The Painting Project: Pictures At Last

Alright, I guess the bedroom is as finished as it's going to get... for now.  I still want at least two more items for the walls, like another complimentary picture or some sort of decorative thing in a butterfly motif.  We also need closet door pulls to be installed, but they won't make or break the look.

I think the photos show the paint to be much grayer than it is in person, but this is the best I could do.  I'm sure lighting has everything to do with it.

Love the new curtains and white mini-blinds.  They brighten up the room.

This is a picture that was a birthday gift.  The color choice for the walls was based on this picture alone, and I've been waiting 6 months for the room to be painted in order to hang it.

I think Dixie feels pretty comfortable with the color choices.

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What's On Your Nightstand?

I finally feel like I have an opportunity to join in the 5 Minutes For Books' What's on Your Nightstand?  The last few weeks I've been challenging myself to add fiction into the mix of my reading.  I already try to read 10 pages of theological reading a day, although there are certain days it just doesn't get done.  Now I'm working at reading 30 pages of fiction in addition to that, so I can get some serious reading accomplished.

I have a whole bookshelf of books just waiting, practically calling my name, to be read.  I decided I need to be methodical and purposeful about reading the fiction, too, if I want to actually get these books read.

My list of what's on my nightstand is short for the month of May, but believe me when I say it's quite a hearty goal in comparison to what I've done in the past.  Here's the plan...

1.  Future Grace by John Piper (Theological) - I started this in March and hope to finish it in about a week.  It's about learning how to believe the promises of God and depending on God's grace to overcome the sin of unbelief (pride, bitterness, despondency, misplaced shame, etc.).

2.  If I Gained the World by Linda Nichols (Fiction) - I started this book a couple weeks ago, and I should be done in the next week or so.

3.  Experiencing the Spirit: The Power of Pentecost Every Day by Henry & Melvin Blackaby (Theological) - I am really looking forward to diving into this one.  I've not read much on the Holy Spirit, and I'm anxious to learn some new things.

4.  A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman (Fiction) - I'll be starting this novel as soon as I finish the other.  I am not a big fan of the romance, being much more into historical fiction.  But from the reviews I've read, I got the impression this is a good book.

5.  My Heart Remembers by Kim Vogel Sawyer (Fiction) - This will be the next novel in line, if I get super ambitious with my fiction reading.  We'll just have to see how it goes.

So have any of you read anything interesting lately?  Leave a comment and tell me about it.

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I Will Not Live On Bread Alone

You may have noticed that I've been writing a lot about my health and weight-loss challenges and achievements during the last few weeks.  To be honest, I think I could have written about it even more than I have, but I just didn't want to bore you with it all.

But here's the thing.  Working at this discipline of nutrition and health is what a good portion of my life consists of right now.  It's one of the big things that God has chosen to work in me at this point in time in a way He hasn't before, and so it's what I'm going to be most apt to talk about.  And it definitely has been about discovering Liz...discovering who I am in Christ, one life lesson at a time.

So in regards to getting fit, I have to share one of the major victories I've gained.  It's all about the b-r-e-a-d.

You see, I love bread and starch and carbs.  I like to sit down with a bag of chips and munch away with nary a care in the world.  The problem is that I know it's detrimental.  I just didn't know how I was going to cut back.

Even so, I have been choosing to eat fewer servings of bread/starch for several weeks.  Do you know what I've learned?  I don't need all that starch.  I'm okay.  I won't die.  In fact, I'm content.

You know, I'm happy about that.  Happy that I'm experiencing change.  Thrilled to know I can do something I didn't think I could do.  Thankful for the Holy Spirit's power at work in me.

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What I Learned This Week - Edition #6

I've been driving a mini-van since last Friday, sort of as a test drive to see if we might take it off my parents' hands.  They recently acquired it from my grandparents.  Since we're not in a position to purchase a car anytime in the near future, they thought we might be able to use it.

I never saw myself as the mini-van type.  We've had three different Neons since early on in marriage.  I had imagined if I were to upgrade my car, I really had my sites set on a Jeep Liberty or something more sporty and free-spirited.  And ya know, a girl needs somewhere to put her golf clubs... and to well... look all sporty on the road.

Anyway, on Sunday night I needed to give a young lady a ride home after church, and since we give her rides to church regularly, she is quite familiar with our declining Neon and all of its noises, quirks, and otherwise discomforts. 

This darling Jr. Higher hopped into the van and said she was surprised to see I had it and had been wondering where my car was.  Which led to the following conversation....

Me:  I never figured myself to be the minivan type, you know?  I kinda look like a soccer mom.  Whatcha think?

Girl:  Do you have kids?

Me:  (puzzled)  Uh... have you ever seen me with kids?  I mean, there are never any other kids with us when we pick you up.

Girl:  Yeah.  I just thought maybe you had OLDER kids that were grown.

Me:  (getting an incredulous look on my face) What?!?  How OLD do you think I AM?  I'm only 36!  I could be your mother but NOT old enough to have grown children.

Girl:  Oh.

Well... I think I might have to start charging her for rides from now on.  Oh, I kid.  I like her and would not do that to her. 

Unfortunately, what I learned this week is that apparently I look older than my age.  I think I would've felt better living in ignorance.  {sigh}  At least for a few more years.

*If you're interested in more What I Learned This Week, Jo-Lynne's blog is just a click away.

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The Painting Project (cont.)

The bedroom painting is finished.  Now I just need to get some stuff up on the walls and maybe some curtains, too.  I won't post any pictures until it's completely ready.  Sorry.  You'll just have to wait.  You wouldn't want to see it only half done.  Right?