Whitney and me at her wedding


This past summer, Lauren moved out of our home and into her own. Deanna remodeled our main bathroom while I was in Peru. She, with minimal help, hung a new lighting fixture, textured the walls, and repainted nearly everything that would hold paint. It looks amazing!

This past weekend, we finally decided to tackle Lauren's old bedroom. Next will be Deanna's scrappin' room (third bedroom).

The walls were scarred from sticky-tac that clung a bit too tight. It had been used to hang posters and pictures. Nearly everywhere a picture had hung, it was evident.
We took down curtains and an old fabric covered window treatment left for us by the previous owners. In it's day, I imagine it was expensive. Today, it "one man's trash"... We began by spackling, then sanding, then respackling.

Once we had things smoothed and the scars "healed," we began to paint. A trip a few hours before to the hardware store found us picking two colors of paint. A warm caramel color and a lighter cream. We began to lather these tints over the once white walls.

It was an amazing transformation. The room warmed and inspired us both. Three walls accepted two coats of the darker hue, and the fourth wall received the lighter.

When we finished, we decided that the former accents needed to go, and we began to compile new ones. Most of these new treatments were made up from items we had brought back from our mission trips. Tonight, we will adorn the room with the new decorations.

There is one remaining problem.

Somewhere back in the 80's when it was popular, new carpet was installed in this room and the third bedroom. I was good carpet in it's day. Unfortunately, the color doesn't match anything in the room. The 80's were famous for 'wedgewood blue' and 'dusty rose.'

Former owners decided pink was a good color. Calling it 'dusty rose' makes it sound better, but it's still pink.

We decided ahead of time that we wanted to paint before we replaced the carpet so we wouldn't worry about spilling or dripping. Well, we didn't spill or drip enough for my taste...covering up dusty rose is not a bad thing to me.

We'll replace the carpet soon. For now, we pulled out a double wedding ring quilt, handcrafted by Deanna's mother, that tries to tie the awkward colors of warm caramel and PINK, together. It'll do for now.

When my own life was overhauled or reworked it happened in a similar fashion. Christ came in, not when I was ready, but when He let me know it was time and I yielded. When He did, all the former decorations came down...the obvious things that needed to go, went.

However, there were other things that seemed less obvious. Over time, these things also needed to be laid down. To be truthful, it is a constant process. I am still being shown things that are ugly that need to be eliminated.

The ugliness from the past that was most visible, went first. Then, when the time was right, His Holy Spirit revealed additional areas that need to go.

Walking with Him is more than whitewashing walls and putting on appearances. It is about total surrender. When we yield completely, others see Jesus when they look at us. When we hold on to control, others see us when they look our way.

I want people to see Jesus, not me.

I have a long way to go, but the journey has been amazing! It is worth it.

dad