House Divided

Can you believe it? Fall is "officially" here today with the start of college football! After working in sports, especially with college football, I really love this time of year. I love everything this season has to bring! The colors. The cool crisp air...and of course, college football. Curtis and I love to go to games and watch on TV.


But, college football is special for Curtis and me. If you look up rivalry or house divided, it would say "see Curtis & Sarah Jefferson". The picture above is from the grooms cake at our wedding -- and it tells you everything you need to know. Curtis is a Tech grad and pulls for Georgia Tech -- even though they rarely show up for a game (I can make these jabs since I'm the one writing this entry) and his entire family graduated from UGA. His grandmother actually banned him from her kitchen when she found out he was going there. I knew I liked her! However, I've grown up pulling for two teams University of Memphis and the University of Georgia. I didn't graduate from there, but I did finish up my last year of school there. So, this makes for an exciting, yet unique marriage!


We are not the average "House Divided" marriage. We have nothing that says house divided. Curtis says UGA - GT house divided tags should really say "This UGA fan supported by the GT income!" I know, isn't he terrible!? Regardless, he pulls for Tech. I pull for Georgia. This means, if I hang my UGA flag outside -- we must hang an equally sized, equally viewable Tech flag. For everything UGA, there must be something Tech! For example, his work gave us a fantastic grill when we married. They also included a horrible Georgia Tech grill cover. So, my concrete Uga sits next to it. It's fun! Pray for our children. At least I'll have nine months while they're in my belly to brain wash them into going to UGA! :)



Anyway, the point of this post is wish everyone a happy beginning to college football! May the best team win!

Extreme Makeover *Our Home* Edition

Home remodeling is not for the faint-of-heart -- it's for the tight-of-wallet. Seriously! We have saved so much money simply learning how to do stuff ourselves. Believe it or not, Curtis and I have been learning/working on remodeling our house for the last two years. I can't believe it's been that long. We haven't done anything drastic like knock down walls, but the work has been constant. We've really only worked on the inside, with the plan to finish that before we launched into the outside. I've litterally painted every wall in our house but three rooms -- even the stairwell (scary)! But I love it. Soon I'll post a load of before and afters. They're something to see.

Ever since we bought it, I've been dying to paint the house. But, first things first. You have to live inside and the outside could wait. But, I absolutely love painted brick homes! There are everywhere near church and I simply adore them. I always envisioned our house with painted brick, but I wasn't sure I could convince Curtis to take the plunge. Well, he loved the idea and we painted the house! Before you look at the pictures, remember -- the yard is next! :)

*Before*

*After* Yay!

Some of you might be wondering, "Their house is so clean now...why didn't they have their porch pressure washed?" Well, there's a funny story behind that. Apparently, the guy asked me if I wanted them to. I thought he asked if I wanted it painted. So, Curtis came home and said (probably not in the nicest tone) "Why didn't you pressure wash the porch??" The poor man replied, "Well, your wife said not to." Ha! Might help if I spoke Spanglish.

This was my Grammy's furniture. What a difference paint makes!

Laundry Room Heaven

Every year for mom's birthday and Christmas, dad and I plot together about what he should get her. This has become a great memory, I hope Curtis will take on if we have a little girl. Anyway, this birthday was no different. Dad bought her a "custom" laundry room from The Container Store (basically just the shelves). Since I love home improvement and organizing, I volunteered for the install. Mom found out about our little plan the night before she headed out of town with dad for two weeks. So, she had no time to pick colors, decide what she wanted where -- nothing. All she had to do was go on a vacation and come home to a remodeled laundry room. I'm so proud of how it turned out. Here are the pics.

Trusting

8/1 Streams in the Desert

Offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life. Romans 6:13

One night I went to hear a sermon on consecration. Nothing special came to me from the message, but as the preacher knelt to pray, he said, "O Lord, You know we can trust the Man who died for us." That was the message. As I rose from my knees and walked down the street to catch the train, I deeply pondered all the consecration would mean to my life. I was afraid as I considered the personal cost, and suddenly, above the noise of the street traffic, came this message, "You can trust the Man who died for you." I boarded the train, and as I traveled toward home, I thought of the changes, sacrifices and disappointments that consecration might mean in my life -- and I was still afraid.

Upon arriving home, I went straight to my room, fell on my knees, and saw my life pass before my eyes. I was a Christian, an officer in the church, and a Sunday school superintendent, but I had never yielded my life to God with a definite act of my will. Yet as I thought of my own "precious" plans that might be thwarted, my beloved hopes to be surrendered and my chosen profession that I might have to abandon -- I was afraid.

I completely failed to see that better things God had for me, so my soul was running from Him. And then for the last time, with a swift force of convicting power to my inmost heart, came that searching message, "My child, you can trust the Man who died for you. If you cannot trust Him, then whom can you trust?" Finally that settled it for me, for in a flash of light I realized that the Man who loved me enough to die for me could be absolutely trusted with the total concerns of the life He had saved.

Dear friend, you can trust the Man who died for you. You can trust Him to thwart each plan that should be stopped and to complete each on that results in His greatest glory and you highest good. You can trust Him to lead you down the path that is very best in the world for you. J.H.M.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown,
Has broken every barrier down,
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine ALONE,
O Lamb of God, I come!

Life is not wreckage to be saved out of the world but an investment to be used in the world.
-------

I write this today because it was such a word to me from the Lord this morning! I, too, am guilty of not yielding the plans of my life to God with a definite act of my will. What a tragedy. What a terrible way to live!

It is too easy to get caught up in the circumstances of life, grow weary and pitty yourself. I have even felt at times that God was holding out on me. But, God has so much more in store. That doesn't mean that I like some of my circumstances. In fact, He wants us to be honest about how we feel in prayer -- He knows it anyway. I think I forget just how BIG God really is. And praise Him that He is!!

Lord, help me to yeild my life to You with a definite act of my will -- so that I may see the better things You have in store for me!

"In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-20

Happy Birthday Week!

My family celebrated five birthday's this week! It's like Christmas in July. My birthday is the 21st. My dad, Curtis and my sister-in-law share the 22nd! And mom's birthday is the 25th. It is so fun and I love that Curtis and I are a day apart.

When Curtis and I first became friends, I thought he was lying about his birthday for a long time. For years, I would never celebrate his birthday. It wasn't until I saw it on his drivers license that I believed him. Poor guy! It's his own fault because he's always joking around!

Anyway, all these birthdays and not one picture! Sad. But, Curtis and I went to The Orient Express in downtown Vinings. We used to go there all the time when we dated. It was great! After, we went to Dairy Queen and split and blizzard. And yes, I begged/made Curtis sing "happy birthday" to me. It's not a birthday until someone sings to you. He's never serious, so it sounded like a gay, Marylin Monroe rendition. If only I had a video camera.

Tuesday he wanted a burger on the grill for his birthday dinner. Of all the things I could've cooked, I did not expect that request. But, they were great! I got a tiny little cake from Gabriel's -- chocolate with white icing...yummy!

We celebrated my dad and Donna's birthday Thursday night at mom and dad's with all the grandkids. Earlier that day, we took all the grandkids to The Aqarrium. It was fun for all of us! Below are some pics.

Last, but not least, we celebrated my sweet mom's birthday Friday night Aspen's. We got mom and dad a ipod! This should be interesting. I downloaded all their cd's onto it and gave them a tutorial. Surely, they can make it work! :) Anyway, it was a great week! I got some fabric for curtins and some chairs I'm getting recovered. VERY excited about that!! Pictures to come soon. But thanks for all the birthday wishes!!

Panama City Beach or Bust?

Last weekend, I was able to travel with Curtis on a business trip to Panama City Beach, Fla. His company is bidding work on the new international airport going in down there. (I know...international sounds a little over-stated, doesn't it?) Though, I'm not a big fan of the crowded beach, I jumped at the opportunity to get away together and get some beach time.

We stayed at a great little place called Carillon Beach Resort & Spa west of Panama City Beach. It is actually in an area called Carillon Beach. Below are the views from our room in the Inn and one of the four pools.

No doubt, the place we stayed was beautiful and less than a year old. Since the hurricane came through and wiped out a lot of the old places, there are a lot of new resorts. It's been a long time since I've been to PCB and the city officials have done a lot in an effort to turn the city around.

However, I wish I could sit in on one of the city planning meetings. After dinner the first night, Curtis and I decided to ride down Front Beach Road to check out all the changes. No, we didn't cruise the strip with the windows down and our music blaring some vulgar rap music. As tempting as it was, we decided to pass. But, all kidding aside, people are still cruising the strip!! I'm still a little shocked about that. But, back to the city "planning".

When you drive down the road you'll pass the nicest hotel, an all inclusive type, and right next door is "Inn Paradise Motel". I’m sorry, what? You have to do a double-take to be certain of what you're seeing. The thought crossed my mind, do people really want to pay $350 a night and vacation literally a few yards away from a motel flashing "vacancy" in neon pink??? From the looks of some of the places, I would be surprised if they didn't have hourly rates. And this is how it is down the entire road. You'll see a place that looks like a Westin and right next door is some hole-in-the-wall. It's bizarre!

Funny story... one night we went to eat at Bone Fish. It's a great seafood chain I first fell in love with when I lived in Orlando. It's kind of like a Houston's, but seafood style. It's nice, but not pretentious. Anyway, we were sitting at the bar waiting on our table and this late 50s man walks up next to me wearing a tank top (not a sleeve-less shirt -- a true, skinny tank top), his bathing suit and flip-flops and his hair in a pony tail. Clearly not the kind of place you come to straight off the beach. I know I stared...well, simply because I stare. I’m not ashamed to admit it and this drives Curtis crazy. People watching is the best pass-time. God made us ALL different – this is true – and I like to take it all in! I also couldn’t look away because it was like the record scratched on the player when he walked in. That's how out of sync it was. Bizarre.

Anyway, none of this is to say we didn't have a good time. It was great timing for us to just get away! I love traveling and road trips with Curtis. He is really the funniest person to be with. But, no offense if PCB is your beach of choice. I just don’t understand the logic of the city’s planning and layout. I guess going to St. George Island has spoiled us. You sit on the beach hundreds of yards from the nearest house and people.

Character: What's in a name?

Finding people with character is becoming harder and harder these days. Those that hold to a high moral standard or have integrity are slowly becoming a thing of the past and it grieves me deeply. But why? Why has this -- is this happening today in our world and even in me? Could it be, especially as believers, that we -- I -- have listened to the world of "why suffer, when you can..."far too long? And, by doing so, has our -- my -- salt has lost its saltiness?

Let's think about it. You don't have to look far to find people who are suffering. No doubt, an "amen" belongs here! I could rattle off a few of my own sufferings of late, but I'll spare you the pity party.

Instead, let's look at the world's definition of suffering and compare it to Christ's. Webster's dictionary defines suffering as: undergoing or feeling pain or distress; to sustain injury or loss; to undergo an experience, an action, a process, or condition; to tolerate or allow. Not too far fetched, regardless of your where you stand spiritually.

It's on the news, in the paper, online, in our churches, amongst our friends, in our families, and even in our own lives -- suffering! No one is exempt from the many forms of suffering. Whether it's a financial loss, the loss of a loved one, loneliness, poor health, loss of hopes and dreams or seeing a loved one lost in sin -- to be sure, suffering is a part of life and it is painful.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble." John 16:33

Jesus left no room for confusion! This life will have suffering. We, by simply being born into the divine order of God's plan, are being born into a time of trouble.

But what is the meaning of it all? Why is it necessary? It seems easier for people to keep jobs, stay financially stable, to have good health, marriages to stay together...the list goes on. But this wasn't God's plan for our lives. You might say, "Well, since the garden it has been God's plan. But, before that, suffering was never part of His plan for our lives." Yes and no. Yes, God created Adam and Eve perfect, in His own image. Sinless. Can you imagine? But did their sin surprise Him? Did He have to scramble to come up with a "Plan B: Now that Adam and Eve Have Sinned"? Certainly not. We serve a Sovereign, All-Knowing, All-Powerful God. He knew in the midst of creation that Adam and Eve would sin. So what did their sin accomplish for human-kind? A reliance on Jesus to save us from the captivity of sin and bring us back to a right relationship with God. That doesn't make us perfect -- just dependant on a Savior.

So back to the original question: what is the meaning of all this suffering?

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." Romans 5:3-5

Chuck Swindoll suggests character is the moral, ethical, and spiritual undergirding that rests on truth, that reinforces a life, and that resists the temptation to compromise. He goes on to say, "Character is found in people. Character resides in those who possess the image of God. (That's you and me, by the way. Gen.1:26-27) You can find the power of God in anything, but not the character." So what does this mean for us? If we are His -- the same capacities He possesses, we possess! His character can be transferred to our character -- though small and diminished in comparison-- there nevertheless. We don't have to just suffer. Through our suffering we can take on the very nature of Christ Jesus.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

This is all great stuff, but for me it still doesn't answer the question of why must we suffer?

Swindoll suggests, "Jesus learned obedience through the things He suffered. He never knew physical suffering or sorrow, but from birth on He was bruised for our transgression. He became a man of sorrow, acquainted with suffering, the chastisement for our peace was on Him. We exalt the suffering in Christ's life, yet we run from it in our own. Why? As believers, why would ever expect anything different than to suffer with Christ?"

"I have been crucified with Christ, therefore I [my life of wants and desires] no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith [even through suffering] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law [right living, works], Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:20

In God's mysterious plan in the development of our lives, He has a reason for hard times. It is essential for the development of character. If it could be done any other way, Jesus died for nothing!

"It is doubtful that God can use anyone greatly until He has wounded him deeply." A.W. Tozer

Lord, help me to stop fighting the suffering you bring in my life so that I, too, may gain proven character. You never promised a life free of suffering, but you promised to be with us -- Jehovah Shammah.

"I pray that our of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be all the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!" Ephesians 3:16-21