Turning House Into Home

After almost two weeks in our new home, this was the extent of my decor. :-)

And it was up because we really needed a safe place for the keys, wallet, etc., in the chaos of unpacking. I don't know about you, but for me decorating is purposeful. And sometimes it's downright confusing.

When we remodeled our first home, it had a very country flavor, and I purchased new decor and curtains for almost every room of the house. I never was crazy about how the master bedroom turned out (it never felt finished), but the rest of the house fit together so well. Then we moved from the cape cod back to a ranch. Knowing that most of the window treatments wouldn't work in the ranch, we sold them with the house. The ranch didn't have the country feel of the cape cod, so I leaned a little more with my primitive preference, and after 6 years it felt comfortable. I wasn't crazy about every detail, but the family liked it.

Now here we are again: back to the cape cod feel, which I love. Our family agrees that this house is so much more cozy than the ranch, and it's my job to accent and enhance its coziness and beauty with minimal expense. Fortunately, the decor from the ranch will work much better in this style of house, but proper placement is important. Many of the walls are plaster, meaning there isn't much room for trial and error. I really want to get this done so that I can feel more confident when having guests, but I know that staring at the walls won't give them the motivation to dress themselves.  :-)

Sometimes I just have to clear my head and bring myself back to the basics of decorating our home.  And there are a few key things that I have to remember:

• From the blog of a friend, decorate for us, not for others.  Unless my decor would be offensive or uncomfortable for guests, I should go for what we like.  In these days of blogs and Pinterest, it can be so easy to decorate to impress others when our real goal should be to provide an environment that feels comfortable to our family.
• Avoid clutter.  I'm not big on knick-knacks (which often end up looking like clutter), but I have to be careful because primitive decorators love to sell them, and although they are very enticing to me in the boutiques, I don't have time to dust and arrange stuff.  And our family prefers the look of less.  Sort of helps one to breathe better.  :-)
• Functionality is key.  How many times have I arranged and rearranged in my mind, simply because I want the spaces in my home to be functional.  After living in a place for just a few days, one can see placements that make things more difficult.  So we move them, and then we spend another week getting used to where things are now.  :-)  Balancing visual appeal with functionality isn't always easy, but it's worth the effort.
• Incorporate sentimental pieces into decor.  This is something I have done minimally, but would like to do more.  When we remodeled the first house, we had the windows replaced.  I kept one of the old windows to use as decor, and whenever I see it I'm reminded of not only the work that we accomplished together, but of the really great times that we had when we lived in that home.  I have several keepsakes that I would like to weave into displays, and I'm anxious to see how that turns out. 

The atmosphere in our homes is created by a combination of aesthetics and values, but overall, there are several characteristics that I want my home to generate:

• Wholesome purity
• Calm
• Warmth
• Welcome

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I've Found My Closet!

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And I'm not talking about the one that has been stacked high with boxes, bags, or piles of random stuff that didn't have another home! 

All of my life I've heard spiritual people talk about the importance of a 'prayer closet,' which is in essence a 'place' that I consistently spend time alone with God.  All of my life I've been confused about whether this was mandatory or even possible.  Every time I would hear someone mention a 'prayer closet,' my mind would begin to spin again, thinking about a place that I could possibly designate as my 'closet.'  It always seemed that it would have to be a place that only I would go, and that there would need to be some sacredness about it.  Needless to say, I just continued to pray here, there, and everywhere. 

The night before we moved, I was in the shower, thinking about my last time in different areas of the house: our last meal in the dining room, my last night to tuck the girls in their bed in the only room Allison has ever known, etc., and the weirdest thing hit me.  I realized that for months and years, that shower had been my prayer closet!  I began to cry as I thought about all of the times that my soul had cried out to God in that very place.  Sometimes my shower prayers consisted of praying for a specific burden, sometimes they were me pouring out grief, pain, and questions.  And then there were those wonderful times where God's presence poured out upon my soul  just like the water from the shower poured onto my body. 

Now, you might be thinking that it's just a little odd to have such a prayer closet, but I can give you five good reasons why it's a great place:

1. The door has a lock.
2. Between the fan and the running water, you can count on being able to talk to God without everyone hearing your conversation
3. Showering is consistent, so that makes praying consistent.
4. Multitasking is smart.
5. A warm (scalding hot for me) shower is a relaxing experience which typically allows one to release the cares of the day.  It is much easier to focus in prayer and hear God's voice when the mind is clear, the body is relaxed, and the spirit feels refreshed. 

Although every person in my house uses the shower, and it's definitely not what most would consider "holy ground," it's a place where I meet God and He meets me. 

How 'bout you?  Where is your favorite place to pray?

Just Do It

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A few weeks back, a popular blogger was running a series of posts about personal discipline (a subject in which I could use some help). I was surprised when one of the topics focused on the blogger's struggle with getting dressed each day. The temptation was for her to get busy and stay in pj's or work out clothes all day, and then feel like a frump when her husband came home from work. Given her stellar example in business and homemaking, this was a bit of a shock to me.

Even more surprising was that there were hundreds of comments from women who identified with the blogger. Many of them were validating (or just excusing) her struggle, and I was completely taken back by the amount of women who feel that it is acceptable for them (and their kids) to - on a regular basis - nix getting dressed. "It saves on laundry when we all stay in our pj's," was mentioned several times. It was apparent by many of the responses that there were a lot of women who were trying to convince themselves and others that the behavior was acceptable. Of course, I typically visualize everything I read, and the images of smelly moms with stinky breath and grungy hair greeting their hardworking husbands at the end of the day just didn't strike me as excusable. Not to mention passing along this lifestyle to the houseful of kids they are raising...you get the idea.

Now it's probably not all that terrible to stay in our pj's once in awhile, especially if we're sick or have other circumstances, but it did occur to me that in the amount of time it took for the commenters to read and then comment, they could have been fully dressed and ready to greet the day with a certain amount of class and dignity. :-)

But it also occurred to me that while I was judging this group of people for their seeming lack of motivation to just "get up and do it," there are so many topics on which I am continually reading or studying, when I actually have all of the information I need. The big inhibitor is myself, and my own lack of motivation.

You've probably heard it said that it's not so much what we don't know that hurts us; it's what we do know and aren't practicing.   I've been thinking about that a lot lately, and wondering how much better my life would be for myself and for my family, if I would just act on every single discipline that I know.  If I would just force myself to do all the things that I detest, rather than ignoring even just one, how much of a difference would it make?  Hmmm...something to think about.  But then again, I need to quit thinking and start acting.  :-)

Mentor. Nurture. Grow.

Every week I have the opportunity to talk with women who are on a unique journey.  A journey that is all their own.  Some are single, others are married.  Some are widowed, others are divorced.  Some have a house full of kids, others are childless.  Some are ministry women, others work in secular employment.  Some are stay-at-home moms who send the kids off to school, others are stay-at-home moms that gather the kids around the table and do the hard but rewarding task of being the teacher.   Some live here in the USA, others have made the sacrifice to live in another culture and shine Christ's love in a remote area of spiritual darkness.  Some are outgoing, others are quiet.  Some are Christians, others are not.  And the differences go much further than these.  Each woman is her own combination her genetics, her upbringing, and every influence that has brought her to this point.

Although women are unique, there is one certain commonality: women need each other.  I can hear a few sighs at this point, but I have no doubt that it is true.  Sure, some personalities are wired to enjoy social activities more than others, but even introverted women also need other women.  I once talked with a woman who is very melancholy, and she told me that most of the time she has to force herself to go out and participate in events because even though her personality screams at her to stay home and be alone, she knows that she needs the support, accountability, and fellowship of other women.  She also knows that God wants to use her to bless others, and in order to do that she must deny herself and leave her "safe" zone.  I admire this friend very much because I know that she gives of herself in many ways, and one of those is by simply "showing up."

Because of the need for a strong women's fellowship/mentoring group in our conservative holiness circles, Women of Worth/IHC came into existence several years ago.  The Interchurch Holiness Convention (IHC) is a three day conference in Dayton that occurs early in the spring of each year, and Women of Worth/IHC is a ministry of that large interdenominational group.  Our Lima WOW Chapter celebrated its 10th anniversary in May of this year.  We are so blessed to have this opportunity for women to gather in our local area. 

Our monthly meeting was held last Monday night, and the theme was Women's Health Issues.  Obviously, this is a complex subject that would require days to cover, but the focus was specifically on breast health since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I wasn't able to stay for the entire event, but it was a very informative time.  A physician, as well as the oncology coordinator, for the Lima Memorial Hospital Women's Health Center came to lecture on breast health.  They brought silicone models so that our women could feel them and detect problem areas, explained exactly how to do a self-exam, types of mammography, types of breast cancer, types of treatments, and stepped the group through exactly what would happen if a diagnosis was given.  They brought two packets for each woman (one for the woman and one for her to share), and did an amazing job of communicating to our women about breast health.  All of this, and they didn't charge a dime.  They considered it an honor to be able to share. 

Ladies arriving at the Commons for the WOW session. 
The decor was so pretty, and most of the women wore pink.

My mom has been our chapter
leader for 10 years.

Dr. Weyer giving useful information
and demonstrations

The lady on the right wrote a grant last
year that resulted in Lima's women's center
being awarded  $60,000 + from the
Komen Foundation.

I should have taken this at the beginning...when the food was
a little less picked over!  It was so pretty and sooo good!

Through the years, we have have a ton of fun, informative, spiritually nourishing themes and topics put together by our local WOW committee which is made up of three ladies.  They have always done such a great job!

Back in the early spring, I was asked to serve as an advisory member of the National WOW/IHC Committee.   When the request came, I was a little conflicted because I didn't want to add too much to what I felt was an already overflowing list of responsibilities.  In my mind, I decided to give it a year to see how demanding it would be and how it would flow with my personal and family goals.
Last weekend, I was able to attend my first committee meeting.  All but one of the eight members was able to be there, and after spending time with these ladies, hearing and feeling their passion and their hearts, I knew that I was a part of something that was well worth any energy I could give.  So...I'm excited to be on a team that is continuing with the original WOW/IHC vision, and making positive, forward movement to improve an already outstanding women's ministry. 

Now and then I talk to women who are reaching out for a tool like this.  Something that will bring them together and encourage them through fellowship, accountability, and mentoring.  If you are one of those, I would love to hear from you via email at repstephanie@yahoo.com.  There are WOW-IHC groups set up in various places throughout the US as well as internationally, and if you aren't near enough to connect with one of them, you could consider becoming a chapter leader and hosting a group of your very own.

For centuries, women have depended upon one another for help, advice, and support.  In a modern era of independence, something valuable has been {for the most part} lost.   Wherever you are in life, you have something to give and you have a need to receive.  Be sure to make time to develop and nurture those connections that are so beneficial.  It is worth the effort.

Day 1

I must have been off a day (imagine that) cause Friday was the day we handed the keys to the new owners. Greg met them after work and did a walk through with them to make sure everything was satisfactory. It makes us feel good to know that they are excited about the house. Selling without a broker wasn't nearly as difficult as I had imagined, and it was a good experience overall (not to mention that we saved 6%).


This day was full. As soon as we finished all the business and hunted down clothes to pack our suitcases, we hit the road for MI to visit with family. So...the mess awaits. :-)

posted from Bloggeroid

Day 3

The kids are loving their new home and preferred to stay there while Greg and I completed the task of cleaning the old place. It was a relief to finally box the last item, clean the floors and appliances, and be done with it. That feeling outweighed the twinge of sadness that otherwise would have overwhelmed me.

I can definitely see a light at the end of this tunnel! :-)

posted from Bloggeroid

Day 4

I was up and at em by about 5:45 cause our school staff atteneded CEC in Columbus. I usually enjoy these times immensely, but I was so tired this year that I just wanted it to be overwith! That sounds really bad. I did get some excellent helps from the conference, and of course enjoyed spending time with some of the best people on the planet. Poor Greg had to do a lot more packing and cleaning while I was away, and we hauled yet another load of JUNK away to the new garage. :-)