The Shepherds: Homeowner's Edition

First I just want to apologize to anyone who might have been offended by my last post about Chick-Fil-A.  If I came off as judgmental, I am sorry.  I understand why some would disagree with me and I truly do not judge anyone who supported CFA appreciation day.

Ok, now that I've said that, on to the meat of this post: WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!

It's been a whirlwind of a week, and I still can't believe we own a house.  I'm sure it will hit me once the first mortgage payment is due.

We had a stressful moving day because we were supposed to close on the house at 10 a.m. but at 7:30 a.m., we got a call from our realtor saying that the title company had never received the loan package from our lender.  Several phone calls later and all was resolved, but we had to move the closing time up to 3 p.m.  This was a problem because we had planned to start moving right after lunch and we had friends coming to help.  Fortunately everyone was flexible and willing to help us into the evening, and all went well.  We even had friends load our truck for us while we were gone at closing!  Our church family is awesome.

Since then we've been unpacking boxes (so many boxes...how do we have this much stuff?), organizing piles of stuff, and enjoying our new digs!  I am especially loving the nicer-than-apartment-grade appliances and extra cabinet space in the kitchen.  We had to make some big purchases recently as well; a lawnmower, microwave, and new door locks.  And we've been deciding on paint colors!  We pretty much have to paint the entire house.  The previous owner really loved bright colors, and they are not working for us.  But I'm excited to really make this house reflect us through paint.

Also, we have a yard!  With a shed!  Casper hasn't figured out that he is supposed to do his business out there yet, but we're working on it.  He's been programmed to do his business while on walks, so it will take some re-training, but I think we'll get there.  Meanwhile, I am enjoying it for its garden potential.  I have grand dreams of growing herbs and veggies next season.  I might kill them all, but it will be fun to try!  And the other awesome thing is that we now have curbside trash pickup so we don't have to walk our stinky trash bags a block to the dumpster anymore! 

Of course, we have discovered some less fun things about the house.  I love the look of the laminate hardwood on the first floor, but it doesn't hide Casper's fur at all and he sheds.  A lot.  Vacuuming is probably going to be a daily task.  And we also found out about the fun of trying to cool two stories with one AC system.  When it is comfortable downstairs, it is warm upstairs.  We have a ceiling fan in our bedroom, so that has saved us from having to set the thermostat really low at night.  We'll have to see how our first electric bill looks and adjust from there.

When we get the house a little more settled I will post pictures.  Until then, you can find me scampering around with a mile-long to-do list.  I am so excited that we won't have to think about moving for a long while!

Chiming in on the Chick-fil-A controversy

Now that the whole Chick-fil-A debacle has mostly passed, can I just share my opinions on the subject?

First of all, the CEO of an openly Christian company that is closed on Sunday is asked his opinion on gay marriage, and he states it in a very non-hateful manner, and the whole world explodes.  I don't understand why anyone is surprised!  And it seems that the people who preach tolerance and accuse Christians of being hateful really are very intolerant and hateful themselves. 

And yet even though this whole issue makes me annoyed and mad, I don't think that Chick-fil-A appreciation day was a wise choice.

For the record, I agree with Chick-fil-A's stance on gay marriage and I am proud of them for standing by what they believe.  And I absolutely 100% believe in standing up for our rights as Americans to have freedom of speech.

But here's the thing.  Standing in line and buying a chicken sandwich really does nothing to ensure that you keep those rights.  All it does is make a statement.  A fighting statement.  A retaliation statement.  An "us vs. them" statement.  Even if that was not the intention.  And that is not a loving reaction.  If you want to stand up for your rights, then vote for leaders who will uphold those rights.

I may get in trouble for saying this, but we are Christians before we are Americans.  It is more important to be the hands and feet and love of Jesus than it is to fight for our rights.  We represent Christ and we have to be very cognizant of how our actions will be viewed. Isn't He supposed to be our standard?  When Jesus was persecuted to the point of death, he did not fight, he did not rage, he didn't even speak.  And yet his actions spoke volumes.

Here is a quote by Rick Warren that I think is excellent. “Our culture has accepted two huge lies: The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear them or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate."

I know I might get some flack for this post because it is controversial.  And please know that if you are reading this and you went to Chick-fil-A day, I don't think any less of you.  This is just what I have been convicted about as I read the news.

I'm going to end with a few verses that have been swimming through my head as I write this.



"A gentle answer turns away wrath,  but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1

"But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also."  Matthew 5:39

"Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:37-40

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Philippians 1:27

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:29-32

"If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." 1 John 4:20-21

"Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing."  1 Peter 3:8-12

"Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”  says the Lord."  Romans 12:19

^"What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside."  1 Corinthians 5:12-13

Child Trafficking in Ghana

In Ghana, approximately 7,000 kids are being trafficked to work for fishermen on Lake Volta.  Children as young as 5 years old.  Mercy Project is working to find long-term, sustainable solutions that equip the Ghanaians to find other means of making a living. They are set to rescue a group of children this fall.  The video below is a short documentary about what Mercy Project is doing.

It breaks my heart to see these beautiful children away from their families, forced into slavery, with no childhood, no schooling, and no way out.  Please pray for the kids and for groups like Mercy Project to be successful in bringing a new way of life to Ghana.  Here is their Website if you want to learn more.  http://mercyproject.net/

A few things

This week I have been doing a diet of mostly fruits and veggies with a little dairy and a little chicken.  I had been going out to eat a lot and eating pretty badly, so thought it would be a good cleanse.  It's actually not too bad, and as long as I get some protein I feel pretty good.  I have noticed that it takes less for me to be full, which is good.  But boy do I miss carbs! I have decided that it would be harder for me to be gluten-free than to be vegetarian.  I'm dreaming of some cheesy pasta and breadsticks.


I just watched High Society which is a musical from 1956 starring Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, and Louis Armstrong.  I love Bing Crosby!  And I also love old movies with the hairstyles and clothes and those funny half American, half British accents.  I wonder if people actually used to talk like that.

Probably the biggest recent news is that I got a job!  Starting in about a week, I'm going to be taking care of a 2-month-old baby girl four days a week.  I'm pretty excited about this because it meets all my requirements for a job: it is something I will enjoy first and foremost, it is part time but enough to keep me busy, and it pays enough to make it worthwhile for me. 

And finally, we are starting to think about moving!  In less than a month, we will say adios to apartment living and hello to our new townhome.  I've been collecting inspirational design photos on Pinterest and figuring out how I want to decorate each room.  I can't wait!

That is what is going on with me lately, how about you?

Day 5: Books From My Childhood

I saved the best for last!  Reading has always been my thing, but when I was a kid, I read even more voraciously than I do now.  Books were my friends.   I have such a fondness for those books that I loved when I was a kid, and I can't wait to share them one day with my own children. 

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.  I read the entire series (8 books) over and over growing up.  I also own and love the movies with Megan Follows; the original two, not that third one they made that doesn't follow any of the books.  Who doesn't like spirited, hilarious Anne with all of her adventures and misfortunes?  Plus, she had red hair, so that was always a plus.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.  My mom read all of the books in this series aloud to us.  Since then I have read them over and over.  My favorite is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, followed by The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.  I took a whole class on C.S. Lewis in college because of my love for this series.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.  Proper Meg, creative Jo, sweet Beth, impish Amy, and fun Laurie are characters that stick with you.  I loved everything by Alcott, but this most famous book of hers was always my favorite.

The Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  This was another series that my parents read aloud to us.  Laura's world was so different from mine, and it intrigued me.

Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene.  I had to mention this series because it was a favorite of mine, despite the fact that all the stories were basically the same with a few minor differences to distinguish them.  I've always enjoyed mysteries.  I used to take two Nancy Drew books with me to bed on a Friday night, read one before I went to sleep, and wake up the next morning and read the second before I got out of bed.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine.  I must have read this book five times somewhere around middle school/early highschool.  It's a fun and whimsical retelling of the Cinderella story, complete with a handsome Prince Charming, ogres, giants, and magical spells.

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare.  I loved this book set in first-century Judea at the time of Jesus.  It had adventure and a little appropriate romance, and a great historical setting.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein.  My grandma used to read these aloud to us while we giggled at the pictures.  Silverstein is a delightful children's poet.  I still have some of the poems memorized and I even performed one in an English class one year.

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner.  I don't know how many of these I read, but there were a lot.  I always liked trying to solve the mystery along with the characters.

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald.  Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is a lady living in an upside-down house and she has a magical cure for every child's bad habit.  Each book is a collection of stories of how she cured bad habits, and the cures are whimsical and silly and funny.  Be prepared to giggle.

Because I can only include 10 books, I am leaving a lot off the list, but these were some of my very favorites in elementary and middle school.  These days, kids don't read as much, and that makes me very sad, because I want all little girls to fall in love with these books just like I did!

A Pillow Project

I have been trying to find new pillows for the couch for months now.  I wanted something green with a bold geometric print, but everything I found was either more than I am willing to spend ($30 per pillow, tops), or just didn't have the feel I wanted.  I even took home several different pillows from stores nearby and then returned them.  Nothing worked. 

But then I found this fabric shower curtain at Target.  It was exactly the color and pattern I was going for, but I don't really sew, and I definitely don't have a sewing machine even if I knew what I was doing.  Nevertheless, I took it home with me, hoping to magically transform it into pillow covers.

So, I did a little googling, and found this tutorial.  I love the internet, I don't know what people did without it! 

I didn't measure anything, I just cut the shower curtain in half and hoped that it would be the right dimensions.  It wasn't quite thick enough, so when I folded the sides over in the first step, it didn't quite cover the whole pillow.  But that didn't really matter since all that material on the sides and the knot easily covered over it.

About 30 minutes later, I ended up with this!

And it only cost me $20 (I already owned the pillows), which is way cheaper than buying two new throw pillows.  I'll have to admit, it did feel really weird cutting a brand-new shower curtain in half, but it worked!

The only thing I don't like about them is that they are a little bit "slouchy" and imperfect, and if you handle them roughly, the fabric could come off since they are just loosely knotted together.  But hey, if I wanted perfect, I'd spend $60 a pillow and buy the ones I wanted off the internet.  These add a whole new look to my living room, and I think they're pretty cute.

Thanks internet!

Day 4: Fiction

Fiction.  I love getting lost in a good story, and if it is compelling enough, I'll read for hours at a time.  However, I had a hard time compiling this list because a lot of my favorites are children's books, and I am covering those in tomorrow's list.  For some reason, I have a hard time with adult fiction.  It does not usually draw me in and keep me reading the way that young adult fiction does.  I'm not sure what that says about me!  And sadly, most of the adult books that are compelling are ruined by racy scenes that I have to skip over, or lots of cursing, both of which knock my enjoyment level way down.  Because of this, most of my favorites can be found in the Young Adult section at the library.  They might have some kissing and some gag-worthy dialogue, but other than that they are usually clean.  Also, most dystopian books are young adult, and I love anything dystopian.  It is just so interesting to think about what a future earth might be like.  So anyway, here is my list.

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.  This is one of my all-time favorite series.  Once you start reading them, be prepared to do nothing else until you are finished. 

The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  I love historical fiction that is well done, and this is very well done.  The movie was good as well, and stuck fairly well to the book.  It's hard to believe that there was such prejudice in this country only 60 years ago.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.  This book is a fictional retelling of the book of Hosea, and it will speak to you.  God's unconditional love for us is so amazing.  In the Bible, Hosea was told by God to marry a prostitute, so Redeeming Love has some adult content by necessity, but Rivers does a good job of it. 

Enclave by Ann Aguirre.  I really enjoyed this dystopian novel about an underground society.

The Face by Angela Hunt.  This book is a page turner about a girl who was born an orphan and deformed and grew up in a secure CIA facility. 

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.  Ok, I know this series has lots of controversy in the Christian world.  However, I have read the critiques and prayed about it, and my conscience is clear.  Rowling created a magical world with good fighting against evil.  My negative critique of this series (and this goes for a lot of youth books as well) is that they are marketed to young children, and I would not suggest reading it until highschool. 

The Redemption of Sarah Cain by Beverly Lewis.  I am not usually a huge fan of Christian fiction.  I've read a lot of it, and it always seems to be the same bad writing and weak plots.  However, Beverly Lewis is one of the better writers.  Plus, she writes about the Amish, and I have always been fascinated by them.  This is one of my favorites of hers.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman.  Another dystopian novel for young adults, this books focuses on a future America where unwanted or difficult children can be "unwound," a procedure that takes all their body parts and organs (including the brain) and transplants them into others, supposedly allowing them to live on in other people's bodies.  It's a little graphic, so again, not for kids.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer.  This is Stephenie Meyer's only adult novel, and I have to say it was much better written than the Twilight series.  And there are no vampires. 

Kiss by Ted Dekker.  Dekker writes in the Christian psychological thriller genre.  Shauna wakes up in a hospital bed missing 6 months of her memory, and everyone is blaming her for a car accident that injured her and killed her brother.  But something isn't right.  You might read this book in one day, it is a page turner!

Clearly I need to diversify my fiction choices, any suggestions?