The Week In Review

I thought I'd update y'all today on everything that got done - and everything that didn't.

I say what didn't get done because I had scheduled an electrician to come this week and change out the light fixture in my entryway, the one that is too high up for me to reach. We agreed on Thursday at 9:30 am, so I got up bright and early to be ready. Just as I was about to brush my teeth I got a text message: the electrician's daughter was sick, had been taken to the doctor, and was given a Covid test. Although the electrician had no symptoms, since they didn't have results yet he wisely decided to cancel all his appointments until they knew for sure. I haven't heard back from him, so I don't know if he'll be available this coming week. It's a reminder that, while I make plans, God decides what gets done and what doesn't.

A lot of studying was done this week. I was serving in children's ministry on Saturday so I had to study the lesson. This was week 3 of our ladies bible study so I had to prepare for that as well. We studied Matthew 25:1-13, the parable of the 10 virgins. And my son had his Astronomy final plus a research paper he had to turn in, and he asked me to help him study for that. He's done very well in the class thus far, but the final was a disappointment. The professor directed the class to a study guide which my son worked on, only to find out none of what was on the study guide was on the actual final. He ended up with a 68%, much lower than any of the quiz grades he's had. However, since all his other grades have been good, I think he will end up with either an A or at least a high B. Since this is just a gen-ed class I'm not concerned. It's still a good grade for what was a pretty difficult class, and he did it in 8 weeks so I'm proud of him.

Thursday was a day of unexpected stuff. Around 8:30 at night I got a call from my son-in-law. He was at a local gas station whenever his car battery died. Thankfully I have charger cables - though at first I couldn't remember where I'd put them (they were in my toolbox) - so E and I were able to get his battery jumped so he could get home. My daughter had been using his car to go to work because she needed new tires, and my son-in-law is currently working from home. Now this little predicament meant she couldn't take his car until he got a new battery, and she'd have to get her tires changed right away. I teasingly told them it's a good thing I live nearby. I was able to pick them up and/or drop them off at Pep Boys so they could get their vehicles taken care of.   

When my daughter's car was ready she asked if I'd go with her to TJ Maxx to look for some bathroom decor. She and my son-in-law are remodeling their master bath and she wanted to look for some new towels and organizers. I can't say no to TJ Maxx; it's my favorite home decor store because I always find great decor at even greater prices. I'd mentioned before on my blog that I was thinking of upgrading my bedding, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money. I'd looked at Costco since they usually have some high quality affordable bedding, but I hadn't seen anything lately. Then I saw this at TJ Maxx:

And this is why I love this store! Y'all, this comforter is so soft and luxurious! It came with 2 standard sized pillow shams and the cost is $39.99. I could not believe it was so inexpensive! I couldn't wait to put it on my bed and see how it looked.

While I was at it I picked up some new pillows. The pillows I had were very soft, a little too soft for my liking. I picked up these extra firm pillows for $16.99 for a set of two. 

I tried several different options on my bed. This was the first idea I had.

I folded the current bedding, which is a mint green bedspread, and put it over the new comforter. I also used all the pillows I had on the bed previously and added pillows in the new pillow shams.

I then put the fall pumpkin pillow in front of it. I love that pillow so much, and it ties in all the fall colors that I've added to my bedroom, so I knew I wanted to incorporate it.

I liked the idea of keeping the bedspread folded onto the comforter, but I felt like it covered too much of it, so I folded the bedspread further. Now the comforter showed up more, and it looked like a fancy hotel. This was much better, but there was still something I wasn't feeling that I couldn't put my finger on. Yesterday I tried something else, and I think this is my favorite.

I took off the throw pillows with the teal design and left just the plain teal pillows along with the fall pillow, and I think it's just enough. I figured out that it was too many pillows and that was throwing me off. I feel like now it's just the right amount, and all the fall colors make me smile.

As my daughter looked at bathroom decor, I spotted something that was perfect for my own bathroom.

I knew I wanted to change my shower curtain. Not because I didn't like it; it's a very pretty and simple design, just what I like. But I had a bit of a mishap with the shower curtain and some Clorox cleaner.

I cannot even express how upset I was whenever I saw that I'd gotten Clorox cleaner on my new shower curtain! Thankfully it was at the bottom and it stayed covered by the bathroom vanity. Still, I knew it was there and I wanted to get a new shower curtain; I just didn't want to spend $25+. That's what this one had cost at Target (I had a gift card so it was free to me). The curtain I found at TJ Maxx had all the colors I love and it was only $14.99 - $10 cheaper than the one I already had but much nicer quality in my opinion.

The bathroom went from this:

To this:

It may not seem like a huge change, but to me it makes the bathroom seem brighter and more cheerful. I am so happy I found this shower curtain!

This week was also bittersweet for me personally. My oldest son R got married yesterday. In California. That's where his fiance has been living with her family. I wanted to be at his side on his special day. That had been the plan since they got engaged last year. Then coronavirus hit, and California has so many restrictions that it would have been a waste of time to travel all the way there and not be able to celebrate with him. So we stayed, and I cried. We love his new bride, my new daughter-in-law, and my one comfort is knowing she never wanted a big wedding to begin with, so she got her wish. But oh, how I wanted to be there! Still, I know God is in control, and He has gifted me another daughter, so I will rejoice in that. Welcome to the family AB!

That's my week's highlights. Looking forward to what God has in store for me next.

2019 - New Year, New Family Member

A new year brings new promises, new expectations, new trials. 2019 was no different. It was a year filled with so much change, I won't forget it anytime soon!

My daughter A had begun dating C in September 2017, around the time Hurricane Irma hit. Their relationship blossomed. They had the same interests, values, beliefs, sense of humor...he was everything she had prayed for, and she was exactly what he had hoped for. So it was no surprise when C came to me in early February to ask for my daughter's hand in marriage. It brought me great joy to know the man my daughter had fallen in love with would be her partner for life.

The proposal was so sweet. One of their first dates had been to one of those escape rooms, where you're given clues to go from one room to the next and have to "break out" in a specified amount of time (typically one hour). Neither had done one before, so they thought it would be something fun to try. Both had enjoyed it and especially enjoyed knowing they'd experienced for the first time together. C decided he would recreate that date which had been so special to them. So he arranged with the owners of the escape room to have one of the clues be a love letter he'd written for the occasion. March 1 he picked her up and they went on their normal Friday night date. When they entered the room, the employees were taping while my daughter picked up the "clue". Behind her C was on one knee, and when she turned around he popped the question, to which she quickly responded Yes! What a joyous blessing that day was!

Now, as we all know, dating is not addressed in the Bible. That's because in biblical times parents chose their children's spouses. Sometimes this worked out well; as parents, we all want what is best for our children, and we would hopefully pick wisely for them. Of course, if the parents were more concerned with their own interests and not those of their children, this method would fail. Today, young people choose for themselves who they will marry through the process of dating/courtship. Even though the process has changed, I believe we can still learn from Scripture the best way to go about dating, courtship, engagement and marriage.

The Bible teaches the importance of marriage vows. These are not to be callously broken. It is a lifelong commitment (Genesis 2:24). God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), He hates adultery, He hates immorality. He tells Christians not to look for a marriage partner outside of the faith (2 Corinthians 6:14). He spells out the roles of husbands and wives (Ephesians 5:22-33). All these things should be considered before committing to marriage, because there is nothing worse than living miserably married. Therefore, a courtship shouldn't be rushed. I've seen that people tend to show only their best side when dating, especially during the first year of dating/courtship. Each person is on their best behavior, watching their words and actions so as not to drive the other away. But when they've dated long enough, and become comfortable around each other, that's when the little "quirks" start to appear. Sometimes they're insignificant; no big deal, easily adapted to. Other times they're red flags that shouldn't be ignored. The person you marry has to be someone you respect, so ask yourself, "Do I respect this person? Do I see myself in a lifelong partnership with this person?" If the answer is no, run, don't walk. If the answer is I don't know, stop. Be wise. Talk to someone you trust. The person you are considering may be a nice person, a good person, but not the right person for you. Take your time and make the best decision.

Once you're certain that this is the person God has led you to, the person He has chosen for you to spend your life with, then what? I know people have different opinions on this point, but my belief is that, while dating and courtship shouldn't last less than a year, engagements should be short. Why? For starters, we do not want to give the devil an opportunity to use us (Ephesians 4:27). It's easy to fall into temptation when emotions are running high. Secondly, Scripture teaches us how highly God views engagements. When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant with Jesus, the Bible tells us he was going to secretly divorce her (Matthew 1:19). Yet, they weren't married. But in God's eyes, an engagement is as serious as marriage, and should not be defiled. If you're absolutely sure this is the spouse for you, I believe the sooner you get married the better.

Now, I realize that weddings take time to organize - if it's a big wedding. However, that doesn't have to be the case. My daughter and her fiance got engaged March 1 and were married June 21, just 2 1/2 months later. They chose to have a small wedding for two reasons: first, they wanted to cash flow the wedding, meaning no credit card or any other type of debt would be incurred with their nuptials. Second, they had a budget for the wedding and the honeymoon, and they wanted to spend more on the honeymoon. I appreciated and approved of this decision. While I love weddings as much as the next person, the truth is it's only a few hours and then it's over and the real thing begins. The honeymoon, the time when life as husband and wife begins, is much more important. So while the wedding was a small event of only 50 guests, the honeymoon was a Mediterranean cruise that took them to Spain, Italy, Monaco, and several other places, and that time is precious to them.

I am so happy and so very thankful that 2019 gave me a new son. We love C to the moon and back! I can say with confidence that he's everything this mama prayed for. Ah, but the changes had only begun! There was more, much more to come.