Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts

Sunday, August 10, 2014


Psalm 90


A prayer of Moses the man of God.

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
   throughout all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born
   or you brought forth the whole world,
   from everlasting to everlasting you are God.


3 You turn people back to dust,
   saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
4 A thousand years in your sight
   are like a day that has just gone by,
   or like a watch in the night.
5 Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—
   they are like the new grass of the morning:
6 In the morning it springs up new,
   but by evening it is dry and withered.


7 We are consumed by your anger
   and terrified by your indignation.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
   our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 All our days pass away under your wrath;
   we finish our years with a moan.
10 Our days may come to seventy years,
   or eighty, if our strength endures;
   yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
   for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
11 If only we knew the power of your anger!
   Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.
12 Teach us to number our days,
   that we may gain a heart of wisdom.


13 Relent, Lord! How long will it be?
   Have compassion on your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
   that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
   for as many years as we have seen trouble.
16 May your deeds be shown to your servants,
   your splendor to their children.


17 May the favor[a] of the Lord our God rest on us;
   establish the work of our hands for us—
   yes, establish the work of our hands.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The Perspective of Gratitude


It was 7:47 am and I was holding my hands under the water at the kitchen sink and quickly turned to run my damp hands through my daughters curls. Rushing...look at the clock...fix a curl...grab backpack...snack... and all of the sudden my husband's voice says with a smile "Mothers and daughters."  I stopped suddenly looked at my daughters big brown eyes, rustled her curls and smiled. "I love you and I would do this everyday for the rest of my life if I could."  I was so grateful for that moment and the wise short words of my husband that truly gave me perspective for the day. It was for that moment that I didn't dwell on my downfalls of not being a early riser or not being able to pack Naomi's lunch the night before type of Mommy. Instead, I was able to enjoy the moment and find perspective for my day.

The perspective of gratitude...so simple but yet so difficult to keep in the flow of life. I am so thankful for my husband who is my daily reminder that I need to come to a position of gratitude daily or my heart's posture will surely stink of entitlement, ungratefulness, and selfishness. When I mentor younger women here on Princeton's campus or encourage friends I find it easy to see the things to be grateful for. Yet, in my alone time when my children have said "Mommy" a zillion times and my dishes are piled high with expected guests in an hour...I tend to lose perspective. Therefore to help keep perspective (with a nudge from my handsome husband) I started a gratitude journal at the beginning of this year. It has been such a blessing as well as a reality check for me to have documented moments in time for which I can return to and remember how good I really do have it. This sweet journal, my Gratitude Journal has been such a blessing for me that I wanted to share it with you.


"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."  -Marcel Proust (1871-1922)


"In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for." Henry Lewis Mencken (1880-1956)



May you enter today with gratitude and joy!

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Tending to my Heart's Garden

A new year...a new town...a new baby...a new beginning

I have sat down many of times over the past year to blog about my crafting, adventures, and my day dreams. Each and every time I became distracted or just couldn't find the words. I have often come back to read some of my old posts but I end up kicking myself for not blogging faithfully.


Photo By Ron Saari http://www.ronsaari.com/
Then I realized...its okay that I don't share my every thought and creative idea... as long as I am pouring into my family and teaching my sweet children the beauty of art, creativity and love. This is what is important...that I daily love my husband and express my appreciation towards him in as many ways as possible. What's most important? That I hug my children and take time for myself and the things that I love, which is the hardest thing for most young mothers, like myself. I'm challenged to look back and grab on to the things that grow my soul and my joy; namely, the things that make me...me.

The spring season is awakening the sleeping buds that are ready to bloom. As I have this creative stir growing within my heart, I ask myself what is it that I need to do in order to get started again? What must I do to tend to this fragile garden that is in need of such care? What must I do to allow these buds to grow and flowers to bloom in my life? Not just for my sake and sanity but for my family. This garden inside my heart must grow and bloom so I may be a better mother, wife, sister, mentor and believer.

Ideas... I look to God's magnificent creation and I see what the plants need... sunshine...water...fresh air. So, this is where I begin...fresh air. To take a walk everyday and think of the beauty surrounding me and allow it to fan my creative desires and blow away my failures. I am learning that as a mother and a wife there is always things that can be done better, words to regret and dirt to be swept. Yet in still, God extends His grace so that I may bask in the beauty of his gifts and all that He has given me.

Since moving to this historic town, Princeton, New Jersey, where some of the greatest young minds in the world are taught and shaped at Princeton University...I pray that I have the boldness to be shaped and taught...that I may learn who I am in the midst of this busy season of life. For spring is the busiest season of all...new life and growth...yet despite it's business, it does not cease from faithfully producing the breathtaking masterpieces that we all enjoy- year after year and season after season.

May this spring be the beginning of our masterpiece...so put down the broom...take a break from the computer...do the laundry another time... go for a walk and get some fresh air.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

I'm back....


October was a long month for my family. We have been looking forward to November and fixing our thoughts upon the amazing blessings that the Lord has seen fit to give us. Through all of the ups and downs that October brought… I am even more impressed and grateful for God’s faithfulness and His unchanging ways. The theme that is evident to me in this season of life can be found in the words of David from Psalm 92:1-4...
"It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy."
I have so much to be thankful for and David helped to remind me that I need to be more thankful for my Lord and Savior, husband, sisters, friends and daughter. So this Thanksgiving I plan to give my time, attention, and love to others...and stop thinking so much of myself.
This thanksgiving my fun project will be helping a dear friend redeem her guest bathroom. I have been playing with different colors and textures that she is interested in and finally came to this result. I will be giving her bathroom a beautiful cool gray that will be complimented by this artistic shower curtain. All of her hardware will be switched to a brushed stainless steel. To compliment the cool gray, I will add a beautiful natural pallet of greens, browns and grays to give it a modern finish with a rustic feel.

Tomorrow we will be treasure hunting at some of the local architectural salvage storage spaces as well as consignment shops. I pray we can find some of the beautiful drawers and art to fill her space. As I have stated before in my previous posts... I love my treasure hunting! I tend to catch myself smiling and daydreaming of what fun things I am going to discover (I feel like Christopher Columbus)! A thrilling hunt for something discarded...broken...somewhat ugly and adding "pazazz" to it...the best part of it all is spending time with such an amazing friend.

Friday, September 10, 2010

from house 2 home

I believe that you don't have to spend money to make a house a home... here is a little bit of what I have been doing to make my new house a home for my family.





All items were materials that I had already owned and the boards I bought at a thrift store. They had dents and scratches which naturally made me love them more....










I enjoy taking everyday pieces and using them in different ways... this is a material I have had since college that has been used as a table cloth, curtain and now a piece has been cut off and braided to hang my beautiful frame.




By every space that is redeemed in this place slowly transforms into my family's safe haven... a place of rest.... a place to live. Enjoy!