Inspired by Mama…

If you read my blog post yesterday, you read about my stinky dilemma. 

This morning we finally received the insurance estimate.

They are covering the cleaning and/or repainting of all the structural interior of the house.

They are covering the cleaning of every. single. piece. of. personal. property. inside. the. house.

Every item of clothing.

Every book.

Every knick knack.

They are even covering the replacement of my favorite little All-Clad saucepan that I accidently left simmering on the stove.

filled with hard boiled eggs.

for four hours.

So my house is going to have the most intensive spring cleaning EVER!

In the meanwhile, my 84 year old mama is serious about moving into an assisted living home.

We have an appointment together to go check out a lovely place and have lunch there on Monday.

Talk about bittersweet, yesterday when I was at my mama’s, she sent me home with this…

Mama knows this is my favorite thing in her house.

It’s a needlepoint of what looks just like a little Maine coastal village.

My mama is from Maine.

It is inspiring me to follow my heart ,and since we will be having to repaint anyway, I am going to go with beachy whites and soft grays.

Bye, bye, taupe and burgundy bedroom.

Bye, bye, yellow living room.

When the cleaning and repainting in my house is all done,

I will find a special place to hang this,

maybe decked out in a new frame.

Thank you, Mama.

Still following,

Elizabeth

linking to the inspired room

Soul led or Spirit led?

My soul, (mind, will, and emotions), wants to go on a loooonnnnng vacation to someplace hot and sunny and far away.

 

My soul wants to pamper self, indulge self, give self a big, old extravaganza pity party.

Soul says, “Go ahead.  You deserve it.  You’ve had a hard week.”

It has been a hard week.

My house is stinky.  Very stinky.  I left a pan of eggs boiling away on the stove, and left the house
for FOUR HOURS.

Upon returning home, our two story house was filled with thick, gray, stinky smoke.

I’m waiting on the insurance adjustors assessment so we can begin the big clean up.

In the meanwhile…it stinks.

My 84 year old mama has had a bad week.  Not wanting to get out of bed kind of bad.

We are making the hard decision to seriously look into an assisted living facility, per her own request.

She knows I can’t stay with her 24/7, and it’s getting unsafe to leave her alone.

This stinks too.

As if this wasn’t enough, then came the blindside…

right to my weak spot…

and my heart feels bruised…

and I feel
unnecessary…

dispensable…

Soul says, “Just give up.”

It sounds so very close to the words of the Spirit.

The Spirit says, “Lay down.”

“Lay down, right there on the altar.”

“Surrender.  Humble yourself.  Let go.”

It sounds so very close, but the meaning is worlds apart.

Kingdom of darkness versus Kingdom of light worlds apart.

And so, with Word laying across my lap, I raise my arms in surrender.

Take me, I am Your living sacrifice.

Take all that I have, all that I love.

Take it all, for I am bought with a Price beyond compare.

Somehow, glorify Yourself in my body, soul and spirit.

It all belongs to You.

Take the stench that arises, not from the outward,

but from my heart.

Take the frustration, the worry,

the wounded, weary heart,

and let it blaze with holy fire.

Help me to cooperate with You

and let the Word renew my mind

‘til soul is silenced

and spirit agrees with Spirit

and mouth speaks Truth

instead of feelings.

^{Psalm 11}

¹ I trust in the Lord for protection.
   So why do you say to me,
      “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety! (or to a warm, sunny, far away place)
² The wicked are stringing their bows
      and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
   They shoot from the shadows
      at those whose hearts are right.
³ The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
      What can the righteous do?”

⁴ But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
      the Lord still rules from heaven.

 Still following, Elizabeth

Unwrapping Portland…

For those of you who have never been to Portland I thought

it would be fun to tell you a wee bit about our city. 

 I grew up in a small town south of Portland.  I left to go to college.  There I met my husband and over the years we have been the pastors of churches in different parts of our state.  Twelve years ago we moved back to Portland, which felt to me like coming home.

Portland is called the City of Roses because the climate here makes it easy to grow roses.  That is the whole unromantic truth about that.

It is also often called Stumptown. The reason for this is the early settlers cut down the trees to make a clearing for the town, so the landscape used to be dotted with stumps.  The original clearing is downtown on the waterfront and is marked with a plaque.

Portland is divided into east and west by the Willamette River.  If you cannot pronounce the name of this river correctly, it’s a dead giveaway you are not from here.  Say will-a (as in apple)-met.  And just for the record our state is  pronounced Orygun, not Orygone.  The east and west sides of the city are connected by nine bridges over the Willamette.

Portland is bordered on the north by the beautiful Columbia River. 

The Columbia separates Oregon from Washington state.

(looking across the Columbia from Vancouver, Washington toward Portland)

The downtown area of our city is on the west side of the Willamette.  In the heart of downtown is Pioneer Courthouse Square, also known as Portland’s living room.

 

The tallest building in Portland is nicknamed Big Pink.

Beverly Cleary, famous children’s author, was a librarian at Multnomah County’s main library in downtown Portland.

Portland is a very environmentally conscious city.  We have a commuter light rail system connecting all areas of town.

We also recycle everything we can.  Personally, I think some people take it just too far1

Happy Tuesday!

Elizabeth

I’m linking to  TuesdaysUnwrapped at chatting at the sky.

“…gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

“…thanks are the highest form of thought; and gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

Gratitude list #405-417

-baby granddaughter walking

-Little Buddy’s sixth birthday

-our local “Grower’s Outlet”

-fresh herbs

-our wonderful Wednesday night Bible Study group

-Thank God, I didn’t burn the house down when I left a pan on the stove and left the house only to come home to a smoke filled house four hours later

-playing with baby granddaughter

-the sound of frogs in the evening and of birds in the morning

-a beautiful sunny day to work in the yard

 

-a hummingbird so close to me (no camera in my hand
unfortunately!)

-beautiful sunrise

-dinner with a good friend

-pecan cinnamon rolls

Gratefully yours,

Elizabeth

Followers and Subscribers, I hope I didn’t lose you!

I just changed my blogspot blog address to a custom domain.  Things could take up to three days to totally transfer.  In the meanwhile let me know if you have any trouble finding me!  Google is supposed to link my old followers to my new address automatically. We shall see!  I don’t want to lose any of my wonderful blog friends!
Thanks for your patience,
Elizabeth
 

I simply remember my favorite things…Friday favs…I’m lovin’ “Grower’s Outlet”!

There’s a great little store near the school I used to work at. It’s called “Grower’s Outlet”.

My Little Buddy had his sixth birthday this week, so after Papa and I took him to lunch at Mickey D’s…

I talked him into stopping at “Grower’s Outlet” with me.

Look Buddy!  Flowers, and veggie starts, and herbs!

Too bad Nana doesn’t have a green thumb…not at all…nada.

Now let’s actually go INSIDE the store.

Little Buddy and I spent ten minutes looking for his favorite thing to get at this store, toasted, salted, pumpkin seeds.  We never did find them, and then as I upload this photo…Look Buddy, right there by your left hand!  So close, and yet so far.  Sorry Buddy.  Evidently Nana not only lacks a green thumb, but also good eyes.

Against my better judgment, I buy some herbs to plant, (basil, Italian parsley, rosemary), and decide to try again.

The pitiful, limp mint is the last survivor from last year’s attempt.  I think I may have done it in repotting it.

Good thing I’m an optimist!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Elizabeth

linking to

One of my favorite book mentors…

There were many times in my life when I longed to have someone come into my life and mentor me. The times that I actually had someone come alongside me like that can be counted on one hand.  I believe that those beautiful older ladies who took time for me when I was young wife and mama will be richly rewarded by God.  Most of the time, however, my husband and I were pastors in a church and though I was one of the youngest women in the church, I was supposed to be wise beyond my years and teach and mentor ladies older than me.  At times like that you learn to lean heavy on God.  You pray more.  You imprint His Word on your mind and heart.

Thank God, that during those years when I didn’t have a flesh and blood godly woman to come alongside me and teach me, He gave me “book mentors”.

 

Edith Schaeffer, wife of famous theologian, Francis Schaeffer came into my life through her books when I was in college.  She mentored me through her books. Her book The Hidden Art of Homemaking is a classic.  She says that as children of God, who is the First Artist, we are also born with the desire to create.  This whole book is filled with encouragement for our “inner artist”.  Let me quote, “For the Christian who is consciously in communication with the Creator, surely his home should reflect something of the artistry, the beauty and order of the One whom he is representing, and in whose image he has been made.”  In this book, and all of her many books about their life and ministry, she talks about making bookshelves out of packing crates, a stool from a barrel, a centerpiece from things found in the fields and forests around their home, etc.  She was, to me, the first thrifty decorator and budget cook, back before the internet, (yes, I am that old!), and hundreds of blogs on those subjects.  She was my book mentor, my inspiration, to love, obey, and believe God more, to be a better wife and mama, and she inspired me to try to make the place we called home, no matter how humble, a place of beauty.

linking to...

Still following,

Elizabeth