s on sale & used a coupon.}

{Use an old baby Crib to make a chalkboard easel!}

{This old TV tray on the left was painted gold and made into a chalkboard to dress up my mantle!}

{This garage sale find got a fresh coat of paint and a new chalkboard finish!}

{I’m currently working on painting my dining table and chairs a pretty distressed white. The distressing will hide the love and distress my four children will bring to them! HA!}

A homemaker has the best job in all the world! In fact, God says she is valued more than rubies. Enjoy being the interior designer of your home! Make it a place where love, joy, and peace abide…and why not add a touch of cozy too! Hope this inspires you to spruce up your interiors while spreading love to your family. Enjoy!

Love,
Heidi S.

Some Have Compassion…Some Make a Difference

Seems like recently the Lord keeps bring a word to the forefront of mind…a lot. Our church recently started a ministry called ‘Reformers Unanimous’. If you’re not familiar with it, it is a Bible based program that helps people break the chains of addiction, by first and foremost giving them the Gospel. This is such a great tool for winning people to Christ, and by the power of God giving them the tools they need to overcome the bondage in their life.

The truth is…addiction brings bondage.

No matter what kind of addiction we’re talking about….lying, cheating, stealing, drugs, alcohol, sex, eating disorders, gossiping, shop-a-holics, even self-righteousness. Anything can become an addiction.

As I was thinking about this weeks ago, the Lord convicted my heart of some areas in my life that I too have become a slave to. Things that may seem not so bad, but in reality were keeping me from opening my heart and love of Christ to people. We live in such a harsh world, down right mean if you will. Can’t everyone just play nice?:)

The Sunday school lessons in our church around this time were from the book of Jude, and like neon lights on the paper verse 22 jumped out at me…it reads,
“And of some have compassion, making a difference.” Jude 1:22

I have loved this verse for years ever since I first heard it, but again the Lord is using it in my life. As a stay at home mom, busy with my daily duties and family… I have to tell you I’m often tempted to just ‘keep to myself’…and not open our hearts and home to hurting people around us.

As women I believe God gives us a natural need to nurture and take care of things. That’s why we are so quick to give up our bodies for nine months as we cocoon sweet babies, and then wake every hour through the night feeding those sweet babies. We have a natural gift of compassion, that so often never leaves the steps of our front doors.

Will you be part of the ‘some’….will you ask God to use you to make a difference? The Lord so impressed this on my heart over the last month that I found myself talking to Him about it on several occasions, and explaining just how sorry I was for all the wasted opportunities to show compassion.

We mommies can reach the lonely mother at the park….we can have play dates with people we DON’T know so well, we can speak to the hurting teenage girl who is waiting in line at Starbucks…we can make a difference with our sweet smiles, kind words, and overflowing love of Christ….if we choose to.

Or we can hurry through the store with our lists, hurry through the church doors in our ministries, hurry to the gathering of our favorite friends….passing all the opportunities to reach out to the lonely and make a difference.

Will you be part of the ‘some’ and share the love of Christ with the ‘many’?

I want to be addicted to the right things. I want to be addicted to soul-winning and blessing people.
I don’t want to get so caught up in life that I miss the most important thing…bringing all the glory in it to Christ!! Pointing people to Him and not myself.
Lord, help me to be more like Jesus.

(I’ll end with the lyrics to a song our ladies group sings, I can’t think of the words while we’re singing or it makes me cry. So many need Jesus.)

Somebody’s down to their last dime,
Somebody’s running our of times,
Not too far from here.
Somebody’s got nowhere else to go,
Somebody needs a little hope,
Not too far from here.

And I may not know their name, but I’m praying just the same,
That you’ll use me Lord to wipe away a tear. Cuz somebody’s crying not to far from here.

Somebody’s Troubled and confused,
Somebody’s got nothin’ left to lose.
Not too far from here.
Somebody’s forgotten how to trust,
Somebody’s dying for love,
Not to far from here.

It may be a strangers face, but I’m praying for your grace. To move in me, and take away the fear. Cuz somebody’s hurting, not too far from here.

Help me Lord, not to turn away from pain.
Help me not to rest, while those around me weep.
Give me your strength and COMPASSION,
When somebody finds the road of life too steep.

Now I’m letting down my guard,
And OPENING MY HEART,
To speak you love to every needful ear.
Cuz somebody’s praying not too far from here.

Jesus is waiting, not too far from here.
(Song Not too Far From Here)

Love
Heidi S.

“She’s So Perfect!”…

Do you ever have the feelings that you are failing greatly? Whether at motherhood, wifey-hood, friendship-hood…or any other ‘hood’ you may be a part of???;))

I do.

Do you ever  feel as though you are trying to keep it all together? All the time?…and still there are things to do, places to go, and people to please??

I do.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the tasks of being a loving wife, a capable mother, and a reliable friend?

I do.

I’ll never forget a few years ago when I was expecting our second child, Evan, and I was rushing to get to a college wives meeting that met monthly at Crown college. I had been having ‘one of those days’.

You know, when all you want is the kids to be happy, the house to be clean, dinner to be ‘Martha Stewart worthy’ and done just in time for your prince to come home!  Instead… everyone has been fussing, the house is a display of toys, books, and a fresh stain on the carpet…and dinner tastes like cardboard!!

I waddled my 8 months expecting self across the parking lot, into the Curtis Hudson building, and into a room of smiling sweet women. I smiled back at them, excited to be there, and eager to hear the speaker.

No one knew that I had been having ‘one of those days’…no one knew how desperately I needed the encouragement as I smiled back the tears. No one knew I wanted so badly to be a perfect wife, a perfect mommy, a perfect housekeeper, but feeling so defeated after losing my temper with my toddler, snapping at my husband, and lacking in the organization department….no one knew.

But the Lord did.

As the speaker was introduced and came forward, her sweet voice & tender smile were very familiar. Her name was, Mrs.Reese, and she was a wife of one of the college professors. She abounded in wisdom and was like the “aged woman” as spoken of in the Bible.

I don’t remember the title of her message, or everything she said…but I do remember the Lord speaking to me. In a still soft voice saying, “I am your perfect Savior & I know what you need.”

I remember the hot tears hitting my hands as I reached for a tissue as she said;

 “Mothers. Dear mothers. When you’re trying your best to accomplish all you have to do with your home & family…and you find yourself feeling so discouraged…and you find yourself sitting on the couch in tears sobbing, because you just can’t seem to do it all and ‘be’ it all…you know what I want you to do? I want you to look at the old Bible sitting in front of you on the coffee table. I want you to reach for it, and pick it up, and open it…and be fed. God knows what you need, and you need him… all the time.”

O how my heart broke! As I drove home through the dark winding roads of Tennessee that night, my heart cried out to God. “O Lord, please forgive me for not reaching out for you!” “Please forgive me for trying to ‘do it all’ and ‘be it all’ without you! Forgive me for trying to be perfect & not relying on the Perfect One.”

When I got home I waddled up the stairs and found Daniel…my makeup running at this point, tears streaming, and I remember him saying, “What is the matter? Did you hit another possum?”

(lol I’m a bit sensitive when it comes to animals, even nasty possums;)

“Noooo”…I muttered.

I began to tell him how sorry I was for snapping at him, and further explained what God had spoken to me about. He consoled me,  told me how much he loves me, and that it will all be ok. (I love that man. He has loved me at my best and my hormonal worst!;)

I have been reminded of this night in my life MANY times since. Especially this past year when I found myself surrounded by my 4 sweet boys ages 5 and UNDER. Busy days & sometimes sleepless  nights caring for four little people. Teaching & training them constantly can take it’s toll on me if I’m not consciously living in His presence. Totally dependent on Christ.

God has used what he did for me in that hour to remind me that I am NOT  perfect, nor do I have to be perfect…I just have to rely on Him!

Today, women face a lot of pressures to be ‘perfect’. Have a pinterest worthy home & a 5 course meal every night  from scratch are just a couple that come to mind…not to mention hows my figure lately? And do I look like a fashion queen with the latest trends on my feet?

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE pinterest (in fact, I’m kind of an addict;)  and I think it’s good to have a beautiful clean home for your family…and if you know me, you know I love to dress cute, but I have to remind myself “Who am I serving?” …the Lord? My family? Or the pressures of keeping up with being ‘perfect’??

Am I striving for the Proverbs 31 status to please the Savior, or the eyes of those around me??

So if you find yourself weary today by responsibilitiess of life, or the pressures to be “perfect”… may I please remind you to rely on Jesus!  Take the word “perfect expections” out of your vocabulary and replace it with “realisitic expectations”.

And in your moments of great weariness, run to the Savior, cling to His word!

He can sustain you because, “He’s So Perfect!”

Thanking Him for His rich blessings,

heidi