Saturday, May 22, 2010

Part 1 Complete!

Last Sunday was a wonderful day for the "non-move". God blessed us with perfect moving weather; sunny, with a slight breeze.
The Gang arrived @2:00 and work began. Soon the boxes and all the furniture was out of the apartment. When the trailer was packed, there were a few items left over, so we filled some of the vehicles.

A BIG THANKS
to each of the friends who helped move and clean the apartment.

The place looks so different empty. The remodel began on Monday, May 17th. (Picture to the left is the 'old' empty bedroom.)

This entire "non-move" has been a great deal of work. Not just for me, but for my friends (who have graciously helped). Some have asked, "Is all the work, really worth it?" I guess it all depends on what you see as the final goal. If I was JUST doing this because I wanted "new" things, than maybe the effort wasn't worth it. However, there was more to this than just a new kitchen. The rug needed replacing, the walls and ceiling needed painting.
Perhaps, some would see the work, and say, "That's not for me. I'll make due with the old." But really, you can't focus on the work, rather the results. Each thing we do in life requires some level of work. As a kid, I never understood the reason for making my bed each day. "I'm just going to 'un-make it' again tonight". To me, making my bed was a waste of time. However, my parent's thought otherwise.

As we go through our lives, we determine each day what we will do and how much effort we put into each task. We make those choices each day, often without much thought. It needs to be done, so we do it. Whether it be doing laundry, making a meal, working at a job... whatever the task at hand, we make choices each day. We can do a job well, or do it so it's "just done". We can put off doing a job, only to have to rush through it, or cause more work for us in the future.

Sometimes the work is a "chore" literally. It's a drudgery to accomplish the task at hand. That's one reason God says to do all to HIS GLORY. When working toward that goal, the tasks at hand take on a new meaning. Each day we "work for God". Whether you go to a job, or stay home and clean the house and care for the kids..... God is the Boss! My work philosophy has always been "to make my boss look good."  That takes on a new meaning when I realize that God is my boss. As a Christian, my responsibility is to glorify Him and share His everlasting love with those I meet.

When I reflect back on a day, it may have been positive in areas I like... such as getting a new apartment. However, if I want the day to be a TRULY POSITIVE day, my life, attitude, and all that I did would have been to the glory of God.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Old and New Pictures!

Just wanted to share some pictures of my apartment. These show the 'Old' and the 'New' place. The old has the darker wood, the new is lighter. 
I'll post more pictures when all my stuff is moved back in and I'm unpacked. But I know some of you have been waiting to see the results of the remodel... so enjoy the pictures!
Old bedroom






New Bedroom
Old Kitchen















New Kitchen












New Living Room
(facing front door)







I like the new look and am excited to getting my stuff back in and unpacked. It will take a while to have everything put away. But even with the new look, it's still my home!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Relax, I'm taking care of it...Rather YOU!

The move OUT is TODAY!
 The gang will be here at 2:00.

Last night I was doing laundry and packing the last few odds and ends, and figured I'd do some laundry. I loaded up the cart with the basket and headed to the laundry room. The laundry room wasn't very busy, which means I could get mine done. I put in the 2 loads and headed back my apartment. 
Decided it was time for a much needed rest. As I was reclining, there was a knock at the door. I slowly made my way to the door and opened it. It was young couple, whom I didn't know. The man then said, "I found this, and it as your name and address on it." Then he handed me my laundry card! "THANK YOU so very much!" I didn't even realize I had dropped it! 

Why is that card so vital? In order to use the washers or dryers, you need the card. The card is loaded with money, and each time you wash, or dry, it subtracts the amount. Without the card—can't do laundry! And on top of that, I had just put over $30 on the card!!! There are even more details here: The Office was closed. So, there would have been no way to get a new card last night and I would have had 2 loads of WET laundry!

As I closed the door and made my way back to the recliner. I realized that once again God was demonstrating not only that He loves me—but
HE is taking care of things....
rather He is taking care of ME.

Yes, it was only a laundry card. But you see, God is concerned with each detail in my life. If you've read some of my recent posts, you've seen God's attention to detail. 
It doesn't matter if it's a laundry card with $30 on it. Or a $200 trailer. Or a $1700 daybed and mattress to help lower my pain during the day. The price of something doesn't matter to God. Rather, I matter. God isn't JUST taking care of things—He's taking care of ME! 

When I keep my focus on God, He takes care of the details. My responsibility is to glorify God each day. Whether it's doing laundry, packing odds and ends, or just relaxing, I'm to be doing ALL to the glory of God. A positive day is not about what I've accomplished, or how low my pain level is, or what I did or bought.
 Rather a positive day is only created
if I've glorified God.