The Next Step

Hi Friends, I just wanted to check in with you and let you know that I have an appointment with the Cardiologist here in town that does the CTO Procedure. The Chronic Total Occlusion Procedure is done to open up arteries that have been occluded and are nonfunctioning. It's something relatively new on the horizon of Cardiac Intervention and Care. I had tests earlier in the month to see if my heart was functioning well enough to attempt the semi-sort-of-surgical procedure. It's been a long month, people. I'm trying to stay positive, and really I can't do otherwise. God won't let me get too down or have too big of a pity-party. 

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The alternative to trusting God over this doesn't work for me. I can gripe and complain, but then He lifts me back up and out of the dark place it's so easy to go. A few of you in the comments from my last post said they felt guilty for complaining about lesser problems and illnesses. But let me tell you...it's all relevant. every. single. trial we go through matters and if they're in your life and causing you worry, grief, and pain they each are known by The Father. He sees us and loves us and will deliver us. I could quote a whole boat load of scripture here, but I'm going to tell you that that is the TRUTH. I have Faith that God STILL has a good plan for my life and I'm believing that He will get me through this.

I'm a CNN Junkie, and I have to tell you I've been so grieved over the death of Prince. Not because I'm a huge fan,(although some of his music was captivating and brilliant) but because it grieves me to see men and women in their 50's and 60's that have so many hopes, dreams, and plans still to be fulfilled, die so suddenly. He was just a few years younger than me. He was a genius, and thought by many people to have been anointed by God as a child. He gave in to all the "showbusiness" junk when he was young, but had had a "come to Jesus meeting" and evidently had changed his life. I don't know what caused his death; some hint at a prescription drug problem brought on by chronic pain. (I totally understand Chronic Pain, it can eat you up and ruin your life) But friends, our bodies and our lives are so very fragile. Life can be over in a moment. Please ask yourself if you would be ready for that day if it were today. 

If you have questions about the CTO procedure, just type in CTO Heart Surgery and you'll get tons of info to check out. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers more than you can know. I'll let you know what I find out after the consultation. 

Love you all...

Debra

Is it Easter or Resurrection Sunday?

I'm going to be honest with you, last night I sat down to edit a few pics I had taken of my entry console that I had decorated for Easter, but I just couldn't. I still haven't found all my boxes of Holiday decor, one of those being some Easter things that I've used in the past. So, I just put out a few cute vintage Easter cards with baby chicks on them, a vintage bunny photo print, and called it "done". Happy Easter...

But that was my problem...

Looking forward...

If you happened to read my post "2013: The Year in Review", you know I had some news about what's coming early in the New Year. If you didn't catch it then, here goes...

One thing I've learned in my Spiritual walk is not to spend too much time revisiting the past. God keeps us continually growing and moving. Maybe not always in the physical sense, but allowing Him to change and challenge us, is part of His plan for our life. He always has a plan that is for the "good"; sometimes it's hard to see exactly how that works, especially if we are hanging on too tightly to the past. So I'm looking forward, and not focusing on the past, except to take some wonderful memories, and times of blessing with me.

My husband and I have known for at least two years that there would come a day when we would need to downsize and be in a more manageable home. We live in a wooded area and have a pool, both of which need to have a young family to take care of the maintenance. My husband is thinking about retirement and this is not the place to do that. 

So after months of prayer and waiting we've taken the first step toward our goals and have leased a smaller house so that we can move in and get settled, then take the time to have some updates made to this house before we put it on the market. We need to lighten up and thin out our load of "stuff". I'm actually excited to be in a place where I don't have to yell at my husband to find him, and that I don't have to spend all day watering flowers and shrubs in the heat of the summer.

(Aren't these plaid tea towels adorable?

 My mom made these for me for Christmas with her new Monogram machine.) 

Now comes the part that I don't like even a little bit,

and that's the sorting and purging and packing.

(I mentioned earlier that I ordered 80 Paperwhite bulbs this year, so it's kind of a sea of Paperwhites around here. The ones below are planted in recycled candle jars. This is one of my problems...I hate to throw perfectly good "things" away, when there might be a way to reuse them later.)

This year will be a year of change, and right now we are heading for the first move. Hopefully, after this house sells we'll be able to start thinking about buying another home or building one. As much as I love the character of an older home, my husband and I both know we want and need new construction. I grew up in a 1840's farmhouse and it was cold and hot and unpredictable at best. 

We can't see the "big picture" here, except to know that God has called us out of this place and is asking us to be ready to move forward with whatever he asks us to do. Being "available" to God is what I've always been about. I don't want to miss out on the good plan for our future in any way. If it looks a little scary and overwhelming, then I'm trusting God to give us daily direction and wisdom. He sees the big picture so to speak, when I can only see what's right in front of me.

I'm still planning on blogging, but it may change up just a little. I had to crop out boxes and packing materials just to get these photos today. I'll keep you updated on how things are going, and you may even see some of the day-to-day work going on around here. Can you stand wading through cabinets filled with vintage decor and sorting my stash of magazines? My posts may be shorter, but you'll be with me through it all. As I said in the Review post, I consider this more of a "lifestyle" blog than a decor blog. It may not be all pretty pictures, but it will be "real life"...and right now I need to stay connected with you all through this blog. Hope you'll stick with me while we take on this new year of change, and blessing. 

sharing at:

French Country Cottage

Rooted in Thyme

Shabby Art Boutique

The Charm of Home

Wishing all of you a wonderful New Year.

love y'all bunches,

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Sentiments

I hope you're having a glorious Mother's Day,

and that you've had the opportunity to have spent time with your children.

Last night as we were having dinner with our younger daughter and her husband, in between laughter and our usual lighthearted conversation, memories of her childhood came forth. We reminisced about her youth, and ultimately landed on "parenting skill" differences between my husband's and my generation, to the current trends in parenting.

Parenting is one of the most difficult tasks that God puts before us, and most of us have had to learn as we go. When I had my girls, I was almost 23 and then 27, but unfortunately I had no skill set, nor my husband, on how to do the appropriate job. There weren't any classes to be found at our local church, no internet help videos, few books, and no support groups. As young adults we had to fend for ourselves. As much as we love our own parents, they weren't always any more gifted with wisdom for parenting than we were. Not that we came from "dysfunctional" families, but when it gets down to it, I think most families have their own bouts with dysfunction.

I've made many mistakes with our girls, but thankfully they love me in spite of my faults and lack of knowledge. They were both adults when I finally allowed God to truly lead and transform my thinking in life.

You know the old phrase from that famous movie, "Love means never having to say you're sorry"...well, for lack of a better description, it's a total lie.

Sometimes we have difficulty in putting ourselves in our children's "shoes". We lack sensitivity and insight into their precious mind's and heart's, and in our own frustration and lack of understanding we can make choices that are hurtful and damaging...without our knowing it. One thing God impressed upon me heavily was to be able to admit to my children my own mistakes, and to ask for their forgiveness for ways they might not have felt justified or have been hurt. Their "perception" of circumstances might be very different from our own as parents, but just as valid.

Saying "I'm sorry", has a way of mending broken relationships, and is a good first step to open dialogues, no matter how old your children may be. My husband and I come from a generation where punishment was sometimes physically harsh, and fostered negative feelings for years. Sometimes, an "I love you", needs to be accompanied with the words, "and if I've hurt you in any way, I'm sorry."

That's one of God's great desires for families; that we have relationship with our children and parents, and that we always take the time and effort to see things from their perspectives. The ability to be open and honest with our children is just as important as honesty between spouses. Asking God for His daily leading and guidance can make for better parenting skills and happier families.

If there are voids in your relationships with your children, for whatever reason, I know that God can heal all wounds and hurts. Our Heavenly Father is the best parent we can have. If you as adults, have fractures in your family I'm just reminding you, that God can heal those hurts, and make things right. Even if the other person is unreachable. God has powerful ways to love us, and His love conquers all.

 Our two precious daughters...

love them so much.

Sharing at these parties:

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Just sharing a little from my heart today and

sending love and Mother's Day blessings,

The "Perfect" Easter

Amid all the rabbits, colored eggs, budding flowers, and fun that Easter brings to mind, I didn't want to let this time pass without celebrating the real meaning of Easter, also referred to as Resurrection Sunday. I have a few vintage pieces that bring that true celebration not only to mind, but fully to our hearts.

This glass image and mirror piece is one of a few that I have collected that have a religious theme. It was manufactured by The Vernon Company from around the early 1900's and may have been a "promotional" item. I have others that I think were parts of calenders, funeral home advertisements, thermometers, and insurance company ads...but this is my favorite; Jesus as a young boy holding the Passover Lamb.

I've had a soft spot for lambs and sheep for many years. Their innocent and trusting faces can melt my heart and bring me to tears. It always distressed me to think about the sacrificing of lambs in the Old Testament scriptures. I know that in the Hebrew traditions and scripturally there is reason and symbolism for the choice of the lamb. It had to be perfect, without spot or blemish; innocent. Our sin has been paid for by the only One who is without sin, spot or blemish. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, otherwise we could not hope to have relationship with God.

One of my sweet sheep

I remade this cross two years ago, after retrieving it from the gravesite of my father-in-law. We went back a few days after the funeral, when all the flowers were wilting, and I couldn't leave it behind. I removed the spent blooms and saved it till Easter, when I covered it in moss and added the faux lilies and ivy. When I brought it back out this Easter Season, I was again so glad that I will have the opportunity for that remembrance each year.

On the Dining Room buffet I have another of the glass images,

 this time of the Last Supper. 

This is a header that I commissioned a year or so ago and have never used. When I started this blog my headers were of sheep for the first six months or so. Not just because I love sheep, but that God gave me the title to my blog many years ago in a dream. (long before I even knew what a blog was) Do you have dreams that you know in your heart were God's way of communicating with you? He said "come into the Common Ground".
In New Testament times each village had a piece of communal property that was the "sheep pen". It says that each sheep knew his master's voice and would not leave with another person. So in naming this blog Common Ground, God impressed upon me that it should be a place of gathering, common interests, sharing, and interaction with a mutual purpose.

I hope that if you are reading this that you will be blessed this Resurrection Sunday with gratitude, humility, peace, and a renewed spirit...and that you might know the great Love that is ours through a relationship with Jesus Christ...the perfect sacrifice.

The Year that was...2012

I always love putting up the new calender and exchanging it for the old. Fresh and clean with no pen marks, red lettering, strike thrus, or smudges. A blank slate for optimism, hope, and a fresh start. Looking back on the past year is requisite; something that we inevitably do in life. It's a time to reflect on our accomplishments, things that have changed and evolved, but also a time to see where we are heading and taking inventory of our own personal lives.

A header that I made but never used, 

this image just speaks volumes to me about life.

Hallway bath repaint in late January and February.

A start on lightening up my walls and surroundings.

Looking back on this last year I didn't feel like I had accomplished very much. This has been one of those years that even though there have been many good things, over all it's one I would rather not have had to walk through. My New Year's wish, instead of resolutions, is always said with a hopeful and optimistic prayer, that this next year will be a better one than the last...

realistically, that doesn't always happen.

Immediately after the bath refresh came the Living Room RePaint.

What a huge difference in my daily frame of mind.

There's just something about a clean white wall

that visually and emotionally "lightens the load".

Within a week I was on to the Master Bedroom,

and my quest for the perfect shade of "greige".

I had realized that the darker colors I had loved 9 years ago were causing me to feel overpowered and claustrophobic. Sort of like the walls were closing in on me. It all had to go and this was the last bastion of dark and "heavy".

I still wake up everyday feeling the freshness of this change.

With the old darker color I was getting tired of all the dark wood,

 but once the paint was changed, I looked at it differently.

The bedroom RePaint ended the major projects of last year.

It was late Spring when my world needed to refocus.

(a few small projects like the trompe l'oeil print on canvas)

My new slipcovers for the Dining Room chairs were a huge success.

They got to put on a new "dress".

Joy, oh Joy!!!

and then the Dining Room became my "happy place".

June brought one of the highlights of my year;

getting to spend a week with this gal.

and then heading up to St. Louis 

to share a weekend with Elizabeth Maxson,

our dear and precious mutual friend.

After this trip, projects became few and far between,

but I managed to play a little with some fun Fall decor.

My favorite time of the year;

but then I've said that a gazillion times.

But this next photo sums it all up...

this guy.

I haven't talked about it too much here on this blog, but he's the center of my life. God has placed him there to love, trust, and to take care of me. I like to say that my hubby is the "pole" to my "tether ball". I may be hit and bounce around every which direction, but my guy is always the stable, unmoving, center of my life. Ten years ago I had 3 massive heart attacks and almost died. After that, our lives changed. We both had a wake up call to the important things in life...like waking up every day with those that you love still here. But this year he was the one with health challenges and I was the one that had to be strong for him. He was the one feeling like he was walking on quicksand...and I had to be the one that was immovable and unshakable. 

Without God as my strength, we would have been flailing. 

For several years he'd been having occasional attacks of vertigo, then they started becoming an everyday occurrence that changed everything. He's just never been "sick". Oh, you know occasionally a bout with the flu, but nothing serious. Last summer started a journey to not give up, but to seek God for guidance in a place of uncertainty. Tests, doctors, more tests, more doctors...I know that many of you have been through something similar. If it's not you or your husband, it's our kids or loved ones. It takes everything out of you, but then with God's help, He fills you up with His Spirit, His outlook, His Word. 

Fast forward six months and we've been seeing a specialist in St. Louis for Meniere's Disease. It's a tough one, with no cure (they say). We had no help in our area, only a fatalistic litany of defeat for the future. But we were not going to roll over and play dead with this...we faced it head on and now we are seeing positive results. He's not over it, but he's improving significantly. 

So many of you out there know people that are dealing with this life changing condition. The first thing we did was radically change our diet. no salt. Actually, we had to rethink our whole outlook on eating and how inevitably it defines our health, and then eventually, our life. Meniere's is basically the inner ear deteriorating to the point that fluid cannot be regulated so you feel dizzy, nauseated, like your head is under water (filled with water) and dreadful...most of the time. Can't drive, can't eat, can't walk with confidence...can't think straight. OK, I won't dwell on this, but let me tell you there are options out there that work. You don't have to live with this...it CAN get better. 

As with any illness, or life changing circumstance we've learned that there IS hope. God has a good plan for our lives and He has answers that no man does. not doctors, not ourselves, not our friends...He's the one with the way to make things change.

So if you thought that my posts had changed, well, they had. I had changed. I am changed. Walking through something life altering has a way of changing a person. Hopefully, for the better, but still changed. My Bible Study blog went on "hold", because I couldn't concentrate on much other than getting through each day with my husband. Encouraging him became my priority. But as I said earlier, what I lacked in output, I gained with God's "input". If we let circumstances defeat us, there is no "lesson". I want to learn all the lessons I can from God. Don't ever go through a "problem" without seeking God for something deeper to be given you.

I know this has been long, but now seemed like the time to share it all. If I haven't commented, please know that I haven't meant to slight any of you, there have just been days that I didn't have it in me. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I love you all; you have become such a big part of my life. I'm still here, just different. But still believing for a better year.

My prayer for each of you this year

 is for you to stay strong, seek God, love without limits.