Say the Name...

...of Jesus.

Our pastor preached on this topic Saturday night, emphasizing that the most important question we can ask ourselves is "Who is Jesus?" People love to talk about God but when the name of Jesus comes up, that really defines one's beliefs. In recent months, I have found myself calling out to Jesus more and running to the foot of the cross with my problems, so the sermon really hit home for me. Who is Jesus to me...and what do I do about it? How do I show other people who Jesus is?

Evidently it spoke to my mom as well. She had come to church with us then spent the night and as we talked over coffee Sunday morning, she shared that she had actually dreamed about saying the name of Jesus that night. We both felt like we were hearing the same message: there's POWER in the name of Jesus...and we need to say it more!

Sunday morning as we talked, this song came up and I looked it up on YouTube. The song is lovely and the slideshow is really powerful.

Check it out! I think you'll be glad you did!

I can't get the Youtube link to work, so try:

this link

Speaking of His name, here's "Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt Redman, another great one!

HERE

Baby Love

Motherhood has brought so many cliches to life for me. I've heard people say that when you have a second child, your heart doesn't divide, it doubles...or something like that. Cuz you really wonder, "How can I have enough love for a second when it feels like my heart will explode with love for my first??"

And yet I find myself thinking, "I don't remember having this much love with my first," and you really can't figure out where all this love comes from.
The beauty of the second time around is that you're a little more relaxed and can enjoy it even more, too!

I swear I can be miles away from this baby and still have the smell of him lingering in my nose. I dream about him. I feel displaced when he's not with me I wonder how I lived 31 years without him. I kiss him and smoosh him and snuggle into his neck...knowing now how quickly babyhood flies by.



I'm already thinking, "Oh, yeah, I'll do this again" because he's just growing up too fast. I will him to stop but I know it won't work.



It's scary, how quickly he's growing. He's four months old already!!



He even tried pears for the first time yesterday, after his doc gave the OK to start solids. He definitely liked them!





He's rolling all over the place, cooing and talking, he's drooling and laughing...he is a joy.

He plays with toys...



...and plays with his brother.



And he loves books!



He is such a good baby, a happy baby. He makes everyone smile. And they make him smile. It's a nice arrangement.

Lovely list

As part of her Living. Lovely series, Heidi over at
Mt. Hope Chronicles challenged us to come up with a "Lovely List" this week and I enjoyed coming up with a few things, writing them on pretty paper and posting them on my fridge. I'd like to fine-tune the list and paint it on canvas eventually but for now, this will do! I read through it every so often and it always makes me smile!

Reclaiming my guest room/craft room

I can hardly believe that it has been six years since my husband's sister moved in with us.

Now, she is not a random in-law. She and I were RAs in college and she was best friends with my roommate. She was the one, in fact, that introduced me to my husband, saying, "You two might hit it off." We were engaged three months to the day that we met. So, yeah, we like her.

My hubby and I lived in an apartment for our first year of marriage then lived with my folks for about a month while our home was finishing being built. We only lived in our new house for about two months before she moved in and she's been here ever since. She occupies the bedroom at the end of the hall near the garage and her stuff takes up space all over the house, even on the back porch. Her absence will leave a void in our hearts as well as in our home.

BUT...it's time. She's ready to leave and we're ready to send her away from the nest!

AND...I get my guest room back. YES!!!! My plan is to convert it into a guest room/craft room. My mother is very excited about having a dedicated guest room after sleeping in the living room on a futon for so long!

Even though she probably won't close on her house (which is only about 1/4 mile from our house) until the end of the month, you bet I'm already making plans for that room!

Have you ever had a dream where you find a room you didn't know about, like a second kitchen or another bedroom in your house?? It's going to be a lot like that.

My first project will be re-painting the room. When I saw this bird, I knew I wanted the colors to inspire my new room.



But before I could take my bird to Lowe's to choose paint chips, I had to deal with that my SIL had already done to the room. She is a creative gal and has painted the entire room with lamp posts, vines, trees...even a castle!





It reaches onto the ceiling and although it looks really cool, it's not what I had in mind for my new craft room/guest room, so the whole room will have to be painted over.

So, I started with an inspiration piece: this piece of artwork from

Joom on Etsy

I love these colors! Plus the two birds in the nest represent my two boys! :)



I have this favorite mug as well and realized that the colors will blend well with it, too.



And that, my friends, is my color scheme. Aqua, green and orange.



It just so happens that the aqua color (the middle one) is called "Serendipity," one of my all-time favorite words that means "Finding valuable things not sought for." I love that!!! I've often said that if I opened a shop or a bed and breakfast some day, I'd work "Serendipity" into the name. It was meant to be!



I'm thinking of the top color for the ceiling. Aaaaahhhhhh.

As for furnishings, I'm moving my craft table out of my Morning Room and into this room. It will fit well on the same wall as the door. I'd love to paint it green and cover the chairs in a fun, coordinatng fabric!



Above it, I picture simple shelves on brackets like these, to hold my crafting supplies.



Opposite to that, I envisioned this day bed from IKEA but it's not in their new catalog!!



So I'll have to come up with a plan B. We really only need a twin size bed in here since we rarely have couples stay with us. I pictured it dressed in white with a ton of fun pillows in my accent colors, including this one, also from Joom on Etsy.



Above the bed, I love these vinyl wall decals!



Beyond that it would depend on what else would fit as far as a bookcase or armchair. I've taken measurements but I have no spatial skills so I can't really work out the layout. That's where my hubby will come in handy!

So I will continue to gather ideas and inspiration for this room and see how my vision comes together over time. It will be fun! It will also open up a lot of room in my Morning Room, so that will be a whole other project! I'm so excited!

Fall Nesting Party

Brought to you by

The Inspired Room

Click on the above link for more FALL inspiration!

This is the only fall decorating I've done so far. This is in my Morning Room. I took down the spring/summer flowers and tried to mix in some nice fall textures.



I used some pinecones in the cheese server--kinda fun! And I liked how the pitcher and plate went together.

I forget sometimes that books can be used to add height--I need to aquire more neat books!!



I "shopped the house" for the orange candle and the reed infuser. It's like having new stuff! I left the bird stuff out because here, birds LOVE autumn!!



And now...

Here are my own 20 Little Things to Love About Autumn list:

1. Temperatures in the 80s. Yes, that's "fall weather" in Phoenix!
2. Our annual trip to the local farm for a train ride, corn maze and to pick a pumpkin.
2. November is "birthday month" (including mine, my mom's and my oldest son's) so the whole month is like one big party!
3. The smell of cinnamon simmering on the stove.
4. Crumb top apple pie.



5. My favorite colors to wear and decorate with: green, orange and red! This year, I plan to add some rich turquoise to the mix.
6. The church Fall Festival.
7. Putting my baby is an orange striped sleeper with a pumpkin hat!
8. Adding my cozy leaf-print throw to my favorite chair for cool mornings.



9. Picnics.
10. Trips to the park during daylight hours.
11. Football!!! Go, Gators!!
12. TEA! Yummy new flavors with cloves and cinnamon. This is the "tea station" I just set up in my dining area.



13. Going to the high country to see the leaves. We don't have leaves in the valley.
14. Thanksgiving. That's when I met my husband 8 years ago and every year, it's fun to see how our family has grown!
15. Decorating with pinecones and acorns.
16. Actually using a comforter or blanket on the bed!
17. Longer nights for reading and sleeping.
18. New plaid socks.
19. Chili in the crock pot.
20. Gathering ideas for holiday gifts.

Your Decorating Style

This is a fun quiz from Home Good's contributor, Deborah Needleman.

Take the quiz

HERE

Mine is COUNTRY ECLECTIC. And it's very accurate!!

"You have wide-ranging interests and influences and therefore appreciate a mix of styles, periods, and objects. You would never use a matching suite of furniture or could stand a home that seemed cookie-cutter. But you love the breezy, layered look of wonderfully personal beach houses and the happy florals of English cottages. Bringing the outdoors in makes you happy: a little chintz or ruffle or weathered furniture, urns filled with tennis rackets, colored glasses filled with cut flowers, vintage-looking, mixed tea cups, and all things that give a sense of a happy, simple life.

You value comfort. Your home is a warm and open friendly place, and you feel happiest when everyone is cared for and relaxed in your space. Elements like pillows, throws, overstuffed furniture, and good lighting set the mood. You may also enjoy layering different fabrics or mixing patterns to create a cozy effect."

When you take the quiz, you also get "putting your style to work" tips and "Your Happy Home Colors."

Take a moment and try it, it's fun!