Home decor

Fool-Proof Method For Hanging Pictures Straight

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picture hanging

 

Whenever I used to have a picture to hang that had two hooks – one on each end, I’d suffer through many nail holes in the wall trying to get it straight.  But I have a pretty much fool-proof method now that keeps me sane while hanging this type of picture or ornament on the wall.

Here’s how I do it:

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I put a piece of tape – scotch or masking will work fine – all the way across the picture from one hook to the other.  I mark the middle of each hook on the tape.

pic line

Then I take the tape off and put it on the wall where I want the picture to hang.  I get it as straight as my eye can tell, then I pull out the level and put it across the top of the tape and check to see if it’s crooked.

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I move the tape up or down, as necessary.  Now the piece of tape is straight and the marks where the nails go are clear.  I tap the nails into place and hang the picture!

 

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I hung this rack in my entry way this week and love it!  It was a clearance find at Hobby Lobby.  The regular price was $27.99 – I paid under $10 for it!  Woo Hoo!  I popped the little Hello sign on top for a little whimsy.  That was a $3 Target spot find.

Anyone else have trouble with getting things hung straight?  I hope this will keep you from making a dozen holes in your walls!

Stay refreshed,

Uncategorized · worry

Stop Focusing On the Lizards

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lizard 1

I hate snakes.  I hate them so much that I hate anything that looks like a snake, acts like a snake or moves like one – that would include worms!  I hate anything that is related to a snake – any reptile, like lizards.  Guess what beaches and warm weather attract?  You guessed it – lizards – the snakes even uglier cousin!

Last week while at the pool area on the first day, my chair was right next to the edge of the concrete.  On the other side of the concrete/fenced area were tall grasses and sand and…lizards!  I saw them zooming here and there, always in a hurry.  (I’m sure they were scurrying to scare other vacationers!)  I was okay with them being on that side of the fence, but when I saw one come under the fence and run over to the rocks in front of me, I thought I would die!!!  Those rocks were where I had to set my feet to get out of my chair!  Ahhhh!  My skin was crawling and I was squirming, filled with fear. I failed to mention that I was also squealing, but if you know me at all, you would have assumed that!

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In the meantime, my husband is happy as a clam in his chair.  He was watching the parisailers flying above the ocean, commenting about the beauty of the day.

Parisailers?  Where?  

What beauty?  

ALL I SEE ARE LIZARDS!!!

It was then that I realized I had to get a handle on this.  Here I was looking into the grasses waiting for a lizard (who, I’m assuming, would be more afraid of me…and he should be!)!  I decided then and there that I was going to stop looking for the lizards and keep my eyes upward.  I could slip my sandals on and avoid stepping on a lizard, should he be dumb enough to sun himself on a rock near me!

Guess what?  I never saw another one all week!  I know it’s not because they all left the beach, but my focus was turned from them.

Isn’t it so easy to get our focus on our worries and forget to look up and trust our heavenly Father?  We miss all He is doing.  We miss out on the beauty He was created around us.  We miss out on telling our family about God’s goodness – all because we’re focused on our “lizards.”  It’s what we talk about, dream about and look at.

What “lizards” do you have in your life?  Are you worried about a person?  A situation?  A need?  A health issue?  It’s important and even urgent that you stop worrying and start putting your eyes on the Lord.  Why?  Because

Focusing on Christ instead of the anxiety at hand
has the capability to change
your situation, your attitude and your influence!

  • Your situation – God is omnipotent.  You cannot change the situation, but He is able to do so!  Have faith and trust Him to do what only He can do!
  • Your attitude – When you focus on Christ, He replaces your paralysis with peace, your jitters with joy and your moaning with mirth!
  • Your influence –  People enjoy being with someone who trusts instead of tremors!  Who wants to be with someone who’s always screaming about their “lizards?!”  What worrier do you long to be with so they can go on and on about their woes?  I’m sure my husband was glad when I let the lizards go and started enjoying the fun he was having. We will only have a powerful influence in others’ lives if we are triumphing over worry!

God is bigger than our “lizards,” so enjoy your day!

Lovingly,

 

 

Uncategorized

Some Favorite Vacation Photos

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I took LOTS of pictures during our recent vacation.  But I thought I share a small snippet with you today – some of my favorite shots and remembrances from our days at the beach. From top row to the right I’ll give a brief description.

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  1. Sitting at the lazy river area with an iced coffee we make in our room, my Bible, and notebook was a daily routine.  This was refreshment in many forms!
  2. The path down to the beach is beautiful to me.  The sea oats, grasses and sands are a garden of their own beauty.  With a backdrop of he ocean it’s like the curtain on a platform!
  3. Every morning except one we got up to see the sunrise and walk the beach.  Our girls think we’re crazy for not sleeping in on vacation, but we just can’t resist getting up to see the glory of the sunrise that God paints every day!
  4. We tried a new restaurant near the place where we stay.  They have rooftop seating that offers views of the ocean.  We tried their crab dip upon the recommendation of our waitress.  We were not disappointed!!
  5. Another spectacular sunrise!
  6. We had two rainstorms that came late in the afternoon, then cleared off, allowing us the opportunity to walk the beach afterwards.  This was the sunset after the storm.  What a sweet reminder of what God does for us after a trial!
  7. This is probably my favorite sunrise picture.  The whole sky was ablaze with color.
  8. This house is in an area of adorable homes.  They’re close together, but their colors make me think of Charleston’s downtown.
  9. We rarely ever eat breakfast out, and if we do, it’s NEVER on a Sunday.  However, last week, we got up at 6, walked/ran the beach, then shortly thereafter we headed to get breakfast before we got ready to go to church.  What a fun treat!

I have so many special memoies of this vacation.  How blessed we were to have this time together to strengthen our relationship with one another and the Lord, and to rest up so we’ll be ready for summer ministry that awaits.  We all need rest!  I hope you’ll have some time this summer to get away!

What is your favorit place for vacation?  The beach, mountains, historic sites?  I’d love to hear!

With love

Christian Life · Uncategorized

Swimming or Stinging

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Forgive me this week if I make several analogies about oceanlike things and places.  It’s just that the ocean is full of great lessons about our God.  He made it and He uses it, as in all His creation, to teach us spiritual truths. Romans 1:20 With no further ado, let’s stroll along the oceanfront!

Every day as we walked on the beach during vacation, there was a danger lurking.  You really have to keep your eyes on the path before you, lest you step on one of the MANY jellyfish that have washed up on the seashore.  Spite the fact that they may be dead, they still have the ability to sting and cause real pain!
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One day while we were out strolling, my husband had his eyes on the ocean.  I looked up just in time to see him about to step right on one of the washed-up sea creatures.  I called his name and he did a sidestep number that would make Fred Astaire take a back seat!  Yes, I laughed at him!  But my point is, the danger of the washed-up jelly fish is so great, that it makes you do crazy (and funny) things just to avoid them!

I looked at those jelly fish every single day.  Poor guys!  They could have been out in the ocean doing what jelly fish do – but they got caught up in a wave and were now rendered pretty useless, except for hurting unsuspecting passersby.

It reminded me of church members and Christians.  We have the opportunity to be a part of something glorious – the Church!  But if we’re not careful, we can get caught up in waves that will toss us out where, instead of being useful, we only hurt the cause of Christ instead.  What are some of those dangerous “waves” we might get caught up in?

  • Putting our eyes on people.  People will let us down; we must keep our eyes on Christ!
  • Being resentful of the Truth.  God loves you enough to confront your sin.  Confess it and get right rather than thinking it’s a person who’s against you.  If you’re being disobedient, God’s Holy Spirit will convict you.  God uses pastors and teachers to guide us to the truth.  Don’t be stubborn, but tender-hearted.
  • Getting burned out. Don’t try to do everything or serve in every ministry.  Give yourself time for a breather.  If you teach Sunday school, take time to be in the church service so you can be fed.  If you’re going to help in the nursery, make it Wednesday night.  
  • Listening to gossip.  Satan is out to destroy the ministry of the Church.  Remove yourself from people or groups who tear down the Church or its leaders.
  • Getting discouraged or hurt.  Life is full of hard situations, and sometimes it can be people or happenings at church that are most painful. Be mature in the Word and apply God’s comfort.  Forgive.  Move on.

Remember that in any of these situations, the tendency is to strike out – just like the jellyfish – and hurt others.  We want tell what’s happened to us, how we’ve been hurt or mistreated.  Instead of swimming along in the deep waters of God’s love, we’re dried up and hurting those that will stop long enough to step our direction.  The sad truth is that we’re also hurting the testimony of the Church and hindering lost people from trusting Christ.

Let’s learn a lesson from that dried up jellyfish and determine not to let that happen to us.  Let’s keep swimming, and keep fulfilling God’s will through the vehicle of the Church!  Swimming is lots better than stinging!

Lovingly,

dinner in 30 minutes · grilling · Main entree · Pork chops · Uncategorized

BBQ, Butter and Bargains

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We’ve been on vacation – maybe you’ve guessed.  (A week alone with my preacher husband has me spitting out alliterated blog post titles! Ha!)

While we’re away, we usually stay in a condo with cooking facilities.  We enjoy eating out, but after a while, we really prefer to fix our own meals so we can keep cost and calories to a minimum.

One huge blessing on this vacation was the discovery of two gas grills that have been added to the property where we stay!  We made a trip to Kroger and purchased some boneless pork chops.  Then I surveyed the ingredients I’d brought with me from home and I landed on a great recipe, mocking one we’ve enjoyed at The Chop House.  It has an herbed butter that takes the simply grilled chop to another level!  Here’s how I did it:

Grilled Pork Chops with Herbed Buttr

4 Boneless pork chops
Salt/Pepper
Cooking Spray

Herbed Butter
1/2 stick softened butter
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried rosemary

Combine ingredients for butter in a small bowl.  Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer.

Prepare grill by placing foil on grill and spraying with cooking spray. Heat grill.  Season chops with salt and pepper.  Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Check for doneness.  Remove from grill  Serve with a small ball of herbed butter on top of pork chops.

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My Menu:

Grilled Pork Chops with Herbed Butter
Sweet Potato Fries
Asian Chop Salad
Toasted Sour Dough Bread

When I figured up our meal, it cost us right at $6 for BOTH of our dinners!  I got the chops on sale, we got about 3 meals out of the bag of salad, and 3 meals from the Ore-Ida Potatoes!  The best part was how delicious the chops were!  They were every bit as good as what we’ve enjoyed at the restaurant!  We cooked all four on one night, but ate two the first evening and the other two the next night!  This meal was a scrumptious barbequed dinner, dripping with that herbed butter!

If you’re home, make this dinner and you might feel like you’re on vacation! Here was our view while we ate…

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God is so good to us!  It was a blessing that we don’t deserve, but that He graciously allowed.

Fire up your grill, and make these chops! Now, alliterate your recent meal  and leave it as a comment!

Reminiscing about the salt air,