new life in Christ

 

Laura at Heavenly Homemakers encouraged her blogging readers to share their testimonies.  I'm a little behind joining her 'carnival' but here it is, in three million words or less...

I grew up in a very moral and religious family -- I remember sitting in the first or second pew of our church every Sunday.  I was always in Sunday School and VBS or other activities -- in junior high I even started helping and then teaching in VBS with the 2- and 3-year-olds -- not very deep theology needed  ;-)  I knew the story of the Good Samaritan among others I suppose (it's a long time ago now), but it wasn't personal.  And I'm pretty sure the 'total depravity of man' was quite overlooked... I think I was in the 'Do the best YOU can, and hope God likes you' belief system... the Protestant Work Ethic applied to salvation  (not good).  I almost had a close encounter with Christ one summer at Bible camp -- I don't think I really understood what I was doing (or attempting to believe) when I prayed with my counselor.  It might have been 1977, so I was probably about 12 years old -- old enough to have understood, but I think it was a case of the blind leading the blind. 

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God...

For confirmation class, I must have memorized a lot.  I mostly enjoyed the social aspect of the class -- our motto:  An Occasion for Every Party (not just a party for every occasion, if you can see the difference - you have to think like a 14 year old) -- that just meant cookies or cake, etc., but having treats was much more fun than memorizing the ten commandments.  Somewhere along the way I learned Ephesians 2:8, but I didn't really understand the passage until ~1989, when I saw that God had GIVEN me the very FAITH to believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior!

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

But, for another ten years or so, I was still wandering on my own and wondering about those Big Questions of Life:  Who am I?  Where am I going?  (notice there's no reference to God in those popular graduation card questions)  I remember notebooking my way through high school (meaning I filled spiral notebooks with the lyrics to my favorite songs... or about every song I knew from the radio and my own record collection... and attempted to record profound thoughts out of my own head, too -- ha -- even attempting some poetry).  I remember recording my distorted view of Creation, trying to meld my Darwinian biology textbook with what I remembered from Genesis. Confusion?!

By the time I reached college, I determined I didn't want to feel like a hypocrite any longer.  It didn't seem to matter to anyone what I did on Saturday night if I was in church on Sunday morning (and I obviously thought that it should).  So the simple conclusion was to skip the church part, and I could just be me every day of the week.  I'll let you use your own understanding of typical state university student lifestyle.  I knew that I was not honoring my parents, but thought they didn't need to know anything about it.  (When I apologized years later, my mom still professed ignorance, but I chose not to convince her with the dirty details.)

Meanwhile, my best friend Marianne from schooldays had moved to Wisc to live with her aunt.  They took her to church, and her uncle led her to saving faith in Christ.  I visited her a few times. She witnessed to me repeatedly.  I remember telling her that I was sitting on the fence.  It sounded so good and so simple to just believe in Christ, but how could I know for sure?  She said I later told her that I couldn't become a born-again Christian when I was living with my friends (3 housemates who I enjoyed partying with).  She eventually married and moved to Chicago with her new husband.  And eventually I was living alone and not very happy with my life.  I called her on November 8, 1987, and we talked for ~2 hours (if I remember the phone bill correctly!)  After listening to my woes, she said to me in reference to trusting Christ, If not now, then when?!  And I yielded.   

Oh Happy Day!  :-)   

He that hath the Son hath life; 

and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

These things have I written unto you 

that believe on the name of the Son of God; 

that ye may know that ye have eternal life, 

and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.  

I John 5:12-13

I had the same life I guess, but I had new motivation to make better choices (still depending upon pulling myself up by the bootstraps a bit).  I couldn't believe how easy it was to change some things (Praise the Lord for His work!), but others took much longer (ie, my music...)  It was Christmas before I went to church, but I went pretty regularly after that to an E-Free nearby.  I even joined a singles Bible study group, which allowed me some new friends.  But as I studied my Bible, listened to Christian radio, visited Marianne who had moved back to Wisc... I knew that wasn't the church where I wanted to stay.  It also seemed a real struggle to live like a Christian in my hometown.  So in May 1989 I moved to Wisconsin and started attending the Baptist church my friends belonged to.  I wasn't baptized until August, but that was a blessed event as well -- obedience is a good thing!

And can it be that I should gain

An interest in the Savior's blood?

Died He for me, who caused His pain?

For me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love! how can it be

That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?

It still amazes me what Christ was willing to suffer, and what God purposed to accomplish in my life through Him.  I am so thankful for His grace upon grace... upon grace...

For when we were yet without strength, 

in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: 

yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  

But God commendeth his love toward us, 

in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6-8

hardness of heart

It seems every Sunday that I've been sitting in church listening to our pastor preach through Mark, I usually have the impulse to somehow share some of it with you.  But it's difficult to put it in a blog-sized nutshell.  So much better if you'd just go to the website and hope my friend LG has the sermons uploaded - and listen for yourself!  Even better if you could visit for the entire service in person, because there's always more to the message than just the sermon time...

AND, this is all building on our excellent Sunday school quarter - must have been last summer - seems like a decade ago, or just yesterday (Do I have early Alzheimers??)  It was primarily a video series by Bill Lawrence on Leading Like Our Lord (Servant Leadership, or by the end he calls it Slave Leadership) - the video series is called "Forming Davids for the 21st Century: From Discipleship to Leadership."   Definitely a DVD worth owning.

As a leader...
You must do what you cannot do with what you do not have for the rest of your life.

The Lord says,
I will do what I can do with what you do have through you for the rest of your life.

SO yesterday Pastor was still in Mark 6.  Jesus has sent them out to minister, and they have accomplished great things (oh, and taught some too).  Jesus has fed the 5000, but the disciples still don't get it.  Because of the hardness of their hearts - their unbelief. 
  

⁴⁵And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.⁴⁶And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.⁴⁷And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.⁴⁸And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.⁴⁹But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:⁵⁰For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.⁵¹And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.⁵²For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.   Mark 6:45-52

Pastor is a diligent student of the Word, and he is also blessed with a believable 'sanctified imagination.'  Perhaps the disciples thought their ministry in pairs was the Final Exam (see Mark 6:7-13, 30).  They came back to Jesus and gave glowing reports of what THEY had done (oh yeah, and taught).  So their best ministerial plan for the 5000+ hungry people listening to Jesus is to send them away before it gets dark; or would you have us spend 200 days wages to buy a nibble of bread for each one, Jesus?  No, this is The Final Exam:  YOU give them to eat.  Huh, what?!  GO!  See what you have.  Andrew returns with the big find of five barley loaves and two fish, smiling until he sees the eyes rolling in the other disciples' heads... Oh, well, what's that among so many?  

So Jesus uses the little that they have and HE feeds the 5000.  Twelve baskets left over.  Wow, what a great lunch program!  Sign me up.  Let's have this Man be our King now!

• Jesus responded to their Purpose (to make Him King now) with Prayer.  He pushed them off in a boat and went alone to pray, possibly requesting a strong wind?  Satan would have Jesus choose the Kingdom without the Cross, but that is not the will of the Father.
  
• He responded to their Strengths or skill set with a Storm.  The disciples are mostly fishermen who know how to sail the Sea of Galilee.  They can surely do this without God's help.
  
• He responded to their Straining at the oars by Showing them His glory.  Jesus is God.  He made the water, the waves, the wind -- and He's walking on the water, saying "I AM."
• He responded to their Terror with a little Talk:  "It is I; be not afraid."  I am God.  Will you trust Me?
  

  

O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?

 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.  

Psalm 89:8-9

As a friend posted on FB:  Are you expecting Christ to jump on board with your agenda? Or are you willing to submit to His? (ouch-that one hit a nerve this morning)

The Dreaded Leaders Disease:
Pursuing my interests in Jesus' name.
~Bill Lawrence

And finally, here's something from my inbox today - amazing how God speaks to me from multiple sources!

The world and the church do not need to see what we can do. They’ve seen what we can do. They need to see what only God can do.~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Last evening we looked at Peter's little faith that had him walking on the water...  And 'immediately the ship was at the land' - after Jesus came into the boat. '...and as many as touched him were made whole.'

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 

John 6:27

the kingdom of God

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; 

and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 6:33

After our Lord pointed His disciples to the birds of the air and lilies of the field, in order that they should be without worry about the necessities of life, He adds that we should never be anxious for the things that the Gentiles seek, for our heavenly Father knows that we need them.

...Our great business is to seek the kingdom of God...

...a timely morsel from George Muller on Faith

Handel's violin sonatas

I just put this CD on my Amazon wishlist.
I do like Handel.  And the violin.
Mr. Manze does him justice, imo  =)

Ahhhh.

(By the way, if you're a patron of the Ames Public Library, you can check it out when we're done... maybe after I place my Amazon order?)

wild winter weather

Above views are looking south as I was driving toward the new house, and then from inside the house toward the north.  (I think this was on Tuesday - we had similar freezing fog for several days.)

Building Crew #2 is now on the job!  Dan & Jason came Monday, and  - assisted by Tim and Marty - put up a few trusses.  =)  Tuesday I think they worked on adding overhangs to the endcaps/panels(?), such as, for the front of the garage roof -- I also think I need a speed course in construction lingo.

Monday was a great day also because I got NEW tires on our Suburban!!!  YaY!  (note: don't do this again on MLK Day since too many people have a holiday to get their own tires fixed...)
And a fresh haircut.  I felt like a new woman, I tell ya.

Tuesday the wood stove was finally delivered!

Tim's Tuesday was extremely long.  He and the boys spent a couple hours Tuesday night laying plastic on the floor, hoping for easier removal of, and protection from, the forecasted ice.  At midnight the doorbell rang - the newpaper drop guy was stuck in our driveway after leaving papers for our Computer Geek to deliver...

Wednesday we had an ice storm.- it woke me up about 6am.  Yesterday late afternoon, I finally went to the garage to talk to Tim, who I thought was there because the garage door opened.  While I was looking for him, it continued to open, then shut...  We have a button outside that was iced and must have been short-circuiting.  Crazy.  I was going to take pictures today, but didn't get it done.  Think icicles.  Everywhere.

All for now.  Back to my research on glaucoma.  Fun, fun, fun.  Rebuild Your Vision.  Mercola.  ...

one thing is needful

something from my inbox:

"Hello, my name is Martha, and I am troubled about many things." Do you think Martha needed a support group to help her recognize and define her problem? Jesus defined it very well when He said she was anxious and upset about many things. Before I am too hard on Martha, though, I must say that this homeschool mom is anxious and upset about many things too. I mean, I have that transcript to finish for this child, and that test to sign that child up for, and the library room to reserve for that meeting. Not to mention the boxes of things I still need to weed through and the children to be taken to field trips and dentist appointments. Oh yes, and what about the actual schooling in homeschooling, and who's watching the baby? Who's left to do it all? Of course, it's me again! I am tempted to say, like Martha, "Bid that man therefore that he help me!" Someone, anyone--give me a hand! And I can hear that patient voice of Jesus say to me, "Deborah, Deborah, you are careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful . . ." We desperately need to know what that "one thing" is, don't we? If what we are doing in all of our busyness and running around is not needful, then what is? If what we are doing is not eternally good and can be snatched from us, then what is it that is truly good and will not be taken from us? It is simply stopping to be with Christ Himself. It is making Him important enough to stop for. What else has been important enough to stop everything for--instead of Him? You see, He knows that we cannot rest until we are fed. If we sit and dine with Him first, then we can serve with the benefit of having been filled with the Bread of Heaven and have enough left over to distribute to those who are hungry around us. This is what they need too. They don't need one more assignment or one more place to go; they need the Bread of Heaven first...



...Are you working hard to be the perfect homeschool mom, the perfect hostess, the perfect friend, wife, mother . . .? Maybe it's time to make Christ important enough to stop all of that for and sit at His feet for a while; to hear Him; to understand that He is your Life; that He IS what is important in your life; to learn how to run to Him in your need; and to believe with all your heart that He is the Christ, the Son of God; and, oh yes, . . . He loves you.

Oh, how He loves you and me! . . . ~Deborah

Deborah Wuehler is the wife of Richard, homeschool mother of eight beautiful and challenging children, and the senior editor for The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.  dwuehler@thehomeschoolmagazine.com

and the house

...is not looking much different yet.  But today Tim and good friend Marty worked at putting a cap on the wall (I don't know professional jargon... maybe a sill?) -- something to attach roof trusses to... soon we hope... before it starts raining...

I think the piles under the tarps and snow will be wall studs... and the roof trusses are here waiting now too.

The Cattleman wanted to help this afternoon also -- so Tim put him to work with a shovel  :-)

 

These are the two stairwells... we are putting an entrance to the basement in the garage.

Today turned chillier than it has been this week, but we are thankful for the warmer weather that makes working outdoors all day much more doable.

Now, about that crane...

to do, or not to do

Not the work everyone else gave me to do;
not everything I thought I should do;
not everything there was to be done.

I'm almost intimidated by my blog after that last post!  How am I doing with keeping "First Things First"?  I'm still uncertain of what exactly is on my God-given To Do List, although there's plenty I do know He has put on my plate.

So, the 'brag' list of sorts:

• daily Bible reading
• monitoring/tutoring kids and schoolwork
• meals - supper is in the oven -- which is why I'm allowing myself to chat with you
• laundry - skipped today since the dirties were not delivered to the laundry room, but our Mt. Washmore is still a prairie-sized bunny hill - and easier for me to manage than skis  ;-)
  
• T-Tapp - twice this week {pat, pat!}

Areas to improve:

• sleep - hmm, not quite there yet on the 'early to bed, early to rise'  [confession: last week I stayed up watching 5 hours of Masterpiece Theater's Cranford online in one sitting  :o  ack!  but oh so fun.]
• prayer time is the other area so easy to neglect  :-(
• helping Tim (somehow -- I can't put roof trusses on the house or undo water damage to the plywood floor... or heal the sick calves -- See why I should be praying more?!)

More perceived needs:

• catch up the computer bookkeeping before it's time to file taxes :p (definitely not what I count as the most wonderful time of the year...)
• sewing - remember the pile of flannel for sweet baby blankets?  The pile of denim is at least as heavy and needs to become skirts and culottes for my girls.  Miss Artist and I are/were going to make several heat pad thingies as well... (actually SHE has kept up with schoolwork this month, so is making one THIS week!  yAy! for her)
  
• after chasing all over the house to remember (find where I've recorded) birth weights for all of our children, I'm reminded of the way-behind projects of baby books and photo albums
• not to mention all the cupboards, drawers, and closets that need a very thorough purging with hopes of better organization -- one of my life's goals (fantasies?) is "A place for everything and everything in its place"  ha ha ha....  

Well, Tim is home already.  Time to be an attentive wife - or at least let him use the computer.  =)
First, here's a peek at one of my Christmas gifts from him -- I'd better save some for tax season!

Ciao!

first things first

I have glorified thee on the earth:

I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

John 17:4

Not the work everyone else gave me to do;
not everything I thought I should do;
not everything there was to be done.

At each season of life, we need to stop and say, "Lord, what is your agenda for my life this day, this season?  What are your priorities for my life?"

There IS time in every 24 hour day to do everything that is on God's "to do" list for my life, for that day.  There's time in my lifetime to do everything God has assigned to me.

Are we being purposeful and intentional in the way that we spend our time?

God's order of what matters most:  spirit, soul, body.
We naturally tend to reverse the order.

{{...I am finally sharing my summary of First Things First, a series by Nancy Leigh DeMoss on Revive Our Hearts...most of this is directly quoted from the transcripts...}}

---P-R-I-O-R-I-T-I-E-S--- 

P = Pray

Pray for wisdom and strength to know and to do God's agenda.  Grace to deal with the inevitable pressures.

But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, 

that we should not trust in ourselves, 

but in God which raiseth the dead...

2 Corinthians 1:9

O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear;
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.

R = Review & Receive God's priorities for our lives

The Number One Priority is our relationship, our walk with God.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, 

and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  

Matthew 22:37

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; 

and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 6:33

And he [Christ] is the head of the body, the church: 

who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; 

that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Colossians 1:18

Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part...

Luke 10:42

Nancy's father had a motto, "No Bible reading, no breakfast."

Relationship with God means that I need to make time in His Word, time in prayer, time in meditation and time with God's people.  If I'm too busy to cultivate my relationship with God, then I'm too busy.  Something is wrong and something has to change.  Ask God to show you through His Word what is His job description for your life at this season of your life.

For me as a wife and mother, my Number Two Priority is my relationship with my husband.  My third priority is my household -that's my children and our home.  As these priorities are in place, then I can find time for outreach, for ministry to the poor and needy.  (See Proverbs 31 and Titus 2)


I = Inventory

Stop and think about what our priorities really are and what our schedule really is like.

Make a list of all current responsibilities.  Keep a time log for a week.  What you find may surprise you.  Evaluate each activity --
Does it contribute to, or help me fulfill, the priorities that God has established for my life and for our family?
Am I doing these things for the right reasons?

Is God pleased?

O = Order 

We want to learn to order our schedule and our activities according to God's priorities for our lives, for this season of our lives.  Determine what is really important, and then live your life accordingly.

If we don't make our priorities determine our schedule, then our schedule is going to determine our priorities.

Have you seen the illustration where you fill the jar with the big rocks first, then many of the smaller ones can find room as well.  If you put the small rocks in the jar first, you won't have room for all of the big ones.

Put the first things first.

Order my steps in thy word...

Psalm 119:133

R = Resist "the tyranny of the urgent"

In his little booklet by this title, Charles Hummel says that the problem isn't that we don't have enough time; it's really a problem of priorities.

"The important tasks rarely must be done today, or even this week, but urgent tasks call for instant action."

We need to learn to recognize the difference between what's urgent and what's important.

Are we busy?  Busyness is not a virtue.  The question is: Are we busy doing the important things?

We have to learn to discern which interruptions are from the Lord and which are not.

And I sent messengers unto them, saying, 

I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: 

why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

Nehemiah 6:3

I = Input

Get input from other people.  Did you ever stop to ask your husband to help you with your list of responsibilities, to help prioritize that list?  Be willing to listen to counsel, and to be accountable to others as they give input.


T = Take advantage of the time God gives you.

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Ephesians 5:15-21

Foolish people live for the moment without thinking about the future, but wise people are always making decisions in light of eternity.  Foolish people live for themselves, but wise people live for the glory of God and for others.

That doesn't mean we can never relax or have fun.  But when we are having recreation it should be intentional.  It should be for a purpose of a higher priority.  That's why you have to know - what is the season of life, and how can I take advantage of the moments God has given to me in that life?



I = Identify time robbers.

What are the time robbers that are sapping my energy, robbing my time, and keeping me from doing the truly important things in life?

Television, novels, catalogs, email, internet, telephone,... people, children's activities?
"What are God's priorities for our family?"

Bad attitudes - moodiness, complaining, whining, and an ungrateful spirit?

Ask God to help you approach your tasks with joy and in the fullness of His Holy Spirit.  You'll find that your day really does go further.

Plan your day, but then ask the Lord to direct and control those plans.  Learn to be discerning and wise.


E = Experience this season and this moment fully.

Whatever it's time to do right now, do it with all your heart.  Be focused; be all there.

Ask God as you're in whatever the season is to make you a woman of joy, a woman who is full of the Holy Spirit and who enters into whatever experience God has given you at that time.


S = Sabbaths

We need to take periodic time-outs - time to get refreshed, to regain perspective, to reflect, to evaluate where we are, to reprioritize as needed, to make adjustments in our schedules.

Regain your perspective on a daily basis, on a weekly basis, and periodically, throughout the year.

Being in the center of God's will is what is really refreshing.  So make sure that you are taking those moments here and there of sabbath rest, to stop and ponder what God is doing in your life and what He's saying to you.

S = Sensitive and Surrendered to the Spirit of God

Let God direct your day.  The Lord really can be trusted.  Trust Him in relation to the interruptions.  Trust Him in relation to the opportunities.  Yield yourself to Him.

Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.

May our lives testify to the peace and the order of the Christ who lives within us.  

May our lives bring glory to God.

***With all due credit to Nancy Leigh DeMoss ~ series titled "First Things First" from January 2007.***

aha moment

I'm still mulling over my kitchen dilemma.

This is the dreamy kitchen that inspired me. 

• Zone 1 = food prep
• Zone 2 = baking
• Zone 3 = cooking
• Zone 4 = cleanup

But if you look really close, you might see on the inset floorplan sketch that Maggie's kitchen measures 22x16.  That's just. plain. huge.  The article doesn't even show her pantry? or hutch? whatever is on the non-highlighted wall.  So while I knew that I couldn't recreate her kitchen, I wanted to learn from the Zone Idea.  The left-to-right made sense to my brain, and that's how we worked it out in our 'final' kitchen plan in September.

But now with the wall ovens idea looking much more appealing to me, I think I have to reverse my layout.

 
Tim says to put the frig on the stove wall, and the ovens/cooktop on the frig wall.  I need a new picture.

Aha!  What I really need is my driveway uncovered with snow, some warmer(!) weather, and our sidewalk chalk!

MSN Weather says it's 3 (three) degrees above zero here. 

I think I'll find the old pad of graph paper.  Otherwise I might have to stand on my head or something dangerous like that...

kitchen

This is an 'artistic interpretation' of how our kitchen might look... I don't have a color scheme dreamed up yet (my daughters have ideas of course), but I do know that I don't want dark countertops  =)  and appliances will be white, not $tainle$$ $teel.  And, of course, the perspective sort of skews how accurate this appears.  For example, the counter to the right of the stove is more like 18" wide if I remember correctly.  And there's about 12" between the stove and the corner.  So, this layout works with my basic 30" stove.  But my hubby is encouraging me to consider wall ovens, which means a cooktop as well.  Hmmmm, any kitchen designers out there??  ;-)  I like my cooking area on that wall, but need to work out if it will fit if we change appliances...  Since our local kitchen cabinet shop isn't open today, I'm asking you  =)   According to my math, with 30" wall ovens I have 30" left for the cooktop, which leaves no open countertop on that wall (other than the corner).  We don't want to put the cooktop in the island.  I was planning all my mixing and prep work for the refrigerator wall with the island available for rolling out/shaping bread/etc.  And the island would serve as a buffet when we have friends over.  (I have two mixers, grain mill, big blender, microwave (in upper cabinet) etc. that would live on the 'prep' counter -- unless I should put the cooktop there?  or the wall ovens?  Put the wall ovens on the sink wall (in the corner somehow?)   ugh.  I don't like coming up with a Plan B after the fact...

Mostly thinking out loud here -- but hoping someone might have a good idea for me!

Thanks for listening!  (Now for the lesson plans I've been avoiding...)

PS. Conny, I'm limited to free formats  =)

talk to me

Question of the Day:
What do you all think?  Good format change,  or not?

And, Happy New Year!

I haven't determined yet what limits I must impose on myself regarding this blog... but pretty sure that I need to reduce my time spent here.  I'm re-reading Nancy Leigh DeMoss's series on First Things First.  Hope to share something beyond the link, but that will have to do for now!  ;-)