Thanksgiving, Stewardship, and the Goodwill Dilemma

II Samuel 24:24  

And the king said unto Araunah, 

"Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: 

neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. 

So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

There is not a day that goes by that I do not look around and thank God for my home.

This is not really a new concept - I have always seen our homes as a gift.

God has always provided the right place at the right time in miraculous ways.

I have always been thankful for a place to practice homemaking ...

places to practice new skills...

places to adapt and change ...

from the one-bedroom apartment of a newlywed,

to a two-bedroom apartment on the Pacific Coast,

to a single-wide trailer for college families,

to another single-wide trailer right next door,

to a two-bedroom duplex in a town near enough to care for family,

to my own home ...

But ...

I have noticed as I clean and tidy and organize

that the "new" home inspires a greater desire to do a good job.

Again, it wasn't that I never cleaned my home or put my all into it,

but it seems that because this home cost more than a "pretty penny,"

I value it more.

We tend to value that which has a greater cost to us.

Have you noticed this as prices rise?

Do you think before you just hop in the car?

Do you contemplate before sticking the "non-essential" in the grocery cart?

Is it worth it?

David recognized this when it came time to offer sacrifices.

He wanted his sacrifice to have weight and value.

As I cleaned one morning,

I was ashamed that I don't see all of God's gifts as items of great value.

All His gifts deserve proper stewardship and care.

Thus the Goodwill Dilemma ...

... and a challenge to me and a word to the wise.

I love Goodwill when I have the time to search for great finds.

(Of course, some stores are nicer than others.)

It is fun to find the styles of yesterday on sale today.

It is fun to find "deals" on skirts, dresses, shirts, home decor, and housewares.

And yet, I have also observed the lack of care and stewardship that sometimes comes with the bargain purchase.

I have noticed families that purchase "bargains" so that there is no hardship when the children make a mess or when the children are rough with the purchase.

While I agree with that idea in theory, and there are definitely seasons where this makes sense, and it does help to provide training times for children with less stress,

in practice, the "bargain" also often causes the parent to fail to teach the value of clothing, toys, or furniture.

Because it costs next to nothing, the children can throw it, rip it, jump on it, or leave it in the yard.

And why is this a problem?

Because the children (or I for that matter) may not learn good principles of stewardship.

We do not learn how to care for what God has provided.

We may not see the difference between the "bargain" item and the item at another person's house that might have cost quite a bit more.

Good stewardship of the funds God provides may involve shopping at Goodwill or yard sales,

but it also involves taking care of the bargains that God sends our way through these means.

Beyond the Living Space

 One of our primary wishes in a home was a garage.

Yes, it is nice to protect the car, especially in an area prone to tornadoes and wild storms,

but it is also our place to exercise.

We have made it work inside various homes, but it often involves a lot of moving of furniture,

and has resulted in dented floors and sweat that must be cleaned off of everything.

One of the challenges of the garage is in not filling it so full that it cannot suit its intended purpose.

Right now it is also a workspace for finishing or refinishing furniture

(see the dresser in front of the shelves),

but it is primarily hubby's space and I have to keep my sentimental storage to a minimum.

We quickly realized that if we insulated the door a bit,

the garage would be better suited to workouts year-round

and would also keep temperatures down inside.

We have worked to keep things off of the floor.

Hubby recently made the mat holder above the weight rack for the wall

as well as a rack for many of the tools of a homeowner.

I am looking forward to digging out the mower again very soon.

One of the other areas that we recently "set up" - at least temporarily - is the patio.

We have big dreams for this area - but all in good time - we must stay focused on some big goals.

I love to see "life."

Life in plants,

life in birds,

life in butterflies,

and maybe in time some little kiddos may move in across the backyard.

I was not sure if the birds would find my little feeders,

but today I had 3 eating away

(2 on the sock and one up on the hook above).

Happy, happy, happy!

Will have to wait until spring to see if the patio lavender comes back 

after the move and a hard summer without adequate light while in the apartment.

The sod is doing well - 

we are no longer watering twice a day, or even once a day.

I am enjoying an extra hour or two in my day!

Babysitting Grass? Or The Mangy Mutt?

Not the best picture due to morning sun placement, but I am blogging while watering.

I've been a little MIA.

Last Friday, our sod arrived.

We no longer live on the red planet,

Or in a dry desert.

Of course, hubby says it looks like a mangy mutt,

Varying colors, directions, and seams.

Now we have grass and are trying to walk the fine line of keeping it watered, not burning it, and not flooding it.

So for 2-3 hours a day, I multitask and move sprinklers about.

We are supposed to have more rain next week, so that will help.

We are glad not to be tracking red clay anymore and can now think of pots of flowers or other landscaping ideas.

On the Beaten Path

 Since our marriage, we have often lived right off of the interstate.

In fact, most of the times we could see or hear the interstate from our home.

I-87 in NY, I-5 in WA, I-5 again in OR.

We were NOT on the beaten path in NC.

We are once again right off a major interstate.

Can you see the flag in this picture?

It is just above the shed in the middle.

This pic was taken from my kitchen window.

The flag is at a Camping World which is right on I-65.

Sometimes, though we have been on a major thoroughfare,

it has not been a thoroughfare that was well traveled by our friends and family.

(I'm speaking of you WA and OR!)

But - here - we are having our third niece/nephew visit tonight in just 5 months.

It is nice to be "on" the path this time.

And though our score is 0 for making up on lost time which we hope to rectify soon.

For the record of niece/nephew visits...

Niobe has 2

North Vernon has 1 1/2 (one stop through without coming in counts as 1/2)

Vestal has 0 (totally understandable because they travel the northern corridor rather than a southern corridor)

We are happy to add to your totals at any time!

You Deserve Another Pic

 Because it has been awhile ...

Here is the second guest room ...

And the guest bathroom.

All of the "guest quarters" are tucked in a little hallway at the front of the house.

And we used one room Wednesday and plan to use another (or the same one) this coming Tuesday.

In Sickness and Health

 Yesterday, we celebrated 20 years,

and today hubby practiced our vows.

I spent the day in the recliner with some random sickness

and hubby tended to his needs and mine.

As I lay there,

I practiced my "Thankful Thursday."

I am thankful that hubby can come home nearly every day for lunch.

I am thankful to be on the East Coast again and have already had visits from 4 family groups and are looking forward to another nephew next week!

I am thankful for a beautiful home and a husband to share it with.

I am thankful for healthy food on my table each day (and the unhealthy treats which show up occasionally).

I am thankful that I can trust God for His timing and His will in my life.

I am thankful that even in sickness today, I have more strength than many others.

I am thankful for all of the anniversary greetings that I received in the last couple of days.

I am thankful that my hubby is not helpless when I need to take a day to rest.

How?

 20 Years!

Years ago, we thought that we would return to Maine, the site of our honeymoon, for our anniversary,

but, I am content with a staycation in our new house.

It is hard to believe that 20 years have passed - 

unless I count houses, or miles, or jobs, or churches, or friends from coast to coast and now in other countries as missionaries.

We were delighted to have a visit from one of our nephews today.

He wasn't at our wedding - and yet he is headed off to college this year.

I guess that does show how time has moved along.

And I guess when you look at the pictures,

you can see how those "little kids" have aged a bit.

I am thankful for the man who cares for me each day.

I am thankful for the good days and the bad days that have changed us (hopefully for the better).

I am thankful for all of the friends along the way.

I am thankful for all of the places I have seen (and lived).

I am thankful that God provided the right one for me - in His time.

I am thankful for 20 years,

and though I hope for the return of Christ soon,

should He not return in the next 20 years,

I look forward to another 20 ...

and another 20 ...

and another 20...

Nearing Normalcy

 It seems as if our world has been upside down for a long time.

I guess since the cancer diagnosis in October 2021.

There were a lot of unknowns.

And even as plans began to unfold,

there was still the temporary.

Tonight, I sit in my garage ... Grilling supper.

It feels good and it feels normal.

I was able to clean through the whole house on Monday as usual without too many organizational decisions stalling me.

The laundry and ironing are current.

The boxes and drawers left to be contemplated are dwindling.

The stacks of paperwork that have been shuffled here and there are dissipating.

The last of the window coverings are enroute.

It feels good to be a homemaker again.

It is easy to compare ... To make excuses.

It is easy to downplay what God has called me to do.

It is a sin that I struggle with.

Recently it has been diminishing the value of my "little" house,

Or the work that my "little" house requires,

Or my "little" property and its responsibilities,

Or my peaceful work and workplace.

But it is my calling and it is the best work I can do right now.

More Order than Chaos

 Remember the picture from 2 weeks ago.

Things have changed.

Panorama picture distorted the line of pictures - they are straight - I promise

This is the smallest guestroom.

And this was the solution along with the front coat closet.

the bottom row has a sewing machine and patterns and supplies in a tote

1st and 4th shelf has small totes of seasonal decor

2nd row is music - piano, flute, voice

3rd row is books - kids and study books

and room for guest clothes on the rod

The mailing boxes contain Bibles and stuffed animals that a missionary friend will send to the Philippines.

The open, clear tote is books to go.

Probably something more needed on the walls

and the tray table/bedside table will be painted/refinished (because I just have to paint!).

And it has its sheer panels - but still waiting on cell blinds.

Good Help is Hard to Find

Of course, I have been doing quite a bit of shopping in order to settle the home.

Windows need to be covered - especially in a subdivision.

We have cell blinds on order and have worked on curtains for the windows.

I often order online in order to take advantage of online deals.

And of course, shipping to the store is cheaper and faster (usually).

2 weeks ago, I ordered 8 white, sheer panels.

I arrived at the store last Friday and opened my package.

The package contained 6 of the curtains that I ordered 

and 2 that were white and sheer, but that had grommets rather than a rod pocket.

So - they returned the 2 incorrect curtains and reordered the 2 that I wanted.

Yesterday, I went to pick up my 2 panels.

I opened my package.

I had one white, sheer curtain with rod pocket

AND

a red t-shirt?!?!

So, I returned the red t-shirt and ordered one white, sheer curtain.

Will it arrive next week?

We'll see.